Manshine's Miracle

by AizenTheGoat

Summary:

With the end of the blood war Ichigo had to adjust to normal life and did so by joining the football team at school. Little did he know how that decision would impact the rest of his life.

Chapter 1

Hey everyone, here's something I've been working on for a little while thanks to the help of SpellRGN who's doing his own blue lock fic. Check it out over on FF if you haven't already. Anyway, after mulling over ideas for a fic for the longest I finally had something to work with and have a few chapters ready. I'll be updating this alongside 'So it goes' so roughly every two weeks. Hope you guys enjoy it.

“Ichigo.” Yuzu called out in an exasperated tone. The young man blinked twice, realizing he’d once again been staring blankly at an object and lost himself in thought. “I swear you’re always spacing out now. I said the food is ready and you can take a seat.”

“Right.” He replied half apologetically. It had been happening a lot lately, him getting lost in his thoughts that is. The war with the Quincies had ended a few months ago and life had since then returned to normal. At least as normal as it could be for him and his friends. That meant they were back to school full time, doing homework at night, and studying for exams whenever they came by. Orihime and Chad had jobs on the side and while he worked for Ikumi on occasion, he was the odd man out.

Even Uryu had a job from what he’d been told. In a way it was nice knowing that there wasn’t some great danger looming around the corner. First it was Aizen, then Yhwach, but with them in prison and dead respectively, things had settled down to an almost frightening degree. There were still hollow attacks every now and again, but those were no longer his issue to deal with. 

Captain Commander Shunsui had appointed capable shinigami in charge of Karakura, meaning when an attack happened, it was taken care of within minutes. It was relieving to not be on call 24/7 but at the same time it felt strange having a job you had grown accustomed to given to someone else. He couldn’t blame Shunsui though, he wasn’t an official Shinigami after all.

“ Your time will come, Ichigo. In the short time you’ve been with us, you’ve earned the respect of most Shinigami, but most importantly, you’ve earned your rest. Leave the job to us, if something comes up that we can’t handle without you, we’ll give you a call. Go on, enjoy your youth before you find that it slipped you by. ” Shunsui’s words echoed in his mind as Yuzu placed the dish in front of him.

He understood where the man was coming from, and even agreed with him, but it was still somewhat of a bittersweet experience. That wasn’t to say his entire life had been uprooted, since on occasion he would still head over to Urahara’s to train and keep himself sharp in case of an emergency, but it wasn’t the same.

His life now consisted of going to school and going home. Rinse and repeat. With the newfound free time, he had decided on a career path which was translation work. Since his earlier years he had begun learning English and continued that throughout middle school and even now in his last few weeks of high school. Studies had always come easy for him and as such, he was able to pick up the language rather easily, to the point where he was almost fluent.

Teachers sang praises for his academic achievements but deep down, he knew life had become boring. The lack of danger and death of comrades was a welcome change but he’d grown accustomed to an action filled life. Without working as a substitute Shinigami, there was a void within him that he tried to fill with extracurricular activities.

Prior to getting his Shinigami powers back he had lent his services to the basketball team and the football club. The basketball team had wanted him full time but could no longer afford his services, that wasn’t an issue with the football club however. Where the money came from, he was unsure, but it didn’t matter. It was fun and he got paid.

There was something about the sport that managed to fill him with some joy. Maybe it was the look on his teammates' faces when they won a game they were sure they would have lost otherwise. Maybe it was the money that he was able to pocket. In a way it felt like cheating since he was essentially a superhuman. 

In terms of strength he was stronger than most, he was faster than most, and the fighting experience he’d gotten under his belt had made his coordination and agility second to none. Compared to his non Shinigami comrades at least. All of that had translated to him being known as a genius of the sport at his school. One that many couldn’t help but wonder why he didn’t take it more seriously.

“So Ichigo, are you ready for the big game tomorrow?” Yuzu asked with an excited smile on her face. His little sister was so giddy he could almost see her bouncing in her seat at the thought of his next match. 

“It’s just another game, I’ve done it before.” He replied casually with a shrug of his shoulders. “Hey this is really good.” He added after taking a bite of their dinner.

Sitting to his left, Karin shook her head at his answer and chimed in. “It’s not just another game. This is one of the biggest games in the country. It’s the Winter Kokuritsu finals. You’re even playing in the Japan National Stadium. That’s a huge deal.”

He took a sip of his water and carefully wiped his mouth before taking another bite, his eyes watching his dad in case of an oncoming attack. Once the older man was seated, he continued. “It’s just another venue that’s all, everything else will remain the same. I’m getting paid, my team is happy, and the school gets nationwide recognition, everyone wins.”

“How much are they paying you?” Yuzu questioned.

“About 47,000 yen.”

Isshin hummed loudly ‘to himself’ knowing he would draw the attention of his children and made a show of rubbing his beard in thought. Suddenly, his eyes darted to his oldest child.

“And what do you need that money for?” His dad questioned. “If I recall correctly, you charged them even before the whole ordeal.” He added, referring to the Quincies.

“I’m almost 18 and plan to move out in the near future.” He replied dryly, shooting his dad a blank look. “If I make it into a top tier university, housing can be handled by the school, but I’ll still need money for everything else.”

“Why don’t you work for Ikumi again?” Karin asked with a knowing smirk. “I heard she pays well.”

“That lady kidnapped me after school and stuffed me into her van to go work once. I’m not doing that again.” 

Isshin smiled proudly to himself, very much approving of the man he had watched his son turn into. He’d gone from a young boy to a grown man who fought to protect what was important to him. Although that was the most proud he’d been, it was also something incredible to see his son as just another person going through life. How many other parents could say their child was going to play in one of the biggest organized football tournaments in the country?

“Well, I’m sure if you continue as you are, a good job will fall into your lap before you know it. You’ve done well son, keep it up and make your mom proud.” He replied seriously.

Ichigo smiled “I hope so dad. Now that I’m not constantly being called up to the Soul Society, I actually have to think about my future before heading up there. If possible, I’d like to live a good life with some sort of excitement.”

He should have known something was wrong when Isshin’s proud smile slowly warped into the teasing one he’d grown up seeing. His instinct was proven true a moment later.

“But in all seriousness what would you do if you had the money to live a good life? I heard you’re a prude so it couldn’t be used that well.”

That was all Ichigo needed to hear. Yuzu and Karin’s eyes drifted left to right as their dad and brother wrestled on the ground, neither giving the other the advantage. The two young ladies looked at each other and sighed simultaneously. It was too much to ask to get through one dinner without them starting another brawl it seemed.

“You have the video camera right?” Yuzu asked her sister.

Karin nodded, tilting her head to the side to avoid one of her dad’s slippers from hitting her head. 

“Yeah, I have it charging right now and I have the shirts ready too. I’m just happy we have close seats, I’d hate to miss something good because we were in the nosebleeds.”

Yuzu poked at her dessert with a fork and hummed to herself for a moment before speaking. “Do you really think Ichigo doesn’t care about the game? It’s a big deal.”

Karin glanced at her brother, not bothering to check if the leg lock he had their dad in was doing any damage. “I think he does care. He smiles when he scores and looks happy seeing his team win. If he didn’t care, he’d be out of there the moment the final whistle rang.”

xxxx

The atmosphere was electric, the fans were already making noise before the two teams had even made their appearances but that just added to the ambiance. Itoshi Sae sat a few rows removed from the closest available seats, his green eyes staring blankly at the pitch beneath him. Unlike the fans, he wasn’t there rooting for either team, but rather because of a suggestion from his agent. He had mentioned that the striker on the Karakura High School football club had been coasting through the competition, carrying the team to overwhelming victory.

Nonsense was the first word that crossed through Sae’s mind when he’d heard the news. If there was something he was absolutely certain of, it was that Japan was incapable of producing a world class striker. There were shortcomings that just couldn’t be overlooked and it was a fundamental flaw of Japanese football. Had he had anything else going on, Sae wouldn’t have bothered to show up.

It would be a lie to completely claim that he wasn’t a bit interested in what he’d heard though. His agent knew him well enough to know he disliked having his time wasted. That was one of the reasons why he didn’t even take many interviews anymore. For him to adamantly push for him to attend the match had to mean something. Could there really be someone here worthy of his passes? He doubted it, but it was worth taking a look.

He looked up at the scoreboard. Karakura high on one side, Rakuzan High on the other. He’d heard of them, but they were more known for their total domination of men’s basketball. Their football club was good as well but more focused on their defense as opposed to the offense their basketball team was known for. Other than that however, they didn’t have anything that stood out among them. Their players were decent, but that was all.

Turning his attention away from the scoreboard, he idly scanned the crown around him, ignoring the looks of awe from football fans who recognized him. Had it not been known that he wasn’t the most outgoing person, he was sure there would have been numerous photo requests. Featureless fans flooded his vision until he found a familiar face a few rows away in the crowd.

Michael Hayes sat idly, his eyes staring right back at the red head with a pale stare. He had his team's iconic light blue jacket, but the logo on the breast had been covered. It had been a few years since he’d spoken with the man ever since he’d tried convincing him to join the club. In the end he’d made his way to Spain to join Re Al and hadn’t looked back. Seeing the man in the crowd only heightened his curiosity. 

Was Karakura’s striker good enough to attract scouts? Or was it the news that he would be attending the match that made others feel the need to go as well? No, it couldn’t be that. If that were the case more scouts would have been present. 

“Do you think Ichigo is nervous?” Sae heard a young female voice ask from his right. 

Glancing over, he noticed a family of three wearing matching shirts depicting the logo for Karakura High. The dad had clearly gone overboard having colored half his face in the school colors along with a large foam finger with ‘#1’ written in the center. 

“I don’t think so.” Replied another young girl, this one sitting directly to his right. “He said something about wanting to go out tonight so I think he’s just wanting to get through the game, get paid, and go home.” 

As if sensing that someone had been staring in their direction, the black haired girl looked to her left and blinked in surprise. 

“You’re Itoshi Sae.” She pointed out with less enthusiasm than he had anticipated. “Small world.”

He nodded. “Would you by any chance happen to know who the striker is for Karakura?” 

Before Karin could respond, Isshin broke into the conversation and replied. “Itoshi Sae, the prodigy of Japan asking about my son? Oh what a day!” He responded comically with false tears streaming down his face. That was enough for Karin to kick the man away, not bothering to check on his well being while turning back to the Japanese pro.

“Sorry about my dad. He’s an idiot. The striker is my brother. He’s the one with the orange hair, you can’t miss him.” 

The young woman felt someone tap her shoulder and turned to see Yuzu staring at her with a pleading look, her phone in her hand as she looked away from Sae. Knowing what her sister wanted, Karin sighed. 

“I know you’re not really a fan of people, but would you mind if we got a picture with you?” Karin asked plainly. 

His first thought had been to say no, but unlike most they hadn’t tried to sneak a picture of him in selfie fashion, nor had they tried to make small talk in the hopes of becoming his friend. They’d left him alone until he had initiated a conversation. That was worth a picture or two in his mind.

He nodded and took the photos. As the happier of the two sisters began thanking him for his time, everyone straightened up and looked down toward the field. The two teams were lining up. The game was about to begin.

While his sisters were trying to keep their dad from making a fool of himself and chatting with one of the biggest football stars in Japan, Ichigo sat in the team dressing room adjusting his uniform for the big match. The team had opted for the black long sleeve shirt which he kept untucked along with red shorts and black socks. The back of his uniform read ‘Kurosaki’ and a large white number nine was pressed onto the center.

“Alright, listen up.” The coach called out as he stepped into the dressing room. Rather than the track suit he usually wore, the older man was dressed in what had to be a brand new black suit, looking like a professional coach. “Today is the day. You’ve all worked hard to get here. Every minute you spent on the pitch training, every lap you ran even while you were on the brink of exhaustion, every event you missed with your friends to practice your shots all lead to this moment.”

Ichigo could feel his teammates' determination rising as the coach spoke. It was true, while he hadn’t been there all the time he knew they spent every moment for the last few months training for this. Their central midfielder had been staying late every day working on his accuracy, in order to provide him with the best passes possible. 

Their wingers had worked on their agility and speed and had done everything possible to improve their crosses. Suffice to say they had been working themselves to the bone to prove themselves, and now they were here. He was proud of them.

“As we discussed yesterday we’ll be running a 4-2-3-1 formation.” He announced, using the provided whiteboard to draw up the formation. “Kurosaki, the offense will revolve around you. Your speed and physicality is one of our greatest strengths. We’ve been training relentlessly for this, the midfielder’s will control the tempo of the game and find you.”

The Captain of the team stood up and took his place next to the coach. He looked calm but Ichigo could see the faint traces of anxiety lingering on him. The man cleared his throat.

“The coach is right. Everybody knows their role. Rakuzan plays strong defensive football and has only given up 3 goals in the entire tournament as a result of penalties. They play smart, exploit weaknesses and try to score on the counters. We’ve studied the tape, the midfielders know exactly what to do to create openings that will allow them to find you.” He said, looking at Ichigo.

“You’re strong Kurosaki. A key component to our success will be arial battles. You’re stronger than any player I’ve ever played with, that’ll tip the scales in our favor. However, should our midfield get shut down, it’ll be on you to create your own shot. We know you can do it, I’m just saying it because it’s the biggest game of our high school careers.”

Ichigo nodded. He knew all of this. He’d studied the game plan multiple times and had checked the film himself and had a plan in case his team got locked up.

“Alright then. We’re all set to go. We’ll be guided to the tunnel in the next five minutes.” The coach called out. “Everyone, make sure your boots are tight and your nerves steeled. The next ninety minutes will determine if we leave empty handed, or with a national title and our heads held high.”

The team nodded and shortly after, they were called to the tunnel.

They stood on the left, with the Rakuzan players on their right hand side. Each one looked focused, fully ready to leave it all on the pitch. In a way he almost felt out of place. Turning his attention back to the front, he began walking forward with the others and the deafening roar of the crowd began to reach his ears. It was understandable why his teammates and opponents were feeling the pressure. 

Having this many eyes on you was different from regular games with semi full bleachers at your school. If he hadn’t gone through potential life ending fights over and over again, perhaps he would also be feeling the heat, but as it stood he was as calm as could be. He flexed his hand a few times, making sure he was ready to go and tapped the back of his teammate. 

“Relax, we’ll be fine.” 

“I know, it’s just, look at this crowd. It’s crazy. It almost feels like the whole of the country is here to watch. Really adds to the pressure.”

“Just follow the plan and you’ll start getting over it. Once we score the first goal it’ll break their focus and we can go from there.” He said plainly. The man nodded and made his way to the center spot where they were set to kick off. Ichigo placed the ball in the center and waited for the whistle.

Once it rang out, he passed right and dashed forward. They had studied Rakuzan well enough and as expected, everyone began marking their man. The ball made its way toward their midfield, carefully being passed around in order to draw the opposition and then once more to their center backs. 

Ichigo kept a close eye on everyone on the field, carefully looking for the opportunity to strike. Rakuzan had decided to leave two players close enough to him in case he tried to make a move but far enough away that they could act elsewhere if need be. 

His center back locked eyes with him for a split second and sprinted past his defender before kicking the ball toward the left wing. Seeing the move, Ichigo began to jog up the pitch, keenly aware of the man marking him. He had to give credit to the defense however as they were able to stop the attack by lightly bumping into his CAM and managing to kick the ball out of bounds just before they could run up the wing and cross.

Ichigo stayed in his place across from the goalkeeper but still outside the penalty area and pointed at his teammate, directing where the ball should go. 

“Stop the cross!” One of the Rakuzan players yelled out in panic. 

The ball was thrown back into play far up the left wing where instantly, two players began to rush. The man marking Ichigo had turned his attention to the now live ball and at that moment, Ichigo moved. Running toward the wing, he locked eyes with his midfielder and the two shared smirks.

The ball collided with the man’s chest and the momentum rolled it toward Karakura’s striker. His defender had reacted far too late to catch up and could only watch as the ball slowly rolled into a spot outside the box that had a gap far too large for them to be comfortable with.

“ Perfect. ” Ichigo thought to himself. He was roughly 3 yards away from the penalty area but that wasn’t a problem for him. At this distance, the chance of success was as close to 100 as it could get. Using the upper right side of his right foot, he kicked the ball near the bottom left. 

Everyone in the stadium watched as the ball flew into the air, its trajectory making some believe he had skied the ball, only for their eyes to widen as it began to curve beautifully to the right. The goalkeeper dove as far as he could but could only watch in shock as the ball impacted with the net just out of his reach.

“ There it is ladies and gentlemen! The first goal of the game from Karakura’s number 9! Kurosaki Ichigo! ” The announcer yelled, his excitement as palpable as the crowd. Up above, a small animation played on the scoreboard giving his team the point along with a picture of him and his name.

High fiving his teammates, he put himself back in position as the other team made their way to the center circle for kick off. Like he had said, now that the pace was set in their favor, everyone had come alive. 

The offense was rattled, opting for longer passes to avoid the defense instead of the small quick ones they’d studied. Ichigo rolled up his sleeves and idly scratched his forearm as the defense applied pressure, much to the indignation of the man marking him.

“Don’t think we’re going to go down that easily.” The man exclaimed, his eyes burning with focus. “We didn’t come all this way just to lose.” 

To make his point, the man called for the ball, eager to hit an equalizer to get his team back into the game. All players looked up as the ball soared through the air landing near Rakuzan’s midfield. Fortunately for Karakura, this was within their plan. Knowing their confidence would be rattled, they kept his focus on his striker while one of the defenders ran in and pocketed the ball from behind. 

“Let’s go! Counter!”

Running at a moderate pace, Ichigo lifted an arm and continued his attack. Looking back at his team he ran to the right of the goal and easily shoved away his defender with one hand. The crowd went silent as he leapt into the air, looking as though he would be flying out of bounds only for him to kick the ball with the bottom of his weaker foot, tapping it into the net.

Coming to a stop, he dusted himself off as he stood up and tried not to flinch in annoyance as his teammates began to jump onto him in excitement. The roar of the crowd and the announcer only seemed to make them even more hype. The scoreboard changed and once more, his picture was up on screen for the country to see.

Karakura was now up 2-0. 

Rakuzan’s Captain grit his teeth in frustration knowing that their season was going to come to an end in such a disheartening fashion. He shook his head and stared daggers into Ichigo’s as he got into position. 

“Halftime isn’t too far off. I think one more and we should be able to coast.” Ichigo said to their Captain.

“Yeah, but we have to be careful. They look more serious now than ever.”

His brown eyes locked with a dark blue set across the pitch and he hummed to himself. “Listen, I have an idea. When I steal the ball, run on the wing as fast as you can and wait for the signal.”

Without another word, Ichigo took his position and waited. Kick off went off once more and sure enough, Rakuzan was playing much more aggressively. Their passes were powerful and precise but they somehow weren’t sacrificing defense. It was too late however, he could see a flaw in their armor. 

Leaving his position, he jogged toward the ball and made sure to keep eyes on him. Everyone was curious why he was abandoning his post but soon it became clear. Rather than letting his defenders do the job, he swooped in and with a clean tackle, stripped the ball. His eyes focused on the goal on the other side of the pitch and he nodded to himself. He could see it. 

“No you don’t!” One of the defenders yelled from his side. The man’s teeth were gnashing hard enough that Ichigo was sure he’d see a spark. Holding his arm out as he ran, he shoved the defender away with enough force to send him tumbling, he himself not having budged an inch.

With a wave of his hand, his Captain dashed down the wing as fast as he could. Ichigo likewise began to pick up the pace. Everyone in the stadium watched wide eyed as he continued to accelerate at an almost unbelievable pace. The defender that had marked him could only watch in horror as Ichigo’s form continued to pull away from him.

Suddenly, the striker kicked the ball to the other side of the pitch toward his Captain. Now without needing to control the ball, he was free to speed up once more. His teammate smirked in disbelief and crossed the ball back once more just as Ichigo approached the penalty box. 

From the stands, Sae’s green eyes followed the ball, mentally going over the goal he would score if he had been in Kurosaki’s position. The ideal shot was a jumping volley into the top corner. 

“ Will he see it? ” Sae thought to himself.

The ball descended but rather than meeting it in the air, Ichigo opted to control it with his chest, and wound back his foot as it fell to the ground. 

“Bottom end of the crossbar.” He muttered to himself. His foot connected with the ball causing an echo to ring out due to the power behind the shot. The ball was shot with his weak foot, two yards from the penalty area and as he had said, hit the bottom part of the upper crossbar before bouncing into the net.

“ My word! A hattrick from Kurosaki puts Karakura up 3-0 before halftime. What a performance we’re being treated to! ” The announcer yelled.

Ichigo calmly walked back to his end of the pitch only to receive a hard smack to his back courtesy of his Captain.

“Come on man, give the crowd a show. Where’s your celebration? Part of football is the show!” 

Ichigo looked at the fans and with a blank face, gave a thumbs up much to his teammates' disappointment. 

The rest of the game followed the same formula. Karakura picked the defense apart and with their confidence crumbling were able to score two more goals. One more for Ichigo, while the fifth earned him an assist so that his Captain could also get a moment to shine. 

By the time the ninety minutes were up, Karakura had achieved an overwhelming victory. The rest of the team had flooded the field and camera crews were quick to hop in and get their interviews ready. 

“That’s your cue Captain.” Ichigo said, patting the man on the back. If there was one thing he didn’t want, that was to be in front of a camera for the media. He gave the opposing players a handshake and quietly made his way back to the lockerroom to change. 

Once he was back in his regular clothing, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and headed toward the meeting spot where the rest of his family would be waiting for him. Hopefully his dad had removed the ridiculous paint.

His dad and sisters were present near the stair set where they agreed to meet, but they weren’t alone. A red haired man about his age was standing with them, his green eyes firmly on him. Behind them, sitting on a concrete slab was an older man on his phone, though his eyes would glance between his family and their plus one.

“My son! I can’t tell you how proud of you I am.” Isshin cried, pulling him into a tight hug. “I have good news too, Itoshi Sae wanted to meet you.” 

“Yo.” Ichigo greeted.

“Kurosaki Ichigo. Have you ever considered joining a professional football academy?” 

“Can’t say I have. I only started playing again a few months ago. The thought never crossed my mind.”

Sae’s usually stoic character broke for a split second as he registered Ichigo's words. A few months? He would believe that if he saw more mistakes, missed opportunities, and lesser physical ability, but what he’d seen didn’t add up with what he was hearing. What he witnessed was world class talent that was seemingly ignored.

“If I told you I could open the door for you to join Re Al’s football academy and potentially play for the youth team, would you be interested?” He asked, much to his family’s shock.

“I wouldn’t be against it. I can’t promise anything though.” 

That was enough for Sae. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick message before exchanging information with Ichigo and taking his leave. As he walked away he couldn’t help but think that perhaps he was wrong. Somehow Japan had produced a striker that was worth a damn, and they didn’t even know it.

“Looks like he’s not the only one.” Karin commented dryly, looking over to where the older man was sitting. Knowing it was his turn, Michael Hayes stood up and made his way to the family.

“Good afternoon.” He spoke in decent Japanese. “My name is Michael Hayes, I’m a scout for the Manshine City Football club. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He greeted with a small bow, minding his manners.

The family reciprocated the gesture. 

“What can I do for you?” Ichigo asked, having a good idea already. 

“I’ll make it quick. I’m sure Itoshi Sae spoke to you about something similar, but your performance today was superb. I represent the Manshine City youth program and would like to offer you a chance to join our academy and if you do well, join the youth squad or even the senior squad if at all possible. I understand you’d like to enjoy time with your family after such a night so I’ll leave you my contact information.” He finished, pulling out a white laminated card with gold trim along the edges and a large opaque Manshine logo in the center.

“If you’re interested we can set up a meeting and I can go over what we can offer you. I hope to hear from you soon, enjoy the rest of your night.”

The family watched as the man disappeared into the crowd and turned to look at each other.

“I can’t believe it. You have two professional clubs interested in you.” Karin muttered wide eyed. “Are you going to call?”

Ichigo stared at the number on the card and carefully placed it in his pocket. “I’ll hear him out at least.”

Karin fist pumped excitedly. “What about Itoshi Sae? Looks like he has some pull at Re Al, what if they both make a compelling offer?” 

“She makes a good point son.” Isshin chimed in seriously. “This isn’t something to take lightly. Why don’t we go have a nice dinner and we can talk about it after?” 

Ichigo agreed and followed them to the nearest train station. Along the way he had multiple people recognize and comment on the game. Men, women, children, all of which shared the same excitement. In a way it felt similar to how he was treated shortly after Yhwach was defeated. Everyone stopped him wanting to thank him or buy him a drink. Now it was here for a different reason.

“ Well, I did say I wanted some excitement in life. Now there’s a chance I might have to live in Spain or England and play football. Who would’ve thought.” He thought to himself with a small smile. 

Whatever came next, he would tackle it as it came, just like everything else in life.

Chapter 2

A few days had passed since the big game and everyone at school was in high spirits. It seemed like no matter where he went, someone was stopping him to talk about the game. To say people were excited would be an understatement. Highlights from the game were still being played on almost every cell phone in the school along with their defensive efforts. To add to his pseudo celebrity status, the principal of the school had asked the entire team to present themselves for a small assembly in which the large trophy would be present. 

While he was certainly happy that things were going well, Ichigo had other things on his mind. Namely his future. Up until the other night, he had been fully decided on becoming a translator but everything had changed after his talk with Sae and Michael Hayes. The day following the match, a representative from Re Al Football Club had knocked on his door and laid out a proposal for him to join. 

As if that weren’t surreal enough, once he had left, Michael had returned with a contract of his own. In his own words, Manshine City had taken a look at the footage of the game and had been impressed with what they had seen. His goal scoring ability, ball control, speed, and most importantly physicality had impressed everyone. 

“Ichigo are you alright?” 

Looking to his right, he noticed Chad giving him a concerned look. 

“Yeah, I just have some things on my mind, that's all. Remember what happened after the game?” He asked.

Chad nodded. “You’re thinking about the two offers you received. What’s the issue?”

Glancing around to make sure nobody was listening in, he spoke in a lower tone of voice in case anybody was trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. “The issue is it kind of feels like cheating. I mean, even in my regular human body I can’t be considered a normal human. We’re stronger than the average person by a long shot.”

“As long as you’re not using your powers I don’t see a problem.” Chad replied honestly. “You can’t change anything about the way you were born. Everyone at the top of their profession was born special in some way. You were born with good genetics and everything we went through contributed in getting your human body to where it is now. As long as you’re not trying to do it in soul form, I don’t see the problem.”

That was the most Ichigo had heard Chad talk in a single breath but it did make sense to him. It wasn’t as though he was using Shunpo during his matches or anything of the sort. In the time he had been without his powers he had already been incredibly good at football. Things were no different now. 

“You should be a guidance counselor, Chad.” Ichigo said half heartedly with a smile. “That actually helped me out a bit.”

The usually stoic giant smiled faintly and held out a fist which his friend happily bumped with his own. “It’s no big deal. I’m actually in a similar situation.”

“Are you thinking of getting into football?” Ichigo asked. He knew the man at least liked the sport since he said he used to watch it with his grandfather, but he’d never actually seen him play it.

Chad shook his head. “I’ve been thinking about what to do after we graduate soon and I decided I’m going to go pro in boxing. You see how we’re similar?”

Ichigo knew the moment the man said boxing. Chad had always been ridiculously strong, even when they were much younger. He had only gotten stronger after the events with the Fullbringers and the Quincies, to the point where he was sure there was no human alive who could beat him. If he didn’t control his power, he could accidentally kill someone, but that was also something Chad had been born with due to the hollow attack.

“Yeah, just make sure to pull your punches a bit. I’ve seen what you can do to buildings.” Ichigo said with a laugh.

Chad had a habit of creating what looked like skulls after every punch and many buildings around the city had been unfortunate to receive one after a hollow attack. 

“So if that was the biggest issue on your mind and you have it taken care of, what are you going to do? Didn’t you already apply for universities?” 

“Yeah, a couple actually. But at the same time I also did want to live a pretty good life. Working as a translator would make decent money but that was my thought process before I got these offers. The more I think about it, the more fun being a professional athlete sounds.”

“It sounds like you already have a career path in mind then.”

“Yeah, I think I do. Thanks Chad.”

When he arrived home later that day, he hopped in the shower and got some food before making his way to his desk in his room and placing both contracts out in front of him. Both documents were carefully placed within transparent sleeves to avoid them getting damaged. Beginning with Re Al, he carefully read over the document again, making sure to mark down on the sleeve key points of the contract.

Re Al Football club was offering him €8000 per week on a two year deal. Because he was underage, even though he was only a few months shy of his eighteenth birthday, the contract stated he would have to stay at the Academy dorms until he was of age in which case he could then move out. Meals would be provided but any other expenses not relating to the football club or his well being would have to be handled by him. In addition to that, he would have to agree to follow certain rules for all Academy players so long as he was under the age of 18 which included things like what time to sleep, areas he couldn’t visit, etc. The flight to Madrid would be covered and he would have a ride waiting for him at the airport.

“That’s not bad at all.” He muttered. Doing the math in his head, he calculated that to be just over ten times the national average salary of a worker in Japan per year. “That’s for the youth squad at that.” He added. 

Even though he wasn’t the biggest football fan in the world, even he knew Re Al were football royalty so having that kind of money to offer wasn’t a surprise at all. Was this the kind of money Sae was making? If so, it was no wonder he had left to join them at such a young age. Who wouldn’t be persuaded by having their future secured?

Sliding the contract aside, he focused on Manshine and already he saw a huge difference. Re Al’s contract was a single page, whereas Manshine had three pages worth of content to go over.

Most of the content regarding his living conditions were the same as Re Al, noting that he would need to stay in the academy dorms until he was of age, in which case he could find his own space with help from the team if he requested. They were a bit more lax regarding things like what time he needed to be asleep, instead focusing on making sure he was back in the dorm no later than a certain hour of the night. 

It was understandable in Ichigo’s opinion, if they knew you weren’t out doing something you shouldn’t be doing, they wouldn’t care what you did in your home. There was a piece of the contract regarding performance that linked back to this very point, in which if you didn’t train hard enough or seemed sluggish due to living habits, you could have your salary cut or even terminated from the program.

“They allow a little more freedom while making sure you make the right choices for yourself.” He muttered as he flipped to the second page. 

Picking up a highlighter, he began underlining the most important parts of the contract up until he made it to the salary section, this was where the differences became most apparent. Manshine City was prepared to offer him £6000 per week on a two year deal just like Re Al. It was less money to be sure, however, what came next began to tip the scales in their favor. 

“Although base pay is not negotiable, additional funds are available should the player achieve any of the following awards following a season including but not limited to: Player of the month, Goal of the year, player of the year, Golden Boy award…” He read off, his eyebrows slowly raising up into his hairline. 

There were others on the list that weren’t end of the year awards such as scoring a number of hattricks throughout the season and even a clause that specified a bonus in the millions if one were to win the Ballon d’Or within ten years if still active for the club.

Manshine definitely had more incentives for him to join. Not only was the base amount very good but he was certain he would be able to win a good number of the accolades listed. Finally, there was a section going over what could happen if he were to be called up to the senior squad. If he was of age and made it to the starting xi, he could renegotiate his contract to a true professional salary with a number of benefits included.

He spun the highlighter between his fingers idly, underlining that specific point and continued on to the last page. Most of it was legal jargon detailing what could happen should he be in breach of contract or worse, committing crimes abroad. The best case scenario was a large fine and possible suspension if the crime committed was light enough, with jail time, deportation, and a ban from the country if a severe crime took place. 

Although he had been labeled a troublemaker in the past mostly due to his looks, he was one of the most polite people in his school. He’d been raised right, he didn’t need to worry about anything of the sort. 

Swiping one of the contracts into his hand, he stood up and made his way downstairs to find his old man sitting in front of the tv.

“Hey dad, you got a second?” He asked casually.

Isshin smiled seeing the piece of paper in his son’s hands and muted the show. He moved aside, making space for Ichigo to sit down and gave him his full attention. “Of course son, what’s on your mind?” He asked, already nearly certain what this would be about.

“I think I made my decision.” He said, handing over the contract.

Isshin took a moment to read over the document, going over every point in fine detail. Having been a doctor for so long he was well versed in lengthy documents and wanted to make sure his son wasn’t getting into something he wasn’t sure of. Ichigo had been unaware but after their meetings Isshin had gone through and done extensive research on the scouts to make sure everything was legit.

After a handful of calls he had gotten reassurance from the clubs themselves that everything was straight, all that remained was his son’s decision.

“So no more translation jobs?” He asked curiously, noting the fresh signature at the bottom of the last page. 

“No. I hope you aren’t disappointed that I’m not going to university, but I feel like this is a better career path for me.”

“I could never be disappointed in you, my boy.” Isshin replied honestly, giving his son a pat on the shoulder. “All your mom and I ever wanted was for you to grow up healthy, be a good man, and be happy. Up to this point you’ve already knocked out two out of three.”

“Only 2?”

“I know the fiasco with Aizen and Yhwach wasn’t fun, but can you really tell me that looking back on it, you didn’t enjoy meeting all the people that you did? The bonds you forged? The feeling you got when you got stronger and were able to rub it in Renji’s face?” 

“You knew about that?” Ichigo replied in mild surprise. Most of his earlier adventures in the Soul Society had been known only to those present. He’d never told his dad about any of those things.

Isshin smiled proudly. “Of course I did but that’s besides the point. Now that things are back to normal, do you really feel happy? When was the last time you went up to see anyone? Fought anyone to keep sharp besides Urahara? I had the feeling that while a solid education would lead to a good job, a desk wasn’t for you. I just never imagined my boy would go down the road of a pro footballer, but Ichigo, I couldn’t be prouder.”

“When you’re playing football, that’s the happiest I can recall seeing you. Even though it’s not much of a challenge right now, I can still see past the scowl and stoic looks. I think playing professionally is just what you need to get that ember turned into a full fledged flame.” 

Ichigo wasn’t surprised his dad could be wise at times, he knew the stupid act he put on was mostly for his sisters to compensate for his mothers death, but the moments he could experience with his father were still rare.

“Thanks dad.” Ichigo said with a smile. “I’d been thinking about it ever since the game and just today I committed to it.”

“Manshine huh?” 

“Yeah. After going through the offers it’s the best for me. Re Al offered more in the yearly salary but Manshine offered more bonuses for accolades accomplished. Plus, I already know pretty good English so I won’t have to worry about the language barrier like I would in Madrid.” 

“That’s true, those classes ended up paying off either way. So you just need my signature right?” His dad asked, clicking the top of a pen rapidly.

“Yeah, I’ll call Mr Hayes tomorrow to let him know I accept and then after graduation, it’s off to Manshine.”

Isshin’s signature stained the page quickly and just like that, his future was decided.

“Here you go. I’ll make some calls tomorrow for a reservation at a nice place to celebrate after graduation. Congratulations Ichigo, you deserve it.”

The two men hugged before Ichigo retreated to his room once more to lay in his bed. His career path had taken an unexpected twist but everything was working out. In a bit over a month, he would be starting life on his own. It was earlier than he expected and in a completely different field but he was looking forward to it. Kurosaki Ichigo would take the world of football by storm.

xxxx

Graduation came and went in the blink of an eye and as promised, his dad had taken him and the family to a nice restaurant to celebrate both his graduation and his new career opportunity. Isshin had invited his inner circle of friends and had even gotten some of his Shinigami friends to join in the festivities later at their house. The night was filled with congratulations and praise along with well wishes for his future. 

Eventually, the day arrived and after a 17 hour nonstop flight to Manshine, Ichigo finally made it to Europe. The airport worker glanced over his paperwork and placed a special sticker in his passport and handed it back to him, allowing him to exit. Following the large signs, he arrived at the gate where an older looking gentleman dressed in a black suit was waiting with a sign with his name printed on it.

“Mr Kurosaki?” The man asked as Ichigo walked up to him. 

“Yeah.” He flashed his passport for confirmation.

“A pleasure to meet you. My name is Robert Linder, I’ve been arranged on behalf of the Manshine City Football Club to take you to the academy to get you sorted out. I can help with your luggage.” The man said professionally, motioning to the single suitcase Ichigo had brought with him.

Ichigo shook his head politely. “That’s ok, it’s not that heavy. I’m grateful enough that you’re giving me a ride.”

Robert smiled approvingly and began walking toward the nearest exit. Compared to some of the other potential talent he had met over the years, this one had already jumped to the top of his list. Most of the youth had an air of arrogance because they’d been invited to play for a club despite being nowhere near enough to walk with their head held high. It was a breath of fresh air to see someone down to earth.

The car they would be riding in was a spacious white mercedes that had special license plates featuring the football club’s logo. The ride was quiet and Ichigo could faintly feel his heartbeat beginning to speed up as the City Football Academy came into view. It was right next to the stadium where the team would play their games and up close, it was a lot nicer than in the pictures.

“Here we are. What do you think?” Robert asked, glancing at him through the rearview mirror.

“It’s incredible. I can’t wait to get to work.”

Robert smirked and reached for a box of cigarettes only to stop at the last second as he remembered he still had an hour left in his shift. “That’s the kind of attitude that will get you far here. Manshine City takes pride in its players who give it their all. You show that kind of determination every day and you’ll be fine. From here, just head on in and you’ll be shown to your room to get dressed, orientation begins in about an hour and a half.”

Ichigo’s eyes widened in surprise, had he been the last to arrive? 

“There’s one other person who should be arriving in a few minutes. Tomorrow the real deal starts.”

When the car came to a stop, he retrieved his bag from the trunk and thanked Robert once more before heading into the training facility. The videos really didn’t do it justice. Signs on the walls led him deeper into the building until he found the room he was looking for to sign in and fill out some paperwork and once done, he was led to the dormitories. 

His new room was much larger than his bedroom, probably twice as large as the master bedroom in his house as well. He supposed it made sense with all the money the team was able to generate. As instructed he quickly showered and got dressed in the two tone tracksuit that had been provided for him. The Manshine logo was displayed on the left hand side but with no name or number on the back.

He took a deep breath and made his way out of the room. Even though he was feeling slightly nervous, he couldn’t help but feel excited for what was ahead.

The orientation was more straightforward than he had thought. Essentially everything boiled down to the individual. The staff member in charge of the presentation went over a number of points but the biggest takeaway was that everyone would have to earn their position on the team. Training would take place everyday where they would be given a number of drills to perform all under the watchful eye of the youth team manager.

Ichigo had left that meeting with confidence, he knew he couldn’t write these players off but he also knew where he stood. The striker position would be his.

He had the opportunity to prove that first thing in the morning the following day. As the sun was rising, he was already dressed in his blue training gear with a numberless jersey and shorts combo. Making sure his boots were secure, he made his way out to the field as instructed and found that he was one of the first few to arrive. The staff were setting up cones on the field and others were bringing out footballs for the session.

“It’s pretty surreal isn’t it?” Ichigo heard from his left. A young man just a few inches shorter than him stood with his arms crossed as he watched the staff work on the field. The first thing he noticed was the short blond hair which he could see was dyed due to the black roots beginning to peek through. In terms of build he had a pretty athletic frame, not too muscular but definitely couldn’t be classified as skinny or buff.

“They’re just setting up cones. It’s not all that groundbreaking.” Came his smart reply.

That managed to get a chuckle out of the man who shook his head. “That’s not what I meant but thanks for the laugh. I mean that we’re here, in Manshine, about to earn our spot on the youth squad as professionals. I can’t help but think about how many people we must have beat out to get here. Understand?”

He nodded. “I hear you. You don’t look as nervous as most of the people in orientation yesterday. You must be confident in your ability.” 

“I am. Also before I forget, I’m Ludwig Becker, I’m a midfielder, a pleasure.” He said, holding a hand out.

Knowing that he was now in England, he replied accordingly while shaking the young man’s hand. “Ichigo Kurosaki. Striker. Are you German by any chance?” Try as he might, the first thing he’d thought of when he’d heard the name were the Quincies due to their German technique names.

“That’s right.” He said, beginning to walk toward the pitch when the staff made a motion with their hands. “I was the starting midfielder for my high school team and after we won the national tournament, imagine my surprise when I was approached by scouts from Ubers, Manshine, and even Bastard Munchen. I almost thought I was dreaming. Was it like that for you too?” 

Ichigo nodded, making sure to stand in line along the touchline. “I was approached by Itoshi Sae from Re Al and a scout from Manshine.”

“You had an offer from Re Al? And you didn’t take it?” Ludwig asked in shock. 

“They offered good money but there was opportunity for more here.”

The young man shook his head in disbelief, everyone wanted to play for Re Al, even the youth division if it meant moving up to the senior squad. For someone to turn it away seemed alien to him but he could somewhat understand the appeal money would have on someone.

“That makes sense I suppose. You already speak English as well so that probably helped with the decision. Well in any case, I have a feeling we’ll be on the squad soon enough.” Ludwig commented, nodding his head to the others who had now joined them.

Following his line of sight, Ichigo quickly noticed most of the others were seemingly incapable of standing still. Some were fidgeting in place, others lightly hopping trying to get themselves pumped up, and some couldn’t hide the nervousness from showing on their face.

Before Ichigo had a chance to reply, the coach of the team made his way onto the pitch, clipboard in hand. 

“Good morning, today we’ll be working on a number of exercises to see where you excel, where you need work, and if you have what it takes to make it onto the starting xi. If you’re ready, let’s begin.”

The day began with a warm up consisting of a light run around the pitch. They were to keep their pace until the coach told them to stop. On occasion they would be told to speed up or slow down. Unsurprisingly, nobody had any problems with it. Having been one of the first people on the pitch, Ichigo was one of the first to begin the next few drills.

