Work Text:
The game was in full swing. The ball zoomed across the field, the sound of cleats scraping against turf filling the air. But amidst the high-intensity match, Rin Itoshi was dealing with an even greater struggle—his teammate, Hiori Yo, would not stop vaping.
“Put that damn thing away,” Rin growled, snatching the vape from Hiori’s fingers mid-dribble.
Hiori, unfazed, simply pulled another one out of his sock.
“Bro, how many of those do you have?” Rin asked, incredulous.
“Enough,” Hiori said, taking a deep puff of White Gummy Ice, exhaling a cloud of vapor that conveniently obscured the opposing team’s vision.
Rin groaned. “You’re literally sabotaging the game with secondhand smoke.”
“It’s vapor, Rin. And it’s tactical,” Hiori said, demonstrating by blowing a particularly thick cloud that made an enemy forward run straight into Isagi.
Rin snatched at the vape again, but this time, Hiori fumbled. The vape tumbled to the ground in slow motion, bouncing once, twice—then landed just out of reach.
A silence fell over the field.
Then, chaos.
Hiori let out a desperate gasp and immediately dropped to his knees, hands patting frantically at the ground. His fingers spread wide, feeling the grass like a blind man searching for his lost glasses. His face twisted in anguish as he cried out:
“WHERE’S MY VAAAAAPE??”
The players stood frozen. The referee blew his whistle. Isagi looked horrified.
“He’s lost it,” Bachira whispered, eyes wide.
“He’s tweaking,” Nagi added.
“FIND IT!” Hiori wailed, arching his back as he swept his arms across the field. “I CAN’T PLAY WITHOUT IT!”
After what felt like an eternity (but was really like, five seconds), his fingers finally brushed against the sleek, cool plastic of his beloved vape. Relief washed over his face as he cradled it like a long-lost child. He took a victorious hit, blowing another obnoxious cloud into the air.
Rin buried his face in his hands. “I hate you.”
“You just don’t get it, Rin,” Hiori said solemnly. “You’re tense. Stressed. You need to relax.”
“Yeah? And I suppose you have a solution for that?”
Hiori grinned, standing up and dusting himself off. “Come with me. I’ll introduce you to someone.”
—————————
Rin should’ve known he was making a mistake when Hiori led him to the shadiest corner of Blue Lock’s dorms. There, leaning against the wall like a final boss, was Shidou Ryusei. A vape hung from his lips, his eyes half-lidded in a permanent state of mischief.
“Hiori,” Shidou greeted, exhaling a dragon’s breath of Pink Lemonade Ice. “Who’s the narc?”
“He’s open to change,” Hiori reassured.
Shidou smirked, pulling something out of his pocket and tossing it to Rin. “Try this. Lychee Dragonfruit. Top-tier clouds.”
Rin looked down at the vape in his hands. This was a turning point. A crossroads. He thought of his training, his discipline, his dreams—
Then he thought about how annoying Hiori was, and how maybe, just maybe, if he took one hit, Hiori would finally shut up.
Rin sighed. “Fine. Just once.”
He inhaled.
The fruity, icy sensation hit his throat like a divine revelation.
Hiori clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Welcome to the vape game, striker.”
Shidou grinned. “Oh, we’re gonna have so much fun.”
And that was how Rin Itoshi lost the real Blue Lock—his lungs.