A/N:

So minna like I've promised this pairing isn't crack but I'll tell you the reason why I think they're perfect for each other at the end of this story, gomen, but please enjoy ^_^

~~~~~

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" a powerful scream coming from a mysteriously hooded young man accompanied by a raging soccer ball that hit the goal post disrupted the silence of an open soccer field. Not that it actually affected anyone since the field is only surrounded by trees in the first place.

"Something's... still missing..." said the now almost-out-of-breath young man.

Although he didn't want to, he needed to take a break and not only because he's tired but also because he needed to think about what was missing in his supposedly new hissatsu technique. So, he get his soccer ball and lay down the grassy field now staring at the sky that will almost look like the main color of his jacket any time soon. While lying down, he raise his soccer ball with both hands and looked at the perfectly drawn lightning in it. Then, he closed his eyes and subconsciously put down the ball in his side. The precious time he spent with his teammates and friends flashed through his mind and then he remembered the talk he had with his bestfriend before they part...

Gouenji, you... are you really leaving?

Are you really going to leave like that?

After losing to them...

Aren't you upset?!

After they tore apart our school and did that to our friends...!

Gouenji!

Sorry, Endou.

I can't fight with you.

Gouenji...

Make sure... you come back!

"Endou..." he mumbled quietly. "Everyone, please wait for me a little longer" he said in his thoughts.

Now filled with enthusiasm, Gouenji stood up immediately before he even open his eyes again, or atleast that's what he planned on doing but instead...

Chu!

He was surprised on what he saw while he was still partially up, where I mean only his upper body ofcourse. A brunette at his face, or more likely at his lips. He don't realize what's happening at the moment but the only thing he know was her eyes were nothing he'd ever seen before. They were pink-violet and unmistakably beautiful, especially with the rays of sunset at the side. He never remembered liking both colors not to mention having it mixed together as one but today it seems like 'fascinating' is not only the word he's looking for to describe what he's seeing. It took them about 3 seconds before they realized what had truly happened and that's when the said girl pushed him violently that made him fall on the ground, again.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!!" yelled the girl with a now very red face that looks like someone of the same age as him. Her hair is brown and shoulder-length and she's wearing a violet sando designed with cute little scattered soccer balls topped with a slightly dark pink jacket and partnered with the same colored jogging pants. Her actions made him snapped out of whatever it is going on in his head at that moment.

"W-What?! What are you talking about?! I didn't-I mean I-I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO YOU!" he yelled, probably because of confusion, after successfully getting right back up without realizing he had the same shade of color in his face.

"HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING?!?!!! Well, for your information MR. I-CAN-JUST-LAY-DOWN-ANYWHERE-I-WANT-TO, while I was INNOCENTLY strolling at the side of the forest I saw a man lying here, beside his soccer ball, at the middle of the field, not moving at all! And then I came near him, LIKE HOW A NORMAL PERSON WOULD, to check if he's still happens to be alive or needed help ATLEAST when he suddenly spoke some word or whatever and suddenly stand up AND KISS ME!!! If you think that was funny then YOU. ARE. WRONG!" she said angrily to the dumbfounded Gouenji, who's probably surprised on how she said that without pause. "If you plan on pranking someone then you should at least consider how they'll felt after it!!!" she added then began to walk out.

"WAIT!" Gouenji, who's calmed down, said while gripping her arm. "It's not like that at all. I wasn't planning on doing anything like that, I was just... ummm- taking a break from my training." he said with his usual cool attitude.

"Training?!!! Yeah right!" she said sarcastically after getting her arms off of the mysterious young man. "Well, if you're really training then what are you training for?!" she said daunting him.

"Well its-" he said while remembering what Detective Onigawara told him, Until we ensure the safety of your sister you'll have to hide here at Okinawa. To do that you can't interact with anyone else besides Hijikata and his siblings, the best place to hide is in a crowd, afterall...

"What am I doing?! I can't get her involved in this mess." he thought to himself. "And why did I even bother coming after her anyway, it's not like I care much about what other people would think of what I do, I mean that's not like me at all."

