Chapter Text
Isagi Yoichi has been a devout follower of soccer ever since witnessing Noa’s captivating World Cup performance as a child. While he used to be content with expressing his admiration for Noa to just his friends and family, the internet had ushered in a new era of fandom, opening doors for interactions between fans across the country and even the world.
But then again, maybe a few too many doors had been opened, lying in wait for whichever poor unsuspecting netizen would stumble upon them next. No, that wasn’t quite right. Isagi knew damn well that it was one particular door that he should have ignored.
A door left slightly ajar, the mysterious glow from within piquing the interest of even self-proclaimed internet veterans.
The perfect door to entice a teenager with unrestricted internet access (Iyo and Issei were too trusting) and a curiosity that knew no bounds…
The door to the world of BL.
In his defense, Isagi hadn’t been actively looking for yaoi. It was more like the yaoi found him—unsuspecting, naive, impressionable, fourteen-year-old him.
It was the last year of junior high, and Isagi had just been scouted by one of the top high school powerhouses for soccer in Saitama. Isagi knew his parents had been worried about him since his crybaby days, and his less-than-stellar grades in anything but art and physical education probably hadn’t inspired confidence in most parents. Iyo and Issei however, weren’t “most parents.” Despite their lack of knowledge in soccer-related matters, they’d supported their son’s budding soccer career wholeheartedly.
The tablet had been both a graduation gift and a celebration for winning the division one U-15 prefectural tournament with his junior high school team. With it, Isagi could finally watch all the Noa highlights he wanted without begging his parents to use the family computer. Also with it came the realization that there were a mind-boggling amount of Noa fans around the world… and just as many Noa haters.
It all started with the YouTube comments.
@laviog555
Noa is so overrated. Lavinho clears him in a 1v1 any day.
@AC-4kplayer
Poel Poa woke up feeling DANGEROUS today 🔥🥶 11+ dispossessions, 1 missed penalty, 0 assists, 3 goals, NO wins. Better than Chris Prince?
@lucac0re
anyone with an ego like that doesn’t deserve to be a contender for best striker in the world. his head is more inflated than the ball.
The red Isagi saw before initiating his first 100+ comment response battle wasn’t from the YouTube logo. Thinking back on it, maybe his “colorful” vocabulary was a byproduct from fighting in the online trenches at such a young age. Once he registered a Twitter account, the trenches extended from Youtube comments to Noa’s mentions.
The Isagi of the present knows that a good amount of the long, hard battles he fought were most likely against troll accounts. He’d never been good at distinguishing ragebait from real criticism of his favorite player. It wasn’t until he became infamous for being “that one easy Noa fan” that some fellow fans took pity on him and taught him about trolls and interaction bait.
Learning about bait accounts didn’t put an end to Isagi’s reply battles, no matter how hard he tried to stay composed online. ‘Yocchan’ was just too fun to provoke for many bored users, trolls and Noa antis alike. His previous account suspensions due to ‘hateful conduct’ were enough proof of that.
But somehow, along the way, he’d amassed a decent amount of followers for a fan account that constantly engaged in drama and had been suspended four separate times. Most of his followers were there for his rare moments of clever soccer analysis scattered between the fights and embarrassing Noa worship. His sharp eye for player tendencies and positioning, unique analysis of off-the-ball movement, and scarily correct predictions (only with data from Noa games) had earned him the begrudging respect of many hardcore soccer fans.
Even though he hadn’t expected all the attention, Isagi was happy that social media allowed him to connect with so many people who loved the same sport he did. His only regret was his hasty choice of username and profile picture, both picked before he knew anything about presenting himself online. The combination of ‘Yocchan’ and a slightly blurry picture of sakura nerikiri that he’d used because nothing else was in his camera roll had caused a big misunderstanding among the general public.
wwww yocchan is arguing with that prince fan account again, she never learns
Yocchan will you ever face reveal? Do you play for a club team? I might recognize you, I follow U-18 women’s soccer very closely.
i bet she’s ugly, no pretty girl would be chronically online like she is
I’m a boy though…
Yes, he’d failed the first rule of Internet Safety 101—never give out your real name—but the misunderstanding let him keep some semblance of anonymity, so he kept up the charade even though it was embarrassing.
