Chapter Text
“Itoshi sae has come to Bluelock!!” It was like a song that had started playing through the entire building. Rin did not like this new song. When he had last seen him, just when he had thought that he might forgive him when sae had approached him during the U-20 match, The bastard had said that Japan’s strikers had hope. That that striker was Isagi Yoichi, after watching him score the final goal. Which he had passed to Isagi, where he had a mental breakdown and fought like a starving beast to get the ball, had successfully got it from Nii-chan. It was just as much as his goal,as it was Isagi’s, the man himself had said it.
And Yet,
Not a single word about him, about what he accomplished, fucking nothing. As much as he had gotten angry at Isagi, In his heart,he knew there was no use blaming him for his brother’s actions.
At the thought of Isagi, a prick of guilt and warmth rose up conflictingly. He was the only person to come and check on him, in the aftermath of their hard-earned win where they were only eager to stuff their faces( he couldn't really blame them) Isagi had cared enough to look for him, that was more than he could say for the people in his life, and how had he treated him? By spitting in his face about rivalry and shit. Rin sighed. He did’nt deserve Isagi’s kindness. He had no idea why the guy even bothered with him. He frowned while he recalled the news.
But he knew, even then, even now, if his brother deigned to hand him something resembling an Olive branch, he would be like a dog with a bone.
Dammit, he was disgusted with himself. Nii-chan would probably ask him to have a bit of self-respect or something. Damn that bastard.
*-----------------------------------*
Rin was not having a good day. The opponents team was strong, ridiculously so, These were not the foreign teams that had come to participate in Blue lock TV( rin still hated that word, they really were allowing clubs to auction them like ancient artifacts), but a new team from beyond the seas, “The Evermores”.
What technique Rin had thought was ideal, They surpassed it by 10 times. Whatsmore, some members from other teams were watching as well, Like Isagi and fucking Niichan.
Rin had thought he was fit and of a decent size, but that thought had clearly been demolished by these giants from another land. The first to score 5 goals would win. And they were currently at 0-4, one more goal and they were done for. He looked at the despair in the faces of his teammates. It was half-time and he was already tired.
It was'nt an important match,he knew that. To the guys in the half-witted football association of japan, this match was'nt as relevant as the NEL matches. They've seen the talent of these players beforehand. It was a supposedly friendly match. But the profuse need in his heart to not lose overturned in him and abetted on by ego said otherwise. His team huddled together as Rin sat at the very corner mind blank and in a haze not processing anything.
"If Isagi were here, he could have done something instead of useless No 1 here" Igaguri said eyeing Rin detestedly. Only select members had been chosen to play and Igaguri who had not been in a single NEL match was chosen.
The rest of them genuinely had no idea what Ego was thinking.
Igaguri who was overjoyed at first but was now losing had resorted to picking on others. the air around them soured at the monk's words.
"How about you shut the fuck up ya?" Hiori glared down, cyan hair falling forward.
"Bit rich coming from you, Mr extra useless" Karasu said, looking daggers at Igaguri.
Their words came in like echoes inside Rin's cloudy mind. Incompetent as he was, Igaguri had a point. Isagi..he knew how to uplift people around him, how to use his words and actions to light a fire under their asses and get them working at their best. Rin, on the other hand, if he hit a wall too big would only crumble down at the moment.
Useless
Rin responded by saying nothing. He missed the disquieted looks of his teammates at him.
They went out into the field with no new ploys.
Suddenly he heard a loud cheer. Rin turned to the stadium and saw Bachira’s overenthusiastic face as he gave a thumbs up, saw Isagi’s determined face looking at him with fiery eyes.
“C’mon, you can do it!!” they yelled in creepy synchronization, he saw Sae’s emotionless face, glimpsed some blond guy with a tattoo leering at Isagi (stop staring at him you creep).
He closed his eyes, saw Bachira’s play during that fateful match when he had got isagi ,saw Isagi’s blue eyes like electricity was brimming in them when he got too into a match. No words were said but it was as though Isagi was pouring every emotion and every ounce of strength in to him by sheer will alone.
Remember them, learn from them, make their courage your own
Itoshi Rin felt hope and strength course through his veins again. Felt the chain around his heart loosen. He felt himself going into the flow , embarassingly his tongue started lolling out a bit, and felt the fire rise in his eyes and soul. He fought with every fibre of his being and felt the coils in his brain turning to make new strategies.
He scored.
It was worth seeing the looks of surprise in the other team’s eyes. His goal seemed to have awakened something in his teammates. He scored the first 2 goals and Hiori and yukimiya scored one each. By now, he was spent. His heart beat was going up and he was sweaty all over, hands on knees. Their defense was very tight, so it was an effort for his team to merely hold on to the ball.
He looked up to see the Evermores, …..looking completely fine, not a drop of sweat on them, smirking at them, at him. There was like 10 seconds left, what did these idiots think they could do now? he glared at them. It was almost like they did’nt care if they lost, they were too above bluelock, it would’nt hurt their damn pride.
