Teaming Up Began!

"Apologies for that, but the score is now 1-0!"

Ashito exclaimed, pride evident in his voice and a sly smile on his face. However, his grin quickly faded when he noticed Sei closely following Jin. He turned to her, captivated by her warmth and sweetness. 

Ashito wasn't alone in his fascination; his friends, too, found their attention drawn to Sei. They exchanged glances, silently trying to decipher the puzzle she presented. The atmosphere grew tense as everyone focused on her, and Ashito felt a mix of pride in the game and deep curiosity about Sei's enchanting presence.

Sei had a look of utter confusion on her face as she noticed that everyone around her suddenly shifted their attention towards her. It was a bewildering moment for her. 

''What's happening?'' she whispered, glancing at Shinji, who was standing close by, with a questioning expression on her face that clearly showed her uncertainty.

Shinji raised his eyebrow in response to her question, but he chose to remain silent. Instead, he turned to look at Ashito for a brief moment and then shifted his gaze back to Sei, still keeping his thoughts to himself.

''He's into you!'' Shinji finally exclaimed, breaking the tension in the air. His tone was a mix of amusement and seriousness, making it clear that he was not joking about what he had just said.

''What?'' Sei was confused, her brow furrowing as she glanced over at Ashito, who was also looking back at her with a puzzled expression. The tension in the air was palpable as they exchanged glances, both trying to make sense of the situation unfolding around them.

''Go back to your room, Sei!'' Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence, Kenya, who had been quiet throughout the entire ordeal, stepped forward and spoke up. His voice was firm as he addressed Sei, urging her to return to her room, clearly concerned about the escalating situation.

"Hold on! Are you saying that this is all happening because of me? All these matches and everything else?" Sei said, her voice laced with disbelief as she tried to process the situation. It was as if her mind was racing, and the confusion was evident on her face. 

''Why?'' she asked, her curiosity piqued further when she noticed that everyone around her had nodded their heads in agreement. It was clear that they were all in on some unspoken understanding. 

''Ah! So you're Ashito, right?'' Kenya said suddenly, turning his attention towards Ashito with a look of recognition. When he posed this question, Ashito responded with a nod, confirming his identity. Then, Kenya continued to speak, his expression shifting to one of sympathy,

''I really feel sorry for you, especially since you seem to have such strong feelings for Sei.''

Hmmmm!??

Kenya's explosive words sent shockwaves through the room, catching everyone off guard as they quickly turned to look at Sei. The unexpected revelation had a profound impact, and in this moment of realization, Sei was surprised by what Kenya had just said. 

The atmosphere shifted, as the gravity of the situation settled over everyone present, leaving them in a state of surprise and curiosity about what this all meant. 

''She's truly the same as her name, Ishi!" Kenya exclaims, and then he bursts into laughter at his own words, clearly amused by what he just said. 

WHAT IN THE WORLD??? 

In the meantime, a strange silence falls over the group as everyone processes what he has just uttered, their expressions reflecting a mix of confusion and surprise.

 It's as if time has momentarily stopped while they try to comprehend the significance of Kenya's statement, each person wearing a puzzled look that amplifies the awkwardness of the moment.

''HAH! ''

Keigo, who was standing close to Kaito, caught his eye briefly before turning to look at Kenya, who was in the midst of a hearty laugh. They both seemed curious about what was so amusing. 

"What?" Kenya asked, noticing that they were both looking at him with inquisitive expressions on their faces. He couldn't help but feel a bit intrigued as to why his laughter had drawn their attention.

"Ah! I'm really sorry about that. What I mean to say is... I'm also one of his twins, but there are times when I don't quite understand him either," Kenjuro finally breaks his long silence as he steps forward to approach Sei. Gently, he takes her hand in his, a gesture meant to comfort her. He continues speaking,

"I'll take Sei back to her room now," and with that, he leads Sei away, moving carefully as everyone watches the scene unfold. Ashito, however, feels a strong urge to speak up but finds himself silenced by Jin's intense gaze, which seems to convey a warning.

"As Kenya mentioned earlier, Sei is not the type of person who gets caught up in romantic entanglements, and we should all remember that the three of us are here to protect her from anyone who might want to get too close," he adds, trying to reinforce the point.

The atmosphere is thick with unspoken words, and the weight of their responsibility hangs heavily in the air as they all consider the implications of their bond with Sei and the need to keep her safe from unwanted attention.

As Sei and Kenjuro leisurely walked down the street, engrossed in their conversation, they failed to notice that a couple of individuals were silently trailing behind them. The air was light and carefree, but that didn't seem to alert either of them to the presence of the others. 

Suddenly, Kenjuro, sensing something unusual, furrowed his eyebrows in curiosity and turned around to see who it was that might be following them. To his surprise, he spotted Haruto and Kaito not far behind, both wearing broad smiles on their faces, which indicated they were clearly enjoying their little adventure.

Kenjuro paused her steps and turned to face them, her curiosity evident. ''What are you doing?'' He inquired, wanting to understand their actions.

"I am currently thinking about the possibility of asking both Kenya and Sei to join our team. However, now that you are here and part of the conversation, I wanted to get your input on this idea," Kaito said thoughtfully.

 He shifted his gaze for a moment to Haruto, then quickly turned to observe Sei and Kenjuro, who were silently exchanging glances with each other, seemingly considering the implications of this potential team reconfiguration.

''All I wanted was to win over the Shiba Clan,''

+ Ishi (石）: Stone, Rock. 

+Ishigami （石神）: God of Stone.