Expedition

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/43957936.

Rating: Not Rated

Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category: M/M
Fandom: Blue Lock (Manga), Blue Lock (Anime)
Relationship: Isagi Yoichi/Itoshi Sae, Isagi Yoichi/Michael Kaiser, Isagi
Yoichi/Everyone, Bachira Meguru/Isagi Yoichi
Character: Isagi Yoichi, Itoshi Sae, Itoshi Rin, Michael Kaiser, Hiori You, Mikage
Reo, Nagi Seishirou, Bachira Meguru, Isagi Iyo, Isagi Issei
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - No Blue Lock, Completely Unrealistic Depictions of
How CEOs and Assistants Work, Realism? You mean that's the name
of the body I threw in the sea?
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2022-12-31 Updated: 2023-01-13 Chapters: 4/? Words:
5427

Expedition
by Lumemari

Summary

Isagi Yoichi already had his hands full of worries---work, money and family, he didn't need
anymore. Especially if this new brand of trouble came in the form of falling for his boss
and meeting his ex-boyfriend again and that some of his friends may or may not be in love
with him.
 Isagi Yoichi - I
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

"You're fired."

"E-Excuse me?" Takahashi stammered.

Sae Itoshi stared him in the eye.

"B-but sir! It was only one mistake---!"

"Mr. Takahashi." Isagi interrupted. He smiled and gestured at the direction of the door. "Let's go
out for a minute, shall we?"

He glanced at Sae for a moment, and reading nothing on his face, ushered out of the office with the
fired executive.

"Isagi-kun, please. You have to convince the boss to give me another chance."

"Did you know, Mr. Takahashi? Unlike what everyone thinks, Mr. Sae doesn't actually fire people
for a single mistake."

Takahashi blinked. Realization dawned on him and he almost beamed. "Then---"

"He fires them when they repeat those mistakes over and over, and pretend as if they've only done
it a single time." He smiled. "Do you really think the company wouldn't know of your past
omissions?"

Takahashi paled. Before he could say another word, Isagi continued. "Now please get out before I
call the security and alert them of a non-employee trespassing in the vicinity."

"Sorry for letting him prattle on for so long." Isagi smiled apologetically.

Sae grunted. His eyes were glued to the computer screen. Isagi found himself staring longer than
he should have. "What's next?"

"We have a gala to attend to at six pm tonight." He replied. "It'll only last for two hours this time."

He couldn't help the teasing lilt in his voice. "I heard they prepared strawberry éclairs specially for
you."

Sae turned away from his computer to look at him. He said with a small, barely perceptible lift of
his lips. "Then I guess this party will be more tolerable than I thought."
The ballroom was filled with all kinds of people---stars, athletes, investors, academics; many he
recognized, others he did not. They all dressed luxuriously, silk dress and cashmere suit, gold
earrings and black tie showing much more color than the smiles they wore. Isagi remembered how
out of place he was in the past. Now, he felt as if he were in his natural habitat.

"That person over there is Rosette Lysander, wife of the Flor Company's CEO." He muttered to
Sae in a low voice, a step behind him as they traveled through a maze of round tables and scuttling
waiters and waitresses.

"The one in trouble?"

Isagi nodded. "Her husband was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease." A sharp sound in the
kitchen, a whisk clattering to the ground. His mother unsteady, his mother falling to the ground. He
was running, crying, screaming for someone, anyone to help---

Isagi pursed his lips and pushed the thought away. "I heard that if her husband died, she'd inherit
the position. Showing our support for her now would serve to benefit us in the future if he does.
And even if he doesn't, it would at least show her that we aren't one of those investors who only
care about their money."

Sae stopped and observed him for a moment, as if seeing something he didn't see. Did he notice his
inner turmoil?

"Alright."

The two of them went over to Rosette's table. Sae placed his hand on top of the chair next to hers.
"Mind if I sit here?"

Rosette regarded them both warily, before a flicker of recognition crossed her face. "Of course."

"I've heard about what happened to your husband. He'll be well soon." Sae said as he settled down.
Isagi sat to his left, getting a full view of Rosette raising her eyebrows.

"Thank you. The confidence is reassuring."

"I've known Hans for a long time. He's tougher than a Purple Saxifrage." He deadpanned.

An amused smile played on her lips. "I see you've taken our company's name to heart." This time,
she repeated more sincerely. "Thank you. You're very different from what I've heard."

