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Chapter Text

It was soft and warm. More comfortable than any place he had ever known. This was how babies must feel in their mothers’ wombs, wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, safety, and love. Perhaps he had died, but if this is how heaven felt, he didn’t even mind.
 
If he opened his eyes, this sweet utopia might disappear. But he just had to know. Something that felt this godly was surely beautiful beyond comprehension.
 
Thus, Rin opened his eyes slowly, not knowing what to expect. His chest tightened when the aloof striker realised he was still in Blue Lock. In his bed, in fact. But why did it feel so good?
 
The question answered itself when he felt movement next to him. There was someone else! A sudden coldness hit his core when Rin realised he was trapped in the arms of his mystery companion.
 
What on Earth had he done last night?! Hooking up with a rival was certainly not a part of his after-practice routine!
 
The other person moved; they seemed to have woken up. Rin could feel their hands on his head, stroking it lovingly.
 
Part of him feared finding out who his partner was. Yet he ignored the tingling feeling in his stomach and turned around. Reo. Smiling at him.
 
“It’s still early. Go back to sleep; I’ll wake you up later.” Reo’s voice was soft like a summer breeze, but it couldn’t stop Rin’s heart rate from going into overdrive.
 
Rin jumped up as if he had been stung by a bee. Why was that purple-haired idiot of all people in his bed?! Even if Rin had entered a parallel universe where he was promiscuous, Reo was not someone he could imagine hooking up with. Something was wrong!
 
“What’s wrong, Nagi?” the purple-haired intruder asked, his eyebrows drawn together.
 
Nagi?! But Reo’s eyes were focused solely on him? Rin stared at his hands. They… weren’t his. Now that he thought about it, his whole body felt different. The fact that he was still fully clothed was little consolation. “What… what sick joke is this?”
 
Reo scratched his head. “You were the one who wanted to sleep together, remember? You said my bed was more comfortable. I told you it would be cramped, but you didn’t listen. So, at least I tried to make it as pleasant as possible for you. I guess that didn’t work...”
 
“I told you it was a bad idea,” another voice said. When Rin looked at the source, he realised it was Chigiri, his sharp tone indicating that he was unhappy about being woken up early. “Nagi, don’t make a fuss this early in the morning. Just go back to your own bed if you don’t like Reo’s.”
 
“Don’t put me on a level with that lukewarm idiot.” Rin still stared at his hands. It couldn’t be… This was Blue Lock, not some sci-fi adventure. But then why?
 
“Come on, Nagi, don’t play dumb… I wanna sleep…”
 
Ignoring Chigiri’s growing annoyance and not even bothering with Reo, Rin rushed to the bathroom. There, the mirror showed it with crystalline clarity: sleepy grey eyes and messy white hair. Nagi’s face. But when Rin touched his cheeks, they felt like his. And his body moved on his command. The image in the mirror was him, no doubt.
 
But how had this happened? And where was his real body? Perhaps he had really died…
 
Feeling the blood pumping through his system, Rin bolted to France’s stratum. His real body should be where he had left it, sleeping peacefully in his bed. Maybe he could still force his soul back into it if it had not been too long since his death. There was no way he’d die before becoming the best striker!
 
Although Rin was running faster than he ever had during a match, Blue Lock’s corridors suddenly seemed endlessly long. His breathing hard and shallow, Rin’s limbs felt heavy when he finally entered the hallway leading to his room.
 
Yet his desperate run ended abruptly when he crashed into something—or rather someone. Ignoring the pain from the impact, Rin cursed. “Move, dumbass.”
 
But the person didn’t move. And when Rin realised who it was, he, too, froze. It was his body.
 
“Oh, so this is how I look,” Rin’s body said in a slow and stretched manner that was uncharacteristic of him. Shortly after, Rin felt his own hands touching him—Nagi’s body. “That’s kinda cool. Like we’re in a movie.”
 
“Quit the nonsense.” Rin forced the hands off him. Even without asking, it was clear what had happened: Nagi’s mind was in Rin’s body. “Return my body. Whatever you did, fix it. Now.”
 
“Huh?” Nagi’s face was expressionless as if he had no care about being a body thief. “I haven’t done anything... Ah, I think I’m the same height as Reo now…” He casually proceeded to measure the difference between their heights with his hands.
 
Rin pinched his lips, trying to stay calm. There was no way such an idiot could pull off a miraculous body swap. Now that he thought about it, Blue Lock only had one person twisted enough to orchestrate a mess to this extent.
 
xxx
 
“... And this is what happened,” Rin finished his explanation. “Now fix it. I’ll give you ten seconds.” In front of him was Ego, sitting at a table and eating instant noodles like he hadn’t just turned Rin’s world upside down. It had taken Rin a while to find him in the vast corridors of Blue Lock, but he had finally made it to Ego’s room.
 
Yet Blue Lock’s mastermind didn’t even look up. “Huh? Are you trying to threaten me? Is that how you talk after barging in uninvited?”
 
“I don’t have time for your silly games.” Rin impatiently tapped his foot. “Return my body.”
 
“I created Blue Lock to give birth to the ultimate striker. Everything that happens here is for the sake of that goal,” Ego explained while stirring his noodles.
 
“So you’re the bastard who did this after all… Do you always mess with people’s bodies?”
 
“Nope, only yours. And it wasn’t me, strictly speaking. Anyway, if you want your body back, you have to figure this out yourself. And I recommend you do it before your next match. You better start now.” Ego waved with his hands, indicating that Rin should leave.
 
But Rin just balled his hands. “You psycho!”
 
“Talking to that guy is a pain...” Nagi stood behind him, his face expressionless. “Let’s just ask Reo.”
 
Was that guy really that dumb? Rin sighed. Of all the people to have his body swapped with, it had to be this idiot. Even Zantetsu would have been more helpful. “And what do you think Reo can do?”
 
“Reo is smart. He knows what to do for sure...”
 
“I can’t have that.” Ego shook his head. “If you tell anyone about this, I’ll expel you from Blue Lock. All of you. And that includes Reo Mikage.”
 
“Whatever.” Nagi still didn’t seem overly interested—did this guy ever show emotions? “Reo will notice right away anyway...”
 
Rin didn’t bother replying. Instead, he left Ego and indicated Nagi to follow him. “Let’s deal with this quickly. Tell me what you did yesterday so we can determine what caused this.”
 
“Eeh? Thinking is a pain…” Nagi pulled up his shirt, examining his chest with his hands—who knew what was happening in his head? “I’ll ask Reo.”
 
“You realise you can’t talk to Reo, right?” Rin rubbed his forehead—dealing with Nagi made his head hurt. “It has to be me because I’m Seishirou Nagi right now. You’re Rin Itoshi. And I never interact with your friend, you know that, right? We aren’t even on the same team.”
 
Nagi’s voice suddenly turned more serious. “But I’m Reo’s partner. We’ll be together until the end.”
 
“Then you better think hard,” Rin replied sharply while he opened the doors of the corridor they were in until he found a seemingly unused training room. It was best if nobody saw them. “Sit down over there, and don’t move until you know how to fix this.”
 
“Eeehhh…”
 
xxx
 
Yet even after a whole day of thinking, Rin and Nagi were still in the wrong bodies and no further no step closer to the solution. They had tried touching a football simultaneously, searching online for clues, and all sorts of weird poses. Nothing seemed to work...
 
“Rin… I’m hungry… Battery empty, brain dead… Can’t do this anymore…” Nagi looked like he was actually dying, lying on the ground like a starfish washed onto the shore.
 
“Fine.” Rin grimaced. Even he felt exhausted. Plus, they wouldn’t be able to explain their absences overnight. “We’ll continue tomorrow. You’ll pretend you’re me, and I’ll pretend I’m you for now.”
 
At least Ego wasn’t a total sadist and had given them access to Blue Lock’s camera recordings to study each other’s mannerisms. “Let’s watch the video footage so we can imitate each other. Don’t mess this up, dumbass.”
 
“Sounds like a pain… Ah, a lukewarm pain?”
 
Rin didn’t react to Nagi’s poor attempt to copy him. Instead, he took a pencil and a piece of paper. “You better look after my body. Here, I’ll write down my daily routine. Follow it closely.”
 
“That’s impossible,” Nagi said while he watched Rin writing. “That’s way too much; I don’t have energy for all that…”
 
“Do it, you lazy ass. If you don’t, I won’t look after your body either.”
 
“That’s fine. Reo will look after it.”
 
Rin put so much pressure on the pencil that it snapped. “Then I’ll tell Reo to fuck off. Seriously, why do you keep mentioning that guy all the time?” Rin hated how every time he heard the purple-haired player’s name, it evoked memories of this morning. That sweet warmth… That love he hadn’t known existed…
 
“I just have to follow that list, right?” All of a sudden, Nagi seemed much more alert. “You better treat Reo well. I’ll kill you if you don’t.”
 
“Deal.”

Chapter Text

Rin sighed—this day had been way too much! At least he and Nagi had in common that they both didn’t interact much with others… It made it easy to grab a quick dinner and head straight to bed.
 
“There you are, Nagi!” Of course, Reo wouldn’t let him have a peaceful night… “I’ve looked for you everywhere! You seemed like a different person this morning; even now, you don’t look quite like yourself. What happened?”
 
Rin thought about ignoring Reo, but Nagi had his body as a hostage. Besides, Reo seemed genuinely worried; his gaze shifted around the room as he rubbed his hands against his trousers.
 
“I’m just tired,” Rin finally replied, focusing on his phone. Nagi usually played games, so it was an easy way to look more in character. “I trained with Na— with Rin today. I’m with him again tomorrow, so don’t bother looking for me. We’re busy.”
 
“Hm? Sounds like you’re working hard! You also put your laundry away by yourself today.” Weirdly, Reo seemed to be surprised that his bed was tidy. Then, the purple-haired striker sat down next to Rin, near enough that their bodies touched, to pat his head. “Good boy.”
 
Rin side-eyed Reo. Why was he sitting so close? The bed was big, never mind that Reo could have sat on his bed. “Is that really something worth praising? Shouldn’t you worry about yourself? So lukewarm…”
 
“You’re already talking like Rin.” Reo smiled—it looked good on his face, Rin had to admit. “I know working hard and tidying up after yourself is a pain for you. That’s why you deserve praise.” Then, his lips curled the other way to form a frown. “I know I’m not good enough yet, so I’ll work hard tomorrow, too. I won’t fall behind again!”
 
Watching the interplay of Reo’s facial expressions that resembled an ever-changing colourful rainbow was interesting. A rainbow that Rin could seemingly manipulate with just a few words.
 
“Anyway, looks like Chigiri is in the bath.” Reo finally got up, and Rin nearly got a heart attack when he watched him take his shirt off.
 
He had not been prepared for his body’s reaction to Reo’s bare chest. Fireworks were going off in his pants as blood rushed into his cock. Just how horny was Nagi? Or perhaps this was when they usually had sex? Nagi’s and Reo’s relationship was a mystery to Rin, and Nagi’s instructions (‘just leave everything to Reo’) hadn’t been particularly helpful.
 
There was a strange disconnect between his body and mind, but despite the latter being unaffected by Reo’s nudity, Rin struggled. There was no way he could sleep with Reo, but he also had to keep his end of the deal…
 
“What’s wrong? Aren’t you coming?” Reo asked, seemingly unaware of his impact on Nagi’s body.
 
Coming? So Nagi, that lazy ass, was the one who took the initiative in their relationship? “Tsk, that bastard better be following my list to the T,” Rin muttered before standing up. “I’m tired, so let’s make this quick,” he said then, directed to Reo.
 
Rin had no idea what he should be doing but figured kissing would be a good start. That was how it always started in the movies, right? His lips fit onto Reo’s so easily—as if they had always meant to be there. The purple-haired forward’s lips were soft and warm, making Rin’s stomach tingle.
 
Only when he saw Reo’s widened eyes Rin realised he had messed up.
 
As if struck by lightning, he broke the kiss and jumped back. Even though he had only embarrassed Nagi and not himself, Rin still felt heat rising to his cheeks. What did one even say in such a situation? “Uhm… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean…”
 
It took Reo a minute to regain his composure and even then his cheeks were still red. “It’s alright, Nagi.” He put one hand on Rin’s shoulder. “You can kiss me if you want; you’re my Treasure after all. I just wasn’t expecting it because you’re not usually the proactive type. But it’s okay if that’s what you want.”
 
The awkwardness dispersed in an instant. Reo… was actually really nice. “No, it’s fine, really.”
 
“I see.” Reo smiled as if nothing had happened. “Shall we go and have a bath then?”
 
“Bath?” The incident may have been resolved, but the situation in Rin’s trousers hadn’t improved. “I’ll skip today. We can bath together tomorrow.” By tomorrow, he would be back in his body and Nagi could deal with this mess himself.
 
Without waiting for Reo to leave, Rin went to bed and pulled the duvet all the way up to cover his head. He touched his lips with his fingers—his first kiss. And even though his partner had been Reo, it had felt strangely good. It was more satisfying than crushing an opponent, so much that it had almost made him forget about Sae for a second.
 
Still hiding under the duvet, Rin heard Reo and Chigiri return. Suddenly, there was movement in his bed, and Reo laid down beside him. Instantly, Rin froze. “What exactly are you doing in my bed?”
 
“See? I told you it was a bad idea,” Chigiri commented. “You let Nagi sleep in your bed once, and now he has completely taken it over.”
 
He had messed up again! This was Reo’s bed… Nagi’s body had gone to it so naturally that he hadn’t even noticed it was the same bed he had woken up from in the morning.
 
“If Nagi wants to have this bed, he can. It doesn’t matter whose it is anyway,” Reo replied while patting Rin’s head. Then, he laid down next to Rin and extended his arm, inviting Rin to come closer. “Come on, you said you liked using me as a pillow yesterday.”
 
It was impossible to resist. Rin was drawn to Reo like a magnet, melting into Reo’s warmth without regret. This kindness… not even someone like him was strong enough to resist…

Chapter Text

Rin spent the next morning in the unused room he had found the day before. In a new attempt to reverse the body swap, he asked for help in every online forum he could find. With eight billion people living on the planet, someone must have encountered this issue before.
 
It wasn’t until the afternoon that Nagi came, nonchalantly as if he had just woken up.
 
“Late,” Rin hissed without looking at him. Seriously, what did Reo see in that idiot? “Get to work and help me fix this, lazy ass.”
 
“I fell asleep while doing that damn meditation thingy,” Nagi explained, holding out Rin’s list as if he expected praise. Every item now had a tick mark next to it. “Reo?”
 
“Alive.” Rin decided not to waste any more words. Completing his morning routine was hardly worth any acknowledgement; after all, he did it every day. “Now get to work. Check social media for clues.”
 
“For real?” Nagi leaned against the wall and slid down; there were no chairs, so they had to sit on the floor. “Let’s just ask Reo already…”
 
“Shut up and do as I say. Also, brush your hair properly; you’re embarrassing me.”
 
“Your f*cking hair isn’t on the list, so don’t complain. I’m not gonna do anything about it; that’s way too much effort…”
 
“I didn’t write it down because it’s common sense…”
 
Nagi didn’t respond, and for a while, they worked silently—though Rin could see that Nagi was playing games on his phone. To no one’s surprise, he made zero progress as the hours passed. Rin frowned, but he didn’t have anything to show either, which was even more frustrating.
 
Eventually, Nagi put away his phone and stared at the grey wall opposite them. “I don’t wanna have to do that evening routine and complete the list again tomorrow… It’s such a pain… Ah, a lukewarm pain…”
 
“A lukewarm pain…” Rin repeated. It was the only thing they could agree on. Another night during which he had to pretend to be Nagi. Well, at least Reo was tolerable…
 
Wait! If he stayed in this body, he would actually have to bathe with Reo! Instantly, his muscles tensed. It would be impossible to retain his composure if that purple-haired forward was completely naked. “Hey, Nagi,” Rin began, unsure how to broach the topic. “How do you manage to… to hide that creepy perverted part of you from Reo?”
 
“Huh?”
 
“I mean, uhm…” Rin looked at the ceiling as if the right words were hidden in the room. It wasn’t something he had ever spoken about before. “Like what do you do if you get a boner in the bath?”
 
“Ah, that.” Nagi didn’t seem to be embarrassed; his face was as expressionless as always. “Reo always takes care of it.”
 
“Reo… takes care of it? In the bath?” Rin’s face turned dark red. How could Nagi just say that so casually?
 
Nagi nodded. “Reo says it means I’m healthy. Ah, but he said nobody else should see because they’d misunderstand. Reo puts lots of foam over my willy or uses a towel to hide it. It usually goes away after a while, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
 
How could Nagi even say something like that with a straight face? And what weird relationship did those two have? “So you never do anything about it?”
 
“Well, I’m not really someone who takes the initiative… Thinking about it, it hasn’t happened while I’m in your body.” Nagi poked his groin. “I think it’s dead. Hm… maybe your willy doesn’t work properly because it’s so tiny…” he added in his usual slow and expressionless voice.
 
“It’s normal sized, idiot! And you’re the one who is messed up.” Rin’s teeth started hurting because he clenched his jaw so much. “Also, don’t touch me there unless you actually need to.”
 
Without waiting for a reply, Rin jumped up and left. His patience with that white-haired dumbass was at his limit.
 
xxx
 
After an afternoon with Nagi, Rin really needed to destress. Thus, he made himself comfortable on Reo’s bed and put on the most brutal horror movie he knew.
 
However, the peace didn’t last long as Reo returned from practice.
 
Rin paused his movie. “Why did you partner with this idio— I mean with me?”
 
“You’re asking this now?” Reo seemed to look for things to tidy but then gave up because Rin had already put his stuff away. 
 
Not having anything to occupy himself with, Reo sat down next to Rin and leaned against him. “Because you’re my treasure, Nagi; that’s obvious, right? By the way, that movie looks like something Rin would enjoy. I feel like every day you’re becoming more and more like him…”
 
Even though Rin tried to copy Nagi’s mannerisms, he knew he’d never be good enough to fool Reo. “I’m different now. And you know. So why aren’t you saying anything? You don’t even ask what I’m doing all day.”
 
“It’s true that you basically became a different person overnight—Rin must have really left an impact on you. But it’s okay if you want to be like him. You were fine the way you were before and are fine the way you’re now.” Reo’s voice was as soft as a velvet blanket Rin wanted to wrap around himself. “As for what you’re doing with Rin, I’m just happy you found a friend as amazing as him. I’m sure you can learn a lot!”
 
“So if I act like Rin, you’re fine with it?”
 
“Sure, if that’s how you want to be.” Reo smiled.
 
As if a weight was lifted from his shoulder, Rin suddenly felt much lighter. All the pressure of having to pretend was gone. Around Reo, he could just be himself without worry. “Then I’ll shower by myself from now on.”
 
“True, that sounds like what Rin would do.” Reo jovially ruffled Rin’s hair. “He doesn’t engage much with others. I’m sure he’s also happy to have you as a friend.”
 
“I doubt that…” If it wasn’t for their body issue, Rin would rather die than call Nagi that loser his friend.
 
Spending time with Reo was nice, though. Chit-chatting. Leaning against someone when watching a movie. Going to sleep and waking up cuddling with someone. Being accepted as he was. Being loved unconditionally.
 
For now, it was alright to indulge. Still, once Rin got his body back, Reo would return to just being another lukewarm rival he had to crush.

Chapter Text

The next day, Rin was done with Nagi. Thinking of that white-haired lazy ass made him chew his breakfast so hard that his teeth gnashed.
 
“You’ve finished eating so quickly today, Nagi! You’re getting really good at being Rin!” Reo sat beside him with his usual enthusiastic smile that even Rin couldn’t help but adore. “I heard from Bachira that Rin meditates in the morning. Let’s try that, too!”
 
Stretching his limbs, Rin followed Reo to the training room. He hadn’t dared to meditate or do anything else he’d typically do because it wouldn’t look like Nagi. Getting part of his regular routine back now felt even better than crushing opponents on the football pitch.
 
“What’s with Nagi? Why he’s doing that?” Chigiri asked when he spotted them meditating in the training room.
 
“Sssh!” Reo replied, sitting beside Rin, cross-legged and ready to meditate. “Don’t disturb us, we’re imitating Rin. Nagi is trying to be like him.”
 
“Huh?” Why would he do that?” Chigiri asked, not lowering his voice in the slightest. “Why Rin? Wouldn’t it be better to be like Bachira and have no worries? Or be more righteous like Kunigami?”
 
“Nagi can be whoever he wants. What’s important is that he’s working hard, so don’t disturb him.”
 
“Alright, Rin 2.0.” Chigiri’s voice was neutral, as if he didn’t care much, and Rin heard him leaving shortly after.
 
It was nice to have someone who dealt with the annoying small fry for him, Rin thought before focusing his mind again.
 
When he finally finished meditating, Reo sat beside him, his eyes closed. Seeing Reo trying so hard was somehow… cute. His face looked peaceful with his lips pressed together—lips that felt much softer than they looked, Rin knew from experience.
 
Suddenly, Reo’s eyes opened, and Rin jerked back. But Reo must have seen him staring because he moved closer to Rin and leaned over. Ever so gently, Reo’s lips touched his. Their magical connection only lasted a second before the purple-haired striker withdrew, his cheeks slightly reddened.
 
Perhaps Nagi had been right all along, Rin thought as he placed his fingers on his lips where Reo’s had been just a second before. Reo had crazy mind-reading skills, made life super easy for him, and completely accepted everything Nagi did. If they told anyone, it should be Reo.
 
No, Reo deserved to know. Tricking someone as nice and kind as Reo was just pure evil. Yet the words died on Rin’s tongue—he just couldn’t risk getting expelled from Blue Lock.
 
“I’ll find out more about Rin’s habits. You’ll see, in time, you’ll be more like Rin than the original Rin!” Reo gave him a confident smile, and his voice was overflowing with enthusiasm—he seemed to have already forgotten about the kiss. “We should also practise together so I can change my style to match yours. Are you meeting Rin again today?”
 
“I can play like Rin?” Rin asked, sounding more enthusiastic than he had intended.
 
“Huh? Isn’t that the point of copying him? To become the best striker?”
 
“Of course. That’s the point exactly. I’ll practise with you today.” With Reo, he could be his true self regardless of his body. There was no reason to cling to that good-for-nothing Nagi anymore.

