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BEING IN HOME COUNTRY WAS THE BEST FEELING
and Y/N couldn't deny it. The moment she set her foot in Japan, a sense of warmth and belonging took over her. Girolain acknowledged her efforts, saying, "You did a nice job managing Sae." Y/N smiled in response, replying, "No worries! It's been 1 month and 3 weeks exactly! Few more weeks to go."
Girolain let out a nervous laugh and asked, "You are keeping count?"
"Of course I am!"
"What are you guys talking about?" Sae asked, interrupting the conversation between his managers. The trio had returned to Japan for Sae's passport renewal, and Girolain had tagged along to be close to him and take responsibility.
Sae and Y/N bid farewell to Girolain in the hotel and went back to the car because Sae's schedule was packed. Y/N expressed frustration, asking, "How many interviews do you give?"
"Trust me, I hate it as much as you. I don't even want to give them. I don't understand why Girolain agreed to all of them."
Y/N's eyes scanned the tablet screen, and she hummed, "Well, it will boost your popularity. Giving an interview here, the country you were born in, will make you seem like you love it, even though you play for a different club."
"Well, that's not true. I don't like it here, and Japan's team is useless."
Y/N sighed, "You can't do anything about it. Just show your nice side to the public, you get it?"
"Yeah, yeah..."
---
"My name's Nihei, from the football journal. Thank you for accepting our request to interview you here today," the man said with a smile. "It may be a bit sudden, but... up until now, you have been in the lower categories for Real Madrid, a world-renowned institution. But before getting a chance to play for their first team, you've now returned to Japan. Which leads me to ask, does that mean we'll get to see you play in our J-League?" he asked, and Sae looked at him straight in the eye, resting his cheek on his knuckles, and replied,
"To be honest, I'd rather die."
Y/N, who was just outside the room, listening to the conversation, pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, "This brat!"
Sae continued, "Rather than play football in this country... I'd much rather be with Germany's college students."
The interviewer gave an awkward laugh, trying not to sound rude to the player sitting in front of him. "Okay... Itoshi, you were chosen by PIFA to be part of their youth World XI team... and on top of that, you're a very promising midfielder many teams would love to have in their lineup... While you're all but certain to be the player to lead Japan's national team and represent the country, I must ask... what are your thoughts and expectations regarding that?"
Sae got up from his seat and walked over to the door, giving a firm reply, "I have no interest in it whatsoever. Not only could I ever expect to win a championship with such a squad, it's not my dream to begin with. That would be winning the Champions League."
He tilted the door handle down, looking at the interviewer, and shared his last statement, "There is no forward in this country worthy of receiving one of the passes. I was simply born in the wrong country."
The man chuckled, saying, "Oh... thank you for your time..."
"You too... my manager can handle the rest," Sae said and exited the room, only to see Y/N glaring at him like she wanted to kill him. But before she could knock some sense into him, she walked into the room and apologized for Sae's behavior.
"He just lacks sense. Sorry for it."
"Oh? Yeah... right. It's fine," the interviewer said. The moment Y/N raised her head, their eyes met, and it didn't take even a second for them to recognize each other.
"OH! Y/N?"
"Nihei uncle..."
"You are his manager...?" he asked, and she rubbed the back of her neck, saying, "Well... it's a long story. I'm just a temporary manager."
"Ah... I see. So, um, did you really quit?" he asked, and Y/N passed a weak smile at him, saying, "Yeah," before exiting the room. Nihei had known Y/N since she was a child, being her dad's friend, so he understood her situation well.
"Sae!" Y/N called out in the hallway, and he stopped in his tracks to look at her. "Do you want the media to hate you or something?!" she scolded, smacking his head from behind. He groaned and rubbed the back of his head while his attention switched to the room they were passing by. "Isn't this hotel pretty crowded?" he asked, noticing the huge crowd inside.
Y/N popped up next to him, looking at the view and nodding. "Looks like they're having a press conference at the event hall..."
The two of them stood and watched the intriguing conference about a project called 'Blue Lock' that aimed to gather 300 strikers, both male and female, and select the one who could survive amongst everyone to lead Japan's national team in the World Cup.
All of it sounded really stupid to Y/N because she couldn't imagine other players losing their dreams. But when she glanced over at Sae, he looked fascinated by the project.
"Sae, we need to leave. There's not much time before the flight to Spain," Y/N mentioned.
