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Reo wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel and went back to his exercises. He had no idea what time it was — he decided not to use his points to retrieve his cell phone, it would be of no use — but considering Blue Lock's daily schedule it was already night.
Everything was closed so it wasn't like he could look out a window and see the direction of the sun — or the moon, at night — and know the nearest time. That was a little uncomfortable, actually. The grass in the rooms where the games were held was artificial.
The closest contact they had with anything natural was food. Reo missed breathing fresh air, sometimes Blue Lock made him nauseous and there was nothing he could do.
He had enough points to trade in for a day out, but that wouldn't make sense, would it? He went to Blue Lock to train and improve more and more, giving up a whole day wouldn't help him. Even though he trained hard everyday he still didn't see himself as good enough. He should be the closest thing to perfection.
He was perfect at absolutely everything except football. But that didn't bother him, he liked the feeling of needing to strive to reach the best possible level.
The best things come with hard work and effort.
Reo would only stop his hard work when he noticed the change, and even then he would still keep pushing harder and harder, not giving up entirely.
The floor was hard, but the purple haired boy was already used to it. As tired as he had been doing exercises for hours, he still hadn't given in even for a second and rested on the floor. Though he should go take a shower soon.
Avoid the inevitable. Reo did exercises either at dawn, or in the rooms he shared with the other members of his team — they had already secured the fourth player, Kurona, shirt number 4 — and he took a shower at times when he was with as few people as possible, or at least with strangers.
Probably Nagi and Chigiri had already passed the stage of 4v4 games, but Reo still preferred to avoid bumping into them. Nagi… Because it was Nagi, and Reo had no idea how to act anymore. Whether to ignore him, be hostile, or hope for forgiveness that never came.
And Chigiri, who would obviously ask him about Kunigami before he even wanted to know how Reo was doing. How Reo survived.
Without Kunigami.
The bedroom door opened and Reo frowned. Shidou, this guy didn't have an ounce of politeness or respect. Reo ignored the urge to tease him about his heart-printed underwear and continued his workout.
Shidou had his hair down, and wet, without a drop of gel, a towel around his neck and his very fluffy underwear. He couldn't put on an outfit, but his bizarre eyeliner was there, intact. And Reo couldn't tell if it was some kind of permanent mark — even though he didn't know of any, even though he was very business savvy — or if Shidou took the time to make it from the beginning.
They were together for almost two weeks, not because they regressed and lost a player, but because rarely did anyone agree to play with them — Shidou was Shidou, self-explanatory, more number 10 and number 4 of the second selection — for fear of losing and coming back, it was exhausting, but that's how it worked. And in all this time, Reo still hadn't seen Shidou without eyeliner, Reo had even seen him naked — courtesy of taking a shower together — and with straight, dry hair, but his eyes were always the same.
Curiosity about it was inevitable, but Reo didn't ask questions about Shidou, and he got the same treatment in return. He noticed some of Shidou's gazes on him, although he couldn't tell if they were worried or pitying.
“Do you want to become one with the ground, purple bun?” Shidou used his most relaxed tone, probably because they had one last match. Last. Shidou wouldn't lose at this point.
Not alone and even less with Reo and Kurona on the same team as him.
Reo just gave Shidou his tongue, his childish ways always prevailed. Shidou let out a laugh and crouched down in front of Reo opening his mouth. His reaction was to frown and move away from Shidou in front of him.
"What?"
"Maybe we should stick our tongues together." Shidou winked at Reo and licked it too, placing his index finger on top.
Reo let out a nasal laugh that made his shoulders shake, thinking it was the stupidest thing he'd heard from Shidou in a short time of living together. He had already heard many stupid things come out of Shidou's mouth. It was even impressive.
"Of course we should." Reo spoke sarcastically and Shidou was amused by that and got up again, going back to his own bed to wear Blue Lock's pajamas.
"You should go shower soon, you stink."
Shidou held his nose, his tone was serious, but Reo could still hear the undertones of amusement there. When Reo first met Shidou, he thought it was totally unpredictable, but with just a few days it was easy to read Shidou.
That was good, Reo was able to notice the moments when Shidou was about to start a fight, and avoid them.
"I'm going." and that's why Reo didn't have the patience to indulge in Shidou's games and teasing.
"Want some help?"
Shidou smiled at Reo as he got up, his training clothes were really stinking. He would have to wash his clothes before the next match, or use points to get a new one, Shidou had done that, even though the table didn't show that option.
"Don't be weird."
Reo mumbled to the sound of Shidou's laughter and grabbed his towel, walking towards the restrooms.
When the icy water fell on his body, he began to shiver even more, and had to hold on to the wall so his legs wouldn't give out. He keeps training like hell and doesn't feel any results.
Nothing but excessive tiredness and dark circles getting deeper and deeper. Reo has never had dark circles under his eyes in his entire life, he has always had a completely healthy routine and restful nights sleep. Blue Lock was taking his physical, mental, and emotional health — he knew he and his expectations of himself were the cause of it, but he would shift the blame, just this once — away.
The feeling of opening and closing the eyes with dark circles, the eyes getting lower and heavier. Feeling his own body like that too, like he was carrying an unbearable weight that was nothing but himself.
It's frustrating. Reo feels frustrated and tired.
And he knows he will continue to feel that way for a long time, until he feels enough or sees some positive change.
When he opens the bedroom door again, Shidou is on Reo's bed with a notebook and pencil writing something down, Igaguri is on his bed playing with a cell phone. Reo wonders how he got a phone back without scoring a goal. Kurona wasn't in the room.
Shidou looks up and smiles.
