Chapter Text
It was a surreal feeling. Watching another version of yourself do things you’ve never done.
Fubuki Shirou clenched his empty hand by his side, eyes glued to the big screen above him. People passed him on the busy street without a second glance. They were blissfully unaware of the young boy’s horror.
He felt like he could puke. On the big screen above him a sports broadcast played. An interview with the star striker from Hokkaido. He was a child prodigy, both amazing at offense as well as defense. Having played internationally in his youth, it was a no brainer he became a professional later in life. Fubuki Shirou sat confidently across from the interviewer, his tone was light and professional. He was ready for whatever challenge was thrown at him.
But here on the dirty street stood not a twenty four year old Shirou, life planned and success falling in his lap, but a fourteen year old Shirou.
Who was scared out of his goddamn mind.
-
Everything changed before Shirou could even do anything. Nothing had seemed out of the ordinary the day before the incident. It was a boring, uninteresting day for him, filled with rigorous training by his coach, eating with his friends, strategizing an attack plan for an upcoming match. Shirou might’ve won the Football Frontier International as a representative for Japan a few months ago but, in Hakuren’s team there was no time to rest. The days were long and the nights were short. Each day left him drained, so not aware of the horror he would be faced with the moment he woke up he had collapsed into bed immediately upon coming back to his flat.
It began with Shirou waking up in a cold sweat, his heart racing. He sat up quickly, blinking away sleep as a vivid dream was fading into forgetfulness. After a few moments of recollecting himself he sighed deeply and rubbed a hand over his face, the sun peeking from underneath the curtains not enough to wake him fully. With his other hand he tried to turn on his light next to him on the nightstand. Key word, tried. It took him a few seconds of wading through empty air where he definitely expected a light, before he lowered his hand from his face. Then he froze. Something was wrong. From what he could see in the semi-dark was that his lamp was different, as was his nightstand and also his bedsheets and- Slowly Shirou glanced up to the room he found himself in.
A strange feeling creeping up his spine.
This… This wasn’t his room!
His heart, which had calmed down, started racing again as his eyes scanned the foreign space lightning fast. It was relatively small and strangely enough the space looked quite normal. A kitchen, tv-setup and small couch were all present. Shirou couldn’t wrap his head around it. The only thing off about the place was the air. It smelled a bit stale, like the person who was living here never stayed inside long, only fulfilling the barest essentials of their health. Shirou’s breath quickened as thoughts began racing through his head. What happened when he was asleep? Had he been kidnapped? But who would’ve wanted to kidnap him? Was he still even in Hokkaido?
A dark feeling began to arise as he thought about the possibility of no longer being in his hometown. Thick curtains blocked the view to the outside. Shirou tripped over himself trying to get to the window. Hurriedly he threw away the curtains and bright light blinded him for a few terrifying moments. When he finally got used to the sunlight his eyes registered the view of a very familiar snowy mountain range. A huge sigh of relief tore out of him. He took a few moments to recollect himself before he turned around again and once again began examining the room.
Immediately his eyes stumbled upon the front door, darkened by shadow. The distance between him and it felt like miles away, when in actuality the door was only a few steps in front of him. Slowly, like a predator could be upon him at any time, creeped forward, carefully stepping off the bed. He listened to every noise, his steps to the door were calculated, wincing with every creak from the wooden floorboards. When he finally- finally reached his escape, Shirou nearly cried then and there. After he got out he would report this apartment to the police and he’d go back to Hakuren and forget this awful morning ever existed-
But the universe didn’t let Fubuki Shirou ever get lucky. He should’ve known really.
The door was locked.
Shirou stood there for what felt like hours. The realization that he was trapped by a stranger who wanted to do god knows what. A hole opened up in his chest, making it hard to swallow, making it hard to think, making it hard to breathe- Absent-mindedly he tried and retried the doorknob but with no avail. He couldn’t make his shaking legs move though he really ought to-
‘Snap out of it Shirou.’
Shirou blinked as he registered the harsh thought. Strangely, it wasn’t truly his own, but he shook off the ominous feeling. It was right. He had to get out of here first. Before doing anything he’d have to control himself, getting emotional wouldn’t get him anywhere. Shirou took a few deep breaths, locking all his emotions deep within him. Then with a mask firmly in place, he turned around and stepped back from the door.
He started by looking for something useful. Immediately he noticed the items on the nightstand. On were a lamp, a picture stand but more curiously, a weird looking electronic device he had never seen before.
Quietly he made his way over to the nightstand. Shirou carefully picked up the electronic device. The object lit up, a picture of a mountain appeared alongside a time. It was apparently 7:24. Sadly before he could notice anything else the screen went dark. He blinked, on any other day he would’ve been out the door by now. Training starts in 6 minutes. At least his teammates will know something is wrong when he doesn’t show up.
Hopefully.
He decided to keep the item, maybe he’d find use for it later. He put the device in his pockets and was immediately reminded that he was very much still in his pajamas. His cheeks immediately warmed by the realization but, he also knew that this wasn’t the moment to feel shame about his soccer pajamas. After he was back home, then he would worry about his appearance.
A weight started to collect on his shoulders. Don’t dwell on it, he reminded himself. Keep pushing. You cannot crack.
When he turned to explore the apartment more he noticed the picture inside the picture frame.It was a picture of Inazuma Japan winning FFI, the Football Frontier International. His friends smiled up at him, Endou clutching the cup like it was gifted to him by god themself. He let himself get lost in the memory for a moment, the applause, the exhaustion and the thought that at that moment, he’d won against the whole world. But what was this doing here? Did they steal all his stuff? Shirou picked up the picture frame and held it tightly, almost shattering the glass. If they’d gotten this, then what else did they get?
Hesitantly he looked over at the half-open closet door on his left. If the captor stole more of his stuff, that would be a good place to put it right? The closet felt like Pandora's box. How much did he want to uncover?
