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THE PARIS GAME isn't looking good.
They're down by two points, only halfway through the game. Mini-Itoshi and Shidou, the two Bluelockers notoriously bad at playing together, seem to have cleaned up their act just in time to play Bastard.
They get the ball again, sneaking straight through Grim and Gesner's passing, and Kaiser doesn't even have time to curse before he and his team are once again on defense.
Ness is the one who steals it back, but the play is risky, random, sending the ball careening to the middle of the field, by the sidelines. Kaiser knows a player is on standby in that area, so he moves to the optimal place to be passed to without looking back, thousands of opportunities and outcomes flooding through his brain with every step he takes.
He glances back, and fuck, he didn't account for Isagi Yoichi to be the one closest to the ball. His metavision reroutes, but it's too late.
Isagi sends the ball in a sharp curve, slow and steady in its movements. It's slow enough that Itoshi has a chance to get back to the penalty area. He doesn't see the absolutely beautiful torque on the ball, however. It bounces right at his feet, but before he has the chance to trap it, it hurtles into the right corner of the goal.
Kaiser turns to Isagi when the goal is called. Halfway across the field, Kurona jumps on him and Grim claps his back, but Isagi still makes direct eye contact with Kaiser, smirking.
Kaiser turns away with an incredulous grin, cracking his knuckles.
The momentum turns, and Bastard Munchen takes the win, two Kaiser-led goals later.
〥
The adrenaline since the game ended has simmered down within Isagi, but he's still restless, pacing around the halls of Bluelock. Kaiser hasn't spoken to him yet, getting split up in the fray in the locker rooms, but that was almost an hour ago. He huffs, stepping inside the viewing room to wait him out.
As expected, he ends up getting immersed in the clips of the game already uploaded to the system; rewinding, analyzing plays, and scrutinizing frame-by-frame. He doesn't notice Kaiser's presence until he's already lazily spinning around on the chair in the center of the room.
"I didn't think you'd take so long to find me."
Kaiser's response is immediate. "You were waiting up for me, Yoichi? Cute."
He can't keep himself from grinning as he turns back around, rewinding the clip of Aiku that the screen is paused on. Isagi rewinds, drops the speed, and lets it play, eyes barely focusing on the screen. He rewinds again, just for something to do, and repeats the process. The energy in the room is charged, and he knows Kaiser can feel it too.