In the beginning, he’d enthusiastically retweeted pictures of small animals and cute desserts in the hopes of throwing more people off his trail. Now, though, his followers had grown used to Yocchan’s… strange proclivities.
yocchan… really likes lobsters doesn’t she…
lol remember when she pretended to be all cutesy at first? every other post would be a video of a bunny or pink food, and all the other posts would be angry quote retweets. noa fangirls are crazy but i prefer this side of her more
sporty tomboys >>> cute girls
Isagi could only shudder at the unnecessary comments. Was this what girls on the internet had to deal with all the time? He comforted himself with the thought that someday he could get revenge on all the weird people who followed him by shattering their fantasies of Yocchan being a tomboyish JK Noa fangirl.
Their image of Yocchan as a hardcore Noa fangirl wasn’t helped by the fact that he sometimes did talk positively about Noa’s appearance.
…Okay, maybe he shouldn’t have engaged with the Noa fancams and close-up shots that other (actual) fangirls liked to post instead of his game statistics. But Isagi couldn’t help himself, okay? Anything that portrayed Noa as ‘cool’ was good in his book. And if some of those close-ups and fancams ended up in his bookmarks, and some shameful comments were left on said posts… Well, sue him. Noa was an attractive guy, and it wasn’t a crime to admit it as a fan.
Isagi had been careful to vet the Noa fangirl accounts he followed though, after being jumpscared by a Noa x Female Reader “fanfiction” posted by someone he followed on a whim. How outrageous…! How presumptuous…! To think that someone calling themselves a fan would dare fantasize about dating Noel Noa… They were just fake bandwagon face fans!
He gritted his teeth as he blocked the offending account, promising to never make the same mistake again.
That promise was never broken, and Isagi enjoyed peaceful times scrolling through his feed after Ichinan’s mandatory summer conditioning.
But the next mistake Isagi made was one that would forever change the trajectory of his life.
Fanart of athletes wasn’t exactly rare online, but it wasn’t common either. Isagi followed every single one of the few artists who sometimes drew Noa among a sea of other prominent soccer players. He admired the skill it took to draw such dynamic poses, and how cool Noa looked in all of their different styles.
When a new artist posted a fully rendered piece featuring Noa and Chris, he’d followed them immediately. He didn’t know what “NoaPrince” meant though. Did it mean they were a fan of both Noa and Chris Prince? It was rare, but there were some fans willing to ignore the war raging on both sides as the two competed for the unofficial title of best striker.
Isagi checked the time and reluctantly shut off his tablet, calling it a night. Being picked as a starter for Ichinan in his first year meant that he would have to work harder to prove that he earned it. Something felt off about the way his new coach lectured him about team play and “one for all” after he recreated a crude version of Noa’s powerful shot form and scored during his first game on the starting lineup. Instead of being praised for his goal, he was benched for the rest of the game, which his team lost 2-3.
He would just have to work harder to adapt to this new team, and internalize his coach’s advice. The game’s end result was due to his error in some part, so it was important for him to get used to Ichinan’s pass-oriented strategy. He decided to dedicate the next week to familiarizing himself with Ichinan’s style of play. There had to be some way for him to score goals within its fixed framework.
After a week of inactivity online and frustratingly slow improvement on the pitch, Isagi finally logged onto his Yocchan account to find quite a few notifications. The majority of them were from his direct messages, which confused him. Did something happen in the short time he was gone?
The oldest messages were from an account he recognized as one of the bigger “fangirl” accounts he followed.
firstnoel: Yocchan!!!! I didn’t know you liked NoaPrince Σ (˶•˶˶•˶) !! I didn’t think you were the type to be a fan but I guess their appeal is too good to ignore even for you~ I’ll add you to a groupchat, us fans have to stick together!
The rest of the notifications were from the scarily active aforementioned group chat. Isagi hesitated to join in, preferring to keep to himself online. It would be too much trouble if anyone figured out his identity, and he didn’t have the time or energy to invest in making friends and keeping up with constant conversation.
His only experience with group chats was his barren team chat, where the only messages came from their captain reminding them of match dates. This one, on the other hand, was a bit too busy for his liking. And there it was again—that strange combination in the chat name, “NoaPrince.”
Isagi could begrudgingly admit that Chris Prince had impressive stats that were almost on par with Noa, but he wouldn’t exactly call himself a fan.
Puzzled, he opened the chat and sent his first message.
noa #1: Hi! What is this group chat for?
腐t-ball: yocchan??
firstnoel: Hi Yocchan! You were away for so long I was worried we scared you off,,,
nacrlove: Welcome back yocchan
noa #1: Sorry, I was so busy with practice last week that I couldn’t log in. Did I miss something? What is NoaPrince?
