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When Goenji left Raimon to protect his little sister, the Raimon team was in a pinch. They were scrambling frantically to find a player who could support Someoka as forward. Maybe even lead the team to victory. Because they have to admit it, as good as Someoka is, he doesn’t have the power to deliver the finishing blow.
So when Hibiki-san informed Hitomiko about a player from Hokkaido, Raimon packed up their bags and travelled north.
The player, Fubuki Shirou’s, profile was impressive. He was a soccer prodigy and had single-handedly built the soccer team in his middle school. His last plays had resulted in the Hakuren team winning the regionals. Only reason he did not appear in the FF tournament was because he was sick on the day of the first match and Hakuren lost to Zeus Jr high.
The Raimon team had high hopes for Fubuki.
Fubuki was interesting to say the least. The guy was very polite and soft spoken. If they had to measure him against Goenji, Fubuki did not induce confidence. His silver and orange hair gave a serene aura and a sense of security. But once on the pitch, he switched his personality like it was a mask.
And this time, he exuded lots of confidence. One can even call it arrogance. So Fubuki joined the team and they left for their next destination after defeating the Gemini storm.
Shirou was having a lot of fun. Despite the fact that it was a mission to stop aliens, the trip was fun. Their coach Hitomiko, or Miko Nee-san as everyone called her, had convinced his parents, school and everyone in a single afternoon and they were off to a new destination.
In Kyoto they met an orphan boy, Shirou felt a strange pang in his heart. He was one of the two people, another one being Otonashi-san, to help him feel better and become his friend. He was one of the first to support Kogure in joining the Raimon caravan after their brief tussle with Epsilon.
They did not win against the Epsilon but they did not lose either.
And chasing after the tip Miko Nee-san got, they were off to Ehime.
Old wounds resurfaced for Kidou and Shirou watched him break apart, absolutely worried for his friends. Shirou wanted to help him. Kidou’s friends, Sakuma and Genda, were wrecking their bodies for a man who was using them like a pawn in his chess game. He got so angry when Kidou’s friends got hurt repeatedly that he blacked out.
When he came to, the game was inconclusive and was abandoned in the middle. The submarine they were on was sinking and Kazemaru was dragging him into the lifeboat. Miko nee-san was clutching a scared Kogure and trying to keep him from panicking. He could hear her soft voice, assuring him that she would get everyone out safely. (Shirou is reminded of his mother.)
At least that weird man was dead and Kidou’s friends were not. They had to be carted off to the hospital and Shirou quietly followed after his new friends. He made sure to check in on Kidou because mom used to say that it is what friends do.
But they can not stay for long and Miko nee-san brought news about Aliea Academy and Osaka.
Osaka is interesting?
They had to leave Someoka behind to let him recover and they ended up in an amusement park. If the matter had not been urgent, he would have loved to explore it. But they were on a mission, which got interrupted due to a girl and Ichinose. And they helped the raimon team to finally find the hideout, which was abandoned. Taking advantage of the well equipped facility, they decided to train and improve themselves.
What followed was a string of days where Shirou was under a mountain of pressure. As the only forward for the team for now, he was expected to lead the team to victory. And it was breaking him from the inside. He would black out frequently.
Mom used to say that when he blacked out, he was almost non-verbal and acted differently. Almost like a different person. The pressure of expectation was crushing him and he started to feel the crack form in his personality. This caused him to hide in the bathroom and try to control his tears. He was so scared.
But Miko nee-san found him one day and just let him catch a breath. She was so gentle. He cried in her arms and she promised to help him.
In Fukuoka, they met a kind boy that immediately fit with the Raimon group. They also had to face a new team from Aliea Academy which made them think that maybe, maybe it was futile. Shirou tried his best but the aliens displayed overwhelming power that felt like a fright train. Shirou blacked out multiple times and in his futile attempt to stop them, Shirou was injured.
By the time he regained consciousness, he was in hospital, surrounded by his team and Miko Nee-san shared a news that brought them hope. Somewhere in Okinawa, there was a boy who people called the flame striker. Miko nee-san and original Raimon members think that it could be Goenji so that’s where they will go next.
Miko nee-san almost had to leave a day early but she decided to travel with them because no matter how responsible they are, they are still kids. Her team, her responsibility.
All the way, she talks to various members of the team and she focuses mainly on those who are losing hope. She even stopped Kazemaru from leaving. She was the best thing that could have happened to the Raimon team.
The trip was long and they stopped at lots of locations. Miko nee-san was always mindful of their health and made extensive route plans with Furukabu-san. Endou even told them that she fought against the PMO to ensure that their travel and accommodation would be funded by the government.
They had just crossed into the borders of Hitoyoshi and all of them were in awe of the paddy and sprawling fields. That’s when all of it went to hell.
Their van’s brakes had stopped working and they were going to crash. Everyone got scared and some even started to cry. Shirou remembered his mom, asking him not to join this caravan.
Was this his divine punishment?
Maybe he should have obeyed his mom.
But somehow, adults came up with a plan.
