78. PARIS X GEN NEEDS YOUR HELP!

note: last chap for a while bc I have ALL of my exams whole of next week sooooo yeahjh sorry guyssssss I got 0/20 in algebra last time so I actually need to study 😜😜😜😜

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GETTING

called to Ego's office is one of the most out-of-body, terrifyingly rare things you have ever experienced. You've always been a good kid in school. You've gotten detention a maximum of three times, only for being late after dropping your two sisters off, and you've never been a disruptive child in class.

Sure, you would sometimes laugh a little too loud with your friends, or maybe forget to turn down the music in your one earbud that was always hidden behind your ear—but that was as far as your getting in trouble with the teacher ever went.

Now you understood why all of the troublemakers in your class were terrified of the principal. In your high school, he was generally a nice guy and didn't treat you too badly—you didn't understand it.

Now, you really do.

This is absolutely, indefinitely petrifying.

You think your heart might just crawl up out of your throat. Despite this, you feel a distinct sense of deja vu. You swear this has happened before, but you just can't place your finger on it.

Whatever.

You can think about it all you want later because right now, you think you might actually piss yourself. Has Ego always been this scary? You can't remember. You feel like there are hundreds of ghost hands trying to hold you back—but, against your prime instincts, you raise your knuckles and slam them against the door.

The knock is loud and resonated throughout the room. There's no way Ego hadn't heard it. You stand in front of the large steel door in silence for a few more good moments—until you hear the clicking of heels rushing up, and you take a good step back.

Just in time for the door to swing open—you're glad it hadn't hit you smack dab in the face—Anri stands, tablet clutched to her chest and a breathless expression on her face. Her lips curl upwards at the sight of you and she gestures behind her, "Hello, [name]! Thank you for coming."

You give her a small nod of acknowledgement—your eyes quickly catch sight of the elephant in the room. You assume he has a fast metabolism because with all that garbage he shovels in his face hole, he should be the size of an elephant. Ego turns around methodically slow in his spinny chair and gives you his signature blank-eyed stare you've come to be so familiar with.

"Good morning." He says, in his raspy, shrill tone. "Have you been good?" 

You don't get a chance to respond because he simply assumes for you. You're mildly offended. "Good, good. I have a request for you." And by request, he means a direct order you should do well not to deny. What a joke. "Go to the Paris X Gen strata. Now."

Well, out of everything, you really were not expecting that. Your brows furrow and you scrunch up your nose at him, "Why?"

"Do I need to provide you a reason?" You nod your head aggressively, and with a pleading look from Anri, he sighs loudly, irritably, and relents. "Shidou Ryusei and Itoshi Rin got into another... disagreement today, and Shidou Ryusei is refusing treatment from anybody except you. He was only temporarily sedated by registered electric shocks after physically assaulting a medical faculty member."

Holy shit.

This is so embarrassing.

Shidou Ryusei never fails to (unfortunately, negatively) surprise you. How shameless he is. How incredibly stupid he is. You can already feel the heat crawling up your neck and blooming onto your face. 

Maybe this is all a simulation. Nothing is actually real.

Your eyes widen and your jaw practically drops to the ground. Your look of sheer astonishment seems to communicate well to Ego, as he twirls his chair back around, slurping idly on some fatty noodles. "Now, hurry up. I don't wish to electrocute him again. The electricity bill is already high enough as it is."

You have half a mind to mention the hundreds of millions of yen he rakes in each day from the mere premise of Blue Lock TV (and not mentioning the merch), but you hold your tongue and walk out, head hung low and cheeks blaring red.

You don't want a salary cut—so you don't speak back, and the door closes shut silently behind you. You clench your fists as hard as your fingers would allow you and your knuckles grow a milky white colour.

You really do hate Shidou Ryusei sometimes.

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You shove the last roll of bandages in your bag, and with the fabric practically bursting at the seams—you are done. You wipe off imaginary beads of sweat off your forehead, and stand up, an exhausted expression on your face.

"Are you done?" Mariele looks over at you with a curious expression. You turn your head to where she's sitting on her bed, hair wet and sticking to her face. She's probably just come out of her shower, you conclude if the towel around her torso is anything to go by.

You nod, slinging the fabric strap over your shoulder. The red bag hangs by your hip. "Yeah. I'm going to leave soon—I'm not too sure when I'll be back, but I probably won't stay overnight."

Mariele nods back, a small smile on her lips. "Okay. I wish you well. I heard that Ryusei fellow is a difficult one."

You let out a loud groan. "You have no idea."

She laughs a little at your expression—but her stare switches right to an apologetic one when she sees your tired eyes. Standing up, she makes her way over to you and places a hand on your shoulder. "Don't worry about everything over here. I'll take care of everything while you're gone. Just focus on everything that's in front of you."

You stare up at her with wide eyes, and she is sparkling. Whether it be from the honeyed light that pours down on the both of you, or the droplets of water that drip down the apples of her cheeks—the stars in her eyes are glimmering, "I'll be right there, behind you. So don't worry, okay? You think too much."

You can hardly find the words in your dry mouth—but you manage to utter out, "O... Okay... I'll... I trust you."

She giggles, and so—you set out, bag slung over your shoulder, head held high and heart full of hope.

That hope diminishes as quickly as it forms when you slide your ID card across the scanner, and step inside the France stratum.