All at once, the typing in the once-busy chat froze. Isagi tilted his head to the side. Did he say something wrong? It was so active before he asked.
noa #1: Everyone? What’s with the silence?
hisatsuline: um, yocchan, are you being serious,,?
noa #1: Yeah, sorry I’ve been away for a while. Could you explain it to me?
firstnoel: Yocchan… did you maybe follow Ruri’s art account without knowing what she draws…?
noa #1: She draws Noa fanart right? Unless I made a mistake.
nacrlove: um yocchan i don't think you should check her stuff, just mute it and forget what you saw here
腐t-ball: dumbass she just posted that shirtless art today!! yocchan don’t even click on her account just close twitter now
腐t-ball: yocchan??
nacrlove: uh oh
nacrlove: say your prayers/apologies now kuruchin. she’s been dead for three minutes
firstnoel: I’m so so sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!
noa #1:くぁwせdrftgyふじこlp??//?
hisatsuline: ah she saw it
There was no other way to describe it. The newest piece on the account Isagi followed a week ago was a picture of two half-naked men sharing a passionate kiss in the middle of a soccer field. Isagi noticed the switched jersey colors in their hands, taking a second to appreciate the artist’s eye for detail in replicating even the logos on both shirts. That was strange, were they swapping jerseys?
No!!! Isagi Yoichi, focus!!! They were swapping spit!!!!!!
Isagi could only stare at the art in a mixture of awe, disgust, and… something else? He knew he should block the account, or at the very least close out of the app and turn off his tablet forever. But for some reason, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the offending piece.
There was something so… raw, so visceral, about the image of the world’s top two strikers making out shirtless, presumably after a game. A rough and hard game. Drops of sweat slid down Chris Prince’s perfect abs, his hair out of its usual pristine place and face slightly flushed from exhaustion and… exhilaration? Isagi felt his heartbeat pound in his ears as he fixed his eyes on the man to the left of the blonde: his idol, five-time Ballon d'Or winner and current greatest striker in the world.
The artist’s interpretation of Noa was… perfect. Isagi swallowed, the sound echoing in the quiet room. The way Noa was gripping the back of Prince’s neck and pulling him in like a lifeline was intense, yet the gesture somehow exuded a tenderness that made Isagi want to squeeze his tablet until cracks formed in the glass screen.
This was wrong. This was so, so wrong on so many levels.
That was his favorite player, his inspiration, his idol. And the man who was being so ferociously devoured by him was someone he respected and also looked up to as a striker.
Isagi needed to pull himself together, needed to close out of Twitter and give himself a concussion bad enough to forget the unholy show of artistry now permanently seared in the back of his eyelids.
Still in a daze, he found himself pulling up the comments, wanting—no, needing—to know if anyone felt as insane as he did after bearing witness to this blasphemy.
tina @cinnamenon · 3h
OLD MAN YAOI
osu @chrisprincess · 3h
bffr this is not old man yaoi they are 30
shion @shio00n · 3h
waaah… thank you ruri for the food… my nacr god…<3
MowZ @CR7goat · 3h
this is disgusting
☆ @inori_nnn · 3h
you outdid yourself oh my god i feel faint is that a hickey
With shaky hands he started to type his last message to the world before it was too late. No, it was already too late. He could never go back to the person he once was before seeing this art.
Isagi would later come to realize that it wasn’t his last message to the world—no, it was his first message to the world as a man forever changed.
His first message to the world as a newly baptized fudanshi.
noa #1 @yocchansakka · 1s
I think you changed my life
—
It was a massive understatement to say that Isagi’s life had changed because of that art. It wasn’t just his life, lives were changed. The world changed. The universe had experienced death and rebirth in the span of three minutes, and the bells of yaoi rang through every newly formed atom.
腐t-ball: yocchan you’re so dramatic
腐t-ball: have you ever thought about writing fanfiction
noa #1: No!!! You know I’m conflicted even looking at that kind of stuff
firstnoel: Don’t be so shy Yocchan (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) I know you see and like all the nacr comics and art I send you. And to think you didn’t know what yaoi was before last week, our Yocchan is all grown up now
noa#1: That’s different!! The Noa and Chris of BL are completely separate from the real people but it would be too much for me to create something using their likeness myself… The real Noa is still my favorite player and my ideal, but I want the BL Noa to sweep Chris off his feet and propose to him after Germany wins the WC…
hisatsuline: i don’t get it, what’s the difference between this and wanting normal celebs to date
腐t-ball: the difference is that yocchan is gonna go pro and she might see one of them at an awards ceremony or something and die of embarrassment
nacrlove: yocchan if you make it big you have to bring me as a plus one so i can see nacr chemistry in person before i die
nacrlove: but you’re so real for the world cup proposal scene. i think i’ve seen that scenario in a doujinshi actually
noa #1: What’s a doujinshi?
