The hot steam from the showers still lingered in the air when Isagi stepped out of the bathrooms and pushed open the locker room door.
He entered calmly, his bare feet making a muffled sound against the damp floor. He was still drying his hair with a towel draped around his neck, wearing only the pants of his sports uniform, and every movement revealed how much his body had changed in the last month....
His shoulders, previously just defined by regular training, were now broad and dense. The muscles of his abdomen stood out sharply, the firm lines running up to his chest and arms...
In the last thirty days, he seemed to have undergone an impossible evolutionary leap. He had grown a few centimeters, something he only noticed some time ago, gained volume, and his physical and mental reflexes had reached an almost frightening level. The team staff joked, half-serious, half-laughing, saying he must be taking some kind of secret hormone.
But the truth was far less glamorous.
It was just puberty hitting hard... and a routine that would leave anyone bedridden for a week.
That was his answer.
No one really knew what that meant, and maybe it was better that way.
In the locker room, the sound was a chaotic mix of shouts, laughter, and slaps on shoulders. Shiba danced on top of a bench, still in his cleats, while Tada filmed everything with his phone. Takeshi pretended to narrate his own missed goal, dramatizing it so much that even Coach Saito let out a laugh.
When Isagi appeared, the buzz increased.
"There he is! The hero of the day!" Tada shouted, raising his arm.
"No, the Demon King of the day! Did you see the pitiful faces of the opposing team? After taking a 7-0, I bet they'll quit playing soccer!" Shiba corrected, laughing loudly.
Coach Saito, who until then had kept his arms crossed in his usual air of severity, looked away and let out a discreet smile.
"Good work, Yoichi." His voice sounded firm, but there was a trace of sincere pride. "Keep it up and you'll have chances to play professionally! The Inter High finals always have some scouts, so don't lose focus and give your maximum effort to reach the final and show your talent to everyone!"
"Yes, sir." Isagi replied casually.
While the rest of the team celebrated, he leaned back against the locker, his gaze turned to the damp ceiling of the locker room, listening to the shouts echoing around him.
A faint smile crossed his face....
...It was strange, that feeling mixing euphoria and calm.
This was his first "official match" in this new world.
And, deep down, it felt as natural as breathing.
No training, no simulation, no professional tournament from his old world compared to that simple sensation of starting from scratch and still dominating the game.
...The noise gradually began to change tone. The voices, previously loud and full of energy, were being swallowed by the sound of showers turning on, muffled laughter, and hot water running against the tiles.
Shiba was still joking about the two "hat-tricks from the Demon King" and the "Olympic goal," but even he ended up being pushed into the shower stall by the others, laughing while trying not to slip. The steam filled the locker room again, thick and hot, as if the entire field had been brought inside.
Isagi, sitting on the wooden bench, watched in silence. He draped the towel over his shoulder and began to put on the white shirt of his school uniform, the cool fabric sticking slightly to his still-damp skin. He zipped up the jacket and grabbed the backpack he had left leaning against the locker, adjusting the straps calmly.
The sound of the other players mixed with the showers, laughter, jokes, off-key singing. It was the kind of mess that only exists in high school teams, the kind of chaos that arises after a big victory. And even though he didn't mix in much, he felt a certain silent warmth in his chest hearing all of it.
There was something comforting in that normality.
He ran his fingers through his still-damp hair, looking at the distorted reflection in the metal of the locker.
Giving a faint smile, he put on his sneakers and grabbed his phone. Messages of congratulations from the class group were already popping up, along with notifications from people he barely remembered the names of.
While the team still celebrated and teased each other in the back, Isagi left quietly, pushing the door with his shoulder. Leaving the locker room and heading toward the school building, since it was midday, all those who had been in the stands earlier went to the cafeteria or returned to the classrooms to get the "snack" they had brought to eat.
The early afternoon sun filtered through the clouds, gilding the campus with a soft, warm glow. The air still held the smell of damp earth and sweat, mixed with the distant aroma of food from the cafeteria.
Isagi walked slowly, the jacket zipper half-open and his gaze lost ahead.
It didn't take long for him to reach the building.
Although only half an hour had passed since the end of the match, the name "Isagi Yoichi" had spread through every corner of Ichinan like lightning crossing the sky after a storm; it seemed like the entire school was still on the field, buzzing with the absurd score and, mainly, with the protagonist of the thrashing...
In the school cafeteria, the buzz was unanimous.
"Did you see his bicycle kick goal?"
