HERE WE GOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
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The night air in Kagoshima was different from Tokyo. It was lighter, carrying the salty scent of the ocean and the humidity of the south.
In a modest, two-story detached house in the suburbs, the Takamine family was sitting down for dinner. The scene was picture-perfect domesticity. The warm glow of the pendant light hung over the dining table, shining light over the plates of grilled mackerel, miso soup, and freshly steamed rice.
"Renzo, pass the soy sauce, please?"
Renzo Takamine blinked, his hand moving automatically to slide the bottle across the table.
To an outsider, Renzo looked like he didn't belong in this peaceful setting. He was sixteen, but he carried an aura that felt older and sharper. He had lightning blue hair, sweeping back in a wild, unkempt style. His eyes were a piercing teal, framed by sharp, angular lines that gave him a predatory glare. With a jawline that looked like it could cut glass, he looked like something in between a delinquent and a model. (Dude looks like Girmmjow from Bleach, if he were in his 16s)
He looked exactly like the kind of person who would start a fight in an alleyway.
"Here," Renzo said softly. His voice was calm, a weird contrast to his aggressive appearance.
"Thank you!" His mother, Akari, smiled at him. She was a beautiful woman with the same blue hair as her son, though hers fell in soft, gentle waves. She radiated a jolly, bubbly energy that filled the room. "Eat up, everyone! The fish is fresh from the market today."
"It's delicious, honey," his father, Daiki, said with his mouth full. He was a broad-shouldered man with dark, messy hair, the only trait Renzo didn't inherit. "Man, I can't believe it's already been a year."
Akari nodded enthusiastically. "I know! Time flies. Moving to Kagoshima was the best decision we ever made. The air is clean, the neighbors are so polite... it's just wonderful."
"The school is great, too," Daiki added, glancing at his son. "Renzo seems settled. And the society here... it's peaceful. No drama. Right, Renzo?"
Renzo chewed his rice slowly, swallowing before looking up. "Yeah. It's fine. The curriculum is easy enough."
He kept his face neutral. He didn't mention the boredom. He didn't mention that the "peace" felt like static noise in his ears. He just offered a small, practiced smile. That was all they needed to see.
"See? I told you!" His little sister, Miu, chimed in. She was nine years old, a miniature clone of her mother with pigtails and a missing front tooth.
She pointed her chopsticks at Renzo. "Big brother loves it here! Even if he looks scary, everyone thinks he's SUPER cool."
"Miu, manners," Daiki chided gently, though he was grinning.
"It's true!" Miu insisted. "All my friends beg me to ask him to pick me up. They say, 'Miu-chan, is that really your brother? He looks like a rockstar!' But I tell them he's just a big softie."
Renzo let out a short exhale, reaching over to ruffle Miu's hair. "Don't let it go to your head, pipsqueak. I'll pick you up tomorrow if you want."
Miu's eyes sparkled. "Yay! Thanks, Ren-nii!"
The table fell into a comfortable rhythm of chewing and clinking porcelain. It was Daiki who broke the silence again, a teasing glint in his dark eyes.
"Speaking of being cool," Daiki leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "Are you going on a date with Koyuki-chan tomorrow? Or is it the day after?"
Renzo didn't miss a beat. "Tomorrow. The day after is the Prefectural Tournament finals."
"That's right!" Akari clapped her hands together, nearly dropping her chopsticks. "Oh, I am just so happy. Koyuki is such a wonderful girl. She's beautiful, she's mature, she's polite. Honestly, Renzo, I don't know how you managed to find someone like that."
Renzo took a sip of his soup. "It was more of her finding me, Mom."
"Well, you are quite a looker, son," Daiki laughed, slapping Renzo's shoulder. "Takes after his old man's charm and his mother's face. Deadly combination."
"Just make sure you treat her well," Akari said, her voice softening. "She's good for you. She keeps you... grounded."
Renzo nodded. "I know."
Once dinner wrapped up, the atmosphere in the house shifted. The clatter of dishes being washed faded away. Miu was sent to bed with a kiss on the forehead. Renzo stood up, stretching his arms. The fabric of his shirt pulled tight against a lean, muscular frame honed by hours of training.
"I'm heading up," Renzo said.
Daiki and Akari exchanged a look. It was the look they always exchanged when the distraction of daily life faded.
"Renzo," his father said. His voice was lower now. Full of concern.
Renzo paused at the doorway, one hand in his pocket. He didn't turn around completely, just glancing back over his shoulder with those sharp, teal eyes. "Yeah?"
"The voices," Daiki asked, "Are they... are they gone?"
The question hung in the air for a while.
Renzo's expression didn't change. He didn't flinch. He just gave that same, calm smile — the mask he had perfected over the last twelve months.
"Yeah, Dad. They're gone," Renzo lied effortlessly. "I got it under control a long time ago. You don't have to worry about it."
