章 22: Holding Hands To School

"Take care!"

"We're going mom," Sota called out just as he and Aiko exited the house. Heaving a sigh, Sota was relieved that the suffering from second-hand embarrassment was over.

It was a somewhat cloudy morning but the morning heat already filled the streets with warmth. Birds could be heard chirping everywhere, and the usual light noise of steps could be heard from the joggers and passers-by alike.

Smiling, Aiko leaned in a little bit closer as the two of them sauntered towards school. They still had a couple of minutes so Aiko decided to take her sweet time enjoying the walk with Sota just before she brought up the main topic of the day.

"I know what you're going to say," Sota let out another sigh. "I'm still undecided."

"But why? You were amazing yesterday, incredible, even. It's the first time I've seen something like that." Aiko said, raising her volume a little bit.

Her choice of words were a little suspicious, causing a pause to the steps of the people in the vicinity. Even then, Aiko remained oblivious to the stares since she was wholly focused on Sota.

Sota turned crimson as he lowered his head. He didn't bother explaining to everyone what Aiko really meant. Instead, he grabbed Aiko by the hand and dragged her out of there. "What are you saying?" He hissed, almost sort of a whisper.

"What?" Aiko blinked twice, not comprehending what Sota implied when he asked the obvious question.

"Look, I..." Sota exhaled to the point where all the air left his lungs. "Just look up my name on the internet and you'll know. I'm not joining."

"You mean... your injury and all? How someone purposefully crushed your legs during the finals and how you were hospitalized for half a year?" Aiko nodded her head. "I know, I looked you up last night."

"Wait, it was on purpose?! Who said? How did they arrive at that conclusion?" Sota was just as surprised when Aiko answered his question.

In retrospect, he resolved himself not to look at any articles or news regarding his injuries. And his family members were mindful enough not to talk about the topic.

That's why he had no idea about what Aiko implied. There were many theories, and many heated topics regarding his injury, but for someone to say that it was on purpose was a low blow indeed.

Shaking his head, Sota decided to disregard what Aiko was saying. "In any case, I'm not joining, Aiko. I've already given up on football."

Aiko's face reddened as she slowly drooped her head down before nodding. She kept on staring at her hand, wondering why Sota hadn't let go yet.

Quite frankly, Sota was also wondering the same thing. He inadvertently grabbed his hand because of the commotion she caused, and now he missed the timing to let go of it.

A couple of minutes later, the two of them reached Seiryuu High School, its entrance bustling with activity. Now was the time to let go...

... or so that's what Sota thought.

Before he could do anything, he noticed someone familiar running up to them, waving his hand. Grinning from ear to ear, he greeted his big brother a good morning. "Sota-nii, good morni— ehhh~"

His gaze slowly landed on Sota's hand before turning away. He exhaled. "So that's how it is, Sota-nii."

"W-wait, it's not what you think!" Sota called out, finally letting go of Aiko's hand as he called out to Riku.

"I see, so you're already that close, huh, I see..." Riku muttered before he roared with laughter. "I'm just kidding, Sota-nii. I'll be heading to class now. Have fun!"

A smile spread across Sota as he waved back to his younger brother. He then turned to Aiko, who was still blushing, her face a nice tint of crimson. "See you at lunch, Aiko,"

"Uhn~" Aiko flashed a smile before running towards the school building. She briefly turned back to wave at Sota before running up the stairs.

— — —

Gently, the morning sun streamed through the classroom windows, casting a warm glow on the rows of desks. Sota sat at the far end corner, absently doodling in his notebook while waiting for the teacher to arrive.

The chatter of his classmates filled the room, but Sota's thoughts were elsewhere, still lingering on yesterday's practice match.

Suddenly, the door slid open with a soft thud, and the classroom fell silent. The homeroom teacher, Mr. Tanaka, stepped in, followed by a tall, slender figure. Mr. Tanaka cleared his throat, capturing everyone's attention.

"Good morning, class," he began. "We have a new student joining us today. Please welcome Yukishiro Ouji."

Sota looked up, his curiosity piqued. The new student stepped forward, revealing a striking appearance: white hair that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight and eyes as pale as the first snow of winter. He stood with an air of serene confusion, as if he were unsure whether he was in the right place.

Sleepily, he looked up, giving everyone a good glimpse of his above-average features. Without further ado, he turned around, writing his name on the board.

"I'm Yukishiro Ouji." He introduced himself like a statue who just learned how to speak.

"All right, that's it. Take your seat, let's start our class. Your seat will be right beside Kazemachi Sota there." The homeroom teacher pointed at the empty spot beside Sota.

"Ouji is Russian-Japanese. He is an exchange student who should've been here on the first day but his flight had some complications. He told me he's still not fluent in Japanese so take good care of him, okay?" The homeroom teacher continued as Ouji made his way to his seat.

"Kazemachi Sato," Ouji said out of nowhere, attracting Sato's attention. "I know you."

For a split second, Sato locked eyes with Ouji as he stared at him. He had no idea why he called him out of the blue, but it was certainly surprising. After all, this was the first time they met each other, or so that's what he thought.

"I'm Ouji, I look forward to your game." He continued.