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Chapter Text

Raimon won against Gassan Kunimitsu, meaning that their next opponent would be the Hakuren junior high which they were sure wasn't controlled by the Fifth sector and with this information in mind, the team was more confident and allowed themselves to relax a little.

It was a sunny afternoon and Ranmaru was reading in his room when he received a call from his best friend.

“Hello?”

“Hey Kirino! Want to practice with me at the field near the river?

“Sure thing, Shindou! Are the others coming too? 

“No, it’s just us.”

It was a tag question, Kirino didn’t think they would play alone, not that he minded. It had been a long time since they last practiced alone, probably since they joined Raimon’s first team. They were used to spend entire afternoons with soccer, trying to improve every single day, even before middle school, who would have thought they would one day lead the rebellion against rigged soccer? Just last year Shindou was even unsure of becoming Raimon’s captain despite his impressive director skills and now he was the first to follow Tenma…

“Hello? Are you still there?” Takuto’s voice stopped his train of thoughts.

“Oh yes, sorry, give me fifteen minutes and I’ll be there!” 

He changed quickly and almost ran towards the door, excited to spend some time with his best friend when he got stopped by someone. “Where are you going in such a hurry, Maru?” She asked him, turning her gaze on him. “I’ve never seen you this happy.” Kirino didn’t even realize he was literally shining. “Oh nothing special, nee-san, just some training with Shindou.” 

“Then have fun you two! I will probably already be at work by the time you get back, remember to take a shower, eat and go to bed early!”

“Thanks, will do!”

They surely would have had fun if the weather didn’t have other plans. Kirino and Shindou played for around ten minutes before it started pouring down. They ran under the bridge for shelter, waiting for the rain to pass but it only worsened to the point they were drenched. “I’m so sorry, Kirino.” Shindou looked down, thinking that maybe he should have checked the weather forecast before inviting his friend outside. Ranmaru placed his hand on his shoulder. “Don’t apologize.” The defender smiled. “You couldn’t have predicted this but it’s truly a shame… Well, that means we’ll play double time another day.”

“You’re right.” Shindou smiled back.

Not long after they decided to run since the rain didn’t show any sign of stopping soon and they were wet anyway. The closest house was Shindou’s and fortunately his parents were on a business trip with Kirino’s parents or they would have scolded both. Surely the housekeeper saw them and almost had a heart attack. They both took a shower and changed their clothes, Kirino borrowing Shindou’s, which fit perfectly.

“It really won’t stop raining huh.” Takuto sighed looking at the window while sipping the tea the housekeeper prepared for them. “Yeah, but it’s not too bad.” Ranmaru said as Aria and Ryuuto, Shindou’s cats, snuggled against him.

“I don’t know how you do it, they are never that affectionate with me.” He chuckled looking at Kirino smiling while petting them, both purring. He picked up Aria and hugged her while Ryuuto laid down on his lap.

“They’re so cute.”

“Indeed.” Shindou nodded, his gaze not exactly on his cats though.

At the end Kirino stayed at Shindou’s house for the night after both parents agreed. It wasn’t the first time, they even used to have pajama parties when they were little, a habit that slowly disappeared over time but it didn’t mean they couldn’t have something similar. After dinner, they watched an old movie together which brought nostalgia to both.

When the housekeeper finished cleaning the kitchen and the dining room, she walked to the living room, checking on the two boys. To her surprise they fell asleep on the couch next to each other with Kirino’s head on Shindou’s shoulder, exactly like in the past. She tiptoed to turn off the TV and cover them with a warm blanket.

A loud thunder woke up Shindou who didn’t understand where he was until he realized the pink haired boy next to him. “Kirino, wake up.” Surely they couldn’t continue to sleep there even though he felt a little guilty to wake him up. “Kirino?” Takuto shook him a little until he felt his friend’s voice. “Mh?” He lifted his head and yawned, wondering how much time he slept.

“Let’s go to bed.”

“Mhm.”

Not that Shindou could fall asleep after what happened. His heart kept pounding fast out of fright for the thunder that woke him up or at least that was what he thought, not that there were other reasons for why his heart would beat faster.

In the morning Kirino woke up earlier so he could go back to his house to prepare for school.

“Mh? Where are you going, Kirino?” Shindou just walked downstairs and saw him with his hand on the doorknob.

“Oh sorry, did I wake you up? I was going home to grab a few things for school.” 

“You didn’t wake me up.” Shindou smiled. “Let me walk you.”

