Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Yes!" Y/N tore open the package she had anxiously waited ages for.

An audible gasp escaped Y/N's lips as she held the miniature Bachira figure in her hands. At long last. She placed it into the empty space amongst her many Blue Lock figures, and stood back to admire her cabinet.

She had a fair share of merchandise for each character, but it was evident from the large chunk of bright yellow which character she favored the most.

Y/N eyed the cabinet, scrutinizing the placement of her new figure. Something felt off. She reached over for the Isagi figure her friend had bought her a few months back and placed it next to the new Bachira figure.

"Perfect." Her fujoshi heart was dancing.

Y/N glanced up at the clock on her wall and jumped up in panic. She was late for her ballet class. A call rang out from her phone, lighting up the screen with her friend's name.

"I know I know," Y/N answered the phone, "I'm making my way over right now."

Her friend let out an exasperated sigh, telling Y/N to hurry before hanging up.

Y/N frantically grabbed her bags and ran around her room—throwing on a blue leotard and pulling her hair into a bun—-before sprinting out the door.

The cool air felt nice on her face as Y/N sprinted out the neighborhood. The dance studio was close enough to her house that she never bothered to take a car, but she was no Chigiri and was now really wishing she could drive.

Y/N stopped at the crosswalk just in front of the studio. A notification rang out from her phone. Y/N pulled out her phone and her mouth stretched into a smile. The recent edit of Rin she had posted was blowing up. Y/N scrolled through TikTok, laughing at all the thirst comments under the post, as she crossed the road.

A loud honking sound shook Y/N from her temporary bliss. Y/N turned to see the bright flashing headlights of a truck coming her way. The pedestrian signal in her peripheral vision—still red.

A thousand moments flashed through Y/N's mind. The upcoming dance performance. All the blue lock merchandise squeezed onto the spotless cabinet in her room. Each time her best friend and her scrambled to the nearest Kinokuniya when there was a limited edition haul opportunity for their many favorite animes.

Just as the truck made impact with Y/N, she let out a laugh at the ridiculousness of her situation.

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Y/N laid on her back as blood seeped through her clothing and into the concrete. She could hear muffled screams and grey figures looming over her, but her vision gave out, succumbing her into total darkness.

Pft, Y/N thought, imagine some isekai type shit happens and I get reincarnated into a random story...

The screams faded and Y/N lost consciousness.

Chapter Text

In her room back home, Y/N had crocheted a Solo Leveling tapestry and plastered it onto her ceiling.

That's how she knew as soon as she opened her eyes that she was NOT in her apartment.

She squinted her eyes and turned her head. The grey walls were high, stretching up to a dull ceiling overhead. Y/N looked down at the royal blue covers pulled neatly on top of the front side of her body.

Y/N blinked.

The room was looking oddly familiar now.

The door opened and a woman walked in, "Oh Y/N, you're up! Perfect timing."

The language coming out of the women's mouth was foreign, and yet Y/N found that she could understand it perfectly.

Could it be?

Y/N reached up to her ear and found a single translator already neatly placed into her ear.

"I have one too." The woman pointed at her ear.

Y/N's eyes soaked in the woman's gorgeous figure and red-orange hair.

"Anri?"

Anri looked surprised, "I know Ego-san said you wouldn't know Japanese honorifics since you're American, but you should probably learn them before you offend someone."

Y/N gulped, racking her brain of all the mangas she had ever read. Y/N opened her mouth hesitantly and tried again, "Anri... san?"

Anri laughed—a pleasant sound, "You're a fast learner. I like you already. C'mon, you're just in time for some morning yoga with me."

"Wait, what am I doing here?" Y/N sat up straighter.

Anri stared at Y/N.

"You're my new assistant, aren't you? Ego-san suggested I get one since I was taking on such a heavy workload, but I declined. Then yesterday, out of nowhere, Ego-san said that I had a new assistant and that the decision was final. That assistant is you, correct?"

Y/N stared back at Anri. So I'm actually in the Blue Lock world right now? Is this some sort of weird dream? Y/N pinched her thigh as hard as she could and yelped. That pain was definitely not a dream.

Anri raised an eyebrow, then turned and walked out the door as Y/N sat in her bed trying to remember what had happened before she woke up.

Right, Y/N remembered, the truck.

Y/N let out a bitter scoff, "So truck-kun is actually a thing?"

How ridiculous.

"Truck-kun? What are you talking about?" Anri poked her head back into the door, "Are you coming or not?"

Y/N jumped out of bed and shuffled after Anri.

"So, Anri... san," Y/N cringed at her accent, "Do you know how I ended up here?"

Anri gave Y/N a weird look, "Didn't you apply?"

Y/N opened her mouth to object and say she shouldn't even be here at all, but stopped herself. What if I let slip that I'm not from this world and get labeled as crazy?

Y/N gulped and nodded.

Anri smiled, "Don't worry, I was a bit nervous the first day that Blue Lock opened as well. And I'm much older than you."

Anri stopped and turned to Y/N, "How old are you, Y/N?"

"Seventeen."

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They arrived at the gym and Y/N bit back a gasp. It was even bigger than the anime or the manga had depicted it.

In the corner, a figure was sitting on a mat, meditating.

"Good morning Rin-chan," Anri called out as she pulled two mats onto the floor.

Y/N watched as Rin nodded toward Anri before turning his gaze onto her. The deep turquoise of his iris' seemed unreal; it was almost hypnotizing. Y/N felt frozen in place, unable to break her gaze.

She blinked rapidly, forcing herself to turn her head.

"Y/N, come sit." Anri patted the mat next to her.

Y/N plopped down onto the mat, heat rising to her face. She fought the urge to turn her head and look at Rin again. Sure, he was a stunner in both the manga and the anime, but seeing him in real life felt surreal.

Anri began stretching and Y/N followed along—watching the mirror in front of her—her mind elsewhere.

Y/N thought back to the edit of Rin that was blowing up back in her world. The comments had been going gaga over the edit and over Rin. Very reasonable now that Y/N was able to see him up close.

"Y/N, have you done yoga before? You're really flexible."

Y/N looked towards Anri, "Not much, but I did have a phase where I practiced it for about a month when COVID hit."

Anri scrunched her eyebrows, "COVID?"

Y/N gulped and laughed awkwardly, "Um, nevermind," she searched to change the topic, "Um, I did ballet professionally before I came here, so that's why I'm more flexible than the average human."

Anri's eyes widened, "Wow, that's amazing."

Y/N smiled. Ballet had been her main outlet from life aside from editing. After her parents had died in a plane crash while traveling back from a business trip, Y/N needed a distraction so as not to burst into tears at the mere sight of their shared home.

Legally, her uncle now had custody of her, but he lived all the way on the other side of the country in California whilst Y/N lived in New York. He paid the expenses for her apartment and other basic needs, but Y/N had to put in a lot of effort to take care of herself without her parents.

"I'm sorry, did I touch on a heavy subject?" Anri asked.

Y/N looked up at her, "Huh? Oh... No you didn't," Y/N smiled, "I was just missing ballet a bit."

Anri shifted into a downward dog position, "I'll have an access card made for you so you can use this gym anytime you want. For ballet, or stretching, or whatever you need."

Y/N's heart soared, "Really? Thank you so much Anri-san."

Anri smiled back and checked her watch, "Oh look at the time. I need to wake Ego-san," she looked back at Y/N, "I'm going to give you your first task for the day: making Ego-san breakfast. He only eats-"

"Instant noodles?" Y/N blurted, "I'm a pro at cooking them."

All that time alone in her apartment had honed Y/N's cooking skills, but most days she was lazy and settled for instant ramen. After half a year of living off 70% instant noodles, she had perfected the recipe.

Anri smiled even wider, "I knew you'd be a good assistant—It's almost like you know everything already."

Y/N's heart dropped as she pressed her lips together. She needed to be more careful about what she said from now on.

Anri didn't notice, "Alright well, Ego-san has his breakfast at 7:30, so you have about an hour. Feel free to do whatever. Oh, and make sure to keep that translator in your ear so you can understand everyone."

And with that, she left the room.

Y/N stared after Anri and then turned back to the mirror in front her. Y/N traced the sides of the yoga mat with her finger as she studied her reflection in the mirror. She still had the same face and same clothes on from when the truck hit her, except she now had a shirt and pants on, instead of a leotard. Her hair was still dyed in peekaboo style, mirroring that of Bachira's hair.

Y/N smiled. If she really was in Blue Lock, that meant she would be able to see all the characters that she had once read, watched, and edited.

A figure appeared behind Y/N and her vision came back into focus on Rin's face. Y/N held her breath.

"Hello," Y/N nodded her head, watching him in the mirror.

"You speak English," Rin said.

Y/N's eyes widened at the sound of a familiar language. How could she have forgotten? Rin was basically fluent in English. She nearly cried tears of joy.

"And so do you!" Y/N grinned, "I'll be able to understand at least one person here!"

Rin leaned towards Y/N and she froze in surprise.

He lifted a hand and tapped the translator device in her ear, "Then what is this for? Are you saying you still can't understand Japanese even with this in your ear? You're-"

"Half-baked," Y/N let out a sigh, "Yep, I know."

Rin blinked, then leaned away, holding a questioning look in his eyes. Y/N pressed her lips together and mentally kicked herself. This was NOT a blue lock reference battle with her best friend. She needed to stop saying things that could get others to question her.

Y/N looked down at the phone that Anri had given her earlier and checked the time. She still had 55 minutes before Ego's breakfast needed to be served, but she had no idea where the kitchen even was.

Rin was leaving the room as Y/N called out to him, "Rin-san, do you know where the kitchen is?"

Rin turned back and paused for a moment before saying, "Follow me."

Chapter Text

Y/N followed behind Rin as they made their way to the kitchen. She looked around in awe, soaking in the grey walls and blue lock logos.

She still couldn't believe that she was here.

Rin stopped and turned around as Y/N just barely stopped herself from crashing into him.

"We're here," he said.

Y/N peaked around Rin at the familiar kitchen that she had once watched Anri cook in, "Thanks Rin-san! Want me to make you something since you're here?"

Rin frowned at the idea, "No thanks. Bye."

Y/N watched as Rin turned to leave, her heart dropping. Rin wasn't her favorite Blue Lock character, but he was definitely up there. And it wasn't every day that someone was able to spend time with a character from their favorite manga.

"Wait!" Y/N grabbed onto Rin's elbow, "I'll make you ochazuke!"

Rin's frown softened as he thought for a moment. He shook off Y/N's hand, "Fine."

Score! Y/N smiled. Pirating those oneshot bluelock special chapters on illegal websites had paid off in the end. She remembered thinking it was cute when she read about Rin's love for ochazuke.

Y/N ran her hand over the countertop as she made her way to the pantry. Rin sat down on a stool next to the countertop. What did that manga panel say about ochazuke again? "Boiling green tea over rice."

Perfect. She could kill two birds with one stone by boiling the water for Ego's ramen and Rin's ochazuke.

As soon as the water was boiling, she set the rice cooker setting and allowed the jasmine rice to cook.

"Why'd you offer to make ochazuke?"

Y/N looked up from the rice cooker and met Rin's gaze, "You like it."

Rin furrowed his brow, "But how did you know that?"

Fuck, Y/N thought, I did it again.

Y/N took a deep breath and smiled, "I just took an educated guess."

RIn looked surprised, but didn't question any further.

The timer for the water went off and Y/N found a green tea packet to soak into the boiling liquid. As she waited for the color to darken, she scooped the rice into a bowl.

Y/N could feel Rin's eyes on her as she poured the tea over the rice.

"Do you have something to say?" Y/N looked at him.

"No?"

"Well that's an awful lot of staring for someone who has nothing to say."

"Do you expect me to take my eyes off a stranger who's making my food?"

Y/N laughed, "Fair point. But I promise I'm not trying to poison you."

She placed the bowl in front of Rin and handed him a spoon, "Here, see if you like it."

Rin hesitantly took the spoon and stared at the bowl.

"Oh c'mon," Y/N rolled her eyes, "Weren't you watching me the whole time? I didn't poison it. How about I try it first if you don't believe me."

She reached for the spoon but Rin scooted the bowl towards himself, "Whatever."

He took a bite and his eyebrows raised.

"How is it?" Y/N asked nervously. She had only read the description for making ochazuke, but she had never actually completed the physical act of putting it together until now.

"Not bad." Rin took another spoonful.

"I'm glad," Y/N breathed a sigh of relief, "I bet it has a soothing taste."

Rin paused and looked up, "You've never had it?"

Y/N shook her head, "This was my first time making it."

"Hm." Rin spooned some rice drenched in tea and held it towards Y/N's face.

Y/N stared at the spoon taken aback, "For me?"

Rin nodded and lifted the spoon closer to her mouth.

Y/N could feel her face turning red as she took a bite from the spoon, "Thanks."

Rin nodded and kept eating with the same spoon. Y/N turned around and told herself to calm down. Everything was fine. She had been reincarnated into her favorite manga and had just shared an indirect kiss with one of the characters. Everything was totally fine.

"Y/N?" Anri walked in, Ego following behind her.

Rin and Y/N looked toward the door.

"What's Rin doing here?" Anri tilted her head.

"Hi Anri-san. Hello Ego-san," Y/N gave a slight bow, taking in the sight of the mastermind of the Blue Lock project, "I insisted on making Rin some food, so that's why he's here."

Ego sighed, "Rin, take your food and go back to the dorm. Y/N will get the bowl back later."

Rin stood up, bowl in hand. Y/N waved at him and he nodded in her direction before leaving.

Chapter Text

Y/N placed the bowl of ramen on the counter in front of Ego as he rubbed his temples with his eyes closed.

"Ego-san," Anri watched him, "Are you alright?"

Ego's eyes flipped open, "Anri, you know what's going to happen if Blue Lock loses the match against U-20."

Oh, Y/N thought, So they're about to go against the U-20. It seems they just finished the third selection then.

That meant the Neo-Egoist League arc was a long time coming. Was there significance in the fact that she was reincarnated to this specific time stamp? Y/N pushed the thought to the back of mind to worry about later.

"Ego-san," Y/N prompted, "The players are going to do great. You shouldn't worry too much."

Ego looked at her, his expressions impossible to read, "I'm not worried."

Y/N blinked, "Oh, yes. Of course."

"I heard from Anri that you used to practice ballet?" Ego's eyes pierced Y/N's skull.

Y/N averted her eyes, "Technically I still do."

"You should put those muscles to use and do some manual labor."

"Ego-san, no!" Anri objected.

"Go to the main field that our players are using and tend to the lawn. They should be doing conditioning right now, so no one will be there. You'll have about an hour." Ego's gaze was cold.

Anri's face drooped, "I'm sorry Y/N, I didn't want to give you such hard work on the first day."

"No, no," Y/N shook her head, "I'm good at mowing the lawn." Prior to moving to her apartment in New York, Y/N had lived in the suburbs with her parents where she took charge of mowing the lawn on the weekends. That, combined with her daily ballet classes, had added some definition to her arms.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Anri looked worried, "If it's too much, I can do it and you can start mowing the field next week."

"I'll be fine. Thanks Anri-san."

Y/N made her way towards the exit.

"Y/N."

Y/N turned back towards Ego's voice.

"Make my lunch and dinner for me from now on. I prefer your ramen preparation style more."

Y/N looked towards Anri nervously. Anri gave an encouraging nod.

Y/N smiled, "Yes sir!"

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"Holy shit."

Y/N stood at the edge of the field, right inside the entrance, staring out at the vast field in front of her. Anri had told her where to find the lawn mowers, and now, Y/N dragged a huge blue lawn mower behind her as she made her way to the corner of the field.

"Of course they would have real grass," Y/N sighed trudging through the field, "That's where all the budget for the second season went: to tending the lawns."

She had already spent some time dragging the lawn mower to the actual field, so she needed to hurry before the players started entering.

Y/N started the lawn mower and began pushing.

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"Finally!"

Y/N collapsed in the opposite corner of the field from where she started. The mowing process had seemed to take forever, but she had managed to finish with some time to spare.

Y/N closed her eyes and thought about the bizarre events that had unfolded already. She had been hit by a truck. Then she was reincarnated as Anri's assistant-

Wait.

Y/N racked her brain. What had Anri said?

Ego had insisted Anri get an assistant and then Y/N coincidentally showed up the next day.

Y/N scrunched up her brows. So Ego might know something since he didn't even question my appearance or how I got into the building in the first place. I'll have to find him later.

Something tapped Y/N between her brows.

"You alright?"

Y/N's eyes flew open to see yellow eyes and a hairstyle that looked oddly like the one she had herself. One hand was holding a soccer ball, and the other hand was hovering right above Y/N's face.

"Bachira?" Y/N shot up to her feet.

"You know my name?" Bachira tilted his head.

The sweat on Y/N's body began to multiply and the heat turned insufferable, "Um... I..."

Y/N's voice faltered as she desperately searched for an excuse.

"I'm your fan!" she blurted out.

Bachira looked taken aback, "Oh, you speak English."

Y/N panicked. How would she be able to communicate with him? Y/N reached up to her ear and pulled out the translator device before putting it into Bachira's ear.

"Yes!" Y/N gave a stiff smile as she ran with her outburst. "I heard about Blue Lock before I came here as Anri's assistant and you're my favorite player. I'm a big fan."

Y/N clenched her teeth. Technically, she wasn't lying.

Bachira laughed and put the device back into Y/N's ear, "Wow, I'm flattered. I had no idea I had a fan," he pointed at the translator device, "That's really cool."

Y/N gave an awkward laugh in response while looking down at the time. Five minutes before the players start coming.

"You're here early." Y/N plugged the device into Bachira's ear.

Bachira nodded and passed the device back again, "Yeah, I wanted to do some warming up before we start our drills," he bounced the soccer ball in his hands onto his knees,

"Oh I see."

Y/N looked at her watch. Three minutes. She grabbed onto the mower and started pushing towards the exit. She paused. Her favorite character was standing less than five feet away from her. It was an opportunity many would die for.

Y/N turned back around, "Bachira-san," she took out her phone and pointed to the camera app and then pointed at the two of them.

Bachira looked surprised, but smiled and held out his hand.

Bachira clicked a few selfies with Y/N and then handed the phone back to her, "Oh and you can just say Bachira-chan. No need to be so formal. We're friends now."

Y/N's head was floating in the clouds. This was too good to be true.

Y/N bowed, "Thank you Bachira-chan!"

Bachira raised an eyebrow.

"Oh!" Y/N hurriedly passed the translator back to Bachira, "Thank you!"

Bachira smiled, "A-ri-ga-tō"."

Y/N's eyes widened. Right. That was the Japanese way of saying "thank you."

Bachira placed the translator back in Y/N's ear, "I like your hair by the way—it's a lot like mine."

"Arigatō," Y/N tried out. She blushed. Bachira didn't know that he was the reason she had gotten this hairstyle in the first place.

"Bachira!"

Bachira and Y/N turned to see Isagi at the entrance along with several other players behind them.

Otoya poked his head out from within the crowd, "Yo Bachira! Is that your sister? What is she doing here?"

Karasu scoffed at Otoya, "The only thing she has in common with Bachira is her hair hairstyle, dumbass."

Aryu peeked his head out from behind Otoya, "I like your hair, Bachira-look-a-like. It's so glam."

"Y/N is Anri's new assistant," Bachira explained, "She speaks English, but she has a translator in her ear so she can understand us."

Isagi looked at Y/N, intrigued, "Nice to meet you. Are you here to watch our practice?"

"Uh," Y/N's darted between the players' faces as she fought the urge to fangirl and ask for all their autographs, "I was just here to mow the lawn. I met Bachira-chan by coincidence, so I'll be going now."

Isagi lifted an eyebrow. All the players exchanged questioning glances.

"She said she came here to mow the lawn." Rin translated. He turned towards Y/N, " 'Bachira-chan?' You don't seem that much older than him."

Y/N shrugged, "I'm not. I'm also seventeen."

Rin turned back towards Bachira and spoke in Japanese, "She's the same age as you, bowlcut."

"Wow, really? Then we'll get along," Bachira exclaimed, "You should stay and watch us!"

Y/N plopped the translator into Bachira's ear, "I'll call Anri-san and ask."

Bachira gave an "okay" signal with his hand and handed the translator back to Y/N.

Chapter Text

After Anri gave her permission and Y/N had towed the mower back to its place in the storage room, she sprinted back to the field, excited to see her beloved manga characters practicing in real life.

When Y/N got back to the field, the players had already begun their drills. Y/N placed a hand on her mouth to cover her gaping mouth as she took in the scene.

She watched Isagi, Barou, and Nagi run drills past bright orange cones. Right behind them, Karasu, Otoya, and Hirori were passing the ball between each other in triangle formation. Other players had also formed small groups, practicing different drills.

Y/N let out a disappointed sigh. Sure, she had watched all the World Cups with her parents back at home, but that was for pure entertainment. She had never touched a soccer ball in her life and she was basically a noob when it came to soccer terms. What was the point of her being here if she wasn't able to do anything?

"Chigiri!"

Y/N's eyes followed Isagi's voice to the center of the field where Chigiri was sitting on the ground.

Y/N's heart dropped. It seemed that Chigiri's knee wasn't doing great. Was that why he was swapped out during the upcoming BL 11 v. U-20 match? Y/N slowly walked over towards Chigiri where everyone was beginning to gather.

Isagi had Chigiri's foot in his hands and was trying to stretch out his tendon.

"Ow! Wait, stop!" Chigiri retracted his foot and hugged his knee to his chest, wincing.

Isagi took a step back, a worried look on his face.

Y/N cleared her throat and offered the translator to Chigiri. He inserted it into his ear.

"I can take a look at it," Y/N said, "I used to get injured a lot in my knee area when I did ballet."

Chigiri nodded, his face contorted in pain.

Y/N squatted down next to Chigiri and placed his leg into a 90 degree angle, propping it onto her ribcage. She gently felt the area around Chigiri's knee cap. There was a knot in the muscle. Y/N took Chigiri's foot and moved it up and down, listening for the slight popping sound that came with strained muscle movements.

"You're gonna be okay." Y/N reassured Chigiri.

Y/N found the acupuncture point, SP10, and massaged into the spot, smoothing out the knot in Chigiri's muscle. Chigiri yelped in pain.

"I'm sorry," Y/N gritted her teeth, "I know it hurts, but just bear with it for a little longer."

Y/N counted in her head each revolution her thumb did in the acupuncture point...298, 299, 300!

"Alright, I'm done," Y/N wiped the sweat off her forehead with her arm, "Test it out and see how it feels."

Chigiri stretched out his leg, and then bent it back in.

His face relaxed and he put the translator back into Y/N's ear, "It feels much better. Thank you."

Y/N smiled in relief. Chigiri was one of her favorite Blue Lock characters aside from Bachira, and she felt pride in being able to help him, even if just a little bit.

Reo stepped forward, "Wow, you're magic! Chigiri has nothing to worry about now," Reo looked around, "We should be heading to lunch about now."

He helped Chigiri to his feet and then nodded towards Y/N, "See you around."

The other players filed out behind Reo and Chigiri, laughing and talking.

"Bye Y/N-chan!" Bachira waved over his shoulder.

Y/N laughed and waved back. She watched as Bachira made his way over to Isagi. She smiled a goofy smile. Her ship was sailing.

Next to them, Nagi looked half asleep as he trudged towards the lunch room with everyone else.

Y/N's heart sank. Right. Nagi and Reo still haven't fully made up yet. But that was okay. She could expedite the process while she was here. Y/N gave a little laugh and cracked her knuckles.

"You look like you're scheming something."

Y/N turned to see Rin standing next to her. He hadn't left yet.

Y/N automatically reached for the translator in her ear, but realized she didn't need it, "I'm just happy to be here, that's all."

Rin's eyes traced towards Y/N's shirt. Y/N looked down and saw Chigiri's footprint where she had propped his foot up earlier. She let out a laugh and brushed the dirt away.

"See you later," Rin said walking towards the exit, "...Y/N."

Y/N watched Rin's figure as it got smaller and eventually disappeared. She checked her phone and was startled to realize she needed to get to the kitchen to make Ego's lunch already.

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"Hello, Ego-san," Y/N greeted Ego as she walked through the door, "Sorry for being a little late."

Ego nodded as Y/N placed the ramen down in front of him.

"So you were at the players' practice today?" Ego questioned her, chopsticks already picking up the ramen.

"Yes." Y/N replied, "I got permission from Anri-san."

"Oh, I'm not trying to reprimand you," Ego said, "I was watching their drills and saw you help out Chigiri. You know acupuncture?"

Y/N gave a nod, "I got injured all the time when I did ballet, so my dance instructor would always help me massage certain points based on where my injury was located. Over time, I memorized the acupuncture points and was able to treat myself."

Ego tilted his head in thought, "I know you're Anri's assistant, but aside from making my meals and mowing the lawn, would you be willing to be the players' physical therapist?"

Y/N looked at Ego in surprise, "Me? But I don't have a license. And I don't want to accidentally hurt the players."

"You helped Chigiri."

Y/N wrinkled her nose, "Well yes, but acupuncture point SP10 is meant for helping with recovery for torn ACL's."

Ego raised his eyebrows, "Seems to me that you're knowledgeable enough. I wouldn't put my players into danger, so you can just trust my judgement."

Y/N took a deep breath, "Yes sir."

Wait, how does he understand me?

Y/N tilted her head and saw a translator in Ego's ear.

Ah, so that's why.

Y/N suddenly had an idea. The players technically wouldn't need the translators until the NEL arc, but since they already existed, wouldn't it be possible for Ego to give them out early?

"Ego-san, if you have extra translators, may I have one?"

Ego paused and looked up, "Why? Did yours break?"

"No," Y/N responded, "I want to give it to someone."

"Rin?" Ego raised an eyebrow, "He doesn't need one."

Y/N shook her head, "Why would it be Rin-san? I want to give it to Bachira-chan."

"Bachira, huh."

Ego kept eating his ramen as Y/N watched.

Had he assumed she was going to give to Rin just because she had made Rin breakfast that morning?

"I'll give it to you when you stop by to drop my dinner off tonight."

"Drop off?" Y/N raised an eyebrow.

"I won't have time to eat in the kitchen later since I'll be planning the meeting I'm having with the players tomorrow."

Realization hit Y/N, "To discuss finding their flow states?"

Ego looked up at Y/N, not saying a word, just studying her.

Y/N gulped and mentally kicked herself again. She fidgeted with the rings on her fingers, grateful they had been reincarnated with her.

"Well Ego-san, Rin should be finished with his ochazuke by now, so I'm gonna go get the bowl. I'll drop the ramen in your office later for dinner."

With that, Y/N sped out of the room and made a beeline for the sleeping quarters. If she had gotten anything out of the conversation with Ego aside from nearly exposing herself, it was the fact that tomorrow was the day of the flow-state meeting and the first day of training camp. That meant there was still a good chunk of time prior to the match against U-20.

Plenty of time to figure out what exactly was going on.

I still need to ask Ego if he knows anything about my situation, Y/N made a mental reminder.

Chapter Text

Y/N stood in front of what she supposed was the living quarters. She had just seen Reo walk in and if she remembered correctly, all the players should be sharing a room at this point in the manga.

Y/N pushed open the door and noticed Reo sitting on his sleeping bag, doing his hair.

"Hello," Reo nodded his head as Y/N walked in, "Do you need something?"

Y/N walked over and offered the translator to Reo, "I'm here to get a bowl from Rin."

They passed the translator back and forth as they talked.

"Oh I think I saw it earlier," Reo stretched out a rubber band, "It should be in the lavatory."

"Arigatō!" Y/N smiled.

Reo lifted his eyebrows and laughed.

Y/N walked into the lavatory and looked around. There was no sign of the bowl. She backed up into the room where Reo was.

"I don't think I see it." Y/N said.

Reo stretched his hand out for the translator.

Y/N placed it into his palm and repeated, "I don't think I see it."

They played another round of passing the translator back and forth.

"I'll help you search for it after I do my hair." Reo promised.

Y/N eyed Reo's hair and another urge rose within her. What if this was a dream and she woke up tomorrow back in her room? Shouldn't she be making the most of every moment here?

"Hey Reo, can I do your hair?"

Reo looked at Y/N in surprise, "Are you good at hair?"

"Fairly good," Y/N responded pointing to her own hair, "I bleached this myself."

Reo nodded and handed her the hair tie. Y/N took Reo's silky purple hair into her hands and began to comb through it.

"I've always wanted nice hair like this." Y/N exclaimed as she braided one side of Reo's hair.

Reo chuckled, "You should ask Chigiri or Aryu to do their hair sometime—they have the best hair."

"I will," Y/N smiled, twisting Reo's hair together into a ponytail in the back of his head, "By the way, how are things with-"

Nagi. Y/N stopped herself. It wasn't something she should know about. Much less something she should ask Reo about.

"Hm?" Reo asked.

"Nothing," Y/N patted the back of Reo's head, "All done."

Reo reached up and touched his hair, "Feels great! C'mon let's go find that bowl."

---------------------------------------------------------------

"How the hell am I supposed to reach that?" Y/N stared at the top of the cabinet in the lavatory. The top was was nearly three feet higher than the tips of her fingers if she stood on her tiptoes.

Reo gave an awkward laugh, "I guess Rin didn't want anyone touching it after he finished."

Y/N sighed, "Is there a chair somewhere?"

Reo shrugged, "Probably in the lunchroom."

"I'll be right back then," Y/N turned to leave.

"Wait," Reo grabbed her arm, "I'll just lift you. It's faster and more efficient."

"Huh?" Y/N's face turned pink, "No, no, that's okay... You'll get hurt."

Even though she was a ballerina, she was only slightly thinner than the average woman due to all her accumulated muscle. Plus, she was 170 centimeters tall.

Reo tilted his head, "Why would I get hurt?"

As soon as he finished saying that, he placed his hands on both sides of Y/N's waist and hoisted her up onto his shoulder.

"Woah!" Y/N waved her arms around trying to steady herself.

Reo steadied her on his left shoulder with his left arm and offered his right hand for her to hold onto. Y/N gripped his hand with both of hers as tight as she could, internally sobbing at the unsteady height.

Reo took a step forward so that Y/N was face to face with the top of the cabinet. She slowly let go of Reo's hand with her left hand and reached toward the bowl, her right hand still cutting off the blood circulation in Reo's hand.

Y/N felt contact with the cold porcelain, "Got it!"

Reo cheered.

"What are you guys doing?"

Y/N turned her head toward the entrance of the lavatory and saw Rin standing there with a flabbergasted look on his face.

Y/N felt Reo's ponytail brush against her thigh as he turned his head to look toward the door as well.

And just for a moment, Reo's left arm sagged out of its secure position in surprise at seeing Rin. That moment was all it took.

She fell backwards.

"Fuck." Y/N murmured as she saw her life flash before her eyes for the second time in the past 24 hours.

She squeezed her eyes shut and imagined seeing her parents' faces again.

Suddenly, two arms scooped her up just as she was about to hit the floor. Y/N's eyes flew open.

"Rin-san?"

Rin was breathing heavily as he steadied himself into standing position. Y/N turned to see Reo standing shocked with a horrified look on his face.

Reo rushed forward, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry Y/N-san, are you okay?"

"Dumbass," Rin looked at Reo, "Why'd you lift her up if you were going to drop her?"

Reo bit his lip and didn't say a word.

Y/N gave Rin's shoulder an awkward tap and released herself from the princess-carry, "Thanks Rin, I owe you one," she turned to Reo, "Don't worry, I'm fine, that was my fault for freaking out."

Reo sighed, "At least you're okay."

Y/N patted his arm and then turned to Rin, "Why did you put the bowl all the way up there? How did you even get it up there?"

Rin looked away, "I didn't think you would come get it so soon. Plus, I didn't want those tepid NPCs that sleep near me to break it."

Rin looked back at Y/N, "As for how I got it up there..."

He kicked the nearest bench and it moved.

Y/N and Reo turned to stare at each other in disbelief.

"That thing is movable?" Reo complained.

"Of course it is, dipshit."

Reo glared at Rin.

Y/N clutched the bowl in her hands, sweat beads forming on her forehead. The atmosphere was uncomfortable and she had already completed her task of getting the bowl.

"I'll be going now!" Y/N waved and turned.

As she exited she heard Reo ask, "Is she leaving?"

Rin responded, "Go learn English. I'm not your translator."

Chapter Text

"Here Ego-san." Y/N placed a bowl of ramen in front of Ego.

Ego reached for the bowl without turning his head from the monitor in front of him.

"Um, Ego-san..." Y/N thought about how to bring up the topic of her reincarnation without sounding suspicious.

Ego opened a drawer revealing three translator devices. Y/N looked at the devices in surprise. She had totally forgotten that she had asked Ego for them.

"Thank you." Y/N gathered the three devices into her pockets.

"If you don't need anything else, then leave. I'm busy."

Y/N opened her mouth then closed it again. She still had time to figure out what was happening to her. It wasn't necessarily urgent. Plus, what if today really was a dream and she woke up tomorrow back in her bed at home?

Y/N excused herself from the room.

---------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm sorry, there's no shower in your room." Anri apologized.

"Am I supposed to just stink or what?" Y/N massaged the space between her eyebrows.

Anri shifted uncomfortably, "I usually use the shared lavatory between me and Ego's room, so you could-"

"No." Y/N said without a second thought.

She was NOT about to get in the middle of two adults.

"Well," Anri said, relief apparent in her eyes, "The players are only occupying one room right now, so you could go use the lavatory of another empty room. I'll get the water running in an unoccupied lavatory."

"Thanks Anri-san!"

Anri left to get the water running and Y/N sat back down onto her bed. This whole day had just been bizarre. She had been able to see nearly all her favorite characters so far.

I just wish it was the Neo-Egoist League arc already so I can tell Ness to dump Kaiser's ass. Y/N smirked at the idea.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the three translator devices from Ego. One was for Bachira of course. What about the other two? Aside from Bachira, she had the most contact with Rin, but he didn't need one.

"Oh," Y/N remembered, "Reo!"

Y/N could feel her face turning pink. Earlier, she had been so focused on getting Rin's bowl that she hadn't stopped to think about the fact that Reo had lifted her as if she weighed nothing.

Especially after all those years of teachers comparing her to thinner dancers, having someone who could lift her without even thinking made her giddy. Y/N placed her hands on her waist where Reo had lifted her earlier, letting out a loopy giggle before burying her face into her pillow.

"No." Y/N sat up straight, her smile gone, "Reo is Nagi's."

Y/N nodded. That sounded much better. Back in the other world, Bachisagi was the ruler of her heart, but Nagireo was definitely her favorite Blue Lock ship.

She sighed a happy sigh. Perhaps she could play some matchmaking while she was here. Y/N looked down at the translation devices. She decided to just give out two for now and figure out the last one while she was at it.

Y/N took a step out of her room and saw Rin walking ahead of her.

"Rin-san!" Rin turned his head at Y/N's shout.

"What do you want?" He looked down at her.

Y/N peered up at him, "Wow you sure are tall for your age."

Rin narrowed his eyes, "I'm only one year younger than you."

"Yep," Y/N smiled and patted his head, "Emphasis on younger."

Rin leaned his head away from Y/N's hand.

Y/N retracted her hand, embarrassed, "Um, do you know where Bachira-chan is?"

"Hm? Why?"

Y/N took out a translator device, "I need to give this to him."

"What—are you going to talk to him a lot?"

"I don't know. Hopefully?"

"Hopefully?" Rin repeated.

He took a step toward Y/N. Y/N gulped.

"Yeah, hopefully." she gave a sheepish smile.

"You could just talk to me if you want to talk that badly," Rin took another step toward Y/N and pulled the translator device out of her ear, "You don't even need this when you're with me."

Y/N blinked rapidly, "You're right. I don't."

She averted her gaze to hide the blush in her cheeks and reached up to take her translator back. Rin held his hand up—just out of reach. Y/N stared at him. Then, she took a deep plié and jumped up.

Being a ballerina with long leg muscles came in handy sometimes.

"Got it," Y/N teased, translator in hand.

She plugged it back into her ear, "You're gonna be wishing for one of these in the future too."

"Huh?" Rin watched as she walked away, a confused look on his face.

Y/N gave a small laugh. He was definitely going to need a translator when he joined P.X.G. in the NEL arc.

---------------------------------------------------------------

After Y/N had found Bachira and given him the translator, she made her way towards the lavatory located in the room that used to belong to Team V.

"The water was already running when I got here, so I just turned on the heating system to warm it up." Anri proudly presented the bathing pool.

Y/N stared in awe. It was massive.

"Thanks Anri-san!"

"Call me if you need anything. You're free for the rest of the night, and you'll just need to make Ramen for Ego-san tomorrow at 7:30, so sleep well!"

Y/N nodded and got into the tub after Anri left. She closed her eyes. This is nice.

A few minutes passed and Y/N almost fell asleep when she heard a splash in the water.

Her eyes flew open. Fluffy white hair was floating on the surface of the water.

"Nagi?!" Y/N screeched, submerging herself to her nose in the water.

Nagi shot up in the water and flipped his head around. Since the bathing space was huge, they were almost 20 feet apart, but that didn't change the fact that they were both stark naked.

Y/N couldn't tell whether the heat was coming from the water or from her.

"Sorry, sorry," Nagi shut his eyes at lightning speed, "I really didn't see you... I was wondering why the water was already warmed up."

Y/N shook her head, "No, it's fine. I was basically sleeping, and the pool is so large anyway."

Nagi raised an eyebrow. Y/N reached behind her into her clothes and pulled out a translator device.

"Nagi!" She waited for Nagi to open his eyes, and then chucked it at him.

Nagi caught the device and inserted it into his ear, "Should I go?"

Y/N sank as deep into the water as she could, moving the bubbles towards herself and lifting her chin just barely out of the water, "It's alright, just stay on that side of the pool and don't look at each other when we get out."

"Oh nice," Nagi sighed, "It would've been a pain to get out right after getting in."

"So why are you here?"

Nagi sighed again, "I don't want to bump into Reo in the other lavatory right now."

Y/N's heart ached, "Reo would be jealous of me right now."

"Hm?" Nagi's ears perked up, "Reo? How come?"

Y/N fought the urge to give Nagi a slap to the cheek. Nagireo was so canon it was practically painful. And it seemed that everyone knew except for those two idiots.

Y/N waved some more bubbles towards herself, as she searched her brain for Kaneshiro's words, "Isn't your favorite thing Reo's smile?"

Nagi's face brightened slightly, "He's pretty when he smiles."

Y/N fought another urge to shout "Gay!" at Nagi. She bit her tongue.

"And you're Reo's treasure."

Nagi tilted his head, "I am?"

"Yep," Y/N nodded her head, "I know your relationship is still rocky right now, but it's going to get better."

"But how?" Nagi shifted to float on his back.

Y/N quickly averted her eyes, heat rising to the tips of her bleached highlights, "You have to talk to him. Don't just say something like 'I need you Reo'. You need to really communicate your feelings."

Nagi shifted back to standing position, "My feelings?"

Y/N took a gamble and turned her head back to look at Nagi, "Yes. Your feelings."

She didn't know how far she could take this. What if she went too far and changed the trajectory of the story?

Ah, fuck that, Y/n thought.

"Nagi, how do you really feel about Reo?" Y/N popped her knuckles under the water, anxiously awaiting Nagi's reply.

Nagi thought for a moment.

Finally he said, "He's the most important person in my life."

Y/N's heart gave a little flutter, "Tell him that."

Nagi gave her a small smile, "We're still not fully on talking terms right now, but after the match against U-20, I'll find some time to talk to him."

Y/N sighed happily. They wouldn't resolve their relationship right away, but it was better late than never.

She looked over at her clothes piled on the side of the pool, "Hey Nagi, could you turn around? I'm gonna get out."

"Sure thing."

Y/N pulled herself out of the pool, scratching her thigh on the sharp edge of the tile. She winced in pain and dragged herself the rest of the way out and wrapped a towel around herself. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the last translator device.

"Here Nagi," she walked over to the side of the pool where Nagi's phone was placed and put the devices next to it, "This is for Reo. You can keep the one in your ear right now. Go give this to him for me after you're done with your bath. Maybe strike up a conversation while you're at it."

Nagi turned his head, "Thanks Y/N-chan. You're not a pain to talk to."

"Talk to me any time, Nagi-chan," Y/N gave a small salute and walked out the door.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N collapsed into her bed. Extremely exhausted, but extremely happy. This had probably been the best day of her life, even if it was just a dream.

She closed her eyes and almost immediately fell asleep, dreaming of ochazuke, Episode Nagi, and bleached highlights.

...............................7 days to U-20 Match.................................

Chapter Text

Y/N woke up in a cold sweat. Her head was pounding, yet her heartbeat was strangely laggy.

She looked around. She was still at Blue Lock.

Fuck, this really isn't a dream.

Y/N checked the time: 5 AM.

In the dim lighting of her room, she could make out a dark spot staining the royal blue color of her blanket.

Did my period start already? It's not that time of the month yet.

Y/N whipped back the covers and gagged at the putrid smell of blood. The scratch she had attained from her mishap in the Team lavatory earlier had not been a simple scratch at all. It was a cut. Y/N had been so tired earlier that she totally forgot about it. She examined the cut. It wasn't very deep, but the nonstop bleeding made Y/N regret her negligence.

"Bandage, bandage, bandage." Y/N murmured as she looked around her room.

She let out a groan. Why did she get put into a room without a lavatory or bathroom? Y/N stood up from her bed and winced in pain.

The closest lavatory to her room was that of the players', but Y/N trudged past it towards Ego and Anri's shared lavatory. She'd rather risk waking up Ego and Anri than a bunch of schizophrenic teenage boys.

The loss of blood had numbed Y/N's left leg and she half-dragged, half-hopped her way to Anri's room. She turned the handle. Locked. She hopped a ways over to Ego's room. Also locked.

What did she expect? Hopefully the rooms were locked just for the sake of them getting good sleep and not-

Y/N shook her head, trying to shake her mind of the intruding thoughts.

Blood had begun to drip down Y/N's thigh and onto her calf. She pressed a hand onto the wound and pressed hard. The more blood she lost, the more foggy her mind would become. She needed to find something to wrap the wound with. Anything.

Y/N straightened and made her way to the players' room as fast as she was able. Please don't be locked. Please don't be locked.

The door opened. Success!

Y/N looked down at her thigh. She flinched at the sight. Her left hand was now covered in blood and her left thigh itself looked like a blood bath.

Stupid bathroom tiles.

The blood of smell was adding to Y/N's dizziness now. She tried to take a step forward, but she couldn't move.

A wave of exhaustion hit Y/N as she collapsed onto the ground. With her last bit of strength, she pulled herself out of the doorway and closed the door shut, so as to not let the hallway light disturb the players' sleep.

Y/N's right hand fell from the handle of the door and joined her left hand in pressing her wound.

It feels like I'm dying again.

Y/N breathed in as tears welled up in her eyes. All she had ever wanted in life was to go to a good college and collect Bachira figures. Where did everything go wrong? She missed her apartment. She missed her old home with her parents. She missed her friends. Heck, she even missed physics class.

The door behind her swung open and Y/N jolted out of her thoughts.

"Y/N? What are you doing here?"

Y/N looked up at Rin. He had a water bottle in his left hand and a towel in his right. It seemed that he was about to head to the gym.

"Hey," Y/N gave a weak smile.

Rin looked down at the mess on Y/N's left leg and his eyes widened.

He dropped down to her side, "What the hell? What did you do?"

Rin took his towel and wrapped it around her thigh, giving it a tight tug, "Why did you come here? You should've gone to the infirmary."

Y/N laughed, "It's not that serious. I just wanted to get something to wrap it with and I don't have a lavatory in my room."

" 'Not that serious' my ass," Rin sighed, scooping Y/N off the floor and into his arms, "I'll take you."

Y/N gave a quiet yelp, "I can walk! Put me down."

"Hold on or you're going to fall."

Y/N hesitated. She put her right arm around Rin's shoulder and left her left hand pressed onto the towel around her thigh.

Rin turned his head to look at her, "Are you crying?"

"Huh?" Y/N had totally forgotten that she had been having a moment earlier.

"Does it hurt that much?" Rin's face morphed into a worried expression, but it disappeared in less than a second.

"No." Y/N shook her head, "I wasn't crying because of the cut. Like I said, it's not that deep. There's just a lot of blood."

Rin turned his head back and stayed silent the rest of the way to the infirmary.

---------------------------------------------------------------

"You should be fine; apply this ointment until it heals so it doesn't get infected."

The nurse looked down at Y/N through his glasses. They were so fogged up that she couldn't even see his eyes. He kind of just looked like a blob.

Must be troublesome being a character that never shows up in the manga. Y/N shuddered at the thought of looking like a blob.

The nurse pushed his glasses up, "Where did you even obtain such an injury?"

"Oh," Y/N fiddled with her fingers sheepishly, "I sliced my leg on a tile in the bathroom while I was getting out of the bath."

"I thought you didn't have a lavatory in your room?" Rin prompted.

"I don't," Y/N shrugged, "I used the old Team V lavatory."

The nurse sighed, "That shouldn't be... Were you distracted by something?"

Y/N thought for a moment. She had been focused on getting the translator out of her jacket pocket to give Nagi an excuse to talk to Reo, but she couldn't say that.

"Nagi was in the bath too, so I guess I was distracted," Y/N decided.

"What?" Both the nurse and Rin turned to stare at Y/N.

Y/N gulped and waved both hands in front of her, "That came out wrong. We met in the lavatory by accident. Plus, we were about 20 feet apart."

The nurse let out a relieved sigh while Rin scrunched his eyebrows in what seemed to be disapproval. Or perhaps disgust.

Y/N shifted uncomfortably. Better for them to think she was a pervert rather than some wild fujoshi girl trying to make all her Blue Lock ships sail.

The nurse mentioned going to get more sleep and left the room, leaving Rin and Y/N in uncomfortable silence. Y/N reached for the ointment, but was stopped by Rin grabbing her wrist.

"I'll do it," he offered.

Y/N's heart did a little tap dance, "It's alright. You should get going to the gym. Sorry for interrupting your morning, but thank you for bringing me all the way here."

Rin sat on the next to Y/N and pulled her left leg onto his lap, startling her. Y/N gulped and fought the urge to fan her smoldering face. Carefully, he placed some ointment onto a Q-tip and gently applied it to the wound.

Y/N stared at him, mesmerized by the flutter of his lashes and the perfect placement of his facial features. He really was gorgeous.

Rin looked up and met her eyes, his face inches from hers. Y/N jolted. When did she get this close to him?

She leaned back just as Rin reached out and cupped her face, brushing his finger under her eye. Y/N froze in shock, her eyes wide. Is he mistaking me for Hiori or something? Or was it Bachira? Bachirin? No wait, it's Bachisagi! Y/N was too flustered to think straight.

"Why were you crying earlier?" he asked.

Y/N gulped and looked down, "It was nothing."

"Why were you crying over nothing?"

"I was bored I guess."

"What was it actually?"

Y/N looked up again. Rin's voice had turned stern and his eyes held a hint of determination to know the truth.

Y/N smiled painfully, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Rin's hand dropped from her face, leaving her cheek feeling cold and empty, "Why?"

"It sounds ridiculous."

"I won't laugh."

Y/N smiled a little, "You definitely won't. You'll just think I'm crazy."

Rin frowned. Y/N held a debate in her head over whether or not she wanted to tell anyone in the Blue Lock world, let alone Rin. If there was someone she wanted to tell... someone who wouldn't make fun of her...

"I'll tell you," Y/N promised, "But there's one other person I want to tell too."

Y/N removed her leg from Rin's lap and stood up, testing her leg by shifting her weight. She winced in pain.

Rin stood up and put Y/N's arm over his shoulder, "That's fine. As long as you're willing to tell me."