Shirou slowly took a few steps towards the closet doors, picture frame still in hand. His breathing picked up again as he approached the large wooden doors. He closed his eyes tightly as he yanked open the closest door in a flash, too afraid to face what lies beyond. Eventually, curiosity got the better of him and he looked. Inside there were only large bulky clothes, fit for tough winter weather. They gave comfort instead of style. Quickly Shirou stole one of the jackets and put it on. It was a few sizes too big, but wasn’t too oversized and would keep him warm against Hokkaido’s cold winter wind. After the jacket he also stole a pair of socks, but he couldn’t find any shoes. He frowned, searching the closet from top to bottom when finally he uncovered a shoebox.
Shirou took it out of the closet and opened it, but inside there were no shoes.
Nausea creeped up his throat. Suddenly, he felt naked. Stripped bare for the world to see.
Inside was his school uniform, but not only that. Underneath his school uniform lay both his Hakuren football tunic, his Raimon and both Inazuma Japan’s home and away kits. On the bottom of the shoebox lay his football shoes and maybe most horrifying of all; Atsuya’s scarf. The thought of a stranger entering his room, searching for these personal items and then taking them- It was too horrible for Shirou to even imagine. He hoped desperately that this was a dream, a horrible nightmare he’d wake up from. Although he hoped, he deep down knew that this was real and that he’d have to deal with the fact someone snooped through all his stuff.
Somehow, even though he was still in the house of the person who kidnapped him, he had lost the motivation to move. To do anything besides stand there and just let it all wash over him like a huge wave. He looked numbly at the items inside the cardboard box and didn’t know what to do next. In that moment, for a split second he missed having Atsuya to switch control to. To just let go for a second and not have to deal with everything. But Shirou knew Atsuya was gone and that he’d have to save himself, because no one else would do it for him. Shakingly, he took out the shoes that looked older than Shirou remembered and closed the shoebox.
From this point on Shirou felt strangely calm, too calm. He was disconnected from the situation, drifting. While walking towards the kitchen, searching for the front door keys, he noticed a shoulder bag laying on the counter. Expressionless, Shirou put down the shoebox and rummaged through it. He didn’t care about the mess he was making by throwing stuff on the ground, only interested in finding the key. Then by some miracle, the keys were there. His hands remained strangely calm as he held up the precious keys. So much emotion for such a small thing, he absentmindedly noted. Shirou picked up the box and walked over to the front door. Sluggishly he stepped into his shoes and tried to fit the first key into the lock.
It didn’t fit.
With his slightly shaking hands he had to try a few times before being able to lock in the second key.
It went in.
The key fit.
With a satisfying click the door opened. There were a few breathless moments Shirou thought that this might be a trick. That his intruder would stand behind this door and would laugh at him that he played the game well. This thought made him freeze, too afraid of what unknowns might be ahead.
‘Do it, coward.’
There it was again. A thought that wasn’t truly his. It almost snarled at him, daring him to push down the door handle and step out. It was the push Shirou needed and so he opened the door.
Weirdly enough it seemed that the room Shirou had been in was just an ordinary apartment in an ordinary apartment complex. The hallway smelled like someone’s dinner and warm lights congratulated him on making it outside. He knew he should be relieved and happy, but he just felt empty. Emotionally drained. Slowly he made his way to the elevator, shoebox shoved tightly underneath his right arm.
Actually standing outside on the street was a surreal experience. Shirou had no idea where he was specifically, though he knew he was somewhere in his hometown. The streets were fairly crowded, the morning commute was in full swing.
Confusion washed over him when people passed him by without even glancing twice. He really wasn’t one for bragging, but ever since he got back from FFI people tended to recognise him in the street. One time a person even walked up to him to ask for an autograph. Now though… Shirou frowned slightly, but decided to let it go. This wasn't the most important thing right now. He had to get back to Hakuren where they’d be able to help him. He really missed his teammates… He had to stay strong for a little longer though, he was almost there.
A nice elderly man was able to give him some directions and as Shirou began to recognize more and more of his town, this also meant he started to notice things that were unusual. There were buildings he didn’t remember being there and shops he knew having seemingly disappeared. An uncanny feeling crept up.
Suddenly the crowds and the lights and the sounds felt overwhelming. Shirou began to collapse in on himself, already tired from what he had escaped from earlier and now this... It was too much. Swiftly he turned down the first alleyway he could see. The place really wasn’t ideal. It was dark and there were some trash cans in the corner, but at least there were no people. The quiet gave him the chance for a breather. He leaned on a wall and looked at the people passing by. There were mothers with children, office workers and old people. Some were rushing ahead while others stood to watch the big screen above them. Curiously, Shirou looked up too. On the screen was something he’d never forget.
It was an interview, a lookalike and then finally a realization.
-
If Shirou had felt creeped out before about the strangeness of the town, he was downright terrified about it now. He had to be dreaming. There could be no possible way he traveled into the future. Even in his head it sounded stupid. Slowly he brought a hand to his face and pinched his cheek. Pain startled him awake from his daze. Pain... Shirou closed his eyes. All of a sudden a wave of homesickness crashed over him in a way that hadn’t happened since the accident with his family. A longing for something so out of reach. He wanted his friends and his team and his coach and his life- His breath hitched but his eyes remained dry. He couldn’t cry on the street, even if he so so wanted to. Slowly he sank into a small ball. He couldn’t help but ask questions. Why did this happen to him? How can he go back? Can he even go back? On the other side of the road an older Shirou confidently continued his interview. The contrast couldn’t be greater, Shirou thought bitterly as he tried to get his breathing under control.
Suddenly a hand landed on his back. Shirou jumped. Above him stood a middle aged lady with kind eyes. “Are you alright son?” She asked, voice soft and comforting. No, is what he wanted to answer. But he couldn’t say that, not to a nice lady on the street. “I’ll- I’ll be fine.” He muttered quietly, quickly looking away. Why did she come up to him? Was he in the way? “I’m sorry, am I in the way? I’ll go.” Shirou hastily tried to stand up. The lady's eyes widened and she held up her hands, “No no, there is no problem boy. I was just worried.” She said warmly. His breath hitched again, he stared at the ground in shame at having made a stranger worry.
