Chapter Text
Kaiser breathed deeply, heading towards the kitchen in his house with murderous intent.
It was the day after they had gotten back from playing at the World Cup, the place where Kaiser thought he was going to get revenge on Isagi Yoichi after the humiliating end he faced at the Neo Egoist League years ago.
He wanted to prove himself again, show the world that Michael Kaiser was a changed person and player who knew how to control his emotions and focused his strength on every move and every kick that each attempt he made should be a perfect goal, no matter what.
If he could, he wanted to forget that one moment of weakness he once felt when his knees hit the ground, feeling the softness of the grass, which contrasted with the blazing fire in his body that could easily wipe it out just by one touch.
Somehow, he had expected it. Somehow, his past defeat cushioned the blow for his most recent one, and to think it wasn’t some petty game from some project born from the insanity and genius mind of a soccer fan and a maniac who once stood on the same ground as Noel Noa.
He had driven home in a flurry, lugging his bags behind him like they carried a weight even heavier than the one on his shoulders. The skies of Munich seemed to rival his mood, with the dark skies looming over him, with the possibility of rain.
Upon arriving, he went straight to the counter near the refrigerator, scissors in one hand, and let himself immerse in pure and utter defeat with a mix of aggression that he couldn’t take out on anyone but himself.
He’d like to think that the days of wrapping his arms around his neck to suffocate himself were over, and maybe this day would prove that when he grasped the tail ends of his hair, feeling the rough ends through his fingers as he pulled it strainingly and snipped it off without a care with a sharp sound.
He didn’t care how he looked; how could he when he just left it up to someone else to style it for him for years? He could barely even recall the time when it still flew around wildly in the air when a gust blew by, effortlessly giving him the same bedhead every single day whenever he woke up.
Kaiser also wasn’t the type to hold any attachments to it back then, and he surely didn’t feel it now whilst staring at the blue-dyed locks of hair on the varnished floor, wondering if he should sweep it up now or leave it for the next morning.
His hands ran through the back of his head, feeling the emptiness there, and he realized how he had not only cut off the longest parts of his hair but also the bluest ones, the part that he thought had made him more unique than the others. The part of him that looked and felt impossible.
He was not one to cry over simple things like this, but he would be lying if the thought hadn’t crossed his mind. Without anyone to turn to at the moment, he slumped his body by the island in the middle of the kitchen and let himself slide down to the floor.
The scissors were dropped onto the hair that was strewn around lifelessly, looking like feathers that had been plucked from a beautiful bird as it sulked to itself in the dark, wondering when they’ll ever be free from the cage they imprisoned themselves into.
Closing his eyes, all he could imagine was the hand that appeared in front of him, the same one that he saw during the last game of the Neo Egoist League. He had swatted it away back then and had wanted to do the same thing again just a few days ago.
Now, in his slightly deluded mind, he thought, is there even a possibility of a universe where he had grabbed it instead? Isagi Yoichi had already offered his hand to him twice, greatly decreasing the chances of it happening again in the future. And he’d be a fool to even attempt it another time, given that he knows Kaiser will never take it.
But what if he did? What if he thought he finally deserved it?
“I guess I’ll never know…” he muttered to himself before unceremoniously falling asleep on the floor in the middle of the kitchen amongst the miserable silence and unkempt loneliness.
—
The conclusion of the recent World Cup slowed things down a bit, affording teams the time to rest and recuperate from the long season. Bastard Munchen was one to receive such privilege annually, regardless of the results, which made days seem more mundane than usual, making Kaiser wonder what he should do with his time.
His house was definitely too big for just one person to be living in it, but he preferred the silence anyway, apart from the times when his teammates would casually invite themselves there, leaving him with no choice but to entertain them.
Today, however, it was just Ness who had texted that he would be dropping by, only for him to end up being half an hour late than their agreed time.
Stepping into the living room where Kaiser was lounging in his usual robe and glasses, he quickly saw the back of his head and the lack of rat tails that would normally be in a half-bun, half-ponytail situation. “What the…” he muttered, garnering the blonde’s attention.
“What took you so long?” he asked grumpily before standing up and heading to the kitchen.
Ness followed behind him, getting a clearer view of his hair, which looked like a mess at the bottom. There were still blue streaks for the most part, but what bothered him more was how uneven it looked and how he could go out looking like that.
Clearly not trying to avoid the elephant in the room, he ended up asking a question in return, forgoing an answer that would just piss him off, “What happened to your hair?”
Kaiser held out a bottle of water for him, which he took and shrugged nonchalantly. “I chopped it off. Why?”
He was used to the simple answer to his endless inquiries, so he didn't know why he expected it to have any deeper meaning. “I suppose it was only ever me who cut it that way, huh?”
“Does it look awful?” he raised his brows, grasping the ends of his hair behind his head, feeling the shorter strands that he could no longer wrap around his fingers.
“Not exactly, but it looks so asymmetrical it looks like a child did it,” he answered honestly, discarding the bottle after finishing its contents. Kaiser looked at him with narrowed eyes, not liking the way he stayed from his usually submissive tone.
