Chapter Text
Clouds rolled over the city, teasing yet another rainstorm. Luckily, the forecast called for nothing more than a gloomy, cloudy day. Plenty of people still carried umbrellas just in case they were caught off guard. Since it was a typical workday, most people were already a few hours into their morning.
Behind a pillar, a certain someone stood completely incognito. Confident in his disguise, there was no way anyone would recognize a six-foot-three, ripped guy with white hair wearing sunglasses and a hoodie on a cloudy day. There was absolutely no way. Or at least that’s what Nagi thought.
He eyed the Mikage building, looking for a way in. Unfortunately, about a dozen reporters were swarming outside, hoping to get anything juicy to take back to their editors. Of course, they were all blocked from entering by the Mikage security personnel. The two men stood tall in their sharp black suits, looking as intimidating as ever. Unlike Nagi, neither of them was wearing sunglasses, which puzzled him.
Didn’t all bodyguards wear them?
Whenever Reo invited Nagi to his house, the security team always seemed intimidating. Reo told him that most of them were trained in martial arts and had extensive military training. Although his parents were neglectful in other areas, it seemed like protecting their home wasn’t one of them. There was no question these guards took their job seriously.
Nagi took a breath and tried rehearsing what he was going to say.
Hi. I’m Nagi. I’m Reo’s friend. I need to see him.
Easy.
Hey, I’m a friend of Reo. He’s invited me here before. Is he here? Can I talk to him?
Shifting his weight, he sighed, “This is going to be a pain.”
Finally building up some courage, Nagi decided to just walk up and explain that he was Reo’s friend and needed to speak with him.
Eyes followed him as he ascended the stairs and approached the entrance. Many of the reporters looked after him smugly, wondering how this kid would try to get in after their various failed attempts.
“Hey, I’m a friend of Reo. He’s actually invited me here before. Is he here? Am I able to talk to him?”
One guard slowly looked him up and down. Then the other did the same. Nagi suddenly became aware of his sunglasses… and his hoodie. And the fact that he was standing outside the Mikage Corporation building, looking like he was trying to rob the place.
“Yeahhh, a friend of Reo’s, huh? Look man, you think these other people haven’t done everything to try and get in? We’re under strict orders not to let anyone in aside from family and employees. We’ll permit you to go stand over there with the other reporters, but get away from the entrance. Now.”
“But I really…” his voice trailed off when he saw the look on their eyes. Yeah, there’s no way he’s getting in.
As Nagi walked away, he heard one of the guards snicker.
“Dude, that’s probably the best one yet.”
“Seriously. What the hell was he wearing?”
Nagi glanced down at himself. “Hmm.” He adjusted his sunglasses. “The glasses must be the problem.”
He returned to the pillar as he brainstormed new ways to get in. His hand slipped into the pocket of his hoodie, fingers finding the folded piece of paper he'd been carrying around all morning. He unfolded it, glanced at it, then folded it back up.
Near the side of the building, Nagi saw a few employees bringing in boxes and equipment for the kitchens. That’s when it hit Nagi. The first time Reo invited him over, they had used the main entrance. After that, Reo started taking him around back. It was quieter there, away from the guards and staff.
Nagi waited for about thirty more minutes until he was sure the shipments were finished. He walked towards the back of the building, where there was a brick wall. Thankfully, Nagi’s height came through, and he lifted himself up and over with ease. With no one around, he quickly walked up to the back door.
Damn, I forgot there’s a code.
Naturally, Nagi had always been busy gaming whenever Reo punched it in. Why would he bother memorizing something Reo could do for him? And to make things worse, it just had to be a six digit code.
1-5-6-6-7-8
Beep, beep.
1-5-6-6-4-3
Beep, beep.
1-5-6-6-9-1
Beep, beep.
“Why don’t you try 1-5-6-6-1-3,” said a familiar voice.
Nagi slowly turned around and rubbed his neck awkwardly.
“You know, Nagi, there are easier ways to visit someone.”
“Well, I did try the front…” Nagi mumbled.
When he lifted his eyes, he could tell she looked a lot more amused than upset. He let his shoulders drop and let out a long, slow breath.
“Hey, Gran. It’s been a while.”
“Nagi Seishiro. Yes, it has.”
Gran had always been different from the rest of the Mikage staff. Reo trusted her with practically everything. She drove him around, helped him with whatever he needed, and had been around long enough to see the parts of him he didn't show everyone else. She'd never missed one of his games, either. Even if she couldn't attend in person, Nagi remembered Reo mentioning her watching their matches live.
“How’s Choki?” she asked as she stood as proper as ever with her hands behind her back.
“Oh, he’s doing good. Whatever you did to him while you watched him must have worked. It definitely looks like he grew a little.”