“You sure you don’t want to sleep some more?”

“I’ve already slept enough last night.” He lied. 

Shindou changed quickly and after a breakfast worthy of a prince’s, they walked to Kirino’s house and then to school. Maybe it was Takuto’s impression but… have they always walked so close?

The day passed by quickly, between lessons and soccer practice, everything was going great until the very next day when Kirino had a huge headache, brushing it off thinking that it wasn’t worth skipping a day of school but he would soon realize ignoring it wasn’t the best decision. His movements were getting slower and more imprecise which never happened before during practice.

 “Kirino!” Kariya tried to pass the ball to him but he couldn’t run fast enough, missing it. 

“I-I’m sorry…” He apologized, eyes unfocused and his breath heavy like he ran miles.

“Are you alright?” Shindou ran towards him concerned. He felt dizzy, his voice wouldn’t come out as he felt his legs lose all their strength. “Kirino!” He collapsed on the ground. “Kirino! Answer me! Kirino!” Shindou shook his friend in a complete state of panic. 

They brought him to the school infirmary, the whole team worried. “I can’t believe your teammate played with the flu. I know you are in the middle of the Holy Road but isn’t this too much?” The nurse sighed. “I’m contacting his parents so they can bring him home. Don’t worry about your friend, if he has the tenacity to play in this state then he will recover soon enough.”

They all sighed out of relief aside from Shindou who felt terribly guilty. He was sure Kirino got sick because of him, not only that but he also didn’t notice it. What kind of captain doesn’t realize one of his teammates is sick? But most importantly, what kind of friend?

Soon his parents came and brought him home while the team got back to training under coach Kidou’s order, not that they could really focus, at least not until Tenma encouraged everyone.

Shindou wasn’t used to walk to school without Kirino, they’ve been inseparable for years and he couldn’t even remember a single day where they weren’t together, even during holidays. Their parents were business partners and good friends so they would often go on vacation together. 

They also rarely got sick, they played so much soccer that maybe their immune system probably played against viruses and won every single time… not this time though.

“I’m sorry”

In the morning, Kirino didn’t even have the slightest strength to get out of bed. “It’s ok.” But he still had the strength to comfort Shindou. He never felt so weak, even opening his eyes worsened his headache. “How do you feel now?” Shindou was still very concerned about his conditions. “A lot better, but you still shouldn’t stay so close or you’ll get sick too…” His throat hurt a little but not enough to not talk to him.

“You should go now or you’ll be late for school.” He said after taking a look at the clock on the wall. 

“You’re right, be sure to rest properly and take care of yourself ok?”

And there he was walking alone.

“Good morning captain!” An energetic voice interrupted his train of thoughts. “Oh good morning Tenma.” Well, not completely alone. 

“How is Kirino?”

“He’s getting better but still sick”

“Our next match is just in a few days, do you think he will be able to play with us?” For some reason Tenma seemed more worried about the match than the pink defender’s health which of course wasn’t true but he would be lying if he said that it didn’t somehow irritate him. 

“Yeah most probably.” Or so he hoped. Shindou exhaled and calmed down. Tenma didn’t mean that and he knew it perfectly, maybe he was just avoiding thinking about the fact that maybe Kirino won’t be able to participate and it would be his fault. 

In class Shindou was usually extremely focused on the lesson but that morning he couldn’t help but take a glance at the empty seat next to him and every time he noticed he was distracted he would sigh. He just had a flu, it was not the end of the world, but his heart felt like a meteorite was going to crash on the Earth and extinct all humanity, what a dramatic boy. Surely he loved his best friend but to worry to that extent? Takuto let out a sigh again and tried to shift his mind on History, knowing that being concerned won’t change the situation and that it was better to take notes also for Kirino sake.

“Where is Shin-sama?” Akane looked around searching for the captain on the soccer field as the others were stretching, ready to begin practice. 

“Oh he’s over there!” Aoi pointed at Shindou.

“He’s on the phone.” Akane took a photograph with her camera. 

“Hello?” To ease his mind, he called Kirino.

“Who is he talking to?” Akane walked two steps closer but Midori and Aoi stopped her before Shindou noticed her eavesdropping. 

“He’s in the middle of a call!” Midori scolded her. 

“Oh hi, Shindou! Maru is sleeping right now.” To answer was Kirino’s older sister who took a day off to take care of him. ”Oh! He gave me a message to give you in case you called” She cleared her voice and started reading a note.