“Fix it then.”
Ness whipped his head around, looking like he had just been asked to steal money from a bank, which he ironically didn’t need, “What?”
Kaiser just scoffed at his reaction, reached for a pair of scissors from the cabinet, the same ones he had used a few days ago, and sat down by the dining table. “You’ve done it before, right? Just layer it in the way you used to do it.”
He waited there for a minute or two, though for Ness, it felt like somewhat of an eternity with all the thoughts rushing in his head. He didn’t think twice about grabbing the scissors as well as a cup that he filled with water, faintly remembering the first time he ever did this for Kaiser back when they were still training to be on the team.
It had been years since that moment, with both of them now as regulars playing for an esteemed team with dreams they had once shared together. But after the past few games, along with the league they spent in Japan at Blue Lock, Ness couldn’t help but wonder if Kaiser was still the wild-haired messiah he had spent the last few years praising.
There was not much time to think about it, really, but in his mind, he knew that the once-sweet memory he had of them was turning out to be more bitter and fleeting by the second.
“Kaiser,” he muttered, more to himself than the man sitting in front of him.
“What is it now?” annoyance still evident in his tone, making him flinch a little.
It was now or never, he thought, exhaling the words out while carefully cutting the ends of Kaiser’s hair, layering it in the way that only he knew how, “I know it’s been a while since the Neo Egoist League, and now we just finished the World Cup with less than… foreseeable results that neither of us are clearly happy with.”
“Your point being?”
Knowing him, he probably wasn’t going to be cooperative right away, but was determined to get his point across no matter what, “I want to use this break seriously.” snip
“And how do you plan on doing that? It’s not like we’ll be playing much.” snip
“That’s the point. I kind of… and don’t take this the wrong way but…” snip
“Just spit it out,” he said, impatience replacing how annoyed he was.
The moment the scissors cut off the last piece at the end felt like the final straw for him. He didn’t even dare to look at the result and just glanced at the strands falling on the ground, imagining them as his patience, the last piece of sanity Alexis Ness was going to temper for this man.
“I think we shouldn’t see each other for a while,” he blurted out, gripping the scissors tightly in his hand. If Kaiser could see him right now, he would think his courage was out of place.
“What?”
Sighing to himself, he steeled his resolve and tried to explain it in a way that wouldn’t set him off too much, “After what happened in Japan and how I awakened in that rare moment, I just… feel that I need to take a break.”
“Isn’t this already a break?” Kaiser asked, whipping his head around to look at him more clearly, but felt that he was just confusing the whole thing as a misunderstanding of sorts.
“Not a break from soccer.” Ness said, looking away from him whilst scratching his neck, before he muttered, “I need a break… from you.”
Kaiser’s eyes widened, deterred by the sudden declaration as he stood up, making the chair beneath him screech against the polished floor, “Alexis, what on Earth are you talking about—”
“I knew this conversation wouldn’t be as quick as I hoped it would be.” Ness countered, cutting him off, but not enough to stop Kaiser from short-circuiting in the dramatic way he normally does, “I don’t even understand why we’re having it either!”
He exhaled deeply, trying to salvage whatever was left between their already shaky friendship, if he could even call it that at this point. “Look, I’m not saying we should stop being friends or whatever. We’re still on the same team, whether you acknowledge that or not.”
“Then what are you trying to say?” he answered back, eyes growing darker by the second, holding himself back from strangling the closest thing within his reach.
To be fair, he didn’t even know why exactly he was pissed off at him. It’s not as if he wanted to spend time with him during the break or think of new strategies they could apply in the next season. Either way, Kaiser knew that Ness was someone who was only useful on the field, where he didn’t need to think twice about letting him chase him around like a dog.
“I think we should form new habits,” he said. The words may have deviated a bit from what he thinks is advice he’d hear from a therapist, but in Kaiser’s head, it definitely felt like a breakup.
“New habits?”
“It took me a while to realize, or maybe even accept it, but you definitely changed after teaming up with Isagi,” he said in a somewhat accusatory tone, which unknowingly set off his inner rage even more at the absurdity of the situation.
“What does Yoichi have to do with this?”
Another sigh left his lips, feeling like this conversation should’ve been done ages ago, “Long story short, if we’re going to move on from our last play and into a more progressive future wherein you and I don’t rely too much on each other, I think it would improve our chances of playing differently if not better.”
“When did you have the time to think about this?”
“I think I have been for a while. I can still recall the dread I felt when you screamed at me for passing to Isagi back then. It may have looked like a mistake before, but it doesn’t feel like one looking back at it now. It’s ridiculous when you think about it, how you told me to give up on soccer, yet expected me to still pass to you. After seeing you earlier with that mess of a hairdo, it made me realize that maybe…”
“Maybe what?” he said, his voice almost a whisper, feeling even more dumbfounded the more Ness spoke.
“It’s time for me to work on myself and be my own masterpiece.”
Unruly thoughts clashed in his head. He didn’t even know what to think at the moment because of the myriad of things vying for his attention, yet the moment he tried to grab one and make sense of it, it just vanished in his grasp.
