─ 𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐈𝐃 ─

➤ first selection vii.

        "𝐎𝐇 𝐈𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐈. Why are you here?" Chigiri questioned the male. "(M/n) and Chigiri...?" Isagi looked at the two males, confused. "Well...I couldn't really sleep, so..."

"Yoichi!" (M/n) yelled out happily, throwing himself on top of him to give him a big hug. Isagi chuckled nervously and rubbed (M/n)'s head lovingly. "I missed you too, (M/n)."

"What about you guys? Why're you here?" He said once regaining his posture and making his way over to Chigiri.

"I missed Team Z, so I wanted to see your match from today!" (M/n) responded, sitting back down next to Chigiri. "I see." Isagi smiled warmly. "And what about you, Chigiri?"

"I couldn't sleep either...So I was watching your goal." Chigiri looked back at the monitor, staring at Isagi on the screen.

"Huh?" Isagi blinked his eyes, confused on why Chigiri was watching him.

"I really get why you can't sleep...A goal like that pumps your adrenaline. It's the greatest moment for a striker."

While Chigiri conversed with Isagi about his goal during their match, (M/n) did what he did best. Which was, zoning out of conversations.

He thought about his other close friends, Bachira, Rin, and even Sae. Well, he didn't even know if Sae still thought of him as a friend. Hell, he wasn't sure if the latter even remembered him.

He only started paying Chigiri and Isagi attention when Isagi asked about the pinkette's weapon.

"So what's your weapon? You never mentioned it back when everyone was talking about theirs."

"Ooh, I'm curious too, Hyoma! What kind of weapon you got hiding?"

Chigiri's mood changed at the topic of his weapon. He didn't want to talk about it because he didn't want to seem like a loser in front of (M/n).

"Didn't I already say...I'm not talking about it."

"Huh? But why? Come on, tell me!" Isagi pushed. "If there's anything I can do to help you, I will! I just want to know it to make our team better!"

"I really don't want to..." Chigiri mumbled, looking down. "Can we not talk about me...?"

"But--"

"Isagi-kun..." (M/n) spoke up, "Maybe we shouldn't pressure him to talk about something he doesn't want to talk about." He fiddled with his fingers nervously while Chigiri stared at him with slightly wide eyes.

"Plus, I don't think it would be good to discuss that type of thing with the enemy right here." He chuckled, pointing to himself to lighten up the mood a bit.

"Right...--"

"About a year ago...I tore my ACL. My right knee's." Chigiri interrupted him, grabbing his right knee.

"The doctor said that if I were to get injured there again, it would be too dangerous to play football...Which is why...even after I've healed, I can't play the same way I used to."

(M/n) put a comforting hand on Chigiri's back as he continued speaking.

"(M/n)...Isagi, I actually had...you know, a 'weapon' of my own. It was much like yours, Isagi." Memories of Chigiri's younger self flooded his mind.

"I also had sleepless nights after scoring a goal...And dreams of becoming the best striker in the world. But now, I'm afraid of getting injured again, I'm afraid of losing my dream...because of your exciting football."

Chigiri stood up, brushing (M/n)'s hand off of him as he started walking towards the door. "I came to Blue Lock to find a reason to give up on football."

"Hyoma...?"

"Isagi, when I look at your goal and when I know someone as amazing as you is here, (M/n), I feel like I can give up already."

Isagi firmly stood up and said, "You're lying, Chigiri. Don't try and use us as an excuse...You don't really wanna give up, do you? I'm just like you!! It's scary...but I don't want it to end here! That's why I fight!"

(M/n) stood up as well and placed his hands on his hips. "Yeah, don't just go throwing away your dream like that! If you want to be the greatest striker ever, I say don't let that fear hold you back!"

Chigiri gritted his teeth ad turned back around with a glare. "You two don't know a damn thing about me." He said before walking out of the door, hands in his pockets.

(M/n) stood there speechless for a while, before turning towards Isagi. "Is Hyoma mad at us?" He pouted slightly.

"He isn't mad, (M/n)...Just a bit stressed."

"I see." (M/n) took a long, deep sigh. "Well, I guess I should get going."

"Huh? Already?!" Isagi frowned that the boy was leaving him so soon.

"Yeah-- My teammate put me under a time limit, so I gotta be back before he gets upset." He played with his finger while walking towards the door. "Tell the others I said hello when you get the chance!"

"Will do...Have a good night, (M/n)!"

"You too, Yoichi!"

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        𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄! When Isagi returned to his shared room, he saw that Chigiri was back in his mattress, asleep. In fact, everyone was still asleep...or so he thought.

While he walked back to his mattress, Bachira, out of know where, grabbed his ankles, startling him completely.

"What the--?! Bachira, what the hell, man?!"

"Oh, did I scare ya?" He giggled quietly, letting go of Isagi's ankles. "Obviously." Isagi held his chest to slow down his now fast breathing.

"Sorry! I just woke up and saw you were missing. Where'd ya go, hm?"

"Ah, I couldn't sleep, so I went to the monitoring room. Which reminds me, (M/n) was there and he told me to tell you he said hello."

At this, Bachira bolted out of the covers and ran to the door. "You said the monitoring room, right?! I can finally see my baby!"

"Wait, Bachira-- He already left--!"

"If I run fast enough, I can catch up to him!!" He spoke with love struck eyes.

"He's probably already sleep now! You'll wake him up--!"

"Yeah, but--!"

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?! GO TO SLEEP!" Raichi practically screamed at them, since the two were being loud. "The hell's going on..." Kunigami mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Why are you all awake right now..." Gagamaru blinked his eyes.

"IT'S ALL THOSE TWO IDIOTS FAULT. NOW I CAN'T GO BACK TO SLEEP, DAMN IT!" Raichi continued to scream. "Do you have to yell, Raichi? You'll wake up the whole building at this rate." Kuon spoke, since he also woke up from all the yelling.

"SHUT THE FUCK U--"

"Ehm, the fuck are y'all doing up?" Ego suddenly appeared on the screen. "Go to sleep or else...."

"But (N/n)..." Bachira pouted. 

"Now." And with that, the screen went back dark.

Everyone started settling down, while Chigiri secretly glared at them for ruining his beauty sleep.

NEXT CHAPTER: FIRST SELECTION IX.

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— bachira is *cough* (m/n) deprived *cough*