In only a few hours, Y/N was up again, practically flinging himself out of bed. The clock on his bedside drawer read 7:00 am.
He'd only gotten a few hours of sleep last night, broken up by that nightmare. After comforting him, Rin had simply headed back to bed.
Their match was scheduled to begin at eleven, so Y/N had a few hours to burn. Trying to keep quiet, he removed his sleepwear, putting on the skintight Bluelock training uniform he was rapidly growing used to. This one fit him quite well, giving him free movement as he did a few stretches to wake himself up.
He didn't bother going to the cafeteria to eat just yet - instead, he left the bedroom, following the signs pinned to the wall as best as he could as he headed for the gym.
It took a while, with him getting lost more than once, his footsteps quiet in the large, empty halls. He didn't know if the gym he was looking for was the same one as it had been in the first selection, or if each selection had their own.
It didn't matter, anyways. All he wanted to do was hop onto a treadmill and run everything away.
Last night's nightmare wasn't a usual one. That only made it more terrifying. Was it because Jules came up? Because I'm playing him today?
Whatever the reason, Y/N entered an empty gym room, the lights turning on automatically as he walked in. Immediately, he headed for the treadmill, flicking on the screen and inputting some settings.
7% incline... at a pace of 12 mph, that should be a decent challenge. He clicked confirm, ignoring the difficulty warning and beginning to run.
Immediately, his heart rate quickened, and his breaths grew faster and a little bit harder. They were still level and measured, each one in through his nose and out through his mouth.
It was pleasant. Y/N loved running, just for this feeling. Everything else would fade away, nothing mattered except his feet thumping on the floor and the rhythm of his breaths.
Within a few minutes, last night felt like a dream, the nightmare slowly sinking back into his brain as he smiled to himself. Sure, he was still anxious about seeing Julian again later, but for now, he could just focus on running.
I do want to see him again...
It's just so... nerve-racking. Will he even remember me? I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to forget everything about that hell, but surely he'll know who I am?
And there was also that excitement. A tingling feeling in his stomach, the way he couldn't stop smiling even if he wanted to. I really want to see how good he is now. Is he better than me?
On top of that, he got to test himself against the best players in the world. The players that they'd looked at last night were no joke. They were some of the best, and Y/N desperately wanted to see if he was on the same level as them.
Or maybe he would be above them? Who knew?
🥕🥕🥕
"That looks hard."
Y/N tore his mind away from his breathing, glancing across with mild irritation at the other boy in the room.
Isagi was standing there, already in his training uniform. He had one hand on the edge of Y/N's treadmill, leaning onto it as he watched him. Y/N reluctantly turned off the treadmill. "Did you want something?"
"We have the match soon. Everyone was going to go and do some warm ups." Isagi replied. "I figured you'd be in here."
"What time is it?"
"Last time I checked, it was 9." Isagi thought. "Why do you ask?"
I've been running for two hours? Guess I really did zone out. "Ah, just wondering. I started running a couple of hours ago."
"Have you eaten?" Isagi immediately asked. "It's not good for you if you don't get some food in you."
"Yeah, I know..." Y/N hesitated, stepping fully off the treadmill so he could stand eye-to-eye with Isagi. "But since when did you care?"
"Of course I care." Isagi stared at him. "You're my teammate now. And besides, if you don't eat enough, you'll play worse against the World Five later." He gave him a small smile, taking his wrist and tugging gently.
"I guess so..." Y/N followed Isagi's pull, the two of them heading out of the room.
"What's up with you lately?" As they walked, Isagi asked quietly. He sounded genuinely concerned for him, looking across with a little shyness.
Y/N didn't answer right away, not understanding the question. He made a small noise of confusion, prompting Isagi to continue. The other boy just shrugged. "It's just, you seemed so much more carefree in Team Z. The last few games I played against you, you've been more serious."
Y/N thought back. Sae's proposal to him about playing for the U-20 team... Kuroi's appearance... not being with the friends from Team Z... hell, even not being able to train Niko because of this selection...
He tried to not think about Julian Loki. But wow, there were so many reasons he could tell Isagi. He just chose one and went with it.
"It's more difficult now to play against you guys. You're all stronger. Besides, this place is kinda getting to me." Y/N twirled his finger around his temple, grinning at Isagi. "When everyone around you is getting serious and competing, it's difficult to not follow."
"I guess, yeah." Isagi nodded slowly. "I've changed a lot coming to Bluelock too."
They headed in silence down the hall for a few seconds. Y/N bit the bottom of his lip. Should I continue the conversation? He exhaled lightly. "So, how do you feel about the game soon?"
"Against the World Five?" Widening his eyes slightly, Isagi puffed out his cheeks. He let out the air in a long breath. "It's crazy to think I went from playing high school teams to playing them. I mean, I never would've expected it."
"You think we'll win?" Y/N knew they would. No matter how good the World Five was, he was better. No amount of nerves would prevent him from trying his hardest.
He hadn't tried in ages, if he really thought about it. For him, simply playing wasn't the same as trying. Trying meant there was truly a challenge, it meant he would be fired up from winning.
"I'm not su-"
Y/N immediately slapped Isagi across the face, the sharp crack echoing through the hallway.
Isagi recoiled, taking a few steps back in surprise as he jerked a hand up to his face. He stammered, face turning red. Or maybe that was where I hit him? "H-hey!"
Y/N snickered, mimicking Isagi's cry childishly. "H-hey!" He put on a high-pitched, squeaky voice.
Isagi straightened with indignance. "First of all, I don't sound like that. Second, why?!"
"You're doubting yourself." Y/N grinned, playfully pushing Isagi's shoulder. "It doesn't matter how good the World Five are. Think about yourself. How far have you come since coming here? How much have you suffered? Do you want to win?"
"O-of course, but-"
Y/N squeezed Isagi's shoulder hard, making the blue-haired boy gasp with surprise. For such a small, lively kid, Y/N was strong.
"But nothing. I'm going to win it. So you better try to win as well."