"You'll be staying with your grandparents for a few days." my dad told me.
"Have fun." my mom said to me with a smile.
My parents then headed back to Tokyo.
The next day.
"Come with me to the supermarket, Shin. We need to do some shopping."
"Okay, Grandma." I put on my shoes, grabbed my ball, and started juggling it as I walked alongside her.
The store wasn't very far. She picked up everything she needed, but it took longer than I expected because she kept stopping to chat with people she knew along the way.
"Yes, that's my grandson." she told her friends proudly.
After introducing myself, I left her to her conversations and started passing the ball against a wall, killing time while she finished talking.
Next to me, I noticed the shadow of someone, someone about my age, it seemed.
I saw them try to steal the ball from me.
"It's mine!" the person said.
But just before their foot could reach the ball, I tapped it lightly, sending it between their legs and recovering it on the other side.
"Nutmeg." I said to them with a smirk.
"ARGH! How did you see me coming?!" He asked.
"You called it out before even going for the ball." I replied calmly.
"Ah, yeah... true." he said, scratching his head awkwardly. Then he added. "But hey, I've never seen you around here before."
"I'm from Tokyo. I'm just here on vacation, staying with my grandparents." I told him.
"I see... Are you starting elementary school soon?" he asked.
"Yes." I answered.
"Aww, that's too bad. If you were from around here, I could've recruited you for Azumaichi." he said, clearly disappointed. Then he quickly pulled himself together.
"I'm Makoto Soda. And you?"
"Orochi Shin."
My grandmother finally came back, having finished her conversation.
"Well, well... isn't that little Soda?" she said.
"Hello, Mrs. Orochi." he greeted her politely.
"Say hi to your mother for me." she replied.
"Of course." he said.
"Alright, let's head home, Shin." she said, motioning toward the street.
"See you next time, Orochi." Soda said to me.
"Yeah, see you." I replied.
Then he turned and ran off on his way.
When we got home, we found my grandfather just coming back from work. He had decided not to retire yet, but the exhaustion on his face was hard to miss.
"So, did you two have a good day?" he asked.
"Yeah. But are you okay, Grandpa?" I asked him.
"I'm good as new, don't worry." he replied.
"Let him act tough." my grandmother whispered to me with a small smile. Then she grabbed one of the grocery bags and said,
"I'm heading to the kitchen, boys."
"I've got nothing to do, I'll help you, Grandma." I said, following her.
We started making dinner together.
After we finished cooking, we sat down to eat. The takoyaki was delicious, crispy on the outside, warm and soft inside.
Later that evening, my parents called just to check in and see if everything was alright.
The next afternoon, we were already preparing dinner. "Here, tie your hair back with this, your mother told me to give this to you." my grandmother said, handing me a hair tie. I took it and tied my hair.
"Much better, isn't it?" she asked with a smile.
"Thanks." I replied with a nod.
Once I was done peeling the vegetables, she said. "You can go out and play for a bit. Just be careful, okay?"
"Alright. See you later." I said, heading outside.
It didn't take long before I found a group of kids around my age nearby. Some were playing basketball, others football.
"Hey, Orochi! Over here!" I heard Soda's voice calling me. I jogged over to join them.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Orochi Shin." I said as I arrived.
They greeted me warmly.
We quickly organized into two teams and started a 8-on-8 match.
During the match...
I positioned myself on the right wing, waiting for a chance."Pass it here!" I called out, completely unmarked. But the others kept passing the ball among themselves, ignoring my position.
Another opportunity slipped through their fingers, a weak shot, easily deflected.
"Tch." I muttered in frustration.
As the ball was put back in play, I stepped forward and stole it cleanly from an opposing player.
"Ah—!" he gasped, caught off guard.
I darted forward, dribbling past one defender, then a second. The ball stuck to my feet like it was an extension of my body. I charged up the right side, then cut inside.
Now one-on-one with the goalkeeper. I didn't hesitate. I struck with my left foot.
The shot curved past the keeper's reach—goal.
For a moment, silence.
Then
"Whoa!"
"That was crazy!"
Soda came jogging over, grinning. "Man, Orochi... you're really something else."
From that moment on, I did touch the ball again during the game.
After the match, we all went to get some ice cream, then everyone went their separate ways.
And just like that, the rest of my vacation at my grandparents' place passed by in a quiet blur.
The final day of my stay in Osaka.
"Did you double-check that you've got everything, Shin?" my grandfather asked.
"Yes, I've got it all." I replied.
"Good."
The hours passed slowly, until my grandfather's phone rang. "It's been over three hours, you should've been here by now..."
A pause. His expression froze. "Wait... what did you just say?"
"...No. That's not possible... No..." A tear rolled down his cheek.
"What's going on?" my grandmother asked, suddenly alarmed, a dark feeling settling over her.
Her fears were soon confirmed.
"Dai and Hana... they died in a car accident." my grandfather announced, his voice shaking.
My grandmother collapsed into tears. As for me—I couldn't speak. My body refused to move. Tears streamed silently down my face.
My grandfather wrapped his arms around her, then looked at me, opening one arm toward me. I walked over wordlessly, and the three of us stood there, holding onto each other, broken and grieving.