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"It's pronounced 'security,'" said one of the players, attempting to help another improve their pronunciation.
"'Se-cu-re-ty?'"
"Almost. The 'ri' is short, just like in 'rinse.'"
Frustration arose as Sendou slammed his head on the table. "Why do we even need this? Can't we just keep our interpreters on during the World Cup and stuff?"
"Learning English is crucial for us to play on an international level," Niko explained, setting aside his vocabulary book to take out his workbook and a pencil. "The World Cup is hosted by a different country. We'll not only have to communicate with players but also deal with airport announcements and talk to interviewers, the press."
"He's right," Barou chimed in, putting his earphones in and pressing a button on his phone. "The interpreters are just a short-term solution. We need to properly communicate and play as efficiently as possible, donkey. Your tiny brain should at least get the basics."
Sendou scoffed in response.
"Don't be so harsh on him. He was never the sharpest tool in the box." Aiku patted the red-head's back.
Sendou crossed his arms, feeling targeted. "What has this turned into? Why are you all ganging up on me now?"
"Yeah, let's not brush over the fact that he said 'sharpest tool in the box' – like, how old are you again, gramps?"
Aiku whined, "Why are y'all acting like I'm a whole ass geezer? I'm 19!"
"If you looked more glam, people wouldn't have the impression of you being older than 30," Aryu teased.
"He looks like he got recently divorced and has another three baby mamas."
Sendou bursted out laughing, giving Niko a low five. "That was gold. He does look like he's got mad child support to pay."
"Seriously, I don't wanna hear that from the lot of you two! I mean, come on, one looks like a freakin' mushroom you'd find in the forest, and the other dude's got a hair color that's like a salmon you'd have for dinner."
"Ayo, what do you mean by that, huh?" Sendou nudged Aiku. He couldn't help but snicker at the creative comeback.
"Can y'all shut the hell up?" Barou roared, taking one earpiece out. "Supposed to be studying, you clowns."
"Boring," Sendou booed. "If you're as good as you claim to be, you should be the one teaching us."
"That's not my job. I don't even know why you guys are here anyway. It's way better to study alone. You–"
"This is my room too, you know?" Aryu interrupted, throwing his hair back. "Helping people is one of the most glamorous things you could do. It shows your inner beauty. That's why I offered to study together."
"Whatever," Barou scoffed, turning back to his devices.
"Don't worry about the hassle king," Aiku brightly grinned. "Y'all have me, after all," he pointed his thumbs at himself.
There was an awkward silence in the air. All three of the Uber players just stared at him blankly before turning back to their respective work. You could hear a quiet feminine ssaying something in English coming from Barou's headphones.
"Oh my god. C'mon."
"I'd rather be taught by a preschooler, thank you," Niko spoke, still focused on his task at hand.
"You might not know, but I'm actually great at English," Aiku flashed his pearly white teeth.
"I knew you looked old, but I didn't know that you had Alzheimer's too."
Sendou gasped. "I knew that you had been hiding your real age. Tell us, how old are you?"
"25?" Aryu joined in the playful banter.
"No way," Niko shook his head, his puffy hair swinging from side to side. "35 at least. He looks like he had as many part-time jobs as stubble on his face."
"Screw you guys," Aiku leaned back, supporting his weight by his hands planted on the ground. "Mop head, I can see that smirk. Don't gas yourself up too much!"
"But for real, where did you learn to speak English?" Aryu took a brown tie out of his sweatpants' pocket to tie his hair in a high bun.
"My parents met in Sweden. But my mom is Japanese, and my dad is half-Swedish, right? So they spoke English with each other. And they continued to do so when I came into the picture," Aiku explained, seemingly reminiscing about the time he was still living with both his parents in Europe.
"Do you miss Sweden?" Sendou asked, genuinely intrigued by the story. They were U20 teammates for a few months before they had their match against Blue Lock. And although they were close, Aiku never really talked about his childhood – to anyone really, at least nobody that Sendou knew of.
"Of course, I do. I grew up there," the heterochromatic player sighed, playing with one of the hems of his sweater. "I miss the friends I made there, family…the food. Wait, what am I talking about? Japanese food is way better." He chuckled.
"I heard that it's constantly cold there?"
"Oh?" He stroked his beard. "I don't know for sure, but I do remember that the temperature difference was abnormal. It would be ice-cold in the winter and hellishly hot in the summer."
"Guys, this is not 'Swedish Fun Facts with Aiku'," he said, taking the closest book on the table with the Blue Lock logo on it and waving it around. "We're here to study, after all."
"Mh, I see." Niko took the opportunity to ask for Aiku's help, "Hey, can you explain the difference between 'going-to-future' and 'will-future' again? I want to make sure I get it right."
Aiku, happy to help, put on a mock serious expression, "Niko Ikki asking for my assistance? Well, I am honored." He playfully placed his hand on his chest.
"Don't be too flattered. I expect someone who witnessed the assassination of Caesar to know their English tenses."