Tastes Like Home | Blue Lock x Reader

Three

The sweet aroma of nabe filled the air as the friends laughed and talked to their heart's content. After Mr. and Mrs. (L/n) had arrived from their little grocery trip, (Y/n) immediately got to work to prepare the most scrumptious meal they'd probably never had before— fresh meat and vegetables floating in delicious broth. It was amazing. It was heaven to them as a result of their most recent experiences in Blue Lock jail where good food was scarce.

"Dinner was good, I want to sleep now." Seishiro yawned, putting down his utensils so he could lay his head on the table. "Tummy feel satisfied."

"Don't just lay down on the dining table, that is very improper." Rensuke scolded, shaking his head in disappointment. "I apologize... He isn't usually like this."

"Nah, he is," Meguru whispered, sipping his soba loudly after he earned himself a glare.

"Don't worry, it's normal for people to act that way after eating a good meal in cold weather." Mrs. (L/n) chuckled. "(Y/n), why don't you clean up the table so our sleepy guest can rest comfortably?"

(Y/n), who appeared to have downed her dinner in one go so she could attend to her mother's request immediately, stood at the side, tying an apron around her waist. "Alright, mother. Excuse me while I take your plates..." She reached over Rensuke's shoulder to gather his empty dishes.

As he moved aside to let her do her job, the ginger could not help but notice the tiredness in her eyes. Though she always held a smile on her face, it was obvious that it was forced at times, which made sense as she seemed to be the one who did the chores around the cabin.

Not wanting to cause a scene on their first day, Rensuke decided to lessen the load on her shoulders by helping her out with the dishes.

After she had finished collecting all the dirty plates, Rensuke bid his friends goodbye before following her to the kitchen.

He wondered what was taking her so long to realize that somebody else was in the room with her. Was his presence not noticeable enough? Did she feel uncomfortable with him and hoped he would leave if she ignored him?

"Um... Excuse me, Ms. (L/n)—" he began.

"Are you here to help me wash the dishes, Mr. Kunigami?" What a straightforward response.

Rensuke's eyes widened significantly. "Well... Yes," he said. "I couldn't help but notice how tired you were."

"Then I accept the help." (Y/n) whipped around and gave him a smile. "With both of us washing, the dirty dishes will be gone in no time!"

No more words were exchanged in that period of time as Rensuke found himself standing next to the (h/c)-haired girl, washing dishes. He stared at his pretty pink, rubber gloves for a bit and could not help but chuckle at the thought. She reminded him so much of his siblings.

"Your gloves are very nice," he said rather awkwardly. He just wanted to start a conversation. Could you blame him?

"Thank you! They're Melody gloves I got from the capital on my birthday," (Y/n) said cheerfully. "I have to wash a ton of dishes every day. It helps make my day feel more interesting!"

"Ah, it is pretty cute." Rensuke nodded understandably. "Melody.... I recognize this character from the things my younger sister owns. She says she loves Cinnamon Roll more, though."

"Ah, of course." (Y/n) shrugged. "But it just goes to show that Sanrio is such a cute enterprise that fans would buy other character merch apart from their favorites, am I right?"

"Yes, I suppose."

"You know, you look like the type to have a younger sister. Do you, perhaps, also have an older sister?"

At that, Rensuke looked at her, stunned. "Was it that obvious?"

"Kinda." (Y/n) snickered. "It's very clear to me that you grew up under the influence of multiple girls. You're quite the respectable gentleman. I can tell from the few hours I've been with you."

"Then you're very observant to analyze my mannerisms so accurately." Rensuke bit the inside of his mouth. He had no idea why but he felt the need to ask her an important question. "Am I... Too predictable?"

"You?" (Y/n) raised an eyebrow as she stopped scrubbing her plate to look at the bare ceiling. "Hmm... Well, I don't know you well enough to say for sure, but I don't think so. I can only assume what kind of person you are, but that would not necessarily mean my thoughts on you are the truth."

He felt relieved.

This was the first time a person did not speak of his "predictability" (Otherwise known as his hero personality) in a negative light. Even though his friends may joke about it sometimes, it still affected how he perceived his own morality and goals. Blue Lock excelled in blurring the lines of morality for its players. Yes, it helped the participants improve drastically, but should there not be a balance?

"I see."

"Why do you ask?" (Y/n) hummed as she got back to work. "That seemed like such an off-topic question."

"A lot of the people tell me off for my 'hero complex' as they say." Rensuke sighed. "They say it chains me down too much and stops me from doing more. But how can I let go of my ideals if that is the only way I know to live?"

(Y/n) stared at the wall thoughtfully, "Well, it is true that the fastest, most straightforward way is by selfishness, but would you be satisfied by the results of pushing others down to get to the top?"

"I don't know," he muttered. "As you said, it is more effective—"

"Upupup! I said fastest, not most effective." (Y/n) waved a finger at his face. "Besides, I think heroic people are much cooler than the successful ones who got to the top by dirty means. That's just my opinion though." She shrugged.

"Really? Thanks." He cracked a smile. "Been a while since someone told me that, to be honest."

"Well, you need to surround yourself with more positive people then!"

(Y/n) closed the sink and took off her pair of Melody gloves. Rensuke was shocked to discover that they had already gone through the entire pile of dirty dishes. He should have expected it considering they were both washing at a decent speed due to their dishwashing experience, but still. It was as if time had just flown by.

Was she really tired? How did she have enough energy to engage in such a meaningful conversation with him? No... She was tired for sure. If he looked, he could see the bags under her eyes, begging for her to just lay down and sleep.

"Tada, all done! Thank you for your help, Mr. Kunigami."

"You're welcome..." Rensuke nodded slowly. "I—uh.... I just wanted to say... You'd make a really good motivational speaker."

"Well, that's a first." (Y/n) laughed. "But I'm glad you think so. It's getting late. I have to escort you all to your rooms now, so if you'd follow me..." And just like that, she was gone. She had exited the room without any other word.

He has forgotten his original purpose was to take some load off the poor girl's shoulders, but it's clear that the tables had turned.

"Well, it's no use regretting what's been done." He sighed, running his hands through his hair.

"I'll just wake up early tomorrow and help her with breakfast. Yeah... That works."