Beyond the Pitch

Gabriel was up earlier than usual, but he didn't rush. He moved through his morning routine slowly, lingering in the quiet before the rest of the house stirred. By the time he stepped into the kitchen, his mom was already dressed for work, sipping her coffee while scrolling through her phone.

She glanced up when she heard him. "You're awake early."

Gabriel shrugged, grabbing some toast. "Yeah."

Satoshi, still half-asleep, shuffled into the kitchen behind him, scratching the back of his head. He eyed Gabriel suspiciously before reaching for a carton of milk.

"You're heading out already?" Satoshi asked, voice rough with sleep.

Gabriel took a bite of his toast and nodded.

His mom set her phone down. "Are you meeting someone?"

Gabriel hesitated for a second too long.

Satoshi smirked. "So he does have friends."

Gabriel shot him a glare before grabbing his bag. "I'm leaving."

"Don't forget your bento," his mom called out before he could step out the door.

Gabriel blinked. He hadn't even noticed she had packed one for him.

He grabbed the small lunch box from the counter, mumbling a quick "thanks" before slipping out of the house.

Ryota was already at the gate when Gabriel arrived, lazily kicking the ball against the pavement.

"Took you long enough," Ryota called out with a grin.

Gabriel scoffed. "I wasn't rushing for you."

Kenta appeared beside Ryota, hands shoved in his pockets. "He still showed up, though. Progress."

Gabriel rolled his eyes, but before he could retort, Ryota passed him the ball. He caught it effortlessly with his foot.

"C'mon," Ryota said, motioning toward the field. 

Gabriel wasn't sure why, but he found himself following without hesitation.

As they started playing, he wasn't overthinking of everything. He wasn't stuck in his own head.

He was just playing.

And it felt good.

After School Gabriel had planned to head to the arcade again, but this time, Ryota and the others were already waiting for him at the school gates.

"Where do you even go after school?" Ayane asked, adjusting her bag strap.

Gabriel hesitated. "Nowhere."

Daichi hummed. "That's suspicious."

Kenta elbowed him. "Maybe he just doesn't want to tell you."

Gabriel sighed. "It's just the arcade."

Ryota grinned. "Oh? Then let's go."

Gabriel blinked. "What?"

"You can't just say you go to the arcade and not expect us to invite ourselves," Ayane said matter-of-factly.

Gabriel wanted to argue, but at this point, he had given up.

And somehow, walking to the arcade with them felt… different.

Less lonely.

He wasn't sure how he felt about that yet.

The arcade was buzzing with neon lights and the chaotic symphony of game sounds—button mashing, electronic victory jingles, and the occasional groan of defeat. Gabriel had expected to be here alone again, but instead, he found himself standing in the middle of the group, getting dragged from game to game without much of a choice.

"Alright, now you have to let me win at least one match," Ryota declared, shaking his finger at Gabriel as they stood in front of the fighting game machine.

Gabriel scoffed. "I don't 'let' people win."

"Not even for a friend?" Ryota smirked, his tone teasing.

Gabriel faltered for half a second. A friend? He shook the thought away and rolled his shoulders. "Fine. Try your best."

The match started, and within seconds, Gabriel landed a brutal combo that had Ryota scrambling to defend himself.

"Damn it—wait—how are you—?!" Ryota's fingers moved rapidly over the buttons, but Gabriel was relentless.

Kenta laughed from behind them. "Man, this is painful to watch."

"Oh, shut up, Kenta—ARGH!" Ryota groaned as his character got KO'd again. "Okay, nope. I refuse to accept this."

Gabriel smirked. "Wanna go again?"

Ryota scowled but hit the Continue button anyway. "One more."

By the time they finished, Gabriel had won three times, and Ryota had only managed a single, hard-earned victory. Ayane, watching from the side, shook her head. "At this rate, Gabriel's gonna leave the arcade undefeated."

Gabriel shrugged. "Not my fault you all suck."

Daichi patted Ryota's shoulder dramatically. "You did your best, man. But some people are just built differently."

Ryota groaned. "He's annoying, that's what he is."