"No, the best was that dribble before the fourth goal! The guy vanished!"
"There's even a video in the school group, check this out!"
In a matter of minutes, the shaky recording of the game made by a second-year student already had hundreds of views. The school's internal social media feed was flooded with clips, memes, photos, and even comparisons saying that a new "Itoshi Sae" had emerged in Japan.
Unaware that he would have another battlefield due to his popularity, Isagi, for his part, spent much of the break just trying to reach the cafeteria.
But every attempt was interrupted.
Classmates from other classes came to congratulate him. Boys asked for training tips, girls asked for photos and, invariably, his phone number. Teachers stopped him in the hallways, praising his posture on the field. Even the vice-principal, who rarely appeared in public, stopped him when he passed near his office, just to shake his hand and say something about "bringing pride to the school."
When he finally entered the cafeteria after dealing with his popularity, Isagi was greeted by a sea of stares. The ambient noise, which had previously spread in murmurs and conversations, changed instantly. The attention of dozens of students converged on him as if the room had become a stage and he, the protagonist everyone was waiting for.
"It's him..."
"Isagi Yoichi!"
"The guy from the 7-0!"
In seconds, the environment exploded again, but this time the sound was directed at a single person.
"You were amazing today, Isagi-kun!" A second-year girl shouted, raising her arm as if calling a TV idol.
"Hey, teach me that shot you did on the fifth goal!" another boy asked, balancing his tray with one hand and trying not to spill the juice.
"Can I take a photo with you?"
"Sign my ball, Isagi-senpai!"
"I can't believe someone from our school plays like that!"
Isagi scratched the back of his neck, a bit awkward, a faint smile crossing his face.
"Thanks, everyone... seriously. But let me just eat first, okay?" He replied, keeping calm while sending an apologetic expression to all the students and walking to the counter line.
He grabbed a tray, served rice, chicken, and a glass of iced tea.
As soon as he turned, he saw several tables offering seats.
"Yoichi! Over here!"
"Come eat with us, senpai!"
"Bring the curry and sit, you can't deny the MVP spot!"
He opened his mouth to respond, but then something caught his attention in the corner closest to the window.
Marin Kitagawa.
She waved enthusiastically, her golden hair shining under the light coming through the glass. Her smile was so open and full of energy that, for a moment, the cafeteria's noise seemed to disappear. She waved her hand so hard that she almost knocked over the glass of juice in front of her.
"Isagi-kun! Over here!"
His heart gave a small leap. She was as excited as during the game, maybe even more.
He looked around; everyone was still waiting for a response.
"Ah, sorry, everyone..." he said, with a half-smile. "But I think I already have company."
A chorus of "Ooohh" swept through the cafeteria, followed by giggles and some whispered comments.
"I knew it!"
"Marin-chan didn't waste time!"
"They look so good together..."
Ignoring the teasing, Isagi walked to her table. Marin greeted him with a sparkle in her eyes that mixed admiration and genuine excitement.
"You were incredible! Like, seriously, incredible! That play when you scored the first goal... I swear I screamed so loud that even the people in the upper stands looked at me!"
Isagi sat down, trying not to laugh. "I noticed... I even smiled in your direction, forgot? I heard your screams..."
"Ah- r-really?!" She widened her eyes, her face blushing slightly. "W-wow... how embarrassing. I got a bit too excited, you know? I was talking to my friend next to me at the time, maybe...."
The two continued talking about various topics, letting time pass without hurry. At one point, Marin commented that she had met Alisa and her sister earlier, during the break; by irony of fate, they ended up having lunch together. She said she got along well with the older sister, but for some reason, she felt a certain antipathy coming from Alisa. They were classmates, after all, and Marin didn't remember doing anything that could have offended her... although, in truth, she didn't know that Alisa's discomfort came from the jealousy she felt about the relationship between her and Isagi.
But the three weren't the only ones sharing the table at that lunch. There were also a boy named Kuze and a girl named Yuki; siblings, as Marin discovered later. The two ended up joining them during the break, and Yuki, in particular, seemed genuinely curious about how Marin and Isagi had met. She asked several questions, her eyes shining with interest at each answer.
Alisa, on the other hand, listened to everything in silence... but Marin couldn't help noticing the attentive and perhaps a little cold gaze that the girl cast from time to time.
