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"Get out of my way, genius."
That phrase loops in Nagi's thoughts like a reel on repeat.
He never thought that something that could distract and bother him would be none other than Isagi Yoichi.
Playing football felt more like a chore than a fun activity for Nagi. If Reo hadn't pushed him to play, he wouldn't have considered joining their high school's soccer club. The only enjoyable aspect of football was getting favors from Reo.
Although he was also thankful to the purple-haired player for encouraging him to play. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have been invited to this psychotic project by that egomaniac adult, and he wouldn’t have met Isagi.
Losing was one thing, but losing and having your ass grilled and handed back to you on a silver platter was different.
Something sparked inside him and ignited a deep-seated curiosity and obsession. He was suddenly consumed by a burning desire to delve deeper into the world of football, to run and kick the ball towards the goal. With each successful strike that sent the ball into the net, he couldn't help but feel a magnetic pull from those piercing blue eyes fixed upon him. It was as if they held him captivated, dragging him into an abyss of unending fascination.
"Nagi!"
The white-haired player snapped out of his thoughts and return his focus to his current predicament.
"We're in the middle of a match, you fucker! Get your head out of the gutter," he heard the knuckle-headed-wanna-be-king scream at him, to which he replied with a scoff.
Asshole. And he even rhymed!
Dribbling the ball forward with agility and finesse, he effortlessly maneuvered past the formidable figure of the mohawk king, leaving him trailing in his wake. With unwavering determination, he surged towards the 18-yard box, his heart pounding in anticipation. As he approached the perfect angle, his eyes locked onto the goal, his focus unyielding.
Planting his left foot firmly, a few inches away from the ball, he stretched his right thigh muscles as he pulled it back with all the accumulated frustrations he couldn't linger on earlier.
A second passed. A release of breath.
The world around him blurred into insignificance as he propelled the ball forward with an explosive strike, directly on the upper right of the net, stretching it back. A soft ping was heard in the background of his mind, indicating an earned point.
Nagi can feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins after shooting the goal. It was exhilarating. Something he didn't appreciate before meeting Isagi.
Nothing could match the high he was feeling right.
Then he felt a hand on his hair, which ruffled it softly.
Isagi—standing on his tip toes due to their height difference— smiled up at him while saying, "You did amazing, Nagi."
"..."
Ah, shit.
If he had felt like he was floating earlier, he was now undeniably soaring in the sky upon hearing those words.
Without a moment's hesitation, Nagi gracefully bent his back, positioning his head in the crevice between Isagi's shoulder and neck. His hands gently traveled to the expanse of Isagi's small back, drawing him closer, longing for the other’s tenderness. Isagi responded with a soft chuckle, playfully tousling Nagi's hair, like an indulgent mother to her young.
"You're like an oversize child."
"Maybe I am."
"Pft!"
He would have stayed closer to Isagi if it weren't for a rogue ball hitting him directly on the back of his head, Barou complaining that he was being too touchy, to which he replied with the tip of his tongue in a mocking gesture. Nagi can smell the other player's jealousy from a mile away, making him preen like a sly cat.
His heart pumped more strongly after receiving those words from the blue-eyed player.
Well, he was always a recipient of Isagi's coarse words, so hearing his praise for the first time released another version of himself wherein he wanted to score more goals. Wanting to impress the raven again.
This. This was better than any other mobile games he ever played.
The entire compound of Blue Lock was quiet, except for one specific room. The lights were turned off, meanwhile, the projector was left open. Chigiri and Isagi sat side by side on the floor, rewatching their latest practice match footage.
After showering, both of them headed towards the audiovisual room, as per their agreement during the game, wanting to review the parts they needed to improve and to observe other players' capabilities.
The screen flashed a running Chigiri, who was leading the ball towards the goal.
With his newfound confidence and reignited vigor, the redhead had played like no other, using his speed to stay a few steps ahead of the players in Blue Lock, even if it meant facing the risk of exacerbating his injury.
A joyous laughter was heard in the film, showing Chigiri being bombarded by a few of his teammates with hugs and high fives, congratulating him for scoring another goal. It was a heartwarming scene to witness.
He heard Isagi huff in amusement, making him turn his head to face the other. He can see the blue-eyed player looking at the footage with a fond expression.
"I'm proud of you."
Taken aback, Chigiri replied with a questioning, “What?”
“I said,” Isagi turned his head towards the other, “you did well.” The redhead noticed his change of words from earlier, but didn't comment on it.
His heart thumped loudly in his chest, its rhythm echoing in his ears, as an overwhelming surge of emotions washed over him. The words of affirmation from the raven sent a jolt of warmth coursing through his veins, causing his cheeks to flush with intensity. It was as if a dormant flame within him had been rekindled, fueling his spirit and filling him with a sense of exhilaration.
