"Okay, what the fuck was that?!"
Raichi was yelling loudly, causing Y/N to screw up his face and cover his ears with annoyance.
After a disastrous rest of the first half, Team Z was walking back out onto the field. Their half time meeting had gone something along the lines of:
"Fuck you, they had possession for all of my time!"
"Please, stick to the plan!"
"Calm down!"
"I'm calm!"
"I want more time at the front!"
"Can I come out of goal please?"
"What do we do?!"
"How do we win?!"
"We just need to score two!"
"That's obvious!"
"Calm down!"
"Shut up!"
Y/N had just lay on one of the benches, humming to himself as he idly played with a water bottle. He was like a bored kid, and even though it pissed most of Team Z off, they couldn't be bothered to try to change his attitude.
He never practised, he didn't seem to take anything seriously, and he was always slacking off and just completely ignoring the enemy team during some of their games.
Kunigami sat next to Y/N, his face serious as usual and eyes closely watching the bored boy. "Y/N."
"Yeeees?" Y/N flipped onto his side, nearly falling off the bench in the process.
"Do you not like soccer?"
Nobody else had noticed Kunigami and Y/N talking, so he answered truthfully. "Soccer is like living to me."
"You haven't tried at all since you came to Bluelock."
"I've never needed to."
After that, Kunigami had left Y/N alone, and even though it had taken a few minutes to calm everyone down, they'd managed it.
Now, as they headed out onto the field, Y/N was once again back to slacking off. He slumped onto the floor near the goal, idly picking at the artificial grass.
Team Y had started with the ball, and seemed more than happy to just pass it around between them.
Y/N yawned contentedly, curling up cat-like as he watched the game play out from afar. Team Z had doubled their efforts to take the ball, running after every single pass and making it difficult for Team Y to think.
When they'd finally managed to get the ball, it was a good few minutes into the game, and by nothing less than a fluke.
Naruhaya tried to slide tackle, failing horribly as he went straight past the other boy.
But the enemy player had gotten spooked, trying to move sideways and getting one foot stuck behind the other. He unceremoniously tripped over, and Gagamaru stole the ball.
Standing near to Y/N, the enemy number 9's eyes narrowed with annoyance. "You just gave them a chance, you idiot!"
Team Z once again pushed up the field, Gagamaru, Kuon, and Isagi trading passes down the left wing. Team Y was scrambling, people trying to steal back the ball while maintaining their defence.
Niko had yet again placed himself in space, nobody near him as he walked down the pitch.
"Here, Isagi!" Kuon passed to the shorter boy, who slowly dribbled it up the field. Y/N almost laughed at how unnatural it looked for him. "Like we practised!"
As they moved forwards, Y/N stood up, stretching his arms. He began at a light jog, leaving a confused Chigiri defending by himself. "Y/N?"
"I'll just be a moment." He smiled reassuringly, and went to join the attack.
Two enemy players converged onto Isagi's position, forcing him to slow down. He tapped the ball back towards Kuon, and yet again the enemy closed in.
It was actually well done. Even though there were many gaps in the defence, they closed in on Kuon and Isagi like a net, shutting off their passing options as well as limiting their movement.
"Isagi, out here!"
Gagamaru called for the ball, and as Kuon passed back to Isagi, the short boy launched an uncontrollable kick.
Two enemies attempted a block, but it didn't work, the ball flying far over the players' heads.
Niko had nearly got there. The ball spiralled far above everyone, beginning to dip down, and he was in the perfect position for it.
"Get the ball back!" Raichi yelled.
Gagamaru was close to it, but nowhere near close enough to receive the out of control ball. Isagi's face fell. It was a mistake that could cost them the entire game.
"I'll be taking this." Niko muttered, stopping the ball with his thigh and preparing to pass it along to a teammate. Team Z had just wasted their one chance at scoring.
"Really?"
As Niko prepared to pass it, Y/N was already there, kicking the ball out from right under his feet.
"What?!" Blindsided by the sudden rush, Niko tried to chase, but Y/N was already a few steps away. The short boy grinned, kicking the ball towards Gagamaru.
It didn't look like Y/N put any effort into it, nor did it slow his movement at all. But it was a perfect pass, curving across the field with no chance of an enemy taking it.
Even though it was a good distance in front of Gagamaru, he went for it anyway. The caveman crouched, launching himself forwards and using his head to bat the ball towards the goal.
The goalie lunged across, barely slapping it aside. The ball rolled off the field, and overhead, the VAR system made an announcement. "Right side corner. Team Z to kick."
Y/N wandered slowly back to defence, ignoring the stunned looks from both teams. He was just in defence, on the other side of the pitch, so how was he now here?