Chapter Text

Rin helped her back to her room and slowly released Y/N's arm from around his shoulder until she assumed a sitting position on her mattress. Y/N suddenly became conscious of the fact that they were alone in her sorry excuse of a room and the door was closed.

Get your mind out of the gutter, Y/N chastised herself, you're no better than those TikTok comments!

Rin squatted on knee, reaching out to help Y/N remove her shoes, but she put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him, "Don't worry about it. Thank you so much for everything, really. I'm going to be up and about soon since it's almost time for Ego's breakfast."

Rin straightened himself, "Alright then. Let me know if you need anything."

"Shouldn't that be my job?" Y/N teased.

Rin poked her cheek, "Not in this condition, no."

He turned and left through the door, closing it without a sound. Y/N stared at the door he had just left through for a good minute. Then, she reached up and touched her cheek. She could still faintly feel the place where Rin had poked her. Why was he acting like this? It seemed that the manga had yet to reveal plenty about his personality.

But what was this feeling in her chest? Y/N swallowed hard. Rin was a fictional character. This was a fictional world. No matter how real all of this seemed, feeling attracted to a fictional character just seemed wrong.

Besides, she was the queen of the practically nonexistent ship Hioririn.

Y/N buried her head in her hands. She missed her cozy little apartment.

---------------------------------------------------------------

The day had gone on the same as yesterday: making Ego's three meals and observing the players—this time as a physical therapist—and without mowing the lawn beforehand.

Y/N tuned into Chigiri, Bachira, and Isagi's conversation.

"Well, we've just gotta smash 'em right?" Bachira leaned from side to side in a seated criss-cross position.

Y/N's eyes widened. She remembered this moment from the manga. Y/N let out a little laugh. This had definitely been one of her favorite moments in the manga. She couldn't believe she had just gotten to witness it firsthand.

"Hey, Y/N-san," Isagi called over to Y/N.

Y/N got up from the bench and walked over to the trio, slow enough that she wouldn't put unnecessary stress on her leg, but fast enough that no one would notice any difference.

Isagi, Bachira, and Chigiri stuck their translators into their ears. After giving out the three translators yesterday, Y/N had requested more from Ego that morning explaining how it would be easier to communicate. She had given them to all the players before their morning training started.

"You've been sitting there staring for a while, do you even know anything about soccer?" Isagi asked.

"Isagi!" Chigiri scolded him, "That sounded rude."

Isagi shook his head, "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I was wondering if you knew about soccer and if you could give some pointers."

Y/N shook her head too, "I'm sorry, I barely know anything about soccer."

The four of them sat in an awkward silence.

Y/N opened her mouth, carefully, "You guys make sure to take care of yourselves though," she glanced at Chigiri, "Rest well and hydrate," she looked back at Isagi, "I know you guys are gonna score some amazing goals."

Isagi got to his feet, "Thanks Y/N-san. I'm gonna go fill this up." He pointed at his two water bottles.

"I'll do it," Y/N got to her feet slowly.

She had barely done anything today besides making some ramen and she really needed to walk off the dull pain in her thigh.

Isagi handed Y/N the two water bottles as the intercom announced their break time. The players filed out to take a break as Y/N walked to the water fountain. As she walked back towards the players' room with the filled water bottles in hand, she heard a creaking noise and turned her head.

Rin was in the gym using the leg press machine, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.

"Oh," Y/N covered her mouth as soon as the word slipped out.

Rin looked over. Y/N gave a small wave and Rin nodded before continuing his workout. Somehow the scene was familiar. Realization hit Y/N. Wasn't this the scene where Isagi gave Rin a water bottle? She looked down at the water bottles in her hands.

Shit. Had she single handedly just ruined one of the most famous Rinsagi scenes?

Well what are the chances that I'm actually changing the manga scenes in the real world?  Y/N froze. Why had she never thought about that? All the isekai mangas she had read depicted thoughts from the reincarnated being. So am I a character in Blue Lock now? Or am I in a whole other manga entirely?  Y/N shook her head. Her brain hurt too much from thinking.

"Are you going to keep standing at the doorway looking like a schizophrenic, or are you going to come in?"

Y/N looked at Rin and fought the desire to laugh, "Says you."

"What?" Rin looked offended.

Y/N limped over and sat on the leg press bench next to that of Rin's. At least with Rin she didn't need to hide her limp.

Rin still looked confused at her comment and Y/N let out a laugh before reaching out to smooth his scrunched eyebrows. She had already given up trying to stop herself from saying things she wasn't supposed to know. Everyone here was mental already anyways. Maybe except for Anri.

"I'll explain later," Y/N said, handing Rin one of Isagi's water bottles, "This is Isagi's but I know he would've wanted you to have it."

Rin eyed the bottle for a second before snatching it up and taking a sip.

"I know you're working hard to beat your brother, but you should give yourself a break. You're putting too much stress on yourself." Y/N stared right into Rin's eyes.

"How did you-?" Rin began, but Y/N stood up.

"Like I said: I'll explain later."

"You keep saying that," Rin stood up, "Later is right now you NPC."

Y/N cocked her head in Rin's direction, "Alright then, let's go grab the other person and spill some tea."

Y/N turned around, leaving Rin with a shocked expression on his face, "Actually?"

"Yeah, I'm no liar."

Y/N limped toward the door and peeked her head outside, "Hey Rin-san, which way to your room again?"

Rin walked over and placed a hand on Y/N's back, "I'll carry you."

"Huh?" Y/N's face turned beet-red, "No! I'm okay. Just tell me where to go."

Rin scooped Y/N off her feet, "You're limping. And you interrupted my workout, so I need to find an alternate way to work my muscles."

Y/N side-eyed Rin, crossing her arms as much as she could in her curled position, "If you're going to subtly shade me, then put me down."

Rin raised an eyebrow, "I wasn't. Besides, carrying you isn't much of a workout anyway."

Y/N blushed and turned her head away. She was being too sensitive. This wasn't her dance studio back home. She shouldn't automatically assume that everything someone said was an insult in her face.

Rin walked into the players' room, turning the heads of nearly every player. Nagi was the only one on his phone, oblivious to the elephant in the room.

Otoya jumped up, "No fair, Rin! You didn't even give me a chance!"

"Shut up," Rin walked over to his sleeping bag and placed Y/N into a sitting position.

Y/N turned to Otoya, "He offered to help me since I injured my leg."

Nagi looked up, "Oh, I noticed you were bleeding when you walked out of the lavatory yesterday. I couldn't tell if you noticed or not—you seemed out of it."

Reo's head flipped in Nagi's direction, "You guys bathed together?"

Otoya tilted his head, "Does this mean I still have a chance?"

Y/N turned her head towards Reo, "No we didn't bathe together—not like that anyways," she turned her head back to face Otoya, "And no. Sorry Otoya, I like girls."

Everyone in the room turned their heads toward Y/N.

Otoya sank back down, defeated. Sorry, Otoya, Y/N internally sobbed, I need your ship with Karasu to sail.

"You like girls?" Rin looked dumbfounded.

"Didn't you hear her the first time?" Bachira stuck his tongue out at Rin.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Nagi pressed around his phone.

"I know there's nothing wrong with it," Rin brushed his hair back.

Isagi got up and awkwardly stuttered, "Well this is great and all, but I'm hungry. I'm going to go get lunch. Anyone else?"

The other players murmured whispers of agreement and ushered eachother out of the room.

Just as Bachira got up to leave, Y/N reached out and pulled the corner of his shirt, "Wait, I need to tell you something."

Bachira raised his eyebrows and sat back down. Rin was still standing.

"Rin-san, take a seat."

Rin glanced at Y/N and sat on the floor, "This whole time... You liked girls?"

Huh? Was he still hung up on that?

Y/N laughed, knocking Rin out of his solemn expression, "Why do you look so down? Does me liking girls bother you that much? I just said that to let Otoya down gently, but really, I don't mind the gender."

"You like girls and guys?"

Y/N nodded. Rin's face relaxed.

"I do too." Bachira shrugged.

Y/N and Rin turned to stare at Bachira.

He shrugged again, "I mean. I don't really have a preference."

Y/N nodded, "We learn something new every day. But that's not why I wanted to talk to you guys."

Bachira tilted his head as Rin leaned in closer.

Y/N drew in a deep breath, "How am I supposed to say this without sounding crazy?"

Bachira leaned back, putting weight onto his right arm, "It'd have to be really crazy for even me to think it's crazy."

Rin kept staring at her.

Here goes nothing, "I'm not from this world. I died back in my world and got reincarnated into this world. In my world, Blue Lock is a manga. My favorite manga." she added the last sentence as if it would help her case.

Rin's mouth parted slightly as Bachira turned his head and smiled, "Well wasn't that kind of obvious?"

Rin jerked his head toward Bachira and gave him an eyebrow raise, "You think she's telling the truth?"

Y/N felt hurt, "You don't?"

Rin turned back, "Well no, it's just, this is a lot to take in. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

Y/N clenched her jaw, "I feel fine," she gritted her teeth.

Bachira rolled his eyes, "Really Rin-chan? You haven't noticed the small slip-ups from her?"

Rin gave Bachira a confused look.

Bachira turned to Y/N, "When we met yesterday, you already knew my name, and you claimed you did a lot of research already. But I'm not the kind of person you can just search up online and find information about. Even if you did find me online, how did you know my name in the first place if you searched me up before coming to Blue Lock? It's not like you go to my school."

He shifted to his other arm and continued, "I overheard your conversation with Ego during lunch yesterday too. How did you know that Chigiri tore his ACL? You began as an assistant yesterday, so Anri-chan wouldn't have given you the player profiles that quickly. And Chigiri didn't say anything about it—I was standing right next to you when you were massaging his leg."

Bachira stared intensely into Y/N's eyes, "I asked Chigiri about it later and he was surprised that you knew. He confirmed that he never told you."

Y/N nodded at Bachira's logic but asked, "How did you know for sure that I wasn't from this world though?"

Bachira smiled, "I didn't." He explained further, "I was wondering why you knew so much, but I ended up just brushing it away as a fluke. Then," Bachira's eyes lit up as if he were connecting the dots, "This morning you told Isagi he was going to score an amazing goal."

"I told everyone they were going to score some amazing goals." Y/N corrected him.

"But you looked directly at Isagi and said it with such confidence that it made me wonder if you really could tell the future or something like that," Bachira laughed, "I would've never imagined you were from a whole different world."

Rin had his head in his hands, thinking, "So that's how you knew I liked ochazuke? It was in this so-called manga?"

Y/N scrunched her nose, "Sort of. That information was from a special chapter aside from the main manga."

Rin looked up, "Okay, whatever. So that's also how you know I want to crush my brother—from this special chapter or what?

"That information was actually in the manga itself," Y/N corrected him.

"Oo!" Bachira bounced up and down, "What else do you know about me?"

"The body part you find attractive foremost is a person's eyes." Y/N said automatically.

Bachira's eyebrows disappeared into his bangs, "Wow, you really are the real deal. Was that from the manga or from the special chapter?

"Neither," Y/N explained, "There's also a separate book called the 'Egoist Bible' and it helps fans like me to understand you guys in more depth."

"Oh, so that's why you said I'm Reo's treasure."

Y/N, Bachira, and Rin turned to stare at Nagi yawning in the corner of the room.

"Why are you still here?" Y/N faced Nagi.

"It's too much of a hassle to go get food now that Reo doesn't piggyback me anymore." Nagi's eyes drooped.

Y/N's heart ached as she gazed at the changing light reflecting onto Nagi's face from his phone..

"Wait, wait, wait." Rin rubbed his temples, "There's so many things that don't make sense. How did you get here in the first place?"

Y/N slowly got to her feet, "Like I said, I died."

Rin's eyes widened.

Y/N continued, "I was hit by a truck on a normal afternoon to my dance class, and the next thing I knew, Anri was explaining how I was her new assistant."

She limped toward the door, "I think I'll leave you guys with that much information for now. I'm not sure how much I can reveal and how much this information will change the course of the story."

Y/N turned away from them and muttered, "Or how much it's already changed."

Rin, Bachira, and Nagi got to their feet and met Y/N at the door.

Bachira stretched his arms above his head, "I have questions, but I guess we have time later for that. Thanks for telling me."

Y/N nodded, "I figured if anyone was going to believe me, it would be you."

"I believe you." Nagi yawned again.

Y/N laughed and ruffled his hair, "Yep, you too."

Bachira and Nagi walked forward, chatting lightly about the upcoming match. Y/N looked over her shoulder at Rin still standing in the doorway.

She took a step in his direction, "Sorry, did that shock you? I know it seems impossible but-"

Rin shook his head, cutting her off, "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like I didn't believe you. It just...," he looked in Bachira's direction up ahead, "I also have a lot of questions."

Y/N smiled, relieved, "And I've got plenty of answers. But first-," Y/N pointed towards the lunchroom, "Let's eat."

Rin nodded and carried Y/N into his arms in one swift movement.

Y/N could feel the heat rising on her neck, "Are you my personal taxi or something?"

Rin smiled and began walking, "Just for today."

Chapter Text

Y/N laid down on her bed after serving Ego his final meal of the day and eating her own dinner in the cafeteria with the players. She figured it was easier to eat already-prepared food from the cafeteria than having to prepare it herself.

Y/N checked her phone. She was free the rest of the evening since the players would be at the meeting with Ego right now. Y/N sighed. She missed editing. She had only stopped for one day—yesterday—but she was having withdrawals already.

Wait. What was stopping her from editing in this world?

Y/N turned on her phone and opened the app store. If something as advanced as "Blue Lock TV" exists in the future, then they've got to at least have TikTok right?

Wrong. TikTok was nowhere to be seen on the app store, and her usual editing applications were unsearchable.

Y/N threw her phone onto her bed in frustration and flinched when it bounced off and hit the ground.

A familiar black and green app flashed onto the phone.

Y/N scooted towards the edge of her bed and peered down at her phone, "Spotify?"

She nearly cried of joy.

As Y/N scrolled through the app, her spirits boosted, "Taylor, Arctic Monkeys, Chappell, Kendrick, C.A.S.... They're all here!"

Y/N hugged her phone to her chest. At least she had her music. Speaking of music... Y/N looked down at the gauze wrapped around her thigh. She hadn't been able to do any technique or barre training lately either.

She stretched out her leg and gave it a little shake. She probably couldn't do barre today, but stretching shouldn't be a problem.

Y/N grabbed her access card off the nightstand and made her way to the gym. As she approached, she saw that Bachira was standing next to the slightly open door, head down, as if he were waiting.

Y/N got closer and tapped Bachira's shoulder. He looked over and put a finger to his mouth. Then, he pointed into the gym.

Isagi was holding a water bottle out to Rin, "I'm saying don't make trouble for me. Now drink up."

Y/N's eyes widened. This scene wasn't supposed to happen right now. It was supposed to have happened that morning.

"But I thought I ruined it..." Y/N muttered.

Bachira gave her an odd look, "Did this happen in the manga?"

Y/N nodded, "But the timing is wrong."

Bachira frowned and turned away from the door, walking away. Y/N looked back into the room and noticed a slight blush on Isagi's face. Her heart sank. She reached out and grabbed the back of Bachira's shirt.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Bachira turned around, "Yeah, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Yet even as he said those words, Y/N noticed a hint of sadness inside his eyes. Very subtle, but she knew her favorite character well.

A tear slipped from Bachira's right eye, shocking Y/N.

"Bachira..." She had no idea what to say.

Y/N opened her arms out and offered a hug. Bachira took a step forward and let his head rest in the crook of her neck. Y/N wrapped her arms around him.

Her heart was hurting. Hell, she even felt like crying. It seemed that Bachira felt very strongly for Isagi. She wasn't exactly sure what kind of feelings those were, but she had a pretty good idea.

Isagi on the other hand...

Y/N swallowed hard. It seemed that Isagi admired Rin... a lot. She hoped it wasn't anything more than that.

A few days ago, she would've stood by her opinion of a pure comradeship between Rin and Isagi due to her love for Bachisagi, but now, her emotions were mixed in with a feeling of... jealousy?

Am I jealous of Isagi right now? That doesn't even make sense.

Whatever Isagi felt for Rin, that was Isagi only. Rin was his own person, and currently focused on surpassing his brother.

"Rinsagi isn't going to work out," Y/N said with confidence.

Bachira turned his head slightly, "What's 'Rinsagi'?"

Y/N rolled her eyes, "A popular ship in the Blue Lock fandom. I never got the hype since Rin came to hate Isagi later."

Bachira nestled his head into Y/N's neck, " 'Rinsagi' huh..."

Y/N blushed. The places where Bachira's eyelashes brush against the skin of her neck tickled.

"Don't worry," Y/N patted Bachira's hair, "Bachisagi is also really popular. And it's the OG ship."

Bachira wrapped his arms around Y/N's waist, "Which ship do you prefer?"

Y/N laughed and pulled Bachira's head off her shoulder, brushing his tears off with her hands, "I've always been and always will be a 'Bachisagi' stan."

Bachira smiled.

"Bachira?"

Bachira looked up as Y/N looked over her shoulder to see Isagi standing in the doorway with Rin right behind him.

"Y/N?" Rin looked at Y/N, then Bachira.

Y/N looked back at her hands squeezing Bachira's cheeks. Gods, he's so cute. She gave his cheeks one last pat and then pulled his arms off from around her waist.

"Bachira's not feeling great, can you take care of him, Isagi?" She prodded Bachira's ribcage with her elbow.

Bachira immediately slouched and held his stomach, "Ugh, my stomach hurts."

Isagi rushed forward, a worried look on his face, "Are you okay Bachira? Do you want to go to the infirmary?"

Bachira held out his arms, "Carry me."

Isagi turned around and let Bachira get on his back. As he walked away, Bachira turned his head to give Y/N a wink and a thumbs up. She bit in her laugh and returned an "okay" symbol.

"What were you two doing just now?"

Y/N turned around to see Rin leaning on the door to the gym entrance.

She took a step forward, "I was on my way to the gym and happened to meet Bachira on the way. He wasn't feeling well, so I was taking care of him."

Rin put his hand out, blocking the doorway just as Y/N was about to enter the gym. She looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

Rin's gaze was unreadable, "If I say I don't feel well, are you gonna hug me and squish my cheeks too?"

Y/N laughed at how ridiculous that sounded, "Depends," she ducked under Rin's arm and walked towards the front of the gym where the mirror was, "Bachira-chan gets special treatment."

Rin followed her, "Why's that?"

"He's always been my favorite character," Y/N sat down and looked at Rin in the mirror, "I guess that's why I really want everything to work out for him."

"Right," Rin said, "I forgot that we're just characters in a manga."

Y/N turned to look at him, "I don't mean anything bad about it. I mean, you guys are very real. I can see that. But as a reader, I also know a lot about all your backstories and inner dialogue."

Rin flinched, "You know my 'backstory'?"

Y/N gulped, unsure how to proceed. "Yes," she finally said.

Rin's gaze turned guarded as he looked at her, "So, how much do you know?"

Y/N blinked, "Almost everything, I guess. Or at least, enough to know why you want to crush your brother."

Rin looked down, "Do you know how he feels?"

Y/N fidgeted with her hair. She couldn't tell Rin that Sae didn't even think that the two of them were fighting. That would be a major plot change.

"You guys need to communicate. That's all." Y/N stretched both legs out in front of her.

Rin sat down on the floor a little ways from Y/N and rested his head in his hands. Y/N glanced at him and then began her stretches. She first stretched her arches, then her hyperextension. She stretched her right, left, and middle splits for short moments in fear of tearing her wound further, and then stood up.

She did some relevés on both feet. Then she switched to only the right. Then the left. Y/N turned the volume on her phone louder, grateful that she had been able to find earbuds within her desk drawer.

Even though I don't have TikTok, I at least have you, dear Spotify.

Y/N checked the time, It was about time she took a shower.

She walked over to Rin who was now running on the treadmill, "Rin-san, I'm going to go shower now. See you!"

Rin stopped his treadmill and stepped down, "Are you using the old Team V lavatory again?"

Y/N nodded, "I should probably go heat the water now."

Rin moved to pick Y/N up, but she took a step back, "That's alright—I walked all the way here. I can walk back."

Rin's hands dropped to his side, "Alright, well I'll go too since I'm done here anyways."

They walked in the direction of the Team V lavatory together.

"So bowlcut is your favorite character huh?" Rin said without turning his head.

Y/N smiled, "Yep."

"What about me then?"

Y/N turned her head towards Rin, "What do you mean?"

Rin shrugged, "Am I a likeable character?"

Y/N grinned, "Oh you sure are. You've got so many fans that love you."

"Is that so?" Rin raised his eyebrows.

"They think you're hot," Y/N covered her laugh with her hand.

Rin side-glanced her, "That's a lukewarm reason for liking someone."

Y/N rolled her eyes, "I mean, they're not wrong. But I think most of your fans are rooting for you because of your qualities. You're disciplined and motivated. Plus, your backstory really pushed a lot of Blue Lock fans to love you."

Rin turned his head fully towards her, "You think I'm hot?"

Y/N turned pink and averted her gaze, "That's not the point! Didn't you hear the part where I called you 'disciplined and motivated'?"

"I heard you," Rin gave a small grin, "You think I'm hot."

Y/N covered her face with her hands, her face heating up. This was NOT how Rin acted in the manga.

She reached out and ruffled Rin's hair, "Anyone can tell that you're good-looking. It's an undeniable fact."

Rin covered his mouth with hand and looked away.

Y/N smiled. I should tease him more. She could get used to being here.

Chapter Text

"Ah... This is nice," Y/N sank down into the hot water. She had asked Anri for a swimsuit in case she bumped into anyone in the lavatory again, and as she watched Nagi's head bob up and down in the water, she was glad she had.

Y/N felt around her thigh for the gauze she had wrapped extra tightly around her wound before going into the water. She couldn't feel any pain at the moment, so she figured she was okay to take a bath.

"Y/N-chan!"

Nagi looked behind Y/N. Y/N tensed at the voice.

"Hi Otoya." She sighed, turning around.

He was standing at the pool's edge with a triumphant look on his face, a towel wrapped around his waist, "I heard you like boys too. That means I can still win you over."

Y/N couldn't deny he was very handsome. But then again, so was everyone at Blue Lock.

She opened her mouth to respond to Otoya but was interrupted by Bachira kicking open the door to the lavatory, "Bah!"

Bachira took a running start and jumped into the pool, splashing water everywhere. Nagi coughed, wiping water from off his face.

Y/N peered at Bachira through the hair that had fallen over her face as a result of his splash in the pool.

"Bachira, where's your swimsuit?" Isagi chided him, walking in.

Bachira poked his head out of the water, "Why do I need a swimsuit?" He glanced over at Y/N, "Oh, I'm sorry."

Y/N squeezed her eyes shut, praying to the gods above that she would maintain her sanity, "It's fine, Bachira."

Someone brushed the hair out of Y/N's face. She looked up and saw light blue hair adorning a delicate face.

"Hiori-chan?"

Hiori unwrapped his towel, revealing royal blue swimming trunks, and lowered himself into the pool next to her.

"Hi Y/N-chan."

Y/N looked behind her at several other players entering the lavatory, "Did everyone and their mom come or something?"

Hiori smiled, "Otoya thought he still had a chance after hearing that ya also liked guys. And after ya told us this morning that ya were in the bath with Nagi yesterday, Otoya came to try his luck today."

Y/N eyed Otoya, "And everyone else?"

"Bachira followed Otoya to stop him," Hiori tilted his head, "He said ya liked someone already."

"I do?" Y/N turned to look at Hiori, "How come I didn't know that?"

Hiori shrugged, "That's what Bachira said." He sank deeper into the water, "Isagi followed Bachira, and then everyone else just came along too."

"Ah, I see," Y/N ruffled Hiori's hair, so silky!, and sank down next to Hiori.

The water rippled on Y/N's left.

"Can I join you guys?" Chigiri sank into the water next to Y/N.

"Hi Chigiri-chan," Y/N moved some bubbles towards herself, "How's your knee?"

"Much better, actually," Chigiri looked into the water in the direction of his knee, "You really worked some magic yesterday."

Y/N laughed, "I'm glad."

Chigiri sank down next to Y/N and Hiori and the three of them closed their eyes in peace.

I wanna stay here a bit longer, Y/N thought, I'm kinda sleepy too.

Her head drooped to the right and landed on Hiori's shoulder.

"Hey, sorry Hiori-chan," Y/N yawned and righted herself.

Hiori rested his head on Y/N's shoulder, "If yer not going to, then I am. I'm exhausted after today."

"Right," Y/N remembered. The first day of training started today. All the players were probably maxed out in terms of energy.

Y/N turned to Chigiri and pointed to her shoulder with her head, "Need a pillow?"

Chigiri slumped against Y/N's left shoulder and closed his eyes. Y/N looked from Chigiri to Hiori.

Holy... they're so pretty. They're prettier than any girls I've ever seen.

Y/N slowly leaned her head back on the edge of the pool as conversation from the other players' in the bath rang in and out of her ears.

"Bachira, stop floating on your back!" Isagi yelped.

"Reo..." Nagi slurred his words.

"The fog is clouding up my glasses." Yukimya complained.

Had Rin walked in earlier? Y/N couldn't recall. Perhaps he had decided to use the original lavatory since all the players had migrated to the Team V lavatory. Y/N closed her eyes. Ego should be less busy since the meeting had concluded a couple hours earlier. That meant she could ask him about her situation sometime tomorrow.

Y/N squeezed her eyes tight. What if she never went back to her home? What was even happening in her world right now? Was she being mourned? Were they planning her funeral? Or had her existence been erased completely?

Her head hurt. All this thinking would get her nowhere if she couldn't have answers. Or maybe she had just been in the bath for too long. Y/N opened her eyes and moved to sit up but stopped herself. She had forgotten that Hiori and Chigiri were sleeping.

Y/N gently moved her right shoulder. Hiori was silent. She turned to look at Chigiri. It seemed he was fast asleep too. Y/N winced. Her arms were going numb, and her hands felt wrinkly. And, even though the bubbles obscured her vision, she could see a small patch of blood pooling underneath her gauze.

"Need help?"

Y/N didn't have to turn to know it was Rin's voice. She arched her head backward, looking at Rin's face upside down. He was standing at the pool's edge, his figure hovering over her.

"Yes please," Y/N accepted.

Rin gently took Hiori's head and placed it back on the pool's edge. Y/N turned and did the same with Chigiri. After making sure she was in the clear, she made her way to the ladder on the poolside. She had learned her lesson from yesterday to not pull herself directly up onto the ledge from the side. Y/N shuddered at the thought of slicing her skin on another tile.

Y/N took hold of the ladder bars and felt a tingly sensation race through her arms. Shit, her arms were still numb.

Suddenly, Rin grabbed her elbows and tugged her upward. Y/N stumbled onto the cold tiles.

She straightened herself and looked down, blushing. The swimsuit Anri had given her was a one-piece swimsuit, but it was embarrassing to wear in a room full of people she didn't know that well.

Otoya turned his head and whistled. Y/N glared at him. Just as everyone turned to look in the direction of Otoya's gaze, Rin swung a towel around Y/N and pulled her behind him.

"Go back to what you were doing, you idiots," Rin spat.

The room was silent for a moment. Then, Bachira raised both of his arms and brought them down hard, splashing nearly everyone in the pool. Hiori and Chigiri jolted awake. The rest of the players wiped their faces, annoyed.

"Oops," he grinned.

Bachira turned and nodded at Y/N. She nodded back, mouthing "thank you".

Y/N placed a hand on Rin's shoulder, "Thank you Rin-san."

Rin looked down at the blood pooling underneath the gauze on Y/N's thigh.

He placed a hand on Y/N's lower back, "May I?"

Y/N nodded. Her wound was beginning to sting from the chemicals in the water seeping through the gauze. And she might as well accept the surreal fact that Rin Itoshi was the one carrying her.

Rin picked her up in his arms, "Where do you want to go?"

Y/N placed her right arm around his shoulder to stabilize herself, "Not sure. Do you need to go anywhere?"

He shook his head, "I guess I'll just take you back to your room."

Y/N nodded, her sleepiness taking over. Don't fall asleep yet...

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey," Rin nudged Y/N's head with his shoulder, "We're here."

Already? Y/N released herself from Rin's arms and collapsed on the bed.

"Y/N, wait," Rin pulled her arms until she was in a sitting position, "You're going to get sick if you go to sleep with your hair wet."

He searched around the room and came back to Y/N with a hair dryer. Rin plugged in the cord and climbed onto the bed, sitting behind Y/N. He turned on the dryer and began to lightly ruffle Y/N's hair, sending tingles down her spine. She was awake now.

But for some reason, she didn't stop Rin. The sensation of being taken care of was nice. She hadn't felt this way for a long while. As Rin continued blow drying her hair, Y/N felt a wave of exhaustion take over her again. Her head slowly nodded.

Rin reached forward and caught her forehead, "I'm all finished. Change and go to sleep."

Y/N nodded into his hand and moved to grab a t-shirt. She changed in the bathroom and walked out, seeing Rin still sitting on her bed.

"Why are you still here?" Y/N climbed onto her bed and pulled the covers over her.

Rin got off the bed and smoothened the blanket out. He pulled the covers until they covered Y/N's neck.

"Goodnight Y/N," Rin said quietly.

"Mm. Goodnight Rin-san..." Y/N fell asleep.

...............................6 days before U-20 Match..............................

Chapter Text

Another morning, another boring grey ceiling. Y/N was really starting to miss her Solo Leveling tapestry.

"At least I wasn't reincarnated to that manga though," she sat up and stretched.

The memories of yesterday night before she fell asleep rushed back into her head. Y/N held both hands over her face and blushed. What had she been thinking?

Actually she hadn't been thinking at all—why else would she let Rin do all that? She was supposed to be the one taking care of the players, not the other way around.

Y/N shook her head of her useless thoughts and got out of bed. She pulled on one of the fresh shirts that Anri had laid out for her two days ago and slipped on her jacket.

Rin would probably be in the gym right about now. Y/N stood at the entrance of her room, debating whether or not she should face Rin and apologize for yesterday night. She decided against it.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N waited anxiously for Ego to enter the kitchen. How could she bring up her reincarnation without sounding like a total lunatic if Ego were to know nothing about it?

Her thoughts were disrupted as Ego and Anri walked through the door.

Y/N stood up, "Good morning Ego-san, Anri-san."

"Good morning Y/N-chan," Anri smiled.

Ego nodded and got right to work on his ramen. Y/N pursed her lips, unsure how to start her question.

"So," Y/N tested out, "I sometimes feel as if I'm not supposed to be here."

Ego paused and looked up, his gaze hard.

Y/N took a deep breath and continued, "I just woke up two days ago and then I-"

Ego raised a hand to stop her, "Anri-chan, could you leave us for a moment?"

Anri had a confused look on her face, but she backed out of the room.

Ego set his chopsticks down once Anri left, "How much have you figured out?"

"Excuse me?" Y/N asked, taken aback.

Ego's eyes bore holes into Y/N's face, "You know you've been reincarnated. How much have you figured out besides that?"

"So you know something?" Y/N's hands squeezed her jacket.

"I'm the one who brought you here."

"What?" Y/N blinked rapidly, "Why?" she spluttered.

Ego sighed and took off his glasses, rubbing his temples, "I was given a choice."

Y/N stared at him.

He put his glasses back on, "In my first time trying to start Blue Lock, an accident occurred, and I failed. Blue Lock was torn to shreds."

Y/N turned her head slightly, "What do you-?"

"This is my third time trying."

Y/N froze, "You were reincarnated too?"

Ego shook his head, "I was given another chance. A chance to change the outcome. I took that chance—that chance was you."

Y/N sat down and put her hands on the side of her head, propping her elbows on the table, "You're telling me you tried the Blue Lock project already, but it failed, and then you got another chance?"

Ego nodded, "I was sent back to the moment before the accident."

"You went back in time..." Y/N tried to wrap her head around the situation, "Then why was I dragged into all this?"

Ego placed his palms together and intertwined his fingers, "In my second chance, I was merely able to delay the accident, but it still occurred later on. I was then sent back a third time."

He paused and ate some ramen before continuing.

"My third chance entailed the choosing of someone from outside the manga to enter the manga. Someone that could change the outcome of Blue Lock."

Y/N held up her hands, "Pause. You know this is a manga?"

Ego nodded once.

"Who told you that? And who gave you this 'third chance'?"

"The answer to both your answers is the Writer."

"Writer?" Y/N's head was spinning. Kaneshiro?

Ego nodded again, "The Writer allowed me to choose one person from the real world that I believed would change the accident. That person would be allowed 30 days inside the manga. And one chance to change the outcome."

Y/N's heart sank into her stomach as a cold fog seemed to envelop her, "Only 30 days?"

Ego's face showed no change of emotion, "Yes. That was all the time he would give me."

"What was the accident?"

Ego was silent, then he said, "I can't tell you."

"What?" Y/N stood up, "Then how the hell am I supposed to change the outcome of whatever this is? I don't even know what I've been doing the past few days!"

"You've already affected the outcome."

"What? Then why can't you tell me?" Y/N pleaded.

Ego shook his head, "It's not time. Knowing the truth would affect you."

Y/N clenched her teeth, "Okay, well screw that for now. What do you mean I only have 30 days?"

"The accident happened on day 7 in the very first, original timeline. In the second timeline, it happened on day 21. The Writer gave you the extra days after day 21 for confirmation purposes that the accident wouldn't happen again."

"Why can't the Writer just change the story plot himself? He's the author for God's sake!" Y/N huffed.

Ego's expression turned more serious, if that were even possible, "The Writer has lost control over his characters. His writing isn't affecting them and they seem to be growing a will of their own. He briefly lost control in the first timeline after the accident happened, and his power over the story has been waning ever since."

"But," Y/N felt dizzy, "I read the manga. I don't remember any accident."

"Sit down," Ego said, "This is going to be a lot."

Y/N sat down.

"In the first timeline, Blue Lock lost the U-20 match."

Y/N's eyes widened.

"The accident occurred on the same day." Ego thought for a moment, "I guess the accident wasn't correlated to the downfall of Blue Lock in the first timeline."

Ego paused as if he realized something. He shook his head slightly and continued, "After Blue Lock was destroyed, the Writer reversed the story to give me a chance to change the outcome. In the second timeline, I was able to prevent the accident temporarily, but it still happened on day 21, prior to the NEL arc."

Ego took another bite of his ramen.

"So in the second timeline, the accident was a major inciter to the downfall of Blue Lock. This second timeline is also the version of the manga that you read in your world. I was then sent back a third time. The Writer was desperate and allowed me to choose someone from your world to help me," Ego nodded his towards Y/N, "That was you. I analyzed all the Blue Lock readers and chose you due to reasons I won't disclose for now." Ego paused for a moment, then continued, "...You did make an edit of me that I quite enjoyed."

A laugh slipped from Y/N's mouth at the unexpected comment, "You saw my edits?"

Ego nodded, "That's not the point here though."

"Of course," Y/N nodded, grinning, "Continue."

"You, as the one I chose, was reincarnated by the Writer into Blue Lock for a 30 day period in which the accidents happened in the first two timelines. Now you still have 28 days to change the outcome. I've been monitoring your progress and I can say you're doing fairly well so far."

Y/N sighed, "Well it's kind of hard for me to monitor my progress when I don't even know what I'm trying to prevent," she paused, "What happens after the 30 days are over?"

"You get sent back to your world."

"Just like that?"

Ego tilted his head slightly from side to side, "You'll be alive and well, back in your world, and it'll be as if none of this ever happened. Your memories, the players' memories, Anri-chan's memories—they'll all be erased from what happened in these 30 days."

Y/N let out a shaky exhale, "I won't remember a single thing?"

Ego shook his head, "The only sign of what happened in these 30 days will be changes in the manga, which-" Ego pointed at Y/N, "You will be erased from. Only your effect will last. But your memory will be gone."

Y/N stared at Ego in shock. It had only been 2 days and so much had already happened. How could she possibly forget these 30 days?

Ego looked at his watch and made a shooing motion with his hand, "Go on, you have to monitor the players right now."

Y/N got up in a daze and walked towards the field, not believing what her ears had just heard.

Chapter Text

 Y/N sat on the benches on the side of the field, staring off at nowhere in particular. She twisted the spoon ring on her middle finger, deep in thought. So, based on what Ego said, even if she was able to prevent the "accident", she wouldn't even be able to remember her contribution once she was thrown back into the real world.

The intercom overhead sounded and announced the end of morning training. Y/N looked up.

Already? She had been zoning out for longer than she thought.

The players filed out of the field, chatting casually.

Rin reached the entrance and then paused. He walked back to where Y/N was sitting.

"Rin-san," Y/N looked up at him, "Sorry about yesterday night. I wasn't in my right mind. I apologize for making you do all that."

Rin kneeled on one knee and met Y/N's eye level, "Don't worry about it," he brushed some hair from Y/N's face, "Are you okay?"

Y/N took a deep breath, "I'm okay."

Rin raised an eyebrow, "You don't look okay."

Y/N stared hard at him, biting her tongue. A tear fell from her eye.

"Huh?" Y/N wiped at her eyes and covered her face with her hands, "That's weird. What was that?" She forced out a laugh.

Rin removed Y/N's hands from her face, "What happened?"

More tears slipped out of Y/N's eyes, "I only have 30 days."

"Huh?" Rin's hands holding Y/N's wrists tensed up.

Y/N wiped her eyes with her shoulder, her wrists still locked in Rin's hands, "I was brought into your world to prevent something from happening. I only have 30 days. Then I'll get sent back to my world-"

"What are you preventing?"

Y/N turned to see Bachira standing at the entrance, his hand grabbing the collar of Nagi's shirt.

Nagi looked up from his phone, "Why do you only have 30 days?"

Y/N's mouth gaped slightly, "Why are you guys here?"

Bachira dragged Nagi over and plopped down on the ground next to Rin, "I noticed something was off with you when you walked in, and since I saw Rin-chan stay behind, I figured I would too." He pointed at Nagi, "I grabbed him as well."

Bachira poked Y/N's nose, "Now spill."

Y/N nodded and recounted all that she had learned from Ego that morning. Bachira and Rin listened intently while Nagi scrolled on his phone.

"So none of us will remember anything?" Rin's face morphed into a scowl.

"I don't believe that," Bachira shrugged, "There has to be a loophole."

"Ah, I died," Nagi said.

Y/N's head dropped, "Even if I do manage to stop the accident, and somehow I do remember everything, I won't physically be here anymore."

"You don't want to go back?" Rin asked.

"I don't know," Y/N furrowed her brow, "Technically, I'm dead in my world right now anyways."

"Well there is one good thing..." Bachira stood up, "We beat U-20 in the second timeline. That means we can do it again!"

Y/N smiled. Bachira's optimism was one of her many reasons for placing him on a pedestal in her life.

"I'm going to do whatever I can to prevent the accident," Y/N promised. Then she muttered, "Even though I don't know what it is."

"Right!" Bachira placed his hands on Y/N's shoulders, "We're gonna make memories your brain won't even dream of forgetting. And we're gonna beat U-20 again!"

Y/N grabbed Bachira's hands and slapped her face with them, "I can do this."

Rin grabbed Bachira's arms and tugged them off Y/N's face, "Why did you slap yourself with his hands?"

Y/N smiled, "I needed a wake up call."

She stood up, "If we're gonna prevent Blue Lock's downfall, then we're gonna need energy!" Y/N smiled, "Let's eat."

Nagi groaned, "That's such a hassle. I'm just gonna sleep here until afternoon practice."

Y/N tugged Nagi's arms until he was on his feet, "I'll give you a piggyback ride. C'mon Nagi, you need to eat."

Nagi consented and Y/N turned to let Nagi get on her back. She straightened herself slightly, adjusting her grip under Nagi's knees.

"Y/N limousine," Nagi muttered sleepily.

"Your leg..." Rin murmured.

"It's fine," Y/N turned to him, "The ointment helped speed up the process so I'm much better already." She adjusted Nagi's position on her back and smiled, "Plus, I'm a lot stronger than you think."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N sat in the same spot on the bench as that morning as she observed the players' afternoon practice. The only difference was that Yukimiya was sitting next to her, cleaning off his glasses.

She sneaked a glance towards Yukimiya, admiring his well-proportioned body and handsome face. He was looking down at his glasses, his face contorted into a pained expression.

Y/N felt a pang in her heart. Back at home, she had also struggled with waning vision due to her constant late-night editing, so Yukimiya's story in the original manga had really resonated with her. After she woke up in the Blue Lock world, her vision had returned to a nearly perfect 20/20—one of the only benefits that came with her reincarnation.

"Yukimiya-san," Y/N fidgeted with her rings, "I also struggle with vision problems..." Not anymore though, she thought, "I know some pressure points that are good for the eyes, may I?"

Yukimiya gave Y/N a curious glance and then slowly nodded.

"Alright, face me. Close your eyes."

Yukimiya turned his body to face Y/N and closed his eyes. Y/N shifted until she was sitting criss-cross on the bench, facing Yukimiya.

She reached out and tenderly felt around the side of his head.

"Make a chewing motion," she prompted.

Yukimiya hesitated, but did as she said.

Found it.

Y/N pressed down into his temples with her middle fingers and made a circling motion. As she moved her fingers around Yukimiya's face massaging the pressure points, she narrated some of her actions.

"You want to press hard enough that you can feel pressure, but don't press so hard that it hurts—it's supposed to feel good."

Y/N moved her thumbs to the inner corner of Yukimiya's eyebrow and pressed along the arches, going towards the tail of the eyebrow and then repeating again.

"And, in each of these pressure points, you want to massage for 8 counts, 8 times, for a total of 64 circles."

Y/N adjusted her hands again, "For this pressure point, place three fingers next to your nose. Wherever your outer finger lands—that's where the point is."

She finished massaging the last pressure point and released Yukimiya's face from her grasp.

Yukimiya opened his eyes and flinched at the light.

Y/N held her hand over his eyes, "You'll have to be careful with opening your eyes too fast."

Yukimiya nodded and looked out towards the field, "I feel... relieved. It's almost like the colors in the world got brighter for an instant."

Y/N nodded, "I learned these pressure points when I was trying to find a cure for my vision," she placed her feet back onto the grass, "It's not gonna magically heal your vision, but it should help with strain and prevent it from worsening. At least for now."

Yukimiya smiled, "Thank you. I don't think I've memorized the pressure points yet, so I'm gonna have to ask you to remind me."

"Don't worry," Y/N laughed, "I'll keep massaging them for you until you memorize them."

Which will be max 27 days, Y/N reminded herself.

Yukimiya put his glasses back on, covering his eyes, "Thank you, Y/N-chan."

He joined the rest of the players on the field.

Y/N leaned back on her hands and watched the players. They were hard at work, pushing themselves to the extremes as they ran across the field. As Y/N watched, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was living out a deja vú. As if she hadn't only been here for three days, but rather three months, or even three years.

Perhaps I've grown attached.

Y/N sighed. She had just begun to accept her time in Blue Lock as a "forever" kind of thing, but then Ego totally ruined that with his "30 days" explanation.

There's no way I'm going to forget all this...right?

Y/N sighed again. There was nothing she could do if she did end up forgetting everything.

"I'll enjoy all this while I'm here," she said quietly.

...............................5 days before U-20 Match...............................

Chapter Text

"Ego-san, may I leave the building?" Y/N handed him a bowl of ramen.

"What for?" Ego paid her no attention as he slurped the ramen.

Y/N twisted the spoon ring on her middle finger, "The players don't have morning practice, and I don't have any other duties until lunchtime, so I was hoping to explore this world a little while I'm here."

Ego thought for a moment, then nodded, "I suppose I can't keep you locked up in Blue Lock like the players. Do you need money?"

Y/N was already walking towards the door, "Anri-san handed me a paycheck this morning!"

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N stared up at the store in front of her. She had been walking around for a while now, but this was the first vintage store she had come across. The window displays seemed promising, so she decided to take a look.

"Oh wow..." She murmured under her breath as her eyes scanned the display of vintage rings.

Japan sure was built differently compared to America.

She politely gestured with her hands to the kind old lady behind the counter for a basket and continued around the store, making a mental note to go back to the rings later.

Y/N walked around, mesmerized by the quality and affordability surrounding her. Even if I buy all this, how could I possibly take it back with me to my world?

Hm? Y/N eyed a Chainsaw Man t-shirt hanging on a rack in the back of the store, "I guess they have this manga in the Blue Lock World. Interesting." She eyed the design for a minute before placing it into her basket, satisfied.

A stand of keychains caught her eye.

"Oh!" Y/N picked up a keychain that dangled an axe from its ring. The mini plaque hanging next to the axe read "The Shining."

Should I get this for Rin? The Egoist Bible had said that "The Shining" was one of Rin's favorite movies.

Well—no harm in buying it with money that I won't even bring back to my world. She placed the keychain in her basket. Y/N tilted her head. Since she was free that morning, maybe she should get some gifts for the other players too.

Despite many pieces of clothing and shoes catching her eye, Y/N limited herself to the ring section.

She scanned the rings adorning the glass table until her eyes fell on a simple silver ring holding a band of deep turquoise in the middle.

It looks like Rin's eyes.

Y/N felt warmth crawl across her cheeks. Why were all her thoughts revolving around him? She traced her finger across the turquoise sliver. The ring was very pretty. She felt drawn to it.

Y/N picked up the ring and placed it into her basket without further mental debate. She paid the cash from the envelope that Anri had given her this morning, grateful for Anri's quick explanation of Japanese money, and then headed out the door.

The bright blue sky from early that morning had turned grey with storm clouds. Y/N dug into her memory of the Egoist Bible. She needed to hurry and buy the other players' gifts before it started raining.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Two hours later, she had safely stowed the players' gifts into her many shopping bags and was walking toward the area of the Blue Lock building. The rain had started down and Y/N tried her best to hide the gifts under her jacket.

Where is that car? Ego had given permission for one of his drivers to drive Y/N down to the city earlier, but Y/N had walked so far from her initial drop-off location that it would be impossible for her to locate the car again.

She sighed. She was exhausted and lost. She plopped onto a bench, wincing at the puddle of water soaking her underwear. Whatever.

"What's wrong pretty lady?" The rain hitting Y/N's hair suddenly ceased.

Y/N looked to her right and bit back a gasp. The warm tanned skin and pink hair tips of Shidou Ryusei were sitting right next to her. He was holding up an umbrella to cover both of them. It seemed that the U-20 players had a much more relaxed schedule than the Blue Lock players.

"Shidou!" Y/N exclaimed in surprise.

Shidou gave a sideways smile, "Wow, I didn't know I had a fan."

"I-," Y/N blinked, "I am! I'm a big fan!"

It was true, she loved Shidou a lot. He came close to Bachira in her personal rankings.

Shidou raised an eyebrow, "English?"

Y/N slapped her forehead. She had totally forgotten that Shidou wouldn't understand her without a translator.

Y/N pulled out google translate on her phone.

"I'm a fan of you." The phone recited in Japanese.

"Oh!" Shidou grinned, "I see," his lips pouted slightly, "But how come you can understand me?"

Y/N pointed at her ear.

Shidou reached out and pulled the device out of her ear, placing it into his. He gestured for her to speak.

"Um," Y/N thought for a moment, "You like Chainsaw Man right? I do too!"

Shidou's face lit up as he nodded.

Y/N felt a tug inside her. Could she? No... What if she changed the course of the story?

But isn't that what I'm here to do?

Y/N couldn't find any other reasons to object and pulled out her Blue Lock access card, "Shidou-san, take me to meet Itoshi Sae."

Shidou stared at the Blue Lock access card, surprised.

Then he plugged the translator back into Y/N's ear, "Blue Lock, huh? Why do you want to see Sae-chan?"

Y/N shook her head. Shidou didn't need to know about Sae and Rin's relationship.

"Can't tell me?" Shidou pouted, "Then why would I let you see him?"

Y/N thought for a moment, then she reached into her first shopping bag and pulled out the Chainsaw Man shirt. She offered it to Shidou.

