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Truth is, Reo always knew. Even when Nagi tore him down, even when he tore himself down and tried to build himself back up, tried to regain strength, become the best in the world by himself…
He knew.
He always needed Nagi.
Nagi and his stunning, beautiful talent. Nagi’s the one who’s able to spark his imagination and give birth to thousands of super plays impossible by himself or with any other player. Nagi’s the lone shining star which grants him light, but he still shines on his own, and knowing he needs Nagi, and Nagi doesn’t need him…
It hurts.
Even more so when the treasure he’s so carefully honed and polished is snatched away by that Isagi Yoichi, and Reo is overwhelmed by the cruel, unbearable thought that Isagi is the one Nagi needs all along, and that Nagi and Isagi will go on to conquer the world together. The dream he had impressed upon Nagi…Nagi would take that dream and make it his own. And when the dream becomes reality, Reo won’t be the one standing by his side.
And this becomes even more apparent as Nagi grows stronger in the hands of other people—Isagi Yoichi, Chris Prince, that football doctor Agi. Nagi shines throughout the Manshine City vs Bastard Munchën match, and the blinding light seems to shut Reo out, saying no, you can’t be with Nagi, he’s too good for you, too brilliant for you.
It’s telling him no matter how hard he works, Nagi will never need him.
But-
But, Reo’s the one Nagi goes to when he realises his current methods would never be able to defeat Isagi. Reo’s the one Nagi asks to help defeat Isagi. Not Chris, not Chigiri, not anyone else but Reo, all in order to defeat Isagi Yoichi.
Isagi, Isagi, Isagi. He’s heard that name fall from Nagi’s lips so often, he’s sick of it. He’s all Nagi’s life and purpose is centred on, isn’t he? A dark surge of spite rises up in Reo, drowning out his insides. For a moment, he wants to cut Nagi with his words, just like those words all those months ago:
“You’re a pain, Reo.”
If Nagi wants Isagi, he can have him all to himself. Reo isn’t going to help him in the defeat of the person Nagi joined and Reo lost to.
So he says all these meaningless words, words he knows he doesn’t mean, but they don’t deter Nagi the slightest. Even when he spits out the words boiling up from his deepest, darkest hurts…
“Don’t think you can try to manipulate me with your ever-changing feelings!”
…Nagi doesn’t give up.
“I need you, Reo,” he says.
Reo knows it’s probably a fabrication. Something Nagi made up to pacify Reo; something engineered to convince Reo to follow Nagi’s wants and needs. There are probably ulterior motives behind those words. The business side of Reo, the side trained and hammered into him since young, is crying out at him. It’s a lie. Don’t trust him.
But-
Reo curses his own fickle nature, so easily swayed by the words of a liar he fell for.
But it feels good, you know?
Having Nagi admit to him that he needs him?
And the wave of relief and gentle happiness that washes over him is so relaxing, so refreshing, Reo can’t help but want to bask in that feeling forever. Even if it means Nagi will break him in the end.
He still wants to submit himself to Nagi. And if he ends up dead and broken and useless at the end, well…
Reo chuckles, setting a hand on Nagi’s shoulder. “You bastard.”
…Well, maybe Reo is willing to entrust his future to a little bit of hope.
I need you, Reo.
And Reo needs him too.
The purple-haired man leads his ex partner, his reborn partner, his treasure towards the field, towards the rebirth of the supernova duo who would conquer the world of soccer.
“Come on, Nagi,” he grins. “Let’s play soccer.”