Trying to go as fast and accurately as possible, they were told to dribble through each cone, first only using one leg, then the other, before finally using both.

When the whistle rang, Ichigo moved with the fluidity a seasoned fighter could muster. The ball seamlessly glided across the grass being controlled with unparalleled precision. Tap to the right, catch, tap to the left, catch and continue up and down the cones. 

“Both feet now Kurosaki! When you’re at the end, go for goal!” The coach yelled out, keeping a close eye on him.

Using both of his feet, he was able to move much faster than before and once he made it to the last cone, he tapped the ball with his right foot enough to set up the shot and fired. They were a few yards out of the penalty box but as he connected with the ball, everyone’s heads swivelled to follow the trajectory until it hit the back of the net, spinning rapidly in place until it dropped down. 

Without any words he moved to the end of the line once more to go again. The coach quickly wrote something on his clipboard and ordered the next player to begin the drill. After a few rounds of the same drill, he was told to shoot with his weak foot as well which ended up with the same result.

A test of jumping ability was next which was one of the easier ones in his opinion. With his strength he was able to set the record height despite not being the tallest man on the pitch which raised some eyebrows.

“Alright, it’s time to see your finishing ability. After this we’ll break into teams and run a practice match. You’ll be going one on one with the goalkeeper from different sections of the pitch. This is going to test your ability to make crucial decisions in one on one scenarios if they’re presented.” The coach informed them.

An older man, likely in his twenties, punched his knuckles against each other through his gloves and took up a stance in front of the goal. The first round was simple, there were two cones a yard apart from each goal post. The objective was to get in close and score between the gaps provided. 

Ichigo and Ludwig were each able to easily score using a combination of power shots and well timed chips along with the occasional skill move to create a better opening. The second round was where Ichigo was able to shine the most.

They were to start from the right hand side of the pitch far outside the penalty area and try to score. 

“The goalkeeper is in line with the ball but he has to stand near the post.” Ludwig commented quietly from behind him. 

“We have to get in close and shoot to the opposite end before he has the advantage.” Ichigo replied just as quietly.

The whistle blew and he took his position. Five reps, five chances to impress. The first three were simple run ups followed by a quick power shot with his weak foot into the net. The fourth was with his dominant foot into the upper left bin which the goalkeeper was too slow to get to. The last rep, Ichigo decided to try something else. He thought back to his match in the finals and wanted to recreate what he’d done. 

Even though the whistle was blown, he wasn’t paying attention to it. The goalkeeper tensed and prepared for the one on one only for Ichigo to not press forward. Instead, he got into shooting motion and with his right foot, struck the bottom left portion of the football. The ball veered to the left as though it would wildly miss its mark, only for the powerful rotation to force it back on course into the left side of the net.

He smirked to himself. The trivela was a great tool for feeding a player, but in the right hands it was a deadly shot especially if aimed correctly.

Ludwig whistled as Ichigo walked past him. “Really trying to stand out huh?” 

“Something like that. We have to make the starting xi right?” 

Ludwig smirked back and lightly punched Ichigo in the back as he walked by and took his place. He had told him they’d both make the team, he couldn’t be left behind.

xxxx

“I think we got a decent bunch this year.” One of the assistant trainers commented as he watched the boys help with the cleanup on the pitch.

The coach looked down at his clipboard and tapped his pen against the sheets of paper slowly. “Most of them are decent but lack awareness.” 

“What do you mean by that?”

“Do you remember the shooting drills from earlier?” He asked.

“I do. Only a handful of them struggled to create the space necessary to score.”

“What stood out to you?”

The assistant took a moment to go over the drill in his mind. Every shot, every movement, every note he’d made. It took over two minutes before he realized what the common denominator was between most of the prospects.

“They missed the last or second to last shot. All except two.”

The coach nodded in agreement. “Most of them lacked self awareness. After Kurosaki’s trivela, most tried to show off some kind of shot with their last attempt. They got it in their head that in order to be noticed, they would have to do something fancy. Becker was the only one who knew that he didn’t have to follow along and finished the drill correctly.

Becker is a midfielder, and did what he knew was within his ability. Kurosaki is a striker with incredible power, that kind of shot for him is normal. I’ve seen him do it in game. We’ll see how they develop, but as it stands right now we have two outstanding prospects. One more so than the other.”

The assistant coach agreed with the assessment. He had faith the others would be able to smarten up and adjust their game but it was clear there were two players who would be joining the regular rotation.

While the coaches spoke to themselves, Ichigo had done his part in the cleanup and made his way back to the locker rooms to get cleaned up. After a quick shower, he gave a fist bump to Becker who complimented him on his play and made his way back to his room to finish hanging up his clothes and begin planning how to personalize it. 

“I have enough clothes for two weeks, after that I’ll have to keep doing laundry until I can buy a bit more. The room is also too bare…” He muttered to himself as he unlocked his door. The walls had no decorations, just plain white which made him feel like he was in some kind of mental institution. A tv had been provided but he still hadn’t had a chance to know what channels showed what.

He groaned in relaxation as he let himself fall onto the bed and after a moment pulled out his laptop which he quickly connected to the wifi. Logging onto his social media, he saw his sisters were online and smiled. 

They had asked him to keep them informed of how he was doing and seeing as he had free time, he gave them a call. The call would last a few hours, with him ending the day looking into nearby shops to know how far out he’d need to go to get what he needed. He wasn’t sure how long he’d be here, but it wouldn’t hurt to make it more comfortable.

Chapter 3

“One more minute!” The coach yelled out, his eyes scanning the pitch. He carefully observed everyone’s movements, their positioning, how they were reading the pace of the game, and if they could see what needed to be done. 

Ichigo was quick to run up the pitch, easily leaving one of the defenders in the dust and looked back with an arm raised. Ahead of him were two more defenders, each looking at him with determination as they closed in on him. 

Becker easily dribbled around his own man and with practiced accuracy, kicked the ball far up the field to the orange haired striker. The ball was much too high for even their tallest player to reach and as such, Ichigo was able to capitalize and catch it with his left foot. With the softest of touches, he tapped the ball forward until he was closing in on the penalty area. 

The goalkeeper spread his arms but didn’t move forward, instead opting to try and guess where the shot would land. Winding up his left foot, he shot forward only to suddenly stop as one of the defenders slid by in an attempted tackle. A soft tap to the right set up his shot uncontested and he struck. The goalkeeper leaped left, having guessed correctly but was unable to stop the straight bullet of a shot as it barreled into the upper left corner of the goal. 

“There was no way I was stopping that.” The goalkeeper said with a shake of his head. “Honestly I think even if I’d gotten a hand on that it would’ve powered through. That kind of shot isn’t normal.” 

Ichigo gave him a hand up and shrugged. “I’m pretty sure if you used both hands it would’ve stopped. You’re a big dude, you’d have got it.”

Ludwig wiped the small bit of sweat away from his face with his training shirt and shook his head. “Good shot. I was sure we were gonna see the trivela again. That’s become something of your signature.”

The goalkeeper agreed. “You’ve used it in every practice match.”

“If you begin to expect it then the chance of it getting stopped increases. I have to keep you guessing. I haven’t even used my other shots yet.”

“Alright, gather round.” Their coach yelled, blowing the whistle loudly. “I’m sure you’re all aware, the UEFA Youth League is beginning soon. The clubs have already been put into groups and our first match is next week. Having said all of that, there will be some changes to the starting xi.”

All of the players seemed to straighten up and Ichigo could almost hear their heartbeats beginning to speed up. Training wasn’t simply a way to hone one’s skills, every session was a battle between the current starters and the hungry new prospects to see who would get to shine in their matches. Would players be good enough to keep their positions? Or would they be relegated to the bench because they didn’t try hard enough? That was on everyone's mind every day that they had been out on the pitch for the past month.

“Maynard. You’ll be on the bench.” He announced, much to the black haired man’s disappointment. 

Ichigo knew what that meant. Maynard had been the team's primary striker, if he had gotten benched, that could only mean one thing.

“Kurosaki. You’ll be our lone striker. Your speed with and without the ball combined with your power and precision make you the ideal candidate to have up top.” Ichigo gave a nod.

“Becker, you’ll be replacing Williams in the midfield. Your ability to read the opposition's defense will be one of the keys to our success. However, it’s your dribbling and passing ability that will be one of our key advantages in the tournament.”

Ludwig smiled politely and nodded, giving Ichigo a nod of his own. Their coach called out two more names that would be replacing a pair of defenders. 

“Coach.” One of the other midfielders called out after the team had been assembled. “Can you tell us who we’ll be playing against?”

“We’ve been put in the same group D and our first match will be against Bolos. We fly out in two days along with the senior squad. Be well rested, let’s start strong.” 

The team nodded in agreement, even those who had lost their starting positions seemed to be fired up. Ichigo could respect that. While they might not be considered seasoned professionals like those in the first team, he appreciated the fact that nobody was making a fuss about having lost their spot.

“I told you we’d make the team.” Ludwig commented, giving Ichigo a tap on the arm with the back of his hand. 

“You did. So, you know anything about Bolos?” Ichigo asked.

“They’re from the Italian league and just barely qualified for the tournament. In the last few years they’ve made some pretty decent signings but nothing good enough to get them into the top two on the table. Their U20 team is pretty good. Not enough that I’d be nervous about facing them but not bad enough that I’d write them off completely.” Ludwig replied, frowning as he saw how much of his original hair color was now visible.

“So we have nothing to worry about?” 

“You haven’t watched them play?” Ludwig asked curiously. Almost everyone he’d spoken to had some knowledge about the other teams.

Ichigo shook his head. “Not really. I only recently started playing football again. I think it’s been about 3 or 4 months now.”

His comment drew the midfielder to a sudden stop. “You’ve been playing for less than half a year?”

“Just about. I mean, I played when I was younger but stopped for a while then picked it up again.”

“And you made it this far off of four months of experience?” He asked in disbelief. Not really expecting an answer, he ran a hand through his black and blond hair and let out an amused chuckle. “The world is full of geniuses, I guess I can’t be too surprised to find one here. I can only imagine what you’ll be like after a year.”

Ichigo smirked and copied his action from before, tapping Ludwig on the shoulder with the back of his fist. “Well, as long as you remain on the team I guess we’ll find out. Now come on, I’m starving.”

Having the rest of the day to himself, he took the opportunity to study up on his English a bit more. While it was definitely enough to hold conversations at a high level with people, he still needed it to be at a point where business conversations could flow seamlessly. Knowing that in the near future he’d need to renegotiate a new contract, he wanted to make sure he could read and understand everything so as to not get shafted.

Had his phone not chimed, there was a likelihood that he would’ve continued for another few hours. Checking to see who it was, he quickly read the message from the team group chat reminding all players to make sure they were well rested and prepare for the upcoming two day trip to Italy for the match. Reacting with a thumbs up to the message, he put his phone down and opened his laptop.

Now that he had a month's worth of pay and was sitting on a comfortable £24,000, he figured some new clothes wouldn’t hurt and what better occasion than his first professional game. 

“Well, professional at a youth level.” He muttered to himself with a shrug. Clicking on maps, he looked around the area, specifically some shops he’d pinned over the last four weeks. One was close enough that he could walk, it would be a few minutes out but that never killed anyone. Grabbing his keys and wallet, he locked up and made his way out.

“Yo.”

“Becker, what’s up?”

“Not much, figured with the free time I have I would go out to the pitch to work on my shots a bit more. You want in?” Ichigo finally took note of the ball in his hands as well as the practice gear he had on. Even though he was doing well during training he was going back for more, he could respect it.

He shook his head politely and continued walking through the area since they were both heading in the same direction for a little bit. “I’d love to but I need to buy some new clothes and stuff. Now with our game coming up I have the perfect excuse.” 

“Don’t tell me you’re planning on getting jewelry too like the other guys.” Becker said with a roll of his eyes. The moment some of the players came upon some money, they had begun acting like they were starters on the senior squad. They were talented, sure, but nowhere near that good.

“I don’t really feel like spending all of my money on a necklace or earrings like the others. I need some pants, at least a shirt, and maybe a jacket. I saw some decent things online in JD sports.” 

Becker shook his head and ran a hand through his hair in disappointment. “That would be good if you needed some new boots or training equipment but regular street clothes? No. Just uber over to Flannels a few blocks out. They have some nice things there, not too expensive, not too cheap.”

“Alright I’ll take a look. Thanks, try not to overdo it, I need you for the game.” He said with a wave over his shoulder.

Downloading the app was easy enough and after adding his payment info, he was set up with a ride within five minutes. Luck was on his side as all of the street lights seemed to turn green either before they reached them or remained as such as they drove by. It took no more than fifteen minutes for him to arrive at the shop, and it was much bigger than he anticipated. The store was easily six stories tall, with colored lights at the base illuminating the entire building giving it a much higher class feel.

Not too expensive

Becker's words were beginning to sound like bullshit but he was already there. The inside of the store definitely matched the outside, with bright lighting and plenty of items on display. To his right were beauty products and near the end was eyewear, none of which he was looking for. Next to the stairwell was a floor plan detailing what someone could find on each respective floor.

The second floor was for womens clothes, shoes, and jewelry, the third and fourth was for men’s items but the fourth was where the clothes and shoes would be found. Once he reached his floor he was surprised to see it wasn’t as expensive as he had been led to believe. From a quick glance at a denim jacket, it was actually a far cry from the prices he’d begun to conjure up in his mind.

He easily ignored the watches and lenses and stopped at the pants section. Acting upon his first thought, he grabbed a few black pairs in his size.

“Are you finding everything alright sir? Anything I can help you find today?” Ichigo turned to see a young woman standing next to him with a tired smile on her face. The store didn’t seem to have a uniform as the woman was dressed in a short black jacket which was left open allowing the white t-shirt she wore to show. Black pants hugged her lower half tightly and a pair of small heeled boots finished the outfit. On the left side of her chest next to the zipper, a small gold tag had the name “Mai” in black letters.

Other than the outfit he also noticed she had very familiar features, features that he’d grown accustomed to seeing all his life.

“Yeah, just looking for a couple of things. You wouldn’t happen to have a shopping basket nearby would you? It actually didn’t occur to me to grab one on the lower floors.” He admitted, realizing he’d passed a small stack just before taking the escalators.

Mai nodded, the smile never leaving her face and stepped away for a moment. The ponytail her hair was styled in bounced with each step until she bent down behind the counter and grabbed a small black basket.

“Here you go.” She said, handing it over to him. “So, what are we looking for today? Something casual? Or are you looking for something a little more formal?” Despite her chipper attitude, he could sense the fatigue in the woman’s voice. The fact that she continuously straightened herself up every few seconds also gave him a hint as to what was wrong. Having worked for Ikumi, who was by all definitions a slave driver, he could see an overworked employee when he spotted them.

Grabbing another pair of pants, he rubbed his fingers along the fabric and frowned before putting them back and checking out a different style. 

“Long day?” He questioned, ignoring her earlier question about what he was looking for.

Mai stared back at him, ready to deny the claim only to see him staring at her with a knowing look. Knowing she couldn’t keep up her act, she allowed her shoulders to slump down, giving her a small moment of relief. Her hands reached back and pressed against her back, inadvertently pushing her chest outward.

“Yeah.” She replied in a tired tone. “Sorry if it’s a little off putting. I picked up an extra shift for one of my coworkers because she was ‘sick’.” She said, over emphasizing the last word.

Ichigo tried to repress a smile at her words. “Something tells me you don’t believe that.”

Mai huffed and scoffed. “I checked her Twitter on my break and she’s at a concert literally a few blocks away.”

He tried to keep the laugh down but couldn’t. To cover himself, he played it off as a cough and covered his mouth, hoping she wouldn’t get mad. Her personality so far gave him the impression that she was rather easy going but he didn’t want to test that assumption. 

“Come on, that's not funny.” She said with a pout that was rather cute in his opinion. “I’ve been here just over 11 hours now on my feet all day while she’s having the time of her life. She didn’t even invite me.” She said with a frown and a shake of her head.

Her words caused him to think back to the brief moment in time when he didn’t have his powers and he would watch his friends leave in order to continue keeping the town safe. He knew why he didn’t get an invite, after all, what could he do? But it always sucked seeing friends out having fun and knowing you were left out.

“That’s rough. Are you almost off at least? If you’re working two shifts today and it’s already dark out, then it can’t be that much longer right?” He asked curiously. 

Mai looked around and pulled out her phone which he noticed had a small charm hanging off the side in the shape of a small fan.

“Almost. Just about another hour and then I can get out of here.” In the span of five seconds he watched her energy return at the thought of leaving and then disappear when she spoke once more. “And after dinner and a shower, I can get ready for bed and mentally prepare myself to do it all over again tomorrow.” 

Ichigo looked over his shoulder just to make sure no manager was around to hear her. If there was one thing employers hated, it was when their employees grumbled on the job or about the job. Ikumi was proof of that.

“Oh don’t worry I’m the only one working this floor tonight. Besides, who doesn’t bitch about their job every now and then? I’ve even heard our boss complain about it.” She said as she smiled. “I appreciate the thoughtfulness though.”

“No worries, I didn’t want your day to get any worse.” He replied honestly. Suddenly, a thought came to mind. “Wait, if you’re done in an hour and you’re the only one here on the floor, then I’m one of those last minute customers then?”

The brown haired woman looked wide eyed at his question and stumbled to answer, knowing that there was no real way of saying yes without making it seem like he was in the wrong. Tired she might be but she couldn’t insult a customer.

“You don’t have to worry about me getting mad or anything if I am.” He reassured.

She shot him an apologetic smile and nodded. “Yeah, but even if you weren’t here I’d still have to be here. At least now I don’t have to be staring at the computer any longer.” Ichigo was impressed with how she managed to save that and turned his attention back to the clothing. He hated last minute customers, especially ones that didn’t know what they wanted. Seeing as he had become one of them, the least he could do was help her out a bit.

“Well I’ll tell you what, if you can help me pick out a few things and not go broke, I can at least make it worth your while and get you a nice commission.” He offered. “Next time you see your friend you tell her how she missed out on a good bit of cash while she was out at the concert.”

Mai stared up at him with surprise clear on her face, but that soon turned into a big smile. With renewed vigor, she straightened up and fixed her jacket while adjusting her ponytail. “Deal. So what are we looking for?”

Holding up the pants he’d picked out, he replied. “These for starters. A few shirts and maybe a jacket or two would be nice.”

The woman tapped her cheek with a finger as she nodded, thinking over everything they had in stock. “Ok, so we have the pants taken care of. Are you sure you only want black? No other colors?”

Ichigo grabbed a few strands of his hair and rolled his fingers on them, giving her a deadpan look. “I think I’ve got a bit of color already, believe it or not.” He commented dryly, much to her amusement. “I’m open to ideas on the shirts and jackets though.”

She placed a hand on her hip and subconsciously pushed it out a few inches as most women did and looked him up and down. “Ok, follow me, I have a few ideas.”

Their first rack they stopped at had a variety of shirts hung up neatly, most of which were polo style. He owned a few but wouldn’t say they were his favorite type. What turned him off from them was the fact that many of them featured a large design on the front of the shirt, none of which really caught his attention.

Knowing they wouldn’t work, she moved them over to some t-shirts and made a bit of progress. “How about something like this?” She asked, holding up a shirt. “It’s simple enough. Black. ” She added in a playful tone while giving him a teasing look. “And it only has a small design on the breast.”

The design was of four white arrows pointing in four directions diagonally which created a box-like shape in one's mind. The back was just as plain as the front. It was perfect. What’s more, there were more shirts just like it on the rack in a variety of colors such as white, dark blue, gray, and even a cool phthalo green. He picked up four of them.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question?” Mai asked as she folded one of the shirts he’d rejected.

“Sure.”

“Are you new around here?” She asked, her tone full of curiosity.

“What gave it away?” He replied, glancing over at her. His eyes momentarily dipped lower than he intended when she bent down to put the shirt back. He cursed himself for his slip up.

“Well, Manshine doesn’t really have a large Japanese community so I’ve kind of met most of us around here.” She said before her eyes widened in panic. “You are Japanese right? I kind of just assumed…” 

Giving her a reassuring smile he waved off her concern. “I am, I lived in Tokyo all my life and just recently moved here about a month ago. Give or take a few days.” He tossed one more shirt into the basket.

Whatever panic or distress she had felt disappeared once he answered, and Ichigo found he kind of liked her personality. She seemed to be a naturally cheerful person who spoke her mind freely but wasn’t a prick about it. The moment she thought she could have insulted him, she began trying to fix it. In a way she reminded him of Orihime just… different.

“You’ve only been here a month?” She asked in shock. “Your English is better than mine. I get told all the time that there's a bit of an accent when I speak.” She said with a pout that disappeared a second later. “Well, at least now I know there’s a Japanese person near my age around. Most of the others are old.” 

“Yeah I bet most of them don’t see a reason to learn English at that point.” He agreed. “I think this is enough shirts, can I see the jackets?”

The woman enthusiastically agreed and took him to the other side of the room. Having already gotten a good look at him, she had a decent idea of what would work on him and what wouldn’t. Denim jackets were quickly crossed off the list as were trench coats.

Once they made it to the next rack, Mai pulled a few coat hangers off the wall and placed them side by side on a nearby rack for him to see. As he checked them out, Mai spoke again. “So if you don’t mind me asking, what’s the occasion for almost a new wardrobe? T-shirts right now seems a bit…off. It’ll start getting really cold soon, they probably won’t even be seen.”

Ichigo held one of the jackets up against himself and replied. “I’m heading to Italy in two days for a bit and the weather is warmer. The jackets are for when I’m here.”

“Alright sick of the weather?” She asked playfully. “I’ve been to Italy once before, it was nice. I should warn you it gets crowded but it’s still pretty beautiful. Just try to stay away from the tourist traps.”

“The weather here is fine, it’s actually a work trip. We won’t be there that long.”

“A job that lets you travel?” Mai asked, mostly to herself. “Some people have all the luck, I’d kill for that. I only travel every now and then for events.”

“Events?”

Mai nodded proudly. “I do martial arts and compete in tournaments here and there. Unfortunately it doesn’t pay well unless you’re one of the big names so until then, I have this job to get me by.”

Ichigo could believe that. Martial arts training would explain why she had such defined legs, thighs specifically. The shirt she wore clung to her body as well and now that he took a closer look, he could almost see the outline of her abs.

“I’m sure your time will come soon. Then you’ll be able to travel all you want and make a lot of money.” He replied sincerely which drew a thankful smile from the woman. Putting the two jackets he’d chosen into the basket, he nodded and held it up.

“I think I should be good with this.” 

Mai took the basket and headed to the register where she began scanning the items. His eyes locked onto the small black screen where the green numbers began to increase with each passing article of clothing. It was a good thing Manshine paid well. As she scanned the last item, she stared at him and grinned in a suspicious manner before typing something into the computer which dropped the price down by 200.

“Your total for today is £899.” She reported. “I threw in a little discount for you.”

He blinked in confusion. “Won’t you get in trouble for that?”

“We’re allowed to give discounts a few times a year to whoever we want for any reason really. You were nice and went out of your way to get me a nice commission.” She replied. “ It doesn’t help that he’s pretty cute either .” She added mentally. 

Ichigo narrowed his eyes in a good natured way, letting her know he wasn’t really upset. “Won’t that bring your commission down?”

“By a little bit yeah, but hey, you’re helping me out as it is. I can’t really be too greedy. Don’t worry though, you’re actually still helping me get quite a bit. More than I’ve made in a few shifts actually.”

Even though this had been his attempt to help her, he didn’t argue and simply let her do as she pleased. 

“Alright, thank you.” 

Mai felt her cheeks beginning to hurt as she grinned at him once more. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d found herself smiling whether it was due to a comment about a shirt, his belief that she’d eventually be a big name, or his somewhat dry sense of humor that she found she liked. Taking his card, she took the payment and bagged all of his new belongings.

“No, thank you. You wouldn’t believe how many people I had to deal with today asking if we had a clearance rack.” She complained, rubbing a hand down her face in annoyance. “If one more would’ve come in I probably would’ve quit.” 

“Have you worked here long?” He asked.

“A bit over a year now. To be honest there’s more annoying days than good ones but that’s any job I suppose. Unless you have one that lets you travel.” That last bit was aimed at him with a pointed look with false envy.

“Yeah it is pretty nice.” He replied with his own grin. “Well, it was nice meeting you but I need to get going. Hope you have a good rest of your night.”

“You’ve guaranteed it. If you wanna help a girl have better days you know where to find me.” She quipped.

“You’re here every day?”

“Everyday except Sunday and Monday. Those are my training days. Well, I train after work for a bit too but you know what I mean.” 

He nodded and made sure to remember that. Between the intensity of football and spending most of his time with his teammates competing for a spot on the starting roster, it was nice to have a bit of a change. 

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks again Mai, I’ll see you around.”

“Wait, I can't believe I forgot to ask. What’s your name?”

“Ichigo Kurosaki.”

Mai repeated the name silently, noting how it easily rolled off the tongue. That or it was just easy for her since it was a name in her native tongue. 

“Well Ichigo, enjoy Italy. If you have time try the gelato. It’s good, I promise.” 

Seeing how her eyes lit up at the mention of the treat, he couldn’t help but once again compare her to his friend. She was a lot like Orihime, only a bit more mature, he wasn’t sure how but she had a different air about her. 

With their business concluded, he headed back outside and managed to catch the car just as it arrived in front of the store. He gave the fourth floor of the store one last look through the window before they took off. They played on the day after arrival, and the senior squad played the next day. That meant they essentially had a free second day. 

He smiled to himself, now he had something else to look forward to on the trip.

xxxx

The day of the match had quickly arrived and with it, a new sensation for Ichigo, anticipation. The flight to Italy had been somewhat exciting, mostly because he’d never been there, but now he was going to play his first ‘important’ match, as a starter no less. His family had already been informed and he knew they would have the channel on to watch.

Now he stood, once again in the tunnel, this time donning the iconic two tone blue Manshine City uniform. The teams were given their cue to head out and slowly, the pitch came into view and with it, a stadium full of fans eager to watch the first of two matches. Their Captain handled the business with the refs and upon winning the ball first, opted for their goal of attack and kickoff began.

The whistle blew and the stadium erupted as Manshine went on the attack. Ichigo jogged up, plenty content to let his team get a feel for the team. A defender was quickly on him, hand spread out across his chest in an attempt to keep him boxed in. 

He looked across the pitch and saw one of his midfielders make eye contact with him but had the ball stripped a second later. With the ball in the air, both teams attempted to take control with Bolos ultimately gaining possession and beginning their counter. Ichigo didn’t dip too far into their side and remained vigilant near the center circle. Manshine was known for their physicality, they prided themselves on it, and showed it in every game.

As if to prove his point, one of their taller defenders easily won an aerial battle after Bolos had attempted a cross which could’ve led to a header. The first twenty five minutes was much of the same, with both teams still getting a feel for the defense and offense, both managers taking note on what they would need to capitalize on to break the stalemate. 

“What do you think, Ichigo?” Becker asked as the ball rolled out of bounds. “They’re pretty good right?”

“Yeah, but their defense is a bit weak. We’ll attack from the right on the next play.” 

The midfielder smirked and jogged away, eager to see what would come next. It was one thing to see it in practice, but how would he do in an away game with actual stakes?

When the ball was thrown back into play Manshine’s defense applied pressure. Bolos’ midfielder was marked tightly, the ball inches away from being stolen with each step. Not wanting to get stripped, he passed to his left only to curse a second later as Becker easily stole the ball mid pass.

“Appreciate it.” He commented with a smile that infuriated the Bolos defender. Looking forward, he was quick to spot the opening he needed and with his left foot, kicked the ball through a small gap between two defenders. The ball curved as it rolled along the pitch until it reached its target.

With the ball in his position, Ichigo began running up the pitch side by side with a burly defender closely on him. The man said something in Italian which he didn’t understand but could only assume it meant something among the lines of ‘you’re not getting past me’ or something. As they ran, the two collided shoulder to shoulder only for the Bolos player to widen his eyes as Ichigo refused to budge and his world began to flip on his side.

Now with a free lane to the goal, the few Manshine supporters in the crowd began to cheer loudly while the Bolos fans held their breath. Not bothering to rush into the penalty area, he took an easy power shot. Just like in practice, the goalkeeper had been too close to him thinking he would get in only for the ball to soar past him into the left side of the net.

Like every other time, he walked back toward his team only for them to quickly jump on him one after the other. Each yelled words of encouragement and hype, clearly happy that they’d gotten the upper hand already.

“You really have to work on a celebration or something.” Becker commented. “We’re technically the product now.” 

“I’ll think of something, don’t worry.” He said in a deadpan. 

Kickoff resumed and everyone could tell that Bolos’ confidence had been shaken. Their attack became more aggressive but less refined. Their defense had halved in favor of a stronger attack. 

The ball was crossed from the left wing into the penalty area, perfectly conditioned for a player to take a shot. Sadly, their attack was far too projected and their goalkeeper was able to save the shot with a dive to the left. He scrambled to tuck the ball under him to maintain possession and waved everyone to get back into place.

“That’s gonna be on the highlight reel.” Ichigo commented to himself, very impressed with the athletic save. 

Having possession once more, he kept his pace near the center line and waited for his opportunity. The clock was nearing the end of the first half and he could see his team hungry for another goal. Time ticked on and the team continued passing the ball between each other, knowing their tactic was getting into their opponents head. 

To them, and possibly even the fans it looked like they were stalling, waiting for the first half to end, but that would be proven false seconds later. A defending player rushed in for a tackle, seeing an opportunity for a steal only for Becker to smile almost mockingly. He tapped the ball lightly, making it airborne, and with the outside of his foot tapped it again up to his left leg. 

Without letting it touch the ground, he struck, sending the ball toward none other than their striker who had moved toward the left side of the pitch. 

“Stop him!” One of the players yelled in accented English. It was no use. He sped up until he was one on one with the goalkeeper and pulled his foot back only to chip the ball over the man for the easy goal.

As soon as the second goal was scored, the ref blew the whistle indicating the end of the first half with Manshine City taking an early 2-0 lead. The teams regrouped for halftime and when they were back, the atmosphere was heavy for the Italian team. Most of the players looked upset while one or two looked more angry than anything else.

That seemed to resonate with the crowd as a certain chant contained a few expletives regarding their feelings to the opposing team.

“Looks like they don’t hold back even for the youth squad.” One of the defenders commented with a shake of his head.

“Then we shut them up.” Ichigo declared. “Get the ball to me as soon as we take it. Becker, feed me a good pass and they’ll shut up.”

The blond cracked his fingers in anticipation, a certain aura seemingly radiating off of him. “You got it.”

When the whistle blew and Bolos was on the attack, Manshine countered, applying more pressure than ever before. Passes became sloppy and barely caught, dribbles were frantic, and a shot was attempted from an area far too congested to have been a viable option. The goalkeeper made quick work of the attempt and kicked the ball to a defender who kicked it forward.

Becker ran, his eyes scanning every bit of the field in a second. Almost as though he had a birdseye view of the pitch, he saw the team and where they were heading. Specifically, he could see the area where their striker would want the ball. What was the plan though? He wondered to himself. He was catching up, almost so they were side by side.

One of the defenders who’d had the ball, momentarily stumbled after a rough shove that wasn’t called. He kicked the ball left which was then kicked once more toward Becker and he saw it. Moments before the ball reached him, Ichigo ran.

Becker ran toward the ball, giving his back to the rest and stuck the ball with his heel. Ichigo reached out with his left foot, not at all fazed by the four defenders that were beginning to circle in on him. He saw his teammate a few yards out, if he passed, he would only need to get through two defenders instead of four.

He took the shot. His left foot struck the ball near the bottom right causing it to fly in between two of Bolos’ defenders. His positioning had been in such a way that the opposing goalkeeper couldn’t see a shot had been taken until it was already in the air and as such could only watch in despair as the ball hit the net.

As he predicted, the crowd had gone mostly silent with the exception of the Manshine fans. Having told the team he’d do something, he held one finger up to his ear and the other up at the fans as though saying he couldn’t hear them.

The team cheered loudly, and he wasn’t sure whether it was due to the fact that he’d been able to pull off what had become his signature shot with his weak foot, or that he’d actually done a proper celebration. 

The hattrick had been the last straw and everyone could see the Italians had been demoralized. That wouldn’t stop City however. 

Twenty minutes later, they once again had possession, with Ichigo having a clear break for goal. The goalkeeper had some light in his eyes, the determination to stop a fourth, only for the shot not to arrive. As he wound up his shot, a speck of blond had made its way into his peripherals and the shot had changed into a small cross to the right.

Becker leaped into the air, his head connecting with the ball sending it into the goal. 

The next few minutes saw the game begin to die down, though it wasn’t until the 89th minute where Ichigo once more fed the midfielder with what became an easy tap in goal making the final score 5-0 in a commanding victory for city.

After the obligatory handshakes with everyone, the team left the pitch, leaving the fans with their money's worth.

“Really showing your worth out there.” Becker said as they exited the locker room after getting cleaned up. “I have to ask though, why give up two easy goals? You could’ve had 5 on your starting debut, in the UEFA Youth League no less.”

“Yeah well why not?” He shot back with no real answer.

The blond could only chuckle at the answer but didn’t question it further. They’d left with 3 goals and 2 assists, and 3 assists and 2 goals respectively. He wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Gentlemen.” One of the Manshine media staff called out to them. “Superb game today. As the stars of the match, we need to get some pictures for our socials. Can you stand over there?” 

“We’re going to take the pictures in front of the exit?” Becker asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ichigo checked his phone, checking out where the nearest gelato shop was, only to be delighted when there was one walking distance away. “I was actually going to get some gelato, any chance we can do it after?”

The social media manager’s eyes lit up. “Getting an after game treat for a job well done. We can work with that. Let’s go.”

The midfielder glanced over at him. “Well, I wasn’t planning on that today but I guess we have no choice. Let’s go.”

Minutes later, the two were featured on the Manshine City official social media pages enjoying the Italian treat. Both players also had their personal pages tagged in the post.

City emerges victorious! 

#5-0

The gelato was good, he was very glad he listened to Mai and stopped by. All that was left now was to handle the next leg at home before moving onto the next opponent. Despite this, he couldn’t help but mentally frown. The competition was good, but he still didn’t feel that spark just yet. He needed stronger competition, and the only place he would find it is in the senior squad. He’d be there soon enough.

For those wondering, Mai is indeed Mai Shiranui. 

Chapter 4

Sorry for the delay but here's the next chapter. Thank you to those who have read and left their thoughts and ideas. I've actually taken some of them into account and you will see some real names and players in the future, specifically in chapter 8 if progress resumes the way it's going. Anyway, let me know what you guys think. 

It had been just over a week and a half since the end of the second leg of the first round of the Youth League. Spirits were at an all time high among both the Manshine City senior squad as well as the U20 team. Both clubs had managed to steamroll their way through the first two matches with Ichigo having a total of 7 goals and 3 assists. According to the teams official social media pages, both he and Chris Prince had managed to score back to back hattricks, making them the talk amongst the City fanbase.

As he got up out of bed and stretched his muscles, a quick check of his phone showed him that his follower count had begun to increase. What was once a modest 350 had now shot up to a staggering 14,000. Most of his posts, which weren’t football related, had already broken into the quadruple digits in terms of likes. With City having posted his account along with Becker’s, he supposed he should’ve seen this coming.

He sat up and mindlessly scrolled through his friends' socials, seeing what they were up to back home. Today was a rest day for the team, a sort of treat for their second consecutive victory, this time at home. Chad, being the guy he was, had mentioned him in a comment saying he knew he had what it took and that he made it look easy.

“What a guy.” Ichigo murmured gratefully, dropping the man a like and a reply. Knowing he was building up his boxing career, he reposted one of his training videos, commenting to make sure to keep an eye on the future world champ. He was growing a fanbase, if he could put it to use to elevate one of his friends he was definitely going to do it.

Setting the phone down he took a quick shower and got dressed. The weather for the day was decent, good enough to wear one of his new shirts without having to cover it with a jacket. Once he was mostly dressed, he took a look at his shoes and realized he’d made a mistake not having picked up an extra pair. 

The black suede had already begun to lose its color, looking more gray than anything else. The soles had lost any grip they once had and the laces were looking like they would tear apart any minute. How had his team not said something about this? 

An uber was scheduled and he once again found himself on the way to the small shopping center a few blocks over. The driver announced their arrival and quickly departed to pick up the next customer. He looked up at the large store and noted that in the daylight, it didn’t look as extravagant as it did at night. 

The atmosphere was much more vibrant as more and more people entered the store. Not bothering to look around, he took the stairs up to the fourth floor and subconsciously looked around. A young man was behind the register, writing something down on a clipboard while a tan woman hovered over his shoulder, pointing at some part of the paper. 

Their shoe department was large and had a variety of styles to choose from ranging from casual streetwear to formal. 

“I could probably use a pair of both.” He muttered. If you weren’t scheduled to play a game due to injury or some other reason, you would still need to attend and look presentable. Coupled along with the fact that he was fully intending to win a few awards meant he’d need to be dressed for the occasion.

“Oh hey you’re back! And you’re wearing one of the shirts we picked out.” Ichigo heard from behind him. Glancing over his shoulder he saw Mai making her way over to him, this time her ensemble consisted of a pair of blue jeans which had two tears placed on the left leg and a dark colored band t-shirt beneath another jacket. Her hair remained in its same ponytail style with a golden ornament keeping it secure. 

Unlike the last time they met, her demeanor seemed much brighter and there was a distinct lack of fatigue. She could pass off as the poster girl for what a sales rep should be in any retail environment. 

Her cheerful mood seemed to be contagious as even he couldn’t stop the small smile from appearing on his face as she stood next to him.

“Yeah, the weather is nice today so I figured what better time than now?” He asked rhetorically, looking down at the small logo on his shirt. The back featured the same logo only much larger but that was one of his preferences.

“It looks good. So what brings you in today? More shirts? Jacket?” She wondered.

He shook his head and held up the display pair of shoes he was looking at which caused her to blush in embarrassment since she hadn’t seen them. “Oh, right.” She replied awkwardly, hoping he wouldn’t call her out on her blunder. Luck was on her side as he waved it off.

“I’m actually thinking of getting a few pairs of shoes. Two regular sneakers.” He answered, showing her the black and white shoes with a prominent swoosh logo on the side. “And maybe something formal for special occasions. Something like these, I’ve seen a lot of people wearing these now.” He replied, grabbing hold of a pair of black suede boot style shoes.

Mai looked at the shoes and couldn’t hide her dissatisfaction with his choice. “If you want something that will work regardless of the venue, then these won’t work for you. You mostly see people online using these and thinking they know how to dress.” She told him and gently took the shoe out of his hand.

“Alright, in your opinion what would work better? I need something that would go well with a suit but again, I don’t want to spend thousands for a brand, they’re still just shoes.” 

The woman agreed with the sentiment, knowing way too many people that bought shoes only to never wear them. The guise of collection was their go to defense but those shoes would destroy themselves after a while just sitting there. She guided him over to another wall where leather shoes that all looked similar were on display.

“Ok so you have the casual ones figured out then right?” 

“Yeah, I’m going to buy two of these.” He raised his right foot and Mai gave him a blank stare and a shake of her head. It was clear to her that men were the same no matter the age, race, nationality, or any other criteria. The man was going to buy two pairs of the same shoes he was already wearing and wasn’t considering even changing things up. Creatures of habit to be sure.

“If you’re sure.” She exhaled. Before she could lead him to their next section, their attention was brought down to her pocket when her phone began to chime repeatedly. “Sorry, that’s my alarm. Management gets upset if people don’t take their lunch after a certain amount of hours. I know it’s gonna sound greedy of me but would you mind waiting to make your purchase until after my lunch?” She asked with an expression he’d grown accustomed to seeing from his sisters when they wanted something when they were younger. 

Ichigo checked his phone and nodded after tucking it away. “That’s fine, I’m sure there’s a few stores nearby I can check out in the meantime. Is it an hour?”

Mai bit the inside of her cheek, mentally debating on how to proceed. In the end, her usual ‘talk first deal with things later’ approach won out.

“If you’re not busy would you like to come with me? I’m just gonna get food at a small stand nearby.” She offered. Her eyes lit up a second later when their previous conversation came rushing back to her. “Oh, you can tell me about the Italy trip too.”

He thought back to the gelato and how that had been her recommendation. “Sure, where to?”

“Give me five minutes to clock out. I’ll be right back.”

She returned after only two minutes, only now the name tag had been left somewhere and a black purse was carefully slung over her shoulder. Her jacket had also been carefully folded and hung lazily around one of her arms, leaving her only in the band shirt. As it was seemingly a hard rock band, the lettering was hard to make out and if he tried to decipher it, he’d be spending too much time looking at her chest. He decided against it.

They made a bit of small talk about how her workday was compared to the last time as they walked to the small stand for lunch. 

“Fish and Chips?” He asked, reading the first thing on the menu above them.

Mai stood in line behind an older couple and shook her head as she was able to distinguish his tone of voice. It was one of someone who had yet to try it but was already judging it.

“It’s not as bad as you might think. Trust me, when we first moved here I felt the same way but it’s actually well worth trying. Besides, you’ve been here like a month and a half now, how have you not tried the food the country is practically known for?” The disbelief in her voice couldn’t and wasn’t hidden. Almost everyone in the country tried fish and chips, there was no way someone hadn’t tried it after a month.