"Ooo!" Shidou exclaimed, "Now we're talking. Follow me."

She followed him to a white car with a single peach pink stripe circling the exterior.

Oh, it looks like their uniforms.

Y/N watched Shidou climb into the passenger seat before sliding into the backseat. She had only requested to see Sae on a whim, but now that she was in the car driving towards the U-20 training center, she was blanking on what she needed to say to him.

She sighed and pulled out her phone, pressing Anri's contact.

"Hello? Anri-san? Can you please give Ego-san the phone?"

Anri handed the phone to Ego.

"Y/N," Ego greeted her.

"Have Anri-san make your ramen for lunch today, I'll be late."

"And why is that? Trying to escape?"

Y/N gave a snide laugh, "I wish. I'm meeting Itoshi Sae."

Ego was silent for a moment, then he said, "Take however long you need."

The line ended and Y/N stared down at her phone. Was talking to Itoshi Sae important? Was that why Ego was being generous? Perhaps he played a part in the "accident" in the first two timelines?

Was the accident related to a person? Am I supposed to change the outcome of Blue Lock with my unexpected interactions?

Y/N scrunched her eyebrows. Her own thinking didn't even make sense to her. She looked out the window and un-scrunched her eyebrows.

They had arrived.

Chapter Text

Y/N followed Shidou down the familiar halls, fidgeting uncomfortably with her new turquoise ring.

"Demon boy, you're back."

Y/N laid her eyes on a face that she seemed to see a lot of these days. He looked a lot like Rin. Or rather, Rin looked a lot like him.

"Yoo! Sae-chan!" Shidou sang, "Look who I brought."

Sae looked at Y/N, his face unchanging, "Who?"

Sae understands English, so this won't be too bad.

Y/N gulped, "Hello Sae-san. I'm Y/N. I'm currently working under Blue Lock."

She moved her hands to hug herself, freezing from the combination of wet clothing and the facility air conditioning.

"English..." Sae murmured, looking away.

Y/N could feel heat rising in her neck. Why was that the first thing anybody said whenever she talked to them? Y/N stared hard into Sae's pretty face. It looked very punchable.

Him and Rin's relationship isn't actually his fault though, she reminded herself, he's just horrible at communication.

"I want to talk about Rin," she said firmly.

Sae froze and slowly turned back to look at Y/N, "You... What? What's your relationship with my brother?"

Y/N paused. What was her relationship with Rin? To say they were friends was technically accurate, but for some reason... that didn't quite seem to cut it.

"I'm someone that cares about him a lot," she decided, "And I know you do too."

Sae frowned slightly, "Shidou, leave us for a moment."

"Alrighty Sae-chan," Shidou winked at Y/N and left.

Sae waited until Shidou rounded the corner before speaking, "Make this quick, I have training later. About Rin? Is he okay?"

Y/N smiled slightly, "So you do care for him."

"Why wouldn't I?" Sae lifted his left eyebrow.

"You are such a horrible older brother."

"What?" Sae looked offended.

"Or at least," Y/N smiled, "That's how Rin feels."

Sae scoffed, "What did I even do? He's so moody."

"It's because of you, you-," Y/N stopped herself from calling Sae "motherfucker", "You need to open up more."

"I don't need to do anything."

"Tell him," Y/N was angry now. She grabbed his collar, "Tell him what happened in Spain. I don't care when, or how, but you will. And stop letting him drown in a misunderstanding that pits him against you."

Sae's mouth fell open and his eyes clouded over, "How did you know about Spain?"

Y/N released his collar, "Don't ask. Just do as I say."

Sae brushed his collar, "I was already planning to... I just haven't decided when. Not anytime soon. Is that all you wanted to say?"

Y/N shrugged, "I guess."

She had initially been angry with Sae when she read Rin's backstory in the manga, but seeing Sae's face change at the mere mention of Spain made her pity him.

"I don't know what happened to you in Spain," Y/N turned around, trying to find the exit, "But I do know that you have the capabilities of a striker. Perhaps you're a midfielder now, and perhaps you're fine with that. But you shouldn't stay locked up by your past experiences. You're better than that."

Sae grabbed onto Y/N's arm, "Wait."

Y/N turned back around, "Hm?"

Sae's face contorted into a pained expression, "Please take care of Rin. Tell him I'm sorry."

Y/N shook his hand off, "That's not my phrase to say to him."

She turned to leave and felt a jacket land on top of her shoulders. Y/N looked down and saw Sae's jacket wrapped around her shoulders. She looked up at him in surprise.

"I don't think Rin would want you to catch a cold." Sae explained.

"How would you know what Rin wants?" Y/N laughed.

"I know."

Y/N stared at Sae for a moment, "Thanks Sae-san. I'll return it to you at the match."

"Tell your Blue Lock players to train hard."

Y/N turned and waved without looking back, "Oh trust me, they are. Take good care of Shidou."

"Huh?"

Y/N snickered. Ryusae was going to be canon soon enough.

The car was still waiting at the entrance.

Y/N got into the passenger seat and looked at the driver, "Care to take me back to Blue Lock?"

He nodded, "Shidou-chan already asked me to."

Y/N smiled and watched the view outside as the car made its way back to Blue Lock. Shidou was one of her favorite characters for a reason.

---------------------------------------------------------------

"I come bearing gifts!" Y/N announced as she entered the cafeteria where the players were still on lunch break. She had just showered and blow-dried her hair, leaving Sae's jacket in her room.

Bachira looked up excitedly, "Y/N-chan! I was wondering where you were!"

Y/N took the seat next to Bachira, "You guys didn't have training this morning, so I took a trip down to the city."

She distributed the goods: Bachira's canned pineapples, Isagi's sweets, Rin's keychain, Reo's glass lion, Nagi's Bonobono poster, and so on.

Everyone seemed surprised.

"How did you know I liked blueberries?" Yukimiya popped one into his mouth.

Nagi opened his poster, "Is all this from the Egoist Bible or whatever it's called?"

Y/N nodded at Nagi, "I remembered some of the things that each of you liked and got something along those lines. I wanted to leave something for you guys, even if you won't remember."

Bachira put his arm around Y/N and gave her shoulder a squeeze, "I promise I'll find a way to remember you."

Rin cleared his throat, "Did you guys forget something?"

Bachira and Y/N looked at Rin confused.

Isagi faked a cough, "You guys care to explain?"

"Yeah," Reo perked up and turned to Y/N, "Are you leaving us or something?"

Nagi looked at Y/N, his eyes wide, "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."

Y/N shook her head, "Me neither. It's fine though. About time I tell them."

She wrapped her arms around Bachira's waist and buried her head in his shoulder, "Where do I even start?"

Bachira leaned his head on hers, "I'll do it. Take a nap."

Y/N laughed into Bachira's shoulder as he recounted everything that she had told him, Rin, and Nagi two days ago.

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Blue Lock failed in the first two timelines?" Niko's voice was unstable.

"We beat U-20 the second time?" Isagi tried to hide his grin.

"We won't remember you at all after 30 days?" Otoya's posture slouched.

"Yes, yes, and yes." Y/N responded, sitting up from Bachira's shoulder. She was glad that the players hadn't questioned her story at all.

Probably because Rin was one of the people adding details into the story along with Nagi.

"I don't know how much I can tell you guys, so don't bother with questions that I probably don't even know the answer to," Y/N said, "Ego was pretty vague."

Karasu rested his chin in his hand, "Ego told us already that Blue Lock would collapse if we lose to U-20. If that happened in the first timeline, that means the accident that happened on the same day after the match was unrelated to Blue Lock's collapse."

"Correct." Y/N confirmed.

"That means there must be another reason that the Writer wants you to prevent the accident," Karasu summarized, "Not just to save Blue Lock. But maybe to save something else too."

The others began to talk in hushed tones as Y/N looked at Karasu, surprised. He was right. This whole time, she had believed that she needed to stop the accident to stop Blue Lock's downfall, but that was only Ego's interpretation.

It seemed that the writer merely wanted to prevent the accident, and not necessarily Blue Lock's downfall.

Does Kaneshiro not care about Blue Lock then? That didn't seem right either. What exactly was so special about this accident?

Rin reached out and placed his hand on Y/N's. She looked up, startled.

"Don't think too hard about it," he whispered, "We'll help you prevent the accident and save Blue Lock."

Y/N nodded and looked down at his hand on hers, blushing slightly. She wasn't sure whether she had made the right decision of letting all the players know about what happened to her, but it was too late to scrutinize that now.

She looked over at the players talking. They were getting fired up at the idea that they had already beat U-20 once.

"We can do it again," Isagi grinned.

The players cheered. Y/N smiled.

...............................4 days before U-20 Match...............................

Chapter Text

Y/N sat on the stairs near the edge of the pool, eyes closed. The schedule for the week going forward towards the U-20 match was relatively the same. Her only job was to make Ego's meals, monitor the players and assist Anri when needed.

Y/N exhaled. She'd probably have to mow the field again tomorrow.

Over the past four days, she had more or less grown accustomed to the other players in the bathing pool at the same time as her. As long as she had her bathing suit, she figured she was fine.

It's just like a pool party, Y/N grimaced.

Reo swam over and sat next to Y/N, "Hey."

"Hi," Y/N moved over a little.

They sat in silence for a moment.

"So, how are things with Nagi?" Y/N asked.

He leaned back onto the stairs, "Do we make up later?"

Y/N nodded and twisted the new turquoise ring on her finger, "In the version of the manga that I read, you guys did."

She decided not to mention that it took them a hot minute to reconcile.

Y/N looked over at Reo. Of all the players here, she had been most unsettled by Reo's eyes at first glance. Chigiri's red eyes had been a subtle shock, but Reo's deep purple eyes were mesmerizing.

Reo looked over at Y/N, "You're bearing holes into my face."

Y/N laughed, "Sorry, sorry. Has anyone ever told you you're really pretty?"

Reo's face reddened, "I'm what? Uh, no? I've heard 'handsome', not 'pretty'. People used to always compliment me, but it's just because they liked the money, not me."

"I like you," Y/N said automatically.

Reo's eyes widened, "You-?"

"Not like that," Y/N shook her head, "You're a great person, and I bet a lot of people like you without the money in the equation." She slid off the step she was sitting on, "Like Nagi, for example."

Reo blinked, "Nagi?"

Y/N didn't say anything else and swam towards the center of the pool. She usually stayed at the edge of the bathing pool, but she figured she would move around today.

Y/N swam towards the center of the bathing pool and stopped, setting her feet down. She gasped, shocked at the depth of the pool—she had never swam to this part of it.

Her head went under.

Two hands grabbed a hold onto her and brought her up and out of the water.

Y/N gasped for air, coughing out excess water. She looked over at her savior.

"Thanks Bachira-chan," Y/N patted his head.

"Anytime Y/N-chan," Bachira smiled.

Y/N paused. Something didn't feel right.

She felt her face go white, "Bachira!" she shrieked, pushing off of him, "Why are you still not wearing anything?"

An arm wrapped around her waist and kept her from going under again.

"Go put a swimsuit on, bowlcut." Rin scoffed.

Bachira laughed and swam away, chasing after Isagi.

Y/N placed a hand on Rin's arm. A few days ago, she would've subtly pushed his arm off, but today...

Y/N readjusted her positioning until she was facing Rin. She wrapped both arms around his neck.

Rin's cheeks turned slightly redder, but he kept his right arm firmly wrapped around her, "You can't swim?"

Y/N rested her head on her arm, right next to Rin's neck, "Of course I can."

She watched Rin's Adam's apple move as he swallowed. He slowly moved towards a less crowded area of the bathing pool.

"Can I see your right hand?" Rin stopped swimming.

"Hm?" Y/N held up her right hand from the water.

Rin took it in his and brushed his finger over the turquoise ring, "It's new."

Y/N suddenly felt very hot and very conscious of their intimate positioning. Her left arm clinging to Rin's neck and his right arm was wrapped around her waist; his hand reached all the to the back of the left side of her waist.

Y/N surveyed the water around her.

It seemed that the pool was around six feet deep in the area they were standing in. Not deep enough for her to drown, but deep enough that her feet wouldn't touch the pool floor, especially with Rin holding onto her.

Rin gave her hand a squeeze, "What are you thinking about?"

Y/N blinked and looked at her ring, "Oh right, it's new. It reminded me of your eyes."

She bit her lip as soon as the words escaped her mouth. She looked away wincing at her comment.

Y/N pushed Rin's arm trying to get away from the awkward situation, but it didn't budge.

"Oh c'mon," Rin grinned, "You're trying to escape now? Where's the confidence from before?"

"In a blink, gone," Y/N huffed, poking Rin's arm. She rolled her eyes. As if anyone here would understand an Alien Stage reference.

Rin used his hand to turn Y/N's chin back to face him, "I think it's only fair that I get a ring that matches your eyes then."

Y/N scrunched her nose and turned her head away, "My eyes are boring though. They're just brown."

"I think they're pretty."

She could've sworn that she felt his breath on her neck just now. Y/N felt a shiver run down her spine. She could almost hear her heart beating out of her chest.

How close is he?

"That's it," Y/N used all her might and pried Rin's arm off her, "I'm gonna dry up and go to bed."

She swam towards the stairs and snatched up her towel laying by the poolside before running out of the lavatory.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N couldn't sleep. She turned over and laid on her side, staring at the faint light peeking in from under her closed door.

He's fictional.

But was he really? He seemed very real.

I'm going to forget this all. And so will he.

So wasn't that all the more reason to go for it?

"Ugh fuck it, we ball." Y/N turned back onto her back and closed her eyes.

She had other things to worry about.

...............................3 days before U-20 Match...............................

Chapter Text

Y/N clicked the surface of her phone, lighting up the screen. She pressed the snooze button on her alarm. Y/N sighed and rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling without her tapestry.

She was really starting to miss her world.

The snooze alarm rang before she knew it and she forced herself up. Anri had mentioned that she wouldn’t be doing yoga that morning in order to efficiently set the plan for the U-20 match, Y/N would be alone.

She changed out of her pajamas and into a plain t-shirt with shorts. Her headphones were already in her ears when she closed the door and began walking towards the gym.

Rin was sitting in the same place as the first day she had met him, meditating.

“Rin-san.” Y/N greeted him.

“Y/N.” He nodded his head.

Y/N pressed her lips together and turned her head to look at the mirror. The memory of last night was still fresh in her mind and it was evident from her flushed reflection in the mirror.

She grabbed a mat off the rack and placed it onto the ground. Her playlist shuffled as she went about stretching and relaxing her muscles.

“Y/N.”

“Hm?” Y/N pulled an earbud from her ear.

‘My arm’s been feeling weird lately,” Rin rubbed his forearm, “Can you take a look?”

“Sure.” Y/N got up and walked over to Rin, taking his arm in her hands.

The slight contact made her stomach tickle. She ran her thumb along the curves of his muscles, checking for knots or tightness.

“Your muscles are surprisingly relaxed for an athlete,” Y/N exclaimed, surprised, “It’s probably because I’m not a pro, but I don’t feel anything off.”

She released her hands just as Rin caught her wrist, “That’s because there’s nothing wrong with it.”

Y/N could feel heat crawling up her neck, “Then why-?”

Rin pulled Y/N’s arm hard, bringing her to her knees, straddling Rin in his criss-cross position.

Y/N covered her flustered face with the hand that Rin hadn’t grabbed, “What are you-?”

Rin released her wrist and brought both arms around her waist, “Making memories.” He rested his head on her shoulder.

Y/N paused. What was it that Bachira had said? 

“...make memories your brain won’t even dream of forgetting…”  

Was that what this was?

Y/N stared down at the top of Rin’s dark hair and laughed, “Well that’s a choice.”

“What?” Rin didn’t move his head.

“If you wanted a hug, you could’ve just said so.”

Rin turned his head and looked up at Y/N, “But you only give Bowlcut hugs. He gets special treatment.”

Y/N cringed at her words in Rin’s mouth, “I was just joking.” She patted his head affectionately, “I’ll give you a hug anytime you want it.”

Rin didn’t say anything and laid his head back down on her shoulder, “You better keep your word.”

Y/N leaned her head on top of Rin’s, “Always.”

Y/N could feel tears pooling in her eyes. Why did she have a 30-day limit? Why did she have to forget all this? If there wasn’t a limit, then maybe she and Rin…

“Woah, am I intruding?”

Y/N jumped off Rin, practically smacking him in the face in the process. She looked up at Yukimiya standing at the door.

“Hi Yukimiya-chan,” Y/N brushed her hair out of her eyes nervously, “Come in.”

Rin gave an annoyed glance at Yukimiya before returning to his meditating.

Yukimiya walked over to Y/N, giving a wary glance to Rin, “I was looking for you.”

“Me?”

Yukimiya nodded, “I woke up some time ago from irritation in my eyes. It’s not going away.”

Sure enough, Yukimiya’s eyes were unnaturally red and on the verge of leaking tears.

“Oh dear,” Y/N pulled his face closer to examine his eyes, “I think I have a solution, but we’ll need to go to the kitchen.”

Y/N took Yukimiya’s arm and led him out of the room, “Bye Rin-san.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Yukimiya held the two spoons onto his eyes. They had just been dipped into an ice bath and the leftover water was dripping down his face.

Y/N dabbed his cheeks with a towel, “How does that feel?”

“I can’t really tell,” Yukimiya admitted, “It just feels really cold.”

Y/N nodded, “We’ll leave it on for a few more minutes and then go from there.”

She took a seat next to him and turned her phone face-up to keep track of the time.

“Y/N?”

Y/N looked over at Yukimiya, “Yeah?”

“What happens to my eyes in the future?”

Y/N paused for a moment, “I don’t think the manga has progressed that far into the future, but from what I know, your eyes are fine.”

Yukimiya was silent. Y/N studied his face behind the spoons. There was still water dripping from the spoons. 

Y/N grabbed the towel and dabbed at his face, muttering, “You’d think it would stop dripping by now.”

She paused. That wasn’t water from the ice bath.

Y/N pulled his hands away from his face, “Are you crying?”

Yukimiya’s eyes were red again, but this time from tears. He wiped his eyes angrily and looked down at the countertop.

“I’m running out of time,” More tears began to fall from Yukimiya’s eyes, “And I can’t do anything to stop it.”

“Oh Yukimiya…” Y/N lifted his face with her hands.

Yukimiya looked at her in surprise, his ears turning slightly pink.

Y/N stared him in the eye, “Even if it's inevitable, so what? When something is bound to happen, you have two choices. Mope around before it happens, or make the most of your life before it does.”

Y/N brushed his tears away with her thumbs, “And I’ll massage those pressure points for you three times a day if I have to. You may not have your doctor here in Blue Lock to support you right now, but I will.”

Yukimiya looked at her for a moment before stretching his lips into a wide smile. He leaned his cheek further into her right hand.

So cute! Was this what it felt like to be a mother?

Y/N laughed out loud. 

Yukimiya lifted his head, “Something funny?”

Y/N shook her head, “I had a funny thought. But that doesn’t matter.” She ruffled Yukimiya’s hair, “Stay strong Yuki. I’m here for you.”

Yukimiya nodded and stood up. He stared at Y/N for a moment, then he dropped the spoons in the sink before walking over to the door.

He paused as he placed his hand on the handle and looked over his shoulder, “You better find a way to come back after the 30 days are up.”

Y/N’s face turned resolute, “I will.”

Chapter Text

Chigiri was laying on Y/N’s lap as she braided his hair. They were inside the players’ room after their afternoon practice along with everyone else.

Y/N smiled as she watched Bachira curl up next to Isagi who was fast asleep on top of his sleeping bag. When she had been talking to Bachira earlier, she had learned that he was planning on confessing to Isagi during the game.

She hadn’t understood at the moment, but now that she was connecting the dots, she realized that Bachira had been describing the famous “Love ya, partner” scene from the anime.

Y/N’s heart bounced in anticipation at the thought of seeing the scene unfold before her in two days.

“Y/N-chan.”

“Yes, Princess?” Y/N smiled down at Chigiri.

Chigiri glared at Y/N, “I should be the one calling you that.”

“I object.” Y/N returned.

Chigiri smiled and turned his head back to the side to let Y/N continue braiding his hair, “You were a dancer, right? Back in your world.”

Y/N shrugged, “I guess I technically still am. More or less.”

Chigiri nodded slightly, “You get hurt often, right?”

“Oh, plenty of times,” Y/N laughed, “I practiced a lot though, so it made sense that I would strain my muscles more often.”

“I see…” Chigiri’s head was still, “Do you happen to know if I’m still able to use my leg in the near future?”

Oh, I see what this is, Y/N realized. Ever since she had come clean about her reincarnation, she had gotten a lot of personal questions from players regarding their future status. I guess I should’ve expected this, Y/N admitted to herself.

She also had to admit, she was getting slightly annoyed with all these questions directed at her.

Y/N looked down at Chigiri’s head resting on her lap. It was hard to stay annoyed at the pure definition of beauty.

Y/N stroked the ends of Chigiri’s braids, “For a good while—yes. At least, up until what I read in the manga, you’re doing pretty well.”

Chigiri smiled faintly and closed his eyes, “Well, you seem to be doing quite well yourself, despite all those alleged injuries. You’re gonna have to teach me your ways later.”

“I will,” Y/N promised, “We can go to the gym later and I’ll teach you some conditioning exercises.”

Chigiri nodded.

“Y/N.”

Y/N looked up, “Rin-chan.”

“Oh, I’ve upgraded to ‘Rin-chan’ now, huh?” Rin took a seat next to her.

Y/N tilted her head, “Would you rather I address you as ‘Rin-san’?”

Rin shook his head and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes, “ ‘Rin-chan’ is good.”

Chigiri sat up suddenly and made a gagging sound, “Hello? There’s a third person here. Get a room.” He got to his feet and walked towards where Reo was sitting, “See you later.”

Y/N’s face turned beet-red as she looked down at her turquoise ring. Rin took her hand in his and examined the ring. Y/N turned her head, slightly flustered.

“Do you think we’ll really forget everything?” He looked up at her.

Y/N’s heart sank. She had been trying so hard to forget the consequences of her 30 days at Blue Lock.

Y/N looked at her ring, “I really hope I don’t.” She looked at him, “I hope none of us do.”

Rin nodded and held up her hand in between their faces, “Why did you buy a ring that you won’t even get to keep?”

Y/N scrunched her eyebrows, confused, “What do you mean? Everything that’s in contact with my body when I cross worlds will cross with me.”

Rin looked surprised, “So you bought this because…?” He pointed to her ring.

Y/N swallowed, “I was thinking: since it reminds me of your eyes, maybe once I go back to my world, I’ll see it and remember…you.” She bit her bottom lip for a moment, thinking, “And if I could just jog my memory by remembering you, I could remember everything else.”

Rin set her hand back down, “Why would you even forget me in the first place?” He grinned.

Y/N rolled her eyes, “You’re right. How could I ever  forget you?”

Rin fell silent and looked into her eyes. She looked right back.

“I really don’t want to…” Y/N whispered, “...Forget any of this.”

Rin turned back to face forward and inched closer to Y/N. He reached out his left arm and wrapped it around her, pushing her head onto his shoulder.

A small gasp escaped Y/N’s mouth as her head made contact with Rin’s shoulder.

His shoulder was firm with muscle, but comfortable to rest on. Y/N breathed in Rin’s scent: a faint jasmine smell mixed with the Blue Lock shampoo. She nuzzled her cheek deeper into his shoulder, drowning herself in his smell.

Rin’s shoulder momentarily tensed, but relaxed almost immediately. Y/N smiled into his shoulder.

“Alright lovebirds,” Chigiri walked over, “Time’s up.” He looked at Y/N, “Let’s head to the gym before it gets crowded later.”

Y/N sprang up from her seated position. She glanced at Rin and saw that he had no reaction to Chigiri’s words.

Y/N gave Chigiri a playful slap to his arm, “You can’t call us ‘lovebirds’ when you and Kunigami-” Y/N coughed, biting back her words. She watched as Chigiri’s sparkling eyes dimmed slightly.

“I’m sorry,” Y/N apologized.

“It’s whatever,” Chigiri turned, “Let’s go…” he looked back over his shoulder, “Princess.” he grinned.

Y/N breathed a sigh of relief. At least he wasn’t mad.

“I told you not to call me that!” Y/N attempted to kick Chigiri as he jumped back.

She looked down at Rin, “See you later, Rin.”

He nodded and Y/N turned back to face Chigiri, “Let’s go, Missy.”

Chigiri rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. Y/N followed suit.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Always warm up completely before taking the field.” Y/N stood next to Chigiri as they both faced the mirror, each holding their right legs up to their chest.

“I’m not dumb, Princess.” Chigiri muttered, wobbling back and forth.

Y/N grabbed onto his elbow, “Don’t call me that.”

Chigiri stuck out a tongue, “Princess.”

Y/N let go of Chigiri’s elbow and he fell to the ground with a yelp. Y/N immediately felt cold sweat rise across her forehead.

She collapsed to the ground next to Chigri, “Are you okay?”

“I’m not that fragile, Princ-” Chigiri shut his mouth.

Y/N laughed, “Whatever. Call me whatever.”

She pulled him back to his feet and resumed the same position, this time holding her left leg.

Chigiri sighed and copied her move, “What’s even the point of all this?”

Y/N smiled knowingly, “Back when I watched the adaption of Blue Lock into an anime, I remember wincing when I saw how you injured your leg.”

She lowered her foot to nudge Chigiri’s right ankle, “Your right ankle completely collapsed out of place.” Y/N winced, remembering the scene from the anime. “What you tore was your ACL, but the reason for that was because you had weak ankle strength.”

Chigiri set his foot down and looked at both of his feet, “Is that why this is so hard for me?”

Y/N shrugged, “Most likely so.”

Chigiri looked over, “Then how come you’re so sturdy? You can hold that position for like…” Chigiri thought for a moment, “Three minutes?”

“Five.” Y/N corrected him.

She brought her right leg to her chest, finding her balance for a moment, before extending it all the way above her head. Chigiri’s eyes widened.

“This is how I usually do this exercise,” Y/N explained, “Five minutes in the front, five minutes to the side, and five minutes to the back—as a scorpion.”

Chigiri’s posture deflated, “That looks and sounds brutal.”

Y/N laughed and let her leg drop, “It is. Plus with all my training en pointe, my ankles are bound to be stronger than yours.”

“I have a long way to go.” Chigiri sighed.

Y/N laughed and patted his braided hair, “But you have me. You’ll get stronger in no time!”
“Glam!” Aryu sang out.

Y/N looked towards the door, “Aryu!”

“That movement you did just now was so glam, Bachira-look-alike.” Aryu lifted his leg up, mimicking the move that Y/N had shown Chigiri earlier.

Y/N let out a loud laugh, “You’re better than me Aryu.”

Karasu pushed Aryu out of the way, “No he’s not.”

Aryu gasped, offended, “You don’t know what glam is. I’ll show you!”

He took Karasu’s arm and spun him in a circle. Karasu gritted his teeth and pushed Aryu off.

“Aryu is quite glam,” Gagamaru entered the gym, followed by the other players, “But Y/N wins this one.”

Y/N gave Gagamaru a smile before looking behind him at the entrance. She gave Bachira a small wave before landing her gaze on Rin.

Y/N could feel her eyes light up, “Rin-!”

A hand grabbed her wrist just as Rin looked up at her. Y/N turned around and found herself staring into two orange-brown tinted eyes.

“Y/N-chan,” Yukimiya’s voice was warm like honey, “Didn’t you promise to massage the pressure points for me three times a day?”

Y/N blinked. She had said that this morning in hopes of lifting Yukimiya’s spirits, but she hadn’t thought that he would actually take her word for it.

“Yes, let’s do that.” She let Yukimiya take her to the corner of the room.

Y/N looked over her shoulder to see where Rin was but he had his back turned towards her and was walking on the treadmill next to Hiori.

Y/N felt a pang of discomfort in her chest. She loved Hioririn… So why was she feeling this way?

Chapter Text

“So,” Yukimiya’s voice forced Y/N to return to her senses, “You like him or something?”

Y/N stopped, shocked and flustered alike, “What? Where did you get that from?” She could feel heat creeping up her neck.

Yukimiya shrugged, “Just a thought. Disregard it.”

Y/N blinked out of her stupor and assumed a sitting position across from him. She placed her middle fingers onto where she supposed his temples were.

“Chew.” She ordered.

Yukimiya chewed.

Y/N gave a faint smile as she found the pressure point. She let her mind wander. 

Three timelines. 2 accidents. And I’m preventing the third one. The accident wasn’t related to Blue Lock’s downfall in the first timeline. But it was related in the second timeline.

Y/N scrunched her eyebrows slightly. If it’s the same accident, that means that the accident wasn’t related to Blue Lock’s downfall at all. 

Y/N’s head was hurting again. But Ego said that the accident was related to Blue Lock’s collapse in the second timeline.

How does that make sense?

It doesn’t. Y/N sighed. None of it made any sense at all. All Ego did was speak in riddles and whenever she tried to bring up the timelines when she talked to Ego, he just shooed her out of the room.

“Y/N-chan?” 

Y/N snapped out of her mind fog and returned to Yukimiya’s face. Her hands had slipped down as she was thinking and were now brushing his lips. Yukimiya’s ears were red.

Y/N gave a surprised yelp and jolted back, “Sorry, Yuki! My mind was elsewhere.”

Yukimiya gave a sheepish laugh, “I could tell.” He put his glasses back on, “Mind telling me what’s got you so consumed?”

Y/N sighed, “I’m still wondering what the accident I’m supposed to prevent is. The more I think about it, the more nothing makes sense. And Ego won’t tell me anything either.” She closed her eyes in frustration.

“Ego probably has his reasons,” Yukimiya’s voice was light, “He’s not someone to act, or in this case, not act, without reason.”

Y/N opened her eyes and nodded. Yukimiya was right. Perhaps telling Y/N information about the accident would prove to be fatal in her mission if released too early.

She stood up, “I’m gonna go make Ego his dinner, see you Yukimiya-chan.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Ego-san.”

Y/N stared at Ego as he slurped up the noodles. He didn’t seem in a rush to be anywhere today, so Y/N decided to try her luck.

“Um Ego-san, I’ve been wondering… Are you really planning on kicking out all 299 strikers except for one?”

Y/N waited nervously for his response. It wasn’t what she wanted to ask him, but it was also a question she was yearning for the answer to. She figured it would be better to start with a question unrelated to her reincarnation.

Ego stopped eating and side-glanced at her, “Is there a player you don’t want eliminated?”

Y/N bit in a laugh, “Well, all of them.”

Ego went back to eating, “Is that so? No preference?”

“Um… no?”

“You hesitated. Who is it?”

“Bachira, I guess?” Y/N scratched the back of her neck.

“Still fond of Bachira, huh? What about Rin?”

There he goes again about Rin. Y/N gave a laugh, “Why are you always expecting me to answer with Rin? My Blue Lock bias has always been Bachira.”

Ego gave a small shrug, “I’ve noticed you talk with Rin the most.”

Y/N stared at Ego. She had forgotten that he was monitoring every moment through his computer screens.

“I’d want Rin to survive too.” Y/N explained, “I want everyone to survive.”

Ego didn’t answer.

“Well?” Y/N said impatiently, “What’s going to happen? Are 299 strikers actually going to be eliminated?”

Ego’s chopsticks hung in midair as he considered the question for a moment. Finally he answered, “Read the manga once you’re back in your world and find out.”

Y/N let out a “tch”, rolling her eyes. That wasn’t the answer she had wanted, but it provided the perfect bridge to her real question of the day.

“Speaking of being back in my own world, is there any way for me to not forget everything?”

Ego looked at her curiously, “You want to remember all this?”

Y/N nodded, “I also want to stay past the 30 day limit if possible.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Why not?” Y/N could feel tears welling up in her eyes, “You’re telling me I get to have the most amazing month of my sorry life in my favorite manga and then not remember a single thing? You’re telling me I’m going to forget every single interaction, every single moment, and every single emotion I’m entitled to in this fucked up head of mine?”

Y/N was fuming and tears were threatening to drop from the corners of her eyes, “I’m already dead in my world! What’s the point of sending me back?” She spat out the words, “And you won’t even tell me about the very accident I’m supposed to prevent! I’m living on the edge here—I’m not even living at all for God’s sake!” Y/N let out an unhinged laugh, “I’m dead!”

Ego stared at her in silence. Y/N angrily wiped at her tears and snatched the chopsticks out of Ego’s hand. She took his empty bowl and dropped them into the sink, rinsing them with water.

“Y/N.” Ego’s voice was firm, yet had a hint of softness in it, “If I could do something about it, I would.” His eyes contorted into a look of pity, “I’m sorry.”

Y/N straightened herself and stepped away from the sink, “You know how you’re always asking me about Rin?”

Ego blinked, “Yes?”

“For the first time since my parents passed, I’ve met someone who’s willing to take care of me. Someone who actually worries about my wellbeing.” Y/N’s heart ached, “It might’ve been only a few days since Rin met me, but I’ve known Rin since I started reading the manga a few years back. I cherish him a lot. I want to remember him.”

“You said you want to remember everything.”

“I did,” Y/N nodded, “But more than anything, I want to remember him.”

“And Bachira?” Ego tilted his head.

“Bachira’s still my favorite.” Y/N smiled.

Ego gave a slow nod, “I think I understand. I once lost someone I cared deeply for.”

Y/N gawked at Ego. Is he dropping lore right now?

“Lost to him, actually.” Ego shrugged.

Something in Y/N’s brain clicked, “Noel Noa?”

Ego didn’t respond and rose from his seat, pushing his glasses up. He walked towards the door and paused.

“Hold onto that bond with Rin while you can…” Ego looked over his shoulder, “I apologize again for not being able to extend your stay.”

He turned back and walked out the door.

………………………….2 days before U-20 Match………………………….

Chapter Text

“Ego-san,” Y/N placed the steaming bowl of ramen in front of him, “How are you feeling?”

“Slightly stressed.” Ego admitted. He eyed the bowl and used his chopsticks to hold up a green leaf, “What is this?”

“You need your vegetables at least once a week, sir.”

“No I don’t.” Ego scoffed.

“Unless you want to die, then no, you don’t.” Y/N shrugged.

Ego glared at her and then unwillingly put the leaf into his mouth.

“There’s no guarantee that they’ll win this time, is there?” Y/N eyed Ego.

“Everything in the future can deviate from the first or second timeline. We have no way of predicting anything, especially with the Writer losing control over the story line.”

Y/N tilted her head, “So if I’m able to successfully prevent the accident… Does the Writer gain control over his story again?”

“I’m unsure. The only thing the Writer mentioned was that he wouldn’t be able to interfere with the story any longer after this final try.” Ego looked up, “It’s a lot of pressure, but we have no other choice but to prevent the accident this time around, or else Blue Lock will disappear. In this world, and in yours.”

Y/N shuddered at the thought, “I’ll do whatever I can to make sure we can at least get through tomorrow, but I have no idea about the future.”

Ego nodded, “That’s good enough for now.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N was leaning on Bachira who was taking a short water break. Her head was comfortably nestled into the nook of his shoulder, a place that her head seemed to frequent whenever she had time to talk to Bachira.

Y/N sneaked a glance up at Bachira. His soft features worked in perfect harmony on his face and his golden eyes were easy to get lost in.

She smiled proudly to herself, As expected of my favorite character.

“I know I said I’m gonna confess to Isagi tomorrow, but then what?”

Y/N lifted her head off Bachira’s shoulder and looked at him. He was still staring off into the field in the area where Isagi was practicing with Rin.

“Then, you’ll find out.” Y/N shrugged, “Whether or not Isagi feels the same way.”

“And if he rejects me…” Bachira’s posture slouched slightly.

“If he does, then he’s an asshole for not seeing how amazing of a partner you’d be.” Y/N smiled and then gently nudged Bachira, “Then I can steal your heart and bring you back to my world with me,” she teased.

Bachira wrapped his arms around Y/N’s waist and leaned his head against her, “I’m scared of rejection… Because then, I won’t only lose Isagi as a potential lover, but possibly as a friend too. I don’t want to be lonely again.” He buried his head into her shoulder.

“I don’t think Isagi would unfriend you,” Y/N confirmed, wrapping an arm around Bachira, “But if for some crazy reason he does, I’ll give him a good slap for doing so. I’ll make sure that you don’t feel lonely like you did back then. I’ll always be your friend no matter what.”

“I have a feeling that even after you go back to your world, I’m going to remember you.”

Y/N ruffled Bachira’s hair, “And what makes you so confident about that?”

Bachira shrugged, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N stared at the food in front of her. Usually, she ate everything on her plate without a problem, but today, she found that she had no appetite.

As the threat of the U-20 game loomed closer, Y/N’s head was so full with worry that it had filled up her stomach too.

The other players seemed to have similar thoughts. Their eating pace was slower than usual and the lunchroom was practically silent.

Yesterday, Isagi had brought up the question during dinner, “Just because we won in the second timeline doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll win again, right?”

Y/N had affirmed his question and the players had been tenser ever since.

Now, Y/N and the players sat in a heavy cloud of pressure looming over them. All of them were under pressure to save Blue Lock, just in different ways.

“Well!” Y/N clapped her hands together, “Better to be fed and under pressure, than hungry and under pressure.” She picked up her chopsticks and plastered a smile onto her face, “Plus, you guys need energy for afternoon training.”

The players muttered words of agreement and began to pick at their plates once again. Y/N let out a relieved sigh and set down her chopsticks. She didn’t need to worry about energy since she wasn’t doing much anyways.

“You should eat some too.”

Rin was sitting next to Y/N and glanced at her with a worried expression.

“I’m not really hungry.” Y/N explained, “I don’t need the energy like you guys do.”

Rin rolled his eyes and picked up her chopsticks, “Must I feed you?”

Y/N pressed her lips together and felt a warm sensation envelop her cheeks, “I can feed myself just fine.”

She grabbed the chopsticks from Rin and shoved some rice into her mouth. Rin tucked a strand of hair out of her face and then turned his attention back to his own food.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Oh you so like him,” Bachira grinned evilly at Y/N.

They were walking back towards the field after lunch was finished.

“Is it that obvious?” Y/N nervously twisted her turquoise ring.

Bachira pursed his lips, “See? You’re not even denying it.”

Y/N shook her head in defeat and smiled, “I was trying to put a label on the feelings I felt whenever I was around Rin, but I didn’t realize until you put it into word form just now.”

Bachira nodded at her answer, “It was something like that with Isagi too… Are you planning on confessing?”

“No.” Y/N looked down at her feet as they placed themselves one in front of the other, “I may have known Rin for years, but he’s only known me for 7 days. That’s too soon.”

Bachira chuckled, “With the way you two act though, any outsider would think you guys have known each other for 7 years and not 7 days.”

Y/N furrowed her brow, “Honestly? Sometimes I feel that way too. As if I’ve known Rin for a longer time than I actually do—and not just a reader/character-type relationship—like a real human to human relationship.”

“Must be fate.” Bachira smiled.

Y/N elbowed him playfully, “As if fate actually exists.”

Chapter Text

“Y/N-chan,” Isagi called to Y/N as he limped over to the benches where she was sitting, “I’ve got a slight cramp in my right calf, could you help me?”

“Sure thing, Isagi.”

Isagi laid down on the grass and Y/N pulled his right leg up to a 90 degree angle, “Isagi, I’m gonna teach you how to deal with this. You’re gonna need to know how to do it.”

“Relieving a leg cramp?” Isagi sat up slightly, but Y/N pushed his leg closer to his body, forcing him back onto the ground, “Why? Do I have to deal with it again in the future?”

Y/N shook her head, “Not you.” Chigiri, Y/N thought, “Just pay attention.”

Y/N pulled Isagi’s leg back into a 90 degree position and flexed the tip of his shoe and foot towards his body while keeping the rest of the leg perpendicular to his body. 

She narrated her actions, “When you do this, you flex the tendon in your calf.” Y/N felt around Isagi’s calf, “Usually when there’s a cramp, there’s gonna be an area that’s tighter than the areas around it or is extremely sensitive. First, release the flexed foot so it’s easier to find.”

Y/N let Isagi relax his foot in her hand and adjusted her thumb placement. She pressed down, earning a yelp from Isagi.

“And there it is for you.” Y/N grinned, “Once you find that place, keep pressing on it and then flex the foot again. Your goal is to stretch out the whole area where the cramp occurs, but also pinpoint the spot with your finger to massage out the knot.”

Isagi nodded and gritted his teeth, “It’s painful.”

“Of course it is.”

Y/N finished her 300 circles on the muscle knot and slowly released Isagi’s foot to the ground. 

She held out a hand, “Stand up slowly so you don’t get vertigo.”

Isagi took her hand and rose to his feet carefully, “Hey, it feels a lot better!”

“Who do you think I am?” Y/N ruffled his hair affectionately, “Now that I’ve done it for you, do you think you can replicate that in future similar incidents?”

“Probably.”

“That’s good. Now get back to training.” Isagi turned to leave, but Y/N suddenly had the urge to ask him a question, “Isagi!” She grabbed onto his shirt.

“What’s up?” He turned back slightly.

Y/N’s left eye twitched slightly, how exactly was she supposed to ask this? She cleared her throat, “Isagi, how do you feel about Bachira?” The question was out of her mouth before she could think.

Isagi’s cheek developed a reddish tint, “Bachira? What did you ask that for?”

“I’m curious.” Y/N had been wondering whether or not to bring this conversation up with Isagi outside of Bachira’s knowledge, but seeing Isagi’s blush had boosted her confidence.

“Bachira’s a really good friend.” Isagi’s eyes darted everywhere except for Y/N’s face.

Y/N laughed and poked his nose, “You’re blushing like crazy. Are you sure he’s not more than just a really good friend?”

Isagi swatted Y/N’s hand away from his face, “It’s not like that.”

Y/N’s hand wavered in front of Isagi’s face. He had shoved it quite roughly. It’s not? Y/N felt her heart sink. Then what about… No way… don’t tell me Rinsagi is actually canon.

“Rin?” Y/N whispered.

Isagi’s face returned to its normal color and he looked around, “Huh? What do you mean, ‘Rin’?”

Y/N studied his face, “That day, I saw you give that water bottle to Rin, you were blushing.”

Isagi looked surprised, “You saw that?” He shifted uncomfortably, “Did Bachira see that too?”

“Yeah?” Y/N was extremely confused now, “Do you like Rin or something?”

The blush returned to Isagi’s face and he waved his hands in front of his face, “Oh hell no. I admire him a lot, but liking him romantically?” Isagi’s face contorted into a pained expression. He hesitantly asked, “Y/N, how did you know you were bisexual?”

The question caught Y/N off guard and her eyebrows shot up, “That’s random. I just did. It might’ve been because I fell for my ex-best friend.” Y/N winced at the bad memory, “She doesn’t talk to me anymore.”

She caught a glimpse of Isagi’s horrified expression and knew instantly what he was thinking.

“But not everyone is like that.” Y/N laughed, “In fact, most people aren’t.”

Isagi nodded, “You asked me how I felt about Bachira… Honestly, I don’t know. It’s true when I say he’s a really good friend, possibly one of the bestest friends I’ll ever have.” Isagi stopped and bit his lip, as if wondering whether he should continue, “When I saw Bachira and Rin practicing together in the second selection, I felt jealous .”

Y/N’s eyebrows ascended even further, “Of-?”

“Rin.” Isagi said bluntly.

“Oh,” Y/N’s eyes widened, “Oh!”

Isagi nodded, cringing slightly, “The line of friendship between me and Bachira is beginning to blur a lot. At least on my end, it is.”

You idiot, Y/N rolled her eyes, Bachira likes you too.

“Well it’s good that you’re thinking, but first, you have a match to win.” On any other occasion, Y/N would’ve pushed the topic further, but the Isagi’s confession would have to do for now since the notion of saving Blue Lock was more dior at the moment.

Isagi nodded, “Thanks for listening, Y/N-chan.”

“Thanks for telling me, Isagi.” Y/N patted his back, “After this match is over, go ahead and talk to Bachira.”

“I will.” Isagi gave Y/N one last smile and ran out into the field again.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N hummed along to the song playing in her earbuds as she did her rond de jambe combination. She frequented the gym after the players were finished with training for the day since she enjoyed her peace and quiet.

Feeling the floor beneath her feet was a familiar, yet nostalgic sensation. And for the first time in her life, she was beginning to miss her pointe shoes.

Y/N went through the rest of her barre combinations: fondues, frappés, adagio, and finally grand battements. She really didn’t feel like doing center combinations today, so instead, she collapsed onto the ground.

“This is ridiculous,” Y/N said aloud, staring daggers at the ceiling, “Kill me? Fine. Reincarnate me? Fine. Send me back to the fucking world where I died? That is not fucking fine.”

I must miss my world more than I realize. Well, to be more specific, I miss BSF/N a lot. Y/N could feel tears peeking out the corners of her eyes. She shut her eyelids, letting the tears fall and unleashing a guttural scream. It was fine since the gym door was closed anyway.

Or so she thought.

Her right earbud was yanked out of her ear and her eyes flew open, “Rin?”

Rin rubbed his ears, wincing, “You good?”

Y/N pressed her lips in embarrassment. She could practically feel her face turning into a tomato. 

She wiped her tears, “I’m good. Just a bit stressed.”

“ ‘A bit’ is an understatement.” Rin sat down next to her and opened his arms, “Need a hug?”

Y/N swallowed, “That would be nice.”

She opened her arms and shifted uncomfortably as she tried to find a way to hug Rin in their criss-crossed sitting positions.

Rin sighed and scooped Y/N up into his arms before parting his legs and placing her on the floor between his thighs. Y/N’s body tensed as Rin shifted his right arm from under her knees to meet his left arm around her waist.

He leaned his head on her back, sending tingles down Y/N’s spine. This was definitely not helping her de-stress. But oddly enough, she was feeling much better already.

I’ve grown so attached in just a couple of days. What am I gonna do after one month is up? Does Rin even feel the same way?

Y/N gave Rin’s hands a squeeze and they both sat in silence, feeding off each other’s warmth.

“You better come back. We’ll find a way.”

Y/N smiled, “Yukimiya said something similar to me yesterday.”

Rin’s arms tensed. Y/N couldn’t see his face, but she could guess that his expression wasn’t exactly happy. She didn’t understand why.

Y/N undid Rin’s grip and turned to face him, “No matter what, I will come back.”

She held up her pinky finger towards Rin. He looked at it for a moment before relaxing his face into a smile and hooking his pinky finger with hers.

Chapter Text

Y/N wrapped a towel around her bathing suit and made her way to the Team V lavatory. Over the past few days, the players had just decided to migrate to this lavatory as a whole. At first, it had been a bit uncomfortable for Y/N, but now she was used to it and enjoyed their lighthearted presence.

Hiori was already sitting in their usual spot on the edge of the bathing pool. Y/N slipped into the water next to him.

“Hi Y/N-chan.”

“What’s up, Hiori?”

Hiori smiled, “Seems like everyone is running on nervous energy before the game tomorrow.”

Y/N looked forward, and sure enough, all the players were more jittery than usual, unable to stay in one place for too long before swimming to another.

Y/N turned her gaze back at Hiori and observed him. His pale blue hair was a perfect contrast to his warm skin tone. His light blue eyes made him appear even more striking.

Wow, they really whitewashed him in the anime, Y/N frowned at the thought.

“Whatcha lookin’ at?”

Y/N sank deeper into the water, embarrassed, “Everyone at Blue Lock is so pretty,” she grumbled, “I feel like a troll.”

Hiori laughed, “Don’t say that. Yer definitely not a troll—yer beautiful just the way ya are. Plus, I can tell that there’s at least one player here that’s attracted to ya.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, “Otoya, I know.” She sank her lips into the water and blew some bubbles.

“Huh?” Hiori turned to her for a split second before turning back, “Oh. Him too I guess.”

Hiori’s response caught her off guard and Y/N swallowed some water into the wrong pipe. She gasped, rising out of the water, hacking the water out of her throat.

Hiori worriedly patted Y/N’s back, “Sorry, did that catch ya off guard?”

“A little.” Y/N admitted, “Who is it?”

Hiori shrugged and smiled, “I wonder…” and with that, he swam off to join the other players.

“You-!” Y/N stared after Hiori helplessly. 

What was Hiori talking about? Could Rin actually-?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a huge wave of water washing over her face. She squeezed her eyes shut and wiped the water away from her face.

“Y/N-chan!”

Y/N opened her eyes at the familiar voice, “Bachira-chan!”

He stared at Y/N through the hair plastered on his face—the aftermath of jumping into the water, “You use the suffix ‘-chan’ for everyone now.”

Y/N shrugged, “I’m just copying you. Besides, ‘-chan’ sounds nicer than ‘-kun’.”

Bachira nodded, “I agree.” He hopped a little ways out of the water, “I’m wearing a swimsuit today!”

Y/N smiled, “I can see that.”

Bachira swam to the area next to Y/N and leaned his back on the wall of the pool, “So, I saw you and Isagi talking earlier today.”

Y/N raised her eyebrows, “You have an Isagi radar or something?”

She expected Bachira to laugh, but instead he tilted his head, “Kind of?”

She brushed it off, “Right. I should’ve expected that.”

Bachira didn’t push any further about Isagi, instead he said, “Whether it be 7 years or 7 days, I still think you should tell Rin-chan.”

“About how I feel?” Y/N shook her head, “What if he doesn’t feel the same way? I’d be ending my time here on a sour note, and I don’t want to risk that.”

Bachira pursed his lips and gave Y/N’s shoulder a small smack, “Are you actually an idiot? Have you not seen the way he looks at you and treats you?”

“Maybe he’s just nice to females?”

Bachira rolled his eyes, “You actually are an idiot.”

“I am.” Y/N admitted, “But I just want to make sure that I make as many good memories as possible.”

Bachira nodded in understanding, “Makes sense. I won’t push it, but I think you should.” He jerked a thumb towards Isagi, “I’m gonna go make some good memories too.”

Y/N kicked him under the water, laughing, “Go get him.”

Bachira swam off. Y/N watched him join Isagi before dunking her head under water. 

---------------------------------------------------------------

She let her feet float off the ground as she bathed in her weightless-ness. Y/N fought the urge to open her eyes, knowing the water would probably burn her eyeballs out the second she opened them. 

Y/N moved her arms around the water feeling the resistance around her and the faint pressure keeping her under water. This was nice.

She popped her eyes back above the water and bit back a scream. Y/N found herself staring into two teal eyes. 

Rin.

Hm, his eyes are darker than my ring, Y/N pulled her hand out of the water and placed it next to his face. Indeed, the turquoise on her ring was a more vibrant color than the teal of Rin’s eyes.

“What are you doing?” Rin grabbed onto her hand.

Y/N frowned, “The color of the ring doesn’t really match your eyes as well I thought. Now that I’m looking at it, your eyes have a better color.”

“Does it matter?” Rin swam a ways forward, “I’m right here.”

She held her breath as Rin closed the gap between them until they were separated by mere inches—and some water. Y/N felt the water move around her as her body moved backwards as a result of the force of Rin’s hand. She glanced at his hand enclosing hers and the ring peeking out from underneath his fingers.

“True.” Y/N said, turning her gaze back to Rin.

Rin continued to swim forward until Y/N felt her back press onto the staircase. 

“Huh?” Y/N looked around. When had she gotten here? She looked back at the area a couple feet away at the edge of the pool where she had just been. Had she really gone that far just from that moment when she dunked her head under?

“What?”

“Magic.” Y/N looked around in wonder.

Rin chuckled and poked Y/N square in the forehead, “The only magic around here is how you’re able to move around so much when you’re underwater with your eyes closed.”

“Oh, I know one other magician.” Y/N rolled her eyes.

Another reason for Y/N to keep Blue Lock alive at least until the NEL arc—she needed to see Ness.

“Who?” Rin looked at the other players, confused.

“You’ll meet him later.” Y/N smiled, turning Rin’s chin back to face her.

As soon as she had, she retracted her hand. When had she gotten so bold?

Rin’s gaze bore into her, “I don’t understand you.”

“What do you mean?” Y/N leaned into the stair behind her, the concrete cutting into her back.

Rin placed his hands on each side of her, “One moment, you’re all over me and it feels like we’re getting closer, but the next second, you turn cold and shut me out.”

Y/N was already leaning as far back as she could and the concrete was really starting to hurt her back, “What? No I’m not.” She shifted uncomfortably, “Rin-chan, my back is digging into the concrete, can we shift into a more comfortable talking position?”

“Don’t lean so far away then.” Rin slid his hand across her back and pulled her forward, closing their gap.

Y/N swallowed a gasp as the scraping on her back was replaced by Rin’s warm hand. Their faces were mere inches away—the closest she had ever been to anyone in this world and her world.

She could hear her heart thumping loudly against her will and she was pretty sure Rin could too. He leaned in closer, his eyes shifting down her face at her mouth.

Y/N panicked. She reached her arms around Rin’s neck and sidelined her head, bringing them into a hug.

“This is nice, right?” Y/N asked nervously.

Rin’s body had frozen in surprise, but it slowly melted against hers. He wrapped his other arm around her and leaned both of them back until she was practically sprawled across the staircase. Rin adjusted his head so that he was laying on Y/N’s shoulder.

“Yeah.” he answered.

Y/N felt her heartbeat slow down, slowly but surely.

Did he just try to kiss me?

Y/N looked down at Rin’s back—the only thing she could really see at the moment. She traced her finger across the muscles on his back earning a small shiver from Rin.

I like him a lot, Y/N affirmed, a lot more than I realized.

“The reason I’m being hot and cold,” Y/N returned to his original question, “Is because I know this will all be over in 30 days.” She paused, “And I’m scared of losing… whatever this is.”

“What happened to making memories you won’t forget?”

“I can say that all I want, but we all know we’re gonna forget. It’s inevitable.”

Rin peeled away from the hug and moved to sit next to Y/N on the stairs. They both stared out at the rest of the players in the center of the pool.

It reminded Y/N a lot of her second day at Blue Lock, watching all the players goof off as she watched from the side of the pool as a pillow for Hiori and Chigiri.

“And even if you did remember,” Rin said slowly, “You would have no way back.”

Y/N nodded, “Exactly.”

They fell silent again as the mood turned heavy. The other players were oblivious to the dark cloud hanging over the staircase.

“But,” Y/N tried again, “We never know. Maybe the Writer has something up his sleeve that Ego doesn’t.” She floated off of the staircase, “For now, let’s just focus on the moment. Let’s win that match tomorrow!” 

She extended her hand towards Rin in a handshake. He looked at it for a second before taking it.

“Let’s.” Rin smiled.

………………………….1 day before U-20 Match………………………….

Chapter Text

Y/N opened her eyes to the dull grey ceiling overhead. Over the course of the past few days she’d been at Blue Lock, she had gotten used to not seeing her Solo Leveling tapestry first thing in the morning. 

She really did miss it.

Y/N decided to skip the gym and head directly to the kitchen to get started on Ego’s breakfast. She figured he would be stressing out about the game today, even if he didn’t make it apparent on his face.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Ego-san, did you sleep well?” Y/N eyed Ego, biting back a laugh for the man looked like he didn’t even know what a pillow was.

“I slept fine.” Ego nodded.

“So it’s the big day, huh?”

Ego was silent as he slurped up his ramen.

“How did they lose in the first timeline?” Y/N hesitantly questioned.

Ego set his chopsticks down, “There was something off about Rin.”

“What?” Y/N blinked a couple of times, wondering if she had heard him correctly, “Rin? Out of all people… him?”

Ego continued eating his ramen, “Don’t bother me with questions today.”

“Yes, sir.” Y/N shut her mouth before remembering something, “Have the U-20 players arrived yet?”

“They’re occupying the building adjacent to the Blue Lock 11.”

Y/N nodded and excused herself to her room.

---------------------------------------------------------------

She rummaged around her room, forgetting where she had placed Sae’s jacket amidst all the tension in the past few days.

“Laundry.” Y/N remembered as she made a beeline for the clothes washer in Anri’s room.

Y/N pulled the jacket off the hanger in the laundry room and inspected it. Any lingering smell of rain and herself had been washed off and all that was left to do was return the jacket to its rightful owner.

She found and knocked on Sae's door, or at least what she supposed was Sae’s door according to the label next to it.

The door opened and Sae stood behind it, glaring out the door. He blinked when he saw her and his expression neutralized, “Oh. It’s you.”

“It’s me.” Y/N returned his energy.

“Y/N-chan!”

Y/N turned her head to see Isagi walking down the hallway. She waved at him.

Isagi smiled as he walked over, “What are you doing here?” His smile faded as his eyes landed on the jacket in Y/N’s hands, “What-?” He looked up at Sae.

Sae took the jacket from her hands, “Thanks.” He slammed the door shut.

Isagi stared at her with a troubled expression on his face. Y/N stared back at him. Why was he staring as if…

“I saw Sae a couple of days ago when it was raining and he gave me his jacket so I wouldn’t get a cold.” Y/N explained, “I was returning it.” She winced—this was not helping her case.

“His jacket, huh.” Isagi’s face had turned stone-cold, “You guys seem close.”

Y/N waved her hand in front of her face, “No! We’re not. I swear. I just had something I wanted to talk to him about.” She could feel sweat beads forming on her forehead. Everything she said sounded suspicious.

“Talk about what?”

Y/N gulped. “I don’t think it’s my place to tell you.”

Isagi’s right eyebrow twitched slightly, “You can’t tell me?”

“It wasn’t about the game or anything,” Y/N felt a rush of panic, “I was talking to him about something else—something more personal.”

Isagi turned around, “And I’m just supposed to believe you?”

He began walking away and Y/N searched her brain for something, anything.

“It was about Rin.” She called out in a last-ditch effort.

“Whatever.” Isagi muttered as he walked away.

---------------------------------------------------------------

15 minutes until the players entered the field. Ego was probably in the locker room giving the players one last lecture.

“How are you feeling Y/N-chan?” Anri turned and smiled at Y/N.

“A bit nervous.” Y/N admitted. In all honesty, she was more than just a bit nervous. Today needed to work out, or else Blue Lock would be no more. Y/N returned the question, “And you, Anri-san?”

“I hope Blue Lock wins.” Anri’s breath turned to mist in the cold of the air around them, “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted something so badly.”

Y/N nodded and turned her head back to face the stadium. The display in front of her eyes was so massive that she felt as if she couldn’t take it all in fast enough.

Ego walked out from the side door and took the seat between Anri and Y/N, “So, how much do you remember?” His voice was just loud enough for only Y/N to hear. Anri looked oblivious on the other side.

“Pretty much all of it.” Y/N nodded.

Ego faced the front, “Even so, you know there will be slight changes.”

“Yes, sir.”

The crowd began to chant as the entrance doors slowly opened. Y/N’s eyes found themselves locked onto Rin. Even though Sae was walking onto the field next to him and Bachira was right behind him, the only thing she could focus on was Rin.

Kick off.

Y/N watched Nagi, Rin, and Isagi’s triangle formation play out before her eyes—not really understanding what was going on—but vaguely remembering the formation from the manga.

Bachira cut through and took possession of the ball. Y/N’s heart was racing at an alarming speed already, even though they were only a few minutes into the game.

She followed Bachira’s movements closely, realization hitting at the familiar scene. 

This is the moment, Y/N remembered.

“Love ya, partner,” Bachira grinned as he passed the ball towards Isagi.

Y/N observed Isagi’s momentary widened eyes before he zoned back in, more determined than ever.

A small part of her heart did a little tap dance. Y/N’s favorite ship was progressing. She smiled. Even if Isagi was having doubts on her loyalty at the moment, Bachira’s confession did well in bringing him back into the zone.

---------------------------------------------------------------

1st goal.

Y/N’s eyes followed the beautiful arc that Sae had just kicked. Even if Gagamaru was a genius in goalkeeping, there was no way he could’ve stopped it.

---------------------------------------------------------------

2nd goal.

Nagi’s fist pumped into the air. Y/N sneaked a glance over at Reo. The rest of the players on the bench were roaring with excitement as he calmly sat with a small smile on his face.

---------------------------------------------------------------

3rd goal.

Rin sidestepped Isagi’s hug and rolled his eyes. Isagi crashed onto the ground and scoffed. 

The crowd was going wild at Blue Lock’s lead.

---------------------------------------------------------------

The end of the first half was called with Blue Lock in the lead.

Y/N breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that things were still going according to the version of the manga that she had read so far.

The players began to head towards the locker room. Chigiri, Otoya, and Karasu were talking to Chigiri’s family on the sidelines. Bachira and Isagi had each other in a side hug as they walked towards the locker rooms, talking in hushed tones. 

Y/N’s relief didn’t last for long. She eyed the area that the U-20 players were headed towards. 

Shidou’s up next half.

Y/N followed the Blue Lock players into the locker room and stood by Ego’s side as he proceeded to sum up the first match.

As the time neared the start of the second half, the players began to walk towards the field. Bachira was holding Isagi’s hand as he dragged him out of the door. The rest of the players seemed to be renewed with energy following the first half.

Y/N looked around. Where did Rin go?

Just as Yukimiya was about to head out the door, Y/N grabbed his arm, “Yuki, did you see where Rin went?” 

Yukimiya jerked his hand in the opposite direction of the field, “He went that way.”

She patted his arm, “Thanks! Great job in the first half, by the way.”

Yukimiya smiled and turned around, shoving his translator back into his pocket.

Y/N ran in the direction of Yukimiya’s gesture. Right about now… Rin’s backstory was playing out in the manga. That meant that Rin was sitting somewhere, overthinking how he would destroy Sae Itoshi.

Her feet slowed to a walk as Rin came into view. His head was hung low with a towel draped over his neck. At this moment, it should’ve been Isagi here with Rin. But seeing as Bachira and Isagi were glued to each other, Y/N figured that Isagi probably wouldn’t end up taking this route.

She checked over her shoulder one last time for any sign of Isagi and then walked towards Rin.

“Rin.” Y/N met Rin’s eyes as he looked up at her, “The second half is gonna start.”

Rin nodded and stood up, “Let’s go.”

They walked towards the entrance of the field together in silence. 

“Tch,” Rin looked out at the field, “What a pain. So they brought out Antenna-head.”

Y/N looked over at where Shidou was standing on the field. He turned and caught sight of Y/N, winking at her.

“Do you know him?” Rin glanced at her.

Y/N shrugged, “We’ve met.”

Rin turned towards her and took her hand, “It’s gonna get harder now, isn’t it?”

 Y/N nodded, looking down at her hand in his, “Yes.” She looked back up at him, “But you guys can still win.”

Rin held up her hand, tracing the spoon ring that had reincarnated with Y/N 8 days ago, “When we win, I want this.”

Y/N stared at her spoon ring. Of her many rings that she switched out from day to day, the spoon ring that her mom had given her was the only one that she always wore. The ring was a painful but necessary reminder of her past—a past that she could never fully let go of. However, the past week at Blue Lock had shown her a new freedom that she had never dared to dream of before. For once, she felt as if it was possible to move forward from her parents’ passing.

“It’s yours.” Y/N breathed, mist filling the air between them.

Rin dropped her hand after a moment and walked out to where Shidou was standing. Y/N turned towards the benches and took her seat next to Ego once more.

Chapter Text

Y/N was barely able to follow the plays between Shidou and Sae. They were an extraordinary pair, whether they were on or off the field. 

At that thought, Y/N bit her lip to suppress a laugh.

The crowd gasped. Y/N scanned the field towards where Niko and Shidou were kneeling on the ground. Niko had just received a yellow card and Shidou had just earned his free kick.

No… Y/N remembered, Shidou’s first goal.

Shidou set the ball in position. 

Y/N looked towards the Blue Lock players. Their concentration was on Shidou.

It’s a trick! She wanted to yell. Shidou is gonna do a fake, and then Sae is gonna kick the ball to Shidou!

Y/N could feel her vision vignette as she scanned the Blue Lock 11 for someone who wasn’t totally focused on Shidou.

“Sit down,” Ego told her. She hadn’t even realized that she was on her feet. “You can’t do anything about it.” He peered up at her.

Y/N gritted her teeth, “We have to try.” She looked across the players faces and came to a stop on the only player who would be able to stop Shidou, “Chigiri!” Y/N shouted.

Chigiri’s head whipped towards Y/N. Y/N frantically shook her head and then pointed at Sae. Chigiri’s eyes widened in realization and he took off just as Shidou faked and bolted away from the ball.

Y/N held her breath as she watched Chigiri sprint towards Shidou’s location, her heart sinking when she realized Chigiri would reach the spot just barely too late.

The ball made contact with the net and a whistle sounded as the crowd roared at Shidou’s goal.

Y/N flopped back down into her chair, defeated.

“It was a good effort.” Ego acknowledged, “Perhaps under different circumstances, it would’ve worked.”

“How are you so calm?” Y/N whipped her head around. “We’re fucking tied. And we both know that the next goal isn’t ours.”

“You’re the one who needs to calm down.” Ego’s gaze was straight ahead.

Y/N pursed her lips and leaned back on her seat, watching the field.

“Chigiri!”

Isagi’s voice rang out across the field and Y/N’s eyes widened. In the version of the manga that she had read, Chigiri had gotten a cramp due to not warming up enough in the cold weather. Y/N made sure Chigiri had fully warmed up that morning in order to prevent the cramp from happening.

Now, Chigiri was holding his calf in pain—the cramp being a result of his overexertion in trying to stop Shidou.

Y/N felt sick. Even though she had seen enough in the past week to realize that every event in the original manga was bound to happen, she couldn’t help but feel horrible that she had indirectly caused Chigiri to face the same consequence.

Isagi met Y/N’s eyes across the field. His face was perplexed as he looked towards Chigiri, then back at Y/N. Y/N nodded at Isagi and gestured towards Chigiri. Isagi’s eyes widened and he took Chigiri’s leg into his hands, mimicking the massage techniques that Y/N had taught him a day ago.

“It’s time to use our alternates.”

Y/N tuned back into Ego’s analyses, “Hiori and Reo?” She muttered.

Ego glanced at her and nodded, “Hiori and Reo.” he said louder.

Hiroi and Reo rose from their seats and began to stretch lightly. Chigiri and Niko made their way towards the benches.

“Get some rest.” Hiori high-fived Chigiri before taking to the field.

“Go get ‘em you guys!” Y/N called over.

Reo looked back and waved before following Hiori.

“Some complaints about being swapped out?” Ego said as Chigiri walked past.

“No… I don’t!” Chigiri’s eyes were welling up.

Chigiri gritted his teeth and Y/N gritted hers along with him. He collapsed into a seat with the rest of the benched players and threw his head into his hands in frustration.

“Ego, I’m gonna go check on Chigiri’s leg.” Y/N walked over to Chigiri, “Chigiri!”

Chigiri looked up, tears streaming down his angry face, “Y/N-chan.”

Y/N sat down next to Chigiri and pulled his leg into her lap, feeling around for tightness in the muscle, “Don’t beat yourself up about it, Hyoma. Even the crowd knows you were amazing. And I have no idea how soccer works, but I know you were hella impressive.”

Chigiri smiled and wiped his face, “Thanks for that last hint there. We almost had Shidou.”

“ You almost had Shidou,” Y/N corrected him, “Only you would be able to react fast enough.”

Chigiri shrugged, “Doesn’t change the fact that I still got swapped out.”

Y/N pressed into Chigiri’s cramp, making him wince, “Hey. None of that negativity here. Being swapped out is not a defining factor of your abilities.”

Chigiri smiled without saying anything and leaned back into his chair.

---------------------------------------------------------------

4th goal.

Shidou’s supposed impregnation of the goal and his alleged cumming on the spot. Y/N shuddered slightly at the thought. He needed to keep that in his pants at least until the end of the game.

“So the first one to enter a flow state in this game…” Ego muttered under his breath, “... Was you, Ryusei Shidou.”

Y/N smirked as she watched Shidou jump onto Sae. 

I really hope they end up exchanging numbers for real.

---------------------------------------------------------------

5th goal.

After Barou and Otoya switched out, the air had only gotten tenser. 

Barou’s celebration earned him a yellow card and a ring of laughs throughout the benched players.

Y/N had finished massaging Chigiri’s leg and the both of them were clutching to each other's shirts watching the game on the edge of their seats. 

Now, all that was left was Isagi’s goal. To break the tie. To win the game. To save Blue Lock.

You got this Isagi, Y/N closed her eyes and hoped for all the best.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N jumped out of her seat as Shidou’s foot made contact with Rin’s face. This hadn’t happened in the version of the manga she had read. Why had Rin changed? Why did he sacrifice himself like that? She was barely able to stop herself from sprinting onto the field, knowing that it wasn’t allowed. 

Hiori was at Rin’s side in an instant, holding his arm to help him to his feet. Y/N pressed her lips into a thin line and sat back down. She couldn’t do anything for Rin right now.

The game resumed and Bachira took possession of the ball once more. Isagi and Bachira took down the field in a fiery inferno, their chemistry levels surpassing what Y/N remembered reading in the manga.

Y/N gasped as Bachira neared the U-20’s goalie. He was so close. Y/N clutched onto Chigiri’s arm, her eyes wide.

Sendou appeared from the back and blocked Bachira’s goal, earning a gasp from the crowd.

“So close…” Chirigi clenched his jaw.

Y/N’s face contorted in concentration, “C’mon Blue Lock!”

Y/N followed Rin’s movements, a few of his postures looking familiar.

It’s time, she realized.

Rin’s breathing was becoming deeper. His posture slouched slightly and his eyes seemed to narrow onto space in front of him. From the corner of his mouth, his tongue slipped out.

His kick sent the ball flying onto the goalpost and bouncing off towards Sae. Time was called, and one minute of additional time was on the plate.

“You can do this, Rin.” Y/N muttered.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Sae and Rin faced each other, hyperfocused on the ball between them. 

I remember making an edit with this moment, Y/N shook the thought from her head, Focus!

The whole stadium was watching the Itoshi brothers in hushed anticipation. The tension in the air had reached new levels and all the bench players were dead silent, watching the game.

The ball at Sae’s feet flew upward as Rin stole it away. Sae’s eyes widened as they followed the ball.

Aiku jumped into the air, making an effort to stop the ball with his head. A good effort, but not enough.

Isagi sprinted towards the exact spot where the ball was aiming to fall and kicked with all the strength left in his body.

Y/N clutched Chigiri’s arm tighter, cutting off his blood circulation.

The ball made contact with the net and a whistle blew, signaling the end of the game.

Y/N jumped up with Chirigi, screaming her throat sore.

Isagi had scored the winning goal. 

Chigiri ran towards Isagi with the rest of the bench players, jumping onto him.

The crowd went wild.

Chapter Text

Y/N let her mouth stretch into a smile. She didn’t need to worry about the first timeline anymore since Blue Lock had won.

Only the second timeline remained an issue now. 

Day 21. 

Y/N waved the thought from her mind. She deserved to celebrate a little bit, didn’t she?

“Y/N-chan!” Anri called over to her.

Y/N laughed again with joy and ran over to Anri, tackling her with a hug, “We did it Anri-san!”

She glanced at Ego. His eyes were wide and his head was low, but his slightly pumped fist gave her all the information she needed to know that he was happy.

Y/N looked towards the field. Right about now… Sae was going to be a shit brother. Her eyes found Shidou and Sae on the side of the field. They had just finished talking.

Y/N ran up to Sae, “Yo, Sae Itoshi.”

He looked up at her, “Hm?”

“Don’t say anything shitty to Rin.” Y/N glared at him.

Sae raised an eyebrow, “How’d you know I was gonna talk to him?”

“Just a hunch.” Y/N shrugged, “Communicate properly, you idiot.”

Sae turned and walked towards Rin. Y/N watched him approach Rin and say something to him. She watched Rin’s eyes soften and start to sparkle. 

Y/N watched the interaction like a hawk, her heart dropping as Rin’s sparkle flamed out and his face morphed into an expression of utter disbelief. Y/N groaned internally as Sae made his way back over.

As soon as he was within distance, Y/N grabbed onto his collar and yanked him towards her, “Spill, you dumbass. What did you just say to Rin?”

Sae’s eyebrows were slightly raised, “I admitted that I was wrong about Japan not being able to produce a capable striker.”

Y/N didn’t like where this was going. She shook his collar, “And?”

“I told him Isagi Yoichi would be the catalyst.”

Y/N stared at his smug face in utter disbelief, “You fucking idiot.” She threw him aside and made a beeline for Rin.

She dropped her knees on the ground in front of Rin, “Hey, Rin. Don’t listen to your stupid brother.”

Rin looked up at her, his jaw clenched in anger, “He’s a shitty midfielder. And an even shittier brother.”

Y/N nodded, “Right. He’s just shit personified.”

Rin’s jaw unclenched and he let a smile unfold, “Can we get out of here?”

“Sure.”

Rin stood and pulled Y/N to her feet. Keeping their hands held together, Rin walked towards the locker rooms.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Rin and Y/N had barely gotten situated in the locker rooms before Ego, Anri, and the rest of the players filed into the room.

Rin draped a towel over his head and looked down at the floor as Ego began to praise the team. Y/N took a seat next to him and listened intently to Ego’s words.

“Itoshi Rin,” Ego looked at Rin, “Your awakening broke everything apart.”

Y/N glanced at Rin. He hadn’t moved his head an inch and she couldn’t tell if he was listening or sleeping.

“Congratulations you unpolished gems—you’ve accomplished something amazing.” Ego pushed his glasses up.

Anri stepped forward and offered an all-you-can-eat luxurious dinner menu for the players. The players cheered as they began to walk out of the room.

Isagi stopped at the door and walked back to where Y/N was sitting.

“I’m sorry for the way I treated you earlier,” Isagi said sheepishly, “I was on edge because of the game and for a moment I thought you betrayed us.”

Y/N stood up and ruffled Isagi’s hair, “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. I see how that could’ve put you on edge given what happened with Kuon in the past.”

Isagi looked surprised for a moment before chuckling, “I always forget that you know everything.”

“You did what?” Rin glared at Isagi, finally raising his head, “Go die, Isagi.”

Isagi grinned, amused, “Salty that I scored the winning goal?”

Rin sneered, “From this moment onwards, you are my rival.” Y/N’s eyes widened at the familiar line, “Don’t you forget. This means I’ll definitely kill you.”

“Alright,” Isagi turned around, “You can try.” He gave Y/N a wave before catching up to Bachira.

Y/N turned and observed Rin’s slightly pouty face. She laughed and lifted his face with her hands, “Isagi’s goal aside. You also scored at a crucial moment in the game. Not only that, you found your flow state and you beat your shitty brother.” She placed a kiss on his forehead, “You were the best player out there today.”

Rin’s eyes widened and Y/N could nearly see a sparkle. He took her right hand off his cheek and pulled the spoon ring off her middle finger.

He examined it, “It’s mine now, isn’t it?”

Y/N let out an amused sigh, “What, are you gonna wear it?”

Rin slipped the ring onto his pinky finger and frowned when the ring didn’t make it past his second knuckle. 

He shrugged and looked at Y/N, “I’ll find a way.”

Rin grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his lap. He wrapped his other arm around her. Y/N stared at him hesitantly before wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Doesn’t this remind you of that day in the pool?” Rin gently nudged her cheek with his.

“Don’t remind me.” Y/N averted her gaze, cringing at their interaction from that day..

Rin moved his mouth close to her ear and whispered, “Getting embarrassed again?”

Y/N tensed and kept her gaze forward, looking at Rin through her peripheral vision, “Pft- me? As if.”

“Good.” He tightened his arms, “Don’t go pushing me away again… We only have so much time.”

Y/N felt a wave of sadness engulf her as she turned to look into Rin’s eyes, “It’s not enough time.”

Rin buried his head in her shoulder, “Not enough at all.”

“Rin.” 

Y/N and Rin looked up to see Sae standing at the entrance of the locker room. Y/N attempted to move off Rin, but his arms kept her firmly planted in place.

“What do you want?” Rin was staring daggers at Sae.

Sae glanced at Y/N sitting on Rin’s lap, raising an eyebrow. She pursed her lips and stared right back at him.

Sae cleared his throat and awkwardly muttered, “Good game, Rin. You did well.” He turned and walked away from the entrance.

Y/N and Rin stared after Sae. Rin turned to Y/N, “What… the fuck was that?”

Y/N burst out laughing and nearly fell off of Rin’s lap. Perhaps Sae Itoshi could still change after all.

---------------------------------------------------------------

They made their way to the dining hall together, hands intertwined and Rin’s jacket around Y/N’s shoulders.

Bachira’s eyes lit up when he saw them walk in, “Y/N-chan! Rin-chan! Come eat—the food is so good!”

Y/N smiled at Bachira, “Bachira-chan! Great job on the field today.”

Bachira rolled his eyes, “I didn’t score a goal, but I was pretty cool, wasn’t I?”

Y/N nodded, “Definitely.”

Bachira nudged Y/N with his elbow and flicked a glance at Rin, “So?”

Y/N slapped Bachira’s arm, “Shut up. Tell me about you and Isagi.”

“Well,” Bachira smiled, a glint in his eye, “We’re not gonna make it a big deal, but…”

Y/N squealed in delight and gave Bachira’s arm a squeeze, “I knew it!”

Bachira laughed and patted her on the shoulder, “Now, it’s your turn.”

“You-!” Y/N attempted a kick to Bachira’s side, losing her balance when he dodged her foot and ran off, laughing.

Rin grabbed onto Y/N’s elbow, steadying her, “You alright?”

Y/N looked into Rin’s eyes and smiled, “Honestly, I’ve never been better.”

The corner of Rin’s mouth curved upwards, “Let’s go sit.”

As they neared the table, Y/N saw Bachira pump his fist into the air, “A break for 2 whole weeks!”

“We should all meet up sometime over the break.” Chigiri piped in.

“I just want to sleep…” Nagi leaned onto Reo’s shoulder.

Reo patted Nagi’s head, “It’ll be nice to go out somewhere.”

Rin pulled a chair out for Y/N, “So where are you going to stay over break? You don’t exactly have a home you can go back to in this world.”

Y/N took a seat, “Probably just here.”

“I wish I had Kunigami’s number,” Chigiri’s voice rang out from across the table, “Then I could least invite him out with us.”

Y/N looked at Chigiri, He doesn’t know that Kunigami’s coming back yet. And honestly, if the timeline is still the same and Kunigami just completed the wild card stage, it would be better that Chigiri not be able to contact Kunigami for now.

“Speaking of numbers,” Rin held his hand out, “Give me your phone.”

“Wow,” Y/N grinned, “Rin Itoshi’s number? I’m flattered.”

Rin rolled his eyes and punched his contact information into her phone, “Just so we can keep in touch over break.” He handed her phone back to her, “You were thinking about something just now, weren’t you? When the red-head was talking.”

Y/N made sure Chigiri was listening in on a different conversation before leaning towards Rin, “He doesn’t know yet, but Kunigami is coming back.”

“Who’s that again?”

“A member of the original Team Z,” Y/N explained, “He got eliminated in the second selection.”

“And he’s coming back?”

Y/N nodded, “There was a wild card round. He made it out.”

Rin raised his eyebrows, “Interesting.”

Y/N smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, “Oh it gets more than just ‘ interesting’ from here on out.”

Rin turned his head slightly, “Any spoilers?”

“None.” Y/N grinned and took a sip of her soda.

Rin smiled and leaned his head on hers. They closed their eyes, listening to the players talk excitedly about their upcoming break.

Chapter Text

Y/N collapsed on the floor of the gym. It had been a week since break started and her days had been cyclical: waking up, making Ego food, helping Anri out, going to the gym, then crashing in bed.

Ego and Anri were planning the NEL arc, so they hadn’t left the Blue Lock facility, but they weren’t exactly great company with how busy they were.

Ego had mentioned that the accident was in the clear for the time being and Y/N wouldn’t have to worry for the next two weeks. Anri had also offered Y/N a two week break, but Y/N declined as she had nothing better to do.

Today, however, a ringing from Y/N’s phone brought her attention back from her thoughts. 

She held up her phone and answered the call, “Rin-chan?”

“Hey.” Hearing his voice made Y/N’s heart flutter, “What are you doing?”
“Nothing much.” Y/N looked around the empty gym, “Just the usual things, minus monitoring the practices.”

“Do you think you can go out?”
“Hell yeah.” Y/N grinned, “I’ve been wanting to get out of here, but I don’t know where to go.”

“I’ll send a location.”

“Alright.”

The call disconnected and Y/N opened the message from Rin displaying a location that seemed close to a body of water.

Is it today? Y/N searched her mind for the single chapter in the manga that had described one of Rin’s days off.

She looked back at the location marker on her phone. It seemed that Rin had invited her to the overlook of the ocean where he and Sae used to go as kids.

Y/N requested a day off from Anri, then got ready to leave Blue Lock for the second time since she arrived.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Rin-chan!” Y/N waved her hand at Rin who was sitting on the rocks beyond the railing of the overlook. 

She hadn’t seen him in a week, but it felt as if it had been a much longer time than that.

“Y/N.” Rin smiled when he saw her, “I missed you.”

Y/N reached the railing and peered over it at where Rin was sitting, “I missed you too.” She put a leg over the railing and hoisted herself over it, “Are we even allowed to cross this railing?”

Rin extended a hand towards her to help her down from the railing, “Does it matter?”

“I guess not.” Y/N took his hand and lowered herself from the railing onto the rocks beside him, “How have you been?”

“Same as always.” Rin shrugged, “Sae’s on break too, but he doesn’t talk much and just shuts himself in his room.” He turned to Y/N, “Are you doing okay at Blue Lock?”

“Yeah, it’s alright. Boring, though.”

Rin was quiet for a moment, “Since Sae’s just in his room all the time, why don’t you come stay at my place?”

“Would that be okay?” Y/N raised an eyebrow, “What about your parents?”

“My parents don’t really care. They’re out most of the time.”

Y/N nodded, “It would be nice to get some away time from Blue Lock.” She looked down at their intertwined hands and smiled, “Plus, I get some extra time with you.”

Rin nodded and stood up, pulling Y/N to her feet, “Since we’re in the city, is there anywhere you want to go?”

“Yes.” Y/N answered automatically, “There was a vintage store that I stopped by last time.” She held up her hand, “That’s where I got the ring.”

Rin shrugged, “Sure, let’s go.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

The store owner greeted Y/N with familiarity, handing her a shopping basket as she and Rin walked in.

“This is the kind of place you like?” Rin looked around with curiosity.

“These kinds of places are my favorite kinds of places.” Y/N smiled and pointed at the keychain stand, “See? That’s the keychain I got for you last time.”

“I see.” Rin eyed the keychain stand for a moment before walking over and looking through the rows.

Y/N made her way to the back of the store where the T-shirts were hung. She eyed the empty spot where the Chainsaw Man T-shirt had previously been. 

Ugh, I wish I kept that T-shirt. Meeting Sae Itoshi was not worth all that.

Y/N walked towards the back of the store. Perhaps if she could meet Shidou again, she could trade him something to get the T-shirt back. Y/N picked up a black headband sitting on the shelf. She smiled. Shidou liked to wear headbands—or at least, that one official art of him wearing one claimed that he did.

She dropped it into her basket and went to meet Rin at the checkout.

“Did you get anything?” Y/N eyed Rin’s hands.

He held up a simple silver chain, “This.”

Y/N raised her eyebrows, “I didn’t take you to be the necklace-wearing type.”

Rin shrugged, “I’m not.” He stepped forward and handed the chain to the store owner.

Y/N followed behind him, giving the store owner the headband, and shooting Rin a questioning look. The store owner handed the headband back to Y/N in a bag which she took with a smile.

She turned to Rin who was fidgeting with the clasp on the chain.

“Here.” Y/N opened her hand, “It’s nice that you’re trying out a new style.” She undid the clasp and handed it back to Rin.

“It’s because of this.” Rin reached into his pocket and pulled out the spoon ring that Y/N had given him a week ago. 

Y/N’s eyes widened, “Have you just been carrying that around?”

Rin laced the chain through the ring, “It didn’t really fit my fingers so I just carry it in my pocket. It didn’t feel right to just let it sit at home.” He handed the chain and ring combo to Y/N, “Can you put it on?”

Y/N delicately took the necklace into her hands and placed it around Rin’s neck. The clasp of the necklace was incredibly small and she had to lean in close to hook it together.

The click of the clasp sounded and Y/N took a step back, satisfied, “You’re gonna have trouble getting that thing off.”

“I don’t plan on taking it off.” Rin turned around, “I’m going to wear it for as long as I’m able.”

Y/N’s heart ached as she held up her turquoise ring, “We both have reminders of each other now.” 

Rin reached his hand out and intertwined their fingers, pulling her closer, “Hopefully we won’t need those reminders.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

After Y/N had retrieved what she needed from the Blue Lock facility and gotten the green light from Anri to stay at Rin’s, she waited for the car that Rin had said Sae would send over.

The car was fine. The driver was nice. Y/N just didn’t expect that Sae Itoshi would be in the car too.

“Sae Itoshi?” Y/N stared into the backseat where Sae was seated with a disinterested look on his face.

“What are you looking at? Are you coming or not?”

Y/N swung her bag into the seat and followed it in, “Why are you here?”

Sae had pulled out his phone and was scrolling on it, “I was out when Rin texted that you would be staying over. I was headed back home anyway so I said my driver could pick you up.”

Y/N nodded, “Interesting. Rin said you were holed up in your room all week.”

Sae side-eyed Y/N for a moment, “Whatever.”

Y/N sat in an uncomfortable silence as Sae continued to scroll on his phone. She looked out the window at the blurred field of trees and grass surrounding the car. 

“Oh!” Y/N turned to Sae and pulled out the headband she had bought earlier, “Can you give this to Shidou?”

She had figured that she didn’t really need the Chainsaw Man shirt once her time was up, but she didn’t really need the headband either.

Sae stared at the headband, “What the fuck is that?”

Y/N shoved it into his hand, “A gift. Shidou likes this kinda stuff.”

“He does?” Sae looked slightly surprised.

Y/N rolled her eyes, “Of course.”

Sae looked at the headband in his hands with newfound interest.

Y/N observed Sae as he turned the headband over and traced his fingers along the edges. A fleeting feeling of excitement ran through Y/N’s brain.

“Sae-san?” Y/N tried to suppress her grin, “Who were you with just now?”

“Shidou.” Sae said mindlessly. He snapped back to attention turning his head to glare at  Y/N, “How did you know I was with someone?”

“Just a hunch.” Y/N hummed.

It had not been just a hunch. Her fujoshi senses had been tingling since earlier and it had taken her a while to put her finger on it.

“You guys make a cute couple.” Y/N smiled.

Sae’s face flushed almost immediately—the most emotion Y/N had ever seen on his face, “Why would you say something like that?” He spat.

Y/N smiled, “Because it’s true.”

Sae scoffed, “As if.”

Y/N propped her elbow next to the car window, her eyes teasing, “You can deny it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

Sae opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. He scrunched his nose and tried again, but then decided to close his mouth and turn towards his own window, ignoring Y/N for the rest of the car ride.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Rin-chan!” Y/N waved at Rin who was sitting on the porch.

Rin waved and walked towards the car, taking Y/N’s bag into his hands, “What’s up with him?”

“I told him that he and Shidou made a cute couple,” Y/N laughed, “Now we know how to piss him off.”

Rin gagged, “Gross.” His face softened into a grin, “But if that can piss off my brother, I’m all up for it.” He began to walk towards the house, “Why do I feel like you enjoy coupling together guys?”

Y/N tilted her head, playing innocent, “What do you mean?”

Rin’s eyebrow twitched as if he didn’t want to say the next words that came out of his mouth, “Bachira and Isagi. Nagi and that purple-haired guy. Chigiri and, what was his name? Kunigami? Now, my brother and antenna-head…”

Y/N laughed, “That’s just how I function. I used to enjoy pairing you and Hiori together back in my world.”

Rin rolled his eyes, “You’re weird.”

“I am,” Y/N’s eyes were sparkling. She nudged Rin’s arm, teasing him, “But you love me anyway.” She laughed.

Rin’s eyes relaxed from their usual siren shape, “That’s true.”

Y/N’s cheeks went warm, “What?”

“Let’s go.” Rin turned and walked towards the house with Y/N’s bag in his hand.

A tongue click sounded from behind Y/N. She turned to see Sae’s judging face glaring at her. Y/N stuck her tongue out at him and followed Rin into the house.

Chapter Text

Y/N squinted her eyes at the light peaking through the window and looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. Her head was on Rin’s chest and he had an arm slung around her shoulder. 

Y/N remembered now—last night they had decided to put on The Shining since there didn’t seem to be anything else to do. Y/N had never watched it back in her old world, but she wasn’t bothered by horror, so she agreed when Rin suggested it.

It had already been a few hours past dinner when they started watching it, so Y/N figured she must’ve fallen asleep sometime during the movie and Rin had just been nice enough to offer his arm as a pillow.

Y/N sat up from her slouched position and stretched. She looked back at Rin’s peaceful sleeping face and smiled. He looked nearly angelic when his features were relaxed. Y/N brushed his bangs aside and pressed a kiss on his forehead.

She stood up from the couch and made her way to the kitchen. All that time making instant noodles for Ego had tired her out and she was aching to make something else. The fridge was stocked nicely and Y/N pulled out a carton of eggs.

Omelets it is.

Y/N turned on the stove and placed a pan on top. She found some bell peppers and sausages in the fridge, getting to work with the kitchen knife while the pan heated up. 

“Mornin’.” 

Y/N looked up from the cutting board at Rin. His bed hair was messy, but for some reason that seemed to make him even more charming, if possible.

“Keep staring, will you?” the corner of Rin’s mouth turned upwards.

Y/N closed her mouth that she didn’t even know had opened and gave an awkward smile, “Sorry, I got distracted for a moment.”

Rin looked slightly surprised, “You’ve grown bold.”

Y/N cracked an egg into a bowl and began to mix it with the bell pepper bits, “I bet anyone would grow bold, knowing they have less than two weeks left.”

“It’s not like you’re dying.” Rin’s voice was sour.

“Right,” Y/N joked, “I technically already am dead.”

Rin sighed, “At least you’re taking this whole thing well.”

Y/N poured the sausage bits into the bowl and stirred, “Well what am I supposed to do? Cry my eyes out for the next two weeks?”

“Fair point.”

Y/N poured the mixture into the pan and shook some salt and pepper on top. As the goopy mixture solidified into an omelet, she folded it in half and slid it out of the pan and onto a plate.

“Here.” She gave Rin the plate.

“That’s a big-ass omelet.”

Y/N eyed the omelet that she had just given Rin. She had been worried about Rin’s appetite since he was a soccer player, but it seemed that she hadn’t needed to be.

“I’ll make a smaller one.”

“It’s fine.” Rin shoved a piece into his mouth. He eyed the bowl containing the omelet mixture, “There’s a lot of mixture left. You gonna eat all that yourself?”

Y/N eyed Rin curiously, “There’s one other person in the house, remember?”

Sae walked into the kitchen, yawning.

“Speak of the devil.” Rin muttered, “Why would you make breakfast for that guy?”

“Breakfast?” Sae’s ears perked up.

Y/N slid the second omelet onto a plate and gave it to Sae, “Filial piety.”

Rin snorted and Sae scowled, “Hey! What do you mean ‘filial piety’?!” Sae eyed his omelet and then looked at Rin’s, “And if we’re talking filial piety, then how come Rin’s omelet is so much bigger than mine?”

Y/N stuck her tongue out at Sae, “I have favorites.”

Rin gave Y/N a small smile and Sae rolled his eyes. Y/N finished making her omelet and turned off the stove before taking the seat next to Rin. 

“So, plans for today?” Y/N took a bite from her omelet and smiled. It seemed all those days of making instant noodles hadn’t rusted her basic cooking skills yet.

“Not sure,” Rin replied.

“Going out for lunch,” Sae responded.

“With Shidou? Y/N raised an eyebrow.

Sae’s face flushed slightly, “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Y/N hummed.

Rin looked back and forth between the two, “When did you two get so close?”

Y/N scoffed, “We’re not.” 

At the same time, Sae said, “Before the match.”

Y/N paused with her mouth still open and stared daggers at Sae, “That’s your definition of ‘close’?”

Sae shrugged, “Besides Shidou, that’s the most I’ve ever talked to anyone. Plus, I was nice enough to give my jacket to you. And it seems you didn’t get a cold, so that was a beneficial exchange.”

“Oh yeah,” Y/N said sarcastically, “We’re real close.”

Rin’s face looked hurt, “You met my shitty brother before the match? When?”

“Hey!” Sae objected.

Y/N looked at Rin, her eyes softening, “That day I went out and brought gifts for you guys. I met Sae that day.”

“But why?” The light in Rin’s eyes was fading.

Y/N had no way to respond. She was suddenly really regretting going to meet Sae that day. She glanced at Sae and saw that he was staring at her, equally perplexed.

I guess he doesn’t want Rin to know what we talked about that day either.

A text sounded from Y/N’s phone. She breathed a sigh of relief and clicked on the text from Bachira.

“Bachira texted.” She announced, “He asked to meet with some others in Shibuya.”

“That’s great,” Sae’s voice had an awkward sharpness to it, “You guys go have fun. I’m going to go get ready.” He stiffly exited the room.

Rin made a face of disgust, “What the fuck is up with him?” He seemed to have forgotten what they were talking about earlier.

Y/N planned to keep it that way, “Sae’s just excited about his date with Shidou-chan.”

Rin gagged.

Y/N laughed and stood up, “Let’s go get ready.”

“Do we have to?” Rin groaned.

“We can stay home if you want.” Y/N sat back down.

Rin lifted an eyebrow, “You’re choosing me over Bachira?”

Y/N averted her gaze, “How did you come to that conclusion?”

Rin pulled Y/N to her feet and smiled, “Let’s go to Shibuya.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Y/N-chan! Rin-chan!” Bachira waved at Y/N and Rin as they entered the arcade.

“Bachira-chan.” Y/N greeted him back.

“We just got to the arcade after Nagi texted Isagi that he was here,” Bachira explained, “What are you guys planning on doing?”

Y/N looked over at Rin, “What do you want to do?”

Rin looked around, “Pool.”

Y/N’s eyebrows shot up, “Classy.”

Bachira had already joined Isagi in throwing darts at Nagi, so Y/N grabbed Rin’s hand and led him to the pool table where Aryu was currently playing. 

“Hey Y/N!” Karasu waved.

“Karasu!” Y/N smiled, “Hey Aryu. What’s up Tokimitsu?” Y/N’s eyes landed on Otoya, “How are you… Otoya?”

“Better after seeing you,” Otoya winked.

Rin placed a hand around Y/N’s waist and pulled her back towards him, “Yeah, my night was better after seeing her too.”

Y/N stomped on Rin’s foot and he grunted in pain. Otoya blinked in surprise. Aryu’s hair whipped Karasu in the face as he aimed the cue. 

“Can ya please just do this normally?” Karasu screeched, irritated.

Oh, Y/N realized, He and Hiori talk really similarly. They met each other before Blue Lock, right? They must’ve grown up in the same area.

“What is it?” Rin whispered, studying Y/N’s face.

“I think I’m boarding a new ship.”

Rin raised an eyebrow.

“Hiori and Karasu.” Y/N explained.

Rin rolled his eyes, “Not Otoya?”

“Now you’re getting it,” Y/N nodded in approval, “They can be a ship of three.”

Rin let out a laugh, “Weirdo.”

Y/N playfully pushed his head away from her, “Says you. Why did you say that to Otoya just now?”

“Is it not true?” Rin’s face was dead serious.

Y/N felt a tug in her heart. She and Rin had gotten quite close despite their short time together. Out of all the characters in the Blue Lock manga, Rin was the last person she would imagine getting close to.

“What’s your relationship with my brother?”

Sae’s words from that day echoed in her head. What was her relationship with Rin? Was there even a label that fit them? 

Were they friends? 

Lovers?

If she asked…

But friends didn’t do the things that they did. At least, that’s what Y/N was realizing the more she thought about her interactions with Rin these past few days.

“How about karaoke?” Reo called out from the ping-pong tables.

“Let’s go.” Isagi agreed.

Y/N removed Rin’s hand from her waist and held it in her hand. Honestly, she was fine just being with him like this—they didn’t need a label.

---------------------------------------------------------------

After finding the U-20 players at the karaoke bar and meeting Barou at the bowling arena, the groups played against each other, rendering team Blue Lock the winners.

Isagi stood up, “I already made plans with another friend. See you guys later! Have fun!”

“You’re leaving already?” Bachira was perched on Nagi’s shoulders, celebrating the strike he had just made.

“I’m leaving too.” Nagi yawned.

Isagi waved and left.

Y/N turned to Rin who looked incredibly bored, “Wanna get out of here?”

“Finally.” Rin muttered.

Y/N laughed and dragged him along with her towards the exit.

“Y/N-chan!” Reo ran over, Nagi following behind him, “We’re leaving too. Are you guys going anywhere?”

“Nowhere in particular.” Y/N noticed Nagi’s droopy eyes and walked over, positioning herself to let him get onto her back.

Nagi climbed on, “Let’s go get food. I’m starving.”

Reo nodded, “Sure.”

They walked out the door together and Rin slowed his pace to walk next to Y/N, “Isn’t he heavy?”

Y/N smiled, “He barely eats anything. How could he be heavy?”

Rin eyed Nagi’s sleeping face, “Drop him the moment you get tired.” 

“Hey!” Reo protested. He looked at Y/N, “If you get tired, just pass him to me.”

Y/N nodded, “Will do.”

Chapter Text

“Y/N…” Nagi’s voice was quiet enough that Reo and Rin couldn’t hear him.

“Nagi?” Y/N whispered in surprise, “I thought you were sleeping.”

“I knew you’d piggyback me if I looked tired. You’re attentive like that.”

Y/N feigned disappointment, “So you’re using me now?”

Nagi readjusted his arms, “Kind of? I wanted to talk to you alone.”

“Oh, I see. Is it about Reo?”

“How did you know?”

“Just a feeling.”

Nagi nodded, his chin bouncing on Y/N’s shoulder, “I feel like we’re still distant.”

Y/N sighed, “Unfortunately for you, that’s not just a feeling. You guys are distant.”

“Ouch.”

“But once you guys go back to Blue Lock, promise me you’ll talk to Reo. And I mean truly talk it out with him.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

Y/N thought for a moment, letting her feet follow behind Rin and Reo, “Nagi, do you love Reo?”

“Huh?” Nagi’s arms stiffened around Y/N’s neck, “Love?”

Y/N coughed, “Relax your arms—you’re choking me. And yes, ‘love’.”

“Sorry.” Nagi relaxed his arms, “Hm… I never thought about it that way.”

“I don’t necessarily mean romantic love or anything,” Y/N tilted her head, “But from what I’ve seen, I can tell that you love Reo in your own way.”

“I love… Reo?” Nagi was quiet for a moment, “I guess that’s what this feeling is…”

Y/N nodded, “But the problem right now is that Reo doesn’t feel that love.” She glanced at Nagi in her peripheral vision, “You know… he cried when you left him in the second selection.”

Nagi’s arms tensed again, “He did?”

Y/N nudged Nagi’s arms with her head, “Stop tensing up at every single thing. You have to face the consequences of what you said to Reo.”

“But I didn’t mean to hurt him.”

“I know that,” Y/N muttered, “But Reo doesn’t. He can’t read your mind.”

“Sometimes it feels like he can.”

“You are such a sucker for Reo.” Y/N teased him.

“I guess I am.”

Y/N let out a small chuckle, “See? That’s how you need to talk to Reo. Just without my help. Communicate with him once you get back to Blue Lock.”

“Will we even be playing on the same team in the next phase of Blue Lock?” Nagi asked.

“Oh trust me,” Y/N smiled, “You will be.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N opened the door of the bathroom in the hallway of the Itoshi household. She had just showered after getting back from eating dinner with Reo and Nagi.

The pair had left together and Rin and Y/N decided to head home afterwards too.

Y/N had hit the shower as soon as she came home. Carrying Nagi for that long had taken a toll on her body and it had been evident in her sweat-soaked T-shirt.

Y/N’s ears perked up at the sound of running water from down the hallway. It seemed that Rin had decided to take a shower as well.

She walked into the living room and saw Sae sitting on the couch, watching TV. 

“Hey Sae-san,” Y/N grinned, “How was your date?”

Sae threw her a glare before turning back to the TV, “It wasn’t a date. I gave him the headband that you gave me the other day,” Sae’s head whipped back around, “Your hair is making a mess.”

Y/N looked behind her at the ground and saw that a small pool of water had formed on the floor from her dripping hair.

“Sorry,” Y/N muttered as she grabbed some paper towels from the kitchen and pressed them into the floor, “Shitty Sae Itoshi.” She cursed under her breath. 

It was just some water. Maybe Sae was a clean freak like Barou.

“Come here.” Sae’s voice rang out from the couch where he had been sitting earlier.

Y/N chucked the paper towels in the trash and looked over at Sae. He was holding a hair dryer in his right hand and plugging the cord in with his left hand.

“Wow, you really are a cleanaholic.” Y/N walked over and reached for the hair dryer.

Sae pulled it just out of her reach, “Sit down.”

Y/N scoffed and crossed her arms, “I’m not a child.”

“You’d probably make a mess.”
Y/N bit her lip. He was right, but she didn’t want to admit it. Back in her apartment, she never really bothered to blow dry her hair and when she did, water would fly everywhere.

Sae considered Y/N’s hesitation, “We’ll talk about me and Shidou.” He sighed.

Y/N grinned, “Fair deal. I almost thought for a moment that the Itoshi brothers had a hair drying kink or something.”

Sae scrunched up his nose, “Rin’s dried your hair before?”

Y/N nodded, “Irrelevant right now. Spill.”

Sae turned the dryer on to the lowest setting so that they could hear each other talk, “Shidou asked me out the day after I gave him my phone number.”

“That sounds like Shidou,” Y/N nodded, “Then?”

“I didn’t reply to that text, but I went out with him a couple days last week. He kept asking and I kept avoiding him.”

“How come?” Y/N turned her head to look at Sae.

Sae forced her head back to face front, gently ruffling her hair, “I’m not sure how it’s supposed to work out.”

“There doesn't have to be a definite answer if you feel unready.” Y/N thought for a moment, “Did you enjoy hanging out with him?”

“He’s a surprisingly nice presence to be around.”

“So you like him then.”

Y/N couldn’t see his face, but she guessed that Sae was probably blushing right now.

“I only gave him my number.” He said defiantly.

“You like him.” Y/N said again.

“I don’t know.” Sae gave Y/N’s head a rough push.

“Hey!” Y/N reached backwards and slapped Sae right in the nose.

“Watch it!”

It seemed to happen in slow motion. Sae reached forward to return Y/N’s slap and she dodged just in time. Sae lost balance and fell over the couch, landing in a heap on top of Y/N. Y/N gave a yelp as Sae’s elbow socked her in the stomach.

“What… the fuck are you guys doing?” Rin was standing at the entrance of the living room staring at the two.

Y/N gave a quick scan of her situation. Sae was piled on top of her in a way that looked much more romantic than what had actually happened.

Y/N roughly shoved Sae off of her and he hit the ground with a grunt, “It’s not what it looks like—he was blow drying my hair and-”

“Why the fuck was he blow drying your hair?” Rin’s eyes were fixated in a glare.

Y/N’s heart sank. He had never looked at her like that before.

“We were just talking and…” Y/N faltered. She couldn’t find a way to explain herself, “It’s really not like that.”

Rin turned and walked down the hallway, “Fuck this.”

“Wait, Rin!” Y/N panicked and turned to Sae, “Fuck, none of this would’ve happened if you weren’t such a clean freak.”

Sae shrugged from his position on the ground, “What’s so wrong with taking care of my sister-in-law? I don’t get why Rin’s so mad.”

Y/N kicked Sae in the side, “You’re actually an idiot. ‘Sister-in-law’ my ass.” She turned and followed Rin down the hallway, “Rin! Wait, please.”

Rin stopped but didn’t turn around, “Do you even like me?”

“Huh?” The question caught Y/N off guard. “I do.” She said without hesitation.

“But do you like me ?” Rin turned around. His eyes looked pained, “Not as a character from a manga; not as a player you’re supposed to take care of. Do you like me as a real person who could be your partner?”

Y/N’s eyes widened. Was he confessing? She was too stunned to speak.

Rin angrily swept his bangs upwards, “I don’t know why, but I felt attracted to you when we met. It wasn’t even romantic, I just felt like I was drawn to you for some reason. And then over time it turned into something more than just platonic and I thought it was the same for you.”

“It was.” Y/N swallowed, “It is.”

“But it doesn’t feel that way because you treat everyone like that!” Rin was nearly shouting, “Bachira, Yukimiya, Nagi… And now even my fucking brother.”

Y/N shook her head frantically, “That’s not–”

“I feel like such an idiot for being happy that you bought that ring because it ‘matched my eyes’.” Rin mimicked quotation marks with his hands, “I feel like such an idiot for even thinking that I could have you at all.”

“You’re not an idiot.” Y/N forced a laugh, “Besides, most of the people you listed aren’t even interested in women.”

“And there you go with that again.” Rin rolled his eyes, “What the fuck is with you and shipping males together? You’re so fucking weird.”

Y/N’s heart completely dropped past her stomach and onto the ground. She always knew that her fujoshi mind wasn’t exactly normal to other people, but hearing those words come out of Rin’s mouth hurt more than she expected. 

She could feel tears looming in her eyes.

Rin’s expression changed the moment the words left his mouth, “Wait, no. That came out wrong–... I didn’t–...”

“I know.” Y/N smiled and let her tears fall freely. “I know I’m fucking weird .”

She turned and walked to the door, shoving her shoes on, not bothering to look back at Rin. She bolted out the front door and left the Itoshi house behind her.

Rin didn’t go after her.

Chapter Text

“So what happened?” Bachira handed Y/N a mug of hot chocolate.

“I got in a fight with Rin.”

After she had run away from the Itoshi household, Y/N contacted the only other number on her phone besides Rin and Anri: Bachira.

His mom had been generous in letting her stay with them and was even kind enough to lend Y/N clothes to change into for bed.

“That’s no good.” Bachira’s mother took a seat on the couch on the other side of Y/N, “Are you okay, dear?”

Y/N was glad she had taken an extra translator from Ego before she had left. Bachira’s mother had been fascinated to see the technology and try it out.

“I’m alright.” Y/N nodded, “Thank you Ms. Bachira.”

“Call my Yu.” She smiled and patted Y/N’s head affectionately, “A friend of Meguru’s is a friend of mine.” She stood up from the couch, “I’ll let you guys talk.”

As soon as Yu left the room, Bachira grabbed Y/N’s shoulders and shook her a little, “Speak.”

Y/N recounted her conversation with Rin as well as what had happened with Sae. Bachira seemed trustworthy enough that he wouldn’t go blabbering about Sae and Shidou’s relationship, so Y/N spared no details.

Bachira gasped when she finished recounting everything, “No way he said that.”

Y/N pursed her lips, “I get that he’s straightforward or whatever, but that hurt a lot.” Y/N sighed and dropped her head into her hands, “I think I overreacted by running out like that…”

“No.” Bachira grabbed her ponytail and tugged her head out of her hands, “It’s never okay to call someone ‘weird’ unless it’s a pure joke. I would’ve run out of there too.”

Right, Y/N remembered, Bachira used to be bullied and called “weird”. He of all people would know how bad it feels.

Bachira wrapped an arm around Y/N, “You can stay with us until Blue Lock resumes. Rin-chan won’t be able to find you here.”

Y/N closed her eyes and leaned into Bachira, “It was my fault though. I never think things through before I do them.”

“Who cares if it’s your fault? He shouldn’t have called you “weird” in that context. Besides, you being “weird” is what finally got me and Isagi together.”

Y/N smiled and turned to look at Bachira, “I need some updates on that.”

“Well,” Bachira’s eyes were shining, “We just went out for lunch today, actually.”

Y/N squealed happily, “It’s worth being called ‘weird’ for this.”

Bachira frowned, “I bet Rin-chan’s beating himself up right now. I could see how much he cared about you when we were at Blue Lock. I’m still not excusing him for his behavior, but I do think you guys need to talk it out.”

“Yeah,” Y/N agreed, “Just not soon.”

Bachira poked her cheek, “You’ve still got time.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

The next few days went by in a blur. Y/N had so much fun in the Bachira household that she almost forgot about her spat with Rin.

Almost.

Her days had been spent in the art studio with Bachira and his mom, making messes, and art, and even more messes.

Now, she was sitting on the floor, her canvas laid on the floor in front of her. She swirled some green and blue paint together in her paint palette and examined the color. She added a dash of yellow and a hint of white. 

“So, are you feeling better, Y/N?” Yu asked from her seated position in front of her propped up canvas.

“Mom!” Bachira complained, “What did we say about not mentioning anything?”

“Oops! I was just worried.”

Y/N waved her hands, “No, no—it’s totally fine. Honestly I was starting to forget about the whole situation until just now.”

“See?” Bachira elbowed his mom.

Yu gave a sheepish grin, “Oops.” She repeated.

Y/N smiled at Yu, “Honestly, please don’t feel bad in the slightest. I’m going to have to face him sooner or later.”

“Well, it’s gonna have to be soon since we go back to Blue Lock tomorrow.”

Y/N blinked in surprise, “Already?”

“Yeah,” Yu sighed, “Time flies when you’re having fun, huh?”

Y/N’s heart felt heavy as she moved her paintbrush across the canvas aimlessly. So much for ending her time in this world on a good note. It really didn’t seem that she and Rin would be seeing talking things out any time before the NEL arc.

“Wow.” Bachira peeked over Y/N’s shoulder and was looking at her canvas, “You really do miss him.”

Y/N looked down at her canvas in shock. She had been mindlessly painting while she was chatting with Bachira and Yu. She hadn’t really been paying attention to what she was doing, but now that she was looking down at her painting, she felt an urge to tear out her hair.

“It’s Rin’s eyes.” Bachira said.

“How can you even tell?” Y/N looked at the sorry mess in front of her. She had never dared to call herself an artist. Especially not when compared to Bachira or his mom.

“The color.” Bachira said simply. “And the eyelashes.”

Yu walked over and picked up Y/N’s canvas, “The cracks on the canvas are a nice touch. You’ve got talent.”

“Maybe I’ll pick up painting when I go back.” Y/N whispered to Bachira.

Bachira smiled and patted her shoulder before standing up and moving back to work on his own canvas.

Yu handed the painting back to Y/N, “Good work, honey. You should go out and do something while you still can. I’ll feel bad if I keep you here for the rest of your break.”

Y/N took one last look at her painting before setting it on a nearby shelf to dry, “I’ll do that. Thank you so much, Yu.”

“Of course! Next time you guys are on break, make sure to drop by and say ‘hi’!,” Yu smiled and picked up her paintbrush once more.

Y/N turned and made her way to the door, her heart heavy at the thought that “next time” wouldn’t be coming.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N felt around the stones she was sitting on. After she had left Bachira’s house, she hadn’t had any particular destination in mind—she had just let her feet lead her to wherever.

It wasn’t until her feet stopped before a railing that Y/N looked up and realized she had walked all the way to the seaside.

Y/N observed her surroundings. How long had she been walking? Thirty minutes? An hour? More than an hour?

She didn’t bother to check her phone and instead crawled over the railing, landing on the rocks on the other side.

The ocean before her was glistening with the hues of the sunset. The wind was soft, producing small waves that seemed to make the water shimmer before her.

Y/N sat down on the rocks and breathed in the salty air. This reminds me a lot of the place that Rin and I met up at.

She sighed. Why was Y/N still thinking about Rin right now?

She felt around for a flat rock and picked it up. Y/N threw the rock horizontally towards the water, watching it skip.

1… 2… 3…

She smiled. It had been a while since she skipped rocks. She had loved doing it in her childhood, but after she moved into her apartment, there hadn’t been a nearby body of water for her to skip rocks in.

Y/N picked up another rock.

1… 2… 3… 4… 5…

She watched the rock sink on its 6th skip and clapped her hands together in triumph. Y/N stood up and scanned the rocks below her feet for the perfect stone.

There it was. 

Not too thick or thin, and just the perfect shape. Y/N reached down to grab the rock, but a hand appeared before her and snatched it up.

Y/N looked up, startled, and met her gaze with two teal eyes. She lost her footing and slipped backwards down the sloping rocks.

“Y/N!” A hand grabbed onto her wrist, attempting to stop her fall, but Y/N’s momentum threw both of them sprawling down the rocks and towards the water.

A hand wrapped around Y/N’s head as they fell roughly down the rocks.

When Y/N opened her eyes, her head was being held against someone’s chest and another arm was wrapped around her back. Her left leg had entered the water, soaking her pants leg, but thanks to the hand wrapped around the back of her head, she had sustained no serious injuries.

Y/N looked up at the person holding onto her and took a deep breath, “Rin.”

Chapter Text

Rin looked like he couldn’t quite believe his eyes, “I found you.”

Y/N’s eyes widened as she snatched Rin’s hand from the back of her head, “Why would you protect me? I’m not the one who’s playing in the second phase of Blue Lock tomorrow for heaven’s sake!”

“I’m alright,” Rin removed his hand from her grasp and pulled her up into a sitting position, “Are you?’

Thankfully, Rin’s hand didn’t look too banged up and only had a couple of scratches. 

Y/N rubbed her shoulder, “I’ve been better.”

They sat in silence for a moment.

“So,” Rin said, “Why did you come here?”

Y/N raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

“It’s the place we met up at a few days ago.”

Y/N looked around, surprised. So this place didn’t just look like the place that she had met up with Rin at, it was the place.

She pursed her lips, “I don’t know. I was just wandering around.”

“Where have you been the past few days?” Rin asked.

“With Bachira.”

“Oh.”

Silence filled the air once more. 

Y/N stood up, “Well, it’s getting kind of late, so I’m gonna head back.”

Rin’s hand closed around her wrist, “Wait.”

She looked down at him without saying a word. She didn’t know how to feel seeing Rin after what had happened a couple days ago. When Y/N replayed the conversation in her head, she felt as if she had overreacted, but at the same time, she just couldn’t shake what Rin had said.

Y/N sighed. The more she thought about it, the more the situation seemed to put her at fault. She opened her mouth to say something.

“I’m sorry.” Rin looked out at the water.

Y/N paused, her mouth open, “Shouldn’t that be my line?”

Rin looked back at her, “What? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I overreacted,” Y/N shrugged, “You were just telling the truth.”

Rin’s eyes narrowed, “Don’t tell me you think that what I said to you was okay in any way.” He pulled her down into a sitting position, “Because it wasn’t.” He shook his head, “You don’t treat people you...” He scrunched up his nose, “... like… like that.”

Y/N blinked rapidly, checking to make sure she heard him right, “You… like…?”

Rin nodded, then winced, “This sounds cringy as fuck. I’m no good at this.”

Y/N laughed, “You’re doing pretty well, actually.” She sat down, “I’m sorry for making you feel the way you did. Of course, I’m excited that I’ve entered this world, so I’m trying to make the most of every day that I’m here...” She looked at Rin, “But, the way in which I like you is on a completely different scale from which I like everyone else.”

Rin buried his head in his hands, “I’m just scared,” He swallowed hard, “I’ve never had something special to me. Besides soccer, I’ve never had something I really wanted.” He looked up at Y/N, “Until I met you.”

Y/N’s eyes widened as a tear rolled down Rin’s cheek, “Rin…”

“But it always feels like you’re so far away from me. Every single person you meet likes you. And you like them all the same. I want to be different to you.” Rin bit the inside of his cheek, “Even when I do get closer to you, it doesn’t feel like it’s enough. And it won’t ever be enough because you’re not even from this world. You’re going to leave.” Rin let out a pitiful laugh, “Sometimes, I feel like I don’t understand you. Maybe we just don’t click. Maybe I never will understand you.”

Y/N reached out and wiped a tear from Rin’s cheek, “Don’t say that. You say you don’t understand me, but you know exactly how to strike where it hurts.”

Rin looked equally parts horrified and guilty, “I didn’t mean to–”

Y/N let her hand rest on top of Rin’s, “I’m not mad. I know it sounds horrible, but you can only hurt people if you really, truly know them.”

Rin shook his head, “That just makes what I said sound even shittier.”

Y/N’s lips pursed, amused, “Maybe I’m just trying to make you feel guilty, then.”

Rin glared at her for a moment before sighing and turning his hand to hold Y/N’s, “I want to remember you. No– I will remember you. I promise.”

“Me too.”

Rin gritted his teeth, “The Writer sucks for making it a 30-day limit.”

Y/N laughed, “Yes, he sucks.” She pulled Rin into a hug, “And by the way, you are different from everyone else. Whether in this world or mine, it’ll always be you. Even if I do forget everyone and everything…” Y/N inhaled, “... even if I forget you…” She hugged Rin tighter, “It’ll still always be you, and only you.”

“Didn’t we just promise to not forget each other?”

“I’m just being realistic.”

Rin was quiet for a moment before he spoke up again, “I hope in our next lifetimes, we’re born into the same world.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

“What’s up?” Bachira’s voice rang out from the other end of the call, “Where have you been? It’s getting dark. Are you lost?”

“I’m not lost.” Y/N looked down at her hand intertwined in Rin’s, “I was just calling to let you know that I’m staying at Rin’s tonight. Sorry for the sudden notice.’

“Rin?” Bachira muttered, “Oh…” His voice grew excited, “Oh!”

“Yeah.”

“Well, you have fun.” Bachira laughed and hung up.

Y/N stared down at her phone, smiling.

“Are we good to go?” Rin tugged her to her feet.

“Yep.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

“You’re back.” Sae said, sitting on the couch.

“I’m back.” Y/N confirmed, “Miss me?”

“Not one bit.”

“Likewise.”

Y/N looked around the house. It looked exactly the same as it had when she left a few days ago. The familiar scent was calming.

“Get out of here, nii-chan.” Rin swung his jacket over the couch.

Sae raised an eyebrow, “Kicking me out of my own living room?”

Rin grabbed Y/N’s arm and led her towards the couch, “Do what you want, then.”

Sae glanced at the two of them as they got comfortable on the couch and reconsidered, “I’m out.”

He stood up and promptly left the living room. Y/N let loose a small chuckle and slouched down into the couch, snuggling into Rin’s side.

Rin wrapped an arm around her and picked up the remote, “Want to finish that movie from the other day?”

“I thought we already did.”

“You fell asleep.”

Y/N sat up straight, “But haven’t you seen The Shining like five hundred times over or something?”

Rin shrugged, “I don’t mind.”

Y/N took the remote from Rin’s hand and turned on the news, “Background noise. We can just talk.” She slouched down into Rin’s side once more, “Are you excited for tomorrow?”

“What’s there to be excited about?”

“A new phase of Blue Lock. More opportunities. All that good stuff.”

“And what exactly is all that good stuff?”

Y/N gave Rin’s arm a gentle smack, “No spoilers.”

Rin rolled his eyes, “Fine. Tell me about you, then.”

“What about me?”

Rin thought for a moment, “Well, I know you dance. What else?”

Y/N smiled, “I was a pretty good editor.”

Rin scrunched his nose, “You have to correct grammar and shit?”

Y/N blinked, confused, and then let out a laugh, “No, not that kind of editor. I edited animes on my phone for fun. Then I posted them onto social media.” Y/N reminisced on her editing days, “My edits did pretty well actually, my following was quite high.”

“Interesting,” Rin raised his eyebrows, “What was the last thing you edited before you got reincarnated?”

“It was…” Y/N’s voice faltered as she remembered the last edit she had posted. She turned her head away from Rin, hoping he wouldn’t see the blush creeping onto her cheeks, “It was a Blue Lock edit—obviously.”

Rin tilted his head, trying to see Y/N’s face, “What are you hiding for? Was it that bad?”

Y/N pushed his face away from her with her hand, “No. It wasn’t bad at all. It was one of my most popular edits, actually.”

Rin kissed the palm of her hand and Y/N retracted it at lightning speed, whipping her head around to look at Rin.

“Pft.” Rin grinned, “Your face is so red.”

Y/N gave his arm a hard smack, “That’s your fault!”

“Come on,” Rin pulled her closer to him again, “What was the edit about?” There was a knowing glint in his eye.

Y/N leaned as far away from Rin as she was able, “Secret.”

“Oh?” Rin leaned closer, his eyes trailing down to Y/N’s lips, “Well that’s fine. If you don’t want to tell me then…”

Y/N’s heart was beating so fast that she was starting to feel dizzy. 

“You.” She blurted out. Her face felt extremely hot, and it wasn’t helping that Rin was so close to her, “I made an edit of you. That was the last thing I posted before I reincarnated. There.”

Rin smiled, “I thought so.” And then he closed the gap between them.

Y/N’s eyes widened. Rin’s lips softly melded into hers. Y/N wasn’t really sure how a kiss was supposed to feel, but whatever they were doing seemed about right. The heat climbing her body had lessened into a sort of comfortable warmth. She closed her eyes and savored the moment before Rin pulled away. 

As soon as he did, Y/N sank down into the couch again, burying her face into Rin’s shirt, “That was something.”

“It was my first.”

Y/N felt a wave of happiness wash over her at Rin’s words. She wrapped her arms around Rin’s midsection and closed her eyes.

“Mine too.”

Chapter Text

“Hello there, you diamonds in the rough,” Ego’s face lit up the screen, “Did you all enjoy the holiday?”

Y/N looked up at Ego’s face. It had been a week since she had been inside the Blue Lock facility.

Which also meant only one more week in the Blue Lock world.

Y/N shook her thoughts away and looked at Rin. He was looking at the P.X.G. team information on his phone.

Y/N smiled at the familiar logo, “Have you decided?”

“Yeah.” Rin tapped a button on his phone, confirming his choice, “That’s where Loki is.”

Y/N nodded her head and looked around the room. Everyone was excitedly debating where to go. She saw Bachira and Isagi talking to one another and near them, Reo was showing Chigiri his phone screen.

Y/N caught sight of Nagi standing in the center of the room, a confused look on his face.

“I’ll be right back.” She said to Rin.

“Y/N.” Nagi greeted her as she walked towards him.

“Hey Nagi, have you chosen yet?”

Nagi looked over to where Reo was standing, “I want to be with Reo, but I don’t want to ask him.” He looked down at his phone, “Maybe I’ll choose something random.”

Y/N glanced over at Reo and then turned her attention back to Nagi, “Well, if you were going to choose a team at random, which team would it be?”

“Chigiri showed me a video of a guy who was really good at trapping…” Nagi pointed to “Manshine City” on his phone, “I’ll go with this one.”

Y/N smiled, “Good choice, Nagi.” She gave him a small push in Reo’s direction, “That’s the one Reo is in.”

Nagi gave Y/N a small smile before walking over to Reo. Y/N watched him join Reo and Chigiri before making her way to the big screen where Ego’s face was plastered.

“Ego-san.” She called up to the screen, “How are my physical therapy duties gonna work?”

Ego looked down at her, “You’ll attend to one team per day for the rest of the time you’re here. Since you’ll only be here for a week, for the final two days, you can choose any team to stay with.”

“Yes sir!” Y/N lowered her voice slightly, “Today is Day 21, right?”

Ego nodded and inched closer to the camera, “But from what I’m seeing so far, it seems that the accident won’t happen.”

Y/N looked up in surprise, “You can tell already?”

“Yes.” Ego pushed his glasses up and moved away from the screen, “Have you decided which team you want to go with first?”

“I have.” Y/N really wanted to go with Rin to P.X.G. on the first day, but she had a more dire situation at hand elsewhere, “I want to go to Bastard München.”

Ego looked slightly shocked, “Germany?” He blinked, “Alright, then.” He held his hands together for a moment as if he were thinking, “Even though you’re going to be staying with one team per day, you’re free to roam around at any time.”

Y/N scrunched her eyebrows at Ego’s words, “Was I not supposed to choose Bastard München for today?”

Ego shook his head, “It wasn’t what I was expecting, but it’s alright.”

Y/N backed away from the screen and walked back to where Rin was standing. There goes Ego speaking in riddles again.

Y/N filled Rin in on her schedule for the next week and her choice to go with Bastard München for the day.

Rin stuck his bottom lip out slightly, “When are you coming to P.X.G. then?”

“Day 5.” Y/N smiled, “And the two days after. That way we can have three consecutive days together.”

Rin nodded, satisfied, “Why Germany, though?”

Y/N could feel her blood boiling as she thought about it, “There’s a bitch I want to punch.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Kunigami Rensuke.

He wasn’t the bitch that Y/N needed to punch and for a moment she had totally forgotten that he was joining Bastard München.

Nevertheless, the sight of him caught Y/N off guard.

“Hey Y/N-chan,” Isagi whispered, “Why’d you choose to come with us?”

Y/N looked over at Isagi, “There’s a brat that I needed to warn you about.” Isagi’s eyes widened and Y/N squeezed out another sentence before they walked into the room, “Watch out for number 10.”

The players and Y/N entered the room and on the opposite side, gates opened to reveal a training arena. Y/N bit back a gasp at the iconic obstacle course.

Noel Noa stepped forward and walked towards the exit, “Wir sehen uns im Ziel.”

Y/N tapped her translator, “Reach the goal.” she repeated. She turned to the players, “Be careful.”

The timer counted down to zero and the players took off. Y/N’s eyes followed Isagi like a hawk. 

“Who are you?”

Y/N turned to see Noel Noa standing at the door, arms crossed and eyeing her suspiciously.

“I’m working under Ego.” Y/N said, “I’m here to watch over the players.”

“Ego, huh? What about the other teams?”

“I’m staying with Bastard München today.”

Noa took a box out of his pocket and tossed it to Y/N, “Make yourself useful and give your players these translators after they finish the course.”

Y/N nodded and followed Noa to the end of the course. Isagi was standing in front of the final target, staring at Kaiser in shock.

Y/N’s eyes narrowed as she took in the sight of Michael Kaiser.

There’s the bitch.

“Isagi-chan!” Y/N walked over to Isagi, “Here’s the other half to your translator.”

Back when Y/N had requested translators from Ego for all the players, he hadn’t had nearly enough to accommodate everyone, so Y/N had decided to split up each pair of translators and give each player a single one.

Now, she passed around the other half of each players’ translators.

“For now, the first training is over.” Noel Noa spoke up.

The big screen flickered with the current rankings of everyone in Blue Lock. Y/N followed the names down the list and stopped at Isagi’s name in dead-last.

“I thought I told you to be careful of number 10.” She hissed at Isagi.

Isagi huffed angrily, “He wasn’t playing fair.”

Y/N rolled her eyes and she grabbed Isagi’s elbow, pulling him closer, “You expect him to play fair? You’ve got a long arc ahead of you, Yoichi, and Michael Kaiser is going to be a thorn in your side, so you better get your game together.”

Isagi’s face turned resolute and he nodded. Y/N glanced over at Kaiser and Ness standing behind Noa. Kaiser’s eyebrows were scrunched as he listened to Noa talk and Ness’ eyes were focused only on Kaiser.

“Tch.” Y/N gritted her teeth. 

Kaiser’s face was so beautifully crafted it hurt. But his gorgeous exterior couldn’t hide his nasty personality. Ever since Y/N had started reading the NEL arc in the manga, she had been torn between liking and disliking Kaiser.

In the end, she decided that Kaiser was an asshole for treating Ness the way he did.

Y/N blinked herself back into reality. She had been too rash with her decision to come with Bastard München on the first day. It wasn’t like she could change the outcome of what happened between Kaiser and Ness—it was still too early on.

And she definitely couldn’t walk up to Kaiser and smack him for something he didn’t do yet. Y/N sighed. 

Perhaps she could talk to Ness later.

---------------------------------------------------------------

The Blue Lock players who had chosen Germany had finished washing up after a long day of training and were lounging in their rooms.

“I’m gonna head out.” Y/N waved her hand as she exited the room.

She had located a new target she needed to learn more about. She walked towards the training gym and stopped at the entrance as her eyes landed on a new, yet familiar face.

“Kunigami.”

Kunigami was mid-dead lift, “What do you want?”

Y/N raised her eyebrows, “Wow, you really changed a lot.”

Kunigami’s eyebrow gave a small twitch, “How would you know that?”

“I just do.”

Kunigami dropped the barbell and rubbed his shoulder. 

“Is your shoulder okay?” Y/N stepped into the room. 

“It’s fine.” Kunigami winced as he pressed around his shoulder, “Go away.”

Y/N played her ultimate card, “I’ve helped Chigiri before. Let me take a look.”

Kungiami’s eyes widened and after a moment, he released his hand from his shoulder and let Y/N take his arm, “How is he?”

“Hm…” Y/N hummed, “I see you still care about him.”

Kunigami glared at her but didn’t refute her words. Y/N took that as a victory. She felt around Kunigami’s shoulder as it jerked up in response to painful areas. It was extremely overworked.

“He’s doing well.” Y/N smiled to herself, “Chigiri, I mean.”

Kunigami winced as Y/N pressed into a knot in his shoulder, “That’s… good.”

“Yeah, Chigiri missed you a lot. I’ll bet he’ll be happy to see you again.”

Kunigami was silent. Y/N lifted arm forwards to a 90 degree angle, and then backwards. The motion was stiff, but better than before.

“Would Chigiri be happy to see me, even like this?”

Y/N froze in surprise. She hadn’t expected post-wild card Kunigami to ask something like this. She let out a small laugh.

“No matter what you’ve been through or how much you’ve changed, the way Chigiri sees you won’t change so easily.” Y/N released Kunigami’s arm, “His love isn’t that shallow.”

Kunigami’s head whipped around in surprise, “What do you–?”

“Take care of that arm Kunigami.” Y/N cut him off. She hadn’t confirmed Chigiri’s feelings, so what she said just now had been a bold statement. She needed to get out of here before her fujoshi nature slipped out even more, “And be nice to Chigiri when you see him again.”

“Wait–!”

Y/N was already out the door.

Chapter Text

“Ego-san!” Y/N peeked her head into the door of Ego’s monitoring room, “What happened to coming to the kitchen for dinner?”

Ego swiveled around in his chair, “I lost track of time.”

Y/N walked forward, carrying his ramen, eyeing the videos that were displayed on the monitor, “Does BLTV cover every part of the facility?”

“Besides the lavatories.”

“Obviously.”

Ego nodded, “And the roof—I didn’t bother to put cameras up there.”

Y/N’s mouth dropped open, “There’s roof access?”

Ego raised an eyebrow, “Yes. Was it not shown in the manga?” Ego’s eye twitched slightly and he muttered, “No… Of course it wouldn’t be in the manga.”

“Hm?” Y/N’s eyes were focused on footage of Rin practicing his shooting, “What was that?”

“Nothing.” Ego took a bite out of his ramen and turned back to face the screen, “So, did you do everything you needed to do in Bastard München?”

Y/N tilted her head sideways, “Not really. I was aiming to talk to Ness, but after some thinking, I figured it would be better to just leave it for now.”

“Good choice.”

“Oh!” Y/N remembered, “Day 21 is almost over. Are we in the clear yet?”

Ego looked at the monitoring screen. Y/N followed his gaze to the video of Rin.

“I think we are.” He finally said.

Y/N breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s good.” She looked up at the footage of Rin for a little while longer, “Ego-san, where is this roof?”

---------------------------------------------------------------

The cold air mixed into Y/N’s breath when she exhaled. Fog filled the air in front of her as she stepped out onto the rooftop. 

The roof area itself wasn’t large—Y/N estimated it to be around the size of the Team V lavatory. Besides the door she had entered through, the other three sides of the roof were enclosed with a cement railing that came up to a little above Y/N’s waist level.

She stepped forward towards the edge and looked over the railing. Y/N had never been one to be afraid of heights, but she was shocked at the distance between her and the ground. She had never thought that the Blue Lock building was such a tall monstrosity.

Something on the cement railing caught her eye and Y/N moved her hands aside to reveal two shoe prints. She gasped and retracted her hands from the cement. 

Y/N squatted down slightly and looked closer at the shoe prints. The prints were faded in color, but it was very apparent that they were made by shoes. She ran a finger over the markings. 

Wasn’t the Blue Lock building new? Even if someone had come to the roof after Blue Lock started and stood in that location, it didn’t make sense for there to be lasting shoe prints, let alone such faded ones.

“Why is there…” Y/N gasped as her vision clouded over.

…………………………………………………………..

“What are you doing?”

Y/N’s throat clenched up in surprise at hearing her own voice. She was experiencing an unusual phenomenon.

Her mouth was talking and speaking, but she also felt detached from her body. As if she wasn’t in control of her body at all. As if her body had a mind of its own.

As if she were in a dream state.

“Leave me alone.”

Y/N’s eyes followed the voice to a figure standing on the cement railing. The sky had already darkened, making it hard to see anything.

Who is that?

Her own voice gave her the answer, “Please, Rin-san. Get down from there.”

Rin-san? 

Y/N’s head was throbbing and she couldn’t make sense of what was happening. What was going on? What happened to ‘Rin-chan’?

“No,” Rin said. He turned to look at Y/N , “I don’t care anymore. What’s the point?”

“Stop!” Y/N’s body took a step towards him, “Just… Wait.”

“Take one more step…” Rin looked over the edge.

“I won’t.” Y/N’s hands flew up from her side, “Please, just get down.”

Rin’s face was too dark to see, but his voice was bitter, “You don’t understand how it feels to have the one person you care about shut you out. Besides my brother, I have no one else.”

“You have me.” Y/N’s voice pleaded.

Rin let out a scoff, “As if. You just randomly showed up one day. I don’t even know what your deal is. You say the randomest things that make no sense and you’re weirdly nice to everyone.” Rin shook his head, “I don’t think we’re close enough to give you the right to say that I have you.”

Y/N’s voice didn’t return a comment. Y/N tried to take in as much of the situation as she could. What did Rin mean? What random things was she saying?

Why was he making it sound as if she hadn’t literally kissed him yesterday?

“But I do care about you,” Y/N’s voice brought Y/N back into the situation unfolding before her.

“Whatever,” Rin’s voice was hesitant , “Just turn around and pretend like you never saw this.”

“I can’t do that.” Y/N’s voice was shaky , “I really am sorry for what happe–” Her voice suddenly rose up in a panic, “Rin!”

The spot where Rin’s figure had been standing was now empty. Y/N’s legs moved against her will and ran towards the wall. Her heart was pumping hard and her throbbing head was starting to affect her vision now. 

Just as she reached a hand out to touch the railing, her vision clouded over in white.

…………………………………………………………..

Y/N’s eyes flew open. She was breathing heavily and sweat was dampening the skin on her neck. She had assumed a sitting position on the floor and was clinging to the cement railing. Her eyes felt crazed and her energy had suddenly drained immensely. 

What was that? 

There was no way that had been a dream—whatever had just happened was not sleep.

A vision, then?

No… that didn’t make sense either.

“Y/N?” Rin put a hand under her elbow and pulled her to her feet, “What are you doing on the ground?”

Y/N squeezed her eyes shut before opening them, trying to regain her balance, “I was just… dizzy. I’m okay.” For some reason, she didn’t think telling Rin what she had just seen was a good idea. She snapped back to attention, staring at Rin, “What are you doing here?”

“I always come here when I want to think about things.” Rin wrapped an arm around Y/N’s waist to support her, “You sure you’re okay?”

Y/N nodded, “I’m fine, really.” She turned and wrapped her arms Rin, burying her face in his neck, “Let’s just stay like this for a moment.”

If Rin was surprised, he didn’t show it. He wrapped his arms tightly around Y/N’s waist and laid his head against hers.

Y/N breathed in Rin’s scent as she tried to calm herself. Whatever she had just seen, it seemed to be more than just a fluke. She hugged Rin tighter—it almost felt as if she let him go now, he would disappear.

Rin coughed as he gently tapped her arms, “Did something happen?”

“Oh, sorry.” Y/N released Rin from her grasp, “No, nothing happened. I was just thinking about what would happen after this week.”

Rin nodded and looked out over the railing towards the setting sun, “I’ve been thinking about it a lot too.”

Y/N propped her elbows onto the railing and stared at the hues of yellow and peach painted across the sky. It was a beautiful sight.

“So, you come here a lot?” Y/N asked Rin without looking at him, “You said you came here to think, right?”

Rin stepped behind Y/N and hugged her, “I came here every so often during the third selection. I was always thinking about how I could beat my brother.” 

Y/N straightened and placed her hands on top of Rin’s, “How’d you even find this place?”

“I don’t know.” Rin placed his chin on Y/N’s shoulder, “It’s kind of the same feeling I got when I met you: I just felt drawn to that door at the end of the hallway. One day, I decided to open it and it led here.” Rin shrugged, “Now I come here whenever I want to get away from the other players.”

“I see.” Y/N nodded. 

Drawn? Why does Rin feel drawn to the roof? Is that related to the vision-like thing I saw just now? Y/N scrunched up her nose, What do I have in common with a door?

Y/N laughed out loud at the thought and Rin’s head jolted off her shoulder.

“What’s so funny?” Rin tilted his head.

“Nothing.” Y/N smiled. “My mind was just going places. I’m happy that despite everything, I’m here with you.” Y/N looked out at the sun. It was on the horizon now. “I don’t think I would have it any other way.”

Rin pressed a kiss onto the back of Y/N’s neck. She tensed in shock and then a giggle slipped loose, “Enough about me, what’s up with you today ?”

“What do you mean?” Y/N could feel Rin’s lip stretch into a smile.

“You’re awfully affectionate tonight.”

Rin planted another kiss in the area behind Y/N’s ear, “You got a problem with that?”

Y/N laughed, “None.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

It had already been two hours since the sun set beyond the horizon. Y/N had been filling Rin in on her life before her reincarnation and in turn, he told her stories about his childhood with Sae.

Y/N glanced at her phone, “It’s getting late. You should get to bed soon.”

She got up from her seated position and tugged Rin to his feet too. He looked like he didn’t want to leave, but he didn’t object.

Y/N glanced one last time at the cement railing and froze. Her eyes widened as she stared at the spot she had been standing at earlier.

“Come on,” Rin tugged her arm towards the door, “You need to sleep too.”

“Um, yeah.” Y/N turned her head back and let Rin pull her towards the door.

She could feel a rising sensation of dread rising in her stomach. It didn’t make sense. There was no way she had seen wrong, so why…?

Just as they reached the door, Y/N looked back at the railing one last time to confirm what she had just seen.

The shoe prints were gone.

Chapter Text

After she had walked Rin back to his room, Y/N made her way back to her own bedroom. 

Y/N had the urge to go back onto the roof to check out whether she had been imagining the shoe prints, but she decided against it. 

She didn’t want to dwell on something that made absolutely no sense, and besides, it was too dark to see anything anyways.

Y/N stopped in her tracks when she noticed Yukimiya standing at her door, looking at his phone.

“Yuki!”

Yukimiya looked up, “Y/N-chan.”

Y/N smiled as she walked over, “What are you doing here? Are your eyes okay?”

Yukimiya’s gaze wavered slightly, “I can visit you even when I don’t have eye problems, can’t I?”

“Oh,” Y/N laughed, “Of course you can.”

She looked at Yukimiya curiously. If it wasn’t because of his eyes, did Yukimiya truly just want to hang out with her?

Y/N stood awkwardly in front of her door. 

“So,” Yukimiya pushed his glasses up, “Were you planning on not saying goodbye to us players on Bastard München?”

Y/N blinked.

She had figured that, after each day with each team, she would retreat to her room without any extra words. Y/N thought it would be easier to leave the Blue Lock world for good if she just let her presence naturally wilt away.

Y/N fidgeted with her rings. It seemed that her presence wasn’t that easy to forget—at least for Yukimiya.

She ruffled Yukimiya’s hair, “Of course not. I just…” Y/N blinked some tears away from her eyes, “I just thought no goodbye might be easier to handle.”

Yukimiya’s face fell as he stared at her in silence. He seemed to want to say something, but no words left his mouth.

Finally he said, “Can I hug you?”

“Huh?” Y/N looked at Yukimiya in surprise. She hadn’t expected that from him. “Sure.” She opened her arms.

Yukimiya hesitantly took Y/N into his arms and pulled her into a hug, “Please come say goodbye on your last day.”

Y/N nodded into Yukimiya’s shoulder, “I’ll stop by.”

Yukimiya pulled away without looking at Y/N, “Goodnight, Y/N.” He turned and started walking towards the German living quarters.

Y/N watched his back as he left, “Goodnight, Yuki.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

For Y/N, it had been a no-brainer which team she would attend to next. 

“Bachira-chan!” Y/N squealed in delight as she ran into Bachira’s open arms.

Bachira gave Y/N a tight hug, “It’s only been a day, but it feels like I haven’t seen you in a while.”

Y/N nodded, “I needed to get Isagi settled. His team has a lot of interesting people.”

Bachira raised his eyebrows, “I heard Kunigami’s back.”

Y/N pulled away from their hug, “He’s back, and he’s feisty.”

“How so?”

“He went through this mini-selection—the Wild Card—where he was put through these insane tests to produce the ultimate striker.”

“Oh,” Bachira grinned, “Are you telling me info to give me an upperhand in the match against Bastard München next week?

“What? No!” Y/N gave Bachira’s shoulder a light punch, “That information isn’t classified at all.”

Y/N gulped. If Bachira hadn’t stopped her, she might’ve kept talking and told Bachira about Kunigami’s newfound ambidexterity. 

Bachira gave Y/N a knowing look, “I’m assuming you’re not gonna tell me the outcome of our match, but could you answer something else for me?”

“Sure?” Y/N raised an eyebrow.

“Every manga has a protagonist,” Bachira straightened his blanket on top of his bed, “The protagonist of Blue Lock is Isagi-chan, right?”

Y/N’s eyes widened as she stared at Bachira, dumbstruck, “What? How did you–?”

Bachira smiled so hard, his eyes practically disappeared, “You’re very obvious—it’s easy to read you. Despite how much care you put into each player, I can tell that most of your focus revolves around Isagi.”

Y/N couldn’t help but smile back. Despite how bubbly and quirky Bachira seemed, he was actually very attentive to detail.

“How did you figure it out?”

“It took me a while,” Bachira admitted, “At first, I thought it may have been Rin, but you didn’t strike me as the person who would go for the main character.”

Y/N rolled her eyes and gave Bachira’s leg a light kick, “What’s with that word choice?”

Bachira laughed, “It’s kind of true, though.” His expression turned slightly serious, “But I started to realize that: even though Isagi is an amazing striker, things seem to work his way a little too much more often than not.”

“No fighting your logic.” Y/N sat next to Bachira on his bed.

“Does that mean Bastard München is going to come out on top in the Neo Egoist League?”

“I don’t know yet,” Y/N shrugged, “Before I reincarnated, the manga had only gotten to the Manshine versus P.X.G. match.”

“Oh, I see.” Bachira grinned, “I can’t wait to see how this all unfolds.” He turned to Y/N, “You’ll get to see how it all unfolds in your world too.”

“I will.” Y/N turned her head to look at Bachira, “We’ll be seeing how the NEL phase unfolds together. We just won’t know it.”

Bachira plopped down onto his bed and laid his head on Y/N’s shoulder, “I’m gonna miss you Y/N.”

“Me too.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Y/N-chan!” Chigiri waved, “Are you with us today?”

Y/N shook her head, “I’m going to Ubers today. I’ll see you guys tomorrow—I just wanted to talk to Nagi real quick.”

Chigiri nodded, “He’s in the gym.”

“Thanks!” Y/N turned and made her way to the gym.

After her day with FC Barcha yesterday, Y/N had a hard debate whether or not to choose Manshine next. She ended up deciding to go to Ubers since it had been her favorite team to read about back in her world. She wasn’t exactly close to anyone on Ubers, but she admired the demeanor of every player on the team, and it didn’t hurt to observe Barou’s playstyle some more. Plus, Snuffy had been her favorite mentor out of all the teams.

But first, she needed to find Nagi.

“Nagi!” Y/N waved at Nagi from the entrance.

“Y/N?” Nagi dropped down from the pull-up bar, “Are you with Manshine today?”

Y/N shook her head, “I’m going to Ubers today. I just needed to give you some motivation.”

“What?” Nagi’s head tilted in curiosity.

“Because you’re lazy.” Y/N laughed, “And I have less than a week left.” Y/N raised an eyebrow, “How are things with Reo?”

Nagi’s posture sagged, “Not going anywhere.”

“Alright.” Y/N nodded, “Then get your lazy ass off the ground and do something.”

Nagi stared at Y/N in surprise, “Huh?”

Y/N pursed her lips, “Reo’s always the one taking the lead in your relationship.” Y/N rolled her eyes, “For once, be the one to take the first step. Only then, will your relationship progress.”

“But what am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know.” Y/N turned away from the door, “I don’t care what you do. Just do something before I see you tomorrow. Take my deadline for reincarnation as your motivation to let me see a good show.”

Y/N walked away from the gym, satisfied and slightly guilty. After getting Bachira and Isagi together, she wanted to see something happen between Nagi and Reo before she left. It was a selfish desire, but she hoped that Nagi would listen to her words.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N had never felt so deprived of communication. It wasn’t so much that none of the players wanted to talk to her, but rather there was nothing really to talk about. She sat on the bench beside the Ubers training field, observing the players. 

Aiku and Sendou had undeniable chemistry, but what surprised Y/N the most was how well Barou fit into their duo. She had always taken him to be a standalone king, and the manga hadn’t exactly gone in depth on the training that Ubers players went through.

As much as she wanted to keep her eyes on Barou, Y/N’s eyes couldn’t help but follow Lorenzo. 

Over the past few weeks, she had picked up some soccer knowledge, and it was undeniable how skilled Lorenzo was. He had an insane reaction time crossed with fluid movements that needed concentration to be able to follow.

Y/N leaned back on her arms and smiled. She probably wouldn’t need to work her physical therapist duties today, but she had something else she wanted to try.

As soon as Snuffy called time for training, Y/N ran up to Barou.

“Barou-kun!” Y/N waved.

“What’s up?” Barou nodded.

Y/N smiled at the gesture. Barou had seemed scary back when she was reading the manga, but each interaction with him so far had been marked with respect and pleasant exchanges.

“I was thinking,” Y/N had a glint in her eye, “Plenty of other players have distinct hair colors or identifying features. Since you’re the king, I wanted to create a distinguishing feature for you too!” Y/N cleared her throat, “Not that you’re not distinguishable already.”

Barou raised his eyebrows, “Elaborate.”

Y/N smiled, “Follow me.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

“So this is your great idea?” Barou’s lips curled slightly as he stared at his reflection in the mirror.

“It sure is!” Y/N grinned and wrapped a barber bib around Barou, “It’s actually my greatest idea yet.”

Barou rolled his eyes, “I’m only letting you do this because you remind me of my sisters.”

“I’m flattered.”

Y/N had taken a trip to P.X.G. that morning to see Rin and on the way, she noticed Shidou dying his hair. After convincing him to give her the red dye in exchange for the head band she bought for him last time, Y/N had also pleaded for hair bleach as well. 

With the hair bleach, she had promised to buy Shidou more hair bands later, but since he would forget about her soon, she figured it would be okay to fib a little.

Y/N got to work on Barou’s hair, spraying, blow drying, and sectioning out the hair she planned to dye.

The process took up to the rest of the afternoon, but Barou was surprisingly patient. After Y/N’s phone went off with the final timer, she grabbed a bucket and placed it on a table behind Barou’s head.

“Lean your head back a bit.” Y/N filled a cup with water from the sink and slowly poured it over Barou’s hair, washing the excess dye out. Y/N ran her fingers through Barou’s hair to ensure it was washed thoroughly before gently lifting his head back up, “All done.”

Barou eyed his reflection in the mirror, “I can’t see shit.”

Y/N laughed and pulled the blow dryer out of the drawer, “Just wait ‘til it dries.”

A few minutes later, Barou’s hair was dried and the red highlights were peaking out in prominent streaks. Barou turned his head from side to side, judging his new look.

Y/N nervously twisted her rings, “Do you like it?”

Barou gazed at his reflection a bit longer before turning to Y/N with a smile, “I do. Thanks.”

Chapter Text

“You did what?!” Y/N grabbed Nagi by the shoulders and shook him a little, “Say that again.”

Nagi averted his eyes and pouted his lips slightly, “You said to do something.”

“When I said do something, I didn’t mean kiss Reo.” Y/N shook her head in disbelief, “You amazing little–” She stopped herself, “I mean... What was Reo’s response?”

Nagi shrugged Y/N’s hands off, “He ran off.” The corner of his mouth lifted, “His face was really red though.”

Y/N dragged her hands down her face, “Wow… Nagi Seishiro… You’ve got guts.”

“What do I do now?”

“What do you mean?”

Nagi pulled his legs up onto his bed, “Do you think Reo will hate me now?”

Y/N sighed and she leaned onto what she supposed was Chigiri’s bed due to the abundance of hair products, “Honestly? I don’t think Reo could ever hate you.”

“You always say stuff like that,” Nagi traced the edges of his phone, “But even you don’t know everything.”

Y/N pressed her lips into a thin line, “Well, the best way to find out is to ask.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Chigiri waved Y/N over as she and Nagi entered the training field, “Hey, did something happen between Reo and Nagi.”

Y/N smirked, “What gave it away?”

Chigiri rolled his eyes, “Anyone can tell they’re not on the best of terms, but they still talk and hang out with each other.” He lowered his voice, “Until yesterday afternoon—Reo suddenly started clinging to me and Nagi just stood there and stared at Reo with a perplexed look on his face.”

“Nagi can make a perplexed face?” Y/N whispered back.

“Oh, trust me. He can.”

Y/N laughed out loud, “You’ve got good intuition. Nagi kissed Reo.”

Chigiri’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped, “Wha–?”

Y/N nodded, “Reo didn’t mention anything?”

Chigiri closed his mouth and blinked a couple of times, “Now that you mention it, he seemed to be asking me a lot about my relationship with Kunigami.”

Y/N’s eyebrows shot up, “Do you think he’s trying to find out which way you swing?”

Chigiri scoffed, “Is that not obvious?”

Now it was Y/N’s turn to stare at Chigiri, “Wait, actually?”

Chigiri nodded, “I liked Kunigami a lot. I miss him.” He sighed and made a circle with his neck, “I don’t even have any way to contact him.”

Oh, right. Chigiri doesn’t know that Kunigami’s back yet.

“Actually…” Y/N explained the whole Wild Card situation to Chigiri.

Chigiri’s jaw dropped open again, “No way. He’s back?” He couldn’t hide his smile, “I get to see him again?”

“Yes, but listen. He’s different. He’s not the same hero you knew before.” Y/N watched Chigiri’s smile fall a little.

“That’s fine.” Chigiri gave a slightly pained laugh, “I’m just happy to play on the same field as Kunigami again, even if we aren’t playing with each other.”

“Yo, Chigiri!” Prince called over to Chigiri, “I know we’re boring, but you still need to train.”

“Sorry!” Chigiri called over. He turned to Y/N, “Later.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N nudged Chigiri and jerked her head towards Nagi. Chigiri nodded and gave a directed glance at Reo.

Chigiri gave Y/N a shove, knocking her into Reo. Reo stumbled out of the lunch line and right into Nagi who was passing by.

Nagi’s eyes widened in surprise as he fumbled to catch Reo, “Reo?”

Reo regained his footing and up at Nagi, his face a furious red, “Thanks. And sorry.” He threw a glare to Y/N and Chigiri before stepping forward to get his lunch.

Y/N and Chigiri bit back their laughs as they held onto each other, trying to make their way forward through the lunch line. It wasn’t until Chigiri was having breathing problems trying to suppress his snorts that Reo finally turned around.

“That wasn’t funny!” Reo’s face was still red.

“Sorry, Reo…” Y/N felt kind of bad now.

“It totally was!” Chigiri guffawed and gave Reo a small slap on the shoulder, “You should’ve seen Nagi’s face.”

“I did.” Reo muttered.

Y/N grabbed her lunch, “Shits and giggles aside, Nagi really does love you, Reo. I think he’s too scared to reach out to you after yesterday, but I hope you guys can talk it out.”

“What–” Reo was blushing madly, “Do you even hear yourself? Why would Nagi love me?”

“Don’t you love him?” Y/N’s voice had softened and any trace of laughter had been washed out with sincerity.

Reo swallowed hard and sneaked a glance at Nagi, “I do… It’s just–”

“ ‘It’s just’ what?” Chigiri interjected, “You two like each other. It’s perfect. It's as simple as that.”

Reo blinked in surprise, “It’s really that easy?”

Y/N nodded and swung an arm around Chigiri’s shoulder, “Simple as that.” She gave a small chuckle, “For someone so academically and athletically gifted, you sure are bad at reading other people.”

“No,” Reo shook his head, “I’m good at reading everyone except for Nagi.”

“So that’s why you have to communicate with the guy.” Chigiri turned Reo around and pushed him in Nagi’s direction, “Now, go talk.”

Y/N and Chigiri watched as Reo slowly walked up to Nagi.

“You think this is gonna work?” Chigiri whispered to Y/N.

Y/N watched as Nagi’s face lit up as Reo talked, “I think it is.”

Chigiri scratched his head, “So are all these guys actually homos?”

“What?” Y/N blew raspberry as she gave Chigiri an intrigued look.

“I mean,” Chigiri shifted uncomfortably, “You know about me. I don’t know about Kunigami. But like, Bachira and Isagi are dating. And now Reo and Nagi? Heck, despite how Nagi acts, I didn’t think he swung that way.”

Y/N held back a laugh, “You’re right, Nagi doesn’t swing that way.”

“Then, what–?” Chigiri looked at Y/N, confused.

Y/N turned to look at Nagi and Reo again, “Nagi isn’t homosexual. He’s just Reosexual.”

Chigiri stared at Y/N for a moment before bursting out into laughter. Y/N eyed Chigiri with a smile, joining in soon after.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“So?” Y/N looked up from Chigiri’s bed where she and Chigiri had been analyzing soccer videos on Youtube.

Nagi’s face was unchanging as he walked into the room, pulling Reo behind him. He held up their intertwined hands in triumph. 

Y/N excitedly grabbed onto Chigiri’s arm, “Yes!”

Reo was covering his face with his other hand, trying and failing to hide his blush, “Why were you so intent on getting us together anyway?”

“Oh,” Y/N grinned, “It’s not just me. Everyone in my world knows that ‘Nagireo’ is canon.”

Reo’s eyes widened at Y/N’s words and he turned to bury his head into Nagi’s shoulder, “Please never say that again.”

Chigiri opened his mouth to speak, but Nagi beat him to it.

“ ‘Nagireo’?” Nagi tilted his head to look at Reo, “I like that.”

Reo gave Nagi’s forehead a flick without raising his head, “Shut up.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N excitedly ran down towards the P.X.G. stratum, heart beating in anticipation. Her last three days were here, and she planned to make good use of them.

It was only the crack of dawn, but she had been so excited the whole night that she barely got any sleep.

Y/N pushed the door to the P.X.G. living quarters open and slipped in. Right away, she could make out the figure in the bed in front of her. Y/N smiled and knelt down next to the bed, giving the figure a gentle pat as she did.

The figure’s eyes flew open, “Y/N?”

Y/N smiled wider, “Rin-chan. I’m here.”

In one swift movement, Rin locked his hand onto Y/N’s forearm and tugged her onto the bed beside him. 

Y/N turned to look at Rin in surprise, but his arm was firmly pressed on top of her body, keeping her from moving much. As she heard Rin’s breathing deepen, Y/N smiled and closed her eyes too.

It wouldn't hurt to get some sleep now.

Chapter Text

“What are you doing?”

Y/N blinked in surprise. It was the same vision from before. What was she doing here again?

“Leave me alone.” A voice sounded from the edge of the roof.

It was Rin. Again.

“Please, Rin-chan. Get down from there.”

Rin-chan? Y/N’s own voice caught her off guard. She was pretty sure that the first time she experienced this, her voice had addressed Rin as “Rin-san”. 

Why had things changed?

“No,” Rin said. He turned to look at Y/N, “I don’t care anymore. What’s the point?”

“Stop!” Y/N’s body took a step towards him, “Just… Wait.”

“Take one more step…” Rin looked over the edge.

“I won’t.” Y/N’s hands flew up from her side, “Please, just get down.”

Rin’s voice sounded , “You don’t understand how it feels to have the one person you care about shut you out. Besides my brother, I have no one else.”

“You have me.” Y/N took a step forward.

“Don’t move another inch!” Rin snarled. “You act as if you care so much about everyone—stop being such a half-baked goody-two-shoes.” Rin shook his head , “Besides, I don’t think we’re close enough to give you the right to say that I have you.”

“But I do care about you,” Y/N’s voice called out.

“Whatever,” Rin’s voice was hesitant, “Just turn around and pretend like you never saw this.”

“I can’t do that.” Y/N’s voice shook, “I really am sorry for what happe–” Her voice rose into a scream , “Rin!”

Y/N’s legs pulled forward, giving Y/N a sensation of dejá vù. Just as she reached a hand out to touch the railing, her vision faded into white.

…………………………………………………………….

Y/N sprang up from the bed with a stifled scream, a migraine threatening to make her brain bleed out. In the process, she had shoved Rin’s arm off of her and managed to cause some stirring amongst the players.

‘Wha–?” Rin squinted as he looked up at Y/N, “What are you–” His eyes widened and he sat up, “Why are you crying?”

“Huh?” Y/N wiped at her face, surprised to find her cheeks moist, “I don’t know.” Y/N fibbed, “I was having a bad dream.”

“I see.” Rin laid back down and extended his arm, “Sleep some more.”

Y/N cuddled into Rin’s side and closed her eyes again, trying to forget what she had just seen.

There’s no way that was just a dream.

Y/N squeezed her eyes tighter, trying to shake the thought from her head. 

Ever since that day on the roof, the look on Rin’s face in her vision had haunted her dreams, appearing every time she closed her eyes.

And now, just as the image of Rin had finally started to fade, she had had another vision. Y/N wrapped her arms around Rin’s waist and pulled herself closer to him.

As close as possible.

As if her arms were the only thing holding him back from disappearing off the ledge.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N draped a towel across Rin’s neck as he walked towards the side of the field towards his water bottle.

“Yo, Y/N!” Shidou called out, “Spare some love for the rest of us. Don’t let Rin-rin have it all!”

“Isn’t that head band enough love?” Y/N called back.

Shidou tapped his head band with a grin, “Not enough love.”

“And the shirt?” Y/N reminded him.

“A fair exchange for you to see Sae-chan,” Shidou hummed, “I might just have to steal you from Rin-rin in exchange for that dye I gave you.”

Rin’s eyes narrowed as placed a hand on Y/N’s elbow, “Go back to training, Antenna-head.”

Loki clapped his hands, “Alright, that’s enough. Rin, get back on the field.”

Y/N took a seat on the bench again and observed the P.X.G. players’ training. Out of all the teams she had observed so far, P.X.G. was the hardest for Y/N to decipher.

It seemed that every player was trying to one-up each other. Fighting against their own teammates for the ball and thriving in the rivalry.

Or perhaps that was just Rin and Shidou.

Y/N smiled at the sight before her eyes. Despite the utter chaos that was P.X.G., an afternoon of observation had confirmed for Y/N that there was beauty within the chaos.

After practice, Charles ran over to where Y/N was sitting.

“Your name is Y/N?” He looked at her curiously.

“Yes,” Y/N nodded, “And you’re Charles.”

Charles narrowed his eyes slightly, “You’re interesting. You only speak English. You’re our age, and yet you’re working here at Blue Lock. Why is that?”

Y/N blinked, amused, “Which statement do you want an answer to?”

Charles thought for a moment, “Why are you at Blue Lock?” He finally decided.

“I was forced against my will.” It was basically the truth. Y/N smiled, “Ego picked me up off the side of the road and decided to make me Anri’s assistant.”

Charles gasped, “That’s horrible. How could he?”

Y/N ruffled his hair, “Relax, I’m just joking.”

“I’m not dumb.” Charles let out a exasperated sigh, “Hey, I heard you’re a doctor, can you look at my ankle? It’s been bothering me.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, “I’m technically a physical therapist, but sure.”

“Same thing.” Charles plopped onto the ground and stuck his foot into Y/N’s lap, “So, are you and Rin Itoshi dating?”

Y/N’s eyebrows raised in surprise, “Little kids shouldn’t be concerned about things like that.”

“Hey!” Charles protested, “I’m only two years younger than you!” He stuck out his tongue.

Y/N shook her head and smiled, “I guess we technically are dating.” She felt around Charles’ ankle with concentration, “Your ankle feels fine.”

“Bingo!” Charles held up a finger-gun, “You’re really good at this! There was nothing wrong with my ankle!”

Y/N scoffed, “What was the point of that?”

Charles rubbed his forehead, “I heard Rin muttering about you yesterday. It seems that he doesn’t know if you guys are dating or not, either. I was curious.”

“Oh.” Y/N looked over at Rin, surprised. Perhaps she had occupied his brain just as much as he did hers in the past few days, “Is that so?”

“Yep!” Charles giggled deviously. He turned his head over his shoulder to look at Rin.

Y/N had a bad feeling in her gut as she reached out to slap a hand over Charles’ mouth, “Oh, no you don’t.”

She was too late. Charles dodged her hand and shouted loud enough for the entire Blue Lock facility to hear, “Rin! Y/N said you guys are dating! Now you don’t have to spend your nights laying awake and muttering her name like you’re trying to cast a spell on her.”

Y/N nearly fell off the bench as Charles ran away. She couldn’t tell who was more embarrassed, her or Rin.

Rin gave Charles a kick as he ran past before walking over to where Y/N was struggling to stay on the bench, “Uh, you okay?”

Y/N nodded and righted herself, “All good!” She avoided looking Rin in the eye. 

Rin grabbed her hand, “Did what Charles say just now bother you?”

Y/N shook her head, “No… It’s just embarrassing to think that I’m even worse.”

Rin gave a small laugh, “What?”

“I mean,” Y/N pulled at her hair, “Even when I was with the other teams, the only thing I could think about is you. You never leave my mind. I always think about the moments we share together and wish I could make more memories with you.” Y/N cringed, “It’s almost like I’m obsessed or something.” She could feel her cheeks heating up, “You know what? Forget it, this is getting awkward–”

Rin grabbed her hands from her hair and pulled them around his neck, smiling before shutting her up with a kiss.

Y/N’s eyes widened when she realized what was going on, but the shock quickly faded as she melted into the hug and against his lips.

Rin pulled away for a moment, “It helps that I’m just as obsessed, doesn’t it?”

Y/N blinked at him, not knowing what to say. Instead, she went in for another kiss. Rin smiled against her lips and closed his eyes.

Chapter Text

Day 2 at P.X.G., and Y/N was already making her way back towards the Ubers stratum. Technically, she was allowed to join any team on her last two days, but she still wanted to stay with P.X.G.

To stay with Rin.

But first, she needed to talk with Snuffy.

Y/N pushed open the door to the Ubers sector and paused in her tracks. 

“I’ll work with you,” Barou was talking to Snuffy, “But, not as your successor. I’ll become a striker that surpasses you.”

“Excellent, Barou Shouei.” Snuffy grinned, “You got yourself a deal.”

“Y/N?” Lorenzeo waved from the other side of the room.

“Hey.” Y/N gave a small wave.

Snuffy smiled, “To what do I owe this pleasure? Or, are you back with us today again?”

“Unfortunately, not.” Y/N gave a sad smile, “I wanted to talk to you.”

“Me?” Snuffy turned to Lorenzo and Barou, “You guys head off to training first.”

After Barou and Lorenzo headed out towards the gym, Y/N stepped forward. Snuffy poured a cup of water for Y/N and handed it to her.

“Thanks,” She bowed her head, “I came here today to talk about something that might be a bit of a heavy topic.”

Snuffy raised an eyebrow, “Try me.”

Y/N took a deep breath before proceeding, “Can you tell me a little more about that friend of yours?”

Snuffy’s single raised eyebrow was joined by his other eyebrow, “Ah, so you were paying attention when I told Barou about it that day?”

Y/N nodded. She had been in the gym working out when Snuffy had mentioned it to Barou. 

“Only one of my earbuds was actually inserted into my ear. The other one had a translator in.” Y/N gave a sheepish smile, “Sorry for eavesdropping.”

“Nah.” Snuffy smiled, “It’s not eavesdropping if it’s not a secret.”

Y/N nodded, “I don’t wanna make you recount the whole story, but I do want to know if there were signs? Before it happened, I mean.”

Snuffy clasped his hands together and lowered his head in thought. After a moment, he said, “There’s always signs. But a lot of the time, they're so subtle that you don’t even realize until it’s too late.”

“I see… I’m sorry.”

Snuffy shook his head, “No worries, kiddo.” He cocked his head, “Why are you asking?”

Y/N knew this question would come up. Before coming here, she had decided that, in the case that she never came back to Blue Lock, she needed someone who could be her eyes and ears.

Snuffy was the perfect option.

“I’m asking for a favor,” Y/N got on her knees and lowered her head, “Please take care of Rin for as long as you can.” She looked up, “As much as you can.”

Snuffy’s eyes narrowed slightly, “Subtle signs, eh? I can’t tell at all.”

That’s because those signs are only in my visions.

After a night of overthinking, Y/N had designated that two visions was enough to erase the chance of it being a fluke. She had already been reincarnated, it didn’t seem too weird that some other magical realism element would affect her. 

Y/N decided to take the visions as a warning.

A warning for Rin.

She bowed her head again, “Please. I have nothing to offer, but I need your help.”

Snuffy placed a hand on her shoulder, “You’re making it sound as if you’re gonna leave this place and never come back. Like you have no other option but to rely on someone else.”

Y/N looked up with a pained expression in her eyes. Even though Snuffy didn’t know the reasons behind her request, he seemed to understand her predicament.

“Rin means a lot to you, huh?” Snuffy took a sip of water.

Y/N got up from her knees, “Yes. He does.”

Snuffy nodded, “I’ll take care of him with all I can spare. You can trust me on that.”

Y/N breathed a sigh of relief, “Thank you so much, Snuffy.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N sat on the floor of the roof, staring out into the horizon, cuddled into Rin’s arms. After her first vision, she hadn’t wanted to come back here, but when Rin suggested getting away from the other players, she couldn’t refuse.

“So, tomorrow’s the last day.” Rin’s voice sounded drawn out and far away.

“I’m gonna come back.” 

But in her heart, she knew she wouldn’t be able to. Saying it out loud just made it almost seem real.

Almost.

“I know you are.” Rin buried his head into her back. It didn’t sound like he believed the words coming out of his mouth either.

Y/N leaned her head back on top of Rin’s and closed her eyes. She liked these quiet moments with Rin. It was moments like these where she almost forgot that she was being chased by deadline.

The warmth from Rin’s body was all she needed right now. Y/N wished it was all she would ever need. But it hurt knowing that the warmth she so adored right now would be ripped from her in a day’s time.

“I love you.” 

Rin’s body tensed at Y/N’s words, “... What?”

Y/N pressed her lips together. The moment felt right for her confession and she had decided to just come clean with it since she didn’t have much more time.

“You don’t have to say it back,” Y/N patted Rin’s arm, “It’s just how I feel.”

“Are you dumb?” Rin scoffed, nudging her neck with his nose, “Of course I love you.”

Y/N turned her head to look at Rin. He gave her a small smile and pushed her head back to face the front.

“Why do you look so surprised?” Rin laid his head on her back once more, “I fell in love with you, knowing that you would leave me one day. That was my choice.” Rin lifted his head and planted a kiss on the base of Y/N’s neck. “But I also know that I’ll never stop searching for you—whether it be in this lifetime, or the next hundred—I will find you over and over again.”

Y/N’s breath seemed to be melting away from her body. She hugged Rin’s arms tighter across her own body, not daring to turn around for the fear that tears would come streaming out the moment she saw Rin’s face. 

Would you still love me even when you don’t remember who I am?

The words tasted bitter on the edge of Y/N’s tongue. She opted instead for a change in topic.

“Rin.” Y/N whispered, “What would you do if you didn’t have soccer?”

“Hm.” Rin murmured, “Probably die.”

Y/N’s breath hitched. She had read this in the Egoist Bible.

“But,” Rin continued, “I guess I have a reason to not die anymore.”

Y/N let her pent up tears fall. A stream of heat washed down her face as she mustered her voice, “Even if I’m not here anymore, don’t go dying or something.”

“Hmph. Don’t say that. You’ll always be here. Somewhere. Nothing can ever truly be erased.”

“I guess so.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

It was late, but Y/N knocked on the door to Ego’s bedroom. She bet that he wasn’t asleep yet, given that he even slept at all.

Ego opened the door, “What is it?”

“About time to talk?” Y/N shrugged.

Ego opened his door all the way and let Y/N enter. She walked in and awkwardly stood in the corner.

“Talk about what?” Ego sat on his bed and looked at Y/N.

Y/N raised an eyebrow, “Don’t you think it’s about time you owe me an explanation?”

“I don’t owe you anything.”

Y/N could feel her blood heating up, “What? You’re not gonna explain anything?”

“I already did.” Ego rested his chin on his hand and propped his foot onto his knee.

“Yeah, but what about the accident?” Y/N felt confused, “Aren’t you gonna tell me?”

Ego shrugged, “What’s the point? You’re going to forget once you go back to your world anyways. Knowing wouldn’t hold any significance at this point.”

Y/N gawked at Ego for a moment before letting out a rude scoff, “Was that your plan this whole time? Use me, then discard me?”

Ego’s eyebrows furrowed, “That’s not–”

“I’m having visions.”

Ego’s eyes widened.

“It’s only happened twice, but both times, Rin died.” As she said the words, Y/N winced. “He killed himself, twice.” Y/N glared at Ego, “Does that not mean something?”

Ego’s body had tensed and his face had turned even more pale, if possible.

“Twice, huh?” He said after a long while.

Y/N nodded, “You told me previously that the accident had something to do with Rin.” She swallowed, “Did he kill himself?”

Ego’s gaze was hard as he slowly nodded.

Y/N’s heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She could feel a wave of horror wash over her body.

“Why?”

Ego shrugged, “How would I know?” He shifted his legs and clasped his hands together, “In the first timeline, he killed himself after Blue Lock lost to U-20.”

“Because…” Y/N thought back to what Rin had said to her earlier. 

He would die without soccer. 

Of course… Y/N internally kicked herself, The conditions were to destroy Blue Lock if they lost to U-20. So in turn, Rin’s suicide was a result of the snatching away of such an important part of his life.

“Alright,” Y/N nodded, “Moving on: in the second timeline, the accident happened on Day 21?”

“The first day of the NEL arc.”

Based off my visions, I’m guessing his suicide in the second timeline were related to Sae Itoshi.

“Right.” Y/N’s eyes widened, “I was on the roof that day. In this timeline, I mean.”

Ego nodded.

“I had my first vision that day—of Rin on the roof.” Y/N twisted her rings, “I had my second vision this morning.” She looked at Ego curiously, “But the visions were slightly different.”

“Different, huh? You were on the roof with him?”

“I was.” Y/N narrowed her eyes, “Wait, why was I on the roof with him? I had two dreams: I’m supposing that’s from the first and second timelines—timelines where I wasn’t present.”

“Probably nothing important.” Ego went silent and didn’t push any further.

Y/N didn’t bother to elaborate either. The visions she had experienced felt too personal to tell another person.

“Rin’s accident was unrelated to Blue Lock’s downfall in the first timeline. Why am I working to prevent the accident then?”

“In the second timeline, Rin’s death was the catalyst for a drop in sponsors and a huge protest of the continuation of Blue Lock.” Ego explained. “Reo refused to let his family’s corporation put any money into Blue Lock and we fell into extreme debt.”

“That was the second timeline,” Y/N pressed, “How about the first timeline? Why would I be trying to prevent Rin’s death if it didn’t affect Blue Lock’s outcome either way? It doesn’t make sense.”

For once, Ego looked equally confused, “I’m… not sure.”

Y/N wanted to ask more questions, but Ego looked concerned now. He was deep in thought, his eyes darkened over and his head in his hands.

She moved towards the door, stopping at the sound of Ego’s voice.

“Are you still feeling upset about tomorrow?”

Y/N turned her head back, “I am, but what can I do about it?”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” Y/N turned her head back to the front, “It’s the Writer’s.”

Chapter Text

Y/N rested her head on the edge of the bathing pool. It had been a long day for P.X.G., especially with their match against Ubers coming up soon.

Not that Y/N would be able to see that in person. At least she would get to read about it.

She lowered her head and sighed. How had time passed so fast? It was already her last day.

“What are you sighing for?” Rin lowered himself into the water beside her and put his back on the wall.

Y/N shrugged and wrapped her arms around Rin’s waist, feeling the smooth curves of his skin in the water.

Rin nuzzled the top of Y/N’s head with his cheek, “It’s gonna be okay.” A pause. “We’re gonna be okay.”

“Yeah.” Y/N turned her head and pressed her lips onto Rin’s collarbone.

Rin stretched his head back in response, letting Y/N rest her head right under his chin.

They had the bathing pool to themselves. Rin had suggested they take a trip to the Team V lavatory, just for today. That way, they could get some much needed alone time.

Y/N closed her eyes and let her mind rest. All she had done since coming to Blue Lock was think and overthink. At least on her last day, she figured she could finally let loose a little.

Rin slipped a hand onto her waist. Y/N flinched slightly at his touch. The bathing suit she had on today was a two-piece. Back when Anri had first brought Y/N to the Team V lavatory, she had given Y/N a choice between two sets of bathing suits.

Y/N had taken the conservative option every single time. Today, however, called for change. Y/N needed to drop her conservative exterior if she was even going to attempt a normal relationship.

A relationship that would end tomorrow. But that didn’t matter right now.

Rin seemed to notice the change in garment, “Different swimsuit?”

Y/N nodded, heat rising up her neck.

“Getting bold on your last day, huh?” Rin grinned, lowering his head to look at Y/N.

“Shut up.” Y/N pushed his face back to where it was.

Rin chuckled lightly. Y/N pouted her lips a little as she turned her head to the side, closing her eyes once more. Y/N was pretty sure her face was red right now, and not just from the water. The gap in the two-piece suit provided the platform for a much more intimate embrace between her and Rin than Y/N was used to.

Rin traced a finger up her spine, causing Y/N to tense up. His finger continued to move along her back, tracing shapes of no particular structure and writing words of no particular language.

Y/N slowly relaxed into the movements of Rin’s finger, smiling at the airy sensation. After a moment, Y/N’s eyes popped open, her body still. 

“What are you drawing?” Y/N asked.

“You can’t tell?”

“You’ve been drawing the same thing for a while now.”

Rin’s voice had a satisfied edge to it, “I’m writing now, actually.”

Y/N concentrated on the shapes moving across her back. If it was writing, she didn’t recognize the language.

“It’s not English.” Y/N scrunched up her nose.

“Japanese.”

“What does it mean?”

Rin stopped writing and held Y/N with both of his arms, “I…” He kissed her forehead, “Love…” He kissed her cheek, “You.” He gave her a gentle peck on the lips.

Y/N was sure that her face was red now, if it hadn’t been earlier, “Is this your attempt at flirting?”

“Is it flirting if it’s my girlfriend?”

Y/N nearly choked in shock. She would’ve never expected those words to come out of Rin’s mouth, but low and behold, she was alway being taken by surprise.

“Whatever.” Y/N averted her gaze and bit her cheek.

“Are you not gonna say it back?” Rin’s right hand moved down Y/N’s waist, slowly, but with intention.

Y/N sucked in a breath as Rin watched her reactions, amused. His hand reached her hip and tugged ever so slightly at her bikini brief.

Y/N’s head snapped back to front, “Rin Itoshi!” She slapped his hand under the water and glared at him, “You know I love you, don’t play with me.”

Rin let out a full smile, “I like hearing you say it.”

Y/N sighed in defeat and sank down into the water, “I love you. I love you. I love you.” She raised an eyebrow, “Happy now?”

“Happier.” Rin nodded, “But it’s never gonna be enough.”

They both fell silent at the weight of his words looming over them. Y/N reached a hand out of the pool and towards the edge, tapping on her phone.

10 p.m.

“Do you suppose it happens right at midnight?” Y/N’s voice was quiet, “I just go poof ?”

Rin didn’t look her in the eyes, “I guess we’ll find out.”

Y/N pulled herself out of the pool and held out hand to Rin, “Let’s go to my room tonight. Away from everyone else.”

Rin took her hand and pulled himself out of the pool.

---------------------------------------------------------------

They had both changed and dried up individually before meeting back in Y/N’s room. Now, Rin was drying Y/N’s hair as they sat on the bed.

“Random thought, but is blow drying hair significant to you and your brother?” Y/N almost laughed at how ridiculous the question sounded coming out of her mouth.

Rin didn’t laugh, “Sae used to always dry my hair while I watched TV. Those moments in my childhood were quite peaceful and I enjoyed them a lot.”

“Oh,” Y/N thought back to the day Sae offered to blow dry her hair. Perhaps in that moment, he had seen Y/N as something of a little sister. She smiled at the thought, “That’s sweet.”

Rin scoffed, “ ‘Sweet’ my ass. I wonder where my brother from back then went.”

“Haven’t you guys been communicating more?” Y/N side-eyed Rin, “I thought I saw you texting him the other day.”

“He responds with no more than two words.” Rin sighed, “He’s a walking telegraph.”

Y/N laughed, “Meet Sae Itoshi I guess.”

RIn gently ruffled Y/N’s hair before turning off the blow dryer, “Are you gonna say goodbye to everyone before you leave?”

Y/N laid down on her bed, “I already said my goodbyes when I attended to each team. I thought it would hurt more to do a big goodbye.”

Rin stretched out next to Y/N and slipped an arm underneath her, pulling her closer to him, “But you’re here with me.”

Y/N breathed in Rin’s scent as she snuggled closer to him, “I wanted you to be the last thing I see.”

Rin didn’t respond and instead just hugged her tighter. Y/N could feel herself dozing off against her will. She wanted time to freeze. She wanted to stay stuck in this moment forever.

Stuck in Rin’s arms.

Y/N fought the urge to sob, “I won’t forget you.”

Rin kissed the top of her head, letting his lips linger in her hair, “You’ll come back…” Rin’s voice broke, “... come back to me…”

Y/N pulled Rin’s necklace out from underneath his shirt and slipped it onto the finger that held her turquoise ring. She stared at the two rings sitting one on top of another, sparkling faintly from the dim night light.

Rin turned to turn off the night light before wrapping both of his arms around Y/N. His lips seemed to be permanently pressed onto her forehead.

Y/N closed her eyes, willing sleep to come and take away the dull throbbing pain in her chest. Her lips parted.

“I’ll always come back to you.”

Chapter Text

“Doctor!” A voice rang out from somewhere in the distance, “Someone get a doctor, she’s awake!” The voice was much clearer now.

It was a voice that Y/N hadn’t heard in a long time.

Her eyes slowly opened as she took in the white ceiling and bright light shining in from the window. At the foot of the bed she was laying in, Y/N could see an assortment of flowers and cards piled onto the blanket, spilling out onto the ground.

She squinted her eyes at the light and slowly sat up. A hand wrapped around her back supported her into a sitting position.

Y/N’s eyes came into focus on her best friend’s face, “BSF/N?”

BSF/N looked as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She tackled Y/N in a hug, sobbing loudly, “I thought you’d never wake up. I was so scared. I can’t believe you’re alive—it’s a miracle!”

Y/N awkwardly patted BSF/N’s back, “Wait, slow down. What happened?”

BSF/N sat down on the edge of the bed, holding onto Y/N’s hand, “You got hit by a truck, do you remember?” Tears slid down her face, “I watched it happen from the studio window. I ran out right away and there was already a crowd forming around you.” BSF/N choked up as more tears began to fall, “There was so much blood…”

She broke out into more sobs, muttering incomprehensible things as she gripped onto Y/N’s hand for dear life.

“Shh, shh.” Y/N patted BSF/N’s shoulder, trying to soothe her, “I’m awake now, aren’t I?”

BSF/N sniffed and looked up, “How are you so calm? You were in a coma for 30 fucking days!”

Y/N’s eyes widened, “A whole month?”

BSF/N nodded. “I thought I lost you,” She whispered.

Y/N swallowed hard, not knowing what to say.

Just then, the doctor walked in, “Wow… Y/N, congratulations on waking up.” He looked surprised to say the least. “The accident was so heavy that we were unsure what would happen once you entered the coma state, but it seems you pulled through just fine. How are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

Y/N really did feel fine. She didn’t feel hungry at all, and her body seemed to be in top condition. She also felt extremely well-rested. 

But there was also a feeling that she couldn’t quite name.

She felt… empty.

The doctor handed Y/N a glass of water, “Take a few sips. Slowly, now.”

Y/N complied as the doctor rambled on about tests that needed to be performed on her and the physical therapy sessions she would need to attend.

“Do I need to?” Y/N cut the doctor off, “I feel perfectly fine, honestly.”

The doctor’s mouth had frozen, open, as he listened to her speak, “Well, that’s unusual. I’ll have to run some tests for you first.”

Y/N nodded, “Go ahead.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

“So,” The doctor looked perplexed as his eyes scanned over the results of the tests, “It really does seem that everything looks normal and is functioning well.”

“Can we leave, then?” BSF/N was sitting next to Y/N.

The doctor shook his head, “Not yet. We have protocols. You can leave in two days time.”

Y/N nodded and shook the doctor’s hand, “Thank you for everything.”

The doctor nodded, “Make sure to get plenty of rest.” His voice got quiet, “Even though it seems like you don’t need it.”

Y/N laughed and pushed BSF/N back towards her room.

“Can you believe that?” BSF/N tackled Y/N in a hug, “You’re perfectly okay! You’re amazing!”

Y/N gave BSF/N a fond smile and placed her hands on BSF/N’s arms, “Of course I am, I’d never leave you.”

BSF/N’s face suddenly turned serious, “Are you really okay though? Just before you woke up, your face was contorted into something like… distress?”

Y/N tilted her head, “Really? I don’t really remember anything.”

“Huh.” BSF/N responded in disbelief, “No dreams or anything?”

Y/N shook her head, “Not that I can remember.” She paused in her steps.

What was this feeling? Emptiness didn’t exactly do the feeling justice.

“What’s wrong?” BSF/N had stopped too.

“I feel fine. Yes.” Y/N said, almost as if she were trying to convince herself, “But there’s a feeling in me that I can’t really describe. It’s weird.”

“What I’m hearing is: you’re not perfectly okay.”

Y/N pursed her lips, “No, it’s not that. Everything physical is functioning perfectly fine.” She looked down at her rings, “It just feels like I’m forgetting something.”

She brought the turquoise ring on her middle finger closer to her face. She had a vague memory of buying it, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall where or when she did.

“I feel like I’m forgetting something.” Y/N repeated, “Or someone.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Over the two days that Y/N was stuck in the hospital, her uncle flew in from California to fill in as the parental figure that she no longer had. 

Soon, Y/N had been discharged and was back in her apartment. 

She immediately made a beeline for her Blue Lock shrine, “Holy… it’s been a while.”

Everything looked just as she left it, just with slightly more dust. Y/N reached out her hand for her newest Bachira figurine. Her hand paused, as if it had a mind of itself, and instead sidelined to pick up the Rin lookup toy. 

Y/N held the toy up, inspecting it. She had a lookup figure of each available character, but she never really paid much attention to any one in particular. Today was different. For some reason, Y/N felt particularly drawn to this Rin lookup figure. 

“Weird.” She muttered, placing the figure back onto her cabinet.

Y/N whipped out her phone and flopped onto her bed, wasting no time clicking on the TikTok app icon that was spilling over with notifications.

The app opened to reveal her successful edit of Rin and many pleading comments asking why she had suddenly stopped editing.

Y/N gave a small laugh and quickly uploaded one of the many edits she had saved up in her album, writing a quick apology into the caption.

After the video was uploaded, she clicked on her edit of Rin and watched it a couple of times before scrolling through the comments.

Y/N smiled as she read through, “You’re a popular one, aren’t you Rin-chan?”

Her finger froze, hovering on top of the screen. Y/N felt her eyebrow twitch slightly. “Rin-chan.” Y/N repeated. 

Where did that name come from? She wasn’t even Japanese. Had her coma given her some weird language crossover to the other side of the world?

But for some reason, the name felt natural on her lips. As if it were a name she had said thousands of times over.

Y/N shut off her phone and let her hands drop onto the bed. She closed her eyes and fell into a dream.

…………………………………………………………

“What are you doing?”

Y/N froze at the familiar feeling of being stuck in a body that moved detached from her brain.

“Leave me alone.”

Y/N tried to squint her eyes at the figure standing on the edge of the roof.

“Please, Rin-chan. Get down from there.”

Y/N could feel a cold font creeping up her back. There it was again. That name. “Rin-chan”.

“Why should I?,” Rin said. He turned to look at Y/N, “I don’t care anymore. What’s the point?”

“Please.” Y/N’s body took a step towards him , “Just… Wait.”

“I don’t want to wait any longer…” Rin looked over the edge.

“Stop.” Y/N’s hands flew up from her side, “Please, just get down.”

Rin’s voice sounded, “I’m tired, Y/N. You don’t understand how it feels to have the one person you care about shut you out. Besides my brother, I have no one else.”

“You have me.” Y/N took a step forward , “You don’t care about me at all?”

Rin was silent . “I don’t know…” 

A beat . 

“Are we even close enough to give you the right to say that I have you?”

“But it’s true,” Y/N’s voice called out, “I care about you. I’m not just saying empty words.”

“Whatever,” Rin’s voice was quiet, “Just turn around and pretend like you never saw this.”

“I can’t do that.” Y/N’s voice shook , “How could you tell me to–” Her voice rose up in horror , “Rin!”

Y/N’s body lurched forward as her legs pulled her towards the edge of the roof where Rin’s blurry outline had disappeared. She reached a hand out for the railing and her vision faded out once more.

…………………………………………………………

Y/N shot up out of her bed, “What the fuck?”

First the lookup toy, and now this dream. Y/N rubbed her temples in frustration. Bachira had always been her favorite character, and yet she had never had a single dream about him.

Why had she had a dream about Rin? A dream about… whatever that was?

Y/N looked out her window and noticed the sun setting outside. She laid back down and closed her eyes with unease.

Chapter Text

These past three weeks, Y/N wandered around school like a zombie. She hadn’t gotten decent sleep since she had awoken from her coma, thanks to her recurring dreams of Rin Itoshi.

Y/N stared out the window, hand under her chin as she recalled the dreams she had been experiencing recently.

After the dream from her first day back in her apartment, she had experienced a total of 8 dreams that appeared on arbitrary days in an arbitrary pattern. Each dream had the same premise: Y/N standing on an unknown, yet familiar, rooftop, watching Rin Itoshi commit suicide. 

But each dream was always slightly different, whether it be the conversation that passed between Y/N and Rin or the movements that Y/N’s body made.

Each time, she got closer and closer to convincing Rin to step down.

And each time, he never did.

Y/N felt a spot of wetness on her hand and it took her a moment to realize she was crying. She groaned silently and tugged at the ends of her hair.

Perhaps she had died and was being punished in hell. Why else would she be going through these gruesome dreams?

“Y/N!” BSF/N barged into her classroom, “Lunch time!”

Y/N looked up in surprise. Had she just zoned out for the entire class? Y/N sighed, disappointed in herself—she was usually an excellent student. She wiped at her face just as BSF/N slipped into the seat in front of Y/N.

BSF/N whipped out her phone, “Have you seen the latest Blue Lock chapter?” She scrolled down on her phone, squealing, “Oh my gosh, Kurona is so cute.”

Y/N pulled up the manga on her phone too, “You’re lucky that your favorite character gets so many panels since he’s in Bastard München.” Y/N scrolled through the manga, “I haven’t seen Bachira since the game FC Barcha played against Bastard.”

“Catch up on the chapters you’ve missed first.”

Y/N nodded and kept scrolling, “Barou dyed his hair? It looks so good.”

“I know, right?” BSF/N gushed. She paused and stared down at Y/N’s hand holding her phone, “Another new ring?”

“Is it new?” Y/N held up her hand and looked at the turquoise ring.

BSF/N gave Y/N’s head a small knock, “Hello? Is your head okay? You don’t remember when you bought your own rings?”

“Of course I do.” Y/N smiled uneasily and looked back at her phone.

Weird. So the ring was new.

Y/N scrunched her eyebrows and zoomed in on a panel of Rin, “BSF/N, I know Sae Itoshi wears a chain around his neck, but since when did Rin start wearing one too?”

BSF/N looked over at Y/N’s phone, looking confused, “What? I never noticed that.” BSF/N snatched Y/N’s phone and zoomed even closer on the photo, “It looks like there’s a ring on it. I can’t see very clearly though.”

Y/N looked over and saw that there was indeed a ring hanging off the end of the chain around Rin’s neck, “I never took him to be the necklace-wearing type.”

BSF/N shrugged and handed the phone back to Y/N, “Speaking of rings and shit, what happened to that ring your mom gave you? You used to never take that off—even when you showered.”

Y/N looked down at her hands, “Huh?” She hadn’t even noticed that the ring was gone. In its place was the unfamiliar turquoise ring that seemed to have come out of nowhere. Y/N swallowed, “I’m trying to move on with my life, so I took it off for a while.”

“Oh…” BSF/N pouted her lips slightly and pulled Y/N into a hug, “You deserve everything after all you went through, but I’m so happy that you’ve gotten stronger.” BSF/N pulled away and smiled, “It’s like being in that coma totally changed you as a person.”

“Yeah.” Y/N nodded hesitantly, “Seems like it.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N collapsed into her bed the moment she arrived home from dance class. Normally, she had to drag herself to her dance classes, but today she had headed to the studio as soon as school was over. 

She had desperately needed a distraction from all the confusing things going on in her life.

Y/N looked over at her cabinet adorned with Blue Lock merchandise before rolling off her bed and walking over to sit down in front of her little shrine.

She stared face to face with her Rin lookup toy, “Why do you keep bothering me these days? I haven’t had decent sleep in a while, thanks to you.”

Y/N scoffed and turned her Rin figurine to face away from her bed. She walked back to the foot of her bed and face planted into the sheets.

………………………………………………………

“What are you doing?” Y/N’s voice was gentler than it usually was .

The same fucking dream yet again. This was the 10th time. Y/N fought the urge to tear out her hair—not that she was able to control her body in this condition.

“Leave me alone.”

“Please, Rin-chan. Get down from there.”

“No,” Rin said. He turned to look at Y/N, “I’m sorry, but I just can’t live this shitty life any longer.”

“Please.” Y/N’s body took a step towards him, “Get down.”

“What if I don’t?” Rin looked over the edge.

“Rin-chan. Please.”

“I’m tired, Y/N. You don’t understand how it feels to have someone you care the most about, shut you out completely.” His voice cracked, “And I really don’t see any fulfillment in my life anymore.”

“You have me.” Y/N took a step forward, “I can do something. Anything. I’ll bring that fulfillment that you want, so please…”

Rin was silent. “… I already made my decision,”.

“Decisions don’t have to be final.” Y/N’s voice called out, “I care about you a lot. I’m not just saying empty words.”

“I know you do,” Rin’s voice was quiet , “I’m sorry, but please just turn around and pretend like you never saw this.”

“I can’t do that.” Y/N’s legs ran forward suddenly.

Y/N experienced the scene unfold in surprise. Her body didn’t usually spring into action this early in the dream. What changed?

Y/N grabbed a hold of Rin’s arm just as he took a step off the ledge. Her body lurched forward, her hand slipping from Rin’s elbow to his hand.

Y/N’s left hand was gripping furiously to cement the railing and her right hand was fatally clutching Rin’s.

Her breaths were loud and heavy as she looked at Rin’s shocked face.

His gaze hardened, “Let me go.”

“No.” Y/N was surprised to hear a sob in her voice, “Please don’t do this.”

Rin’s hand relaxed inside Y/N’s and she felt her body go cold. A tear fell from Y/N’s eyes and landed on Rin’s face.

His face twitched slightly, eyes still locked on Y/N’s hand clutching onto Rin’s. 

Rin looked pained as he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

And then his hand was slipping…

Slipping…

Slipping…

………………………………………………………

Y/N awoke in a cold sweat. Tears were dripping freely from the corners of her eyes as she turned over and turned off her alarm.

She sat up, her gaze darting frantically around the room. Her eyes finally found a resting place on the back profile of her Rin lookup toy. Y/N scrambled from her bed and took the toy off her cabinet, staring at it.

Her tears were flowing more freely now, but Y/N couldn’t pinpoint know the reason for her distress. She hugged the toy closer to her chest, trying to calm herself down.

“I was so close.” Y/N whispered, “So, so close….”

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Have you caught up to the latest chapter yet?” BSF/N intertwined her arm into Y/N’s.

“Not yet.” Y/N admitted. She had shut off her phone in the middle of the conversation about her rings yesterday and hadn’t bothered to look at it since.

Which was unusual as she was usually addicted to her phone and her editing app.

Y/N pulled out her phone in the middle of the hallway and let BSF/N drag her towards their first class.

“Interesting…” Y/N muttered, “Manshine and P.X.G.” She frowned, “What’s up with Nagi?”

“Forget Nagi for a moment,” BSF/N countered, “What’s up with Rin?”

Y/N looked at BSF/N in confusion as BSF/N scrolled down on Y/N’s phone, “Look. Why is the dude so depressed? He looks like he’s seconds away from committing or something.”

BSF/N gave a small laugh, but Y/N didn’t join her. Instead she said, “Wait. I think you’re onto something.”

BSF/N stopped laughing, “I am?” 

Y/N’s heart was pounding in her head and the only thing she could see was Rin’s perplexed face on the screen of her phone. 

Oh.

Oh.

Y/N’s eyes grew wider and the phone nearly dropped from her hands.

“Y/N?” BSF/N gave Y/N a small shake of the arm, “You good?”

Y/N turned to BSF/N, her eyes wild, “Later.”

She ran to the nearest bathroom and locked herself into the first available stall. Y/N plopped her bottom onto the toilet and plunged her head into her hands.

Everything was coming back to her at an alarming rate. Every memory, every moment, every person .

Her head was throbbing brutally, but Y/N couldn’t deny it.

“I remember now.”

Chapter Text

Y/N left for home immediately after she regained her memories. Her perfect attendance could suck it up.

She burst through the door of her apartment and fell to the ground, her backpack spilling her notes and folders across the floor. Y/N ignored the mess and dragged herself towards the only place that made sense: her Blue Lock shrine.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Ego had said that the reason Y/N was brought to the Blue Lock world was to prevent Rin’s suicide, and in some way, prevent the downfall of Blue Lock.

But now, Rin Itoshi was showing signs of offing himself again. And there was no way tha Y/N could stop it. 

Rin was in Blue Lock.

Y/N was stuck here.

“Fuck the cyclical nature of books and stories.” Y/N punched at her carpet, “Fuck you Kaneshiro for letting it get to this point.”

Y/N let out a scream and banged both fists onto the ground, “Kaneshiro, you motherfucker…! Take me back to Blue Lock right now.”

But it was no use.

There was no way Y/N could contact Kaneshiro. Even if she flew across the world and searched Japan in blood, the chance that she could find Kaneshiro was slim to none.

Was there really no other option? Was Y/N going to have to watch Rin die for the 11th time?

She shook her head and paused. 

When Y/N reincarnated back into her own world, she had forgotten about the 2 visions that had already taken place during her time at Blue Lock.

Combining that with the 10 dreams she’d had after coming back to her own world, that would make 12 dreams total.

“And if you die again,” Y/N picked up her Rin figurine, “That’ll be the 13th time I bear witness to it.” She gulped, “And the final time.”

She set the figure down and pulled a journal off from the ground, flipping open to an empty page. Y/N scribbled down her scattered thoughts, Rin’s suicide. Recovered memories. 12 deaths + 1. 

Y/N stared at her writing. Was the catalyst for her recovered memories related to Rin’s supposed suicides? She sighed in frustration. She had no evidence—nothing she could base her theories on.

For now, they would remain mere theories.

How had she even reincarnated in the first place? Was that thanks to Ego as he claimed, or was it Kaneshiro—the Writer with the true control over the story?

Y/N rubbed the bridge of her nose. Just exactly how many of Ego’s words were true and how many of them were lies?

Y/N froze.

What had Ego said?

“...because you made an edit of me that I really liked.”

A gasp escaped Y/N’s mouth and she slowly turned to look at her phone laying on the ground from when she tripped a few moments earlier.

But that wasn’t possible. Y/N wasn’t able to access TikTok when she was living in the Blue Lock world.

So how had Ego…?

Y/N scrambled for her phone, anxiously tapping the music note app icon and scrolling furiously down her past posts.

Her finger hovered over an edit that had been lost in her memories amongst the many edits she had posted over the years.

Was it possible? Would he be here?

Y/N felt foolish for worrying as soon as she laid eyes on the comment section. She remembered now. This had been one of the edits that had caught TikTok on a shitty algorithm day and completely flopped.

That made things easy for Y/N since the comment section was empty.

Well, empty except for one comment.

“Found you,” Y/N grinned.

She had no way to confirm that this user was Ego. The empty profile picture and the ever-so-generic username gave no clues.

But for some reason, Y/N knew in her gut that this was him. It had to be.

She opened direct messaging and used up all three of her message requests in one go.

Ego Jinpachi, I know it’s you.

And I know you know that it’s me.

Let me go back to Blue Lock right now. If you don’t, you will regret it.

Short and sweet. Y/N bit her lips as she stared at the one-sided messages. She hadn’t bothered elaborating—she figured Ego was smart enough to see the signs building up on Rin.

Just as Y/N was about to turn her phone off, a new message popped into the chat.

I’m not able to do that.

Y/N stared at her phone in disbelief.

How did you bring me to your world before? she texted.

Typing.

I didn’t. Ego responded, Kaneshiro did.

Y/N rolled her eyes, “Well how quaint. Am I supposed fucking fly to Japan?”

Typing.

Y/N watched the typing bubble for a good five minutes before it suddenly disappeared.

She jumped to her feet, “What the fuck?”

Y/N made her unrest known in the messaging chat.

Why’d you stop typing?

Respond.

Ego.

Ego Jinpachi.

Motherfucker.

Y/N seethed in anger and threw her phone onto her bed. Looks like she was actually going to have to book a flight to Japan if she even wanted to attempt saving Rin.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“You’ve been out of it these days.” BSF/N gave Y/N a concerned look.

“What gives?” Y/N asked semi-sarcastically.

“Well, for starters, you’re not scarfing down your food like usual.” BSF/N gestured to Y/N’s untouched plate, “And you’re fidgeting with your rings more than usual.”

Y/N paused and looked down at her hands, catching herself in the act of twisting the turquoise ring around her middle finger.

She let out a sigh. The ring was the only thing that Y/N could use to prove to herself that her time in Blue Lock had been real.

Speaking of rings… Y/N pulled out her phone and stared at the latest screenshot she had saved into her phone. The small and blurry drawing of Rin wearing a chain around his neck.

The chain that Y/N had put on with Y/N’s ring on it.

Another sigh, except this one was filled with a little more hope. At least, despite all the hell Y/N was going through to get back to Blue Lock, it comforted her to see that Rin still hadn’t taken the necklace off.

Or couldn’t, since he was so bad with the clasp.

Either way, it worked in Y/N’s favor, even if only slightly.

“Hello?” BSF/N waved a hand in front of Y/N’s face, “Earth to Y/N? What exactly is going on?”

Y/N looked into BSF/N’s eyes, dead-serious, “I’m gonna fly to Japan.”

“You–?” BSF/N choked on her water and spiraled into a coughing fit.

Y/N awkwardly patted her back, “Sorry, didn’t mean to surprise you.”

BSF/N wiped her mouth on her sleeve, “ ‘Sorry’? Girl, what is with you? You’re acting so strange. I love you, but I’m starting to get really worried about you.”

Y/N looked into the face she had so dearly missed during her time in Blue Lock.

How was she supposed to part with someone that was probably the most significant part of her shitty life?

Going back to Blue Lock meant leaving BSF/N…

Y/N shook the thought from her head wrapped BSF/N into a hug, “I’m okay, really, I swear.” She pulled back, “But I have things I need to take care of. Lots of shit went down in my life while I was unconscious.”

BSF/N raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question any further, “Alright then, let’s take a look at those plane tickets.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N could feel her eyelids drooping as she struggled to sit through her Physics class. She hadn’t exactly gotten good rest last night, but she was never this tired when she had dreams about Rin’s accidents.

She was seated in the back of the classroom, so Y/N figured it would be alright to close her eyes for a brief moment.

Y/N propped a book on her desk and lowered her head into arms, letting the lull of sleep take over.

---------------------------------------------------------------

This is a dream. Y/N was sure of it.

Why else would she be floating in the middle of a vast open space with nothing in her sight for miles?

But it was strange—Y/N could feel zero brain fog and was very conscious of each movement in her body, from the top of eyebrows to the tips of her toes.

“What’s going on?” Y/N reached up to feel her throat as the words left her mouth.

They had been louder than she had intended them to be, leaving her mouth with almost an echo-like feel.

“Y/N.” A gender-neutral voice rang out from behind Y/N.

She turned mid-air, fighting a scream that built up in her throat as she found herself face-to-face with two large eyes hovering in the space in front of her.

A mouth formed from the white space surrounding Y/N, revealing a black void whenever it opened, “You’ve come.”

Y/N raised her line of vision from the creature’s mouth back to its eyes. She had never met this creature before, at least, she didn’t remember ever having met it.

Yet, something about the interaction was also so strangely familiar. An interaction that seemed to have happened many times over. Y/N wasn’t sure exactly how many times.

But she knew exactly who this creature was. 

“Kaneshiro, we finally meet.” Y/N gave a slow nod, “Or should I say, The Writer.”

Chapter Text

“Y/N.” Kaneshiro repeated her name again.

Y/N watched the mouth move in silence.

“Well?” The mouth asked.

Y/N scoffed, “What do you mean, ‘Well?’ “ I’m not the one who came here.”

“Only those desperate enough can enter this space.”

“What?” Y/N’s eyes widened, “But the way Ego said it…”

“You still trust Ego after all those lies he’s fed you?”

Y/N stilled, “I had a hunch… but just how many of his words were lies?”

Kaneshiro’s mouth stretched into an amused smile, “Ego was good with intertwining his lies into his truths. He claimed it was to ensure maximum success rate with each regression. Ego only had to make a few subtle changes to the truth to have you fully convinced.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, for starters,” Kaneshiro’s eyes were glinting, “Do you really believe that your previous month at Blue Lock was your first time in the Blue Lock world?”

Y/N’s mouth fell open slightly. She had seen the signs: familiar moments in the city, way-too-fast connections with certain players, the feeling that she had known Rin a lot longer than just a mere 30 days.

But hearing it confirmed was a whole different story.

“The dreams!” Y/N gasped, “All those dreams about Rin… They weren’t just dreams, were they?”

Kaneshiro didn’t respond, only looked at her.

“12 times?” Y/N’s head was spinning, “There weren't just three timelines… There were 12? And I’m currently in the 13th one?”

“No.” Kaneshiro finally spoke, “That was the one thing that Ego was telling the truth about—there are only 3 timelines.”

“But–!” Y/N started.

Kaneshiro cut her off, “3 timelines… but you’ve… regressed.”

Y/N blinked, trying to focus on Kaneshiro’s words, “Care to elaborate?”

“It’s just as Ego said—the basic outline—3 timelines. The first timeline, you didn’t exist in the Blue Lock world. Rin died on Day 7. No lies there.”

Y/N nodded slowly.

“The second timeline is where Ego started lying. Rin died on Day 21—yes—but the reason for his delayed death wasn’t due to something Ego did…”

Understanding dawned on Y/N, “I was in the second timeline.”

Kaneshiro’s eyes and mouth seemed to move in a way that looked like he was nodding, “You were.”

“Why?” Y/N scrunched her eyebrows, “What prompted you to bring me into the world you created? Why was I dragged into this in the first place?”

Kaneshiro stared at Y/N, not moving, not blinking, not doing anything. Y/N fidgeted with the rings on her fingers uncomfortably, glad that they had traveled with her to this dream realm.

After a while, Kaneshiro’s mouth began to move, “Rin is my favorite character.”

“What?” Y/N gasped, “I thought it was Nagi!”

Kaneshiro gave a faint smile, “Lots of people seem to think that, huh?”

Y/N shook her head in disbelief, “Karasu was right. You didn’t want to save Blue Lock, you wanted to save Rin!”

“Tsk.” Kaneshiro pursed his lips, “It’s not that I didn’t want to save Blue Lock, but my main goal was to keep Rin alive, and Ego’s main goal was to keep Blue Lock alive.”

“Okay, I see.” Y/N waved her hands around her head, “But, why Ego? Why did you make the deal with him of all people? Why did you need someone to know about the two worlds, and… everything else?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Fuck.” Y/N let out a maniac chuckle, “I swear, if one more person says that to me…”

“You’ll have to ask Ego.” Kaneshiro inserted, “It’s not my place to say.” He cleared his throat, “You weren’t brought into Blue Lock for any special reason. Ego insisted on bringing in a person from your world as part of our deal. I for one believed that we didn’t need outside help.”

“Thanks.”

Kaneshiro ignored her, “But Ego insisted, and chose you.” He sighed, “Even yesterday, he was bothering me, pestering me to give you another chance.”

“Nice to know how wanted I am.” Y/N rolled her eyes, “You said Ego asked you to give me another chance? I find that hard to believe.”

“Believe whatever you want, I’m not telling any lies.”

“Moving on,” Y/N brushed his comment aside, “Then what about all those dreams I’ve had? Or visions, or flashbacks, or whatever the hell they are.” Y/N paused, “12 times. I watched Rin die 12 times. And I got so close to saving him the 12th time.” Her voice quivered, “So fucking close.”

Kaneshiro’s eyes seemed to morph into a gaze of pity, “All those 12 times were categorized into the second timeline.”

“I went through the second timeline 12 times? What is it you said I did? I regressed?”

“Yes.” Kaneshiro confirmed, “After Ego chose you to enter Blue Lock, you successfully prevented Rin’s accident from happening on Day 7.”

“But it still happened on Day 21. I still failed to prevent it in the end.”

Kaneshiro’s eyes squeezed shut, “You still don’t have all your memories back, do you?”

Y/N pulled at the ends of her hair, “I’m guessing that each time I regressed, I lost my memories?”

Kaneshiro nodded.

“Yeah… no.” Y/N shook her head, “I don’t remember shit, but the weird visions are starting to make a little more sense now. I was wondering why they were always slightly different.”

“You got closer each time.” Kaneshiro continued, “Each regression would start exactly the same. You would enter Blue Lock and play your role as Anri’s assistant, not remembering a single thing from your past regressions. For some reason, you got closer to saving Rin each time.” Kaneshiro paused for a moment, “But for some reason, he always ended up dying on Day 21.”

“Every single regression?”

“Every single regression.”

Y/N could feel a wave of discomfort enveloping her, “Then what about now? He didn’t die on Day 21… Am I in the third timeline? How? What changed?”

Kaneshiro looked Y/N square in the eye, causing her to instinctively shrink back under his gaze, “Bachira Meguru.”

“What?” Y/N spluttered. “What does this have to do with Bachira?”

“In all the times you regressed in the second timeline, the only person you ever really talked to was Isagi.” Kaneshiro averted his gaze, “Which is understandable given that he is the protagonist.”

Y/N’s heart sank, “But then… What about everyone else?”

“You had neutral relationships with the rest of the players, nothing too special.”

“Oh.” Y/N faltered. That would explain why Rin had been so harsh towards her in her first regression—it was because she hadn’t even bothered to get to know the other players at all.

Kaneshiro seemed to feel bad, “Although, you did seem to get closer to Rin the more you regressed. Nothing like what you were in this timeline, but you did seem to break through his barrier a little.”

Y/N nodded. That in turn would explain the way Rin spoke to her in her later regressions. Softer tones with more gentle words. 

“It wasn’t enough, obviously.” Kaneshiro said, “Rin still died every single time. Always on Day 21. That is, until this timeline.”

“Bachira happened?”

Kaneshiro gave a quick nod, “For some unknown reason, he went to the field early on your first day in the 13th regression. You guys hit it off quickly and became friends at an alarming speed.” Kaneshiro’s eyes narrowed, “It’s something that Ego and I have failed to comprehend.”

Y/N thought back to what she had thought was her first day of Blue Lock. Bachira had been so friendly, so inviting. She couldn’t imagine how her 30 days at Blue Lock would’ve passed if it hadn’t been for Bachira.

“Bachira Meguru was the catalyst. Your interaction with him created a domino effect that propelled your relationships with each of the players—especially with Rin. In turn, you gained the confidence to confide in all the players about your reincarnation: a risky choice, but one that worked in your favor.”

Y/N silently thanked Bachira in her head. The reason for the change in his actions were unclear, but Y/N was grateful for whatever had caused the change, nonetheless.

“Wait.” Y/N rubbed her temples, “You said I had ‘neutral’ relationships with all the players in my first 12 regressions.” Y/N looked up at Kaneshiro, “But what about the ochazuke I made for Rin? That’s ‘neutral’?”

“No.” Kaneshiro’s mouth frowned slightly, “You never made him ochazuke in the previous timelines. Well, except for your 12th regression—that’s why it wasn’t too surprising when it happened again in your 13th regression.”

Y/N’s eyes widened, “I was already changing before my 13th regression?”

Kaneshiro’s eyes looked pained, “That’s why I truly believed that you would succeed in the 12th timeline. It was that one change that made me think you had a chance.” His voice turned heavy, “Like you said, you were very close.”

Kaneshiro seemed to find himself again and cleared his throat, “But your 13th regression took a whole different route compared to your past regressions. It was so different that Ego categorized it into a different timeline completely. The third timeline.” Kaneshiro’s eyes bore into Y/N’s face, “And you succeeded.”

Y/N nodded, “I did. But by the looks of it, Rin isn’t going to hang on much longer.”

“I know.” Kaneshiro’s voice had turned bitter, “But I can’t send you back anymore.”

“What?” Y/N’s voice quickly rose up in anger, “Why not?”

Kaneshiro’s face made a movement that made it look like he was shaking his head, “If I transport you back to Blue Lock, I’d have to kill you permanently in this world.”

Y/N’s blood ran cold. She could see BSF/N’s face floating in her mind. By agreeing to go back to Blue Lock, she’d be breaking her best friend’s heart forever.

“I technically already died once, it’s the same as that right?” A tear dropped from her eye.

“You’re scared.”

“I’m not.” Y/N retorted, wiping her face, “There’s a person in my world that I don’t want to leave. Someone that means a lot to me, and I don’t want her to suffer because of my death.”

“I can erase her memories.”

Y/N jolted in surprise at Kaneshiro’s words, “You can? Can you erase my uncle’s memories too?”

“I can erase the memories of you from everyone in your world—just like how I did with everyone in the Blue Lock world.”

“Yes.” Y/N whispered, “That could work.” She raised an eyebrow, “You erased the memories of all the players? Then how come you can’t give them back?”

Kaneshiro scoffed, “That’s just not how it works. Believe me, I’ve tried.”

Y/N stared at Kaneshiro curiously, “You’ve tried? Has someone crossed into the Blue Lock world before me?”

Kaneshiro smiled but didn’t answer, “I think that’s enough questions for now.” His expression hardened, “I’m sure Ego mentioned this to you before, but I don’t have much control over my characters anymore. That’s due to my constant interference in the story to save Rin.” A cold font seemed to sweep across the space that Y/N floated in, “This really will be the last time that I can transport you to Blue Lock. I cannot interfere with the story any longer, or else it will leave a permanent dent in the Blue Lock world.”

“So,” Y/N’s eyes were bugging out, “Will I remain in the Blue Lock world forever this time?”

Kaneshiro shook his head, “Another 30-day limit.”

“Oh come on!” Y/N complained, dragging her hands down her face. “But I would already be dead in my world, so how would I go back?”

“You can’t.”

Y/N stared at Kaneshiro in silence. She hesitantly opened her mouth, “Then do I go back to Blue Lock, do my job, and just… die?”

“No.” Kaneshiro raised his eyes in thought, “Not necessarily. But I always need to make conditions when I send you into the Blue Lock world. In your past regressions, the condition was that you do your best to save Rin, and then return to your world.” Kaneshiro’s eyes looked back to Y/N, “But I’m assuming you want to stay in Blue Lock for good this time?”

“Yes.”

Kaneshiro nodded, “Right, so I would need to make another condition in exchange for you to stay. The bigger the change I make into the crossworlds, the heavier the consequence will be.”

Y/N watched on as Kaneshiro muttered to himself.

He spoke up, “I’ll give you the max amount of time I can—a 30 day limit—to bring back Rin’s memories and save him. If you succeed, you can live the rest of your days in the Blue Lock world.” His voice lowered, “But if you fail, you won’t be able to live on Blue Lock or your own world. You’ll just cease to exist after Day 30.”

Y/N let out a shaky breath, “Why does there have to be conditions?”

“There’s always conditions involved when you’re making deals with the devil.” Kaneshiro looked dead serious.

Y/N raised an eyebrow but didn’t question any further, “Alright. I’ll do it. How?”

Kaneshiro hesitated before pushing his words out, “You’ll have to kill yourself.”

“Touché.” Y/N responded sarcastically, “And the moment I go ‘splat’, everyone in my world’s memories will be erased of me and I’ll be at Blue Lock again?”

Kaneshiro nodded, “Don’t feel too rushed to do so right away. If you’re having second thoughts, you can always choose to not do so.”

Y/N let out a laugh, “I’ve already regressed 12 times to save Rin, thanks to you–”

“Thanks to Ego.” Kaneshiro interrupted.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Y/N said hastily, “It’s only one more time, and the consequence is only death if I don't succeed.”

Kaneshiro’s eyes softened for the first time during their conversation, “Thank you for doing this for Rin.”

“Anytime.”

Y/N’s eyes flew open as the school bell rang out from overhead.

Chapter Text

Y/N jumped from her seat as soon as the bell sounded. She received a few curious glances from her classmates, but she was out the door before she could even register them.

Kaneshiro had said she could take her time with deciding, but Y/N’s heart had already been decided from the moment he had confirmed that she could go back to Blue Lock.

Death, consequences, whatever… Y/N didn’t care as long as she could save Rin one last time.

The only regret she would have was… 

Y/N’s running feet came to a stop in front of the classroom door. BSF/N’s eyes landed on Y/N’s flushed face and lit up, “Y/N! You’re here early.”

Y/N ran forward and tackled BSF/N in a hug, “I missed you.”

BSF/N patted Y/N’s arm, rolling her eyes, “You saw me at lunch.”

Y/N shrugged, “I’ll miss you when I go to Japan.”

BSF/N’s eyes widened, “You bought the tickets already?”

Y/N nodded. She reached for BSF/N’s ponytail and yanked out her hair tie, “Can I have this?”

BSF/N reached for her hair tie, “What’d you do that for? Give it back!” She faltered when she saw the look on Y/N’s face.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be in Japan.”

BSF/N stared at Y/N for a moment, “Oh.” 

A silent understanding seemed to pass between them. An expression of acceptance seemed to cross BSF/N’s face, perhaps in acknowledgement of the fact that maybe Y/N wasn’t going to come back at all.

Although there was no way she would ever know… or remember.

BSF/N intertwined her arm into Y/N’s, “You can have all the hair ties you want!”

Y/N smiled and slipped the hair tie onto her wrist, “Just this one is fine.”

BSF/N leaned her head into Y/N’s shoulder as they walked home, sighing quietly every few steps.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N usually never skipped dance classes unless she was dying in bed with a 104 degree fever. 

Today she did.

Y/N made her way up the stairs of her apartment complex—a slight procrastination of the inevitable that came if she had decided to use the elevator.

She reached the top floor and slipped a bobby pin from her pocket, inserting it into the closed door in the middle of the hallway. As the lock clicked open, Y/N braced herself for the cold breeze that hit as soon as the door swung open.

She closed the door behind her and locked it, breathing a sigh of relief at not being caught. The door to the roof was always locked and Y/N had been the only one crazy enough within the entire apartment complex to go snooping behind it. She turned to see the spread of the roof before her.

In an eerie way, it looked a lot like the roof of the Blue Lock facility. But it was also a place that Y/N frequented when she felt too cooped up in her room and needed a change of scenery.

That was something she and Rin seemed to have in common.

Y/N slowly walked over to the edge of the roof. Unlike the roof of the Blue Lock facility, this roof had no railing.

No walls.

No nothing.

Y/N stepped her right foot onto the edge and looked over the roof. 

Beneath her feet, the busy streets of New York City were honking with noise. Pedestrians lined the sidewalks, looking like small dots from where Y/N stood. The cool breeze hitting her face was sharp, but also refreshing.

She wouldn’t have it any other way.

Y/N pulled at the hair tie on her wrist and let it snap back, leaving a red mark where it hit, “I’ll always love you, BSF/N.” She looked up to the cloudless sky overhead, “Mom, dad, if none of this shit works out, at least I’ll see you guys again.”

And with that, Y/N brought her left foot forward, hovering over empty air.

“Shit.” Y/N gave a smirk, “I really am doing this, huh?”

She let her body weight pull forward and fell.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Y/N.”

Y/N slowly opened her eyes, making out a lanky figure sitting on the corner of her bed, “Ego Jinpachi?”

She rubbed her eyes, clearing her vision as her heart leapt to her throat, “It worked!” Y/N was so happy she nearly tackled Ego with a hug.

Ego nodded, “Did the Writer state a condition?”

Y/N’s growing smile faltered at Ego’s words, “Revive Rin’s memories. Save him.” She swallowed, “Or I die after the time limit is up. 30 days again.”

If Ego was shocked, he didn’t show it, “I’ll leave you to it, then.”

Y/N furrowed her brows, “I’ve been wondering, how do you have access to TikTok? When I tried back then–”

“I purposely gave you a special-made device without access to social media or editing apps of any kind.” Ego’s eye twitched, “You were a bit distracted in your first few regressions when you had access.”

“Oh.” Y/N’s posture sank, “Sorry.”

Ego shook his head, “Don’t apologize—I was the one who lied about your purpose for reincarnation in the first place. Do you have a plan? 30 days is a lot shorter than it seems.”

“I know that.” Y/N gritted her teeth, “But I have no idea how I’m going to make Rin remember everything.”

“How did you regain your memories?”

Y/N paused, “I don’t know.”

“Well.” Ego stood up and made his way to the door, “That might be the place to start.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

It was already noon when Y/N had awoken from her unconscious state. That meant that most of the players would be gathering in the cafeteria now.

Each step towards the cafeteria felt heavy. Y/N braced herself for what would happen once she entered the lunchroom.

“Who are you?” Isagi locked eyes with Y/N as soon as she entered the cafeteria.

Y/N felt a shaky breath leave her mouth as she looked around the room. Every single player had turned to gawk at the strange girl that had just entered the room.

“Do you…” Y/N tried to hold her voice stable, “... Not remember anything?’

“English?” A voice from the crowd sounded.

“Oh, I’m sure I’d remember you.” Otoya grinned from next to Isagi.

Y/N looked towards Otoya, “Nothing?” Her voice was rising in panic.

Otoya’s grin morphed into a look of confusion.

Y/N scanned the room, searching for the dark teal hair she hadn’t seen in what felt like forever. Her eyes finally landed on Rin in the back corner of the cafeteria. He was staring at her in silence, his gaze cold.

Y/N’s heart was sinking with each passing moment. She had tried to mentally prepare herself before walking into the cafeteria, expecting the worst, but actually experiencing everything unfold before her eyes felt one hundred times worse.

Her breaths drew shorter as her heart began to beat faster. Y/N was starting to feel light on her feet, as if she were floating, but in a way that flooded her over in dizziness.

Everything in the room was oozing out of place, sinking into places they shouldn’t be; swirling in motions they weren’t supposed to make. Pins and needles poked their way down Y/N’s spine, leaving each passing part of her body limp.

Her knees buckled, and Y/N fell to the floor.

What am I going to do?

How am I supposed to revive Rin’s memories?

Is it even possible to revive Rin’s memories?

What if regaining my memories was just a fluke?

A fluke that’ll never happen again?

Oh gods…

Am I going to die?

Y/N’s head was spinning out of control and she gripped onto the floor, trying to find a tile to focus on. Her hearing seemed to dim and every sound around her muffled into static, adding to the pain stabbing at Y/N’s temples.

Then suddenly, a voice cut through the static—like a knife through butter—pulling Y/N back from the depths of utter despair.

“You came back.”

Chapter Text

Y/N couldn’t believe her ears. 

She didn’t believe her ears. 

The warm, honey-like voice that she hadn’t heard in nearly a month had just called Y/N’s name with such familiarity and intimacy that she was afraid to look up and realize that it had only been a moment of delusion.

But it wasn’t a delusion.

Bachira pushed past the gathering crowd until he was standing at the forefront, joining the others in staring down at Y/N’s state on the floor.

“Y/N-chan.” He said her name with care, as if it were the most precious thing in the world in that instant.

“Bachira.” Y/N revelled in the aftertaste of his name on her tongue. A name she had only muttered in thought while reading the manga back in her world, but had yet to say to the owner’s face for 3 weeks.

“Bachira!” Y/N repeated, believing it this time.

Bachira’s eyes widened and he took a final step forward, closing their gap and wrapping his arms around her. His voice was full of recognition, full of adoration, full of hope.

“Y/N-chan, you came back.”

“I promised you wouldn’t be lonely ever again.” Y/N pulled away slightly from the hug, still keeping her hands clutched to Bachira’s elbows—a reminder that he was real, and that he remembered her, “How…?”

Y/N gestured to Bachira vaguely, but he understood.

“I told you, I had a feeling I would remember you.” Bachira’s eyes narrowed slightly, “But I really didn’t remember anything until the moment you walked in. You’ve been completely erased from my memories for the past 3 weeks.”

Y/N let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding, “The same thing happened to me. I remembered nothing, and then suddenly, it all came crashing back to me.” She wrapped herself into Bachira’s arms once more, “But that doesn’t matter right now—I’m glad that you, of all people, remember.”

Bachira nodded and moved to his feet pulling on Y/N’s arms. She didn’t budge. Not that she didn’t want to—she couldn’t.

It was as if all the energy had been sapped from Y/N the moment her knees buckled. She stared helplessly at Bachira as he registered the situation.

“I gotchu.” Bachira wrapped his right arm beneath Y/N’s thighs and melded his upper arm into a backrest for her. Y/N placed her left arm around Bachira’s shoulders for stability.

Bachira walked a few steps over to Otoya and patted him with his left hand, “Can you let Lavinho know that I’ll be late for training? I’ll give him an excuse later.”

Isagi, standing next to Otoya, looked at Bachira, confused, then up at Y/N with a hint of dislike in his eyes, “Don’t be too late for training, Bachira.” Isagi gave Bachira’s shoulder a small squeeze, letting his hand linger a little longer before pulling away.

Bachira turned and promptly walked towards the FC Barcha stratum. Y/N looked past his shoulder to get another glimpse of Rin.

He was still staring at her, with the same unwavering gaze.

A gaze that told Y/N she was a stranger.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“So what’s with Isagi?” Y/N muttered as soon as Bachira set her down on his bed.

“He doesn’t remember you, obviously.” Bachira had a pained look in his eyes as he turned to face Y/N, “And he doesn’t remember me—everything that happened between me and him, that is.”

Y/N let out a sharp exhale, “He doesn’t remember that you guys were dating?”

Bachira shrugged, “In all honesty, I forgot too. When you disappeared, it was like everything that you affected with your presence rewinded to before you came to Blue Lock.”

“Then Nagi and Reo…?”

Bachira shook his head. Y/N’s heart sank.

“Oh!” Y/N let out a smile, “Isagi just now, he was jealous, wasn’t he?”

Bachira tilted his head in confusion.

Y/N let out a delighted laugh and clapped her hands together, “Because he’s in love with you. But since he forgot that you guys are technically still dating, he was watching his crush,” Y/N pointed at Bachira, “Interact intimately with some random-ass girl,” Y/N pointed to herself, “And he has no idea who she is.”

Realization dawned on Bachira and he broke into a grin, “Seems like Isagi’s still got the crazy hots for me.”

Y/N socked Bachira’s shoulder with joy, almost forgetting about the reason she had reincarnated back into Blue Lock.

Almost.

Y/N cleared her throat and straightened herself, “I need to fill you in on a lot of stuff.”

Bachira nodded, “I have time.” He shrugged, “Even if I don’t, I’ll make time.”

“I’ll make it quick.”

Y/N speed-talked through everything that happened in the past three weeks—everything from the moment she had awoken from the coma down to the instant she stepped off the roof. Y/N spared no details, talking as fast as her mouth would allow her to, stopping only to take in a quick gasp of breath before continuing.

Bachira was silent for a long time after Y/N finished. She stared at him as he scrunched his nose in concentration, thinking.

Finally, he said, “So this really is your last chance.”

Y/N nodded slowly, “I have to succeed this time.”

“Revive Rin-chan’s memories? Bachira rubbed his chin, “It’s definitely not impossible, I mean, look at you and me. But how?”

Y/N yanked at both sides of hair in frustration, “I have no idea, but I’ll have to figure something out, and soon.” Y/N checked her phone, startled at the time, “You should go to training Bachira, better late than never. We can always talk later.”

“Oh,” Bachira tilted his head, “I assumed you’d stay with P.X.G.”

Y/N bit her lip, “No point in that now.” Her voice cracked slightly, “Rin doesn’t remember me at all.”

Bachira’s usual glowing eyes seemed to dim as they took in Y/N’s crestfallen face, “I’m always here for you Y/N. You’re my good friend. I won’t let you die.”

Y/N’s lips stretched into a smile, “Thanks, Bachira.” She gave him a kick, “Now, go to the field for training before word gets back to Isagi and he comes chasing me down with puzzle pieces or something.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N had told Bachira that she wasn’t going to stay at P.X.G., but her legs had a different idea. 

As soon as she regained some strength, she found herself unconsciously making her way towards the P.X.G. stratum.

She wanted to see Rin.

“Y/N, was it?”

Y/N turned to see Hiori walking towards her. She almost called out his name, but stopped herself, realizing that it would only make her look weird since Hiori didn’t remember that they knew each other.

Instead, Y/N opted for a nod.

“Nice to meet ya.” Hiori extended a hand.

Y/N shook it. Hiori at least, was still as pleasant to deal with as ever. Y/N attempted to retract her hand, but Hiori held it firmly in his, turning her hand palm down to reveal the rings adorning her fingers.

Y/N looked up in question, noticing that something was a bit off about Hiori’s demeanor. He looked as if he were biting back a range of exhilarating emotions; his eyes looked a little wild as they scanned across Y/N’s face. An odd smile stretched across Hiori’s face.

“Hiori?” the name slipped from Y/N’s mouth before she could react.

But she didn’t need to hide anything. It looked as if Hiori couldn’t hear her at all. He was still holding her hand firmly, eyes wide and manic. Y/N’s hand tensed as Hiori’s nails began to burn into her skin. She clenched her teeth, trying to read Hiori’s expression.

Oh, Y/N thought to herself, Hiori’s type.

Fractured girls.

Y/N scoffed, “Fuck, no.” She yanked her hand out of Hiori’s grasp, fighting the urge to slap him, “I’m not fractured. I’m not broken. I’m not whatever you think I am, okay? Whatever you saw in the cafeteria was momentary.”

Hiori grinned wider, “Momentary?”

Y/N could feel her breathing escalate with each passing moment, “This isn’t the Hiori I know.” She whispered.

Hiori took a step towards Y/N and she winced, bracing herself for contact with Hiori’s hands, but suddenly, Hiori was yanked backwards by a hand on his collar.

“What’s wrong with you, Hiori?”

Y/N’s breath caught as she took in the deep turquoise eyes boring into her face. It was a color she knew well—it was attached to her at the finger.

Rin.

“Don’t go around getting lost in places where there’s NPCs lurking.” Rin turned on his heel and walked away.

Hiori’s maddened eyes seemed to soften as he looked back and forth between Rin and Y/N. Hiori’s eyes finally made a stop on Y/N’s face, “Y/N?”

Y/N’s heart nearly stopped. “You remember?” Her heart began to beat once more.

“Wait.” Hiori held his head with both hands, “What is this? Why–?” He blinked, soaking in the sight of Y/N, “Yer back!”

Y/N squealed happily and practically attacked Hiori in a hug, “I had no idea that you’d be the next to remember—I did not expect that at all!”

Hiori smiled and wrapped his arms around Y/N, “I nearly started hitting on ya, what the fuck.” He let out a loud chortle, “Sorry ‘bout that.”

Y/N affectionately ruffled his hair, “All is forgiven.” She eyed Rin’s back profile getting further away from her, “I’ll talk to you later. With Bachira—he remembers too.” She untangled herself from Hiori and nodded her head in Rin’s direction, “I have to take care of things.”

Hiori nodded in understanding, “See ya later.”

“Rin!” Y/N chased after him, coming to stop at the entrance of the P.X.G. stratum where he stood.

He turned and looked down at her, “How do you know my name?”

“Staff.” Y/N held up her gym access card, “And I’m a physical therapist. For the players.”

Rin didn’t respond and turned to enter the P.X.G. sector. Y/N followed suit.

“Thanks for that just now.” Y/N smiled.

Rin grunted.

“So,” Y/N tilted her head, “Do you remember me?”

Rin side-eyed her, “Why would I remember you?”

The comment took a hit to Y/N’s confidence, “You said you would.” She whispered.

Rin gave a slight sneer, “I said I’d what ? I have no idea who you are. Stop bothering me.”

Y/N stopped dead in her tracks, “Nothing? You remember nothing at all?”

Rin came to a still without turning around. He scoffed, “I don’t remember trivial things.”

Y/N recoiled almost instantaneously as Rin’s words hit her, eyes clouding over in tears. She watched as Rin walked away once more.

Her voice felt stuck in her throat. Y/N wanted to call out to Rin—tell him to stop, tell him to think again, tell him that he promised to remember.

To at least try to remember.

But she couldn’t find it in her to say anything.

Y/N backed out of the door and ran back to her room, not sparing a single moment to look back.

Chapter Text

Y/N had curled up in her room the rest of the day, too mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted to even think to do anything productive.

Ego had told her to lay off on her chores as Anri’s assistant and focus on her goal under the cover of being a physical therapist.

Y/N scoffed at her sorry state as she buried her head in her pillow.

The door to her room burst open and Bachira barged in, dragging Hiori by the elbow, “Y/N-chan! Hiori got his memories back!”

“I know.” Y/N grumbled, “We met earlier.”

Bachira’s face softened as he glanced over Y/N curled up on her bed, “Hey, are you okay?”

“I tried to talk to Rin.” Y/N offered gruffly, “Didn’t work.”

“Oh.”

Bachira and Hiori shared an uneasy glance before they both plopped down onto the bed, each tugging one of Y/N’s arms until she was in a sitting position.

“What?” She groaned, squinting her eyes.

Hiori rolled his eyes, “We’re not here to bum ya out. We’re here to help ya.” He crossed his arms, “So do ya want our help or not?”

Y/N swallowed and gave them a nod, “Sorry. I’m a bit out of it.”

Bachira gave her shoulder a pat, “We’re not judging. But we need to figure this out if you’re gonna make it out alive.”

“Alright,” Y/N pressed her lips into a thin line, “Anything significant about the moment you got your memories back?”

Hiori shrugged, scrunching his eyebrows, “It was really random, I was just watching the way Rin was looking at ya, thinking that he looked sorta protective, and then all of a sudden my memories just hit me like a brick.”

Y/N nodded and turned to Bachira, “I know you told me you remembered from the moment I walked into the cafeteria, but is there anything else aside from that moment that stood out?”

Bachira thought for a moment, “There is one…” He looked slightly embarrassed.

“Go on,” Y/N encouraged him, “Like you said, this isn’t a place of judgement.”

Bachira gave a sheepish grin, “Well, you guys know about my monster, right?” His eyes flickered back and forth between Y/N and Hiori, “Well, the truth is, it never fully disappeared.” Bachira clasped his hands together, “When you walked into the cafeteria, my monster sensed your presence. He told me to look at you.”

Bachira waved his hands in front of his face in a whimsical motion, “My monster whispered: ‘Remember’.”

“And you just did?” Hiori asked.

“Yep.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow, “Why would your monster sense me?”

Bachira shook his head, “Not you, your monster.”

“What?” Y/N looked around, half-expecting to see some shadowy figure looming over her.

“Huh.” Bachira frowned, “I guess you can’t see yours. But it is there. Even I can see it.” He shrugged, “I’ve never been able to see anyone else’s monster before. You must be special.”

Y/N scrunched her eyebrows, “Have I always had this monster?”

Bachira nodded, “The first day I met you, I went to the field because I sensed a foreign presence in the building.” He gestured towards Y/N, “It was you… And your monster.”

Kaneshiro’s words flew back to Y/N: “For some unknown reason, he went to the field early on your first day in the 13th regression.”

Y/N’s eyes widened and she grabbed onto Bachira’s arm. She could feel something nitpicking at the back of her brain, “That means I didn’t have a monster that you could sense in my first 12 regressions. Remember? I told you that Kaneshiro said the most important difference between this regression and my previous ones was the fact that you came to the field early in this timeline.”

Bachira’s eyes widened to match Y/N’s, “Oh my God. You’re right.”

Hiori cleared his throat, “Sorry, am I missing something? What’s this about regressions?”

Bachira and Y/N turned to stare at Hiori, having totally forgotten he was also in the room with them.

“I’ll explain.” Y/N smiled.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Yer joking.” Hiori’s mouth fell open, “If you don’t succeed, ya die? That’s horrible!”

Y/N sighed, “Yep. So I need to revive Rin’s memories. Fast.”

Bachira’s phone began to ring, “Hello?” Bachira answered, “I’m with Y/N-chan and Hiori… Y/N? Yeah, the girl from earlier… No, I’m about done.” He hung up and looked towards Y/N. “Isagi.”

“Yikes.” Y/N winced, “Is he mad that you're here with me?”

“I can’t really tell.” Bachira shrugged, “Maybe?”

Hiori stood up, “It’s getting late, so I should probably head back.”

Bachira stood up too, “Isagi asked me to meet up with him.”

Y/N nodded, “See you guys later.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N closed her eyes, soaking in the familiar sensation of the warm water around her. She was in the Team V lavatory again, washing up before bed.

Bachira… And Hiori… Y/N let the two of them take up space in her head as she half-heartedly scrubbed at her arms.

Bachira had sensed her monster—something that had never happened in the first 12 regressions. This monster, whatever it was, had to be significant in some aspect.

Y/N glanced around her, trying to catch a glimpse of her monster to no avail. She sighed, sinking deeper into the water.

Then there was Hiori. He had regained his memories by what? Fanboying over her and Rin together?

Y/N nearly scoffed.

Bachira and Hiori had completely unrelated catalysts for their regained memories. And what about Y/N? She had gained her memories while walking down the hallway, chatting with her best friend.

Y/N lifted her left hand out of the water, staring at the hair tie on her wrist. He couldn’t bear to take it off. Not when it was her only reminder of the one person left in her old world that had truly loved her without fail. Y/N lowered her hand back into the water.

A splash sounded in the water before her.

Y/N yelped in surprise, catching a glimpse of fluffy white hair before it disappeared into the water.

Y/N instinctively looked down, thanking the gods above that she had put on a swimsuit out of habit.

Nagi’s head rose out of the water, eyes landing on the source of the yelp just now, he covered his eyes with his hands promptly, “Sorry, sorry! I didn’t see you there.”

“It’s fine, whatever.” Y/N spit out hastily.

Then suddenly, Nagi froze. Y/N sensed a shift in the air in the lavatory as soon as it happened. She could feel the tension in the air drop as Nagi lowered his hands, staring at Y/N with newfound wonder.

“Do you…” Y/N’s heart was beating insanely fast, “...remember?”

Nagi gave a slow nod, “Me and Reo…”

Y/N’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. And then she was laughing, curling over towards the water in front of her, tears of happiness flowing freely from her eyes.

“Of course… the first thing…you think to say… is about… Reo!” Y/N doubled over, struggling to keep her face out of the water, “Gods, you and Isagi are so in love!”

Nagi’s face reddened as he sealed his lips together.

Y/N’s laughter died down as she wiped at her tears, “Thanks Nagi, I needed that.”

Nagi stuck out his bottom lip, “It wasn’t that funny.”

“Funny enough for me.” Y/N grinned.

“What did you say about me and Isagi?” Nagi scratched his head, “Does Isagi remember you too?”

Y/N shook her head, “Bachira does. Isagi’s just a little jealous about how Bachira’s been caring for me since he doesn’t remember me.” Y/N added, “Hiori got his memories back too.”

“Three people?” Nagi gave her an impressed look.

Y/N nodded, “But I have no idea how. The moments in which each person regains their memories is so vastly different.” Y/N gestured to Nagi, “Even just now, you got your memories back out of nowhere.”

Nagi swam through the water, going around in small circles, “How did Hiori get his memories back?”

“He was talking to me and then Rin showed up, and suddenly he remembered.”

Nagi was quiet for a moment, “It seems like…,” His voice was hesitant, “...We get our memories back when we’re with you?”

Y/N’s eyes widened, “Holy shit, you might be onto something.” Y/N pursed her lips, “Well, obviously there’s got to be something more than that, but that’s probably the biggest clue I’ve gotten all day!” She swam towards the stairs and scrambled out of the water, reaching for her towel, “Thanks, Nagi!”

Nagi lazily raised a hand in goodbye.

Chapter Text

After her talk with Nagi, Y/N had rushed back to her bedroom to jot down everything she knew into a journal. 

She wrote down each player’s name and followed it up with the moment they got their memories back. At the bottom of the page, she had scribbled down what Nagi said:

Players get memories back when they're with me.

Y/N had closed the journal that night, ecstatic for the next day to test the theory. However, the good luck that had blessed her on her first day back at Blue Lock excluded her for the rest of the week.

“Fuck.” Y/N ran her hand through her hair in frustration, “I’ve made no progress since day one. Zero.”

“Maybe ya would make more progress if ya actually stepped foot into the P.X.G. sector.” Hiori murmured.

Y/N glared at Hiori, “Thanks, but I’m taking my time, alright?”

“Time you don’t have.” Bachira reminded her, “Besides, you’re focusing too much on reviving every players’ memories except for Rin-chan’s. Why’s that?”