“Ah, I didn’t do anything special. As I said before, I gave him just the right amount of affection and support to foster his growth. Too much and he would have rotted away,” she said. She had a certain look in her eyes, like she wanted to say something, but after a few seconds, she said nothing.
“Soooo, is Reo here? Can I talk to him?”
“No, unfortunately, he hasn’t been home for a few days. Even though Blue Lock is on break for two weeks, many of the boys didn’t want to stop their training and were itching to get back into the gym. So Ego allowed them to practice and stay at the facility if they chose. With everything going on, Reo wanted to go right back to training.”
“Ah, I see,” he said while looking to the side and rubbing his neck. “How has he been? I haven’t spoken to him since I left Blue Lock. Is he… okay?”
“To be honest, I’ve been a little worried about him. He’s been unusually quiet. He keeps throwing himself into training, I think, because it gives him something else to focus on. He hasn’t said much about the scandal, but...”
Her expression softened.
“I know him. It’s getting to him.”
Although this is what Nagi had expected to hear, he still felt a pain in his chest. For days, the public had been expecting some spectacle to happen. Would Reo make a statement? Have another public breakdown? Argue with people in the comments? What they didn’t expect was radio silence. It seemed like Reo and his family were planning on keeping quiet until this blew over. While a few moved on from boredom, many anxiously waited for the drama to unfold. But Nagi knew. Just because Reo was quiet didn’t mean he wasn’t struggling inside.
Murmuring away to himself, he pulled out the small piece of paper and continued his fidgeting. With the amount of times he folded and unfolded it, the paper was creased and flimsy.
Gran glanced down when she noticed the paper and asked, “What do you have there?”
Nagi also looked down as he finally noticed what he’d been doing. “Oh, it’s ummm…”
Sighing, he continued, “It’s something I wrote for Reo. You know… things that I want to tell him and stuff.”
Seeing Gran looking intrigued, he went on. “I was hoping that if I saw him today, I could tell him what I felt.”
“Last time, I said some things I’d been thinking about for a while. But...” He glanced down at the paper. “I don't think I said them right.”
“So, you wanted to make sure to be clear this time around. Well, I applaud you for the effort. Reo really needs some words of encouragement."
“Well, can you send a message to him for me?” Nagi asked.
“Unfortunately, since he’s been at the facility, he hasn’t been responding to anyone’s calls or texts. I’m sure he wants to be left alone right now.”
“Then can you give him this for me when he comes back home?” Nagi held out the piece of crumbled paper. Gran remained with her hands behind her back with a smile.
“No, I’m sure this is something you need to share with him in person. When the time is right, I’m sure you’ll see him. For now, let’s not push him too much.”
And with that, she stepped forward as Nagi moved away from the door. She punched in the correct code, 1-5-6-6-1-3, and stepped inside. Before closing the door, she looked back at Nagi. “I have a feeling that time will be sooner than you think.”
She gently closed the door, leaving Nagi outside. He stood staring at the door for a while, trying to figure out what to do next. He couldn’t go to the Blue Lock facility anymore, where the police would be called for trespassing. Reo blocked his number and all his socials so he couldn’t reach him that way. And since he hasn’t been home for days, this grand plan was a failure from the start.
“...What a pain.”
Nagi started walking around aimlessly with no real destination in mind. He long since stripped off his disguise and decided to get some food. As he ate, he remembered how this was the restaurant he showed Reo when they started hanging out. At the time, Reo kept hassling him to show off what he liked to do. Since Nagi barely left the house, he mostly spent his time outside in the arcade. After enough pushing though, he decided to take Reo to this place. It was a restaurant he used to go to with his parents when he was little. Even though he now goes there alone, he always enjoyed the calm, quiet atmosphere. And since Nagi had a simple palate, their burgers were the perfect meal. At first, Reo didn’t understand what was so special about the place. Eventually, though, it became their place. And he started to get it. Today, eating here alone felt nothing like it did before meeting Reo. His favorite booth felt very empty, like it was missing a guest.
After eating, Nagi continued on his directionless wandering. As the day went on, the clouds parted, and the setting sun gave some life to the gloomy day. The sky was painted with beautiful purples and oranges. He kicked a few rocks off the path, watching one bounce farther than the others. When he looked up, he noticed he had arrived at the hill he and Reo used to ride their bikes to. Well, Reo biked while Nagi enjoyed the smooth, breezy ride.
Since he’d been out most of the day, he was getting a little tired from walking, so he decided to hike up the small hill to take a rest at the top.
Man, this is the most exercise I've done since Blue Lock.
When he finally reached the top, his eyes widened. Someone sat alone at the edge of the hill.
Someone he hadn’t expected to find here.
***
“Hey, morons, we need to tighten up our formations! There’s too many gaps between us,” Karasu shouted.
