REO

“Reo… I want a kiss…” 

A heavy weight dropped on Reo’s shoulders when Nagi hugged him from behind, wrapping him in a cloud of sweat odour. They had just lost against Bastard München, and the purple-haired striker tried to guide his partner to the bath. He stopped to pat his partner’s head. “Not now, my Treasure.”

“Then, can we have sex, Reo?” Nagi asked with an adorable pout.

Reo resisted the urge to indulge him, even though it stung his heart, and frantically counted the spectators to stifle the forming bulge in his trousers. He cleared his throat, hoping it would make his voice sound neutral. “I told you we can’t do that here. Have you forgotten the contract?”

Nagi leaned more heavily on Reo, so much that the Mikage heir couldn't walk. “I didn’t read it, Reo… Too many words…”

“Of course not…” Reo sighed. “Fine, I’ll explain it again, but you better listen…”

  Before joining the Neo-Egoist League, every player had signed a contract. Since Blue Lock TV was licensed by Straightdansha and marketed towards boys, the contract prohibited any form of gay content. Breaking the agreement would result in a permanent ban from the Blue Lock program.

“Ehh…” Nagi put his index finger against his mouth, and Reo breathed in relief when his partner released some of his weight from him. “But hugging and piggyback rides are okay…”

Reo hummed. “That’s called ‘bromance’. We’re balancing on the thin line between romance and friendship!”

“Hm…” Nagi scrolled on his phone. “I don’t think it’s very convincing, Reo… Lots of fans are shipping us online… There is so much fanart of us kissing and making out…”

“That’s just their imagination, Nagi. We’re totally convincing; Reo Mikage’s acting skills are perfect!” 

It helped that they didn’t fit the mould of a typical couple. Reo knew that to others, he looked more like a mother than a boyfriend. Outsiders simply couldn’t understand their dynamic. And honestly, the purple-haired striker didn’t care.

Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he remembered the beginning of their relationship shortly before entering Blue Lock. One evening, as the setting sun engulfed the Hakuho football pitch in a golden glow, Nagi had lain on the grass, all cute like a giant bug flipped on its back. “Reo… let’s get married…”

“How long until we can have sex again, Reo?” Nagi interrupted Reo’s reminiscence.

They had been separated since the second selection and only just reconciled after being without kisses and intimacy for weeks. Reo was just as starved as his partner, and his resolve weakened with every passing moment. 

Thus, when Nagi’s hard-on poked against his buttocks, Reo squirmed. Even solving math equations in his head didn’t save him from turning red. “Uhm, I don’t know, maybe in a few months?”

“I don’t wanna wait that long, Reo… How about tonight?”

“No,” the purple-haired student replied, trying to free himself from Nagi’s back hug. “And you’re gonna sleep in your own bed tonight before this gets out of control.”

“No, Reo, I can control myself. I won’t do anything, promise…” Nagi whined, and the purple-haired striker sighed, knowing he would give in.

NAGI

Fans loudly cheering, fanfares playing, and the excitement in the air made Nagi’s skin prickle. The stadium was packed for the match, and Nagi felt like all eyes were on him. 

FC Barcha vs. Manshine City. Today was the decisive day of the Neo Egoist League. Yet for Nagi, it was the decisive day for an entirely different reason. 

The white-haired striker rubbed his shoes over the freshly cut grass, taking a deep breath. 

“Reo…” he said as his partner left his assigned position to hug him. After weeks apart, they were done pretending their love didn’t exist. “We’re gonna do it, right?”

Half-lidded eyes gazed softly at him, and Reo’s smile was so bright Nagi felt blinded. “There is no better place to kiss you than here.”

The moment their lips met, the stadium fell silent. Reo tip-toed, and the lazy striker cupped his partner’s cheek to hold his face in place. His partner’s lips were as soft as he remembered, and his lips tasted of lemon—he must have used lip balm. It was a simple kiss, yet Nagi sucked on Reo’s lower lip as if he wanted to absorb all his flavour before moving upwards and toying with Reo’s upper lip. 

Someone jeered, and there was shouting. Nagi was also sure Chigiri was rolling his eyes, but it all faded into the background. After weeks of starvation, the sweet tingling sensation jolted down his stomach, making him feel all giddy inside. Reo’s accelerated breath on his cheek spurred him to press his body against Reo’s while still being in the other’s embrace. Nagi’s other hand had gotten lost and fondled Reo’s bum, but hey, he was sex-deprived, too. 

The kiss broke when Reo pulled away, and Nagi got lost in his partner's beautiful purple eyes. Reo was the colour in his life, the anchor of his world—how lucky he was to kiss him in front of 50,000 stadium guests and over a million TV viewers. 

Before the match, the Mikage heir had bribed the TV crew to ensure their kiss would be displayed on the big screens in the stadium and broadcast on TV.

REO

The match against FC Barcha was postponed, and Nagi and Reo were escorted to Ego’s office. Reo swallowed even though he knew the consequences. There had never been doubt that they would be banned and lose their eligibility to play for the Japanese national team.

