𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓 | 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙘𝙠

05. 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨

"𝐈'𝐌 𝐍𝐈𝐇𝐄𝐈 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐉𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐋," The man—Nihei, introduced himself, continuing afterwards. "I'd like to get some material for a story today. To get right to it, until recently, you've been playing for the youth team associated with the team Re Al."

"But due to their regulations, you weren't able to play on a top team and returned to Japan. Do you think we'll ever get to see you play for a domesticated league?"

The subject of the interview was the man sitting across from him. None other than Itoshi Sae, Japan's football genius.

"I'd rather drop dead," Sae spoke, not an ounce of care in his words, "I'd be better off playing with some german college students."

His arrogance was evident in the way he carried himself, doing as he pleased with no second thought, an arrogance that nobody could answer to.

"Itoshi-Kun, you were chosen as one of PIFA's best new eleven players. As a young midfielder you're sought after by clubs all over the world. Don't you have aspirations to someday represent Japan?" Nihei spoke, a small laugh following his words as a few beads of sweat fell down his face.

"I'm not interested in the slightest. I would never become the best in a trash country like this. My dream is to win the champion's league."

Sae begins to rise, gather his items as he walks to the door, having lost any interest in the interview.

"There is no longer a striker in this country that can receive my passes. I was just born in the wrong place."

Sae opens the door and steps out, abruptly ending the interview without a care.

Nihei sat there, huffing out a heavy sigh once the door clicks shut behind Sae.

'I suppose there isn't anyone in this country who can satisfy a genius who only wants to be the best in the world' He thinks, recounting Sae's words.

'No longer...'

Sae sighed, listening to his manager ramble on about how the press would hate him.

He didn't care about trivial things like that, he was focused on only soccer, and he tried to make that clear to his manager.

"I'm only came back because my passport expired." He turns his head, his attention brought to a room filled with people, "Doesn't it seem crowded here?"

His manager spoke, stumbling over his words, "Ah... it seems like theres a press conference in the event hall."

"We call it the Blue Lock Project"

Concern rises within the crowd, for good reason. I mean, throwing away the career's of 299 strikers? It was absurd to think about.

"Don't you all want to see? The moment when a hero is born in the world of Japanese football!?"

The women talking spoke with deep passion, expressing her love for the sport, and her want for Japan to succeed.

Her words were enticing, capturing the interests of everyone in the room, even Sae.

"All of it, the courage to win a world cup, is in Blue Lock."

She concludes the conference immediately after, not leaving any more time for protest, or anything alike.

"Sae- We need to leave to catch our flight to spain-"

"Cancel it," Sae spoke, interrupting his manager.

Japan felt this passionately about the sport now? He was starstruck, honestly.

After Adonis quit, Japan showed no effort in the future, using his departure as a safety net whenever they didn't preform well.