"Cancel it."
"Oh, come on, don't do this!"
"I will judge the forward born in this new Japan... with my own eyes."
---
"Oh, I see... so that's what happened," Girolain sighed after hearing the news that Y/N broke to him. "He stayed behind for that stupid project."
"Well, we can't do anything if he doesn't want to go back. I'll rearrange his schedule, so don't stress too much. You have been taking good care of him," Girolain reassured, and the two quickly put an end to their conversation.
Y/N put down her phone and took a bite from her burger. "What's so nice about Blue Lock?" she asked.
"They are gathering 300 strikers, and only the best gets to survive. So obviously, I want to see what Japan can produce."
"What are you? A god or something?"
"It was you who was telling me that I am the best in the last match. You switch up so quickly, and it's so annoying."
"Well, if you start acting decent, then I might not switch up. I feel bad for the other 299 players. I heard even girls are going to be a part of this thing. Female football doesn't get much attention... what if the boys overshadow them?"
"Hmm... well, I couldn't care less," Sae said, and Y/N kicked his shin really hard, making him yelp out in pain. "Don't say stuff like that next time."
Sae winced, holding his shin where Y/N had kicked him. He looked at her with a mix of surprise and annoyance. "What was that for?"
Y/N crossed her arms, a determined look on her face. "You need to learn some empathy, Sae. It's not just about you and your ambitions. Other people matter too, and their dreams deserve respect."
Sae rubbed his shin, still feeling the sting from her kick. "Alright, alright. I get it. I'll be more mindful of what I say."
Y/N nodded, satisfied with his response. "Good. We should support and uplift each other, regardless of gender or any other factors. Football is a sport for everyone."
Sae sighed, realizing his previous indifference might have been insensitive. "You're right. I'll try to be more aware and considerate moving forward."
As they continued their meal, Y/N and Sae discussed their plans for the coming weeks. With Sae's decision to stay and observe the Blue Lock project, they needed to adjust their schedules accordingly. Y/N made calls and sent messages to reschedule appointments and inform the necessary parties.
Despite the unexpected change in plans, Y/N felt a sense of excitement. Blue Lock seemed like a unique opportunity, not only for Sae but also for Japanese football as a whole. It had the potential to bring about a new wave of talent and ignite a passion for the sport.
"So, now that we'll be staying here for a while, are you going to go to your house?" Sae asked, and she shook her head sideways. "Nope, I'll visit them later."
"I'll be staying at a hotel."
"Why? Shouldn't you visit your family? I heard from Girolain that you have a younger brother. You should go see him!"
"Don't want to. I am better off staying at the hotel," he said without a hint of doubt in his words.
"Um... okay, if you say so."
---
Soon a week passed and as the days were slowly passing, Sae's birthday was approaching and Y/N seemed to have been more excited about it than the birthday boy himself. Both of them were staying at different places and would keep in touch through texts and meet when required. Sae was staying at a hotel and Y/N was at her friend's place.
|SAE 🫶|
yesterday
video call lasted 1:23:45
Y/N|
I HATE YOU SM|
|SAE
|NOT MY FAULT YOU
|SUCK AT FIFA!!
Y/N|
😭😔|
You should've gone easy...|
Isn't that what guys who like|
the girl in movies does...|
|SAE
|One ☝️
|This isn't a movie
|Two ✌️
|I don't like you!
Y/N|
what-|
BYE!!|
|SAE
|Sorryuhh
|Y/N!
today
8:30 pm
|SAE
|What are you doing?
Y/N|
Nothing, Kiyoko is making|
something to eat|
|SAE
|You don't do anything
|Move your lazy ass
Y/N|
😊🔪|
I help around too|
Plus I don't want to talk to you|
|SAE
|Oh yeah?
|Why did you reply then?
Y/N|
because I am a nice person|
unlike someone 🙄|
I am going to visit my school tomorrow|
All the seniors who graduated are coming|
The guys over there were better|
I miss them 😔💔|
|SAE
|Yeah...
|right...
|go on...
|meet them...
Y/N|
Sugawara was best <3|
Gentleman <333|
|SAE
|🧍♀️
|um ok?
Y/N|
And then there was Daichi too|
|SAE
|Enjoy your time with them 😊
|Bye
Y/N|
yeah bye|
Hope you enjoyed it <333 the next chapter is going to be what you guys have been waiting for ahem ahem