[Blue Lock New Generation World XI Variety Show]

Episode 1: The First Arrivals

The production crew had one simple, chaotic goal for this project:

“Show the world who the New Generation World XI really are when they’re not on the pitch.”

No managers. No coaches. No media training. Just eleven world-class football prodigies forced to live together under the watchful eyes of hundreds of hidden automatic cameras.

To prevent the living situation from devolving into immediate physical warfare, the production team decided to split the players into two separate residences: House A and House B. Crucially, the players wouldn't know who had chosen which house until they actually crossed the threshold.

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07:00 AM

Right on schedule, the heavy front gates of the compound creaked open. A sleek black sedan pulled up to the curb, and the first player stepped out into the crisp morning air.

“Itoshi Sae.”

Behind the one-way glass of the central monitor room, the production staff didn't even look surprised.

"Of course it’s him."

"He’s exactly on time."

"Not a second early. Not a second late."

Sae glanced coldly at the hidden cameras lining the driveway, his expression completely blank. A brave staff member approached him with a tray.

"Welcome, Sae-san. Please put on your wireless microphone."

Without a single word, Sae picked up the mic and clipped it onto his collar.

"Before entering the compound," the staff member continued, pointing to two digital screens, "please choose your residence."

[ HOUSE A ] or [ HOUSE B ]

Sae stared at the signs for a fraction of a second. He didn't deliberate. He didn't ask questions. He just casually pointed a finger.

"House B."

"Understood. Enjoy your stay."

The automatic front doors unlocked with a soft click. Sae pushed them open and stepped inside.

The house was massive—boasting a sprawling living room, a state-of-the-art kitchen, an expansive dining area, and several pristine bedrooms upstairs. But above all, it was completely empty. The silence was deafening.

Sae looked around, his golden eyes scanning the vacant space. "..."

No one. Not a single soul.

With a quiet sigh, he walked over to the massive plush sofa in the center of the living room and sat down. And he waited.

Five minutes passed.

Ten minutes passed.

Thirty minutes passed.

An entire hour passed.

Still, nobody else arrived.

The cameras in the monitor room slowly zoomed in on the world’s most clinical midfield genius. His posture gradually slouched. His head slowly lowered until it rested comfortably against the soft fabric of the armrest. His long eyelashes fluttered, and then, his eyes closed completely.

The editors back at the studio immediately slapped a brightly colored caption across the screen:

[ 💤 SYSTEM NOTICE: The first resident has entered sleep mode. ]

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09:02 AM

Two hours later, a second car finally arrived at the gates.

The door opened, and a tall, athletically built young man walked in. Calm and collected, he carried himself with an effortless confidence that drew everyone's attention without trying.

“Vivian Hugo.”

The monitor room instantly erupted into excited chatter.

"The brain of France!"

"The master tactician."

"The guy who literally carries a notebook to the pitch."

After politely accepting his microphone, Hugo looked around the empty courtyard. "Has anyone arrived yet?"

"Yes," the staff member replied from behind a clipboard. "Someone arrived exactly two hours ago."

Hugo didn't even pause. He let out a sudden, bright laugh. "I don’t even need to ask."

The staff member blinked. "You already know who it is?"

"Of course." Hugo clipped the mic to his shirt, a confident smirk playing on his lips. "The only person insane enough to arrive exactly at seven in the morning is Itoshi Sae."

In the monitor room, the staff practically cheered.

[ 🎯 CORRECT! ]

[ 100% ACCURACY FROM THE TACTICIAN. ]

"Please choose a house," the staff instructed, presenting the options.

Hugo looked at the two signs, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "House B."

The staff members exchanged thrilled glances. The editors immediately queued the dramatic, tension-building variety show music.

[ Alert: The second resident chooses House B! The encounter is locked in! ]

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The heavy front door of House B clicked open.

Hugo walked inside, his footsteps echoing slightly in the quiet hallway. No voices greeted him. No movement.

Curious, he walked past the foyer and turned the corner toward the main living room. He took one step inside, and immediately froze dead in his tracks.

There, stretched completely across the length of the sofa, was Itoshi Sae.

He was dead to the world. One of his arms was hanging loosely off the edge of the couch, his usually pristine, styled hair was slightly messy against the cushions, and his fierce, intimidating aura was completely gone. He looked far less threatening than he ever did on a football field.

Hugo stared for a second. Then another.

Suddenly, he slapped a hand over his mouth, trying desperately to suffocate a loud burst of laughter. "Seriously?" he whispered to himself.

The cameras zoomed in tight on Hugo’s shaking shoulders.

"You’re actually sleeping."

Sae didn’t move. Not even a millimeter.

Hugo shook his head, looking at the sleeping midfielder with a mix of pity and amusement. "He waited so long he just shut down."

The editors wasted no time adding another caption right next to Sae's head:

[ 🪫 Battery depleted. ]

Still chuckling quietly, Hugo’s eyes scanned the room and landed on a soft, neatly folded throw blanket left on a nearby armchair.

He walked over, picked it up, and tiptoed back to the sofa. With surprising gentleness for a fierce competitor, he carefully draped the blanket over Sae’s shoulders.

Sae shifted slightly, muttering something incoherent under his breath, but remained sound asleep.

Behind the scenes, the monitor room collectively lost their minds.

"HE COVERED HIM WITH A BLANKET?!"

"WHY IS THIS SO WHOLESOME?!"

"THEY’VE ONLY BEEN IN THE SAME ROOM FOR FIVE MINUTES!"

Hugo completely ignored the invisible cameras. After ensuring the blanket was secure and wouldn't slide off, he calmly sat down on the empty space of the sofa right beside Sae.

He reached into his bag and pulled out his familiar black notebook.

Flip. He turned to a fresh, blank page.

And just like that, House B fell into a peaceful, bizarre silence once again. One genius was completely knocked out, while the other sat right next to him, quietly reading his blank notes.

The cameras panned out, capturing the domestic, tranquil scene for several seconds. Neither of them moved.

The editors finally faded the scene to black, leaving one last set of definitive captions on the screen:

[ CURRENT HOUSE B STATUS: ]

[ Sleeping Beauty ✔ ]

[ Protective Nerd ✔ ]

[ NOTE: No football has been played yet. ]

***

To be continued.