He hadn’t not because he didn’t want to but because Manshine had a group of people dedicated to preparing meals for those who lived for those in the facility, creating strict diets to help maintain their build, and a myriad of other things. Most of the food he’d eaten was usually prepared the day of without him having a clue as to what would be on the menu. There was nothing that said he couldn’t go out for a bite, but if one began to get out of shape they risked a breach of contract. Most simply didn’t want to risk it.

“Alright, I’ll give it a shot.”

Mai flashed him a triumphant smile and placed her order, only for him to quickly follow up with his own adding to the bill. He placed his card on the counter while Mai was going through her purse and ignored the look she gave him for paying.

“You didn’t have to pay, but thanks.” She said with a small bow.

“Don’t worry about it, now let’s go find somewhere to sit.” 

Even though the establishment was somewhat busy, it didn’t take long at all for their food to be dropped off to them. Two small baskets were placed in front of them, small trailers of steam rose from the fish alerting them to the temperature of the food. The last thing he wanted was to imitate a dragon while having lunch with a pretty girl.

His eyes moved from the main dish to a small cup they each received and scrunched his nose.

“The peas don’t look good but they’re not that bad, I swear.” 

Ichigo raised the small up and held it up at eye level for her to see. “You ever see those small green toy soldiers? The ones that were made out of plastic?”

“Yeah?”

“Tell me this doesn’t look like they just melted those?”

Mai did her best not to laugh but couldn’t stop a few chuckles from escaping. She’d never thought about it like that but now she couldn’t see them any other way. Peas weren’t her favorite and more often than not she would simply shove them to the side but she knew quite a few people who loved them and would get a kick out of hearing that.

Once she managed to get herself under control, Mai took a bite and encouraged him to do the same. “So how was the trip?”

“It was nice. The weather was good and honestly, the gelato was worth the trip.”

Mai beamed in pride, knowing that her recommendation had been taken up. “I told you. Trips can be nice but that feeling of coming back home, back to the real world, that always sucks.”

He took a bite of his fries and a sip of his soft drink that he’d opted for instead of tea. “It’s not that bad. Maybe it’s because I’m still new here though. We have another trip soon to Marseille, two days again, so one free day to look around. You wouldn’t happen to know your way around would you?”

“You must have scored a dream job.” Mai groaned, resting her head on her palm. “Italy and then France in such a short time frame. You guys aren’t hiring by any chance are you?” She asked playfully. “To answer your question though, I’ve been to France once but never Marseille. I’d say if you want to take part in the usual touristy things maybe try a croissant, check out some of the old districts maybe. Can’t really say much other than that.”

For the remainder of her lunch, the pair got to know each other better, simply asking basic questions you’d give to a new friend. It was a bit strange to be having lunch already seeing as their sole interaction had been a week and a half ago, but there was no awkwardness from either party. Their conversation flowed smoothly and Ichigo learned Mai had a great sense of humor.

Eventually however, they had to head back to the store as her lunch came to an end and he needed to buy his shoes before it somehow slipped his mind.

“Alright, so you have your casual shoes.” Mai said, putting down two boxes of shoes next to him. “Now something for special occasions. These would be good I think.”

Ichigo was handed a display pair of black leathered shoes that seemed to have no grip on the bottom. They were all black with small laces but they fit like a dream. Even after tying them his foot didn’t feel compressed from any part nor did he have any trouble feeling the ground like others he’d owned in the past.

“These aren’t bad. They go with pretty much anything too.” He commented, impressed at her choice.

“I know a thing or two.” Mai said with confidence.

“That you do. I’ll take these.”

Taking the three boxes, the woman rang him up and had his bags placed in front of him at the counter. The subtotal was much less than his first trip but he was sure she’d make a good chunk of change if her excitement was anything to go by. His receipt was printed and ripped out of the machine but it wasn’t handed back to him. Mai took a blue pen and began writing something on the bottom of the page? He thought perhaps it would be one of those online surveys companies usually had people fill out.

It wasn’t. Instead it was a Twitter handle.

“If you don’t mind, feel free to add me. I can’t go on any vacations until my next tournament so at least let me live a little through you.” She joked with a bit of nervousness. Her smile was strained as though worried he would say no.

Her worries were unfounded as he pulled out his phone and added her on the spot.

“Of course. Thanks again for the help Mai. I’ll see you soon.” He shot back with a smile.

---

The ball rocked back and forth beneath Ichigo’s boot as he visualized his next shot. Practice had ended but he remained on the pitch, wanting to work on his game a bit more. The goal was empty, the goalkeeper having quickly excused himself once training had resumed but that worked fine for him. Stopping the rolling motion, he took three steps back and kept his eyes on his target, the top right corner. 

Up until that point he’d never gotten the opportunity to take a free kick and while his trivela was one of his best weapons, he couldn’t rely on it all the time. Once he made it to the senior squad he would need to increase his arsenal and a simple power shot wouldn’t be enough. The solution was simple and their coach had been more than happy to have the assistants set up the free kick mannequins for him to use.

With mock defenders now in place, he took one last look where he wanted to score and moved. His foot connected with the ball and followed through. The ball soared up and to the right, easily clearing the height necessary if the mannequins were to have jumped. With the amount of spin generated, it quickly began to veer back down and to the left only to miss the goal, instead floating above the woodwork by a few feet.

“Damn.” He muttered. 

“Way too much power.” Becker commented, making his way to the pitch, a football already at his feet. “You generate a lot of spin so the curve is really abrupt, but with the amount of power you put into it, you’re going to miss every time.” 

To prove his point, he tapped the ball lightly, getting it into position and took a shot. Though the curve of the ball wasn’t as grand as Ichigo’s, Becker managed to curve it just enough to get it into the top bin, easily clearing the defenders and making for an impressive sight. Had that been in a game it would surely get the crowd going.

“Try it again, just this time toned down a bit. Your technique is fine, just adjust the power.” He instructed.

Setting the ball up once more, Ichigo took three steps back and shot. Becker’s eyes followed the trajectory of the ball and lightly shook his head just as it started to descend. It was closer, but this time the ball had made contact with the crossbar and sailed into the sky. 

“Closer, still a bit too strong but you’re getting the hang of it.” The blond critiqued. “I’d wager if you were standing a few yards further back you’d be making them every time.”

“Yeah, but unless I purposely draw a foul from there it won’t help me. We’re more likely to get a free kick or a shot opportunity from this distance than further back.” Ichigo replied, setting himself up for another shot. Like the last, it also hit the crossbar.

Becker agreed with his statement and began juggling the ball, occasionally using his head before resuming with his feet. “That’s true. Well, just look at the bright side.”

“What’s the bright side?” Ichigo asked, wondering how he being unable to figure out how much power to use could be good in any way.

“At least now you’ll have something to keep you entertained.”

“What do you mean?”

The midfielder stopped his juggling, catching the ball with his right foot and bringing it to a stop. “We’ve only played two real matches as starters but even the others noticed you didn’t seem as excited. Bolos wasn’t exactly tough but they were still a top four team in the Italian league. Everyone had to put in a decent amount of effort for our wins, even if it didn’t look like it because we ended up 11-0 on aggregate. But you were bored.”

It wasn’t said as an accusation, or even with any malice, it was a simple fact. One that Ichigo couldn’t and wouldn’t deny.

“That’s why you gave me two assists in the first leg and another during the second. The only time you seemed to come alive was when you wanted to shut the Italians up and when we won.”

“They were decent but yeah, it wasn’t much of a challenge.” 

Becker smirked to himself and kicked the ball over to Ichigo so he could try again. He took a step back and observed his friend and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He couldn’t quite put into words how the aura around the orange haired striker seemed to change. His posture became more relaxed but his muscles remained tense, ready to act at a moment's notice. His gaze became sharp as he aimed at the goal and it seemed all thoughts had exited his mind.

It was unlike anything he’d seen during their games or even their practice matches over the past few weeks. Almost in slow motion Ichigo took the three steps forward and shot. The dummies were cleared and Becker's eyes could clearly see the ball's trajectory. No echo of rubber and leather colliding with metal rang out, only the sound of the net being pushed back by the force of the shot.

“ When he’s focused he’s like a completely different animal. ” Ludwig thought to himself. “ He says he’s only been playing for a few months and he’s already this far along. If I don’t step it up I’ll be dead weight or worse, get left behind.”

“There we go.” Ichigo muttered. “Alright, let’s get fifty of those before calling it a day.” 

“Count me in.”

“Didn’t you say something earlier about wanting to go somewhere today?” Ichigo asked. It wasn’t like he minded the company, quite the opposite to be honest, but Becker had seemed quite excited about whatever he had planned.

The blond shook his head and got into position for a free kick. “I’ve changed my mind. I can go out all I want once I’ve moved up to the main squad. Until then, if I have time to practice, that’s what I’m going to do. Now watch and learn…”

The duo didn’t stop at fifty kicks like Ichigo had originally planned. They continued on to practice volleys by crossing to one another and went through earlier dribbling drills meant to help create space. 

By the time Ichigo had made it back to his room and had a quick shower, his body was feeling the slightest ache in his legs. It was nothing compared to what he’d been put through back when he was achieving Bankai or the training he had to endure in the royal palace with Osho. Even though he was in his regular body, it still took an extraordinary amount of activity in order for him to feel tired. 

Laying back in bed, he tossed the covers over his lower body and began scrolling through his social media apps as he’d grown accustomed to doing. Remembering his trip to the store, he typed in Mai’s name in the search bar and tapped her picture. Her profile picture was of her taking a sip of some kind of coffee and he could see the reflection of her phone from the lenses of the glasses she was wearing. 

He tapped the follow button and scrolled through a few of her posts, most of which either detailed how she was bored at work or mentioned a new piece of clothing she’d had her eye on. After making sure to like a few, he returned to his home screen to see people talking about Manshine City.

CityNews- Manshine City dominated Bolos in both the Champions League and Youth League matchups. Star player Chris Prince scored a hattrick in the first and second leg leading to their victory for a combined 7-3 on aggregate. The U20 team managed to sweep the competition with an astounding 11-0 on aggregate. What’s more incredible is that like Chris Prince, Ichigo Kurosaki, one of the newest signings for the team also scored a hattrick in the first leg and 4 in the second. The future looks bright.

FootballWorldwide- Manshine City’s newest signing, Ichigo Kurosaki, stuns the football world with 7 goals in 2 matches along with 3 assists leading to a strong start to the Youth League. City put themselves on the map as a viable threat.

ManshineBrenden- Both the senior and U20 squads put belt to ass on them boys. You want to stop Prince or Kurosaki, you’re gonna have to shoot them. #CityForLife #RipBozos

The last one managed to get a laugh out of him because of the gif attached to the post. It was of another fan amongst others smoking a cigar while shaking his head arrogantly with music playing in the background. Being mindful not to like it in case it was screenshotted, he continued scrolling. 

News outlets reported the results of the other matches as well as any highlights that were good enough to be featured. People such as Chris Prince, Noel Noa, and Marc Snuffy were regulars on every page, seemingly finding new and creative ways to break through defenses or due to the ridiculous goals they could score. The comments of that post were as one would expect, fans bragging about how the players featured would help their team win the entire tournament and some were even looking further ahead to the world cup. 

What had caught the attention of the masses however, were the number 5 and 4 spots on the top ten for the first round of the tournament. Number five had been a player from the Youth League blitzing across the pitch, getting by defenders before they could react to him and scoring a goal with a fancy heel tap after faking out the goalkeeper. Number four had been his own left footed trivela during the first leg.

JAVFan55- I can’t remember the last time I saw a trivela like that, much less scoring with one. That was crazy.

GoonerMao- @JAVFan55 What's crazier is that Kurosaki is right footed. Dude scored from there with a trivela off his weak foot. What the hell are they doing in City’s academy?

PXGera- I’ve seen people saying Julian Loki has competition now lol it’s been two games and Loki has been cooking players for almost a year, relax. If Kurosaki can play like this against top teams, then maybe we can include him in any kind of conversation. Until then he doesn’t even touch Loki.

Hakin67- @PXGera leave some for his gf man.

At one point Ichigo had berated Chad for making the account for him, but now he couldn’t help but thank the man because it had some of the funniest people on the planet. Julian Loki was a prodigy, he’d heard Becker mention him once or twice. He was about his age or a few months younger but was considered one of the fastest players in the world. Combined with his incredible footwork, it was no wonder people spoke highly about him.

Pulling up the groups on a separate tab, he looked to see how PXG were doing and unsurprisingly found them at the top of their group. 

“Good chance we might play them in the future then.” He said to himself. Any thoughts about the man he could’ve had were replaced as a message request came through. More and more had begun to flood his inbox since he signed but this one was different. It was from Mai. He smiled and began typing his reply.

A few miles away, Chris Prince yawned loudly as he stepped out of the shower. Opting to remain shirtless, he turned the large flatscreen on and sat back on his couch. Most of the lights in the penthouse were off, the only thing illuminating the room were the tv itself and the bright lights from the city below. As was his usual night time routine, he flipped the channel to the sports network while idly browsing through the hundreds of unread emails on his phone. 

His agent handled the bulk of the business, calling him when a brand wanted to work out an endorsement deal or when an obligatory meeting, photoshoot, or charity event was to take place. That left him with emails from the team, junk, and news updates from companies that he had liked when he was younger but was too lazy to unsubscribe from.

“And now we move onto football. The Champion’s League has finally started and we as fans have been treated to some of the best football in years.” One of the hosts began. “To no one’s surprise Bastard Munchen won their first matchup thanks to two goals from Noel Noa. Now, I don’t know about you guys but…”

Chris clicked his teeth in annoyance as the video replay of Noa scoring a volley played on screen. His relationship with the Frenchman was strained. While he held a deep respect for Noa’s abilities as a striker, he held resentment for always being regarded as the world’s number two. It didn’t help that Manshine had consistently always been third or fourth on the table in the Premier League, always falling short just before the end.

Bastard Munchen under Noa had thrived and won the Champions League which further cemented his position at the top. That had to change.

Tearing his eyes away from the tv, he continued deleting emails and responding to some all while keeping the tv on as background noise. While he replied to an email from an old teacher asking if he could make a visit to her and her students one day, the tv captured his attention once again.

“But we can’t write off Manshine City. Chris Prince has been playing like a man with something to prove. Two hattricks in the first matchup? It wasn’t like they’re playing against relegation teams either, these are the best of the best.” One of the cohosts pointed out, asking the staff to bring up the highlights.

“That’s true, but how many times have we seen this?” The main host asked in a tone Chris didn’t appreciate. “Manshine will make it to the semifinals and then come up short, or in the case of two years ago, make it to the finals just for Bastard to steal the victory late in the second half. I don’t mean to disrespect the team's efforts, but they’re incomplete. They have a great manager, a world class striker, strong midfielders and a good defense but even with that they’re missing something.”

Chris begrudgingly had to agree with the statement. Manshine was strong but there was still a missing component. The team had been looking at free agents or players with an affordable release clause to bring on, but the market wasn’t looking good. Most of the players that could make a difference were locked into multi year deals with their current clubs.

Even if they were to land a big name, there was also the chance that they wouldn’t be able to fit into Manshine’s system. It had happened a few times before. A promising player shows up but their style of play is too different and they find themselves unable to integrate into the lineup.

“There’s still hope for City in my opinion, I think we’re all overlooking something, an important aspect not just for them but for any club. Their youth program.” One of the hosts replied. “I know most people only keep up with the main club but how many of today’s great players came from the academy or scouted to play in the U20 first? As of right now all eyes have been on Julian Loki who will most likely debut for PXG’s senior squad next season, but City has promise as well.”

“Don’t tell me you’re buying into the hype already.” An older man scoffed, knowing exactly what he was referring to.

The tv switched from the office space they were discussing in, to the highlight reel of the week. Specifically, number four. The clip was slowed down in order to break down everything that was happening and to point out all possible routes that could’ve been taken to score a goal.

“Look, Ludwig Becker reads the field and runs to the ball for a heel tap pass. Kurosaki is already on the move and now has possession. Four defenders are closing in, so what’s the best course of action here?” 

The clip was stopped and Chris scanned the field quickly. He could see the midfielder cutting across the field, if he were to get the ball he would only have two defenders in front of him with a rather large gap between them that could be taken advantage of for a goal. That wasn’t what he would do however.

From that position he would line up his shot in a split second and score, upper right hand corner of the goal. While he wasn’t as involved with the youth squad as someone like Snuffy, who actively got involved and helped with development, he would take time every few seasons to see if there was anyone worth keeping an eye on. As they had yet to crack the top two, the answer had been no.

Continuing the clip, Chris watched as Kurosaki controlled the ball and took the shot. His eyebrows raised up into his white hair as the ball soared into the exact spot he himself had been thinking of. The execution had been masterful, not a moment wasted, no sense of doubt, that was a shot he was certain would go in. 

Placing his phone down, he leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees to watch the rest of the highlights. Not only were the shots well placed, but his physicality was through the roof. The Italian player that had tried to shoulder press him had seemingly run into a wall and was pushed aside like a paperweight. 

The more he watched, the more Chris found himself grinning. The chatter of the hosts had long since been muted and even without listening, he knew there was one thing they weren’t picking up on. The lack of enthusiasm. The striker could see it. No striker would willingly give up goals if they were on a roll. 

Ichigo Kurosaki reminded him of himself when he was younger. Playing against people far below his level to the point where he would try to get everyone involved if only to confuse his opponents. Anything to get some level of satisfaction. They’d even been the only players through the first matchups to score hattricks. The comparisons were uncanny.

He turned the tv off and typed his name on his social media platform, ignoring the thousands of notifications he had received. Tapping the follow button, he tossed his phone aside and stared out the large windows.

“Let me see what you’re capable of Kurosaki. Prove that you’re what we need to get to the top.”

Staring in the direction of the stadium, he pictured himself lifting the league trophy and smiled. Kurosaki was bored, he could see it. Perhaps he would need to get an idea of the life he could live if he worked hard enough to make him reach out. With that in mind, he retreated to his room. They had a game to prepare for.

Chapter 5

Here's the next one fellas, I appreciate the feedback. Also, I will speak for everyone when I say that for this upcoming matchup between Real Madrid and Arsenal, we're ALL (yeah even you reading this) rooting for Arsenal. Anyways, hope you enjoy.

 

“ How long has it been since I stayed this late after practice? ” Chris asked himself as he prepared to take another shot. Rolling the ball under his foot, he tapped it forward and struck with as much force as he could generate, his mind replaying the last shot he took during his last game. The Bolos goalkeeper had been able to get a solid hand on the ball just in time in order to stop him from adding another goal to his total for the season.

With no goalkeeper at the moment, the ball was able to soar into the net with little resistance. Chris ran a hand through his hair and grabbed another ball that he’d had set up nearby. 

“ If I could’ve created a bit more space, I would’ve had a chance for a direct shot into the corner.” He continued mentally with a shake of his head. Trying as hard as he could, he took a deep breath and put the match behind him. It would do no one any good to dwell on it now. The shot had been stopped and nothing could change that. Manshine won the match and they were on pace to win the Champions League.

Looking back at the pitch, the sports broadcast from a few days ago began to play in his mind. Kurosaki had been faced with a similar situation to his own. Four defenders, an open man, and a tough shot. Kicking the ball diagonally, he dashed forward, mentally placing four defenders in front of him. He tapped the ball with his left foot for a second of control and wound his foot back. Since he was a child it was like he could see a targeting system in his vision telling him where he would need to hit as well as where he would need to aim at for a guaranteed goal, and this was no different.

The bottom right quadrant of the ball would be the sweet spot. He struck. Following through, he watched the ball fly and begin to curve inward toward the goal. The once familiar sound of the ball striking the crossbar rang through his ears and he couldn’t help but whistle in amazement. That was a tough shot, even for him and that was saying something.

Chris was among the best strikers on the planet with excellent power and control but the shot was still off.

Grabbing his water bottle, he took a few gulps and stared at the motionless ball and then the goal once more. “I bet even Noa and Snuffy would have trouble making that.”

“I didn’t think you bothered keeping up with the youth squad.”

Chris finished taking his sip and tossed the metal container to the ground. “I normally don’t but this time something caught my attention.”

His center back smiled knowingly and crossed his arms. “I can tell. I’ve seen that trivela goal all over the City accounts online. It’s a tough shot as it is and it was done with four defenders closing in on him. What do you think?”

Even though he hadn’t asked a question, Chris knew exactly what he was referring to. What did he think of Kurosaki?

“He has promise. Being ambidextrous adds a new layer to his game since it opens up more possibilities for someone in his position. Physically he has what we’re looking for and the kid is fast, it’s almost like…” He trailed off, trying to get the right words.

“Looking at yourself?” 

Chris thought about the statement and nodded. He had made that comparison already when he watched the highlights, but having someone else see it as well reinforced his sentiment. “Yeah.”

“The first time Chris Prince takes an interest in a player and it’s someone who reminds him of himself.” His friend laughed. “I do agree with you though. Some of the others have an eye on him too, the manager is going to keep tabs on him to see how he progresses throughout the tournament. I think it’s too early to see but they’re saying he could be what we need.”

“It’s possible. He’s getting a lot of coverage right now but we’ve seen players on the rise only to fall short when it matters. He’s also being brought up in conversations with Julian Loki, if he lets that buzz get to him it could kill him before he actually hits his peak.” 

“It’s actually really weird seeing you genuinely invested in a prospect but hey it’s better than hearing about your new deals or watching you take your shirt off all the time.” The man said, lining up his own shot.

Chris grit his teeth but quickly calmed himself. They were just jealous he was getting the endorsements, that’s all. 

“Whatever. I’m just thinking of finally getting us over the hump. I don’t know about you but I’m sick and tired of reading articles about how we’re doing good and then get written off for barely qualifying for the Champions League.” He replied, trying the trivela once more and getting the same result.

“Believe me I get it, listening to analysts talk about us collapsing doesn’t get any easier. And believe it or not we don’t like hearing about how our striker will always be ‘the second best’ because then they write us off for that too.” He replied, making air quotations around ‘second best’.

He took the shot, pumping a fist in the air after perfectly hitting his mark. “Whatever the case may be, for now we just keep doing what we’re doing. We’ll let Kurosaki develop and keep an eye on his progress. If he can lead the team to a trophy I can almost guarantee we can get the higher ups to bring him on.”

Chris nodded in agreement. There were still plenty of games left, Kurosaki would have to wow the world and he’d have his shot tomorrow against Marseille. The youth squad played first, maybe he’d get the team to watch the game and see if the last performance was a one off.

---

Ichigo regulated his breathing as he continued his time on the treadmill. The machine had been set to seven miles and had just passed the six mile mark. Despite this, Ichigo was still in top form only feeling the slightest bit of fatigue. It was times like this that he was grateful for everything he’d been through since it had gotten him a physique like this. His attention was taken by one of the many screens that adorned the Manshine City training room. 

The sports cast was mute but the subtitles allowed him to follow what was going on in addition to the highlights they would play on occasion. The screen flashed showing Noel Noa doing a feint and passing the ball to his left foot before taking a shot that seemed to lose no power. The man showed no emotion after scoring and simply jogged back to his side of the pitch to prepare for the next kick off.

Another clip began to play but his attention had been cut short by the arrival of someone else. For a moment, he thought Becker had decided to join him in his run as he saw a flash of blond only to be mistaken. It was a midfielder, just not one he’d played with. Whereas Becker dyed his entire hair blond, this man kept the sides short allowing his natural black hair to remain while the top was slicked back and dyed a near white color. 

“Yo.” The man greeted, setting the treadmill up for his desired distance.

“Hey.” Ichigo replied calmly. “Ichigo.” He said, introducing himself plainly.

The man nodded once. “Driver. Defensive Midfielder. To be honest I didn’t think I’d find anyone here right now.” He commented, slowly increasing his pace from a slow jog into a brisk run.

Ichigo finished reading the subtitles on the screen as they translated what Julian Loki was saying after PXG’s recent match. He was asked by the reporter how he felt about another player seemingly coming up and the comparisons the fans were beginning to draw between the two.

I don’t worry about whoever is behind me. I want to help PXG win a trophy this season.  

His words were met with excitement by the media who tried to ask for a clarifying comment but the young man smiled politely and walked away. Ichigo couldn’t help but scoff at the shot he knew he’d taken. He could’ve simply said he didn’t pay attention to it, but instead insinuated that he was the superior player knowing they would talk.

Tearing his eyes away from the screen, he turned back to his teammate. “Why’s that?”

“Most of the team went out tonight, they said something about not being able to properly celebrate the last win.” He replied.

“You didn’t want to join them?” He asked. Is that where Becker had gone off to? He’d been able to celebrate after their victory after all.

Driver shook his head and tapped the plus sign on the machine, making the moving ground below him go faster.

“My hard work paid off and I managed to make it into the starting lineup. I’d like to keep it that way. Just because I have the spot right now doesn’t mean I’ll have it for our next match. You stay late to practice your shots after every session, it’s no surprise you’re still our striker. I’m following the example.”

Ichigo agreed with that way of thinking. Nothing was guaranteed, if you didn’t put in the work you would get replaced by someone who was hungrier than you. Someone who wanted to prove they belonged and wanted to help the team win. He’d seen Driver in practice before but after their game against Bolos, he’d noticed a change in the man. He arrived earlier, just a few minutes later than he and Becker. Every practice match was played with intensity as though it were an actual televised match.

His defense was solid, more so than the guy he’d replaced and had a good sense of timing and above average passing ability. Like most of his teammates, he had a good physique that allowed him to maintain possession of the ball even when pressure was applied to him.

“That’s a good attitude to have. I take it you already looked into our next opponents?” Ichigo asked.

“Marseille.” Driver recited. “They’re a good team who specialize in counter attacks. They’re the biggest rival to PXG having managed to best them in their last meeting. Their star player is their striker Alderic Lacroix. If he’s free just for a moment within the penalty box, he’ll score.” 

“If they’re good at counter attacks then their defense must be solid as well right?”

“To a degree, yes. They’re patient and once they get the ball it’ll be a straight pass to Lacroix, that usually translates into a goal.”

Ichigo’s treadmill slowly began to slow, causing him to look down at the small screen. His run was almost over and was entering the cooldown period. That had been faster than he thought.

“I see. Then I’ll be counting on you just as much as I count on Becker. Control the midfield, don’t rush to try to prove your worth. Wait for the right opportunities and strike. Do that, and I can guarantee you’ll remain in the rotation.”

Stepping off the machine, he took big gulps of his water until his water bottle was empty and tossed it into the plastic recycling bin behind them.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Driver. Make sure you get enough rest. We need you.”

The defensive midfielder muttered a quick ‘goodnight’ as Ichigo made his way around the machine and toward the exit. In his mind he remembered how it felt watching the game from the bench, watching as their striker even fed Ludwig Becker some goals. He wanted that. If he wanted to get offers from some of the biggest clubs in the world one day, he needed to make an impact and Ichigo and Ludwig were the perfect avenue to show what he could do.

He increased the speed once more and put on a pair of earbuds. Tomorrow, he’d help the team get the victory.

Matchday

There were a few minutes left before they were set to get on the pitch and Ichigo found himself at the far side of the locker room with his phone up to his ear. His family and friends were already gathered at his house to watch the match and his sisters wanted to talk to him before it started.

“You’re so lucky to get to go to France.” Yuzu whined in envy. “I’ve always wanted to go.”

“You know I am still technically here for work right?” Ichigo asked with mirth in his voice. “I won’t even get to see the sights around here or anything. After the next game tomorrow we’re heading right back.”

“Sorry Ichigo, she forgets that you’re there to make a living not just for sightseeing.” Karin spoke into the phone. “Speaking of making a living, how does it feel being a footballer? Getting to travel the world just playing a game.”

“It’s actually kind of nice. I had never thought about it before but now, I’m actually enjoying it. My teammates are cool and I’ve met some nice people here.” Other than his teammates and the staff, the only other person he had any real contact with was Mai but he didn’t want to tell his sisters. 

Yuzu was known to not be able to keep a secret and the moment his dad found out he was talking to a girl, he’d never get him off his back. The questions would be insufferable. When would he meet her? Was he treating her right? Did her family approve of him?

He stifled a laugh at the thought. They’d been messaging often, almost every day to be exact but his dad would see that as enough to start the questions. It was clear there was something there but he didn’t want to overthink things. They’d continue to chat and let things progress without trouble.

“I’m glad. We know your mug tends to put people off so it’s nice you’re making friends.” Karin added and though he couldn’t see her, he knew she had a smirk on her face. Backhanded compliments were something of a skill of hers.

“Thanks.” He muttered dryly, really thinking about hanging up.

“No worries. But I see you’re also making enemies. What are you going to do about Julian Loki? You heard what he said didn’t you?”

“What am I gonna do?” He questioned with a frown. “Nothing. We don’t even play in the same league.”

He heard his sister sigh and mutter something under her breath. He knew he’d been insulted again. “Ichigo, you’re a footballer now. You’re the product that the sport needs to sell. Do you know what people like more than an exciting game? Rivalries. Julian Loki already said he sees you beneath him, you have to shoot back. Get the people excited and give them a reason to watch.”

Ichigo blinked in surprise at his sister's words. He didn’t know she was so business minded that she was thinking of how to increase revenues. It made sense however, since she was a fan of the sport since she could walk and was quite the player herself. Still, how would he fire back? 

“Alright, what do you think I should do?”

“Steal his signature celebration, that’s disrespectful. It’ll be even better since he’s actually there to watch the game so he’ll have a front row seat. Anyway, we’ll let you go now, just think about it.” She said. The family said their goodbyes and he made his way back to the bench in front of where he stuffed his clothes.

There were still a few minutes before kick off. Checking online, he pulled up a few videos on Julian Loki, notably ones where he scored. The first thing he noticed was that he had about three different celebrations ranging from knee slides to salutes. The final one however, was the one that caught his attention. He smirked to himself and shook his head. Maybe Karin was right. This was his job now, and he had never been one to half ass anything.

“What’s got you so happy?” Becker asked, adjusting his socks to the proper length. 

“You’ll find out. Don’t worry, I’m sure everyone will love what I’ve got in mind.” He replied happily before turning his attention to another player. “Driver, you ready?”

The man adjusted his hair and began stretching his legs against his side of the bench. “I am. You can count on me.”

Ichigo nodded. That’s what he liked to see. The small chatter came to a sudden stop as their coach walked into the locker room.

“We’ll be making our way to the tunnel in the next five minutes. The plan will remain the same, we’ll run the 4-2-3-1 formation and center our play around getting Kurosaki into the best position to score. I have no doubt that Marseille will be doing something similar trying to get the ball to Lacroix. As long as everybody plays their position and stays calm, we should have no trouble dictating the game.”

The team nodded and after the remaining time was up, they were led to the tunnel. As they waited for their cue to make their way to the pitch, Ichigo felt eye on him from the left. Marseille’s striker was staring at him with focused eyes and gave a simple downward nod that he returned. He gently stretched his arms, rotating them in place and followed it up with a stationary jog for a few seconds.

His actions caused him to frown momentarily and look down at his boots. They were the same one’s he’d been using since playing the nationals with Karakura. When he’d bought them he’d picked up a rather cheap pair since he hadn’t planned on offering his services for long, which turned out to be the case since his powers were shortly restored. However, now that he was having regular practice and games, he could feel they were on their last legs and would need to be replaced soon.

“ Well, it’s a good thing I’ve got a bit saved up. I’ll have to get some new gear when we return. ” He thought to himself. The thought of buying shoes caused him to pause for another second and he wondered if he should invite Mai. He had already said he’d be stopping by for some more clothes soon, maybe he’d take a shot.

The pretty girl was soon out of his mind as the teams made their way to the pitch and prepared for kick off. He’d think about it after the match.

As usual the Captains got together to determine who would have possession first and this time, luck seemed to be on Marseille’s side. Choosing to begin with the ball, the teams got into position and waited for the whistle. With the match officially underway, Ichigo kept himself within his designated area and kept a close eye on the ball as it was passed back toward their goal.

His eyes focused on their striker who’d yet to take his eyes off the ball as well. They had a decent plan, focusing on creating blind spots in order for Lacroix to sneak by and get a clean pass his way. Unfortunately City had been prepared for such a thing and he found himself easily tracked. While that did help contain Marseille for the first few minutes, they also risked creating an opening for the other forwards.

Marseille’s midfielder managed to create an opening with an impressive series of dribbles and tried to cross the ball over the pitch only to be cut short just before connecting with the ball. City’s center back, Damon, had managed to sneak close enough and read the attack just in time and stripped the ball with a perfectly executed tackle. 

Locking eyes with him, Ichigo gave a brief nod toward the goal and began running. Damon wasted no time in running up the pitch, managing to draw two defenders to him. The dark skinned man scanned the field quickly but was unable to find a suitable window to pass. Seeing one defender come from his right, he tapped the ball lightly only to quickly pull off an elastico to the left.

Marseille’s center back had extended his leg and had been too late to pull back in time. Damon smiled to himself and using his weak foot, crossed the ball to Ichigo who had just gotten into the perfect position. 

Controlling the ball with his right foot, Ichigo took a deep breath and lined up his shot.

The crowd gasped in surprise just as he took the shot as Lacroix appeared in front of him. His right foot was stretched out as far as he could and managed to clip a piece of the ball with the toe of his boot. The ball soared through the air but the sudden tap changed the trajectory causing it to veer off and allowing the goalkeeper to successfully stop the shot.

“We studied you too.” Lacroix told him in mildly broken English. “You like…area outside penalty.” 

Ichigo nodded at the man, showing mild respect at the successful stop. That was the first time someone had been able to read what he was going for and managed to stop him. If that was the case it stood to reason teams from here on would also take notice of his preference for shooting outside of the box. That was alright though, it just meant he would need to switch things up a bit. He didn’t have to go all out, he just needed to involve the team a little more.

Thinking back to the single year he’d attempted to learn French, he replied. “Good stop. Can you…again?” He asked, in what he knew was a completely butchered attempt at their language.

Lacroix was momentarily surprised by the response and grinned challengingly. Like any other person, he appreciated the attempt at speaking his language and nodded. 

Having the challenge accepted, Ichigo prepared himself once more and made his way over to Driver just as the ball was thrown back into play. 

“Get ready. I’ll create an opening.” He ordered.

Driver wiped his brow and nodded once. Damon had already made his presence known and was a moment away from having an assist in the game. He couldn’t fall behind.

The two teams continued to slowly chip away at each other’s defenses, slowly learning what they would go for and what they wouldn’t bother trying. Lacroix himself had managed to get two shots on target only for Rook, their new goalkeeper, to be on it perfectly. 

When the 38th minute rolled around, Ichigo got the ball and ran up the pitch. Fatigue was slowly starting to eat away at the Marseille players from the near constant pressure they were applying. Running up the left side of the wing, he shoulder bumped one of the midfielders hard enough to send him tumbling but he still wasn’t free. One of the large center backs had fully expected his teammate to go down and met him just shy of the penalty box with a smirk on his face waiting for the shot.

It never arrived.

The crowd watched in amazement as the ball was tapped to the right directly to Driver. 

“ I’ll create an opening. ” Ichigo’s words echoed through the midfielder’s head. The ball seemed to come at him in slow motion and the field became clear. It was as though he could see every possible route that would lead them to a goal. It was a sort of tunnel vision but one that seemed to give him more clarity than anything else.

The echo of the crowd had gone silent in Driver’s world, the only thing that existed was him and those on the pitch. He could see it. The best course of action leading to a goal but there was no striker in place yet. The momentary doubt was erased from his mind. The team trusted Kurosaki, this was the plan and he’d follow it through.

Everything had gone through his mind in a fraction of a second but that was all the time he needed. As the ball reached him, he flicked it with the outside of his boot into the penalty area. 

The roar of the arena was deafening as they were treated to the sight of the first goal of the night. After the flick, the ball hadn’t touched the ground and was blasted into the net courtesy of a trivela, once again performed with his left foot. Unlike his other goals, this time he’d been well within the penalty area and had still managed to perfectly aim the shot without having lost any power.

He pointed to his ear with one finger and at the crowd with the other as the large screen displayed 1-0 in their favor.

In a display of emotion, Driver was the first to hop on his back in excitement as he received his first assist. The team huddled together for a second to celebrate and got right back into position to restart. 

Looking up into the stands he was able to find Loki up in a private box with a few others he didn’t recognize. The PXG star was resting his head on a fist looking down at the match through half lidded eyes as though he were bored. Their eyes connected and whether it was intentional or not, Loki yawned.

That action was far too similar to something Renji would do just to piss him off, and just like the redhead, it was working. He nodded to himself, Karin was right, he’d shoot back.

Halftime came and went faster than the crowd would have liked but the enthusiasm hadn’t died down one bit. City had managed to score two more goals 20 minutes into the second half due to a direct shot by Ichigo and another from Becker thanks to a well placed through ball from Driver.

Even after all of that, Loki had only fixed his posture and was now looking at the pitch with an unreadable expression. Ichigo knew he’d have to act quick if he really wanted to get a message across. Loki prided himself on his speed, being one of the fastest players not just in the youth league but in the sport as a whole. That was what made him a stand out talent, and Ichigo would use that.

Rook managed to dive just in time to stop another attempt and curled the ball with him to stop the play. Ichigo moved as close as he could to the goal and called for the ball. Rook frowned in confusion since that wasn’t what he was supposed to be doing but tossed it his way regardless. They were up 3-0 either way with only a few minutes left to play.

“First time going all out.” Ichigo muttered to himself, rolling his neck slowly. Thinking back to the highlight reel, he replayed it once in his mind and took a deep breath. Just as Marseille was beginning to descend on him, he sprinted. 

Nobody on the pitch could understand how it was happening. After almost ninety minutes of play, for someone to be able to move at that speed was a shock. Ichigo ran by every defender, tapping the ball once to create separation in order to continue increasing his speed. Soon it became clear that no one would catch up in time and the French fans could only pray that their goalkeeper could pull off a miracle and stop the shot that was coming.

He reached the penalty area successfully drawing out the goalkeeper only to feint a shot and cross to the left. The French fans’ hope fell alongside the goalkeeper as he tumbled to the ground. Turning around at the goal line, he tapped the ball with his heel, slowly rolling it in to complete the hattrick.

“ Now the most important part. ” He thought to himself. Running over to the crowd, he looked up directly at a now scowling Loki and brought both hands up to his face to mimic a crying motion. Becker’s eyes widened and a wild smirk grew on his face. He knew what their striker had just done. The entire team knew that within minutes, the football world would be talking about this moment.

The moment Manshine City made an enemy of PXG, and the moment Julian Loki added Ichigo Kurosaki’s name to a short list of people he considered a threat.

Despite the soul crushing goal, Marseille managed to rally enough strength to get a perfectly timed through ball to Lacroix. The French striker was determined to go down swinging and managed to let off a direct shot which was barely missed by Rook. 

There was no over the top celebration or any cheering on the French team as the ref blew the whistle indicating the game was over.

With a final score of 4-1 Manshine City had once again put their opponents in the dirt and were quickly becoming one of the early favorites to win the whole thing. The orange haired striker walked over to Lacroix who was taking deep breaths while resting his hands above his knees. Sensing his arrival, the young man looked up and nodded at him, extending a hand which turned into a half hug with a single pat on the back.

“We win next time.” Lacroix told him. There was a fire burning in his eyes that the players from Bolos didn’t have after their losses. 

“We’ll be waiting.” He replied. The rest of his team followed his lead and shook hands with the rest of the players on the pitch before making their way toward the tunnels to change. As he followed the team, Ichigo looked up to see Loki sending him a hard stare. 

The crowd as well as reporters who noticed the stare down looked back and forth between the two. The giant screen above the pitch made sure everyone knew what was going on. There was no doubt in anyone's mind what would be talked about for the next few days. 

“Come on, it’s time to go.” Driver said, lightly tapping his chest with a fist. “Worry about Loki later.”

Driver was right, he thought to himself. Tearing his eyes away from the prodigy, he walked through the tunnel with the rest of his team and allowed himself to smile as he could hear the commotion coming from the locker room. 

He sat down and kicked his boots off, letting his feet breathe. He really needed a new pair.

“You know we’re gonna get booed to hell if we play against PXG right?” Becker asked. “Stealing Loki’s moves and celebration in France was a crazy idea. What made you do that? Not that I’m against the move.”

Ichigo shrugged nonchalantly and took his jersey off. “He took the first shot at me, I just replied in a different way. That’s all.” 

Driver wiped his face down with a small towel and smirked, showing some emotion for the first time. “I just hope when the time comes you have better boots.”

Everyone’s eyes followed his line of sight to see that the fastener that kept the bottom portion of the boot in place had now failed, leaving the shoe disconnected. 

The team had a good laugh at his expense until Becker got everyone under control. “Alright, let’s hurry and get out of here and celebrate. What do you guys feel like having?”

All eyes turned to Ichigo who simply raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“You’re mostly responsible for the win tonight, so pick.” Rook commented.

The image of Mai flashed through his mind and he was unable to stop the smile from growing on his face.

“I could go for a croissant.”

Chapter 6

Sorry for the delay everyone, had some things to take care of. Hope you guys enjoy it and what's to come as I'm working on what I hope will be the best chapter to date. Anyway, in football news Arsenal has taken a 3-0 lead on aggregate WE(you and me) need them to finish the job tomorrow. WE will all be rooting for them.

The second leg against Marseille came and went in a flash. It had been clear that the French team had done an intense study on their style of play as they were much more aggressive and their defensive efforts had seemingly doubled. Lacroix had done his best to keep his word and lead his team to victory, to that end the young man had managed to score two goals in a desperate attempt to keep themselves in the game. Although it was impressive, it wasn’t enough to keep Marseille afloat.

