A little into their second year of high school, the Raimon Soccer Club were on their way to the Holy Road finals. Then the car veers off the path, and they dive into the valley, where the car rolls off the cliff into the verge, and no one survives.
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They begin to rethink their actions.
Is what they're doing really the greatest way to rebel? No one can say for sure. But sometimes, people don't need a speech or a dramatic turnaround to change their heart.
People turn differently-- from actions, from experiences, from instinct, from tears.
Raimon find their own ways, slowly.
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Raimon wins the match with a 4 - 1, a clear dismissal of the predetermined score order.
Sangoku didn't have much to do, because Eito's forwards don't even make it to the goal. It's probably for the best, because Sangoku and the senior defenders still looked like they were having a crisis.
It was funny to see the coach on the other end absolutely lose his shit, but there was nothing they could do against the cheering crowd, the excited announcer, and all the TV coverage. Their hands were tied by their own farce.
Ms Otonashi's face was pale, but somehow, she didn't look all that troubled.
In fact, she pulls her glasses down to her eyes, and her feet shuffle almost restlessly. Like she wanted to go back into an old habit, snatch Akane's camera, and make one hell of a news scoop out of this amazing situation.
At some point, Aoi starts cheering loudly with Midori, and Akane's smile grows.
Shinsuke switches in for Kirino halfway through the second half, but the defense doesn't falter at all. Kirino makes his way to the bench-- and Coach Kudou fixes him a serious, stoical gaze.
(Kirino's forgotten how it felt to look this man in the eye.)
(It's been so long. So, so long since he was their coach. It's almost jarring to have him by their side again, giving instructions as he should.)
(Needless to say, he still has no idea how to interpret those meaningful gazes.)
Coach Kudou's face is expressionless as ever-- but he sets a hand on Kirino's, and tells him to sit down and rest his legs. Don't forget the cooling down exercises, because Kirino isn't playing again today and better treasure his stamina time.
Kirino has no idea what Coach Kudou is thinking, but well-- he was being nice, if nothing else. Hopefully it's of approval, or at least he wants to believe.
Who ever knows what Coach Kudou is thinking, anyways? Definitely not Kirino.