Chapter Text

Nagi’s Rin imitation was better than Reo had thought. He could hardly take his eyes off Nagi’s passes—they were a bit more clumsy than Rin’s, but with a little practice, he’d be a perfect Rin copy.
 
“Ah, my bad,” Reo apologised after Nagi had failed to trap one of his passes. Instead of reaching Nagi’s feet, the football shot off the field and bounced against the training room’s wall. With a frown, Reo shook his foot—somehow, he couldn’t get a single pass right today. Even a genius like Nagi couldn’t trap his passes… “I’m not sure what’s wrong with me. I’m sorry I’m holding you back… I need to train harder!”
 
Nagi arched his eyebrows —since he had decided to become Rin, his face had become much more expressive. “If your passes were bad, I’d stop playing with you, so stop whining. You’re good enough to stand on the same field as me.”
 
“Are you… trying to cheer me up?” Reo fumbled with his hair tie to hide his confusion.
 
“I’m not! I don’t have time for such nonsense.” As Nagi turned away, Reo could have sworn he saw him blushing.” Anyway, it’s lunchtime.”
 
“Sure, let’s eat. You worked hard, so you’ve earned your break.” Reo went to fetch Nagi’s water. But much to his surprise, Nagi already had the bottle in his hands.
 
Feeling a little helpless, Reo grabbed his own water. Nagi’s sudden independence made his chest feel tight and heavy. This must be how parents felt when their child grew up—except that Nagi had changed in a matter of days. He didn’t even seem to like being spoiled anymore…
 
Overall, the new Nagi felt like a stranger. The connection they had shared that felt cosy and warm was no longer there. Yet the new Nagi, who was mature and independent, wasn’t entirely bad; he had his charm that Reo didn’t quite understand yet.
 
Reo shook his head. This had to stop! No matter how much Nagi wanted to change or missed the old Nagi, he had to support him. After all, it was his ego to make him the best striker!
 
“What exactly are you doing?” Nagi asked.
 
“Ah, nothing. Let’s go and eat. Hop on, I’ll carry you.”
 
“If you still have the energy to carry me, you should run a few more laps,” Nagi replied. “Besides, this body is— I mean I am taller and heavier than you, so you might injure yourself. If anything, I should carry you—not that I will.”
 
Taking in Nagi’s words, Reo blinked a few times. “Are you… worried about me now?”
 
“I’m not!” Nagi replied, his voice louder than necessary. “Anyway, I’m going.”
 
Reo remained in the training room for a while, staring at the grass. Nagi’s Rin imitation had been perfect; his plays and passes were just like Rin’s, only after spending a couple of days with the black-haired striker.
 
Meanwhile, Reo had watched replays of Rin’s play for hours just to copy a few moves. As expected of his treasure—Nagi was really on another level! He’d have to practise much harder from now on, or Nagi would leave him behind again…
 
xxx
 
When Reo finally caught up with Nagi, the white-haired genius was already eating.
 
Reo got his own food and sat down opposite Nagi. It was still a bit early, so the canteen was almost empty apart from them and a few hungry players at the tables further away from them.
 
“Hey,” Nagi said suddenly. “What do you think about Rin?”
 
“Rin?” Reo thought about it. “He’s strong; all of his techniques are high level. Also… the way he chased after Sae in the U-20 match reminded me of how I’m chasing after you. I know what it feels like to be not good enough for someone…”
 
“Huh? Why would you be chasing after me?” Nagi asked. “You’re already better than this idio– I mean better than me. I’m just good for some lukewarm trapping, but you can do so many things.”
 
“Thanks, Nagi.” Of course, what Nagi had said wasn’t true, but Reo appreciated his attempt to cheer him up. It wasn’t something the old Nagi would have done. “You’re saying some really encouraging things today.”
 
“I’m not. It’s because you’re always talking yourself down. Anyway…” Nagi put down the cutlery noisily. “I’m finished so I’m going ahead.”
 
For the second time today, Reo watched Nagi leave. This new Nagi would take some time to get used to…

Chapter Text

Nagi yawned as he ticked the boxes on Rin’s list. The next item was yoga, which wasn’t too bad. Rin’s body remembered the poses so he could almost do it on autopilot. Reo would praise him if he was here…

Reo… It was already the third day in Rin’s body and Reo still hadn’t come… Surely Reo had figured it out by now so why wasn’t he here yet?

Being in Rin’s body was such a pain… It seemed to be dysfunctional beyond his willy. Instead of a heart, there was just a hole. And every time Reo crossed his mind, this mysterious hole expanded. Perhaps it would eventually suck him in like a wormhole and he would vanish…

“Rin, you’re late for the photo shoot!” one of Rin’s teammates—Nagi hadn’t bothered with learning their names— shouted into the training room.

“Don’t wanna go…” he replied even though no one was listening.

Periodically, the most popular candidates in Blue Lock were summoned to photo shoots to create Blue Lock merchandise. So far, Nagi had worn his school uniform, skater clothes, traditional Chinese clothes, suits, and other outfits he had already forgotten about.

While making his way to the photo studio, Nagi wondered whether Blue Lock’s true objective actually was to find Japan’s next top model. Reo would surely win as handsome as he was…

In the studio, his body's broken heart made a last struggle at beating when he spotted Reo, smiling with his eyes ever so slightly squinted—he was genuinely happy. Today’s theme seemed to be cross-dressing as Reo wore Hakuho’s female school uniform.

…

…

…

Nagi’s brain had stopped working. All he could do was look at Reo—he was pretty… and something else that Nagi couldn’t name. His previously presumed-dead cock twitched when Reo turned around and the skirt billowed.

“Cover up, Reo. There is a pervert staring at you.”

Rin’s voice broke the spell Nagi was under. Of course, that annoying freak had to be there, dressed in Hakuho’s girls’ tracksuit. Now Rin took off the jacket and tied it around Reo’s hips to cover up his thighs. “Well, two perverts, actually,” he added, looking at Isagi.

Isagi’s face turned red. “I– I wasn’t looking! I swear!”

“It’s okay,” Reo replied—he was embarrassed but tried to hide it with a fake smile. “It’s my fault. I swear they made the skirt shorter on purpose, I guess fanservice sells well. We should totally sue Blue Lock for a share of the profit. We’ll all swim in money!”

“Aren’t you already rich?” Rin asked while Reo made some final adjustments to that body thief’s clothes.

Reo shouldn’t be wearing Rin’s jacket and fumbling with Rin’s clothes—he wasn’t his partner! The whole scene looked wrong. But when Nagi stepped forward, Bachira suddenly appeared before him.

“Rin-Rin, you aren’t dressed up.” The Barcha player, who wore a summer dress with sunflower patterns, smiled widely and handed him a pile of clothes.

Nagi didn’t have time for Bachira; instead, he walked straight to Reo. Luckily, his new outfit included a black biker jacket. “Reo… take this.”

Reo gave him a polite smile—the kind of smile he showed strangers, though it was still pretty. “Thank you, Rin. That’s very considerate of you but I already have Nagi’s jacket. I’ll be fine so don’t worry. I think it will look good on you.”

Nagi’s chest suddenly felt so tight that it was hard to breathe. Why had Reo turned him down? Why was Reo speaking so formally with him? Not knowing how to react, he just stood there like a tree growing in the wrong place. All he could do was watch as Reo’s and Rin’s names were called and they went to have their pictures taken.

Reo had forgotten about his existence… And Rin had already taken his place as Reo’s new partner…

Rin’s body had already been malfunctioning since Nagi had woken up but now it felt numb and heavy. Nagi barely managed to lean against the wall for support. Maybe he’d die… But even if he did, it didn’t matter. In fact, death was better than returning to a colourless life without Reo…

“Rin, what’s wrong?” Bachira’s voice seemed to come from far away. “Your face is all pale like you’ve seen a ghost! Maybe you should lie down for a bit? Come on, I’ll help you to the infirmary.”

Nagi didn’t care enough to protest. Like in a trance, he let himself be guided by Bachira.

xxx

When Nagi woke up again, he found himself lying in a bed in the infirmary with Rin sitting beside him. Dressed in his Blue Lock body suit again, the frown on his face made it obvious that Rin was upset. “Hey, shitty idiot, I told you to take care of my body.”

Nagi rubbed his temples. It took him a few seconds to remember what had happened. “It’s your fault. This useless body was broken from the start. It f*cking hurts.”

“It hurts?! Where?”

“Here.” Nagi pointed to his chest. “Your heart isn’t working properly. Seriously, I almost died.”

“That’s impossible, I never had any pain.” Rin furrowed his eyebrows. “We can’t risk calling a doctor—who knows where they’d take you—so take off your top and let me see.”

But just as Nagi felt Rin’s hands examining his chest, the door opened and Reo appeared—the way his eyebrows had a slight arch, he must be worried. It also looked pretty. But it was too bad that he was no longer wearing the school uniform… Well, Blue Lock’s body suit also looked good on him, sometimes Nagi could make out Reo’s nipples. 

“Sorry for the intru—” Worry turned into surprise with Reo’s eyes widening—the interplay of expressions was pretty. “Uhm, never mind, I’ll leave, I didn’t see anything. Just call me when you’re ready, Nagi.”

“I’m just confirming this drama queen here has a working heart,” Rin explained as a matter of fact and withdrew his hand from Nagi’s bare chest. “Which he does.”

Reo’s gaze looked pained—still pretty though. “Huh? Does Rin have a heart problem?”

“I’m not Rin. I’m Nagi. Reo… you didn’t know?” So Reo hadn’t known about the body swap? But his partner was smart so why hadn’t he figured it out?

“Oh no, he’s seriously confused, we need an ambulance right now!” His face pale—but still pretty—and his hands trembling, Reo searched for his phone. “Nagi, try keeping Rin conscious until the ambulance arrives!”

“No, wait!” Rin grabbed Reo’s arm. “My body is fine, he’s just being over-dramatic.”

“So he isn’t confused? And what’s with this ‘your body’?” Reo looked from Rin to Nagi. “Is this why Rin behaves like Nagi? Even at the photo shoot, he felt like Nagi. What’s going on with you two?”

Rin sighed. “Listen, I’ll explain this…”

Chapter Text

“So you actually swapped bodies…” Reo repeated after listening to Rin’s explanation.

“You believe us?” Rin asked, cocking his head while raising an eyebrow.

“Of course! Nagi wouldn’t lie to me, that would be too much of a pain, right my Treasure?” Reo looked at him now when he said his name. Like he should.

Suddenly, breathing felt easier for Nagi and the pain in his heart subsided. Reo hadn’t broken up with him again—he just hadn’t known.

“Besides this one feels like my Nagi.” Reo moved next to Nagi and put his hand on Nagi’s head. He was grinning—Reo felt relieved, it was a pretty expression. “I was so confused when I saw you at the photo shoot, you felt like Nagi but you looked like Rin. I didn’t know what to make of it!”

“Reo, I wanted to tell you but Ego said he’d expel us…” The weight of Reo’s hand on his head felt good and Nagi slightly tilted his head in Reo’s direction.

“Yet you still told him, idiot,” Rin hissed in a low voice from the other side of the bed.

“Ah, don’t worry about being expelled. That’s nonsense,” Reo said—he seemed excited; the smile on his face was pretty. “If Ego says anything, we’ll threaten to make it public that he experimented on your bodies. Well, before we worry about that, let’s fix you two. It must be a pain for you to pretend you’re Rin, right, Nagi?”

“You know what to do?” Rin asked. “We already tried everything.”

“Well, from what Ego said, it seems obvio— Wait, the one who kissed me was Rin?!” Suddenly, Reo looked like he wanted to vanish from the face of the Earth, a pinkish hue on his face that extended to his ears—super pretty and also cute.

“You did what?!” Nagi instantly tensed. This was another feeling he was unfamiliar with—no one except for him should kiss Reo. “You took advantage of Reo? I’ll f*cking kill you, Eyelashes!”

Rin’s face matched Reo’s and he averted his gaze quickly when he responded. “I thought I was supposed to do that. It’s your fault for not explaining anything!”

“Wait, Nagi!” Reo put his hands on Nagi’s arms, preventing him from getting out of bed. “Rin was just trying to be you. Our relationship isn’t easy to understand for others.” Reo paused before he continued with a lower voice and his eyes fixed on the ground—-so cute that Nagi’s brain stopped working. “Besides, I… I sort of liked it…”

“You liked it?” Nagi and Rin asked in unison.

“Well…” Reo’s cheeks, which had only just returned to their normal colour, now turned red again. “I guess it felt nice to be connected… I don’t know… I also kissed him back… Sorry, Rin. It must have been awkward for you.”

Nothing of this felt right. Nagi tightened his grip on the duvet. “You bastard also made Reo kiss you?! Reo, leave us alone for a second.”

But Reo didn’t move, still holding on to Nagi’s arm. Instead, he looked apologetic—another pretty expression on his face. “It was my fault, Nagi. Rin didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Don’t apologise about the kiss…” Rin paused. “It wasn’t… bad.”

If it wasn’t for Reo’s hand on his bare arm, Nagi would have jumped up and punched Rin. But the warm feeling of being connected to Reo quickly soothed his rage. “Fine then, if you’re okay with it, Reo… It’s just… It was my first kiss…”

“Hm?” Reo put his hand on Nagi’s shoulder —his body tensed in response but Nagi ignored it. “I didn’t think you’d care about something like that.”

“I didn’t, until now…” Indeed, why did he care so much now? He had always been fine with waiting until Reo would be ready. Was it because of that growing feeling inside him that wanted to squish Rin like a mosquito?

“I’ll find a girl for you to kiss once we get out of Blue Lock. But before that, you should put your top back on, I don’t want you to get a cold.”

Why did Reo think he wanted to kiss a stranger? That idea just seemed gross. Besides, they already had each other. Nagi didn’t know well how relationships worked but surely kissing someone else counted as cheating… “I don’t wanna kiss anyone who isn’t you, Reo…” He pouted while Reo helped him to put his top back on.

Reo’s head jerked back slightly and he blinked quickly—-so pretty. “You want me to kiss you?”

“Yeah,” Nagi replied quickly. Their relationship had always been different compared to other couples and Nagi didn’t know why. It was alright though because he was just grateful for having someone as amazing as Reo as his partner. But maybe a kiss could make them a proper couple?

Cautiously, Reo sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned in so that his face was closer to Nagi’s. Nagi could see himself in the reflection of Reo’s purple eyes that were softly gazing back at him. It was like Reo hid a whole universe in his eyes complete with stars and cosmic purple hues. “It’s strange, you look like Rin but you feel like my Nagi.”

“Yeah, I’m your Nagi,” Nagi repeated because he liked the sound of it. Reo’s face was now so close with eyes that had lightened up and a soft smile—even prettier than normal...

Yet his lips never met Reo’s. Instead, he felt a soft touch against his left cheek. There was so much love in it, like a gentle spring breeze caressing his cheek. Such a fluffy feeling…

Why hadn’t Reo kissed him on the mouth though? Normally, he’d just gratefully accept whatever affection Reo gave him. But this time, he needed a proper kiss to understand the strange sensation in his stomach. “Reo, more…”

“More than that?” Reo asked with a reddened face.

Nagi nodded. “My heart feels better now, Dr. Reo. But it would be a pain if it started hurting again.”

“What should I do with you…”

“Just skip to the part where you fix us,” Rin snarled, tapping his fingers against the bed.

“Oh, of course.” Reo hastily leaned away from him and Nagi already missed the closeness. When he spoke again, his voice was businesslike. “There are different approaches we can try. The easiest would be to go straight to Ego. As I said before, we can threaten to make it public that he experimented on you—”

“But Reo… Ego said he didn’t cause this.” Even though remembering things was a pain, the words of Blue Lock’s mastermind were burned into Nagi’s mind.

“Ah, don’t worry about the small details!” Reo replied, not the least bit worried—he looked confident, so pretty. “What matters is what we say. We can hire experts to produce evidence by measuring your brain waves or whatever. Well, we could also directly hire those experts to fix you. That would be even easier!”

“Huh… As expected of you, Reo…”

“Though I don’t think that’s what we should do,” Reo continued. “I think we need to see it more as another selection that you need to pass. The way Ego phrased it sounded like he wants you to learn something.”

“And that’s what exactly?” Rin asked.

“Well, I don’t know that much yet. Let’s meet up tomorrow and figure it out. Nagi should rest today.”

Finally, the frown on Rin’s face had vanished and he seemed to have come to appreciate Reo. As expected of his purple-haired partner, Reo could even make the nastiest people like him! And this time, it came with an additional benefit. Nagi would finally be able to return to his lazy days. “Hey, Rin. The deal is off. Your list is a pain, I’m not gonna do it anymore.”

“You can’t just decide that by yourself, idiot.” Rin scowled. “If you do that, I’ll just stab this body.”

“Huh? Please don’t stab yourself, Rin! What is this list? And what deal?” Reo added, looking at Nagi.

“Reo… Rin made me do a mountain of annoying things every day,” Nagi explained. “And when I did it, all he did was complain that I didn’t brush my hair. It was such a pain…”

“It’s just my daily morning and after-practice routine. Don’t exaggerate, lazy ass.”

“Oh, I see.” Reo lightly squeezed Nagi’s arm—now he looked almost like a teacher, it was also pretty. “Well, it’s important that you look after Rin’s body properly. I know you hate it but you only have to complete his routine and brush your hair and stuff for a little longer. But don’t worry, soon you’ll be back in your body!”

If Reo said it, it was probably more important than Nagi had realised. Plus, if he did it, Reo would be happy. “Hm… Ok, I’ll try if it’s only for a little while…”

“That’s good of you,” Reo said and gave him a pat on the head.

Whether Nagi was in his own body or in Rin’s, Reo’s praise always felt heavenly good so it was worth any effort.

“You should rest now though. A heart problem can become a serious issue,” Reo said, his hand falling down and resting on Nagi’s shoulder. “I’ll stay until you have fallen asleep.”

Nagi decided he would never fall asleep so that Reo would stay with him but for the first time in Rin’s body, he felt completely at ease so keeping his eyes open was an unwinnable challenge.

Chapter Text

“Did you two break up again or something?” Chigiri asked the next morning as he got ready for morning practice.

Since Reo was now aware of who he really was, Rin had slept in Nagi’s bed. It affected him more than he had thought—the bed had felt cold and lonely without Reo. Was it just his body’s natural reaction or was it his mind that missed Reo? Rin couldn’t tell anymore…

“Don’t say things like that! Nagi and I will win the World Cup together, that’s a given,” Reo replied. The purple-haired striker sat on his bed, just watching Chigiri. “Besides, it’s not like we’re dating.”

“How will you win the World Cup if Nagi keeps skipping practice? If this continues, he’s not even gonna play in the next match.”

Rin silently agreed with Chigiri. Someone as lazy as Nagi should have been eliminated long ago. At least that would have saved him a lot of trouble.

“I’ve told you before, Nagi is now training with Rin. You should find a partner, too.”

Because Reo had thought it would be too much of a pain for Nagi to keep pretending he was Rin, Reo had flat-out told everyone that Nagi and Rin were pretending to be each other to improve their football skills.

His explanation had been that copying someone else was great for discovering one’s weaknesses and learning new plays. Somehow—probably as Reo had intended—his words had spread and now many other Blue Lock players had partnered up. As expected of the heir of the Mikage corporation: starting a new trend had been a piece of cake for him.

“You tell Kunigami.”Chigiri shrugged. “That guy is as stubborn as it gets. Anyway, I better go to practice so I won’t be benched like Nagi.”

“Nobody is benching Nagi!” Reo shouted but the redhead had already left. As soon as they were alone, Reo pulled out a notebook and put it next to him. “Alright, Rin, let’s figure out how to get your bodies back.”

Yet another benefit of having Reo was that they could sit comfortably on their beds rather than having to hide somewhere. It even made Rin wish he would have listened to Nagi earlier…

Soon after, the door opened again and that white-haired lazy ass entered. Much to Rin’s relief, he had at least brushed his hair now so it looked just like it always did.

“Done everything…” Nagi muttered before he went straight to Reo’s bed.

“Oh, you completed the list so fast! Well done, Nagi!” Reo moved to the side so there was space for Nagi to lie down. “Are you feeling better today? How is your heart?”

“I’m fine but I worked really hard, Reo” Nagi said while he made himself comfortable and took out his phone. “Such a lukewarm pain…”

“That’s why I said you did well.” Reo ruffled Nagi’s hair. Rin liked how Reo paid attention not to mess it up. “Anyway, we’re working on figuring out what you need to learn.”

“I leave that to you, Reo…” Nagi said, already focused on a game.

“Of course you do.”

It looked like Nagi had intentionally spread out on Reo’s bed, lying on his stomach and having his legs dangling in the air, so there would be no space for Rin. Not that Rin wanted to sit on Reo’s bed anyway.

“First of all, we should look at your weaknesses, that might give us a clue.”

“He’s uncooperative, sucks at communicating, is lazy, and a pervert,” Rin summarised because he doubted Reo would see any of Nagi’s weaknesses.

“Sounds about right…” Nagi replied in an expressionless tone, still focused on the game. “Thanks for your help…”

This guy! The fact that Nagi didn’t even feel offended meant that he was aware of all his problems yet hadn’t even tried to fix any of his issues…

“Nagi, don’t say that! Our communication is great, you cooperate well with me, and being lazy isn’t an issue. And where does the pervert bit even come from? Let’s focus on things you actually need to learn.”

Rin decided to leave Reo and Nagi to figure things out themselves—it didn’t seem like they would make any progress. Reo was completely blinded by the infinite love he radiated like he was the sun itself. 

In contrast, Nagi was content sucking in all of Reo’s love like a starved sloth without giving any of it back.

Love was a foreign concept to Rin. Once, he had been able to feel it but that was so long ago that he barely remembered the sensation. Now, he and Reo were polar opposites—one driven by love and the other driven by hate and anger.

And then all of a sudden, it all made sense. What he needed to learn was now crystal clear. Reo was supposed to be his teacher and the subject he needed to learn was nothing else than love.

“What a shitty joke…” Rin muttered to himself as he tried to process that his life had turned into a shojo anime. It wasn’t like he could just undo the years of cultivating his bitterness—nor did he want to.

Gnashing his teeth, Rin glanced at Reo. The purple-haired striker was the only person worth loving in Blue Lock. If he had to love someone, it had to be him. But it would be a one-way street. Reo—for a reason Rin couldn’t comprehend—only had eyes for Nagi.

