𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗥𝗘,, 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸

005

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"I'm Nehei from Soccer Journal," the reporter announced, his hair spiking up, along with the slight stuble and small beard, caused from not shaving. "I'd like to gather material for a story today." Nehei smiled softly at the man sitting across from him, sitting on a plush yellow chair with brown borders outlining the chair. "to get right into it, until recently, you were playing for the youth team, associated to the world renowned team real manrid."

"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 in a doumestic league?"

the man across nehei propped up his hand, his knuckles resting against his cheek. his reddish-brown bangs brushed back as a completely uninterested expression rested across his face. "i'd rather drop dead."

sae itoshi only continued. "if i were to play soccer here.. i'd be better off playing with some german college students." he harshly answered as he picked at his nails.

nehei only sweatdropped, a nervous expression painted his face. "uhm... itoshi-kun.. you were chosen as one of pifa's best new eleven players.. as a midfielder, you're a young athlete who's sought after by club teams all over the world.."

'this sucks...' the interviewer only internally deadpanned out how unfazed sae was.

eventually, sae decided he had enough, pushing himself off of the couch, standing up slowly. "i have no interest in this whatsoever. i can never be the best in the world playing for such a puny country as japan." "my dream is to win the champions league"

"there's no forward in this country who can handle my passes. i was just born in the wrong country."

just as the light burgundy haired man left the room, his manager, giraud dabadie came desperately chasing after the man, a droplet of sweat rolling down his forehead. "itoshi-chan! you can't do that! the press is going to hate you..!"

sae sighed, letting out a long exhale before responding with the same monotone voice he used with everyone but a certain someone. "i only came here because my passport expired." that was a lie, and sae knew damn well.

just as sae was being distracted by his thoughts, a crowded room, presumable a press conference caught the attention of the light burgundy haired boy.

an old guy, who's top of his head was bald, who clearly no interest in this whatsoever, was speaking through the mic. "so.. we've gathered three hundred of the most outstanding high schoolers, and are training them as strikers to lead japan to a world cup victory." "we call it, the project blue lock."

"this is indeed a revolutionary project.. but is it really necessary to disrupt these student's high school lives?"

"it sounds as if you're saying you don't mind wasting 299 lives for the sake of one person"

"and supposing you were able to produle a single world- class striker, where's the proof that japan would be able to win the world cup?"

the older man sweatdropped, unsure of what to do with the current situation. tons of people asking him questions, clearly overwhelming him. "uhm, well... of curse we hold the students' wishes in the highest esteem, and the parents have all signed their consent already.."

just as the elder was about to continue, anri slowly stood up, a dark shadow looming over her head. "their lives will be wasted?.. damn right! this insane project is necessary for japanese soccerto advance to the next level." anri fully stood up, a determined expression spread across her face. sae, immediately turned around at the noise, seemingly interested at the current press conference being held. "dont you want to see.." anri murmered, "the moment when a hero is born in the world of japanese soccer?!" she loudly exclaimed passionately, her arms supporting her body as she leaned forward to the table.

,,,

"for the first selection, all of you in wing 5 will have a round robin tournament for all five teams." y/n could only internally cringe as she yet again faced the bowl-cutted man with abnormally long limbs. bachira sat next to y/n, clinging onto her arm as he listened to ego explain the first selection. "after the final match, the top two teams will clear the selection. its a survival match." and with that, ego concluded his message, his face finally fading away from the large screen placed in front of the entirety of team z.

,,,

"huh?" the red haired man hummed, confused. "so all eleven of us in team z count as one team?.. even though we're all forwards?.."

y/n hummed, her pointer finger tapping her chin in thought. "pretty much.." she muttered a small answer. the team began filling in other suggestions. immamura joined in, smiling brightly as he suggested, "that means we'll just have to play all the other positions!" glancing towards iemon, his face light up brighter. "you can be the goalie!!" iemon muttered silently, unsure if he wanted to be goalie or not. "i'd do it if i had too.. i guess.."

as raichi was suggesting he could be center foward, others cut in, claiming their spots, and arguing they should be center forward as well, pushing back and forth. "hey y/n!!" bachira exclaimed brightly, causing everyone to immediately freeze, turning too look at either the said woman or the yellow and black haired boy. "why dont you choose for us?" he smiled, his grin resembling one of a cat, cunning. "a-ah.. i think i'll pas-"

"hey y/n! i should be a forward right?!"

"no me!!"

"y/n likes me the best, she'll choose be obviously!!"

"i'm clearly her favorite, what are you on about?!"

"be so for real..."

sweatdropping, y/n could only glare at bachira for causing this predicament. "oh my god... i fear this will take a while.." she muttered to herself, massaging her temples in hopes of helping the headache quickly forming.

"listen. soccer is primarily a game about scoring points." your savior cut in, causing the chaos to slowly disappear. 'this is the only time i will ever be grateful to ego. thank the gods..' y/n silently muttered her prayer, thanking the lords. "having all eleven (11) players as fowards makes perfect sense. the positions and tactics that have been stupidly imprinted on your brains were just roles that were created as a part of soccer's evolution." ego's eyes widened, as he stuck out a hand, his palm facing upwards as he stared through the camera, looking at them as if they were commoners and he was the king. y/n deadpanned at this behavior, quietly muttering to herself. "god complex?..."

"when soccer first started, all players were fowards. play soccer from that starting point, rebuild it from zero (0) in your heads."

while ego continued explaining some random stuff y/n could care less about, anri was also explaining other things, determination plastered all over her face. sae stopped in front of the press conference's door, wanting to see what else she had to say. "i'll see for myself what kind of forward this country can produce." sae spoke to no one in particular, although his manager only sweatdropped as he watched from behind. the light burgundy haired man's eyes fogged, something unkown that anyone would have described but as determination.

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A/n: so erm.. as request of my lovely reader 🫶, charles will be a new love interest :3

i actually dont know who tf that is bc ive been procrastinating finishing the manga smh. 😞 i rlly need to though, im working on it i swear 🙏