Cold Cold Cold | Blue Lock

Chapter 10

Coming back to Japan was an interesting experience.

In a fit of childish anger a few years back, she had sworn to never come back. She had promised herself that her homeland was dead to her, that it was nothing more than a foreign place as the people she cared for left her one by one to pursue their own thing.

Poor little [Name], left all alone as though she wasn't there. As though she didn't exist.

The place she called home was nothing but a location she held memories in. The warmth she felt was swiped away by the coldness of being alone and the the love she held for those she used to look up to had been swapped for a bottomless resentment.

She worked hard to get away. She worked hard to prove everyone wrong, that she could be something too, and show that she was worth something. She trained as hard as she could, the tears flowing down her cheeks slowly being replaced by sweat on her face. 

She worked her ass off to get to where she was, all so she could spit in her family's face that she too could abandon them the same way they did her. 

Now, as she lay down on the bed granted to her by Blue Lock's free dormitories, she couldn't help but wonder if it was worth it. Sure, she reached heights she never thought she'd achieve, she received awards, was recognized worldwide, and met amazing friends and rivals, but in the end, she couldn't help but feel empty.

She came back to show off everything she's accomplished, to show that she was doing alright without them as well, but did it even matter when the people she wanted to get revenge on barely cared? She's attained so much but no matter what she did, the one thing she wanted was still out of reach.

Her eyes, unblinking and foggy, flickered over to the picture frame she kept face down in every room she stayed in. The wood was old and was even falling at the seams but she couldn't bring herself to change it, not when that frame was something they all picked together and decorated, as a family.

Her hands were slow and hesitant as they reached down for the picture frame. Her heart lurched in her chest as she picked it up tenderly and gazed longingly at the image shown.

Unlike the memories she held, the picture was bright. A little girl, seemingly a younger her, smiled happily at the camera, a missing tooth in visible as she had just recently pulled it out. Beside her stood a taller boy, his maroon hair striking as he gazed apathetically at the camera. Despite that, mirth danced in his eyes as he held the hand of another boy younger than him on his right. The tiny boy, seemingly identical to her, laughed wholeheartedly as he waved at the camera, his tongue slipping out as though to make a silly expression in delight.

Behind the three kids were a happy couple, their mom and dad. Their mom could be seen holding onto the shoulder of her younger self while the other hand was interlocked with the grinning male beside her.

It looked like a picture perfect family. A laughable contrast to how they all barely keep in contact now.

The nostalgic warmth that had enclosed around her immidiately turned shrill in bitterness as she slammed the picture back down the desk. It was hard enough to create a loud bang but her body held back to confirm that the glass wouldn't be broken.

[Name] gripped her arms tightly, as though embracing herself, before taking slow steps back. She kept her breath even before letting herself fall back down on the bed behind her.

Japan was a mistake. All it brought was bad memories.

She continued to lay down on her back, her eyes staring at the ceiling, as she let herself rot slowly in the room. Somehow, she kind of wished she was doing something else. Anything would be fine as long as she could somehow escape the suffocating air in this room.

She felt dizzy.

She slowly felt her eyes close before fisting her hands and standing up abruptly. 

No, this was dangerous. She wasn't about to let herself fall asleep and waste her day. She needed to go out.

In a swift motion, she stood up once more with determination, slapping her cheeks to hard to revive her low spirits. She put her hair up swiftly, grabbed her essentials, put on a jacket, a mask, and a hat, before leaving her room.

She walked away from the dormatories the same exact way she left her family home in order to play volleyball for a different country. It brought a sense of doubt, her mind questioning if this was a good idea, but it also made her feel liberated from all the things that chained down her heart.

The area she was in was still unfamilliar but she knew enough of the important landmarks around it. Firstly, there was the nearby convenience store for students to get supplies from. Then there was a gym a few blocks across that was bought for the use of the athletes in Blue Lock. Another thing she remembered was a nearby cafe for students to relax, an area she has yet to check out.

She'll get to it next time. Maybe even drag Hiori with her...

[Name] shook her head as she crossed the street, her mind currently focused on her current destination, the gym. She needed a good exercise and a distraction, something that'll take her mind off of what being back in Japan meant. 

She stepped inside the gym, the door opening for her in the same trademark way any Blue Lock building did for anyone passing through them. She walked by the front desk, handing the female her student ID behind her clear phone case, before heading inside the main Gym.

As soon as she entered the large area filled with equipment, her eyes couldn't help but widen at the sight of familiarly bright hair.

"Kunigami? Chigiri?" She mumbled out loud as her legs instictively walked a bit closer. 

The redhead, who was currenly going in an unreal speed on the threadmill, and the ginger, who was lifting a high amount of weights, both turned to her without missing a beat in their respective exercises.

"[Name]?" They said in unison, their faces showing their clear shock at her sudden appearance.