"Y/N L/N. You have a visitor."
From where he was lying on the bed, Y/N raised his head, looking questioningly at the door. Bachira shifted next to him, also looking up to where Aryu stood in the entrance to their shared dorm room. "Hmm?"
They'd been living together for a few days. More and more people were making it past the three vs three stage, and there were three other teams all waiting in the four vs four stage. But nobody wanted to play them, as much as Bachira and Y/N begged them. The Top Three were considered too good to play against.
Y/N and Bachira had been resting on one of the beds, playing rock paper scissors. Aryu sighed dramatically. "A. Visitor. Has. Come. To. See. You." The incredibly tall boy stepped to one side, revealing the red-haired lady that had helped Y/N with his leg injury.
"Oh, hey!" Y/N beamed at the newcomer, looking innocent as a bunny as he hopped off the bed. "Anri... right?"
"Yes, Y/N." The woman smiled warmly at him, beckoning him out of the room. Y/N gave Bachira a reassuring look, mouthing that he would be right back, before following Anri out. Aryu watched them both go with a stoic gaze, shutting the door behind them.
He tapped Anri's shoulder, tilting his head curiously. "What did you want?"
"Oh, I'm not the visitor." Anri explained. "There's two very important men, and normally, we wouldn't allow external visitors in Bluelock, but we didn't really have a choice when it came to these guys."
"I see..." Y/N sighed softly. "Who are they?"
"You'll find out soon enough." Anri's voice wasn't excited like her words should've been. Was she nervous? Y/N couldn't really tell, an uneasy feeling twisting in his stomach. "Anyways... How's your leg?"
They walked through the corridors, drawing a few curious looks from a passing team of four players. Y/N gave them a small smile as he passed, thinking of his response. "It's normal, but whenever something brushes or touches it, it tingles weirdly."
Anri clicked her tongue. "That should clear up over time. It's just your body getting used to the graft."
"Sounds good."
They headed through a set of doors that Y/N hadn't been through before, into a bare-bones, concrete room. Harsh lights shone from up above, bathing the entire thing in a white glow, and there was nothing in the room except three chairs, and a metal table.
The far wall was a sheet of blackened glass, and Y/N pointed at it. "Is this an interrogation room?" Two of the three chairs were on one side of the table, occupied, and the third empty one was facing them. A camera hung in the corner of the room, and the table had a small microphone attached to it.
It looks like those torture rooms they have in movies... Y/N nervously thought to himself. Like those two guys are interrogators. Both people wore hoods, heads bent low so he couldn't tell at all who they were.
Anri laughed awkwardly. "It's just a sheet of one-way glass. The two visitors are there. You can have a conversation with them." She sort of pushed him inside, smiling apologetically before shutting the door behind him.
As soon as the door shut, one of the two visitors leant back in the chair, arms raised above their head as they stretched. "Is all this secrecy really necessary?" It was a man's voice, low and quiet, and Y/N watched as the man drew back his hood. The other person stayed still.
Y/N was met with a mess of magenta hair, dull teal eyes, and weirdly long bottom eyelashes. The man stared at him. "Are you just going to stand there? Take a seat."
"Who are you?" Y/N did as he was instructed, taking the seat on the other side of the table. The other person in the room lowered their head even more, resting their forehead on the table so Y/N still had no clue to who they were.
"Sae Itoshi." The man's turquoise eyes narrowed.
The genius midfielder? The best Japanese soccer player in the world? Why is he here... what could he possibly gain by coming to Bluelock?
Y/N's mouth fell slightly open. "Actually...?"
Sae frowned a little, relaxing in the chair with both arms folded across his chest. He looked casual, but Y/N couldn't seem to shake the uneasy feeling in his stomach under the genius's predatory gaze. "What do you mean, actually?"
"I thought you'd be taller." Y/N blurted. As soon as the words left his mouth, he blushed furiously, squeaking with embarrassment and lowering his head. Don't kill me please...
"Cheeky bastard." Sae didn't seem in the mood to kill him, voice laced with amusement. Y/N hesitantly looked up, and Sae's lips turned up at the corners as he watched Y/N. "You'd insult me?"
"N-no..." Y/N mumbled. "It was just what I thought..."