“I know you might be worried, S–Takuto but I’m fine, really. Remember that we have a match coming soon so focus on giving your one hundred percent during practice, never forget you're the captain and if others see you upset, they won’t focus either. I’ll be back in no time, you won’t even remember I was gone.”

“Those were his exact words.” She made sure to write them down so she could tell Shindou word for word or almost.

“Don’t worry Akane, he’s probably checking on Kirino.” Aoi tried to explain but the girl with the camera suddenly looked upset. 

“Is everything alright?”

“…I heard a girl’s voice.” She sobbed. “Maybe Shin-sama found a girlfriend…”

“Huh?!” The other two managers had the same reaction before trying to find a logical explanation. “W-well, it could be Kirino’s mother?” Said Midori, but Akane shook her head a little. “It didn’t sound like her.” 

“Maybe some other relatives?” Aoi muttered and Yamana shook her head again. 

“Why are you so sure about it being Shindou’s girlfriend? What if it’s just a friend? And how could you possibly know that it wasn’t a Kirino’s relative?” Midori raised an eyebrow while Akane continued to sob softly, too quietly for the soccer enthusiasts to notice or so it seemed.

“Thanks, I needed that.” The captain smiled. “Practice is starting, I’ll come later if it’s ok”

“Sure, I’m sure Maru will heal faster with you by your side”

Akane took another photo of Shindou

After Shindou ended the call he started preparing to begin practice as well, now with a big smile instead of a worried face but for some reason the others were staring at him, some with sparkling eyes,  some embarrassed and others simply smiling proudly.

“Did something happen?” Shindou asked everyone. 

“No, nothing happened, let’s begin” Sangoku spoke before anyone else, he among all looked the proudest.

Chapter Text

“Huh?! You said the captain has a girlfriend?!” Tenma and Shinsuke exclaimed, staring at Kariya with eyes wide open. They always thought of Shindou as a role model, a responsible mature student focused on his goals, too busy with school, soccer and piano to start a relationship.

“Yeah, I just walked by and accidentally heard their conversation. They seemed pretty intimate and they kept calling each other with sappy names.” Kariya explained innocently as usual while warming up, satisfied with himself while the duo tried to imagine the Virtuoso being anything but the captain they always admire.

“I’m not surprised, have you seen all the chocolate he got last Valentine’s Day?” The teal haired boy almost jumped with fright as Hayami commented, standing right behind him. He just wanted to mess around with Tenma and Shinsuke, not even knowing if what he accidentally heard from the managers was true or not but he might have underestimated the other guys’ hearing abilities.

“Don’t make me remember last Valentine’s Day…” Kuramada sighed, not wanting to think about his empty desk, locker or wherever people put chocolate. 

“Lucky him, I feel a little envious”. Hamano rested his hands behind his head with a carefree smile on his face.

“I’m not surprised either, our captain was always popular with girls” Sangoku crossed his arms. “But it’s not our business, we have to focus on the next mat–”

“Look at how he’s smiling!” Kariya interrupted the goalkeeper, smirking while pointing at Shindou who just ended the call, kind of starting to believe his own lies. 

The Virtuoso didn’t expect Kirino to be so considerate to the point of leaving a message knowing that he would have eventually called and needed to be reassured. A bright smile appeared on his face, grateful to have such a wonderful friendship, someone who understood him so well to comfort him even when sick.

He wanted to cry from happiness.

…

He really wanted to cry from guilt.

Poor Kirino was suffering and still had his mind on Shindou. He felt worse thinking that maybe he called his friend out of egoism, wanting to relieve his guilt, instead of really wanting to check on him. He sighed and tried to concentrate on soccer; it was what Kirino wanted as well after all.

Shindou walked back to the field and started warming up with the rest of the guys, his mind still on the pink defender until he noticed everyone’s gaze on him.

“Did something happen?”

“No, nothing happened.” Sangoku spoke before anyone else, secretly, not so secretly, the proudest of them all. “Let’s begin!”

With a blink of an eye the sky painted orange, the club activities were concluded and the students started to walk back home but not Shindou who just walked out of the locker room and decided to call Kirino once more, hoping it would be him to pick up this time. It rang for a while before someone answered. 

“Hello?” Kirino’s voice sounded like a zombie’s. He just woke up from a long nap still feverish, his throat sore and his body heavy.

“Did I wake you up?” Shindou’s expression softened after hearing his voice, it hadn’t been a full day yet he missed his best friend deeply.

