Chapter 3

-Third Person POV-

“talking”

‘thoughts’

Upon opening the door to his home Gento is greeted with the sounds of his mom making dinner in the kitchen. Gento leans down slowly, taking his shoes off and making his way towards the kitchen.

Gento: “Hey Ma, what’s for dinner”

His mother, Tsutsumi Hirako, a woman with hair similar to her son and kind blue eyes turns around with a small smile on her face before responding.

Tsutsumi: “Hey Baby it’s your favorite tonkatsu curry, how was the game today? Did you have fun?”

Gento: “Eh, kind of the same as always, the opponents were pretty boring and the rest of the team is just uninteresting to watch. I actually got to play today, scored 3 goals, won us the game but it just felt so boring.”

At his comments Tsutsumi grows a slightly annoyed expression on her face.

Tsutsumi: “Quit being so negative all the time.”

Gento: *whispering to himself, mockingly* “Quit being so negative all the time”

At his comment Gento begins to move toward the dinner table, whilst his mother yells after him.

Tsutsumi: “Oi i heard that you brat, and don’t you sit down at the dinner table go and take a shower i can smell you from all the way over here”

Gento chuckles to himself, and begins moving towards the shower.

Gento: “Sure thing mom, give me like 5 minutes and i’ll be ready”

After a quick shower Gento changes into an oversized purple hoodie and a pair of black shorts. Sitting down at the dinner table the small mother-son duo begins to eat their food.

Tsutsumi: “Oh by the way, you received a letter earlier today I left it on the coffee-table for you”

Gento with a slightly confused expression on his face looks up at his mother.

Gento: “A letter? From who?”

Tsutsumi: “I think it was from the Japanese football union.”

Gento: ‘Hmm, the JFU?’

Gento quickly stands up and begins moving towards the living room to grab the letter before running back to the dinner table.

Gento: *opens the letter and begins reading aloud* “It says something about me being a quote-on-quote certified athlete and that I’m being summoned to some address, talking about a new youth development project called ‘Blue Lock‘.”

Tsutsumi looking at her son with a soft smile on her face questions him teasingly

Tsutsumi: “So Gento, what do you think, finally something interesting?”

Gento: “I dont know really, I mean this sounds like it could be fun but something feels weird about it.”

At her son’s unease Tsutsumi leans forward to pat her son on the head.

Tsutsumi: “dont worry too much baby. this seems like a good opportunity to get better at football and live out your dream.” leaning back in her chair, “at least give it a try okay? If even after trying it, you still think that this isn’t something you want to do, just give me a call and I’ll come pick you up.”

Gento looks down at his dinner with a small smile on his face.

Gento: “Sure Ma, I’ll go ahead and try me best for you”

A couple of days later Gento finds himself standing in front of the JFU facility looking up at the building all he can think to himself is.

Gento: ‘Alright this is it i guess, let’s go make mom proud’

Whilst moving towards the building Gento observers a black haired teen talking with a teen with platinum blond hair

Gento: ‘Hmm, isn’t that Ryousuke Kira supposed ‘jewel of japan’ doesn’t look like much to be honest’

Upon entering Gento looks around, seeing hundreds of other teens talking amongst themselves.

Gento: ‘Aren’t most of those guys forwards?’

Seeing some lanky guy with a bowlcut walks on the stage and begins speaking.

Bowlcut: “Congratulations, diamonds in the rough.

You are the 18-and-under strikers who have been chosen according to my arbitrary and biased decision-making.

And I am Ego Jinpachi, the man hired to make sure Japan wins the World Cup.”

Gento: ‘The World Cup, that’s a bit ambitious, no?’

Ego: “Simply put, there’s one thing Japanese football needs to become the best in the world: The birth of a revolutionary striker. I’ll be performing an experiment here to turn one of you 300 into the world’s best striker. And that’s what this facility is for. ‘Blue Lock‘, starting from today, you’ll live together and undergo the special top training | devised. You won’t be allowed to go home and you’ll say goodbye to whatever football life you’ve been living up to now.”

Gento: *smile growing on face* ‘worlds best striker? That sounds like it could be really fucking fun’

The supposed Jewel of Japan starts spouting nonsense about how he “wouldn’t abandon his teammates since nationals are coming up” and “football is about teamwork” apparently some other guys agree with him and join in defending his point.

Ego: “I see. You’re all seriously ill, then. Lock off. Anyone who wants to leave can go. Is becoming the number one high school team in this backwards country more important than becoming the world’s best striker? Hm?”

Gento slowly nods his head agreeing with the madman on the stage.

Ego: “Just thinking that the future of Japan is in your hands makes me lose hope. Listen up. The power of Japanese football organizations is first-rate. You could call it the result of Japanese thoughtfulness but in all other aspects, it is undeniably second-rate.

Let me ask you this: What is football? Is it about 11 guys working together? Valuing your ties to others? Self-sacrifice? Playing for your teammates?

This is why this country’s football has remained weak. I’ll tell you. Soccer is about scoring more goals than your opponents. Whoever scores the most is the greatest. If you just want to play friendly games with your buddies, then lock off.“

Gento: ‘Lock off? How old is this guy? Who tf says lock off and doesn’t cringe at themself’

Kira: “That’s a terrible thing to say. Take it back. There are many athletes on the Japanese team who I respect. We grew up watching them fight together as an eleven. They are my superstars. You’re wrong.”

Gento: ‘good for you buddy, but who cares about those guys. Not like they actually won anything’

Ego: “What? The Japanese team? But they’ve never won the World Cup, have they? I’m talking about becoming the best in the world.

‘Instead of assisting my teammates to win 1-0, it feels better to pull off a hat trick and lose 3-4’ These are the words of the world’s greatest striker, Noel Noa, who beat Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d’Or.

Eric Cantona said, ‘I don’t care about my team. I just want to stand out.’

Pelé said, ‘The world’s best forward, midfielder, defender and goalkeeper. Whichever you ask about, the answer is still me.’

WELL? AWFUL, RIGHT!? BUT THEY’RE ALL TOP, TOP PLAYERS! AND THEY’RE ALL HUGE EGOISTS!! That’s what Japanese football lacks.”

Gento: ‘What’s with this guy’s obsession with Egos? Kinda weird to be honest but i would be lying if said this wasn’t getting me seriously fired up‘

Ego: “You can’t become the world’s best striker unless you’re the world’s biggest egoist. I want to create that kind of person here. Someone who will stand on 299 corpses. A solitary hero.”

Behind Ego the doors slowly open making light flood into the dark room and casting a shadow on egos face.

Ego: “Just imagine it. You’re in the World Cup final. Eighty thousand people on the stands: You’re standing on the field. The score is 0-0. It’s the second half of extra time. Last play, a pass from your teammate and you are through the defense. It’s you against the GK. 6 meters to your right is your teammate. If you pass, you’re guaranteed to score a goal. In the moment when the entire nation’s hopes are on your back, only an insane egoist can take the shot without hesitation.”

Spreading his arms wide, Ego extends his final invitation to all the strikers in the audience.

Ego: “Pass through the doors. Abandon all common sense. On the field, you’re the star.”

As the other players around Gento start sprinting towards the open doors, their chance to have their dreams realized or utterly and completely destroyed Gento looks down at his feet.

Gento: ‘Leading Japan to a world cup victory? becoming the worlds best striker? is this really what i want to do? Do I really have the abilities to be that egoist?’

Looking up, a determined expression on his face Gento starts moving towards the open doors.

Gento:‘I’ll haunt the dreams of these second-rate strikers’

– End of Chapter 1 –