"Isagi-kun, is everything all right?"
"Huh?"
Isagi was not at all paying attention, too busy replaying the events of last night in his mind, like a highlight reel. It was the morning before the final match-up, against PXG, and the team was eating breakfast in the cafeteria. Kurona, sitting adjacent to him, asked once more.
"Is everything okay with you and Kaiser?" He specified. "I noticed you have been spending a lot of time with him lately."
"Have I?" He laughed a little too loudly, overcompensating. "It sure doesn't feel like it. Whenever I'm around him, I'm dying to leave."
""I felt weird asking about it, at first," Kurona remarked, turning his head towards where Kaiser was sitting, across the room. "But it just seemed like he wasn't leaving you alone."
Isagi followed his gaze across the room, and to his dismay, Kaiser seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to him, immediately looking up and locking eyes with him.
At this, he merely gave a small wave and a wink, a sly smirk plastered on his face. Isagi cursed under his breath, and dramatically turned away.
"Uh, are you sure it's all okay?" Kurona leaned in and asked more quietly, as though Kaiser could somehow hear from that far away.
"Yes, of course, why wouldn't it be?" Isagi replied a little too sharply, trying his hardest to ignore the blue eyes that were now fixed on the back of his head. "Let's talk about something else, instead..."
***
This last full day of training definitely didn't go to waste. Seeing as how they'd be up against the likes of Rin, Shidou and the French prodigy Julian Loki, they knew they had to plan very carefully in order to surpass their overwhelming offensive power. There wasn't much time for joking around, or talking about anything other than tactics, so Isagi never even found the time to bicker with Kaiser.
That is not to say they didn't interact, however.
Exactly one time during practice, to everyone's shock, Kaiser actually gave a perfect pass to Isagi, allowing him to score.
While he had sworn he would never accept a pass from Kaiser, he had been so "in the zone" that it hadn't registered to him what had happened until the ball hit the back of the net.
As everyone talked about what an amazing goal that was and how Isagi should try to replicate it during the actual match, he wanted nothing more than to punch Kaiser. Didn't he warn him enough last night not to pass to him?
This anger didn't last long, however, once Noa came up to him and commended him for finally working well and meshing with Kaiser's style of play. He was glad to be given a compliment by his mentor, but nevertheless, he wanted that glory all for himself, not because he worked well with someone else.
So engrossed they all were in training that the day passed by quickly, and soon enough, it was dinner time. That also passed without incident, and once it was over, Isagi made up the excuse that he wanted to get one more final "practice session" in with Kaiser before the game tomorrow.
And so, he slipped away, practically running towards the blond's bedroom. He only knocked once, and waited to be let inside.
"So, Yoichi," Kaiser remarked as the door swung open, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall hearing a 'thank you' today."
"And why would you need to be thanked?" Isagi shot back, pushing past him and letting himself into the room.
"Oh, I don't know," Kaiser waved a hand around, letting the door shut behind him. "Refresh my memory on who it was that gave you that beautiful pass earlier today?"