It was obvious from how differently he treated Rin now. Before, Reo had understood that he wanted to be kissed just when Rin had looked at his lips. If he stared at them now, all Reo would do was ask if there was something on his face.

Yet perhaps a one-sided love was best for him. He had always been a loner and his serious disposition would just make any potential partner suffer.

Thus, from today on, Rin Itoshi would love Reo Mikage, one-sidedly yet stubbornly. This was the path to get his body back!

Chapter Text

“Here. Take it.” Rin stood in front of Reo’s bed and held out a water bottle.

Reo hadn’t moved and still sat on his bed with his notepad while Nagi laid beside him, close enough that they were touching, absorbed in his game.

“Oh, that’s nice of you. Thank you, Rin.” Reo smiled when he took the drink and opened it.

“Where’s mine?” Nagi asked. “I’m thirsty, too.”

“Get your own,” Rin hissed. He had gone to get something to drink for himself. Putting his plan in motion, he had brought another bottle for Reo. But looking at Reo now, perhaps his idea had been too bold? “I only brought it because there were two bottles so don’t get the wrong idea.”

Rin didn’t know why he blushed so he quickly turned around.

“Have some of mine, Nagi.” Reo passed the bottle to Nagi who quickly finished the water.

“Wow, you must have been really thirsty! Sorry, I didn’t notice…” Reo commented before he got up. “Wait here, I’ll get you some more.”

“Are you a f*cking cow?” Rin asked after Reo had left the room.

Nagi didn’t even look up. “A cow, that would be nice… Cows don’t have to work...”

Seriously, how could anyone tolerate Nagi for longer than five seconds?! “What the f*ck does Reo see in you?”

“Dunno… I wonder why he likes a slacker like me…Even though he’s super rich, he still calls me his treasure… Ah, I died…” Nagi added, looking at his phone.

Rin opened his mouth to reply but stopped when the door opened and Chigiri appeared.

“Rin?” Chigiri blinked a few times. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey, you’re Rin,” Rin hissed after Nagi seemed to ignore the question.

But of course, that idiot put no effort into disguising that he in fact wasn’t Rin. “Reo’s bed is comfy… It smells nice, too.”

As if he’d ever say that! Rin gnashed his teeth but he didn’t have a better explanation either so he remained silent.

“Oh, Chigiri.” 

Rin’s heart beat a little faster when he heard Reo’s voice and instantly dispersed his tension.

The redhead turned to look at Reo. “Somehow, your bed is getting more and more popular. Now Rin’s hanging out there, too. Makes me wonder what your bed at home looks like…”

“Ah, didn’t I tell you that Nagi and Rin were copying each other? You know Rin doesn’t do things half-heartedly. Nagi is really into it, too, so don’t disturb them.”

“Hmm… As expected of Rin. He’s amazing at everything he does,” Chigiri replied, appearing to be not overly interested.

“By the way, I heard Kunigami is now looking for a partner after he saw how much better everyone got. You better hurry up or he’ll be taken!”

Chigiri took the hair tie he had presumably come back for. “For real? This guy… Well, wish me luck!”

“Sure.” Reo nodded before he closed the door again. Then he put down the water bottle he had just brought so that Nagi could easily reach it and nestled against Nagi. “Anway, back to business! So far we haven’t found anything you need to learn. I mean it’s not like you can learn to always be motivated…”

“Honestly? After all the suggestions I gave you?” At this point, Rin wanted to bang his head against the wall.

Thinking about it… Nagi’s task was probably the same as his. Nagi’s feelings for Reo were as obvious as Reo’s feelings for him but he never seemed to act on them.

Perhaps, the purpose of the body swap for Nagi had been to separate him from Reo so that he could comprehend his feelings—which clearly hadn’t gone well seeing that they were currently sharing a bed. If Rin was a romantic, he’d admire how those two always found back to each other.

But he wasn’t. In fact, it made him sick. “Maybe start working on your communication skills? You know, so you can actually talk like a human.”

“Don’t wanna… It’s not like I need to talk to you anyway,” Nagi replied with an expressionless voice. “Reo,” he continued then in a much softer voice. “Kiss me now...”

Rin failed to understand how getting their bodies back and kissing were related and he didn’t seem to be the only one given Reo’s confused gaze.

“Eh? Right now?”

“Right now,” Nagi confirmed. “A proper kiss.”

“Proper?” Reo repeated with the pinkish hue on his face that Rin was all too familiar with by now.

It was cute but Rin’s stomach burned knowing that it was Nagi who had caused that expression.

“I can’t do that, Nagi. I mean it’s not like we’re a couple…”

Nagi didn’t reply, he just went back to stare at his phone.

Reo opened his mouth but then closed it again without speaking.

The ensuing awkwardness was beyond tolerable for Rin. “Hey, Reo, you like to copy my techniques, right?”

“Uhm, I wouldn’t say ‘like’,” Reo replied while fidgeting with his pen. “It’s more that I don’t really have anything else going for me.”

“Do you…” Rin wasn’t sure how to phrase the question. He wasn’t used to inviting people or even being friendly with others. “If you want…” He paused again. It would probably sound more friendly if he smiled so he tried to curl his lips just a tiny bit. “Come with me to the practice field, I’ll help you train.”

Rin bit his lips. He had messed up! Now he sounded like Nagi, bossing Reo around.

Luckily, Reo didn’t seem to mind. “You’d do that for me? That’s really kind of you, Rin! Moving might help us come up with new ideas.”

Rin just huffed at Nagi when he and Reo left the room. If that idiot kept behaving like that, he’d lose Reo for good…

Chapter Text

“Nagi has been avoiding me for two days now! I heard he’s been hanging out with Isagi!” Reo shot the football against the goalpost; it flung back and shot past them. “Not that I care, I don’t care at all! That whiny baby can carry himself!”

Rin just watched Reo silently. For the past two days, they had been practising together with no sign of Nagi. While Rin enjoyed the peace, Reo’s mental sanity seemed to decline with every day that passed.

“Do you think it’s because I didn’t help him enough?” Reo asked, looking at Rin. “Can Isagi help him more than me?... No, nobody knows Nagi better than me! Isn’t that right, Rin?”

“Just let that pain-in-the-ass be.” Rin wondered why he still had the patience to reply to Reo after two days of Reo-Nagi soap opera. Other people just pissed him off just by crossing his path but with Reo, he didn’t mind listening. In fact, he was mad at himself that he couldn’t do more, couldn’t heal the wounds Nagi had inflicted on Reo.

As usual, Reo ignored his response. “Or do you think it’s because I didn’t kiss him? He was a bit weird after that.” After aimlessly kicking another football, Reo continued. “But it’s not that I could have kissed him… He doesn’t understand relationships well—I can’t just take advantage of his inexperience, can I? And what if he had misunderstood?”

“Well, he’s dumb so I can see that happening…”

“That’s not true!” Reo protested immediately. “Nagi is smart, he always had good grades and he can achieve things easily if he wants to!”

“If you say so…” Rin wondered why Reo made such a big deal of not kissing Nagi. After all, when they had meditated together, Reo had kissed him without hesitation. What was the difference now?

Wait, could it be that it was because it had been him back then? Maybe Reo only liked kissing him and not Nagi? Rin put his finger on his lips to retrace where Reo’s lips had been. Suddenly, his stomach fluttered. What if Reo didn’t love Nagi romantically?

“If I see him tomorrow, I’m not gonna be nice to him! I’ll tell that idiot he can get his own water!”

“Sure…” Rin took a deep breath. Even if that was true, it didn’t mean he stood a chance! In fact, he shouldn’t want a chance. His love was one-sided and it had to stay that way—otherwise Reo would end up even more miserable than he was now.

Reo’s posture was slumped and his eyes lacked their usual sparkle. “It has to be because I’m not good enough, I failed Nagi again. I don’t want to lose him again…”

There was another football at Rin’s feet but his feet hadn’t actually touched it—he was too busy observing Reo. “Why is all of your self-worth tied to Nagi? It’s pathetic, don’t you think?”

“Huh? Isn’t it the same for you? Your self-worth depends on your brother’s whims, doesn’t it?”

Rin wrinkled his nose. What Reo said was true: for a long time, his entire being had been focused on crushing Sae and even now, he hadn’t fully moved past it. “At least I never whined about it.”

“But you still suffered. Just like me.” Suddenly Reo seemed back to his usual self, his voice still had a hint of self-pity but it was much more collected. “I said too much, didn’t I? I’m sorry, Rin... You did well.”

Shortly after, Rin felt Reo’s hand on his head, ruffling his hair. He had done well. Nobody had ever told him that because his quest for vengeance had always been a lonely journey. Hearing those three words now alongside Reo’s hand on his had relieved a tension Rin hadn’t known he had felt.

“Thanks,” he replied, annoyed that his voice sounded like an embarrassed child. The pressure of not being good enough, the fear of failing, he understood Reo’s feelings all too well. “You know, you’re good enough, too.”

Rin didn’t know if what he did was right or what Reo would think but he put his hand on Reo’s hand, imitating Reo’s head pat. His hand stroking Reo’s hair felt good. But it was also awkward—there was no way Reo would like it—so he quickly withdrew.

Yet Reo gave him a cautious smile. “Thank you, Rin. You’re really a nice person, you know. Being with you always cheers me up.”

Nice person? Did Reo really think that? “I’m not ‘nice’.”

“It’s true, really. I feel a lot calmer now.” Reo balled his fists in front of this chest in new-found confidence. “I need to have more trust in Nagi. During the second selection, I also thought he had left me when he just wanted to become stronger… I guess you were right, our communication really is shit, isn’t it?”

“Nagi’s, mostly,” Rin replied before he passed the ball to Reo. “Are we going to continue?”

“Sure!”

As they kicked the ball, Reo learned quickly and his enthusiasm for the sport was contagious. Playing with Reo almost felt fun—so much that he forgot the time.

“Let’s take a break, shall we?” Reo suggested after they had played for a few hours.

Rin nodded and headed to the sideline of the field, wiping away the sweat from his forehead with his arm. Reo really had kept up with him all this time. “You must have trained quite a lot,” he commented while he took Reo’s water bottle and handed it to him—copying what Reo always did for Nagi.

Their fingers touched for a second when Reo took the bottle. Reo must have been electrically charged for some reason because their brief connection sent a static shock down his fingers.

“Thanks. It’s nice to be spoiled for a change,” Reo smiled as he sat down on the artificial grass. “But yeah, I’m not a genius like Nagi so I have to train hard. Ever since I set my sight on the World Cup…”

Rin sat down next to Reo as he told him how he had discovered football, fought against the disapproval of his parents, and met Nagi.

“So you’re a genius, too.” From the way Reo played, Rin couldn’t see that he had only taken up football recently. Reo’s training regimen reminded him of his own but Rin had followed it for many years. If they had met earlier… How different would his life have been?

“In my eyes, you’re the genius. You work hard and you have the talent. You’re truly someone worth beating… Hey, Rin.” Reo suddenly looked at him with those purple eyes that Rin couldn’t help but stare into. “Have you found out what you need to learn yet? I wasn’t really useful to Nagi but maybe I can help you.”

“It’s fine. I…” Rin paused. It was alright to tell Reo, he wouldn’t judge him. But still, that didn’t make it any less embarrassing. Facing away from Reo, he continued with a low voice. “Love. That’s what I need to learn—I’ll kill you if you tell anyone!”

“You wouldn’t, you’re a good person,” Reo replied with the sweetest voice Rin had ever heard. “I won’t tell, promise. I’ll help you—you’ll see, we’ll figure this out in no time!”

The rays of Reo’s love reached even the dark corner where Rin’s heart had been hiding.

“Let’s see… I guess the first step to loving yourself is to recognise your feelings. So what do you feel?” Reo looked at him expectantly.

“Rage and sadness?” Rin offered. How had practising with Reo turned into a therapy session?! But Reo was right, loving himself probably came before loving others. “What about you? You don’t love yourself either, do you?”

Even though Reo didn’t reply, Rin knew the answer. Reo spent all his love on others and that was why Rin would love him. “Learn with me.”

Chapter Text

“We’re free!” Bachira shouted at the clear blue sky after the Blue Lock buses had dropped them off at a bus station in Tokyo.

Unexpectedly, Ego had cancelled their matches and given them the weekend off after the Blue Lock compound had failed various health and safety checks. 

It was unsurprising though since none of the players had ever seen a fire exit or a single smoke detector in the entire building. Other complaints had been insufficient medical and other support staff, lack of disability accessibility, and inability to accommodate players with dietary restrictions.

“It’s a shame that all the profit from our merchandise is being used to pay the fines,” Reo commented—Nagi loved how excited Reo got whenever he talked about money; it made his face look pretty. “Building that thing wasn’t smart in the first place, it would have been more economically efficient to rent a building. Maybe I should introduce Ego to our family’s consultant…”

“Speaking of merchandise…” Chigiri pointed to a shop across the street. The two large front windows had posters with their faces on display. “Wanna go check it out?”

Igarashi already ran ahead of them. “I’m gonna buy all of mine!”

Nagi didn’t understand why everyone was excited but since Reo went, he followed the group into the shop anyway. It was a gift store and the Blue Lock stock was displayed on the back shelves of the store. Since it was still morning, there were no other customers apart from them.

Before Nagi could see anything, he could already hear Igarashi complaining about the lack of his merchandise. “It must be because I’m so popular, it’s all sold out. That must be it, right?”

“Dude, you only went to one pathetic photo shoot and you aren’t even popular,” Raichi reminded him. “But mine is clearly missing! It’s because those guys take up all the space!”

He pointed to the shelves which predominantly stocked merchandise of the Egoist 4, Reo, Nagi, and Rin with the occasional Barou and Sae in between.

“Tsk. Only peasants care about cheap shit with their faces on it.” Next to them, Barou was busy putting things into his red shopping basket.

“Huh?! Then why is your basket full of your stuff?!”

But Barou just shrugged and headed to the tills. “None of your business.”

“Hey look, the figures from our cross-dressing photo shoot are already out!” Bachira exclaimed with a wide grin. “So quick!”

“That’s because the figures were produced in advance. They already had our measurements from previous campaigns so all they needed to do was swap the clothes. It’s a streamlined process so the photos are mainly used for PR,” Reo explained—of course, he knew because he was smart. Smart and pretty with his confident smile.

“Nice…” Nagi commented when he saw Reo’s shelf. As expected, Reo had a lot of merchandise, so much so that the entire section of the shelf stood out because of its purple colour.

Nagi’s section was right next to it but it was mostly kept in white and black so it didn’t attract much attention. Nagi didn’t mind, nobody would be interested in merchandise based on a slacker like him anyway—not even Nagi himself.

Reo’s section was much more appealing. There were figures, stickers, keychains, and other trinkets. Most showed Reo’s pretty smile but there were also some pictures taken from the second selection where Reo didn’t look happy—but still pretty.

All of Reo’s figures were perfect: the first selection one, the U-20 one, and the Manshine one. But the cross-dressing figure was the best. Somehow, the skirt seemed even shorter now. Part of Nagi was mesmerised by Reo’s legs but the other part hated how everyone could see him exposed. 

He lifted the figure up to see under the skirt—solid plastic. It was a bit disappointing but at least no one would be able to see Reo’s pants.

“Nagi, don’t do that here!” Reo quickly called him out. “You can look at my underwear when we’re at Blue Lock, not here.”

“Pervert,” Rin hissed from further away. “Also, Reo, be careful with your words, that idiot will misunderstand.”

Nagi didn’t know what Rin’s problem was but since Reo had told him to stop, he put the figure down. It was alright, Nagi had planned to buy it anyway so he could look at it some more later.

He also took the figure of himself that was closest to him—the Manshine version—so his Reo figure wouldn’t be lonely. They were partners so their figures should be together, too.

“It’s not stylish to buy your own merchandise,” Aryu said, standing at the shelf opposite Nagi.

“Uhm these?!” Isagi sounded flustered. “They’re for my parents.”

Nagi leaned forward so he could peer at Isagi’s shopping basket. There were two Isagi figures—the first selection one and the U-20 one, Reo’s cross-dressing figure, keychains of his friends, and some other stuff.

“So why do you need Reo’s figure?” Nagi asked. Isagi shouldn’t look at Reo when he was so exposed because he wasn’t Reo’s partner.

Isagi blushed. “No, I wasn’t gonna buy it, I swear…”

Nagi took the figure from Isagi’s basket and swapped it with Reo’s Manshine figure. That was better.

“Rin-Rin, I’m buying Reo’s figure, too.” Bachira smiled and held out his shopping basket which was overflowing with stuff. “I’m getting one of each because friends should be together! Also because there is a discount if you buy the entire collection.”

Bachira was fine, there was no way a goofball like him could have an interest in Reo’s thighs, so Nagi let him be.

“I also got yours!” Bachira smiled when he held out a key chain with a chibi Rin. “Look at how cute you are!”

But before Nagi could reply, his attention shifted when his name was called.

“Nagi, what are you doing over there?” Chigiri asked. He held plushies of Kunigami, Reo—so cute—, and himself, in his arms.

Nagi thought about what he was doing until he realised that Chigiri had meant Rin.

Rin stood at the shelf with Sae’s merchandise, taking off the price tags from every single item. “Nobody should buy this shit.”

“Wow, your Rin imitation is getting scary, Nagi,” Isagi commented.

“Then I better buy all of them.” Shidou smiled like a high-school girl in love as he loaded his basket with Sae’s merchandise. “I’ll be using these little toys until my Sae comes back to me.”

“That’s disgusting,” Rin replied.

Nagi walked away before he could get caught up in the war that would surely ensue.

On the way to the tills, Nagi spotted Reo with a Rin figure from the U-20 collection. Of course, Reo wouldn’t buy Nagi’s merchandise—no one would want his boring figures. Still, seeing Reo with a Rin figure made his stomach burn. “Reo… What do you want with that?”

“Oh, I thought he could be friends with the figures you’re getting. Is that a bad idea?” Reo’s voice sounded unsure and his gaze shifted across the shop as he spoke—he was pretty even though Nagi couldn’t fully decipher what his expression meant.

Nagi just made a noise indicating that he accepted Reo’s answer. If Reo suggested it, it couldn’t be a bad idea. “Reo, I want to go somewhere after this…”

“Sure, wherever you want. I, uhm, I also need to talk to you.”

Talk? Was Reo going to tell him that they weren’t partners anymore? Reo was usually easy to understand because he wore his emotions on his face but now, Nagi was at a loss.

“Hey, we’re heading to the mall next, are you coming?” Isagi asked while everyone queued to pay—served by a very flustered cashier.

“Nagi and I already have plans,” Reo replied—his expression was neutral and pretty.

“Finally!” The relief in Chigiri’s voice was obvious. “It’s gonna make my life so much more peaceful if you two get your shit together. Enjoy your date!”

“Rin’s coming with us, too!” Reo’s voice was louder than necessary and his cheeks slightly reddened—he was cute when he was embarrassed even though Nagi didn’t understand why.

Chapter Text

After Reo had refused to kiss him, Nagi was confused. Reo had kissed Rin before so did that mean that Rin was now his partner? Or was Reo upset with him? Whenever he looked at Reo, there had been a hint of worry in his eyes and Nagi didn’t understand why.

Reo had said he had wanted to talk. Surely, ‘talk’ meant breaking up because he had made Reo suffer again, didn’t it?

At the second selection, Nagi knew that he had hurt Reo by not explaining himself. But now, what was there to explain? Was it even something he hadn’t said? Or had he perhaps said something wrong?

There were so many questions that it made Nagi’s head spin. All he knew was that he must have messed up somewhere. Yet ignoring the issue and waiting like he usually did wasn’t an option. HE COULD NOT RISK LOSING REO AGAIN!

Ignoring the hole in his heart, he had avoided Reo to prevent making whatever he had or had not done worse. Instead, Nagi had dedicated himself to correcting his wrongdoing.

This could only be achieved by telling Reo how he felt but Nagi didn’t really know how to describe the myriad of feelings swirling inside him when he thought of Reo.

Thus, the only way he could make Reo understand that he was his invaluable partner was through his actions. Since being proactive wasn’t his strong suit, Nagi had turned to Isagi for help but nothing useful had come out of it.

Finally, after two days of thinking, Nagi had devised a foolproof plan that required minimal communication—making it impossible to mess up. Now, the time to execute it had arrived.

“So we could have gone with the others after all…” Reo asked, looking around with a questioning glance.

Nagi had led Reo (and Rin who for some reason carried their shopping bag) to a nearby shopping mall. There weren’t many people yet but Nagi could still see girls gushing at Reo just as they had back at school.

“Isn’t he handsome,” more than one girl said.

“I wonder if he has a girlfriend,” some others said.

Of course, Reo was popular wherever he went. Nagi was already used to Reo being the centre of attention but Rin frowned—not that Nagi cared. He was proud that HIS partner could make everyone’s heads turn.

“Wait here,” he instructed Reo before vanishing into a clothing store.

When Rin had given Reo his jacket at the photo shoot, they had looked so much like partners, almost like the couples in the movies—except Rin wasn’t Reo’s partner.

Hence, Nagi had decided that he would give Reo a better jacket. Rin’s jacket had just been some cheap replica of their school uniform. A real jacket would make Reo much happier and make him understand that they were partners.

Nagi didn’t know anything about fashion. But that problem was easily solved: he had consulted Aryu and they had picked out the best jacket that would suit Reo perfectly. Its blue-purple colours matched Reo’s hair and the golden buttons made it look elegant yet not too formal.

With the jacket safely stored in a blue shopping bag, Nagi went back to Reo. “Here,” he said and handed over the bag.

His quest was completed. This three-day endeavour had felt like the greatest pain in his life but he’d do anything to avoid the bad ending of Reo dumping him.

Yet somehow Reo’s reaction wasn’t as Nagi had imagined. His eyebrows arched, Reo looked more confused than happy when he took the back from Nagi to carry it. They also didn’t look any more like partners than before…

A sudden coldness hit the pit of his stomach before it turned into nausea that seemed to overwhelm his entire body. His heart, or the hole that had been there, ached as if it was screaming in its dying moments.

His plan had failed. He had failed to show Reo how important he was! Now, the second selection would repeat itself. They’d part ways and Reo would suffer again. Only this time, Nagi didn’t even know what he had done wrong.

