You're filthy!
And so's the thing you love so much!
Mud-boy!
Poor kid.
That's what he gets for being a teacher's pet and trying to stand out.
I-I'm sorry.
You think we'll forgive you if you say you're sorry?
That's not gonna change anything.
Stay down there forever,
mud-boy.
Nobody's coming to save you,
so all you can do is apologize and beg for forgiveness.
That was my life back then.
Mr. Ball!
I'm sure it landed around here...
Mr. Ball! Come out!
Sure, I know I kicked you too hard.
But you don't have to get so mad!
That's what he gets for being a teacher's pet and trying to stand out.
Even if you apologize, nobody will forgive you.
And if there's something they don't like about you, they'll bully you.
Nobody would ever accept me.
Wait!
Thanks.
You found my ball for me, right?
I'm Jo.
My name!
What's yours?
Subaru Kurokawa.
Subaru, huh?
Thanks for saving me!
It felt like a miracle!
After that, we were always together!
Even if the painful memories never disappeared,
it was always Jo that kept my fear at bay.
Hey... join me.
But...
If we both practice, we can play soccer forever, right?
Forever?
Yup. Forever!
I wanted us to be there for each other forever!
I dedicated myself to soccer,
so that I could always stay with Jo!
A lot's changed since then.
And a lot hasn't.
Yo, Subaru.
Morning, Jo!
Tsuji!
At least hear me out!
I refuse!
Everybody's already forgotten about it!
I don't care!
It was always just the two of us, but now it's the two of us and Tsuji.
He's your problem now.
Tsuji, where'd you go?
School.
He touched Jo first.
Jo? Jo Kazama?
Y-Yeah...
Let me interview you!
Interview me?
That's right.
My name's Kishiya. I'm with the newspaper club.
I want to write an article about you.
A-About me?
You're amazing!
So it's finally here, huh? An interview for me!
I want to talk about your being part of the Kakegawa Pair with Tsuji.
Your big win at the qualifier tournament!
And your win in the first round of the finals tournament,
with that amazing pass in overtime!
That was so cool!
Right?
You would've lost without that point.
You guys really are the pair that Kakegawa's soccer team can be proud of!
Yeah. He still misses a lot, though.
Yeah, that's it!
I want to hear the kinds of things that only his partner can say!
I want to cheer him on!
Sure, but only a little.
Great!
I think of Tsuji as a friend, of course.
But every time Jo talks about him...
For some reason, I feel a twitch deep in my nose,
and my chest feels heavy.
Mine now.
You owe me for this morning.
Owe you?
You wanted me to take that interview, right?
You were overjoyed to have it, right?
I guess so.
We're Kakegawa's famous pair, he said.
And you loved every minute of it.
Why didn't you accept the interview?
Don't you want the attention?
No, it's not the attention. It's that he...
Kishiya?
He was a good guy.
Yeah, he is, but...
We went to the same middle school.
You two are the pair, though, right?
Me and Subaru?
I guess so, yeah.
We've known each other since elementary school.
Did you meet through soccer?
No. Subaru saved me.
Jo, you're exaggerating.
I just found your ball.
No, I'm not exaggerating.
I loved that ball! My dad bought it for me!
I was happy to find it, and I'm still grateful to you for saving me.
Well, you saved me a bunch of times, too!
We've got each other's back, you could say?
Yeah, you're right.
Jo taught me soccer.
That's kind of nice.
You two should have them do an article on you.
No, it's the two of us who are scoring right now.
If there's a Kakegawa Pair, it's you and me.
Is that how it works?
Yup.
While we're at it, let's win enough games that we get an interview in a real paper!
Right, partner?
Hey, who are you calling partner?
What do we do for the photo?
This angle, maybe?
Listen to me!
Let's practice.
Hey, Subaru. Take a photo.
Come on!
Get off me! Stop it!
Hurry up!
I get it!
Smile.
Okay, Kurokawa...
You focus on supporting Tsuji.
The other teams are focusing more energy on blocking Tsuji and Kazama's line.
From now on, the two of you are a pair.
Um, what about Jo?
I've already talked about him.
He's doing a different training regimen.
Why?
It's better if the three of us practice together...
I'm going to have Kazama learn to be a force on the field by himself.
Tsuji became the center of the Kakegawa team.
I was fine with that as long as it meant Jo could stand out.
But did it bother Jo at all when he heard I'd be pairing with Tsuji?
Kurokawa, here!
Nice cut!
Good work, Hayashi!
Kurokawa, once more!
Kurokawa?
Let's do it again!
What's gotten into him?
Kazama!
Did you finish your training regimen?
Yes, sir!
Okay, Sonoda, join up with Sahara's group.
Kazama, stay here.
Kurokawa, Tsuji.
Yes, sir!
You're too focused on working as a pair and it's making you stiff.
Kurokawa, start moving faster.
Okay, got it!
Don't worry!
Subaru can do it!
Kazama, you just keep working on getting out in front.
Okay! Let's do this, Subaru!
Let's do our best!
I'll score some points on my own!
So you help Tsuji!
If we're going to win, we need his shots.
Sorry. I couldn't do it the first time, but I'll try my best.
Yeah.
Why? Why, Jo?
Don't you...
need me anymore?
If we both practice, we can play soccer forever, right?
Forever?
Yup. Forever!
Jo... don't you care anymore?
No, that's impossible.
Jo would never lie to me.
That's it. It's his fault.
Tsuji's fault.
Sorry, I'll be heading home...
Kishiya, you said you wanted to help Tsuji, right?
I've been meaning to talk to you.
Good practice!
Where's Kurokawa?
Stomachache, apparently.
The teachers told us.
Whew. I was worried he skipped 'cause he didn't want to pair with me.