“Maybe,” Kirino yawned, “but it’s fine, I slept the whole day.”

“How are you feeling?” 

“A lot better!” He tried to sound energetic.

“Akane, what are you doing?” Aoi and Midori saw her hiding behind a tree outside of the soccer club’s building, following the Virtuoso.

“Shhh!”

“You’re stalking him?” Midori raised an eyebrow, wondering what could she possibly be doing and to actually think about it, stalking was perhaps the most realistic answer.

“I don’t like the verb stalking, I’d rather define it as investigating.” Akane answered whispering, smiling like she always did. 

Maybe to keep an eye on her or maybe curious too, they joined her “investigation”. They followed the captain, after he ended the call, to the school entrance when they got caught by Tenma and Shinsuke who just happened to walk next to them. “What are you doing here?” The midfielder asked the managers who were hiding behind another tree, one actually too thin to hide behind.

“Conducting an investigation on Shin-sama.” Her words didn’t exactly make sense to the duo.

Midori sighed, letting Aoi explain the situation. “Akane thinks Shindou has a girlfriend and wants to verify it herself.”

Maybe to keep an eye on them or maybe curious too, they joined their “investigation”.

“Are you all spying on Shindou?” Everyone could see them hiding behind the tree but Kariya was interested enough to ask and, curious too, he joined their “investigation”.

On a normal day Shindou would have definitely heard the steps of six people following him but his concern for Kirino occupied his mind entirely. 

“This is not the way to his house!” Akane whispered as he took a photo for evidence.

“You sure?” Midori asked not really wanting to know how she knew where Shindou lived though. 

Takuto stopped in front of a house and the investigating squad hid behind the corner on the side, having a clear view before he rang the doorbell. After a few seconds of suspense, a pink haired woman in her early twenties opened the door. 

“Mh? She doesn’t look like she’s our age.” Shinsuke whispered.

“She looks kinda familiar though.” Tenma said, trying to think of someone with similar features.

“Who could have thought our captain preferred older girls?” Kariya chuckled,  his dots connecting: it was clear as day that the woman looked exactly like Kirino, probably his sister or some relative but it seemed somehow the rest of them didn’t notice the uncanny resemblance.

No one listened to his words though, all too focused on trying to hear what they were talking about. 

“I’m sure now, he was talking to that girl earlier today! I never forget a voice.” Akane had fire in her eyes for the discovery.

“Oh he walked in!” Aoi exclaimed a little louder than she should have. 

“Make yourself at home! You can leave your stuff there.” She invited him inside. “It’s really nice of you coming here to give Maru all the notes from today’s lessons!

“It’s the least I can do for him,” Shindou said smiling softly,”it’s my fault after all–”

“Unless you have some kind of power to control the weather I don’t know of,” she interrupted him, chuckling a little, “it’s not your fault in any way!” 

“I could have practiced alone but I was selfish–”

“What are you talking about?” She raised her voice, interrupting him again a little and then chuckled softly. “Selfish you say? Kirino was happier than you for sure! I’ve never seen him more joyful than that!”

Before Shindou could deny that, still thinking that it was completely his fault, Kirino’s voice stopped him.

“Nee-san!” His sister talked too much in his opinion so he stopped her from saying anything else, not fully understanding why revealing him being happy with Shindou around was such a huge secret. His loose hair was messy at best, still wearing his pajamas while breathing heavily after rushing downstairs, his face also a little red, maybe for the fever or maybe for the embarrassment.

“Ranmaru!” Shindou didn’t expect him to be listening to their conversation but more than that he didn’t expect him to run like that.

Kirino’s face turned redder, maybe for the fever or maybe because he didn’t expect his best friend to call him by his name. They’ve been friends for ages, some people would be more surprised about them calling each other by their surnames if anything. Perhaps Shindou just made a mistake? No, he wouldn’t make a mistake like that and Kirino knew it but something he couldn’t have possibly been aware of was that his sweet sister novelized the message he wanted to leave for his little friend earlier that day so Shindou thought Kirino called him by his name so he would have obviously reciprocated.

The pink haired boy felt a little dizzy, maybe for the fever or maybe… nope, this time seriously for the fever. He would have fallen if Shindou wasn’t quick enough to catch him.

What happened after was pretty much a blur. Running after just standing up wasn’t the best option, especially when sick.

