A/N: Cringe, cringe, cringe... where can I dig a hole?

 

 

 

 

Arc1: Chapter8

 

   Kurona, as soon as he walked in, he was dragged over by Leon and Shidou to fill the third spot in the team. He didn’t even have a chance to rise any objections.

 

   If this were fiction, this would be his villain's original story— lmao, just kidding.

 

   Kurona was a rather relaxed guy. Confused, he just shrugged his shoulders and let those two drag him over to who knew where.

 

   It was a good thing that those two were not human kidnappers.

 

   “You have beautiful eyes,” Kurona blinked, and blood rushed to his nape all at once. Kurona’s eyes were different from others since his birth.

 

   Admittingly, he had been a subject of bullying. He had never been praised for his eyes. His eyes had never been called ‘beautiful’ by anyone before. Not even his mother.

 

   The redhead’s eyes were beast-like. Weren’t the slits in them evident? ‘Beast’, that was what his mother liked to call him.

 

   One day, Kurona couldn’t take it anymore. And begged God to take him away. To save him.

 

   The boy in front of him -Leon, he knew him, the Bloody Flower of Japan- gently touched his cheekbones. The beautiful violet eyes, which in his humble opinion, were thousand times more beautiful than his own, watched him with curiosity.

 

   God never helped him. Even when he piously worshipped him like no other.

 

   Their faces were so close. Kurona was an introvert and because he analyzed himself too often, Kurona knew that he was born not to be a leader. His more-than-average skills and luck were what kept him alive in the Blue Lock. Truthfully, he would not be surprised if he were kicked out of the program right now.

 

   Slowly, Kurona lost his faith and let go of his hopes.

 

   Those crystal-like violet eyes reflect himself, Kurona Ranze, who appeared as though he wasn’t a mess under the stoic facade, as if he wasn’t an animal who didn’t know his place.

 

   Kurona saw his ugly self in those mirror-like reflections. And he knew that Leon knew that too.

 

   He was simply tired. He just wanted someone to accept him in the end.

 

   So why wasn’t Leon letting go of him already.

 

   There was no fear, no disgust in those eyes. Only curiosity, Kurona realized. Leon wanted to know more about him. 

 

   (Leon wanted to know more about him. That meant that he accepted Kurona, right?)

 

   Kurona no longer believed in God.

 

   At that moment in Kurona’s eyes, the simple light shining down from the ceiling covered Leon’s whole form as if he was an angel coming down from Heaven.

 

   He felt his hand move and covered the back of Leon’s hand with his own, and leaned his face on their intertwined hands.

 

   At that moment, Kurona turned into a believer once more.

 

   (A/N: Ness 2.0. Sorry, Isagi. Your hoe had turned into Leon’s hoe.)

 

   “Yo, why are you flirting with this guy instead of me?” Shidou whined, ruining the atmosphere in the process.

 

   They had just grouped just now when Leon suddenly flirted (in Shidou’s eyes) with the braided newbie.

 

   Shidou was soured, if he wanted to flirt, he was there, wasn’t he? Why would Leon flirt with someone boring like the newbie? Was he a statue?

 

   Shidou’s heart was filled with complaints.

 

   Leon sighed and ignored Shidou, “let’s just go.” He went straight toward the door for the next stage, grabbing Kurona’s wrist with him.

 

   “Don’t ignore me! Come on, if you want to ignore someone, then, ignore him!”

 

   Shidou yelled, pointing at Kurona.

 

   Leon sighed once more, being so done, “Come on big baby, we have battles to win.” He stopped at the entrance, clearly waiting for Shidou.

 

   “Sure~” Shidou caught up to him and slung an arm around his shoulder, and speaking (read: flirting) the whole way, almost blowing up his eardrums several times.

 

   He was totally and completely sure that he would never get along with the bro-con David.

 

   He feared for the day they met with each other– oh wait, they had already met with each other in a match when they were still in the team battles. He should, instead, fear for the day they decided that it would be a good idea to converse with each other.

 

   He would be grateful if they don’t end up killing each other instead.

 

   As soon as they opened the door, they found that they were the only group in the room. “Bzzzz” A small screen in the room flickered to life, and its occupant was none other than Ego Jinpachi.

 

   “Hey there, diamonds in the rough.” After that, he proceeded to explain that they would be paired with another team that would come later and needed to wait for a bit.

 

   Having no choice, the trio sat on the uniquely designed chairs in the room.

 

   After feeling like it had been an eternity because of Shidou, Leon felt as if he had met the savior of his life when the door opened to welcome another group of three.

 

   Surprisingly, not one, not two, but everyone was a familiar face.

 

   “Barou-san, Igaguri, and Naruhaya-kun?”

 

   Leon was surprised to see all these familiar people.

 

   “Huh, LEON-KUNNNNNNNNNNN!!?????” Igaguri gawked, fear and dread creeping from the pit of his stomach.

 

   How could he not be afraid? It’s Leon. Leon! Moreover, this Leon was going to be his- their enemy.

 

   From the Leon vs Isagi match he observed, Igaguri was nothing more than an ant in front of Leon. He knew, they knew, everyone knew, that even with the visible exhaustion, Leon still could eliminate three of Isagi. Even though Leon put an effort in their match, Leon could do more, much more.

 

   Igaguri was no match for Leon, and it was a fact.

