Chapter Text
Nagi still remembers that day, just as clear as the translucent water of a natural river. He doesn’t think he’ll ever forget that day.
Nagi’s life was monochrome, sad, and boring. Dull, and lifeless. Zero friends, absent parents, and only a cactus he had named Choki to talk to. Until he saw light, that is Reo, turning his grey world to an ethereal shade of gold. He just knew things would no longer be what he had first considered as his kind of normal after Reo claimed him as his treasure. Six months. Six months of bonding over soccer, and Nagi doesn’t think he’d be able to go back to his life before the miracle that is Reo.
It was interesting, how Reo looks so happy over little things that Nagi mentions. How he is very expressive. His vibrant eyes, shining with victory when Nagi scores a goal, and it shines even more when it’s just the two of them, biking under the setting sun, as the sky are getting sprinkled with stars. It was interesting, how Reo approached him, when they were the complete opposite. It was interesting, how Nagi just accepted that yeah, Reo really made his life better. He really is his light.
They joined Blue Lock. An insane soccer program that aspired to create the best striker out of three hundred soccer players. Reo determinedly promised that he will make Nagi the best striker, and that it was his ego. That he will make Nagi’s life more than just naps and video games. And it made Nagi interested. They promised, they’ll be together until the end.
They won all the matches, with them as the best duo plus Zantetsu–until, enter Team Z. Their first ever loss. The match where Nagi ignited his flame, his potential burning brighter and stronger than ever before. For the first time, he felt a sense of thrill. And a desperate need, want to improve, because he saw the vision of him and Reo winning the World Cup getting farther and farther away. He couldn’t just let that happen. He made a promise with Reo to win the WC and they’ll stay together until beyond that. He needed to improve. And there’s no other one that would help him do that, except the one that he lost against in the match versus Team Z; and that was Isagi Yoichi.
And so, he joined him.
But then, Reo misunderstood everything. Teaming up with Chigiri and Kunigami, Reo declared their relationship’s label as rivals. It pained Nagi. But he doesn’t want to lose Reo. He still wants to be Reo’s someone. So, even though he didn’t say anything, he allowed it.
Team White won. Team Red lost. They chose Chigiri.
Nagi wanted Reo.
You’ve changed, Reo accused, You broke our promise, he accused more, effectively breaking Nagi’s heart. Why is he saying all these things? Why is he accusing him of such things? Why is Reo being like this? Nagi was confused. So, so confused. And angry, so angry, that he lashed out and said some things he didn’t mean. You’re a pain, Reo, and I don’t care anymore.
Thinking about Reo after that always brought pain.
And when Nagi realized, I did change, and I said something so, so cruel to Reo, all he wanted to do was run back to him and apologize. Apologize, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean those things Reo, let me make it up to you, but then he had no choice but to wait.
Reo…
Third selection. Last team. This is the last team, to pass the last selection, and Nagi waited with bated breath, anticipating Reo’s arrival, ignoring the loud and fast ba-dum ba-dum of his heart rattling against his chest.
The doors slid open, as three players walked in proudly, and then–
“Kunigami!” Isagi and Chigiri exclaimed in relief behind him, but Nagi couldn’t celebrate yet. Because, Reo–
–is not here.
Because, instead of Reo following, it’s just a tanned, freaky-looking stranger with nothing but menace in his eyes, and Nagi just wants to quit.
“Nagi? Nagi! Where are you going?” Isagi asked, and Nagi answered, “Quitting.”
“Now, now, what did you say, Nagi Seishiro?” The monitor screen above them all blinked to life, as Ego Jinpachi showed on the screen. Nagi blinked, “Quitting.”
“And why is that?”
“There’s no longer any purpose for me to continue soccer.” He said bluntly, “I was only here because of and for Reo.”
“Ah?” Ego widened his empty, dark eyes. “If that really is the case for you, then, Nagi Seishiro, you are more than welcome to LOCK OFF.”
“Okay.” The boy shrugged, about to walk off towards the doors already opened for him, but then–
“Nagi!” Exclaimed Isagi, “You’re really just going to give up soccer like that?!”
“Sure,” he turned, “Why?”
“Don’t give up yet,” said Isagi, “Just think about it. The thrill. If not that, then think about the dream that Reo had wanted you and him to accomplish. Are you really letting him down just like that?”