It never even occurred to him that Ness, of all people, would dare to say these things to him. What had changed? Was his hair really the trigger for all these mindless proclamations he was suddenly spouting off?
“I don’t get it, aren’t you supposed to be a genius midfielder or some shit? How do you expect me to just absorb all this and incorporate it during our future matches?” he asked, raising his voice with the smallest hope that he would come to his senses and say that all of this was just a joke, that he was just testing the waters or something.
To his surprise, Ness just walked away from him, setting the cup of water on the sink along with the pair of scissors, expecting him to clean it up for him, but choosing not to. It was in that moment that he realized that these were small steps that he was taking towards his own freedom that he had never acknowledged.
“I’m not expecting anything from you. I just want you to wait it out for yourself and realize things on your own. If you want to continue relying on me despite that bullshit you said during the game with PxG then fine. But I want you to know that I don’t plan to keep playing on my old reflexes and habits anymore.”
“Alexis…”
Looking back at him set off a slight pang in his chest, noting how much younger he suddenly seemed with a somewhat boyish appearance about him that would surely capture the heart of someone else in the way he once let himself bask in his pure, undiluted aura.
He scanned the rest of the room, wondering if this was the last time he would be standing there but thought better of it, deeming this necessary solitude to be temporary whilst Kaiser tried to get his shit together.
“You can still text me or whatever. This isn’t a prank or a setback that I’m doing to throw you off or anything. Just remember that if you can change in an instant on the field with whoever you’re playing with, I can do that now too.” he concluded, walking to the foyer and lingered by the front door for a bit, leaving Kaiser in the kitchen to pick up the pieces of him that he left there.
His eyes looked back at him like an enemy, one that would eventually devour him the moment he bared his fangs. But he didn’t. He just let him stand there, wavering as he kept his pride to himself and feeling a weight lift from his shoulders at the notion that he no longer had to care what he was thinking or feeling.
Grabbing the doorknob in front of him, he took one last glance before bracing himself for the air outside that would clear his mind for the first time in years. “And for the record, this is the last time I will ever cut your hair.”
The words sounded empty, yet they held so much weight as they wrestled with the creaking sound of the front door being closed. Kaiser stood in his kitchen in silence, once again feeling the same despair he did, along with a floor that he had no choice but to clean up again.
—
The flight to Germany felt so long, making Isagi more anxious than usual. He wanted to get out of the plane and run a few miles given how long he had spent sitting, that is, if the jet lag would even allow him to.
It was a good season to be in Munich. The days weren’t so cold, yet it wasn’t too warm either, making him want to savour as much fresh air as possible. He, too, was currently on break after the World Cup. But unbeknownst to most people, this short break was actually a waiting period for him, along with the clubs that had been trying to recruit him right after his success on the international stage.
People had already heard of Blue Lock for a while, but sometimes, when the name is too bold and too popular, some tend to discredit you for who you are by calling you a product of media or hype that was unwarranted.
Fortunately for Isagi, along with a few of his teammates, he had managed to get the attention of many foreign clubs. Most of which were teams that they had played with in the past during the Neo Egoist League.
It felt great to be recognized on a professional level, and he was very proud to be part of a great team that he had trained with for so long to develop his skills to ultimately become the world’s best striker. But he knew that if he wanted to get better, he needed more experience in playing different kinds of soccer abroad, which is why his current dilemma was going to be a big decision.
Among the dozens of calls that Isagi got after the tournament, 2 teams stood out to him:
Bastard Munchen and Re Al.
He couldn’t believe his ears (and eyes) when he heard the offers from both teams, making his choice even harder than it should be. Admittedly, he already flew to Spain to get a feel of the place, staying there for a week or so, and even got to meet with Itoshi Sae for a bit.
Though it was a fruitful and undoubtedly exhilarating experience, he still wavered, feeling farther from the final decision than he should be. So now, with his head set in a new direction and a new country, he left Japan and made his way to where Bastard Munchen was based.
After arriving, he went straight to his hotel room, placed his luggage near the desk, and slumped onto the bed. The excitement was still there, but it could wait as he nodded off into a deep sleep that he deserved after spending at least 12 hours on the plane fidgeting about.
He managed to set up an alarm and a meeting the following day, helping him get up on time to head over to the training facility, where he would reunite with the man who was once his idol, turned temporary mentor, and now a future colleague.
“Isagi, you’re here,” he said, seeing the familiar figure entering the field he was on.
Isagi’s eyes lit up upon seeing him, making him run over as they shook hands in a greeting, “Hey there, Noa.”
“Didn’t think you’d show up here so quickly. The higher-ups had just given me the brief on what they discussed with you,” he said, leading them to the bench on the side of the field where he grabbed his tumbler of water to drink from.
“I just wanted to check things out for myself before making any kind of firm decision. I’m sure you know Bastard isn’t the only club that’s trying to recruit me.”
Though he didn’t say it aloud, his face looked like that of a proud parent who wanted to boast about his child to other people, “Figured your name would be on multiple contract offers just from being part of Blue Lock alone.”