腐t-ball: ..,yocchan you have so much to learn
firstnoel: Let’s not jump into it. Why don’t we start her off with more beginner-friendly BL?
nacrlove: G○ven is pretty popular these days, I don’t know if she’ll like it though
hisatsuline: what about G○nbare N○kamura-k○n? it’s a classic
腐t-ball: yocchan are you into middle-aged man yaoi? if you like Noa/Chris I think you would enjoy Ch○rry M○gic
nacrlove: if she’s into sports then Sl○m D○nk and Haiky○○ aren’t explicitly BL but…
腐t-ball: just show her the right tags on the “branch” lol
noa #1: What branch?
hisatsuline: she means pixiv (go easy on her haha)
noa #1: Pixiv?
—
After being thoroughly lectured on online BL culture, Isagi could say without a doubt that he would have never gotten this far without the gracious guidance and teachings of his internet seniors. Armed with a new Pixiv account and a mountain of recommendations, Isagi happily dove into the swamp of BL.
He immersed himself in the seemingly endless stream of content—stories, fanart, and even the elusive doujinshi that most of the chat had been hesitant to introduce him to. (He regretted looking it up on his own when they kept beating around the bush after he pressed them on the topic. What was the point of censor bars if they didn’t censor anything!?)
It became a welcome distraction from his growing disconnect with his team. Coming home after another off practice day to another chapter of a BL manga or a new post from his favorite artist was quickly becoming his second-biggest motivation. He knew he should take care of himself as a student athlete, but many nights were spent reading novels on Pixiv about his favorite pairings and catching up on weekly releases with his small group of online friends.
Friends… Isagi had been hesitant to call the enthusiastic group that introduced him to BL his friends, yet slowly but surely, he’d formed a genuine connection with them. Sure, they could be a bit too… passionate at times, but he understood where they were coming from. Even though he had less time to spend online after being given a bigger role on the team, he made sure to stay in touch when he could.
They also understood that he was busy with soccer, so they kept him updated on the newest releases from their favorite artists and writers.
noa #1: All-ages doujinshi only!! I’m not 18 yet!!!
firstnoel: Aww, Yocchan, you’re such a goody two-shoes wwww
No matter how hooked he was on BL, soccer was still the most important thing in his life—which was why the loss that day hit him so hard. It felt like a slap in the face, being so plainly confronted with his own inadequacy as a striker.
When the opportunity from Blue Lock arrived, Isagi knew he had to grab it and change himself. If it meant sacrificing what little normalcy was left in his life, then so be it. He was ready to give everything for a chance to be the best in the world, to be reborn.
Anri gave them a few minutes after getting off the bus to send their last messages to friends and family before their smartphones were confiscated. It pained him to part with his friends, but he knew it would only be a distraction. If he didn’t want to stay stagnant, he would have to use this extreme environment to his advantage and change radically.
He sent a couple of messages to his parents telling them not to worry, but it looked like most people were still on their phones. He briefly considered messaging Tada-chan or the team, but found his fingers tapping open the group chat with a familiarity that made him huff out an exasperated breath. Really, he was getting too soft.
noa #1: Hi everyone, I know I’ve been less active lately and this is very abrupt, but I’ll be going to boarding school for the next couple of months. Idk when I’ll get my phone back but thank you so much for the fun times this past year! You probably don’t know how much talking to you all has helped me... To be honest, I was in a bad slump at the beginning of the school year, and I’m still not satisfied with myself as a player. I want to use this chance to grow, I don’t want to be the same Yocchan that cries after passing instead of taking the shot myself.
firstnoel: Yocchan! Of course we support you! We’ll probably always be stuck here so even if it takes you four years, you can come back anytime (＾▽＾)
腐t-ball: i think that’s the longest message i’ve seen you send since you analyzed that noa/chris novel www
nacrlove: go for it yocchan!
“One more minute,” Anri reminded everyone, already taking out the boxes prepared for them to drop their phones and wallets in. Isagi used this precious time to send his last, but most important, message.
noa #1: Can I ask for one more favor?
hisatsuline: go ahead yocchan~
noa #1: When I get my phone back…
noa #1: Please update me on all my favorite BL (crying)
nacrlove: wwwwwww
nacrlove: expected nothing less from you yocchan
腐t-ball: i’ll keep a bookmark folder so big it’ll take you another year to go through it all by the time you’re back
—
Life without yaoi is easier said than done.