“What exactly did you think you were doing?” Ego asked, standing in front of them like Death in person—wielding a cup of ramen instead of a scythe.

“Kiss and have lots of sex after,” Nagi replied in his usual monotone voice. 

Reo facepalmed to hide his flushed cheeks. “Nagi, don’t say it like that…”

“Unfortunately, this ‘kiss and lots of sex’ is a violation of your contracts.” Ego went back to his desk and looked at his computer. “Because of your action, 4353 innocent boys became gay, and 5302 girls turned into fujoshis. Currently, methods to erase their memories are trialled, but experts fear the victims may be permanently traumatised—they may never be able to become upstanding citizens. And, of course, the number of unreported cases is much higher…”

During Ego’s report, Nagi had pulled out his phone and was already absorbed in his game. “Hey Reo, is being gay bad?” he asked, his fingers dancing swiftly over the screen.

“It’s not, so don’t worry about it, Treasure, okay?” Reo tried to sound reassuring, but glancing at Nagi told him it wasn’t necessary. The white-haired striker didn’t seem bothered by their imminent ban. 

“Personally, I think we can sacrifice a few boys and girls in the name of football, but sadly, the Football Committee disagrees. Thus, you two can no longer participate in the Blue Lock program and will not be eligible for the Japanese National team.” Ego took a dramatic pause. “In other words, your football careers are over.”

“…And this is how the football prodigies Reo Mikage and Seishirou Nagi left the Blue Lock program…” the sports anchor on TV announced before the screen changed to show their departure from the complex.

“Seishirou Nagi, you got famous for your super goal against Bastard München. What do you think your future will look like without football?” the interviewer asked while Nagi and Reo walked to the Blue Lock bus. 

“Do you mean before or after Reo and I make lots of babies?” Nagi replied, his tone sounding even more bored on TV than in real life.

“Nagi, no — ” Reo tried to rescue the situation but was promptly cut off when the screen shifted back to the studio.

The moderator of the news show sat on a sofa with a man who identified himself as a world-renowned expert in sexology. 

“Osculation, or kissing, is frequently seen as romantic or sexual in nature,” the professor explained with his high-pitched voice. He adjusted his glasses before continuing. “However, between athletes, the adrenaline rush and passion for the sport can sometimes manifest in such a manner. As you can see in the clip, their escapade does not classify as cataglottism… uhm, that’s a kiss with involvement of the tongue… reinforcing my assertion that their osculation was purely platonic.” 

“ How do you feel about their ban from Blue Lock and the future national team, Professor?”

“Well, despite my conclusion, their action has inflicted huge damage to society. A generation of children has been harmed, and the image of Japanese football is in shatters. It is our utmost priority to prevent future incidents. As such, their punishment is fully justified. We should thank the Football Committee for making such a swift decision.”

“Thank you for your insights, Professor,” the moderator replied. “Basically, the takeaway message is despite the devastating impact of their disgraceful act, Reo Mikage and Seishirou Nagi are just friends.”

With a sigh, Reo turned off the TV. Their kiss had a far bigger impact than expected, and he hadn’t even read the hundreds of messages on his phone yet. 

“Reo, are we just friends?” Nagi asked. They had just arrived at Nagi’s place, where the white-haired striker had carried Reo straight to the bed and practically ripped off their clothes. Now, he busied himself kissing Reo’s neck, leaving wet marks as he trailed downwards. 

“Do friends kiss like this?” he asked, guiding Nagi’s mouth towards his own, letting their tongues dance together. Gasping for air, he added, “But we’re still gonna win the World Cup, Nagi.”

NAGI

The World Cup final. Eighty-thousand spectators, and Nagi and Reo stood on the field. The score was 0-0 during the second half’s overtime. The very last play. Nagi received a pass from Reo and stood one-on-one with the goalkeeper. With Reo six metres to his right, Nagi didn’t consider passing. With all the expectations of Malta on him, he shot without hesitation. 

It was a goal. Malta had won the World Cup. 

Reo raced towards him and hugged him so tightly that Nagi could barely breathe. 

“We did it, Reo,” the white-haired striker said, locking eyes with his partner. Reo looked good in the red Maltese uniform, and his purple eyes shone brighter than ever. His smile mesmerised Nagi, so innocent and pure that it reminded him of their Hakuho days.

Isagi put a hand on Nagi’s shoulder. “Damn, Egoist, I’ll get it next time!”

“Lukewarm,” Rin commented. The aloof striker kept his distance and didn’t join the huddle around Nagi and Reo.

“You fucker stole my ball! Is that how you treat your teammates?” Barou’s complaint sounded so half-hearted that it earned him side-eyes from Chigiri and Bachira.  

When Reo explained his plan to emigrate to Malta, Nagi thought it would be too much hassle. Yet, the World Cup was the World Cup, no matter which nation they belonged to. Their quest had become easier when several other Blue Lock players, also banned for questionable behaviour, joined them with Reo’s funding.

Now, the World Cup was in their hands. Japan hadn’t even passed the qualifiers. 

This time, when they kissed, the whole stadium cheered.