Kirino woke up in his bed after having a weird dream about his sister confessing that he was in love with Shindou, a so-called fever dream. He knew his sister would never reveal something like that to his friend and of course Kirino was sure he wasn’t in love with him, even though the order he had these thoughts was a little suspicious but he was certain they were just very good best friends. He sat up, worried that if he kept sleeping he would have weird dreams again.

“Oh, you’re awake.” Shindou’s voice interrupted Kirino’s train of thoughts. Maybe his dream wasn’t so far off from what really happened. 

“How do you feel, Ranmaru?” He asked sweetly, standing up from the desk and walking to him. Strangely enough, Shindou called him by his name even in his dream.

Kirino looked around making sure he wasn’t dreaming again before answering.

“A lot better. Were you here the whole time I was sleeping, Takuto?” It was weird using his name, not that he minded though.

“Of course,” he smiled, “I needed to make sure you wouldn’t run downstairs again! Your sister freaked out when you passed out like that.” Shindou did as well but of course he wasn’t going to admit that.

Kirino scoffed, not exactly used to being looked after by Shindou since it was usually the other way around. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t apologize, just don't do that again.” Seeing him pass out twice, two days in a row wasn’t beneficial for Shindou’s mental health at all.

“Yes captain– what are you doing?” Kirino dodged Shindou’s hand from his face.

“Just checking your fever.” 

“I can do that myself.” He dodged his hand again.

“Your hands’ temperature is probably high too.” Shindou tried again.

“I told you I feel better.” Kirino moved further away.

“Then let me see.” Shindou leaned closer.

“Don’t you trust me?” He kept moving away.

“I do but let me make sure of it.” Shindou got on the bed, still trying to check his temperature with his hand.

“You don’t have to.” 

“I do, your sister is buying groceries so I’m the one who needs to know that you’re fine.”

“It’s been almost an hour, do we still have to stay here?” Kariya commented as he was getting quite bored.

“You don’t HAVE to stay here, you can go home if you w–” 

“Shhh! She’s leaving her house!” Akane whispered, interrupting Midori scolding him.

They followed her.

“Doesn’t she look quite upset?” Aoi commented, whispering.

“Yeah, I noticed that too!” Shinsuke added.

“Maybe she and our captain had an argument" Kariya chuckled maliciously.

“What are you talking ab–”

“He’s right! They definitely fought!” Akane interrupted Midori again who didn’t appreciate that at all.

She walked to a nearby supermarket and left with a few bags of groceries, now with a determined smile on her face.

“I don’t think people go to buy groceries after a fight…” Midori was very skeptical about the situation.

“Maybe they fought because the food she prepared wasn’t good enough so she now has to cook something else.” Kariya commented. The others weren’t so sure about this reconstruction of the story after they tried to imagine Shindou scolding that woman for not being good enough.

“The captain would never do that!” Tenma exclaimed a little too loud but fortunately she didn’t hear him, too concerned about her little brother.

“But you only see him at school, remember that his family is rich so maybe he hides his spoiled self.” They somehow all believed him, it was so fascinating that he wondered how far he could go with his lies.

“Mmm, what if we just ask her if she’s really in a relationship with the captain?” Aoi muttered unsure but they all surprisingly seemed to agree with her.

“That’s right! I’m going to ask her!” But she didn’t. 

“C’mon what are you waiting for?” Shinsuke asked impatiently. “She’s almost at home!” 

“Tenma, I trust you with this hard mission.” Midori pushed him out of their hiding spot.

“Waahh!” He almost fell but regained balance.

She turned around hearing the boy’s voice. “Is everything alright?”

“Ah! Yes! Ahem… uhm, I…” He suddenly did not know what to say. He stood still. He took a deep breath, ready to ask her. “Ar—“

“Oh you must be Tenma Matsutase… Matsukaze! Tenma Matzukaze!” She smiled brightly as she recognized the boy Kirino talked about a few days ago. 

“Yes! How do you know my name?” Tenma was quite surprised and the others were too. 

“He talks a lot about what happens at school, especially if it’s related to soccer!” 

Tenma saw the stars align.

“What is he doing?” Midori furrowed her brows, not believing what was happening.

“It is Tenma we’re talking about…” Aoi let out a sarcastic laugh. 

As soon as he heard the word soccer, he went on an infinite speech about his beloved sport that only intensified once he learned that she plays too sometimes. They chatted for a while until she said goodbye since she needed to cook dinner. 

Tenma waved goodbye and when she was far enough, the others scolded him while Kariya laughed, showing a little his true colors, not that the others noticed.

