LIQUID SMOOTH | Nagi Seishiro

CHAPTER 3 | PLAY TAG

(Man I guess I don't need my phone to talk to girls now, this girls pretty hot.) Imamura thought to himself.

I wasn't sure what we're supposed to be doing so I just sat down and scoped everyone out a pretty boy with long red hair.... A brown hair guy who's been staring at me... obviously Kira and Isagi, and the buff orange hair guy from earlier.

I then heard this bald guy start to fanboy over Kira. "Whoa don't tell me you're really Kira Ryōsuke?! The 'Treasure' of Japan right here?! Look a'that it's the real deal!!" He exclaimed excitedly shaking Kira's hand.

"Th-thanks."

"Is this Isagi a friend of yours and that girl too?" He said pointing to me, "Nice to meet 'cha! But how are you here though I didn't know girls were allowed?"

"Oh my name's Gurimu Igarashi!"

"Oh hello..." Isagi said.

I was going to tell Igarashi I don't know how I'm here either before he began telling his life story, "You see, I was born in a temple, so... even though I was basically destined to inherit it, I hated having my life written out like that...! So I made a promise with my old man to forget it all if I become a pro player!"

"That's why that guys speech pumped me up so much! I felt like, wow, I really can change my own fate." He's not wrong about that, Ego should start doing Ted Talks. Actually he's kinda mean about it so maybe not.

(Just like me!) Isagi thought.

"My ambition's gonna be what makes me win..."

"Same here." Isagi agreed with him.

Suddenly a familiar face popped up on the huge screen that is on the wall, "Are you done changing, you unpolished gems?" Ego asked. So he can just pop up on that screen any time?! What if we weren't done changing?

"Hey, hey..." he began with a creepy look, "The people in your room will be both your room-mates... AND YOUR RIVALS." I deadpanned, well isn't that just great the people I embarrassed myself in front of are going to be with me 24/7.

"We have estimated your potential based on my judgment and my peers' calculations... Represented by your ranking. It's the number attached to your uniforms.With it you can gauge your position among the 301 players in the facility."

I peered down at my number.......299!?! So that's what that means! Damn I'm so low, I mean I didn't expect to be at the top exactly but I'm practically at the bottom?! This has to be sexist! And did Anri have part in deciding these rankings, I thought you were better than this Anri-chan what happened to girls sticking together hmp!

"Your rank will be changed daily based on several factors. For example going up or down based on your training or the results or your games," Ego went on, "And unconditionally the top five players...will participate in a certain tournament six months from now... they will become the selected strikers for Japan's U-20 National Team at the World Cup."

So he was serious about that whole 'World Cup' thing that's a HUGE DEAL! Wait, the U-20 National Team? That's an all men's team... of course, would I even be allowed to play? No, I wouldn't be here if Ego didn't see potential in me or if I wouldn't even qualify.

U-20 World Cup a worldwide tournament consisting of only players below the age of 20.

"Also those who are defeated at Blue Lock will be permanently barred from Japan's National Team." Banned? is he serious? "We are looking for one crucial component here 'ego', that is what we will measure as you live here in this facility."

"Well now... time to play 'tag'." Ego said in his famous creepy voice.

Suddenly part of the ceiling opens up and a soccer ball falls out, most of us stumble back. "The time limit is 136 seconds, the player with possession is 'it'."