Today's the day. It's felt like an eternity since you'd received that letter, but the day's finally here. The sun seems to be shining brighter outside today than it had in the last two months, the sky gleaming a brilliant blue.

That having been said, you're disappointed to find that the weather is still abysmally cold, leaving you shivering beneath your bed sheets. Can Nagi really be expected to play on a chilly day like this?

You can only hope that he'll be fine as you pick out your outfit- you contemplate wearing blue for Blue Lock, but you also don't want to seem way too eager (even if you are.)

You end up going for a cute pastel green instead- not too contrasting from blue, but not too similar either. You make sure to layer up so that you don't get ill in the stadium.

You've never been to watch a football match before, and you're not quite sure to expect- but none of that really matters, because what's most important is that Nagi's going to be there, in the flesh, waiting for you.

You'll probably have to hold yourself back the entire match to stop yourself from running onto the football pitch and leaping on top of him, though.

You grab your coat and dash out of the house as soon as you're ready (breakfast isn't that important, right?), slipping on your shoes and leaving the house before your parents can wake up and try force you to stay home because of the cold.

You're hit by a gust of cold wind the second you step outside, and it blows your coat straight out of your hand, and you watch helplessly as it tumbles through the wind-

Only for it to stop suddenly, clutched in the grasp of none other than Ba-ya, and the familiar face catches you off guard.

"Here you go." Ba-ya walks over to you, and slips the coat over your shoulders, gently leading your arms through the sleeves till it's wrapped warmly around your body, zipped up below your chin.

"Ba-ya?" You're in utter disbelief, mouth gaping open like a fish out of water. "What are you doing here?"

She smiles, but it's a got a melancholy edge to it, not quite reaching her eyes.

"I knew you'd be going to the match today."

You look up at her curiously. "You're coming too?"

She shakes her head sadly. "Reo's parents received invites, but they refuse to go. I'm not permitted to go either, so I'm glad that you are."

Your mouth runs dry. You suddenly feel incredibly guilty- you'd been so hung up on Nagi this whole time, that you'd forgotten that you're going to be able to see Reo, too, even after all that fussing you'd done with Nagi about him.

And the fact that nobody's going on his behalf...

"Ba-ya, that's terrible," You say remorsefully. "I feel so bad now."

"You shouldn't be," Ba-ya chides lightly, patting your shoulder. "You're attending, so you can make sure Reo isn't all alone. I'm sure he isn't, because of Nagi, but it'll be nice for him to see somebody else he knows, too."

That only makes you feel worse, but you smile sweetly at Ba-ya regardless, not wanting to make her worry.

"Yeah, you're right."

Ba-ya grabs your hand and pulls you down the road, and stops by a sleek black car- not quite as fancy as the limousine she used to drive Reo around in, but not exactly regular either. "I've got something to give you."

"For me?" You peer curiously over her shoulder as she opens the passenger seat door and digs around in one of the compartments of her car. "You shouldn't have."

She must not find it, because she clicks her tongue in disappointment.

"Ba-ya, it's really fine-"

"Aha," She withdraws, clutching a small, navy rectangular box, and hands it to you. "There we are. That's for you."

The box is velvet, and it tickles your fingers as you hold it. You're hesitant to open it.

"Go on, open it," Ba-ya prompts, shutting the car door behind her. "Even I don't know what's in there."

"You don't?" Now you're really curious, tilting your head as you look up at her.

She shakes her head. "It's from Reo. He told me to give it to you before he left for Blue Lock when I felt it was most appropriate, and I don't see any better time than now."

You fight off tears, not wanting to smudge your makeup.

You grip the box in your hand so hard you're afraid it might break. "But I didn't do anything to deserve this."

"Now, now," Ba-ya strokes the back of your head soothingly, cooing like a mother hen. "Don't say that. Reo's very affectionate towards his friends- you know this. I'm sure he wants nothing more than for me to give this to you, so take it, please."

You nod, fingers trembling as you open the box.

You practically stop breathing as you behold the dainty, silver necklace sitting atop a small cushion- it's wonderfully simple, with a single charm.

It's a heart.

It's beautiful.

"What a lovely gift," Ba-ya pulls it out of the box and holds it up. "Reo really does go all-out."

"It's so nice," You breathe, and you really might just burst into tears. "It was probably so expensive, too."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Ba-ya laughs. "Reo's allowance is probably higher than my salary."

She pulls down the zip of your coat, gesturing for you to turn around.

You do, moving your hair out if the way as she puts the necklace on you, the metal cool against your neck. It complements your mint-coloured top perfectly, and you turn back around to show Ba-ya, who applauds you with a smile.

"What an elegant little heart," Ba-ya says as she zips your coat back up- you aren't used to being fussed over so much, but you just let her do it, not wanting to seem ungrateful. "It looks lovely on you."

