FYI
: Speech
- Thoughts
Setting
[Flashback/Recording]
(Translations)
(Notes)
Results/Goal
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Stands
Koji walked over to Suzune and said, "It's... been a while hasn't it? I... um fulfilled my promise."
Suzune looked at him, blushing, and smiled. "ANHS Class 3A Graduate Horikita Suzune. Kiyotaka. Thank you for everything."
Koji blushed slightly and said, "Blue Lock's Number 1 Striker. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. Suzune. Thank you for everything."
Suzune smiled and asked, "What's with you copying me?"
Koji rubbed the back of his head awkwardly and said, "It just seemed appropriate."
Suddenly Sudo rushed over slinging his arm over Koji's shoulder and saying, "That was amazing dude! A double Hat Trick? The hell!?"
Shibata walked over and said, "You were holding out on us weren't you Ayanokoji?"
Koji shook his head and said, "It is a training camp you know. I just got better."
Meanwhile, Ryuen and Sakayanagi approached Suzune, who said, "I told you he'd score six goals."
Ryuen sighed and said, "Yeah yeah I got it. I'll pay up at some point."
Sakayanagi sighed and said, "It appears you had a better understanding of Ayanokoji-Kun at the time."
Koji heard this and thought, 'They made bets on me huh? How amusing. Suzune is the one who won the bet huh? It feels... kind of good.'
Ichinose made a shocked face and said, "Ayanokoji-Kun! You're making such a soft face right now. Is that a smile?"
Koji's face became monotone again as he said, "Oh? Um... was I really?"
Sudo sighed and said, "And now it's gone. Man, I've known you for two and a half years and I've never seen you smile once. This is the first time. Wait... did you hate studying that much? Is that why you never smiled while we were at school?"
Koji sighed and said, "Well...um... that's not exactly right but... close enough."
Ichinose seemed a bit shocked and said, "Really? But I kind of took you for the studious type. I mean you scored a perfect 100 on the Maths Test at the start of our second year."
Koji sighed and said, "Appearances can be deceiving. I had to study a lot to get that 100 on that Maths Test you know."
Atsumi walked over and said, "Haven't you had enough of this Kiyotaka?"
Koji glared at him and said, "I have no intention of speaking to you so would you mind leaving me be with my friends?"
Ichinose felt the tension and said, 'Hey come on now. You're father and son. You..."
Koji then said, "I appreciate you trying to help but I'd like it if you stayed out of this Ichinose."
Atsumi then said, "It's time to leave. No more of this stupid football."
Suzune walked over and said, "Mr. Ayanokoji. Your son is no longer a child. His 18th birthday is this year so you can't control his life forever."
Atsumi glared at her and said, "He is still 17 which means my authority as his parent still stands."
Suzune sighed and said, "The more you do this the more you'll simply push him away. Next time instead of seeing this all as a waste of time why don't you consider his feelings and watch him. Really watch him. Even if you're relationship isn't good a father should be able to understand right?"
Koji stepped between them and said, "It's no use talking to him about such things. He has no interest in my desires or feelings. All he cares about is results and success. It's pointless to ask him to see anything else. Afterall, that's his determination. His reason for living."
Koji walked away with his group as Atsumi gritted his teeth in anger as he thought, 'How dare that child talk down to me like that! My masterpiece's talents cannot be wasted on something as trivial as football. The very thought is ridiculous! My ambitions are to great for it to end here.'
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Elsewhere
Sudo patted Koji on the back and said, "Man your dad is an asshole."
Koji sighed and said, "You don't know the half of it."
The group saw Mi-Chan comforting Yosuke who was crying tears of frustration at his loss to the U20 Team as Sakayanagi says, "Hirata-Kun. He was quite impressive in that match."
Koji looked at Yosuke and said, "In all of Blue Lock he was the best defender. I don't find it unusual at all when he manages to block my shots."
Sudo sighed in irritation and said, "Look at those two acting all close. Just get together already!"
Sakayanagi fufu'd and said, "An interesting thought Sudo-Kun. Though I must admit that I agree with you. It is quite frustrating to see them acting like that but not taking the next step."
Ichinose looked confused and asked, "Um... but I thought they were dating."