Wait
It was either that or they were confident enough to score under a minute. Rin’s eyes widened in horror, and he scanned the field. He saw a small lean guy running towards their goal. He looked back and saw the others defending against the enemy team, watched as one of the big guys passed to the lean guy. He smirked at Rin as he ran to the goal and swung his foot in an arc.
Rin looked down at the cheers of the other team, hands shaking slightly.
He had lost, lost miserably. He looked at the other team, they were smiling at the bluelockers. Two of them put out their tongues in a teasing imitation of him and winked. One of them mouthed at him ”You kids are good”.
........
Damn them, he did not need their misplaced pity. The fact was that he had lost. He looked down dejectedly.
The reporter looked at the camera with a wide grin. “So football fans everywhere!, That was a mind blowing match we just witnessed. The elite Evermores as incredible as they were, seems to be impressed by blue lock. And with good reason! Rin Itoshi’s play during the second half was truly inspiring and a beautiful comeback which spurred the rest of the team to show their true potential!”
Said team for some annoying reason had noticed his inner turmoil. Mind your own business, will you? Tepid Busybodies
A hand met his shoulder, “You were amazing Rin- kun” hiori said with a soft smile while handing him a drink.
“You truly were” Yukimiya added while taking off his shades with a smirk.
Karasu sauntered towards the pair of them with a lazy grin “Eh, why're ya sulking eyelashes? I mean, you do realize your goal was the reason the rest of us stopped being scared dumbasses don't ya?”
I know you have issues but don’t sell yourself short Rin, For a learning match, we did good" Otoya said smoothing his hair out.
"How about that huh Igaguri? , you saw what Rin did! " Nanase laughed. The bald boy flailed his arms around while trying to explain.
He looked at the stadium again and saw electric blue eyes shining at him. “Great work Rin ,that was a good match!” Isagi yelled.
Something in his heart melted at the beaming wide grin on Isagi's face,the sharp canines on the front of his teeth slightly crooked, the lines around his eyes crinkling with his smile and his eyes, maybe not as blue as sapphires but with a truly vibrant glow in them which set them apart from any gem, reminding him of the ocean, of home, looking at him with an affection he had'nt seen from anyone in a long long time.
If there was a blush staining his cheeks it was no one’s business but his own.
Still, The fact there are guys that good means that’s my new height to reach, I pushed and did my best did’nt I?, I suppose that’s ok-
“Oi, Rin”
He startled and looked around to see Itoshi Sae, gem of Japan and not-a-child-now prodigy walking towards him, to speak to him.
Maybe it was the fact that he was not surrounded by hostile teammates and irritating opponents. Maybe it was the fact that no one was reluctant to talk to him anymore and had showered him with compliments. Maybe it was that Isagi Yoichi, blue lock’s ideal egoist had smiled at him a second ago. But Rin felt warmth seep through him and a smile tug at the corners of his lips as he looked at his brother, his nii-chan with shining eyes. Perhaps Maybe….
“What the actual fuck was that?” Sae looked up at him with an emotionless face, eyes betraying the repressed anger.
……Ha
“You were shit in the first half, the second half lacked your usual strength, you lost focus in the last minute. And you lost.”
“But nii-chan, I did try-
“Shut up, you clearly weren’t doing enough, if you let those bastards win”
I don’t know what I was expecting
“I already told you Rin, if you can’t play football, you’re trash. All those dumbasses can coddle you all they want, but don’t expect me to do shit like that. And I thought I told you not to use me as your reason to play football, whether it was against or with me” Sae glared.
He turned to leave,
”It looks like you’re still the failure you always were ”
His teammates looked in shock at the 2 brothers. Rin turned and walked away from them. If there were tears prickling his eyelashes, it was no one’s business but his own.
Dumbass, what were you even expecting from him?? You know he’s always like that. And what’s more he was right. I’m the fool for getting carried away by stupid praise and for thinking what I did was ok. I lost in the battlefield. I’m dead.
His soul felt like it was stabbed. ……Maybe I should be dead, perhaps then he won’t look at me like that.
Looking back, he felt like he should have noticed and tried to stop what was going to happen. But he had been too lost in his own mind. And so did not notice a small someone going like wind past him.
“Um, Excuse me, Itoshi Sae” someone prodded Sae gently.
“Yes?” Green eyes looked down at blue disinterestedly.
BHAM
Rin’s drink fell from his hands and his jaw fell open. He could vaguely register his teammates doing the same.
Bachira, Chigiri and the others stared.
Kaiser and Ness stared.
Fucking Noel Noa, Prince and Lavinho stared.
The entire football world might have stared.
Itoshi Sae was too stunned to speak. He had fallen from the force of the punch.
Isagi Yoichi, the absolute mad lad, took him by the collar, eyes burning with anger, growled with fury dancing in his eyes.
“How dare you"