- Genre: Angst
- Word Count: 1,237
- Pairing: None
- World: Eyeshield 21
It was amazing, the final battle between the Ojou White Knights and the Deimon Devil Bats in the Semi-Finals of the Kantou Tournament… it was heart-wrenching. Everyone from both teams were giving it their all as if it really was the last game they’d ever play. Even after reaching their limits, they managed to break the wall and push even harder for the sake of winning and making it to the Christmas Bowl.
It was painful to watch, honestly, but at the same time, you couldn’t look away no matter how bad you wanted to.
In the end, Deimon won with a score of 27 – 28. By one point, Deimon had taken the game. They didn’t win because of Sena. They didn’t win because of Monta. It wasn’t just one person that made them win, nor was it fate or luck, or the goddess of victory. It was everyone working together, letting their hearts and dreams collide. They wouldn’t have won if a single person had been missing.
Ojou was crushed, as anyone would be. Most everyone on the field had erupted in tears, even the level-headed Takami. It was just too much for them to take.
As you stood off to the side watching the game finally came to an end, you felt hot tears sliding down your cheeks despite how hard you tried to stop them. You felt so many different emotions at once that you thought your heart would explode. You were happy that your team had won and was that much closer to the Christmas Bowl, but you were sad because your cousin’s team had lost, despite putting up such an amazing and heartfelt fight. You were angry and depressed because you knew you’d be leaving them all soon.
You had first come to Japan when you were sixteen years old to live with your cousin, Seijurou because you weren’t happy with the way your life was going back in America. You had managed to live there in Japan, peacefully and happily, for a while… but you always knew it wouldn’t last.
Less than a day ago, you had received a phone call from your father. He was so angry, yelling at you for running away from home. He said that he has had enough of your little game and demanded that you come back to America where you belonged.
Everything was set up.
You had your bags packed, you had your plane ticket, and your flight was scheduled for midnight. You were happy that you got to stay long enough to see such an epic battle between Ojou and Deimon, but you were upset that you were losing everything. What did you have in America besides a broken home and a delinquent lifestyle?
Your friends, your family, were there in Japan. Your happiness was there in Japan. You didn’t want to leave but… you knew you had no choice. You had chosen to keep this a secret from everybody, even your cousin because you knew that they needed to focus on their training and on their games. You couldn’t let them worry over something no one could control.
You really hated it, how you were about to lose everything. Yet, there wasn’t a single thing you could do to change that. It honestly broke your heart.
You sat quietly in the corner, your glassy eyes staring blankly at the table you sat at; you felt so numb and empty like there was a black nothingness in the pit of your stomach. You could just faintly make out the yells and cheers of the Devil Bats on the other side of the room, celebrating and laughing, all happy over their victory and too pre-occupied with the party to notice you, which you were quite thankful for.
“Oi, what’s your problem?” Hiruma asked, standing in front of you with his hands on his hips and eyebrow raised. There was no grin on his lips, just a questioning look. Though the others hadn’t noticed your change in mood, he had, and he hated to admit it, but he was worried about what was bothering you. You had put just as much into the team as everyone else – you should be over the moon that they had won.
“A-Ah. It’s nothing.” You forced a smile, closing your eyes and rubbing the back of your head. “I guess I’m just feeling tired.” Before Hiruma could respond, you stood up and pushed past him. “I’m sure some fresh air will clear my mind.”
Hiruma stared at your back as you left the building, an odd feeling creeping up the back of his neck.
Once outside, you shook your head and slammed your fist into the nearest wall, feeling it start to sting from the impact. Anger was beginning to pool in your stomach, causing your body to tremble. It had started to Rain, but even the cold drops couldn’t cool off your burning body. Night had fallen by now, the street lights illuminating the dark streets and making the rainfall glisten almost supernaturally.
Normally, you would have enjoyed being out in the rain since it was your favorite type of weather. Your hair clung to your face, your clothes growing heavy from the weight, but you never noticed. You were too focused on the aching pain in your chest and the stinging in your hand.
Pushing yourself away from the wall, you began to drag yourself down the street, eyes staring at the ground. Your plane would be leaving soon and you had to get back home before Seijurou did so you could grab your already packed bag before heading out. Deciding that you couldn’t just leave, you wrote a note explaining the situation and left it on Seijurou’s desk. You knew he’d find it and then find out from his parents that you had left the country for good. He’d then tell Sakuraba and the others, and it would eventually spread to Deimon.
It was cowardly, leaving a note instead of a face-to-face goodbye, but you knew you’d break down if you attempted such a feat. You figured this was the easiest, and less painful, route to take.
You sat completely still during the whole flight, your eyes staring blankly out the window. You felt nothing but a dull aching pain in your chest – everything else had become numb, even the throbbing of your hand.
Even as you entered the car your father had sent to pick you up… Even as you entered your old home, trudging up the stairs and falling face first onto your cold bed… you continued to feel numb.
It was like a dream passing by in slow motion, but you knew, deep down, this was no dream. It was real and there was nothing you could do about it. You knew even if she couldn’t admit it, that you would never see Seijurou or your family ever again.
A strangled sob left your lips as tears poured from your eyes, slowly descending down your reddened cheeks before splashing onto the pillow. You found yourself wondering if the pain would ever go away.
You stared out the open window, watching the water fall from the dark sky. The sky was crying along with you.
That thought brought a small tinge of peace to your mind, if only for a moment.
The rain was the only comfort you had, and that just wasn’t enough.
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