Perhaps he should have told Reo that it was a gift? But Rin hadn’t said anything either when he had given Reo his jacket at the photo shoot.

Nagi opened his mouth but before he found words, Rin returned with a takeaway coffee in his hands.

“For you,” Rin said and handed the hot drink to Reo. “I got it for myself but they misspelt my name so I don’t want it.”

The name on the cup said ‘Reo’.

But Reo didn’t comment about it—because he was too nice obviously. “That’s nice, thank you. You're really spoiling me.”

“I’ll carry that for you,” Rin said and pointed towards the bag with the jacket.

“Ah, it’s fine, it’s just Nagi’s jacket,” Reo explained while looking pretty. “More importantly, where do you want to go now, Nagi? How about we find an arcade for you?”

Reo was so kind, even though Nagi had messed up so badly, he was still nice to him. But he had lost the privilege of Reo’s kindness. “Reo, I’m over this… I wanna go back...” Back in time to when they had still been happy together. When his heart hadn’t hurt like it would implode any second.

“Go back by yourself, you sloth. You only think about yourself,” Rin snarled before he continued with a much nicer tone. “What do you want to do, Reo?”

“Well, I’m happy as long as Nagi is. We should probably head back.”

Rin glanced at Reo, and Reo’s facial expression changed. The smile vanished and he put his hands on his chin as if he was thinking about something.

Nagi didn’t understand but he realised that Rin had given him a second chance. Reo hadn’t ‘talked’ to him yet so perhaps he could still avoid the bad ending!

Perhaps demonstrating that he knew Reo better than Rin would help! Reo would notice that Nagi had always paid attention to what he had said. The weight on his shoulders lightened a little and breathing became just a tad bit easier as he clung to this newfound hope as if his life depended on it.

Having observed Reo for a long time, he knew that the purple-haired striker liked learning new things and improving himself—Rin probably didn’t know that much. “Reo, I wanna go to the museum…”

Reo blinked a few times—he was surprised… and pretty of course. “Are you sure, Nagi? That’s a lot of walking.”

“I’m sure.” He’d walk until his legs fell off for Reo.

“Won’t you find it boring? If we go to the arcade, you can play your games. Wouldn’t that be better?”

“I won’t be bored.” It was a lie but for the sake of getting Reo back, he could deal with a little hassle. His phone was already in his hand, so he quickly opened it to search for a nearby museum that Reo would like.

This time, he wouldn’t fail. He simply could not afford to.

Chapter Text

The Currency Museum.

They had grabbed a quick lunch and then Nagi had directed them to the perfect place for Reo. There was lots of money around them and he could improve his knowledge—surely he’d love it.

He searched Reo’s face for the tell-tale signs that he was happy, the radiant smile and the sparkle in his eyes. Yet he found none of it. Instead, Reo’s face resembled a question mark. “Nagi, are you really sure about this?”

“What a waste of time…” Rin commented but he still followed them.

Inside, it smelled of dust and dry, old paper. Even though it was the weekend, the only visitors besides them seemed to be a European-looking couple and a group of middle-aged tourists. Their accent gave them away as Americans with their voices being the only notable sound.

As they wandered through the exhibits—Asian currencies, old Japanese currencies, and artefacts related to money, Reo dutifully read out the descriptions for Nagi and pointed out things he thought looked interesting. Unlike Rin, Reo didn’t seem bored but he wasn’t overly invested in their excursion either.

Nagi didn’t think the place was that interesting either but at least it was quiet so he could focus on Reo’s voice. The casual trousers Reo wore were also a bit tight around the hip so Nagi quickly became entranced by Reo’s bottom as it moved with every step.

How would it feel if Nagi placed his hand on it? Or if he rubbed his willy against it? Nagi quickly shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. Reo set the pace in their relationship and Nagi had more important things to worry about anyway.

As he snapped back into reality, Nagi also realised that his plan had failed again. He’d lose Reo. Their surroundings seemed muted and colourless, despair draining the vibrancy out of it. Even Nagi’s body felt numb and heavy and his face remained expressionless, on the inside, he cried.

“Seriously, why are we at this place?” Rin complained.

“It’s not that bad, is it?” Reo replied with a neutral face—pretty—as he stood in front of a display of old Japanese currencies.

“You actually like this coin house?”

Reo scratched his head. “Well, I guess I’m more into money that can actually be used to buy stuff but I’m happy Nagi found something he’s interested in.”

The key to Reo’s happiness. Why couldn’t Nagi find it? Rin seemed to hold it so effortlessly and the way he had given Reo a coffee this morning had only confirmed it.

Coffee… When Rin had given Reo the coffee earlier this morning, they had looked so much like partners…

Rin had given Reo ordinary coffee—clearly because he didn’t know Reo well. If Nagi could get coffee milk, it would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was Reo’s partner…

It was small but it was definitely a chance! Nagi quickly excused himself and sprinted to the vending machine in the foyer as if he were in the final minutes of a football match.

When Nagi returned, he interrupted Rin, whatever he had been saying. “Reo… I bought coffee for you.”

Reo tilted his head and examined him—he seemed worried though he still looked pretty. “Nagi, are you ill?”

“I’m fine, Reo, don’t worry about me” Nagi replied in his usual slow manner of speaking.

“You really went all the way to buy this for me? Wasn’t that a pain for you?” Reo asked but he took the can nonetheless. “You don’t need to buy me things, you know.”

Nagi hummed to indicate that he had understood. Was Reo happy now? Right now, confusion prevailed on Reo’s face but perhaps it would change when he took a sip.

“Anway, thanks, Nagi.” Reo smiled now—it was his genuine smile. “Rin, look what my Treasure has bought me!”

“Are you dumb?” Rin gave Nagi a condescending look. “Drinking coffee this late in the day is bad for Reo’s health—not that I care about it I mean. But as an athlete, you should really know that.”

“Come on, Rin. It’s only coffee milk. It doesn’t have a lot of caffeine anyway.”

Nagi quickly glanced at his phone. It was 5 PM. Not that late… But maybe too late for coffee? It would be bad if Reo couldn’t sleep well because of him…

Even if the risk was minuscule, Nagi couldn’t take it. Just when Reo opened the can, he took it from him and downed the coffee milk. Better him than Reo.

“If you are that thirsty, you should’ve just said something, Nagi,” Reo complained but his silvery voice didn’t sound upset.

Reo and him… Maybe they were too different to understand each other properly. Their personalities were polar opposites so it shouldn’t be a surprise that he couldn’t reach Reo. Apart from football, there was nothing that held them together...

“Reo… I wanna go back now.” The sickness inside him was too overwhelming to bear.

“Alright, you head back first then. You walked a lot today so no wonder you’re exhausted,” Reo replied—even though they were no longer partners, his face was still pretty. “We haven’t done anything Rin wanted yet, so I’ll stay with him and see you later.”

Rin’s head jerked back slightly and his voice sounded surprised. “Me?! What I want?”

Reo nodded. “You went along with Nagi all day today. It’s our only day off so we should also do something you enjoy.”

Nagi quietly left. This had been the last chance to convince Reo to stay with him but Nagi knew he had ruined it. He shouldn’t be sad about losing a partner he had never deserved in the first place. Yet his eyes felt strangely wet as soon as he turned away from Reo.

Chapter Text

Rin frowned—expressing love was difficult, at this rate, he’d be trapped in Nagi’s body forever…

“Here.” He handed Reo the ticket he had just bought. Rin’s heart beat higher and he was sweating as if he had just finished practice.

All his life, Rin had been so focused on football that he hadn’t really interacted with anyone. Thus, nobody had ever asked him before what he wanted to do or hung out with him.

But Reo couldn’t know how nervous he was, especially since this was practically a date, one sided of course. His first date, which also doubled as the first time he hung out with a friend.

Luckily, Rin had spotted a cinema near the Currency Museum so he had just walked there and made a beeline for the ticket counter.

“What do you want to see?” he asked Reo as they were standing in the lobby. There were posters of the various movies that were screening at the moment and it smelled of old popcorn. 

Reo pursed his lips, looking at the tickets. “I guess this one will be fine. I mean you already paid…”

What a mistake! He should have asked what Reo wanted to see before buying a ticket! There was only one horror movie and the dark and gloomy poster looked promising so Rin had automatically paid for it.

Luckily, Reo was kind and didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he pointed at some seats in the cinema lobby. The dimmed lights made it feel even more like a date and there were mostly couples around them. “Thanks for getting the tickets, Rin. Rest here while I get drinks.”

“Don’t put me on a level with Nagi. You go inside, I’ll fetch the drinks.”

Seriously, Reo had dangerously low standards for a date. He definitely hung out with Nagi too much…

Inside, the lights were still on and the movie hadn’t started. The smell of popcorn still hung in the air, joined by that of spilt cola. Rin had bought seats in the centre of the top row to ensure Reo would have a good view. Luckily, the seats next to and below them were empty so they also had some privacy. 

Reo looked up from his phone when Rin arrived. “Do you think— ?”

“No,” Rin quickly replied before he could hear the rest of the question. Reo’s gaze kept shifting across the room and he hadn’t smiled since Nagi had left, which could only mean he was about to go down his favourite rabbit hole. “He’s not gonna leave you. Not even Nagi is that dumb, he knows no one else is gonna put up with him.”

Reo raised his eyebrows, looking almost as if Rin had insulted him. “I wasn’t gonna ask that! Remember, I decided to trust him. I still do! Just because he was acting weird today doesn’t mean I did something wrong. It doesn’t mean that I think he’ll leave me. I’ll talk to him properly tonight! You’ll see, it’s just a misunderstanding!”

“Okay…” Rin wanted to give Reo an encouraging smile but neither he nor Nagi’s facial muscles knew how to curl upwards properly so he just averted his eyes. If only he could smile like Reo or Bachira…

Reo’s self-love wasn’t perfect but Rin could see that he was trying. Trying to trust Nagi and trying to be kinder to himself. Perhaps it sounded a bit forced now but Reo would get better with time. Meanwhile Rin…

“Anyway, I put your drink here,” Rin said and attempted to put the drink into the holder next to the seat. However, he stopped mid-motion—just in time before making another mistake.

The drink was cola. Because Rin had never gone out with friends before, he didn’t know what people liked to drink—and of course, he had forgotten to ask Reo, again. Cola had seemed like a safe choice, like a drink cool people would get. But of course, it contained caffeine.

After having just lectured Nagi, Rin clearly couldn’t give Reo cola. It also wouldn’t be good for him.

Thus, he quickly switched their drinks. “Actually, the drink machine was broken. They only had water.”

“The drink… machine?” Reo repeated with his eyebrows furrowed. “Well, never mind, thanks Rin, water is good. I wish Nagi would understand how nice you actually are.”

“That idiot is a lost cause and I’m not nice anyway,” Rin replied and sat down. 

“What I wanted to ask you before… Do you think you could try and be a little nicer to Nagi? I mean you don’t have to be friends, just…” Reo paused. “I know he seems odd at first but he’s a good person.”

“He’s only nice to you. He treats everyone else like shit,” Rin replied, knowing that it was a vain attempt.

“Don’t say that. You know Nagi, he has no motivation so he constantly has to fight himself. It’s like life in hard mode.”

Rin frowned. “You talk like he’s the only one with problems. That idiot has literally ruined your only day off. Also my only day off by the way. I'm not gonna waste my time with him any more than I have to.”

“I’m sorry you had to hang out with us today,” Reo replied while he fidgeted with his phone. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“It’s not your fault.” The body swap, Nagi being selfish, nothing was Reo’s fault. Reo didn’t even need to spend time with him. He was probably only here because he was too kind to abandon him in Nagi’s body.

“I have to be better at this.” Reo put his phone away and balled his fist. “I’ll stop talking about Nagi now! I’m not gonna mention his name anymore, he isn’t gonna respond to my messages anyway… Tell me about yourself instead, you haven’t mentioned how you’re getting on.”

Chapter Text

Rin didn’t reply. His project “Love” was a complete and utter disaster. Loving Reo was easy but expressing his feelings was a whole other matter. Today alone he had failed on so many levels… Where did this strange nervousness come from that overcame him whenever he wanted to do something for Reo? Why couldn’t he get anything right?

‘Self-love’ as Reo had called it also was an issue for him. He couldn’t really start on it without making up with Sae but… “I couldn’t do it… I didn't even message my brother.”

“You haven’t?” Reo sounded surprised. “Well, you don’t have to start with the difficult stuff. Just say ‘hi’. If he replies, you can worry about the next step. If he doesn’t, you can just move on.”

Reo squeezed Rin’s arm that laid on the armrest. Then, he let his hand rest on it. “You can do it.”

“I’ll do it tonight then,” Rin replied quickly. Even though he wore Nagi’s white hoodie—oversized so that he felt a bit like a snowman, it felt like Reo’s hand directly touched him. His arm was hot but Rin didn’t dare to move. It was comforting just as much as it was electrifying.

“Is there… Is there anyone else in your life or is it just your brother?” Reo asked, scratching his neck. “I mean it’s just something I’ve been wondering about, you don’t have to answer…”

“Only you,” Rin replied without thinking.

Only when he saw Reo’s widened eyes did Rin notice what he had said. “I… uhm, I mean you’re useful.”

Now Reo looked hurt with his posture slightly slumped forward. ‘Useful’ probably wasn’t a good word but Rin didn’t really know what else to say. He’d never had the time to bother with making friends or having relationships. “I mean… that’s not what I mean.”

“It’s alright, I’m glad I’m of use to you.” Even Rin could see that Reo’s smile was fake.

Suddenly, Rin realised why Nagi sucked at communicating with Reo. It was actually difficult when you were in love—even though his love was deliberate and intentional.

Because of Nagi and him, Reo must have had a terrible day. First Nagi had dragged him to the mall, then Rin had left him with his seemingly unwanted coffee. Afterwards, Nagi had led them to the most boring place in Tokyo and drunk Reo’s drink. And that wasn’t the end: now Reo would have to sit through a movie he probably didn’t even like with nothing but water. It couldn’t end like this!

“I lied! The coffee this morning, I bought it for you, that’s why your name was on it. I wanted to ask what movie you wanted to watch but I messed up. I bought cola for you but forgot that it has caffeine, that’s why I gave you my water. That’s all, I need to go now!”

Rin jumped up from his seat before he could see Reo’s reaction. Leaving Reo alone now… F*ck! He was even worse than Nagi!

“Huh? What’s with all this? The movie hasn’t even started?” Reo immediately followed him. “I knew,” he called out. “I knew you bought the coffee for me. I’ll get you one next time, promise.”

Reo stopped him in the corridor leading to the exit of the room. Right when he put his hand on Rin’s shoulder, the room darkened and music started playing.

“It’s not because you’re useful. It’s because being with you isn’t a pain,” Rin said in a low voice, facing away from Reo. At least now he sounded like Nagi rather than being worse than him…

“Thanks, Rin, really. I enjoy hanging out with you, too,” Reo replied with a soft voice. “Shall we go back to our seats?”

Rin nodded and followed Reo back. It should have been awkward between them now but it wasn’t. Reo looked like he always did and didn’t comment any further. That was why he was so easy to be around, that was why Rin liked him so much.

During the movie, Reo’s purple eyes were focused on the screen and Rin’s eyes were on Reo. Occasionally, the purple-haired striker checked his phone but otherwise, he paid attention to the movie. Rin thought and his muscles relaxed. He’d have hated himself if Reo was bored because of his movie choice…

“Are you alright?” Reo suddenly whispered and Rin realised it was because the movie was at a particularly scary scene.

As if he’d get scared! But of course, Reo couldn’t know that.

“I’m fine,” Rin replied. He reached out for Reo’s hand anyway, just to make sure Reo was also fine. Of course, that was the only reason because his love would always be one sided.

Reo didn’t move, probably because he was already used to Nagi’s touch, so Rin’s hand stayed on Reo’s.

“We should do this again,” Reo suggested during a quiet scene.

Warmth radiated through Rin’s body—Reo enjoyed spending time with him. Reo wanted to hang out with him again.

“Yeah,” Rin confirmed, his expressionless voice betraying the happiness surging through him.

Chapter Text

Since the Blue Lock building was closed over the weekend and many candidates lived too far away to return home for just one night, Ego had booked hotel rooms for everyone who wanted to stay.

Coincidentally—or perhaps as Ego had intended—the hotel had an ongoing collaboration with Blue Lock. Reo had explained it was to cover the cost of the Blue Lock building works but Nagi was still surprised when he entered the room booked for Rin Itoshi.

It was a Nagi-Reo-themed twin room; one bed had a pillow with Nagi’s face and the other with Reo’s. Above the bed, the wall featured a big banner of Reo and him. There were even life-sized cardboard figures of Reo and him wearing the Team White Blue Lock uniform.

“Hello, Cardboard Nagi. I may not look like it but I’m Human Nagi,” Nagi greeted the cardboard version of himself. Then he turned to Reo’s figure. “Cardboard Reo… I’m sorry Human Reo and I can’t understand each other. It’s my fault so don’t be mad at Human Reo, okay?”

Even though this Reo wasn’t real, speaking to him stung. Nagi threw himself on the Reo bed—perhaps cuddling with the Reo pillow would make him feel better.

Lying down, Nagi discovered three shopping bags on the floor in front of the bed. So he had a roommate—perhaps one of Rin’s nameless teammates? Thinking about it proved to be too much of a pain so Nagi pulled out his phone instead.

“We’re at the cinema,” the notification on the screen said. Then, there were a couple more messages from Reo that had been sent at a slightly later time. “Don’t forget to eat.” and “Tell me what you want.” followed by “I’ll call room service to bring it.”

Nagi didn’t reply because he didn’t deserve Reo’s kindness and because whatever he replied would probably make the situation worse. His stomach felt so hard that there wouldn’t be space for food. Besides, eating was a pain anyway.

So Nagi opened his browser instead. Whenever he felt bad, he’d read fanfiction of Reo and him. Luckily, they were popular amongst shippers and most fics had happy endings. But now, the fanfiction just reminded him of what he had lost…

Their promise had died because he had trampled on Reo’s feelings without even realising it.

Tears started running down his cheeks and this time, Nagi didn’t fight against them. His face buried in the Reo pillow, Nagi cried quietly, his face and hair soon wet from tears. Never had he felt anything this strongly before and now, overcome with the intense feeling of loss, he didn’t know how to deal with it.

After he could no longer cry, gloom still clung to him like a haunting ghost. His posture more slouched than usual, Nagi went to the bathroom to wash before his roommate arrived.

Just as he was done, the door opened.

“Nagi, I’m home,” Reo greeted him playfully while he took his shoes off—his entrance was so cute, almost as if they were already married.

Reo. As if his life depended on it, Nagi rubbed his face to obliterate any left-behind traces that he had been crying.

“Why— ?” Nagi’s voice cracked. His throat hadn’t recovered enough for his voice to be firm again. Nagi took a deep breath and tried to sound normal. As if nothing had happened, he sat back down on the Reo bed. “Why are you here, Reo? Aren’t you sharing a room with Rin like in Blue Lock?”

“Oh about, that...” After Reo had put his things away he ruffled through Nagi’s hair—his touch somehow still caring, his eyes somehow still full of love for him. “I asked Ego to switch you guys’ reservations but he declined. Stupid egoist…” Reo shrugged prettily. “I just paid the hotel staff to change the names. We weren’t really able to spend much time together lately.”

“Anyway, that’s not important now… Look at how popular you are,” Reo exclaimed with an excited smile on his pretty face. “They made a life-sized stand-up figure of you!”

Reo was popular, too, Nagi thought as he sat up so he could observe Reo better. Actually, the majority of people probably booked the room so they could see Reo’s cute face. “His name is Cardboard Nagi. And that’s Cardboard Reo. They’re partners, Reo.”

“I see, so they’re like us,” Reo replied with a pretty smile—it looked genuine as if Reo wasn’t upset with him. “But if they also want to win the World Cup, they’re our rivals.”

Reo was indulging him. The knot in Nagi’s stomach loosened and despair was displaced by a tentative hopefulness. “Don’t worry, Reo. We won’t lose…”

“Of course not! But have a look at what I got at the shop!” Reo eagerly opened one of the shopping bags that had been standing on the floor. His smile got wider—and even more pretty—and his eyes now had the sparkle that Nagi had missed. “There was so much merchandise of you that I had to ask Ba-ya to drop it off here. My Treasure is so popular!”

“Huh? At the gift shop? You bought all of it?”

“Of course!” Reo replied, still looking pretty, as he retrieved each item one by one from the bag and inspected it. “This is so cute… and this one, too! Almost as cute as the real you!”

Reo was interested in his merchandise. Reo thought he was cute… Even though Nagi didn’t deserve any of this…

“Which one should I put on my bag, the chibi sleeping Nagi or the chibi football Nagi keychain?” Reo asked but answered the question immediately after. “I’ll just use both! I’ll put the Nagi phone cover on my phone as well. Or is that too much?”

“Not really,” Nagi replied. His voice was expressionless but on the inside, happiness surged through him like a warm light. This feeling named love, it had been inside him for a long time but now Nagi felt it so vividly as if he basked in sunshine.

Nagi had long known that he loved Reo and Reo loved him, it was the reason they were partners after all. But now was the first time that he could put a label on the fuzzy feeling Reo gave him.

“Can I wear the Nagi T-shirt, too?”

Nagi hummed and watched Reo change from his purple pullover into the black T-shirt that had a print of Nagi trapping the ball on the front.

“You’ve got so much stuff!” Reo smiled prettily as he returned to unpacking the bags. “Look at this, there’s even a replica of your uniform!”

It was the standard Blue Lock bodysuit. Apart from the number, it was identical to the one Reo had in his wardrobe at Blue Lock. It was a pointless purchase—even if Reo wanted Nagi’s, Nagi would have just given it to him, Reo washed it for him all the time anyway. But Reo looked so happy with the replica that Nagi just silently watched him.

Finally, Reo seemed to remember the bag he had carried and handed it to Nagi. “Your figures,” he explained.

Nagi put the figures on his bedside table; Reo and him next to each other, so close that their hands touched, and Rin further away, facing the wall.

His stomach hardened when he looked at the cute cross-dressing Reo figure. It was all he had bought of Reo’s stuff while Reo had three bags worth of his merchandise. Nagi should have bought all of Reo's stuff, too. Now, he wanted to wear a Reo T-shirt so they could match. No wonder he was a bad partner…

Chapter Text

While Nagi was busy regretting his foolishness, Reo re-arranged his figure collection so Rin was no longer facing the wall like a student in detention. Placed next to Nagi, he didn’t look out of place anymore. “I know it’s a pain but be a little nicer to Rin, okay?”