Isagi sighed mentally upon hearing that and commented that he knew all of them, asking Marin not to worry about Alya; she was always like that. What really worried him was how he would deal with her when he returned to the classroom. Alya could be quite jealous, even without there being anything between them... they weren't dating, not even hooking up, but still, he could already imagine the cold stare and the inevitable "cold shoulder" he would receive later.
Marin showed interest in knowing how Isagi knew all those people. He explained that Yuki and Kuze had been his rivals in the race for student council president during elementary school, which surprised her; she had no idea that Isagi had already held a leadership position back then.
As for Alya, he didn't need to elaborate. The two were desk neighbors and always got along well, despite the occasional teasing and compliments she made in Russian. As for her sister, Masha, he admitted he didn't know her very well....
When he was almost done eating, he decided to change the subject.
"So... you're really coming over to my house today, right?" He asked casually between bites, his eyes focused on the plate.
"Of course I am!" She replied with that typical enthusiasm that seemed to light up any place.
"I didn't even sleep well from so much anxiety! I spent the whole night thinking about fabrics, patterns, wigs... and-" She interrupted herself suddenly, widening her eyes. "Wait... your mom is really going to help, right? Like, for real?"
Isagi nodded with a faint smile. "She is, yes. She got pretty excited about it, to be honest. But... there's a detail."
"Detail...?" Marin tilted her head, curious, her blonde hair swaying slightly.
He set down his chopsticks on the tray and looked at her with a small smile.
"She said she would only agree if I learned along with it. So... I kind of... already started sewing."
Marin blinked once. Then again. And once more. Until the meaning finally hit her like a bolt.
"E-EH?! You... you learned to sew?! Like... for real?!"
Isagi scratched the back of his neck, laughing awkwardly. "A little. She taught me the basics. In the end... I ended up making a whole shirt by myself."
"A shirt?! By yourself?!" Marin was practically standing on her chair, her gaze shining like a child's at an anime event. "That's... so amazing!!"
"Calm down, calm down..." He tried to soothe her, holding back laughter. "It's nothing big. I just wanted to try to understand the process, you know? You talked with so much passion about cosplay that... it made me think. If I was going to help, I wanted to do it right."
Marin stayed silent for a few seconds. Her smile faded, giving way to a soft expression, something rare for her, who normally exploded with energy.
"...You learned all that... to help me?"
Isagi looked away, a bit embarrassed.
"Well... yes. I thought it would be kind of unfair to leave everything to my mom. And... you seemed so frustrated about losing the person who would make the costumes. So..."
The words hung in the air, simple and sincere. Marin watched him with a look that mixed surprise, tenderness, and something deeper, something she herself didn't know how to define.
"Isagi-kun..." She murmured, her voice lower, almost shy. "You're... like... the nicest guy I've ever met."
"Don't exaggerate..." He replied, trying to hide the smile that threatened to appear. "I just thought it would be cool to learn something new."
"But even so!" She insisted, tapping the table lightly. "Do you know how many people would do that? Zero! No one does something like that for someone, especially without complaining! You have no idea how much this means to me."
She leaned back in her chair, bringing her hands to her face and letting out a muffled laugh. "Aah, this is so exciting! I'm super hyped now! We're going to create the best cosplay ever!"
"I just hope I don't mess anything up," he joked, going back to the curry. "Sewing is harder than it looks."
"Relax!" Marin replied, extending her closed fist toward him. "With my fashion sense and your secret sewing talent, we'll be unbeatable!"
Isagi hesitated for a second before bumping his fist against hers. "Unbeatable, huh?"
"Of course!" she affirmed with conviction, her blue eyes shining. "Ah, and since you learned to sew, I want to see if you'll be able to keep up when I start explaining the patterns! Get ready, Isagi-kun - the world of cosplay is a battlefield!"
"A battlefield, is it...?" he laughed, shaking his head. "It sounds like Blue Lock training."
Marin widened her eyes and gave a giggle. "So, does that mean you'll give 100% in this too?"
"You doubt it?"
"Not at all."
The silence that followed was light, comfortable. She watched him eat calmly, and every now and then he caught her smiling to herself, resting her chin in her hands.
Deep down, Marin knew she was about to have one of the best days of her life.
_________________
(A/N: Hey everyone! If you're enjoying my stories and want to support my work, consider checking out my Patreon! There, you'll get access to three exclusive stories, each with ten chapters already available: [Fairy Tail: I am Natsu Dragneel?], [The Vampire Diaries: I am Sukuna?], [DxD: The Search for Freedom and Eternity].
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