𝕊𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕠 𝔻𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕞 ; Blue Lock

Chapter 12 - Strange Encounter

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(Y/N) awoke shortly after she fell asleep. It seems like the nervousness drained her social battery and only needed a few minutes to recover. However, unaware of just how long she was out, she quickly jumped out of bed and out of her room to her office. Ignoring the huge headache rolling inside her skull. She stumbled into her chair and switched on the overhead screen, all showing different perspectives of the 1st stage.

'Oh thank god'

She brought her hands to her head and took a deep breath. Ok, focus right now. Focus. Her eyes went back up and eyed the screens, some flashing in and out showing different players. She recognized many on the screens and smiled to herself. She needs to start working hard too.

She reached out and grabbed a thick stack of stapled papers, all training guides to the players here in Blue Lock. All she needed to do was finish a few more and she could send them out. Anri and Karla had agreed to help, but she had already saved a special stack for herself to deliver. No doubt her friends were itching to see her.

She looked back up at the screens. The 1st stage had about 20 minutes left, and the majority had moved on to the 2nd. However, there were many left who weren't even close to finishing. Some had already given up and chose to sit on the sidelines and let the timer run out. She recognized one of them from Team Z's roster.

Kuon Wataru.

He looked completely defeated. A shadow loomed over his face and a few droplets could be seen on the ground were he sat.
He was going to lose. And he knew that.

It's unknown why he took the loss, but a good guess was that he didn't see himself improving in the future. (Y/N) had watched the match between Team Z and Team V and it was obvious that Kuon realized just how inferior he was compared to Isagi and the others. The only goals he ever scored were handed to him on a silver platter, and he had hurt his team in the process. He didn't deserve to move on like he is now.

On a separate screen, a tough looking man was hitting balls left and right, but all missing or hitting the rim. He was in the last level of the stage, but it looks like it was getting the better of him. This player was Iemon Okuhito of Team Z.

He had been goalie his whole stay here, unable to truly evolve as a striker. Too nice to object and was always willing to help his team. However, that kindness will unfortunately cost him his spot in Blue Lock. His expression was painful to watch. Hot tears ran down his face, obstructing his vision. His stress mixed with his powerful shots made scoring impossible due to the lack of critical thinking and strategy. They just bounced off the walls and rims, right back at him. He knew. He knew he was going to lose.

She quickly removed her eyes from the unfortunate scene, and moved on to another screen that caught her attention. Funny and unfortunate enough, this player was also from Team Z. Known for his flirtatious attitude and humorous outlook on and off the field. But, looking at him now, you would never guess he was the type. This player was Imamura Yudai.

Worry and pain were painted on his face. He was stuck at the middle level of the stage, unable to successfully get past the fake players the field had generated. He was still kicking, but with every miss, he got slower and slower, until eventually he had stopped completely. After a few seconds of starting at the ball that stopped in front of him, he unexpectedly....started laughing? His hands flew to his hair, pulled tight, and started shouting.

"Of course! Of course it ends here! I'm so fucking pathetic!"

The timer on the screen rang loud throughout the facility. The 1st stage was over. The two players that were left standing fell to their knees in defeat, tears continuing to flow. They promised to meet their team on the other side...they promised.