35. Promise.

It was a good while before Y/N actually moved from his spot.

The whistle blew three times overhead, and the electronic voice rang out above. "Team Red wins, 5-4. Please select a player to move forwards with you."

Y/N had been deep in thought the entire time, standing there in the mouth of the goal. Nobody really paid attention to him. Team Red was celebrating their win, and Team White had their hands on faces, disappointment clear.

Isagi had crumpled to the floor as soon as Y/N had scored. He lay in the exact same position Niko had, palms pressed against the artificial grass as he sobbed into the floor. A quiet, strangled sound came from his throat.

Y/N moved, for now pushing the thoughts of Kuroi back into the corners of his mind. Bachira had come running over to him, and collided with him in a tackle that sent both of them to the floor.

Y/N forced himself to forget about everything he'd just been thinking about, a small smile forming on his lips at how happy Bachira was. He looked like a little kid, arms around Y/N's midriff as he laughed.

"That was amazing!" He yelled. "Wha- whaaaat?!"

Chuckling, Y/N propped himself up on his arm. "That's nowhere near the best I can do. Just wait and see."

"I will!" Wide-eyed, Bachira grinned, hugging Y/N. He hugged back, for a few seconds just lying there on the ground gazing up at the ceiling.

We passed the second selection. Now it's time for the training camp. Ego said five of the best players in the world... That'll certainly be interesting. And then Sae's proposal too... Playing for Japan.

Bachira sighed. "Who do you want to pick?"

"Don't you want Isagi?" Y/N frowned. "You're always on about him. And it's always up to us to choose anyway. Rin doesn't care who we pick."

"Be quiet." Rin spoke up. He'd walked over to them, standing over them with Aryu. "I'm choosing this time. No argument."

"Welp, I guess he does this time." Y/N shrugged.

Worry overtook Bachira's face. "I don't need Isagi to play soccer anymore. These few days, I've learnt how to play without him... But that doesn't mean I don't want him."

"Hey, it'll be okay." Y/N soothed. "I think Rin'll go for him anyway."

"This is annoying for me to say." Rin lowly muttered. "But I was unable to read that last goal you scored. I need to crush you." He raised a finger to Isagi.

"Come, Isagi. You aren't going to fall here."

Y/N could've sworn Bachira's eyes turned to gold for a second. He hugged Y/N tighter, grinning even wider than before as the two boys lay there on the floor. Rin and Aryu stood over them, for once neither of them trying to tell them off.

Rin allowed them a minute, lying on the floor. Everyone was trying to catch their breath, chests heaving as they gradually cooled off. From where he was on the ground, Y/N watched Chigiri cry out in frustration, hands on his knees as he panted.

"Let's go." Rin beckoned Isagi to them, before he and Aryu headed for the winners' gate. Y/N rose off the floor with Bachira.

Over by Nagi, Barou and Chigiri, Isagi was trying to comfort them. "Sorry, guys."

None of them listened to him. Nagi had his head angled to the ceiling, hands on his hips as white hair fell over his eyes. And Barou's fists were clenched. "We were so close to beating the Top Three. And that last goal... we could've have done anything-"

"Shut the hell up." Chigiri harshly cut him off. "Rin chose you. So shut up and go on ahead."

"For real." Barou growled. "If I have to look at you any longer, I'd want to punch that idiotic face. So get lost, donkey."

"Yeah, man." Nagi sighed. "When we meet again, I'm going to crush you for being picked. We don't need you."

Isagi hesitated. "You'd better climb up. You're not falling behind now." He followed Rin to the winners' gate, and next to Y/N, Bachira scampered after him, cheering as he leapt onto Isagi's back.

Y/N laughed quietly at the sight, before turning to Team White.

"Hey, Chigiri?"

The pink-haired boy looked up at him with such a torn, aggrieved expression Y/N's next breath caught in his throat. He was breathing hard, barely able to get out more words. "What...?"