Despite his words, Gabriel could see the amusement in his expression. They're not bad to be around, he admitted to himself.

After a while, Gabriel excused himself and made his way to the bathroom. The cool water felt refreshing as he splashed some onto his face, leaning against the sink for a moment.

He stared at his reflection, his damp hair sticking slightly to his forehead.

I actually had fun.

It was a strange thought. He hadn't felt like this in a while—like he actually feel accepted somewhere.

His mind drifted back to football, the rush of the game, the feeling of the ball at his feet, the adrenaline of a well-played match.

Maybe… maybe he should go back.

He exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his hair. I'll think about it.

As he turned to leave, he heard a commotion from outside.

While Gabriel was in the bathroom, the others were still playing when a group of five guys entered the arcade, their loud voices cutting through the usual noise.

Two of them immediately noticed Ayane, one of them—a tall guy with slicked-back hair—grinning as he nudged his friend.

"Hey, check her out," he muttered.

The second guy, shorter but stockier, smirked. "Oi, sweetheart, you got a name?"

Ayane barely spared them a glance. "Im not interested."

The first guy chuckled. "C'mon, no need to be shy. We're just trying to have a little fun."

She rolled her eyes. "Then go have fun somewhere else."

His smirk faltered, replaced by a hint of annoyance. "Damn, you don't gotta act all high and mighty." He reached out, grabbing her wrist. "What, you think you're too good to even talk to us?"

Ayane tensed. "Let..me...go"

Before she could yank her hand free, Ryota's voice cut in. "Hey, you deaf or something?"

The two guys turned just as Ryota and Kenta stepped up, both of them already looking pissed.

The slick-haired guy clicked his tongue. "Oh, great. If it isn't Ryota."

Kenta frowned. "Do you know him?"

Ryota's expression darkened. "Yeah. Chūichi from Tsurumaru High. Their team's trash."

Chūichi smirked. "Funny, because last I checked, you were the ones who lost last season."

Ryota clenched his fists. "Like hell we're losing next time."

"Talk is cheap," Chūichi said mockingly. "Too bad you losers don't have the skills to back it up."

By now, the three other guys had joined in, surrounding Ryota and Kenta. Daichi was standing nearby, watching the situation unfold with a tense expression.

Ayane took a step back, but Chūichi's friend sneered. "Where you going, sweetheart? We're not done talking."

That was the last straw.

Ryota swung first. His fist connected with the guy's jaw, sending him stumbling backward. Chaos erupted.

Kenta tackled one of the others, and within seconds, it was a full-on fight. The arcade manager shouted from the counter, but no one was paying attention.

Chūichi managed to land a punch to Ryota's side, but Ryota barely flinched, throwing another punch in return. Kenta was grappling with one of the other guys, dodging a wild swing before shoving him against a nearby pinball machine.

Ayane had stepped aside, glaring. "Idiots."

By the time Gabriel walked out of the bathroom, the arcade was noticeably quieter.

His brows furrowed as he saw Ryota and Kenta on the floor, catching their breath, while Daichi stood over one of the fallen guys. A few arcade machines had been knocked over slightly, and Ayane looked unimpressed.

Gabriel took in the scene, then deadpanned, "Huh. You guys are awfully quiet all of a sudden."

Ryota groaned, sitting up and holding his ribs. "Shut up."

Gabriel walked over, eyeing the unconscious or groaning members of Chūichi's group before turning back to his friends. "So… what the hell happened?"

Kenta winced as he rubbed his shoulder. "Long story."

Daichi grinned. "Short version? Ryota punched a guy, and it escalated from there."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. 

Ryota scowled. "They had it coming."

Gabriel sighed and glanced at the arcade staff, who were looking more and more pissed by the second. "We should probably leave before they kick us out."

Ayane sighed. "I agreed."

With that, the group hurried out of the arcade, some of them limping slightly.

As they stepped into the cool night air, Ryota nudged Gabriel. "Next time, don't disappear when a fight breaks out, huh?"

Gabriel smirked slightly.

As they walked away, Gabriel couldn't help but think… maybe he really wasn't as alone as he thought.