Chapter Text
Rin tossed and turned this way and that. No matter what, sleep refused to come to him.
It was three in the morning, the night after Blue Lock had secured their victory against Japan’s Under-Twenties team. It was a time for celebration, the last night before everyone went home for a two-week vacation. It was meant to be a time for Rin to revel in the fact that he had beaten Sae…
But there was nothing to celebrate. This victory didn’t matter. Sae hadn’t recognised him at all. The bastard had noticed Isagi of all people.
Nausea clawed through Rin’s gut as he lay there in bed, the sheets overheating him as if he were a boiler set to burst. A scream bubbled in his throat. After all these years. All this work. Even after he had given up so much, after he had tried and succeeded so fucking much, Sae had refused to acknowledge him.
I’ll kill him! I’ll fucking kill him! And Isagi! Both of them!
His dorm room, which he was forced to share with several other members of Blue Lock, was becoming too cramped to bear. If he stayed here for much longer, that scream festering inside him might tear itself forth, and so he slipped out of bed and through the door with the stealth of a nighttime hunter.
He wandered through the halls of the facility with no destination in mind. Going anywhere would suffice, as long as he was no longer cooped up in that awful bedroom. The movement-sensitive LEDs flickered on as he entered each corridor, passing by the canteen, the gym and one of the many training fields. He trudged past the bathrooms, aimless.
What am I even doing?
This place was his ultimate tool, the ticket that was supposed to make him surpass Sae once and for all, and yet right now he couldn’t find it in himself to exercise for five minutes on the rowing machines or sit through a half-hour yoga session. Everything in his mind was hazy, a cacophony of hatred and anger still simmering from the final moments of the U-20 match.
On top of that, it was absurd that Ego had mandated this upcoming two-week break for everyone. Anyone who wanted to leave this place for any amount of time was stupid.
At least I’ll see the ocean again.
He did miss the ocean. In times like this, when his mind was filled with demons, it was a relief to sit on the Kamakura pier watching white waves lap against the seawall, eating his favourite ice cream. Yes, the ocean would be the one saving grace of having to leave Blue Lock behind, even for just a little while. Besides that though, there was nothing in the outside world that could willingly coax him out of this place, not when he still had so much to improve.
He turned a corner. He stopped in his tracks.
The monitor room — the room everyone used to watch back their matches — had a trail of blue light filtering out from an open doorway. Even at this hour, someone was reviewing footage. It mattered little. Whatever the other boys chose to do with their free time was their own business. Still, Rin approached. He wasn’t sure why, but then again he was far from sure of anything his brain was forcing him to do at the moment. A quick glance inside wouldn’t kill him.
Most of the monitors in the room were on, all playing back the same clips of the U-20 VS Blue Lock Eleven match from different angles. The cameras sped back and forth along the pitch in time with the players… or more specifically, one particular player — a cyan haired boy with the number ’16’ jersey.
The name printed above the number was ‘HIORI’.
Who?
The name was vaguely familiar at best. Brief flashes of exchanging a few passes during the tryouts and training welled up in the dregs of Rin’s mind but that was about it. Besides that, this guy was just another one of the many irrelevant NPCs who never stood a chance of going toe to toe with Blue Lock’s number one player — someone not even worth remembering.
The same few clips of Hiori repeated over and over, starting again once they had finished. The room was dark aside from the screens. A figure sat silhouetted on the floor in front of them, surrounded by cushions, a blanket around his shoulders.
He was probably this ‘Hiori’ person. The hair gave it away.
For someone who was nothing more than a background character in Rin’s journey to becoming number one in the world, Hiori certainly seemed dedicated. Everyone else had long since gone to sleep. At the very least, they were all back in their rooms, keeping the noise down. Not even Isagi was up, as far as Rin knew. To be awake and reviewing plays mere hours before everyone was supposed to go home was something Rin could somewhat appreciate, he supposed.
None of my business though… He might as well leave Hiori be.
But for some reason, the universe had other plans.
As if Hiori had some kind of sixth sense, he suddenly sat up straight. He turned. His eyes fell on Rin.
Shit…
“Can’t sleep?” Hiori asked. His tone was rather neutral. Unsurprised. There was a weariness laced into it but that was probably because it was three in the morning. His accent was rather strong too — Kansai dialect. It spurred another twinge of vague familiarity.