“I’m just giving everyone a fair chance. Spain still has a tight grip on me with their offer,” he shrugged like it was no big deal.
To be fair, the offers were very close, but at this point, Isagi didn’t really want to make a choice based on the amount alone. He also wanted to consider the environment he would be playing in, and that included the people he would be spending time with.
“What brings you here then? You know it’s off-season for the team, so you won’t be seeing much besides the training facility.” Noa pointed out, placing his water back on the bench as he wiped his forehead with a towel.
“Yeah, I know that. Though I might’ve been curious about what the facility looks like.”
Upon hearing those words, Noa didn’t hold back the knowing look on his face, raising an eyebrow at Isagi, who just looked back at him in silence, “Or have you come for something, or rather someone else?”
It wouldn’t be Noel Noa if he weren’t the ever-so-perceptive coach he had met back then, making it hard for him to hide his true intentions that even he himself didn’t think were so obvious.
“There is someone I’ve been meaning to see, but I haven’t had the chance to. Do you mind giving me their contact information?” he asked, not mentioning a specific name, though he probably already knew who it was.
Dumbfounded at the revelation, he couldn’t help but chuckle, “You don’t even have his number even until now?”
Isagi crooned his head to the side, avoiding his gaze in mild embarrassment, “Did you forget that we could barely even see or hold our phones during our time in Blue Lock?”
“Right, Ego did mention that.”
“So, are you gonna give it, or will I have to scour the entirety of Munich just to see him?”
As if the universe was paying attention to him, a door near the back opened with a loud bang, letting the metal hit the wall so fiercely that it might’ve chipped the paint off. He didn’t need to whip his head over before hearing a familiar voice echoing in the distance, “What the fuck?”
Kaiser almost always had a way of making a dramatic entrance, though this was less flashy than their first meeting. Isagi saw Noa shrugging in indifference, probably used to his flamboyant attitude, as he looked at him with mild exhaustion and relief that he didn’t have to explain things further.
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
Before they could fully comprehend the situation, Kaiser was already making his way over to them, prompting Isagi to feign a little disappointment, “Why is he here?”
Noa just slung a towel over his shoulder, muttering a feeble goodbye before leaving them on their own, “Again, just ask the man himself. Have fun.”
Isagi glared daggers at Noa’s back until a familiar figure stood behind him, his presence ever so foreboding and noticeably bulkier than the last time they were face-to-face with each other.
“Fancy seeing you here, Yoichi,” he said, making Isagi turn around in a grimace. Though he knew better than to make his disdain obvious as he put on a fake smile, challenging Kaiser right back,
“Oh, did you miss me?” he asked, tilting his head at him, earning a scoff from the taller man.
“How exactly can I miss you when I just saw you at the World Cup?”
While that was indeed a fact, it wasn’t the kind of reunion Isagi was hoping for. At least on his end, he was able to show his improvement through his actions.
“Exactly. You just saw me. We didn’t even speak a word to each other.”
Kaiser’s expression was unreadable, like he was thinking of a clever or witty comeback to his clear observation. In the end, he couldn’t follow through as he pointed out another obvious fact in an attempt at small talk, “You haven’t changed one bit.”
Despite the angle from where he stood, he could tell that Kaiser looked a bit different, and it wasn’t just the build of his body. He still looked the same for the most part, but he’d be pretty foolish not to notice the way his hair looked shorter, no longer donning the longer ends dyed in blue that he once imagined running his fingers through.
“Can’t say the same thing about you. Your hair is different now.”
A smirk graced his face, like he was waiting for him to notice it as he ran a hand through his forehead, brushing away the bangs there until they stood messily upon his head, “Do you like it?”
It was Isagi’s turn to scoff at him, fighting off the blush on his face in fear of his inevitable teasing, “If you’re going for some kind of teenage heartthrob look, then you’ve absolutely nailed it right there.”
“Fuck off, Ness cut it this way. Don’t insult the guy when he’s not even here to defend himself,” he retorted, crossing his arms.
“Right, how is he? I assume he’d be here with you. Are you practicing alone?” he asked, not really that concerned about the midfielder. It just seemed weird that he’d talk to him in that way, but it lacked the usual bite it had whenever he mentioned him back then.
“He’s fine, though it’s just me today,” he shrugged, looking back at the empty field.
“Figured you’d try to stay active even on your time off. I didn’t know you guys had white uniforms.”
Kaiser chuckled at that, but before Isagi could berate him for being an asshole and not taking his compliment as it is, he cut him off, “I’m taking a shower after this. If you want, I can sign it for you. Bet it can sell for thousands.”
“Like I’d want your sweaty ass jersey, even if it's worth a lot.” he huffed, crossing his arms as well.
Before long, the two decided to call it a day, though that was more for Kaiser than it was for Isagi, as they ended up exchanging numbers after all, earning a relieved sigh from Noel Noa once Kaiser got back in the locker room to see him lingering there.