A few seconds passed, Y/N fidgeting with his hands as he stood there. Chigiri's eyes softened just a tad, and that was all Y/N needed to rush at him.

He slammed Chigiri with a hug, making him stumble back a few steps as Y/N buried his face in his shoulder. "You're gonna make it out of this selection."

"I-I know." Chigiri mumbled.

"Promise me?"

"Promise."

Y/N took a shaky breath. Then, he pushed away from Chigiri, turning to walk out of the winners' gate without a single look back. All three boys' eyes followed him out.

It didn't take him long to catch up with Rin and the rest of his team. As soon as the door closed behind him, he sped up, stumbling down a dark corridor in the blind hope he wouldn't accidentally run into a wall.

Eventually, he hit something similar to a wall. The thing hissed with annoyance, and a moment later a hand slapped Y/N. "Watch where you're going!"

"Oh, hi there Rin." Immediately knowing who it was, Y/N slowed down, trying to keep Rin ahead of him. He could barely see anything in the darkness - just a few blurry layers of black moving over others.

They walked in the dark for a minute. Y/N was at the back, behind Rin and another person who he assumed was Aryu. Bachira and Isagi were up ahead, Bachira's laughing loud and clear.

With a surge of bright light, they emerged from the tunnel out into a small room. Ego Jinpachi was already waiting for them on a high screen, fingers steepled as he leant back in a black leather chair. "The first clear team..."

His eyes ran over each of them, showing no sign of any emotion. "Welcome, diamonds in the rough. I'm sure it's been a tough battle to get here, but you've cleared the second selection."

Ego spread his hands. "By now, you've figured out the principle behind creating chemical reactions between egos, and you've honed your individual weapons to an... acceptable standard. As promised, we will now hold a training camp with five of the best players in the world."

Y/N was bored, just sitting there listening to the monologue. But everyone else was watching Ego intently.

"I'm sure you're all raring to get going. The training camp will begin with a five-a-side game against the World Five tomorrow morning, who I have handpicked. Proceed through the door, and for now enjoy the comfort of better facilities."

A door opened to one side of the room, and Ego smiled. "Isagi Yoichi, Rin Itoshi, stay. I have a lesson for you about luck. The rest of you are free to go." He made a shooing motion with one hand, ushering Y/N, Aryu, and Bachira out of the room.

They headed down yet another corridor, which gradually widened. Blue arrows glowed on the wall, leading them through a genuine maze of corridors, rooms and doors to a door labelled 'First Clear Team'.

The entire time, Y/N had been trying to memorise the path, but he just gave up, rubbing at his head as they entered. "What's the point in all these rooms anyway...?"

Their new dorm room was the best room they'd had yet, though. The walls were the same grey panels as the rest of the facility, but it was furnished with five large beds, made from wood with thick blue and white sheets over them. The floor was a soft dark red carpet, and there was even a low coffee table in the middle of the room.

Y/N immediately claimed a bed, running to the one all the way in the corner of the room and standing by it. "This one's mine!"

Bachira skipped over to another, right next to Y/N. "I got this one!"

Aryu spent much more time than the other boys. He did a full spin, looking at the room's walls, the position of each bed, and the location of a door to the bathroom in the corner of the room. In the end, he selected the bed closest to the door - and furthest away from Bachira.

"I'm gonna take a shower." Y/N pointed to the bathroom. He looked at the small drawer next to the bed, pulling out a towel and some Bluelock casual wear. The clothes didn't seem to have changed - they were just loose, soft fabric.

"Does the TV work?" Despite the fact he was probably sweaty and sticky from the game they'd just had, Bachira perched on the edge of his bed, pointing at a large screen Y/N hadn't seen on one of the walls.

Aryu shrugged. "Perhaps." He wandered over to the screen, taking a remote from the side. Y/N grinned as Bachira's eyes lit up, stepping into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

🥕🥕🥕

It was probably one of the best showers Y/N had ever had.