 

   You know what was worse? If they lose here, Igaguri knew that he was not going to be one of the people picked. For an egoist like Leon, wouldn’t he want a strong member in their team?

 

   Hell, even Naruhaya had a chance.

 

   Before the match even started, Igaguri had already regarded the opposite team as winners.

 

   Igaguri had given up before he even started.

 

   “Hey, quit doing obvious mistakes! Are you a traitor lurking in here, huh ‘gaguri!” Naruhahya shouted, anger evident in his voice.

 

   No, his career couldn’t end here. He had many things to do, to achieve. He had a family full of hopes waiting back for him at home. This was his shortcut to success and he was just starting!

 

   No way in hell will he let it end!

 

   Naruhaya gritted his teeth and eerie light casted over his eyes. 

 

   People like Leon and Rin were so amazing. No matter where they go, stars are bound to favor them. But not for average joes like him and Isagi.

 

   Naruhaya knew and understood in his heart, that even Isagi was different from him. Something about him shone brightly. Isagi was average, just like him. So, why was it that Isagi shone brightly and he did not!? They were the same, so, why did Isagi stand out more than him!?

 

   Every time I look at you, my heart ached.

 

   Naruhaya was there with Isagi in the start. Their beginning were the same. They started as nobodies. They got an invitation to this place without knowing why.

 

   They got a chance.

 

   All they have to do was not to screw it up.

 

   And Naruhaya was close to screwing up, wasn’t he?

 

   Naruhaya was there when Isagi started to evolve and change into a better person again by again, into a better striker. 

 

   Isagi was evolving and Naruhaya was the same as always, leaving Naruhaya in the dust.

 

   Gagamaru was his new friend and a best friend he found in Blue Lock. But more often than not, he found himself looking at Isagi often. 

 

   And he witnessed as Isagi changed from a nobody to someone who stood between the constellations.

 

   He sympathized with Isagi, and the pathetic and inferior complex in him was glad that he had a partner in being at the bottom of food-chain.

 

   He sympathized with Isagi, until the match with Leon happened, that is. All the time, Naruhaya was both in awe and unwillingness when Isagi scored a goal against Leon.

 

   Just from that match alone, Isagi changed into someone unrecognizable. 

 

   His skills evolved; better.

 

   Naruhaya was more than envious.

 

   Subconsciously, he began to think of Leon as ‘nothing’ because he was scored a goal by a player in the very bottom. That was what his mind think.

 

   However, his heart had already understood that it was not Leon being ‘nothing’, it was just, Isagi becoming better.

 

   Isagi had taken off from Naruhaya’s little mental group of average joes.

 

   Naruhaya gritted his teeth.

 

   Soccer was something he once dearly loved. Until his parents died and he began to think of it as money.

 

   Although Naruhaya was not the oldest, but the second oldest, he thought of his responsibility seriously. He wanted to take the rest of his family -the only people he had- to the riches. He no longer wanted his older sister to overwork in hope of providing them with meals for another day.

 

   Soccer went from something he loved with all his heart to his path to getting rich. Being a pro footballer, being a good footballer meant getting rich, simple ain’t it?

 

   Although there’s a chance that he will get chosen if they lose, it’s just a ‘chance’. The one who had all the possibilities of being taken to Leon’s team was no one other than Barou.

 

   And him and Igaguri? 

 

   They were good as gone!

 

   He will not let it end here!

 

   Naruhaya found a chance. Shidou was guarding Barou closely with Leon not far away from them. The redhead with a braid -Kurona- was near Igaguri who was panicking and kept trying to make Kurona foul against him every second.

 

   As for himself…

 

   You will pay for underestimating me!

 

   At first, Naruhaya wanted to score by using his own weapon to get behind Leon who was at a perfect distance to defend him, and Barou, in case he break out. But then, the pictures of Isagi scoring with a Direct Shot haunted his mind.

 

   In the end, we are in the same realm, Isagi.

 

   Naruhaya wanted to prove, that Isagi was ‘nothing’!

 

   Naruhaya did not go to the right side, where he had to pass the hurdle known as ‘Leon’. Instead, he went to the left, and shouted: “Igaguri, here!”

 

   Right, the ball was in the anxious Igaguri’s possession by all the miracle. Although Kurona was close to stealing it many times, Igaguri made it extra difficult by positioning in the positions that would make the VAR call out yellow cards to Kurona.

 

   Igaguri snapped his head toward Naruhaya’s direction. Although he wanted to be a hero and score the goal himself, he could see that Naruhaya was the only open person at the time.

 

   “Here!” With a swing, he let go of the hot potato in his grasp to Naruhaya.

 

   Naruhaya was already running, far from Leon. Of course, Leon was hot on his tail, and Shidou’s attention went to them for a second, giving Barou a chance to break out of Shidou’s tight restraining.

 

   Shidou was quick to cover for his mistake, and again, him and Barou fell into a stalemate.

 

   On the other side, Kurona kept an eye on Leon and Naruhaya in the corner of his eyes. Igaguri was not much of a concern for them since the ball was no longer in his possession.

 

   Leon had already realized that him and Naruhaya had quite the distance between them, and instead of running behind him in a futile effort, he dashed toward a certain place.

 

   Where was Leon going? What was he going to do? Naruhaya was quite concerned about this fact, but he did not stop and kept going.

 

   ‘Direct Shot!’