Sae shrugged. Isagi shared her smile.

She looked down when her phone vibrated behind her pocket. "Sorry." She said, standing up. "I
have to take this call." Sae nodded.

They watched as she departed, silence descending upon them. Now that there was no chatter to
distract himself with, Isagi felt clearly how close they were, the press of Sae's clothes against his,
his warmth, his smell. Strawberries and perfume. Typical.

He glanced at his boss. He knew long ago that Sae was attractive, but that was objective, a fact no
one could deny. Yet somehow, that objectivity turned into partiality, the way their norm of close
proximity became something more to him.
He wondered if it was the same for him. He wished it was. He hoped it wasn't.

"It's starting."

Isagi blinked. He looked up to see an orchestra walking up the stage. Applause rippled across the
room, the conductor bowing before he began.

The first movement was low, lyrical, mellow and relaxing. The start of a story, a new discovery.
"It's about two people meeting each other and finding the other a perfect fit." Sae said a few years
ago when the same song was played.

It was happy, as beginnings usually were. But beginnings were part of a story, and stories were
born from conflict.

The second movement rose in its intensity, danger, but not quite. The monster had only began to
bare its fangs, the storm not yet raising and remaining a hail of rain. "Obstacles showed itself. The
difference in status. Family disapproval. Arranged marriage awaiting fruition."

Sae had looked at him then with an expression he couldn't read. Intense, just like this music.
Burning, wanting to swallow him whole, yearning---

"I'm back."

Rosette said. He turned to look at her. The world stopped.

"You haven't been spending much time with me lately." Michael said as they entered his living
room, the living embodiment of lavish minimalism.

"I was busy." They've had this conversation before. Hundreds, thousands of times since his
mother's hospitalization.

"Busy with what?"

Isagi sent him a look. "Work. School. My mother. Everything."

"Never thought of slipping in some time with me?" He crossed his arms.

"I can't."

"Yet you make time for Bachira." Because Bachira never asked him these questions. Because
Bachira relaxed him in a way Michael never did now. Because Bachira understood.

He sighed. "What's this really about, Michael?"

"Yoichi, let's break up."

He froze. "What?"

Kaiser's face was blank. Isagi's heart sank.

"You're joking."
 "And I brought a guest."

Chapter End Notes

Happy New Year, Everyone!

 Isagi Yoichi - II
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Isagi stared at the face that hadn't changed much even after all this time and felt himself being
dragged back to memories of summer days and movie nights, soccer plays and adrenaline rides. He
was staring at him too, wide-eyed gaze a mirror of his own.

Rosette's gaze swept over the two of them. "Do the two of you know each other?"

"No--"

"Yes."

Isagi glared at Kaiser, who smirked. "We were..friends. Old friends."

"Indeed. We were very good friends." The odd looks from Sae and Rosette were question enough.

Rosette coughed. "I'm sure you've heard about how rapidly the sports industry is growing these
days." She changed the subject. "Mr. Kaiser is the CEO of Pinnacle, one of the fastest growing
sports companies in the world. He's interested in expanding his business to Japan, since the
country's also experiencing a rapid rise in international sports rankings thanks to its talented
athletes, specially in soccer."

"You want me to arrange a meeting between him and Mikage Reo." Sae stated.

"Yes, if that's not too much trouble for you." She gave him an awkward smile.

Isagi kept his face neutral when Sae's eyes traveled to him. His personal feelings didn't matter
when it came to work. He shook his head.

"I'll have it arranged, then."

"I'd like to walk home tonight." Isagi said, closing the door as Sae rested on his seat. The car
window was lowered.

"Is it because of Kaiser?" He asked.

Isagi nodded.

"Who is Kaiser to you?"

Isagi's lips thinned, his stomach knotting though he knew it was coming. Kaiser's introduction and
later attempts at conversation (which Isagi avoided like the plague) were simply too suggestive for
them to be merely old friends.

Might as well get this over with. "He's my ex."

"Oh." He didn't sound surprised.

"It's been over a decade since we broke up. I'm over him. It's just that we didn't part in the best of
terms so..I need some time to process this, is all."

"I'd imagine that it would only slow down your progress if you walk home at this weather." Sae
dryly replied.

Isagi quirked an eyebrow. "You've been joking alot more today." But a smile broke on his face.
"Don't worry. The suit you ordered is the coziest thing I've ever worn. I doubt I'd freeze over even
if I went to Antartica."