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"Oh my god—" Merodi's eyes widen when she catches sight of you—yellow irises growing twice their usual size as she runs at you. You don't even get a chance to react as she throws herself into your arms, knocking you both breathless and to the ground. "[NAME]!!!"

You could've mistaken her as a professional rugby player—if not for the signature split-dye and overtly excited expression she sported. Arms around your neck, body atop yours, and wide eyes locked with yours—Merodi grins, "YOU CAME!!! IT'S BEEN SO LONG!!!"

She squeals and your vision swirls when she shakes your shoulders back and forth. If she weren't sitting down, you'd expect her to start jumping up and down in excitement. "You're back! We have so much to catch up on!! There's so much I need to tell you!!! Oh my gosh, we should—!!!"

Her (loudly and proudly) voiced thoughts are abruptly cut short when the weight of her is removed from atop you and your vision finally starts to clear. "C'mon, that's 'nuff from ya, Merodi."

You blink a few times, squinting upwards at where the blobs of colour finally start to form a clear picture. The accented voice is familiar and so easily recognizable, but it still comes as a shock to you when Karasu is holding Merodi up by her collar like she weighs nothing.

She flings her legs around, fruitlessly trying to escape the crow's talons, "Ugh—Karasu!!! Let me go!!!" In a whiny voice, she tries to swing at the boy, but he moves his head out of the way before her black nails makes contact with his cheek.

He laughs—that familiarly condescending laugh like he's getting a kick out of this—"Heh heh. Nah."

He looks away from the fuming girl he's holding up and his crescent-mooned eyes meet yours—pearly teeth behind a sneaky grin, "Hey."

He abruptly drops the tanned girl—she falls flat on her ass and glares at him so harshly you think she's trying to explode him with her mind—and instead, holds out a calloused palm to you. You raise a brow. There's something about the swirling mischief in his bright blue eyes that makes you the least bit hesitant—but still, you take the generous offering. 

You grab his palm and he effortlessly pulls you up. He's smirking all the while you dust off your pants with your free hand, head tilted downwards to look at you. When you are done and satisfied, you look up at him and snicker a little, speaking in a teasing tone, "What a gentleman."

With his hand still linked with one of yours, he abruptly tugs you closer—you yelp while falling into him. It's all so quick and sudden that you don't even have time to process the heat that crawls up your cheeks and you stare up at him with wide eyes—he looks too damn smug for you to even consider the thought of this being an accident, "Ya know it, bunches."

You manage to compose yourself and steady your balance—pushing him away on his chest, lightly, and raising a brow, "Watch it, sneaky crow."

He raises his hand in mock defence, eyes half-lidded and smirking sly, "My bad."

Merodi's glaring holes into him as she stands up—posing tense and angry pout on her black-painted lips, "It is your bad! Why are you even here!? You were supposed to be holding down Shidou! Where's Loki?!"

"Yeah... Ego had ta shock 'im again, 'cause he got all rowdy 'n shit after hearing Ego called ya over." He gestures to you as he speaks. Karasu's hand rests on the back of his neck and he looks idly to the side. "So he's totally knocked out... again. For like... the fifth time."

A shiver flits down your spine and you hiss lowly. Goddammit, Ryusei. Why do you do this to me?

Merodi snickers, hiding her smile with her hand, "Jeez, I think this might be a record. It's only been three days after the last time, too." 

She turns to you. "That means we can hang out until he wakes up, [name]!"

"I don't think so."

This voice is so incredibly familiar, but you've never heard it speak your language before. Your eyes widen and you instantaneously snap your head behind you—seeing the familiar face of your pen pal. With a gentle smile and hands clasped behind his back, Loki speaks, "She should stay with Shidou until he wakes up. That is the reason she is here."

Merodi's mood instantly dies down, and she wilts like a flower. "Loki..."

"Melody..." He matches her tone almost teasingly—still smiling all the same. Then, his bright golden eyes flick to you, and they melt like honey. "Hello, [name]. It's been a while."

You haven't seen him since the World 5 match, and for a moment, you regret not choosing the French stratum. Perhaps he was a better coach than Noel "What's the plan, Isagi?" Noa. But you digress—you've made your decision and you should do good not to regret the past and things you cannot change.

Whatever the case may be, you settle on just being glad you get to see your dear friend again.

You don't have to force a smile onto your face this time—it comes so naturally to you. "Hello, Julian. It's nice to see you again."

He nods—you have a feeling he has something more to say, but he chooses not to speak—at least, right now. Perhaps he will tell you later, is what you conclude when he gives you a nice closed-eye smile and gestures to the hall behind him, "Right. You should see Shidou, now. I'll be looking forward to catching up with you later."

You nod, smile falling and expression growing blank, "Sure. See you later." You wave goodbye to a sulking Merodi and an expressionless Karasu. Your low-heels click as you make your way towards the medbay—stopping abruptly at the pair of double white sliding doors.

You step inside.

There is only one other soul inside the room, apart from you. Ryusei Shidou. He lay there, face unnaturally peaceful and sleeping soundly like he were the most innocent creature in the world. You can hardly see him as such a demon.

You walk forward, setting your bag down beside the seat—which, itself was beside his bed. Apart from the bruises on his bare arms, scratches across his face and blood trickling down his nose—he looks completely fine.

You let out a soft sigh, looking down at him and a hand instinctively finds its way to his spiky head of bleached blonde hair.

It falls right through, surprisingly, and you stare down at him.

Ryusei...

And you feel soft, even if just for a moment—when his lips curl up into a small smile at your touch.

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