Sae chuckled lowly, sending a shiver down Y/N's spine. This man was different from any other he'd met - every word and movement seemed planned. He was fully in control. "You're interesting."
What the fuck am I supposed to say to that? Y/N grinned shyly. "So..." He drew out. "What do you want from me?"
"Right." Sae placed both elbows on the table. "In about two months, maybe more, the head of the Japanese Football Union, Buratsuta, is going to have a match. Bluelock against the U-20 Japanese team."
Y/N opened his mouth to say something, but Sae placed a finger to his lips, leaning across the table. He continued speaking. "He has done this to rake in money from fans, as well as try to shut Bluelock down. If Bluelock wins, then they will hijack the U-20 team, and continue with the project. If they lose, then Bluelock is shut down."
"However, the JFU wants me to play." Sae sighed (haha). "I've agreed to play under one condition - I get to poach a Bluelock player to play with me, on the Japanese U-20 team."
"Me?" Y/N breathed. His heart was pounding. Will I get the chance to show myself off? For the first time in my life?
"Yes. You're going to play on the Japanese U-20 team, against Bluelock. It doesn't matter if Bluelock loses then, because you're going to be famous if you play well. You're going to get your time in the limelight."
"What if I say no?"
"Then I don't play. The match gets cancelled, and Buratsuta shuts Bluelock down anyway. You get sent back to whatever dump you came from, and your skills will never be seen."
"I see..." Y/N glanced away. So I don't really have a choice.
"After the Second Selection concludes, Ego will put Bluelock through another selection, I'm sure. He'll want to find the best players to form a team to play against the U-20 team. I'll pick you up then, and I'll tell you a little bit about why I chose you." Sae raised an eyebrow. "Happy?"
"Let me get this straight." Y/N replied, a small smile growing on his face. "After the second selection, you're going to take me from Bluelock, to play in an upcoming game with the Japanese U-20 team against Bluelock. In front of a crowd, I assume?"
"I believe it's going to be sold out. It's going to be announced after the second selection finishes."
"Jeez..." Y/N leant back in his chair. "Yeah, sure. I'll do it."
"Great." It didn't sound 'great' at all, in Sae's monotone voice. "I look forward to playing with you, little angel."
He raised his voice, thought it still sounded like he was bored. "I'm done. Open the door." Sae stood up, eyes lingering on Y/N's body before he walked over to the door. Anri opened it, and with that, the genius midfielder left the room.
Y/N was left alone with the other person. The whole time he'd talked with Sae, they'd kept their head down, shoulders hunched and face hidden. They hadn't moved an inch, completely hidden from Y/N.
He threw a confused glance at the camera. "Um..."
There wasn't any movement, from anybody. Y/N sat awkwardly in his chair, a little worried at the other person's position. It must hurt to stay like that... doesn't their back ache? The door didn't open for Y/N, so he assumed he still had to talk to this guy.
"Hello?" Y/N quietly greeted. The other person gave no signs they'd heard what Y/N said, but he continued anyway. "Are you alright? Did you want me for something?"
Upon the lack of a response, Y/N smiled confusedly at the camera, shrugging as he mouthed. What do you want me to do?
A sudden noise from the other chair had Y/N's eyes snapping away from the camera. The figure had pushed back from the table, the chair falling to the ground with a clang. They kept their head down as they stood up, rising taller than Y/N had ever expected.
They were a storm. A thunderstorm, their dark and clouded presence filling the entire room as they just rose to their feet. The chair was left discarded on the floor. A long shadow grew across the floor, stretching all the way to Y/N's feet.
Y/N's throat tightened with sudden nervousness. Who was this guy?
The other person was well built, huge muscles visible even through the thick hoodie they wore. Y/N still couldn't see their face, hidden as they stared at the floor, but as the person took spade-like, veiny hands from their pockets, his eyes widened with terror.
"Y-you..." Y/N couldn't breathe. His hands shook, as he scrambled from his chair. He nearly tripped over his own feet, shoulders hunched as his expression shifted from relaxed to panicked in just a few seconds.
He pressed his back to the far wall, as the man drew himself to his full height. The hood came off, with the man resting both hands on the metal table in the middle of the room.
"We meet again, my godling."