"I'm so, so flattered," You can still feel the charm from where it's resting in between your collarbones as you pop the box into your pocket. "I never thought Reo would have got something like this for me. Nagi, maybe... but me?"

"What are you talking about?" Ba-ya seems genuinely confused. "I always thought that, out of the two of you, you were his favourite."

You laugh. "I mean with this with utmost respect to you, Ba-ya, but you're definitely wrong. Nagi is Reo's 'greatest treasure' or whatever, remember?"

Ba-ya opens her mouth like she wants to say something, but apparently decides not to, shaking her head at herself. She pats your head, a small smile on her face.

"Well, I can't hold you up any longer, or you'll be late," She's got that distant look in her eyes again, and you suspect that it's because she wishes she could go with you. "Tell Reo hello for me, okay?"

"Of course!" You swear, and you'd be damned if you weren't sincere. "I'll make sure he knows he badly you wanted to come, Ba-ya."

"Thank you very much." She says, and you beam up at her. "I would have liked to have been able to drop you off, but alas, I must return back to the Mikage household."

"Don't even worry about it," You tell her as she circles around the car and gets in. "Thanks for giving this to me!"

"Anytime." She winks at you from inside the car, and drives down the street, leaving you standing alone on an empty street.

You unzip the top of your coat again to peer down at Reo's necklace, the heart charm glinting in the morning light.

You stare at it for a few more seconds before determinedly zipping your coat back up (for what feels like the hundredth time) and walking to the train station- you'd already obsessively researched the location of the Blue Lock stadium last night, and you've got the train route memorised by heart, so getting there should be easy.

Or so you thought.

When you arrive, the streets are packed with people, all sporting U-20 Japan uniforms, some even with face paint or banners. You're immediately overwhelmed- people take football this seriously?

You struggle to find your bearings, checking your phone for the directions to the stadium- it's in the middle of nowhere, naturally, so you decide to just follow the crowd of people in hopes that they're going in the right direction.

You're almost trampled on by a girl in a u-2o number 2 shirt, but she catches herself before she can topple you over.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She's screaming over the din to be heard, and yet you still find your ears straining to hear her. "You going to the match too?"

You nod back, and she grins.

"Who you rooting for?"

"Blue Lock!" You yell back, and she pulls a face.

"Oh, really?" She's got a huge grin on her face as she brandishes the name on the back of her shirt- it says Aiku, but you have no idea who that is. "This is who I'm rooting for!"

You jokingly boo her, and she laughs, throwing an arm around your shoulder.

"Why're you rooting for those kids?" She asks, good-naturedly, and you smile at her shyly.

"My boyfriend's a part of them."

She positively melts, pinching your cheeks in excitement. "Aw, well aren't you a cute little sweetheart?"

She doesn't look that much older than you, maybe 19 or 20, but it's rather funny how she's acting like you're a child.

"May the best man win!" She heartily cheers. "Sorry, but I'm placing all bets on Aiku."

"You haven't met Nagi yet."

By the time you arrive at the premises, you're ready to drop dead. You hand the inspection your ticket before entering, scrambling to find a seat. You make sure to avoid the marching bands and the avid Aiku fans; whoever that man is, he sure seems to be popular with the ladies.

You end up sitting near two women, who both have extremely familiar red hair...

"Chigiri!" You suddenly yell as the realisation finally hits you, and both women jolt and look at you with wide eyes, absolutely bewildered.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," You apologise, cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to yell like that..."

The elder woman laughs, and the resemblance to Chigiri really is uncanny. "You know my son?"

"Kind of," You rub the back of your neck sheepishly. "He's my boyfriend's friend. They were on the same team in Blue Lock, so when I called him, we spoke."

Chigiri's sister (at least, that's what you're assuming) looks at you curiously. "Called him? How? We thought Hyoma had his phone taken- not that he would've called me anyways, the little brat. Doesn't appreciate his older sister enough."

"Nagi would die without his phone," You laugh, craning your neck slightly to speak to them- there's a distance of three seats between you and them, which only makes things more awkward. "First thing he did in Blue Lock was get it back- he was never really in it for the football to begin with."

"Oh, darling, you'll hurt your neck like that!" Chigiri's mother fusses, and she pats the free seat besides her. "Come and sit over here, not all alone, sweetie."

"Thank you so much," You nod and do as your told, the warm smile of Chigiri's mother and sister making you feel welcome. "Again, I'm so sorry for yelling your name like that."

Chigiri's sister laughs. "Don't worry about it. So, who's your boyfriend?"

"His name is Nagi Seishirou- he's got white hair, so I'm sure you'll find him when he plays," You tell them proudly. "That having been said, I'm sure Chigiri's long red locks will stand out even more."

"You think he'll be a starter?" Chigiri's sister asks, and his mother glances over at you.