He mustered up a weak smile and politely answered, “Thank you ma’am, but- but it appears it just isn’t my day today. I’ll be fine, there’s no need to worry.” The woman nodded in understanding and held out her hand, “Here let me help you up.” she said. Shirou took the hand, grateful for her kindness. When he stood the lady continued, "The day is just beginning my boy, I hope you’ll find that it isn’t as bad of a day as you’d think.” Shirou nodded absentmindedly, he really didn’t think his day could get better after this. But instead of replying with that he said “Yeah… I hope so too.” With a soft smile the lady stepped away and vanished.
Shirou stood there for a moment and then realized that he was breathing normally again. He looked back up to the familiar stranger giving the interview. “In life you’ll face many difficult situations, I myself have dealt with plenty. Still, if you love the sport, you’ll deal with them with the support of your team and come out stronger than you would’ve been if you were alone.” his older self stared into the camera with a sharp gaze. “If there is anything I want you to take away from this interview is that there is always someone you can rely on. You just have to find the confidence to speak with them.” Shirou had to admit the words were cheezy, but… Something about them, having come from himself, hit something within him. With a deep breath he stepped forward into the sun.
-
Hakuren hadn’t changed much it seemed. The smell of firewood still permeated in the air, the wood on the floor still creaked when you walked over it and in the furthest corners of the room you could still feel the chill from outside. Even the uniforms hadn’t changed much, there were some subtle changes in color but all in all Shirou blended into the students pretty easily with his ‘old’ uniform. He tried to look as comfortable and confident as possible as he walked through the main building towards the school library.
The library was empty and quiet. Luckily the computers looked to be the same model as the ones he was accustomed to. It seemed the school hadn’t thought to invest in new ones. Shirou sighed in relief as he booted up the computer. Finally he could maybe get some answers about how the future worked.
First, he did what anyone would’ve done in his situation and searched up himself. It seemed like he really did become famous in the future as a search on ‘Fubuki Shirou’ yielded a dizzying amount of sites. A weird feeling creeped up his spine while reading through people discussing his older selves achievements. The list of prizes he had won, nationally and internationally, was so long that it made his head spin. Alongside being a professional football player, his other self also did coaching and had the reputation for being a defense specialist. He wasn’t the only one from his Inazuma Japan friends who was famous though.
Almost all of them went on to become pro players. The number of countries that had scouted players from his FFI team was long. It felt surreal as he looked at the pictures and videos of his friends, now years older than he remembered them. They had changed so much, but he still somehow recognized them easily. There was, however, always one missing from forum blogs, articles and group pictures. A particularly stoic blonde.
Gouenji.
The more Shirou delved into the rabbit hole of where Gouenji had gone, the more questions he got. What was this Fifth Sector some sites talked about? What did they do to soccer and why did they suddenly stop? What did his friend have to do with any of it? The sites he was reading from all told different stories, Shirou didn’t know what to believe anymore.
Time passed him swiftly until it was already past 4 pm. Shirou leaned back from the computer tiredly, still with a lot of questions and still with the most important one left unanswered. It didn’t seem they had invented time travel yet in the future. A huge sigh tore from him. Feeling frustrated and needing a distraction he pulled out the futuristic box thing from his pocket. He finally felt clear enough in his head to start fiddling with it. After a few minutes of randomly tapping, swiping and clicking he wrote down some of his discoveries on a nearby piece of paper.
⁃ One tap -> Picture of snowy mountain and the time
⁃ Swipe down -> a lot of buttons all with different functions. (Shirou had curiously tapped on one of them and suddenly his phone turned into a flashlight. He hadn’t dared to touch another one after that.)
⁃ Swipe up -> Code. (It took him a while to crack it. He had thought of what he would use for a keycode of some kind. He almost gave up after having tried his birthday, the day he met Raimon and his graduation date, but he finally cracked it with the date of winning FFI. Seems like him and older him don’t differ a lot.)
The phone thing unlocked smoothly and immediately Shirou was having an information overload. There were maybe 15 squares with all different names and icons on the screen. Where could he start? After just a few moments of staring he first decided to check out the photos square. Hesitantly he clicked on it, immediately the screen displayed a lot of pictures. Most of them were scenery like trees, waterfalls and mountains though some of them had faces in them. Most notably his older self had many pictures of himself or others playing football. It felt weird scrolling through these pictures, like he was trespassing on someone’s privacy. Well he technically was, but it was himself he was trespassing on. That doesn’t count right?
Suddenly he forgot all his doubts when he stumbled upon a string of photos of what looked to be a party of some sort. Shirou had to hold in a laugh, when he saw the first picture. It looked to be an older Jude, even after all these years he could recognize those dreads anywhere, passed out on the couch in such an unlike Jude way. One arm hung over the side and his drooling face was mushed against the cushions. As he went over the other pictures he couldn’t suppress his glee, there was a picture of Someoka playing an air guitar on a bar, another of Hiroto doing a handstand in the middle of the room and a video of Endou falling over his own feet. It was all a little overwhelming, but in a good way. It was nice to know that he and his friends were still close after all these years.
He looked away from the screen and powered the electronic thing down. He sighed, he missed them he realized. Inazuma Japan. He had missed them a lot these past couple of months and seeing these pictures and video’s didn’t help with his longing and homesickness. Absentmindedly he looked out the window, deep within his own thoughts. Vaguely he registered a group of kids gathering near the edge of a large football field. He blinked, right, the Hakuren football team had practice today he thought. Fubuki Shirou was supposed to be a coach for Hakuren. Hastily he stood up and gathered his things into the shoebox. As fast as he dared to go in the library he headed for the stairs, almost crashing against two girls just coming in. He mumbled an apology before turning out the door and sprinting through the hall.
When he arrived at the field, the Hakuren team were still huddled together at the edge of the field. As he came closer he could begin to make sense of their heated conversations. “-issappeared again!” A voice bordering on shouting spoke, his voice cracked as he continued. “Why does this keep happening to us?” A tired voice replied, “Yukimura, listen, you don’t know what happened. Maybe he was forced off the team again.” Forced off the team? Again? Did this have something to do with Fifth Sector and its football changes?