After the first leg, City knew they would have to change gears a bit since they couldn’t allow themselves to become predictable. After a quick change in formation, Marseille’s tactics weren’t able to adapt fast enough to the new style of play which led to them conceding 6 goals, three from Ichigo one of which had been a penalty, two from Driver, and one as a result of a free kick from Becker. 

Most of the football twitter accounts that followed the youth league were quick to report on their undefeated streak along with the amount of goals he’d scored. That had been one of the most talked about topic on every sports news network. After four games, he stood at the top of the leaderboard in terms of goals with a total of 13 along with 6 assists. Loki ranked just below him with 10 goals of his own and 1 assist. Below him were two teammates from Germany who had 9 goals a piece.

Even the pages which usually only covered the senior squads and transfer news were commenting on the fact that after all four games, he was the only player to have a hattrick in each one. Needless to say his follower count continued to grow as more and more fans became interested in his progression.

Ichigo lazily scrolled through his Twitter feed as he lounged in bed, keeping an ear open to the tv in the background in case something interesting came up. Apart from rumors of big name players potentially joining other teams next season and breakdowns of plays during big matches nothing had caught his attention. At least until one of the bigger networks began talking about Manshine City.

“Bryan.” One of the hosts began with a grin on his face. “I think you know what we’re about to talk to you about don’t you?” 

Bryan, the dark skinned co-host exhaled and had a defeated smile on his face as he brought his microphone up. “I don’t suppose we’re going to talk about Chris Prince and his dominant performance during City’s last match are we?”

“No sir. We need to talk about the U20 squad and their complete annihilation of Marseille, specifically what happened during the first leg. Now, everyone knows you’re a diehard PXG fan, so tell us, what did you think of Ichigo Kurosaki’s actions when he scored his hattrick?”

“Well Andrew, to be quite honest as a PXG fan, he succeeded in ruffling some feathers. I can’t tell you how many of us were in complete disbelief when we saw it. As a football fan however, I can’t deny this is exactly what the sport was missing. Everyone knows Loki started this when he made the claim that Kurosaki was behind him, we know this. So what did Kurosaki do? He didn’t just steal his iconic celebration, the mad man completely recreated his highlight reel. He even ran just as fast. Do you know how fast Loki is?”

“Very fast.” Andrew replied with a nod.

“Yeah, and Kurosaki kept the pace, scored the goal, and taunted him while in France. He basically told Loki, ‘I’m here, I’m not behind you, you’re behind me.’ and the fact that he’s the leading scorer backs his statement up.”

The host of the show replayed that goal once more and could only make a face seeing just how accurately Loki’s goal had been recreated. 

“My thoughts exactly, and I’ve been given a bit of push back for what I’m about to say next but I’ll say it anyway since I fully believe it. Next season Loki will be starting for PXG’s senior team, there’s no doubt about it. He’s been the U20 star player for two years already but I’m willing to say on national tv, that no one should be surprised when we get word that Ichigo Kurosaki will be moved into a starting position in City’s senior squad.”

To Andrew’s surprise, his co-host offered no witty response or any kind of pushback which was what the viewers had grown accustomed to over their years covering the sport. Instead, he simply nodded his head.

“Had this been two weeks ago I would’ve disagreed. However, he’s completely torn apart two good teams defenses and essentially scored at will whenever the ball is in his possession. This is his first year with City, but he’s shown all the attributes of a seasoned player. He has the body strength, the speed, the power, and the ability to adapt on the fly. I fully agree with you Andrew, we will definitely be seeing this rivalry next year in the Champions League.”

“We’re actually on the same page for once, but let me ask you this. How do you think their game will translate into the big stage? It’s one thing to dominate at the youth level, we’ve seen it with players like Dada Silva, Leonardo Luna, and Pablo Cavasoz but now they’d be playing against the absolute elite of the sport.”

Bryan sighed. “Based purely on what we’ve seen, I think they’ll translate into the big league easily. Like we said earlier, Kurosaki is in his first year and he’s already showing that he’s got what it takes. Combine that with the teachings of one of the best strikers in the world in Chris Prince and what do we think is going to happen?”

“Exactly my thoughts but we’re running out of time. We’d like to know what you guys head over to our socials and chime in. Will this rivalry continue for years to come or will it fizzle out if one or both of them fail to adjust to the competitiveness of the Premier League and Ligue 1.”

Ichigo turned his attention back to his phone to see Mai had commented on his picture in which he was holding a croissant. 

“ You’re so lucky! While I was stuck at work you were in France enjoying yourself. ” He muttered to himself happily. 

Their conversation swiftly moved to DM’s to avoid flooding the comment section and giving his followers a chance to rudely interrupt. As it turned out Mai was interested in his trip but also wanted him to keep some details to himself so that when she finally went, she’d be able to experience it completely fresh. 

In the time that they’d spent chatting, the tv had changed from football news to other sports and he’d never noticed the transition. Before he knew it, it had been past midnight and although he’d have loved to continue talking to her, he knew he needed to be up early for practice. Mai understood, needing to get rest for her training as well and bid him goodnight. 

Everything in the room was turned off leaving him alone with his thoughts until sleep could claim him. Life was strange, he concluded. A few years ago his life had changed with his fateful meeting with Rukia and had been a rollercoaster since then. Once everything had died down and he was sure a normal life would finally be in his cards, fate had other plans for him. Now he was a footballer on the come up, gaining a following in the sports world, and was even having late night conversations with a pretty girl in the UK. Who could have thought?

Eventually his eyes did start getting heavier and sleep was finally able to come.

The overcast skies over Manshine accurately reflected how most of the players were feeling at the moment. Ichigo’s practice gear was covered in sweat and his skin was particularly bright due to both the sweat and light drizzle that was coming down. Similarly his midfielders who had begun following along with his training exercises were panting heavily as the session came to a close.

“If you guys are this tired, maybe try slowing the pace down a bit.” Ichigo suggested, gently tossing each of them a water bottle. “The main thing is not stopping, but if you have to slow down don’t hesitate.”

Driver drank half the bottle in a single swig and poured the remaining water over his head. “It’s nothing we can’t handle. Besides, if we get used to this then real games will be easier to deal with. I noticed my stamina was one of my weaker aspects. I slowed down near the end of the game against Marseille and because of that they were able to score.”

Becker nodded in agreement and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “He’s right. Our stamina really took a dip after the first half. I couldn’t stop them from breaking through and Lacroix managed to get some shots in.”

Ichigo knew exactly what plays they were talking about and sure, if they had better stamina they would have had a better shot at defending. However, Lacroix had been a man on a mission, the sole thought in his mind had been to score and save their reputation. The man’s footwork had gotten cleaner, his passes more accurate, and his physical stats had seemingly been boosted as well. The adrenaline that was flowing through him at the moment of the goals meant he was going to get by no matter what.

He could have stopped him, that was a certainty but that wasn’t his job. 

“Alright then, I hope you guys are ready then because it’s going to be like this up until our next match.”

Driver and Becker glanced at one another and bumped fists. They had been crucial parts of each other's goals during the last game and their chemistry had improved. Their styles were still different enough that they would need the first half to really get a feel for what they were thinking but they were certain that after a few games, that would be rectified. 

“Looks like the rain is about to start coming down.” Becker said, looking up at the sky. Small droplets of rain landed on his open palms one after another. “I know even you’re not crazy enough to keep practicing like this.” He jabbed at the orange haired striker.

Deciding not to let the barb get a reaction out of him, Ichigo looked up at the dark sky above them and took a deep breath. Rainy days didn’t have the same effect on him as they used to but even still he didn’t want to be exposed to it. Kicking the ball up, he caught it with his right hand and began walking toward the cones they’d laid out.

“Yeah, I’m probably going to go to the store and then take it easy for a bit. What about you guys?” He asked.

Driver picked up his own small cones and looked over his shoulder. “I’m going to play the new PIFA with some friends online.”

“Pro clubs?” Becker asked with a glint in his eye. “Got any positions available?”

“We need a winger. If you’re good you can join us.”

The two midfielders began discussing how the new game was different from the previous one as well as what kind of strategies they’d use to climb up the ranks. Knowing he didn’t have the game or the system they played on, he remained quiet but silently thought about investing in one. His room was quite bare, maybe it would help liven things up.

Eventually the trio separated and retreated to their rooms. A quick shower did the trick of relieving him of his fatigue and just as he began researching gaming systems, his phone began to ring.

“Chad.” Ichigo greeted happily. “What’s going on? How is everything back home?”

“Ichigo.” Chad’s deep voice rang out from the other side of the line. To others it might have sounded like he’d simply said his name, but having known the giant for so long he could distinguish the friendly greeting in his tone. “Everything is good over here. I was just calling to see how you’re settling in.”

“Everything is good over here, big guy. The first couple of days took a bit of getting used to. Everything is so different compared to what I’m used to. The architecture, the food, the culture, the people, I can see why someone would get overwhelmed if they weren’t prepared.”

“I know what you mean.” Chad replied. “I had a fight in Germany recently, everything was different. I’m glad you’re doing good though, especially in the youth league, you’re killing it for me.” 

Ichigo stared at the contact on his phone making sure he had the right person before placing the device back up to his ear. “I’m just going to pretend I didn’t hear that you’re betting on me. Anyway, what’s this about a fight in Germany?”

The boxer went on to explain that he’d had a number of matches already and that his impressive undefeated record was beginning to catch the attention of many promoters in the boxing world. He had his first international match against a German rising star which he managed to knock out in the third round thanks to a well timed counter to the kidney. 

Japan wasn’t known for producing many truly great professional athletes so having someone who was undefeated and who’s wins all consisted of knockouts was a big deal. 

“So you’re officially a pro now? That was fast.”

“I’m still technically considered an amateur but I’m told it won’t be long now before I make the jump to professional status. That’s actually one of the reasons I was calling you.” He revealed.

Ichigo scrolled down the open tab on his laptop, clicking on more info about the new Playstation and nodded even though his friend couldn’t see it. “What’s up?”

“I’ve been invited to participate in an exhibition match taking place in Manshine soon. It’s being held between two different promotions so it’s a mix of mma fights and boxing, something about trying to reach a larger audience. I think it might be because it’ll be cheaper to split the cost of renting the venue if it’s two promotions since neither is as large as some of the others. They’re still pretty big, just not Golden Boy big.” He explained.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the info but still smiled good naturedly at the news. “That’s great Chad. You’re going to do it right? You already had a match in Germany, plus if you’re here long enough I could probably show you around.” 

Despite the offer, it hadn’t dawned on him that during his stay the only real place he knew other than his home stadium was the store he frequented. That and the few convenience stores down the street. 

“I’ve accepted the invitation. That being said, I’ve also been given permission to invite people. That means you'd have the best seats for the fights and backstage access. You in?”

“Of course.” He replied eagerly. “Just keep me informed but I will be there no matter what. Did you tell the others?”

“I did. While they would like to attend they said they didn’t have the funds to travel that far but they’ll cheer me on and will have the channel ready.” 

After chatting for a few more minutes, Chad had to get going, letting him know that he only stayed up that late in order to be able to chat with him over the phone since the time zones made it difficult. A message came through a moment later reminding him about the event which was soon added to his calendar. 

It made him feel pretty good that one of his oldest friends had managed to get his own athletic career going and was seemingly off to a good start. He was already traveling the world and would be in his backyard soon. He smirked happily as he entered his card information into the page to complete his purchase. It wouldn’t be long before the world was exposed to who he was sure would be the best boxer in the world.

---

“They really need to change the song selection around here.” He muttered under his breath as he took the escalators up to the fourth floor. It seemed whoever was in charge of the stereo for the store either had a playlist they were forced to go through, or didn’t listen to enough music. He could only imagine what it was like for the workers who had to listen to it eight hours a day.

Stepping off the final step, he dug his right hand into his pocket making sure the money Becker gave him was still secure. After seeing one of his jackets he’d made the comment that he wanted one and to let him know when he’d be going. The store he had ordered his Playstation from had sent him an email in the morning saying it had been ready for pickup and seeing as it wasn’t too far, he decided to stop by while he was out. 

“Ichigo.” Mai called out, waving at him from behind the counter. “What brings you here so early? You never come by at this time.” She questioned with a pensive frown.

“One of my coworkers liked the jacket I bought the other day and wanted me to stop by and get him one when I had a chance. I was heading to another store to pick up an order so I just stopped by on the way.” He replied with a shrug.

The brown haired woman replied with a simple ‘ah’ of understanding and without being prompted, walked with him to the jacket section. “So how’s work? Any more trips coming up?” She asked in a fake mocking tone only for her face to fall at the knowing smile on her friend's face. “There’s no way.”

“There’s another one in about a month or so.” He replied smugly. “I can’t remember where they said we were going but we’re going.”

Mai sighed and placed her hands on her hips. “Must be nice. Meanwhile I’ll be here, listening to the guy from Ipswich Town on a loop for eight hours.”

“It could be worse. At least the customers you get aren’t as bad as the ones in the fast food industry.” Becker had shown him countless videos on Twitter in which customers had picked fights with the workers or in some cases had a whole blender thrown at their face for getting crazy.

Coming from a place where most people were friendly and respectful, it was an eye opening experience to see what other places dealt with. In his opinion, having to listen to catchy pop music wasn’t all that bad. Annoying sure, but it could always be worse.

Mai sighed but couldn’t disagree. “I guess that’s true. So you said a jacket right?”

He nodded but stopped as Chad’s invitation to the event popped into his mind. He was essentially being given a VIP pass and while he’d never been to something like that before, he had seen enough fights on tv to know there was some kind of dress code. It wasn’t anything too fancy like a suit and tie but most of the celebrities he’d seen on tv when the camera panned to them were always a bit more than casual.

“Yeah, the same one but now that I think about it I’d like one for myself too.” 

“Leave it to me.” Mai grinned. After grabbing the jacket for Becker, his eyes began checking over every other item they had. Some were large puffer style coats that would work back home in the snow but not in Manshine, at least during this time. Others were styled like blazer jackets but would have some kind of logo or an excess of buttons that would ruin the look in his opinion. The woman had shown him a leather jacket, one similar to her own but that one was a bit too heavy. The reality was that it weighed next to nothing in the grand scheme of things but for a jacket, it would definitely be uncomfortable.

His eyes darted around the section they were in, scanning every piece of clothing he could see until they landed on a section familiar to him. 

“Oh I forgot you liked that brand.” Mai commented, following his line of sight. “Hold on, I think I might have something you’ll like.”

Rather than heading toward that section, Mai walked back toward the register only to disappear behind the unmarked door behind it. Now by himself he idly looked through the shirts to see if there had been any new ones in stock only to be disappointed to see more of the same shirts he already had.

He was left alone for no more than two minutes before Mai re emerged from the back room holding a black bundle in her hand. It was wrapped in plastic but he could make out the familiar four arrow pattern.

“They did a limited drop earlier and they sold out quickly. The customer who ordered this one ended up having to cancel so it just sat in the back. What do you think? It’s a little pricey though.” She said with a slight grimace. If there was one thing she knew about Ichigo, it was that he always bought stuff with the intention of not going broke.

She carefully removed the plastic and extended the jacket for him to see. It was similar to a windbreaker in that it was rather light but it felt better than any he owned. The back had a large print of the arrows while the sleeves spelled out the name of the brand. It wasn’t over the top nor was it too simple. 

“It’s perfect.” He replied with a grin. 

Mai matched his grin excitedly and took the other jacket he already had. “I knew it. Alright, anything else?”

“That’s it.”

“You know the drill then. Come on.” 

The two items were rung up and as he was paying, Mai spoke once again, this time without what he considered her signature smile. She was looking at him with a face of uncertainty, the kind of look Rukia would give him before she would ask him to do something she thought he wouldn’t want to do. 

“Is everything alright?” He asked delicately.

The usual confidence was gone but was soon replaced with resolve. Now he was really curious. He knew his first mini shopping spree had helped her out with the commission she’d made, maybe she needed more money but couldn’t find it in her to ask? He knew the feeling to a degree. Needing money and having to ask for it was always rather embarrassing.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m not sure if I told you already but there’s an event coming up soon. It’s a mix between mma and boxing, to make a long story short I actually have a match and they’re paying me for it.” She finally revealed.

“Oh yeah I’ve heard of it. Congratulations, that's a huge deal.” 

Mai’s anxiety slowly faded seeing the enthusiasm on the orange haired man’s face. It was one thing to chat with a guy online, but when they were in front of you it was a different story. It didn’t help that she thought he was very good looking.

“Thanks, I just wanted to know if you would be willing to go check it out. I’m not sure on the prices yet but it would be nice to know someone there other than my parents were there to cheer me on.”

“I will be there. I promise.” He replied. “I’ll just need to know when it is. Can you keep me updated?” He asked. 

“Yeah no problem. Here.” She said, grabbing the receipt and a pen. “I’ll leave my number for you and we can talk about it more. It’ll be easier than Twitter.” She said with a sly smile.

What Mai didn’t know was that Chad had already given Ichigo the information about the event. He wouldn’t tell her that however, Mai was one of the prettiest girls he’d met and that was saying something as he knew women like Yoruichi. If she was offering her number, he wouldn’t reject it. 

He’d never been the smartest when it came to women, but even he would be blind if he couldn’t see this was her trying to make a move. Now that he had a somewhat normal life, there was no reason he couldn’t reciprocate. Taking the receipt, he noticed the barely noticeable blush on her cheeks. 

“Thanks for your help again Mai. I’ll message you tonight.” 

His words caused her face to light up. He would have loved to stay longer, but he had to get going. As he left he could only imagine how his friends would react knowing the guy who they once considered a prude was now going to actively pursue someone.

---

Time seemed to fly by for Manshine City as match after match they showed why they had started to become the favorites to win the entire thing. Not only did they have the highest number of goals scored, they also had the least amount of goals scored against. Having completely decimated the rest of their opponents, they had progressed into the round of 16 while some of the other teams headed toward the playoffs. 

While they still had league games to play, the pressure was much less noticeable on the pitch as they also sat comfortably at the top of the table. The free time they had meant they were able to get more practice in and enjoy some time to themselves. The small break couldn’t have come at a better time as the day of the event had quickly arrived and Ichigo had already received his credentials through the post.

A backstage pass had been provided for him courtesy of Chad and his ticket read ‘VIP’. His seat was essentially ringside with the added bonus of all concessions being paid for in advance. That was Chad’s work no doubt.

He stood in front of the mirror in his bathroom and adjusted his hair slightly while giving himself a final look. The jacket that Mai had suggested fit him well and wasn’t over the top like many other celebrities liked to do. Everything he wore had been bought from the same place and while it hadn’t been cheap, he liked to think it was well worth the money. Adding a spray of cologne, he put in the request for a ride on his phone and made his way out.

Once he arrived at the venue he was quickly led inside after flashing his badge and was able to find his friend shortly after. Chad looked mostly the same with the exception of his hair being a tad bit longer, long enough to tie into a very small ponytail but he still looked every bit as imposing as he did before.

“Ichigo, I’m glad you could make it.” Chad greeted, bringing his best friend into a half hug.

“Wouldn’t miss it. How are you feeling? Nervous?” Ichigo asked, taking in the area as they walked further into the building. There was staff working overtime making sure everyone was where they should be, multiple monitors showed the crowd filling the seats as well as highlights from some of the competitors. He knew Chad was the second to last match with Mai being right before him.

“Not really, I’m just going to do what I’ve been doing. It should be alright.” Chad replied. “What about you, how does it feel being a pro?”

Ichigo took a deep breath and began explaining everything he’d been up to. From his first match, to his ‘rivalry’ with Julian Loki which had heated up more when the man stole his own celebration shortly after the Marseille game. The football world was watching the two ‘rising stars’ with great interest, looking forward to when they would finally meet.

It was nice catching up with his old friend and watching the first few fights from his personal training room. He had even gotten the chance to put on a pair of training gloves and call out some basic combinations for Chad to follow to begin warming up. His trainer had been hesitant to allow it but after seeing him barely flinch from the strength of the punches, he was allowed to continue.

“Mr Kurosaki.” One of the promoters called out as he entered Chad’s room. “As much as I’d love to keep you here, we are going to need Mr Yasutora and his team to take care of some business. If you wouldn’t mind, we can escort you to your seat.” 

“No problem.” He turned to Chad. “I’ll be rooting for you, show the world what you’re made of.”

He bumped fists with a golden glove and exited the room where a stage hand wearing a headset was waiting next to the promoter. The younger man looked at him with wide eyes and cleared his throat.

“Please follow me.” 

As they walked through the corridors of the arena, he managed to get a glimpse of Mai in one of the rooms. Similar to Chad, she was going through a few exercises to warm up against an older man in training gear. Part of him wanted to let her know he was there but the other didn’t want to interrupt her while she was getting in the zone. 

Once they made it to the general public, the noise level escalated instantly. It was nowhere near as rowdy as the fans during a match but the excitement was easily felt. The flashing lights, the loud music during the intermission, and the buzz from the knockout of the earlier match made for a lively environment.

“You’ll be seated right over there next to the gentleman in the dark blue suit.” The stagehand yelled out.

Ichigo nodded thankfully and began moving through the crowd until he found his assigned chair. He was in between two men, one of which he recognized as the star of the senior squad of his team. Chris Prince was every bit as charismatic as he seemed on TV as he was chatting up two ladies that sat to his right. On the other side was a bearded man with two toned hair. The top was a light brown while the sides and back along with his beard were black. 

He had the build of a footballer and he looked familiar, he just couldn’t quite place his finger on how he knew him. Taking his seat, he rested one leg on his knee and glanced up at the large screen that hung atop the venue. A few musical stars were in attendance, some of which he hadn’t heard of along with a few cricket players. The crowd cheered loudly when their image was on the screen so they were probably a big deal.

The camera’s panned over to Chris Prince who smiled brightly and raised a fist in the spirit of the event. A light blue banner appeared under his name that read ‘Manshine City striker, Chris Prince’. As they were in their backyard, the arena exploded in cheers and applause for the handsome man. 

To his surprise, he was next to appear with a similar banner under him reading the exact same thing as his senior counterpart. Not wanting to be awkward he gave the camera a smile and a two finger salute which the crowd seemed to cheer for. 

Finally, he got to see who the man next to him was. Adam Blake, striker for the ARS Football Club. The cheers were loud but nowhere near what they had been for Chris. It made sense since this was their turf after all. 

“So that’s Manshine’s new striker?” Adam questioned loudly. Ichigo wasn’t sure if the question had been directed at him or Chris, as the man was barely looking at them out of the corner of his eye. His gaze reminded him of his first encounter with Byakuya and the unimpressed look he’d given him before their first battle. It pissed him off. 

Seeing as Chris hadn’t replied, he assumed the question had been directed at him.

“I’m the striker for the youth squad.” He replied evenly.

“Ah, that’s surprising.” He replied as he crossed his arms and gave his attention back to the ring. His tone hadn’t changed a bit, in fact it sounded like he had written him off completely after he’d gotten his answer. 

“In what way?” Ichigo asked, curious to see how his answer had made him even less interested in the conversation.

Adam turned back to him, barely paying him any mind and sighed as though he had expected the conversation to die down. The man took a deep breath and scratched at his beard before speaking again.

“I’ve played against developing countries when it comes to football. It’s usually like taking candy from a baby, so I was surprised when I heard City had a new signing from Japan. I just didn’t think it was a kid.” He replied bluntly, much to Ichigo’s surprise. Usually people would try to give a backhanded compliment at least, but Adam Blake didn’t see the need to. Ichigo himself was someone who didn’t like to sugarcoat things, but even he knew when to not intentionally make an enemy of someone.

“You’d be surprised at the kind of athletes Japan can produce.” Ichigo replied, beginning to get annoyed at the man.

“I’d like to say I agree but there hasn’t been anyone in any of the five major leagues who made an impact. That’s proven by the fact that Japan has never won a world cup.” Adam replied, finally turning fully to look at the younger player. His action caused Chris to glance over his shoulder and adjust his body in order to listen in. It was well known Adam and Chris were rivals, not to the same degree as his rivalry with Noel Noa but there was still some mutual respect for each other’s skills.

Ichigo was unimpressed and mirrored the man’s posture, crossing his arms and turning away to look at the ring just as another match was set to start.

“Didn’t England win back in like 66? You guys aren’t that much better.” He replied, trying to imitate the uninterested tone Blake had been using. He almost smirked when he saw the older striker frown.

“That would probably hit harder if you were playing against us instead of the junior league where your only competition is Loki. When you reach our level then feel free to talk.”

“It won’t be that much longer.” Ichigo shot back. “I’ll say this, I truly do hope for your sake you manage to win a treble this year.” 

His comment drew a frown not only from Adam, but from Chris as well. Ichigo played for Manshine so why would he hope that another team beat them? Rather than interject, he opted to continue listening in to see where it would go. He could always chime in if necessary. The last thing the media needed was to hear that he wasn’t fully committed to the club.

“Why’s that?”

Ichigo grinned challengingly and both senior players could feel the energy around them shift. 

“Because once I’m on the senior squad next season, you can kiss any chance of winning a trophy goodbye. I’ll make it my goal to make sure ARS always has a major accolade just out of reach. That won’t just extend to the club but to you as well. The golden boot? Mine. The Ballon d’Or? Mine. Emirates? That’ll be Manshine’s second home.”

Chris didn’t notice exactly when his own grin managed to almost split his face but he quickly composed himself and leaned over, getting both men’s attention before Adam could respond. The man wasn’t one to joke with much less talk trash too unless you were ready to get physical on the pitch.

“That’s enough of that now gentlemen.” He spoke softly just as one of the competitors took a hard right to the chin. “We’re here to watch some combat sports. Why don’t we save any animosity for the pitch? Ichigo.” He commented happily. “Why don’t you switch seats with me?”

Both men knew it was simply to let any heat die down and he graciously took up the man’s offer. Not wanting to be rude, he greeted the two women Chris had been chatting with and gave his full attention to the conclusion of the match. The screen displayed who the winner was and a few minutes later, it was Mai’s match.

He sat up in his seat once she entered the ring and he was immediately captivated. She was pretty enough dressed in her usual attire at work, but this was something else. His eyes were locked onto her red and white shinobi inspired outfit that he knew she wouldn’t be fighting in. To appeal to the spectators she pulled out two small fans one to cover her face and one raised above her head before doing a quick acrobatic flip and removing the outfit to reveal the standard attire. 

As she did her quick lap her eyes met his and she smiled widely while waving happily at him. The moment ended too quickly in his opinion as her opponent was led into the ring and the match was set to start.

To say she was a good fighter was an understatement. While she wasn’t on the level of some of the people he knew in Soul Society, he could see she definitely knew what she was doing. The first round began and she was instantly in control. The pace had been set by her through a series of punches and kicks which reminded him that it was a mixed event.

Neither he nor Chris could hide the wince seeing her tag the other woman with a left hand to the face and following up with a kick to the ribs and a jumping knee to the chin. Her opponent reeled from the hit and tried to retreat toward the ropes but Mai was on her to continue the assault.

“You wouldn’t think a girl as innocent looking as her would pack that kind of a punch huh?” Chris commented, leaning his body over so he wouldn’t have to take his eyes off the match.

“No kidding.” Just as the words left him, Mai stunned the crowd. A kick was easily parried followed up by a double fisted attack to the woman's chest which broke her stance. A solid right uppercut followed with a spinning kick to the woman’s body coming shortly after. Just when the crowd thought she would finish, they were treated to the sight of an elbow attack and what would surely be the highlight of the event.

Mai bent her knees and did a backflip in order to kick her opponent in the chin once more, causing her to tumble to the canvas. The crowd which had already gone wild from the start of the attack was deafening, the excitement only grew as she landed in style and bowed to the crowd before checking on her opponent.

Ichigo stood up from his seat and clapped alongside everyone else. Mai stood up, letting the woman's team as well as the trained staff on hand tend to the woman and quickly turned to find him. She rushed through the ropes and ran toward him, pulling him into a tight hug which he happily reciprocated.

“Ichigo, I’m so glad you could make it!” She squealed. “I thought you had gotten general admission tickets, how did you get VIP?!”

“My buddy Chad has the second to last match and got me in. I told you I would be here for you.” He said, letting her go.

She placed a hand on her hip and gave him a teasing look while bending forward. “You did. You know what else I noticed? Before the fight started, you were taking a good look at me weren’t you? Come on, don’t be shy now.” She said, waving a finger at him teasingly.

Knowing this was his best chance, he exhaled and raised his hands as if being caught by the authorities. “Alright, I was. You happy to hear it?”

“Very much so. But seriously, I am glad you were able to make it. When I saw some of the prices I was worried it would only be my parents I could celebrate with.” 

“Well, I know your parents are probably really proud of you and I don’t want to keep you away from them for much longer since they’re probably dying to congratulate you. How about we celebrate your victory this weekend?” He finally asked.

It took the woman a second to process what he’d asked and suddenly, her face lit up. “Like a date?”

“Like a date.” He confirmed.

“Yes!” She replied excitedly only to realize just how many people were watching their interaction. Feeling mild embarrassment from her outburst she nodded and pulled him into a final hug. “I mean, yeah that sounds great. I have to get going but call me tonight!” She yelled as she had to make her way to the back with her team.

Chris stared at him with a pleased smile on his face as he sat down. “That was smooth kid. Bold too, not only did you ask her out in public in front of thousands but she’s a trained fighter at that. You better treat her right.” He joked.

Ichigo grinned in response, glancing down at his phone to check the time. The rest of the event wasn’t as exciting as Mai’s match. Chad had predictably decimated his opponent in the second round while using the first to gauge what he’d need to do. The knockout had been swift and perfectly timed, just like all the others. While he wasn’t as flashy as other fighters, he had shown everyone what mattered and sent a message. 

One that was definitely received if the chatter he heard around him was any indication. The main event went to the fifth round before the crowd saw another knockout, though this one came via TKO. 

“Ichigo.” Chris called out to him just as the event was ending. “Got a moment?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Just wanted to finally meet you and formally introduce myself. We’ve been following your last few matches, you’ve really been raising some eyebrows from the higher ups. Did someone tell you you were going to be on the senior squad next season or were you trying to get under Adam’s skin?”

“The latter mostly, but I’m confident I can make it happen.” 

His words were exactly what Chris wanted to hear. “I like the confidence, that combined with what you’re doing on the pitch is really helping your case. I’d like to have you tag along with me somewhere soon, just so you can see what comes with being a pro. Think of it as something to give you just a tiny bit more motivation, because we both know the teams you’re playing against now aren’t doing it for you are they?” 

“You could tell huh?” No use denying it.

“I used to look just like you after easy matches. The problem is that it can lead to a loss in motivation. After all, why try hard if you can coast right? Keep an eye on your phone, you should be getting a call in the next few days.” He said, turning to leave only to stop a moment later. “Oh, and don’t worry I’ll let you bring a plus one.” 

Ichigo smiled to himself at the teasing remark but couldn’t find it in him to say anything back. He nodded and thanked the man before beginning to make his way out the way he came as he’d been instructed by Chad. The night had been a success for mostly everyone, and even before he’d left the venue he’d managed to see both Chad and Mai once more. 

The fullbringer thanked Ichigo for showing up while letting him know he’d be in the city for a few more days, which meant they could hang at least once more. With Mai, he’d been pulled in for a selfie with her while briefly chatting about her performance. Sadly their time came to an end since most fighters had mandatory interviews to do. After promising to call her, he got a ride and finally went home.

Laying in his bed felt better than before that night, and once he’d gotten the text from Mai, he gave her a call to end the night.

At that moment, he thought life really couldn’t get any better.

Chapter 7

Hey everyone sorry for the wait. Just want to say that with this chapter I've officially caught up to the stockpile of chapters I've had for this story so it'll take a bit longer for the chapters to drop now. I've already started chapter 8 though so it shouldn't be too long. Also just want to say we're all smoking that United pack today. Anyway, enjoy.

The morning after the martial arts event, Mai awoke in an amazing mood despite her alarm's annoying persistence to piss her off at six in the morning. On a normal day it would have succeeded and she’d be tempted to toss it against the wall of her apartment, but after the events of the previous night, there was nothing that could ruin her mood.

She curled herself into a small ball under the soft silk blankets and smiled to herself. The memories not only of her winning in front of her family but also Ichigo asking her out played in her mind like an endless loop. It was somewhat surreal to her that someone who had started out as just another customer, an admittedly good looking one, had somehow ended up worming his way into her life. 

A small part of her had been worried that her hints would go unnoticed or worse, unreciprocated. He was kind enough whenever they spoke but that didn’t change the fact that they had mostly only spoken while she was at work. When his reason for seeing her was because he really had no choice in the matter. Her gamble on exchanging social media information had paid off and soon, the barrier between them had been broken.

Night after night they had started chatting about anything and everything. She had told him how she’d gotten interested in fighting, her life in Japan before moving, and when she was feeling extra daring during their talks made sure to stress that she’d been single for a while. In her mind, that was the clear signal she was interested and available. Fortunately he not only listened but also told her about himself.

She knew he had family back home, how he was adapting to life in an English speaking country where the culture was so far removed from what he was used to, and more importantly, that he too wasn’t seeing anyone. From that moment on she’d begun to make more of an effort when getting ready for work. 

An extra spray of perfume here, scented moisturizer there, eyeliner done so sharp she could cut her finger if she touched under her eye, the works. Was it a bit over the top? Sure, but it worked. Ichigo tried to hide it but she knew whenever he saw her his eyes lingered just a tad bit longer than before. It had gotten to the point where she had expected him to ask her out any day, only to begin growing worried when he wouldn’t.

The first thing she had thought was that she misread the situation, but all of her worries could now be thrown right out the window.

She pulled knees up to her chest, enjoying the feeling of her soft sheets rubbing against her skin. Things really couldn’t get much better. She won her fight, got paid nicely for it, her mom had made her favorite food at their place to celebrate, and she now had a date coming up. 

She sighed happily and tried to get back to sleep only for her excitement to override the sleepiness she might have felt. Her eyes were wide awake but it was still too early to get up and start making herself something to eat. Instead, she picked up her phone and checked what was going on in the martial arts world. There had been a few other smaller events happening elsewhere featuring some fighters she knew. Rather than seeing the notifications for the results however, Mai was floored to see her home screen flooded with hundreds of notifications from both social media platforms.

“1500 comments?” She muttered in confusion. Scrolling quickly, her eyes began to widen as no matter how much she scrolled, the notifications didn’t stop. Where did these come from? She didn’t even have that many followers on either site to have that many comments.

She pulled herself into a seated position on her bed, shivering slightly as the cold wood touched her neck. Unlocking her phone she quickly went into the settings to temporarily deactivate notifications so that she could scroll without the annoying banners showing up every few seconds. With that situation taken care of, she tapped on one of the notifications and was taken to the picture she’d uploaded the night before with Ichigo after her match just before he left.

She looked damn good in her opinion and the likes definitely reflected that. Putting aside her sudden notice of her increased follower count, she tapped the small comment icon to pull up what people had to say.

I would let this woman put me on a leash and dog walk me.

How can a woman look this good and have hands? Plus she backflipped and kicked that other girl in the chin, she can’t be real.

Imagine someone trying to rob her only to get the absolute dog shit beat out of them. A guy like me would let her but that’s just me.

I’m convinced Kurosaki is a devil worshipper. You’re telling me he can score on and off the pitch? Something isn’t right here.

That last comment was the one that caught her attention. The profile that had left the comment wasn’t followed by anyone she knew, meaning Ichigo didn’t follow him either. It wasn’t one of his friends and then there was the wording. On and off the pitch?

When they’d first followed each other she’d done what every girl does when they’re talking to a guy they like, carefully stalk their social media accounts. His profile had been pretty bare bones with a few reposts from some friends and even a picture every few years. She narrowed her eyes in thought and opened Instagram and immediately clicked on his profile. Like his Twitter, he was in the tens of thousands of followers, an increase from the last time she’d checked, she mentally noted.

The one thing she hadn’t done during her brief investigation was check out the posts he’d been tagged in. As soon as she did, everything began to click. There were hundreds of posts from numerous random people, but that wasn’t what had caught her attention. Official sports accounts had posts about him, the Manshine City football club had him posted a number of times alongside a winning scoreline. 

One of the images even had him and a blond guy enjoying a gelato in Italy. How had she never bothered to ask what he did for work? The only thing she’d ever asked was if they were hiring but now it made sense why he’d have two days only. The posts would show the results from the second team one day, and then the main team the next. 

His trips were just matches against other teams. She almost palmed her face at her own stupidity. Scrolling through more posts, she saw one that made her pause. It was two video posts, one highlighting Ichigo scoring three goals against a team and the other showing the same man she had seen him sitting next to at the event also scoring three goals. While she wasn’t much of a football fan growing up, she knew the goals she watched them perform weren’t easy to do.

“Well that explains the sudden growth in followers.” She said to herself as she watched her follower count continue to grow. Her curiosity only grew the more she scrolled through his posts and found herself growing more and more interested in the sport as she watched him play through the clips. She had of course gotten a good look at him every time they met, but seeing him in his team uniform really accented his build.

He was insanely fast and clearly strong if the strength he displayed against others was anything to go off of, but she didn’t think it was to such a degree. 

With the new info she had, another question popped into her mind. Should she say something about it? Did he assume she already knew? Pretend she hadn’t just gotten a few thousand followers overnight and resume like they had been?

It wasn’t like he’d hidden anything from her, she’d also never asked him. So far, he’d answered every question she’d asked when talking on the phone, maybe that was just on her. Swiping away all the notifications, she briefly looked through the twitter feed as well only to see it was more of the same. Exiting the app, she tossed her phone aside and picked a fresh set of clothes for the day.

Him being some kind of pro athlete didn’t make her any more excited than she’d already been. Before heading to the shower, she grabbed her phone one more time and took it with her. Maybe she would look up a few videos of his team and others in case she needed to show she knew what she was talking about.

With her plan set, she prepared herself for the work day. She could only imagine what her friends would tell her when she told them what’s been going on in her life.

---

Practice was as grueling as it always was, except this time the entirety of the team could sense the added pressure. The drills weren’t any different than before, in fact, they’d gone over them so much it was almost second nature. The reason some of the players were making more mistakes than usual was due to the presence of the senior striker of the Manshine City football club, Chris Prince. The man standing on the sideline watching the players go through numerous set pieces, free kicks, scrimmages, and physical workouts. 

There had been no word from above that he would be showing up, the players had simply been caught off guard when mid practice match, the man had shown up and decided to spectate alongside their coach. 

Ichigo didn’t mind the extra set of eyes, to him it was just another day. Their match against ARS was coming up quickly and he had a point to prove. Not only that, but he hadn’t fully thought his plan of asking Mai out through. He was still new to the city, the only places he knew were where she worked, the stadium, and a few fast food joints nearby. He couldn’t take her somewhere like that for their first date.

Two defenders were quick to surround him in order to stop his shot. They had seen him do it enough times now that they knew where it would likely come from. Sadly, he had already seen Becker make a break away from his own man and head into the box. 

All eyes went up as the ball was crossed over everyone's heads straight to the blond who was easily able to finish.

The coach blew his whistle just as the team was giving Becker pats on the back for the volley. Confusion grew among the team as Chris pulled his sweatshirt off along with his track pants to reveal his Manshine uniform underneath. 

The man grinned at the looks on their face and stepped onto the pitch.

“I hope you guys don’t mind if I join one of your teams for a bit. I just want to see what our academy has going on. I’ve been hearing good things.” Ichigo could see his praise had immediate effect on most of the players though Becker and Driver seemed to be the exception as they simply continued drinking water from their bottles.

“It’s not everyday the Captain of the senior squad comes to check you out. Make the most of it, show him what we’re capable of. Prince, you’ll be joining team B. Everyone, take a breather. In five minutes the next match starts. First to three wins.”

When the game started up again, every player on the pitch came to the same conclusion. Chris Prince wasn’t here to assess them, he wasn’t here out of curiosity, he was there for one person in particular. After ten minutes of trying to break through each other’s defenses, the senior player had yet to take his eyes off their star striker. His gaze was calculating, like he was waiting for an attack.

Once it was clear that Ichigo wasn’t going to initiate, Chris took things into his own hands.

Becker jumped to intercept a badly timed pass, controlling the ball with his chest. His touch lasted a second before he kicked it to the orange haired striker. The pitch became silent as Ichigo came face to face with the grinning rival to Noel Noa.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t really have the time to go up to three. How about first to score?” He suggested.

“Fine with me.” 

A quick flick sent the ball to the right and Ichigo was gone. He’d used the same technique plenty of times in the past, except this time, Chris was on him within seconds. 

Ichigo glanced at the man out of the corner of his eye to see him matching his pace, Chris’ eyes locked cleanly on the ball. His concentration was disrupted when the gap between them was closed suddenly by a hard shoulder bump. From the brief contact, Ichigo was able to tell the difference between the players he’d played against and a real pro.

The power generated from the shove was strong enough to lightly throw him off balance but not enough to break his pace. Extending his left hand he tried to keep him at bay in order to get a clear shot from the right only for his move to be shrugged off.

“Show me what you’re made of Ichigo.” Chris goaded. “I’m not like the youth players. This is what it’s like in every game in the big leagues. Prove that you belong there.”

Knowing his attack wouldn’t work, he had to switch up his plan. Agility wasn’t simply the art of moving quickly, it was how fast you could reach your top speed, and how fast you could decelerate from your top speed to a complete stop. Then there was the added factor of how fast one was able to change directions. To say Chris was impressed by what came next was an understatement.

