𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗲

Team Z was currently occupying the locker room before the match against Team V. Iemon was going on about the new tactic, since the team was now reduced down to 10 viable players. It was a drag, really. The fact you were within a 20 twenty-foot radius of Kuon at the moment made your skin itch.

All you've picked out from the lecture was to look out for their numbers 9, 10, and 11. You just wanted to get out of this goddamn room and to the match. Finally, you'd get to play those cafeteria guys and see if they're any good. Hopefully, they would be.

Guess who made their dramatic-ass way onto the field? Definitely you guys.

You all sort of stood there idly while you waited for Team V to show up, they were really taking their sweet time. It would be really sucky if you guys lost this game. You weren't sure what would happen to you if your team got eliminated, Ego conveniently never shared that information with you. You probably wouldn't have to leave, if he was in a good mood, but maybe he'd stick you doing...like actual work for him...

You shuddered. Absolutely not.

Team V walked through their entrance, of course without forgetting to pose once they entered. You saw Nagi and Reo at the forefront, along with some guy with bulky glasses. Those three were in fact the 9, 10, and 11 Iemon was pissing his pants about. You couldn't help but smile slightly, knowing that they would be able to make the game more interesting.

It didn't take long for kick-off to start, Reo pushing the ball down the field. You had to note, he had amazing ball control. Your team managed to intercept the pass from Glasses to Nagi, and you quickly got the ball over to Bachira. He sent it way down the field, pressuring Gagamaru to bump it into the net with his head, to which he hit it off the post.

Lovely.

What was also less-than-pleasing, was that Nagi and Reo copied your play and got the goal as soon as the goal was back in their possession. Reo's ability to nearly exactly copy Bachira's pass with one look, Nagi's trapping skills, and your goddamn menstrual fatigue gave this game quite the bleak outlook.

Your teammates were shouting about how convinced they were it was a fluke, but there was no way in hell. They knew they could pull that off, and they could probably do it again. What could you say? You were proud of your accidental dinner acquaintances. 

Proud, but also lost as fuck, because as soon as you got back to reality, Nagi had already scored another goal. In fact, that shot he pulled looked kind of like that one you showed Bachira. That bitch is copying off the compilations, too!

This game was absolute bullshit. It was humiliating, to say the least. For fuck's sake, in the time it took to figure out your left from right, Glasses had buried the ball into our net.

"You guys ready to get to the real fun?" Bachira asked you and Isagi at the restart.

You were sure as hell ready for a nap, "Uh-huh," you nodded instead.

Isagi started, "I don't know, th-"

"Oh, c'mon!" Bachira cut him off with a pass and started toward the net.

You figured you'd follow suit, so you ran as fast as your legs could carry you at the moment. Which was, tragically, not very fast.

Improvise, adapt, overcome, right?

"Isagi, here!" He passed you the ball and ran down the field himself. Considering your options, going anywhere yourself was not the best move at the moment, so you sent a long pass over the players to Bachira. He took that chance to get around the defenders and put the ball into the goal. Thank god.

You couldn't help but a less-than-modest expression. I mean, c'mon. A perfect pass even though you were quite literally on the brink of unconsciousness? Deserves a solid pat on the back. One not from Igarashi.

You also really deserved that nap. As much as you admired the determination these guys had to succeed here, you didn't share the sentiment. You really did want to share some stares with a hot person in your dreams, though. Sounds good right about now.

The ball went every which way from different passes all over the field. Nagi was about to pull some insane shot out of his ass, but Igarashi got in front of the ball in time to block it was his face. His nose wasted no time in bursting out with gushing streams of blood. Sucks.

Back in play, Kunigami got the ball and you could practically see the thoughts running across his mind. He wanted to prove himself, right here, right now. That's what you were here for, right? It was definitely not for the food.

You'd seen him practice it before, 'finesse-something, something.' It was all or nothing, "Shoot it, Kunigami! Everything you've got!"

And, so, he did. And you could get on your knees and thank the heavens, he got it in.

It was finally half-time. Salvation.

You were sprawled out on the locker-room bench, with your legs over Chigiri's lap.

He looked over at you after putting his water bottle down, "What are you doing?"

"Stretching out."

He narrowed his focus on you, "Why right here?"

You sighed in mock bliss, "Sorry, dude. Nowhere else to go." Was there? Probably. Was it fun to annoy him? Definitely.

"Riiiight," he studied you from the corner of his eye for a beat, "Are you alright? You've been kinda out of it all day."

"Ah, he has! Hasn't he." Bachira giggled from his seat. Was that his second water bottle? How the hell was that kid not cramping like you were this morning?

You closed your eyes with an exhale, "Aww, you noticed. I'm touched, really." You didn't have to be looking at him to know Chigiri was rolling his eyes as far as he could into his skull, "But, I'm good. What would the team do without me in tip-top shape?"

"Uh-huh," he nodded mindlessly, "Now, get off me."

Kick-off started strong with Gagamaru pulling out some gymnastics shot. One that ultimately got blocked by the Glasses guy on Team V. Isagi got the free ball and while it was being sent down the field, Reo nailed Raichi in the throat with his elbow. Yikes.

It was debatable whether or not he deserved it, but either way,Team Z got the restart. Raichi got the ball to Chigiri, who had Glasses on his tail. Chigiri sent the ball out in front of him and reached it faster than the other guy to score the goal. Now, that's what we like to see! This is finally getting somewhere.

Reo, who held the ball, was being hounded by your team's defenders. Nagi opened himself up for a pass and sent it down to Glasses. He shot to the rear corner, but Nagi caught it short and sent the ball in from the side.

Holy fuck. You knew these guys would be good, yet they still manage to surprise you. You had to give him props, that was impressive. Could you pull it off? Probably. Definitely not today, though.

It was restart, shocker. Nagi beat Chigiri to the goal after he tried to race Glasses again, but Isagi got to the ball before he did. Chigiri tried to shoot the ball, but it got flicked off the post by the goalie. Gagamaru tried to put it in again and that failed as well. Finally, Kunigami was able to put it into the net. That took way too many fucking tries.

Isagi was having some self-enlightening moment while the rest of your team erupted into cheers. The game was only tied, sadly. This had been going on forever, you were surprised you couldn't feel the wrinkles set in place just yet.

You'd honestly forgotten your team had only been playing with ten people so far (because you were hardcore carrying the deadweight, obviously) until Nagi was about to end the game with yet another goal. Everything was in place, he was in position with a clear shot of the net. That was until Kuon tackled him.

He got a red card and sent out of the game, Team V got a free-kick. At least he was good for something.

For fuck's sake. Extra time. Ironic, because it seemed to lessen the time until your funeral. You all lined up to defend the goal while Reo aimed the ball for the net. Iemon was able to block it, and your team went into a frenzy, defending the goal from the next things Team V tried.

Ultimately, Isagi got the ball, and you, Kunigami, Chigiri, Bachira, and he started down toward the opposite goal.

Damn it. You were thirty meters out from the goal, but you were beyond done with this game, "Pass it to me, Isagi!" You pushed down the way your body was begging for you to stop and rest, you'd be able to do that if this game would just end.

You watched as Isagi connected the ball with his foot, and it arched in the air on its way over to you. You jumped up to trap it before you rotated your leg back to shoot it into the goal from midair.

Kind of extra? Yeah. Did it work? Yeah. Could you finally sleep? Fuck yes.

It wasn't even a split second before you could feel the crushing weight of your entire team tackling you to the ground. You desperately tried to hold down coughing up a lung.

"I didn't know you could do that!!" Igarashi yelled.

You just coughed, violently.

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