[ author note/ orion is over huh ]

"I know you three just came back, but I already prepared a new training menu." Sakuma rapped his knuckles against the clipboard in his hand. At that, he pivoted and started treading down the hallway. "Get to it!"

"Oh, fuck this." Fudou grimaced, only to be happily pushed by Genda.

"This is his way of saying welcome back." The keeper chirped with a sweet chuckle.

"Did you expect cupcakes?" Kazemaru jested, earning a laugh from everyone asides from Fudou who gave him a sarcastic smile before glaring daggers.

"I got a cupcake though." Park muttered, peeling the paper off the little dessert, then licking the frosting - which immediately got on her nose.

"That's because everyone is biased." Fudou scoffed, as Kazemaru carefully wiped Park's nose for her.

"Sorry, but we'll catch up with you guys in a bit." The tealette chirped, suddenly taking the female's hand. Sakuma blinked his eyes a few times, before allowing them off. Normally this wouldn't acceptable, but he had a slight idea what it was about. Him and Fudou alike - surprisingly the only one lost was Park.

"What's up?" The white haired girl lifted her brows, happily licking some frosting off her thumb before finishing the dessert.

"Let's go back next week, okay?" Kazemaru mused, a genuine smile marring his face.

Park came to a halt, her lips parted.

"I know everyone is waiting for next year, but Endou won't stop bothering me." A soft chuckle slipped past his lips. "I thought a week would enough time to spend with everyone here, I'm a bit eager to be back in Raimon myself." Kazemaru continued on, rubbing at the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Ichirouta I-"

"I already talked to Sakuma about it!" He piped up, "he said everything would be okay, so we don't have to worry."

His bright expression slowly faltered, seeing as Park wasn't getting any excited. In fact, she merely started up at him with pleading eyes.

"What's the matter?" He asked, his bright smile melding into a small frown. ". . . Mio?"

"I'm sorry." Park muttered, furrowing her brows.

"Why are you apologizing?" Suddenly over concerned, he reached out and took both of her hands in his. "You're coming back, right?"

"I'm sorry Ichirouta." With an apologetic smile, she heaved a breath, and shook her head. "I'm not going back to Raimon with you."

Kazemaru felt his heart drop.

"What--? Wh-why?" Panicked, he started to provoke her. "Why aren't you coming back? You kept saying you missed everyone at home. We don't have to be so far apart anymore!"

"Please stop for a second." She gave his hands a small squeeze. In this short moment of silence, Kazemaru ended up lowering his head.

"I do miss everyone, you have no idea." Park breathed out, her voice just above a whisper. "But I love it here, I love it here so much." In the midst of her speaking, she could already hear Kazemaru sniffling.

"I'm really happy here. I love playing soccer here, even though I love playing with Raimon, too."

"But. . . !" The tealette burst out, throwing himself onto her. He quickly coiled his arms around her smaller frame, fast enough that she couldn't even return the hug. "But I don't want to be apart from you." Kazemaru reluctantly buried his face into her hair. "If you're staying. I'm staying too."

"Listen to me." Park attempted to get her arms free to hold onto him. "It's okay if you go back to Raimon, it's okay if I stay here at Teikoku. It's not the end of the world, Ichirouta."

Despite this, he wouldn't let go.

"Don't let me hinder your decisions. You are your own person."

"I guess it's all over. . ." Fudou sighed, kicking back into the bed of grass underneath him. The white haired girl beside him had already done so, it'd been a while she just stared up at the night sky. A somber expression marring her soft features.

Orion had been defeated, the FFI had been won. Inazuma Japan remained the victors, and just two days ago did the original Raimon receive news that the program was over. They were able to return back to their rightful school, now that Inakuni Island would now have their own soccer team.

Kazemaru, Endou, Gouenji and Kidou would be heading back to Raimon.

It had been about a year that Park and Fudou had known one another. It took about two months for them to end up inseparable in Teikoku. The two idiots of the school, that were actually very important to the team in a multitude of ways. . .

Park was just as important as he was. Teikoku would be sad to lose her, and Kazemaru alike. Fudou refused to make a scene and ask her to stay, it was all her decision. Though, the thought of walking onto school grounds and not hearing her bright and happy good mornings. . .

It really, really scared him.

"Yeah." Park responded, but nothing more.

"It was nice knowing you." The brunette mumbled, refusing to look her way again. The female slowly turned her head, her brown eyes fixated on his face. She couldn't help but smile.

"Akio." She started, sitting herself up - causing Fudou to quirk a brow.

"I thought about this a lot. . ." Park stared off into the distance, "While I was in Teikoku, I missed being with everyone in Raimon so much. I missed the team I built in Kasamino, too. While I kept in touch with everyone, I couldn't get rid of the feeling in the pit of my stomach." Her gaze slowly fell to the ground. "Something felt so wrong."

Wordlessly, Fudou sat up as well, this way he could pay better attention. He genuinely couldn't tell what she was getting at.

"I don't feel that way anymore." Suddenly, she perked up.

". . . What are you saying?"

"This is my home." Slowly, she nodded to herself. Pressing her lips together in a tight smile, she lifted her head to him. "I belong here."

It took him a moment, but her words finally sunk in. Fudou's sage eyes widened, and for a while, he couldn't do anything but stare at her.

"Y-you. . You idiot." The male breathed out, grinning. "You idiot!" He stuck an arm out, wrapping it around her shoulder to bring her close. Only for the sake of ruffling up her hair and almost strangling her.

Kazemaru returned to Raimon without tightly holding her hand. Endou was definitely upset for a while, but couldn't be happier afterwards. The clumsy white haired girl that originally felt as if she had no purpose - found somewhere to belong. Of course he was happy for his friend.

Park and Fudou continued walking to school together, undergoing the vigorous training routines, then went for ice cream with Sakuma and Genda - laughing like idiots over the stupidest jokes.

Kazemaru would still see Park every day that they had free, and they'd call one another nearly every single night. Despite their decisions, they still managed to make things work. They were still happily together, happily in love.

They'd soon meet one another on the pitch, too.