Chapter Text
Off days are few and far between for the Municipal Sakuragi High soccer club. These boys work incredibly hard and are relentless in their training. Their school isn’t a powerhouse for nothing. They refine their skills daily through long practice hours, but they are still high school boys. Their bodies and minds need rest, so there are off days like today. Though, all off days aren’t beautiful like today.
The sky is clear and blue with sparse fluffy, white clouds floating by. The sun is shining down on this nice warm day. You have just finished shopping for today and are headed to a nice cafe near a park. It has been such a wonderful day not having to wrangle those boys. And when you say boys you really mean Indou and Narukami. Sometimes Kondou, but it’s mostly those other two. It actually takes restraint to keep you from skipping down the sidewalk. You notice some kids nearby, a group of boys most likely middle school aged. They’re all playing soccer energetically, calling the ball and each other’s names loudly. A few boys make a couple of nice passes; you find yourself a bit impressed.
“Whoo! Nice one, Kento!” a deeper male voice cheers.
You didn’t notice before, but there’s an older guy in the group as well. A coach maybe? But he looks really young, like he could be in high school. He’s wearing a white tank top, showing off muscular arms, with black sweatpants. And he has really crazy hair; his chestnut brown locks are thick shaggy, and wild. Wait…
Your eye twitches. Speak of the damn devil. There he is, your team captain, Indou Kaoru. Idiot. You walk over to a couple of kids who are standing by, watching their friends kick about. They jump when they sense you at their side. Your aura is dark and buzzing with annoyance.
“Excuse me, may I borrow that?” you ask a middle school aged boy, pointing to the multicolored soccer ball in his hands, “It’ll only be for a second.”
“Uh, sure.”
Your eyes narrow as you watch Indou. The group has stopped playing and now their attention is on him. He’s showing off his juggling and ball handling skills. The group of boys clamor around him. Some are cheering, others are keeping track by counting aloud. One boy is even filming on his smart phone. Indou does his famous seal trick, balancing the ball on his head and barking. Of course, the group of preadolescent boys goes wild, erupting into another round of hooting and laughing. Part of you can’t help but to find this endearing. There’s actually something super attractive about a man who’s good at interacting with children. But the manager inside of you is annoyed beyond belief. This is supposed to be his off day, a rest day. But here he is, drenched in sweat from running around with these kids. You know he’ll stay here all day if you let him, and god knows how long he’s been here already.
That idiot! There's an important game tomorrow!
You toss the ball into the air. Launching off your non-dominant leg for extra power, you kick as hard as you can. It’s a perfect hit. Perfect foot placement. Just enough power. Great arch. Good spin. The ball soars through the air and strikes Indou at the back of his head. A strangled yelp leaves his lips before they kiss the grass underneath his feet. The ball rebounds off of his head like a backboard, landing back into your hands.
“Thanks,” you return the ball to the boy who is staring at you with sparkling eyes.
You hear him whisper under his breath, “Cool …”
Indou sits up and whines as tears bead in his eyes; only one person hits him like that, “(Name)-chan! That hurt!”
“Idiot! It’s your day off!” you bark back at him.
“I know that,” he childishly pouts at you, rubbing the back of his head, “What do you think I’m doing? I’m enjoying my day off.”
“It’s supposed to be a rest day, dummy. You’re supposed to sleep or shop or watch TV or even study. You’re not supposed to be playing soccer right before our important tournament.”
“I’m just keeping my skills sharp.”
“You’re going to be tired tomorrow.”
He stands dusting himself off, “I won’t. I’ll get eight hours of sleep tonight. Promise.”
“Well, what if you get hurt? Freak accidents happen, you know.”
“I won’t get hurt.”
You pinch the bridge of your nose, “I don’t know why I bother. I know there’s no arguing with a soccer idiot.”
You grip the collar of his tank top and start to drag him away. Indou chokes, struggling against your hold, but you don’t relent. The group of boys watches on, entertained by the high schoolers bickering in front of them.
“W-Wait, (Name)-chan!”
“Shut up. I wanted to enjoy the rest of my day off, but it looks like I’m going to be babysitting our captain because he can’t stay still. The things I do for this team.”
“But I don’t want to go!”
“Kaoru, you’re so lucky you’re playing in a game tomorrow. Otherwise, I’d beat your ass. Come on!”
The shaggy-haired captained contines to complain, but he lets you lead him away. You’re probably going to have to tie him to his bed when you get to his house. Dealing with soccer idiots is always so difficult. You sigh. You should’ve known better. With your boys, the manager of the Municipal Sakuragi High soccer club never gets a day off.