"Only the best." Sae smiled slightly. Dear God, having a smile that pretty should be a sin. He felt
his cheeks heat and fucking hell, this wasn't the time.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Isagi said, legs aching to rush away like some teenage girl.

"See you." He replied. Isagi followed his leg's command.

The sky was the color of warm black, the void that you see when you nuzzle yourself in your
mother's embrace. It enveloped Tokyo's neons, gave contrast to its towering spires and skyscrapers
and domes and buildings. Little shops lined the streets, people ambling in and out or past them.

A soccer match was playing over an electronic store's screens, Nagi Seishiro, King of Japanese
Soccer, raising his fists as he scored a goal that led to Japan's victory against Germany. Isagi
imagined what it was like to be him at that moment, the overwhelming joy that suffocated him and
evaporated every sore and strain he felt just a minute ago.

He shook his head and looked at his suit. No pointless fantasies.

"This is Mikage Corporation's Executive Secretary Tsurugi Zantetsu. What do you require?"

"Hello, Zantetsu-san. It's Isagi. Also, I think it'd flow better if you simply just say 'what do you
need?' Using 'require' makes you unnecessarily stiff."

"I heard that being stiff makes you sound smart." Zantetsu muttered over the phone.

Isagi chuckled. "It only makes you less approachable. The fact that you're Executive Secretary
shows your intelligence well enough."

"I suppose." He sounded pleased.

"Mr. Itoshi would like to meet with your boss at Cloud Hotel this Thursday afternoon. They have
some things to discuss, plus he wants to introduce him to someone."

"To whom?"
 "Michael Kaiser." The name tasted like salt on his lips. "He's the CEO of Pinnacle, one of the
world's leading sports companies. He'd like to expand his business and get to know the market
here."

"Huh. I've heard of that name before...Reo doesn't seem to have anything scheduled at the time
too..yes, we'll be in touch. Does 2pm sound good?"

"Yes, thank you very much."

The phone call ended. Isagi turned to Sae, who was ending a discussion with one of the managers
of the company. "They've agreed to meet at 2pm sir."

The manager glanced and spared a smile at him before he left. Sae's back was in front of him.
"Good."

"Will you be ready to face him then?"

Isagi took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Chapter End Notes

Much longer chapter next update. Just needed to lay this out before getting to the juicy
parts.
 Multiple - III
Chapter Summary

It was Thursday.

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

1-3

"Nice one, Isagi!" Bachira exclaimed as he jumped on him, pulling him into a hug that made him
lose his balance and fall to the ground. They laughed, grinning at the cries their teammates let out.
Cries of victory, of relief, of excitement to the nationals they would soon go to.

"Don't push your luck, Bachira." A foot shoved Bachira away from his grasp.

Bachira's smile turned cold. "Jealous much, Fake Emperor?"

"Why would I be jealous of someone worth less than a peasant?" Michael offered a hand to Isagi,
who took it with a frown and stood up.

"Cut it out you two." He said. "Bachira was just too happy that we won. Don't make a thing of it."

Michael opened his mouth as if to say something, but clamped it shut and opted for a smile instead.
"I'm sorry, Yoichi. You know how I get when I'm in a match."

"The match is over, and being an asshole isn't related to a match." He glanced to Bachira who got
up and was dusting himself off the grass that had slathered him. "Apologize to him."

Michael's smile faded. Isagi remained firm. "Apologize, Michael."

Michael stared at Bachira for a moment before saying in a dry, monotone voice. "I'm sorry,
Bachira."

Bachira scoffed.

Isagi opened his eyes to veiled sunlight and a blaring alarm clock. He sighed. What a way to start
the day. He crawled out of his bed, browsed through his closet for something to wear then paused.
A shirt, a little faded and logoed with a large, striking #9 a and a small, brusque signature peeked
between a row of shirts.

"Here. A celebratory gift for our victory and another apology for what happened yesterday: merch
signed by Noel Noa himself." Kaiser winked, laughing softly at his slack-jawed expression.

He moved the striped shirt to the furthest corner. He left it there because it was a waste to throw it
out, but...maybe he should.
Cloud Hotel's decorations on their business accomodations were sparse and vapid, consisting of a
hanging chandelier and potted plants, but he supposed it would do. They were here for business,
not sightseeing.