Nagi wasn’t happy with the new arrangement but at least their figures were still almost holding hands. He didn’t know when they would get to the stage at which Reo would hold his hand in real life but at least a break-up seemed no longer imminent. “Why… I don’t wanna, Reo… Rin’s a pain…”

“Rin’s a lot like you,” Reo explained while looking pretty. “Well, like you were before we met. He doesn’t have friends and people misunderstand him easily.”

“He’s like me?” Nagi thought back to the days before he had met Reo. That miserable existence couldn’t even be called living. It was sad, so sad that even Rin didn’t deserve it. Perhaps the worry about Rin was also the reason for the dark shadow in Reo’s eyes that remained even when he smiled…

“Ah, I almost forgot your jacket!” Reo suddenly jerked up. He took the shopping bag and unpacked the jacket. “I better hang it up so it doesn’t get wrinkled! Wait, I think you’ve got the wrong size—unless it’s a gift for Rin?” He added after giving the piece of clothing a closer look.

“Huh? But isn’t it the size you always wear?”

Reo blinked a few times—he seemed confused though he was still very pretty. “Me?! You bought it for me?”

Nagi hummed proudly.

“It’s really a gift for me?” His voice barely containing the happiness, Reo looked at the jacket again with his pretty eyes.

Why didn’t his normally so perceptive partner understand? “Yeah, Reo,” Nagi confirmed with a firm voice. “It’s for you, Reo.”

“Aww, thank you, Nagi! It’s the first gift you’ve gotten me!” Without hesitating, Reo put on the jacket. “Look how amazing! You really know what suits me!”

Then, he took a picture of himself and soon after Nagi’s phone vibrated with an alert from the group chat where Reo had posted the image. “Look what my Treasure bought me <3,” the caption read.

“You look good with it,” Rin replied almost instantly.

Rin was so shallow that he thought Reo looked pretty because of the clothes he wore. Clearly, he didn’t know Reo at all!

“Reo also looks good without clothes,” Nagi responded even though typing was a pain.

“Waah! Nagi don’t say things like that!” Reo’s voice was pitched unusually high and his face had Nagi’s favourite shade of pink—for some reason, his text must have embarrassed him. “People will misunderstand…”

“Huh? But it’s true, Reo…” His phone started buzzing non-stop so Nagi muted the chat without looking at the responses. It was probably about the party later.

Then, Nagi’s phone vibrated again. This time it was a private message from Chigiri. “SRSLY?? You went on a date and you bought him a jacket?? Reo is loaded, bet he got a million of those at home. Put a ring on his finger already!”

But despite Chigiri’s text, Nagi knew he hadn’t messed up this time. Because Reo was smiling like a child at Christmas.

Finally, Reo put the jacket on the hanger so the black Nagi T-Shirt was visible again. It was slim fit and outlined Reo’s muscles gorgeously.

Reo sat down in the centre of the Reo bed while Nagi occupied the foot end. “Let’s talk, Nagi.”

“Talk?” Nagi repeated. Reo had looked so happy—why were they still breaking up? The feeling of doom and gloom was back, this time it hurt his heart like he had been stabbed with a dagger. “I tried so hard, Reo… I don’t want the bad ending. I wanna reset and re-start from the last save point, please Reo…”

“Save point? Bad ending?” Reo asked, his eyebrows raised. “I knew I let you play games too much… I’m serious, Nagi, we need to be better.”

Nagi didn’t reply but his heart fluttered. ‘We’ meant that there was still hope… Never would he have guessed that playing football with Reo had meant signing up to an emotional rollercoaster that probably cost him years of his life.

“I thought we could just become the best by just playing together,” Reo explained—so pretty, even though the mysterious shadow in his eyes was still there. “And that I could help you make your life a little easier by doing things for you. But I was naive.”

“Reo… I’m sorry I’m not motivated like Rin…”

“What are you saying?” Reo leaned forward and grabbed Nagi by the shoulders. “I told you, you’re fine the way you are. It’s me who needs to be better! Sorry I wasn’t of better help to you; sorry I don’t understand you as well as I want to…”

“Huh?” Nagi pouted because he couldn’t comprehend Reo’s words. Reo looked so sad, his gaze was dulled and his lips curled in the wrong direction. “Don’t apologise, Reo. You’re helpful... You always understand me. Like when I need water or a towel you always have it ready, Reo…”

Reo shook his head. “I don’t understand you. I don’t know why you avoided me or why you behaved weirdly today. But I want to learn. I want to be able to understand you.”

Nagi pouted. “Reo, I wasn’t weird. I tried really hard.”

“Tried what exactly?” Reo’s hands were still on Nagi's shoulders and he now shook Nagi back and forth. “Come on, tell me about everything that’s going on in your head!”

“Do I have to?” Nagi complained, still pouting. “Can’t you just do your mind-reading thing like always, Reo?”

“I said, I can’t! That’s why you need to tell me!”

“Well, if you want to know… I was reading this fanfic, Reo. The Reo in there liked kissing the Fanfic Nagi and they made out lots…” Nagi thought about how nice it would be to switch places with his fanfic version. “I wish I was a character in a story, too, their lives are so easy…”

“I never said I didn’t like kissing you! And don’t read that weird stuff, you’ll get corrupted!”

Nagi instantly jerked forward. “What? So you like kissing me, Reo? Then why didn’t you do it before?”

“That’s not the point!” Reo replied quickly—he was cute when he was flustered. Too bad it didn’t stop him from whatever he was trying to achieve. “It’s not like I could have kissed you in front of Rin… Anyway, come on now, tell me everything!”

“It’s a pain having to remember…”

Chapter Text

Reo turned off the lights so that the room was only illuminated by the bedside lamps—the cosy indirect light only hotel rooms could offer—and made himself comfortable while he waited for Nagi to remember. 

Nagi was still contemplating his reply. With Reo’s gaze focused on him and a serious expression on his pretty face, Nagi knew Reo wouldn’t give up. So he would have to try and remember. The question was only what? What did Reo want to know? 

“Tell me what happened in the past days. You suddenly became so distant and today you acted weirdly, too,” Reo clarified—so pretty.

“Reo, I tried to figure out what I did wrong…” There was a long break while Nagi reflected on his actions. “I tried to show you that I’m your partner, Reo...”

“Huh?” Reo looked confused—it was cute when his eyebrows were drawn up and his mouth formed a little ‘o’. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I told you before, being yourself is just fine.”

“So, Reo, I’m still your partner?” Nagi’s stomach hardened, being too afraid to hope. It was as if he could see light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Was it real or was it an illusion? 

But Reo just smiled—so softly, so prettily. “Of course, we promised, we’ll be the best together, Nagi!”

They were still partners. He hadn’t messed up. There would be no break-up. Nagi breathed in slowly, his lungs suddenly feeling much more free. The heavy weight on his shoulders vanished and was replaced by a feeling of almost impossible lightness.

Yet the darkness in Reo’s eyes hadn’t vanished. Something was still on his mind. Why wasn’t Reo happy? Nagi examined Reo’s pretty face but it didn’t give him the answer. 

“What is it?” Reo asked, probably wondering why Nagi was staring at him. “Tell me what you think—or do I need to shake it out of you again?” Reo’s voice was playful as he added the last bit.

Nagi pouted. “You’re pretty, Reo.”

“Come on, be serious! I’m trying to improve here.”

Did Reo not believe him even though Nagi had just stated the obvious? After all, everyone found Reo pretty; the girls back at school had complimented Reo every day. “Then you’re seriously pretty, Reo.”

Suddenly, Reo went quiet. “Thanks,” he muttered while he stared at the bed sheets. He really was pretty, especially when his cheeks were red as they were now. Flustered Reo was one of Nagi’s favourites.

But was it true that Reo really hadn’t known? Nagi tilted his head, trying to understand why Reo hadn’t been aware of something so obvious. Moreover, if Reo hadn’t known, what else had he been missing? Perhaps that was where the dark hues in his eyes originated from? “Is that why you are not happy, Reo?” 

“I’m happy!” Reo replied quickly. “I mean you gave me a jacket and you complimented me so of course I’m happy.” 

“You’re not, Reo...”

Now Reo sighed heavily. “You really know me well, don’t you? But it’s really nothing for you to worry about, Nagi.”

“I want to understand you better, too, Reo. So tell me everything that’s going on in your head, Reo… Well, maybe not everything,” he backtracked after realising that Reo probably had a lot of thoughts. “Just the summary…”

Reo scratched his neck. “I don’t want to bother you with it… I know you don’t like things that are a pain, Nagi.”

“I want to be bothered, Reo.”

Reo leaned back. “I’ll talk to Rin about it, alright?”

“Rin?” Nagi tensed. “Did he make you sad? What did he do to you, Reo?”

“It’s not that he did anything… It’s just…” Reo averted his gaze and absent-mindedly fidgeted with his phone. “He’s easy to talk to, like he doesn't judge me and he doesn’t have any expectations. I never knew how nice it is to have someone to talk to. He’s just there.”

Nagi didn’t understand. Why would Reo prefer to talk to someone who was basically a stranger and not his rightful partner? “Reo, I’m here, too… Talk to me…”

“Thanks, Nagi.” Reo leaned forward to pat his head. “But it’s fine. You can just focus on getting goals. Don’t worry about me!”

Reo’s hand on his head felt nice, Nagi wished it could stay there forever. Yet he didn’t feel happy. Talking to Reo was much harder than he had thought… It was like Reo was one of these automated customer hotlines and the buttons he pressed sent him around in circles. “Please, Reo…”

“You really want to know?” Reo moved his hand and looked Nagi in the eyes—so pretty. 

Nagi didn’t look away, he just nodded.

Well…,” Reo started awkwardly before he continued in a low voice. “ I guess I miss you…”

“But Reo, I’m right here?”

“You’re here but at the same time you’re Rin,” Reo explained. 

It didn’t make much sense so Nagi pouted, silently asking for an explanation.

“It’s just so confusing…” Reo leaned back and looked at the ceiling. “Whenever I’m with Rin, I see you. And whenever I’m with you, I see Rin. At this point, I feel like I don’t even know who is who… Rin doesn’t like it when I do things for him and even you don’t want to be spoiled anymore… I was surprised that you went and bought your own drink at the museum today. I guess what I want to say is… It’s confusing… And lonely.”

But Reo already knew that he was Nagi in Rin’s body, so why was it confusing? And Nagi was right here so how could Reo be lonely? It didn’t make any sense but the point was that Reo was unhappy. That wasn’t good and needed to be changed as fast as possible. 

“You can always spoil me, Reo. I wanna be spoiled lots,” Nagi replied, wondering why he had to state the obvious again and again. “I’ll never get my own drinks anymore so you can do it for me forever… In fact, I’d like that, Reo.”

“That’s a bit too much responsibility, don’t you think? You’d die if I’m not with you then.” Reo didn’t seem completely happy but at least his lips curled in the right direction. 

Nagi knew he had to do more. Even though Reo was still in his own body, he suffered more than Rin and him from the body switch. “Reo, can I touch you?” 

Reo tilted his head. “Of course you can, no need to be so formal.”

“Huh? Really?”

“I mean I touch you all the time, I don’t even think about it. So many times I reach out to touch your body only to realise it’s not you, it’s Rin.”

Nagi reached out but paused in front of Reo. Could he really touch someone this perfect without defiling him?

Reo had always been reaching out to him, whether it was putting his arm around his shoulder, leaning against him, or moving closer just so that they could feel each other. Nagi always liked it because it had been so easy.  

Suddenly, his hand made contact with Reo’s face. His palm covered Reo’s mouth and his fingers extended over his nose and his cheeks. 

Reo’s lips really were soft. Even his nose felt perfect. Like he was a porcelain statue, just warmer and more alive. He could feel each and every pore, see the small and unnoticeable imperfections on his skin, and feel his vellus hair.

After a couple of minutes, Reo suddenly jerked back as if rejecting Nagi’s touch, breathing in and out sharply a few times. “Nagi! Are you trying to suffocate me?!”

Nagi looked at his palm as if he saw his hand for the first time. “Sorry, Reo…”

“I mean it’s not that you can’t touch me,” Reo clarified after his breathing had normalised. “Just try not to kill me please.”

Chapter Text

Reo hadn’t moved, he still sat cross-legged on the bed while Nagi looked at the hand that had just touched Reo’s face. Just one hand wasn’t enough to take away Reo’s loneliness. It needed more, much more.

Thus, his arms open wide, Nagi launched himself at Reo.

“Nagi!” Reo shouted as he fell backwards under Nagi’s weight. 

He ended up on top of Reo who now laid on the bed. Nagi wrapped his arms around Reo as much as he could and rested his head on Reo’s chest. With the rhythmic beating of Reo’s heart and his comfortable warmth, this felt like the most comfortable place on Earth. Why hadn’t he done this earlier? “Reo, is this enough? Are you feeling better now?”

“Well, it’s definitely weird having Rin laying on me,” Reo commented and Nagi could feel the vibration in Reo’s chest. But then he lovingly stroked through Nagi’s hair. “But it’s okay. You must be tired. We can take a small break before we go to the party and talk more later.”

“Eeeh…. We aren’t done yet?”

Reo smiled. “Not until I crack that head of yours wide open.”

“That sounds painful…” Nagi put a hand on his head, imagining what it would feel like if it was split in half. “But it’s ok if it’s you, Reo…”

For a moment, Nagi was content just listening to Reo’s heartbeat. Then, an idea popped into his mind. “Wait a second, Reo.”

Nagi got up and quickly moved the two cardboard figures so they were facing the wall. Then, he laid down next to Reo as if nothing had happened. “Quick, Reo... Nobody is looking, you can kiss me now,” he said with a slow and expressionless voice that didn’t quite manage to get the urgency across. 

“You’re really hung up about that, aren’t you?” Reo turned so he laid on his side, facing Nagi—his pretty face was even more beautiful when he was so close. “Are you really sure about this? I mean it’s technically still your first kiss.”

Nagi just hummed. Of course he was sure, why would Reo ask such an obvious question? 

“What about Rin? You don’t think he’d mind?”

Based on how Rin seemed to always know what to do—how he had given Reo his jacket and bought him a coffee—he probably had a lot of dating experience. A kiss or two wouldn’t make a difference to him. “He’s fine with it… Do it properly this time, Reo.”

“Alright, alright.”  

They shifted positions so Reo’s face was only centimetres away from Nagi’s. Then, he closed the distance and his lips met Nagi’s before Nagi was even ready for it. The connection only lasted an instant before Reo withdrew, leaving only a tingling feeling in Nagi’s stomach. 

“Too short, Reo…” Nagi complained. His willy twitched with Reo laying against him, accompanied by warm energy flooding his body. It was such an easy way to communicate, there was no need for words… Reo could just feel the bulge and he would understand.

“I get it that it’s a pain for you to jerk off and, when you’re in your own body, that’s fine. But you should really do it now. It’s maintenance, like brushing your hair,” Reo immediately scolded him—he was pretty when he made a serious face. 

“I don’t wanna, Reo…,” Nagi wanted to stay exactly like this with his hardened cock against Reo’s thighs so his partner would know exactly how he felt. Plus, he had no plans of ever moving away from Reo. “I’m comfy like this, Reo…” 

“Come on!” Reo tried to free himself from underneath Nagi—Reo was cute when he was struggling. “We don’t want to embarrass Rin.” 

“Then you do it, Reo…” Nagi said as he was uncomfortably pushed off Reo, landing on the bed. It didn’t matter to him if Rin was embarrassed or not but maybe if he kept Reo busy they wouldn’t have to go to the party that someone with clearly too much energy had organised. 

“Absolutely not! I can’t just touch Rin’s body like that.”

“But Reo, it’s not my body either…,” Nagi replied before he realised the meaning of Reo’s words. “Wait, so if it was my body, you’d do it, Reo?”

“Well… I mean I wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable…”

“Reo, I’m uncomfortable now… I want to be spoiled…” Nagi pleaded, putting on his best pout. Not only would he be able to avoid the party, but it might also help them to become more like a real couple.

“Look at you…” Reo shook his head prettily but he didn’t sound annoyed. “Fine then, but it has to be quick.”

While Nagi eagerly waited, Reo went to search in his bag. When he had found what he was looking for, Reo returned to the bed and tied a scarf around his eyes so he was blindfolded. “I’m not gonna look at it, okay? Otherwise, I can never look Rin in the eyes again.”

“Alright, Reo,” Nagi replied as he moved to sit at the edge of the bed and opened his trousers to free his cock. It was firm now, which Nagi hadn’t thought was possible for Rin’s body. He tentatively poked it with his finger—it felt warm, smooth, pulsating, and alive. His mind replaced his finger with Reo’s and he imagined Reo’s fingers gliding over it.

Reo knelt down on the floor between Nagi’s legs and reached out his hands. “Where should I touch?”

Nagi took Reo’s hand and carefully put it on his cock. Just the contact made him feel hot, pleasure already spiralling through his body.

For a moment, Reo didn’t move. Then, he shifted further forward to position himself closer to Nagi. “I’ve never done this before, I don’t know if I can do it well.”

Of course Reo would do well, he excelled at everything he tried. “Just do it the same way you touch yourself.”

At Blue Lock, from time to time Reo would excuse himself to masturbate, although they never talked about it. It wasn’t a secret between them, just like Reo knew Nagi was too lazy to touch himself. 

Now, thinking of Reo playing with himself was hot. “Actually, please do it in the exact same way, Reo.”  

“Just because I like it a certain way doesn’t mean you’ll like it, too. For example, I like a firm grip around the shaft.”

Nagi let out a moan as Reo demonstrated what he meant. Part of him wanted to take notes for future reference but it became increasingly different to focus. “This is good, Reo…”

He leaned back, supporting his body with his arms and tipping his head as Reo began to move his hand. Unknown sounds escaped his mouth but Nagi didn’t mind. In fact, he moaned louder so that Reo could hear how much he enjoyed it.

“Don’t make those sounds, Nagi! I don’t wanna hear Rin like that!”

“Reo, are you thinking of me or Rin?” Nagi asked in a brief moment of clarity.

“I’m not thinking of anyone! I don’t have thoughts! Don’t ask again or I’ll stop!”

Reo’s hand paused and for a second Nagi feared that Reo really would stop. He didn’t dare to say a word. After what felt like an eternity for Nagi, Reo started moving again.

It was probably Rin who occupied Reo’s mind but no matter what Reo did or what he thought, it wouldn’t be cheating. Because Reo was amazing and Nagi was just grateful to be his partner. He was already used to ignoring the burning in his chest that demanded him to claim Reo for his own.

By now, It was impossible to suppress his moans—Reo’s hand just felt too good. Those pleasure highs that increased with each stroke radiated through his entire body, filling him with warm and sweet euphoria.

The desire for more made Nagi shiver but he remained motionless as his breathing accelerated and his heart pounded.

“Reo…” he managed to whisper before his thoughts disappeared entirely in the moment of release. 

The result of his ejaculation landed partly in the tissue Reo held and partly on Reo. Being blindfolded, he hadn’t been able to capture it all. 

The whitish-grey fluid looked good on Reo—he was even more beautiful than usual, Nagi thought as he enjoyed the subsiding fuzzy feeling. His body felt strangely relaxed and he was overcome by a deep sense of fulfilment. 

When he looked back down, his willy had become small and shrivelled again. Curious about the sudden change, Nagi poked it again but jerked back at the contact—so sensitive! 

“Are you dressed again?” Reo asked. 

Nagi pouted but he got up and put his trousers back on so Reo could remove the scarf. 

“Go wash yourself,” Reo instructed him while he wiped Nagi’s semen off himself with the tissue. “We should really get going!”

“Don’t wanna… Can’t we stay here, Reo?”

“No, we’re going! Come on, now…”

Nagi sighed dejectedly. It had felt so good—if only he could share that pleasure with Reo. Reo would surely love it, too…

Chapter Text

Rin was already in a bad mood when he arrived at the party. When he had opened the door to the room booked for Seishirou Nagi, Rin had been greeted by a life-sized cardboard version of Sae staring at him condescendingly. Not a face he had wanted to see on his day off...

Seriously, whoever had thought it was a good idea to have a Rin-Sae-themed room must have missed the U-20 match! No one in their right mind would think that Rin would voluntarily share a room with his brother…

When Rin finally arrived at Barou’s room, the party was already well underway. Rin’s philosophy was to arrive late and leave early, meaning he wouldn’t have to bother with the mobs from Blue Lock for long. If not for Reo, he wouldn’t have come in the first place.

“You better clean that up!” Rin was greeted by Barou shouting angrily. “I didn’t even give you permission to hold a party in my room!”

Otoya shrugged. “That’s what you get for taking the King Suite, it’s the biggest room.”

“It’s called 'King Suite' because it's where the king stays, obviously,” Barou replied. “Now clean up that mess!”

Rin wasn’t sure what ‘the mess’ was but it could be anything. From the bottles and cups that stood around everywhere to the crumbs of crisps on the floor. At least there was no music because the hotel wouldn't allow it.

“It’s alright, Barou.” Hiori offered Barou a cup of water. “I’ll help you clean up later, okay?”

Rin ignored them and walked further into the room. As the name implied, the King Suite was large and comprised two adjoining rooms. One seemed to be a sitting room, with sofas and armchairs. The other one seemed to be intended as a study but now, it looked more like a bar. In both rooms, there were far too many people for Rin’s liking.

“So why are you wearing your Blue Lock bodysuit?” Rin overheard a conversation between Chigiri and Igarashi.

“Probably because he trained today. So dedicated,” Isagi commented.

“That’s wrong!” Igarashi grinned smugly. “It’s a replica! Can’t you see the label on the back and the cheap quality of the fabric? It’s my merchandise, isn’t that cool?”

“It’s all we could find after searching all day,” Raichi explained. “Isn’t that pathetic?”

Raichi was wearing a low-quality copy of his Bastard München uniform. 

“Uhm, well…” It seemed even Isagi didn’t know what to say.

Two minutes into the party and Rin already had a headache. How had these idiots survived in Blue Lock?  