Sweat dripped from Hiori’s chin as he bent forward, hands resting on his knees. “Yeah, I reckon I could be a little faster with my passes too.”
Isagi, gasping for breath, chimed in, “I think our midfield needs to stay tighter to the defense. It’s too easy for the other team to pass through the middle. Hiori and I can keep working on our passing. And Bachira… you keep doing you.”
“Aye, aye captain,” he said as he buzzed away.
They had been practicing for almost two hours, running through drills and a few team scrimmages. Only a few players decided to continue training during their two week break as they were itching to get on the field, especially with important games coming up. They did, however, make sure not to overtrain. Well, everyone except Reo.
“You guys go ahead. I’m going to keep practicing my dribbling.”
A few of them shared fleeting glances as they made their way to the locker rooms. Behind them, Reo was already setting up the next drill. Ever since Reo came to the facility, he hadn’t brought up his scandal even once. Everyone just gave him his space and didn’t talk about it in his presence. It’s like they have an unspoken agreement to stay away from the topic. But the players would be lying if they weren’t curious. Many had already read the articles and seen the gossip on social media. No one brought it up until they were safely in the locker room, away from Reo.
“Man, he can’t keep going like this,” Chigiri said. “He’ll push himself too hard and end up hurting himself…”
"Whether he has problems or not doesn't matter. If he can still play, he plays,” Barou interjected.
“But if he keeps playing like this, Ego might bench him. He’s way too much in his head,” said Gagamaru.
“Yes, yes,” Kurona agreed.
“Have you guys been seeing what they’ve been saying? People are acting like they suddenly know him,” said Bachira.
Looking back, many of them remembered moments where Reo seemed a little… off. Despite Kunigami’s newfound brooding, he and Chigiri were thinking the same thing. Everything during the second selection started making sense. They both were upset when they found out Isagi and Bachira had moved on without them. But at the time, Reo’s reaction had seemed way too extreme. It wasn’t until Nagi’s confession during his lock off that they realised it was more than being left behind by his “pet”. Honestly, that confession was a surprise to everyone, as that was the most they’ve ever heard Nagi speak.
“Look, let’s not talk behind his back, okay. He's acting like if he stops moving for even a second, everything will fall apart.”
Isagi continued, “I’m gonna go talk to him and see where his head is at.”
No one argued, as Isagi was the best person for the job. No matter how ruthless he could be on the field, when he was off it he was a pretty chill and friendly guy. Many of them found themselves opening up to Isagi without meaning to. They were often surprised he was such a good listener and wasn’t judgemental. Secretly, behind his back, they all called him the team therapist.
As Isagi made his way back to the practice field, he saw Reo continuing his training. He was doing straight line touches, weaving through the cones. His movements had lost some of their sharpness. His touches were heavier, his breathing rougher, but he kept going anyway. Every time he reached the end, he kicked towards the goal. Just like all the other shots he’d taken today, he missed.
“Ugh!” he said in frustration.
By now, he was drenched in so much sweat he could probably wring out a puddle from his jersey. He started to feel overheated from all the drills, but after a quick water break, he was back at it again. Isagi couldn’t watch anymore and walked up to him just as he missed yet another shot.
"You're overtraining."
"I'm fine.”
"No, you're not. You’re running on fumes."
Isagi stopped a few paces away from him and started tapping the soccer ball on his foot. He must have been practicing because after a few taps, the ball still hadn’t touched the ground.
Reo stopped and placed his foot on his own ball. After catching his breath, he said, “Let me guess. You want to talk about it?”
Not wanting to play games, Isagi responded, “Yeah, I do. Did you get my voicemail?”
“Yeah, I did,” Reo said quietly. In truth, Isagi’s voicemail was the only one he listened to. His message was a little awkward but incredibly heartfelt. Reo could tell he was worried, but didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable. He wanted to return the call, but… he didn’t.
“Thanks for… what you said. It sure helped me calm down a bit. But, I didn’t listen to your advice,” he hesitated. “Eventually, I looked online…”
Sweat slipped down the side of his face and disappeared beneath his collar.
“Even though I haven't said anything, I've been reading what everyone’s been saying. No matter what I do, they all think I'm a psycho.”
Reo continued, "Before, if I got angry, I was just competitive. If I cared about someone, I was loyal. If I wanted something badly, I was determined. Now? Now, if I get angry, I'm unstable. If I care too much, I'm obsessive. If I'm scared someone will leave, I'm clingy."
“What if they're only seeing the worst possible explanation for everything I do?"
“Well, you’re doing it too,” Isagi pointed out.
“What?”
“Reducing yourself. You’re acting like your diagnosis explains everything you do. It doesn’t.”