You nod. "I'm pretty sure. He's really fast, right?"

Chigiri's mother gasps and covers her mouth with a hand, and you stammer out another apology.

"I'm so sorry if I upset you-"

"I'm so happy!" She gushes, grabbing your hand and clutching it between her own- she's shaking, and you're not sure why, but Chigiri's sister just smiles. "I can't believe it!"

You're incredibly confused, and she must sense that, because she releases you and elaborates. "My son injured himself a while ago- he was running, you see, and tore his ACL, and he hasn't been the same since- but if you're telling me he's fast, then that means he's started running again... oh, I could cry!"

"Please don't!" You yelp, digging around in your pocket for a tissue, and Chigiri's sister laughs.

"Relax, girl, she's dramatic like that." She seems nonchalant, but her eyes are shiny, too. "I'm glad Hyoma's recovered, though. You spoke to him?"

"Yeah!" You nod enthusiastically. "And he seemed like his health was really, really good, so please don't worry!"

The conversation is cut short by the Japanese national anthem blaring through the speakers situated along the stadium seats, practically deafening you.

The fans start to get riled up, with the marching bands banging on their drums as the two teams begin to walk out, two parallel lines of blue and white.

The first faces out from each team take you by surprise- they're nearly identical, one with black hair and one with pink, and it's funny, almost, how they seem to match their respective uniforms perfectly.

"Itoshi Sae! He's really here!" Somebody shrieks from behind you, and you turn to see a whole swarm of people with banners supporting the young man.

"I hear he's really famous," Chigiri's sister leans over to shout in your ear, and you nod in understanding. "That's why so many people showed up."

You can't help but wonder who the Blue Lock captain is- surely he's got to be related to this Itoshi Sae? They've practically got the same face!

The next two players walk out- you don't recognise either, but one lady screams "Meguru!" at the top of her lungs, and the Blue Lock player looks around wildly, as if trying to locate the source of the voice.

The next face is a familiar one- it's Isagi himself, and he looks like he's thrumming with adrenaline, grinning from ear to ear in awe as he steps out.

The U-20 captain walks out, and you really are deafened this time by the shrieks of all the girls- he's wearing a number 2 shirt, and you briefly remember the girl you'd met before.

The rest of the team members walk out, and you wait with baited breath for Nagi to appear- and he does, in all his glory, his eyes lit with a silent determination and his chin held high.

You've never seen him look like this, and it knocks all the breath out of you, and all you can do is stare and stare as dark eyes scan the crowd for one person and one person only-

And then his eyes find you, and you might cry, you really might, and he smiles, a small, slight tug on his lips, so small that if you'd blink you'd have missed it.

"That's Nagi, huh?" Chigiri's mother says to you, but you don't respond, eyes watching Nagi's every move, and she chuckles to herself. "Young love. So innocent."

You dimly register Chigiri's red hair, glistening brilliantly against the blue of his shirt, and you cheer with his mother and sister as he appears, but your mind is elsewhere.

More and more players enter the pitch- there's one with glasses that you immediately recognise as young model Yukimiya Kenyu, one with long, inky black hair, a tiny one with bangs covering his eyes, and then...

A huge, bear-looking one with bleached white hair and goalkeeper's gloves, his uniform a different colour to the rest, and your heart drops.

Where's Reo?

You shed your jacket, suddenly feeling way too stuffy, eyes scanning the pitch frantically. Reo's necklace dangles from your neck as you lean forward, and you clutch it in one hand.

You can't spot that familiar head of purple hair anywhere, and you're unable to settle down u til you find it, so you look and look, scanning every nook and cranny.

And then you spot him, sitting along the bench with the other Blue Lock members, and your heart almost drops- he's not a starting player like Nagi?

You start to wonder just how good the other Blue Lock members are, if Reo isn't a starter. From what you remembered, he was pretty remarkable as a player.

He doesn't look that fussed about it; he's actually chatting amicably with another boy who's got baby blue hair, and another with a headband on.

Good. So he isn't lonely.

You finally take a seat again,  letting the match unfold, and Chigiri's mother pats your shoulder.

"It's taxing on your heart, isn't it, all this excitement?" She asks, and you nod. "I'm so proud of every single one of those boys. I need to get a picture of Hyoma later."

"Oh, definitely," You agree wholeheartedly, and his sister giggles. "He looks so cool!"

"I can't believe he looks so happy," She says, and dabs at her eyes. "I've been waiting for this for so long."

"I've been waiting too." You whisper, your eyes following Nagi as he runs (when has he ever actually run before?) up and down the pitch, actively engaging in the game.

You've waited for this for so long.

-

What's this I'm seeing about 20K reads??

Also you KNOW I had to add some extra drama in here for the hell of it haha sorry for throwing Reo back into the mix but I missed my boy and also,, it just makes sense