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Reo Mikage. The name itself brings about an inexplicable amount of pressure to the wearer of the name driving them to succeed, to achieve greatness. Heir to the Mikage Corporation and with a staggering worth of about 700 billion yen, Reo Mikage was born to flourish and triumph over all others. Don't get him wrong, the Mikage boy did not mind the silver spoon he was born with nor did he resent the expectations first handed to him by his parents. Competitiveness, drive, tenacity, and being an overachiever were all second nature to him. He loved the feeling of pride he got when he achieved the best test results in his grade or when he was the ace for any sports team he participated in. It was a euphoric feeling for him to say the least. What he didn’t like was having his future laid out for him. Why would he when he was capable of anything under the sun? This is the exact reason why he decided to pursue football. Football was not just a rebellious phase like his mother had told him it was, no, it was a dream he had planned to make come true. Up until his teenage years, there was nothing he yearned for on his own.
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Studying abroad was something Reo has always known he’d end up doing. He has nothing against the universities of Japan, U Tokyo was an amazing university and he was tempted by the fact that most of his friends would be going there too, but he had to put some (a relatively large) distance between him and his parents. Mr. and Ms. Miakge had been trying to keep him on a leash not noticeable enough to draw his attention but failed. Reo always knew that although his father had let him play football, he would never allow Reo to genuinely pursue it as a long life endeavor when he was his only promising heir to the family business. The way he had his future entirely laid out by his parents was overbearing. He wished this type of authoritative parenting style came out of concern but he knew it was only because they had wanted to mold him into being the next representative of the Mikage Corporation. This only fueled his desire to move 6,000 miles away from the life he knew, even though he was leaving behind people and memories that meant so much to him as well. Well, it was one of the reasons. Reo won't admit it out loud but what happened between him and Nagi at Blue Lock left an even bigger scar on his person than he imagined.
All that was left was whatever feelings Nagi had left for him (if he even had any) and Reo.
Yes, Reo.
To Reo, it felt like Nagi was able to become a completely new person, someone void of the existence of Reo after their separation as if Reo was just a stepping stone for his debut into becoming a world-renowned football player. There wasn’t a single football fan in Japan that didn’t recognize the name Nagi Seishiro, the boy from Blue Lock with impeccable goal-scoring abilities. It was to no surprise to anyone that Nagi’s raw talent and hard work thereafter took him to higher grounds, now a starter player for one of Japan's J1 teams, F.C Tokyo. He plays alongside Chigiri, another mutual friend they had from Blue Lock who Reo misses dearly.
Reo never got back up at that time after realizing he was at a crossroads. Every option, choice, and decision led him back to Nagi. The fact that he had to play alongside Nagi to achieve his dream was so imbued into him like a piece of fabric slowly stitching into his seams making itself a part of his being as if it was always there. No matter how much Reo tried he could not rid himself of Nagi and what's left of Reo now is a result of that haunting figure. They had spent their whole youth together, working towards a false shared dream, and Reo who didn’t know any better back then loved every second of it. Staying by Nagi’s side was another one of the million privileges he had. Why couldn’t he accept that? Reo aches for Nagi the same way he runs away from him.
He was sick of plaguing himself with these thoughts he seems to have every day clawing their way back up to his head from his heart where he had kept them shut for the past four years. Morning, day, and evening he was plagued in his mind with the faint semblance of Nagi - a portrait of the boy in all his glory adorned in camellias and gold. It was easy to picture him in his mind smiling at him as he did back then. Eyes glistening under the rays of sunset after a day of afterschool practice wearing Reo’s jersey as he always did because the white-haired boy never bothered to check if it was his jersey while picking it up from the ground of Reo’s room sprawled with their belongings. It was always mostly Nagi’s things but he somehow always wore his stuff whether it was jerseys, hoodies, or shirts. He hadn’t seen him in forever and he was dying to know if his soft cloudy hair still barely reached past his ears, if his baby cheeks still carried that rosy tinge to them when he overexerted himself, or if he had stretched out even more in length since the last he saw him. He visibly shook his head to drown out his thoughts.
He had to write his thesis paper.
This was his last year as a student at Stanford University and the semester was ending soon, meaning his return to Japan. Although he came to study abroad that didn’t mean he was never going to go back home. He did not plan to fully abandon his position as heir to the Mikage Corporation or winning the World Cup. He trained diligently with a foreign coach and joined a team in the major leagues. At university, he studied business with a minor in finance. Needless to say, he was ready to come back to Japan with his head held high like a true Mikage should. He winces at the memory of a young Reo, one so easily broken, by the absence of Nagi. Their relationship was a codependent, one-sided, love hurricane and Reo was in the eye of the tornado. Unable to breathe overwhelmed by the debris flying around in seemingly slow motion ready to wall him in even more at any given moment.
He reached into the pocket of his comfortable black dress pants and pulled out his phone to call Yukimiya. He had needed a break from writing in the cold library of the business building and wanted to head to a close cafe with his friend.
Reo: hey yuki
Yukimiya: Hey reo, whats up?