It starts off innocently enough. After a long day of grueling training, Isagi wants nothing more than to flop onto his bed and read a couple of chapters of BL manga recommendations to relax. Unfortunately, his phone is still locked away somewhere inside the enormous facility. And without any points from goals, Isagi has no way of getting it back.
Soccer is the most important thing in Isagi’s life, but the absence of BL is starting to make him realize just how much it consumed his life before Blue Lock. Blue Lock… sounds like BL… Isagi thinks to himself absentmindedly, completely giving up on finishing his journal entry reflections for the day.
A whole building full of high school boys fighting each other for the top spot? It doesn’t get more BL than that. And although he’s been trying his hardest to ignore it, there are a couple of “pairings” that have popped into his mind more than once since he’s been here.
Isagi Yoichi, he chides himself. Those are your friends! Your teammates and rivals!
The journal in his lap and the pen in his hand feel weighted with a phantom heaviness. He really shouldn’t… but what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them, right? It’s not like anyone is going to read his strategy journal. Isagi knows he tends to ramble when he gets excited about something, and it’s hard to stop him once he starts. Nobody would be interested in a boring-looking soccer journal, especially if it had his name on it.
Even so, he glances around the empty practice room just to make sure there’s an absolute zero percent chance of anyone seeing him. Just this once…! He’ll get rid of his fudanshi urges, clear his mind, and get right back to soccer.
28/11/20XX
Dear Diary,
I have committed a grave sin that you alone will bear witness to. I understand that the weight of my wrongdoing is a heavy load to bear… but I can’t take it anymore!!!!!
If Nagi and Reo don’t want me to pair them, then they should stop acting like an old married couple in the cafeteria. Ever since that game, I’ve noticed the chemistry between them in both soccer and real life. According to Zantetsu, Reo calls Nagi his “treasure”... How can I not see them as a couple after that? Even the day we met them, Reo was picking Nagi up like he weighed nothing and took care of his every need, he’s 100% a superdarling boyfriend!
I’m not really into kuudere characters, but I think Nagi has his charm in his own way. Otherwise, Reo wouldn’t be so enamored with him. Apparently, Reo takes care of everything for Nagi, like his body care, and I sometimes see him even feeding Nagi when he’s too tired. It’s so hard to keep a straight face whenever they do that! Seriously, just get married already!
-Isagi Yoichi
01/12/20XX
Dear Diary,
I’m here today again to confess my sins. I was doing so well, but when presented with a feast, a starving man has no choice but to indulge…
Kunigami and Chigiri have to stop flirting in the bathroom, we can all hear you! ‘Ojou-sama’? You’re not slick, Kunigami. Are you two at the nickname stage already? Kunigami even gave Chigiri a headband, but they’ve only known each other for a couple of weeks. He’s so much softer on Chigiri than anyone else on the team.
I’ve been thinking about them ever since they traded food during the first selection. The way Kunigami accepted Chigiri’s offer like it was a confession… it’s too good!!! I didn’t even care that I couldn’t try the curry because KuniChigi are feeding me just fine! If Team Z had parents, I think it would have to be them. Every day, I thank God that I’m able to go on even without my phone… BL is everywhere.
-Isagi Yoichi
09/12/20XX
Dear Diary,
Today might be the worst day of my life. Did I accidentally break up my favorite pairing…? I know it confirms that Reo had strong feelings for Nagi, but I think he hates me now. I can’t tell him that I support his relationship with Nagi without giving myself away, so I can only cheer him on from the sidelines.
It’s so obvious that he’s misunderstanding something here! Even though they’re evolving apart from each other, it’s essentially for the sake of the same goal, isn’t it? I love a good plot progression, but I wish they could talk it out. Blue Lock isn’t for the weak of heart; if either of them loses sight of their ego and ends up getting kicked out, I would be devastated. But I need to worry about myself and Nagi winning our next match first.
At least Reo’s in good hands. I’m honestly kind of jealous that he gets to be so close to Kunigami and Chigiri. But I have faith that they’ll make it through this part of the selection.