Suddenly a blue haired boy broke away from the crowd. His shoulders were raised and he gripped the football he was holding dangerously tight. With one swift motion he threw the ball up and kicked against it with jaw dropping strength. The ball flew across the field towards the goal. Instead of flying into the net however, it hit the pole, sending it on a path straight into Shirou’s face. On instinct Shirou jumped up, catching the ball on his chest before safely guiding it towards the ground and standing on it for good measure. He smiled to himself, finding comfort in the football clamped safely underneath his foot, but soon he felt gaped at.
The whole Hakuren team was watching him with various facial expressions. Confusion, irritation and surprise. The one who shot the ball stared at him in a daze, it was like he recognised someone in Shirou. As soon as Shirou blinked though the look was gone, replaced by a stony expression, leaving Shirou to wonder if it had been even there in the first place. The gaping silence was broken by a large imposing boy stepping forward and beginning to apologize profusely. After he was done he slapped the dark blue haired kid on the arm, who finally got the hint and gave a half-assed apology.
Shirou waved them off with a smile, no one got hurt afterall. It seemed like coming back on familiar ground gave him some of his confidence back, as he picked up the ball and approached the group. “Are you guys Hakuren jr. high football team?”
The dark blue haired kid scowled at him. “No, we’re just the baseball team wearing football clothing, playing on a football field and kicking footballs really hard.” Shirou gave no answer, he just raised his eyebrows which seemed to aggravate the kid even more. “Yes, we’re the football team smartass. What do you want?” The comment startled Shirou so much he let out a surprised laugh, then before he could even respond the captain stepped in again. “I’m sorry, Yukimura’s not having the best day today. What can we help you with?” The captain tried to put a hand on the blue haired kid’s shoulder, but was quickly shrugged off. If looks could kill he would’ve been on the ground, but instead the captain just shrugged. Shirou smiled at him and looked at the football in his hands. “I don’t really have a question.” He said truthfully. Really he just came over when he saw the team standing on the field. But even though there was no reason he came over, he didn’t just want to leave. He wanted to play a match against someone and get his mind off his current reality. With a slight hesitance he spoke up. “Actually, I do have a question.” He looked up at the captain again and stared him in the eyes.
The captain said nothing, just tilted his head slightly. Shirou slightly breathed in, collecting himself and began lying through his teeth. “Can I train with you today? I just transferred from another school and I really want to join the soccer team.” He meant the question to come off as light and unassuming but, as if he flipped a switch, the mood soured dramatically in front of him. A few kids looked at him with a huge frown and others stared at the ground. The blue haired kid, Yukimura, directed his icy glare toward him, mouth tight and fists balled at his side. The captain just sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry to shatter your hopes, but there won’t be any training today.”
Shirou blinked at them. “No training? Why?” he asked, voice disbelieving. He actually couldn’t comprehend not playing soccer every day, why would they cancel their training like that? Was it because of older him? “That’s none of your business-“ Yukimura snapped. But was interrupted by the captain lightly slapping him on the shoulder. Yukimura shut his mouth immediately and turned his eyes to the ground. The captain spoke solemnly. “Well, our coach… He’s not here, without him we can’t effectively work on our techniques and strategy. We might work on our physical strength, but I don’t think anyone is in the mood for a long training session and I don’t think you’d get a whole lot out of it.”
Shirou nodded slightly and decided that he’d leave them be. He’ll find a ball somewhere else and go train on his own, if they want to be so dependent on their coach so be it. He threw the football to the captain and turned around to walk off. But, after walking a few steps he just couldn’t help himself and glanced back. “Do you think, though, that your coach would condone you guys not training in his absence? If I were him, I’d want you to train even though I was gone.” It was a little ironic considering that their coach was literally in front of their faces, in just a… different way. Behind him the team began mumbling amongst themselves, satisfied Shirou turned back and started to walk off again. He took a few steps again when suddenly a hand landed on his arm. Shirou jerked and spun around rapidly. Yukimura stood there with a wary expression. “We never said you couldn’t join.” he said, voice shaky and eyes looking at a spot right behind Shirou.
A chuckle tore out of Shirou at what the blue haired kid had said. “Alright then.” he said, a grin splitting his face. “Where do we start?”
-
Hakuren’s football practice was in all aspects uneventful, though the atmosphere around the team was brooding. The team practiced like they had always done it seemed, falling back into the rhythm they had developed with their coach. Shirou didn’t mind not knowing their playing habits, didn’t mind not knowing what kind of practice would come next. He enjoyed every second he got to kick a football.
At some point the Hakuren team decided to divide the team into small groups to play against each other, five against five. Not surprisingly to Shirou he was just put into the team that was missing one person. When Shirou walked up to the quadruple waiting for him he noticed some familiar faces and some completely new ones. Yukimura, who was scowling at him, decided to introduce the small group. First there was Koori, a boy with long two toned hair who gave him a friendly smile, then Oujika whose sharp eyes almost pricked him and lastly Itetsuki who had such spiky hair that Shirou would not dare to come close or he would certainly be cut.
The teams had been evenly distributed, Shirou guessed, one midfielder, a defender and two forwards, they could definitely work with this. He’d have to play defense to balance out the two forwards. He said as much to his small team in their discussion before the match. They reacted a bit surprised, “you can play as defense and as a forward?” asked Koori curiously. Shirou nodded a bit sheepishly, “yeah… My coach uh… He thought I should develop both my skills instead of sticking to uh… just one…” he cleared his throat before continuing. “My preference is towards playing as a forward, but I will not be a hindrance when playing as a defender.” The others looked at him unblinkingly, then looked at each other and nodded simultaneously. “Alright then Souji.” said Itetsuki and turned away to discuss their strategy. Shirou jerked up from the use of Souji’s name, he had almost forgotten he had told them his friends name instead of his. Afterall if he told them his name was Fubuki Shirou, he’d probably get a load of trouble he didn’t want.
They made plans for a more attack focused plan, but Shirou couldn’t concentrate on what was being said. Yukimura’s gaze bore into his side and almost made it impossible to ignore.