“What does it look like?” Rin’s feet remained planted in the doorway. He stayed completely still.
Hiori looked back at the monitors. “I can’t either.” Awkward silence settled between them. “Are ya feelin’ a bit better now, Rin?”
For some reason, it was weird to hear that name spoken on such gentle lips. It also had a strange recognisability to it, as if Rin had heard Hiori say it before. He probably had and had just forgotten.
“There’s nothing wrong with me in the first place,” he said.
“Ah, right… Apologies. I just thought ya went a bit crazy at the end of the match and I wanted to check in.”
“Why do you care?”
“Well,” Hiori paused. He then looked back at Rin again. “Ya did get kicked in the face. And scraped yerself up pretty bad blockin’ Aiku’s shot. And ya stole the ball from me one time too.” He chuckled awkwardly. “That play was probably for the best though, seein’ how things went.”
Oh… Rin thought. “That was you?”
Hiori’s face blanked. “Really?” He somehow didn’t seem that angry or offended. “Well, can’t say I’m surprised.”
“That I don’t remember you at all?”
“Sounds about right comin’ from ya,” Hiori then smiled. It was small but nevertheless an unexpected reaction from anyone in this kind of situation. “Wanna join?” he nudged his head back towards the monitors.
“Why?” Do you realise who you’re talking to?
“I dunno,” Hiori somehow still didn’t sound offended. He had more patience than most people inside Blue Lock, that was for sure. “It might help us feel more tired.”
“Sitting in a room watching videos?”
“Works for me.”
Rin leaned against the doorframe and looked up at what was playing on the screens. “What are you even doing?” He had no clue how much he was scowling. It was probably about as much as usual. Despite that, he was still here.
Hiori flicked a clip back a few seconds with a remote. “Ya watch yer mistakes too, don’t ya?”
“I don’t make mistakes.”
“Ah well, good for ya. I’m jealous.” The softness in Hiori’s tone made it clear that he was not, in fact, actually that jealous. “In any case, I need to know how I can be better.” There was something jaded in the way he spoke. “Anythin’ to be the best, I suppose…”
That was a sentiment Rin understood well, especially in combination with the tiredness behind the words. Perhaps it was the post-match crash still talking but for some reason the things this little cyan-head had to say weren’t that dumb after all.
And so instead of turning tail, Rin shuffled further into the room, lowering himself down onto the cushions next to Hiori and looking up at the monitors. He watched in silence as the clips started to repeat again.
Hiori hugged his knees. “Any words of wisdom from Blue Lock’s Number One?”
“Quit it with the empty compliments.”
“Ah, right. Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
In the end, there was very little Rin could criticise about these ‘mistakes’. None of them were really Hiori’s fault. In one clip, he had run into the perfect passing spot only for two defenders to get in the way, casting him out of Isagi’s eye-line. In another, he had briefly become blocked by a midfielder and had ended up too far behind Rin, not that Rin would have passed the ball anyway. Nevertheless, these ‘mistakes’ were just cases of other players getting in the way.
The annoying fuckwits.
Apart from that, Hiori was almost flawless in his execution and form. He was graceful. Delicate. Precise. Like Sae-
NO. Rin bit the inside of his cheek. Not like that disgusting, evil, lying bastard.
Continuing to watch, taking in the intricacies of Hiori’s play style, familiarity teased his mind more and more. He did know Hiori. Well, it would be more accurate to say that he knew Hiori’s perfect passes, timed to the millisecond and always going to the ideal spot on the field, playing out Rin’s vision to perfection. Rin knew of a winger lingering in his periphery, ready to receive the ball whenever it was sent over.
And then, he remembered a gentle hand clasping his arm, guiding him to his feet amidst a tidal wave of pain ripping through his head. Soothing strokes had trailed down his back, the touch clearly fretting but still somehow keeping a semblance of calm. As he had forced himself back to his feet, he had heard a voice — unmistakeable Kansai dialect, softness mixed with rationality, coaxing Rin like a beacon, leading his mind back from the delirious confusion of receiving Shidou’s roundhouse kick to the face.