-Isagi Yoichi
11/01/20XX
Dear Diary,
Is it okay for me to be excited about my first couple progressing again even though I’m supposed to be fighting against them? I talked to Reo the day before the final selection and he helped me decide which team to choose. He seemed conflicted, but in the end he chose Nagi and even scored his own goal with his new ability! For some reason it feels like they’re still not on good terms though? I’m glad Reo found a way to evolve, but does Nagi really not consider it the kind of soccer he wants to play? What does he even want? Gahhhh I need them to talk it out so bad. What are you thinking in that thick skull of yours, Nagi Seishiro????
Okay, I’ll stop rambling, I don’t want to become one of those annoying pushy couple fans that ruins everything. I don’t think Reo’s given up though, if he’s telling Nagi to wait for him it means he wants to become the kind of person that Nagi wouldn’t just choose, but the kind of person that leaves him behind, forcing Nagi to chase after him. I think every one of us has been changed by Blue Lock in some kind of way like that… I don’t want to lose to anyone either.
-Isagi Yoichi
27/01/20XX
Dear Diary,
I heard that right... right? ‘Nii-chan?’ ‘NII-CHAN?????’ RIN CALLS SAE NII-CHAN!!!! I knew he had a softer side to him ever since he told me about what happened with his brother before the game, but I didn’t know... The doomed sibling trope is too sad for me. I don’t know what happened between them, but I hope they can make up someday. Rin has been chasing after Sae all this time, but it’s obvious that Sae has been watching Rin from afar too...! I swear more people need to open their eyes to the Itoshi brothers. After seeing how devastated Rin was, I need cute fanart of them actually acting like brothers again to heal my heart.
Speaking of the Itoshis… I’m a fan of Itoshi Sae, but I didn’t recognize him with the way he acted in the game today. And the one who brought it out of him was none other than Shidou! Is this the classic hot-blooded x cold type pairing? Sae specifically chose Shidou out of everyone at Blue Lock before the match too. They were flirting so blatantly it’s not even fanservice anymore, it’s an official couple. I can’t believe they actually exchanged numbers after the game, and what was with that last thing Sae said about showering first? Are they trying to make me misunderstand? When is the sdse official announcement going to come out?
Today was such a feast for me. I know I should be celebrating my goal, but there was so much that happened in this game that I couldn’t process until now. Karasu and Hiori being old flames (?) working together was so good! I need more childhood hokr backstory! And Reo copying Nagi’s trap showed that he could use his weapon on his own. He’s evolving so he can keep up with Nagi but also forcing Nagi to get better so that he’s not left behind either.
When I get my phone back, I swear I'll convert more people to the goodness of Blue Lock yaoi!!!! Wait for me, internet!
-Isagi Yoichi
It seems the internet had not waited for him in the slightest. Isagi is taken aback by the sheer number of notifications on his phone after getting it back, classmates and family members he didn’t even know existed calling or messaging him in congratulations. He’s never been one to revel in the spotlight, despite his bold declaration earlier in the day. Dealing with people is exhausting after the match, and Isagi wants nothing more than to ignore reality and escape to the world of 2D.
“I’ll get the dishes today, Yocchan. You must be tired after that game and dealing with the press. Get a good night’s rest, okay?”
Isagi barely manages to thank his mom, dragging himself up the stairs in a zombie-like state. When he finally collapses in bed and unlocks his phone, he’s hit with decision fatigue. Should he try to catch up on all the chapters he’s missed from his favorite BL manga, or should he head straight to Pixiv and stay up all night reading novels and scrolling through fanart?
The decision is made for him before he gets a chance to choose, because a chat notification pops up at the top of his screen. Of course, he has to pop back in to update the chat first. He can’t exactly tell them that he’d just scored the winning goal in the Blue Lock v. U-20 Japan game, but he wants to at least let them know that he’s on break.
When he sees his full government name in the chat he almost goes into cardiac arrest.
nacrlove: did you see the way isagi yoichi and bachira meguru were talking to each other? it’s obviously bcis! bachira literally said “i love you” like how more obvious can you get?
腐t-ball: no way, rnis has more flavor. did bcis yell “look at me” at each other on the field? also did you see the way itoshi rin was trying to calm him down before the match? it was so cute, and then the way he avoided isagi’s jumping hug he’s def the tsundere type
nacrlove: what? no, that’s so one-sided! bcis are partners and equals, rnis is unrequited
腐t-ball: if you think it’s unrequited after the way he said they were “devouring each other” in a “distorted relationship” you’re so wrong. also “you just have to look at me”?? why would he say that if it’s not requited?
noa #1: WHAT???
hisatsuline: omg yocchan hiii! are you back and also did you watch the blue lock v u20 japan game?