He took a quick glance to his left and immediately felt pinned down by the intensity of the stare. “What?” he almost snapped, words hushed so as to not disturb Oujika’s monologue. Yukimura didn’t respond for a while before muttering, “it’s nothing.” and looking away. The whole interaction made Shirou’s skin crawl, but he ultimately decided that ignoring would be best.
The first match began smoothly. Shirou was able to help quite well, even without the use of a hissatsu. He had decided before the match began that if he were to use a hissatsu, then his cover would be blown almost immediately. And so he played without it, even if the others looked at him strangely for not using any special attack. Shirou got used to the familiar rhythm almost immediately, technique, hissatsu, strategy, it seemed like nothing changed in all these years- And then Yukimura suddenly summoned huge something behind him. Shirou’s eyes widened, he stopped running as all his focus was drawn towards the enormous lady(?) floating behind Yukimura. “What’s the matter Souji?” Koori’s voice shook him out of his stupor and he looked down at his face. “Uh… What was that…?” he asked when the floating spirit behind Yukimura was gone. Koori tilted his head slightly. “A Kenshin? You know, those spirits which enhance the power of a player to a higher level? How come you have never seen them?” Shirou flinched, he slipped up. “I… I…” he said, not being able to conjure up words. “We’re beginning again! You should get to your places!” Oujika yelled from where he stood at the back. “Alright!” Koori yelled back, he turned to Shirou and said “you can tell me later, let’s go!” before running off.
Shirou sighed a sigh of relief before running back to position as well. Kenshin huh, he thought as he went through the motions of playing soccer. He couldn’t wrap his mind around the thing, it was so abstract. Was it really soccer? Before he could finish his own thoughts however Shirou noticed that he had gained the ball from the attacker. Suddenly his mind went blank as he also realized there were no defenders near. This was his chance! Smoothly, like winterwind he rushed over the small frozen field. Everyone from the other team was too far away to catch up so there was only him, the keeper and the goal. It was the captain he realized, the captain was a keeper. There was no way a normal shot would get past him and Shirou didn’t know how to use a Kenshin. A hissatsu would need to do. Would he want to expose himself like that thou- His body finished that thought for him as he already spun in a very familiar way.
ETERNAL BLIZZARD
He hadn’t done Eternal Blizzard in such a long time, ever since Aliea Academy really. It always seemed off bounds for some reason, it was and always would be Atsuya’s hissatsu. But just now his body moved on its own, like it wasn’t his for a split second. It scared Shirou. Just a little. But what was done was done, and all he could do was see the consequences. Eternal Blizzard flew towards the goal and under this cold sky, it only gained speed and strength the longer it was flying. The keeper almost had no time to react except throw his hands near the vicinity of the ball.
His shot scored magnificently.
Everyone was quiet as the ball rolled innocently on the ground behind the keeper's hand. Then not only his team, but the others as well burst with sound.
“WHAAAT?”
“Did you see that?”
“That was Eternal Blizzard right? I thought only Yukimura was able to do that!”
Shirou stiffened. Dang it… How will he save this situation? He flinched as he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Yukimura. A very confused, very angry Yukimura. “Where did you learn that.” It wasn’t even a question, it was a demand. In an attempt to ease the situation Shirou shakily smiled. “I studied a lot of video’s?” he answered hesitantly. But even he knew that was a shaky defense. Shirou knew that studying from video was possible, he had been in a team with Tachimukai afterall, but he never knew someone else who could do that. So maybe that was just a talent only Tachimukai possessed.
“That wasn’t just a copy. It had the same- no, even greater power than the real Eternal Blizzard.” Yukimura hissed, his shoulders were raised and his hands were balled up beside him. Shirou looked back up to find his eyes filled with… Jealousy? Frustration? He didn’t know anymore. “I know,” Yukimura continued, voice clipped, “because I studied my Eternal Blizzard under the mentorship of the real Fubuki Shirou and he never told me he taught someone else Eternal Blizzard.” Then Shirou realized. The emotion that shone in his eyes was betrayal.
White hot betrayal.
“I-” Shirou started, but he couldn’t finish. Maybe joining in training was a huge mistake. Now he had torn up the relationship between his coach self and his student. Shirou sighed internally, could he mess this up even more?
‘Just tell him.’
Atsuya’s voice appeared as suddenly as a soccer ball to the face, and left as quick too.
Shirou quieted, then decided to follow the guidance he was given. “You’re right, my Eternal Blizzard isn’t a copy.” It seemed the truth all but confirmed Yukimura’s suspicions about him and his older counterpart as he looked away in anger, eyes filling with tears. Before he could say or do anything though, Shirou continued. “It isn’t a copy, because it’s my own hissatsu. I lied about my name being Souji Mabuka. My actual name is Fubuki Shirou and I think I have time traveled.” Saying these words aloud sounded too weird, even in his own ears. His face reddened and he looked away, unable to meet the stares of Yukimura and the small crowd that had gathered because of their argument.
Then, Yukimura surprised him. “Oh.” he sighed with a tone that oozed relief. Shirou’s eyes snapped up to his face. No way he was believing that obviously insane explanation.
The team thought so too apparently, because everyone didn’t look nearly as relieved as Yukimura. He had to give some evidence, Shirou realized and he knew just the thing to show. “Wait here, I can prove it” Shirou muttered under his breath before taking off towards the benches. The sky had darkened quite a bit, but luckily he could find his box just fine. Quickly he tore open the lid and searched for his evidence. When he found it he sprinted back to the small group that was still looking at him as if he were a mad person. “Here.” Shirou pointed towards a small figure in the middle of the picture frame. "That's me.” The whole team huddled together to observe the Inazuma Japan team picture from when they’d won the FFI finals, before turning towards Shirou. Slowly their expressions dropped from hesitation to confusion to understanding. It was quiet for a moment before Itetsuki spoke up. “But.. how are you here?” Shirou sighed deeply, but it did nothing to ease the weight on his shoulders.“I truly don’t know, I just went to sleep and when I woke up I woke up in the future.”
