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Raichi Jingo prides himself from being fairly observant. His instincts are no joke either.
His observation skills coupled with his sharp instincts have helped him many times, both in football and outside of it. It's a weapon that he's learned to trust, so when notices something strange and his instincts tell him to run, he'll do just that and make sure to do it as fast as he can.
And really, he's never had the urge to hightail out of any situation.
Unfortunately, that all turned to ashes after he accepts an invitation from the football organization.
When he agrees to join the Blue Lock project, he's sure that it'll only be about football. It says so in the letter he received. The invitation says nothing other than the fact that he's selected, personally handpicked by some guy named Ego to be trained as the best football player in the history of Japan.
It's such an ego (no pun intended) booster, so of course, he'll agree.
His dream is to become the best football player anyway.
Now, however, he's beginning to think that it isn't the case at all.
To begin, everything about the project is fast phased and intense, the training and team matches leaving every muscle in his body aching for days on end. Sometimes, a stray thought enters his head, and he begins to believe that they're being experimented on, an elaborate scheme planned by the country's football association.
But hey, if the Blue Lock project is going to make him the best player in the country, why the hell complain? He wants to be the best, and if Ego and his training style can help him become just that then, he'll accept everything thrown his way.
There's nothing weird with doing everything he can to succeed after all.
What's weird is that some people in his current team are way too strange for his peace of mind, and they're driving him batshit insane.
He can't pinpoint what's exactly strange about them. They're just that. Strange.
Especially Isagi and Bachira.
There's something about them that makes him uncomfortable. When he's in their presence, the voice inside his head tells him to never ever dare cross them. Every time either of them looks his way, Raichi always feels the need to run far, far away. He's no coward, but fuck it if their stares don't terrify him.
Honestly, every other person in Team Z seems to be scared shitless of them. The only one who seems to be immune to Isagi's and Bachira's frightening aura is Kunigami.
Then again, Kunigami is a different brand of weird in his own right.
He's got sharp features that give him the bad boy look, but it only takes Raichi a few days to realize that Kunigami is an absolute softie. Raichi will never admit it even when he's held at gunpoint, but he worries about the dumbass sometimes (all the fucking time).
But that's not really the thing that makes Kunigami strange.
It's the way he talks to Isagi and Bachira.
Usually, Kunigami speaks with the rest of them like a normal and decent human being, but it's undeniable that he speaks to Isagi and Bachira in a specific way. Raichi really doesn't understand it, and it's goddamn frustrating, but he's picked out on how there are times when Kunigami speaks to Isagi and Bachira in singulars. But most times, Kunigami talks to them like he's talking to four people instead of just two.
He first notices it right after the demon tag challenge.
The challenge is certainly new, and it's basically crazy, but it's nonetheless an interesting one. It's also satisfying to see Kira getting taken out after a ball to the face. That's one strong player down for the count, and Raichi's convinced his chances of becoming the best player has just increased.
But that's not the point Raichi's trying to make, so moving on.
When the game of tag is over and Kira is ousted, Raichi overhears Kunigami and Bachira talking. Now, that isn't something to be concerned about. Everyone talks to whoever is willing. What's concerning is the way Kunigami addresses Bachira.
"Are the two of you going to follow me all day long?"
At first, Raichi thinks someone else is with them, but it's only Bachira and Kunigami, so it doesn't make sense for Kunigami to phrase things that way. It's even weirder when Bachira seems to take the strange statement like it's normal.
"Yup! You're so much fun." Bachira answers with a playful snicker, and if that's weird, things get more bizarre when Kunigami just accepts his words, no questions asked.
"I'm glad you think so."
And really. Who does that? Who focuses on someone thinking you're fun to be with rather than the more concerning aspects of the whole ordeal. Oh, you know, like being followed around by someone all day, which is arguably more serious.
Seriously, Raichi has more questions than answers at this point.
Of course, things don't end there.
But with training being the way it is — intense and painful and fast — Raichi has less time to observe his teammates, focusing instead on his own improvement like everyone else is doing.
That only lasts for a couple of days because their match against Team X rolls around, and shit really hit the fan.
Barou is fucking strong, and Team Z — messy and all over the place — is getting their ass handed to them. Raichi doesn't like it one bit.
And when Barou claims that he's king, Kunigami winces and turns to look at Isagi and Bachira, worry and mild horror painted on his face like Barou just said the words that will end the world.
Not that Raichi has time to dwell on that because they're gonna end with a zero in the scoreboard if they don't do something. Thankfully, Kunigami gets them one goal with his insane kicking power. It's not enough though. They still lose the match against Team X, and Raichi's so mad, but he's more annoyed that Isagi passed to Kunigami rather than him.
He ends up yelling at Isagi for doing such a thing before a sense of dread engulfs him from head to toe, instincts telling him to shut up and let it be. He quickly let's go of Isagi, yells some more, and pretends that he's not shaking down to his bones.