Isagi doesn’t have the mental capacity to respond after seeing the past few messages in the chat. He’s too scared to scroll further back. What the hell were they saying about him and his teammates!?
腐t-ball: if you didn’t watch the game yet you have to!! it was amazing, i was on my feet the entire time and that last goal gave me shivers! they’re doing something really crazy at that blue lock
Well, he did technically watch the game… He just had a first person point of view of the whole match.
noa #1: I saw it, I’m on break for a bit so I got my phone back.
firstnoel: What are your thoughts? Are we gonna see a new analysis post after so long?
noa #1: Haha, no, it’s not official and Blue Lock’s stats aren’t public yet so…
nacrlove: of course you know already lol
noa #1: It was a great game.
腐t-ball: that’s it? i thought you would have noticed the “undertones” by now, has boarding school beat the fujoshi out of you?
nacrlove: yeah, i thought you would like bcis cause all your favorite BL manga are cutesy friends-to-lovers couples. did you like a different pairing?
noa #1: What??? Um, no I think it’s fine but…
腐t-ball: see? she has better taste than you she’s def a rnis fan
noa #1: With Rin?? Why Rin and Isagi??? And why Bachira too? Nothing happened between them so...
腐t-ball: are you really telling me you didn’t sense anything between them? i know i like rnis more but bachira’s “i love you partner” was really public. and loud. and i don’t even have to say anything about rnis shouting across the field and gazing into each other’s eyes
noa #1: No??? Wait what? That didn’t happen, they didn’t mean it like that! Wait, why are you talking about Isagi so much, what about all of the other pairings?
hisatsuline: he was kind of the nucleus of the team, most of the plays were centered around him so it’s kind of hard not to talk about him. what, do you not like him or something?
noa #1: No… It’s just I thought Nagi and Reo had more chemistry than anyone else…
腐t-ball: oh mikage and the guy that scored the first goal for blue lock? that volley was sick, seeing mikage copy his trapping skills was a surprise too. wait, “reo”? haha yocchan you pick favorites fast, huh?
noa #1: What! I mean it’s just kind of weird cause it feels like I’m saying the name of a company instead of an actual name…
firstnoel: You’re not acting like yourself Yocchan, aren’t you always saying that it’s rude to call players by their first name like you know them~
noa #1: It’s different though
noa #1: Well, I am a fan of Reo and Nagi’s pairing.. Isn’t Reo copying Nagi’s volley like a declaration of his love?
nacrlove: oh yeah, apparently they were on the same team before blue lock? awww so you do like the happy ending lovey-dovey friends-to-lovers trope, yocchan
Isagi feels himself sweat a bit. He wouldn’t exactly use those words to describe Nagi and Reo’s current relationship…
firstnoel: Who was that guy who came on in the second half for Blue Lock with the spiky hair who wouldn’t stop targeting Isagi like he was obsessed? I thought their dynamic was interesting!
noa #1: Barou was just acting for himself there! No ulterior motives!
firstnoel: So you know his name too already? I know you have another analysis post in you, the people want your thoughts on the game
腐t-ball: the other crazy guy who was subbed in for u-20 was so good with itoshi sae, did you see him ask for his number at the beginning? so bold! i like that in a guy
nacrlove: yes!! and you could tell sae was all cold and disinterested in the beginning but he gave in at the end. i think shidou really made an impact on him
noa #1: I knew I could count on you guys to see the potential sdse has, aren’t they so obvious?
nacrlove: now you’re talking, they’re team u-20’s unofficial official couple
腐t-ball: what about oliver aiku and that playboy sendou?
nacrlove: sendou???? do you even follow u20 men’s soccer mitsu? that’s a fuckboy
腐t-ball: yeah, as in he fucks boys
hisatsuline: ?
firstnoel: Oh my
—
Isagi calls it an early night (early for his standards at least) after more heated discussion about the Blue Lock vs. U-20 Japan game. The soccer forum boards are filled with threads dissecting not only his performance, but his relationships with his teammates. Searching his name on Twitter gives a similarly frightening number of results. He never expected himself to become the center of discussion in this way, so it feels weird to see his name so many times. It’s beginning to lose its meaning. Does “Isagi” even exist?
