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Everything happened so quickly. His eyes were fixed on the purple that he loved to watch day and night. By his side, there was always trust and an unconditional love that shone for miles, wherever he was.
He was scared. That’s what he thought. Immediately, he noticed Reo not too far from him. His feet moved quickly; trusting his teammate, he passed the ball. Before even making contact with Reo, someone else intercepted it: Bachira, who muttered a few words, kept running across the field without stopping, managing to dodge everyone. He caught a glimpse of Otoya celebrating out of the corner of his eye, but the next thing he saw was the ball going into the net.
Had it ended that easily?
His ears stopped hearing any distant and brief sounds, all he could hear were whistles or distant voices. His body faltered, and he felt his pulse drop until he couldn’t feel anything.
His eyes remained fixed on the net. Without thinking, he collapsed on the field. He wanted to do something: look for Reo, take a shower, sleep, or use his phone. But his mind was completely blank.
Someone sat beside him, remaining silent for several seconds until he started hearing some sounds more clearly. They were quiet sobs, or so he thought; he wasn’t sure.
His eyes followed the thighs that brushed against his feet as they went up, and Reo’s face appeared downcast.
Reo was supposed to always smile; he was supposed to have that beautiful smile on his face. However, it looked like he was trying to hold back tears or deep distress.
“Nagi...” he suddenly said. His voice sounded hurt, and that was what brought all his senses back to the world. He fully focused on his teammates. He could hear some quiet comments from Chigiri nearby, but he was more focused on Reo.
He tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out. His voice echoed silently under the cheers and congratulations from the other team, the exhausted sighs from his own, and a few curses.
“Nagi, I’m sorry.” Reo apologized. Why? Was it his fault?
“Forget it, Reo. We need to check the score.” Reo nodded, stood up with Chigiri’s help, and before following the rest of the team, he turned back to where Nagi was.
His eyes blinked. A hand reached out as if offering help. Of course, he took it and stood up.
He followed Reo through the passage, still with their hands intertwined. He could feel Reo’s sadness, and his reaction was to press his chest to the back that had once comforted him.
When they passed through the entrance, he could feel all kinds of stares; most of them were pitying. He saw Isagi lowering his head, still disturbed by something.
Reo’s hand tightened, and Nagi returned the grip. Before even looking for his name on the list, Reo moved. He lost his balance for a moment when he stopped supporting himself, and his hand began to feel colder than usual.
“No! Nagi, no...” He moved around the room. His face was pale, and tears were starting to show. How badly had it turned out?
“Reo...” Isagi said, but before anyone could get close enough, Reo grabbed Nagi’s shirt with all his strength and pulled him towards him.
From that angle, Nagi could see his name. At the very bottom, under the players who made it to the World Cup.
His mouth opened, and his eyes began to sting with something strange.
What was that?
Was it... his end?
The end of his dream?
“Nagi...” Reo practically cried, his head buried in his neck. Nagi’s hands trembled as he reached out and finally pulled Reo into his arms.
On the list, Reo was in seventh place, but him?
His dream couldn’t end like this, could it?
He was scared. Scared of really losing, of leaving Reo behind.
Of not achieving their dream together.
He had understood too late the true importance of what Reo meant to him, but more importantly, he had achieved his first goal: beating Isagi. After that, he had continued as always. Now, in the last match, he had found the second goal of his life: to improve, for him and for Reo.
Sure, it was for Reo, but also for himself as a player and a person. He wanted to be by his side, and he could only achieve that by improving.
He had realized this too late.
His hands tightened around Reo’s shirt. His head bent deeply until it almost fused with his teammate’s. He could almost feel his body trembling—was it him or Reo?
“Reo,” he called, so softly that he thought Reo wouldn’t hear, but once again: his Reo was incredible.
“Nagi, it’s okay.” He lifted his gaze; his eyes were swollen, and his mouth trembled a little. “We can still be the best in the world together, right?”
It really seemed like that dream had just been shattered.
“Reo.”
Ego appeared. He stayed silent for a few seconds, looking at the scene, sighed, and then became his usual self again.
“Nagi Seishiro. You are below the threshold. You are eliminated from the World Cup.” Reo moved in his arms to protest, but that was it.
“Alright,” he said, despite the bitter taste in his mouth that closed up in his throat. His eyes still stung, and his hand refused to let go of Reo.
If he let go, would he never have him by his side again?
A long time ago, Reo had said he would leave him. Would it be the same now? Would he leave?
During their separation, there wasn’t a moment of the day when Nagi didn’t think about Reo and their relationship. He had his flaws and mistakes, but now everything was fine.
They were together.
So why...?
“I’m leaving.” The room let out a small, surprised gasp. Some, like Chigiri, just looked away with pity.
“Mikage Reo. You earned a great position. Are you going to give it all up... for him?” His eyes shifted a bit, seeming to look between Nagi and then the rest of the room.
But Reo’s decision didn’t change.
