Ascension│Bluelock x male reader

2.12. I've Already Won.

Why is he here?!

Why...

Why?

Why?!

Y/N ripped his eyes off of Kuroi. He jogged over to the corner, meeting Sae as the midfielder also walked towards the ball. "Can I take it?"

"You already missed once." Sae flatly said. "Do you want to try again?"

Y/N's breath hitched in his throat. His eyes widened with fear. "I-I didn't mean to. I swear. Just..."

"Froze up." Sae finished. Y/N stopped walking, and Sae turned to face him. "Don't worry. I know why it happened." His teal eyes gazed past Y/N, ice-cold as he stared at the man Y/N knew was behind his back. He didn't want to turn around and see him, though.

"I..." Why was he having so much trouble speaking?! Frustrated, Y/N slapped his own chest hard, knocking the breath out of his own lungs. He sucked in a deep breath. "I'm really sorry..."

"For what?"

"Missing the goal..." Y/N hung his head in shame.

Though, when he felt a hand touch his hair a second later, ruffling it almost affectionately, his head jerked up with surprise. Sae met his eyes questioningly. "Why are you apologising?"

"I missed?"

"Who cares?" Sae shrugged. "If you miss once, then you'll just have to score the next two. Take the corner." Stepping a little back, the corner of his lip turning up at Y/N's bewildered face, Sae gestured to the ball.

Y/N hesitated. Then he walked forwards, taking his place next to the ball. Sae nodded once, heading back to the rest of the team, already giving orders. "I want three people in the box. One take back post. One take behind the back post. I'm waiting for a rebound."

"It looks like Y/N L/N is taking the corner! After that atrocious miss, let's hope he manages to do something this time!" The commentators' voices rang out overhead. Y/N scowled, looking up. Yap, yap, yap.

He took in the positions. Most of Bluelock were back to defend, with the exception of Nagi, left all the way upfield. The Iron Wall of the U-20 had moved forwards to just behind the centre line. Everyone else apart from them was near the goal.

Sae was marked by two defenders, with a third hovering near him just in case. Sendou had Karasu marking him, and the other U-20 midfielders and forwards each had their own opponent to deal with.

Sae can still score... even when marked so much. Sendou might be able to do something, 'cause he's literally two metres from the goal. He can't miss that, right? Contemplating his options, Y/N exhaled slowly.

Then he heard it again.

An unpleasantly quiet voice, somehow still audible despite being way quieter than everyone else in the stadium. Y/N's ears picked up Kuroi's voice, low and teasing from the sidelines. "Shoot and score."

The words felt like a blade stuffed into Y/N's ear canal. He clenched his teeth, trying not to focus on that hated voice. Yet every syllable was immediately branded into Y/N's brain, slipping into his mind. Shoot and score.

I don't want to-

Shoot and score. Y/N stepped forwards. To any outsiders, if they looked closely, they would see his entire body shaking, two different thoughts fighting for control in his mind. He hadn't planned to shoot. But he had to. Right? Kuroi said it.

He could already feel it. The pain if he didn't follow orders. The guilt of not doing what he was told. Y/N didn't want to feel that.

And in a way, that helped him make his decision. The whistle blew, signalling the corner. Y/N took three quick steps forwards, and kicked the ball.