After taking a shower, he put his jersey away to be laundered, trying to push away the thought of seeing Isagi in it. Despite his apprehension earlier, he could sense the faint interest in it, wondering how nice it would be if he played for Bastard again. But he’ll save that fantasy for some other time, if he willed himself to imagine it again.
—
It wasn’t that late when Kaiser got back to his house, though he was a bit tired from running around on the field alone, which meant he didn’t have much energy to make something for dinner.
Fortunately for him, his house was near a deli, so he grabbed a sandwich or two before heading back and heated it in the toaster oven whilst he opened a can of ginger ale. He’d normally go for a beer but thought better of it, deciding to stay a bit healthy even if he was on break.
He didn’t know how else to pass the time after he ate. Normally, he would sleep early, but today he decided to scroll through his social media, which he barely used, looking for interesting content that might help him fall asleep.
It only took a few minutes of scrolling through reels that he realized that this wasn’t going to cut it, deciding to do the next best thing he could do for entertainment, aka calling Ness.
This wasn’t exactly a common occurrence or habit for them, even before the break, and more often than not, he would answer on the second or third ring, but this time, it felt like he was ignoring him on purpose.
He was about to cancel the call, but then he suddenly picked up right before it went into voicemail. Glancing at the clock in the corner, he saw that it was only 9:30 pm, so it wasn’t that late for a little chat.
“I never thought I’d live the day to see you contact me first,” he said, almost sounding like he was out of breath.
“And I thought you weren’t gonna pick it up,” he quipped, both forgoing the societal norm of a greeting.
“I just got back from a run, actually. I left my phone by the front door before I went out.”
While there was no need for him to explain, he felt the need to keep up with the fast pace and went straight to the point by describing what went on in his day instead of elaborating on his,
“I saw Yoichi today,” he said, lingering on the line.
If it were the past Ness, he would have heard a shocked gasp by now or an overreaction to the news. But weirdly enough, he was met with a calmer voice along with an equally calmer tone that segued into a different kind of conversation,
“I know I said you could call or whatever, but what point of taking a break do you not get?”
Kaiser being the way he is, didn’t want to drop the subject so easily, continuing it like he was allowed to, “He’s in Germany right now. He must be running errands of some sort. Ran into him and Noa in the facility earlier when I practiced for a bit.” he said, about to tangle his finger in his hair until he remembered that it wasn’t as long as it used to be.
He could hear Ness sigh on the other end, giving in to his whims, “How is he?”
Perking up, he sat up straighter on the sofa he was on, ready to ramble on about how interesting his day was, “Still the same asshole we played with back then, and still the monster we were up against not too long ago.”
“Sounds like he’s doing alright,” he answered nonchalantly, making Kaiser frown.
“Isn’t this the part where you’d interject, saying you agree with me or something?”
Ness sighed again, rubbing his fingers in between his brows, “Michael, between the two of us, I hope you know that you’re the one who openly judges others more. I just agreed with you most of the time because I didn’t know what else to think.”
His eyes widened, mildly shocked at how expressive he was all of a sudden, “And now, you think you know more than me?” he scoffed.
With a steady mind and a firm resolve, Ness answered back again, “I don’t think I’m the right person for you to have this conversation with.”
“Alexis—” he tried to reason, but was cut off immediately.
“Only call me if it’s necessary or if it’s related to the team, okay? I’m sure Yoichi is thrilled to see a familiar face in the city right now.”
Even if he didn’t express it verbally, Kaiser was obviously seething, trying to steer back the conversation in his court where he deemed they should always be in, “Why would you even imply that we’ll be seeing more of each other? As I said, he’s just visiting.”
Without another fleeting second for him to manipulate, Ness boldly declared, “I think it’s time you use that meta vision to see something else, Michael. Before you know it, it won’t be me, you'll be rushing to text about every single thing that’s going on in your life.”
The line went silent for a while, but didn’t get cut off as Kaiser looked at the screen of his phone, noting the ticking seconds that signified that he was still there waiting for his answer. He didn’t bother bringing the phone back to his ear, spitting back his response before abruptly ending the call,
“Fine, then. Be that way, like I give a shit about it.”
He didn’t want to think about what spurred him on to keep this act up, resigning himself to the fact that maybe it was possible for people like Ness to change, even if the timing felt off or whatever. Whether it was for the better or worse, he decided that it was something he should no longer concern himself with.
—
Things were happening a bit too quickly in Kaiser’s opinion.
Not only had his supposed ‘friend’ cut him off for the duration of the break, but all of a sudden, it seemed like he had someone new to temporarily fill in that gap. The ‘someone’ who wasn’t exactly new in his life being Isagi Yoichi.
Mornings were always the same for him, regardless of whether he was training or not. He woke up early, did his morning routine, went out for a run if the weather wasn’t shit, and came back to his house to make breakfast which usually consisted of some sort of pastry, some fruit, and tea for a change.
It had been a few minutes after he boiled some water for his tea when his phone started ringing on the counter, making him squint his eyes at the name that popped up for the first time ever.
He had thought about waiting until the last ring before answering, but went against it when he realized this was a good chance to annoy Isagi early in the morning.
