How Flame Striker and Ice Maiden Met

He sets everything on raging hellfire. She freezes everything into ice sculptures. What if Goenji and Suzuno had met before Raimon Eleven reunites with their ace striker? GoenjixSuzuno!

~~~ Flame Striker and Ice Maiden ~~~

The sun was ready to set and darkness of night started engulfing the beautiful sky. Somewhere quite far from Narashika Park, Goenji sat on a boulder in a forest. It would be unwise for him to show himself in public, just in case he'll run into those aliens who are out to hunt him down and bring him to their headquarters. The ace striker ran his fingers through his spiky hair as his mind was in mess thinking about what he should do next.

It was a hard decision to make, leaving his teammates behind after their humiliating defeat against Gemini Storm, even if it was Hitomiko-kantoku who 'dismissed' him from the team. Leaving his teammates in time like this...Endou injured...his teammates worrying and panicking...the Prime Minister kidnapped by those aliens...the clear difference of level between them and the aliens.

What's more frustrating is his inability to help his own team, not at the cost of his little sister being injured. Hearing Endou pleading for him not to leave the team truly touched his heart. He wanted to confess to him so badly, to tell what was actually going on and asks for his forgiveness for not giving his all in the match. Alright, maybe it will not change the result of the match but in the field, a soccer player must give his all in every match.

He didn't know where on Earth or at least, Japan he should go. He should be in a hiding since he refused to be caught and be used against his own team. But he also needs to make sure that whatever he decides from now on will not jeopardise Yuuka's safety. At least if he goes into hiding, the aliens wouldn't be able to threaten him and he will not become a liability to Endou and the others. And top it all, he was lost in the forest. It's like an endless maze and he's the trapped traveller. He had to admit it was rather careless of him not to leave traces behind so that he could find his way out.

But where should he go?

It was getting dark.

He needed someplace where he can take refuge and freshen himself up before going on again.

Staying at the same place longer than six hours is risky. He needs to keep moving so that it will be harder for the aliens to track down his whereabouts.

"Maybe I should just keep walking for now. Perhaps I will find some place to spend the night. It's better than staying here and do nothing." He thought in his mind as he stood up from the boulder, dusted off his pants and started walking again. As he continued exploring the forest, he jumped over the tree roots, pushing away the low tree branches and slapped a few mosquitoes.

The idea to make fire using the sticks and making a fire torch occurred to him, but he couldn't find dry woods to use. He could have used the light from his cell phone but he turned it off to save the battery, just in case of emergency when he needed to call for help. Since he left as soon as he was told to by Hitomiko-kantoku, he only has a few things with him such, which are his cell phone and a tool knife.

He could have used the goddamn tool knife his father gave him to carve markings on the trees along his walk.

Goenji was no hunter or a genius like Kidou, but he had a feeling that someone was watching him from a direction he couldn't pinpoint where exactly. He had only recently noticed that he wasn't alone in the forest at night when he heard footsteps that wasn't coming from his shoes. Perhaps he had just been found. Someone else was here with him, watching him keenly and never letting him out of their sight.

Still pretending to be oblivious, Goenji continued to walk deeper and deeper into the forest while keeping his eye sharp and his ears perked up to catch anything unusual. Although the stalker was stealth, Goenji's smarter than them. The platinum blonde purposely walks through the walk with most twigs on the ground while carefully avoided from stepping on them. The sound of the twigs snapping reached his ear and he swung around to punch the stalker in the face.