"Tsubasa!"
In the airport waiting area, a short-haired girl eagerly waved both hands at a young man.
"Sanae!"
The young man rushed forward, and they embraced warmly, their closeness evident.
Though not tall, he had a robust build and sun-tanned skin from countless hours of training.
Tsubasa Ōzora had just returned from the São Paulo club in Brazil, where he was preparing for the upcoming U-20 World Cup.
As they walked and chatted, caught up in endless conversation, Tsubasa's attention was suddenly drawn to a large screen in the airport hall.
"Sanae, what match is that?" He asked, intrigued by the replay showing a game between Blue Lock and the U-20 team.
"It's quite a story — a team called Blue Lock challenged the U-20 team! While U-20 won decisively, the match was absolutely thrilling!" Sanae Nakazawa beamed, "There was this amazing player, Ryōsuke Kira, who used to be with Blue Lock — he scored five goals! You've got to watch the recording when you get home. He's incredible, just like you!"
The screen displayed Ryōsuke executing his Thunder Strike.
"That shooting technique is magnificent! I wish I'd known about this match — I would have come back a day earlier to see it in person!" Tsubasa's eyes lit up with excitement as a smile spread across his face, "Ryōsuke Kira, eh? He must be on the U-20 team now, which means we'll be teammates soon. I can't wait to meet him!"
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After the match between U-20 and Blue Lock concluded, everyone was granted a welcome extended break.
The Blue Lock members were finally free to venture into the outside world.
Although Ryōsuke remained technically part of Blue Lock, he had earned his "right to freedom". He spent the days after the match with Riko — primarily helping her train the Seirin team for their national finals.
Despite the differences between football and basketball, the sports shared enough tactical similarities that he could offer valuable advice.
On this third day of break — a weekend when Seirin also had a rare day off — Ryōsuke had arranged to meet Yoichi and others, bringing his girlfriend along.
Riko's appearance today was strikingly different. She wore a uniform top paired with a plaid skirt and black knee-high socks, her slender white thighs visible between sock tops and skirt hem — a complete departure from her usual style.
Unlike most high school girls, she typically stuck to sportswear or school uniforms, rarely dressing up or going shopping.
But for today's outing with Ryōsuke, she had taken extra care with her appearance. Though vastly different from her usual look, it suited her perfectly.
"Um, how do I look today?"
Walking hand in hand with Ryōsuke, Riko asked shyly, her fair cheeks tinted pink.
"You look beautiful!"
Ryōsuke smiled warmly, though his eye caught something in the crowd. His brow twitched slightly, but he quickly smoothed his expression, choosing to ignore whatever he'd noticed.
"We're almost there! Let's go!"
The two walked to a coffee shop where Yoichi and the others were already waiting.
"Kira! And sis-in-law! Good morning!" Yoichi greeted them cheerfully.
Both Hyōma and Meguru were there as well, waving at the couple.
"You're here. Where's Kunigami?" Ryōsuke asked with a smile as he helped Riko to her seat.
"He's in the hospital with food poisoning." Yoichi replied, shaking his head.
"That's too bad." Ryōsuke sighed, unaware of what had happened to Rensuke.
"Niko and Raichi had other commitments, Gagamaru went back to the mountains and told us not to contact him, and Nagi just woke up — says he'll join us later." Meguru said with a smile, hands behind his head.
The others' whereabouts were unclear.
Ryōsuke was only close with these few people. He barely knew others like Eita and Tabito before the match and had no real connection with them, though Kenyū was the only one who actively kept in touch afterward.
"Kira, what have you been up to these past few days?" Yoichi asked.
"I've been spending time with Riko, training, and doing extra practice at the nearby sports center. Yesterday, Yukimiya reached out about an advertising campaign." Ryōsuke said. His expression turned serious as he added, "And that Shidō guy — he's like a stalker. He actually tracked down my training gym and demands to train together every day. It's unsettling."
Speaking of Ryūsei, he remembered something he'd noticed before arriving at the coffee shop, giving him another headache.
Stalkers… it wasn't just Ryūsei.
Just then, the coffee shop door opened, and a man in sunglasses and a coat entered, taking a seat some distance from the group. Though his outfit was inappropriate for the weather, few people seemed to notice.
However, Ryōsuke immediately recognized who it was. Using his Transparente World, he could identify the person just from their movements.
Kagetora...
After finding out his precious daughter was going shopping with Ryōsuke, he had disguised himself to follow them "just to be safe".