“It’s only been what, a day since you’ve gotten my number, and you’re already contacting me?” he said upon picking up, teasing him with a tone he only ever uses with him on the field.
Isagi’s brows furrowed together in annoyance, but a little glad that Kaiser wasn’t there to see his reaction, “Oh fuck off, you know I’m new to the city with no one else to talk to.”
“Why don’t you talk to Noa then?” he asked, knowing how unlikely he would hang out with any of them outside of practice.
“You know that doesn’t count. Besides, he’s more of a coach than someone I’d like to spend time with.”
Kaiser chuckled to himself, remembering how shit he was at guiding them during the last league they played together, “Calling him coach is a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”
“You’re right.”
As soon as the water was ready, he put the call on speaker as he went to the stove to turn it off and poured the contents into his mug, where he had already put a bag of tea in. “So why’d you call me up then?”
The line went silent for a bit, making Kaiser glance at his phone. The call was still ongoing so Isagi must’ve been thinking of whatever shitty excuse he could come up with to justify calling him this early, “It’s your break right?”
“And what of it?” he asked whilst sipping his tea, noting that it needed some sugar but absolutely no milk.
“Well, I was hoping you could show me around Munich or something.”
His eyes widened at the invitation, brushing off the implications that suddenly appeared in his mind, letting himself smirk in response, “And if I say no?”
If it were a wired telephone, he would’ve heard the audible click on the other end along with a dial tone. But upon looking at his phone after a few seconds of radio silence, he realized that the call had ended without Isagi replying to him, though he was sure he had heard that last question he had asked.
“What the fuck, the bastard actually hung up on me…” he muttered, immediately dialing back and placed the phone next to his ear.
It only took a few rings before Isagi answered him back, but decided to keep the banter going, “Hello, who’s this?”
“You really think you’re funny, huh?” Kaiser fumed but was internally amused at how infuriating he could be on purpose. This was the sort of thing he didn’t know Isagi was capable of, and now that he did, he made sure to get back at him some other time.
“Didn’t think you’d call me back, I must be special,” he teased, making Kaiser’s blood boil just like the water he used for his tea.
“You’re the one who hung up the fucking phone!”
He could hear Isagi laugh on the other end, probably so proud of himself for his antics as he tried to placate the blonde, “Alright, alright, calm down.”
Wiping his face with his hand and sighing to himself, he replied coolly, “If you really wanna see the city, just go out of whatever hotel you’re at and explore it yourself.”
He didn’t expect his suggestion to go by so quickly, earning an affirmation from Isagi right away if he didn’t dare to give it a second thought, “Fine then.”
“Huh?”
“I’m taking your suggestion!” he said with an ecstatic tone, “See you on the news when I suddenly turn up—”
“Wait, hold on, don’t hang up again.” Kaiser cut him off, not wanting to complicate things even further as he resigned to the idea of not only going out today, but with Isagi Yoichi of all people.
“What?”
“Text me your hotel address. I’ll be there by noon,” he replied, sounding like a sulking child with no other choice but to face a punishment. At least he can go into the city and check out some reading glasses or something, killing two birds with one stone and whatnot.
Pleased that Kaiser has fallen into his obvious trap, Isagi smiled to himself, looking forward to what kind of adventures he was going to have in Munich, “Great, see you then.”
—
A few hours later, Kaiser had driven over to Isagi’s hotel to pick him up. He doesn’t remember seeing him look so excited before, probably because they only ever saw each other during practice or during games. Admittedly, he was just as expectant to see how Isagi would be off the field since his wild eyes and incomparable ego on it was something he had committed to memory.
“So, where are you taking me then?” he asked after buckling up in his seat as Kaiser drove into the city.
“I actually haven’t thought about it,” he muttered, which was true to some degree. But after seeing him in his shabby clothes whilst he stood outside the hotel, he instantly thought of something, “Though I’ve got something, if you’re up for it.”
“What’s that?” Isagi tilted his head in curiosity.
He was lucky that he was buckled up, because if he wasn’t, he probably would’ve leaped from the seat to hit him, “You seriously need to update your wardrobe.”
Looking back at him with a sour expression, Kaiser was so sure Isagi wanted to beat him up after hearing his ‘suggestion’, “What’s wrong with my clothes?”
“I’m afraid… everything is.”
It’s not that he was dressed poorly; it’s just that he probably didn’t think about dressing nicer, especially now that he was becoming more popular. He’d like to think that this was him offering some advice to someone who clearly needed it. It was also a good thing that his salary had increased, giving Kaiser an excuse to spoil him a bit— but not before teasing him out of it first.
“Fuck off, not everyone can be as stylish as you.” he looked away, crossing his arms as he looked out the window, enjoying the views around them.
Kaiser just smiled knowingly, keeping a firm grip on the wheel as he drove them to the shopping district where he would hopefully be more agreeable than he is right now, “Still, attempts are possible, you know.”
It didn’t take them too long before they had arrived at a high-end street, making Isagi’s eyes gleam in wonder at how everything looked so magical. Kaiser was amused at how he looked around the place, taking pictures of the buildings that he thought resembled most of what you normally see in Europe.