Since it was time to harvest the rice, fields had lots of hays stacked pile high. Some were close enough to the roads. Miko nee-san stood beside the door while Furukabu-san held onto the steering wheel for dear life. And one by one she instructed them to jump. She would calculate the time and ask them to jump on the hay. This was the only way to make sure that the kids would be okay in the quiet countryside.
Most of them were able to successfully land on their target, while some bumped onto the road side pebbles. But all of them got away with minor bruises.
Both adults had handed over their phones to the kids, Kidou and Kazemaru, to call for help as soon as they could. Kidou called the emergency line to inform them of their location while Kazemaru called their chairman. Caravan was still going out of control and few of the Raimon team were still inside. They started to run along the road, and picked up their friends along the way. Endou had been the last one to jump out of the van before it crashed into an electrical pole.
Lots of emergency responders and police arrived like a whirlwind; they were carted off to the Hitoyoshi medical center. None of them were allowed to see their coach or van driver and it was really concerning.
They spend the night in the Hospital’s waiting room.
Nobody moved.
Parents started to pour in by the next morning. First to arrive were Tachimukai’s parents as they were closest. Then came the endless stream of adults. They wanted to take their kids home but the kids did not want to leave. They had not received any news on their coach.
Apparently, the coach’s condition was critical. Raimon’s chairman had come down from Tokyo and he had taken the reins. He was hesitant to disclose the full scenario, not wanting to traumatize the children any more but they were persistent. So he gave in and told them a watered down version.
When the pole came down, it had shredded the van and one of the pieces had impaled her through the liver. And Miko nee-san was on life support now.
Miko nee-san’s father was also informed about the accident and they watch flabbergasted as a middle-aged man with big face ran inside the hospital. His clothes were skewed and his face looked grave. He had an extensive meeting with the medical team and came out of the cabin crying.
This disheartened the Raimon team as well.
Does it mean Miko nee-san is dying?
Can’t the doctors help her?
Each minute felt like an eternity and some even started to lose hope.
Doctors had not given up. They think a liver transplant surgery can save her. And this started a chain reaction which bulldozed through many lives like a wrecking ball.
First to be tested was Kira Seijirou-san as he had the highest chance of matching since he was family. But tragically, he was not. He was also an older man with lots of health problems, which made him unviable as a donor.
Moreover, Miko nee-san had a rare blood type, O-, which meant the chances of finding a match for her decreased drastically.
Like a hurricane, police marched into the hospital and arrested Miko nee-san’s dad. Then Raimon’s chairperson broke the news to them that Kira-san was the mastermind behind the whole Aliea Fiasco.
Uhh what?
Aliea Academy was under him? But weren’t they…… aliens?
The confusion didn’t end here.
Apparently, the man had confessed that he was the one who had orchestrated their van’s sabotage and tried to separate Miko nee-san from the doomed vehicle. (They are suddenly reminded of how Miko nee-san almost left a day early) But she didn’t move according to his plans by staying with the team and ended up getting hurt.
But the biggest elephant in the room that everyone was too stunned to address was that Kira-san had tried to kill them. A van full of middle school children.
By the second day, Miko nee-san was deteriorating rapidly and in desperation, the Raimon team asked to be tested.
Doctors did not want to. They were underaged kids but their options were limited and time was running out. And somehow, they gave in.
First, anyone other than O blood type was rejected immediately, which means only five of them were sent for extensive testing.
Shirou was so nervous but he suppressed it. Cold hospital room looked scary but he kept chanting that it was for Miko nee-san.
But as soon as the syringe pierced his skin, he blacked out, again.
A little sliver of hope arrived with the report that Shirou could be an acceptable donor for the liver transplant. He too had the O- blood type and HLA testing revealed that he was the highest match.
But the doctors were hesitating on moral grounds.
How can they ask a 13 year old minor to donate?
Will he consent?
Will his family consent?
Is that even legal?
What if something happened to this child?
But with their coach’s life on the line, Shirou accepted.
His parents did not want to. They were not allowing him but somehow, he managed to convince them.
With the sense of helplessness as well as the awe at his bravery, doctors performed the emergency surgery.
Shirou spent the first few days after the surgery in a daze. He was hopped up on painkillers and felt woozy. But somehow, he was also coherent. Doctors were surprised at his recovery speed.
Shirou was present as well as absent mentally, the whole time.
He wasn’t able to think properly but it was almost like he was blacked out all the time now. He had no memory whatsoever but everyone says that he had responded to them. As much as they could expect out of the person in Post-Ops.
At least the transplant was successful and Miko nee-san was saved.
What Shirou had not anticipated was seeing the Genesis team in the hospital. He was so confused.
What did he miss when he was out?
What are these aliens doing here?
He wanted to ask about it but no one wanted to increase his stress. So, they send him back to bed.
They were hoping to see Miko nee-san awake soon but things took a U-turn and a biopsy revealed that her body had started to reject his liver.
Their hope dwindled to almost nothing.
Finding a match the first time was a miracle in itself.
Was this the end?