“Huh, maybe I should have invited him to join us for dinner. I’m sure Maru would have been happy about that.” She turned around but the soccer fanatic was already gone. “Well, too late for that.”

“38,2°C, better but the fever is still there.” Shindou said looking at the thermometer. (100,7°F)

“Yeah I told you I felt better!” Kirino smiled confidently. “By the way, what were you writing before I woke up?” He indicated the papers on the desk. 

“I was making you a copy of my notes.” Shindou picked them up and showed them to him. 

Kirino was stunned. “Thank you, Takuto.”

“You’re more than welcome, Ranmaru.”

They heard a knock on the door before his sister walked in holding a bowl of soup. “Dinner is ready!” She put it down on the nightstand. “Make sure it’s fully cooled down before eating ok? Oh and I prepared dinner for you as well, Shindou. I already informed your parents that you are having dinner here.”

“Huh? For how long do you intend to stay here?” Kirino scratched his head a little confused. 

“Until you’re fully recovered.” Shindou answered smoothly. 

The pink defender looked at his sister knowing that she wouldn’t have allowed the Virtuoso to stay. 

“Thank you Shindou but you can go home now, I’m pretty sure you didn’t tell your parents that you’re here and probably not to your housekeepers.” She tried to be reasonable with him while he was changing the towel on Kirino’s head. 

“I just want to help!”

“...”

“…he is always looking out for me so I want to look after him too.”

She furrowed her eyebrows, trying to think of a way to send the boy home but then smiled softly. “Well, since you’re here taking care of him, I’ll go to the grocery store.”

“So that’s what happened, wait, you stayed here for an hour, changing my towel while copying the notes?” Kirino’s eyes widened.

Shindou nodded. “That’s what you did for me in the past so it was a great opportunity to reciprocate”

“In the past?”

“Yeah, don’t you remember? We were eight and you took care of me when I had a high fever.”

“Oh that time, I remember you being an extremely stubborn patient.” Kirino chuckled.

“You too are an extremely stubborn patient.” Shindou answered smoothly.

“Ahem,” she interrupted them, “Shindou, you can leave Kirino in my care and go to eat dinner.”

Chapter Text

As soon as the Virtuoso walked out of the room, Kirino’s sister leaned closer to her little brother.

“Maru,” she said with a serious tone, “tell me the truth…”

“About what?”

“Are you two finally a couple?”

“Huh?!” Kirino almost jumped out of the bed. “What are you talking about?! We are just friends! And what do you mean by “finally”?!” He was completely taken aback from his sister’s question. The two of them a couple? He never thought of Shindou as a potential love interest before, he never even thought of being into guys in the first place. 

“What am I talking about? The way you look at each other, how you act, your words, you don’t have to lie to me! You know, gay or straight, you are still my sweet little brother.” She laughed at his sudden outburst.

Kirino covered his face with both hands in disbelief and embarrassment while thoughts were flowing through his mind. They were indeed pretty intimate but only because they grew up together and it became a habit. Maybe he overstepped as a friend without noticing but it still didn’t mean anything. 

“Nee-san, I’m not g—“

“And I’m not only talking about you but Shindou too,” she interrupted him, “you should have seen his face when you passed out earlier. He was more agitated than me. He called you multiple times trying to wake you up while shaking you and then carried you to your bed!”

“Isn’t that normal?!” Kirino raised his voice. 

“It is! It’s the way he did it!”

It didn’t make any sense to him.

“Would you have done it differently?!”

“No… but I’m your sister! It’s different.” She put her hands on her hips, almost offended before chuckling a little.

“What’s so funny?” 

“Aren’t you being a little too defensive about this matter?”

Kirino remained silent for a few seconds before speaking again.

“Wouldn’t you act the same if I accused you of being in a relationship with your best friend?!” 

“No, I wouldn’t, I already accepted I have feelings for him… unlike someone I know.”

“Wait! You have feelings for–”

“Ahem!” She cleared her throat. “We’re talking about you and how in denial you are!”

Shindou went downstairs and walked to the dining room, knowing exactly where it was. He used to come to his house regularly to hang out together since Kirino’s parents were less strict about rules while his own parents preferred them studying over playing even though they were just children. They used to play soccer a lot too and without Kirino he probably would have never had so much motivation to continue the sport especially because it started out of obligation. He remembered his parents forcing him to practice in elementary school every single day since they thought it would improve his curriculum in the future and he hated it with all his heart.

