IEGO: CS || Wavering Hearts

『 CHAPTER 5 』

Somehow, in someway, Alpha agreed to your invitation to check out the soccer club.

Along the way to the clubhouse's training grounds, you asked him a question via your phone, "Where do you come from?"

200 years in the future. "Somewhere far," he answered instead.

You tilted your head. You brought back your phone, typed something, then showed the screen back to him:

"Lemme guess. From Greek? Cause your kanji sounds like the term Alpha."

Alpha looked straight at you. "No."

You scratched your cheek.

You thought up of more questions to ask. You didn't feel like asking the "what do you like" question.

"Hey, [Name]!"

You looked up from your phone to see Kariya and Sangoku approaching you. You smiled and waved back.

When Sangoku's eyes landed on Alpha, his eyes widened. While Kariya didn't notice, you did. Alpha, in return, merely looked and nodded at Sangoku, just to acknowledge him.

"Oh, hey, you're that new kid Afuru, right?" Kariya pointed at Alpha.

"Yes," Alpha replied.

"Nice to meet cha! I'm in the same class as you, and the name's Kariya Masaki. Let's shake on it!"

Kariya outstretched his hand. Alpha knew the teal─haired boy, having met him to bring him to the day he came to the orphanage. Or, never, really, when the timeline changed to return things in place. So, of course, this Kariya he had never met was the timeline you lived in.

Kariya sweated the longer Alpha stared at his hand. He mumbled to you and Sangoku, "Why isn't he shaking my hand?"

"Probably because he knows you have a zapper on your palm." Sangoku deadpanned.

That was true. Aside from the previous details mentioned, Alpha knew that Kariya Masaki was a notorious two─faced prankster.

"Wait, is it that obvious?!" Kariya almost shouted.

You nodded.

Kariya deflated.

Alpha quietly sighed.

Though he didn't ask, you introduced Sangoku and Kariya to him. He nodded as an acknowledgement. He followed right behind the three of you.

"You know, [Name], how much does your z─makeup cost?"

Alpha perked up when Kariya asked. Z─makeup, is that a product brand in this timeline?

You signed to him.

Kariya spluttered, "That's expensive! Why don't you ask Shindou─senpai to buy it for you?"

Sangoku bonked Kariya's head. "Don't you think Shindou will be weirded out if he's asked to buy that for her?"

Kariya rubbed his head. "She can just say it's for a ritual or something. You know the team already knows her uncle's super creepy."

It was your turn to bonk his head.

"Ow! Hey, it's the truth!"

Yuukoku Hiroyuki. A former soccer player and student of Occult Jr High. Perhaps because of its niche in the dark arts and subjects, the school faded into obscurity. Genei Academy was seen a better version of it, but Occult Jr High still remained standing in this period.

Alpha also figured Yuukoku had an affinity for the occult.

Do you like subjects about occultism too? Alpha wondered.