He took him to one of his favorite shops, letting him try on some clothes that he thought would suit him, along with some formal wear that he wanted to refuse at first. He reasoned that eventually he would have to attend some events and sponsorships that required him to dress formally, so in the end, he relented.
Isagi took his time in choosing what he wanted, with the main deciding factor being the price. He was still frugal as he was back in Japan so he spent an hour or two deciding which purchases were worth it until Kaiser got tired of it all, ringing it all up at the cashier and notifying the staff to just send it over to his house later on.
He went out of the shop with a smug smile on his face, followed by a somewhat irate Isagi who was quite grateful for his generosity, with Kaiser noting that it was a welcome gift from him and that it didn’t cause a major dent in his savings.
It wasn’t even that long ago when he couldn’t eat much nor afford nice things, so he had every right to spend his hard-earned fortune the way he wanted to. Isagi had scolded him, saying that he would pay him back as he begged to pay half, but he wouldn’t let him no matter what he said.
In exchange, he offered to let him buy them drinks instead, which was how they ended up somewhere near the Olympic Stadium that he made a mental note to take him to some other time.
He let him decide which drink to get, which in hindsight was not a very good idea because he had ended up getting them some kind of local specialty that he had to pass up on since he was driving. Not wanting to let them go to waste, they decided to have an early dinner with Isagi, ending up drinking all of it instead.
He was about to berate him for his poor choice in food and drink on their first outing together when he saw a familiar head of reddish hair along with another familiar face that he kind of didn’t see coming.
“That bastard,” he muttered, hiding himself a bit on the seat in an attempt to slouch. His height didn’t make for a comfortable position, but as long as he wasn’t spotted, he was good.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Isagi asked after paying for the bill, looking around to see if there were any crazed fans or cameramen around them and outside the window of the establishment.
Kaiser looked at him with his brows knit together in mild caution, mouthing a very loud whisper, “I just saw Ness.”
“Ness?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about him,” he deadpanned, though the midfielder was pretty hard to miss when they were practically joined at the hip during the first few games they played together.
“I remember him, but…”
“Shh, stay down,” he whispered again, looking back carefully outside and watching him turn towards a building after crossing the street. “Why the hell is he hanging out with Birkenstock of all people?”
Isagi looked outside as well, squinting his eyes like that would help him see them better, “Is that supposed to be a weird thing? You are teammates, right?”
As soon as he was out of view, Kaiser adjusted his position on the seat, forgoing the need to answer Isagi’s earlier question as he sighed in relief, “Whew, that could’ve been worse.”
He felt a pair of curious eyes on him as he sipped his water, daring to meet his equally confused face. “Umm, do you mind telling me why you’re suddenly avoiding your puppy midfielder like a child hiding from his mother?”
The words stung a bit, but he was not one to avoid such topics, no matter how difficult they were to explain, especially since he, himself, wasn’t sure what was going on. “Sure, but maybe not here. Do you mind if we go back? I don’t really want to waste my time waiting.”
Isagi nodded in agreement as they slipped out of the cafe, hopefully unnoticed, went back to where he parked his car, and went back to his place just on the outskirts of the city. They didn’t say anything on the way back, letting him ponder on what to say, though he wasn’t even sure why he suddenly thought about bringing Isagi to his house.
The whole place was massive, Isagi thought, whilst standing in the middle of the foyer, admiring the interior of the place as Kaiser made his way to the kitchen to make some coffee that he desperately needed after a long day.
The walls were bare, but the decorations all around made up for it, noting Kaiser’s simple taste in interior design, whilst he followed him into the kitchen in awe, “You live here?”
“Yeah, just don’t drool on the floor or else my cleaner will have to come in tomorrow, and I don’t want to explain why there’s a foreign substance on the floor,” he said, the coffee machine doing its work, pouring its contents into two mugs that he set out.
“The place looks so massive,” he continued, grabbing the mug that Kaiser held out to him whilst he sipped his own, savoring the bitter taste that soothed his tired self from driving Isagi around in the afternoon.
“Is it decaf?” he asked, smelling the aroma before he took a small sip, noting how strong it was that he might not be able to sleep later on.
“I don’t think you have a choice, do you?” he answered cynically, earning a glare from Isagi, but drank the coffee anyway.
“Asshole.”
“I’ve heard worse things,” he singsonged, making his way over to the dining table to take a seat whilst the other man stood where he was by the kitchen island.
“So, are you gonna tell me what happened back there?”
Of course, he was straightforward. He wouldn’t expect anything less from him, given how open-minded he was to come here just to hear his explanation.
“Apparently, we are on a break.”
His eyes widened, head tilting again, something that Kaiser noticed as a bit of a habit, “A break? From what? And if you say soccer, I’m raiding your fridge for another drink because this coffee is bitter as hell,” he said, setting the mug down in defeat.
“Just a few minutes in and you’re already acting like you own the place?” he challenged, though it was partly his fault for not keeping any milk in the house, and sugar wasn’t very good for their diet either.