A solemn quiet descended upon the team, no one dared to break the silence. Shirou shifted from one leg to the other. “I miss my friends.” he said to no one in particular, suddenly feeling very wistful. “Have you tried contacting them?” The captain spoke up, voice curious. Shirou looked at him funny and responded without fully being able to suppress a sarcastic tone, “How would I be able to contact them when I’m ten years in the future? I know the technology is advanced but I didn't know those electronic things could call through time and space.” The captain sighed exasperatedly, “no, I mean contact your friends here. In the future.” Shirou’s eyebrows rose, he hadn’t actually thought of that. It was a good plan, stupid he hadn’t thought of it earlier.
With sudden renewed energy Shirou spoke up. “You’re right,” he agreed, “I’ll contact them right away!” The captain nodded and Shirou walked off to the benches to fetch his flip-phone- Suddenly he stopped walking and blinked a couple of times. “Err…” He hesitated and turned around, “Actually, can someone show me where I can call someone?”
-
Ultimately it was Yukimura who volunteered to help. After they picked up Shirou’s box they walked to the side of the school building together. The sun hung low at the horizon making the wind have a biting chill. It was even worse in the shadows where they were now standing and Shirou had half a mind to start wearing Atsuya’s scarf again. He didn’t though, not yet anyway. “Do you know the passcode?” Yukimura shook him from his thoughts with a voice that was curious and light, in contrast to how it had been this afternoon. A silent question read from Shirou’s face as he tilted his head slightly. “For the phone.” Yukimura clarified. Shirou responded with a shrug. “Oh I know it, I cracked it while I was in the library.” He pulled out the phone, which was a new word he’d learned from Yukimura, from his pocket and typed in the passcode. Like last time the screen lit up with squares.
Yukimura glanced over Shirou’s shoulder and tapped a green square. “This is the call app, you should be able to type in whoever you wish to call. I expect coach Fubuki to have everyone’s contact information.” Shirou nodded hesitantly and clicked on the ‘search contact’ button. A what seems to be keyboard lit up, but he didn’t move to write any name down. He didn’t know who to call. Kidou maybe? Shirou internally shook his head. Kidou would probably ask too many questions he wouldn’t be able to answer. He needed someone to listen first, ask questions second. Shirou frowned as he went over other options. Someoka? No, he didn’t want to bother him. Someoka would probably be busy, he’s a professional football player now. Ultimately he landed on Endou. He… He really needed Endou’s cheer right now.. Yukimura said nothing, as he began to type in Endou’s name but Shirou could feel his stare. Of course Endou’s contact info popped up, still Shirou had to suppress a sigh of relief. Before he clicked on the call button though, he turned to the boy still standing next to him. “I’m sorry but, I would like to have some privacy for this… If it isn’t too big a bother…” he said with an apologetic smile. “Oh- oh, of course.” Yukimura said and stepped away. Only after Shirou knew Yukimura was out of earshot did he call Endou.
The phone rang once, twice, thrice. Shirou’s heart started to quicken, please pick up. Please pick up, he begged. He waited and then-
“Y’ello! Endou here.”
The voice that came from the other side was and wasn’t Endou at the same time. Shirou stiffened, suddenly feeling very awkward. He didn’t know what to say to this Endou. An uncanny feeling crept through him. His silence must’ve been noticed because Endou’s voice came back with a worried tone. “Hello? Fubuki?”
Shirou’s breath hitched, he had to say something. “Endou?” Shirou asked, voice uncertain. “Is that you?”
There was a moment of silence before the other answered, worry gone and instead replaced with an up-beat tone. “Yeah it’s me, who else would it be?” Endou chuckled at his own joke. And- and something about it, something that was so like the friend Shirou loved and missed- It broke a piece of the emotionless mask he was keeping up. “Endou…” he sighed. His voice wobbled and his vision blurred, slowly but surely he was falling apart. “Endou. I- This- This feels so unreal right now but, I- I-.” But Shirou couldn’t get the words out.
“What’s wrong? You sound a bit weird, do you have a fever?” The words were meant as comforting, but it made the doubt in Shirou’s heart bloom. Would Endou even believe him if he told the truth? What stopped him from laughing? Or hanging up the phone? If Endou were to do that he’d surely-
Shirou stopped his thought process there. He needed to calm himself before he went to explain. The phone stayed silent as he took a few steadying breaths. Finally he was calm enough to explain his situation. “Listen, I know I’m sounding crazy right now but everything I say is the truth. Okay?” He began, but he was still uncertain. “Endou, I think I time traveled.” As soon as the words left his mouth Shirou knew this mission was bound to fail, who would even believe him? If he was in Endou’s shoes he surely wouldn’t, and yet it’s the truth.
Shakily Shirou pushed through, detailing his morning, about how for him they won FFI a month ago and how he woke up in a strange bed in a strange room. The words spilled out of him like a waterfall, all the while his friend on the other side of the call just sat silent. Near the end his voice had been steadily cracking more and more as his calm started to wane. “I know it’ll be hard for you to believe me, heck I wouldn’t even believe me, but- but-” his voice started to give out. He continued in a half whisper, “it’s the truth. It’s the truth, you have to believe me. Please.” The please was like a whine. There was a moment of awful, soul-splitting silence, but then Endou spoke up, his tone was soft but steady in a way that made the last pieces of apprehension melt away. “It's alright Shirou.” Endou said, “I believe you.” And like magic suddenly everything would be alright.
His shoulders shook in silent sobs as he slid down on the ground and curled up on himself. All the pain, the homesickness, the terror of the day tore out of him in violent, but quiet sobs. He wanted someone to hug, someone to hold him while he cried, but instead there was only Endou on the other side of the phone. “It’ll be okay, we’ll help you get back.” Endou spoke softly, trying to comfort Shirou. “We know how to fix this, it’ll all work out don’t worry.”
“How?” A broken reply came. How will you fix the unfixable? “Do you know what’s happening to me?” Shirou asked, a desperate tone creeping in. “It just so happened that I know some people who have been in the same situation as you.” Endou’s reply was surprisingly light given the subject matter. Instead of replying Shirou just sniffed, even if he wanted to he had no reply anyway. Endou sighed, “I’m really not the best person to be explaining this, I wasn’t really even present for most of the time traveling, but I assure you that everything will be fine. You’ll be back in no time.”