He saw the relief wash over his parents' faces. It was pathetic to hide it, really. But it was necessary.
"Good," Daiki breathed out. "Goodnight, son."
"Night."
Renzo walked up the stairs, his footsteps silent on the wood. As soon as his bedroom door clicked shut, he could hear the murmurs of his parents downstairs. His hearing, like his vision, was sharper than average.
"I really wish he would be more open," his father's voice drifted up through the floorboards. "I wish he could be more... like himself. Like he used to be before the incidents."
"It's not good for others, Daiki," his mother's voice replied, sounding strained. "You remember what happened in Tokyo. When he plays like that... when he lets go... people get hurt. Not physically, but... he breaks them."
"Not our problem," Daiki grumbled. "If they can't keep up with him, they can cry about it. He's suppressing everything just to make us feel safe."
A sharp sound — a slap on the arm. "Stop talking about stupid things! I just want my son to be free, too. That's why I'm so glad Koyuki is in his life. She's the only one other than us he openly talks to. She normalizes him."
Renzo moved away from the door, his face darkening.
Normalizes him.
He walked to his bed and collapsed onto it, staring up at the ceiling. The room was dark, illuminated only by the moonlight filtering through the blinds.
BUZZZ
He reached for his phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up his face, highlighting the sharp features that made him look so 'cool'.
New Message: Koyuki
He unlocked the phone.
Koyuki:You ready for tomorrow's date? Don't forget to wear something decent. No tracksuits, Renzo. I swear to god if you show up in a jersey, I'm leaving😭.
Renzo let out a genuine breath of air that was almost a laugh. His thumbs flew across the screen.
Renzo:Got it. I'll wear a suit. Or maybe a tuxedo.
Koyuki:Don't push your luck😑.
He hesitated for a second, then typed again.
Renzo:Tomorrow is your birthday. You'll be turning 18.
Koyuki:Yeah? And? Need me to remind you what cake I want?🥰
Renzo:No. I was just thinking. So technically, you could be jailed for dating a minor👀.
The reply came instantly.
Koyuki:FUCK OFF YOU CRAZY BASTARD!!! 💢💢💢 I'm doing you a favor by being seen with you🤬🤬!
Renzo smirked. He could practically hear her yelling, her face turning that shade of red similar to her hair. It was easy with her. She didn't treat him like a ticking time bomb. She treated him like an idiot, her idiot, which was refreshing.
Renzo:Goodnight, grandma🤣🤣.
Koyuki:Goodnight, brat. See you tomorrow😙.
He tossed the phone aside and clasped his hands behind his head.
The silence of the room returned, but inside his head, the noise was ramping up. The "voices" his parents asked about weren't auditory hallucinations, but something much deeper.
They weren't gone. They were just waiting.
"Day after tomorrow is the final," he whispered to the empty room. "Maybe then... something will finally change. Or maybe I'll just rot here."
He closed his eyes.
I wonder what that old man will teach me today.
Consciousness slipped away. The ceiling dissolved. The walls melted into darkness.
***
When Renzo opened his eyes, the smell of Kagoshima — the ocean and humidity — was gone.
It was replaced by the scent of freshly cut grass.
He was standing in the center of a huge soccer field. The stands were empty, stretching up into an infinite void of black, but the floodlights were blindingly bright, focusing all their intensity on the green pitch.
The grass felt real under his cleats.
"You're finally here."
The voice was calm, carrying a weight of absolute authority.
Renzo turned around.
Standing near the penalty arc was a man. He wasn't tall, or buff, actually, he was somewhat short. But his presence was gigantic. It filled the entire stadium. He wore a dark blue and red kit, the iconic colors of the Spanish giants, FC Barcha, with the number 10 emblazoned on his shorts. He had a short, well-groomed beard and dark hair swept to the side.
He was juggling a ball with his left foot.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The ball seemed glued to his boot, obeying different laws of physics that only applied to him.
This was the voice. The thing living in his head rent-free. When Renzo was 10 years old, the old guy showed up.
"Hello there, old man," Renzo said, stretching his neck.
The man stopped juggling. He caught the ball on his instep, balancing it perfectly still, and looked at Renzo with eyes that had seen the summit of the world.
"Just call me by my name, man," the figure said, a small, humble smile playing on his lips.
Renzo grinned, a wild, feral expression finally breaking through the mask he wore for his parents. This was the only place he could let the monster out.
"Sure, sure," Renzo said, stepping forward as his true instincts began to flare, a jagged blue electricity crackling around him. "Let's dance... Leo."
The image of the world's greatest player to play the game flicked the ball up, his eyes narrowing.
"Show me," Leo said. "Show me if you got something new."
And Renzo rushed forward.
---xxxx---
So how was it?? Pretty original concept, no??
You can read advanced chapters on my P@treon. Just search Joe_Mama p@treon on google