A Long-term Wish

Emerald eyes darted across the field just before she made a backflip to avoid the tackle from behind, making sure to keep the ball with her. Her long ponytail swished behind her as she dribbled across the field, avoiding any player that would try to intercept her.

"Carlo, you use sliding too much," she called out while spinning to avoid the oncoming defender. "Enzo, move around more. Just because someone's passed you doesn't mean that you're job's over."

She shot the ball to the goal but the keeper made no move to stop it, staring into space while still in stance. Rushe frowned for a second before her features morphed into a small glare. "Ivan, you didn't even try to stop that."

The keeper blinked, as though he had just been brought back to Earth. Rushe made a "tch". Damnit, they knew she hated being non-serious during training.

"Coach!" Ivan exclaimed quickly — a bit too quickly — and her eyes widened.

Turning around, she saw he brunet she had come to know as an older brother trying to hide his amusement, probably at Ivan using him as an excuse to divert her attention. She'd get back at him later.

Soon, the whole team was cluttered around their coach with a synchronized shout of, "Coach Fidio!"

In front of the huddle her team had formed, Rushe stared at Fidio for a while as a smile made it's way to her face at a snail's pace. "I though you were in Japan."

"My job there is done." He smiled the same way he would whenever he would make a teasing remark. "Don't tell me you've forgotten the name of your own coach."

Rushe rolled her eyes. "Very funny." Turning to the meaning faces of the rest, she announced, "Guys, that's all for today's practice."

If possible, their faces lit up even more.

Over everyone's chatter, she heard Fidio say, "Rushe, I need to talk to you about something. Alone."

Rushe turned to him with a frown of confusion, blinking in surprise. Usually, Fidio said whatever he wanted in front of everyone.

"Okay."

⚽⚽⚽⚽

The two left their celebrating team in the field, taking their conversation inside Team Rinascintica's lounge. Rushe found herself staring as Fidio took what seemed to be a DVD from his bag. "Uh...coach?"

Fidio sighed. "I told you that I had to go to see a sick friend, right?" Bewildered, Rushe just nodded mutely. She wanted to say something even though she didn't know what, but words refused to come out of her mouth as though trapped. Where was this conversation going?

Fidio looked away, busying himself with the DVD player on top of the TV. "I lied."

The two words seemed to break the barrier that had suddenly appeared between her mouth and outside. "Wha—? Why? What were you doing then? Why couldn't you tell us?" Just like that, the fog of questions that had abruptly clouded her mind flowed out of her like a stream.

The sigh Fidio heaved this time was more long suffering than he last. "The real reason I had to go was..."

Instead of completing the statement, Fidio played the DVD. Rushe's eyebrows furrowed as the screen lit up to show a stadium she didn't recognize.

"At long last, the members of Shinsei Inazuma Japan who will fight the world are going to be announced!"

"Shinsei...Inazuma Japan?" Wasn't it too early to worry about team's not from their preliminary division?