Reo: are u free rn?? wanna go get some iced americanos? my treat
Yukimiya: I’ll be right there. You’re at the library, right? Give me 5 minutes. :)
Reo stuffs his phone back into his pocket and smiles warmly. He was grateful to have a familiar face around in America. Yukimiya and he clicked instantly back at Blue Lock. Of course, he didn’t spare him much attention back then because of a certain someone but now that he got to know him during their time together at Stanford he realizes they have so much in common. As a model, Yukimiya is amazing at socializing and being charismatic with everyone equally no matter if they are clients, managers, or friends. He can bring creative ideas for difficult shoots to life with his good looks and poses that seem to come naturally to him. Even on the football field, Yuki graces the field with his captivating 1v1 plays stemming from his awe-inspiring dribbling. On the field or in a photo shoot it is hard to keep your eyes off him.
Reo starts to head over to the cafe they planned to meet up at. Along the way he bumps into acquaintances he’s met over the years here in America. He doesn’t do well in getting close to many of them because, like any other person he has met in the business world, they only want to stick close to him because of his last name. Mikage. Even here across the globe far away from the Mikage corporation it clings to him like a shadow. He is in essence a part of that corporation but he never asked to be. He has always wondered deep down if this demanding shadow has made him unable to develop a normal friendship when he had his chance at his first ever real one. One where you don't worship the ground your once only true friend walked one. Like a devout, Reo could not stand a minute separated from his presence, and like his only apostle who else but he could understand Nagi. It was wrong and awful how Reo clung to the only normalcy he’s ever had in a relationship as if he were an ugly moth drawn to the light that looked like the sun itself.
He makes his way inside the cafe already exhausted at the number of conversations he has had involving things like the stock market or new business ventures he was being scouted for as an investor by classmates. He quickly reserves a spot for himself and his friend as this place can get quite full quickly because of the close proximity to their campus. He ignores the curious gazes of girls and boys alike while he waits for his friend. It was no surprise to anyone that Reo is handsome beyond words. He has a chiseled jawline alongside a sharp nose bridge that tips slightly upwards at the end. His shoulder-length hair was cascading in soft textured waves instead of his usual bun style. His vibrant purple hair matched his dark amethyst eyes and perfectly arched eyebrows. The purple was in beautiful contrast with his pale glowy complexion giving off an air of ethereal purity. The purple of his hair is a bright color that makes everyone stare a few seconds longer at him. He was alluring with his unique features. His lean and strong build points to his athleticism that you could make out even over the business casual outfit he had on. He was sitting with one leg crossed over the other and one arm resting on his supple cheek. This sitting position made him look youthful and foxy due to the slight natural upwards curve of his lips as he sat there, thinking to himself. If he was already handsome in his early youth, the appearance of Reo now was a force to be reckoned with.
Shortly after, the boy named Yukimiya shows up.
“Reo,” is all he says as he makes his way over with a bright smile, holding what looked like to be fashion magazines and a school textbook. Yukimiya is taller, slightly taller than Reo, with a lean and lightly toned build combined with crow-black hair. All this is adorned with orange eyes in the shade of the sky during sunset. Although he wore thick-rimmed round glasses designed for someone who is not a model, he still looked like prince charming straight out of a book.
“Hey Yukimiya, how was class?”
"Same as usual," he replies as he sits down and waves a waiter over to take their order. He promptly follows up with a question. "Have you spoken to your father about your plans back in Japan and the J1 teams we're joining?" he asks carefully as if treading muddy waters. He knows Reo and his father didn’t really see eye to eye in most decisions Reo's ever made for himself without consulting his father first.
Reo laughs tepidly, “Im suppose to have a phone call with him about that later tonight actually… but I already have a detailed account ready for him. I’m much older now so it won't be as easy for him to get in the way of my decisions now.” He takes a sip of his iced cold Americano done just the way he likes it getting lost in thought over the first of many awkward conversations he is having later, until Yuki's clear voice brings him back to reality.
Yukimiya sighed in relief upon hearing the news and responded with enthusiasm, "Great! Okay then." He leans towards Reo, an excited smile on his face, as he continued. "I'm really looking forward to playing football back in Japan with everyone again. We've both improved so much since they last saw us. I don't think they're ready for what's coming. Although playing for a foreign team was nice in the meantime."
And it honestly was. Playing with a foreign team helped them broaden their horizons and learn new techniques. American soccer felt more aggressive due to the players' stronger builds and headstrong attitudes. It was beneficial for them to learn football as strikers in this environment where direct plays, strength, and physicality were emphasized. In contrast to Japan, particularly in Blue Lock, the focus was more on technical skills and precise ball control. Reo, a versatile player on the field, greatly benefited from improving his physical attributes. Yukimiya, excelling in one-on-one plays, also enhanced his stats to become an unstoppable force and create more opportunities to showcase his unique goal style, the gyro shot.
“Yeah. I'm really looking forward to it too. It’s gonna be nice to see the shocks on everyone's faces when we play on the same field again.” Reo says, the anticipation seeping from his lips. However, the reaction of only one person particularly matters to him. There's a fire in his eyes now that hinted at what he was thinking.
