11. Facing Facts

Y/n felt the entire mood change as he stepped even an inch inside the automatic doors. The two prodigies that stood before him were highly renowned as a disgustingly powerful duo, egos clashing as they raced up the field in the videos he saw.

But he didn't look up to them.

He sought to defeat them.

"Ren, your shoe's untied." Aoi's voice broke Y/n's train of thought.

Ren's head whipped back. "I knew that!!"

As Ren was bent over nearly finished tying his cleat's laces in a tight bow as Y/n started to speak. "So, Jinja-san, what're we going to do?"

"We? As in...the three of us?" Ren said as he stood up.

"Why wouldn't I refer to us three?" Y/n's head tilted in confusion.

Aoi cleared his throat. "No, actually. Ren and I will be practicing together on our weaknesses and trying to strengthen them. You will be working on your physical attributes. Example, workouts. You won't touch a single ball."

Y/n's entire body froze. "What?"

"Is there an issue?" Ren put a hand on his hip and shifted his weight to one leg. "If there is, you can forget the special training and we'll go help someone else instead."

"W...Why?" Y/n griped harshly, gritting his teeth.

"Because you're underdeveloped. You have no real technique and rely purely on instinct and muscle memory." Ren's voice was like a knife. "You're bad."

Y/n clenched his fists with wide eyes. He looked Ren's figure up and down multiple times as he stood still, frozen like a mammoth in the ice age.

"He doesn't mean that," Aoi interjected, sauntering over to his friend's side. "What he means is you're barely at a point where you have a technique and are able use it. You're a quaint specimen, I'll give you that, but you're too selfish and are unable to trust your teammates."

"But being selfish is necessary," Y/n argued.

"While it's necessary, you also need to learn when to be and when not to be selfish," Aoi retorted. "If you're as good as they say, try stealing a ball from Ren. This will be the only time you'll get to touch a ball."

This wasn't just some training. It was a game, and this was max level. Y/n would have to up his physique and clear his mind to max out his stats. He'd have to hope to win against someone who completely broke the scale of which every Blue Lock player has.

Aoi swiftly passed a ball to Ren.

With a mere bend of his leg and lock of his ankle, the ball stopped and Ren rolled it between his feet. "Go on, try."

That's exactly what Y/n did. He tried.

Ren's foot chopped the side of the ball. Y/n moved to where the ball was going. Ren's foot was already there, hoisting it into the opposite direction.

Y/n didn't even get a chance to touch the ball.

Ren pointed to the machines through a wide doorway. "Work yourself to the bone, or get lost."

That voice was cold.

But then there was a sigh.

"Listen," Ren started, "I'm not trying to deject or dispirit you in any way possible, I'm just...trying to keep you away from how I came about."

Y/n raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"What I'm saying is that I was forced to work until I passed out at least five days a week, and I don't want you to go through that." Ren's voice was softer. "Work hard, but know how much you should push yourself. I'm only saying this because you seem like the type to misunderstand what hard work means. It means to push yourself past your limits, yes, but going too far will result in a more painful outcome than a pleasurable one."

This was when Y/n willingly soaked in information. He finally understood why he wasn't as good as he thought he was. He didn't form a technique, and he never really pushed himself because he thought he was set for life.

But this was coming from a guy who was more or less worked half to death and shoved up to the adult league of Sao Meku even though he was under eighteen. This kid was Y/n's age, yet he was so far ahead, and it was infuriating.

Ren was still standing there. "But make sure you stretch first."

🥀🥀🥀

Everything in Y/n's body had become tight and sore. Muscles knotted and his body ached.

Despite such pain, he put a hand carefully on the doorframe. His shoulders slumped and he sighed as if his teeth were chattering.

His neck was craned and he was looking at the floor. All extra sounds were blocked out and he could only hear his own thoughts and breaths. The rise and fall of his chest quickened as he heaved. His cheeks were red from exhaustion and he was sticky with sweat as it dripped off his top lip, forming a small puddle on the ground.

His hand gripped the frame ever tighter, the tips of his finger going white as he leaned his body on the wall. His throat burned when he breathed and his cheeks puffed before he opened his mouth in a loud exhale.

He had realized how inferior he was to them. Being left alone with his thoughts for a few hours while the shouts of his mentors practicing sometimes interrupted what he was thinking about.

He didn't know how working out was supposed to help him besides improving his physical statistics.

"Done already?" Aoi asked softly and calmly. "Doesn't surprise me at all, though. Even so, soccer players push themselves physically to the brink. This is supposed to help you out with one-on-one's when you get shoulder to shoulder with another player. The look in your eyes says you think it's rather ridiculous, but trust our word."

Y/n just nodded, still staring at the ground through tired eyes. He only dared to look up when a pale hand wrapped gently around a water bottle entered his vision.

"You're not done yet. Take a ten minute water break and then we'll work on giving you a technique," Ren insisted.

Y/n didn't dare look at his face. He couldn't. His limbs were too weak and felt like jelly.

"I have painkillers, too," Ren added.

"I can't. It's enough for today," Y/n argued hastily. His tone of voice was all Ren needed to understand.

A sigh came from the brunette's lips. "We'll resume tomorrow morning."

"Yeah."

That was all Y/n said before he headed straight to the showers, leaving Ren with the water in hand.

"What a weird kid."

"If you wouldn't force him to work so hard, maybe he'd like you."

"Yeah, sorry."