Say, [F/n] have you heard the rumors about the molester?" Aoi asks.
"Hmm.. sorry what?" you woke from your thoughts, you had spaced out a little.
"Have you heard the rumors about the molester?"
"What rumors and… what molester?!" you exclaimed.
Aoi heaved a sigh, "there have been rumors about a molester roaming around town. Aren't you scared?"
This was the first time you heard about this, there was a molester in you town? You had to admit that the thought of running into a molester scared the living daylights out of you.
"Yeah, kinda, what about you Aoi?"
"Not really, I mean I always walk home with Tenma and Shinsuke, so what could possibly happen to me?" Aoi giggled.
"You lucky bastard, I have to walk home on my own, I don't have a prince with a soccer ball to save me" you joked.
"[F/n]!" Aoi yelled, loud enough for everyone else in the classroom to hear her, some students turned their heads. Aoi started whispering, "I thought we agreed to never talk about this!"
The thing is, a couple of weeks ago you found out about Aoi's crush on Tenma and she made you promise to never talk about it. You had agreed to it, but you liked to tease her with it.
"Fine, fine" you said and raised your hands, pretending to surrender.
Aoi looked at the clock on the wall of the classroom, and she jumped up in horror.
"[F/n] we have to go, or we'll be late for afternoon practice! Don't you know what's going to happen to us if coach figures out we're late?"
You remained seated and raised one eyebrow at Aoi, "ehm, nothing, because coach Endou is always late too, so why should we get in trouble for doing the same?"
You knew you were making no sense, but you just didn't feel like getting up, you were too tired. Lately, your life had been boring, nothing exciting ever happened, school was the same old boring thing, practice was the same, matches were always won. Your life had started to become kind of a drag, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to run into the molester, at least it was a change of pace.
You shook your head, did you just really think that? OK, that was it, you had totally hit rock bottom, life probably couldn't get any more boring if you were thinking things like that.
You barely had time to stand up from your chair, Aoi had already grabbed your arm and was dragging you outside, towards the practice grounds. When she saw Akane and Midori she finally let go of your arm and she ran over towards them. You slowly trudged behind her towards the bench.
"Sorry for being late" you heard Aoi say.
"It's okay" Midori said, "coach still isn't here either." And just when she finished saying that coach Endou appeared on the field and shouted his instructions to the team. You quickly made your way over to the bench and started sorting towels and drinks for everyone.
Practice was the same as usual, the ball went back and forth and guys yelled at each other to pass. You started to think why you even joined the team as a manager, you weren't even really that into soccer. It was probably because Aoi talked you into it, when she applied as a manager she didn't want to go alone. That's probably how you ended up as a manager.
Practice was finally over and you heaved a sigh, you stood up and stretched out, you were ready to go home.
"[F/n]!" You heard coach Endou's voice and you turned your head.
"You're going to bring the equipment back to the clubroom."
You started to whine, since you just wanted to go home. "Why does it have to be me?"
"You were late for practice."
"But I wasn't that late, and it's already getting dark-"
"[F/n]! Just do it" coach Endou heaved a sigh and you realized there was nothing you could possibly say or do to change his mind. You picked up all the towels and threw them on the crate with empty water bottles, then you picked up the crate, grumbling something you hoped no one could hear. This wasn't exactly the exciting thing you had in mind.
When you turned around you nearly bumped into Tsurugi and he said "that's what you get for being late", that was a big mistake on his side.
"Don't go acting like you're the sweet guy who always arrives on time" you sneered at him and walked away. You so had enough of this day.
You put the crate back where it belonged, took all the towels of it and threw them in a corner of the club room, you would deal with that tomorrow. Then you returned to the field to get the soccer balls and brought them to the club room. As you walked out again you noticed a picture hanging on the wall, you read the line underneath it: