Chapter Text
The crowd behind the tinted windows of the bus cheered. Although no, “cheered” is too weak a word. The crowd was rioting, literally going crazy, shouting the names of their favorites. The muffled sound of their voices reached Reo even inside the bus. It was scary to imagine what the guys who had gone up to the second floor were hearing right now. His gaze wandered thoughtlessly among the people gathered around. Many were dressed in the players' uniforms, and almost all of them had some kind of merchandise with Blue Lock's logo on it.
Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of familiar numbers, and Mikage noticed a boy proudly wearing his 14th number on his chest. Still just a child, probably an elementary school student, he stood at the very fence and waved cheerfully at the new youth team. Reo wonder if anyone in the crowd was wearing Nagi's uniform? Something inside him tightened at the thought, and Reo hurriedly turned away from the window. The seat next to him was empty: Chigiri had left with everyone else. But what if...
If Reo hadn't taken the shot himself, if he had passed to Nagi, he would surely be sitting next to him now. Although no, most likely Mikage had dragged his partner upstairs to celebrate reaching the world stage. Nagi would surely have said that he didn't need any of that and just wanted to play while he had the chance. And Reo would have ruffled his hair with a familiar gesture and assured him that he deserved something more interesting than another shooter game on his phone. Reo would have grabbed his hand, smiling broadly, and dragged him along. Of course, he wasn't going to force Nagi to do something he didn't want to do, but surely Nagi wouldn't mind going with him.
They would stand together on the second floor, Reo pulling Seishiro toward him with one hand and waving enthusiastically to the fans with the other. Chigiri would also be nearby, smiling approvingly, occasionally glancing at Nagi and rolling his eyes in feigned annoyance. After the parade, they would probably go somewhere to celebrate together. Maybe Reo would even invite Nagi to spend the night at his place. But the seat next to him was empty, and thinking about all this was really pointless.
A sudden touch on his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts. Reo flinched and looked up from the back of the front seat to the guy who had approached him.
“Everything okay?” Hyoma sat down next to him and quickly began to fix the strands of hair that had fallen out of place. “You know, you should get up too. Take your mind off things, relax, and enjoy yourself for once.”
Instead of answering, Reo just grunted and squeezed his right forearm with his left hand. The others also began to return to their seats, and the bus became noisier. Isagi looked very excited and, gesturing animatedly, chatted with the equally excited Bachira. Kunigami, apparently annoyed by this, walked past them, muttered a few words about them needing to be quieter, and sat down in his seat. Reo did not escape Chigiri's attentive gaze, which was directed at Renske. And although he had changed a lot since the flight, he was still here. It was even a little reminiscent of the second selection, when they were on the same team, except for one thing. Nagi was no longer waiting for Reo at the next stage. Nagi would no longer ask Reo to pass him a towel or help him dry his hair. Nagi would no longer play on his phone on the bed next to him after practice, rustling the blanket at night. Nagi was no longer there.
He was probably relaxing at home now, finally returning to his peaceful routine. Without Blue Lock, without soccer, without Reo. The messages Mikage had written to Nagi in the morning were still unread, but he still looked at his phone screen expectantly. Maybe Nagi didn't see them? Or, more likely, he just didn't want to reply. Yes, that's probably it. He's probably still upset about Reo's goal. If only he hadn't scored himself back then. They'd both be here now. Nagi really does have a reason to be upset. And despite what he said before leaving, he's probably glad to finally be leaving Blue Lock. Definitely. Right now, he's probably just playing something. He prefers to ignore Reo because there's nothing connecting them anymore. There's no shared dream anymore. There's no “them” anymore. Did they ever exist at all?
And yet, his chest feels heavy, as if fear has physically gripped his heart. What if Nagi really doesn't consider them friends anymore? Maybe he never did? He just allowed Reo to be around for some reason. Why? Probably Nagi can't answer that question either. Does it matter now? Is there any point in thinking about their relationship now?
“You're thinking too loudly,” Chigiri rolls his eyes at the questioning look. “Really, you don't need to think about it so much. I'm sure Nagi will be happy if you visit him. And you probably need to respond to his confession somehow.”
At the last words, Hyoma chuckles, as if he is very pleased with his idea. Reo presses his lips together, but decides to object anyway.
“Don't talk about it like that,” he says, sounding much less confident than he had hoped. “That's not a confession at all.”
“Strange, I thought you had no hearing problems, because that's what it was. Clear and obvious to everyone. What I'm getting at is that life,” Chigiri shifts his gaze to Kunigami sitting in front of him, “doesn't end with expulsion from Blue Locke.”
Reo doesn't answer and instead just checks his messages again. He squeezes his phone with cold fingers. He really wants Hyoma to be right. Because then maybe they'll have another chance.
***
Ba-ya, who met him, didn't say a word. Reo, in turn, wasn't very talkative either. He just asked to go straight home and, throwing his bag of things on the seat next to him, sat down in his usual place. The last time he rode in a limousine, Nagi was with him. They talked about soccer, the future, and other things. Reo didn't remember exactly what they talked about, but he knew for sure that he smiled and laughed sincerely.
His favorite non-alcoholic champagne was waiting for him in its usual place, but for some reason he didn't feel like opening it. Nagi liked it too, so maybe he should bring him some in a few days? Of course, he might not let anyone past the door, but it was worth a try, right? What was the worst that could happen? Even if Nagi completely ignored Reo, it wouldn't be so bad. The main thing was that Seishiro was okay. Then Reo would have no choice but to accept his loneliness. Maybe he should tell Ba-ya about his plans for tomorrow. That way, even if he changed his mind, there would be no turning back.
Lost in thought, the trip home passed quickly, and now Reo was back on his floor. The room was still as clean and too big for human habitation. It hadn't been noticeable before, but now Mikage couldn't help but remember the dormitory at Blue Lock. His bag was carelessly thrown next to the bed. They had been given two whole weeks of vacation, so perhaps he shouldn't delay sorting through his things. But he could deal with them later. Something in the room had changed, and only now did Reo realize what was bothering him.
On the shelf, next to some unusual vases and a family photo, stood a small pot with a cactus. Reo turned to Ba-ya in surprise, and she understood his question without words.
“I contacted Seishiro-sama yesterday, but he did not wish to take Choki. He asked me to take care of him a little longer.”
“I see. I will go tomorrow and try to return him myself.”
“As you wish,” Ba-ya bowed politely and finally left the room.
The bad feeling that had started on the bus now seemed to be getting stronger. Reo untied his tie, which was starting to choke him, and plopped down on the bed.
It was strange. Although you couldn't tell by looking at Nagi, Choki was dear to him. Why didn't he want to take him right away? Maybe he just wanted to rest, or maybe he was going somewhere? Could it be that Nagi intended to accept the offer he had received? Well, if there was a chance that they would meet again on the field someday, it might not be so bad. On the other hand, Nagi no longer had any reason to play soccer, did he?
The messages were still unread, and Reo had no choice but to start sorting through his belongings. The first thing he came across was a notebook with notes. “The Road to the World Cup” and just below that, “with Nagi.” The sight of the inscription made his eyes sting, and Mikage hastily wiped away his tears with his palm. That was all he needed right now. Yesterday, during the broadcast, many people had already seen his weakness. To be honest, Reo was afraid of the reactions to his tears on social media. He didn't want to see any more thoughts about Nagi ceasing to be a genius because of their union. Ego had already said enough on the subject.
Suddenly, while the notebook was still in his hands, the phone rang. The number was unknown, and under normal circumstances, Reo would have ignored the call, but for some reason he decided to answer it.
“Hello, is this Mikage Reo-san?” The voice on the other end of the line was slightly hoarse and very serious. Judging by the voice, it was an adult man. What could he possibly want?
“Yes, and you are...?”
“This is a police officer from the ○○ department. Are you acquainted with Seishiro Nagi-san?”
“Yes, has something happened?” Why would the police suddenly call Reo and ask about Nagi? What could he have done?
“I offer my deepest condolences. He was found dead today in the Hakuho High School dormitory.”
What?
No, that's not right.
What the fuck?
His heart started racing in an instant. Reo didn't know what expression was on his face, but the caller could sense his mood anyway.
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“Yesterday...” Reo replied automatically, still not fully comprehending the meaning of the words he had just spoken. “Everything was fine with him yesterday...”
The voice on the phone said something in response, but Mikage could no longer understand what he was saying. Nagi was found dead. What? Is that even possible? The ringing silence in his head drowned out the policeman's words, preventing him from forming a single coherent thought. How could anyone mention Nagi and death in the same sentence? This couldn't have really happened, could it? Why is this man saying such things? Does he think this is some kind of joke? The writing in his notebook began to blur before his eyes, and his heart seemed to race to its limit. His breathing became uneven, and he felt as if his whole body was shaking. How could this have happened?
Everything before his eyes merged into a colorful blur. Reo didn't understand what was happening around him. It seemed that the call had ended. It seemed that now he had to do something. What should he do? The police officer should have told him what to do now. But it was useless to think about it; all his words had gone in one ear and out the other.
Nagi is dead? Nagi? Dead? Found dead? Today? Nagi?
The situation had changed, and Reo apparently decided to go somewhere. He barely understood what he was doing, only repeating such strange, impossible words in his head for the hundredth time. He didn't notice how his consciousness slowly began to fade, as if an all-consuming darkness had covered him from head to toe. The silence was deafening, and the darkness before his eyes was blinding.
This isn't real, is it?
Suddenly, something around him changes, and Reo opens his eyes. The light from the spotlights hits his retinas, causing him to freeze for a moment. He hears someone shouting around him and notices a shadow covering him. The person who cast it is dressed in a blue and red striped uniform. He jumps nimbly, catching a pass aimed at Reo. He turns and runs to the opponent's goal with almost no resistance. Goal. The whistle blows, signaling the end of the match. 3-2 to FC Barcha. Manshine City suffered a crushing defeat in the league of neo-egoists.
Reo can't believe his eyes. What the hell is going on here?!