At that moment, it felt as though time stood still, and all the moments of being overlooked and disregarded melted away. The weight of being ignored for what seemed like an eternity lifted from his shoulders, replaced by a wave of recognition that washed over him like a soothing balm.
Chigiri remembered his mother, a sincere woman with a big heart who was always ready to caress her son's cheek when he was sad or wipe away his tears as they trickled down his face.
"Th-thanks," he stuttered, turning away and feeling embarrassed by the other person's intense stare. "That means a lot to me."
He felt a soft caress down his spine, which further warmed his insides. At the same time, Isagi stood up from his seated position and stretched. "Well, I'll be ending it here today. I've already found areas where I need improvement."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow. Good night, Isagi."
"Good night, Chigiri," the blue-eyed player replied as he left the room.
As soon as the door closed, obscuring wandering eyes from outside, the redhead flopped belly down on the floor, muffling his screams with his hands.
The last time I checked, I definitely did not have any mommy or daddy issues. He thought, torn with his newfound desire to be praised by Isagi.
Reo was not a terrible player per se, he was good at the analytical aspect of football, but the others can see how he relies too much on Nagi. This may be the reason why he was majorly picked on by the others. In a facility filled with ego-driven football maniacs, the glory goes to the striker who shoots the ball, not to the player dribbling the ball forward only to pass it towards another.
The purple-haired player was "too giving" when it comes to Nagi, especially during matches.
Currently, it was one of those days where Ego gave them a day off to do anything they wanted except for going outside. Some players decided to indulge themselves with a mini-coma—sleeping for the whole day—while others chatted and played with their earned phones since there is nothing much to do inside the facility.
The facilities’ gym was filled with those dedicated to improving their physical fitness, which is basically just a few of them.
In the rare moment of motivation, Reo decided to hit the gym. The recent comments from others and his performance in their latest game rose some insecurities regarding his physical prowess and overall skills as a striker. So rather than dwelling on them, he could use the extra energy to do some sets. He changed into the facility’s tracksuit and took a hand towel with him on his way to the workout room.
The sounds of weights clinking, the rhythmic thud of treadmills, and the buzz of energy greeted him, realizing that there were quite a few players in the room. Nonetheless, he headed toward a nearby open space and unfolded an unused mat to warm up.
I should have brought Nagi to spot me on some weights.
Reo thought as he did a light jog in place, remembering the white-haired boy still asleep in the dorm room. After a few minutes of warming up, he decided to do a few sets of bicep curls. Taking two dumbbells from the rack with a weight not too heavy, he went back to his open space.
Realizing that he did not have a timer, he looked around for the nearest person, which unfortunately happens to be Isagi. Just seeing the blue-eyed player reminds him too much of his shortcomings.
“Hey, number 11”, he called out, making the other turn towards him. He noticed the raven was already sweating buckets. Probably did some cardio earlier. “Do you have a stopwatch?”
He saw Isagi dug through his pocket and took out a small gadget. “Here,” he said as he handed out the device.
“Thanks.” Inputting a few minutes in the device, he looked up to see the raven still standing in the same spot, looking at him.
“What?”
“Uhm, I need the stopwatch after my break.”
“You could have just told me that you needed it,” he commented, giving the timer back to the other wherein Isagi pushed it back with his palm.
“It’s okay, you can borrow it. I’ll start with my next workout after yours.”
With this, Reo began his set with a little hesitation, not used to working out while someone was watching. A bit embarrassed he performs a few bicep curls while looking ahead, trying to ignore the presence near him.
"Not bad."
He can feel the warmth on his cheeks after hearing the murmured comment, obviously not intended for him to hear. With a sudden burst of energy, he added some repetitions and increased his speed, making sure to clench his arm muscles more to flex them.
The timer dinged, a few minutes lapsing to show the start of his break in between the set, which prompt him to put down the weights.
“You have a nice build.”
Bursts of cough came out of his mouth, choking from the air. A renewed sense of confidence flooded his insides after receiving the compliment, not familiar with the unusual recognition from the raven, who was usually crass in the field, especially towards him. He turned his face away, too self-conscious to look at the other.
“Everyone here has a nice build, Isagi,” he replied sternly. He doesn’t want to show how the praise affected him too much. Since Reo have always received compliments in his high school, getting worked up with his current situation could sully his reputation.
“Hm, you’re right. Although, you are leaner than the others. It also helps with how tall you are.”
Is it getting hot in here? Or is the AC not working? I’ll sue Ego if ever it’s a technical malfunction.
"Then you should have drunk your milk when you were younger."
"Can I drink it now?"