His thoughts are obvious to the black-haired boy as he scoffs and replies “Yeah, right. So anyways how are you feeling about seeing Nagi again?” he asks softly, seemingly out of the blue but Reo had half expected this question.
Everyone who knew both of them knew that Reo and Nagi hadn’t spoken since the last time they were in the same vicinity; it was common knowledge at that point. Even after the U-20 match, their relationship never recuperated to how it was before. It was not really seen from Nagi’s perspective as he was always carrying a blank expression on his face, but a glance at Reo told everyone more than what had to be said. As someone who never wore such awful emotions on his face before it was obvious that they hadn’t spoken things over. The usual slight upward curve of his lips was pulled downward back then and under his furrowed brows was an absence of light in his soft gaze. It was as if Reo walked around with the weight of the world coming crashing down on his shoulder and making itself at home on his back. The cheeky arrogance that sprawled over his face was gone and replaced with anger, pride, and sometimes sadness.
Reo sighs, his gaze dimming.
“Im not sure. I don’t really want to be caught up on Nagi when the whole reason why I'm going back is to achieve my dream of winning the World Cup. I’ll admit it's going to be… awkward but I don't want that to impede my progress. Plus, I don't have a clue as to how he feels about my departure or if he still even considers us friends.”
They hadn’t spoken since. Reo changed his number sometime after he just arrived in America and whenever he spoke to his friends back at Blue Lock (he had gotten their numbers from Yukimiya) he didn’t ask about Nagi.
Yukimiya only hummed as they moved on to different topics of conversation such as finals weeks and how their thesis papers were coming along. It was better not to delve into the topic of Nagi. They returned to their usual flow of communication and before they knew it, it was already late afternoon.
Reo had returned home after paying the bill and bidding his farewells to Yuki. He walked there, enjoying the soft breeze that kissed his cheeks warmly and the warm golden hue that was displayed in the distant sky. The familiar path home was already feeling nostalgic. He was soon set off to leave for Japan once again. He reached the end of his walk and looked up at his apartment building which was sleek, modern, and five stories tall. He made his way to his apartment which was on the top floor and prepared himself for a cozy evening. He figured he already got a lot done for his thesis paper earlier that day and was also completely exhausted from the morning practice he had. At some point while binge-watching his football highlights of the month he had fallen into a peaceful sleep right there on his couch.
Meanwhile in Tokyo, Japan …..
“Nagi pass the ball over here!” yelled Chigiri from his left, fending off two players that had been waiting for him to position himself in his goal range in order to stop him.
Nagi however paid him no mind and was heading towards the goal himself ready to take on the 1v3. His cleats slammed down on the artificial turf his sights set on the soon-to-be trajectory of the ball he was refusing to relinquish control over. At the last point of his play, Nagi changes the angle of his shot and sends it spinning into the air. The ball seemingly halts momentarily in the air and with that, Nagi kicks the ball that's spinning in place directly into the goal post. That was the winning goal and his teammates pounced on him and cheered. Nagi’s goal-scoring ability was as impeccable as always. The adrenaline hadn't washed off even after his team had shaken hands with the losing team and headed to the lockers.
“Nice shit egoist,” remarked Chigiri, still obviously sore at the fact that Nagi ignored him on the field. It was nothing new, everyone here played for themselves but Chigiri still found himself teasingly reprimanding Nagi.
“Thanks,” replied Nagi as unbothered as ever. Chigiri snorted at his lack of expression and ruffled his hair aggressively.
“You little shit”
“Ow ow ow ow. That hurts your pulling”
Chigiri laughs and keeps his hands to himself again when they see their coach Anyu step into the locker room. It was rare to see their coach come in so they all stopped what they were doing and aimed their attention toward his direction.
He spoke in his usual stern resounding voice about the game they just played and congratulated Nagi, Kunigami, and Otoya for their own respective goals. Nagi sat on the floor, long muscular legs stretched out in front of him as he half listened to his coach. All he really wanted to do was go home and hang out with Choki while he played video games. He hated long speeches. The words began to sound slurred in his head as he was starting to doze off a little until his coach said something he hadn’t expected. Or more like a name he hadn’t expected to hear right now. Nagi's eyes shot open and he looked up at his coach with sharp eyes with full intent to listen to whatever he was saying now.
“Those two players I just named will be joining us in a few weeks. Make sure you help them adjust to the team.” With that and a few more words of praise for the team, he left as quickly as he came. Nagi looked around to gauge the expressions of his teammates but no one looked surprised at the news. He tilted his head confused before Chigiri spoke up again.
“Dude, why are you so shocked? We have been talking about this for a week now.”
“Eh? A week?” Nagi pondered silently and he tried to recall the past times his coach had spoken to them. He couldn’t really remember anything they talked about besides who was going to be the next team they were going against.
Chigiri sighed and proceeded to tell him all he knew. What Nagi summarized from the news he just received was that two players from a foreign team were being introduced to the team as starter players. One of them being Reo. His heart beat loudly in his chest not bothering to conceal the fact that he wasn’t listening to whatever Chigiri was saying anymore.
His Reo was coming back.