“I’m leaving. My dream is to win the World Cup, with Nagi, without him.” His voice trembled a little as he clung more to his cold teammate’s body. He seemed to doubt his words for a moment, but finally lifted his gaze, some tears on the verge of spilling. “It doesn’t make sense to win alone.”
Nagi had decided a long time ago. If Reo left, he would too. But Reo? He always thought it would be the opposite. He knew how to fight alone, and he was spectacular at it. He never imagined the possibility that Reo would hold himself back just because he wouldn’t be by his side in the World Cup.
“Reo, you don’t have to...” His words were silenced.
That time, the first time they entered here, Reo had grabbed his sweatshirt tightly. After that, they had promised to be together until the end.
Now, time later, Reo returned with the same gesture. This time his expression was one of pain, not anger.
“Nagi, we have to win the World Cup together, that’s my dream! Not separated.” He moved towards Ego. Just like it had started, it seemed to end.
“Nagi is my ego, without him, it doesn’t make sense.”
Nagi could see the black-haired man sigh heavily and murmur something.
“If you want to lose your chance to play in the World Cup for your love, then do whatever you want, I don’t care.”
This time, the exit awaited them both. Just like they had entered.
Chigiri walked slowly toward them when he saw them start to walk. “Reo!” The named turned for a moment, still holding Nagi’s sleeve. “You can still play! You can go to the World Cup!” Nagi—Now his eyes turned to the tallest player, with a look of anguish. He wished him the best and to take care, only nodding and turning away. Being in front of everyone was strange.
“You have so much to go, Reo!” Isagi said, slowly approaching, giving a pitying look to the albino.
A few others also came over to say goodbye to Nagi and try to convince Reo.
“I know. And I really want to be in the World Cup, but I made a promise.”
Not far from the rest of the people, Chris Prince, their coach, looked at them one last time and gave them a smile. His hand moved slightly in a gesture of farewell, and Reo could only swallow the lump that rose in his throat.
The rest of the room fell silent. Chigiri insisted again, but Reo didn’t even look at them. He simply pulled Nagi through the door, and with his hand raised in a final goodbye, they both left Blue Lock.
What now? Nagi wondered in his head. It was annoying to think about it, but he had to now that everything had ended so suddenly.
Among his thoughts and their steps, Reo leaned against a wall and began to sob. He grabbed his lilac hair and pulled a little. The sobs echoed through the hall, and his breathing started to get faster and more frantic, desperately searching for air.
“Reo... don’t cry, Reo. You can still go.” He tried to console him. He knew it was terrible, he didn’t know what to do or say, but seeing his teammate like that made him sad, and once again, the strange sensation in his eyes began to return. He moved his hand to wipe them and knelt to give Reo an impromptu hug.
“Nagi, no. You don’t understand. It was a promise, we were going to win the World Cup together. I can’t go back. I can’t do it.” He lifted his gaze, making eye contact with the albino.
But it wasn’t anything Nagi expected. No, it was different.
Reo’s hand released his hair and touched his face. It felt wet and a little cold. What was that?
“Are you... crying...?”
Oh.
He was crying. Of course, Reo was crying, and it made him feel a discomfort in his chest and eyes, but—
But Reo wasn’t referring to himself, no.
He was referring to Nagi.
In his memory, he had never cried more than when he yawned or sneezed a lot. He never had any very strong feelings, not like other children and teenagers. His parents had taken him to the doctor, but there was nothing strange.
He was Nagi Seishiro. Why now?
Was it because they didn’t win?
Ah, it was annoying to think about...
But Nagi knew.
It was for everything.
“I’m sorry, Reo. I’m sorry. I was scared, I didn’t know if I should score or…”
His lips were sealed with the finger that gently traced his cheek. A sad smile appeared on Reo’s face, and his cheeks flushed with the redness that so often marked them.
“It’s okay, Nagi. It wasn’t your fault, it was mine.” He wanted to protest, but Reo ignored him and continued. “I should have scored, I should have taken the ball to secure our place in the World Cup, but... I couldn’t, and now you’re out. I don’t deserve to keep going like this.”
No. What was Reo saying? Of course, he deserved it.
“Reo, no. I just wanted to stay with you, not blame you. I’m sorry, Reo, I’m sorry, Reo.”
Their foreheads met for a few seconds, while tears ran down their cheeks and soaked both of their clothes.
They stayed like that for several minutes, shedding tears as blue as the sky they used to see after each game. In the midst of it all, both managed to leave Blue Lock.
With one last sigh and tears trapped in their eyes, they left the place that had promised to make their dream come true.
Nagi didn’t blame Reo, and Reo didn’t blame Nagi.
Both would try to forge their path from here. Even if Reo ended up working for the company his father had insisted on forcing him into.
Nagi still hadn’t built his future, but with Reo by his side, as their promise had dictated, he could make it work.
And maybe, they could still achieve their dream.
Because it was their dream. Both of theirs.