A family thing

Chapter 49 Kickoff

"Look at this, Kageyama!!!", Bachira said and pointed to his kit with a number 8 written on it. "Does it suit me?"
"Looking good.", the said male replied. "It's a bit weird though... this is our first time wearing a Blue Lock uniform." 
Number 11 was on his shirt. He chose to wear the long sleeved one since he didn't like the contact of bare skin with others, which was unlikely going to not happen in a sport like football where body contact was common. 
"Yup.", Bachira agreed. "But I'd say, it's bout damn time."
"We're really playing against the U20.", Chigiri butted into the conversation. "Thinking about it, it's crazy how far we've come." 
"But today, won't be the end.", Nagi now said. "In fact, it's rather just the beginning."
"Yeah, man, we're gonna rock this shit.", Yoichi said. It was crazy, how incredibly calm he was right now. Normally, he would have been gone to the bathroom several times by now. 
"Hello my unpolished gems.", Ego said as he walked into the locker room. "I've been mulling over this until the very last minute, but... I've decided which players will be on the bench."
After some tapping on his tablet, a list of names appeared on the monitor inside the locker room. 
"We're allowed three substitutions only.", Ego continued. "Don't let your guard down during the match and be ready to join at a moment's notice, alright?"
"I made it...", Igaguri whispered to none other than himself. Yoichi still heard him though. However, he couldn't tell why.
"Now, in the past two weeks, with the sole goal of winning this match. You have succeeded in coming together as a team.", Ego started with his prep talk. "The world does not yet know of you, but isn't this the ultimate stage for you to showcase yourselves? In these coming 90 minutes, you're literally able to change your fates. So do it. Claim victory. Not as a matter of luck, but, as a matter of logical, rational sequence. As a team. We're winning this, Blue Lock. Today, is the day, where you are going to grave your egos, your names into the world. So go out there, and win this shit." 
The whole lot of excited teenagers inside the room broke out into euphoria. Everyone was ready now, physically and mentally. Yoichi didn't shout anything though. He has already readied himself the moment he entered the locker room. Bachira almost broke him out of it, but luckily he managed to get himself back. He got up from the bench he was sitting on and opened the door to the tunnel. The U20 was already waiting for them. 
"Ah, that's them, Blue Lock.", some guy with a weird haircut said and pointed at him.
"Oh... they're all here.", Bachira muttered behind him. Yoichi on the other hand walked to his dedicated third place in the row, right behind the goalkeeper. Even from there he could feel the harsh stare, Rin gave his brother when he was passing by. 
"Still having your brother complex, ey?", Yoichi asked by the time the green haired reached him. 
"Shut up.", he replied venomly. 
"You know... I sometimes miss that Rin who stood by my side against the world five. That game was a crazy performance, where you have fulfilled all my criterias for a capable striker. As for right now... I'm not so sure.", Yoichi said and stretched himself one last time. Rin ignorerd him. 
"Bastard...", Yoichi muttered. 
"Oi.", someone from the U20 suddenly spoke up to him. 
"Hm?", Yoichi retorted and looked at the tall male behind him. Oliver Aiku, if he remembered correctly, walked up to him. 
"That Shidou dude... he used to play on your side, ain't I right?", Aiku asked. 
"Yeah, crazy hair cut and mad personality, that's indeed him, what about it?", the raven haired replied. 
"Sorry to say that, but he won't be playing today.", Aiku announced. "We'll end this without letting you guys score even once, so best of luck." 
"That's funny, how were you going to score without, Shidou in the first place?", Yoichi talked back. His blue eyes shone through the shadow of his raven hair. 
"Just because I saw some clips of your team playing.", he continued and pointed at Sendou. "If you thought of relying on that guy over there, then even god isn't going to help you, because then, Sae is going to play a 1v11 with me on the side of the 11. I believe Sae-San has told you this before, but are you really sure on coming at me with shit like him?" 
His retoric question was met with disbelievable silent. 
"Yeah. That's what I thought.", he said. 
"For a nobody, you sure talk a lot.", Aiku managed to say. 
"Here's a little warning for ya to prevent injuries.", Yoichi adviced. "Watch for your ankles."
Then the signal light for entering the stadium lit up. The crowd of U20 players marched out of the arena. Yoichi looked out of the tunnel as he walked towards it. The small chit chat long forgotten and now he was back in the zone he has put himself in minutes ago. This was it, the game that was going to change his future. This is the place, where he'll take it all, or, he'll gain nothing. The light inside the stadium blinded him. Loud chants could be heard from the tunnel opening. Was his brother watching the game? Likely. Knowing his mum, she'd have dragged him here anyway. This was his first big game after all. What would Tobio do when he was about to get into one of his own? His whole body was suddenly shaking from excitement. Or was it nervousness? Probably both. The number 11 was on his shirt. Feels kind of nostalgic to be reunited with his old number. A fully sold stadium awaited them. The chanting sounds became even louder.
"Oh my...", Yoichi muttered and spaced out as he spotted the amount of spectators. Most of them were Japan fans. It was an obvious fact because the Blue Lock fan sector was so empty. There were only some family members of the people inside the facility.
'I really have come a long way to this amzaing place...', Yoichi thought and looked at his surroundings. "Before Blue Lock, I would have never been able to even imagine such a sight. In front of this imense crowd."
"Is this the part where you hold a speech about your accomplishments over the years...?", Rin asked him since he heard him.
"Did I say it out loud?", Yoichi said in realisation. He was too deep in thought and focused on being in the zone to hold the rythm he set for the game.
"Yes, you lukewarm idiot.", the green haired hit him playfully.
"Ow, do you any other insults besides lukewarm...?", Yoichi retorted and held the place where the younger Itoshi punched him
"What're you getting nervous for, dumbass?", Rin asked him and ignored his roast from earlier.
"Hell nah. It's not called being nervous. It's called being excited. There's a big difference, alright?!", Yoichi replied and made hand gestures to underline the "big difference" from his explaination.
"Let's go, Bakayama.", Rin said and walked to the circle in the center of the pitch
"Oh screw you, Bitchtoshi.", Yoichi replied and followed his captain.

