84. EYE ON ME

note: its been a year daddy. i really really miss you. daddy says you're safe now in a beautiful place called heaven. actually im not dead. im just into transformers onb. hearing liva mewl after optimus prime for hours on end does something to a girl. anyways... i missed u all. how are you guys. 

speaking of have you seen bllk s2 . it is absolutely despicable. at least they made my man unattractive so no other hoes gon get on him... we all know im the og one and only kenyu glazer YEPPPP

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"THIS 

game is going to stretch on for a while."

These are the first words Mariele spoke to you after that outstanding performance, which was the first goal scored by none other than Isagi. Your gaze drifts to her—something you've noticed you've been doing a lot recently. 

You smile, pleasantly, "What makes you say that?"

"I can tell. Just look at them all—" She nudges her head towards the open field with all the players scattered and tense. The New Generation 11 defender, Don Lorenzo—he is chatting it up with Isagi and looks strangely comfortable considering his team is losing. In fact—he seems to be enjoying Isagi's company.

His Italian accent is heavy and prominent even when he is speaking Japanese into your ears (you think you vaguely hear him meow, but don't pay it too much mind)—and speaking of Italy—your gaze drifts towards their manager. Bianca's face is completely and utterly unreadable. It's stone and her eyes are lowered towards an uninteresting spot on the ground.

Huh.

"They all want to know what happens next. They're all itching to find out the outcome—to see whether offence is truly the best defence, or vice versa. Even our guys—if Gin had less self-restraint, he'd be bouncing off the goalpost."

You couldn't argue with that. Eyes flickering to your super-keeper, he's practically vibrating in his spot in anticipation. "I think it's good to have this much energy in a match like this—against them."

You gesture towards the Ubers' team. The whistle churns into your eardrums and the match restarts—however, Mariele has not finished saying her piece. "Definitely. But some are more eager to prove themselves than others. It might lead to small mistakes that lead into bigger ones—the real test is whether teamwork or selfishness will reign superior."

You open your mouth—but you're cut off by her smooth accent once more, "And I know that is not what Blue Lock is about, but I... can't say I'm fully convinced by your ways just yet. I want to know if you all can win—even if you're all alone." 

You blink. Once, then twice. Silently. "Yeah... Yeah... I get it. We'll... definitely show you that sometimes... selfishness can really win."

She nudges you, lightly. An almost inaudible snort escapes her thin lips and she resumes her attention to the game in front of her, "Ahaha—and I will be waiting." 

The Ubers had found their way to the front of Gagamaru and the goal he's protecting—Sendou sends a sharp pass to Barou's way. However, his shooting angle is sliced in half by the opposition of Yukimiya—and in the strangest course of events, Barou does a swift no-look pass to the side, to Niko.

Yukimiya's stunned. Gagamaru's stunned. You are stunned. To do whatever it takes to win in his own way—that is how Barou is, and always be. So, for him to pass like that—it's so out of character it almost makes you double-take.

Had everything changed this much?

He pauses, brows furrowing downwards—as if you have revealed some sort of groundbreaking secret to him. Then, he turns his head away, arms folded over his broad chest—across his jersey, starkly different to your own. "I... have nothing to say to that."

He pauses again, then continues, "... you shitty manager."

You couldn't possibly imagine Barou Shoei any other way.

And in the most twisted, unnatural turn of events—the ball slams into the net behind Gagamaru's head without mercy. The keeper had not even a split second to react to the execution and the look in Barou's red eyes—you could not describe them in any other way than predatory.

He doesn't cheer. He doesn't jump up and yell in ecstasy. In fact, he doesn't even smile. (Thinking back on it now—you don't think you've ever seen the king smile... ever). He stares back at his scattered teammates, his gaze sharp and words holding a sense of finality as he speaks, "Excellent work... Serve me, Ubers."

And a shiver runs down your spine.

"A stealthy kill shot..." Mariele muses—voice breaking you out of your pondering once more. "As expected. I can't say I imagined anybody else able to score a goal as deadly as that."