"Get out"
Reo frowns, ready to deny it, until Igaguri rushes past him, nearly knocking him off his feet. He realizes that the cell phone he was using is Shidou due to the cover he had on it.
"What is that?"
Reo pergunta se aproximando da cama dele, com passos lentos, ele tinha com pouca força para se afastar de Shidou caso ele decidisse brigar. Shidou colocou o caderno para o lado e esticou as pernas.
Reo asks approaching his bed, with slow steps, he had little strength to move away from Shidou if he decided to fight. Shidou put the notebook aside and stretched his legs.
"You're going to help me study German." Shidou spoke confidently. "Just the two of us, purple bun, Igaguri would only get in the way."
Reo sighs and lays down on his bed ignoring Shidou's presence there and placing his feet in Shidou's lap.
"No, I'm going to rest."
He looks at Shidou and starts to smooth his body, feeling pain in his legs, arms and hips. Reo closed his eyes, but immediately opened them when he felt Shidou hold his right foot and start massaging it.
"You should have dinner first." Shidou speaks, his voice is calm. That tone of voice, it's the first time Reo has heard it.
Reo moans during the massage and Shidou smiles proudly, intensifying the massage.
Ryusei noticed all of Reo's effort the last few days and Igaguri had been gossiping to him about Reo since they were in the same ward before. Reo had a fucking inferiority complex and he wanted to change that, that was the perception he had at first. But his concepts about Mikage were changing more and more, for the better.
And the fact that Reo didn't obey or fear him made his fire grow even more. Reo was already a good player, tediously balanced, but he could improve a lot, enough to cause explosions in Ryusei. So he didn't mind waiting there, especially following all Reo's efforts to do so.
The issue of Reo not giving in to Ryusei's teasing or teasing him back only made him even more attractive in Ryusei's eyes. Though normally that sort of thing annoys him.
Ryusei could say that all of Reo's extra qualities were bonuses.
"I can't." Reo muttered, feeling exposed for admitting this so soon to Shidou.
Shidou lightly patted Reo's foot, pushed him away and stood up. He picked up the sheet and lazily threw it over Reo's body who frowned at his action. Shidou smiled as if it was nothing and waved his hand as he left the room without saying anything.
Charitable or kind was not a word Ryusei would classify himself with, in fact he doesn't care about classifications and such. But it was okay to recognize hard work and brilliance in others. Reo deserved some rest, just like he thinks he would too if he were in his shoes.
Ryusei didn't make any friends or get close to anyone during the first selection, over a month together and everyone drifted away from him — he didn't really care, there wasn't anyone there that was worth anything — so it wasn't like he minded saying hello to someone who recognized.
Kurona and Reo were the first people he could say "acquaintances" perhaps? Igaguri acted more like an obedient puppy scared of its owner. Kurona was someone quiet, and Ryusei had known him for a little while too, but he kind of liked him.
When Shidou entered the room again, Reo moved his head to look and widened his eyes, using strength on his elbows to prop himself up on them.
"Explain."
Shidou smirked while holding the tray and sat down on Reo's bed, moving his feet away to carefully place the tray.
"Have dinner!"
He showed the steak to Reo and his smug smile grew even wider, raising his arms. Reo was even more confused.
The food assigned to them was still based on their ranking, Reo had relatively good food though he wasn't a big fan, but it certainly wasn't steak. And from the time he spent with Shidou in the cafeteria, he knew that it wasn't his either.
“I used my points, relax, purple bun. — Shidou explained, starting to cut the steak.
“My name is Reo." He sighed and relented, feeling right.
Shidou finished slicing and looked pleased with himself.
"I know." Shidou shrugged. "Open your mouth." He lifted his fork with a piece up and Reo pursed his lips, he had the ability to at least eat on his own.
"This is ridiculous."
"Aaah." Shidou insisted, opening his mouth simulating Reo to do the same and brought his fork closer to Reo's mouth.
Shidou is a very strange guy.
Reo sighed and opened his mouth hesitantly, chewing the meat, it was completely delicious and he missed meat. His favorite food was meat, but he didn't care much about what he ate lately.
Ryusei chuckled at Reo's expression, if he hadn't seen firsthand how spiteful and ignorant Reo could be, he would have dared to say he looked cute.
Silence filled the room, only the sound of Reo's chewing being heard. Shidou didn't say anything else to tease him so Reo had nothing to retort. Shidou just continued to feed Reo even though they both knew he had enough capacity to do so despite how tired he was.
"Look at that progress! We're almost done." Shidou exclaimed, seeing that there was little left on the plate.
"Why are you doing this?"
Reo didn't mean to be rude, he was genuinely curious, it wasn't something he expected based on what he knew of Shidou. Even with little time.
“You still need to maintain your health if we are to win."
Shidou shrugged and Reo didn't insist. Reo knew how much he was worth, and even if he didn't consider himself amazing, he knew that he was still better than many there, he was indeed useful to the team. But Shidou would be able to win even if he was still alone with Igaguri, like he did before, although now Kurona was with them, it would make it easier.
When Reo finished eating, Shidou got up, placed the tray on his bed and returned to Reo again.
Ryusei tried to push Reo's body gently so that he lay down on the bed, but he stopped himself and pushed him, earning a grimace. He laughed at that. He lifted the sheet over Reo's body again. He picked up the tray and walked to the door to leave the room.
"I haven't challenged anyone to the next game yet." he said to Reo and then turned to face the door. “Rest as much as you like, purple bun, you know you need it."
Shidou left the room and Reo allowed himself to relax once and for all, falling asleep quickly, it would be long, and Shidou wouldn't see any problem with that.
Reo fell asleep without noticing the peaceful smile Shidou gave him before leaving.