Is this how they lose their coach?
Even doctors were flabbergasted as it had seemed like Miko nee-san’s body was accepting the transplant before and recovering well. But suddenly, her body rejected it and it was going into a shock.
People were losing hope and he could hear faint crying every now and then. Shirou lamented that his effort was wasted.
But somehow, Ulvida from Genesis was found to be another match. (He was floored when he got the full story about the Aliea academy from his friends).
Doctors had to operate again.
This time, the transplant took full effect and they spent weeks recovering. Shirou struck a tentative friendship with the fellow donor. She wasn’t exactly keen on it but she also seemed absolutely tired, trying to keep up her Ulvida persona.
At least she didn’t scream at him like she did to one of her friends, the one with the red hair.
He’ll take it as a win.
Now that the danger had passed, doctors shifted their focus on him. They had no idea why his liver was rejected and Reina’s , her name was Reina, was accepted despite him being the greater match. They wanted to check if he was suffering from something they did not notice the first time.
His parents, already scared for his health, jumped on the bandwagon and green lit the test.
By then most of the Raimon team had gone home and only a select few remained behind. And since the test reports would not be ready for at least a week, they decided to go home.
It was a good move because the report shook his whole world and the belief about his own existence.
Shirou was referred to the hospital in his hometown and his family was called to discuss his diagnosis. They had expected a plethora of possibilities.
What if he was sick?
Was it incurable?
Was it cancer?
Was he dying?
By the time the doctor came in with his report, his mind had already conjured his own shrine.
What he did not expect was he would be creating one for a brother he had and never had.
He was a Chimera, his own twin.
Apparently, when he was in his mother’s womb, he had a twin.
It almost sounded like a joke but Mom also remembered that earliest sonography report that said that she was carrying two embryos. However, in the next sonography, doctors did not see the second one. They had ruled it a mistake and thought there was never a second child.
Which was not true because apparently, he had absorbed his twin sibling. Doctors said that it happens sometimes. Rarely but sometimes, the stronger embryo absorbs the weaker and becomes one single baby. But the baby carries two sets of DNA, and becomes its own twin.
Oh god, did he kill his sibling?
Was he a murderer?
This was the reason why his liver was rejected by Miko nee-san’s body during transplant. The first test was a match but the surgery had taken from the part of the liver that was untested and unfortunately, that part carried the DNA of his deceased twin.
This also explained his two toned hair. Ever since he could remember, he always had scattered streaks of orange hair in between his silver whites. He used to get so much attention about the supposed ‘highlights’ in his hair. People always thought that he dyed his hair. And turns out, it was because of Chimerism. Doctors theorize that the orange streaks of hair came from his supposed twin.
They returned home in a daze and Shirou locked himself in his room. He could hear his mom trying to coax him to dinner but he has lost his appetite. In the following days, he kept thinking.
What if he had not absorbed his twin?
What if he had a brother or sister?
How would his life be?
Some days, he would stand before his mirror and try to find the traces of his deceased siblings in the reflection.
But just because they found that he was a Chimera twin doesn’t mean he looked any different.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if his eyes were his brother’s. (He doesn’t know how but he thinks his sibling was a brother) Or was it his nose? Or the right arm? How much of his body was him and how much was his brother?
He also wonders if the black out he experiences frequently, especially during stressful situations, was his brother trying to find a way to the surface. Or maybe he was trying to communicate.
Mom always described his black out as him behaving like an entirely new person.
Was it his brother?
Now, he can’t even look at himself in the mirror without thinking “Murderer”.
One night he woke up with a scream. He dreamt of shattering into millions of pieces like glass.
Each piece was different from the others and it felt like only half of it was him.
One day, Shirou received a letter from Kira Seijirou, thanking him for trying to save his daughter’s life. An endless stream of gratitude and equally long stream of apology for trying to harm him.
He threw the letter into their fireplace.
He tried to induce his black out forcefully. He wanted to see if could communicate with his twin brother. He also kept a notebook ready. He failed. Mostly.
And the time he succeeded, he never remembered afterwards.
Some days he regretted joining that cursed Caravan. He could have lived in blissful ignorance if he had not gone on that trip with Raimon Caravan.
He could have continued living like a complete person.
When Obon festival arrived, he watched as people prayed for their dead family members and gave them offerings at the shrine. Then he realised something.
His brother didn’t even have a shrine.
But a shrine is set for people who are dead.
Does his brother constitute as dead? He was never born and doesn’t have a body anyway.
But his brother is in him. They fused and he carries his brother in him. Does this mean he’s alive?
What is he?
Who is he?
What should he do now?
They had been working on creating a little shrine in a warm nook in their house. Dad had brought the table from his room and mom dug out her first sonography image from her medical file. They also spend the afternoon cooking food for the offering.
By the time the sun was ready to set, they had finished decorating the mini-shrine with all the incense and lamps and offerings. They set up the sonography image at the altar and prayed for the family member they had lost even before realising it.
And the little plaque on the base read the name Shirou had given his twin brother.
ATSUYA