And how did nobody notice him get all the way up to Niko and steal the ball?
Niko was especially confused, watching the smaller boy as he prepared for the corner. His eyes picked up all the other players on the pitch, how had he not noticed Y/N?
"Stick with it!" Kuon yelled, as Team Z prepared for their corner kick. "It's a corner!"
Y/N had made it back to his own half, and just watched from afar as they prepared. It looked alright, but Niko was still unmarked, standing just beyond the mass of players in front of the goal.
These guys catch on way too slow... He sighed. Niko seems to be the only one with working eyes, and I don't even know how he sees with those bangs.
Bachira took the corner, launching a nice pass right into the crush of players.
The goalkeeper leapt from the goal, punching the ball square on and sending it, predictably, to Niko. Nobody was in defence except Y/N, sitting on the grass with a bored expression on his face.
"Crap, we sent too many forwards!"
Before the ball could reach the boy with bangs though, Isagi was in front of him, blocking the ball with his chest and hitting the floor dribbling.
Oh, so Isagi isn't blind like everyone else. How refreshing. Y/N sat up straighter, a little bit more interested now as Isagi attempted to shoot.
It was blocked by Niko, and on the rebound Gagamaru came in to barely knock the ball into the goal.
"YES!" Team Z's shouts of excitement filled the air, and standing near the goal, Y/N spotted Isagi grinning like a madman. "We caught up!"
He didn't even try to celebrate with his team. Looking at Isagi, who was now talking to Niko, Y/N smiled. "Well done, Isagi."
🥕🥕🥕
Team Y took their time to restart the game. Their players walked slowly to the centre of the pitch, conserving their energy as they began to play.
And when they did start to play, they individually moved very little, choosing to pass between them like normal.
"Are they trying to settle for a draw?" Igaguri yelled. "Attack! We can win this!"
"Just keep pressing them!" Kunigami replied. Team Z gradually moved up the field, trying to press more and more onto the defence as the game neared the end.
Y/N watched the clock as it ticked down. There were barely five minutes left, yet Team Y was still passing between them in their own half.
Niko passed across to a defender, who moved it back to his goalkeeper, and as Team Z attempted to close the gap, they passed it forwards again to a midfielder.
Four Team Z members moved in on the one player, boxing them in as they walked the enemy backwards. It was a sad attempt to cover all passing lanes, and as the clock ran down to the last three minutes, the enemy player passed sideways.
It went to their number 9, who had barely touched the ball all game.
Something changed in the air, a tension rising as the enemy player drew back a foot. He launched the ball high and far, all the way over the halfway line and back into Y/N's half.
As one, the entire enemy team began sprinting forwards. Not a single one held back, leaving their positions and running after the ball. Niko himself led the charge, receiving the ball and passing it out to the wing as they ran forwards.
Team Z was slow to react, stunned by the instant change in playstyle. They tried to chase, but every single one of them was at least a few steps behind their Team Y counterparts.
Stringing a few passes together, the enemy team continued to push up. Y/N jogged towards the player with the ball, sighing nonchalantly as the player in question passed the ball on.
He shrugged in a 'what can you do' motion, before jogging slowly after that player as well. Honestly, Y/N couldn't be bothered to put effort in - everyone was operating at such a low level he felt like he would die of boredom.
"Get back!" Kuon yelled. "Slow them down, defenders!"
Y/N rolled his eyes dramatically, watching Chigiri attempt and fail to steal the ball. What does it look like we're doing?
The ball went back to Niko, running down the centre of the pitch towards the goal. His head was lowered in concentration, breathing heavily as he made a beeline for the goal.
Iemon readied himself to save the goal, eyes fixed on Niko and the ball. There was nothing else in the way, no defenders that could interfere with Niko's shot. A simple one on one.
Y/N slowed to a walk, stood off to the side, and observed as Niko drew his foot back. He was shaping up for a shot.
Iemon crouched, and that was when Niko passed. His foot went round the front, booting the ball sideways towards their number 9.
Then Isagi came out of nowhere, stopping the ball in its tracks and spinning on his heel. He muttered something under his breath, eyes shining fiercely.
With a dull thump, the ball was sent flying back up the field.
Everyone chased. Bachira plucked the ball deftly from the air, dribbling past two enemy players on the wing. There were barely any defenders, and no structure whatsoever - they had gambled everything on that last push.
Bachira paused, hitting a high pass all the way across the pitch. It flew past Gagamaru, and even though the caveman missed the header, it was fine.
Isagi perfectly positioned himself by the side of the goal, and without trapping the ball, fired it straight into the back of the net.