Characters: Isagi Yoichi, OC (Himari Akiyama - with the personality/appearance of Mitsuri Kanroji)
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The roar of the Saitama Stadium was a physical thing, a wall of sound that hit you the second you pushed through the gates. I clutched my little "GO ISAGI!" sign, the one I'd decorated with a frankly excessive amount of sparkly hearts and his jersey number, and tried to merge with the buzzing crowd.
Ichinan wasn't exactly a football powerhouse, so when one of our own made it to this—a national stage, playing against the U-20 Japanese team—it was a big freaking deal. And not just any one of our own. It was Yoichi.
My heart did a little flip-flop just thinking his name. I'd had a crush on Isagi Yoichi since, like, forever. He was just so… focused. And those blue eyes could be so intense during a game, but in class, he was just a nice, kinda quiet guy. A total cutie.
I finally found my seat, squishing past a bunch of super-serious looking guys in tracksuits. The energy was insane. And there he was. Down on that bright green field, looking smaller than he did in the hallways at school, but with a presence that just… pulled your eyes to him.
"Let's go, Yoichi!" I yelled, my voice getting lost in the general chaos. I didn't care.
The game was… wow. I don't know much about football tactics—my sport was more like cheering from the sidelines with pom-poms—but even I could tell this was next level. It was brutal and beautiful at the same time. Yoichi was running like a man possessed, but he kept getting shut down. Every time he got the ball, my breath hitched. Every time he was tackled, I winced.
"C'mon, you can do it," I muttered, squeezing my sign so hard the cardboard edge dug into my palm.
It was a nail-biter. Back and forth, back and forth. The U-20 team scored first, and a collective groan went through the stadium. My shoulders slumped. But then, something shifted. I saw Yoichi stop, his head tilting like he was putting together a puzzle only he could see. That look… I'd seen it before when he was staring at a particularly hard math problem. The "I'm about to figure this out" look.
The second half was different. He was moving differently. It was like he could see the future. He wasn't just reacting; he was orchestrating. And then… it happened.
The ball came to him in a messy scramble in front of the goal. It wasn't pretty. It was chaos. But in that chaos, Yoichi was the calm center. He moved, a quick, sharp twist of his body, and his foot connected with the ball with a thwack I swear I heard over the crowd.
The net bulged.
For a second, there was pure silence. Then the stadium exploded.
I shot to my feet, my sign flying somewhere behind me. "YES! YOICHI! THAT'S MY BOY! WOOOO!" I was jumping up and down, tears—happy tears!—welling up in my eyes. I was so proud I felt like my chest was gonna burst. He did it! He actually did it!
The game ended in a whirlwind. 4-3. Blue Lock won. The place went absolutely nuts.
After the final whistle, the Blue Lock players were celebrating on the field, a swarm of blue and white. I hung around as the crowd started to thin, just… buzzing. I wanted to see him. Just for a second.
I managed to sneak down to one of the lower-level exits where I figured the players might come out. I was right. After a while, they started trickling out, looking exhausted but exhilarated.
And then I saw him. He was still in his gear, a towel around his neck, hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. He looked… tired. But there was a new light in his eyes, a kind of fierce satisfaction.
He was talking quietly with a spiky-haired, intense-looking guy when he spotted me. His eyes widened in surprise.
"Himari-chan?"
I bounded over, my pink and green hair tips bouncing. "Yoichi! Oh my god, that was amazing! I was screaming so loud for you! When you scored that goal, I think I scared the guy sitting next me! It was so, so cool!" The words just tumbled out of me, a happy, excited waterfall.
A faint blush crept up his neck. He was always so cute when he got flustered. "Ah… you… you came? You saw it?"
"Of course I came! The whole school's talking about it! I made a sign and everything, but I think I threw it at some poor stranger when you scored." I grinned, clasping my hands behind my back. "I just… I had to tell you how awesome you were. You looked like a real superhero out there."
His blush deepened, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "It wasn't just me. It was the whole team…"
"Don't you dare be modest right now," I laughed, poking his arm lightly. "You were incredible. I'm so proud of you."
He finally looked right at me, and his smile softened from something triumphant to something more genuine, more… Yoichi. "Thanks, Himari-chan. That… that means a lot. Really."
The intense guy next to him cleared his throat loudly. "Yo, Isagi. Bus is leaving. Don't keep your girlfriend waiting too long." He shot me a quick, appraising look before walking off.
We both froze. My face felt like it was on fire. "He'snotmy—! I started, but Yoichi was sputtering the same denial.
We looked at each other and both burst out laughing, the awkward tension popping like a bubble.
"He's, uh, that's Bachira. He's a lot," Yoichi said, still chuckling.
"I can tell," I giggled. "Well, I should let you go. You must be exhausted. But… seriously. Congratulations, Yoichi."
"Thanks for coming, Himari," he said, his voice warm. "I'll see you at school?"
"Definitely! You can tell me all about it! Okay, bye!" I gave him a little wave before turning, my heart feeling lighter than air.
As I walked away, I couldn't wipe the stupid, happy grin off my face. He'd done it. He'd shined brighter than anyone on that field. And for a moment, in the middle of all that chaos, he'd shone that light right on me. It was more than enough.