⚽ practice match!! ⚽

ik that niko and gagamaru and aryu arent ryusae related

but

the drawing was really cool so i wanted to add it

hehe

It wasn't a tournament match.

It wasn't televised.

But it felt like a battlefield anyway.

Ego's voice cut across the pitch before kickoff — sharp, cold, and impossible to ignore.

"This is a technical exhibition match. No fouls. No reckless play. No chaos."

His eyes locked directly — painfully — onto Shidou Ryusei.

Shidou grinned like a kid caught with matches.

"Whaddya mean, no chaos? That's like... my whole personality."

Sae stood beside him, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

"Just don't be a menace," Sae sighed. "Pretend you're civilized for once."

Shidou tilted his head.

"...how long?"

"Ninety minutes."

Shidou stared at the grass like he'd just been sentenced to death.

Kickoff

Rin stood at the PxG side, jaw tight, aura cold.

Across the field — Kaiser smirked like a villain waiting for a punchline.

Ness practically vibrated beside him.

Isagi analyzed everyone like chess pieces.

Kunigami stretched his shoulders — calm, grounded, solid.

The whistle blew.

The ball flew.

And for exactly... twelve seconds, everything was normal.

Shidou dribbled smoothly.

No elbows.

No shoving.

No explosions.

Rin blinked.

Sae blinked.

The universe blinked.

"...he's behaving?" Rin muttered under his breath, suspicious.

Sae side-eyed Shidou.

Shidou ran with perfect posture.Clean touches.Silent footwork.

Too quiet.

Too normal.

Too... wrong.

Kaiser clicked his tongue.

"Tch. What's this? The animal's been neutered?"

Ness gasped.

"Kaiser-kun—!"

Shidou's eye twitched.

His soul twitched.

His entire existence twitched.

Shidou collected a pass.

He could bulldoze through Kunigami.

He could  body Isagi.

He could rocket launcher himself into orbit.

Instead...

He took a calm step.

A technically beautiful dribble.

A respectful pivot.

Kunigami blinked.

Isagi blinked.

Rin nearly short-circuited.

"...Why are you playing like a sensible adult?" Isagi muttered.

Shidou smiled too widely.

Too strained.

"Because apparently—"he hissed through his teeth —"I'm on probation."

Sae hummed.

"Good. Stay that way."

But then Ness bumped into his shoulder.

Barely.

Light contact.

Play-legal.

Totally normal.

Completely harmless.

And Shidou — froze.

Eye twitch.

Smile widening.

Pulse rising.

Brain screaming:

LET ME OFF THE LEASH LET ME OFF THE LEASH LET ME OFF THE LEASH—

He inhaled slowly.

Exhaled.

Controlled.

Civilized.

Wholesome.

Rin whispered:

"...he looks like a dog trying not to bark."

Sae snorted quietly.

Just a little.

Only Shidou heard it.

Ball goes wide.

Kaiser wins possession.

He spins once — elegant, arrogant, theatrical.

Then glances at Shidou.

Smirks.

"Come on. Bite me."

Shidou twitched.

Anri shouted from the sideline:

"RYUSEI. CONTROL."

Sae added — lazy but lethal:

"Don't embarrass me."

Shidou stood perfectly still.

Like a statue.

Like a bomb.

Like a time-delayed war crime.

Kaiser dribbled past him, mocking.

"Pathetic."

Ness gasped dramatically.

Isagi's brain screamed:

He's gonna snap.

Rin's eye twitched.

Anri gripped her clipboard like a weapon.

Sae sighed.

Shidou whispered:

"...no fouls."

He repeated it like a prayer.

Or a threat.

Or both.

Ball returns.

Fast.

Midfield chaos.

Kunigami clears.

Isagi intercepts.

Rin accelerates.

Sae slices through a gap — surgical, clean, perfect.

He passes to Shidou.

Shidou catches.

And something finally—

BREAKS.

The smile shifts.

Goes feral.

But...

Not violent.

Not destructive.

Not dirty.

Just...

pure. explosive. joy.

He sprints.

Fast.

Unhinged.

Radiant.

Laughing.

Rin shouts:

"DON'T—"

Shidou doesn't foul.

He flicks the ball through Kaiser's legs instead.

Meganutmeg.

Disrespectful.

Illegal — morally.

Kaiser freezes.

Ness screams.

Kunigami stares.

Isagi breaks.

Rin—

Almost smiles.

Sae raises a brow.

Shidou shouts — grinning:

"SEE?! I CAN PLAY NICE AND STILL HAVE FUN!!"

He rockets forward.Launches off clean footing.

No shove.

No elbow.

Just raw athletic chaos.

He scores.

Net rattles.

Echo across the pitch.

Shidou throws his arms up and laughs loud enough to shake the stadium.

"NO FOULS, BABY!! I'M EVOLVING!!"

Kaiser storms over.

"Don't ever do that again."

Shidou grins.

"Jealous~?"

Ness clings to Kaiser's arm.

Kunigami pats Shidou's shoulder.

"Good job... I think."

Isagi mutters:

"He's terrifying when he's happy."

Rin scoffs.

But his eyes are softer.

Sae walks over last.

Calm.

Hands in pockets.

He meets Shidou's gaze.

Slight smile.

Barely there.

"That," he says quietly,"was good football."

Shidou blinks.

Expression cracks into something bright and boyish.

Warm.

Alive.

He shrugs.

Laughs.

"Guess I don't need to break bones to have fun."

Sae nudges his arm lightly.

"Told you."

Shidou grins wider.

Explosive — not violent.

Chaotic — not destructive.

Wild — but controlled.

"Yeah...but I'm still gonna scare 'em a little."

Sae smirks.

"That's fine."

"Just don't foul."

Shidou runs across the pitch again.

Laughing.

Not chained.

Not angsty.

Not quiet.

Just...

Shidou.

And for the first time in a long time —

Everyone remembers why he loves the game.

And why, when he isn't trying to destroy everything...

He shines.

art credit: https://www.tumblr.com/merryweathart/799120082646253568/you-asked-for-more-soccer-yuri-no-you-get-it