1 Chapter 01 : Riku Takahashi

-Tokyo, 22 March 2017-

It was late evening in Tokyo. The sky is getting darker. People walked faster, afraid as the weather is getting colder. While it is almost springtime, the weather is still a bit cold for people to go outside at night.

However, among the crowds whose walk getting faster and faster, a boy with glasses around 15 years old still with his middle school uniform, walked slowly with the ball on his feet. He juggled it flawlessly, shifting the ball from the left foot to the right, lifting it up to his head, control it with his shoulder before letting it fall to his left foot once again.

His name is Riku Takahashi, a third years middle schooler at Musashi middle school. Nobody except the member of the Musashi football team knows that before Jun Misugi took over, Riku was the captain of the team. However, he stopped playing football right before the last tournament in his primary school because his father forbade him to do that.

His father, Fuji Takahashi, was one of the richest men in Japan. He owned several technology companies that go international in the past years. However, he was also one of the strictest fathers in the world. He forced Riku to learn a lot of things from the age of five, from etiquette to foreign language. He also forbade Riku from doing other extracurriculars that he didn't approve like football as he said only barbarians would do that.

Honestly, there is no love between him and his father. His father only saw him as an heir, and Riku saw his father as someone he loathed so much for taking his freedom away. That is why when the hospital told his family that his father died due to heart complications, he didn't feel bad at all. Instead, he was glad, as it is his ticket to freedom.

Riku keeps dribbling the ball until he arrived in front of a huge mansion, a place where he lives with his family. However, before he realizes it, he was hit right in his stomach like a missile by a little girl.

"Rikkun! You are home!" The little girl grinned, showing off her large teeth to her brother. Her name is Reina Takahashi, the youngest daughter of Fuji Takahashi.

"Reina-chan! Don't go running around!"

A woman's voice could be heard from inside the mansion, scolding the little girl. When Riku looked up to search for the source of the voice, he could see a woman in her late thirties staring at the little girl with a stern expression. Her name is Akiko Takahashi, and she is his mother.

They are in the same boat, trapped inside the mansion with their freedom in their father's hand. His mother was arranged into marriage when she was fifteen. And his father wanted to do the same to his sister to strengthen his business by arranging for her to marry someone from a rich family. That is the reason why he did all of the shits his father wanted to do, so if someday he became the head of the family, he can protect his sister and his mother better.

Fortunately for him, he didn't have to do that as when his father died, his mother inherited all of the wealth his father owned. Riku was fortunate though, as his mother is very smart and had experience in handling business. At least he didn't need to worry about being the head of the family right now, as his mother is doing really well.

"Don't worry Okaa-san, she is with me right now."

"KYAAAH!!" Reina squealed when her brother lifts her up to his shoulder, much to the amusement of their mother.

"Ara~ Riku-chan, welcome home. Your friends are waiting for you inside."

"Friends?" Riku frowned. As long as he remembers, he has never shared his address with his friends except one. So, he had a pretty good idea about what to expect from his 'friends' right now.

"Yup, your friends. They have waited for you for almost thirty minutes. Honestly, why did you just go home and play with your ball here instead of doing it outside? Your father is dead now, you don't need to be afraid of him anymore." She grumbled lowly so that only Riku can hear what she said.

Riku could only rub the back of his head sheepishly.

"I am sorry. It is just a habit, I guess. I will try to avoid that, though."

"Yeah, you do that Rikkun!" Reina who sits comfortably on his shoulder pulled his hair, resulting in a yelp from the teenager.

"Ow! A bit gentler please, Reina-chan!" He pleaded weakly. However, Reina just giggles at his reaction and pulled his hair harder.

"OUCH! It hurts! Have mercy please, Reina-chan!" Seeing as Reina didn't bulge for a bit, his mother decided to save Riku from his misery.

"Okay, that is enough, Reina-chan. Your brother has guests waiting for him inside. You don't want your brother to be seen as rude, right?" Reina pouted but still nodded at what her mother said.

Riku muttered a quiet thank to his mother who get a simple nod as the answer. He didn't mind though, as he puts his sister down on the floor again. He took a deep breath before muttering,

'Okay, let's meet these friends of mine.'

----------------------------------------------

Riku is right. The friends who wait for him are Jun Misugi and Yayoi Aoba, the captain, and manager of the Musashi football team.

"Jun! Yayoi-chan! It's been a long time since I see you two! What can I do for you?" He took a seat in front of them.