107. Anonymous 01/27(Sun) 11:04:23 ID: 732918991
isagi’s last goal was insane, we need to see more of this kid i hope they have more exhibition matches
108. Anonymous 01/27(Sun) 11:06:49 ID: 389244137
i hope they have more exhibition matches too ( ´ཀ` )
109. Anonymous 01/27(Sun) 11:09:12 ID: 892133134
not this freak again go back to your j-league yaoi leave these young men alone
110. Anonymous 01/27(Sun) 11:12:38 ID: 389244137
tell team u20 to stop feeling each other up and saying things that could be misunderstood first
111. Anonymous 01/27(Sun) 11:16:04 ID: 203847194
>>109
nah i kind have to agree on this one, the way isagi has so many arrows pointing to him is hard to ignore
112. Anonymous 01/27(Sun) 11:19:29 ID: 392750175
right?? oblivious protags are the best..
Isagi feels a vein twitch in his forehead. He isn’t “oblivious,” there’s just nothing going on between him and anyone else! An anonymous comment shouldn’t bother him so much, but it’s on a pretty well-known forum and he’s starting to realize that he’s developing a new landmine. It’s looking more like a field of landmines with the way he sees his name next to his teammates’ in the most out-of-context way possible.
154. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:02:35 ID: 789605483
i think it’s cute how barou and rin were so conscious of isagi
155. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:03:56 ID: 128486451
did you see the way nagi picked him up for that goal celebration? damn, there’s something going on
Okay, Isagi wasn’t going to let that comment slide. Him and Nagi?! Of all people? Don’t piss me off, you people are worse than delusional! Reo and Nagi are obviously the official couple, anyone who thinks otherwise should kick rocks!
156. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:04:49 ID: 412310117
you need an eye exam and a cognitive assessment if you think there’s anything going on between isagi and nagi
157. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:05:23 ID: 389244137
someone’s mad wwwww
158. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:06:07 ID: 389244137
and so it begins
159. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:06:51 ID: 389244137
>>156
i'm like what he say fuck me for? it was just an observation, don’t get your panties in a twist
160. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:07:48 ID: 412310117
it was a low iq observation
161. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:08:33 ID: 389244137
okay then mr. high iq, what are some of your observations?
162. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:09:19 ID: 412310117
anyone with an iq above a rock can see that nagi has more chemistry with reo
163. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:10:20 ID: 389244137
call me sedimentary cause i don’t see it
164. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:10:51 ID: 412310117
sedimentally challenged, more like
165. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:11:47 ID: 389244137
oh my god it’s so serious for anon
166. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:12:53 ID: 412310117
whatever, enjoy your slopfest. you people don’t know the first thing about soccer or relationships.
167. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:14:09 ID: 389244137
“tch… you people don’t know the firscht thing about shoccer, heh… or relationshipsch…”
168. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:14:53 ID: 412310117
[This message has been removed for violating community guidelines]
169. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:15:11 ID: 412310117
[This message has been removed for violating community guidelines]
170. Anonymous 01/28(Mon) 00:15:29 ID: 412310117
[This message has been removed for violating community guidelines]
So… Yes, it’s not Isagi’s proudest moment. But he’d felt the need to defend his first pairing’s honor as a fan. His personal landmine is pretty apparent now after reading through the forums and indirects. Anything involving himself in a pairing is a no-go. The dynamics don’t matter and the person doesn't matter. Right now, the internet is a whole field of Isagi-pairing landmines just waiting to detonate.
Isagi treads as carefully as he can, blocking more accounts and muting more words than ever before in his time online. Still, some things inevitably slip through the cracks, fueling the urge to make a crack in his own phone screen. Namely, the way his friends won’t stop talking about pairings involving himself in that damn group chat. He’s been trying to steer the conversation in a different direction whenever they start, but it’s starting to get suspicious and he can’t say anything that would give his identity away.
Going from an average citizen to a public figure overnight has been overwhelming, and it doesn’t help that a growing number of people are paying attention to Japanese soccer for all the wrong reasons. Isagi can’t help but feel a bit cheated. Where were all these fans when Noa and Chris were photographed sitting next to each other and chatting during the 20XX UEFA Award Ceremony after more than a year of no public appearances together?
There’s no point in crying over spilled milk, so all he can do is grit his teeth and keep blocking. If anything, this is character growth. He’s not even picking fights first anymore! Well… except for the occasional forum argument when he just can’t help himself.
Meeting with his Blue Lock teammates is a welcome distraction from his routine of personal training and spending too much time online. With them, he can forget about the scrutinizing eyes of the public, and the fact that his words have shifted the weight of the future of Japanese soccer on his shoulders.
But if Isagi thinks the stress from dealing with the aftermath of the U-20 game is enough to turn his hair white, he’s sorely mistaken—because the real nightmare begins the moment he has the misfortune of crossing paths with Michael Kaiser.