HEART TO HEART. blue lock

13. PRIDE IN DISHONOUR

"WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO, L/N-KUN?"

y/n, a senior in his junior high, blinks. "i thought we were going through high school brochures."

"right. i'm just asking that 'cause i'm curious." his homeroom teacher, coincidentally his former soccer team's coach as well, laughs wholeheartedly. "so what do you want to do after graduating from the high school you choose, l/n-kun?"

"well... my parents expect me to seek higher education," y/n says, clicking his pen to write on the paper.

but then, the paper is pulled away from his sight. "nope! i'm asking what you, l/n-kun, wants to do. not mister and miss l/n! and this paper is for your high school choices!"

"wouldn't it turn out the same, teacher?" y/n asks, he drops his pen and glances up at him. "in the end, it's likely i'm going to do as they say, anyway."

"teacher, huh? man, i'm suddenly missing the day you'd call me 'coach'." he chuckles, lightly for this one. "though, i don't blame you. things happen over time."

y/n nods, unsure of what his response should be. this wasn't a concern up until recently, of when a storm came raging out into the hallway of a physical therapy centre.

his teacher sighs, staring at y/n softly, enough for y/n to forgive the words of criticism thrown at him when he was a player. though as cruel as those words might've seemed, there was care behind it as soft as the look in his eyes now. a clashing contrast, yet with the same pure intention, similar to the piercing protection hyouma tried to give him.

it's care; it has always been. not as a means to justify one's words and actions, but only to care.

"but l/n-kun," his teacher starts. "that doesn't mean you should get it to your perspective of the future."

he looks out into the window almost wistfully. "this might not mean much from a 'good ol' days' kind of guy like me, but just 'cause the past forms who you are today, that doesn't mean you gotta be stuck on it so much."

"...my grandfather said the same thing a while ago, but i still don't understand what you two mean by it." y/n mutters, his head hanging low.

"well! should this fellow geezer of your gramps give you an example then?"

y/n jerks his head upright, staring at his teacher with wide eyes. "you know my grandfather?"

"oh, no, no! i'm just saying that i'm a wise old man like your grandpa," he chuckles as he smacks y/n on the shoulder. his smile lines are prominent, they seem to pack the wisdom he claimed to have. "i'm giving you an example, anyway!"

"ah, right. please tell me, teacher."

he puts a hand on his chin. "hmph! guess you ought to take me for example! you know, before i was a teacher and coach, i was a chemist!"

"oh," y/n says, unsurprised. "is that why you're appointed as a chemistry teacher now?"

"no. i mean, yes. that's part of it. but you must listen to me first!" he clears his throat. "to make it quick, it wasn't what i want. chemistry was the only major that i could get a scholarship for instead of one in the health faculty. my parents wanted me to be some sort of doctor, you see."

"i never knew...," y/n mumbles, rolling the pen around with his finger. "you've told us countless stories about yourself, teacher. but you've only mentioned you majored in chemistry before."

"yup! so i'm telling you a secret of my past to boost your morale, so you better get yourself together by the end of it!"

"then, how come you became a teacher?"