Chapter 23: Mocking "Aaahn" And The Shocking Halftime Show
TL: Akabane
***
Sasaki's eyes light up at the baby sponge cake in the paper bag. Next to her, I'm being held up with a crepe and taco.
"It's not polite to eat while walk around, and you're not supposed to eat that until you sit down, okay?"
"I know! Don't treat me like a child right now."
You lied, you were going to eat it, you know.
After buying our purchases, we entered the stadium through the designated gate.
A strong wind blew from the inside of the stadium to the outside.
We went against the wind to our reserved seats on the lower level of the main stand side and looked out over the pitch.
Sprinklers spray water to cover the stadium with a white mist.
When the water stops, the beautiful pitch appears.
It's nice to be a pro, isn't it? I get to kick a ball on such a beautiful pitch.
"It's so close. From here you can see the fans and other things."
"Has Sasaki ever played a live concert at this stadium?"
"I don't know if I've ever used this stadium because of its location. But it's refreshing to see the pitch of a big stadium like this from the bleachers."
"...... I see, Sasaki used to be in the middle of that stadium."
I thought to myself that she must be deeply moved, but regardless, Sasaki took the taco from me and started eating it normally.
"Mmmm, spicy and delicious!"
Ruining the serious atmosphere, Sasaki raised her mask a little from underneath and ate the taco.
It's a troublesome way to eat since she can't remove her mask, but ...... she has no choice but to eat it that way.
"You like tacos?"
"Yes, I love tacos."
"Pancakes and tacos and ...... all your favorite things are floury things. Like crepes and baby sponge cakes."
"That's ok, I don't feel any guilt over rice."
"They're the same thing."
I watched Sasaki eat tacos and crepes in a daze for the rest of the game, and before I knew it, the players had come out onto the pitch to warm up.
The players appeared to loud applause from the crowd.
"Hey, which player are you cheering for, Makishima?"
Sasaki asked as he chewed on his crepe.
"The one in the uniform we're wearing."
"Um, number 9?"
"See, he's about to shoot--"
In front of the penalty area of the beautifully lit pitch.
Tokyo Frontier's number 9 (ace), with his white shoulder-length hair swinging in the air.
Although he is around 160 cm tall, he is Tokyo Frontier's speedster who can collapse the enemy's final line with his proud legs.
"Makoto Kurita, he's a senior in my high school."
"His hair is pure white and beautiful ....... he's small like a girl, but he's got a great shot ......."
Sasaki's hands stop eating her crepe.
Sasaki, who was more like a dumpling than a flower earlier, is staring intently at the field.
I was the same when I first saw professional soccer.
"Makishima, you saw that⁈ I thought that pass would never go through, but the No. 9 had great feet."
Even before the game, Sasaki was pretty hyped up.
That's because she was. The loud cheers you can't hear on TV, the intensity of the players who are willing to risk everything to get a single ball into the goal.
This is the world of professionals.
After warming up and the pre-game ceremonies were over, the important game was about to begin.
It was the third match of the N1 League, between Tokyo Frontier and Kashiwagi Rave.
Kashiwagi Rave's yellow uniforms spread out on the pitch.
"Is the enemy yellow team strong?"
"They're the team that finished third last year."
"Oh, that's bad. By the way, what about Tokyo?"
"They were 15th last year."
"They were the best team in the world!"
"Well, that was last year! This year, we're going to win."
"Then we have to win this game."
The game started, and after the kickoff, the Kashiwagi midfielder kicked the ball wide into the Tokyo area.
Chants (cheers) from the fans echoed from behind the goal, further increasing the sense of unity in the venue.
The game proceeded at Tokyo's pace, and the three top players, led by Makoto Kurita, used a backdoor tactic to put pressure on Kashiwagi's final line at once.
"The speed of the great ...... match is completely different from the last match I saw."
"That's right. There is too much difference between the second division of the university and the pro."
"If ...... Makishima goes pro, you'll fight here too, right?"
"I'm ...... a pro?"
"Yes."
"What are you talking about, Sasaki?" I tried to say that, but my mouth stopped just before I said it.
Yesterday, Aihara told me that she loves soccer.
I cried a lot at that time, and I learned that I've continued to college because I love soccer. ......But maybe that's not all.
"Yes, I am."
Sasaki has almost no knowledge of soccer.
Because she has almost no knowledge of soccer, so she doesn't understand that a second division college player like me is in an environment where he has no chance to play professionally.
But Sasaki's innocent words reminded me of why I play soccer.
The reason to continue playing soccer until college is not only because I love it.
"......Yes, that's right. I have to play at this speed if I'm going to be a pro."
"Yes, you're right. You have to make it to the first team first."
"Yeah, right."
I think this may be the first time I've ever said in public that I'm going pro.
Thank you Sasaki.
I can't say "I can't be a pro" in front of Sasaki.
But thanks to you, I was able to reaffirm that I want to be a pro.
I can't show you how uncool I am in front of you.
***
The match ended in a scoreless draw (0-0).
At halftime, Sasaki's "mooch time" began, and she opened the bag of baby sponge cakes she had been holding so dearly.
"Mokyu mokyu!"
"You eat a lot, don't you?"
"Do you want some too, Makishima?"
"...... You're not going to cheat me again like you did with the pancakes, aren't you?"
"I won't!"
"Then I'll have one."
"Yes, ahn~!"
Sasaki took out a baby sponge cake and put it in my mouth.
"Don't do anything embarrassing!"
"It's okay, for Makishima, today is a date, right?"
Sasaki teases me about my gaffe forever. What a pain in the ass.
"Come on, come on, we have to eat soon..."
--- "Hey! Supporters at the venue!"
At that moment, the stadium DJ's announcement echoes throughout the stadium.
--- "It's time for the halftime show! Today's guest is...! What a surprise! Mizuki, former leader of Genesistars and now a singer-songwriter!"
Yellow shouts could be heard not only from the supporters, but also from the fans who were there for that very purpose.
"Former Genesistars...... is that Sasaki?"
A baby sponge cake spills out of Sasaki's hand.
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