She's absolutely, wholly right. Mariele can see through his plays like an open book and you aren't too sure whether it's due to the fact she is too smart for her own good or that Barou is candid and uninhibited. Either way—you don't think it's a bad thing.

"The numbers don't lie," She taps on her tablet's screen and a small little projection of Barou appears above it, with numbers in little boxes connecting to different parts of his body—his stats—floating beside him. "Out of these two teams—maybe even of all the teams in the Neo-Egoist League—he poses the best stats to be a pure striker. Strong, yet agile—fast, and has an absolutely killer shot—if he wasn't the main striker of a team, then it is simply a waste."

You can't find the words to express your agreement, so you nod. She presses on the screen and the projection then shows a small clip of the goal that was just shot—and you can clearly see how he positions himself behind the crowd of players that formed, to keep himself blinded from Gagamaru's view.

"It's an incredibly smart and calculated move. Gin Gagamaru's reflexes are nothing to brush off, and he is aware of that—" Her gaze moves to where Bianca sits beside her coach, and you think there is the sign of a smirk threatening to form on the woman's olive skin "—they are aware of that."

She clicks her tongue, annoyed—as if she has just realised something. "I should've known."

"... What?" You place your hands flat down on your lap and stare up at her. "What did they do?"

"I thought it was strange. Barou Shoei—he's playing so differently from what he was like in the U-20 match snippets I saw. You realised this too, right?" After a curt nod from you in confirmation—she continues, "At first, I thought it was just because Isagi was no longer on his team, and therefore he had nobody to shadow. It's not just that. They—their coach and manager—are making him into a team player. They're fitting him to be a generous striker that takes what he is given and does what he can for the best of the team."

"How tepid," she huffs. "Now he truly is acting like some sort of ruler that happens to care for his subjects."

You swallow. Thick. Now that she'd mentioned it—you can't unsee it. Each step he takes is different. Each play he makes is thoughtful. Each glance—it's all a piece in a massive puzzle that Barou could not have dreamed of coming up with himself before. He is not the brains behind this—he's not even the head of this operation. 

He is simply just carrying a pre-made plan out for somebody else—and you know who that somebody is now. You send a sharp glance in the direction of their shaggy-haired master striker.

You have no more time to ponder, though, as you hear footsteps approaching in the crunchy plastic grass. 

You hand Kurona and Isagi waterbottles—sweat drips down their face and Kurona stuffs his face into a towel while mumbling some incoherent words. Isagi's voice is also a low mutter as he says his thanks to you before downing a good half-litre of water in one large gulp. 

"Don't drink too fast, now. You don't want to get a stomach ache," you reprimand him absentmindedly. He looks away, embarrassed, before turning to Kurona. The smaller, braided boy's already staring right back up at him with a flushed, tired expression.

"Crap. Crap. Hey, Isagi. How many strategies do you think Ubers have up their sleeve?"

"I dunno. But if we keep playing within their expectations, we're screwed..." Isagi hands you back the bottle with a small nod of acknowledgement and you place the half-full flask onto the seat beside you. 

"Pinch. Pinch." Kurona bites down on the inside of his cheek and flattens his lips tightly together. Yukimiya nudges Isagi and asks if he has any sort of plan—but he doesn't even get to finish his sentence before the striker's already started to speak.

"A strategy is useless if the enemy is able to predict and counter it. Remember what Noa told us before the game? The key to this game... is winning your 1v1 duels."

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[ FIVE DAYS AGO... ]

You really just happened to be passing by—it was late at night and you wanted nothing more than to, quite literally, crash out and hopefully never wake up. You were just about to enter your room—keycard in hand and jacket slung over your shoulder—when you hear heavy footsteps and catch a glimpse of bright orange.

Your head snaps around. Instinctively. Without a moment of hesitance—and you see Kunigami. He's sliding his shirt on and Isagi is running behind him—calling out to him with desperate loudness, "Wait, Kunigami! At least let me watch your training session..."

Kunigami clicks his tongue, eyes sharp over his shoulder, "... So annoying."