No, that's still possible.
He's always gotten a stomachache whenever something bad happens.
Hey, stop that. It's bad luck.
They're staring at us?
That's probably the interview.
But it's kind of...
Kakegawa High Newspaper
What is this?
When did you agree to an interview?
"Lonely genius who lost his partner..."
"Miraculous Return..."
"Saying goodbye to Kokubo."
"Distrusted by the team because he couldn't land a shot..."
"Meeting the Kakegawa Soccer Team..."
And...
"Becoming a true ace striker"...
"This is the story of Kakegawa, and how they supported a single genius..."
Tsuji?
Wow! A real genius!
I had no idea!
But if he's really a genius, why didn't his shots go in?
Because he hated his team and didn't want them to win?
Seriously? So he lost deliberately?
What an *!
Wait!
You read that article?
In the school paper?
Is that true?
It sounded made up.
It's true, supposedly.
It was written by somebody who went to the same school as Tsuji.
Kokubo did say he was a genius.
You feel bad for him, though?
Because he quit when he couldn't get his shots in?
That wasn't all, I thought.
What do you mean?
I mean, their ace striker was in a slump, right?
Wouldn't the whole team come together to figure out how to help him, normally?
Like we did.
But if he left the team instead, maybe there was another reason,
and he was forced to quit.
What happened, I wonder?
It must have been something big if he was forced off the team.
But we could probably guess, right?
What?
Tsuji can be bossy and really arrogant when he gives orders.
Just hypothetically,
what if he actually looked down on the team, and they found out and made him quit.
Dude, that's going too far.
I'm sorry.
Look, it's fine as long as you don't say it again.
Right, Tatsunami?
Y-Yeah.
Come on, let's practice.
Tsuji's not here today, is he?
I see.
Some people would tell you it's just the price of fame...
But I'm sorry this happened to you.
I'm sorry.
Why are you apologizing?
Because I didn't tell you about this.
Listen. Everyone knows you're the hardest-working player on the team.
People are allowed to change.
No matter what the old you was like,
you're not on that field anymore.
Believe in your team.
Um, would you not say anything to anyone?
Even if something happens, this is my problem to deal with.
Tsuji, did something happen between you and Kurokawa?
No, not really.
I hope so...
What do you mean?
He was saying some weird stuff.
About you being bossy, and looking down on the team.
I mean, we don't think that's true.
We're just a little worried.
You're not working well together as a pair.
We only really started practicing recently.
Yeah, that's true.
But if something happens, you know you can come to us.
You don't need to worry about that article, either.
See you later.
Come join in practice soon.
Okay.
Kurokawa...
There's an opening in front.
Kurokawa! Jo!
Yes!
Get the next one, Kakegawa Miracle!
Did something happen?
You looked like a mess during the match.
Listen, has Kurokawa been talking about me lately?
Subaru?
Not really.
Is it because of that article?
What a mess that thing made.
Why the hell would Kishiya write something like that?
He was talking about the "Kakegawa Pair" and stuff!
Because we're not a pair anymore, right?
How'd he know?
Let's go!
Why are you mad?
I wrote that article because I wanted everyone to cheer you on!
Are you mad because the interview wasn't in it?
I'm sorry! I'll put it in next week's edition.
I've got it right here!
Wait, you didn't write that article 'cause the interview didn't work out?
Why wouldn't it work out?
You know we're not a pair anymore, right?
They didn't tell me that—
They didn't...
...tell you that?
If you didn't know, why change the article?
Well, um...
Don't bullshit me!
I-I've got another interview to go to!
Oh, where have you two been?
Newspaper club.
For that article about Tsuji?
He said he meant well when he wrote it.
That just makes it worse.
Yeah?
I liked that article.
You like that paparazzi crap?
It taught me a lot about Tsuji.
"Never drag me back into soccer again." Was that it?
If you quit 'cause your teammates were ignoring you, that explains why you said that.
How did you know—
I'm looking forward to Jo's article, too.
How... How did you know the interview wasn't canceled?
And "ignoring"?
That wasn't in the article.
I mean, if it wasn't in this week's paper, it'll probably be in the next, right?
Is that all?
You know something, don't you?
Answer me!
This is a really important time, and people are talking behind Tsuji's back!
Have you ever thought about how he feels?
Subaru! You wouldn't lie to me, right?
What about how I feel?
Jo, why are you taking his side?
You still don't understand?
Tsuji is using us!
He just wants attention for himself!
He's not worth having as a friend!
Kurokawa...
Kishiya said he wrote that article to get people to cheer you on.
But he's an idiot, isn't he?
All that thing did was show everyone who this guy really is!
When I heard that story, I realized something...
Tsuji, we're just a replacement for Kokubo to you!
You just need someone to pass to you who isn't him. It doesn't matter who!
And if it doesn't go in, you can blame it on us.
That makes your life easy, right? Because you don't get hurt!
But...
Don't use us!
Don't use Jo!
Kurokawa...
It's okay, Jo!
I'll protect you!
Aren't you Tsuji's friend?
Aren't you his pal?
Huh?! How can he be my friend when he's trying to steal what I care about?!
This is the end for you and me, then.
You don't understand?
I don't!
I wanted to protect you!
I didn't ask you to!
It's your fault!
You keep ignoring me and spending time with him!
Look at me more!
I'm the one who decides that.
I...
I can't understand you at all.
Why? Why don't you understand?
I'm the one who was always with you!
But doing this...
You don't have the right to play soccer!
What are you saying?
I'm more useful than you to anybody!
So why?
Enough.
You can play soccer yourself.
Stop it...
That's enough.
Fine.
I'll quit the team.
Tsuji!
Of course...
I like you a lot.