What the–
Reo's brain completely malfunctioned. He took a step back with his fist in his mouth, not knowing what to do. This damn bastard. This shameless damn bastard.
“Wha-whatever!” The purple-haired player dashed out of there faster than Hermes, physically removing himself from the situation. Unbeknownst to him, Isagi stood there speechless, confused by the other’s actions. The quiet ding of the timer rang in the space which was left behind by the user earlier.
“Maybe he thinks I'm too short.”
Bachira is not a morning person. He has always hated getting up early in the morning and prefers to sleep until early afternoon. So, it is no wonder that Isagi was trying to pull him out of his futon for their morning routine in the facility.
“Bachira! Wake up!” the blue-eyed player implored as he wiggled the bicolored hair player out of his slumber. “We still have to shower!”
Isagi tried slapping his face lightly to no avail. “Come on! I heard Ego was serving rice omelet to those players who will reach the cafeteria first,” he coaxed. Unfortunately, Bachira did not wake up even after hearing about the opportunity to eat good food.
The raven was getting impatient, not wanting to leave the other behind. Suddenly, a light bulb of an idea popped into his head.
Hm, perhaps…
He made a move to stand up as he headed towards the door. "Fine, I was planning to shower with you and scrub your back. But I guess I have to take it by myself and scrub someone else's."
Bachira leaped from the comfort of his own futon while exclaiming, "No, no! I’m up, I’m up!"
Alas, with some of his limbs still asleep, the bicolored hair player tripped on the floor.
A soft giggle was heard from the room. Isagi, having witnessed the other being such a klutz before, has still not gotten over how amusing it is to see in the flesh.
Groaning, Bachira tried to stand up, but subsequently stopped after feeling a hand softly carding through his hair. He looked up and saw Isagi crouching in front of him.
"Good boy," the raven murmured. "Shower?"
"Of course," Bachira, out of breath, replied.
Isagi stood up from his position and walked towards the shower rooms, with the yellow-eyed player following not far behind. His mind ringing from what he heard earlier.
Is this what they call a ‘praise kink?’, Bachira thought.
The Bastard Munchen players were in the field doing their own self-training. Meaning, they get to have the freedom to choose what they want to do to improve their skills. Some players prefer to do free kicks or practice their dribbles around cones. For Michael Kaiser, however, this is the perfect opportunity to annoy the hell out of the blue-eyed little egoist.
“Who cut your hair? Your mom?” Ah yes. The classic your mom jokes. A perfect topic for Kaiser to get on the other’s nerves.
Isagi ignored him and continued to work on his footwork, his focus unwavering. But Kaiser was relentless. He couldn't resist the temptation of irritating Isagi, who always seemed to carry an air of arrogance.
"Seriously, Isagi, did you let a blindfolded chicken style your hair? It's a wonder you can see the goal with all that mess in your eyes!" Kaiser taunted, a smug grin spreading across his face.
Still, Isagi remained unperturbed, his determination shining through his calm exterior. This ticked the German player off, frustrated that the raven was ignoring him.
But Kaiser was determined to get a reaction. He couldn't stand Isagi's self-assured demeanor, and he felt the need to bring him down a notch or two. He continued with his jabs, hoping to get under Isagi's skin.
"Hey, Isagi, I've seen toddlers with better ball control than you. Are you even sure you're cut out for this sport?" Kaiser sneered, trying to provoke a response. He also inserted himself between the cones, blocking Isagi’s way.
An annoyed look was all he received when the other dribbled the other way.
This little- Talk to me, damn it!
The lack of vocal reaction pissed him off, resulting in him throwing childish banter like, “Hey! Your face is really round. Like a baby,” and,
“Man, your skin is so pale. Are you sure you’ve played in the field before?”, and,
“It’s weird bending my neck just to look at yo–”
"Shut your trap up or I'll strangle your neck."
Michael paused at the reply, surprised at the other’s amount of hostility. Isagi glared at him, his azure eyes blazing under the sun. His face commanded attention—Kaiser’s attention— and made an alluring sight to see. The contents of the reply got the other scrambling for a rebuttal inside his head.
Thinking about the raven wrapping his dainty fingers around his neck while looking down at him with that expression rose heat from his stomach, all the way to his face. His throat constricted, not allowing him to swallow the pooling saliva in his mouth. A shiver ran through his spine as he imagined the other sitting on top of him, ordering him to abide by his wishes, leaving him no choice but to submit.
The growing silence forced him to gulp down. With a soft exhale he replied,
“Yes, please.”
“Pardon me?!”, Isagi screeched.
“What?”
“You said something earlier.”
“I said fuck off!”
Michael Kaiser immediately stormed off, embarrassed beyond belief. He passed by their coach, who looked at him questioningly, wondering why his face was red.