“By the way, have you heard that they are installing wheelchair ramps at Blue Lock?” Chigiri asked. “Seems like a waste of money, they should have used it to upgrade the shampoo…”

Isagi balled his fists and the smile vanished from his face. “Kaiser will need them once I’m done with him!”

Bachira lightly hit his friend on the head. “Isagi! Game mode off!”

Such lukewarm idiots…

Finally, Rin managed to find Reo. His heartbeat accelerated briefly when he saw the purple-haired striker in the centre of a crowd of people, talking to Yukimiya and some random girls that probably Aiku or someone had brought over.

They were older than him, perhaps college students, and dressed as if their sole purpose was hooking up with Reo. 

He frowned so much that his mouth started hurting. Yet without social skills, there was no way Rin could make it to Reo; his only option was to wait for the party to quieten.  

Instead of pushing his luck, Rin searched for a quiet corner. His eyes fell on a door, partly hidden by a luggage trolley with packs of bottled drinks. Just what he needed. 

Behind the door was a bedroom with a king-size bed in the centre. The bed must have once been carefully made up but now Nagi lounged in the middle of it and the duvet and the pillows were in disarray. Barou wouldn’t like it, not that Rin cared though.

“What are you doing here?” Rin hissed, annoyed that Nagi had the same idea as him. 

Nagi didn’t look up from his phone. “Waiting for Reo to finish extroverting and pick me up...”

“You know the girls are basically throwing themselves at him outside, right?”

Nagi didn’t seem to mind, he just shrugged. “That’s what it was always like at school. Reo’s amazing, he’s popular everywhere…”

“Those girls aren’t exactly like high-school girls, idiot.”

Suddenly, Nagi looked up from his phone and stared at him. Rin could almost see his menacing dark aura. “Reo’s enjoying himself so don’t f*cking disturb him.” 

Rin opened his mouth to get back at Nagi but then stopped. In the past days, Reo had spent all of his time with them, mostly with Rin. It must have been boring for him… Perhaps Nagi was more perceptive than Rin had given him credit for…

Silently, Rin sat down on the bed. He was surprised when Nagi shoved a pillow towards him. 

“Reo said I should be nice to you,” Nagi explained. The menace was gone and his voice was expressionless as usual. 

“And you always do what Reo says,” Rin replied as he sat down, unsure of what to actually do with the pillow. 

Nagi hummed. “Because Reo is smart.”

“He is,” Rin confirmed. It was one of the few things they could agree on. “You were right, we should have told him immediately. Sorry.”

“I’m sorry I said your willy was broken. Turned out it worked fine.” Nagi’s voice was slow and expressionless like always but that didn’t make it any better.

Rin’s face flushed. He didn’t want to know how Nagi had come to the conclusion. “Don’t bring that up again!”

Nagi had turned his attention back to his phone so Rin started to play on his phone, too. They weren’t all that different, were they? 

“Has Reo talked to you?” Rin asked after a while.

Nagi hummed. “We talked lots. Reo always thinks about a lot of things… It's amazing that Reo never gets a headache from all that thinking...”

“Did you tell him that you’re gonna stay with him?”

“Nope…”

Of course, with an EQ of a banana, Nagi failed to notice the most obvious things. “You need to tell him!”

But Nagi just continued playing his game. “Don’t wanna… It’s obvious anyway…”

Before Rin could reply the door opened and the brown-yellow hair quickly identified the intruder as Bachira. “Rin-Rin, that’s where you’ve been hiding! Ah, Nagicchi is here, too!”

“Bachira, is Isagi your partner?” Nagi asked without warning. The question came out of nowhere but by now, Rin was used to his randomness.

“Huh? Uhm, I wouldn’t say ‘partner’?” Bachira put his hands on his chin. “He’s my friend but also my rival. You could say we are ‘frivals’!”

Upon Bachira’s reply, Nagi perked up. He even put his phone away. “In that case, can Rin be your partner?”

Rin’s mouth dropped open and he couldn’t believe his ears. Why would Nagi want them to be partners?!

Much to Rin’s dismay, Bachira nodded with a wide grin. “Sure, I’ll be your partner, sounds fun!”

“Will you give Rin piggyback rides, too?”

Bachira thought about it for a second. “Hhmm… I’d rather you carry me, how about that?”

“That works, too…”

What kind of weird deal was Nagi making with Bachira?!

Chapter Text

Rin facepalmed. Why on Earth would he want to pair up with Bachira?! The dream of being the best striker was his alone, not something he would ever share.

Perhaps he could refute anything and blame it on the alcohol later? Rin gazed at Nagi and Bachira. To his dismay, both of them seemed sober with Nagi’s full drink being abandoned on the bedside table. 

Nagi got up so that he stood up in front of Bachira. “Will you kiss Rin, too? Long and properly?”

With Nagi being so close to him, Bachira had to look up to make eye contact. “Uhm, I’m not sure what game it is… I guess I missed the part where we spin the bottle or something? Ah, whatever, let’s see what kissing feels like!”

Rin couldn’t listen anymore, he quickly covered Nagi’s mouth with his hand so that the other striker couldn’t say anything more embarrassing.

“I’m Rin,” he explained to Bachira. “That guy is Nagi. He’s dumb, don’t listen to his nonsense.”

“Nagicchi, are you alright?” Bachira shuffled back and blinked a few times. “It’s not like you to joke around.”

“I said I’m Rin.” The whole situation just made his headache worse. “Now forget what Nagi said and get out of my sight. And don’t tell anyone.”

Bachira turned to Nagi. “Is that true, Rin? I knew you two were copying each other but it really seems to have gotten to Nagi’s head.”

“It’s true…,” Nagi confirmed without hesitation. “Ask Reo about it…”

“Really? That’s hard to believe…” The Barcha player tilted his head. “Hey, wait a moment!” he exclaimed suddenly. “I’ve got an idea!”

Bachira’s eyes had a dangerous sparkle when he dashed away and Rin had a sinking feeling in his stomach. Nothing good would come out of this… 

Meanwhile, Nagi seemed as uninterested as always as he made himself comfortable on the bed again and picked up his phone.

A few minutes later Bachira was back, bottles and two shot glasses in his hands. “It’s time for Bachira’s ‘Who Is Rin Championship’!”

That sounded horrible… “Never mind, forget what I said, I’m not Rin.”

But Bachira didn’t give up that easily. “I haven’t even explained the rules, Nagicchi.” He set down one glass in front of Rin and the other one in front of Nagi. “I’ll ask you questions and if you answer incorrectly, you have to drink. The one with the most correct answers will be allowed to call himself ‘Rin’.”

Nagi looked at the glass in front of him as if it were an object from a foreign planet. “But Reo said I should be careful with alcohol since I’m not used to it…”

Was that the only objection Nagi had?! Rin couldn’t believe that a sloth like Nagi would actually play Bachira’s stupid game. 

“It’s fine, totally fine. I brought water to dilute the drinks. Otherwise, we wouldn’t get past the first round anyway.”

“It’s alright then…”

Bachira sat down on the bed, between him and Nagi. “So the first question is…” He paused dramatically. “What is one plus one?”

“Do you think I’m an idiot?” Rin was pretty sure that the sole purpose of this game was to annoy him. And he hated how easily Bachira was succeeding. “I don’t want to hear insults like that from a loser who can’t spell basic English words!”

“Is that your answer?” Bachira grinned. “Then how about you, Rin?” 

Nagi scratched his neck. “Four…”

At this point, Rin was sure they all were out to get on his nerves. “You’re an idiot but surely you can’t be that dumb?”

“I’m not Rin so I shouldn’t try to win this, right? Besides, I’m already Reo’s partner…”

“You’re both wrong!” Bachira’s loud voice cut off his and Nagi’s discussion. “Rin would have said…” Another overly dramatic pause. “100!”

“What the fuck?! I’m Rin and that’s not what I said!”

“Well, I’m the game master.” Bachira stuck out his tongue before he filled the two shot glasses with a colourless liquid. 

Rin glanced at Nagi who didn’t seem to have a problem drinking Bachira’s concoction. Perhaps a drink would make the whole ordeal easier to endure… Seriously, why couldn’t everyone be like Reo? Reo had just believed them with no questions asked. Because he was kind… And because he had trusted Nagi.

After they had both taken the shot—it tasted disgustingly bitter, Bachira continued. “And the second question is… What would you do if I made Reo cry?”

“I’ll f*cking kill you,” Nagi replied instantly, his tone suddenly serious. “Seriously, leave Reo out of this.” 

“Scary!” Bachira’s tone implied that he wasn’t scared at all. In fact, he sounded more amused and the grin on his face grew even wider.

“How would you even do that?” Rin raised an eyebrow. Bachira was as dangerous as a toddler; he’d hardly be able to do anything to Reo. The only reason anyone might cry would be because of this torture game and Rin was sure it wouldn’t be Reo. 

“Both wrong!” Bachira eagerly filled their glasses anew. “Rin would say ‘I’ll grab popcorn and watch’.” He tried to imitate Rin’s emotionless, slightly annoyed voice for the last part. 

“That’s the wrong Itoshi,” Rin immediately corrected him. “I’m not my brother.”

“Huh… That’s surprising, I didn’t think that’s what Rin would do at all…,” Nagi said. Then he turned to Rin. “You’re f*cking dead if you do that while Reo is being hurt.”

Seriously, how much of an idiot was Nagi? “There’s no way I’d do that. Why do you even believe him? I’m Rin!”

“He’s your partner so he knows you,” Nagi explained with a matter-of-fact voice. “Like Reo knows me,” he added and Rin could hear the pride in his voice.

Rin rubbed his temples before he exhaled noisily. “You just partnered us up two seconds ago! He doesn’t know shit about me!”

“Drink, drink!” Bachira grinned, focusing their attention back on the game.

Rin sighed. This would be a long night…

Chapter Text

“At least one drink, Reo!”

“I’m sorry, I can’t, I still have to bring Nagi back.” Reo looked at Chigiri with narrowed eyes. “Plus, someone has to keep an eye on you. I think you had enough for tonight.”

Chigiri’s face was flushed and with both of his hands holding half-filled cups, he had to lean against a chair to keep his balance.

Reo took the drinks from the redhead and put them on a nearby table. “Come on, Kunigami should be here by now.”

“That hero-idiot!” Chigiri pouted. “Seriously, why does he spend the night at the gym? It’s his fault I’m drunk!”

“Sure, sure.” Reo started to guide the redhead towards the exit. “I texted him a minute ago that you need help and look how he sprinted to your rescue.”

With wrinkled brows, Kunigami’s eyes darted across the room until he fixed in on Chigiri. 

“What did you do?” Kunigami asked as soon as he was by their side; his tone wasn’t accusing, just worried.

“Chigiri was like that when I found him.” Reo shrugged. “Well, I’ll leave him in your care. His room number is 444 and his roommate went home with a girl so you’ll be alone. Enjoy!” 

Reo smiled and gave Chigiri a slight push so that Kunigami had no choice but to catch him with his arms.  

“You’re late,” Chigiri complained, his speech slurred. “Let’s drink, Hero!”

Those two were so obvious—when would they finally realise their feelings for each other? Reo vowed to himself that he would never be like that and make things unnecessarily complicated. 

Reo left the two alone, looking for Nagi. It was about time to call it a night. Some players had already left and those that were still there were mostly wasted. They were noisily shouting and clinging to their glasses. Reo sighed, he had told Aiku before not to bring that much booze. 

Isagi was sleeping on the couch and Barou, having given up on complaining, was violently scrubbing the carpet, trying to clean up some spillage. 

But there was no sign of Nagi. Rin also seemed to have mysteriously disappeared… Reo pondered if Nagi had left without him when his eyes fell on the bedroom door that was just slightly ajar. That goof-off had been hiding all the time! Of course, he had…

“Nagi!” Reo opened the door widely, ready to scold his partner but he stopped when he saw Bachira and Rin. All three of them sat on the bed and Bachira had a few empty bottles in his lap. 

Reo quickly averted his gaze from Rin and looked at the floor instead, hoping to hide his blush. Seeing him now reminded him too much of the forbidden regions of his body he had touched earlier. 

“Reo,” Nagi greeted him, his speech slightly slurred. “Reo, I found a partner for Rin, you don’t need to worry about him anymore, Reo. They’re like us now, Reo...”

Nothing Nagi had said made sense—he had clearly had too much to drink. “What?”

“Don’t worry, Reo, Bachira doesn’t want to give Rin piggyback rides but Rin can carry Bachira. Rin has a lot of motivation so I’m sure it will work out, Reo…”

“So what you’re saying is basically that I’m only good for piggyback rides?” Reo still wasn’t sure he understood. 

“Bachira also smiles a lot and is overly energetic, Reo... He’s like a budget version of you, Reo...”

“That’s how you see me? A budget Reo?” Bachira asked, leaning forward with a wrinkled nose—from what Reo could tell he was sober. “Let’s play together tomorrow and I’ll show you something super special. You’ll see I’m nothing like Reo.”

Nagi just ignored Bachira. “Reo, It’s because you said that Rin is like how I was before I met you, Reo…”

From what Reo could gather it seemed that Nagi had wanted to help Rin by finding a partner for him. Probably because Reo had explained how much Reo resembled the old Nagi. Though it was a bit random to assume Rin and Bachira would share a dream and make promises. Nagi’s approach was naive—but also cute.

Reo stepped forward, only to stop midway in his action. He wanted to sit down but his body had automatically started to move towards Nagi’s body which now belonged to Rin. Reo ached for Nagi’s touch but cuddling with Rin would be awkward so he sat down next to Rin’s body, now Nagi, and patted his head. 

Then, Reo rested his hand on Nagi’s shoulder—Nagi shouldn’t notice how confused he was. “It’s good of you to help Rin but you can’t just choose a partner for him…”

Nagi gave him a cute pout. “But now you can talk to Bachira, Reo. I didn’t really get what you said earlier about mistaking me for Rin, Reo. But Bachira has the same problem now so maybe he can help you, Reo.”

Warmth radiated through Reo’s body and he smiled widely. “You did it for me?”

Nagi hummed. “For Rin and for you, Reo… An easy solution and Rin doesn’t need to bother you anymore either, Reo…”

“Thanks, my Treasure, you’re the best!” Reo pulled Nagi closer to himself, almost hugging him now. Even if Nagi’s body was locked behind an invisible wall, Reo had to support the Nagi who was trapped in Rin’s body. Nagi, who considered everything a pain, had put in effort to help him! “But Rin isn’t bothering me, he’s important to me, too.”

“Huh… So Rin is important… I didn’t know, Reo…”

“Anyway, what were you guys doing?” Reo asked, changing the topic so he could avoid talking about Rin and his cock. Not that Rin’s private parts would ever be a conversation topic!

“The Who-Is-Rin Game. And I’m done with it.” Rin snarled with a pinched expression. “That idiot questioned our identities when I told him who I was. Then, he brought up this damn game.”

As Rin’s supposed partner, Bachira needed to know about their secret so in Nagi’s sometimes incomprehensible mind it had probably made sense to tell him. But wait—if Rin had agreed to tell Bachira, did that mean Rin had accepted this random partnership?! It was completely unlike him unless Rin was desperate… 

Perhaps Reo had done something wrong? Had he accidentally offended Rin to the degree that his company wasn’t good enough anymore for him? Was Bachira actually his replacement?

“You came just in time for the conclusion.” Bachira grinned, interrupting Reo’s spiralling thoughts. “I was just about to announce the winner!”

Rin sighed. “Finally…” 

“Are you ready?’ Bachira looked from Rin to Nagi and took a deep breath. “And…. You’re both Rin!” 

“How can you say that!” Reo instantly objected, pointing to Nagi’s face and then pinching his cheeks. Despite being in different bodies, Nagi’s and Rin’s mannerisms had hardly changed. “Can’t you see his cute pout and his adorable droopy eyes? Look at his cuteness! That’s my Nagi for sure!”

“Well, he answered everything wrong just like the other Nagi.” Bachira shrugged before he perked up. “Wait, does that mean they’re both Nagi?! Nagicchi One and Nagicchi Two?”

“Huh?” Now Reo fixed his gaze on Rin, pushing the indecent thoughts to the back of his mind. “Look at his elegant posture and his condescending yet mysterious gaze! Look at his coolness! That’s absolutely not my Nagi!”

“Reo, I’m cool and elegant, too, Reo…,” Nagi objected, still pouting. 

“I know.” Reo patted Nagi’s head some more to show his acknowledgement. There were moments when Nagi was cool but right now he sat there like a bag of flour. “Well, ‘elegant’ is maybe a bit of a stretch, Nagi, don’t you think?” 

“You must know those two really well if you can tell that much,” Bachira commented. “Fine then, I guess if Reo says so I’ll believe you guys.”

Suddenly, Bachira shuffled sideways so he was closer to Reo and started whispering into his ear. “I believed Rin from the start. I mean that guy is a terrible actor—no way he could copy Nagi so well. Don’t tell him, okay?” 

Somehow, Reo wondered if Rin really had thought his partner choice through…

Chapter Text

After the questionable championship had concluded, Reo helped Rin and Nagi back to their rooms while Bachira was tidying Barou’s bedroom.

“Reo… carry me,” Nagi pleaded for the umpteenth time as they walked down the corridors. 

“Bear with it just for a little bit longer, okay?” With Nagi’s arm around his shoulders to his left and Rin’s arm around him to his right, it was impossible to give in to Nagi’s demands. 

Neither of them was totally wasted but their steps were unsteady and Reo was too worried they’d get hurt if they walked alone. 

Luckily, Rin’s room was close by and after some fumbling with his key card, Reo got Rin to sit on his bed. 

Rin’s room was the same as Nagi’s and his; instead of a Reo-Nagi theme, the room had images and two life-sized figures of the Itoshi brothers. 

Nagi immediately introduced himself to the cardboard figures—how cute! Reo chuckled as he watched him—it was hard to take his eyes off him.

But Rin, rubbing his temples, needed his attention for the moment. “Do you need help with anything? I can help you change if you want? It's Nagi's body, I'm used to helping him.”

“I’m fine, Reo, really. Sorry for the mess.”

“It’s not your fault, Rin. I’m just glad you and Nagi had fun together.”

Seeing that Rin was okay, Reo put a glass of water on his bedside table. Rin would probably need it in the morning. His eyes fell on Rin’s phone lying on the table. On the screen flashed a notification for a message from Sae.

Rin must have texted him. Reo smiled—Rin had made progress, too. Even though he didn’t look like it now, Rin was strong. Rin really didn’t need his help…

“You did well, Rin.” Reo’s voice was soft when he patted Rin’s head.

Suddenly, Nagi’s hand was beside Reo's on Rin’s head, clumsily stroking it. “Yeah, you did well, Rin…”

Why was Nagi giving Rin a head pat?! “Nagi, are you alright?”

“Rin is important to Reo...”

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Rin replied with a sharp voice. “Once I get my body back we’ll be back to how it was before. In the end, I’ll crush you like everyone else.”

With a sudden ache in his chest, Reo withdrew his hand as if he had burned himself. There was an unsettling heaviness in the air and Reo took a step back. But there was nothing wrong with what Rin had said, their arrangement had come with an expiry date from the start. 

Of course, a genius like Rin wouldn’t want to stay with Reo. Perhaps Rin had accepted Barchira as his replacement already... 

“Reooo…,” Nagi whined, trying to get his attention. “Carry me back, Reo.”

Reo nodded and mechanically crouched down so that Nagi could climb on his back. 

“Reo, don’t worry about Rin,” Nagi said when they returned to their room. “He’s always grumpy like that, Reo…”

“You’re right,” Reo replied, as he unloaded Nagi on the Nagi bed and started to help him change into his Blue Lock sweatshirt. But deep down, his stomach felt hard when he thought of Rin. “Let’s get you to bed for now.”

“That’s the wrong bed, Reo,” Nagi complained.  

“Of course it is…” he muttered while Nagi settled into the bed with the Reo pillow. 

But it seemed Nagi still wasn’t ready to sleep. The way he stared at his lips, Nagi probably needed a good night kiss. 

Reo sighed as he laid down next to Nagi. He really didn’t know where Nagi’s sudden interest in kissing came from... One day he would need to explain to Nagi that kissing on the mouth was reserved for lovers. But it wouldn’t be tonight—after experiencing Rin’s coldness, Reo wanted, no, needed, Nagi’s warmth. 

With the lights turned off, they were in the dark and Nagi’s weight felt comforting as they lay cuddled together under the duvet. 

Reo lifted his head, his hands seeking Nagi. Once he found his face, he cupped Nagi’s cheek. He stopped for a second, feeling Nagi’s breath against his face as if he needed proof that they were alive. Then, his lips pressed against Nagi’s. 

Reo allowed himself to drown in the pleasing sensation that flooded his body before quickly jerking back. His heart ached for more but it was all he dared to take. They weren’t lovers. And whenever he kissed Nagi, Reo couldn’t help but imagine Rin.

“You’re still thinking of Rin,” Nagi guessed his thoughts. His voice was unusually firm and he seemed more mature, almost as if he had changed into a different person entirely.   

His pulse quickening, Reo didn’t know why his face suddenly felt hot. Luckily, it was dark so Nagi couldn’t see his blush.

“I’ll make you feel better, Reo.” Nagi reached out, his hands now holding Reo’s face in place with a force that rendered Reo unable to move. 

Then, Nagi leaned forward and Reo had no means to evade him with the pillow underneath him. 

When their lips met for the second time, the world ceased to exist. There was only Nagi. Nagi and his lips that encompassed Reo’s. Vanquishing his pain as if it had never existed, Nagi’s lips were forceful and took away Reo’s breath. 

An electrical jolt ran down from his mouth to his stomach, filling it with warmth and a pleasant tingling that Reo wanted to keep there forever. Extending further, it resonated deep within his groin, giving birth to the desire to feel Nagi, to dissolve and fully merge into him until they were one.

It was a world for the two of them, connected, never letting go of each other. Until Nagi finally leaned back, gasping for air.

“This. This is a kiss, Reo,” he said with a velvety soft voice. “Don’t forget, Reo.”

Only moments later, Nagi dropped onto Reo’s chest, his breath slow and regular, asleep. 

Reo stared at the ceiling with wide eyes and a racing heart. What had just happened?! How was Nagi able to evoke this whirlwind of feelings inside him? And was it even Nagi, or had it been because of Rin’s body?

Chapter Text

The next morning, all traces of the past night were gone and Nagi was back to his usual self. Reo woke up with the duvet on the floor—Nagi must have kicked it off in his sleep—and Nagi’s drool on his chest.