“Imagine it: Reo’s proud face in the audience once he sees you score a goal. Reo’s cheers when we finally win the WC.”
Needless to say, Nagi turned around and went back beside the other players.
“Seriously?” Chigiri laughed.
“Nagicchi is really down bad for Reocchi~” Giggled Bachira. Meanwhile, Barou just whispered something about damn gays. Isagi made a fist bump in the air, and Ego literally just– “... Are you serious?”
Nagi shrugged. Fine, then. I’ll continue playing.
Then he’ll go back to Reo.
–Fast forward, nothing went the way he expected it. As it turns out, Reo blocked everyone, and now, Nagi can’t find him.
He was supposed to quit soccer early, but now he’s a professional soccer player, one of the main forwards who brought Japan to nationals.
Seven years. Seven years with no Reo.
Princess :x
nagi YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE WHAT I JS SAW
AND GOT
Me
what
Princess :x
I saw him
I saw Reo
Those two messages, and six words were practically enough to send Nagi stumbling out of his own bed. He stared at the screen, at those six words, until his eyes locked in on one name, Reo , the name of the person he lost seven years ago, the person who he thought of before he goes to sleep and after he wakes up. With trembling hands, he typed,
Me
where
He inhaled a shaky sigh, as he grabbed a coat carelessly sitting at the corner of his bed. He quickly changed his pajamas to a casual fit, as he starts tying his shoelaces. His phone pinged, as he quickly glanced,
Princess :x
Okay so
Princess :x is calling you…
Nagi clicked the green button, and immediately got greeted by Chigiri’s face, eating ice cream. He scrambles out of his door and locks it.
“Where are you going?” Chigiri asked, “I thought I’m gonna tell you about Reo?”
“You are, now,” Nagi demanded, as he made his way towards the elevator. “I’m going to the place where you saw Reo.” He needs to see him, after all. It’s been so, so, so long.
“You idiot, Reo probably already left. Plus, I saw him at the Central Mall’s parking lot, with a witch-looking butler. Reo was already in the car, and he just waved at me, while the butler drove off.”
“Are you kidding me?” Nagi snapped, as the elevator slowly opened to reveal the ground level of his apartment building, but then it wasn’t just that, that he saw.
In front, he saw the person who’s been haunting his dreams like a beautiful ghost for the past seven years, the person whose smile he’d been waiting to see again was his drive for continuing a sport he never knew he’d play, the person with eyes of a beautiful hue of violet that it almost looked like the vibrancy of purple anemones.
“Reo,” he breathed, as he took in the shock that slowly overcame Reo’s facial features, and he noted how he had matured too; how his purple hair had now reached his shoulders and is tied to a low ponytail, how he had gone significantly taller than before, but what Nagi really loved is that even though Reo has changed, there were some features that still hasn’t left–like how expressive his little eyebrows really are, how his eyes are still the same, how his cheeks somehow look like they haven’t lost their baby fat. Or maybe they did, but just a little. He liked how even though Reo’s taller than before, Nagi is still taller than him.
Behind Reo, Ba-ya, Nagi recognized, stepped forward with luggages beside her, eyes also slightly wide in shock. “Young Master Nagi,” she nodded. Nagi gulped, as he ignored the confused questions of Chigiri coming from his phone, as he subtly ended the call. “Reo,” he says, his voice slightly hysterical.
Reo visibly took a shaky sigh, “Nagi.”
Reo is moving to this apartment. Reo is moving to this apartment.
Reo will be his neighbor.
Nagi buried his face in his pillow, almost feeling like a high-school girl squealing in her bed all because she and her crush locked eyes for a total of 000000000.01 second. Except, Nagi’s nothing like that, because
- He doesn’t have a crush
- He’s not a girl
- Reo
To be frank, he doesn’t know why exactly he put Reo as his third reason but then again, wasn’t Reo the one who triggered the rest of his life? Meeting Reo on that fateful day in Hakuho was what brought him here, now a professional soccer player with his whole future carefully laid out in front of him.
He sat up, feeling dazed, until he looked around and saw that his place looks like a mess. This can’t be good. He invited Reo for coffee. They will talk, discuss about everything. Because there’s a lot to catch up on. It’s been seven years after all. Nagi groaned, he can’t believe he just survived seven whole years without his best friend. If the Nagi from seven years ago were to hear this, he won’t believe it.
