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.
...
17. making it all mine (that voice, that smile, everything)
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Kogarashi Manor is frequented by a whole bunch of weird residents, but honestly, the Kirino house probably gets a weirder ensemble.
Fifth Sector's retaliation continues.
Minamisawa isn't safe just yet.
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Maestro sings.
It sounds to Namikawa like a sea shanty, not sung in mundanity, but in defeat. There's nothing anyone in Kaiou can do but watch as the ball goes through, the whistle sounds out loud and shrill, and the song of victory plays for Raimon Junior High.
It's their heads on the chopping block now.
Namikawa clicks his tongue. All around him, his team were in different stages of frustration, and he could only stand there, painfully aware of what was to come.
He had to do something.
Anything.
"Hey," he calls out, before Kirino can walk to join the rest of the team. Namikawa's face is set in a scowl. "Raimon's affiliated with El Dorado, isn't it?"
Kirino raises a brow.
"Well... that's the public perception, I believe. I don't really know if we're considered affiliated or not," Kirino says, a halfway answer that doesn't really say a thing.
And Namikawa understands. Of course they don't trust him at this point— it'd be dumb of them to reveal this kind of allegiance at this point.
"I..."
His hands are whiteknuckled over his side.
Kirino considers his expressions. He's biting his lip, struggling with his own demons, with his own pride— and Kirino considers all of that.
"Well... I've got no promises, but what would you have done if I had said yes?" Kirino asks. "I mean, I guess you can tell the higher-ups, it's not like it's any less risky already."
"If–!" Namikawa stops himself, but he bitees back his hesitation and finally gets the words out. "Please. I need to ask a favour of you."
Kirino looks around.
The Raimon team has gone over to dogpile Tenma. The referee is standing with the coaches. The minds of the crowd are focused on the centre of the field. He glances toward the benches to see Akane staring back at him. He nods, and she nods back.