Endou’s answer only gave Shirou more questions, but he hummed anyway. He was too tired, too emotionally drained, to respond with anything intelligent. He wished he was in bed. Suddenly he felt nine again, right after the accident when everything seemed to pass by like a storm. His voice was small as he asked “what am I going to do?” The other side of the call quieted, it appeared as though Endou was speaking to someone off the phone. A moment passed. Shirou sniffed and began to wipe at his eyes, clearing away the remaining tears.
Suddenly Endou cleared his throat and finally spoke up, “Kidou and I discussed it and we agreed on a plan to get you back. I’ll hand the phone over to Kidou now though, he’ll explain.” Shirou gave him a soft okay, there were some strange noises on the other side of the line before Kidou’s voice came through the phone. “Fubuki?” Shirou startled at Kidou’s low voice. He too had changed, but there was still that familiar timbre. “Yes?” he answered. Kidou sighed, like he was almost expecting Endou to have made a joke about the situation, but then explained what’s next, “Endou and I decided that it might be best if you come here to Tokyo. We have a contact here who can help us put you back in the past. I’ll answer more of your questions here, answering over the phone is not a good idea.” Shirou frowned at the last sentence, Kidou however, obviously, couldn’t see the gesture and just continued. “Besides, it might be better if we’re close, if something were to happen we could help immediately. The sooner the better, is tomorrow alright with you?
“I- uh…” Shirou hesitated, the thought of leaving so soon made him a bit unsure. “Tomorrow is a bit quick… Where could I stay? And how do I get there?” Kidou laughed and responded quickly with a casual tone, “I’ll make sure you have a ticket for the first train available and you won’t have to worry about where you can sleep, you’re not inconveniencing anyone.” It was as if Kidou had fired an arrow straight through Shirou’s gut. “Okay.” he croaked. Kidou continued like Shirou hadn’t said anything. “Well then, that’s settled. I assume you’ll keep Shirou’s phone? I’ll send the tickets to you, when you get the file just click on it and it’ll open the ticket. Nothing more, nothing less.” He stated matter of factly. Shirou said nothing in return, Kidou’s tone was so business casual that he felt a bit talked down to. Kidou sighed and suddenly his tone changed to something more warm and caring. “If there are any more problems, don’t be afraid to reach out, Fubuki. Endou and I are more than willing to help you. Don’t forget that.”
Shirou’s vision went hazy again all of a sudden. God, he really really wanted to go to sleep. “I’ll remember.” But his voice was shaky and didn’t sound quite so convincing. “I trust you. Now, enough talk. You sound utterly exhausted, go to Shirou’s apartment and sleep.” Kidou’s voice took on the business casual tone again. Like he was in a meeting he didn’t want to be in. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said lastly and then promptly hung up. Shirou sat there frozen for a few moments before he relaxed. So that was that he huffed. He was glad, in some way, that Kidou still acted like the Kidou he knew. Smoothing out bumps and folds until everything was straight again. He sat there recollecting himself before standing up and walking over to Yukimura. The boy was leaning against the school wall, looking up at the pastel pink and blue sky with a melancholic look on his face.
“Yukimura?” The mention of his name seemed to snap Yukimura out of the daze he had found himself in. “You done then?” He asked, face taking on his signature stony expression. “Yeah…” Tiredness seeped into Shirou’s voice, it was like the phone call had released all the adrenaline Shirou had been cruising on. Now he was left with a hollow, miserable hole in his chest. “Kidou’s going to send me a ticket for a train ride to Tokyo, he says it’d be best if I stay close to him and Endou.” Yukimura nodded. “I think that’s for the best too.” It was silent for a moment. Wanting to go home and sleep, Shirou decided to leave it at that and began to walk away, but Yukimura spoke up before he could do so. “You were- are- the best coach I could’ve asked for and I’m sorry that this has happened to you.” His voice was strangely filled with an emotion that Shirou couldn’t quite discern. “I… Just wanted to let you know.” With cheeks as red as tomatoes Yukimura raced in front of Shirou before he could even begin to form a response.
After the phone call the two boys regrouped with the others on the field and changed back into their school uniform. The locker room was rowdy at first, but after more and more members of the football team began to leave the space quieted. When only him, Yukimura and the captain were left Shirou quietly thanked the two boys for allowing him to train with them. “It’s fine, you were the one who let training continue after all.” the captain said with a grimace. He quickly continued, “It doesn’t matter anyways… But I do have to ask, where are you gonna stay the night?” Shirou blinked at him for a couple of moments before reluctantly replying. “I think I’ll go back to my older self’s place. That might be most convenient for everyone.” He really didn’t want to go back to the place he woke up in, but he saw no other option. Sleeping outside was out of the question with these temperatures. The captain hummed and opened his mouth to respond when buzzing interrupted him.
It took Shirou a couple of moments to realize it was the phone in his pocket. His face reddened and he quickly fished it out to look at what made it disturb the peace.
Kidou
Trainticket.pdf
I have bought the ticket. You can open it when necessary. If you don’t know what to do, call us. See you tomorrow.
Clicking on the file Kidou sent took him to a digital form with a barcode and a strange rectangle. “What is it?” Yukimura asked. Shirou glanced up from the screen, “It’s Kidou, he sent me the train ticket…” Yukimura nodded, though the captain’s brows shot up into his hairline. “The Kidou Yuuto? Coach of Raimon Eleven and international super star, that Kidou Yuuto?” Shirou hesitated before speaking, unsure of himself now. “Yes... I originally contacted Endou and he gave the phone to Kidou when the situation became clear." At this, the captain suddenly burst out laughing. “You’re kidding! I- I thought you would, you know, contact someone from Hokkaido? Not two superstars. How do they even have the time?” Shirou stared at him for a moment before glancing at Yukimura, who only shrugged back.
