The Truth Behind His Smile

Where It All Began

Hi, Guys! Before you read this, please be aware that I am the real author of this story. There's another user out there that copied this from my account in Fanfiction.net. The user is Kagamine_Ren. So, her story is actually mine. I'm not copying anyone, since this was made by me.

Anyway, enjoy! And have a cookie! (::) (::)

Kariya lazily looked out the window from his seat. He watched as hundreds of small raindrops fell from the sky and made contact with the window. The teal-haired defender tried to look at their surroundings, but his efforts were in vain. The numerous raindrops were limiting his line of sight. Kariya gritted his teeth, remembering clearly of how they got into this mess.

It all started three days ago. The team was practicing like usual when Haruna told them they got a letter. Apparently, they received an invitation from a soccer team in Okinawa. They offered to play a friendly match with them there in three days.

Tenma, being the team captain, gladly accepted it. Endou and Haruna were also on board the idea right away. After that, the team eventually agreed one by one. The managers were also excited.

They were all going, except for Kidou. He said that he already had plans on that day, so he wasn't able to go. After confirming the team's approval, Haruna quickly wrote a letter back to the Okinawa team. She told them that they approved and will be there.

The match started earlier this morning. The Okinawa team was strong. They had some pretty strong techniques and also very talented players. The goalkeeper even managed to stop Tsurugi's Death Sword without breaking a sweat. Their tactics were also strong. So strong, Double Wing had to be evolved into Double Wing V2 to get past it.

Eventually, Raimon won with the score of 3-2. It was a close one, though. If Tenma, Shindou and Tsurugi didn't do a shoot chain in the last few minutes, it would've been a draw. And if that happened, the Okinawa players would've won. The team could tell that they were better at penalties than they are. After saying their goodbyes, the team finally head back to Inazuma Town.

But after about 5 minutes, rain showed up. It poured down really hard. Fog also materialized out of nowhere, making it extremely hard to see. Because of that, they were now lost. To avoid any accidents, Furukabu drove the caravan to the side of the road. Now, they were at the side of the road that's surrounded by trees and more trees. And that was how they got into this mess.

Kariya frowned, "Coach, where are we exactly?"

Endou, who was discussing something with Haruna, halted and turned to him. "I don't know, Kariya. I'm trying to find out, please be patient." He said bluntly. The latter stopped looking around and sat down, "I am patient. It's just that I can only see a road surrounded by trees," he shook his head and shrugged, "No buildings, houses or any sort."

Beside him, Hikaru anxiously nodded. "It's also getting dark." In front of them, Shinsuke rubbed his hands together and added, "And cold."

Endou sighed. Not only the rain made it hard to see, it also made the temperature drop. The coach eyed the other players. Most of them were shivering and even the managers were snuggled together to make themselves warm.

The only ones who weren't affected were Shindou, Tsurugi and Tenma. Tenma was raised here, so it's natural that's he's unaffected. For the other two, it's unknown. Maybe they're used to it? Or maybe they were good at handling it? Whatever it is, the three of them were the only ones who didn't shiver.

Endou narrowed his eyes and turned to Haruna, "Are there any blankets?" The advisor shook her head sadly, "...No. It was supposed to be a quick trip, so I didn't bring any."

The coach gritted his teeth. At this rate...

"Coach Endou."

Upon hearing his name, Endou blinked and turned towards a certain midfielder. "What is it, Tenma?"

The latter looked slightly hesitant, "Um, do we need to take shelter?" the brunet nervously asked. He winced when he got an angry "OF COURSE!" from almost everyone. Well, he can't blame them though. In their current situation, that was a really dumb question. It was like asking, "Do we need an umbrella?" in the middle of a storm.

Endou, on the other hand, blinked in confusion. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

Tenma was still tense from the glares by his friends, but he eventually spoke. "F-Fortunately my house is not that far away. We can just take shelter there until the rain stops." The brunet said, pointing his finger to the right.

Shinsuke blinked. "Really, Tenma?" The midfielder turned to his friend and nodded. "Yep!" he grinned cheerfully. For a while, Shinsuke didn't do anything and just stared at him. But after that, he beamed excitedly and hugged the brunet. Tenma didn't expect that reaction, so he gasped in surprise.

"Thanks, Tenma!" the defender said. Tenma stared at his friend, slightly confused. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Nishiki grinning behind him. "Now, that's what I'm talking about! Thanks, Tenma!"

After that, the other players started thanking Tenma too. Tenma still didn't know why they were thanking him, but he let it be. In the back, Aoi and the managers sighed in relief while Endou just grinned. At least they didn't have to worry about shelter anymore.

Tsurugi, however, didn't look as happy. "Are you sure, Tenma?"

The midfielder heard him and turned around. He tilted his head slightly to the right, "About what?" Shindou glanced at Tsurugi and slowly caught on. "Will your parents mind us staying?"

That made Tenma blink. The brunet's eyes were shaky and he turned to the floor. The striker and ex-captain gasped slightly. They didn't expect that reaction. "Tenma?"

Tenma's bangs covered his eyes, so they didn't have a clear view of it. But, they managed to get a glimpse of it filled with unshed tears. That made Tsurugi and Shindou even more concerned.

"Nah, I think they won't mind." The brunet still looked sad, but he shook his head. His gaze slowly turned back to his two friends. He grinned, but not as cheerfully.

Before Tsurugi and Shindou had the chance to answer though, Tenma already turned to Endou. He smiled, "Is it OK, Coach Endou?"

Endou, in response, smiled widely. "Of course! Let's get going!"