Your hand lingers above the keycard reader, frozen and tense. For a moment, you feel as though you are glued to the floor and cannot move an inch.

Not until you hear his voice.

"Ah. There you are." Chigiri adjusts the bag strap on his shoulder with a complacent look. Kunigami's eyes widen. "I finally found you."

Chigiri... It has really been a while. The first thing you notice is his lack of the long red hair he used to sport—it's been sliced short now. The next thing you see is the brightness of his crimson eyes.

You hadn't seen him since the Manshine match—which, admittedly, wasn't too long ago—but you were so accustomed to seeing him every day during your first and even second selection days that seeing him even once every fortnight felt foreign.

"Sup, Isagi." Chigiri walks towards the two. Despite your pause in front of your door—none of the three had seemed to notice you yet. "Sorry if I interrupted something."

"Nah, you didn't... hold on. What are you doing in the Germany stratum?" Isagi asks, visibly confused.

Chigiri jots his thumb towards Kunigami, who flinches and scowls in retaliation, "I came to see Kunigami. This guy basically ghosted me during and after the game. There's something I need to say to him..."

But he pauses when he sees Kunigami starting to walk away. His face grows blank and he sends the ginger a sneer, "Dude."

"Piss off." 

Kunigami walks into a field—soccer balls strewn all over the faux grass and his hair towel falling to the ground. Your fingers itch to go and pick it up—you've really become accustomed to the manager life, it seems. "There's nothing I have to say to you, so beat it."

"... I see." Chigiri slings his bag to the ground. "Then just listen to what I have to say. I get that you've changed, Kunigami. Your playstyle and aura is are totally different from before. But... I've changed too."

He grins, wide, and your heart twists at his words. "No matter how distant you try to act—I'll still battle you as if you're the same friend I once knew."

A new pair of footsteps start thumping through the hallway—and even with the blur that is the person rushing past—you manage to meet those golden eyes, and a shiver runs down your spine.

"Hey!" Bachira calls out, standing at the doorway. "What kind of class reunion is this without our manager? She's right over there, you know!"

"Eh?"

"Oh! Bachira!" Isagi calls out in surprise—even more so when Bachira takes ahold of your hand and drags you to the doorway, beside him. "[name]?"

Abruptly and without warning—Bachira lets go of your intertwined fingers and rushes forward, kicking a lone soccer ball directly into the face of Isagi, giggling while speaking, "Let me join too ♪!

"'Sup, Bachira! You also came to see the others?" Chigiri waves and gestures to Isagi and Kunigami behind him. 

"Yep!" He skillfully dodges a ball thrown his way by a fuming Isagi, whistling and shoving a peace sign into Kunigami's face. Then, he frog-leaps over the man's broad shoulders with a loud laugh, "I came here to hone my skills and practice against top-tier opponents! I wanna know how my dribbling fares against players like Isagi and Kunigami—"

He points at the two, smiling, "So don't you dare hold back, you egoists ♪ ! Let's crush each other, just like old times, okay?"

A vein on Kunigami's forehead pulses with irritation. "Tsk."

"I'm fine with that. We can play some 2v2s. I want to improve my speed and cuts to level up my golden formula." Chigiri folds his arms and grins. He jots his head your way, a red brow raised. "Practicing enough, huh, Miss manager?"

You can't help the smile that spreads across your lips. "It's sufficient."

"Really now? Just sufficient? It's not like I had to come here, you know." Chigir sasses, hand on his hip and smile ever-so coy. You know that smile all too well and a familiar flurry of feelings wells up in your chest.

You pretend to scoff. "I doubt Kyouka of all people would force you to do your daily stretches. She's never been the assertive type."

He laughs, lightly with a teasing voice, "You'd be surprised. Though... I have to admit... it's nothing compared to you."

"Oh really? What does that supposed to mean?"