Isagi continued, “You’re angry because you care. You’re competitive because you want to win. You get attached to people because they matter to you. None of that suddenly disappears because you have a diagnosis.”
Isagi sighed. “But you also can’t expect people to understand something you won’t talk about.”
“Oh, yeah? Then who am I supposed to talk to?”
“Well, you can talk to me anytime. And I’m sure some of the guys will lend an ear if you ask. But… I think there’s someone else you need to talk to first. Have you spoken to Nagi yet?”
Reo's foot stopped moving against the ball.
“No…” he whispered. “I don’t even know how he’ll react.”
Despite burning up a few minutes ago, a chill ran through Reo at the thought of Nagi’s reaction. He’d been trying to keep his cool, but the thought of facing Nagi made him feel painfully vulnerable. And he couldn’t handle another rejection from Nagi.
“Because of me, everyone’s been dissecting our goodbye during his lock off. He’s been dragged into this mess because of me. Now there are rumors spreading about him. He probably thinks I’m a freak or something.”
His fingers tightened around the hem of his jersey.
“And… he’s probably mad I never told him anything.”
Most of all, Reo felt embarrassed. He couldn’t face Nagi. He just couldn’t. Seeing Reo lost in thought, Isagi thought it was time he took his leave.
“Well, those sure are a lot of assumptions. I have a feeling it’ll go differently than you expect.”
Isagi tossed him a towel. “Just talk to him, okay. That’s all.”
***
After Reo finally finished practicing, the locker room was completely empty. Some of the boys headed home, while a few decided to stay in the Blue Lock dorms. After a long, steamy shower, Reo wanted to head home. More than anything, he wanted to be in his own bed tonight. But he knew he’d be swarmed the moment he showed up. Was it worth it? Up until this point, he’d managed to evade the press. He knew sooner or later he’d have to make a statement, but it wouldn't be when he’s blocked from getting inside with dozens of microphones shoved in his face.
He started packing his bag with a few things before heading out, including his favorite shampoo he brought from home. He bought Nagi his own bottle and swore this shampoo did wonders for split ends. He remembered how Nagi complained and defended his ten dollar shampoo. With all his fussing, Nagi denied he would ever use it. But Reo always smiled when he caught a whiff of that shampoo in Nagi’s hair. He'd never admit it, but moments like that made all his fussing worth it.
Reo noticed that he still had a lot of doubles in his bag. Two water bottles, two towels, two pairs of gloves. Shin guards, socks, shorts. You name it, Reo had it. Nagi was always terrible at remembering things, so somewhere along the way, Reo had gotten used to packing for two.
Ah, he’s so spoiled.
Reo smiled. As much as he hated to admit it, he loved spoiling Nagi.
Reo reached beneath his jersey and pulled out the chain holding his ring. During official games, he had to keep it in his locker, but during practice, he wore it tucked safely beneath his jersey. He hated going anywhere without it.
Preparing to leave, he slipped the ring onto his finger and gave it a small twist.
With his gear packed and ready to go, Reo called a taxi to take him down the hill leading from Blue Lock. From there, he passed the park and decided on a cheat meal. He ordered a plate of yakisoba loaded with pork and extra sauce.
This morning’s threat of rain had disappeared completely. A cool breeze swept through the evening air as the setting sun made Reo’s heart feel lighter. This was always his favorite time of day. It wasn't until he recognized the familiar path that Reo realized where his feet had taken him. Their hill. The place they used to come when they wanted to get away from everything.
Well, I guess I could watch the sunset while I’m here.
Once he reached the top, he sat down with a plop. Hugging his legs to his chest, he rested his chin on his knees.
This breeze feels nice.
Amber and violet painted the sky, the colors bidding farewell as the sun crept toward the horizon.
I guess what I’m asking is, who is Reo Mikage… when there is no Nagi…and without anyone to copy?”
Dr. Okuda’s words rang in his head. Honestly, could most people even answer this question? Who really knows themselves, let alone a teenager? People had spent their entire lives trying to figure out who they were and what they wanted. Yet Reo was expected to have an answer ready for his next session.
He remembered an exercise his therapist made him practice years ago. She wanted him to write a list of words to describe himself. When he first started the list, most of the words started out pretty positive. Smart, popular, well-liked, athletic, talented. But as the list went on, his words grew heavier. Needy, impulsive, manipulative, obsessive… and lonely. Once he finished, Dr. Okuda collected the list but never did anything with it. In fact, for the next few years, it was never mentioned again. He wondered what he would write if she gave him another blank sheet. Maybe he should try it at home and bring it to their next session.
Lost in thought, he didn’t know how long he’d been sitting there before someone spoke behind him.
“Reo… you’re here.”
Reo froze as his heart slammed against his chest.
Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.
He could recognize that voice anywhere. He slowly turned as their eyes met.
“Nagi…”