"Well, I am here to offer my condolences-"

"Cut the crap, Jun. It doesn't suit you. You know the relationship between me and my father, and you know I am happy with his death. What do you want?" Yayoi giggles at how Riku interrupted Misugi rudely.

"He got you there, Jun-kun. I told you he would say that." Riku raised his eyebrows.

"Hooo~ It is Jun-kun right now huh, Yayoi-chan? You move fast." He nodded in approval, causing a shade of red on Yayoi's face.

*Cough* Misugi coughed to gain Riku's attention.

"Well, since you say that, I will not beat around the bush. Captain, please join us again and help us win the national tournament." He bowed deeply, making Riku frown a little.

"You are still on the team, Jun? I thought I told you to take a break until you get your health better. Football means nothing if you died, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. That is why I have been away from football for almost two years. But this year will be the final years, and my doctor also gives me the green light to go for thirty minutes a game, so-"

"The final years of what?" Riku interrupted, getting a glare from Yayoi for interrupting Misugi. However, Misugi doesn't really care about that,

"This year is the final year Tsubasa Ozora will play here. He has already been accepted into the youth team of Sao Paulo in Brazil and he will go there after the tournament is over, so this is my last chance to play against him."

"Sao Paulo? Not Europe?" Riku leaned his body slightly, a bit interested in this news.

"From what I heard, his father has a friend who works as a junior coach at Sao Paulo, and Tsubasa-kun has already experienced what it means to get coached by him. So, when he was offered to go to Brazil with this friend of his father, he accepted without hesitation."

Riko raised his eyebrows slightly, not expecting Misugi to have the detail answer of his question.

"You know that much?"

"He is fanboying over Ozora-san," Yayoi muttered quietly, causing a snicker from Riku.

"Then, why do you need my help?"

"Oh, come on, captain! If people say I would be better than Tsubasa if I am healthy, what would people say if you are far better than me? Hell, I haven't even defeated you in any form even when I am healthy." Riku smirked a little.

"Why, thank you for the compliment. I don't know you think of me that high, Jun."

Misugi growled in annoyance. Honestly, it still baffled Yayoi how the calm and cool Misugi would act like a child when he is with Riku, bantering and blabbering without caring about his own persona.

"Well, back to the topic, my question is still standing. Why do you need my help?" Misugi took a deep breath before he spoke,

"To put it bluntly, the team is weak." He said, surprising Yayoi who never heard Misugi say a bad thing about his team.

"Don't get me wrong, I love this team. But out of all members, only Minoru, Shinji, and Akira can hold their own in the national tournament, and that would probably be against the weaker team. But before that, we had to go against Toho Academy first if we want to be in the tournament.

Toho is one of the title contenders this year, with Hyuga-kun as their ace. They are the runner-up for the last two national tournaments, only lost against Nankatsu with Tsubasa-kun on their team. As you can see, I am not confident enough with the team as I would be on the field just for half of the game. That is why when I heard the news of your father, I come here immediately to ask for your help. What do you think about it?"

Hiroyuki didn't give Misugi the answer immediately. He pondered for a moment, leaving the room in tense and awkward silence.

"Just do it, Riku-chan!" His mother's voice came from behind.

"Okaa-san.."

"I know you want to play football again. You still spend most of your free time playing football even if you are alone. Just do it and don't worry about us. With your father gone, I can protect your sister better now."

Riku didn't give the answer immediately, still unsure about what to do.

"Tell you what," Misugi spoke, gaining the attention of all of them. "Just help us against Toho, and if somehow you still don't have the spark to play football with us, we will not bother you. How about that?"

Looking at the pleading look from Misugi and Yayoi and the reassurance from his mother, Riku sighed in defeat manner.

"Even if I agree with your condition, how do you plan to get me into the team? If I remember correctly, there is no such thing as registration for new players in the middle of the tournament." This time, it is Yayoi who gives him a sly smirk.

"You don't have to worry about that, Takahashi-san. We always put Jun-kun and your name into our player's list every year in case both of you somehow were able to play. We did that in the last two years."

Now, not only Riku but his mother and Misugi also have dumbfounded looks on their face, not believing that a harmless girl like Yayoi could manage to pull that stunt.

Riku who didn't have any other argument scowled at his two friends who have smug smiles on their faces. It is not that he doesn't want to join again, but he didn't have time to think about anything after his father's death. But since they both cornered him in front of his mother, he could not back down right now.

"Fine, you convince me. I will play for you against Toho. When is the match?" His question wiped the smug smile on their face and changed it into a sheepish one.

"Well, the match is tomorrow.."

"WHAAATT?!"