𝔩𝔦𝔪𝔦𝔱𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔰 (blue lock x male reader)

ch. 5 - show off

once you were back in your room and everyone had settled in, you glanced down at your shirt and noticed your rank had changed.

"how in the hell?" you muttered, watching your number drop from 294 to 269. sure, japan's tech was impressive, but you didn't expect it to update in real-time like this. you briefly wondered how much money ego spent on these fancy suits before deciding it wasn't your problem.

there were more important things to think about.

as the others started reacting to their new ranks, the screen flickered to life, revealing ego jinpachi.

"well, well, hello diamonds in the rough," he greeted, his tone as sharp as ever. "how's life treating you in blue lock so far?"

honestly? it was intriguing enough to keep you around. otherwise, you would've bailed already. but here you were, still invested.

raichi, though, didn't share the same sentiment as you. "cut the crap! do you really expect us to improve in this crummy environment?!"

"yeah, what he said!" a blonde guy chimed. "we also want better food, too!"

ego scratched his head, completely unfazed. "the environment's crummy because your soccer skills are crummy. idiots."

"what the hell?" raichi grumbled under his breath.

"anyway," ego continued, ignoring the grumbling. "let's talk about blue lock. in this facility, we have 25 teams from b to z, split across five buildings."

he paused for effect before adding, "oh, and by the way, each team lost one player in the tag game. that leaves 275 of you."

"eh?! i'm still dead last..." igaguri groaned, eyes wide with disbelief. "man, i got excited for nothing!"

ego went on, "your rank determines your team. ranks 1 through 11 are in team b, ranks 12 through 22 in team c. and you team z guys? you're the lowest-ranked in building 5."

raichi clicked his tongue, turning away in annoyance. "don't lump me in with these losers."

you shot him a sharp look, thinking, 'are you actually serious right neow bro'

"what'd you just say?" igaguri snapped.

"who're you calling losers?" kunigami challenged, his glare now fixed on raichi.

kuon, sensing the growing tension, stepped forward. "hey, let's all calm down."

before things could escalate, ego's voice sliced through the chatter. "higher-ranked players get better food and train in superior facilities," he said, immediately commanding attention. "in blue lock, the best player is king. if you want better conditions, earn them. win."

without waiting for any reaction, he pressed on. "let's move on to the first selection. 55 of you in building 5 will compete in a five-team round-robin. only the top two teams will advance to the second selection."

chigiri, scanning the room, finally spoke. "so... the eleven of us in team z will play as a proper team? but we're all forwards..."

his comment sparked uncertainty, voices rising as everyone debated how they'd function as a team of strikers.

"enough," ego's sharp voice silenced them. "soccer was originally about one thing: scoring goals. over time, you've been programmed to believe in positions and tactics, but those roles evolved. the game started with every player being a striker."

he paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "so, play soccer the way it was meant to be played. create it from zero-- using your own minds."

you found yourself echoing his words under your breath. "create soccer from zero, huh..."