Reo didn’t mind the slight wetness; it was cute and seeing Nagi sleep peacefully made him smile. Briefly, he considered reaching for his phone to take a picture. He’d probably never be able to see Rin looking as cute as this again!

But he decided against it and instead carefully ran his fingers through Nagi’s hair. Then, he closed his eyes again to enjoy the blissful warmth. 

“Morning, Reo…” Nagi mumbled, looking at him with sleepy eyes. It didn’t look like he had any intention to get up as he just closed his eyes again. 

“Good morning, Nagi,” Reo replied, smiling fondly at him. With an expansive feeling in his chest, he felt so calm and free, like nothing could ever disturb them. He’d be okay with staying like this forever, just Nagi’s comforting weight on him. 

Nagi moved to hug Reo as much as possible while still being on him, inhaling and exhaling slowly so that Reo could feel his breath against his neck. Feeling Nagi nuzzling against his shoulder, Reo re-commenced stroking through his hair. 

Yet the clock didn’t show them any mercy--they had to get in time so Nagi could complete Rin’s morning routine before checking out. When the time arrived, Nagi said his goodbye to the cardboard figures and they left, their luggage stored in a locker. In a few hours, the buses to Blue Lock would depart and the fight for the top would commence anew. 

It was a cloudy weekend day and the street was mostly empty. Only a few people defied the cold weather, Rin being one of them. Dressed in his Blue Lock tracksuit, he leaned against the grey hotel building like a statue. 

Like Nagi, he didn’t seem to have a hangover, there was just his usual frown on his face.  

“How are you?” Reo asked in a polite but distanced tone. Was Rin upset that Reo was disturbing him? But walking past him like a stranger would betray their time together. 

“Alive,” Rin replied as if he was worried about wasting too much breath on Reo. It couldn’t be helped, they were enemies after all…

Behind Reo, Nagi played on his phone, seemingly unaware of the awkward atmosphere. “Reo… I wanna go somewhere…” 

“Not this shit again. You can take your trip to Loser-Ville again but stop dragging us with you,” Rin hissed.

“‘Us’? You’re joining us? Are you sure?” Reo asked with a fluttering feeling in his stomach. Yesterday it had seemed that Rin was fed up with him, like he was leaving him, so why did he want to spend another day with them? “Shouldn’t you be with Bachira?”

“Why?” Rin asked, raising an eyebrow. “Do I look as if I like torture?”

Reo scratched his cheek, unsure what to make of the situation. Was Bachira into BDSM? The image of Bachira in black latex clothes with a sadistic grin and a whip in his hand popped into Reo’s mind. Abruptly, he shook his head. This couldn’t be real! Well, even if it was, it was between Rin and his partner. Nothing was wrong with a bit of consensual pain in the bedroom if they both enjoyed it.

“Good morning, Rin-Rin!” A familiar overly-excited voice came from behind the hotel’s sliding doors. Seconds later Bachira jumped at Rin from behind. Much to Reo’s relief, he was wearing the Blue Lock tracksuit, like all of them, and not garments from the red-light district.

“Get off me, idiot.” Rin grimaced and tried to rid himself of Bachira. “Lukewarm…”

Bachira backed off and tipped his head to the side. “Huh? Didn’t you say last night you needed a partner to get your body back?”

“No.”

“Well, whatever.” Bachira shrugged. “I already told Isagi I’d hang out with you today. So where are you guys going?”

“Over there.” Nagi pointed to a shop across the street from the hotel. It was a souvenir shop that clearly sought to profit from the hotel’s Blue Lock promotion. The Blue Lock merchandise was displayed prominently in the store’s windows. 

Then, Nagi looked at Rin. “It’s called ‘Aunty Fumiko’s Fantastic Forever Finds’, not ‘Loser-Ville’... You don’t have to come if you don’t like it…” 

Rin frowned but followed them nonetheless. 

Inside, Nagi went straight to Reo’s merchandise. “Sorry Reos, there are too many of you, I can’t buy you all…” he said, directed to the figures and trinkets. Then he turned around to the real Reo behind him. “Sorry, Reo…”

“Nagi, you don’t need to buy my merchandise! Don’t worry about it, okay?” Why would Nagi even want his stuff? He must have felt pressured because Reo had bought too much of Nagi’s goods yesterday! “I guess I overdid it with yours but it was all so cute I couldn’t decide...”

It was too late because Nagi had already picked a Reo T-shirt. It was similar to the Nagi shirt he had bought, other than it had an image displaying Reo shooting.

“Wait.” Rin grabbed Nagi’s arm before he could pay. “You can’t wear that at Blue Lock, pick something smaller.”

“Oh.” Nagi’s lips had a slight downward curl but after some hesitation, he returned the shirt and disappeared. 

“Thanks for helping Nagi choose, Rin,” Reo said. He wasn’t sure whether Rin had replaced him with Bachira so he chose a cordial but neutral tone. 

Rin just shrugged. “I know what it feels like to mess up. I made enough mistakes yesterday myself...”

Did Rin mean that hanging out with them yesterday had been a mistake? Of course, he must have been bored in the cinema with Reo when he had really wanted to be with Bachira… But then why was Rin with them again today?  

With Rin being ever the mystery, Reo searched for Nagi. He quickly found his partner outside feeding coins to a gacha machine—of course that was where Nagi would go…

Without a word, Nagi threw the Isagi soft toy he had just gotten into the bin, followed by a Bachira soft toy.

“Hey, wait, I’m not trash!” Bachira managed to catch the tiny imitation of him just in time. Then he peered into the bin. “And what did you do to Isagi? He’s all filthy now… Do something, Reo!”

Reo furrowed his brows—it was one of those moments where he didn’t get his partner at all. “What do you want me to do? Tell Nagi to recycle it?”

Ignoring Bachira’s complaints, Nagi finally seemed to have gotten what he wanted. “Reo, this is good. It’s small...” 

 “Nagi, you can’t—” Reo started but struggled to finish his sentence.

Nagi wore a purple Reo-themed ring on his ring finger. It was clearly cheap but it still looked decent with a metallic shank and a purple plastic gemstone on its head.

With widened eyes, too shocked to even react, Reo watched Nagi pull out a transparent plastic capsule with another ring—Nagi themed with a black plastic stone. “Reo, this one is for you…” 

His body feeling weightless, a tingling surged through his body, starting in his chest and spreading outwards. Reo wanted to wear the ring every day and treasure it until he took his last breath. Be buried with it so he could admire it even in death. 

He knew the ring didn’t have a romantic meaning but still, it was a precious gift from his Treasure. 

But Reo’s trip to heaven was cut short when he realised he’d have to explain to Nagi that matching rings were in fact romantic, especially if worn on the ring finger. 

“Don’t wear that while you’re me,” Rin said as if gifting rings was an everyday event. “It’s gonna raise questions.”

Nagi looked at Reo but took his ring off again. “It will only be a short time,” he said and stuck the ring on Rin’s finger. “Take care of it for me.”

Rin instantly jerked back as if he had burned his hand. “What?”

“You don’t have to wear it, Rin. I can hold on to it,” Reo offered. Seriously, Nagi was cute and all but he should really learn how to read the room. Rin was ready to cut ties with Reo, the last thing he needed was a ring to chain him down. 

Yet Rin didn't seem to have any complaints, he just quietly adjusted the position of the ring. 

He was truly amazing, even though he no longer wanted to associate with Reo, he was still gracious enough to hold on to Nagi’s ring. 

Reo wanted to tell Rin that it was okay to be more selfish but no word came over his lips. “I’ll get you a coffee, Rin. I’ll still owe you from yesterday,” he finally managed to bring out. 

But Rin didn’t look thankful, his face was mostly expressionless with his eyes slightly narrowed. “Don’t worry about it, Reo. I’m fine.” 

“Reo wants to buy you a drink so you will get one,” Nagi said, uncharacteristically forceful. “It’s how Reo shows his affection.”

Feeling the heat rising in his cheeks, Reo quickly turned away. “Nagi, don’t say it like that, it’s embarrassing! Anyway, I’m going!” 

“I’ll go with you, Reo!” Bachira put his hand on Reo’s shoulder. “Let’s give those two some alone time, okay?”

Chapter Text

Rin’s alarm sounded at 6 AM sharp. He groaned and turned around. The curtains hadn’t been drawn so the room wasn’t fully dark and the pale light made Sae look even more cruel. 

Within seconds he was wide awake—his brother’s face was certainly not the first thing he wanted to see in the morning, even if it was just a cardboard figure.

On his phone screen, Rin saw a notification for a message from the very person who had just scared into being wide awake. Wallowing in the rage that burned deep inside him made him feel a little better until the memories from last night started dancing in his brain.

As much as he wanted to deny it, part of him had enjoyed playing games with Bachira and Nagi. Somehow, even the animosity towards Nagi had vanished and his poor attempt at a head pat hadn’t even felt bad. 

Worst of all, he had been pathetic and wasted Reo’s time. Project ‘Love’ was supposed to be one sided and not make Reo worry about him. He should have brought Reo back to his room, not vice versa!

How disgusting—next he would probably turn into a magical girl and try to win with the power of love and friendship… No wonder Sae had responded with nothing but a ‘Hi’. 

Rin frowned as he got up and packed his belongings, ready to check out. He needed to be up early if he wanted to catch Reo. Another newbie mistake: Rin hadn’t asked Reo what time he planned to leave. If he messaged him now, he would probably wake Reo up. So all Rin could do was wait…

Yet when Rin opened the door, a football flung past him and landed on the carpet that absorbed any noise. 

“Ah sorry, Rin-Rin, guess I went too far, quite literally.” Bachira’s wide smile greeted him. How could this guy be so cheerful this early in the morning? 

Bachira answered his question with prompting as he picked up the ball. “Isagi woke me up when he talked in his sleep so I decided to play a little. I can’t wait to get back to Blue Lock and show Nagicchi that I’m not a Budget Reo!”

“Suit yourself,” Rin commented and turned to leave. It was way too early to deal with an over-energetic Bachira. 

But the Barcha player didn’t seem to want to let him be. “Are you going to buy a present for Reo? He'll be so happy!”

“Why?” Rin asked. He couldn't remember how much he had told Bachira last night, but any information was too much.

“Why?” Bachira repeated and put a hand on Rin’s shoulder. “Just so you know, I’m Team Rin.”

“Back off, dumbass, there is no team,” Rin hissed, his voice sharper than he had intended. “I’m a solo player.”

“Well, if you don’t want me, I might steal Reo from you.” Bachira’s tone was playful yet Rin’s stomach hardened. The thought of losing Reo made his heart twist in pain. Rin didn’t mind if Reo loved someone else as long as he could still have the crumbs of his affection. This one-sided love… he didn’t want it to be one sided at all…

Ignoring his inner tumult, Rin shrugged. “Lukewarm.” 

It was almost 7 AM by the time he had checked out. Nagi probably slept long so chances were high that Reo was still in his room. 

Rin stood in the hotel lobby like a forgotten bag of luggage. There was a sofa and some chairs, should he wait there? But the hotel staff would probably wonder why Rin was there. He would look like a boyfriend waiting for his girl to get ready—way too embarrassing. 

It wasn’t too cold outside and the sky was darkened by clouds just like Rin liked it, so he left the hotel building and leaned against its cold stone wall. He played on his phone and watched the people rushing past him until Reo finally appeared, Nagi trailing behind him.

“How are you?” Reo asked. For some reason, he sounded distanced, like their time together hadn’t happened. Perhaps he hadn't slept well...

“Alive.” It was 11 AM, and Rin’s limbs felt stiff and difficult to move as if he had become part of the building.

Nagi seemed to sense Reo’s uneasiness, looking at his partner worriedly. “Reo… I wanna go somewhere…” 

Rin wasn’t exactly pleased that they seemed to be trapped in a time loop of Nagi dragging them to places but he ended up following them nonetheless. At least this time, they only ended up in a souvenir shop.

Watching Nagi pick up a Reo fan T-shirt evoked memories from the day before. Nagi was about to mess up. Messing up felt like shit, Rin still felt sick when he thought of how much he had made Reo suffer. He didn’t want Nagi to make any more mistakes; plus, it would hurt Reo, too.

“Wait.” Rin grabbed Nagi’s arm before he could pay. “You can’t wear that at Blue Lock, pick something smaller.”

Rin’s muscles relaxed when Nagi listened to his advice and returned the shirt. 

Nagi’s next idea seemed much better, Rin thought as he watched him pull rings out of a gacha machine. It was an odd choice but it would be ideal for him: Nagi could wear it every day, ending Reo’s doubts about being left behind once and for all. Partner rings were perfect for someone like Nagi who couldn't explain his devotion in words.

Imagining Reo’s happiness, Rin even allowed Nagi to put the ring on his finger since he was in Nagi’s body. 

Yet even after receiving the ultimate gift, Reo didn’t seem happy. With his eyebrows raised, he seemed more confused and wasn’t even wearing the ring Nagi had given him. This wasn’t good. Perhaps Rin would really have to listen to Bachira’s advice…

“I’ll get you a coffee, Rin. I’ll still owe you from yesterday,” Reo suddenly said.

Great, he’d cause Reo even more effort… This guy was way too nice and didn’t even seem to notice how Rin leeched off his kindness. “Don’t worry about it, Reo. I’m fine.” 

That was how one politely declined an offer, right? The words felt strange in Rin’s mouth but he had to ensure Reo wouldn’t feel offended. 

To his surprise, it was Nagi who seemed the most upset about this response. “Reo wants to buy you a drink so you’ll get one. It’s how Reo shows his affection.”

Nagi was extending his hand to him, figuratively; his actual body didn’t move. But it was obvious that Nagi was helping him. Perhaps he had learned from yesterday’s mistakes as well.

Chapter Text

The coffee shop was a small, cosy establishment with a few tables and seats near the front windows. It smelled of coffee even before Reo got Rin’s coffee—extra large.

When he was ready to leave, Bachira suddenly appeared with two slices of cake on his tray. “Let’s eat, Reo, these look delicious!”

“Sure, I’ll text Nagi.” Reo got out his phone but Bachira stopped him before he could start typing.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, I’ve already texted Rin. They’re busy.” The Barcha player directed Reo to one of the tables where Reo sat on the bench. It was wooden but the seat pads were comfortable enough.

“Here, that one is for you.” Bachira put down a plate with a slice of apple crumble in front of Reo and sat opposite him. 

“Thanks…” Reo scratched his cheek, not sure what to make of it. It was good that Nagi and Rin got along better but what could they want to do without him? Perhaps it was because Rin was fed up with him?

Sighing, Reo looked at the capsule with Nagi’s ring. These days, even Nagi was less and less easy to understand… 

“You can pay me with your smile!” Bachira blinked at Reo before he focused on his slice of lemon cake.

“Thanks.” If it wasn’t Bachira, Reo would have thought he was being flirted with. But Bachira was known to say the weirdest things without care so he was probably just being nice.

“Ah, it’s Chigirin!” Bachira suddenly shouted and started waving as the doorbell chimed. 

Reo turned around to greet the redhead, followed by Kunigami.

“Morning, guys,” Chigiri greeted them before he raised an eyebrow. “Nagi and Rin aren't with you? I saw them outside at the gacha machines.”

“We’re on a date!” Bachira exclaimed with a wide smile.

“We’re not!” Reo coughed; surely, that was a joke. In any case, it was probably best to quickly change the topic. “It’s good to see you here, Kunigami.”

The Bastard player frowned. “I’m just here to make sure he doesn’t get drunk again, don’t get any ideas.”

Reo was grateful that Bachira had enough tact not to mention that the coffee shop obviously didn’t sell booze.

“Sure, sure. I take a coffee please. Extra strong,” Chigiri said as he made himself comfortable on the bench next to Reo—his floral scent drowning out the heavy coffee aroma. 

Without raising an eyebrow, Kunigami went to the counter.

“So it’s a date, huh?” Chigiri asked. His tone was playful, it didn’t seem like he was taking Bachira seriously. 

Bachira grinned. “And now it’s a double date!”

“Did you hear that, Hero?” Chigiri raised his voice so Kunigami could hear him at the counter. “You wouldn’t want me to be the third wheel, right?”

Without replying, Kunigami took the chair next to Bachira and handed Chigiri his coffee alongside two sugar sachets. 

The redhead smiled. “Ah, just what I needed, you’re a hero indeed.”

“Anyway, Reo, I was just about to tell you about my cake—it’s delicious, you should try it!” Bachira held out his fork with a piece of his cake. “Here, say ‘ah’!”

“Huh?” Reo jerked back. Bachira wanted to feed him?! A flush crept across his cheeks—this was awkward.

But letting Bachira’s fork hang in the air would be equally as awkward so he leaned forward to let himself be fed. 

Yet before he could take a bit, Rin’s voice—Nagi—stopped him. “Reo doesn’t want your cake, don't make Reo uncomfortable."

Then, Nagi slouched down next to Reo on the bench. It was a four-person table so he sat awkwardly in the gap between theirs and the next table—luckily it wasn’t occupied.

“It’s because Nagicchi said he wanted to feed Reo but he’s too shy to do it.” Bachira nodded towards Rin who had arrived together with Nagi. “Anyway, my arm is tired so you have to do it now, Nagi. Sit here!”

Bachira jumped up and handed his fork, still with the cake on it, to Rin. 

Rin frowned. “We don’t have time for this.”

“Come on, just one bite, I know you wanna do it!”

“Huh? Why would I— I mean whatever.” Rin sighed and looked at Reo as he took Bachira’s seat. “Is it okay with you?” 

Suddenly, the room felt a lot hotter and Reo felt his cheeks turn red. Someone as amazing as Rin wanted to feed him… It seemed so unlike him that Reo couldn’t even picture it in his imagination. He couldn’t even think of words, all he could do was nod weakly.

Rin slowly moved towards him, the fork in his hands unsteady. His face was red, too. Perhaps the room really was too hot.

Why did no one talk? It felt like the eyes of everyone in the shop were on them and the silver fork between them. 

Reo gulped before he leaned forward and took the bite. Bachira’s lemon cake tasted delicious, like a blend of sweet and tart flavours. 

“Thanks,” Reo muttered, painfully aware of how red his face must be.

Next to Reo, Nagi got up, just enough so that he could reach Rin. “Good boy...,” he said while ruffling Rin’s hair.

Rin didn’t say anything, looking like he was too much in shock over what he had just done; there was just a puzzled look on his face.

“Uhm, Nagi?” Reo asked after his partner had sat back down. Seriously, what was going on in this goofball’s head?

Although Reo didn’t understand Nagi’s action, he knew his partner wasn’t someone who had an ulterior motive and he had taken a considerable effort—on the Nagi scale—to praise Rin. So Reo supposed Nagi deserved praise as well. “That was good of you, Nagi,” he said, leaning against him and squeezing his hand.

“Is that really Rin?” Kunigami asked, his head tilted to the side. 

Chigirir shrugged while sipping from his coffee. “Told you; they’re like totally different people now.”

Rin quickly excused himself to the bathroom and Reo busied himself with getting Nagi to have some cake until it was time to leave. 

Chapter Text

After Reo had bought a new coffee for Rin—the other one had long gone cold, Nagi and Rin had guided Reo to a small park next to the hotel rather than the pick-up place. The Blue Lock buses would arrive soon but since it was a miracle that Nagi had set foot into a park by himself, Reo remained silent.

It was a nice area, they were shielded from the street by evergreen shrubs and a fountain. Around them were leafless trees and metal benches. It was a little lifeless but at least the sun had broken through the clouds.

“So what are we doing here?” With Rin, Reo could imagine he’d come here to seek solitude but Nagi was entirely out of his comfort zone.

Rin cleared his throat. “We’re here because…” He started but his voice quickly trailed off. He crossed his arms but uncrossed them just as quickly, his gaze shifting until it rested on the gravel.

“You can do it, Rin…” With Nagi’s unmodulated voice, his cheer sounded more like a cynical comment; Reo could only hope that by this point, Rin knew Nagi enough to understand that he was genuine.

After side-eyeing Nagi, Rin turned to Reo and held out a small black item. “Here. For you. It’s not my fault if you don’t like it.”

“Come on, Rin, you can do better!” Bachira’s voice came from the bushes—why was he spying on them?

Rin cleared his throat for the second time. “I mean I’ll buy you something else if you don’t like it. It’s to thank you for helping us… Uhm, helping me, I mean. I mean— Whatever, take it!”

“Thank you,” Reo replied with pursed lips, staring at the small hair clip Rin had pushed into his hands. It was black with some teal colouring at the edges. Engraved on it was Rin’s name, kept in black so it was only readable from close by.

His heart racing, Reo wondered whether it would be too much to ask to be buried with Nagi’s ring and Rin’s hair clip. 

Rin… Suddenly he was so nice and Reo didn’t know what he had done to deserve this kindness. Rin had always been someone distant and cool, someone whom he’d admired and whose skills he tried to copy. Not someone who wanted to feed him or buy him a present…

At the same time, Reo also knew that it was a goodbye gift. It was time, they’d be enemies again soon… Reo gulped and took a deep breath to prevent tears from forming in his eyes. Then, he put on his well-practised smile. 

“It really isn’t…” Reo’s voice trailed off when he realised that Rin had turned away from him.

“He’s shy!” The bushes—Bachira—shouted. 

“I’m not.” Rin still didn’t face Reo so it was impossible to tell how he felt. “I just never thought I’d become attached to someone like that…”

“I’ll treasure it, Rin!” Reo promised. “Even if we’re enemies, even if we fight each other, whatever happens!”

For a second, the wind picked up, cold and sharp as if to drive them apart. Reo pushed his hair out of his face to keep looking at Rin.

“Reo, don’t be sad… When we are married, we can adopt Rin…” Nagi said in his usual calm manner.

“Huh? M- married?” Reo stammered. He forgot to close his mouth so it stayed open, frozen in time like the rest of him. The shock was followed by a drumming in his chest when the meaning of Nagi’s words slowly slipped into his brain. Nagi spoke like it was a given they’d marry; Nagi wanted them to be… husbands.

“Don’t worry, Reo…,” Nagi said, probably misinterpreting Reo’s reaction. “We’ll close the door when we have sex so Rin won’t see…”

“I don’t want to see that. And what makes you think I even want to be adopted?”