Ichigo pulled the ball back coming to almost a complete stop and tapped the ball to the left with his weak foot before taking off once more. The momentary surprise created a gap between the players leaving Ichigo with enough of a window to shoot. 

At least that was what should have happened.

Chris had recovered and covered the distance faster than he’d anticipated and placed himself between him and the goal. 

“ I didn’t sprint at full speed, but it was still faster than I’ve gone in most games and he covered all that ground that fast? ” He thought to himself as a smile appeared on his face. This was getting exciting.

It was then that he noticed exactly where on the pitch they were. Left wing, a few meters away from the penalty box. But more importantly, he was near the spot where he’d been practicing his shots with Becker.

Chris watched through narrowed eyes as the air around Ichigo seemed to change. He’d seen it plenty of times during matches in the Premier League. When players knew they had to step it up because they’d either been backed into a corner, or because their defense had been completely picked apart. A final desperate maneuver to overcome the odds.

He’d seen the entire pitch, from their positions, their midfielders were in a perfect position to catch a pass but that would mean giving up the battle. The other option was to use them to get the ball back and cut by him to get a straight shot, but he would be able to stop it. So what was the move?

A moment later, everyone got the answer. He tapped the ball to the right and the midfielders prepared themselves.

Ichigo however, had no intention of passing. He was far out enough that he could add more power to the ball due to the distance and still be ok. The small window he had was big enough for him to take the shot. Chris could only watch as the ball spun rapidly in the air, looking like it would fly out of bounds only to begin turning to the left and downward until it crashed into the net.

Chris let out a whistle, he hadn’t seen a shot like that in a while. Despite the impressiveness of the shot however, the smile he put on was strained. Even if it was just a quick assessment, he didn’t like the fact that he’d lost. “Now I wish I had enough time for a full game. If I knew you were capable of this much I’d have treated you like I do some of the prem guys.” He complimented, putting aside his frustration.

“For what it’s worth, that small exchange was tougher than most of what we’ve had to go through so far.” He replied.

“I’d hope so.” The man shot back before looking at the coach who simply nodded. Had they missed something? “Anyway, I’d like to talk to you about something.”

Ichigo was given another nod by the coach and excused himself from the pitch. The two players walked until they were far enough from the game and could only hear the occasional call from the coach while the others continued the scrimmage.

“I’ve been told that management is thinking about moving you up to the senior team once the season is over.” Chris revealed.

“Is that why you’re here? To test me on their behalf?” 

“Partially. Manshine prides itself on physicality and players being able to play their role and create their own opportunities. I wanted to see if you could do that when up against a real threat. With what I saw out there, I’m sure the call up will be sometime after the Youth League ends, or sometime during if you were to lose before the end.” He continued.

“When I was scouted my contract mentioned something about that. In the event of getting called up I’d be able to renegotiate my contract with the team.” Ichigo replied, remembering the fine print from his offer. 

Chris nodded, his own contract was similar. “That’s good, with that being said, do you have an agent?”

“I don’t. I’ve gotten a few emails but haven’t had the time to really go through them and see what they’re about.”

“I figured. To keep it brief, they handle most of the business aspects of our careers. Negotiations, extensions, exposure, sponsors, you name it. I’m telling you this because your chance of getting higher pay and more benefits increases exponentially with an agent as opposed to doing it yourself.”

“I’m going to assume you have someone in mind? And I have my own question if you don't mind.”

At Chris’ nod, he continued. “Why the sudden interest? I get wanting the team to get stronger but was business advice part of the pitch?”

The older man chuckled at his train of thought and shook his head. “There’s been plenty of young stars in the making that end up getting screwed over by the system because they couldn’t negotiate. At the end of the day, the club isn’t our friend. It’s still an employer who will try to save money by any means. I’ll be straight with you, I think you’re the missing piece our team needs to finally win it all. To do that, I need to make sure you don’t get screwed over by politics and lose your drive, you understand?”

That made sense to him, there were plenty of documentaries out there about wonder kids whose careers were cut short due to details in their contracts or negligence on the part of the athletes themselves.

“I get it. So who should I look for?”

Chris’ serious demeanor changed like a switch being hit and the friendly disposition was back. “My agent, Mino. He charges a fee for his work obviously but he’s always managed to get me the best numbers. You can trust that he’ll take care of you.”

“Can I get his number?”

“He’ll be calling you actually. I already told him about approaching you and passing along the word. He’s just waiting on my response.” He replied happily.

“Something tells me you get a finders fee.” Ichigo said in a deadpan voice. 

“Anyway.” Chris switched topics. “Just thought you should know, Adam Blake will be in attendance during ARS’s second team match on saturday. Just something to keep in mind. I have to get going now, if you need anything feel free to reach out.”

Ichigo knew he was likely referring to something football related, but at that instant, Mai passed through his mind and he called out to the man before he realized what he’d done. Oh well.

“Actually there is one thing. What’s a good place to take a girl out on a date around here? I don’t know that many places.” 

Chris, having been present when Ichigo had asked out the brown haired fighter, smirked at the younger man and felt a bit of pride knowing the youth were coming to him for relationship advice. 

“You want something to leave an impression huh? Alright, I think I can do something for you. Tell your lady you’re taking her out on Sunday night, dress casually but with comfortable shoes since you’ll be standing a while. Trust me on this.” He said with a wink as he turned and walked away.

The man hadn’t answered his question at all, but from what he knew he was popular with the ladies. He had to know what he was doing and had already shown a token of good faith trying to set him up with an agent to secure his future. 

“Alright, let’s hope this doesn’t backfire on me.” He muttered, making his way back to the team.

---

Matchday

The crowd at the Emirates was almost deafening. Compared to all the other games they’d played, this was easily the most involved a crowd had been for a match. The stands were an almost endless sea of red with only a small percentage in the away section being blue. Large banners displayed the red shield and cannon along with others that showed how many trophies their club had won over the years.

“I’ll give them this, they definitely show out for the club. What other fan base do you know that will do this for the second team?” Becker asked from his right side.

Ichigo couldn’t think of an answer, but his focus wasn’t locked onto the excited fans. His gaze was scanning the VIP areas up above, looking for the one person who he hoped would attend. It wasn’t until the large screen overhead began showing the people in attendance that he was able to find who he was looking for.

Adam Blake.

The striker for the first team sat alongside the rest of his teammates who were paying much less attention than he was. The pair locked eyes and despite neither saying a word, not that they would’ve been heard, they knew exactly what each other was thinking. Their encounter at the martial arts event was still fresh in their minds and Ichigo was fully intending to make good on his promise.

Had the referee’s not ordered everyone to begin taking their places for kickoff, the staredown would have remained in a deadlock.

ARS began with the ball and kicked off the match.

After only eight minutes, Ichigo could see why they were fourth on the table in their league. Their attacks were strong and they worked like a well oiled machine, but there was one glaring flaw Ichigo could see. Their forwards and midfielders were incredibly talented, but it was clear they all wanted to be the heroes of the match.

Their touches were soft and calculated, but the open man was never considered if there was even a small window of opportunity. Rook had managed two saves from poorly selected shots in the short amount of time they’d been playing.

Ichigo remained back and raised a hand after Rook put the ball back into play. Swift, their right wing back, kicked the ball high into the air over every player's heads. With speed beyond what the player marking him could match, he took off and controlled the ball at the center line. 

The defense was sloppy and without anyone sticking close to him, he was free to go one on one with the goalkeeper, which ended in Manshine taking an early 1-0 lead.

Twenty minutes quickly flew by and halftime was approaching with only one goal in the match. The defense had increased their efforts to minimize their mistakes. They employed shorter passes between each other with no player keeping hold of the ball for more than a few seconds. Their plan of attack made sense, but having utilized the former tactic for so long, their long passes and crosses weren’t as accurate as they needed to be. 

When one of the midfielders attempted to cross the ball into the penalty box, Driver had arrived in time to force hesitation. That brief moment of confusion at the sudden pressure was enough to throw the pass off course and into City’s possession.

Now on the counterattack, Becker slowly jogged up the pitch, his eyes keeping track of where everyone was and where they would be. His blue eyes locked onto dark brown across the pitch and no words were needed. 

Becker smiled in glee at the play he envisioned. All the pieces were in play. Dashing up the pitch, he crossed the ball up with his left foot. Nothing existed to him at that moment except the perfect pass. 

The away section in the stands were on their feet when they saw where the ball was heading. Their striker had raced forward, and the only thing on the minds of the city fans was ‘who would reach it first, the goalkeeper or the striker?’

Ichigo could see where the ball would land but his chance of success would decrease if he took a moment to control the ball upon landing. 

“No problem.” He muttered to himself. Planting his left foot, he dove. 

The ball impacted against his head and bounced at an angle to the left just above the goalkeepers outstretched arms and into the net. 

His teammates were quick to rush over to him to celebrate their second successful attack while the home crowd deflated significantly. The booking noise which could at one point cause temporary deafness had been reduced to banter at the atrocious display the team was putting on. 

ARS was crumbling fast, and it was apparent to everyone once they kicked off after the goal. In their desperation to gather momentum for a comeback, their Captain made a grave error. His first touch sent the ball to their midfielder who hadn’t yet decided on their next course of action. 

He was the brain of their team but the two goals, one conceded in spectacular fashion, had rattled him. There were fewer openings than before in City’s defense, everyone was playing with vigor, and more importantly everyone was getting fair chances at shots. 

Becker quickly picked the ball as if stealing a blind man’s walking stick and sprinted down the field with Driver and Swift trailing closely nearby. His eyes found Ichigo but he also saw a clear path to goal. He was a midfielder, passing and feeding the striker was his job. He’d already had one of the best assists of his career today, but it wasn’t enough. 

The ball went left to Driver and was quickly tapped back around a defender and into Becker's possession. The added minute of extra time was coming to a close, no time to think. 

A meter inside the penalty box, he took aim and fired. The ARS players could only follow the ball with their eyes, dismay on clear display as the shot barrelled into the net.

Manshine City 3-0 at the half. 

As the teams made their way toward the tunnel to regroup, the thousands of ARS fans watching both live and on tv could only hope things would improve over the next forty five minutes. Their team was third in the league and had some of the best talent in England, they couldn’t go down like that. 

They did go down like that. 

The next forty five minutes would go on to be some of the worst football the ARS fans had seen in years. Defensive mistakes, offensive blunders, pressure mounting leading to mistimed passes and offsides calls. 

By the end of regulation City had managed to score 7 goals, and go into the second leg with an advantage that most knew to be impossible to overcome. 

As the team began making their way off the pitch, Ichigo looked up to make eye contact with Adam Blake who now stared at him with a calculating look. The uninterested gaze he’d given him at the event had been replaced with a steady frown.

Knowing eyes were on him, he lifted two fingers up to his forehead and gave a half salute with a smirk. His mouth moved but no words were spoken, that mattered little however as Adam was easily able to read his lips. You’re next.

“You made an enemy out of Julian Loki and you’re already starting something with Adam Blake too?” Driver asked as he caught up to him. 

With a careless shrug, Ichigo followed the rest of the team through the tunnel and into their locker room. 

“Loki started it with me and I took offense to some comments Adam made when we met. You don’t have to worry about it though, I’m focused on winning the league before anything else. I’ll deal with anything else after.” 

Driver took a large gulp of his gatorade and tossed the empty bottle into a recycling bin next to the door as they entered. The rest of the team were in high spirits, even their coach couldn’t help but grin as he began to congratulate them on essentially punching their ticket into the next round. There was still the second leg but with a score of 7-0 on aggregate, it was almost guaranteed that they would make it.

A few hours later after a nice dinner paid for by the coach, Ichigo was finally able to make it to the hotel the team was staying in. Using the tv for background noise, he scrolled through his Twitter feed to see what was going on with his friends and even the fans. It wasn’t until he was about to put the phone down that he saw a link to a livestream from a known football youtuber. He’d seen his face in thumbnails and even clips but from memory, he couldn’t recall a time where he looked as mad as he did in the preview.

The video loaded up quickly and he was surprised to see so many people typing in the chat egging the man on.

“ I grew up watching my club winning! This is a fucking joke fam, I’ve had enough of this! So what did I do today? I decided to go to watch the Youth squad, I know we have talented players there ready to actually compete.” The man said angrily before sighing and rubbing his eyes in defeat.

The chat continued to flood messages with laughing emoji and other off handed comments. Most had to do with the game earlier and how he’d never escape the hell that was being an ARS fan.

“ Oh fam, I can’t begin to tell you how much it killed me inside to watch what happened today. 7-0 fam, 7-0 after the first leg! It’s bad enough I have to watch the first team get their teeth kicked in every other week in the prem, but now even our youth squad is getting battered?” He asked the viewers. 

The man remained silent and took a minute to scroll through a few of the comments. Whichever one’s he read seemed to have the desired effect as he would try to take calming breaths and occasionally call someone a dickhead. 

“What did I think about Adam Blake’s performance in the last game?” He asked with a choked laugh. “Adam Blake is a fraud blud, I’ve been saying this since we signed him. We pay that man how much per week? Just for him to show out against the relegation squads and then get shut down by Prince whenever they meet? And don’t get me started on what we’ve seen online. Instead of practicing, he’s out at mma events and what’s worse he’s now got issues with Kurosaki? Fam! Instead of starting a rivalry with someone almost a decade younger than you, work on your finishing!”

Ichigo chuckled to himself and sat up. Whatever sleepiness he’d felt had since disappeared. He could see why there were so many subscribers watching. There really weren’t any fans more passionate than football fans.

“My thoughts on Kurosaki? I can’t lie, the kid is a baller. He just showed up on the scene what? A month ago? Something like that? And he’s already the leading scorer in their league and the Youth League even beating out Julian Loki who up until now has been on top of the world. If ARS have any sense at all they’ll try to sign him when he’s available because that’s the kind of talent we need.”

“Uhh, JAVFan55 what kind of name is that? He asked how nobody knew about him until he showed up playing for City. Most players have footage of them playing for clubs as kids or were prospects coming up, Kurosaki kind of just showed up. I agree, I’d never heard about him and you’d think someone like him would have made waves long before he debuted. I’m not gonna lie, you guys know I’m an ARS fan, have been since 1991 but if I could interview anyone TODAY, it would be him. ” 

He looked away from his phone and stared at the tv, which now displayed how much Noel Noa’s potential contract with Bastard Munchen would earn him. The early numbers for the French striker were predicting nearly £400,000 per week. Ichigo wasn’t as money hungry as some of his friends but even he couldn’t deny the pull the numbers seemed to have. Karin had been right about Loki and having to sell the product. Just with their rivalry, his follower count rose quickly and more eyes were on him.

If people, and clubs as a whole, were to know more about what he could do, that would only bring his stock up. Renegotiation was going to happen soon, and if Chris was right, an agent would be able to get him a much larger wage than he would by himself. If there were multiple teams interested in him, that would also have an impact on how much he could make.

He quickly sent a message in chat, along with a £20 donation so it would show up on the screen with added voice.

“Blud, listen I don’t wanna hear anything from a hamroll like… ‘If you want to have a chat send me a message’.... That’s not the real Ichigo Kurosaki is it? Which one of the mandem made this account?”

To make sure the man knew it was him, he also tagged him on twitter with the same message. There was something comical about watching him react to what was going on in real time. Staring at the camera, he held his phone up to show the viewers his Tweet and took his hat off to run a hand through his hair.

“I’m gonna be honest I didn’t think any prominent footballers actually watched my content blud. I’m going to respond but if I find out this is just one of the boys messing with me, we’re going to have problems. If it’s real though, just know we might have one of the biggest episodes coming soon.”

Having done what he needed to do, he exited the livestream and prepared to get some sleep. While he wasn’t exactly a businessman, he had a decent idea as to how to use the opportunity.

---

Sunday had arrived and Ichigo was beginning to feel something he hadn’t felt in a while. Nervousness. He’d of course been nervous knowing the kind of pressure on him as a substitute Shinigami, knowing that the world essentially rested on his shoulders but this was different. He had his first date with Mai today, and what made it more nerve wrecking was that he didn’t even know what they would be doing.

Following Chris’s advice, he’d given her the instructions on how to dress for the occasion and had simply replied that it was a surprise when asked what they would be doing. She just didn’t know it was going to be a surprise for both of them. 

He checked his phone quickly, noting how the first leg for the senior squad should have started. The youth squad had opted to go watch the game live, but Ichigo didn’t have that opportunity. Chris’s agent had sent him a message at 4 in the morning asking if he’d be available for breakfast to discuss business. He could only wonder what the life of a sports agent was like if the man had been awake earlier than 4.

"Mr. Kurosaki." Ichigo’s head snapped up from his seat in the private booth they’d been afforded. It likely cost quite a bit to effectively shut down a section of the room but hey, it hadn’t come out of his check. Out of respect he stood up and firmly shook the offered hand of the older gentleman. The first thought that crossed his mind was that he definitely looked the part.

“Mr. Mino. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

The black haired man smiled politely and took his seat, carefully placing a plain black folder to his left. 

“Believe me, the pleasure is all mine. It’s not everyday you get to meet someone with your potential. It actually surprised me to hear that Chris had taken an interest in you, he usually only worries about himself. Anyway, what do you say we take care of the business first and then eat?”

“Sounds good.” He replied with a nod.

Mino smiled and opened the folder, revealing five pages which were carefully passed to his side of the booth. As with his contract with City, Ichigo carefully read over the details and couldn’t help but be amazed at just how much the man would handle for him. Not only would he be present and negotiate his future contracts to get him the biggest deals, but he also helped manage his finances and taxes, network with other professionals, handle public relations and the media, and also work on endorsement deals. 

A whistle escaped his lips before he realized it, much to the older man's entertainment.

“Every new player has that reaction when they see how handy an agent is. Believe me Ichigo, you’re already gaining traction in the football world, but with me we can get that to the next level. How do you think Chris got his face on so many brands? We can have you rubbing shoulders with the right people soon enough.” 

“It’s definitely enticing.” Ichigo muttered. He had seen first hand just how many different products Chris Prince was associated with. Everything from sports drinks to hand held massage machines, he was on it.

Mino adjusted his tie and grabbed the final paper in the stack. With a fresh black ballpoint pen, he carefully underlined the two most important bits of information.

“Agents open so many doors in the football world son. For my services, I’m willing to do everything I do for Chris for you. As you probably know agents make their money on commissions and I’m no different. My asking price is 10% of transfer fees and 3% of your overall contract. For simplicity let’s say Manshine were to offer you a 10 year deal worth 100 million euros, I would then take 3 million of that and the rest goes to you. Understand?”

Ichigo nodded. It made sense why agents always tried to get their players the most amount of money. The more a club offered for his services, the more the agent would take home as well. Chris alone probably netted him a few millions, plus however many other players he represented. In the grand scheme of things, 3% was likely all the man needed.

“I do. So 3% from my contract and the rest on transfers. Are there any hidden costs? Will I need to pay a fee for every endorsement or something like that?” 

Mino shook his head but was inwardly impressed that the young man was asking questions. There’d been players in the past that simply signed without so much as reading past the second page. Their desire for money and recognition would cloud their judgement and impede their ability to see what they were signing up for.

“No extra charges for things like that, it’s part of what I offer. I’ll negotiate deals with brands that I think could help increase your stock and talk it over with you before proceeding.” He explained. “I do want you to understand, however, that you’ll also be responsible for appearing at scheduled interviews and special events. Up until now you’ve essentially been free to do as you please whenever you’re not on the pitch. Once you sign with an agent, your schedule begins to fill up. As you’re still on the come up, it won’t be heavy but if what Chris tells me is true, that’s going to change when you get the big call.”

“How busy are we talking?” Ichigo asked curiously. Women hadn’t really been something he stressed about back then, but if things went well with Mai, he didn’t want to be an absent boyfriend.

Mino thought it over for a split second before responding. “If you were to get the same notoriety as Chris? An interview or two every month, a commercial maybe, special signings at sports stores, and things like that. I managed to get something going between Chris and the Golden State Warriors from the NBA a while back to give you an idea as to some of the things we can potentially do.”

“Sounds like he wasn’t lying about you.” Ichigo replied with a smile. Taking the offered pen, he gave the contract one more look through just to make sure everything was straight and signed. He was thankful his birthday had passed already and wouldn’t need to get his old man to sign.

“I’ve never given my clients a reason to. Now, feel free to order whatever you like, this is going to be a business write-off anyway. Congrats son, you’re another step closer to the big leagues.”

Breakfast was amazing and after forty minutes of minor business talk in which Mino inquired about what brands he liked, other sports he was interested in, and clothing brands, they paid the bill and began to exit.

“Oh, before I forget. Please be ready by 7:40 for your ride to pick you up tonight. Your chauffeur will then follow your instructions to pick up your date and take you from there.” Mino commented offhandedly. 

“Where exactly are we going?”

“Chris didn’t tell you?” At Ichigo’s head shake, he continued. “He rented out the recently opened Gravity MAX for the entire first and second teams. It’s got things like karting, bowling, an arcade, almost anything you can think of.”

“That couldn’t have been cheap.” Ichigo replied in a shocked tone. 

Mino chuckled and checked his phone, quickly typing and sending a message before turning back to him. “To regular people it wouldn’t be, but believe me, if you knew how much money that man has you’d know it wasn’t even a drop in the bucket for him. I think he’s trying to impress that new girl he’s been hanging around and is using this as a way to make himself look good, it just so happens that it’s working for you too. Anyway, I have to get going, we’ll be in touch Ichigo.”

The man strolled away to the parking structure leaving him to get an Uber back to his hotel. The match would be ending soon and they’d need to get ready to head back to Manshine.

When the sun began to set, most of the team who’d made their attendance known were all set. Ichigo felt his heart begin to speed up at the thought of his date tonight. What if he blew it? What if she thought things were over the top? He hadn’t even told her what he did for work while she’d told him so much about herself.

Taking a calming breath, he applied a spray of cologne and made sure to have everything in order. His ride had texted him that he’d be waiting outside by the time he was set. Mai had already given him her address and expressed that she was looking forward to what he had planned along with a happy face made of special symbols.

Everything would be fine.

Stepping out, he didn’t have to walk far to see his ride. A black Lamborghini Urus was quietly idling in its parking spot with a familiar figure at the driver's seat.

“Robert?” He questioned.

“Ichigo.” The older man replied kindly, pulling down his expensive looking glasses by an inch. “Good to see you’re doing well kid. I’ve been hearing good things about you. I’m glad.”

“Yeah, it’s nice to see you too. I didn’t know this was part of your job.” He replied, making his way to the back seat. The leather was very nice and even for someone of his height there was plenty of legroom. The luxury cars seemed to have thought of everything. 

The man smirked and glanced at him through the rearview mirror as he adjusted some settings on the radio. “It’s not, but Mr. Prince offered me a pretty penny for a bit of my time, and even said I could bring the wife and kids along too.”

His comment made the young star look back to see if there was anyone he’d missed only to see seats and leather.

“Don’t worry, I’m dropping you and your lady off first.” He replied with a chuckle. “Speaking of which, can you tell me where exactly I have to go?”

“Oh right, sorry.”

The address was typed into the man’s phone and with a flip of a switch, the car’s steady idle began to increase before steadying out. He felt more anxiety as they pulled into the street on their way to the woman’s house than when he’d left his home country to play professionally. It was laughable in his opinion but he couldn’t control it.

“You’ll be fine, kid.” Robert commented offhandedly, his eyes never leaving the road. “I remember when I first asked my wife out too. I was nervous like never before, but once we actually started talking everything disappeared. Just treat it like you would normally, don’t overdo it, don’t try to be something you’re not and everything will be fine.”

Ichigo nodded in thanks, repeating the man’s words in his mind. He’d beaten the odds when everything was stacked against him before. Making sure a lady had a good time would be a piece of cake.

Once they were a street away, he sent her a message to step outside and opened the door once they stopped.

“Remember to tell her she looks amazing. Amazing, not nice, they’ll think you didn’t put any thought into it.”

“Right.”

She appeared just as he stepped out of the car and his breath hitched slightly when he saw her. High waisted denim jeans hugged her legs and a small yellow top with loose sleeves adorned her upper half. Notably, the top was short enough that her midriff was showing, allowing him to see her toned stomach. As he’d instructed, she wore a pair of older white sneakers. 

“Hey.” She greeted him happily while nervously adjusting the small purse hanging by her side.

“Hey, glad you could make it. You look amazing by the way.”

His words managed to draw a grateful smile to her face. Knowing what to do, he opened the rear door for her to enter. She looked just as impressed as he was when she sat down and politely greeted the man driving.

“So are you going to tell me where we’re going or am I going to have to try to guess until we’re there?” She questioned playfully once they were both seated.

Ichigo grinned and shared a look with Robert who gave him a nod through the rearview mirror.

“The new Gravity MAX that just opened.”

Mai’s eyes went wide with excitement, clearly recognizing the name. “I’ve only seen videos online about it. There’s one not terribly far from here but I’ve never had the chance to actually go. Isn’t this one always full though since it’s brand new?”

“Something tells me it won’t be as packed as it usually is.” 

Mai grinned, knowing that he had to have some kind of involvement if it wasn’t as full. Had she not known he was making a name for himself in the football world she probably would have doubted his words, but now she couldn’t be sure.

Their ride didn’t take long and soon they were dropped off at the entrance, with Robert telling them he’d see them there later before driving off. Chris seemed to have thought of everything as the front entrance had a large sign saying the establishment would be closed for the day due to a rent out. A large dark skinned man stood in front of the door and pulled out a clipboard when he saw them approach the door.

“Name?”

“Ichigo Kurosaki.”

“ID?”

A quick flash of the hard plastic confirmed his identity and they were allowed entrance. Once the door was opened, the combination of people’s voices, music, and games assaulted their ears. The bright lights flashed across their faces and neither of them could contain the excitement from showing.

Mai looked around, trying to see if the layout would be the same as the one 56 kilometers away but couldn’t make things out. Videos only let someone see so much. 

“I don’t even know where to start? What do you want to do?” She asked in a louder tone.

Ichigo for his part wasn’t sure either. His sight was assaulted by everything going on and was a moment away from letting her pick when his eye caught Becker making his way toward them, a soft drink in hand in the middle of a sip.

“Yo.” He greeted with a nod of his head. 

“Hey, Becker, this is Mai Shiranui. Mai, this is my teammate Ludwig Becker.” 

The blond shook her hand without applying too much pressure and gave Ichigo a look before speaking. “A pleasure. It’s nice to actually have a face to go with the name. He’s brought you up once or twice.”

Ichigo had only brought her up once and that was when he’d gotten the discount. Apart from that he’d kept their interactions to himself. He wondered briefly what his midfielder was doing only to suppress a grin when Mai looked at him with a minor blush staining her cheeks. The woman wrapped an arm around his and he decided then and there that once the real money started rolling in Becker would be getting something nice.

“Mostly everyone from both teams are already here. If you haven’t heard already, the entire bill is going to Chris Prince, so we’re free to get whatever we want to eat and play. I’ll catch up with you later, I’m gonna hit the gokarts.”

“Someone is footing the entire bill for the evening? Do you know how much that’s gonna be?” Mai asked in shock. Most people alone would spend maybe over 200 or 300 depending on how good of a night they wanted. To cover everything for two teams and whoever else was there was crazy to think about.

“Yeah it’s crazy to think about but Chris is good for it. Apparently we shouldn’t worry about it though, come on, we can start with some games and go from there.” 

Time seemed to become nonexistent to the pair as they went around the building going game by game. Mai had quickly become a fan of the two person shooting game booths and was very competitive despite them being on the same team. The hall wasn’t limited to simple games however, as there was a large portion that had claw games similar to the ones in the arcades back home. 

Having spent hundreds of hours over the course of his life, Ichigo had become something of an expert on winning and after hitting four machines, Mai was the gleeful owner of 8 different prizes. In exchange she’d spent more money than he would’ve liked in order to win him a small keychain. It would’ve been cheaper to just buy it but he appreciated her perseverance nonetheless.

From the gaming area they moved on to play a round of bowling, in which neither of them did all that well. Some of his teammates, including some from the first squad, had teased him about his lack of skill. Mostly about how he was more accurate with his feet than he was with his hands and with no defender to boot.

“You want to grab a bite?” Ichigo asked after she took her last shot, resulting in a strike.

She nodded and picked up her bag, though not before grabbing her phone and pointing up at the scoreboard. 

“See that?” She asked teasingly while taking a picture of them. The score was on clear display in the background with her triumphantly grinning and Ichigo giving her a flat unamused stare. That only seemed to make her giggle more. “There we go.”

“Whatever.” He huffed. “Let’s go to the terrace and get something to eat. We can hit the karts after if you want or we could golf.”

“Hmmmm, we can do both if you don’t mind. I don’t live with my parents so it’s not like I have a curfew.” 

Dinner was a welcome break for them as they hadn’t realized just how much of an appetite they’d built up until they had taken their first bite of the burgers they’d ordered. A single order of fries had been shared between them and they’d had a brief conversation with another one of his teammates and his own date. 

Although golf had been on their list, Mai had spotted the Upside Down House attraction which remained opened later than it usually operated and asked if they could go. Whether she knew it or not she gave him the same look his sisters used to when they wanted something and he found himself unable to decline, not that he would have but still. 

Mai took photo after photo of both him and herself individually, and then together thanks to the senior goalkeeper's wife offering to take a few for them. 

“These came out amazing.” Mai said happily as she scrolled through the pictures. In only a few hours her camera roll had well over fifty different photos, each better than the last in her opinion. “Would you be alright if we skipped golf? I think all the walking and playing is catching up to me, my feet are starting to hurt.”

“Tired already? Don’t you do martial arts?” He teased, ignoring the hip bump she gave him in response.

“Shut up. I also worked today since I picked up a coworker's morning shift.” Her pout was in full force which seemed to fully entertain some older women who walked by them.

“I’m just teasing, I’m not much of a golfer anyway. Let’s hit the karts.”

Even though he didn’t have much experience driving due to the public transport system in Japan, karting was surprisingly easy to pick up. If he saw Ikumi again, he’d have to thank her for the crash course she’d given him when he was working under her. It wasn’t the same as driving a real car but the minor experience he had helped.

What he hadn’t expected was for Mai to completely take to it as well as she did. After only a few laps she was driving through the track as though she were in F1. Her lines were neat, her overtakes were well timed, and she was aggressive when trying to take the inside against someone. If she ever got tired of fighting, he knew exactly what he would suggest to her.

“We have to do that again sometime.” The huge smile on her face was infectious and he agreed readily. 

“Enjoying yourselves?” 

Looking left, Ichigo was surprised that it had taken as long as it did to bump into Chris. The man was smiling confidently with a hand wrapped around the waist of a tall brunette woman. 

“We are, thank you for this.” Ichigo replied gratefully. “Chris, this is Mai. Mai, this is Chris. The guy paying for everything. ” He said, adding the last part in their mother tongue.

His date’s eyes widened before she quickly composed herself and she gave a polite bow only to feel embarrassment when she realized that wasn’t the custom here.

“Sorry, force of habit. Thank you for allowing us to experience this.” 

“Don’t worry about it, I just thought it would be nice for the team to have a good night after everything we’ve been able to accomplish so far. Also, before I forget, let me introduce you to my date. This is Anne.”

Pleasantries were exchanged quickly and just as Ichigo was going to suggest leaving, Chris spoke.

“Ichigo, I was thinking about our match the other day and was wondering, would you like to have a little rematch?” He offered. 

“Right now? I don’t think I saw a pitch here, plus we aren’t exactly dressed for the occasion.” 

Anne rolled her eyes at Chris’s competitiveness and gave the younger pair an apologetic look before giving the older man a flat stare. “If you’re gonna play, make it quick. I’m not sure the young lady would appreciate you taking her date away for what’s essentially more work.” 

The white haired striker was bashful enough to admit that she was right and cleared up his request. “It’s not an actual match. Have you ever heard of Panna?”

He hadn’t.

“It’s essentially a game of nutmegs. One on one and we try to score into a small goal but it only counts if you nutmeg your opponent before scoring. I already have an area set up.” He added with a pleased smile.

Ichigo exhaled and gave his date a look which she understood. “Alright, lead the way.”

The group was led to a small area that seemed like a batting cage but was likely for a similar sport. The machine that shot the ball was turned off and two small goals had been added on each side of the cage. Stepping inside, Ichigo made sure his shoes were well tied to avoid stumbling and caught the ball Chris tossed at him.

“Remember, we’re meant to actively try to steal the ball. If we didn’t we could just stand in place and the game would never end. We’ll do a best of 3.”

The game was simple enough, and with a nod of their head, the game began. Chris was on him immediately, using his larger build to try to knock him off balance to steal the ball. He was stronger than the others, which had been proven during their mini matchup on the pitch, but he was still able to keep him at bay with his left arm while trying to look for an opening.

Rolling the ball left and right with his right foot, Ichigo frowned as he couldn’t find a way to get through. His skills shined brightest in his finishing, speed, agility, and precision, this was something he hadn’t experienced before. Glancing over his shoulder, he rolled the ball to the left and faked going right in order to flick the ball through Chris’s legs using his heel but the man hadn’t taken the bait.

The ball bounced off the man’s shin and the roles were reversed.

Chris grinned and began with a series of rapid stepovers before flicking the ball to the right. Using his right foot, the master striker pulled the ball back toward him and up into the air behind his left foot. What Ichigo hadn’t expected however, was for Chris to quickly hop and catch the ball in mid air with his left foot and flick it through the small gap in his stance in order to score.

“That’s one for me.”

Ichigo scowled in annoyance, not so much at the fact that he’d gotten scored on, but because he hadn’t seen it coming. Those movements weren’t something that one would likely see in an actual match. The thought made him pause for a second to stare at the cage that surrounded them. It looked like a regular fence but there were some portions that were thicker than others in order for some wires to safely run through to power other parts of the building.

If there was something he excelled at, it was adapting to situations faster than anyone thought possible. He’d done so against Byakuya, against Aizen, and even against Yhwach. He could do it here too.

Dropping the ball, he began similar to Chris with a series of stepovers. The older man’s eyes narrowed at the strategy but didn’t take the bait, instead opting to wait until Ichigo made his real move. Getting the reaction he wanted, Ichigo quickly tapped the ball to the right, letting the ball collide with the thick piece of metal at an angle so it would begin rolling toward the goal.

Chris was on him the moment he dashed forward taking a large step in order to try to cut him off. With a clear view of the goal, Ichigo vividly remembered a pass he’d seen Becker perform during their last match against ARS. They were in almost the exact same situation.

Keeping his left foot further forward, he allowed the ball to roll under him before tapping it with the inside of his right foot. At the angle he was at and with the power he was able to generate, the ball was able to thread the needle and quickly roll into the net.

“We’re all tied up now.”

Chris huffed but silently got the ball back into play. It was game point, and he had no intention of losing. Mentally, he was impressed with everything he’d seen so far and knew he’d made the right choice. But that didn’t mean he would take it easy.

The man began by trapping the ball between his legs and hopping to the left before forcing the ball to the right upon landing. Had the rule not been in place to keep them continuously trying to intercept, Ichigo would have simply allowed him to tire out before going for the steal but that wasn’t an option. His foot reached in, being mindful to keep the gap narrow enough to avoid the nutmeg but Chris’s footwork was immaculate. The ball was kept away through a series of rolls, taps, and even a rainbow flick much to his annoyance. It wasn’t until after about a minute of rapid mini passes to himself that the man finally attacked.

With a hard drive, he ran to the right only to execute a Marseille turn and flick the ball through his legs in order to steal the victory.

“There’s no way you actually got me with that.” Ichigo groaned, covering his face with his right hand.

Chris chuckled to himself and kicked the ball softly up into his outstretched hand. “You got too caught up in the flashy movements that you didn’t expect something so simple to be used. Never rule anything out whether it’s in a game like this or on the pitch.” The man lectured.

“I’ll keep that in mind. So are you guys gonna stay long?” He asked as they made their way out of the cage.

“Maybe about an hour more at most. Are you calling it a night?” 

“I think so, unless she wants to try anything else. Thanks for tonight though, I don’t think I could have come up with something like this on my own.”

He could almost hear Chris’s ego swell at his words and knew he’d made a mistake in expressing his thoughts. Fortunately the man didn’t comment on it and instead took his place by his date's side and bid them a goodnight.

“So are you ready to go? Or do you want to stay a little longer?” Mai asked, once again taking hold of his arm as they walked away from the area.

“I’m ready to call it a night if you are. It slipped my mind that we actually have training tomorrow.”

“No complaints from me. I’ll get us an Uber. It’s the least I could do after all this.” She replied, knowing that he was going to object to her spending any money.

Sighing in defeat, he raised his hands and allowed her to do as she pleased. Their ride was scheduled to arrive in seven minutes and he used that time to say goodbye to all his teammates that hadn’t left yet. 

Their Uber managed to arrive just as they were exiting and though not as luxurious as the car they’d arrived in, it was still spacious which was exactly what they wanted. The trip to Mai’s place was ridden in comfortable silence with the soft tunes of the radio playing in the background. 

When they arrived, Ichigo followed her out of the vehicle and instinctively took a deep content breath when she pulled him into an embrace. Even though she was rather tall in her own right, Mai still needed to add a few inches on her tiptoes in order to properly hug him.

“Thank you for tonight. I can’t remember the last time I had fun like that.” She said once she let him go.

“Any chance you’d like to go out again soon?” He asked.

Mai grinned and pulled him down in order to plant a quick fleeting peck on his cheek. “Of course. That sounds great.”

Being the gentleman he was, he remained in place until she was actually inside before making his way back into the vehicle. He could feel the older driver's eyes on him, notably on the admittedly goofy smile that must have been present on his face.

“Good night young man?” He asked, putting the car into gear.

“Yeah. Really good night.”

The driver chucked to himself and pulled back onto the road. Ichigo leaned his head on the soft leather headrest of his seat and glanced at his phone upon feeling it vibrate. Mai had sent him a few of the pictures she’d taken throughout the night. Quickly replying with a few of his own, he put the phone away and exhaled deeply. 

Taking Manshine’s offer had been one of the best choices he’d ever made, right up there with stabbing himself with Rukia’s sword. 

Life was good.

Chapter 8

Sorry for the delay, without a stockpile it takes bit longer to upload. Either way, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and a quick note, we know there are real life players in Blue Lock such as Messi and Ronaldo, so I will be introducing a few real life players as well. In this chapter actually, anyway, I hope you guys enjoy. Let me know what you guys think. I'll upload 'So it goes' tomorrow. 

A few days passed and in between practice, some league matches, and finishing the second leg against ARS his time had been spent between training and meeting with Mai whenever possible. They had gone on a few more dates since their time at Gravity Max though nothing as exciting. Apart from the cinema, the pair had checked out a mini golf course along with a small hole in the wall restaurant she liked to go to. It was nothing exotic with course names too difficult to pronounce, but rather offered a variety of different soups, sandwiches, and chicken dishes. Needless to say, it had quickly become one of his favorite places to eat.

Along with that, he had also scheduled his first interview. It wasn’t a professional thing with a big name company but rather with the football youtuber who he’d watched by chance. They had set up a time and date and the time had quickly arrived. It would take place in one of the common areas that those who lived in the facility were allowed to lounge in. 

His phone chimed, alerting him via Twitter that his guest was only five minutes out. He quickly put on his shoes and grabbed a pullover hoodie with the Manshine logo in the center before heading out. The sky was once again overcast with fleeting moments of sunlight whenever a ray of light made it through one of the gaps in the clouds. Tucking his hands into the large pocket of the hoodie, he walked over to the parking area for the team and watched as a black sedan with a parking permit on the dash came to a stop in one of the open spots.

A moment later, the driver stepped out and glanced around with barely concealed excitement and grinned when he saw him.

“Welcome.” Ichigo greeted politely, extending a hand out as soon as the man closed the door.

“Thanks for having me blud. Aumar Hamilton but Troopz is completely fine.” He replied while taking the outstretched hand.

“Need any help with the equipment?” Ichigo asked, taking a peek through the window.

“Nah I got it all neatly packed up in a bag, it’s all good. So where do we go?”

After grabbing the equipment, the striker led them to the room that would be used as the setting for the new video. Setting everything up only took a few minutes at most which consisted of a laptop, two microphones, three different cameras and a handful of flashcards. 

“Alright so, since this is going to be pre recorded I’ll go ahead and tell you the questions I want to ask you so that you’re not caught off guard by anything. I don’t want to risk you getting fined or anything like that you understand?” 

“Sounds good. I won’t lie though, I’m surprised you actually took up the invitation. Aren’t you one of ARS’s biggest supporters?” 

“Believe me blud we’ll definitely get to that topic.” He said with a laugh.

The structure of the interview was pretty simple. First they would begin with a brief introduction, then touch on his early life and then they’d get to what most people were interested in, the sport itself. Ichigo was somewhat surprised since from the videos he’d seen, the man was usually on podcasts turning red in anger regarding his club but was a whole different person here. It wasn’t like he had much to compare him to but he definitely had the producer vibe going for him as he had a clear vision of how he wanted this video to play out.

Finally, after all the questions had been made known to him, they were set to begin.

“You ready? Don’t worry if you mess up or stumble over a word or two, we can clean everything up during editing. If you have to start your sentence again or take a moment to think, the actual video will cut most of that out so everything flows smoothly.”

“Sounds good. Let’s do it.”

With the click of a button, all three cameras came to life. His microphone was black with a red wind-muff that featured the man’s channel name in white. Making sure to hold it so as to get the logo facing the camera’s, he leaned back into his seat and allowed the man to begin his intro.