Yes, he did remember Hiori. Kind, gentle Hiori.
That’s just the exhaustion talking, his thoughts grimaced. Shut up.
“Is this everything?” he asked.
Hiori nodded. “Every mistake I could find after watchin’ my time on the field through twice.” Despite the colourful shimmer of the screens on his face, apathy hung in his expression.
The total length of the combined clips was less than twenty seconds. There were only a couple of mistakes overall. Just like back in the tryouts and U-20 match, it was clear that Hiori was a player who worked with skill, precision and a frightening ability to adapt. He was a natural talent.
Not a striker though… Rin couldn’t help but think.
“Hey, Rin,” Hiori then suddenly said, “is it weird that I don’t wanna leave here tomorrow?”
Rin frowned. He leaned back on his hands and looked at the ceiling. “No.” The question had come out of nowhere but the answer escaped him with ease.
Hiori sighed. “I wish I could stay.”
Usually, Rin would have found such a voice unbearable. It sounded so small and helpless. Coming from anyone else in this place, it would have been enough to have him spitting insults. But for some reason, tonight those thoughts halted themselves on his tongue.
Was it because in a weird way, he felt the same?
No, that can’t be it.
Hiori hid his lower face in his knees, still staring up at the monitors with passionless eyes. “I don’t wanna go home…”
“So what?”
Hiori tensed. “Sorry… Sorry, I’m keepin’ ya. Ya can go if ya want.”
Don't tell me what to do.
“No, it’s—” Rin paused. Why was he still here? Whatever the reason was, he shook off the weird feeling settling in his chest at how anxious Hiori had just sounded. “Your, uh, home?”
Hiori buried his head into his knees, squeezing his legs to his chest. “Doesn’t matter…”
Another silence fell between them. It was far from awkward this time though. An understanding was blossoming in the atmosphere, a feeling that something was drawing both of them back to Blue Lock. Their hearts both longed to remain here for whatever reason. In the face of such desire, the quiet was a comfort, refreshing.
Eventually, Hiori looked back up, his gaze fixating on the video clips still playing. “Rin…”
“Hmm?”
“D’ya really hate yer brother?”
For a moment, Rin hesitated. Was he really that easy to figure out? In hindsight, he had openly declared his desire to destroy Sae before. A perceptive individual such as Hiori would be able to take the meaning literally. Hell, even Isagi or Shidou would probably be able to figure it out. Rin really was an open book, no matter how aloof he tried to present himself.
His fists clenched against the floor. “That fucking bastard. I’ll kill him.”
He expected Hiori to react. A couple of words, perhaps a hum of acknowledgement. Failing that, backing away would be just as understandable, maybe even making up an excuse to leave. It wasn’t exactly normal to wish such violence on one’s own family, not with this level of animosity.
But Hiori chuckled.
It was a controlled laugh, but nonetheless genuine. “I get ya.”
“What?”
A sudden flash of realisation sparked in Hiori’s face. It disappeared in an instant. “It's nothin’…”
Rin shrugged. He wouldn’t push it. “Whatever.”
Another silence followed. This time, however, it only lasted for a short while.
“Can ya imagine,” Hiori piped up, “havin’ a setup like this?”
“Setup?”
“Ah, I guess ya wouldn’t know. I game. Only got two monitors at home though. What I’d give for a setup like this. I’d just drop outta here and become a horror streamer at that point.”
“Horror games?” Rin raised an eyebrow. This guy in front of him, who looked like the embodiment of every vulnerable, baby animal smushed into a human body, liked horror games?
“I’m more familiar with the classics,” Hiori said. “Ao Oni. Yumei Nikki. Corpse Party. That sorta thing. And to be honest I mostly play shooters these days so I haven’t checked out anythin’ new.”
Rin rested his chin in his hand, propping his elbow up on his knee. “So you play shooters but you’d stream horror? That’s dumb.”
“Hey, it would be great for engagement. Besides, horror is more fun to play when there are other people around.”
“More like you’d find it less scary.”
Hiori stuttered. “What—“ he huffed, cheeks ever so slightly flushing. “No— not at all!” He then relaxed again, taking a deep breath. “So, should I just stream shooters then? I mean, I main Killjoy. That should bring in fans.”