"What's wrong?!" she said confidently while getting Gouenji's attention once again. "I was right aren't I?!" she said with a triumphant smile.

"No that's not it... I just can't tell you why but I really am training!" he defended. "Wait?! Why do I even keep on talking her?!" he added in his confused thoughts.

"And why not?!" she said while raising an eyebrow.

"I just can't!" he said looking away with a serious look in his face that instantly made her doubt on what she was accusing of him.

"Fine! Then what about if we do this." she said while she kicked the soccer ball from the ground using her right foot and balanced it on her right knee.

"She's good!" Gouenji thought whilst smirking slightly .

"We'll have a one-on-one match and whoever scores two first wins, that goal's mine and that one's yours." she calmly said while pointing at each.

"Uhh.... What's the purpose of this again?! And why two goals?" he asked.

"Simple. If you win then you're innocent but if you don't you'll have to apologize to me and admit that you're nothing but a pervert who pranks people to steal kisses from them." she said with a sly smile. "Oh, and because I love that number." she added.

"What?! I'm no pervert!" he said slightly pissed.

"Then prove it!" she said smirking.

"Heh! You're on!" he said smirking as well, entirely forgetting what's troubling him minutes ago.

They got in position where the ball is in the middle of the field and the two of them facing each other both slightly away from the ball. "We go after 3 seconds" she said.

3

2

1

"Now!" they said in chorus.

They both got onto the ball and kicked it at the same time. Gouenji overpowered her and took possession of the ball but she immediately got in front of him and won't let him get passed.

"I may have more power but she's way above me when it comes to speed and balance." Gouenji thought while still trying to get passed by sidestepping but he failed and she got the ball and ran on the other side of the field going even faster than before. He tried to chased after her but because of her amazing speed he didn't make it in time and she scored the first goal.

"That's one for me. I guess I know now why you need training." she said making the striker even more pissed.

"I'll get it next time." he answered. "I think I'm starting to see it." he quietly told himself.

She now placed the ball at the middle of the field and both now in position. Right after it's time, she immediately snatched the ball and started running but to her surprise it's him that's blocking her path this time and he won't let her pass.

"What?! Don't tell me he purposely let me get the ball first!" she said slightly annoyed. "Tsk! No matter, he won't get the ball from me." Then she jumped high above him with the ball and kicked it while in mid-air.

"Amazing!" he thought astonished, "But you won't score." Gouenji immediately stopped the ball with his left foot before it flies to the goal and shot it to the other side of the field adding the force of her kick and straight to the goal. She didn't have time to react since she haven't landed yet and the ball was coming too fast.

"What power! He shot it from the other side of the field yet it didn't even slow down." she thought, amazed by him. "That's a really powerful shot! Too bad power isn't the only thing used in soccer." she said smiling slyly again.

"You're not bad yourself." he answered smiling taking what she said as a compliment. "The way she moved earlier, what if..." he told to himself while having his right hand on his chin and walking away.

The ball and both of them all got to their positions and both stared fiercely at each other. It's almost sunset and the place is getting more of a darker orange every second. Suddenly a tensed breeze filled the air around them but it didn't scared or make the two hesitant, in fact they even felt overjoyed. Overjoyed to be against a strong opponent ofcourse and some other weird feeling in their guts that kinda making their lunch turn upside down. It was one of the longest 3 seconds of their life.

"Now!" both shouted and ran to the ball. It was a long and steady fight, none of them were planning to give up. Each time the other gets the ball, the other gets it back.

"Is he matching my speed?!" she thought while the ball was once again stolen from her. "Give that back!" she said annoyed.

"Sorry, can't! I have to win remember?!" he teased while running the pitch.

"Grrr!" she growled while running and once again got in front of him before he got in front of the goal. "I won't let you pass!" she shouted.

"Let's see about that!" after saying this a demon-like creature suddenly appeared behind him and threw him up with its hand. He got to the ball that flew away earlier and shot it exactly the way she shot the ball in midair before. She froze in amazement and watched the ball go straight to the goal accompanied by intense fire. "I guess you have my thanks for helping me with that move." he said sincerely after landing on his feet with ease.