He'd been stuck using the crappy showers that everyone else used in Bluelock for a decade, it felt like. They didn't work well, sprayed so hard it left his skin red sometimes, and half the time weren't even warm.

This new room though, had perfect hot water, and an actual shower head instead of a bunch of pipes. Y/N wasn't ashamed to say he took much longer than he needed standing under the warm, relaxing deluge, massaging away any tension in his muscles.

He left the bathroom with his towel wrapped around his head, clean, relaxed, and content with the new room. Bachira and Aryu were looking at the TV, discussing something between them.

Isagi had come into the room while Y/N had been showering, and was sitting on the floor at the foot of his bed. He smiled at Y/N, giving him a small wave that Y/N returned.

"Oh, that first guy is Leonardo Luna!" Bachira exclaimed. "He's called the Scion of La Real, the Spanish club!" They were looking at a bunch of players on screen, five of them lined up next to each other.

Instantly, Y/N's throat went dry. "Bachira, what is this...?" He pointed at the screen.

"It's the World Five!" The bumblebee boy chirped, bouncing a bit on the bed. "We're gonna play them soon, remember?"

Y/N knew most of the players. Bachira returned to talking about them, him and Aryu adding in their own bits of information as they worked through the list.

The first one, as Bachira said, was Leonardo Luna. The main striker of Spanish team La Real, one of the biggest teams in the world. A strong captain and coordinator as well as player.

The second man was Adam Blake. The top scorer of one of the most competitive leagues in the world, the English league. Known for incredible physique and strength.

The third was a little harder for Y/N to remember. Pablo Cavasoz, a world class striker from Argentina. One of the best at taking free kicks and penalties.

The fourth player, Dada Silva. From the favelas of Brazil, known for an incredible physique, jumping power, and brawling ability.

But the fifth player was what really had Y/N's blood boiling hot. He wasn't angry, he wasn't excited, he wasn't upset, he wasn't even happy. He didn't know what he was, standing there looking at him.

If there hadn't been a name tag on every one of the players, perhaps Y/N could've pretended to not know him. But the name was clear, and Y/N didn't know how to react.

Julian Loki was the fifth player. The small kid Y/N had played with years ago was one of the best strikers in the world?! He hadn't heard anything from him after Ascension ended...

Y/N sighed tiredly. He'd spent too long being angry, after the Ascension project had closed. To have three of his friends get bought up, to have his very best friend leave him to go back home, he'd been so angry.

"Hey, Bachira... Aryu... Isagi..." Y/N's voice trembled ever so slightly. "Do you know anything about Julian Loki?"

"Julian Loki is the French League's newest superstar." Bachira hummed. "I don't know much about him, but he's said to be a child prodigy."

"He's seventeen." Aryu added. "And he plays for the French National team. But I don't know much more."

"He's the same age as me and he's already on a national team?!" Isagi choked on some water, coughing. "How?!"

Y/N's mind was in overdrive. Jules, how the hell did you manage that...? I'm out here participating in some stupid project, you're already at the peak of the soccer world.

Just how much did you improve?

Are you better than me now? Will you win, if we played again?

There were more pressing questions too that Y/N desperately wanted to ask.

Why did you leave me?

Did you ever care about me? Did you think about me?

A dark shadow crossed Y/N's face. Will he even remember me...?

"You good, Y/N?" Isagi looked up at him from his spot on the floor. "You look like you've eaten a dead rat."

Y/N looked at him incredulously. "You couldn't use a normal expression?"

"It was the first thing I came up with, okay?" Isagi defended. "But yeah, are you good?"

Y/N nodded slowly. "Yeah... I'm good." Or I will be, once I play him tomorrow. If he's running the training camp, then that would be interesting.

He hesitated. Wait, there's that thing Sae mentioned... A game. Bluelock against the Japanese team. Won't that take place after the second selection ends...?

Maybe the training camp won't go ahead?

Slumping onto his bed, Y/N closed his eyes, sighing. He'd never expected Bluelock to get so complicated.