“Yes people, we are back and this time it’s a bit of a different episode. This week’s watchalong will still be happening so make sure you’re there for that livestream but today, I have a very special guest joining me. I’m at the Etihad with one of football's quickest rising stars, Ichigo Kurosaki. How are you doing today fam?”

Bringing the microphone closer to his mouth, he responded.

“Pretty good, it’s my first football interview so I’m a little nervous but overall things are going well. Which one of these is the main one?” He asked, pointing to the three cameras.

“The one in the center, the others are just for different viewpoints and help with certain bits in editing and all that. Now, let me just say I’m honored to be able to be here today, I can’t lie, I wasn’t expecting this to happen at all and thought that one of the lads was just messing with me.” He chuckled.

“Yeah I know, I watched your reaction when I sent the messages. I was already having a good day and that made it just a little better.” He laughed.

“You can’t really blame me, I don’t trust anyone online especially when people know what I’m like. Some people really just look to clip farm you know what I mean? Anyways, let’s go ahead and get started. So, what was your childhood like?”

Ichigo was grateful to have been told the question ahead of time to think of his answer. Nobody wanted to listen to an interview and have a bomb dropped on them about a parents death and depression. 

“Nothing all that special really. I got into quite a bit of fights when I was younger, went to school, did a bit of karate with a friend, and tried to get good grades.”

“ You were getting into scuffles?” Troopz asked with doubt in his voice. “No offense fam but I can’t see it. Like, you barely celebrate when you score a goal and until that stunt with Loki didn’t really seem like the type to start anything.”

Ichigo shrugged and tugged at a few strands of his hair. “Are you familiar with Japanese culture at all?”

“Besides them being polite and having very small portions of food, not much fam.”

“So one of the biggest things in Japanese culture is conformity. Not to say individualism doesn’t exist but for the most part people follow an unwritten social standard. I was born with my mom’s orange hair and growing up a lot of people thought that I dyed it to stand out or something. A few people had a bit of a problem with that and would try to do something about it. It never ended well for them.” He finished with a smirk, remembering a specific time when he called the ambulance before a fight.

Troopz let out a snort of amusement at the remark. He’d seen how the City striker was able to easily shove much larger players out of the way with little trouble. It wasn’t hard to believe that he’d be able to hold his own in a fight, it was just difficult to picture him starting one.

“Yeah I can imagine. You said you did karate and tried getting good grades, where does football come into all this? Surely there must have been some time dedicated to practice right?”

“Not really. I didn’t play growing up. I played on a local team when I was like 12 but that was only for a few months at most. I focused on school and hanging out with friends mostly. During my second year of highschool, which I think for you and most of your viewers would be something like lower sixth form, I started helping out the football club with matches every now and then.”

“Wait.” Troopz announced, shaking a hand in front of himself. “Are you saying you never played football, like, seriously up until then?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I played a few matches every now and then for the club since I was pretty good at it. I think I played in about 15 over the course of my high school career, including the national.”

The older man sat wide eyed with his mouth slightly agape. It was like his brain had momentarily short circuited and was barely booting back up. Troopz cleared his throat and sat up straighter, making sure to look the younger man in the eyes.

“So you’re saying you have about 4 months of football experience in total? My team really got spanked by a guy who barely played the game.”

“Prior to joining City? Yes. Now it’s increased by a few months.” 

“I’m actually at a loss for words to be honest fam. My next question was going to be what footballers you idolized as a child and if any in particular helped mold you into what you are but would I be right to say you didn’t watch football growing up?” He asked.

Another nod.

“I was usually out and about. I think I watched the Champions League final once back in 2011 but I don’t think I ever sat down and just watched random Premier League matches. I knew some players too but I can’t say any helped model my playstyle.” 

“You know they say about 250 million people play football around the world so it’s not uncommon for prodigies to pop up. But I can’t recall the last time there was a player that just never had any kind of football aspirations growing up. You made it this far, off talent alone. Is that not crazy to everybody?” He asked, looking straight at the camera. “Fam, I can’t lie that’s actually thrown me for a fuckin loop.”

“It can’t be that strange.” He said with a chuckle, very much enjoying the reaction.

For a moment, he was afraid that the older man’s eyes would pop out of their sockets like those old toys that you would squeeze. 

“Kurosaki, the percentage of players who make it to the Prem is something like less than 1%. And that’s from people who enroll in academies from the time they can walk almost. Being at your level right now with, let’s be honest, next to no real time on the pitch is fucking mental. That being said though, I suppose we can transition into your football career.”

“Ask whatever you want.”

“Up until now you’ve taken City and pretty much bullied the competition, including my own team. But you guys have Berserk Dortmund next, that means you’re gonna have to deal with Haaland and Bellingham, are you prepared for that?”

As hard as he tried, Ichigo couldn’t recall exactly where he’d heard those two names before. Seeing as Troopz had specifically singled them out, he at least knew they were likely high caliber players.

“I’ll be honest I’m still not too familiar with a lot of players but I can say we’re definitely preparing and take every match seriously. Once this interview is finished I’m actually going to go out to the pitch for a few hours and work on some things.” Couldn’t tell them what, he didn’t know who would be watching the video when it dropped.

Troopz chuckled and smirked. “Fam, let me be the first to tell you. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the hardest matchup you have in the entire tournament. These two are monsters on the pitch. Both of them are just below Loki in the standings with 9 goals a piece. While I can’t say their talent is the same as yours, they’re still incredibly talented and have honed that talent almost throughout their entire lives. It’s gonna be hard fam. Pause.”

That was where he knew them from. Their names had been mentioned on tv once but he’d only half paid attention. 

“They’re that good? Then I have something to look forward to.”

“You think you can win?” Troopz asked.

“You think we can’t?” Ichigo shot back. “Anything can happen in 90 minutes, and if we can’t put them away in the first 90, we’ll do it in the second.”

Troopz rubbed his hands together excitedly and looked at the cameras with glee in his eyes. “This is one of the most anticipated games blud! Up until this year I’d been confident in saying Dortmund takes it, but now I’m not too sure.”

“You don’t have faith in us?” Ichigo replied back in a challenging tone.

“I don’t know fam. You’re a monster but they have two. Their chemistry is top notch and both are incredible finishers. There’s a solid chance they will make it through.”

“I’m confident in our team. Like I said, there’s two legs to go through. If for some reason we aren’t able to put them away in the first, then we’ll attack even harder in the second. Believe me when I say the trophy is coming to City.” Ichigo declared.

Troopz grinned happily and sat up in his seat, likely knowing a few channels would have something to say about this once the video went up.

“See, that’s what we need more of in modern football.” He pointed out. “Killer instinct and the desire to win, none of this buddy buddy stuff going on these days. When you’re on the pitch, there should be no friends, just your teammates and anyone else is an enemy. Off the pitch yeah we don’t care but this kind of talk leading up to the game, that’s what’s missing in the prem in my opinion.” 

Ichigo didn’t care much, though that could have been attributed to him not really keeping up with sports all that much. His circumstances were different with all the wars and all but he could see how fans would be slightly off put by the lack of real competitive spirit.

“I’m glad you approve.”

“Alright, let’s move on to the next question, and this is actually one that I saw online. I just can’t remember the username of the person who asked. What’s the deal with you and Adam Blake?” He asked before quickly continuing. “Don’t get me wrong, I think the guy is bound to be a journeyman too but what’s your issue with him?”

He thought back to their encounter at the MMA event and scowled for a split second before remembering he was on camera. It wouldn’t be good to have rumors starting up before he even made it into the big leagues. Taking a calming breath, he relaxed his shoulders and replied.

“He made a comment about football from my country and the level of the players there. So I just responded and a bit of my old self slipped through and told him he would go trophyless for the rest of his career once I actually stepped on the scene. I don’t think he liked that.” He said with a laugh.

“Yeah I can imagine he wouldn’t. I’m not sure about going trophyless though, in the coming years we’re taking the Prem. Bet on it.” Troopz replied with confidence. Ichigo didn’t have it in him to tell him he was out of his mind and that it would likely be another ten years before ARS won anything meaningful.

In the end he settled for a knowing shrug which earned him a stare through narrowed eyes. He said what he said and meant all of it. If Blake didn’t win anything this year, his window would be closed for good.

Troopz checked his phone and his eyes widened seeing how much time had passed by since they had begun. Their agreement was only for two and a half hours and there was still so much he wanted to ask. All of the questions wouldn’t be possible, so in a split second he categorized them by importance and which ones he could go without.

“Alright, just a few more questions and we should be done. Let me ask you this, for someone who has played so little football, especially at the professional level, how do you explain what you do on the pitch? You’re able to read the field and almost mentally communicate with your teammates to be in the perfect positions for passes. How does that work? That kind of chemistry is what you see from players on a team for years.”

Without hesitation, Ichigo had an answer. 

“I chalk it up to all the fights I’ve been in over the years. Mind you I’m not advocating people to get into fights or trying to make them seem like they’re something cool, it's just something that was unavoidable growing up. I think doing that enough helped me read people better than most. I watch how their body’s move and how they react to certain movements, it’s almost instinctual now. As for the chemistry, I think when one person on the team is really going off, the rest just seem to follow suit. I’m not really sure how else to explain it.”

“Man is just different is what he’s saying.” Troopz shot back with a laugh.

“This is arguably the most important question of this whole interview.” He added with an uncharacteristically serious expression. “It’s clear to anyone that you’re not long for the youth league. Soon enough a good number of you guys are going to start getting offers from clubs. So my question to you is, what do I have to do to get you to sign for ARS? Kurosaki we NEED a striker who gives a damn.”

Holding back a laugh of his own, he shook his head. “Well I don’t want to burn any bridges with teams before they even form so I’ll say nothing is off the table. When the time comes I’ll evaluate my options and see what works out.” 

A politicians answer if he’d ever given one but it worked. Although in his mind he had already decided that if possible, he would stay with City.

“Blud gave us a nothing burger but that’s alright.”

The rest of the interview was much more relaxed, with questions pertaining to his personal life and what he liked to do. Of course the topic of Mai came up and how people wanted to know if he walked on egg shells since everyone knew she could beat almost anyone up. Overall it was a good experience for him even if it wasn’t a ‘real’ interview with the football world. He was sure it would begin circulating soon.

---

“Hey Becker, so what’s there to do around here?” Driver asked as he looked out the bus window. 

The blond looked back over his seat and scowled at him and the others who were looking in his direction eager for information. “I’m not from Dortmund, I’ve said this like four times. I don’t really know what goes on around here.”

Ichigo adjusted his headphones in place and tapped his phone twice to increase the volume in an attempt to drown out the noise his teammates were making. The days had passed by in the blink of an eye and while he was confident, Troopz words about this team lingered in his mind. They had not one but two players who he seemed to hold in very high regard. 

In the days leading up to the first leg, Ichigo had done a bit of research on the pair in order to see what he was up against and found that the Youtuber hadn’t been exaggerating. They were very good. Bellingham was able to see every bit of the pitch and could make insanely accurate passes to their striker who seemed to be a goal scoring machine. Becker himself was talented in the midfield but something about the way the Dortmund midfielder played was different. 

“Yo, I notice you always have your headphones in throughout the plane ride and even the bus ride to the hotels. What do you listen to?” Becker asked him, trying to not so discreetly look at his phone.

With a shrug he removed the headphones and handed them over. Once Becker had them in place he turned the volume up and waited.

“I don’t understand any of this.” Becker replied flatly. “Not going to lie, I wasn't expecting this either. I thought you listened to something like metal to get pumped up or something.”

“A Japanese guy listening to Japanese music, it can’t be that surprising.” Ichigo replied sarcastically. “And I usually listen to metal before the matches start. Any other time it’s just regular music.”

“So who are these?”

“A small group from a city to East of mine in Shimokitazawa. Kessoku band, they make pretty good music in my opinion, I’m sure they’ll blow up soon though. Anyways it looks like we’re here.”

Becker forgot all about his music situation and stared out toward the hotel they would be staying at during their first leg and let out a whistle. It was a well known german hotel chain that he’d stayed at once or twice and was quick to let the others know. Ichigo for his part simply took a picture before sending it to Mai. He smiled to himself knowing that if she didn’t have another tournament, she would likely react in an overly envious manner about his travel again.

The team were directed to exit the bus and follow check in procedures. As much as he would have liked to take a look around, he focused on doing a bit of film study for the rest of the day.

The following day quickly arrived and Manshine City were once again standing in the tunnel waiting for their cue to exit. Looking to his left, Ichigo was able to see the two stars that ran Dortmund’s offense. Bellingham was a rather tall man with a build clearly focused on speed and agility. His workout regimen had clearly worked based on the footage he’d seen of him. In front of him, listening to something the Englishman was saying, was none other than their striker Haaland.

The Norwegian was about the same height, maybe an inch or two taller but with a build that was much leaner. He was a goal scoring machine with stamina and strength to fight off opponents with ease. The two men stopped and looked over at him, giving him a respectful nod. Like him, they knew what they were dealing with. He sat at the top of the list when it came to goal contributions throughout the league so they likely did their homework on him as well. 

“Ichigo Kurosaki.” The midfielder began. “I’m Jude, this is Erling.” He said, referring to himself and his striker. “It’s a pleasure.”

“Ichigo.” He greeted, taking the outstretched hands before him. “I know who you guys are. I’m pretty sure a good chunk of the football world knows.” He replied, acting like he hadn’t just heard of them not too long ago.

His comment drew smirks from the two men who quickly looked forward to make sure it wasn’t time yet. 

“We could say the same about you. I’ll be honest I was pretty surprised I hadn’t heard about you when I saw you on the leaderboards. A breakout season?” Jude asked.

“Debut season.” 

“You’ve never played professionally?” Erling asked, surprised. “How long have you been in the academy?”

“A few months.”

His answer drew some surprise even from some of his teammates who hadn’t yet gotten a chance to know their star striker. Learning that he was essentially new to the sport sent a shock through their system.

“A few months and Loki hates you already?” Haaland followed up with a laugh. “I like you Kurosaki. It’s one thing to see film, it’s another to see someone on the pitch.”

Wherever their conversation could have gone, no one would know as their cue to exit the tunnel rang out. The two teams faced forward and slowly made their way onto the pitch. The Dortmund crowd was a sea of yellow and black. Banners waved from side to side and excited fans began to chant words of encouragement for their team.

As the two teams lined themselves up and got into their positions, Ichigo kept a careful eye on the duo. It was as though they were having a silent conversation with themselves as they readied for kickoff. He could tell their chemistry together was off the charts and knew the key to victory would be to sever that.

The whistle blew and the ball was in play. Immediately he was able to see the difference in play between them and every other team they’d played. The ball was kicked around with precision but nobody seemed to worry about being marked. Ichigo remained high up on the pitch, carefully studying Dortmund’s attack strategy. It seemed familiar to some of the plays he’d seen from them on film but something was off.

He wouldn’t have time to dwell on it however, as a crucial pass to the inside was intercepted by Driver who quickly cleared the ball to Becker. The blond sprinted up the pitch, his eyes quickly scanning the field in order to find the open man. Seeing him, the blond smiled and wound his foot only to have to feint left as Bellingham appeared in front of him.

The two midfielders squared off, knowing all eyes were on them. Becker drove left, gently tapping the ball with his foot in an effort to control it while keeping the Englishman at bay. Try as he might, he couldn’t shake him and was forced to pass back to one of their centerbacks.

Deciding to contribute to the attack directly, Ichigo dipped down on the pitch. The ball was crossed over everyone’s heads back to Becker who quickly tapped it over to Ichigo. With the ball now in the metaphorical hands of their striker, they could begin the attack. His speed was enough to deal with most of the defenders on him but like his friend, soon, he too was soon marked by their star midfielder. 

“Your friend kind of reminds me of someone. Are you familiar with Alexis Ness?” Bellingham asked as he stuck to his right side. His foot tried reaching in for a tackle only for the ball to continuously be kept away.

“Never heard of him.” Ichigo replied, keeping an arm out to create space. Flicking the ball back with his left foot, he quickly pivoted and passed it to the right back to his midfielder. Now with the freedom to run without obstacles, Ichigo sprinted up the pitch. Between him and the ball were two players who he was certain Becker could accurately thread the needle through. 

The ball was kicked, only to veer off course due to Bellingham’s foot intercepting the shot. Dortmund were on the attack instantly. The ball made its way back to the Englishman who now stood directly in front of the blond German.

Bellingham tapped the ball to the left and feinted a sprint. Becker, who was already tense in anticipation, took the bait and stepped aside. That was all the space Dortmund’s player needed and with a gentle flick of his foot, the ball was passed through his opponents spread legs successfully nutmegging the man.

Now with a clear space on the right, Bellingham was free to move uninterrupted. With a smile, he directed the ball to the right of the goalkeeper where Haaland was in prime position to receive the pass he’d been accustomed to all season.

Leaping high into the air, the blond Norwegian headed the ball to the opposite side of the goalkeeper. The Dortmund crowd's cheers of excitement were drowned out by the sudden arrival of Ichigo who with an outstretched leg, kicked the ball up into the sky and away from goal.

“I’ve seen that move before.” He muttered to himself. The two teams gathered in the box, all eyes up to the sky as the ball made its descent. Haaland was quick to place himself in front of Ichigo only to widen his eyes when he felt a force equal to his own begin to shove him aside. With their hands in front of each other's chests, the two strikers prepared themselves for the aerial battle.

The stadium was tense with anticipation as they could almost taste the opening goal. The away side which was as blue as the sea stomped their feet repeatedly, hoping to add some motivation to their players. 

When the ball was close enough, a number of players leaped into the air. Fortunately for City, Rook had foreseen what was going and jumped as well, easily catching the ball.

The first thirty minutes passed with a goal yet to be scored on either side. Some of the fans were beginning to think perhaps they’d get their first 0-0 draw for both teams. 

“Their defense is strong.” Becker grunted angrily, his eyes burning a hole into the back of Bellingham’s jersey. “Every time he’s on me it’s like he knows exactly what I’m thinking and he’s faster than me too.”

Ichigo nodded, he’d seen that as well. It made it difficult because when their attack wasn’t being stopped completely, he would end up getting double teamed by both him and Haaland, forcing him to pass. 

“Get me the ball as soon as you can.” Ichigo ordered. “We’re going to get on the board before halftime.”

With nothing else to say, he jogged up into position as the ball was thrown back into play. Swift quickly found Driver who managed to successfully imitate the nutmeg from before on one of Dortmund’s defenders and passed the ball up to Becker. Knowing what he was to do, he got rid of the ball before he was marked and let Ichigo take the lead.

As he predicted, Haaland approached from the left wing and Bellingham from behind him. He was 24 yards out from the goal. Cutting to the right, he kept his left hand out to keep Haaland at bay and glanced behind him in time to halt his movement. Bellingham’s tackle barely missed the ball and that was the opening he needed.

With a light shoulder bump to the opposing striker, he moved around the barely recovering midfielder and set up his shot. The world slowed down for him as he scanned the goal for the best place to put the ball. In a split second, he planted his foot and fired. 

The away crowd roared in excitement as his power shot was placed into the uppermost right hand corner of the goal, well out of reach of the goalkeeper. Using the neck of his jersey, he reached up and wiped away the sweat around his mouth before making his way back to his team.

City 1- 0 Dortmund

“Damn.” Bellingham cursed as he stared at their goalkeeper. “I was sure I could’ve stolen that.”

Haaland shook his head. “He was getting that shot off no matter what happened.”

“He reminds me a little of Michael.” 

The Norwegian smirked and walked back to get into position. “He’s a few levels above Michael. He’s much stronger and faster. Michael would have needed to be a few yards closer to get that shot off and if we were both on him, he would have ordered Ness to open space for him.”

“We have to change up our plan then. Be ready.”

Near the center circle, both teams were ready to start once more and kickoff was underway. This time, Dortmund’s attack was much more intense. The ball was instantly crossed deep into the pitch into the their strikers feet. Although he was a bigger man, his dribbling was above average and managed to make quick work of the two defenders that had rushed toward him.

Driver managed to intercept his path and slid across the pitch, successfully stripping the ball. However, the trajectory sent it to the left into the feet of their star midfielder. 

Off on the touchline, the teams were informed of an extra minute of added time and the urgency increased dramatically. Bellingham’s eyes locked onto the goal though only for a moment as Becker managed to step into his line of sight. His position was perfect in order to block his view of not only the goal but his partner as well. 

Undeterred, Bellingham was able to easily do a series of step overs before rushing to the left. His hypnotic movements with the ball were seamless and with a gentle touch, he was closing the gap between the goalkeeper and himself. His head swiveled to the right, finding Haaland in prime position for his pass.

“That’s not happening.” Becker called out angrily as he caught up with him. Even he could see what the play was and he would do anything to halt the cross. His opponent was surprised to see him catch up but soon after smirked to himself. 

That smile managed to irritate the German to no end but he didn’t let it get to him. He could read the play like an open book. At his angle he could only cross it to the right and Ichigo would be there to stop it. His confidence was shattered in seconds when rather than a cross, the midfielder simply shot into the left side of the goal. From 17 yards out, his weak footed strike found its mark just seconds before the halftime whistle was heard.

He extended his hands out toward the homecrowd as his teammates hopped on his back. The large screen above displayed his picture along with the graphic adding Dortmund onto the board.

City 1-1 Dortmund.

The halftime break was virtually nonexistent for both teams. As they made their way back onto the pitch, Ichigo locked eyes with Dortmund’s duo and they knew it was going to be a physical 45 minutes. Behind him, Becker stared at the pair with fire in his eyes, a fire that seemed to ignite as they gave him but a subtle glance.

It was clear, they didn’t see him as a formidable threat in this match. This match revolved around those three, he was just an afterthought and he knew it. 

“Whatever is going through your mind, get rid of it.” Ichigo suddenly said, turning to look at his teammate. “The only thing you need to focus on is controlling the tempo. You lead our attack, anything else is just a distraction.”

Becker blinked momentarily and then blinked before smirking. “Right. A lot can happen in 45 minutes. We can do it.”

When the two teams were back on the pitch, nobody waited long for kickoff. It seemed both teams were equally eager to get back to the action. City got the ball and immediately picked up where they left off. The ball was crossed up the pitch where Driver carefully controlled it with his first touch. His eyes scanned the area and after a series of gentle taps to continue pressing, he flicked the ball backwards.

Becker was ready and knowing Bellingham would be on him quickly, he ran forward before quickly cutting back in an attempt to disguise his intentions. It worked as Dortmund’s midfielder was momentarily caught off guard, allowing him to open up a small path which he took advantage of. Kicking the ball through the path his mind's eye saw, he got the ball directly into their strikers feet.

Ichigo nodded to himself, and ran up the pitch but he knew it wouldn’t be an easy goal. Haaland was on him in an instant, and unlike the other players he’d faced, the man was much tougher. The two began fighting each other as he moved up the pitch making sure not to enter foul territory. 

Giving the Norwegian a slightly rough shove, he grunted in annoyance when Haaland didn’t budge. This was one of the moments where he wished he could add more strength as he knew he could easily send the man tumbling but in sports it was common to sell any potential fouls. If they lost possession now, the momentum would shift.

Haaland likewise pressed his arm on Ichigo’s chest and began applying pressure in an attempt to cut the man off and grit his teeth in frustration. Rather than forcing his way to the ball, the best he could do was force the orange haired player to the left hand side of the pitch. 

Ichigo’s head swiveled left and right, taking mental pictures of where everyone was on the pitch, how far he was from the goalkeeper, where the defenders were, and more importantly where Bellingham was.

“ He’s coming up from the left wing while Haaland keeps me busy on the right. ” Ichigo thought to himself. Had this been a few months ago his first thought would have been to pass and regroup, but not now. This situation was nothing like the life or death fights he’d been in in the past, but the sensation he felt about being pushed into a corner was familiar. 

He couldn’t help but grin. Shoving off of Haaland, he sped off to the left of the box and with his left foot cut the ball across to his right foot from behind. His sudden change in speed was so abrupt that both Haaland and the now present Bellingham couldn’t change direction fast enough to stick to him.

With a brief window open, Ichigo tapped the ball to the right and took aim. To his credit, the Englishman was quick to try and stop him. Unfortunately he was a step too late. Near the left corner of the penalty box, Ichigo shot, the attack had so much force his body continued to move as he kicked. The ball soared to the right while curving left. The German goalkeeper dove as far as he could but was unable to stop the ball from hitting the post and ricocheting into the net.

Ichigo gathered himself, letting his teammates jump on his back as he made his way to the away crowd where City’s supporters were roaring in excitement. Grabbing the left side of his shirt, he brought the badge up to his lips in order to give it a respectful kiss which drew louder cheers from the fans.

City 2-1 Dortmund

“How can someone move that fast and change directions like that?” Bellingham asked, wiping the sweat off his forehead. He was upset they were once again trailing, but as a footballer he could admit when he saw something that was worthy of praise.

“I don’t know but it’s a problem.” Haaland replied just as frustrated. “I can see why Loki takes him so seriously. He’s still able to score with both of us on him, we need to change our strategy.”

Bellingham took a deep breath and changed his focus from Ichigo to the blond midfielder. He was good, there was no doubt, but he had weaknesses. While his dribbling ability and field of vision was greater than that of Alexis from Bastard, he also suffered from the same crucial weakness. He was reliant on Kurosaki, except he didn’t realize it.

Where Ichigo could find ways to get by and create a shot, once Becker was cornered he was predictable. 

“What matters more to you? Scoring goals or winning the game?” The Englishman suddenly asked.

Haaland glanced at his teammate as the teams were assembling at the center circle once more. “Right now? Winning the game.”

His answer drew a smirk from his teammate who nodded. “Then leave it to me. Do your best to keep Kurosaki subdued.”

The whistle rang out and they were on the attack once more. Ichigo narrowed his eyes, seeing the opposing striker not instantly running toward the goal. Instead, the man decided to mark him directly even though they were on offense. What were they playing at?

Dortmund kept the ball in their possession for a few minutes, seemingly content to be down 2-1. It wasn’t until there was only fifteen minutes left in the half did they finally make their move. The ball made its way back to Bellingham who began sprinting down the pitch with Becker on him like glue. 

Knowing it was time to move, Bellingham cut to the right before flicking the ball through Becker’s legs to the left. Just like before, he had nutmegged the Blond once again, but it didn’t stop there. Running around the man, he cut back once more to the right effectively leaving City’s midfielder in the dust.

Swift did his best to slide tackle just outside of the box but could only watch in shock as the ball was tapped perfectly in order to make it bounce. Bellingham safely hopped over him, never once looking at him as he did so. Planting his feet, he let the ball bounce once before unleashing a half volley with his right foot that sailed directly toward goal.

Rook did his best and dove, even getting a finger on the ball, veering it off course but not far enough. The Dortmund fans yelled in excitement as the ball safely hit the net.

City 2-2 Dortmund

Ichigo could only make a face as if to say that was a good shot. Looking over, he noticed Becker’s balled up fists shaking in rage. It was understandable, he’d been hit with the same move twice and it cost them. He’d have to talk to him later but now they needed to regroup and clear their heads.

Unfortunately, Becker was quick to grab the ball and begin again. Only a few minutes remained, they needed to be strategic.

Becker kicked the ball toward Driver and immediately asked for it again. Knowing his role, he sprinted up the pitch only to frown when he realized he wasn’t being marked as tightly as he should be. Haaland and Bellingham were quick to rush in forward. City’s midfielder scanned left and right and tried to cross the ball only to be intercepted by one of Dortmund’s fullbacks. 

The ball was veered off course and the German team once again were in possession of the ball. Like last time they began running the clock down, passing the ball back toward their half until the ninety minute mark was upon them. The referees gave them two minutes of added time and it dawned on him what had happened.

Bellingham was going to deal with Becker again. If he moved to intercept, he’d be leaving their striker open. If he stayed in place, the blond would likely get done in again, especially now that his mental space wasn’t intact.

Becker glared at his opponent up near the penalty box and focused. He could feel the eyes on him, the weight of their undefeated record, and most importantly, his pride as a footballer. He had to get it right this time. Would he feint and try to nutmeg him? Would he pass? There were plenty of people around him in order for him to simply get by. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

Everything went silent and suddenly, he saw it. A tap to the right and his foot was beginning to bend. A nutmeg. Bringing his foot back to close the gap, he felt like they had it. The sudden feeling of bliss turned into despair moments later as the tan man didn’t bring the ball back and instead tapped it further to the right. 

He’d guessed wrong.

With a powerful kick, the ball was sent into the air and into the upper left corner of the goal just in time for the final whistle to ring out. It felt like the strength in his legs had disappeared and he dropped to his knees, forced to watch as the yellow clad team hugged in celebrations. 

Final. City 2-3 Dortmund

Ichigo sighed and wiped at his forehead, though not before giving a quick handshake to Haaland who had come up to him after the final whistle. While the rest of the Berserk Dortmund squad were celebrating, both Haaland and Bellingham didn’t seem as excited. The midfielder came up to him as well and gave him a firm handshake before pulling him closer so they could speak.

“That was a close one, you really are a monster.” He complimented.

“You haven’t seen anything yet. You’re coming to our house in the second leg. Be ready.” He replied. The man gave him a nod and made his way toward the tunnel.

“I wanted to challenge you to a scoring contest but didn’t get to do that here.” Haaland said. “Next leg I’ll show you who I am.”

Ichigo smirked, liking his competitive spirit. “I look forward to it.”

Looking over at his downed teammate, he strolled over and gently smacked the back of his head. “Get up.”

“I let us down.” Becker said angrily. “We lost because they made a fool out of me.”

“We’re a team. You didn’t lose, we did. There’s still another leg. This time at the Etihad, what are you going to do about it?”

Knowing his friend would have to think on his words, he made his way to the tunnel though not before bowing to the fans who had come all the way to Germany to support them. Even though they couldn’t hear him he promised them a victory the following week.

As much as Becker blamed himself, Ichigo was also at fault. He was a good scorer and he could read the game but it wasn’t enough. If Chris were on the pitch, he would have settled things himself when he realized his teammates weren’t helping. Becker wasn’t alone. Ichigo himself needed to evolve.

Next time, things would be different. He’d been held to two goals and took a loss. City had been toppled, and that couldn’t stand.

Chapter 9

Surprise, I know nobody expected another update so soon. Sadly my computer is having issues so I might not have it much longer so I figured I'd get this out there before it's no longer accessible to me. Anyway if you guys wanna chat about this story or others feel free to join my discord. I will say it's pretty naruto centric because that's how it began but don't worry about it if you're not that big a fan. It's slowly changing lol I'll leave the link at the end of the chapter.

“Kurosaki!” The manager called out, making his way to the pitch. “You have media duty.”

“Media duty?” Ichigo parroted curiously. 

“We may have lost today but the show you and the other two put on is still a hot topic. They want a few words with you. Get used to it kid, in the big leagues this will be an every match occurrence.”

With nothing left to say, he was taken to the touchline where a female reporter in a red dress stood behind a glass wall lined with different sponsor logos. She spoke professionally into a camera and looked to her side, breaking out into a smile when she saw him approaching. 

With a quick adjustment of her hair she motioned for her cameraman to step back so that they could have a wider shot and to allow for the sponsored logos to be visible. 

“I’m joined now by Manshine City’s striker Ichigo Kurosaki. An unfortunate result today to end what has been a remarkable undefeated streak in the Youth League, how are you feeling after that performance?” She asked. 

“Not as good as I’d like to be honest but we knew it wouldn’t be easy. We knew coming here we were stepping into hostile territory and they did a good job protecting their home. The first half was pretty even and in the second they really turned up the heat and showed why they’ve made it this far.” He answered equally as professionally. 

The woman nodded and placed the microphone back in front of her mouth. “Yeah it did seem like after your second goal they really managed to find their groove and equalize before taking the lead in the final moment. I would like to say as someone covering the Youth League it has become the norm to see a number of goals next to your name at full time. It was unusual not to see you with 3-5 goals at full time but how does that motivate you going into the second leg at the Etihad next week?”

The mic was placed back in front of him and he took a moment to think of his response. 

“It’s not something I’m used to but I think it was a needed wake up call for all of us. As a striker not scoring enough is the main reason we didn’t win but it is what it is. The result is what it is and next week we’ll be prepared to advance to the Semi-finals. We’ll learn from our mistakes today and make sure we can get the job done. It would’ve been nice to finish undefeated but that’s not what we care about. We want the trophy.”

In front of him he could see the many reporters who were taking pictures also jotting down everything he was saying. It was unlikely that it would be headline news but he was sure those deep in the football community would at least talk about his comments. It was surprising to him that she hadn’t brought up Loki in any way, seeing as PXG also had a match later in the day. 

“Your last goal was an absolute screamer, the little cut back to the right followed by what was one of my favorite goals of the tournament, walk me through that one.”

“Well I had Haaland and Bellingham on me, two monster players in their own right and knew I wouldn’t be able to get a regular shot off so I had to improvise. I studied a bit of their game before our match and had a decent idea of how they would approach me so I used my speed to my advantage and it worked out.”

The woman smiled and nodded before continuing. “You’re essentially 4 wins away from the trophy, knowing that what’s the vibe in the locker room with that in the back of your minds and what would it mean to you personally?”

“The vibe is positive, it’s probably dipped a little after our performance today but we’ll be back in high spirits soon. As for me it would mean the world to bring City a trophy. I know most football fans probably don’t care about the Youth League trophy but for me it’ll be a message to the fans of things to come. It’ll start with the Youth League, then I’ll help bring the Premier League trophy, the FA Cup, and the Champions League.” 

The scribbles doubled in speed at his declaration and the reporter couldn’t help the grin that appeared on her face. Perhaps she was a city fan that had to remain professional but he could see the excitement threatening to overtake her. The woman took in a deep breath and controlled herself. 

“You mentioned the three biggest club trophies but didn’t give a time frame for when you’d like to bring them. Is that the order you want to get them per season?” She asked. 

He shook his head and prepared himself for what would be his boldest declaration yet. 

“No. Currently my focus is helping the team win the Youth League, but when the doors open up and the time for me finally arrives, it’ll be my mission to bring all three trophies at the same time.”

“You plan to help bring City the treble?” She asked, this time not hiding her excitement. 

“That’s the plan.”

“You’re an ambitious young man. Thank you for your time Ichigo and good luck with the rest of the tournament.”

“Thank you.”

With his media obligation finished, he made his way to the tunnel to rejoin the rest of the team. That had been easier than he thought, maybe that video interview he’d done had paid off after all. As he made his way to the locker room, he couldn’t help but replay his words in his mind. He’d called his shot and declared his intentions. Now he would need to deliver. 

Everyone knew how sports fans were. If he failed to meet up to the expectations he’d now placed on himself he’d be a laughing stock online. The performance today couldn’t be repeated. Not again. 

---

Two days after their 3-2 loss to Dortmund, the entirety of Manshine City’s squad were assembled in one of the many film study rooms the team had access to. For a match that was only 92 minutes long, the team had been there for well over 3 hours as they broke down every possession, every loss, and more importantly, every battle. The manager along with the assistants paused every few seconds, taking the time to analyze everything down to the most brief head turns. 

The center backs were first to be questioned on their defensive decisions. Based on attack patterns they’d studied they were presented with alternatives that they should consider next time in order to take the next step in their professional careers. Nobody took the critique personally, they knew if they wanted to avoid elimination they would need to find the flaws in their game and fix them. 

The midfielders were next up. Driver had a few good touches and arguably the second most successful dribbles out of the entire team, but also had his shortcomings. 

“Your field of vision is solid but your decision making is still slow.” The manager began, using a red laser to show a break in Dortmund’s formation. Three defenders had rounded up on him, leaving two open teammates. 

“Here, the ideal play would have been a well placed pass through them toward Becker who had a clear view of Kurosaki. You noticed it, but you also saw Busby open to your left. By the time you picked which of the two was the correct move, their defense tightened up and you lost the choice. You didn’t pass the ball, you were forced to pass the ball. There’s a difference.”

Driver took the critique head on and made a note of it on his notepad, making sure to jot down the exact moment in the match to review later. Fortunately for him City had world class trainers who also made note of this and began formulating drills to help him out. 

“On the subject of your passes, they’re passable but if you want to make it to the Premier League, these won’t cut it. You need more power without sacrificing accuracy or finesse. As a midfielder you’re one of the keys to making sure our attacks succeed and their attacks are stopped. We’ll be working on this for the next week.” He finished. 

The breakdown of his game didn’t stop there and for fifteen more minutes he was broken down on every play where he was in possession of the ball. Ichigo, despite not being a midfielder, also took notes every now and again. His main objective was to score goals but exercises to improve his view or the pitch and how to read the game were beneficial for any player. 

As the manager went on from player to player, even grilling the goalkeeper on his positioning, Ichigo finally noticed that someone was missing from the team. Not just anyone, but his partner in the midfield. 

“ There’s no way he got cut for that right?” He wondered to himself. No, he was sure that wasn’t the case. An opening in their team would’ve been met with an announcement from management. Everyone knew he took the loss hard, mostly blaming himself for being dealt with by the English midfielder, but it couldn’t have been so bad he’d skip out on mandatory study. 

He glanced around and noticed everyone so caught up in their notes, nobody questioned the missing player. 

“Kurosaki.” The manager called out, causing him to turn back. “You don’t need to worry about it. He’ll be back for the second leg. Out of everyone here he was the most eager to be analyzed. He knows what he has to do. He’ll be ready.” He said as if knowing exactly what had been going through his mind. 

“Right. Sorry.”

The manager waved off his concern and resumed play on the tape but instantly stopping once more when the ball reached his feet. 

“Kurosaki. I can honestly say I’ve never seen a player quite like you. Out of everyone in every academy in Europe, I believe you’re the one with the least amount of time playing the game.” He began, taking a moment to let the rest of the team digest the info. Some of them had seen the interview with Troopz where he revealed he barely played and didn’t have idols, but those who hadn’t were shocked by the info. 

“Yet I’ve never seen a player with as much natural talent as you. The way you’ve taken to the game is something we’ve only seen from players like Messi, Ronaldo, Cruyff, Pele, and so on.” He continued, letting his second goal play on screen. 

Even though they’d all been there live to see the incredible shot, watching it back from a spectators point of view made it look even more impressive. 

“Double teamed and being forced to the left, you actually sped up and managed to come to a stop and change direction at the blink of an eye. That’s agility that players are born with or they’re not. You read the situation and managed to still create an opportunity and that’s great.”

Ichigo could feel the ‘BUT’ coming and he wasn’t disappointed. Regardless he prepared his pencil for the breakdown that was sure to come. 

“But…” there it was. “Your natural talent isn’t enough. Haaland and Bellingham are talented as well, but they’ve dedicated their entire life to honing that talent. Working to refine every aspect of their game. When they saw they couldn’t stop you, they changed tactics and targeted Becker. You were then put into a position to make a choice as I’m sure you recall.”

The film was fast forwarded to the one on one between the two midfielders. The red laser ignored them in favor of him being marked by Haaland. 

“You recognize this.” It wasn’t a question. “You believed you had two options. Attack Bellingham and double press, and leave your mark open where he’s most dangerous. Or stay in place and hope your teammate could get the job done.” 

Ichigo nodded, those were the exact scenarios that had played out in his head. 

“What you didn’t know was that there was a third option.”

At this, the team frowned in confusion. They were all on the same wavelength when it came to that particular scenario. The two most viable options had already been put on the table and they’d lost. What was the third? 

“After the equalizer Becker took it upon himself to begin again and immediately asked for the ball back. Why do you believe this happened?”

All eyes turned toward their striker who, like them, had no other answer besides “he was frustrated.”

“In part, yes. The reason you don’t yet see the third option is because you’ve yet to realize your own shortcoming. You’re a quintessential striker, a machine designed to score goals fed to you by a competent midfielder. Up until now that’s worked in our favor, but as you saw here when the midfield was neutralized what happened to you?”

“I was taking up space on the pitch.” He realized, seeing what the coach was getting at. 

“There’s no doubt in my mind you’ll be called up soon. However, at your current level even with the talent at your disposal, you’ll only be an above average scorer and will likely be relegated to feeding Chris goals.” He said bluntly. It was harsh but he’d been in the business long enough to see talented players decay due to a lack of proper guidance. 

“If you were able to create space on a larger scale and improve your dribbling, what do you think would have changed?”

Ichigo stared at the paused screen and analyzed what had happened. He asked one of the assistants to rewind the tape to when Becker asked for the ball after kick off and paused. 

“I could’ve called for the ball. Then Haaland and Bellingham would’ve had to both fall back and press me in order to aim for a draw. That would’ve left a free man in the midfield and either Becker or Driver, hell even Swift could’ve made their way a touch further up the pitch for a clear shot.” He answered. 

The manager smirked to himself and nodded. 

“Exactly. A striker is most dangerous when they’re creative. Just by that one action alone you could’ve created a big chance for 3 different people to win the game. You have the speed, agility, and strength, all you need now is to draw out the creativity to make the most out of every aspect of your game.”

By this point Ichigo’s notebook had two pages full of notes each with small diagrams of plays they’d run and arrows indicating what could have been. The manager was right, talent wasn’t enough. He needed to cultivate that talent. Now he was meeting people equally talented who also worked hard. 

He didn’t simply want to make it to the Premier League, he wanted to shake it to its foundation. And he knew just where to start now. 

Once they were free to go and every player had his strengths and weaknesses exposed, they were free to do as they pleased. Ichigo was glad to see all of them walking in the same direction as him to the locker room. Motivation was at an all time high and everyone wanted to get a head start on their training. 