Sudo sighed and slung his arm over Koji's shoulder and said, "He's annoying with his oblivious nature and shit. Handsome guys like him should just get married already so all the girls stop looking at him so much."
Koji sighed and said, "I sense a bit of jealousy in that Sudo."
Sudo slung his free arm over Shibata as he looked at Koji and said, "Of course I'm jealous! Well, I guess the three of us are the Single Trio."
Koji sighed and said, "I'm afraid you'd do better to invite Ryuen than me."
Sudo looked at him with some anger and said, "Huh? No way I'd throw out my buddy for that Jackass."
"No I mean. I'm not eligible for the term single," says Koji.
Many look shocked as Sudo asks, "So you're... dating someone? It's not Karuizawa again right?"
Koji tilted his head and said, "Um no." he pointed at Suzune and said, "It's Suzune."
Suzune spit out her drink and says, "You can't just tell everyone so nonchalantly like that!!!"
"Oh right. Sorry," says Koji.
Suzune punches him in the stomach and says, "I know you learned better while dating Karuizawa so I know you did this on purpose."
Koji whispers in her ear, "I wanted to make it official so that people think twice about looking at you the way they do."
Suzune blushed as she punched him again and said, "I'd say don't ever do that again but that's not actually possible."
"Yeah sorry," says Koji as much gossip erupts from this.
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Park
Koji met with Atsumi as Atsumi asked, "Why would you call me here? Just to watch you practice kicking a ball into a net?"
Koji kicked the ball towards him as Atsumi put his foot on it. Koji sighed and said, 'When did you forget?"
Atsumi looks at him and asks, "When did I forget what?"
"Those fleeting memories you had as a child. Moments in which you enjoyed yourself and had fun. I wouldn't know about anything like that but I'm sure you would. When did you forget how precious those moments are?" asks Koji.
Atsumi looked perplexed as he said, "So what of it?"
Koji sighed and said, "You don't understand huh? Let me ask you something. What do you think gave you the right to deny those fleeting memories from children?"
Atsumi looked annoyed and said, "You yourself called them fleeting. What would it matter if it were skipped?"
"I don't know but a part of me is missing. Something essential to being human. In Football I've found it," replies Koji. Koji looked at the ball and asked, "Are you going to pass it back?"
Atsumi sighed and asked, "Why should I participate in something so trivial?"
Koji sighed and said, "Ying And Yang. There in no such thing as Kindness without evil and there is no such thing as grand significance without trivial significance. Understanding how important or grand something is comes from understanding that other things are less important but completely eliminating those unimportant things in the pursuit of devoting everything to the things you find important makes you lose sight of why they were important in the first place. After that, you're not human anymore. Just a machine. A machine has no true ambitions. Nothing to its own name but what its master gives it."
Atsumi looked at Koji confused and said, "That's exactly why you're perfect."
Koji looked at him dead on and said, "I wasn't talking about myself. I was talking about you."
Atsumi sweated as he shouted, "What is it you intend to say Kiyotaka."
"Following your ambitions and being a slave to it are not the same. You are a slave to your ambition. Not able to see the value or significance in anything but your ambition. You've been blinded to a life you could have lived that you may have found much more satisfying," replies Koji.
Atsumi kicked the ball as Koji controlled it with a tap. Atsumi gritted his teeth and shouted, "You know how much I've sacrificed..."
Koji looked at him and said, "No. You have sacrificed nothing but your autonomy. You have forced others to make sacrifices for you. You have no resolve. No patience. And now you're stuck with a test subject that feels nothing but resentment towards you and with an inability to replicate the results of that subject. If you had taken your time you would have reached here given time through slow improvement. If you had followed your ambition instead of being a slave to it I wouldn't have been the only one to reach this level but you've long since lost that chance."
Atsumi looked dumbfounded as he asked, "Why not tell me this earlier."
Koji sighed and said, "Because I calculated in my head that there was a 0% chance you'd listen to my words. I suppose it was also because I wasn't exactly in my rebellious phase yet either."
Atsumi sighed and asked, "Making jokes at a time like this? What poor timing and execution."
Koji pointed at Atsumi and said, "That's your fault. Remember that."
