#kifu

That brunette mohican boy walked alone through the busy streets of the main city of the island where the International Frontier Football tournament was taking place, Liocott Island. He walked without a fixed direction with his hands in the pockets of the shorts he used to wear when he was not wearing the football clothes, thoughtfully, in a few days it would be the final against Little Gigant and somehow he felt nervous, he had never felt anything before like that, the feeling of wanting to be better and better to support someone else instead of for his own benefit had been growing more and more in his chest, he wanted to win with his team, he wanted Inazuma Japan to rise with the victory as he had never wished before. He stood a moment to look at a shop window full of sporting goods, his shoes were starting to wear out. His blue turquoise eyes, dark as the midnight sea, swept through the store's objects, so many things had happened in such a short time. Suddenly he heard several shouts of fans with high-pitched voices that made him close one eye in an annoyed attitude. They had practically screamed in his ear and had been very unpleasant.

“Look, look, they are some of Inazuma Japan's boys!”

Fudou looked curiously through the reflection of the shop window, there was a group of six girls about seventeen or eighteen with his team’s shirts pointing at some of his teammates. A few meters from them was Kidou with Gouenji, Endou, Kazemaru and Fubuki, they also seemed entertained looking at a showcase full of food, the captain salivated abundantly. The brunette blinked and felt a slight discomfort inside, was he really necessary in the team? Every time he saw his teammates having fun together, he couldn't help feeling that he was nothing but a hindrance. 

The girls started talking to each other while Fudou listened to everything and his eyes narrowed to two small slits of uneasiness. 

“All Inazuma Japan guys are great, right?” said one of them to her friends.

“They are all so polite and good, it shows that they are Japanese.”

“Except him, right?”

The girls nodded and Fudou clenched his hands in his pockets really annoyed. Yes, there they went again. He huffed without looking away from the reflection.

“Why would they have included Fudou Akio in the team? It only seems to cause conflicts with their peers.”

“Apparently before he belonged to a street gang ... He was like a criminal.”

“Do you think he is still? What if he has them all threatened?” 

Fudou rolled his eyes at those comments, and there they were again, every time he went out on the island he heard people criticizing him for no apparent reason, and then they asked him why he didn't socialize more! Why didn’t go out with them in Liocott! He didn't want to mix with them more than necessary, he didn't want to contaminate them with his past. He glanced at the girls and saw in amazement that Kidou had gotten up from the window and looked, or so it seemed through his glasses, at the girls. He had contracted his eyebrows and stepped closer to them.

“Sorry for my interference, I could not help hearing what you were talking about and I would appreciate if you stopped talking badly about my friend Fudou.” 

Fudou's lips parted slightly as he watched Kidou's reflection steady and determined. An unfortunate turn of heart preceded an oppression in his chest. His pulse accelerated for no apparent reason.

“Fudou is a very valuable friend and teammate for us, as well as a key piece in our victories as Inazuma Japan. If we have managed to get where we have come, it has been thanks to everyone's work, and he is no exception, he has saved us from defeat in countless occasions.”

The brunette boy perplexedly opened his eyes observing that reflection and turned to Kidou. His heart was going as fast as if he was running after a ball. Really? Did Kidou really think that about him? A dark voice told him that he was lying, that nobody needed him and his stomach become smaller and smaller.

The girls on the other hand had blushed in shame at the wake-up call and tried to excuse so not to look bad in front of one of their great heroes.

“But…” said one of them “he doesn't seem like the others, how would someone like you who are so good and kind be friends with someone ... like him?”

Yes, because after all, what did he have that might be interesting for Kidou to offer him his friendship?

“I don't have to explain to anyone about my private life or my decisions. Fudou is a great friend and is a good boy in his own way. I will not tolerate anyone talking badly about him without even knowing him.”

And with a movement of his stupid red cloak he prepared to leave dramatically; however, he stayed white on the site, he had just seen Fudou behind the girls watching him with a funny smile on his lips, leaning on the facade and with his hands in his pockets, a cold facade that hid the inner nervousness and that his hands were sweating, he really wished those words were honest. The girls did not understand what had happened to him and turned to see what ghost that idol of them had see, they also paled to discover that the person they had been criticizing was behind them; but he didn't bother to look at them, his turquoise and bright eyes were fixed on Kidou.

The boy with cinnamon-colored hair swallowed uncomfortably and turned away at a rapid pace, reuniting again with his friends who had not heard what had happened because Endou had entered to buy a cake and the others had followed him. The girls also rushed to leave and Fudou was left alone and thoughtful, looking at the blue sky, not moving for a long time.

He was fed up that Kidou was told by everyone that he was such a good boy. Was it that nobody remembered the times when he had been a ruthless and cold executioner under the orders of that Kageyama fool? No, nobody remembered. 

Ah, but everyone remembered that he, Fudou, had belonged to a street gang, that he had been under the orders of that same man and accused him of being a heartless monster. Why couldn't he remove that stigma? Why did they keep saying all that negative things about him? He huffed angrily and punched the wall before heading back to the residence. 

"Fudou is a great friend and is a good boy in his own way," the brunette kept repeating that moment mentally, why? Why couldn't he stop thinking about that?

He arrived promptly at dinner time and discovered that Kidou was sitting alone, possibly waiting for his friends whom the brunette had seen helping Tachimukai with a few shots, why would Kidou not have gone too? He smiled mischievously, took the tray with his food and sat in front of Kidou at the bemused expression of the boy with brown hair, Kidou’s eyebrows were tight and his ears had turned somewhat red.

“Can I sit with you, Kidou-kun?”

Kidou did not answer, he knew it was a question that did not seek an answer, he remained silent while he had dinner but noticed Fudou's amused look on him. That caused him a lot of restlessness, what would the brunette be up to?

After a long while, Fudou asked.

“So I'm a good boy in my own way?"

Kidou lifted his eyes from his plate for a moment, Fudou could see them through the glasses, making his mocking smile increase.

“Don't make me regret having defended you.”

"As if I needed to be defended," the brown haired boy shrugged, although inside he had felt something warm that caressed his black heart.

“Everyone needs to be defended sometimes.”

“Even the great strategist genius Kidou Yuuto?”

Kidou looked at Fudou in a strange way that bothered him, was that an honest smile? Why was Kidou smiling at him like that? His heart shot again and clenched his teeth, why?

“It seems incredible that you are the one asking this, Fudou.”

“Ah?”

Kidou got up calmly, that answer had caught his mohican fellow off guard, the boy in glasses took his tray and turned, but turned his head again before looking sideways at the other boy without removing that smile from his lips .

“To me Endou is the light that took me out of the darkness that was devouring me, but it was you who have managed to break the chains of hatred that held me back, freeing me from my past and defending my heart from my dark "me". I trust you with my whole being, Fudou.”

Fudou noticed how his face was turning red as he listened, Kidou left without saying anything else leaving him extremely disturbed and without more hunger despite having barely touched his dinner. His whole body burned and he felt an enormous weight in his heart that had nothing to do with the emptiness that lurked at night, it was a warm weight, a different sensation, a pleasant sensation.

“Hey, Fudou!” Tsunami hit him on the back to greet him and sat next to the boy without noticing the tide of thoughts that overwhelmed the brunette at that time.