1

Tobio looked from the Blue Lock section. He almost managed to gather the whole Japan national men's volleyball team at this arena. His most annoying teammate, Hinata was sitting on his left like a kid with ADHD. Though, Tobio has always thought of the possibility being true. 
"Oh man... this is frustrating...", Bokuto muttered and pouted in his seat like a big child. 
"What is it? Bokuto-senpai?", Hinata asked while hugging Yachi. 
"Do you see all these people there?", the owl head pointed at the huge crowd with Japanese flags waving in between them. 
"Yeah, what about them?", Atsumu asked. He only came here because of the chance of seeing Tobio's little brother for some potential blackmail material. 
"Why aren't they cheering for us...", Bokuto brought out after some seconds of him staying silent. "Eh...?", Hinata said confused and just stared at his senpai. 
"What did he say again?", Hoshiumi asked to be reassured that Bokuto was still normal. 
"I don't know...", Atsumu replied. "Something like all these people here not cheering for us or something like that... I'm not sure..."
"He said something like that. Why aren't you sure though?", Miwa asked in front of him.  
"What do you mean, Bokuto-San?", Tobio asked a bit confused of the situation unfolding itself in front of him. 
'Seriously...', Tobio thought and sighed at that sight. He put his eyes back onto his national, now new club teammate who was now lying on Yachi's lap. 
'Guess that's gonna be a sight, I'm forced to see more often now...', he thought. Now his eyes fell onto Natsu. She was watching the whole thing as if she was about to play her next game against pros. Though, Tobio admitted that she was very skilled, taking the last game into accord where she has played. A 3-2 loss against a V-league team. That was something he saw rarely. Especially if that game was played against Highschoolers.  Maybe she was still thinking of the ball she has slammed in the net that lost the game. Or was it actually something else? 
"What are you thinking about, Natsu? You're kinda spacing out.", Tobio asked her. The younger Hinata sibling startled at the sudden question. 
"Uh... I don't know... Probably the whole environment.", she replied. 
"That's a lie, Natsu.", Shoyo immediately exposed her before she could utter another word. "And you know that the both of us are not good at lying so stop and tell us the truth." 
The others just nodded in agreement with her elder brother. Tobio on the other hand was a bit confused, since he isn't really close to that girl. 
"Well... it's kind of... I don't know... Yoichi is playing in this game and...", she fuzzled and played with her fingers. 
"Don't tell me..." 

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"YOICHI KAGEYAMA, YOU BASTARD!!!!", came from the stands. 
"Eh... who could this be to swearing on your name, Bakayama?", Rin asked him as they waited for the referee's whistle. 
"I want to know that too... Especially after the fact that he managed to outscream the whole crowd. Some crazy shit there...", the said one answered and looked into the direction of the source of the voice to find its owner. "Sounded like Hinata-San..."
"And who the hell is that?", Rin asked. 
"I'm gonna tell you that later, Mr. Grumpypants.", Yoichi replied. Just in that moment the referee blew the whistle. Rin sighed and kicked the ball to Yoichi who then dribbled forwards and to be met with Sae. 
'So do I have?", Yoichi thought. "A destructive striker at the front and a nasty snake right behind him, meeting a rook that is covering the check." 
"What the fuck are you saying?", Sae asked him. His question was ignored. Yoichi scissored twice and then feinted to go for the right side creating a small room thanks to Sae following that movement in order to cover it up. That split second of freedom was immediately used to its fullest. Yoichi kicked it to Bachira who came flying in from the left side. 
"Firing off~", Blue Lock's number 8 sing songed as he trapped the ball. But as the ball touched his foot, a guy with spiky and messy hair met him.
"Whoa, whoa.", he said as he posed in front of him. "You coming kid?"
"Got a problem with that?", Bachira answered to the person whose name he remembered as Hayate Haru from the analysing videos from the team briefing. As those words left his mouth he immediately performed fast double touch feints. Faster than a fighter jet could fly. Slowly, he closed the gap between them. 
'He's fast... a double touch feint...', Hayate thought as he observed his opponent. 'Here he comes...'
Hayate then stretched out the leg to intercept the ball. However, Bachira was waiting for that. He stepped onto the ball and stopped its rotation. 
'He's turning on the ball while maintaining top speed...?', Hayate thought and was shocked by the action in front of him. 
"Here I go!!", Bachira commented one last time before using an aerial rush turn past the defender marking him, leaving him in the dust. The crowd that was cheering loudly just seconds ago were put to silence. 
'And then...', he muttered inside his mind. 'Straight to the goal zone.' 
However, as he wanted to cross it, the main strikers, which Blue Lock's offense was built around, were locked down gablessly. 
'Wrong! Not there.", Bachira quickly analysed the situation. Then, out of the corner of his eye, one man ran in, perfectly matching the requirements the dribbler had in this situation. 
"I knew it'd be you, Kageyama.", he smiled and crossed it into the box. 

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