Chigiri's voice drops and he suddenly tears his gaze away from you—looking forward at where Bachira dodges Kunigami's attempts at grabbing him, for whatever reason—"I'd never rather have another manager other than you, [name]. It's just a fact I've become accustomed to. I know you aren't technically mine anymore—"

His hand finds its place on your shoulder, and the light pools behind him like molten goo. You'd almost forgotten how lovely he is to look at. "But that doesn't matter to me. I'm going to be keeping an eye on you. So you better keep an eye on me too, got it?"

Your heart thumps. "... Always."

Bachira rushes over and Chigiri removes his hand from your shoulder with a tepid glance—the bumblebee boy rests his arm on your shoulder and leans forward.

"You guys done?" A small nod makes his expression brighten again, "Okay! Then I'm teaming up with Isagi!"

They all make their way onto the field and you place the ball down in the middle of the field. "Alright. A practice game—2v2, first to three wins. I'll keep track and—" You point at Bachira. "Fair game, right?"

"Right-on, Miss manager!" He chirps with a wink.

"Good." You click something on your watch and step back, "Start."

"I know what I need to do!" Isagi grins.

"Fine, I'll join in too—idiot trio." Kunigami scoffs.

"Don't run away, cyborg Rensuke." Chigiri smirks.

"Alright, the egoist four is back together ♪!" Bachira hoots.

You smile.

You'd never rather have it any other way.

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note: FANART TIME! IM SO GRATEFUL TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WHO TOOK THE TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO DRAW FOR MY STUPID SAPPY GAY FANFIC MWAHHH you guys make me feel so famous... so seen and loved... ilysm...

[ art by @-ZADE1OST!! ] YOUR OC IS SOOOOSOSOOOO CUTEEE I LOVE HER EARRINGS SMM AND KYOUKA HOLY CRAP SHE LOOKS SO SWEET AND BEAUTIFUL

[ art by @notvivi1303 !! ]  MERODI IS KUROMI IRL I CONFIRMED IT !!! THE LIPSTICK IS SO JUICY YUMMY AND THE HAIRRR UGHH THIS ATEEE

[ art by @notvivi1303 !! ] JENNYYY U CUTIE PIE IM SO GLAD SOMEBODY REMMEBERED HER I LOVE THIS SMMM HER BANGSSS UGHHH I LOVE THEM

[ art by @notvivi1303 !! ] angels do have pink hair guys here is your proof!!! the lips on vivs art MMMPHPGGHGH I eat ts for breakfast lunch n dinner

[ art by @notvivi1303 !! ] KYOUKA IS HELLO KITTY!! SHES JUST A SILLY CUTIE PIE she can do no wrong. shes so deer coded chat you cant get anymore deer coded than kyouka

[ art by @notvivi1303 !! ] her eyes are so dead its actually so perfect. the og nonchalant dreadhead. im so happy himara is here I LOVE MY GIRL. i love my girl. these sanrio arts make me so happy ill put them all up on my wall one day WATCH ME

[ art by @notvivi1303 !! ] OH MARIELE THE WOMAN YOU AREEE AARRHRHRGRH STARTS HYPERVENTILATING. no wonder name is so in love with her... look at this sexc woman...

[ art by @yunq1ao !! ] NOBODY UNDERSTANDS HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS HOLY SHIT I ACC SOBBEDDD SHES SO BEAUTIFUL IT ISNT FAIRRR. you made her so GORGEOUSSS I LOVE THIS SO MUCH 10/10 GOSH

[ art by @chuugami !! ]  MEOWWWMMEOWOOWWW MERODIII I LOVE YYOUUU SHE LOOKS SO DEVIOUSLY CUTE AND THE NECKLACES AAA I LOVE ITTT SHES SO SEXC FINE MMHDHSMM.... might have to make her a love interest after this... 🤤

[ art by @chuugami !! ] OH KOMI... OH KOMI THE WOMAN YOU ARE... the eyes. the glasses. the hair. THE NAILSSSSUHHH. she serves so much cunt it should be illegal how sexy she is. god this art scratches my brain in all the right ways I ACC love this so much man im geeking

again, thank you all so much! i hope you enjoyed this chapter and ilysm my found cult winks