Slowly the laughing quieted down and the captain sighed. “This day seizes to amaze me, what’s gonna happen next? Gouenji-san himself comes and performs "Fire Tornado?” The mention of Gouenji’s name reminded Shirou of a question that had been lingering in the back of his mind ever since this morning. “Speaking of Gouenji.” Shirou began, “I couldn’t find info about him anywhere on the internet, it’s like he disappeared a few years back.” Or he died, though Shirou didn’t have the guts to say that out loud. “What happened? Does it have something to do with that fifth sector?”
At the mention of Fifth Sector both boys stiffened, Yukimura especially seemed to close off completely. His expression became purposely blank and his eyes that were usually darting around, assessing the situation, sat still and lifeless. The captain meanwhile frowned deeply and began to open his mouth before closing it again.
Stupid, Shirou thought to himself. Unknowingly he had stepped onto a landmine, one that blew up right in his face. Now he’d just have to fix the broken pieces.
Immediately Shirou began to backtrack. “I- I’m sorry, you don’t have to explain. I’ll just ask someone else.” The captain shook his head and began talking slowly. “No, it’s- It’s just that the mention of that company brings back a lot of memories.” His voice was quiet, as if saying the name of Fifth Sector would bring about something horrible.
“To explain what happened with Gouenji-san, we first have to begin at the beginning.” The captain sighed and his voice was monotone when he continued. “After you guys won the Football Frontier International the popularity of football exploded. In response a company was created to control all these new players. That company’s name was Fifth Sector.” Shirou nodded, but didn’t really understand. Quickly the captain continued, placing a comforting hand on Yukimura’s shoulder.
“Fifth Sector didn’t only want to manage football, but also wanted to control it. The winners of a football match became predetermined, that way there were no true losers but also no true winners. No real sport. To make sure these matches went according to plan, certain powerful players were recruited to act as police.” The captain stopped again, this time looking at Yukimura, who had stared at the ground since he started talking. In an exchange Shirou didn’t quite catch, the two boys agreed on something and instead Yukimura continued the explanation with a clipped tone. “These police players, or seeds as we used to call them, weren’t always peaceful. They often beat, threatened or removed players or teams that didn’t listen. And they could do all these things because these seeds had kenshin. Normal players couldn’t do a thing against them.”
Shirou let out a breath that he had held in. The more the two boys talked, the more questions he got. Why? Why had this been necessary? What happened in these ten years that something like this was enforced? What did Gouenji have to do with any of this?
There was no pause as Yukimura continued, “Gouenji-san was the figurehead of this organization and led it from the shadows for a long while.” Shirou paled and the only thing he could manage was a pathetic “Oh.”
He knew he had to say something though, both boys in front of him looked deep in thought. Physically here, but mentally far far away. Shirou sighed deeply before he began speaking from his heart. “Thank you for explaining this to me. Although I could never see my Gouenji lead such an awful organization, I will make no excuses. What was done should’ve never happened and as a dear friend of Gouenji, I’m sorry.” Then he bowed. Deeply. Shirou wasn’t sure he’d stand the shocked faces of the boys before him and so like the coward he was he decided not to face them.
Footsteps sounded through the empty room and drew closer to where Shirou was bowing. A hand touched his shoulder hesitantly and Shirou’s head snapped up. Yukimura looked at him with a lost expression, “Don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault.” he said and there was something left unspoken in his eyes. Shirou straightened and nodded hesitantly. “If I was there I wouldn’t have run away, I wouldn’t have abandoned soccer.” He wasn’t sure why he said that, he just felt like he had to make clear his love. Yukimura’s eyes widened before a ghost of a smile touched his lips. “I know.”
-
The rest of the evening went by in a blur. Shirou walked back to the apartment he had ‘escaped’ from a few hours ago and went inside. He didn’t bother with cooking, only eating a cold microwave meal he found in the fridge and promptly passed out on the bed.
He woke up groggy and feeling just as tired as he did before he went to sleep. He still had a few hours to kill before he had to get to the train. With a sigh Shirou stood up from the bed and changed into some new clothes. They were oversized and made him look a bit like a homeless person but at least they were comfortable.
After he got changed he made himself comfortable on the small couch and turned on the tv. What greeted him seemed to be footage of a Hakuren match. To pass the time he began to pick apart the strategy and tactics on display. Holes in defense, wasted potential goals and an overall overreliance on the forwards, before long Shirou had made a mental list of things the team could’ve done to secure a better lead. After the footage was done Shirou rewinded the disc and went over everything a second time. And a third, a fourth.
By the time Shirou had to get ready for the train, the match footage was burned into his mind. He didn’t know when the footage was taken, but if he ever spoke to a Hakuren team member again he’d have such a long list of things they could fix that it would even make Kidou proud.
Shirou left the apartment a little too early. This time he brought a bag he found with him instead of the cardboard box. It was much easier to carry it around the train station and way less suspicious. Boarding the train was easy enough, the centralstation hadn’t changed much, Shirou noticed. The real challenge would begin in Tokyo, he really hoped someone would be waiting for him there.
At first the train ride was uneventful, Shirou kept himself busy by reading a boring novel he picked up from the apartment and occasionally staring out the window. Suddenly a weird feeling began forming underneath his skin and it didn’t take long before pain spread through his body. If he didn’t know any better he’d would’ve thought his skin was peeled off, nerves exposed to the whole wide world. It was too much. He couldn’t handle it, he couldn’t think. How do I get through this? Shirou thought. Someone please tell me-
The pain left just as suddenly as it began, leaving Shirou a hyperventilating, silently sobbing mess in his seat. He bent forwards, trying to steady his breath as much as possible without disturbing the passengers next to him. They must’ve noticed, but decided to not say anything. Thank god for that he thought, how could he explain this?
It took him a while to calm down. Gently he leaned back into his seat, mind still racing with unanswered questions. He really wasn’t one for sudden pain attacks like that, is it linked to him time traveling? Will these get worse? He dreaded the possibility of these sudden attacks becoming more frequent. He had to get to Tokyo as soon as possible.
Endou and Kidou would know, they can help him he reassured himself.
If only he had known this was only the beginning.