Rin thought about it. “Valorant?”
“Ascendant Rank before all this Blue Lock stuff. D’ya play?”
Rin shook his head. “Shooters are lukewarm as shit. Horror’s better.”
All of a sudden, Hiori’s presence shifted ever so slightly closer to him. It wasn’t nearly close enough to invade Rin’s personal space, thankfully, but there came with it a sense of interest. Hiori was paying close attention to him, giving himself fully to this conversation. He looked up with eyes far more filled with life than they had been before. While his general expression remained rather neutral, those large, owl-like eyes gave away a flicker of excitement.
“Ao Oni,” he said. “Opinions.”
The words flew from Rin’s mouth. “Overrated as fuck.”
It was meant as nothing more than a generic statement of fact. It was the truth. However, the laugh that Hiori let out in response was pure gold. Rin’s heart thudded loud against his chest, not because of embarrassment or irritation, but rather because for some reason Hiori’s face was impossible to look away from. The boy squeezed his eyes shut, lifting a hand to cover a small but charming grin.
Stop it…
“Agreed,” Hiori nodded. “People call it a classic but it’s so repetitive and borin’. And ya don’t even-“ he suddenly paused. “Is everythin’ okay?” he asked, tilting his head.
At that moment, Rin realised he was staring. Just how long had he been doing that? Fuck.
He swallowed so hard he almost choked. His face snapped away, whipping his head around to face the opposite direction. Heat was rising in his cheeks like thorns on his skin.
“I’m fine,” he said, trying his best to sound like his usual, irritated self. It only half worked though. “Keep talking.”
“Ah, okay,” Hiori said. “If ya say so.” He thankfully leaned back. “Well, I was just sayin’ that ya spend the entire game runnin’ away and ya don’t even kill the monster at the end. It feels so cheap.”
Rin swallowed. The shock in his system was starting to subside. “Agreed.”
The two of them then settled into comfortable conversation. Their discussion started as a critical review of an old horror game they both knew far too much about, but then topics drifted to different games. The entire time, words came easily. For once in Rin’s life, he wasn’t clawing for topics in order to feign small talk. He was also not telling Hiori to fuck off to avoid talking altogether.
It was nice.
No, he thought. It’s convenient. Big difference. I just can’t sleep.
Their conversation went on, neither of them getting overly enthusiastic about the topics but, nevertheless, they continued to talk more at length than perhaps either of them had realised they were capable of. Rin’s eyelids eventually drooped. He glanced over at the clock on the wall. It was almost five-thirty.
What the hell?
Putting aside the fact that he had stood anyone’s presence for this long, it was even weirder that he didn’t want it to end. Tiredness was finally sinking into his bones, his circadian rhythm catching up to him, but instead of cutting Hiori off or getting up and walking away, he remained where he was.
That was, until he felt Hiori’s presence once again lean in slightly. Glancing up, it was clear that they were both rather sleepy.
Hiori’s words sounded bleary. “Ya should get some rest. Ya look tired.”
Rin tried to roll his eyes without yawning. “Shut up. Speak for yourself.”
Hiori grumbled. “I guess yer right.” He bit back a yawn of his own. “This was nice though.”
“Huh?”
Another small smile crept onto Hiori’s face, glowing in the light of the screens round them. “Yer more fun to talk to than ya look.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothin' much. Just that I like talkin’ to ya.” He then conceded a yawn and rubbed his eyes. “Sorry for keepin’ ya. It was pretty selfish of me.”
“No it wasn’t.”
“It was…” Hiori looked at the floor. “It’s stupid. I really did enjoy talkin’ to ya. So, so much. It’s just…” he paused. “I thought that if I kept ya here then maybe, just maybe, tomorrow wouldn't come. I’d… I’d like that. To stay like this. Talkin’ to ya for as long as possible.”
This was no longer completely about staying with Rin. That was rather obvious if Hiori’s earlier comments about going home held any weight. Sure, it might have been a bit selfish but then again everyone inside Blue Lock was like that. They had to be to survive. And besides, Rin was still sitting in here with Hiori, was he not?
Because indeed, no matter how much he hated to admit it, perhaps Hiori wasn’t the worst person in the world to talk to.
Rin sighed. “Ten more minutes.”