When he made his way into the pitch he placed a ball on the touchline and sat on it. Pulling out his phone, he opened YouTube and typed in the most recent City Champions League game highlights. 

For at least an hour he focused his attention on one man, specifically his dribbling and control. 

“He’s really flashy but it undeniably works.” He muttered to himself as he watched Chris make a fool out of defenders left and right. He thought back to his night out with Mai and the challenge Chris had sprung on him. One of the moves he’d done was insanely flashy but it had caught him off guard long enough to get by. That had also been in a confined space, if they had been on a pitch he could’ve ran through. 

Ducking his head so as to avoid a stray ball, he got up and patted himself down before looking for his team's defenders. Swift and Damon were off to the side, each trying to catch their breath before getting back to work. Their practice jerseys were soaked in sweat, a testament to how seriously they’d been taking the loss. 

Of his team, they were two who he’d yet to really speak to. The only time he’d ever said anything to them was in game and that was to call for the ball. 

“Yo.” He called out. “Either of you guys wanna help me out a bit?”

Damon took a sip of his water bottle and tossed it aside before nodding. “I don’t mind. What do you need?”

“I need a partner or two to help with my dribbling.”

“I’d be happy to help. On that same note, we’d like to ask for your help as well.” He replied, taking a glance at Swift. “We’d like you to help us with our movement. One of our weaknesses was our inability to change pace on the fly. We’d like your help with that.”

A fair exchange in his opinion. They could help each other. After getting their own spot along the pitch, he asked for the ball and began trying to mirror what he’d seen Chris do. Sudden breaks in speed followed by sharp chops to the side were simple in theory but not in practice. 

As Damon blocked his path to the goal, Ichigo rolled the bottom of his boot over the ball to the right and tapped it in the opposite direction with his left, sending it into the open space. His excitement didn’t last long however, as Swift suddenly appeared mirroring how Bellingham seemed to show up out of nowhere. 

His body slid along the floor for a well placed tackle and instinctively, he tapped the back of the ball down at an angle in order to prop it into the air. Hopping over his body, Ichigo was able to get a clear shot at the unmanned goal. 

“How the hell did you pull that off?” Swift asked from his spot on the ground. He offered a thankful nod at the two outstretched hands that helped him up and wiped some sweat off his brow. “I thought dribbling was something you needed to work on.”

“I’m not sure. My main goal was to practice the chop but when I saw you I kinda just moved.” He replied. 

Damon looked at the goal and frowned to himself. He was certain he had seen that exact scenario play out but couldn’t remember where. Only a moment later did it hit him that it was the same play that had led to the team conceding a goal at Dortmund. 

He kept quiet and simply picked the ball up to restart the drills again. The longer they worked the clearer the image became. Whether intentionally or not Ichigo had managed to recreate a technique he’d seen once and use it effectively. As they switched off between Damon and Swift, it became clear that calling their striker talented was an understatement. 

Every dribble, every skill move, every technique he tried they watched as it slowly came together. The speed at which he was taking in the info and applying it was like nothing they had seen before. What started out as clumsy footwork comparatively speaking, had evolved into what almost looked completely natural. 

When the sun began to dip down over the horizon, some of the players began packing it up, but the three of them remained glued in place. Even with their darkened clothing and aching bodies, the defenders were determined to continue. They managed to train for an hour until they had to call it quits. 

Day by day, the players did their team drills before breaking off into groups with the trainers and amongst themselves for individual work. Swift and Damon, as he found out, were rather funny and laid back guys. In between sets where they would maneuver through cones before having to strip him of the ball they would joke about and comment on what had been happening throughout the week when not training. 

It was refreshing to simply chop it up with the fellas but as the days dwindled away, their training intensified. The two defenders could feel their agility growing refined, their timing becoming better, and their focus becoming sharper. Likewise their help had contributed to Ichigo’s “bag” as they called it, getting deeper. 

Every night he would watch world class players and learn what set them apart. Those aspects would soon find their way into his training with his own twist on them. 

“Alright bring it in.” Their manager yelled out. “Tomorrow is the big day, it’s do or die. You’ve been working hard but we’d be stupid to think Dortmund hasn’t been doing the same. Get some rest and prepare yourselves. You tasted defeat once, let’s not let it happen again. We’re going to win the whole thing.”

The squad nodded and disbursed, each focused on letting their bodies rest. They’d done everything they could, now they just needed to go out and get the job done. 

---

From their spot in the locker room, the players could feel the intensity of the crowd. Unlike the previous week where the momentum was in favor of Dortmund, the crowd was chanting for City. Ichigo even heard a variation where they threw his name into the mix. The atmosphere was electric and was growing in intensity due to the loud stomping of the crowds above.

Ichigo gently rocked his neck from side to side as he took the single earbud out of his ear and stopped his music. It was time to focus. Part of him was excited, he hadn’t worked with as much intensity for something he would’ve considered mundane in a long time. He wasn’t the same player he was last week, he was something else, something more.

It wasn’t just him either, the entire team was different. Everyone had poured blood, sweat, and tears into their training in order to make it through. Exhaling, he turned his attention to the entrance of the locker room to see Becker walk in, already dressed in their light blue home kit.

They locked eyes and he could feel the shift in the man’s demeanor. Whatever he had done over the week had clearly changed him. The fire in his eyes wasn’t missed by anyone, even as he made his way over with an outstretched fist, he could sense the barely concealed excitement with every step.

“Yo, where the hell have you been all week?” Ichigo asked bluntly, giving him the fist bump.

“I got in contact with Kevin from the senior squad and spent the week training with him. It was humbling to see just how big the gap between me and him was but it opened my eyes. You ready Ichigo?”

“Yeah. We’re getting through to the semi’s.” He replied.

Both teams exited their respective locker rooms at the same time and lined up next to each other in the tunnel. Ichigo looked to his left and was once again met with the two midfielders, who like his own team, seemed much more focused than last time. They hadn’t been prepared for him during their first encounter and as a result one of them had gone scoreless. It was clear they were looking to rectify that.

Their cue to make their way to the pitch was given and the teams made their way to the center circle. Ichigo narrowed his eyes in preparation and took his place next to Becker. They didn’t have time to waste. They had tested the waters last week and this time, he wouldn’t hold back. If he was being honest he wanted to wait until he faced Loki but neither Haaland or Bellingham were players he could take it easy on. They had earned him taking it up to another level but if they wanted to see him at his best, they would have to meet him in the Champions League next season.

The fans went silent for a moment as they mentally prepared themselves for 90 minutes of football. When the whistle rang out, they erupted once more. The ball was passed to Ichigo who simply kept it underfoot and stared at the defender who made his way toward him. Two players to the left, one on the right, Haaland and Bellingham flanking nearby. 

He took a deep breath and exhaled. With speed that the football world had only been used to seeing from Loki, he barreled down the pitch, leaving everyone in the dust. The only defender that had managed to try to intercept him was forced to try and guess if Ichigo would go right or left as he rapidly stepped over the ball.

Ultimately, he went left and cursed to himself as the ball was tapped to the right, leaving a clear open gap within the penalty box. A well placed chip sent the ball over the goalkeeper who couldn’t stretch his hands far enough to stop the ball from falling into the net.

City 1-0 Dortmund

Agg:3-3

“What the fuck.” Haaland cursed loudly, though his words mostly went unheard due to the sheer volume of the fans. The scoreboard quickly updated and even announced the record of the fastest goal scored in the Youth League with a time of twenty seconds.

“And I thought we knew what he was capable of.” Bellingham said with a serious look. “Stick to the plan.”

The ball was kicked off, this time in Dortmund’s possession and they too were on the attack. Like last time, they prioritized using what they considered to be the weakest link in order to facilitate their attacks. The ball was sent to Bellingham who gave out a series of commands to the team using a hand. Like a conductor, the players around him began to change marks, getting themselves into positions that would allow them the easiest opportunity to score.

“I thought you were going to show me who you were.” Ichigo commented, seeing Haaland come to a stop near him. “Shouldn’t you be positioned up top?”

“In time. Shutting you down is more important right now.” The man replied, stepping into his space.

The ball was passed left, then up the pitch, back down, and crossed over the field until it made its way back to Bellingham who was still being marked by Becker. No matter how he tried, the man remained glued to him and came close to intercepting passes more than once. It was clear he hadn’t been stewing in his defeat.

They were twenty yards away from the goal, and the Englishman could see the perfect path to score. There was only one obstacle. In front of him, City’s midfielder narrowed his eyes but instead of pressing, took a single step back and to the right allowing him a bit of space. His actions stumped the midfielder until he realized what had happened. From his vantage point he had a clear shot to the right of goal, but that also meant the goalkeeper could now clearly see him.

Becker’s original position had been perfect since it blocked Rook's view of him, meaning he would only have a split second to react once the ball came into view. Now that he was visible, the goalkeeper adjusted his position to his left, giving him a much higher chance of saving any shot on target.

“Well?” Becker asked cockily. His eyes darted left, as though seeing someone and smirked when his opponent turned his attention away from him to defend the ball. That brief lapse in focus was all Becker needed and closed the gap between them, stretching his foot out just in time to intercept the pass that was forced to occur. 

The ball flew to the right side of the pitch where one of City’s defenders was quick to take possession and run up the pitch. The crowd cheered at the defensive play which only added fuel to the team. Crossing the ball across the pitch, Ichigo controlled it with his chest and passed to Driver on his right. Without needing to worry about control, he sped up and was mildly impressed that Haaland was still on him.

A few yards out Swift was breaking away from his own defender and called for the ball. Driver had a clear view of both and instantly passed to Swift, much to the manager's approval just to the left of the pitch. The older player ran up the right wing and attempted to cross the ball but was a step too late as one of Dortmund’s players executed a perfectly timed tackle to send the ball out of bounds resulting in a corner.

The two teams gathered around the goal, each stiffening their posture to keep their man from breaking out. Ichigo gripped Haaland’s shoulder and bent his knees pretending like he was preparing for a header. His eyes however found Becker who motioned toward the center circle. It was a strange call but he trusted the man.

Becker tapped the ball toward a teammate, canceling the set piece and took the ball back up the pitch, waiting a few seconds to let everyone disburse. Ichigo fell back and grunted in annoyance seeing the two star Dortmund players begin to flank him once again. Becker pointed to the left of the pitch and jogged up around the right.

Taking a moment to think of where they were on the pitch, his eyes widened when he realized what could happen. Neither man was fast enough to keep up with him and Becker knew this. Having mostly free reign due to the double team, he was able to move up the pitch and execute a well placed through ball that went through two defenders and curved to land directly in front of him on the left wing.

He grinned to himself and with his left foot, was finally able to let off his signature technique. The trivela which had been notably absent in the last two games had made it return and slammed into the upper post and bounced back down into the goal. 

City 2-0 Dortmund

Agg:4-3

City had taken the lead on aggregate but none of the players could celebrate for too long. They knew they couldn’t take their foot off the gas with this team. For the next twenty five minutes up until half time, Dortmund had five shots on target but were ultimately foiled by Rook who was in top form. One shot had gone through but was disallowed due to an offside call.

The minutes ticked by and halftime came and went. Somehow it had gone even faster than in the previous game. Dortmund couldn’t wait to get back in order to claw back into it, and City were eager to hold on to their lead and seal the match.

The ball went live and the German team were on the attack once more. Sticking to his position, Ichigo scanned the pitch, making sure to choose the right moment to act if need be. The manager's words were still fresh in his mind and although he’d taken strides to adjust, he still couldn’t be satisfied with what he’d done. He needed a challenge to prove what he’d done had paid off.

On the offensive, Haaland pressed forward and called for the ball. With the accuracy of a world class midfielder, Bellingham was able to find the space to get the ball through. The Norwegian striker bullied his way through defenders and only stopped when Busby slid in front of him in an attempt to tackle the ball free.

This had been foreseen however, and with agility that shouldn’t have been possible for a man his size, he came to a sudden stop and rolled the ball back toward him. Now he had a clear view of the goal and with power only few could generate, struck the ball. 

The home crowd was instantly silenced as even with a hand on the ball, the strike was strong enough to still move his hand out of the way and find itself at home in the net. 

City 2-1 Dortmund

Agg:4-4

Ichigo grunted in annoyance at how easily they seemed to get through and equalize. It only took them ten minutes into the second half to get the job done and he could see some of his teammates had been rattled. Becker however, simply took the ball and went back to the center circle to begin again, this time looking much more calm than he had before. The ball was sent to their striker who kept possession and took a moment to visually tell the guys to relax.

This time, it was City who would play the waiting game. He jogged up the pitch and passed it back to Driver who had taken a relaxing breath. With a gentle touch, he maneuvered himself past one of his opponents and crossed the ball to the other side of the pitch. As expected the players rushed over, all but the two main stars.

Haaland and Bellingham knew what was happening, and kept their positions. They could see the change in tactics and knew they would need their energy for what was to come.

For fifteen minutes, City played defensive ball and kept to their side of the pitch even when it looked like they would be able to make a play. To the casual fans, it was one of the more boring matches, a far cry from what they expected after seeing the first leg. But to those who lived and breathed football, they knew it was the most intense it had been in a while.

The clock was slowly being eaten away and at the rate things were going, it would need to be settled by a penalty shootout, but everyone knew it wouldn’t come to that. When there was only twenty minutes left in the match, a switch was flipped within the team. Driver passed the ball to Swift who began leading the charge up the pitch. The slow defensive play was done and now it was time to take the lead. Passing by one defender using a technique he’d picked up from Ichigo in training, he precisely crossed the ball into the midfield to Driver who tapped it over to Becker before it hit the ground.

The blond didn’t slow down, and didn’t look away even as Bellingham took his place beside him in an attempt to strip the ball. Using his upper body strength, Becker kept him at bay while keeping his eye on the goal. Ichigo was being marked by Haaland, but they knew he could get away if he needed to.

The path presented itself and as if communicating mentally, Ichigo dashed forward until he was in the perfect spot for a header. Bellingham wasn’t one of the best talents in the world for no reason though and could also see what could lead to another goal. Now it was he who was in a sticky situation.

Press up and block the path for a cross, or stay where he was and risk a foul and free kick if he tried to tackle. Trusting himself, he planted his foot and stuck his leg forward, barely managing to touch the ball. His moment of triumph however, only lasted a second as Becker was quick to adjust his feet and move over to retain control.

“I wanted to get by and win the game, but now I’ll have to change things up.” He muttered angrily. The clock was seemingly counting faster, that or the adrenaline was finally getting to him. Ignoring that for the time being, he kicked the ball over everyone’s heads toward Ichigo who now had Haaland and another defender on him.

Pulling back he stared down the Norwegian man and glanced around him, looking for options. There were few, but as the clock began dipping into the single digits, he decided against any of those options. He had to be what the team needed. 

Rolling his foot over the ball, he slowly made his way back down the pitch, drawing the man with him much to the confusion of some of the fans. With rapid passes, they continued keeping possession of the ball until the ref showed the single minute of added time for the match. Everyone was on their feet, this was it.

To nobody’s surprise, the second Dortmund star flanked his teammate and together they attacked. Smiling to himself, Ichigo replayed his encounter with Chris in his head and began dribbling the ball sporadically. Right to left, feint movements kept both players on their toes. 

“ Wait for the right moment. ” Ichigo thought to himself. Chris hadn’t even looked him in the eyes when he’d done it, he’d read the situation. Neither team wanted pens, they would attack.

And they did.

The moment Bellingham stuck his foot in, Ichigo rolled the ball behind him with his back foot and rotated his body to the side. Haaland struck next, reading the pattern and attacking the opposite side, seeing exactly where the ball would be. What nobody expected was the sudden flick using the back of his left heel to toss the ball into the air or the subsequent catching of the ball with his left foot to kick it to the right.

Hopping between the gap, Ichigo sprinted using speed only so many people could match. Just a yard outside the penalty box, he shot. Having been in a state of focus, Ichigo hadn’t seen exactly where he’d hit the ball, only that he knew he needed to score. 

The ball soared toward the upper right hand corner of the goal only to suddenly veer upward and then take a sudden downward slump. The shot had been so unexpected, there had been a delayed reaction from the crowd until they realized it had gone in. And only the goalie had noticed the lack of spin on the ball as it traveled.

It was over. Just as the ball was kicked back into play, the three whistles went off signaling full time.

Final. City 3-1 Dortmund

Agg: 5-4

The crowd cheered as did the City players. Becker ran a hand through his hair and exhaled, giving him a tired nod. To Ichigo, that man had been the man of the match. His training had somehow changed his mindset and caused him to overcome the challenge in front of him.

Looking over at the opposing team, he saw Haaland come up to him, offering a respectful handshake.

“That was a hell of a game. Since when could you do that at the end?” He asked.

“I worked on it during the week. I didn’t plan on it, but everything lined up for it.” Ichigo replied honestly.

His comment drew a snort of disbelief from the man who simply shook his head, unable to believe what he’d just heard. “It’s unfortunate that our strategies relied so much on defensive football. I wanted to have a goal scoring competition.” 

“From what I saw from your goal, I can say it would’ve been a hell of a show. I saw some of your highlights online, have they said anything to you about a call up?”

Haaland looked around and brought the neck of his jersey up to cover his mouth and leaned forward so no one could read his lips. “Me and Jude are moving to the senior team next season. How about you?”

“Same here. I guess we’ll be able to have that competition next season in the Champions League then.”

“I look forward to it. Before that, let me get that jersey.” He requested.

His request caught Ichigo off guard but he wasn’t opposed to it. It was something players did in every sport with those whose skills they respected. Plus, if he was right about Haaland, he knew he would be one of the biggest names in the sport in the coming years alongside his partner who was in the process of swapping his own jersey with Becker.

It would be a nice piece to have for the future.

“We’ll see you soon Ichigo.” He called out.

This time, he wasn’t selected for the interview as everyone seemed to be focused on the midfielder who had gotten his happy ending after a hard fought match. He bowed to the fans and disappeared into the tunnels to change. The hardest match of the tournament was done. Now it was time to rest.

---

Later that night the team found themselves in the general common room of their dormitory still celebrating their victory. The tv was playing Becker's post game interview, with the blond strangely subdued despite being the man of the hour. 

Next to him on the couch was Mai, who he’d managed to get permission to visit. It was her first time there and being the cheerful woman she was, was able to instantly make friends with everyone. Some of the other guys also had their own female company but as long as they obeyed the rules, there were no issues as far as management was concerned.

“Your team made it to the semi finals of a big tournament and you're scrolling through IG?” Mai asked, leaning on his shoulder to get a look at his feed. “Oh my god look at all those follower requests.” She added after.

Thousands of requests were lined up, each from fans hoping to get a follow back from an up and coming footballer.

“Bot, bot, bot, OF girl go ahead and decline that one, bot, old lady, and a rabbit?” She asked, looking at the last one strangely.

“A rabbit?” He asked, before finally seeing who she was referring to. Near the top of the list there was a profile picture of a crudely drawn bunny with a scar seemingly near its eye. It almost reminded him of Rukia’s terrible drawings but Mai wasn’t lying. 

“Who names their kid Bunny? Bunny Iglesias?” He asked. The profile was public and to his surprise, he had thousands of followers himself. What had really captured his attention however, were the many pictures of him on a football pitch wearing the iconic uniform of FC Barcha. 

“Becker.” He called out.

“Yeah?”

“Do you know who we play next?”

Becker looked at the results of the other matches for the day and whistled. “We have Barcha. Why?”

“No reason.”

He tapped accept and followed back. Maybe he would look him up later before bed, but for the time being, he would celebrate with Mai and the others.

---

I originally wanted a match where there was far more scoring but I figured this made more sense since both teams would have adapted. Anyway, those of you caught up with the manga, you'll know who he just added on social media. Anyway, link to the discord is: /9wHZj7Nj

 

Chapter 10

Hey everyone, sorry for the long wait. It took a bit longer than I wanted for a few reasons but here's the next chapter as promised. It's a bit of a slower chapter but it's setting up an important match soon. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy.

“Were you reading from a teleprompter?” Driver asked, looking over at Becker who couldn’t help but turn red at the sudden attention. Their food had arrived and despite being on mostly strict diets, they were allowed to indulge themselves after bouncing back for the second leg against Dortmund. While gathered around, the center backs had the brilliant idea of replaying Becker’s post match interview and they couldn’t help but notice how stiff he seemed in front of the camera.

“No but I hadn’t expected to be picked for an interview so I had to think on the spot.” He said, stuffing his mouth with a slice of pizza. “It’s not easy saying something that won’t be twisted by the media you know.”

Swift shook his head seeing his teammate stumble over his words. For such a great player he would have expected him to have some kind of media training. The forwards and the midfielders were the most likely to be interviewed, so he figured the man would be confident as hell.

“We’re going to have to have a few of the PR people give you some training on this. What if they talk to you after the final?”

Becker waved him off and took a drink of his cola. “I’ll be ready by then, for now we should focus on finishing strong. We’re pretty much three wins away from winning the whole thing.”

Hearing this, Ichigo peeked his head over Mai’s head who was enjoying some of the desert they’d bought. It had suddenly dawned on him that they weren’t the only team that had a match. His French rival was supposed to have played today as well, and if that was the case then they would be one step closer to facing each other.

The subliminal shots they’d been sending each other online had gotten the attention of a lot of the football fans. Anything they posted would be retweeted hundreds of thousands of times depending on how blatant the shot was. Loki had been the last to take a shot by posting immediately after they had gone down against Dortmund in the first leg.

The prodigy hadn’t named any teams or players, but the fans were able to quickly deduce what team that had been directed at, especially since PXG had won their match 1-0.

“Speaking of that, who are the remaining teams?” He asked.

Damon quickly pulled out his phone and scrolled through the official PIFA app which kept track of everything and after swallowing his bite of his pizza replied.

“It’s Re Al, Barcha, Ajajax, and us.”

“What about PXG?” He asked, sitting up straight, accidentally bumping Mai’s elbow as she was about to take another bite. She frowned playfully at him and adjusted herself so he wouldn’t be able to ruin her bite again.

“Sorry, it just caught me off guard. They seemed to be on track to meet us in the finals.” He explained.

Mai’s false anger couldn’t withstand what she considered to be a cute look from him and her smile quickly returned. Her actions were met with teasing looks from some of the other women who had seen the interaction which caused a slight blush to appear on her cheeks.

“PXG actually lost the second leg.” Becker replied, pulling up the highlights from the game on the tv. Everybody was able to see he just wanted to get his interview off the screen but they were all curious as to what had happened to one of the favorites of the tournament. The highlight video was over fifteen minutes but they simply skipped to the most watched section.

Ichigo kept his eyes on Loki who was weaving through the defenders with overwhelming speed. Ajajax’s defence however was ironclad and had seemingly done their homework on how to slow the man down. The ball was passed through a small opening between defenders only to be intercepted a yard away from its intended target.

The counter attack caused a visible panic and as the Ajajax striker set foot into the penalty box, PXG committed the mistake that cost them the match. A badly timed tackle sent the striker tumbling and a penalty kick was awarded. The environment along with the weight of the moment didn’t seem to affect the kicker within seconds of the whistle, the match was over.

PXG’s goalkeeper dove to the left while the ball had been sent straight down the middle.

“Damn, I wonder how the dude is feeling knowing that they lost because of that tackle. Loki looks pissed.” Busby asked, shaking his head at the careless mistake. He wasn’t perfect, but even he’d never been shaken so much that he’d make a mistake that big.

“Loki looks pissed but this is the most I’ve seen Ichigo smile before.” Driver commented, drawing everyone’s attention to their striker.

Ichigo didn’t look at anyone, instead his phone was quickly in hand going to Twitter. Loki had taken a shot when they were down, and while he normally didn’t pay attention to things like that, he needed to sell the rivalry more.

“Where is it?” He muttered to himself.

“Where’s what?” Mai asked, laying her head on his shoulder to watch him scroll. “If you’re looking for a specific post just use the search bar at the top. It’ll go through his profile looking for whatever you’re looking for.”

Doing as she said, he typed in the single word that had gotten under his skin a week ago and grinned to himself when it popped up.

“Who knew you were this petty?” Mai asked in astonishment, watching as the mostly serious man began to edit a gif he found. “You’re going through all this trouble when you could just reply.”

“What’s he doing?” Becker asked curiously. It wasn’t every day he saw his friend seem so into something that wasn’t football or his girlfriend.

“Keep an eye on your phone. You’ll see in a minute.” Ichigo replied without raising his head. A few more images were cropped and edited before he was happy with the end result. Smiling to himself, he let out a chuckle at his own pettiness and typed out his caption. He could have made a new post, but he wanted the man to get the notification about it.

“Post.” He muttered.

The rest of the team had their phones in hand, all refreshing their feed until their teammate’s post finally came through.

“You can’t be serious.” Rook replied with a laugh. The rest of the team followed shortly after, each breaking out into uncontrollable laughter at the post. The women present chuckled but ultimately shook their heads at the childish display that the two footballers were engaged in.

Even Mai who sometimes had to put on a show for people when talking about her opponents, would simply leave a comment and let her fists do the talking. Her boyfriend however seemed to be a fan of childish barbs. Was it ridiculous? Yes, but it added to his charm. It was nice to see him grow more comfortable around her and his teammates to the point where he could clown around.

Even though she wasn’t a part of it, being a good girlfriend meant supporting her man. Finding the post, she retweeted it.

Once they were able to get themselves under control, Becker stood up to serve himself some more cola. As he did so, he addressed the team.

“So what are you guys going to do for our break? I don’t know about you guys but I’m gonna take it easy and visit my parents back home.” He commented casually.

“We have a break?” Ichigo asked, dumbfounded.

His teammates glanced at each other but none of them were all too surprised that their striker had no idea what was going on. Ever since they took the time to watch that interview and they learned that he wasn’t exactly like them when it came to their football passion, things made a lot more sense. Though a lot of them still found it incredible that he still didn’t keep himself updated on the things going on.

“Yes Ichigo.” Driver replied, sounding the most exasperated he’d ever been. “We have a break. We have a week off to do as we please. I’m probably gonna head home for a few days too and then spend the last two or three here to train. I’ve already asked a few of the trainers if they’d be willing to help me with some drills. I wasn’t happy with my performance during the last two matches.”

Quite a few of the others had a similar plan, head home and then come back to train. The thought of going back to Japan to see his dad and sisters was pretty tempting but after some thought, he realized he wouldn’t be able to. Checking the messages on his phone, he scrolled through a few old messages between him and his dad until he found the message he was looking for.

His dad would be attending a conference with Uryu’s dad about some sort of medical breakthrough they were close to achieving. His sisters would be spending the week elsewhere at their friends house, meaning even if he went he’d be on his own. Spending time with his old friends sounded cool but it didn’t really move him the way seeing his family would have.

“I’m actually not sure what to do or where to go. Staying here seems boring since all of you are heading out.” He muttered, resting his hand on an open palm.

“I’d invite you to my place in Germany but there’s not all that much to do. I’ll probably end up doing work around the house for my parents and then go out at night with some old friends. Not sure how much that interests you.” Becker offered.

It was touching that he invited him, but Ichigo definitely did not want to do house work or be around people he didn’t know.

“I appreciate it but I’ll pass. I’ll probably just check online for things to do.”

“Why not ask Chris?” Mai asked curiously. “He seems to take care of you guys right? I mean, he rented out a small amusement park for you guys and his teammates. Maybe he knows something you can do.”

“She’s actually onto something.” Busby nodded. “Usually on breaks you see most footballers on jet skis or in some random part of the world and it looks like they’re having a blast. I’m not sure how much Chris can help since he’s probably the busiest man in the world with all the endorsement deals he does but he probably does know a few good places to check out.”

Ichigo looked over at Mai with an impressed look which drew a proud grin from the woman who flicked her ponytail over her shoulder. “I have my moments.”

Rook let out a loud yawn from his spot and stood up with a styrofoam plate in hand. “Well, I’m pretty tired and my hands are sore, I’m going to go ahead and turn in for the night. Great work everyone, have a good night.”

Everyone muttered their goodbyes at him and once he was gone, everyone else began to follow suit at different intervals. It usually started with one before the rest wanted to leave, even if the reason for getting together was good. Mai was called an Uber even after he insisted on calling in a favor to get her home and the other women present were given the same treatment.

Soon enough, only City’s striker and midfielder remained, both sticking around to make sure the room was as clean as when they had entered.

“Yo, so what’s Barcha like?” Ichigo asked

“They’re almost the opposite of us.” Becker answered. “Barcha focuses on captivating the audience. Flashiness essentially and creativity. They switch up their tactics often making it hard to pin them down and counter. They’re a strong team with very high chemistry and have one of the leading scorers in their league in Bunny Iglesias.”

Bunny Iglesias. The guy who added him on IG earlier in the night.

“Bunny, what’s up with him? Is he like Loki good?” Ichigo asked.

“I don’t think I’d go that far. As a forward he’s definitely one of the best in La Liga, but compared to Loki I’d say he falls just short. All things considered I think if we play the way we did in the second match against Dortmund we should be alright. Although they were much harder because they had two aces instead of just one.” Becker replied, picking up a bag full of trash.

“You’ve met the guy?” Ichigo followed up.

The midfielder shook his head. “Nah, just seen videos of him online and stuff like that. He seems like a pretty laid back dude but who knows. I suppose we’ll find out when we meet them.”

Ichigo resumed cleaning the place up, mildly wondering more about the man before he let it slip from his mind and focusing on what he would do for their break.

---

“Oh yeah I forgot you guys had a break. Well, if you’re looking for good places to visit, I would recommend Brazil.” Chris said through the phone's speaker. “There’s a really nice resort a lot of players like to visit. In fact, I think this week is the perfect time to go.”

“Why’s that? Is the weather the best this time of year?” Ichigo asked, keeping his eyes locked on the game in front of him. Since buying the system to play along with his teammates, he’d been hooked on a few other games. There were only so many times you could play a game based on your job before it made you even more stressed.

His character sliced an enemy down with a thermal katana before moving onto the next unfortunate target in line.

“The weather is amazing but that’s not why people go. Just trust me on this, it’ll be good for you. Have I ever let you down?”

Ichigo couldn’t think of a single time when the older man had done so. In fact, he had directly contributed to making his life better by getting him in contact with a good agent, helped him have an incredible first date with Mai, and had even been responsible for teaching him one of the moves that helped them seal their victory against Dortmund. All things considered, Chris Prince was arguably one of the most reliable adults in his life at that moment.

“I guess not. Alright, so Brazil. What part and what hotel? Brazil is one of the biggest fans of the sport, you think I’ll be alright in any hotel?”

“Definitely not.” Chris replied instantly. “Get in touch with our agent and just have him take care of everything. He’ll know what to do and where I’m referring to. All I can say is it’ll be good for you in more ways than one.”

Ichigo paused his game and scrolled through his phone until he found the man’s contact information. He typed out a quick message with what Chris had told him and sent it out before slowing down time in game.

“You know, I just thought of something. I’m good with English and Japanese, even a little Spanish but Portuguese isn’t something I have any experience with. How am I supposed to get around?”

“I forget just how new you are to all of this.” Chris replied, sounding the slightest bit exasperated. “When players travel they have professionals get in contact with the necessary people to make sure everything runs smooth. Just tell Mino everything you’d like to do and places you might want to see and he’ll arrange the necessary security.”

Ichigo blinked, he’d never put much thought into how things worked when it came to travel but it made sense when he really thought of it. Most of the times he saw news about celebrities in other countries they were always flanked by a few people to make sure fans didn’t get too close.

“What about the hotel?”

“The one I’m recommending you to isn’t a stranger to high profile guests. They’re usually good with security on their own but City is good about providing extra, you don’t have to worry on that front. Anyway, any other questions you have? I have a date with Anne in about an hour and have to get ready.”

“No, that's it. I appreciate the help.”

Having gotten what he needed, he ended the call and noticed that Mino had gotten back to him. That was faster than he had expected with how many clients he had and all the work he did.

Give me an hour and I’ll get back to you. Business meeting in 5.

That made more sense. While Mino took care of business, Ichigo had another thing to deal with. Mai. They had been seeing each other for a bit, gone out a number of times, and she even hung out with him and the team whenever they could. But would inviting her to another country be too abrupt? His finger hovered over the message he quickly wrote out to her and with a determined nod, he tapped send.

Three small bubbles appeared on the screen and he could feel his heart racing. What if she thought he was creepy? The amount of times they disappeared and came back didn’t help his mild anxiety at all.

When he decided it would be better to simply put the phone down and wait, the message came through and relief flooded through him.

I’d love to. I’ve actually been wondering how to ask you something similar. I’ve been invited to two major international tournaments. One in Japan next week and one in a few months in Spain and I was hoping you could come with me. I was just embarrassed because I haven’t won enough to pay for both of us to be comfortable.

Mai had a heart of gold. She had thought that she would need to pay for him in order to invite him. Now with his heartbeat stabilized, he replied everything was alright and not to worry about his expenses.

Putting the phone down, he wondered how he would go about telling the coaching staff that he would need the next week off. They didn’t have the next match against Barcha just yet and they were more than fifteen points clear of second place in the league. They could survive without him for a match week right?

He mentally shrugged and leaned, allowing himself to be absorbed in the dystopia that was Night City. He’d deal with any issues as they came.

The following morning Ichigo was sitting in the back of a black suv waiting on Mai. Mino had gotten back to him exactly at the hour as promised and after a few minutes of discussion, made all the necessary arrangements for him including booking two tickets, first class, and making sure their hotel accommodations were taken care of. Part of him had been apprehensive about the cost only for that worry to be tossed out the window shortly after. Because he was still only in the youth league, despite starting to make waves, he was still able to travel via commercial airlines. He was warned however, that once his call up occurred and he became a household name, it would be better to take private planes even though they’re a bit more costly.

“Ichigo.” Mai greeted cheerfully, almost launching herself into the back seat beside him. Like him, she was dressed for comfort in a faded black t-shirt and sweatpants. Her bags were being loaded into the back and Ichigo could already see the excitement taking over the woman. Her leg was jittery and her hand clutched her passport like she was worried it would disappear if she loosened her grip even a little bit. It was pretty heartwarming.

“I can’t believe this.” She commented. “Last night I was thinking about how I was going to invite you to my tournaments and then you spring it on me about Brazil. It’s crazy isn’t it?”

“It is. I actually spent a few minutes typing and deleting my message because I didn’t know how to ask.” He admitted with a tinge of embarrassment.

“I was like that too. I kept wondering how I could ask without sounding like I hadn’t thought things through. You sure you’re ok if I don’t cover your cost? I know the tickets aren’t cheap.”

Ichigo smiled and shook his head. “It’s fine, really. I’ve made enough money from matches to cover it so you don’t need to worry about it. Did you look into any places in Brazil you’d like to visit?”

The way her eyes lit up at the question brought a small smile to his face, one that didn’t go unnoticed. Feeling eyes on him, turned his attention away from Mai for a moment and looked at the rearview mirror to see Robert staring back at him with a proud knowing grin on his face. The man adjusted his sunglasses and looked away.

The ride to MAN wasn’t as much of a hassle as he thought it would be. There was traffic, sure that was always the case, but listening to Mai list places that she was eager to see somehow seemed to make the time fly by. There were beaches, sailing, museums, and all types of other activities. She’d clearly thought about it more than him, but he was willing to let her take the lead.

When they arrived at the correct drop off area, Robert helped them with their bags once again and wished them a happy holiday. It was only a week so their luggage was light, but still Ichigo brought a duffel bag with him while Mai brought a small rolling carryon for souvenirs. He wasn’t sure just how much she planned to buy but it seemed to make her happy.

Passing through check-in and customs was easy and soon they were escorted to the first class lounge to wait for their plane to arrive and for boarding to begin.

“You didn’t say it was going to be first class.” Mai said, looking at the small buffet available for those allowed into the lounge. “The most I’ve ever traveled was business class and that was only because I’d won the tournament.”

Ichigo took a bite of a small cake he’d picked up and shrugged. “It slipped my mind.”

“I don’t want to make it feel like you do more for me though.” She admitted, accepting the fork and plate from him. “I invited you to Japan but I’m making you pay for your own stuff and here you are treating me to what’s pretty much an all expense paid vacation.”

“You’re overthinking it.” He replied kindly. “I invited you because I thought it would be better with you here. I have no problem paying for it because I think you’re worth it and I make more than enough to cover it. As for the Japan trip, if you really feel strongly about it, then how about after you win the tournament in Spain, you treat me to wherever the next one will be.”

It wasn’t lost on Mai that he didn’t say ‘if’ she won, but rather ‘when’ and the gesture caused her lips to begin curving upward. He had faith in her, in her ability to win and had essentially accepted an invitation that she’d yet to offer.

“Alright. That’s fair. After Spain, I’m treating you. No matter where it is.” To further cement her promise, she held out her right hand with her pinky out only to realize what she’d done a moment too late. Her cheeks were quickly stained pink but before she could put her hand down, Ichigo’s own pinky wrapped around hers further fueling her embarrassment. Not because of the gesture, that was sweet, but because the older couple next to them were staring at her with smiles on their faces.

The pair waited for another hour and a half before the plane arrived and the boarding process began. Being first class, they were group one and were the first allowed to their seats. At least that was what Mai thought. Rather than individual seats, they had what looked like a small booth separated by a small divider. They were designed for two people to share a space but having their own individual seat as well as a small bed with a tv at its end.

“Oh my…” She muttered, eyes wide as she took her spot. “I was worried about how long the flight was going to be but not anymore.” She said with a grin.

Ichigo dropped his dufflebag and kicked off his sneakers, replacing them with the complimentary white slippers the airline provided. He laid on his own bed and took a deep breath. The long flight didn’t seem like such an obstacle now.

Even though they had comfort that most people didn’t get to enjoy often, eventually the trip did begin to tax their bodies. Ichigo, who was used to long matches and even fighting for hours with his life on the line had begun to feel restless after fifteen hours. Then the final stretch of the trip seemed to feel like it dragged on, as if the pilot had decided to take the scenic route. Even the trip through customs and immigration seemed to drag on, but finally, they had made it.

The hotel they’d been driven to was a 5 star rated hotel, and their room was situated near the top floor. To call it a room however, was putting it lightly.

“This place is bigger than my place.” Mai said, wide eyed at what would be their home for the next few days. Her attention was drawn to the bathroom which was white and gold, tile flooring, and a large stand-in shower with multiple shower heads that allowed for multiple angles at once. Ichigo placed his luggage bag in one of the corners of the room next to hers and let himself fall onto the couch in front of the tv. His gaze was drawn to Mai who had moved to the kitchen to check through all the cabinets. This place really was like a house.

“So what do you think?” He asked with a knowing smirk.

“I think I’m probably not going to want to leave.” She said happily. Drawing back the blinds, they were treated to the marvelous view of the beach down below. Standing up, Ichigo went to check the room, Mai right beside him only to see the room was equally as impressive. A large room, mounted tv, closet with two sets of white robes available and most notably a single bed.

Ichigo froze for a moment, he’d let Mino take care of the arrangements. It had completely slipped his mind that the man would probably assume everything and book with those assumptions in mind. Looking over, he saw Mai grin and step forward and playfully let herself hop on the bed, laying flat on her stomach.

“Even the bed is comfy. The hotels I’ve stayed at had rock hard beds.” She said, rolling on to her back. “Are you tired?” She asked, noting the look on his face.

“Oh, no it’s just, I’m not the one who made the arrangements.” He explained, sending a pointed look at the bed.

Mai extended her arms and closed her eyes, seemingly taking it all in before replying. “It’s alright. We’re not strangers, we’ve been seeing each other for a while. I had figured this would be the case when you invited me. I’m not mad or anything.”

He let out a breath and his shoulders visibly relaxed. Mai really was the best.

“You have no idea how much pressure that took off of me.” He replied, letting himself drop right beside her. “So what do you want to do? There’s still a few hours of light left if you want to look around for a little bit. Maybe grab a bite?”

“A bite sounds good, I’m a bit too tired to start walking around though. I looked into some places when we were at the lounge that are near the hotel.” She said, pulling out her phone to show him the location. It was just two or three streets over. After taking a moment to prepare, Ichigo made sure to let the proper people know they would be heading out and had subtle protection following them as they made their way through the Brazilian streets hand in hand.

---

The first three days of the trip were spent in typical tourist fashion. Walking the streets, trying local food spots, checking out any museums that caught their attention, and of course checking out the beaches. Beaches weren’t anything new to them, they had them back in Japan, but the ones here blew theirs out of the water. Maybe it was because of the environment but whatever it was, it definitely elevated their experience.

Of course, that wasn’t the only thing that they’d spent time on. The first night they’d spent together felt slightly awkward, though that didn’t last as the exhaustion quickly caught up with them. The second was definitely more intimate. Fully comfortable with each other, they both seemed to have the same idea and took a leap further into their relationship for the first time. Needless to say both were in very good moods the following day.

“So what do you want to do today?” Mai asked, looking herself over in their large mirror, her makeup supplies expertly laid out on the small piece of furniture.

Ichigo checked his phone and blinked in surprise seeing a message from Chris appear at the top of his phone.

Security has been briefed. In an hour tell them you’re ready. Trust me. Also, make sure you take the earbuds Mino gave you. You’ll need them. Pack for two days.

What did that mean? Sighing, he rose up out of bed and gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he made his way to the bathroom. “I’m not sure. Chris said in an hour to tell security we’re ready so I guess we’ll find out.”

“Well it was his idea to come here so whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be something fun. He hasn’t let us down yet.” She replied, beginning to tap her face in different spots. “I’ll be quick. I wonder what he’s got set for us.”