Reo wasn’t ready to react to Rin’s words with Nagi dropping one bombshell after the other, all in his lethargic tone as if it had been obvious all along. 

“S… sex?” Reo repeated. Nagi also wanted to sleep with him? So all these random erections hadn’t been random at all. Nagi wanted to… Reo stopped himself before the images in his mind became too graphical. 

Nagi hummed. “You don’t need to worry, Reo… I’ll put my finger in first so it won’t hurt. I’d never hurt you, Reo…”

Now it was impossible not to imagine it! Nagi, naked, panting, moaning… If Reo’s face weren’t already red up to the cheeks it would be now.

Wait, wasn’t this too good to be true? Reo frantically tried to find an explanation until he arrived at the only conclusion that made sense. “Those fanfictions really corrupted you! I’m gonna sue every single writer for taking your innocence!”

Poor Nagi, he was a victim of those overzealous amateurs who slandered them online thinking they were safe behind their screens!  

Reo took a deep breath to calm down and put his arm around Nagi’s shoulders. “Nagi, just because some fans like to portray our relationship this way doesn’t mean we have to act it out. It’s all fantasy.” 

Suddenly, Nagi turned quiet, his face as blank as usual. “Reo… Sorry, I’m corrupted…. But I wanna be like a normal couple with Reo… Can’t I?”

“Normal…. Couple?”

“Like in the movies, Reo…”

So Nagi really meant what he had said? Nagi wanted to marry him… A warm and fuzzy feeling settled in Reo’s chest when he imagined a life with Nagi. Waking up to his cute face every morning and falling asleep cuddled together at night…

All this time, Nagi had kept all these feelings locked in his heart. Hidden away, quietly waiting for Reo to notice. Meanwhile, Reo had been busy chasing phantom problems. How he had failed Nagi! 

“I’m so sorry, Nagi,” Reo ruffled Nagi’s hair as if it could undo the pain he had inflicted on him. “We don’t need to be a normal couple, ‘normal’ doesn’t suit us anyway. Let’s just be us, okay? I’ll take better care of you from now on!”

Nagi hummed and it sounded a little bit more confident. “I’ll take care of you, too… a little bit… I also have to look after Rin, Reo.” 

“So you really want to, uhm, adopt Rin?” Reo asked, remembering Nagi’s initial declaration.

“Bachira sucks as a partner, Reo… He didn’t praise Rin even once… Rin deserves better… Besides, Rin is important to you so he should be part of our family.”

A real, loving family… Perhaps it was what Nagi was longing for. Or perhaps he was still seeing his old self in Rin. Or both. Yet even though Rin was younger than them, there was absolutely no way Reo could see him as their child. “I don’t think that works, Nagi.”

“You’re good with words, Reo… You can convince Rin…”

“Of course, you’re leaving it to me…” Reo sighed. Rather than Rin, Reo would have to convince Nagi to give up on the adoption plans. It was strange though… He hadn’t expected Nagi to care so much about Rin…

Chapter Text

When they arrived back at Blue Lock, the facility had changed. Suddenly, there were doors where there had been walls before; signs and floor plans hung everywhere so nobody could get lost anymore, and the walls had been painted in friendly pastel colours and even boasted fake windows to make Blue Lock look less like a prison. 

Apart from the mandatory safety improvements, they now also had various supporting staff. There were coaches to help them warm up and doctors for regular medical check-ups, including a weekly session with a mental health counsellor. 

Apparently, the regulators had also decided that Blue Lock should be treated as a boarding school. As Reo quickly discovered, boarding school regulations meant that each student, or player in this case, must be permitted to decorate their personal space. What the term “decoration” entailed wasn’t further specified. 

Some Blue Lock candidates interpreted it as posters and photos; for Shidou it meant the Sae cardboard figure he had somehow smuggled out of the hotel. Reo took advantage of it to proudly display all of his Nagi merchandise. 

The Nagi fan T-shirt, a few posters, and some of the cards were affixed to the walls of their bedroom and most of the figures now lived on Reo’s shelf. There wasn’t enough space so Reo had to put the remaining merchandise on the floor next to the bed that was now covered with a black blanket depicting Nagi trapping the ball.

Nagi’s and Rin’s gifts were safely displayed in a custom glass vitrine Reo had shipped in—it took almost all of the floor space but Reo had ignored Chigiri’s complaints. As much as he wanted to wear the ring and the hair clip, he’d never forgive himself if his most treasured possessions would get damaged. 

“It’s like we’re living in a Nagi temple,” Chigiri disrupted Reo’s thoughts.

Chigiri put tubs and tubes containing creams and lotions on his shelf that clearly didn’t come from a home decor section. 

“What do you mean? It’s only natural that I want to show off my Treasure! I don’t think it’s enough, to be honest…. I know, I’ll hang the remaining posters above Nagi’s bed!”

Nagi’s bed was empty and the emptiness extended to Reo’s heart. Reo had never thought that he would miss Rin but the short time they had spent together had been so much fun… Now, it looked like Rin didn’t even want to be in the same room as him.

“Reooo…” Nagi joined them, sleepily rubbing his eyes. He stopped when he noticed Reo’s decorations. “Woah, so many Nagis…  It’s like an army of Nagis, Reo.”

“Well, you are popular, my Treasure! Actually, I was thinking about adding some more posters.” Reo’s gaze remained on Nagi, that cute ball of fluff who apparently wanted to marry him. The thought made his lips curl into an uncontrollable silly grin.

“Reo, I want a good night kiss, I can’t sleep without…”

Reo sighed. “What should I do with you?” he asked in a playful tone. Had Nagi gone through the effort of filling out a visitor form and walking all the way from Rin’s stratum just for a kiss?

“You’re not really gonna kiss Rin, are you?!” Chigiri dropped the cream he had been holding. “You and Nagi literally got engaged with toy rings! How can you do that to him?”

“They’re partner rings,” Nagi said with his deadpan voice. “Not toys. They mean that Reo and Nagi will be together for the rest of their lives. Nagi will never leave Reo.”

So that’s what the rings were for…

“I don’t see how that makes a differe—”

“Please, Chigiri, It’s not what you think,” Reo interrupted. But what was it? He’d be cheating on Nagi with Nagi… Their relationship wasn’t even like that in the first place! “Rin’s just really into pretending to be Nagi, you know that he’s a hard worker. I’ll talk to him, would you mind leaving us alone for a minute?”

“I don’t wanna.” Chigiri picked up the cream that was still on the floor. “It’s my room, too.”

“Please?”

Chigiri shrugged. “Argh, fine but only because you helped me with Kunigami.” 

After Chigiri had left, Reo took a deep breath. “Nagi, don’t do this to me! You can only talk about kissing when we’re alone, okay?”

Nagi hummed. “Only when we’re alone… All the Nagis don’t count…”

“The Nagis can watch.” Reo chuckled—they were just posters and figures. Despite the grand plans for the future, Nagi was still the same... “Come on, then…”

Nagi’s lips were always much softer and warmer than Reo expected. He should have gotten used to these kisses by now but the tingling in Reo’s stomach was just as intense as the first time. And letting go of Nagi seemed to become more difficult the more he kissed him.

“Reo, don’t forget to give Rin a good night kiss, too, okay?” Nagi said while he was still so close that Reo could feel Nagi’s breath on his cheek.

Kiss… Rin? Reo immediately jerked back. “Nagi, I can’t just kiss Rin! He wouldn’t even like it! Stop thinking of us as his parents; if you want children we should, uhm, get real ones—I mean later, not now obviously!”

Why were they discussing family planning now? Luckily, Nagi was as perceptive as a potato so he probably couldn’t feel the awkwardness that hung in the air.

“Rin’s not our child, Reo…” Nagi replied, as Reo had expected, his voice was as calm as usual. “He’s more like… uhm… ah, my younger brother.”

“If you want him to be your brother, your parents need to adopt him, not we! You should have said that in the first place!” Reo ruffled through Nagi’s hair. “Besides, Rin already has a brother, remember? We played against him in the U-20 match.” 

Nagi pouted. “That guy’s even worse than that failure Bachira, Reo. Rin needs someone who loves him like you do and someone who spoils him like I do so he’ll be happy until he gets a partner. That’s why we’ll adopt him, Reo...”

So Nagi had actually put quite a lot of thought into this… But could he actually love Rin? Did Rin even want to be loved?

“Just remember the good night kiss, Reo, okay?” Nagi said while he reluctantly turned to leave. “You’re not good at kissing but he’ll like it anyway. Just like I do, Reo.”

Who did Nagi, the guy with zero experience think he was? “If I’m not good at it, I guess I won’t need to do it anymore!”

“No, Reoooo… You need to practise. Ah, practise on me, not on Rin so he only gets the good kisses…”

Reo shook his head. Nagi had probably said that only because he wanted more kisses. “Go to sleep now or no one gets any kisses!” 

“Alright, I’m leaving, Reo. I'm already gone.” Just when Nagi was at the door he turned around. “I wanna make lots of real children with you, Reo...”

“That’s not how it works!” Reo shouted with a red face but Nagi was already gone.

Reo sighed. He hadn’t been able to tell Nagi that kissing Rin wasn’t as easy as he had made it seem. Also, could he even love Rin like Nagi wanted him to?

There wasn’t much time to dwell on the matter as Rin appeared sooner than Reo would have liked. 

Upon entering the room, Rin immediately shuffled back a step.“What is this?”

“You don’t like it?” Reo immediately asked. Maybe he had overdone it? What if Rin felt uncomfortable with the transformation of their bedroom?

“It’s alright.” Rin shrugged as he looked around. “Don’t put your stuff on the floor though, it will get damaged. Shidou brought extra shelves for the disgusting rubbish he got. I’ll take some of them for you tomorrow.”

“Uhm, thanks,” Reo muttered. Rin was so considerate…

“Is something wrong?” Rin asked and Reo noticed that he had been staring at him.

“Not wrong…” Reo started. “Just, well…”

There was no way he could kiss Rin! The thought made his face feel hot and his brain forgot that words existed. “Uhm, Rin…”

Kissing Rin was easy to say for Nagi… Doing it was an entirely different story. But Reo also knew that this might be their last chance. Despite Nagi’s adoption plans, Rin would soon be their enemy again…

Rin’s lip… Reo already knew how kissable they were. Maybe he could do it just one last time?

Out of desperation, Reo stepped forward to be close enough to Rin. He could see Rin’s eyes widening but didn’t hesitate as he placed his lips on Rin’s. 

Rin didn’t reject him but didn’t lean into the kiss either. Like a statue, he stood motionless as Reo tasted his lips, so warm, so soft. It was only a brief moment before Reo pulled back, his stomach in turmoil. 

Rin still didn’t speak. His face slightly reddened, just like Reo’s, he slowly rubbed his lips.

Did he like it or not? With Rin’s expressionless face, Reo couldn’t tell. “Uhm, sorry…” he said tentatively.

“What are you trying to do? Making Nagi jealous?”

“Giving you a kiss. Nagi told me to do it—I mean I did it because I wanted to! It’s because…” Because Rin would soon leave. But Reo couldn’t bring the words over his lips.  

“Keep it PG-13 while I’m here, will you?” Chigiri suddenly said.

Reo hadn’t even noticed that the redhead had returned. “Uhm, sure,” he muttered in response, his eyes still focused on Rin, who awkwardly stood opposite him.

But Rin just went to his bed and put the duvet all the way over his face. There was still no telling whether he had actually liked the kiss so Reo went to bed with a flutter in his stomach. Perhaps he really was bad at kissing?

Chapter Text

When Nagi woke up, the first thing he saw was a giant poster of himself on the wall. He got all warm and fuzzy inside seeing how much Reo wanted to show him off. 

And instead of the shrill sound of an alarm clock, Nagi was greeted by Reo’s lovely and energetic voice, making his heart beat faster. 

“Good morning, Rin!”

Slowly, Nagi lifted his hands—they were his. And he was in his own bed, his partner right next to him. “Reo…”

“Nagi?” Reo blinked a few times. “Nagi, you’re back!”

Of course, Reo immediately recognised who he was, he was smart after all. Nagi hummed. “Reo, I’m ba—”

Reo threw himself at Nagi and hugged him so tightly that Nagi couldn’t speak anymore. “Welcome back, my Treasure!”

Nagi wished he could start every day with Reo halfway sitting on his lap, hugging him, and vigorously ruffling his hand through his hair. Yet his euphoria didn’t last long, Reo got up and stepped away from him.

Getting accustomed to being in his own body, Nagi blinked again. So much had changed while he had been Rin… Perhaps he and Reo were at the stage where they could hold hands? Maybe even do more than that? 

Reo had said they didn’t need to be like a normal couple. That was probably why their stages were all over the place too.

However, if Nagi had learned one thing from this whole misadventure it was that Reo sometimes wasn’t aware of the most obvious things. And if someone as perfect as Reo didn’t know about something, it meant that it had never been obvious at all. 

“It’s your first day back, you should take it easy today and rest. Is there anything you want, my Treasure?” Reo asked.

Nagi hummed. “I want Reo.”

“Huh?”

Briefly, Nagi wondered whether the permission to touch Reo was still valid. But if Reo had allowed Rin’s hands on him, surely Nagi’s own hands were allowed too.

He got up and pulled Reo close. Chigiri wasn’t there, perhaps he had gone to wash or eat breakfast. “It’s okay, nobody is watching, Reo…” 

“Yeah, it’s okay, my Treasure. I’ll show you I’m not a bad kisser!”

His heart pounding louder than a sledgehammer, Nagi met Reo’s mouth with the same force and intensity as Reo met his. His lips slightly parted, Reo tasted of sleep and toothpaste. Cautiously at first, then more intense, Nagi’s tongue demanded entrance into Reo’s mouth. He didn’t know if that was what he was supposed to do, just that it felt so right. 

He pressed against Reo, like their bodies were drawn together by a magnet; even if he wanted Nagi would be unable to resist. 

Yet Reo didn’t give in so easily. His tongue met Nagi’s and, intertwined, they danced together. Saliva ran down Nagi’s mouth but he hardly noticed.

Nagi cupped Reo’s cheeks, Reo was hot and Nagi felt like his entire body was set on fire. Never before had he felt anything as intense as Reo before—how was it even possible to feel this way?

The kiss sparked desire in his other body parts, he desperately needed to feel all of Reo. His hands slipping under Reo’s shirt, Nagi pressed his partner even closer to himself. 

Meanwhile, Nagi’s tongue finally entered Reo’s mouth, still dancing with Reo’s. Demanding, forceful, and needy as if he had been starved, he sucked out Reo’s sanity. 

With one leg, Nagi stepped in between Reo’s legs and Reo let out a surprise moan. 

This was good: the sound Reo would make only for him.

His face reddened, Reo suddenly jerked back. “Nagi…” he said without any hint on how it was meant.

“Reo… did I hurt you?” 

Reo shook his head. “I just need to get used to this new side of you.”

Nagi pouted. New side? He’d always been like this… “Alright, I’ll be patient, Reo…”

While Reo got ready for the day, Nagi lounged on Reo’s bed—after all, he should take it easy. 

Absorbed into his phone—or rather Rin’s phone that he was using because Rin still had his, he didn’t notice Reo approaching until he felt his partner’s weight against him. 

“Fanfiction?” Reo asked. He had now changed into the Blue Lock bodysuit. “Wanna read together?”

“It’s a comic, Reo…” Nagi replied and lifted the phone so Reo could see better.

The screen showed a panel of Reo in the kitchen. He was preparing tamagoyaki for breakfast while Comic Nagi played games on the sofa. 

“Comic Nagi is very lucky, he gets spoiled by Comic Reo,” Nagi explained before he realised that Reo probably needed more context. “It’s set after they won the World Cup, they’re married, Reo.”

“Oh, our fans really believe in us! We better work hard so we don’t disappoint them! But this seems surprisingly ordinary, isn’t it boring to read?”

Nagi scrolled back a few panels. “They had pretty hot sex at night, Reo…”

“Wah, don’t show me!” Reo quickly closed his eyes and covered Nagi’s with his hand.

Nagi pouted. “Reo… I have already read it, about 20 times, so I know what it looks like…”

Thankfully, Reo removed his hand and instead looked at him, blinking a few times. “You like it that much?”

“Yeah, I can’t wait for it to become reality, Reo…” Nagi replied while he continued to read the comic. “Only the author has forgotten about Rin…”

“So that’s the future you want… I guess I better learn how to cook!”

Nagi felt Reo’s hand on his head, he lifted his arm up so their hands could connect. 

“If Rin hasn’t found a partner by then, he’ll also live with us, Reo. I’ll cook for him. I’ll ask him what he likes when I bring him water later.”

“Why are you bringing Rin water?! He’s not a pet, Nagi!”

“Then I’ll take just a bottle… I’ll think about it some more, Reo…” Choki always liked it when he watered it but Rin wasn’t a cactus… Spoiling him was hard, how was he supposed to know what Rin needed? 

“I know you can do it.” Reo intertwined their fingers and leaned closer against him. “But let's finish reading this comic first, shall we?”

Nagi hummed happily.

Chapter Text

When Rin woke up, there was no sign of Reo. Instead, his hands clutched a purple pillow with Reo’s face that Nagi had clearly taken from the hotel. 

Wait, this body… It was his! Rin took a deep breath. He reached out to touch his hair, face, and arms—all of it was his. Finally, Rin pressed his palm onto his chest to feel his heartbeat. 

When Rin was convinced he wasn’t dreaming, he completed his morning routine as usual. There was no stiffness in his body; Nagi must have really kept his promise. 

Rin wondered if Reo missed him as he ate breakfast. When they would see each other again, it would be as enemies… As Rin had feared, his feelings had reached a level where they couldn’t be turned off. No matter how often he told himself he’d crush Reo, it were just empty words.

And it wasn’t just Reo. When Nagi came to visit him, Rin couldn’t find his usual feelings of annoyance. He had already accepted that Nagi was an odd creature. But he was also earnest, almost too much. Seriously, what kind of person would encourage his boyfriend slash fiancé slash whatever they were to pursue another person? 

After they had exchanged their phones, Nagi had patted Rin’s head and left him his Manshine uniform for reasons unknown, promising Reo would stop by later.

Rin’s stomach twisted at the thought, and he wasn’t sure if he actually wanted to see Reo. Reo had kissed him and Rin had… He facepalmed at the thought of his reaction.  

The mixed feelings lasted for the rest of the day—Reo didn’t visit until the evening. 

The purple-haired striker awkwardly stood in the corridor when Rin had just finished dinner. “Rin— Wait, did Nagi really give you his uniform?! That’s cute!”

Nagi’s Manshine uniform reminded him of Reo, so Rin had been wearing it all day despite the odd looks from his teammates. “He said I should  have it…”

“It looks good on you.” Reo smiled cautiously. “Nagi never bothered with relationships before. I guess he just does what makes sense to him. Don’t be annoyed, he’ll get better.”

“It doesn’t bother me.” Rin also didn’t really know how to interact with Nagi. Having been in another body had been a first for both of them.

But with that, the conversation subject was exhausted. Rin wasn’t a great conversationalist, but he frantically tried to think of a topic before the silence could get awkward. “I’ll get the shelves I promised you!” 

“Rin…” Reo put his hands on Rin’s arm so he couldn’t leave. “I’m sorry for last night.” 

Rin raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Because you didn’t like what I did… I shouldn’t have done it…”

“It’s alright, it wasn’t bad…,“ Rin replied, feeling heat flushing into his cheeks. But no matter how embarrassing it was, Reo deserved to know. “I liked it, Reo. I liked it more than I should.”

“Really?”

“Don’t make me repeat it.”

“Thank you, Rin.” Reo smiled before his face turned serious again. “I know I’m selfish, but can we continue like this? Can we still talk even though we’re rivals?”

Rin hummed. “But I won’t go easy on you if we face each other.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way!”

When Reo came closer, Rin stepped back. “What are you doing?”

“Uhm, I was going to hug you.” Reo broke their eye contact to look at the floor instead. “Can’t I?”

Rin didn’t reply; he just hoped Reo would interpret his silence as consent.

Though his steps were hesitant, Reo moved towards him and placed his hands on Rin’s upper arms. Yet a few seconds later, he jerked back again. “Ah, sorry, uhm, I guess I got too used to touching your body while you were Nagi.”

“It’s okay.” To his own surprise, Rin pulled Reo back, wrapping his arms around him. 

Now, it was Reo who blushed. “Uhm, Rin?”

“What, you don’t like it? You’re the one who started this.”

“That’s not it! I’m just surprised,” Reo replied quickly. “I guess I’m not used to people taking the initiative. Nagi didn’t do that until recently.”

Rin simply nodded and silently enjoyed Reo’s warmth, which felt unlike anything he had known before. If he wanted Reo, he’d have to accept Nagi. But Nagi wasn’t all there was to Reo, far from it; yet he was an integral part of Reo’s identity.

Some would say Reo was creepy and obsessive, especially with his Nagi merchandise collection. Yet, in reality, Reo just wanted to share his discovery with everyone despite how much he loved Nagi. 

It was selfless and selfish at the same time, just like Rin was when he held Reo. He wanted Reo to be happy but also wanted a share of his kindness and love. 

Because of him, Reo had suffered, and that wasn’t right. Reo should always have a bright, confident smile on his face and eyes that sparkled with excitement. It was embarrassing that it had taken Rin so long to understand something Nagi had always known. “I’m sorry, Reo. I’m sorry I said that I’d crush you. Nobody ever made my heart beat faster like you do. I couldn’t control it anymore. And I don’t like not being in control.”

“Thanks, Rin.” Reo smiled, beautifully and mesmerising, when he took Rin’s hand. “You’ll see, being with me is fun!”

Reo withdrew his hand, and Rin already missed it. But at least Reo kept smiling. “I missed out on a ton of things. You didn’t tell me how things went with your brother. Care to fill me in?”

For a moment, Rin stood motionless with slightly parted lips. Reo remembered, Reo cared even though they had their bodies back… “You’re still interested?”

Reo nodded. “Of course. You’re interesting, you know.”

With a light and weightless feeling, Rin’s lips curled upwards, a direction unfamiliar to him. The body swap had been annoying, but Rin would be eternally grateful for it. “In the end, we never really found out what caused it...”

“Perhaps it was your soul calling out, and perhaps Nagi’s was the one that resonated with it…” Reo pursed his lips before he smiled again. “Either way, I’m glad it happened!

If Reo was happy, all was well.