Ryōsuke had spotted him even before reaching the coffee shop.
Riko, focused entirely on her boyfriend, remained oblivious to her father's surveillance.
Ryōsuke chose not to expose the disguise — after all, despite Kagetora's sometimes silly behavior, he had been kind to him. Besides, he didn't want to see Riko beating up her father in the streets.
"Has it really gotten to this point...?" Yoichi muttered, beginning to question Ryūsei's intentions.
The guy had said some bizarre things during the match that seemed even more outrageous in hindsight.
"What about the U-20 team members? Didn't they want to meet up?" Hyōma asked curiously.
"They did go out, and Shidō joined them. They invited me too, but I'd already made plans with you guys, and honestly, I wasn't interested in their plans..." Ryōsuke smiled and shook his head while glancing around.
The coffee shop's TV continued showing replays of yesterday's match, while newspapers on the table featured extensive coverage.
The match had created waves throughout the community, inspiring young football enthusiasts and drawing new fans to the sport.
After the match, Ryōsuke's phone exploded with calls. Scouts and agents from various clubs showed intense interest, each trying to recruit him.
Despite the enticing offers, he politely declined them all, choosing to enjoy his much-needed break.
He had set his sights on an even bigger stage. Though first-division clubs offered practical training opportunities, none felt quite right for his ambitions.
Still, he intended to make productive use of this break. Even without regular matches, he maintained his rigorous daily training. He also saw this period as a chance to hone his abilities, regularly practicing his Transparent World technique by observing others.
"Excuse me... are you Player Kira?" A young waitress in an apron approached tentatively, her voice soft.
"Yes, hello." Ryōsuke greeted her with a warm smile.
"It really is you! I can't believe I'd see you here! Could I get your autograph?"
"Of course." Ryōsuke nodded and signed for her.
Before the match, his fame had been limited to his neighborhood. Beyond that, few people knew his name.
But after the Blue Lock versus U-20 match, he had become a household name. Even here in the city center, people recognized him instantly.
"Hey, is that Kira?"
"It really is Kira! He's even more handsome than on TV!"
"Can we take a photo with him? Those guys next to him were in the match too, right?"
Hyōma, Meguru, and Yoichi had indeed shown excellent performance on the field, earning their own share of fame.
The impact of this match had exceeded all expectations.
At first, they thought signing autographs and taking photos with fans would be manageable, but they quickly realized they were wrong.
The crowd didn't diminish — instead, it kept growing. What began as a few scattered fans swelled into a three-deep wall of people surrounding their table, overwhelming the modest coffee shop.
"Kira! I'm your fan!"
"Can we take a photo together?"
"Quick, come over here, sisters! I found Ryōsuke Kira!"
The situation became so chaotic that Ryōsuke and the others needed the staff's help to escape. They even resorted to buying masks from a roadside shop to conceal their identities.
The coffee shop, however, benefited from the chaos — their typically average business surged with customers. The owner was already planning to add a sign reading "The coffee shop where even Ryōsuke Kira and Blue Lock come to drink!".
"This is totally celebrity treatment!"
"I don't want this kind of treatment... Though I'm actually quite happy about it, it does make daily life rather troublesome."
"It's hard to imagine that just a few months ago, we were just unknown high school students."
After leaving the coffee shop, they walked and chatted.
"What should we do next?" Hyōma asked, hands behind his head, looking puzzled.
"First, let's find Nagi. He said he was getting up, but ended up at the arcade instead," Yoichi said, glancing at his phone with a helpless smile.
"That guy needs to be taught a lesson! What's next after that?" Meguru said with a laugh.
"Let's visit Kunigami at the hospital — I can't believe someone as fit as him got food poisoning. It's strange. What did he eat?" Yoichi wondered, clearly confused.
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At that moment, in a hospital several blocks away.
Rensuke lay haggard in his hospital bed. Though his condition wasn't serious and he'd be discharged soon, his face remained pale as questions swirled through his mind.
Hadn't Riko made similar dishes for Ryōsuke — those bizarre concoctions that defied all culinary logic?
So why hadn't Ryōsuke reacted at all, while he'd ended up here? Had he done something different?
His attempt at recreating Riko's cooking couldn't have been that different... Unless that monster had simply powered through it with sheer willpower?
"As expected of Kira... I still have a long way to go."
Rensuke turned to look out the window, muttering to himself, his eyes gleaming with growing admiration.
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