“Soccer is stupid!” Shindou commented with the ball in his hands after the mean housekeeper ordered him to practice. “I don’t like it!” He ranted, kicking the ball away. “I don’t understand why it’s so important!” 

Kirino ran towards the ball. “Why don’t you teach me how to play? So then we can practice together!” He passed it to Shindou. 

He could never forget that moment, it had been almost ten years since then and he couldn’t be more grateful than that.

Over time he stopped visiting his house to practice piano so Kirino started coming to his house instead. He sighed. His friend did so much for him and he didn’t know how to reciprocate since he always seemed to be so put together.

At least now he could take care of him even for just a while since he had never got a chance and to think of it, he was enjoying it.

While eating, he continued thinking of all the things that happened today, blushing a little after realizing how close they were just a few minutes ago. He didn’t notice it immediately since his mind was more focused on making sure Kirino was fine but he felt a little flustered now that he was taking a small break. Was this what his best friend felt as well? Were they more than best friends? He sighed, trying to convince himself that his mind was playing tricks on him when he suddenly heard Kirino’s voice from his room. He rarely raised his voice so, worried that the two siblings might be fighting, he walked back upstairs but stopped in front of the room and peeked through the half-opened door.

“I-I’m not!” Kirino’s face turned red, maybe caused by fever, anger or something else.

“Oh really now?” She teased him. “Just welcome what your heart tells you.”

“I—“ Kirino stopped talking as his gaze met Shindou’s. 

“Are you two fighting?” 

“We’re not.” He cracked a smile.

“He likes someone.” She muttered.

“Huh?!” Shindou’s eyes widened. He didn’t know what to expect but certainly not that his best friend had fallen in love.

“I do not!” The defender raised his voice once more.

“Silly me! I haven’t watered the plants today! I’ll be back in a minute!” Kirino raised an eyebrow at his sister’s incredible stunt. The only plants in their house were two dead cactus in the corner of a balcony that their mother insisted on keeping since she believed they were still alive and healthy, not that Shindou could have possibly known it was an excuse to leave them alone in any case. 

“You still haven’t eaten yet, Ranmaru.” He changed topic.

“Oh, I almost forgot about it.” Kirino took the bowl from the nightstand, still feeling awkward by being called with his name. “Thank you, Takuto.”

The pink haired boy took a spoonful of the soup, still a little too hot but nothing he couldn’t handle while trying to ignore what just happened with his sister. She really did believe they were in love and it made him uncomfortable so of course he acted defensive, not because he’s avoiding the possibility of liking his best friends. That’s what they were. Best friends and nothing else.

Nothing else.

Nothing else?

Yes, nothing else! Why was he questioning himself? 

His gaze lifted to meet Shindou’s who was staring at him. “Mh? Is something on my face?”

“Want me to feed you?”

Kirino almost choked, definitely not expecting that. “No need, I can do it alone.” He immediately looked away, not fully understanding why he was so embarrassed. 

“I’m not letting you after you almost choked just now!”

“But—!” He sighed. He felt nervous, feeling his heart beating faster but at the end he reluctantly accepted after understanding that Shindou was just mimicking what he did when they were kids, when the little sick Virtuoso didn’t want anyone next to him aside from Kirino. 

“Say ahh.”

After a few minutes his embarrassment only worsened when he recalled his sister’s words once again. Them a couple? Feeding someone like that when they’re fully capable of doing it alone was sweet but was it something best friends would do? Lovers? Kirino blushed at the thought. 

“I-I’m full!” 

“But you ate so little.” Shindou looked at the half full bowl, wondering what he could do to help more when he realized how close they were again, making him turn around, suddenly not able to look at Kirino without his heart racing. 

The investigation squad was walking home after Tenma failed at his task. 

“Do we still think that she is the captain’s girlfriend?” Shinsuke asked, his opinion still not fully one-sided. 

“Yes, she definitely is.” Akane was more confident than ever. 

“Or maybe she is his cousin?” Midori commented, also not fully convinced. 

“The captain looked way too happy during that call.” Kariya grinned.

They discussed for a little while before Tenma’s lightbulb lit up. “Guys! She recognized me and knew a lot about soccer! She also knew about our tournament!”

“She probably recognized you because she’s a fan!” Aoi smiled.

Tenma shook his head. “She also knew about what training we do.”

“The call, Shin-sama coming to her house, her cooking for him, her knowing who Tenma was and you guys’ training… With all the proof we gathered through this day, I confirm that Shin-sama has indeed a girlfriend. 