“Sorry, I’m just not used to seeing you so…” Isagi’s face looked like he wanted to dig a deeper hole than the one he was already in, but Kaiser wanted to chide him a little bit, helping him complete his thoughts.
“What, unkempt? Uneasy? Borderline insane?”
He could’ve gone on and on with words that will eventually be something he’ll agree with, but was met with just a simple word that couldn’t be farther from the truth, “Relaxed.”
It was his turn to widen his eyes back at him in disbelief, “You think I look relaxed?”
Isagi just shrugged before crossing his arms, “Well, for the most part, yeah. But you’re gonna have to elaborate more on the break thing there. And for the record, I already think you’re insane.”
Letting go of that last bit, there wasn’t even much to say, so he might as well describe it as a simple passing thing that they have to go through, “I don’t really want to explain much, it was a dumb conversation to begin with and I don’t want to have to defend myself in front of you.” he countered, hoping that would be it.
Unfortunately for him, Isagi was definitely a chatty person off the field, a new fact for his endless list of things that he didn’t need to know but now did, thanks to his impulsive decisions. Now he had to sit back and endure a spontaneous conversation with someone he didn’t really know on a personal level until now,
“That would just mean that you had some kind of fault in the first place, otherwise this break wouldn’t be a thing.”
“He kinda blamed you for it, though. He said I changed after our team-up back then. How ridiculous is that?”
“Did you, though?”
“Did I do what?”
“I mean, we’re not exactly on the same team anymore, so I can’t really tell whether you’ve changed or not. Clearly you’re still the same self-serving asshole the world knows and loves.”
“Yeah, all the world except you,” he laughed, taking note of that last bit.
He couldn’t claim to be someone that the world knew or loved. In fact, not a lot of people in his life even knew the real him apart from maybe Noel Noa, but that was a different story. All he knew was that it was people’s choice to admire him, regardless of their projected fantasy or belief in his true self.
“Keep your opinions to yourself, would you?”
Standing up from the dining table, he went over to him, leaning on the counter well and clasping his arms in a devoted kind of interest, “And why would I do that, Yoichi?” he said with a wide smirk on his face.
Not daring to look away from him, Isagi met his unspoken challenge head-on, “Don’t try to change the subject. Though if you’re not gonna say anything else about the break, then it’s my turn to say something.”
“And what does Blue Lock’s heart have to say to Germany’s top striker?” he said teasingly.
Whether he liked it or not, Isagi wasn’t gonna get away from the title for a bit, or even a long time. For Kaiser, however, he had every right to call himself that, given his impressive skill set and undying persona.
“I’ll actually be in Munich for a while. A month or two, maybe. Just touring around the place, you know? Taking a break just like you guys are,” he admitted casually, piquing Kaiser’s curiosity.
“Someone has gotten a little comfortable just because he did well in the World Cup. Is it nice to finally have some free time on your own?”
Isagi took a step closer, so close that Kaiser could reach out to him and do whatever he wanted to, but chose not to. “It’s nice to know you take your losses very well, Kaiser.”
“Indeed, I do. What’s the catch, though?”
Those big blue eyes just stared up at him, feigning innocence. “What do you mean?”
If Kaiser had learned anything about Isagi Yoichi by now, it’s that the man always had ulterior motives. Admittedly, doesn’t everyone have a hidden agenda? But with Isagi, it was dangerous to make any kind of pact or arrangement with him because it almost always only ended up being to his advantage.
Still, the outcome doesn’t always have to be the same. If he can pose a challenge, then why on earth would he pass up the opportunity? It’s not as if he had anything else to do, right?
“I don’t think you just mentioned being in Munich for a while as a way to make conversation. Just you being here is already a weird thing in itself. What are you up to, Yoichi?” he murmured, voice a little lower than expected.
“Is it too presumptuous of me to want to ask you to show me around?”
The smirk on his lips widened, prompting him to take an inevitable step closer, with both of them breathing in the same air in front of each other, “Are you asking me out?”
Isagi kept a steady look, meeting his gaze effortlessly with no trouble at all, “Well, not really, but if that’s how you see it—”
“No, absolutely not.”
He laughed at how childish Kaiser could be, noting that not everyone can see him so unguarded as he is now, “Why not? Was today really against your own will?”
“Well, no, but…” he lingered with a bit of uncertainty. What Kaiser lacked for in personal human connection was definitely something that Isagi can make up for in one way or another.
“It’s settled then.”
Making a show to seal the agreement, Isagi lifted a hand up, prompting Kaiser to take it in a handshake. He stared at the lone hand for a bit before sighing to himself, grasping it eventually,
“Are you sure I don’t get a say in this?”
“Do you have anything better to do?” he retorted, already knowing the answer.
As much as Kaiser wanted to have the last word, saying more might do him more harm than good at this point.
A gentle shake of the hand later, and the taller blonde avoiding his gaze, Isagi smiled to himself in success, noting the warmth of their hands in a deal that neither of them would expect to take a toll on their minds and hearts later on.
“Well, you know my hotel and my number. I’ll be expecting another call from you soon.”