Chapter Text
When Isagi was nine years old, he received the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go to Germany and see the highly anticipated Bastard München vs. Berserk Dortmund match. To make the occasion even more special, the trip would take place on his upcoming tenth birthday next month
Isagi's excitement for the match knew no bounds, especially since he would get to see the legendary Noel Noa play live before his very eyes. Motivated by this prospect, he immediately went to his room to begin learning German so he could fully immerse himself in the language and understand the sports commentator's commentary during the match
A month later when Isagi stepped off the plane in Munich, he was bursting with excitement for the football match he would soon get to attend. However, after spending so much time on the plane, he found himself feeling a little stir-crazy. With his parents' permission, he made the wise decision to explore the city and get some fresh air.
As Isagi walked the streets of Munich, his eyes scanned the surroundings for any signs of life. He was starting to feel a little discouraged when he stumbled upon an empty playground. Just as he was ready to turn around and leave, a wild football flew straight at his face, nearly knocking him down. Isagi's quick reflexes saved him from the direct hit as he managed to dodge and catch the ball mid-air.
As he looked around to see where the ball came from, he spotted a blonde boy wearing a black hoodie walking toward him. The boy looked to be around Isagi's age and seemed to be the one who owns the ball. Isagi couldn't help but feel a touch of curiosity. Could this mystery boy be looking for trouble?
Intrigued by the mysterious boy he just met, Isagi approached the other boy with a friendly smile on his face, still holding the football in one hand
"Hi there! Are you the owner of this ball?" Isagi said, extending his hand with the football towards the boy. "My name's Isagi Yoichi, by the way. It's nice to meet you!"
The other boy looked at him with both suspicion and curiosity, glancing at his hand and then back at him. The mysterious boy was dead silent which made Isagi feel awkward at the silence
Caught off guard by the boy's silence, Isagi wondered if he had done something wrong. However, before he could break the awkward tension, Michael spoke up, breaking the spell with his introductions
"Uhm, yeah. I'm Michael Kaiser," he said nervously, taking the ball from Isagi's extended hand. The boy's voice was soft-spoken and almost shy, but his eyes sparkled with curiosity
Isagi felt a surge of relief when the boy finally spoke up, his voice low and slightly nervous. He couldn't help but feel intrigued by the mysterious boy's demeanor and the way he spoke. But about his name..
"Eh?" Isagi said in confusion as the mysterious boy spoke his name
"I'm.. Michael Kaiser." The other boy spoke once more, revealing a name that sounded similar to a Japanese word but different in a way that made Isagi scratch his head in confusion
"Michael Kaiser?" Isagi repeated in his head, his brows furrowing in confusion. He had never heard that name before, and it took him a second to process the information
"Mi-M-Mihyaeru?" he repeated, struggling to properly pronounce the boy's name. It sounded foreign to his ears, as if it were from a different language altogether. He tried again, doing his best to pronounce it correctly. "Your name's Mihyaeru Kaiser?"
"Michael Kaiser." The boy repeated firmly, his brows furrowing as he tried to correct Isagi's pronunciation. He was starting to get a little frustrated that his name was being butchered, but he tried to keep his cool
"Mihyaeru Kaiser!" Isagi repeated, clearly not understanding and still having trouble pronouncing Kaiser's name
"Michael." Kaiser replied flatly, his voice low and even. He was clearly annoyed and tired of correcting Isagi's pronunciation
"Ahhh! Your name is so long and hard to pronounce! Whatever, I'll just call you Mihya!" Isagi said playfully, laughing at his own joke. Kaiser just muttered something under his breath and looked away, clearly done with this conversation
Isagi pouted at the silent response but continued to talk anyways
"So Mihya-san do you like to play football?" Isagi asked Kaiser, his face shining with excitement at the prospect of a new potential friend who shares his love for the sport. "You know, football? Kicking the ball around? Scoring goals, that kind of thing?"
But his excitement quickly turned to disbelief when Kaiser responded with a confused "What's football?"
The room fell silent as Isagi absorbed the shocking revelation. For a moment, he couldn't even comprehend how anyone could NOT know what football was. In an instant, he erupted into a loud outcry
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT FOOTBALL IS?!" he shouted, his voice echoing throughout the empty playground. Kaiser flinched at the sudden outburst, covering his ears to block out the harsh noise. The silence following the outburst felt even more awkward than before as Isagi waited for a response, his arms crossed tight across his chest
When Isagi finally calmed down, he took a deep breath and his expression softened
"Ah, sorry about that. I just... I'm kind of passionate about football," he said sheepishly. He realized that he had been a little too intense, and he didn't want to scare away his new potential friend
Kaiser lowered his hands and looked at Isagi with a raised eyebrow. "What is football?" he asked again, his tone showing a hint of curiosity
"It's... well, it's kinda hard to explain," Isagi said, searching for the right words. "But I can show you!" he said excitedly, gesturing for Kaiser to come with him. "I'll teach you how to play and you can see for yourself, okay? Come on, let's go to the field over there!"
Isagi led Kaiser over to the empty field, feeling a rush of excitement as he imagined the potential for a new friendship. He hoped that Kaiser would like football as much as he did, and that they could become good friends through their shared passion for the sport
As they made their way towards the field, Isagi explained the rules of football to Kaiser, his passion for the game shining through in his voice as he spoke. He showed Kaiser how to pass, dribble, and shoot, and even demonstrated a few fancy footwork techniques that he had learned in the past
Kaiser listened attentively, his brow furrowing with concentration as he tried to absorb all of the new information. He struggled at first, but he soon got the hang of it and began to enjoy himself. He enjoyed the sensation of running with the ball at his feet, scoring goals, and even defending against Isagi's attacks
After a while, the two boys were both breathing heavily, their clothes drenched in sweat. But they were both grinning from ear to ear, clearly having a great time
"You know," Isagi said, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, "I think you're gonna make a great football player."
Kaiser smiled weakly, still trying to catch his breath. "Yeah... maybe," he said, his voice barely above a whisper
Isagi grinned at him, feeling a sense of pride at having helped make a new friend. He held out his hand to Kaiser, waiting to see if he would shake it
Kaiser regarded Isagi's hand for a moment before reaching out and grabbing it firmly. "Thanks, Yoichi," he said, his voice carrying a hint of gratitude. "I think we're gonna be good friends."
Isagi smiled, his heart swelling with joy. "Yeah. I think so too.”