Y/N ran her hands along the covers of her bed absently. The past week, Bachira had decided to make Y/N’s room their meeting place, dragging Hiori and Nagi over every single day after training ended.

“I just thought,” Y/N explained, “That if I have no way of getting close to Rin right now, I’d figure out how other players are getting their memories back, and then use that information as a one and done situation for when I can finally face Rin.”

Nagi looked up from his phone, “But, what I suggested in the lavatory the other day didn’t work. You were around Chigiri and Reo all day for three days this week, and they still have no idea who you are.”

Y/N sighed, “I miss goofing off with Chigiri.”

Nagi sighed too, “I miss holding Reo’s hand.”

Bachira gave Nagi’s forehead a flick, “As if I don’t miss holding Isagi’s.”

Hiori let out an exasperated exhale, “Can the three of ya stop moping like lovesick puppies and actually start using those brains of yers?”

Y/N opened her mouth to protest, but was stopped by the sound of knocking at the door. The four of them exchanged curious glances, wondering who would be knocking at such a late hour.

Y/N slid off her bed and walked to the door, pulling it open, “Isagi-chan?” She said in surprise.

“What do you mean ‘Isagi-chan’? Are we close?” Isagi’s eyes had narrowed. 

He scanned the room until his eyes found Bachira. His eyes relaxed momentarily before hardening, “Bachira, what are you doing here so late?”

Bachira stood up from Y/N’s bed, “I was talking with some friends. Blowing off some steam.”

Isagi’s eyes glared at each person in the room in turn before coming back to Bachira, “I haven’t been able to hang out with you in a while…” His eyes fell dark, “...When did you even get so close to these people?”

Bachira pushed out an uneasy smile, “We’ve just grown close this past week. It’s not a crime to make friends is it?”

“With Hiori? From my team? With Nagi from Manshine? With this…” Isagi waved his hand at Y/N, “... girl ?”

“Hey.” Bachira’s voice had turned gruff, “Don’t talk about them like that? What’s wrong with you?”

“Bachira.” Isagi’s voice was held back, as if spilling a single emotion would cause a breakage, “Every single night this week, I went down to the FC Barcha stratum, asking to see you.” Isagi’s eyes were pained, “And every single night, Otoya or Lavinho or someone told me that you were here.” 

Bachira’s eyebrows disappeared into his hair, “You what? Why?”

“You idiot!” Isagi’s voice had risen, “I just want to be with you! Why’s that so hard to understand? I fucking miss you. But I can’t even see you because in every spare moment you get, you end up cooped up here with these three.”

The room fell quiet, with Isagi’s haggard breaths being the only thing cutting through the silence.

Bachira spoke first, “I’m sorry, Isagi.”

“What could be so important?” Isagi was crying now, “So important that you come here every single night without fail? It’s like–” Isagi swallowed wiping at his face, “It’s like you don’t care anymore. I don’t want to lose you again, Bachira.”

Bachira stepped forward, taking Isagi’s tear-streaked face into his hands, “No, Isagi. Don’t think that. I would never do that to you—I promise.” Bachira pressed a kiss on Isagi’s tears, “I love you, Isagi.”

Y/N felt the air shift. The same way it had when she was in the lavatory with Nagi a week ago.

Isagi’s eyes had widened when Bachira kissed him, but now they were practically bulging out of his head, “Wait, huh?” He looked frantically around the room, “What–?”

His eyes locked onto Y/N’s.

She understood.

“Oh my fucking gods,” Y/N grabbed Nagi’s elbow and shook him hard, making him drop his phone, “He remembers.”

Bachira’s eyes were hyper focused on Isagi’s, “Do you remember?”

Isagi looked back at Bachira, delight dancing in the glints of his eyes. He grabbed onto the collar of Bachira’s jersey, pulling him in for another kiss—this time on the mouth.

Hiori groaned and covered his eyes with his hands as Nagi remained undisturbed whilst scrolling on his phone. Y/N gave a hearty laugh and patted Hiori’s arm.

She looked back at the intertwined bodies of Isagi and Bachira in front of her. Honestly, she wanted to tell them to get a room outside of hers, but she didn’t have the heart to ruin the moment.

Instead, she smiled and whispered, “This truly is my Bachisagi lock.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N was up, bright and early the next day, sitting in Ego’s office with a bowl of ramen waiting for him.

Ego walked in and rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses, “Y/N? I thought I told you to lay off on your duties as Anri’s assistant.”

“I figured something out.” Y/N said, practically bouncing on the edge of the chair.

Ego took a seat in his chair and inhaled the aroma of the ramen, “Proceed.”

“So, in the past week. Four players have gained back their memories.” Y/N watched Ego’s expectant eyes, “Not Rin, though. Not yet.”

“I see.”

Y/N continued, explaining how each of the players got their memories back. Bachira sensing the monster; Hiori seeing Rin and Y/N’s interaction, Nagi in the lavatory, and finally Isagi after talking to Bachira.

“They seem unrelated, don’t they?” Y/N asked, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

Ego raised an eyebrow.

“At first, I was talking with Nagi, and came to the conclusion that perhaps I had to play some role in the reviving of other players’ memories. But I spent nearly the whole week talking to Chigiri and Reo to no avail.”

Ego rolled his eyes, “What could you possibly get out of talking with Nagi Seishiro?”

Y/N shot Ego a glare, “Nagi’s words steered me in the right direction, even if they weren’t necessarily accurate.” She cleared her throat, “What I’ve found is that my presence isn’t necessarily the catalyst, but rather what had happened during my presence in Blue Lock.”

Y/N stood up and began to pace around the room, “Bachira sensed my monster when he met me in the 13th regression—it was a significant moment for him because he’s never been able to see another person’s monster before. And so, when he saw me again after I came back, there was a connection.” Y/N linked her index fingers together, “A link between my presence in the 13th regression and my presence here now.”

“Same thing with Nagi.” Y/N continued. “In my 13th regression, our relationship started from an accidental meeting in the Team V lavatory. Yesterday, we accidentally bumped into each other in the same lavatory again, under similar circumstances of surprise.” Y/N clasped her hands together fully, “Another link. Another significant moment. At least for Nagi it was—it was the moment he got clarity on Reo.”

“So,” Ego summed up her words, “You’ve been reviving players’ memories by recreating significant moments from your 13th regression?”

“Kind of, but not quite.” Y/N unclasped her hands, “I was wondering for a while why Hiori was able to gain his memories back.” Y/N gave a small chuckle, “That’s when I remembered that Hiori loves to ship players together—almost as much as I do. He practically started Kaisagi.”

Ego gave Y/N an uninterested look.

Y/N cleared her throat, “Anyways, Hiori told me briefly in my 13th regression that he noticed one of the players was fond of me. I assume he was talking about Rin.” Y/N’s cheeks turned slightly pink as she voiced those words aloud, “On my first day, Hiori again witnessed an interaction between me and Rin. The moment was more subtle than Bachira or Nagi’s, but given that it’s Hiori, it was probably a great source of entertainment for him during the 13th regression, and probably still is. It wasn’t a significant moment for Hiori, but rather a significant thought process .”

Ego nodded, “Alright, what about Isagi?”

Y/N rolled her eyes, “Show more favoritism, would you?”

Ego ignored her.

“Isagi’s ability to revive his memories was unrelated to me. At least, not directly.” Y/N suppressed a laugh, “Back in the game against U20, Bachira told Isagi he loved him.”

“I heard.”

“Everyone did.” Y/N smiled, “That must’ve been a significant piece of dialogue for Isagi because when Bachira told him he loved him again, he remembered everything in an instant.”

Ego raised his eyebrows. Y/N couldn’t tell if he was impressed or amused. Maybe both.

“So technically, you don’t have to be present for players to regain their memories. Based on what happened between Isagi and Bachira.”

Y/N blinked rapidly, “Huh… You’re right. I guess my physical presence doesn’t matter. It just needs to be a link from our current selves to our past selves from those 30 days during the 13th regression.” Y/N smiled and raised a finger, “A single significant realization is all it takes.”

“Interesting.” Ego adjusted his glasses, “That’s a complex theory, but it doesn’t sound entirely impossible given that it’s Kaneshiro we’re talking about.”

“Yeah, I’m surprised I even thought–” Y/N’s voice caught in her throat, “What did you just say?”

“Hm?”

“Just now. You said ‘Kaneshiro.’ Not ‘the Writer’, but ‘Kaneshiro’.” Y/N tilted her head, “You’ve never called him by his name. I thought you didn’t know it.”

Ego shrugged and turned on the monitoring screens, “Slip of the mouth. ‘The Writer’ gives respect whereas using his name does not.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow at Ego’s stiff voice, sensing that there was more to what he was saying, but she didn’t push it, “Okay then, thanks for listening. I’ll be going.”

Chapter Text

Y/N had idea how she was going to test her theory, but she had a feeling that if there were to be anyone that shared a significant moment with her, it would be…

“Yukimiya!” Y/N burst into the Bastard München living quarters.

“Huh?” Yukimiya looked up, the tips of his ears slightly pink, “Me?”

“Who else?” Y/N grinned and made her way over to Yukimiya.

Isagi looked up from his book, “What are you doing here, Y/N?”

“Testing that thing we talked about yesterday.”

“Hm? Oh!” Isagi smiled.

Y/N nodded at him. Isagi had been a great help in putting the pieces together for the theory she had told Ego that morning. The “significant moment” and the “link” mentioned in the theory were all Isagi’s terms for the idea that Y/N couldn’t quite piece together by herself.

In all honesty, the names that Isagi had chosen for her theory were quite bold, but it didn’t surprise Y/N, given that Isagi was the one who had coined “metavision”.

“What theory?” Yukimiya gulped as Y/N took a seat in front of him.

“Relax!” Y/N smiled, “I’ve heard about your eyes and I just want to try some massage techniques.”

“Uh…” Yukimiya’s eyes wandered over where Isagi was sitting.

“She’s not dangerous.” Isagi waved a hand at Yukimiya.

“I’m not.” Y/N confirmed. 

She lightly placed her hands on the side of Yukimiya’s temples. She had massaged them so many times in her 13th regression that she had memorized their location.

Isagi had looked up from his book and was now observing Y/N and Yukimiya with an expectant gaze, “You think this is gonna work?”

“I have a feeling.”

Yukimiya cleared his throat, “What are you guys talking about?”

“I don’t think it’s working.” Isagi inserted.

“Shut up, Yoichi.” Y/N clenched her jaw. Isagi shut himself up.

But it seemed that Isagi was right. Yukimiya showed no reaction to Y/N’s movements. No “ah-ha” moment. No shift in the air.

Y/N finished massaging the last pressure point and sighed. Maybe Isagi was right after all.

She turned to glare at Isagi, “You’re the one who jinxed it.”

Isagi opened his mouth to object, but stopped, his mouth hanging open.

Y/N whipped her head back around to look at Yukimiya. The blush in his ears had reached across his cheeks as he glanced down at Y/N’s right hand brushing the corner of his lips—a mishap of her turning to scold Isagi.

Yukimiya grinned sheepishly, “You’re doing it again. Spacing out.”

Y/N dropped her hands, “Sorry Yuki, I–” Y/N’s eyes widened, “Again? Did you just say ‘again’?”

Yukimiya grinned wider, his orange-tinted eyes shining, “Miss me?”

Y/N jumped up from her seated position, “Holy shit, it worked!” Y/N promptly swung her leg at Isagi, kicking him in the arm, “And you dare doubt me!”

Isagi raised his hands defensively, “You got lucky. There’s no way we can guess every player’s significant moment.”

Y/N deflated as fast as she had stood up from the ground, “You’re right.” She ran her fingers through her hair, “This sucks ass.”

“Um… what?” Yukimiya peered up at Y/N from the ground.

Y/N smiled and gave his head a pat, “Isagi-chan will explain to you.” She walked towards the door and gave Isagi a slight wave, “I’m out.”

“Hey!” Isagi sat up straighter, “Why am I the one explaining?”

“Because Hiori isn’t here right now and I’m going to P.X.G.”

Isagi’s posture slouched slightly, “I see.” He gave Y/N a smile, “Good luck.”

Y/N nodded and left.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Loki narrowed his eyes as Y/N slipped into the P.X.G. training center, “Finally joining us?”

“What?” Y/N stopped in her tracks.

“Ego said you were the physical therapist here at Blue Lock,” Loki raised an eyebrow, “And that you would be attending to different teams each day. Seems like you’ve been everywhere except with us. Hate P.X.G. that much?”

Y/N gulped. She had no way to refute his words because it was true—Y/N had been avoiding entering the P.X.G. stratum ever since her encounter with Rin last week.

But just now, her miracle workings with Yukimiya had given her the confidence she needed to knock some sense back into Rin.

“Sorry.” Y/N muttered.

Loki looked at Y/N for a moment and then laughed, “I’m just teasing. No need to look so down. The players are going to start training soon, let’s go.”

Y/N smiled awkwardly and followed Loki. She turned her head looking around the familiar P.X.G. halls.

It’s been a while.

Y/N stepped onto the training field where the players were warming up. Her eyes immediately found Rin, who was stretching next to Nanase. He looked up and froze briefly when his eyes met Y/N’s.

In a flash, his gaze returned back to the grass in front of him as if he hadn’t seen Y/N in the first place.

Y/N pursed her lips and plopped down onto the bench on the side of the field. What exactly was Rin’s significant moment from the 13th regression?

She hoped it was related to her—it would be easier for her to narrow down their special moments, but a part of her wondered: what if Rin’s significant moment isn’t related to me at all?

Then things would get hard.

Y/N’s stomach grumbled as she watched the P.X.G. players practice their drills. She had been so excited to update Ego on her theory that she had forgotten about breakfast.

She pouted her lips and sank down on the bench, leaning onto the wall, hand over her stomach. Her eyes followed Rin as he moved across the field, still as precise as ever.

Y/N smiled, watching the familiar practice of the P.X.G. players. She couldn’t help but admire Loki’s genius in creating a two-striker system. Neither system was inferior to the other, with Rin and Shidou both displaying amazing play styles while Charles accommodated both of them.

Y/N’s smile faltered and she looked down at her hand pressed over her stomach. Earlier, when her stomach grumbled, she had assumed it was her hunger, but now she realized it was something else entirely—it wasn’t her stomach at all.

Drip.

Y/N gripped the fabric of her shirt above her abdomen in horror.

“No way.” She murmured, “I totally forgot.”

“Forgot what?”

Y/N’s eyes flickered upwards. Rin was standing a little ways from her, drinking from his water bottle. The other players were making their way towards the exit—towards where Y/N was sitting.

She held her breath and crossed her legs tightly, glancing at Rin, “Nothing.”

Shidou shot Rin a raised eyebrow as he took a seat next to Y/N, “Y/N-chan! Nice to see you finally at the P.X.G. stratum. I almost thought you didn’t want to take care of us.”

“Yeah,” Y/N grumbled, “I heard.” She shot Loki a pointed glance.

Shidou pouted his lips and looked Y/N up and down, “Have we met before?”

Y/N’s eyes widened, “What makes you say that?”

Shidou shrugged, “Dunno. You seem chill.” He stood up and offered Y/N a hand, “Let’s go get lunch!”

Y/N gritted her teeth and forced out a smile, “I’m okay. I’m going to sit here for a while and… admire the view.” Y/N stared awkwardly into the boring field.

“I’ll admire it with you.” Shidou moved to sit down.

“No!” Y/N practically screeched. She cleared her throat, “I mean—it’s okay, really. I’ll be with you in a sec.” She crossed her legs tighter.

“Sure.” Shidou shrugged and grabbed his water bottle before walking out behind the rest of the players.

Rin lingered behind.

Y/N shot Rin a curious glance, but didn’t say anything.

“Have we met before?”

Y/N’s heart beat fast as she blinked at Rin, “Does it feel that way?”

Rin narrowed his eyes, “I don’t really know.”

Y/N nodded slowly, “Um… great. I guess.”

She winced. Had it ever been this awkward between the two of them?

“You’re not gonna go get lunch?”

Y/N shook her head, “Admiring… the view.” She felt her lip curl as she looked out into the field.

A snort.

Y/N’s eyes shot over to Rin’s face, “Are you laughing?”

“No.” Rin’s face showed no change in emotion.

Y/N blinked a couple of times, trying to comprehend what she had just heard. Even in her 13th regression, Rin had never made such an amused noise.

She smiled at the thought.

“Stop thinking whatever you’re thinking, weirdo.”

“You used to call me that.” The words escaped from Y/N’s mouth before her brain could react.

“What?” Rin looked offended.

“Nothing.” Y/N waved her hands in front of her face frantically, “I was talking about someone else.”

They stared at each other in silence, awkward tension filling the space between them—words yearning to be spoken, but never leaving Y/N’s lips.

“So, what’s up with you?” Rin made a vague gesture in Y/N’s direction.

“What do you mean?” Y/N squeaked in surprise, folding her hands subtly over her light blue shorts.

“You’re pale as a fucking ghost.”

Y/N gave a grim smile, “That’s because you scare me.”

She had meant it as a joke, but from the way Rin’s face hardened, she could tell that he hadn’t gotten the joke.

Y/N sighed, exasperated, “Ugh. I’m joking. I just…” She could feel her face heating up, “I’m dealing with female… stuff.”

She buried her face behind her hands in embarrassment. Her ramblings had sounded stupid when Shidou confronted her, but in reality she just hadn’t wanted to stand up from the bench while other people were present since she was pretty sure there was a stain.

“Oh.” Rin looked as embarrassed as Y/N felt.

Silence filled the air once more.

Y/N shifted uncomfortably, “Sorry, but could you leave?”

Rin jolted, “Yeah, sorry, sorry.” He turned to pack up his belongings.

Y/N let out a relieved breath, closing her eyes and leaning her head back onto the wall. Once Rin left, she would be able to scoot her way back to her room and change her shorts.

A warm cloth dropped onto her legs and her eyes flew open.

She stared down at the jacket that Rin had just dropped over her legs. Y/N looked up.

“Use it, or don’t. I don’t care.” Rin was avoiding her eyes as he continued to pack up.

Y/N gave him a grateful smile that he couldn’t see, “Thanks, Rin-chan.”

Rin flinched at the addressment, but it was so brief that Y/N wondered if she had just imagined it.

He stood up and walked out the door without another word.

Y/N hesitantly lifted the jacket from her thighs, bringing it closer to her face as she caught a whiff of Rin’s comforting scent.

She stood up, Finally!, and wrapped the jacket around her waist, hurrying off the field in search of Anri for some pads.

Chapter Text

“What are you doing?” Rin eyed Y/N suspiciously as she slid into the seat next to him in the cafeteria. 

“Eating lunch.”

Rin raised an eyebrow before continuing to poke at his salad. Y/N stared down at her own lunch with zero interest.

The past few days, she had been all over the 5 stratums, trying to reawaken everyone’s memories. Surprisingly, the next players’ to regain their memories were Chigiri and Kunigami.

Chigiri had tackled Y/N in a hug when she entered the Manshine living quarters a few days ago. He explained that after meeting up with Kunigami in secret the night before, he had suddenly remembered everything.

However, no amount of prying on Y/N’s part would get Chigiri to spill the exact moment his memories reawakened. 

“What are you meeting up with Kunigami in secret for?” Y/N punched at Chigiri’s arm.

He averted his gaze and muttered, “None of your business.”

Later that day at dinner, Kunigami made a passing comment to Y/N as she walked past him, “Oh, you’re back.”

Y/N had given him a surprised look, unable to figure out what had happened. 

Now as she replayed yesterday’s events in her head, Y/N came to the conclusion that Kunigami and Chigiri must’ve had the same significant moment in the 13th regression.

Y/N suppressed a smile. That must mean they met up secretly during the original 30 days without anyone’s knowledge.

“What’s got you smiling like a creep?” Rin stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth.

Y/N glared at him, “That’s a great way to start a conversation, Rin-chan.”

She noticed him flinch again, a movement that Y/N had come to notice whenever she called him “Rin-chan”. Y/N made a point of emphasizing her use of the honorific, in hopes that Rin’s flinching meant she was somewhat close to uncovering his significant moment.

The past few days had also been a huge brainstorming session for Y/N. Whenever a player regained their memories, they would sneak  out of their stratum at night to meet with Y/N and the others in the Team V lavatory.

That was where she had explained her notice of Rin’s flinch when she addressed him and Bachira had suggested that Y/N make a pointed effort of using the honorific.

“What else would we even talk about?” Rin asked.

“Well…” She took out Rin’s neatly folded jacket from her bag, “First, I need to return this to you.” 

Rin took his jacket without a word and set it on the table next to him, “Now what?”

Y/N held up her hand, “I’m a ring hoarder. And I’ve noticed that you have a ring hung around your neck.”

This had been Hiori’s suggestion to bring up the rings. Y/N knew that Hiori was deemed the best listener in Blue Lock and had confided in him with all of the most notable interactions between her and Rin.

“But what’s the point of me trying to remember all these interactions if his significant moment isn’t related to me? Y/N sighed.

Hiori had patted Y/N’s shoulder, “Oh trust me, It’s definitely related to ya. Asking about the rings will be a good start.”

Rin pulled the chain out of his shirt, “You noticed?”

Y/N nodded, “I’m a noticer.”

“Uh-huh.” Rin inspected the ring hanging off the chain.

Y/N followed his fingers as he twisted the chain around in his hands, getting a 360 degree view of the spoon ring. Mindlessly, he pushed the ring onto his pinky finger. Y/N’s eyes darted up to Rin’s face.

It looked slightly concerned.

“So…” Y/N started, “Where did you get this… ring-chain… thing?”

Rin finally looked up from the ring, his face unreadable, “I don’t remember.”

Y/N faked a laugh, her heart sinking a little, “Nothing at all?”

Rin dropped the ring and roughly pushed his fingers through his hair, “How come when I’m with you, you’re always asking me questions that I don’t know the answer to?” He exhaled sharply, “This is fucking frustrating.”

Y/N stabbed at the rice on her plate, her eyes locked onto Rin’s, “Can you… try?” Y/N’s quivering voice was betraying her stoic face, “Try to remember?”

Rin scoffed, “You don’t think I’ve tried already? I have.” He placed his hands behind his neck and leaned back on the chair, “But I don't. And so all I’m left with is excess stress that I really don’t need.”

Rin clenched his jaw and stared up at the ceiling in silence. Y/N’s eyes trailed down from his face to the ring still hanging outside of jersey. She reached out, wanting to give it a home on her middle finger, but stopped herself.

Instead, she tucked the ring and chain back underneath Rin’s shirt.

Rin lowered his head and stared at Y/N’s hand hovering over his chest. Then, he slowly looked up at Y/N as she stood up.

“Sorry.” Y/N picked up her tray, “I didn’t mean to stress you out.” She pushed her chair back in and packed her lunch into a to-go box to carry back to her room.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Fail.” Y/N gave a frustrated sigh as she kicked her legs in the edge of the pool.

Her menstrual cycle hadn’t completely finished yet and she wanted to avoid turning the pool red by getting into the water.

“It’s alright, you can try something else.” Hiori consoled Y/N.

Bachira backstroked in the water before Y/N, “Hm… have you and Rin-chan kissed?”

Y/N could feel heat climbing up her neck, “Why do you ask?”

Bachira stopped swimming and righted himself, “Just wondering. You seem like you’d be Rin-chan’s first kiss, if you even kissed at all.”

“Oh,” Y/N stared down at the turquoise ring on her finger, “We have. And yes, it was his first—mine too—but I can’t just go up to him and steal a kiss.”

“Why not?” Bachira shrugged.

Y/N snorted, “Nice try, any other options?”

Chigiri made his way through the water, pulling at Kunigami’s arm, “Isn’t he a horror movie fiend or something?”

Y/N gasped, “Oh, you’re right!” She smiled, “I’ll convince him to watch The Shining with me again!”

Bachira shuddered, “That’s horrifying.”

Isagi tilted his head, “But what’s the point in trying that ? It might just be my opinion, but it doesn’t really seem significant enough to revive any memories.”

“But it’s not the movie itself.” Y/N’s eyes were shining, “It’s the physical act of watching the movie. During the 2 week break, it was kind of our way of bonding.”

Isagi nodded slowly, “That might work then.”

“Would Rin even agree to that?” Nagi yawned.

“I’ll find a way to convince him.” Y/N smiled.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Rin-chan!” Y/N smiled as Rin opened the door of the P.X.G. living quarters.

Rin stared at Y/N in neutral surprise, “What are you doing here?”

Y/N pulled out her phone and flashed Rin the screen displaying The Shining ’s movie poster, “Let’s watch a movie together!”

“Why should we?” Rin crossed his arms.

“Why not?” Y/N grinned.

“But–”

“No ‘buts’!” Y/N hooked her hand onto Rin’s elbow, “And don’t say you don’t want to or whatever because that’s a lie.” She ad-libbed the last word with a sing-song voice.

“I don’t.” Rin muttered. But he let Y/N drag him towards the monitor rooms.

They came to a stop in front of the blacked out monitor screens that were usually used for players to observe other teams’ matches.

“Why are we here?” Rin glanced around and took a seat in the middle of the floor.

“To watch the movie.” Y/N said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She walked over to the tangled mess of cables near the speakers.

“Here?” Rin raised his eyebrows.

“Yup!” Y/N traced a finger across each wire, trying to determine which one was connected to which.

“Is that even possible?”

Y/N turned her head to look at Rin, “Oh, stop worrying, would you?” She held up an adapter she had found in Anri’s office a few days ago, “Anything is possible with this.”

“Where did you get that ?” Rin had an impressed look on his face.

“Stole it from Anri-san.”

“Sorry, what?” Rin looked slightly horrified, “Stole?”

Y/N laughed, “Stole. Borrowed. Whatever. I’ll return it later.”

“What’s the point of committing crimes to watch a stupid movie?” Rin grumbled.

Y/N gave a small smile and attached the adapter to her phone, “It’s worth it for you.” She whispered.

The movie began to play and Y/N made her way towards the door.

Rin looked back at her, “What are you doing now? Bringing me here just to ditch me?”

“I have something I need to grab, I’ll be back in a jiffy.” Y/N turned and speedwalked to the kitchen.

She had figured, just in case the movie idea didn’t work out, she could hit two birds with one stone by testing out another pivotal interaction between her and Rin.

Y/N grinned as she walked through the kitchen doors, the rice cooker steaming with the fresh aroma of jasmine. Next to it, a fresh pot of tea was brewing.

She grabbed a large wooden spoon from the dishwasher and tucked it under her chin. With her right hand, Y/N unplugged the rice cooker and stacked two bowls on top of it. With the other hand, she reached for the handle of the pot.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Oh, what the hell?” Rin got up from his seated position and rushed over to Y/N as she entered the door, “What’s all this?”

“Erm.” Y/N grinned sheepishly, “Food?”

Rin looked unimpressed as he snatched the spoon out from under Y/N’s chin. Y/N gulped as his fingers slightly brushed her neck. But Rin turned away, and the moment disappeared with him.

Y/N looked up at the monitor, “Why did you pause it? I said I would be quick.”

Rin tensed up slightly, “Whatever. I didn’t want you to ask questions about things you missed.” He pressed play on Y/N’s phone.

Y/N took a seat on the floor, placing the rice cooker and bowls between her and Rin, “I’ve already watched the beginning. You didn’t have to worry about that.”

“How was I supposed to know?”

Y/N opened her mouth, and then shut it again.

Rin furrowed his eyebrows as he sat next to her, “Ochazuke?”

Y/N smiled, “Yep. Figured you’d like it.”

Rin sighed and turned to look back at the screen.

Y/N worked carefully, eyeing the screen every so often, mostly just listening to the movie. She carefully scooped some rice into a bowl and poured some green tea into the bowl, completely dousing the fresh jasmine scent in a warm, leafy aroma.

“Here.” Y/N handed the bowl to Rin.

Rin took it, staring at it suspiciously.

Y/N smiled, “No poison. Promise.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking it.”

Rin gave Y/N an odd look, “You like to assume things about me.”

“Am I wrong, though?” Y/N nudged Rin’s arm.

Rin shifted away from Y/N’s elbow as he pursed his lips, “What exactly are you trying to do? Making me watch this movie, and now, feeding me?”

Y/N tilted her head towards Rin, “Do you not like it?”

Rin swallowed, “I… didn’t say that.”

“Exactly.” Y/N cracked a grin, “Just let me pamper you.”

“Pamper?” Rin looked perplexed as he whipped his head around to gawk at Y/N.

Y/N chuckled and pushed his chin back to face the screen, “Watch the movie, not me.”

“I–” Rin let out a huff and stuffed a scoop of rice into his mouth. His eyebrows gave a slight shift upwards as he chewed.

Y/N sneaked a few glances at Rin before pulling her knees to her chest and resting her chin on her knees. It had been quite the day and Y/N wasn’t exactly getting good sleep these days with the looming deadline of her death. Her eyes began to droop as twin girls appeared on screen.

Oh… I watched this scene with Rin before…

Y/N’s head nodded forward.

Just a little nap should be fine…

Chapter Text

Y/N sprang up to a sitting position in her bed, looking around frantically. When had she gotten here?

She searched her mind, coming up completely empty. It seemed as if she had completely blacked out in the monitor room last night. No dreams, no stirring, nothing.

Wait, the monitor room?

Y/N looked down. She didn’t usually move around much in her sleep, so there was still evidence that someone had taken great care to tuck her in last night.

“Rin.” Y/N murmured, a smile on her lips.

Perhaps he was warming up to her.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Barou!” Y/N peaked her head into the Ubers gym.

“Who’re you?” Barou eyed her in the mirror.

Y/N gave a shrug, “The weird girl from the cafeteria a while back. Remember?”

Barou scowled, “Whatever. Stop disturbing me.”

“I’ll be right out of your hair.” Y/N promised. She held up a packet of red dye, “Although, not really. I noticed your dye is fading. Want me to retouch?”

Barou froze and slowly turned to face Y/N, “How did you get your hands on that? Aiku was the one who dyed my hair.”

A beat.

“What?” Y/N took a slow inhale.

Y/N had known that her presence would be erased from the players’ memories, but she hadn’t expected that she would be replaced as well.

Hm, Y/N realized, It’s kind of like the Mist in Percy Jackson. People only see what they want to see. Here, people only remember what makes sense to them.

Y/N nodded. Her empty presence had been filled by Aiku to make sense in Barou’s brain.

“What are you nodding for? I asked you a question.” Barou huffed.

“I’m nodding because…” Y/N smiled, “... We should get those roots touched up before your game against Manshine in a few days! Don’t you agree?”

“Hmph. Speak for yourself.”

Y/N instinctively reached for her own hair, pulling at her extremely overgrown bleached roots, “I’ll worry about me later.”

She slowly backed out of the room and was proud to see Barou packing his things to follow her.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N had wanted to find Rin first thing in the morning, but she decided to let that desire fall to the side when she passed the Ubers stratum.

Barou had told her in the 13th regression that she reminded him of his sisters. That had to be significant to some extent, didn’t it?

Y/N had booked it back to her room to find the leftover dye from the last time she treated Barou’s hair. 

Now, she stood in a familiar spot in the Uber’s lavatory, preparing the bleach for Barou’s hair.

“That smell is wretched.” Barou complained, wrinkling his nose.

“Since we’re just touching up the roots, it’s a lot less than last time.”

“... Last time?”

Y/N pressed her lips into a thin line, Please let this work so I can stop sounding mentally unstable.

She combed through Barou’s hair with familiarity. Y/N pursed her lips with jealousy at his silky hair. 

“Why do you gel your hair?” she asked.

“Why do you care?”

“Just curious.”

Barou closed his eyes, “I just like it like that. I’m taller.”

“Aren’t you tall enough already?”

“I’m missing three centimeters.”

A snort slipped from Y/N, “Oho! I see, you want to be the same height as Mr. Genius over there in Manshine.”

“Shut it!” Barou barked.

Y/N stifled her laughter, barely, as she continued to brush the bleach onto Barou’s hair.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“All done.” Y/N lifted Barou’s head up from the bucket and gave it a small twist to get rid of excess water.

Barou squinted his eyes at his reflection, “I can’t see shit.”

Y/N laughed aloud, “You had the exact same reaction last time.”

“What the fuck are you talking about—’last time’ this, ‘last time’ that.”

Y/N swallowed her laugh, “Erm, how about I dry your hair, it’ll be more noticeable then.”

She turned on the dryer and began to shift through sections of Barou’s hair, being careful not to get her rings caught in his hair. Y/N had begun to dry the last section of hair with the highlights when Barou reached up a hand and caught her wrist.

“Hm?” Y/N turned the dryer to a lower setting.

Barou slowly turned his head, his eyes wide, “Why the hell are you back?”

The whirring of the dryer filled the silence as Y/N registered his words. She gasped in delight and threw her arms open, “You got your memories back! It worked!”

Barou held up a hand to stop Y/N from hugging him, “Save it.” Y/N lowered her arms. “And what worked?”

Y/N shook her head and smiled, “Meet me and everyone else at the Team V lavatory later. I’ll have someone else explain. I’m too lazy.” Y/N wiped her hands dry and walked towards the door, “Plus, I have somewhere I need to be.”

“Team V lavatory again? Why should I?”

Y/N waved a hand, “Your choice.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N felt as if she had been running all over the place today. When she finally walked into the P.X.G. stratum, she was winded.

“Why’s the facility so big?” Y/N grumbled, “It looked so much smaller in the anime.”

“What are you rambling about?” Y/N turned to see Rin sitting on the floor with a towel draped across one shoulder. He was meditating—eyes closed.

“Oh!” Y/N smiled, “I was looking for you.”

“Me?” Rin opened one eye.

“Yep.” Y/N took a seat in front of Rin, “I’m sorry I fell asleep yesterday.”

Rin scoffed, “Why’d you drag me there if you were just gonna fall asleep?”

“I haven’t been getting the best sleep.” Y/N admitted.

Ever since Isagi had helped her solidify her theory, she had been up late into the early hours of morning, jotting down any and all interactions she could recall with Rin. The list wasn’t exactly short, and Y/N wasn’t exactly great with her memory either.

“Annoying.” Rin commented.

Y/N raised an eyebrow, “So it was you who took me back to my room?”

“Who else would it be, NPC?”

“I have a name.”

Rin shut his eyes once more and ignored her.

“Thank you though, Rin-chan.”

Y/N stood up to leave. She had wanted to see whether Rin had regained his memories since last night, but it was so evident that he hadn’t that she didn’t even need to ask.

She looked down at Rin’s relaxed state on the floor. His face was smoothed of his usual concentrated look, making him look almost ethereal. It reminded Y/N that despite everything Rin had gone through and was going through, he was still only 16.

So young, yet he…

Y/N bit her cheek as she backed away from Rin. 

I’ll find a way to stop it this time. I have to.

Y/N reached the entryway and looked back at Rin.

I’ll find a way for you to remember… me… us… everything.

“Y/N.” Y/N’s eyes met with Rin's in surprise. He stretched his arms above his head, “Take care of yourself. Don’t sleep so late.”

Y/N drew in breath, “Yeah, thanks Rin-chan.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

“Fail.” Y/N punched at the water with her fist, “More fails.”

Isagi swam over, “Well, it’s not completely a fail since I see Barou here.”

Barou turned at the sound of his name, “I’m still looking for an explanation here.”

“I’ll do it.” Chigiri offered.

Y/N nodded and turned her attention back to the water in front of her, “I swear I’ve tried so many things already—there’s just no way I’m a part of Rin’s significant moment.”

“Didn’t ya only try one thing—the movie?” Hiori raised an eyebrow.

Y/N shook her head, “No. It wasn’t just one—I tried three.”

“Three?” Nagi shot Y/N an impressed glance, “You're fast.”

“Eh…” Y/N scrunched her face, “It kind of just happened. I recreated the movie moment, as we planned. At the same time, I made ochazuke for him to replicate our first day in my 13th regression.”

“Hitting two birds with one stone, I see.” Hiori nodded.

“Exactly.” Y/N smiled, “The third one happened by accident. I fell asleep sometime during the movie and Rin ended up taking me back to my room.”

“That happened in the 13th regression too?” Bachira tilted his head. He smiled to himself, “Hm. Interesting.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow at Bachira and then nodded, “I think it was the first day we all gathered in the Team V lavatory.” She laughed, “I remember Isagi trying to keep stark-naked Bachira under wraps.” Y/N turned to Hiori, “And wasn’t that the first time we talked? With Chigiri too.”

Hiori nodded, “Those days were quite nice. I miss ‘em.”

Y/N sighed, “Those days were nice. How did I get to where I am now?” She frowned.

Isagi wrapped an arm around Bachira, “Hey, look on the bright side. Three trials down means you’ve narrowed down your options!”

Bachira leaned his head against Isagi’s neck, “Don’t worry, Y/N. We’ll do whatever it takes.”

Suddenly, Bachira and Isagi were broken apart by Barou who had placed a hand on each of their shoulders trying to come forward.

“You’re gonna die?” Barou spat, “How is that fair?”

Y/N’s mouth was slightly agape at Barou’s reaction. It seemed that Chigiri had just finished explaining the consequences of Y/N’s current predicament. 

Y/N took in the scene before her.

Chigiri’s apologetic face peeked out from behind Barou’s perplexed face.

Kunigami was at the other end of the pool, unbothered by what was happening. 

Isagi and Bachira looked like wet dogs, having just been dunked into the water under the weight of Barou’s hands. 

Hiori looked amused and Nagi was playing games on his phone.

A laugh erupted from Y/N’s mouth.

“Are you seriously laughing right now?” Barou barked.

Y/N laughed harder. Hiori joined in. Soon, Isagi and Bachira were clutching onto each other in giggles as Chigiri chuckled while patting Nagi’s shoulder. Y/N was pretty sure she saw Kunigami crack a smile too.

“Am I missing something?” Barou frowned, “Are you guys playing with me? Is this a joke?”

“No, no, no.” Y/N waved her hands in front of her, “Everything Chigiri told you is true, it’s just… We are one ridiculous group, aren’t we?”

She laughed some more, supporting herself with the edge of the pool.

Barou let out a sigh as he eyed the laughing maniacs around him,  “ ‘Ridiculous’ for sure.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Despite Bachira’s reassurance that Y/N had some relation to Rin’s significant moment, each passing interaction with him drained her belief of that being true.

In her mind, it made sense that she wasn’t a part of Rin’s significant moment.

But she knew who it could be.

Y/N scrolled through her contacts, relieved that the number she had obtained during the 2 week break was still saved into her phone.

She could only hope that he would answer.

Y/N hummed slightly to the sound of her phone ringing. Given that he didn’t have his memories of the 13th regression, he most likely wouldn’t answer. Then, Y/N would have to think of something else.

The line connected.

Y/N stared down at her phone in shock.

“Hello?” A gruff voice said.

“Sae Itoshi.” Y/N swallowed, startled by his voice, “May we talk?”

Chapter Text

A familiar cold breeze blew through Y/N’s hair. She looked around. 

When did I get outside the Blue Lock facility?

Y/N furrowed her brows in confusion as she walked around the lawn. The last thing she remembered: she had been in her room and then…

“Oh,” Y/N’s voice felt far away, “I’m in a dream again.” Her hand shot to her throat in surprise, “ Huh?”

Y/N hadn’t dreamed ever since she had returned to Blue Lock.

Now, there was no denying it: she was in a dream state again, but in control of her own body. The sensation was foreign—being in control of her own body for once.

Y/N placed a hand on a nearby tree to steady herself, only for her hand to pass right through the trunk. 

She stumbled in shock and looked at her hands in betrayal, “ What the fuck?”

“What are you doing?”

Y/N turned her head upward at the sound of… her own voice? She squinted up at what seemed to be a human figure on the roof. She immediately knew what was happening.

“Leave me alone.” Rin called inward from the edge of the roof.

Y/N took a hesitant step forward as the conversation unfolded the same way it had in her 12th dream. Her 12th regression.

Why am I down here? Why am I not inside my own body? What is going on?

Nothing seemed to have changed from the conversation that passed between Rin and Y/N in the 12th regression, but it had been so long since that 12th dream that Y/N wasn’t even sure if she could trust her own ears.

Rin’s voice was barely audible over the heavy winds , “I’m sorry, but please just turn around and pretend like you never saw this.”

Was it just Y/N, or were the winds picking up? She moved forward, knowing what would happen next.

One second, Rin was standing on the edge of the roof, the next, he was dangling from it. Y/N squinted up at the roof, the wind showing no mercy in obscuring her vision with involuntary tears.

She could just barely make out herself, clinging onto Rin’s hand. Y/N looked at her teary-eyed self, feeling strangely ill.

It felt wrong to be staring up at herself. At someone who was supposed to be her. But here she was.

Rin’s fingers slipped from Y/N’s grasp and he plummeted downwards from the roof of the facility. Y/N ran forward without thinking.

As if she could do something to stop Rin’s death.

As if she wasn’t literally intangible.

As if this could change anything.

The turbulent winds built up as Y/N ran towards the spot that Rin was plunging towards. Her hair was flailing violently, whipping at her face like blades 

Time seemed to slow as Y/N reached a hand out for Rin, knowing that even if she made it to the spot in time, he would probably fall right through her very not-tangible arms.

But he didn’t.

Y/N’s hand made contact with his back as her knees crashed onto the ground. Rin’s head collapsed onto Y/N’s arm as they dropped to the grass together.

Y/N’s eyes were foggy from the combination of tears from the harsh winds and tears from the sharp pains stabbing into her kneecaps. The winds began to die down and Y/N’s tears seemed to evaporate. She tried to focus on Rin’s face.

Except, it wasn’t Rin anymore.

Y/N felt her body solidify as her grasp on the body before her became more tangible. The recognizable sensation of not being in her own body engulfed her as she looked down into two dull yellow eyes.

It was a familiar face.

“Ego…” Noa’s eyes looked exhausted as they tried to keep open.

Y/N’s body, or rather, Ego’s body hunched over Noa’s, “Was I too late?” Ego’s voice sounded from Y/N’s lips.

“No.” Noa smiled, “You’re never too late.”

Ego’s voice was steady, but Y/N could tell that it had a fearful edge to it, “I can try again. It’ll work. I just need another chance.”

Noa raised a hand to pat Ego’s shoulder. Y/N tensed internally.

“Don’t. I know you’re tired.”

“I’m not.” Ego’s voice protested, “I’ll do it again. I’ll try again… One more time…”

Y/N blinked and suddenly, Noa was gone and Rin was back.

Y/N found her voice again, “Rin?” Her body was back in her control.

Rin didn’t answer. Or maybe he couldn’t.

Y/N didn’t want to know the answer. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes, not wanting to look at the state of Rin’s mangled body splayed across her lap. She couldn’t tell if he was breathing or not, only the sound of her own breathing was present in the eerily silent night.

The winds began to pick up again, slowly but surely, engulfing Y/N’s vision with nothing but tears.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N choked, gasping for air as she clawed her way to a sitting position in her bed. 

Was that Noel Noa? And Ego Jinpachi? What the hell? What kind of weird dream was that? Was that a dream at all?

The ill feeling in her stomach still hadn’t left and she felt like hurling. Y/N threw back the covers and made a beeline for the door, barely managing to grasp onto the handle before a sharp pain in both of her knees brought her to the ground.

Y/N clutched onto the door handle for dear life, not daring to look down at her knees.

“No way…” she muttered, slowly turning her gaze towards the direction of her knees.

Each knee presented a mockingly beautiful shade of purple, tinged with a matte pink on the sides.

Y/N let out an apprehensive laugh, “No… fucking… way…”

“What’s wrong?”

Y/N looked up at the door that had opened as a result of her weight on the handle, “Yuki?”

Yukimiya pushed his glasses up, “Why’re you on the ground?” He caught sight of Y/N’s knees, “Oh my– What happened?”

Y/N shifted uncomfortably on the floor, “Would you believe me if I said I got hurt in a dream?”

Yukimiya’s mouth fell slightly open before snapping shut again, “Weirdly enough, yes.” He bent down next to Y/N, “Need help?”

Y/N nodded, “Yeah, if you could find a wheelchair or something that would be grea–!”

Her words caught at her throat as Yukimiya swiftly lifted her up from the floor. Y/N clutched onto Yukimiya’s arm in surprise, “Oh, you don’t have to…” Her voice died out as Yukimiya adjusted Y/N into a more comfortable position.

“It’s not a big deal. Where are you headed today?”

“P.X.G.”

Yukimiya’s eyes darkened slightly, “Still on that Rin agenda?”

Y/N nodded, “My life kinda depends on it.”

Yukimiya looked at Y/N for a long moment, his eyes unreadable. Then, he began to walk towards the P.X.G. stratum.

“So where have you been these past few days?” Y/N questioned, “You haven’t come to the Team V lavatory since that first day.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“Oh.”

Y/N didn’t try to ask any more questions the rest of the way to P.X.G. 

Yukimiya walked into the empty living quarters, “Seems like everyone’s gone for the match today.”

“In that case, could you take me to the monitor room?” 

Yukimiya walked over to the monitor room and set Y/N on the middle of the floor in front of the screen. P.X.G. and FC Barcha were walking onto the field. 

Y/N’s eyes followed Bachira as he walked out, stretching his arms above his head with a smile on his face. Rin was standing opposite to Bachira, stretching out his calves.

“I’ll just leave you here then.” Yukimiya walked towards the door, “See you, Y/N.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Y/N had her knees hugged to chest as she watched the match proceed. Every so often, she would use the remote to switch over and observe the Ubers v. Manshine game.

She frowned as she watched Nagi’s plays on the field. In her world, everyone was so fixated on Nagi’s downfall being saved by a hattrick in his final match, but for some reason, Nagi’s demeanor in person seemed heavily messed up.

“There’s no way Kaneshiro would actually eliminate Nagi…” Y/N mused. “...Would he?” 

“Who’s Kaneshiro?”
Y/N’s eyes widened at the familiar voice. She hadn’t heard it in a good while. She turned to face the doorway, “Sae Itoshi.”

Sae tilted his head ever so slightly, “Y/N.”

A few days ago when Y/N had called Sae, she had offered no explanation to anything and just begged him to come visit Blue Lock for the sake of his brother. Even though it seemed that Rin wasn’t exactly sprinting to the roof in his free time, Y/N selfishly hoped that Sae’s presence would rekindle Rin’s memories before anything worse happened.

Sae hadn’t questioned anything and just accepted Y/N’s plea. She hadn’t thought about it until now, but it seemed weird that Sae had agreed without a fight.

Could it be?

“Sae-san…” Y/N rubbed the back of her neck, “Do you perhaps, remember who I am?”

Sae’s eyes narrowed immediately, “I have no idea who you are. I don’t remember shit.”

“Oh.” Y/N’s heart sank. So much for hoping that Sae just magically retained all his memories.

A strangled sound sounded from behind Sae. Y/N watched as Rin looked Sae up and down, a perplexed look on his face. He had just returned from the match against Barcha and it seemed that he had planned to review his plays in the monitoring room.

Rin tore his eyes away from Sae and swept a glance at Y/N. His eyes only lingered for a brief moment before finding their way back to Sae, “Why are you here?”

“To see you.” Sae answered automatically.

Rin looked at Sae with a raised eyebrow, “How… nice of you… Nii-chan.”

Sae winced slightly, “How have you been… Rin?”

“Fine.”

Y/N pulled at the hair on both sides of her face—the awkwardness between the two brothers was getting to her head.

“Where’s Shidou?” Sae asked, “I wanna say hi.”

Rin made a disgusted face, “Somewhere in the locker rooms, I have no idea.”

Sae pursed his lips, “I’ll be here for two days, so… let’s talk later okay?”

Rin nodded hesitantly.

Sae turned to leave. Y/N jumped from her seated positions, gritting her teeth at the knives dancing on her kneecaps and walked towards Sae, “Wait.”

Sae took in the sight of Y/N’s ruined kneecaps and walked forward to catch her elbow, “What?”