Ichigo stepped into the bathroom but didn’t lock the door in case she needed something. “Who knows. At this point I can’t really guess what goes on through his head. He just said I have to take the earbuds.”

“Earbuds?”

“Yeah, my agent had two sets for me. He was in the middle of a call when I got them so I’m not quite sure what he said they were for but they’re not for music. Chris just said take them.” He said, talking just a bit louder as the water began to flow.

“They must be important then. I’m sure it’ll make sense once we actually get wherever he’s sending us.” She shouted back.

Just under an hour later, the two were set. Without knowing exactly where they were going, they couldn’t be sure their attire was appropriate but they had covered most occasions. Their styles were similar. Ichigo had a plain black t-shirt with navy blue shorts and some sneakers. Mai wore a pair of Jean shorts that were considerably smaller than Ichigo’s, along with a white top and her comfy sneakers.

After telling security they were good to go, they were led to another vehicle and driven off. The ride itself was pleasant, seeing the city passing them by and watching the different people going about their day was a memorable experience. The culture was different than they were used to but they respected it and tried to actively take part in it when they could.

After a 25 minute ride, they were let off and saw that they had been brought to a beach. It was nice, definitely, but looked no different than the others they’d been to. The only notable difference was that this one had a few bungalows scattered across the sand and a few people enjoying their time on the beach away from the noise of the city.

“I didn’t know there were private beaches.” Mai commented, instantly regretting her choice of sneakers and not sandals.

One of their security details closed the car door and took the lead, prompting them to follow. “There isn’t. Not really, but certain people pay good money to rent portions of the beach for private use. The city will then agree or disagree depending on the amount. Come, you two have your own bungalow as well.”

“How do we have our own?” Mai whispered to Ichigo as they walked onto the beach.

“Probably Chris honestly. Now my question is why.”

“This is where you will spend the next two days. You’re free to go out at night as per usual. We only ask to be informed in order to enact proper safety protocols.” The man in the suit requested.

Seeing no objections, he took his leave after handing them their key. The inside wasn’t anything luxurious but it was certainly enjoyable. It felt like a proper beachfront home with all the modern amenities one would need. Leaving their small bag full of clothes, they settled in but Ichigo couldn’t help but wonder what this was for.

Chris had helped him out tremendously, but everything he’d done had been to help with his football career. This seemed a little out of place compared to everything else. Knowing that they couldn’t really do anything about it, they simply let it go and would let things handle themselves.

Two hours later, Ichigo saw exactly why Chris had sent them there. As Mai was enjoying the view from their small porch, she noticed a man and woman on the beach in front of the small bungalow to their left. The woman was older, probably late 30s early 40s, and was out on a small chair under an umbrella scrolling on her phone seemingly enjoying the day.

Her husband, she presumed, was maneuvering through small cones distributed along the sand. Controlling the ball in ways almost hypnotic. He wore a smile on his face, the kind that said he likely missed doing that. Her eyes followed the ball as he flicked it up with the top of his foot and regained control seamlessly in order to get it through the next set of cones.

Mai wasn’t a diehard football fan. In fact she’d only really started paying attention because of Ichigo, but even she knew this was another level of play.

“Hey, I think I know why Chris sent us here.” She called into the house.

“Why is that?”

“Come look.”

Following her instructions, Ichigo watched the same man train. Unlike Mai though, he was able to stop two things immediately. The first were the earbuds tucked into the man’s ear, almost hidden completely by his locks. They were the same type he’d been given prior to departure.

The second was that he knew exactly who this man was. In Brazil he was essentially football royalty not only for his contribution to the national team but his achievements for FC Barcha as well.

The man stopped mid dribble and looked over at them with a large smile, waving a hand as he did so. He tapped his ear, giving them the hint that he wanted to talk. After putting them on and clicking the button in the center, Ichigo approached.

“Good afternoon sir.” Ichigo spoke respectfully, addling the typical bow he’d been taught from an early age.

“You don’t have to call me sir, that makes me feel old.” He replied with a laugh. Both Ichigo and Mai blinked realizing they could understand him despite the fact that he was clearly speaking Portuguese. The earbuds suddenly made a lot more sense.

“Kurosaki Ichigo.”

“Shiranui Mai.”

The man nodded. “A pleasure to meet you both. Ronaldinho. Chris reached out to me a few days ago, told me you guys would be coming by so I took a few days to relax with my wife. I’ve been watching your matches. You have a bright future.”

Even as someone who didn’t have a football background, being told that by a legendary figure flattered him deeply.

“Thank you. I’ve seen a lot of your videos, and it looks like you still have it.” Ichigo replied with a grin.

The Brazilian man matched his look and flicked the ball up with his foot, catching it with his right hand. “Some things don’t leave you when they’re part of you. How long are you here for?”

“2 days. After that we have to head back to the hotel and pack up.”

Ronaldinho nodded to himself. “That’s plenty of time. What do you say we play for a bit? Even though you’ve improved massively since your debut match, there’s still room for improvement. Your speed and agility are gifts not too many people in the world have. If you took a bit of time to learn a bit of control and dribbling, you could elevate your game to the next level.”

Ichigo glanced at Mai who nodded in support.

“Sounds good to me. I think I’d probably get beaten to death if I told people I refused to train with you.”

“That’s what I’m talking about.” The older man replied happily. “Baby, this is Mai, I’m stealing her man to play for a bit.”

The older woman rolled her eyes but put her phone down. “I’m sorry about him sweetie. Let me get you a chair.”

With Mai being taken care of, Ichigo quickly removed his shirt and shoes. The ball was dropped onto the sand and rolled beneath the Brazilians' feet with controlled precision. Even at his age Ichigo could tell he still kept up not just with current players, but with his own skills as well.

“I think we can start light. This is a drill I like to do to improve my dribbling, focusing on keeping the ball near me safe from any defenders. It also helps draw them in so I can attack.” He began. “It’s simple. Just dribble around the cones, keep the ball alternating between your feet. When you get to the other side, sprint to the cone 6 feet away and then sprint back and start again. I’ll start.”

The way Ronaldinho moved was incredible. The ball was never more than a few inches away from his foot as he seemingly glided across the course. From right to left the ball rolled around the cones, but what was more interesting was the man’s body work. He didn’t only run straight and turn when necessary. It was as though in his mind there were defenders on him and he was trying to keep possession.

He would turn his back, flick the ball one way and will it back within a second and resume his motions. It was something else. When he made it to one side, he brought it back and stopped just a foot away from him, the smile never leaving his face. The thin bead of sweat on his forehead wasn’t even from the drill, but rather the sun.

“See that? Your turn.”

Ichigo readied himself for the drill and moved when instructed. Looking down at his feet, he frowned seeing the ball almost get away from him but managed to save it and flick it back around a cone. He didn’t turn his body or his head, instead focusing on keeping his control on the ball. Trying to mirror what he’d seen, he stepped over the ball with his left foot and tapped it to the opposite side with his right before catching with his left again until he was at the other side.

He sprinted to and from with breakneck speeds and redid the drill once more. He felt more confident but it was nowhere near what he’d been shown.

“Not bad but it could be better.” Ronaldinho announced, his tone now shifting one he was used to his trainers taking on during practice. “We’ll start with the good. Your speed and agility are unmatched. Even from my days on Barcha I can’t recall anyone with that kind of speed and ability to change direction without losing momentum. That’s one of your defining traits. With that being said, there’s work to do on the dribbling front.”

Ichigo nodded.

“You kept the ball close but you’re too rigid. You kept your head down the entire time to keep track of it. And as a striker it makes sense. Your job is to get fed passes and score but sometimes that isn’t an option. You need to treat the ball like an extension of you. Know where it is at all times so you can keep your attention on your surroundings. The good news is you aren’t too far off. You have good instincts, we just need to refine them.”

“That move on the fourth cone, when you flicked it over and caught it with your left, that was smooth but it wasted time. That would be enough for people like Chris, Lavinho, Noel, all of them to gather themselves and apply pressure.”

“So what should I have done?” Ichigo asked. He wasn’t downtrodden at the critique, in fact he expected it. Even he had noticed a few stutters in his steps when he almost lost control. But even that move had been done out of the hopes of not losing possession.

“Look at this.” The older man instructed. “Everything can be done with your right foot. Tap to the right, roll over and flick behind your left leg. Look familiar?”

Ichigo nodded. It was just like he’d done.

“Instead of catching it with your other foot and wasting half a second, follow through and flick it back into place.” The man demonstrated, showing how in one smooth motion the ball was back in front of him. The pass to the left could be seen as either a pass to a teammate or simply to the other foot. It creates doubt. Hesitation. The flick back into place would then be used to attack.

“Now the defenders are off balance. With your speed they won’t catch you. Go ahead and try it.”

The move wasn’t as easy as he made it seem. The step in was simple, so was the flick, but the elastico to complete the move was tricky. It required perfect control, placement, and speed to pull off but Ichigo saw the benefits. If he could pull it off and integrate it into his game, he’d have more options on the field.

The striker kept at it, practicing the move for well over forty minutes until he could do it repeatedly with no breaks in his step. He wasn’t sure what had changed but at some moment, something in his mind just clicked and his feet seemed to know where to be.

“That’s the extension I was talking about Ichigo. You knew what you needed, and your mind started adapting to it until it knew exactly what it had to do. Now you just need to work on execution. Doing it a bit faster and faster, hiding the fact that you’re going to try something. You want defenders on you to not realize you’re doing something until it’s too late.”

Neither man was sure how much time they spent outside. The women had gone in at some point, both laughing about something on their phones. The sun was beginning to fall behind the horizon but they were still lost in the sport. There was something almost ethereal about what they were doing. Even in games, Ichigo had never felt a spark like he was feeling now. Like nothing else existed except him and the ball.

Flicking the ball around his body, he stepped into the scattered cones and began moving. Ronaldinho watched with a proud grin as the young star began mimicking his movements. Not completely of course, that took years, but well enough that he couldn’t stop his eyebrows from raising into his hairline. Ichigo’s eyes still dipped down to look at the ball but for the most part he was focused on the environment.

There were players in Barcha that were special. One went on to be the best player in the world. But he’d never seen anyone absorb knowledge as fast as what he was witnessing. He knew this boy was going to be a problem in the big leagues.

“How was that?” Ichigo asked, taking a few deep breaths.

“Much better. It almost looks completely natural.” The man replied, taking the offered ball. “I’d love to continue but I promised my lady we’d go out tonight. You know how that is.”

“Yeah that’s a good idea. We spent all day here, I should at least do something nice for her.” Ichigo replied.

“There’s a nice local place nearby. If you guys would like to join us feel free.” He offered.

“Yeah I think we’ll do that if your wife won’t have a problem with it.” Who would turn down an invitation from a national legend?

---

The rest of their time in Brazil quickly came to an end. The second session of beach training was somehow even more intense than the first, but Ichigo could feel the effects. His eyes looked at the ball differently, he felt his own body differently, it was as though he’d somehow merged but kept himself apart from the ball. Ronaldinho said that was how it felt at first, when you really begin to take that next step. It was incredible. Their second session was spent practicing more ball control and even a few personal tricks the man liked to do in matches.

“It’s not that they’re difficult. It’s that nobody ever thinks of doing it in an actual match. That’s what catches people off guard.” The man had explained. It made sense. In a match your senses were heightened, your eyes glancing all over the pitch wondering where the next attack would likely come from. It was only until it was too late that you realized writing off certain moves meant blinding yourself, and that’s what the man capitalized on.

It was an eye opening experience. One that came to an end much too quickly in both his and Mai’s opinion because after a long flight, the pair were once again back in Manshine. Mai had been down knowing they were leaving what had been heaven on Earth for a week but was quickly back in a good mood knowing they were heading to Japan in the coming days. Her match was Saturday night but would have to make an appearance Friday afternoon for the press and promotions.

“I can’t believe the days went by so fast.” Mai muttered, looking out the window of their ride. The overcast sky was familiar to them now and the first drops of rain were beginning to fall.

“I know. It feels like just yesterday we were arriving in Puerto Alegre. But on the bright side, there’s another trip coming up. It’s not Brazil but it’s home.” Ichigo tried reassuring her.

It worked.

“Yeah, have you mentioned it to your manager yet? If you want I could talk to them.” She offered.

Ichigo smiled and hid a laugh behind a cough when he saw her glare. “It’s ok, I’ll figure something out. I’m sure we can come to some kind of arrangement.”

Mai unlocked her phone and checked her twitter account while they were still a few minutes from her place. Her timeline had changed from mostly fighting content, makeup artists, and shoe deals, and had mixed with numerous football accounts both followed and unfollowed. She of course followed the Manshine City Football Club account, as well as a few of Ichigo’s teammates that she had gotten to know like Becker and Driver. However, that also meant that a few pages discussing the team and the players now flooded her feed. It was usually a bother to scroll through so many before finding something she needed, but this time something caught her attention.

“Hey, what does this mean?” She asked, flipping the phone so he could see it.

It was a fan, one whose post had garnered over 60 thousand likes and retweets. It was a pitch layout featuring who they thought would be the best to be in the starting xi and his image was up top as the lone striker. It wasn’t Manshine however, it was for the men’s Japan National Team for next week's World Cup qualifier.

“I’m a little flattered they think so highly of me.” He replied, checking his own phone. His email retrieved four incoming messages, at the top of which sat a message from Buratsuta Hirotoshi.

Kurosaki Ichigo.
I wish to inform you that I’ve selected you for inclusion in the Japan squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifier:
Brazil. Four days from today.
We will contact representatives from Manshine City to confirm the exact dates they will need to make you available to us. I look forward to having you join myself and the squad. Starting lineups will be announced in the coming days.

Regards
Buratsuta Hirotoshi
Japan Football Association.

“Well, I think I don’t have to ask them for time off anymore.” He said in mild surprise. Suddenly, that post made a lot of sense. Flipping his own screen to show her the email, he watched her read over it and cheer when she made it to the end.

“So we both have to go now. Now I don’t feel as bad about the ticket situation.” She chuckled, holding onto her chest. “Let me know your flight details as soon as you get them.”

Ichigo nodded and deleted the other two spam emails. He hadn’t expected to find out he’d made the National team from Twitter but he certainly wasn’t complaining.

Chapter 11

Hey everyone, sorry for the wait. I took a little liberties with how qualifiers work so if you notice that just disregard it. I mean, considering everything we see in this series it's not that bad lol. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy and if you have any thoughts feel free to let me know. 

After a day of rest, it had been back to work as per usual but it felt right. Ichigo and the rest of the squad were back on the pitch, fresh from having done a few drills and endurance training. Some of the guys were in worse shape than he remembered, likely from whatever they’d been doing over the break. From the snippets he’d managed to hear as they were walking onto the pitch, it seemed some of them had enjoyed their time to the fullest and were now paying the price for it.

He looked down at the ball and rolled it to a stop a few inches ahead of him, eyes focused on the goal a few yards out, three dummy cutouts making a wall. After his intense training in Brazil, he’d insisted on tackling other parts of his game as well. Though they hadn’t had the opportunity yet, he wanted to increase his chances of scoring and apart from penalties and regular open play goals, set pieces were something he’d been looking into. 

Not corners, he would leave that Driver. Free kicks however, were another matter entirely. Not only did they look good when done properly, but after having looked into different players, their ability to score consistently bolstered their value significantly. From what Mino had told him, he was already on the radar of quite a few Premier League teams and there were even eyes on him from La Liga and Serie A and that was just due to his ability as a striker. Adding this to his repertoire would do wonders.

Taking a step back, he lined himself up and took his shot. The mechanisms that the training dummies sat on activated, forcing them up mimicking the jumping motions of defenders trying to cut off the shot. The ball flew up and around the wall, spinning violently causing the shift in trajectory. Unfortunately, as was the usual problem with his shot, there was too much power for the distance he was shooting from and the attempt was off by a few inches.

“Didn’t this happen last time too? When you were practicing that shot uncontested?” Becker asked, taking his spot next to him. “I think you’d probably be our primary free kick taker if the shot is further than 25 yards out.” 

Ichigo was beginning to come to the same conclusion. If he dialed it back it felt unnatural, like he wouldn’t be able to properly channel that exact amount of power every time. He took the offered ball from his friend and took five long steps back, well beyond what any team would reasonably decide to take the shot from. Like before, he pulled back and fired. This time the ball found its target, landing in the right side of the net two inches away from hitting the post.

“If there was a goalkeeper there, there’s a good chance they’d have caught it.” Ichigo said.

Becker nodded and took his own shot, showing that he had the exact power and precision needed to knock it into the top bin.

“Probably.” The blond replied only to pause a second later. “No, yeah, a good keeper would have definitely stopped it.”

“Thanks.” Ichigo shot back dryly. “Anyway, you see the list for our next match?” 

“I did. I noticed you’re not on it. Did Japan call you up?” Becker asked casually, taking another shot. 

“Yeah, I found out on Twitter if you can believe that. I saw some dude making theoretical lineups and had me up top. I saw the email after that.” He replied with a laugh. “I’m fortunate though, I was going to ask for another week to be at my girlfriend's tournament in Japan.”

Another shot thundered into the net, getting closer and closer to the top bin. It seemed like Becker wanted a shot that no keeper on the planet would be able to stop unless they were already in the exact spot near the right side beforehand.

“Congrats. I won’t be here next week either.” Becker said with a grin, holding a fist out. “I got a call from a representative from the GFA. I made it to the national team for the World Cup qualifier against Italy.”

Ichigo grinned at the news and bumped his fist against Becker’s. If there was anyone who knew how hard he worked, it was him. From a terrible performance in the first leg against Dortmund, to now being called up to the main team for one of the strongest football nations in the world was a huge deal. 

“I’m sure the club can do just fine without us for a match. Besides, we’re a good number of points clear of second place so even if we lose we’ll be alright. You already told your folks?”

“Yeah, they know. They said if I was going to be heading back anyway I should’ve stayed to begin with. They have a point but hey, we can’t really do anything about it. I’m not going to lie, it’s a bit nerve wracking. We’ve played in front of crowds before, but the people who watch are usually only the super fans who watch every game and people who care enough to be subscribed to whatever platform offers youth league matches. This time the world has its eyes on us.” 

Grabbing one of the footballs from the touch line, he carefully juggled the ball between his feet as he made his way back to their positions and caught it under his foot. 

“That’s a good thing. With the world watching it means you can showcase what you’re made of to more people. If you do well against Italy, imagine all the doors that will open up to you. Think of it as a tryout. If everyone is interested in what you can do, you can bet your value will skyrocket. People who write you off for only being a youth player won’t be able to say much if you’re shown doing it at the world stage against the best.”

Becker tapped the ball back and forth, mulling over Ichigo’s words in his head. He was right of course, and it was a good mindset to have but it didn’t ease the nerves. This was his chance to prove to everybody and the world he was one going to be one of the biggest names in football. A major step forward had been taken after the second leg against Dortmund. Bellingham, who had written him off as the weakest link, had swapped jerseys with him after the match. A gesture that told everyone he was now on the radar as well. He had to do it again.

“I won’t lie and say I’m suddenly not nervous but you’re right. Have they told you when your flight is?” He asked, taking another shot.

“No, I assume they’ll be taking care of it soon though. They said I have to be there in four days or so.”

“It’ll probably be tomorrow or later tonight.” Becker commented. “Teams usually get at least one practice session in before a match. See who meshes well with who, what needs to be worked on, and that kind of thing.”

“So I should probably pack immediately after practice ends?” Ichigo asked, taking a sip of his water.

Becker nodded. “Yeah, I packed the moment I got home from Germany. The good thing is the match is in Germany. I can stay at home where I already have clothes. So I can get away with packing light.”

“Yeah, my match is in Japan too. I’ll have to let my dad know I’ll be home then. It’ll save me a bit to cut out a hotel too.”

Their conversation was abruptly cut when the manager blew the whistle and called everybody over to the touchline near him. Knowing they had to jog, everyone quickly gathered, some catching their breaths others upright but with noticeable wear.

“Our next league fixture is this week but the lineup will be changed from our usual starting XI. Maynard, you’ll be our primary striker. Williams, you’ll be playing in the midfield.” The two men hid their surprise well, but the subtle nod of their head, the clenching of their jaw, and the minor fist pump they did near their hip gave away their happiness at making the starting xi once more.

The rest of the team frowned, not at the fact that they were starting, they had trained hard and proved to be valuable substitutes. It was out of confusion, Ichigo and Ludwig were their aces, and even with a several point lead, they weren’t the type to sit out to load manage.

“The following players will be out for international duty. Ichigo Kurosaki and Ludwig Becker.” He announced.

For a moment, only the sounds of the bird chirping overhead echoed across the pitch. Then suddenly, the team slowly clapped and took turns patting the two on the shoulders, offering their heartfelt congratulations. There was no resentment, no envy, but rather pride.

Driver bumped fists with both players and adjusted a few stray hairs from his face. “A national call up, that’s actually crazy. I don’t want to scare you but the pressure is really on now, more for you though.” He said, looking at the German. “Germany is a football superpower and most players on that squad are world class. You’re essentially going to be competing with Kroos in the midfield.”

“I know.” Becker replied. “As far as the German team goes, I’m unproven. The plays will certainly be going through Kroos as the primary ball handler. Any time I get the ball I’m going to make it count. I got good tips from Kevin when I trained with him, I’ll make sure Germany calls me back every time.”

Ichigo smirked at the declaration. That was the fire he wanted to see. He knew Becker would have a much harder time than him. Japan was a nobody on the world stage and the football world knew it. Nobody expected much out of them, at most if they made it to the round of 16 they would be applauded for such a feat. Germany however, was a four time champion and the current reigning champion. The round of 16 wasn’t enough.

“And you Ichigo.” Driver continued, turning his attention to the team's striker. “Have a lot on your shoulders too. Maybe not national pressure, but a lot of eyes are on you. People talk about you in the same breath as Loki and I’ve even seen online your potential is already being measured up against that of people like Noa and even Chris Prince. The rest of the football world wants to see what happens when you meet people who aren’t playing in the u20 squads.”

“That’s no problem.” Ichigo replied calmly but firmly. “I usually thrive under pressure. Japan is up against Brazil, the most successful team in World Cup history. I’ll give people something to talk about.”

Their manager nodded to himself. It wasn’t unheard of for youth players to get a call up, it happened frequently actually. However, this was the first time he’d seen two be called up from the same team for a World Cup qualifier and likely be guaranteed playing time. This would be huge for them, and if they impressed the right people, would guarantee them an influx of teams reaching out soon.

“Alright, we can save the congratulations for their return. We’re calling it a day, everyone be rested and be ready to be pushed further tomorrow. Kurosaki, Becker, you two will likely be gone by tonight so let me just say, good luck out there. Make City proud.”

Both boys nodded and made their way off the pitch, helping to pick up any cones they came across on the way.

Ichigo quickly showered up and headed back to his room to send a message to his dad letting him know he’d be home for a week. Before he had even put the phone down, a message came through saying there would be a feast prepared for him. He smiled at the thought, his dad was an idiot most of the time but no one could ever say he didn’t care. As he typed out his reply, he stopped mid way through and sent a message to Mai with the news. Unlike him, she would have to book her own flight.

They said I’ll probably be sent out tonight. I’ll keep you updated, if that’s the case, buy your ticket. I'll cover some of it if they try to rip you off. 

He reread the message but didn’t send it yet. 

Do you have a place to stay already? If not, we could save some money if you wanted to stay at my place.

Send.

Tossing the phone aside, he packed a week's worth of clothes. With the extra space he was able to fit a few gifts he’d picked up for his sisters and even for his old man. 

While packing, he received a message from the JFA letting him know of his flight info. The trip was earlier than he thought. It was only then that he realized they would want him sooner than later. The flight was in two hours which would mean that he’d arrive sometime mid day, and reading through the rest of the message, he would be expected at practice. 

Sighing, he closed his suitcase and quickly prepped for departure though not before giving Mai a call with the sudden update. 

---

“I can’t believe we’re back at the airport again.” Mai commented, doing her best to fix her hair. Having been told they’d need to be ready in minutes so they could get to the airport and take care of the important bits, she’d been forced to rush. Her hair, usually kept in a neat ponytail with no strand out of place, was partially undone. Not exactly bed head but one would definitely tell she hadn’t finished. 

“I know, sorry about the rush.” He apologized, rolling both of their suitcases toward the first class lounge once more. “I was in the middle of packing when I got word about the flight info. Becker told me they would probably call us tonight but they caught me off guard.”

“Becker got a call up too? That’s great!” She said honestly. Of all his teammates he was probably the one she got along with the most, not that the others weren’t kind. 

Ichigo nodded. “Yeah, but he’s got a lot more pressure than me. Germany is the current champ, if he doesn’t perform the chances of him playing for them again are slim. But I know him, he’s got it.”

Mai agreed and pulled out her phone, the image of her flight confirmation number on her screen reminded her about the last thing for the trip. “So what did your parents say about me staying for the week? I won’t be a bother right?”

“Not at all. My dad was annoyingly happy about it and my sisters have no problem with it. One of them actually knows you. She’s into football, combat sports, and a bunch of other things so she’ll probably be excited even if she doesn’t show it.”

That eased the pressure she was feeling somewhat. Their relationship had progressed but not in the usual way she’d heard of from friends. Her family knew she was seeing him, it was hard to hide when they had their moment at her match as well as the fact that she’d spotted herself on city fan pages on Twitter. 

Despite that, he hadn’t met her parents and she hadn’t met his. Though the latter would be changing within a few hours. 

“Hey. When we get back I want you to meet my parents.” She said, breaking his sight away from his phone. 

“Yeah that’s no problem. Just let me know what kind of things they like and we can do that.”

Mai blinked, thinking it would be a bit more difficult to get him to agree. He didn’t seem nervous, didn’t question why or if it was the right time. Just ‘ok’. She wasn’t sure why she was surprised considering what kind of person he was but it still got her a bit. Smiling to herself, she leaned against him from her seat and continued to scroll through her phone in comfortable silence. 

“Now boarding group 1” the announcement echoed through the lounge, causing them to check their boarding passes. The screen lit up, displaying what flight number was boarding and both were stunned by how fast time had flown by. 

“Ready for another long flight?” Ichigo asked as he adjusted the headphones around his neck. 

Mai grabbed her small pillow and tucked it under her arm. “Yeah it’s not a vacation this time but it'll still be fun. I’m just glad our events are on different days. It would’ve been stressful trying to manage both on the same day.” 

“You’re telling me. The good news is my sister is a great cook so when we get there we’ll at least be able to eat well.”

“Yeah that sounds nice. Also, since we’re pretty much having a sleep over for the week, I want to stop by Lawson and load up on some snacks. Something about the KitKats from home hit differently than the ones here.”

“I’ll buy you all the chocolate you want if you promise not to along with whatever schemes my dad comes up with.”

“He can’t be that bad.” She replied with a roll of her eyes. 

“You don’t know him. He was already over the moon when I told him you would be staying with us. Now seeing you in person and finding out you’re a badass with your fists, I can only imagine the type of stuff he’ll try to come up with.”

Opening their passports, they scanned it on the small reader and had their boarding passes inspected. Once cleared, they were met with the familiar comfort that first class provided them. Unlike last time where there was palpable excitement for a well earned vacation, this time there was a familiar warmth within both of them at the thought of returning home in just a few hours. 

The nonstop flight felt just as tiring as the one to Brazil, but after a brutal flight, the two athletes found themselves at Haneda International Airport. Having valid Japanese passports, they were instructed to follow a separate line as opposed to following those with foreign passports. Immigration and customs were a breeze and Ichigo couldn’t help but compare the work ethic between the airline workers there and in Brazil.

They’d been kind in Brazil, there was no disputing that, but the workers in Japan just seemed to have this kind demeanor that made it known they weren’t faking. They really were happy to be at work and happy to help them get through as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“Do you think the train already passed?” Mai asked as she placed her small pillow and adjusted it atop her rolling luggage. 

“We’re not taking the train.” Ichigo replied, his eyes scanning the crowd in the arrival hall. “Don’t get me wrong I’m proud of our public transport but I do like private rides a bit more. We’re getting picked up.” He said, finally finding the man he was looking for.

In between the crowd was a man in a black suit complete with a black hat. In his hand was a laminated sheet of paper that read ‘Kurosaki’ in bold red letters. The man spots him and smiles politely at him as he meets them halfway, requesting to see Ichigo’s ID. After showing his passport, the man offers to take their bags and leads them down to the ground floor leading to the parking structure and places their bags in a black Toyota Century suv.

Having already been given the directions when he booked the transport, the man shifted into gear and drove off. 

Both he and Mai couldn’t help but watch the city pass them by, both with smiles on their faces as they realized they were home. It felt almost alien to them, seeing the large apartment complexes in the distance, the amount of people walking along the streets, the men and women in suits riding bikes home from work.

“I almost forgot what that looked like.” Mai said softly. “Can you think of a time in Manshine when you saw a man in a suit ride a bike?” 

“Not once. Everyone just drives everywhere.” Ichigo replied, his own eyes watching an older man turn into a small alley. 

The rest of the trip was comfortably silent with the only noise coming in the form of the talkshow their driver had playing on the radio. By the time they reached Karakura, the sun was barely about to reach the peak of its height and Ichigo pulled his phone out. Checking the upper right hand corner, he noticed it no longer read ‘VodafoneThree’ and had changed back to ‘Docomo’.

Sending a message to the JFA representative, he let him know he had arrived in the country and would be home within twenty minutes. They must have been expecting his message as only a minute later, he received a response welcoming him home and that it was prudent he appear at the practice ground in three hours. There was an attachment with the message revealing a barcode that he was to scan at the training ground to be let in.

When the car finally stopped in front of the Kurosaki clinic, the driver once again stepped out to grab their things and gave them a respectful bow.

“Mr. Kurosaki.” He suddenly said, now looking rather timid. “I hate to ask this of you as I’m sure you must be tired but if I may trouble you.” He began. “My two kids are fans of Manshine City. They watch all the games and even bullied me into buying the league subscription to watch the games down to the youth level. You have quickly become one of their favorite players and know you will be playing for Japan in the World Cup. If it isn’t too much to ask, can I get two signatures for them?” 

Ichigo’s eyes widened in surprise. It was true that he was a pro, but that was only at the youth level for the time being. The thought never occurred to him that someone in his home country would recognize him for it, much less their driver. Snapping out of his trance, he responded.

“Of course. Do you have a pen? What would you like me to sign?” He asked.

The driver smiled happily and from the glove box pulled out two small Manshine City flags. The type that he was sure weren’t officially licensed products. That didn’t bother him though, the support was all that mattered. Leaning over the hood of the car, he carefully signed both flags with a black pen and handed them back.

“Do you mind if I Airdrop these to you?” Mai asked the driver. Her right hand held up her phone showing a picture of Ichigo signing the flags. “This way there’s no doubt in their minds that it’s real.”

Ichigo smirked at her quick thinking and grabbed their luggage handles. “Tell your kids I appreciate the support and I hope they watch the match this week.” 

“Absolutely. Thank you again, I can’t really put into words what this will mean to them.”

The man adjusted his suit and with one last wave, got into his car and drove off, leaving them in front of his family home. Giving her a reassuring nod, he made his way to the front door and reached for the handle only to pause. Should he simply open it? He technically didn’t live there anymore.

“It’s still your home Ichigo.” Mai said softly. “I’m sure they won’t mind if you just walk in.”

Just as he was about to open the door himself, it swung open to reveal the grinning face of his father. The man’s eyes lit up not only seeing his son, but also when he spotted the beauty next to him.

“Welcome home son, well don’t just stand there come in. Yuzu has all the food ready, let's not keep her waiting.” He said cheerfully. “And you must be Mai. I hope my knuckleheaded son hasn’t caused you any trouble.”

“Couldn’t wait until I was out of earshot?” Ichigo asked flatly as he entered the house.

Isshin simply grinned and took their luggage. “You know how we do things here, Ichigo!”

Mai let out an amused laugh and followed them in, eager to see what Ichigo’s home life was like.

The feast Yuzu had prepared was incredible. It was clear she had gone the extra mile in preparation for her brother's return and had prepared three different meals along with sides, deserts, and drinks. Karin, as expected, had been mostly reserved but opened up the moment she recognized Mai. Instantly, the two had bonded over her story of how she began fighting, her record, how she trained, and even her diet.

Yuzu had been much more interested in how she and Ichigo had met, wanting every last detail. Mai had obliged and recounted every time they met at her job, the discounts that he got because she thought he was cute, and even the dates that they went on. To Yuzu, it was like meeting an entirely new person. Ichigo, her older brother, she knew as a caring person but who scowled all the time, got into fights, and seemingly had no time for romance. She, as did Karin and their dad, knew that he continued going to the store not only because he actually needed clothes, but because she was at the store.

Isshin was Isshin and patted him on the back while instantly taking to calling Mai his third daughter. Sadly, Mai had beamed in happiness and played along which meant everything would be a 4 versus 1.

As much as they would have liked to stay longer, Ichigo still needed to go to practice and Mai wanted to visit her grandparents while he was gone. He moved her luggage up to his room which had been thoroughly cleaned if he had to guess. His desk had no dust, his sheets were fresh and the bathroom now had items meant for women that he knew he hadn’t placed there when he left. All the more reason to be thankful to have sisters he supposed.

He arranged transportation for Mai instead of having her take the trains just in case she was recognized and soon, both of them were off. Her grandparents house was a modest two story fenced off home just twenty minutes away from the training center which meant he would have plenty of time to make it to training. 

After promising to pick her up after training, he was driven to the practice facility. Upon making it to the large gate, he lowered the window and flashed the access barcode that a security guard scanned. The light turned green and the gates opened. As the car pulled into a parking space, Ichigo pulled the duffle bag over his shoulder and stepped out just in time to see a small pudgy man in a suit approaching him. 

“Welcome Mr. Kurosaki. I apologize for making you come to practice so soon after your arrival. I’m sure the jet lag must be weighing on you but.” He spoke politely. 

“It’s no big deal. I’m used to it.”

“A true professional at such a young age. Most of the players have arrived with a few still on the way. Please, let me show you to the changing room and I’ll then turn you over to the manager.”

There was something off about the way the man spoke, something that told Ichigo he was plotting something, but he couldn’t prove it. Nodding politely, he made his way to the locker room and saw his name in a gold plaque above a small section in the center of the wall. 

Hanging neatly on a coat hanger was a dark blue Japan training kit with the shorts neatly folded down below. Black socks and shin pads were included. What caught his attention however, was that two spots away from him was a familiar name. 

Itoshi #14

“Sae made it.” He commented happily. He hadn’t spoken to him since they’d talked after the nation's game in high school but it seemed he was doing well for himself too if he got the call up. Unlike him though, his hanger was empty meaning he was likely already on the pitch. 

Getting his gear on, he followed the directions in the tunnels and made his way to the pitch. Already some of the older players were getting shots off, some were running, and a few were practicing their passes. Then, off to the side was the familiar red haired midfielder working on his dribbling. He weaved seamlessly around a number of cones before giving the ball one touch and shooting toward goal. 

Knowing he was one of the latest additions to the team, he made the rounds, stopping by everyone to introduce himself. When he made it to the last few players, he gave Sae a look over his shoulder quickly and politely ended his conversation with one of the team's center backs and jogged over. 

“Yo.”

“Kurosaki.” Sae greeted. “Figured I’d see you here.”

“It caught me off guard to be honest. I found out about it on Twitter first.”

Sae stopped and looked up at him with something as close to bewilderment as he could muster. “You found out you would be on the national team through social media?”

“Yup. What about you?” He asked, easily catching one of the balls Sae kicked his way. 

“My agent called me a few days ago saying there was a decent chance I would be getting called up. Likely as a substitute.” He said flatly, though the tightening of his glove clad hands told him he wasn’t particularly pleased with the news. 

Looking out at the pitch, he scanned the area looking toward their midfielders and frowned. Why would Sae be a substitute when their two midfielders were 31 and 35 respectively? That would hinder them. Sighing, he began doing the same drill as Sae, feeling much more confident in his footwork thanks to his training in Brazil. 

After ten or so minutes, a whistle echoed through the facility and everyone ran over to where a man in a suit holding a clipboard was walking over. 

“Gather around.” He called out. “Welcome to our first day of training. We have a few familiar faces and some fresh ones among us. Since the last international competition a few players have retired from the game, some of them being cornerstones of the team. Our match against Brazil is more of an international friendly at this point since Japan has already secured its spot. That doesn’t make this match any less important. Brazil is one of the favorites to win the World Cup, if we can beat them today we can go into the World Cup with momentum behind us.” He added.

“Today we’ll work on our chemistry, focus on reading each other and creating opportunities.” He said. The manager went on to list out the drills they would be running followed by who would be on what team for their scrimmage match.

---

In the days leading up to the match, Ichigo and Sae had proven themselves as emerging stars in Japan. When playing on the same team, the two seemed to be on the same page without saying a word to each other. Sae’s pitch vision was elite, similar to how Becker could read where he would be the moment he moved. Where Becker would have a faster release on the ball which could then be converted, Sae had a much softer and accurate touch. 

What everyone had been waiting to see however, was who was going to be in the starting XI. Ichigo could point out a few who would likely be included, but an issue he knew would arise would be the traditionalism Japan respected. On one hand he could understand it, Japan respected seniority in every aspect of their society, but on the other, this was more than work. In football, traditionalism wouldn’t work.

With that in mind, he drilled a ball into the net and then jogged over to the touchline in the shade where their manager was watching their training with arms crossed.

“Can I have a moment of your time?” Ichigo asked politely.

“If you’re wondering if you’ve made the starting XI, you have nothing to worry about. Our previous striker has retired from international play. You will start.” 

Ichigo nodded, filing that bit of information away but spoke a moment after. “It’s actually not about me. I understand Japan has a certain way of doing things, but if we want to have any chance of winning the World Cup, we need the best team available. I know how our people think, we’re likely going to field our two oldest midfielders but that won’t help us.”

Moriyasu looked over at him with a stern look but didn’t interrupt the young man. 

“Football is about putting the best person for the job. You’ve seen it haven’t you? Sae is faster than them, more agile, his touch is better, he’s younger, and he has something to prove. If we want any chance of beating Brazil and making it past the round of 16 in the World Cup, we don’t need tradition, we need change. That’s all I wanted to say.” He finished. Giving the manager a bow, he ran back to the pitch and resumed his training.

Moriyasu’s eyes followed him back to the pitch and watched as he and Sae ran through a few two man drills. There were no lies in the orange haired striker's words, Sae was able to easily bully his way through as if he had eyes watching in every direction of the pitch and found him during matches. His eyes then traveled to the other midfielders. They were experienced, yes, but he could see their legs beginning to leave them. Their power had diminished over the years and their eyes missed subtle cues in body language.

The aged man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Perhaps there would be a little push back from the older generation, but Kurosaki was right. Football wasn’t a traditional job. They couldn’t focus on the relationship between coworkers due to age. Grabbing his clipboard, he crossed out one of the names on his list and slowly began writing.

Itoshi Sae.

Whatever happened, he would have to live with the decision.

---

Match Day. Japan vs Brazil

The national stadium was filled to the brim with fans, all of them roaring in excitement. While baseball was the sport that held the firmest grip in Japan, when the World Cup came around the entire country would show their support. The stands were filled with fans in dark blue and white, with those who followed the sport closer than the casual fan had player kits. 

In the VIP area, Mai sat along with Ichigo’s family, each of them looking as excited as the rest of the fans. The cameras that were televising the event found Mai and focused on her, a golden strip appearing on the large monitor that read ‘Professional MMA fighter’. She winked at the camera and playfully flexed an arm which caused the fans to cheer louder.

Everything came to a sudden stand still a minute later, when the two teams began to emerge from the tunnels. Japan in their dark blue kits and Brazil in a white kit since their usual away kit was a similar dark blue color. Ichigo wore his same number 9 and made his way onto the pitch with Sae walking closely behind him while their Captain dealt with the pre match meetings with the officials and the other Captain.

Looking up at the stands, Ichigo let out a breath locked eyes with Sae who nodded once. They both knew what they had to do. As he slowly started stretching, he felt the familiar feeling of eyes being on him. Looking across the pitch to the opposing side, he was met with the curious stare from one of the Brazilian players. 

Compared to most of the players he’d met, Ichigo could tell he was different. He had the same aura as Chris but with his own twist. He was tan skinned with something of a mullet going on. Checker pattern stripes were made on the sides of his head and like Sae wore a pair of black gloves. 

“Yo. Lavinho” He said introducing himself, a slight accent in his tone. His laid back tone didn’t match his intense look but didn’t make his presence any less imposing. He made two Shaka signs with his hands as he made his way over, a carefree smile on his face. 

“Ichigo Kurosaki”

“Sae Itoshi”

Ichigo and Sae weren’t sure what he said exactly since most of it was Portuguese and they didn’t have the auto translation earbuds. They were able to pick up enough to know he was issuing some sort of challenge though. Ichigo shook the offered hand and took a few steps back to regroup with his team as their Captain returned. 

It was decided, Brazil would begin with the ball. 

Their game plan had been discussed in the locker room. Everyone knew their part and as they took their positions, Ichigo locked eyes with Lavinho and cracked his neck slowly. The fans all seemed to pick up on the vibe and the intensity of the cheers grew louder. 

Ichigo let the noise fade out. This was his chance to announce himself. Only the most diehard fans knew of him. But after this game, he would make sure everyone knew he had arrived. 

The ref took his position and blew the whistle. Japan vs Brazil had begun.