"Flames?" she thought while ignoring what she heard and suddenly came to a realization. "Y-You're Okinawa's Flame Striker?! she said surprised.

"What?! Flame Striker?! I don't know what you're talking about." he said then realized something as well. "Wait, I do train in the forest often. I remember trying fire tornado a lot around the place but I don't remember anyone seeing me though." he added in his thoughts.

"I see. Like what others say the last person to know about a rumor is actually the one who's being talked about." she explained. "But well you've proven yourself innocent by winning so I guess I won't bother you in your training anymore." she said looking away and staring at the sunset while hiding few shades of red at her face of which he didn't failed to see.

"So, that's it. Not even a sorry for calling me pervert?" he said with a smile.

"Fine! S-Sorry..." she softly said with her face redder than before that made Gouenji laugh softly.

"What are you laughing for?!" she shouted at him annoyed.

"N-Nothing." he said with a warm smile that made her growl again.

"Hey... so, what's you're name?" these words of his made her blush even more but she still tried to kept her composure and answered while still looking at the sunset just beyond the trees.

"I-Isn't it rude to ask someone else's name before giving yours." she managed to answer.

"Oh! Sorry! Well, my name is Go-" he stopped at the middle of the sentence which made the brunette look at him surprised. "Uh-err..." he said while looking away with his other hand on his chin. "I can't..." he managed to say while looking back at her then away again.

"What?!" she said confused. "I guess you didn't trust me afterall." she added while giving out a serious expression.

"Wait! No! It isn't like that! It's just-" he said strongly before being cut by her words.

"You're hiding, aren't you?" she said looking away.

"H-How did you-?!" he said then got cut again.

"You're too obvious. Training, being hooded all the time, acting mysterious, only a moron wouldn't realized what were you up to." she said strongly but still not looking at him.

"I see..." he said softly.

"It's Ranko, Karibe Ranko... that's my name. I'll give it to you since you won and since we won't see each other again anyway, goodbye flame striker!" she unemotionally said while walking away.

"Wait, what?!" he said surprised and confused at the same time. "Wait! Stop!" but she still continued walking like she's not hearing anything. He knew that their meeting is enough to endanger her and knowing his name will definitely get her involved but he didn't want her to go, he still wanted to see her again someday so he decided.

"It's Shuuya, I can't tell you my surname but my name's Shuuya. So, please don't be angry." he said that made her stop on her tracks.

"You actually... gave me your name?" she said after looking straightly at him where Gouenji saw the beautiful pink-violet eyes of hers again.

"Well it's because... I know I'd regret it if I'd let you leave like that...There's already a lot of things I regret doing and I just don't want you to be one of them..." he said while looking at her. "I know I can't make it work right now, not under these circumstances, but... I think-No! I know, I love you so I want to see you again..."

She saw the sincerity in his eyes. Though, she was surprised on the sudden love confession she felt her heart beating fast, faster than she could remember, and her face began to get red again. She realized her own feelings but... "I understand, but there's no way I can just accept something like that from someone I just met... so, just come back when you have the courage to tell your whole name to me... Shuuya." she said then ran away, and fast this time, until she disappeared in the forest.

Gouenji didn't follow her but instead he's smiling. He fully understood what she meant.

"Until next time, Ranko." he said looking where she disappeared to.

~~~~~

A/N:

Wow! I didn't expect it to be THAT long xD and sorry for the lousy grammars and the 'he/she said' part everytime they finished talking (I'm not good at those kind of things).

So, like promised:

When I first saw Karibe Ranko as Arakumo's coach, my first impression was 'Wow! She's so cool!' I mean because of how she doesn't talk much and still calmly make orders where you can see how much she love soccer and her team, she reminded me of Gouenji way too much. Then, there's that thing about Taiyou where I'm pretty sure she and Gouenji would talk about often. And lastly, because she didn't looked like she cared about the revolution and fifth sector that much even though she obviously show that she'll side with free soccer, like she knows what Gouenji's up to all along. So, that's it. Hoped you liked my story! Have another one coming too! =D