A family thing

Chapter 4 Blue Lock

Yoichi stepped out of the airport. A hard training camp was behind him. Hinata really was a great coach. The changes of his body were quite obvious. He was a bit more buffed because of the muscles he had built up. His shoulders became wider and his leg muscles grew thicker. Though, he still looks like the stick he has been before. Not to mention, the nice tan he has got from playing beach soccer in Rio. 
"Oh my, Yoichi, what happened to you?", his sister who stood right at the gate to bring him back home. 
"Nee-San. I kinda forgot to use sun screen... Though, it wouldn't have been better anyway.", the raven haired male answered with a sly smile on his face as he ran to his sister with his luggage in tow. 
"Says who? Oh my, you've become quite the tuff guy, huh? Where did my cute little brother Yoichi go?", Miwa continued with her rant as she welcomed him with a hug. 
"I missed you too, Nee-San.", Yoichi replied and hugged his sister. 
"Damn, you've got some tan.", she repeated. 
"Jealous?", the boy asked sassily. 
"Ts, just get into the car.", Miwa snapped back. 
'Finally normal.', Yoichi thought as he put the suitcase into the trunk of the car before he sat on the shotgun. 
"So, how was Brazil?", Miwa asked as she turned on the engine. 
"It was cool, I guess... I learned a lot of stuffs from Hinata-San.", he answered honestly while he put the seatbelt on. 
"Welp, there's something I need to tell you.", she said and pulled out of the parking lot. 
"What is it?", Yoichi asked curiously. 
"It's a letter.", his sister answered without taking her eyes off the road. 
"What kind of letter? From who?", he asked. 
"An invitation, I think. From the Japanese Football Assossiation. JFA, I think.", Miwa replied and accelerated the car as they drove onto the highway. "From a guy named Jinpachi Ego. Yeah... I think that's his name. Never heard of him, if you're asking me." 

The boy walks up to the door of his home. How would his mother react to his new look? That was the biggest question mark in his head. 
"What are you waiting for?", Miwa asked. "Go in. Mum is waiting for you." 
Nervously, Yoichi opened the door. He entered the hall and took off his shoes. 
"Yoichi, is that really you?", his father asked him while he tried to stiffen a laugh. "How did you become so... brown..." 
"Oh shut up, old man. Tobio came back like that from his first season in Italy.", his mother shouted. "So, did you learn anything?"
"I learned a lot, mother.", Yoichi answered with his eyes glowing with happiness. 
"What did you learn?", she continued asking him. 
"Well... I didn't really learn anything. I've improved. That'd be the better word to describe it.", the boy thought out loud. 
"And what did you improve in?", she corrected herself. 
"My balance is better and my ball control has improved. I also got a longer shooting range now.", the boy counted with his fingers. 
"Oh my...", his mother interrupted him. "Well, guess it wasn't for nothing. Did you enjoy your stay there? Was the family nice?" 
"Definitely yes. Hinata-San was very kind and his girlfriend Yachi-San was a very strict person though.", he reported and took a seat on the sofa in the living room. 
"Anyway. There is this letter from the JFA.", she told him and gave him the letter. Yoichi took it immediately. 
'From the JFA...', he thought and opened it carefully. His hands were shaking. Was that the chance he was waiting for? A chance to join the national team? But wait, he was only 16. How come he gets a letter when he wasn't even at the age to play for the adult's team? Could it be the youth team? His elder brother got one though. Hopes and questionmarks built themselves up in his head. He took the piece of paper out of the envelope and started to read. 

"Mr. Yoichi Kageyama

Selection for a Player Improvement Project

Mr. Yoichi Kageyama, we are here to notify you that you have been chosen for the Japanese Football project Bluelock. We hope to see you on Jannuary 20th at the Japan Football Union Center in Tokyo. There we will announce further informations. 

Your sincerely 
Ego Jinpaichi" 

Behind the informations sheet was a map which drew out the exact position of the hall for the announcement. 
"What is it? Yoichi?", his mother asked him. 
"It's an invitation letter... to join a special training camp or something like that...", he answered. 
"Do you want to take part in it?", she asked him. The raven haired boy looked at the letter for some seconds and thought about it. Then he gave his answer, "Yes, yes I want."