That night, Isagi disappears from their shared room, and Raichi feels like confronting him but decides against it when Kunigami stands and follows Isagi.
They don't return right away, and when they do, Isagi seems more attached to Kunigami than Raichi remembers him being. He doesn't know what those two talked about — and Raichi will rather not ask — but it's hard to miss how Isagi will subtly stare at anyone who talks to Kunigami as if he's trying to gauge whether or not they're all worthy of being in Kunigami's presence. All this with the exemption of Bachira who also does the same thing but with less subtlety than a lone man parading on the streets while playing the trumpet.
It's sort of scary, but Raichi is too tired to be completely scared, so he decides to just sleep it off.
Maybe things will make more sense the next day.
Things don't make sense the next day or the days after it.
In fact, everything has stopped making sense to the point that Raichi's brain can no longer catch up.
For one, Isagi and Bachira develop a sudden favoritism towards Kunigami, who, in turn, accepts it and adapts to it like it's what he's meant to do all his life. Raichi often wonders how the fuck Kunigami does that. He also wants to know how to be able to talk to Isagi and Bachira without feeling like hell is going to open up beneath his feet. Really, Kunigami probably has nerves of steel if he can interact with those two with ease.
Of course, there's also the most important and concerning factor, better known as Isagi's tendency to go from someone completely average to an absolute monster that can and will kick someone's ass to outer space and back again. It makes Isagi a hundred times more terrifying. The only good thing about it is that Isagi's monster mode lands them a win against Team Y.
Still, Raichi wishes he could've been the one to score the winning goal, but he's starting to learn that when Isagi is out to obliterate someone in football, you never ever get in his way lest you want to suffer the consequences. Kunigami told him so, and another thing Raichi learns is that when Kunigami tells you something about Isagi and Bachira, you listen to him because he's never wrong.
So instead of complaining about it, Raichi celebrates with the rest of the team.
He hopes that all good things will happen to them from now on.
Turns out, Raichi's good at jinxing himself.
The good things end before Raichi can completely enjoy them.
If he's going to blame someone, it's Kuon.
The fox-faced piece of shit.
Raichi has always been wary of Kuon. Guy has always been shifty since day one, but Raichi never thought that he's going to do something as extreme as sell them out to the enemy. What's worse is that he sold them out to the most annoying people to ever walk the planet.
Team W's Wanima twins, who, by the way, also have some beef with Chigiri.
Raichi is more than ready to throw down with Kuon and the twins, give them all a piece of his mind, but he can't because Kunigami is holding him back, and as much of a softie Kunigami is, he's like an iron pillar with how strong he is. So rearranging Kuon's face with his fists is out of the picture.
"You betrayed Team Z?" Isagi asks, and Raichi's anger is replaced with a sense of immediate doom.
All of the sudden, dread slams into him like a speeding truck, and he feels the need to either get the hell away from there and go somewhere Isagi can't find or cower in submission and offer his very soul to him. Raichi doesn't understand the feeling, all he knows is that the world is shivering down to its core, and it's all Isagi's doing and maybe Bachira's, too, because Raichi swears that he's seen Bachira's eyes go from playful to furious.
Forcing himself to stand his ground, Raichi watches Isagi approach Kuon like a predator hunting for its prey, silent and deadly. At that moment, imagining Isagi with sharp claws and teeth and drenched in the blood of his enemy is easy. Raichi bets that Kuon is imagining the same thing because he's gone so pale he's almost turning white.
Kuon may be a huge bastard, but he feels a little bad for him. Isagi's anger isn't even directed at him, but Raichi's almost ready to grovel before him. He can't imagine what Kuon must be feeling, being the center of Isagi's ire and all.
Lucky for Kuon and everyone else involved, Kunigami's very existence is enough to prevent an apocalypse.
One moment Kunigami is trying to stop Raichi from decking Kuon on the face, and the next, he's stepping between Kuon and Isagi. The moment Kunigami is within Isagi's field of vision, a miracle happens. Isagi's anger eases a little, and he backs down.
It's not much, and Raichi is still mildly terrified for his life, but the game resumes.
One way or another, Chigiri gets over his issues and lands them a draw.
It should have been good, but Raichi is beginning to realize that a draw isn't what Isagi wants, and his anger spikes again. Deadlier and far more potent than when he's dealing with Kuon.
He marches towards one of the twins like a god of war on a rampage, and Raichi's every being begins to scream at him to hide and never come out, wondering who and what the fuck Isagi is and whether he should find a hiding place before the world eventually explodes to dust.
Dramatic, yes, but it's hard not to think like that when Isagi's eyes are blazing with a kind of fury that no one should ever possess.