He grabbed his phone, which uncharacteristically sat still, untouched on the bedside table. He opened it and saw a bunch of notifications from Chigiri, which he has ghosted earlier. Oops.
Princess :x
Little btch
WHERE DID YOU GO
DID YOU GO TO THE FRICKING MALL
REOS PROBABLY NOT THERE
LITTLE BTCHHHHH 😭😭
GO BACK HOME
nagi
heyyyy
I GET THAT YOU MISSED YOUR BF BUT COME ON
Me
what
reos not my bf
Princess :x
oh right sorry hes ur ex ☹️
Me
wdym
reos my best friend
nd partner
oh nd hes bout to b my nghbor
Princess :x
excuse me
??????1111111!!1!!!1!!!!
NAGI SEISHIRO GET BACK ONLINE
No, Nagi thinks, he needs to clean.
“...”
“...”
Nagi awkwardly stared at his lemon tea, now he shouldn’t be awkward in his own apartment but it is and no, he won’t blame Reo for it. This whole thing was caused by his bluntness years ago, right? It took months of Chigiri’s forced therapy sessions for him to realize that. He paid him at the end, so don’t worry.
He coughed into his fist, as he forced out, “Uhm, Reo.”
Reo doesn’t answer. He’s busy sipping his coffee (Nagi remembers how Reo used to like his coffee, he’ll always add an extra spoon of sugar, always with milk, sometimes with cream, because Reo liked everything sweet.) with eyes closed, and a posture too guarded, it was like a slap across Nagi’s face, because it wasn’t like this before, there was no need to be guarded, there was only warmth, comfort, and intimacy, not— not this.
He repeats again, “Reo.”
Reo doesn’t answer, as if he doesn’t hear him. Nagi felt his heart quickening, how everything suddenly felt heavy as he couldn’t bring himself to approach a possibility that cliche romance trope that dramas portray for angst, he hopes for something less serious than that, and Nagi reaches out with his hand—
Reo looks up, eyes widening, as he asks, in an unusually high tone, “Yes?”
“Reo.” Nagi says, “Are you okay?”
Reo’s response was a bit delayed, no more than five seconds, and it shouldn’t have bothered Nagi but it did. “Yes, I am.”
“Okay. That’s… nice.”
“Mhm.”
Then, it returned to its initial awkwardness. Nagi hated it. He silently wonders if Reo hates it too. (But then, it was Nagi’s carelessness that led to this, isn’t?)
“Have you been watching my matches?” Nagi asks, desperate to start up something, hoping to rebuild a connection once strong now shattered into pieces. He watches Reo repeatedly tap his finger against his thigh, the crease between his eyebrows, and how his eyes (his vibrant, beautiful purple eyes that shone with love ) refused to meet his.
“Sometimes.” Reo answers, his voice detached. Nagi takes a deep breath, but then Reo continues, “When I feel like it.”
“Are you still playing soccer?”
“Not really.” Nagi’s heart broke. “I… don’t have the time for it.”
“Then,” he decides, “Let’s play soccer sometimes, Reo, now that we’re reunited. I really missed playing with you—”
“I can’t,” Reo says, so suddenly, with a voice filled with regret, that it made Nagi afraid of something he’s not quite sure of. “I’m not sure if I can still play, if I still know how to play.”
“Reo, you trained hard at soccer for more than six months straight,” Nagi spoke, “You can’t just forget that easily.”
“Wha-”
“Reo,” Nagi says again, his hands quickly flying over to grab Reo’s, who looked shocked and confused, “I’m sorry, okay? For what I did years ago, during the Second Selection, I didn’t really mean to betray you, no, I was doing what I thought was best for our dream, I promise I’ve become way better. Are you saying this because you hate me–”
“Nagi,” Reo interrupted, voice breathy, “Calm down. I can’t make sense of what you’re saying, your lips are moving too fast for me to read it.”
“Huh? What are you sayin—” Then it hit him. Lips. Fast. Read. Nagi shakily lets go of Reo’s hand, as he stares at him, eyes wide in shock. “What?”
“Um,” Reo stammers, seemingly nervous, “I wasn’t planning on saying this so early… but…”
He moved his hands, as if symbolizing something, it was fluid, smooth, and fluent, and he said,
“I’m deaf.”
And Nagi Seishiro’s life just seemed to finally receive the punishment for hurting his light.