Life As Teikoku's Manager (an Inazuma Eleven f.f.)

Stress is Contagious

The next morning, I forgot what had been stuck in my mind last night. Really, what could be more important than winning the next match? Yes, that must have been it, nerves must have been making my mind go in circles. After all, we still haven't perfected the hissatsu that me, Someoka, and Kazemaru were making. We had to really speed up our progress, yesterday's plans had been completely soiled, but it wasn't all for nothing. At least Raimon trusts me now. Or at least for now. We won't be able to tell how far that bond goes until we get on the field.

Time Skip to After School; Gouenji's POV

It was already forty minutes into practice, and Inoue was still missing. I was seriously starting to get worried. It isn't like her to be late by so much or to skip practice. She probably went someplace secluded to go train who knows what. I know she is getting a little jittery about our next match, but we all are. Especially Kidou, these days he is going crazy I wouldn't want to train with him, because it would result in me being his beating bag. Not a nice thought.

Though I had really been looking foward to training with Inoue again, but we never really had the opportunity. The first day we were never paired up together, and practice was quickly interupted by Ichinose. Then the next time, Endou, Domon, and Ichinose was hogging the field for Tri-Pegasus, not that I was complaining since it did help us win against Senbayama. After that, it was rare that we ever got any chance for some real, serious one on one training. Endou was always rounding me up to help him or to encourage me to make another joint hissatsu with Kidou or Ichinose. But who I really wanted to make a move with was Inoue, though she seemed more interested in working with Someoka and Kazemaru instead. I didn't completely understand nor forgive her for fooling me and all of Kidokawa into thinking that she was a boy yet. I mean, think about it, she saw us all changing. That counts for something. Though thinking back, she never used the locker room to change, so I couldn't be sure.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Kidou beckon me over. I knew what he wanted, but I shook my head. He returned with a frown that had an edge of firmness in it then pointed casually at his bag when he thought no one was looking.

I sighed in defeat, then grimaced and gritted my teeth, and walked over to the back of a tree which Kidou was casually moving toward, where we couldn't be heard.

What both me and Kidou missed was the same pair of grey eyes watching our every move.

Neutral POV

"Ah, where could Sakurai be? We can't practice a joint combination hissatsu without the setting member!" Someoka shouted in frustration as he, Kazemaru, and a tailing Kabeyama who was struggling to catch up started making their third round around the school trying to find the said striker.

"Somehow, I think we will be looking for her more than we will be training today," the teal haired boy panted. The other defender collapsed on the ground. "Can we take a little break first?" he asked in an unmotivated voice. It was no wonder though, for they had already searched the whole campus in the scorching heat longer than any of their patience's worth. And right now all of them were going to snap.

"I swear, when I finally find her, I'll..." the pink haired striker cursed under his breath. The classmates standing nearby all inched to the side of the hall after hearing Someoka's threats, which were too grotesque to mention right now. Kazemaru tried to calm his friend down, but you could easily tell that his heart wasn't in it, because all he wanted to do was lie on the ground like Kabeyama right now.

"Now where haven't we already searched?" Kazemaru pondered this question, only half aware that he was talking out loud as they continued to storm down the school grounds. Suddenly, a light bulb seemed to click in Kabeyama's brain, and he exclaimed, "The Inabikari Training Center!"