Various Anime Lemons

Hitting More Than The Net

Ego Jinpachi tapped his finger against the rim of the iPad in rhythmic beats as he gazed over the data provided to him, cups of instant ramen noodles stacked on the desk full of monitors. The diamonds in the rough were growing excellently in the blue prison they were in, but it did not mean their development was done. All according to plan, it was time for the 'frogs in the well' to learn of the vastness of the world they were getting themselves into.

Ignoring any idea of restraint when it came to the next part of his plan, the football fanatic began to sign up elite-level stars to lace up their boots and provide the reality of the world. All the yen being used was for the dream of creating the world's number 1 striker, the dream of Japan to lift the World Cup one day. If it was for this, he saw there to be no problem in how he spent the money that the JFU were providing to fund the Blue Lock project.

Be that as it may, he paused to think over things. The selection of world-class players were perfectly fine, but his eyes narrowed as he looked to who could be changed around and invited. One thing for sure was the young French prodigy was a definitive stay-in for the finale of the Second Selection. It would be an important way for those diamonds in the rough to recognise the depth of the world and how inferior their brand of football is compared to the grander world.

On the other hand, others could have been replaced with another. A light bulb went off in Ego's head as he picked up the phone again and began to communicate with the 'joker' he had in mind when forming the original Team World Five.

It didn't take long for the terms to be set to buy their services. As a matter of fact, things went much easier and smoother than he expected. While Ego cared little for the ludicrous amounts of money that he was spending (trying to create the best striker out of 300 high school forwards that have been cursed with the Japanese style of football wasn't going to be an easy and frugal job), the money saved would be enough to buy so much more instant ramen noodles. Well, not that would happen, as the Blue Lock project would soak up all the money it needed to accomplish the flow of dreams that brought it into reality.

***

Anri Teieri was called in to talk with Ego, as per usual. It was her job to manage the Blue Lock project so this wasn't uncommon for her to be called in to have a talk, yet the way Ego talked to her was a bit off and part of her dreaded at what might happen. While she was no stranger to having him ripping into her (his blunt words left no way to retort, as the burns would continue, so she was relatively forced to take the whole deal), it was not something she was planning to make part of her daily routine.

Her eyes rolled at the state of the room. As usual, Anri could make out the stacked cups of instant noodles that had become the enigmatic ego-pushing Ego's main diet. There was that one part of her that would have tried cooking some healthy food to help him, but her mind quickly found itself back to what happened the last time she did, promptly shutting down that idea in her head. 'Never wasting my time like that again,' she thought to herself.

Clearing her head, Anri entered professional mode. "Is there something you need, Ego?" she asked, her fate hanging in the balance of what would be spoken next.

"Do you have any experience in dating?"

Those words briefly left Anri standing in a world where nothing could reach her, the folder she was carrying in her hands having fallen down. An overflow of pages having been emptied out, further messing up the room. While it would have been enough to put her back into focus, along with Ego's click of annoyance at Anri's overreaction, her state of mind continued to be frozen for a minute or more.

Anri was at a loss of what she should say or respond. Firstly, why did the bowl cut, foul-mouthed, lanky, noodle-eating director of Blue Lock ask her such a question. 'I do think of myself as pretty, but he couldn't be asking me out, could he?' she thought to herself, the shock having prevented her from realising that her folder was splattered by her foot.