They discussed it for a while but in the end they all agreed with Akane.

After an awkward moment of silence between Ranmaru and Takuto, the latter spoke.

“So, how do you feel? Will you be able to play with us in the next match?” He actually wanted to ask him if he really had a crush on someone but decided not to after thinking about how he responded to his sister earlier.

“I’ll be there with you and the others on the field for sure! I actually feel so good that I’ll go to school tomorrow!” Kirino smiled confidently.

“Are you sure? Shindou asked, concerned for his health, especially after witnessing him passing out just a few hours ago.

The sun was already up in the sky when Kirino woke up on his bed, feeling a little dazed and not exactly remembering falling asleep. He coughed as he sat, rubbing his eyes, trying to adapt to the light when his gaze landed on the clock on the wall, realizing he was late for school. 

“Oh you woke up, good morning.” She said as she walked in his room. “Why are you up?”

“W–” His voice didn’t come out until he coughed twice. “Why didn’t you wake me up?!” He exclaimed, his voice below a whisper.

“No way I’m letting you go to school. Mom and dad agree too.” She pinched her little brother’s cheeks, imitating their mother’s voice. “Oh our poor little boy, you must take good care of our baby, understand?” She giggled at Kirino’s annoyed face. “Even the doctor said that you need to stay at home for at least a week yesterday.”

“But my fever is gone and I feel bett–” He coughed violently.

“Don’t be unreasonable,” her voice softened as she made him lay down again, “remember that you have the match against Hakuren in two days and maybe if you heal in time, I could let you play.”

Kirino sighed and looked down, knowing that his sister was right. 

“You guys need to win in order to save real soccer after all!”

His eyes widened and stared at her. “You know about Raimon’s rebellion?!” He raised his voice a little in surprise, making his own throat hurt even more.

“Don’t act too shocked!” She chuckled, not expecting her brother to be shocked. “I already had some suspicions and they were confirmed yesterday after I met a teammate of yours while walking home with the groceries, what was his name again? Tenma Ma… Tenma Matsukaze! He didn’t exactly reveal what you guys were doing but he kept repeating something about “playing the real soccer”.”

“I see…” He sighed, making a mental note to scold Tenma about not revealing their rebellion plans to others.

“Unless you don’t want to recover and want to continue being pampered by your sweet best friend” She giggled, making him sigh again as he remembered about last night’s conversation.

After making him a great breakfast and making sure he took his medicine, his sister left him alone in his own thoughts. He stared at the ceiling. He couldn’t do anything but wait for his illness to pass and hoped Shindou would come to visit him again later, a completely normal desire. Who wouldn’t want your friend by your side? 

His heart skipped a beat.

Kirino exhaled and closed his eyes as he started questioning himself.

Was his sister right? 

No, wrong question.

Was he in love with his best friend?

Shindou went to school like any other day or almost. He still missed his best friend deeply but he felt more energetic after yesterday, knowing that Kirino was getting better. With a smile on his face he opened the club’s room where they usually discuss game strategies ten minutes earlier than usual after Tenma told him to. He thought they were going to talk about their next opponent but he was met with the whole team waiting for him while smiling brightly.

“Did something h–”

“Congratulations, captain!” Kuromada exclaimed, interrupting him.

“What are you talking ab–”

“No need to hide it from us! We support you fully, captain!” Sangoku smiled confidently at Shindou, who on the other hand had no idea of what they were congratulating for.

“Having a partner takes time and effort but don’t forget about us!” Midori put her hands on her hips, smiling brightly. 

“A—?!” They interrupted him once again. Shindou was extremely confused, having no idea of why they would think he had a lover. All the girls who confessed to him were rejected, he didn’t even have interest in dating at the moment since they were only in middle school. It was absurd, who spread this senseless? And why was everyone believing it? He kept denying having a girlfriend but they all mistakenly thought he was just being shy. He sighed while trying to think of a way to convince the others and the first thing his mind drifted to was to tell Kirino about this later, knowing that his best friend will believe him and try to reason with them. 

“Thinking about her, captain?” Kariya pointed out Shindou’s sweet smile while clearly spacing out.

“No, I’m not! I was thinking of—“ This time he interrupted himself wondering what kind of expression was he making while thinking about his best friend. 

Just his best friend, not a lover.

Just Ranmaru. 

How could they not differentiate the type of face you make with a lover and the one you make with your best friend?

He blushed, trying to ignore what his heart was telling him.