𝐋𝐚𝐳𝐲; Blue Lock

05

Aoi Jinpachi
Locker room, 1:00pm

The match is finally over, and I avoided Raichi all the way after he asks me if I'm a girl.

That mean he actually saw my boobs last night. If Ego finds out he would probably kill me.

Speaking of Ego, I'm presently making my way to his office as he mentioned having something important to discuss with me. Without knocking, I step into his office and am immediately struck by a wall of screens.

"Hi." I greet, taking a seat beside him.

"Hi? Seriously?" He arches an eyebrow.

I stare at him, perplexed. "I didn't recruit you for Blue Lock just to have you benched. If I did, it's because I recognize your skills and believe you can outperform those other players." He asserts, raising his voice.

"So stop making friends or whatever and get moving, or else–"

"That's enough." Anri enters the office.

"Shut up, Anri." He snaps at her, then refocuses on me. "Aoi, get your shit together. Consider this my first warning."

"You don't have to be so harsh." Anri adds, signaling for me to leave.

"If I knew it would be like this, I wouldn't have brought her here. I don't want a worthless niece." He coldly states.

Those words sting, and I rise angrily, flinging the door open. With teary eyes, I collide with someone on my way out.

"Sorry." I apologize, recognizing the England stratum's master coach.

He grips my arm and tilts his head. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Yes." I mumble, avoiding his gaze as I gently remove my arm from his grip.

I need to find Hana.

~

"I get that he's upset about you not being selected, but he didn't have to be so cruel." Hana grumbles.

"I know, right?"

"Plus the way you cry so easily, his words were not the best choice. Why does he criticize you instead of motivating you? Like he's your uncle." She sighs.

"Yeah, let's not dwell on him." I shake my head. "You know, I think Raichi might have figured out I'm a girl." I change the subject.

"Oh...Oh! Wait, what?! How?" She exclaims.

I explain the situation to her. "And you just ran away?" She questions, and I nod.

"And you didn't think that would raise suspicions?"

"I was too shocked to think clearly. Give me a break." I roll my eyes.

"You know, I think... you might have a crush on him." She suggests.

I raise an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"You talk about him all the time. Like, constantly."

"No, I just like him as a friend." I insist.

She smirks. "Mhm."

"Haruto-kun!" Someone calls Hana by her false name.

A white-haired guy approaches us. "We're about to start training."

"Oh, you're the guy from the bowling alley." I point out.

He scratches his head. "Ah, you're the girl who fell at the bowling alley."

"Yeah, let's not discuss that, please." I smile awkwardly.

"Do you two know each other?" Hana interjects.

Both of us shake our heads.

"Well, Nagi, this is my friend Aoi, and Aoi, meet Nagi," Hana makes the introductions.

"Nice to meet you." He says.

I offer a faint smile. "Nice to meet you too."

Hana waves goodbye. "See you later!"

I wave back and head straight to the training ground.

~

I switch on the gym lights; it's 2:00 am, and true to form, I'm unable to sleep. I recently removed my cornrows because they were getting old, so I tie my hair into a bun and slip on some boxing gloves.

To begin, I do a quick warm-up by bouncing on the spot and loosening my muscles.

This is my outlet for all the pent-up frustration I harbor towards Ego and my father.

I initially ventured into soccer when I was around fifteen or fourteen, joining a club. However, I quit after a year because I didn't mesh well with my team's dynamics.

For me, soccer is more of a hobby. I enjoy playing, but only when it's with a team that I connect with, which wasn't the case with my first team.

I met Hana in that team, and we both feel the same way about teamwork, so we left together.

Honestly, I don't want to be a pro player. I dream of being a psychologist and designing clothes in my free time, but my dad has other plans.

When my mother told him about my uncle project, he did everything so I can integrate it and become a striker. And he succeeded because, here I am.

My mother agreed with my dad, so I had no support. At least I convinced Ego to bring Hana along.

I deliver one final punch to the sandbag, lean back, and relax my arms, taking deep breaths.

"Hi there." A smooth voice startles me, sending a shiver down my spine.

I glare at the tall figure. "What? Planning to give me a beating just like you did to that poor sandbag?" He raises his eyebrows with a smirk.

I don't know why, but I'm feeling bold right now. "Try me." I say, looking at his pink eyes.

He grins. "Sure."

He slicks back his damp blonde hair with fading pink tips and puts on boxing gloves.

Wait, I didn't expect him to accept. I can't back down now, though.

He approaches with a grin. "I'm Shidou."

"I'm Aoi." I reply.