THE PAIN - Inazuma Eleven Go Fanfic

CHAPTER 70: BLUR FRAGMENTS

The next morning arrived slower than most—a welcome change.

Raimon had been granted a rare day off. How they spent it was entirely up to them: train, explore, or simply rest. Arion, leaning casually against the back of the sofa, had already voiced his opinion earlier.

"Rest sharpens the mind," he'd said at breakfast, casual but certain. "If you go in tense, you'll play tense. Take the day. Let your head breathe."

Now, the team found themselves sprawled around the lounge, the soft murmur of the television playing in the background. Sunlight spilled through the wide windows, catching motes of dust that drifted lazily in the air. The faint scent of the morning's toast and tea still lingered.

Their managers sat with them, flipping through a magazine and occasionally glancing up when the conversation turned lively. Coach Endou and Haruna had already left, heading to Shizen Academy. Shizen's coach had personally invited them over—whether for casual talk or something more, no one was sure.

"So," Nishiki began, stretching his arms over his head, "what are you all doing today?"

Ichino perked up. "Aoyami and I are going around the mountain. There's a trail we haven't tried yet."

"We're heading into town," Ichino said, gesturing to Hamano beside him. "Might grab some snacks, maybe check out that small arcade."

The conversation rolled easily between them, everyone sharing small ideas for how they'd spend the hours ahead—until a small scuffle at the side of the room began to draw attention.

As plans were traded back and forth, the comfortable rhythm of the conversation was broken by a faint scuffle in the corner. Kurama and Kariya were shoulder-bumping each other, one trying to let the other go ahead, both with the same stubborn glint in their eyes. It looked like they were fighting over who got to speak first.

"Oi, you do it," Kurama muttered under his breath.

"No, you do it," Kariya shot back, shoving him lightly with an elbow.

The rest of the team glanced their way, curiosity piqued. Whatever they were so eager to say, it was clear neither wanted to speak first.

Kurama finally gave Kariya a harder shove, forcing him to do it. "Alright, fine, I'll say it—"

Kariya hesitated, glancing around at the team. "Actually... nah. Better if I just show you."

He dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone, swiping a few times before holding it out toward Shindou, who sat across from him.

Shindou took the phone, eyes narrowing slightly as he studied the photo on the screen. Beside him, Tsurugi leaned in, his expression sharpening.

"Where did you get this?" Tsurugi asked, voice low.

Kurama and Kariya exchanged a quick, guilty glance.

"Yesterday morning," Kurama began, "we... uh, kind of wandered into the right wing of the building. You know, where we're not really supposed to go."

Kariya let out a nervous laugh. "We were just curious. Honest. One thing led to another, and we found ourselves in some random player's room.

The two of them explained everything—the long corridors, several players' rooms, the almost-busted encounter, and finally the laptop left by Minoru with downloaded files. By the time they finished recounting it all, the lounge had fallen silent.

Everyone sat processing the weight of their words.

Shindou broke the silence, his voice steady but edged with unease. "Why would they have this kind of data? I heard from Coach Kidou—it's not easy to acquire international files like these unless you've scouted the teams in person."