Atsumi sighed and asked, "What convinced you to tell me now then?"
Koji looked up at the stars in the Sky and said, "Because Suzune gave me that push when she stood up to you. I'm pretty sure that even if she knew how much power you held her actions wouldn't have changed. She's a bit prideful and stubborn. Sometimes too sure of her own ability but... sometimes... that translates into a strength."
Atsumi sighed and said, "In the end, my way was a failure. The subjects are never able to match you."
Koji without any sympathy said, "Indeed. Quite a failure."
Koji kicked the ball back to Atsumi who said, "Then what do I do to turn around this failure."
Koji sighed as the ball rolled back to him and said, "Forsake your pride and walk through the mud to make it happen. Sacrifice not others but yourself."
Atsumi looked down at the ball rolling towards him and asked, "Is that really the only way?"
Koji looked at him and said, "It's not that it is but it is the only way you should even consider. A person who is recklessly bets other people's lives on their dream while being unwilling to bet his life on that dream will never truly achieve it."
Atsumi sighed and said, "Very well Kiyotaka. I'm assuming you'll still refuse to return."
Koji sighed and said, "I'll never return to that place. Stop clinging to a miraculous success like me that will never occur again in your life. Think of it as a clean slate. Start from scratch."
Atsumi sighed and said, "Very well. I'll warn you though. There will be a child looking to upstage you. A failed player from Blue Lock. I trained him in the White Room and I don't intend to stop now. Show me your resolve Kiyotaka so that I might find my own."
Koji kicked the ball into the goal and said, "Very well."
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With Koji and Suzune
Koji was walking with her and Suzune asked, "Where are you going to stay?"
Koji scratched his head and said, "Um... well... I don't really have a place to stay."
Suzune sighed and said, "Well that makes sense. I mean it's not like I had a place to stay right after graduating either. I guess you'd have to go to stay with your fa..."
"No. I'd rather rent a room in a hotel," says Koji.
"A hotel room? Don't you have any other relatives you could stay with? Like your mother? I mean there's no way that man is still married."
"I don't really know her all that well so that's not a good idea," says Koji as he walks in front of her.
Suzune taps him on the shoulder and asks, "Um...Kiyotaka... You... You said you'd cherish me right?"
Koji nods and says, 'Yes I did say that and I meant it."
Suzune blushes and says, "I want to cherish you too. I don't want to rush things but since you're... in a bad spot... maybe you could stay at my place."
"Are you sure you're ready to take that step?" asks Koji. Suzune nods as Koji gives her a kiss and says, "I'll be in your care from here on then."
Suzune rests her head on his chest and says, "I promise. I'll take good care of you."
Koji holds her in his arms and smiles thinking, 'This is what freedom feels like huh? It's... a pretty good feeling. Still I don't think I'll be satisfied until I make it to the top of the Football world.'
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JFU
Ego sat in his chair and asked, "What do you want? Calling me four months after you shut down Blue Lock?"
The JFU Chairman sweated and said, "It seems the public has taken notice of your... Blue Lockers. They want to see more of them. We've decided it's a profitable venture."
Ego sighed and said, "Let me guess. For four months you've had Ayanokoji do nothing but signing and guest appearances. He hasn't played a proper match since the U20 match has he?"
Many board members sweated as The U20 Team Manager then said, "Um yes. Ayanokoji-San has shown some concern and distaste for this schedule. He's made an ultimatum. Either bring back Ego Jinpachi and Blue Lock or he won't play for Japan. That would also mean by extension Sae Itoshi would not play for Japan either. Our sales would crash from such horrible news."
Ego smirked and said, "What will you offer me if I return?"
The JFU Chairman sweated and said, "Money. Lots of..."
Ego got up walking away and saying, "I'll pass on that. Money was never a concern of mine to begin with."
The JFU Chairman sweated more shouting, "You can use as much of our resources as you want. 1 Billion Yen! If you can generate that much profit... I'll make you the Manager of the U20 Team! It'll be temporary but if we win the World Cup I'll make it permanent!"
Ego smirked widely and said, "Very well. Then let the Neo Egoist League Commence."
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To Be Continued
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Rating Out Of 10 For This Part:
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