Really, Raichi knows they're all fucked, and he's more than ready to make a run for it, but Kunigami — brave and stupid and kind — grabs Isagi's wrist to stop him, never speaking but keeping his eyes trained unwaveringly on Isagi like they're having an entire conversation. As always, it's enough to stop Isagi, and Raichi swears that once the Blue Lock project, he's going to visit every shrine in the country and thank all the gods and deities for putting Kunigami in their team.
But then, Isagi is turning to him, "Raichi?"
And Raichi takes a big gulp of air because why the hell is Isagi looking at him? He hasn't done anything, has he?
"What?" Raichi hates how shaky he sounds like, but after experiencing Isagi's anger, he's allowed to be as scared as he is.
"If I can't kill Kuon alone, will you –" Isagi says, and did he really just say kill in that sentence? Holy shit. How is he supposed to answer that?
But before Raichi can form a response, Kunigami's voice sliced across the field, commanding and solid all at once.
"Nobody's killing anyone!"
Isagi deflates like a balloon, and Raichi thinks that maybe it's Kunigami that he should start worshipping. After all, Kunigami has just stopped the end of the world twice .
Bachira, who has been watching the whole thing go down, finally laughs.
Raichi's glad that Bachira's back to his normal self — his glares are as scary as Isagi's — but he still doesn't get what's funny, and at this point, Raichi's really too afraid to ask.
Of course, Kuon gets isolated by the team.
And of course, Kunigami will still want to include him in the team.
"Shouldn't we talk to him?" Kunigami asks.
Raichi doesn't like where this conversation is going, so he grabs Kunigami by the shoulder and shakes him a bit, "No. He's an ass, so we're leaving him alone."
"But he's –"
"Listen, Kunigami. In this world, there are things you just can't easily let slide. Like betrayal. There are people who'll try to gain your trust only to betray you in the end. Be careful about who you trust because some people are trash. You get it?"
Kunigami nods, but he still looks worried for Kuon, and Raichi wants to know how he's survived this long in the world. It's almost hard to believe that no one has taken advantage of his kindness yet. Well, too bad for people who will try in the future because now that Raichi knows how important Kunigami is to the safety of the world, Raichi will never let anyone with bad intentions near him ever again. There's also what Isagi and Bachira will do, but just imagining it is making Raichi tremble in fear, so he'll rather not think about it.
Oh well, at least Kunigami's beginning to understand what Raichi's trying to say.
Satisfied, Raichi turns around only to see Isagi and Bachira watching him carefully. He swallows and starts to think of everything he has ever done that can offend them. He remembers insulting and yelling at Isagi before, but Isagi hadn't done anything back then, and Raichi doubts he ever will. So the only thing that he can really think of is lecturing Kunigami despite knowing how much Isagi and Bachira adore him, but that's not a bad thing. It's for Kunigami's sake anyway.
Thankfully, Bachira just gives him a pleased grin while Isagi nods at him like he's thanking him for a job well done.
Did…
Did lecturing Kunigami and telling him to be careful of people somehow put him in Isagi's and Bachira's good graces? If so, Raichi might just take his decision to watch over Kunigami more seriously.
That makes Raichi feel pretty good (and safe as hell), but his good mood doesn't last because they encounter Team V, and someone challenges someone, and suddenly Isagi and Bachira looks like they're ready to throw down with the enemy again.
It's a good thing that they're all tired because no actual battle happens, and they're all ready for bed.
Kuon is sleeping in the corner, away from everyone, and Raichi resists the urge to stick his tongue out at him. Fucker deserves it.
But Raichi is grown up and mature, so he just lies down and falls asleep immediately.
He doesn't know how long he's been asleep, but he wakes up at one point, and when he turns his head, he sees something that will haunt him for the rest of his life.
Isagi and Bachira are crouched next to Kunigami's mattress, eyes trained on Kuon who's shaking in his sleep. If that isn't terrifying, then, Isagi's and Bachira's glowing eyes certainly are. If Raichi's going to describe what he's seeing, he'll say that Isagi and Bachira are like those sleep paralysis demons. With how Kuon is acting in his sleep, Raichi might as well be stating facts.
Briefly, both Isagi's and Bachira's eyes flicker towards him, and Raichi has to bite his tongue — which really hurts because of his sharp teeth — to keep himself from screaming at how demonic the two of them look.
Then, Kunigami stirs awake, and Raichi's actually amazed at how he takes everything in stride when it comes to Isagi and Bachira. Kunigami doesn't even falter even after seeing his two best friends crouching over his mattress, eyes glowing. He just blinks at them before telling them to go to sleep, even offering to share his bed.
Isagi and Bachira accept it of course, and they're all asleep in seconds.
Raichi's envious at how fast they can go to dreamland because in all honesty, after seeing Isagi and Bachira like that, Raichi's sure he's going to have nightmares for decades.
He needs to sleep though, so he decides to just pretend that he hasn't seen anything.
Nothing happened if no one's talking about it.
Huh.
Maybe that should be his new motto in life.
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