Isagi felt a sudden need to pee. He told Sae. "Excuse me sir, I need to go to the bathroom for a little
bit." Thankfully, no one was here yet.

He padded through the corridor, eyes wandering through wooden doors with gold-plated numbers,
abstract paintings and warm sconces. He didn't like it. It reminded him too much of another place,
brighter, lined with chairs, but just as barren on rainy nights when he prayed for his mother to
make it.

"Sorry." He said when he felt himself jostle another person. He turned to look at them. He froze.

"It's fine." Kaiser smirked. "You were a million miles away there, Yoichi."

Isagi swerved back, attempting to run away---but a hand pulled him back, firm, unrelenting.

"Let's talk."

"We have nothing to talk about." Isagi snapped, resisting his grip, but Kaiser had always been
stronger when it came to physical strength.

"I've been waiting for you to appear on the U-20." His hand went limp. Somehow, he always hit
where it hurt.

"You know what happened. I needed to pay my mother's bills." He gritted out. "Sometimes, things
don't go as planned."

"I know." Did he hear that right? "So you're his assistant?"

"I am." He could already envision Kaiser's sneer, his disappointment. He hated it when the people
he thought were valuable treasure, major characters in the making, turn out to be fake jewelry and
side characters in the end.

A pause. "It seems he trusts you."

Isagi frowned. "I'm better at it than I'd like to admit." Yet here he was, admitting it. Why was he
admitting this?

"Good for you." What?

"Excuse me?" He turned back to stare at Kaiser's face.

There was a smile there, so sincere, so relieved, and so, so familiar he felt he was sixteen again.
"I'm glad you're doing well."

Michael let go of his hand and walked to the meeting room. He remained still, frozen in time, until
an itch in his pants reminded him of his destination.

So much for a toilet break.

I'm sorry.

The words lingered on Kaiser's tongue, always there since the day he met Isagi again, wanting
release, but never leaving. There were so many opportunities, so many chances. All those apologies
practiced in front of the mirror seemed to drain away when met with the real person.

Since when had he been such a coward?

Sae Itoshi's gaze landed on him upon his arrival. He was the second one here, it seemed. Or third,
counting Isagi who went out for who knows what. Then it left as if disappointed. He sat to the right
of the chair across him. He wondered if he knew about their past relationship and how it ended. If
he did, then it was stupid for him to allow this meeting to happen. Had he been who he was in the
past, this meeting would've blown on his face. And it wasn't as if he was the only one who
could've made that happen. Isagi clearly held grudges, grudges he could've acted out on.

Did Isagi lie? He wasn't that type of person. Outside of soccer (where he brutally ruined the dreams
of his enemies and Kaiser loved him for it), he was kind to a fault.

But Isagi had changed. He was no longer the highschool boy he loved and abandoned. He was
older, more jaded and more cunning if the discussions that took place when Rosette requested this
meeting was anything to go by.

"How long has he been under your employ?" He asked.

Itoshi observed him before answering. "Seven years." Four years after they broke up.

"What's he like?" He leaned closer to the desk.

"Why are you asking?" Itoshi's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I..want to know if he's still the same person I knew. If he still likes what he used to like. Or
dislike." That wasn't an answer, Kaiser knew. Still, Sae seemed to consider it.

"Responsible. Capable. Intelligent. Perceptive. Versatile." The words rolled seamlessly from his
mouth. There was conviction on it, trust, and..a fondness Kaiser knew all too well.

He should've known.

He heard the stories. Sae Itoshi was cold. Ruthless. He treated everyone with arrogance and
indifference. Not even his own brother was exempt from that treatment. Yet the man he met that
night was different. Too soft, even with his stoicism. Too agreeable for a man of high esteem. He
thought that maybe it was that they were just tall tales and lost interest, but...maybe it was, but only
when Isagi Yoichi was around.

"You like him, don't you?" He narrowed his eyes.

"He's one of the best assistants I've met." Itoshi said.

"You know what I meant." He scowled.

"What does it matter to you?" Kaiser could tell he knew the answer to that even though he asked.

"He's--" mine.
Itoshi stared at him, and Kaiser could swear there was something mocking about it.

"Tell me that when it isn't only your delusions."

This fucker----

The door creaked open. Isagi's gaze raked the room, pausing for a moment at Kaiser's half-
standing, half-sitting position before ambling to Itoshi's seat. Just like before, he sat right next to
him. Kaiser returned to his seat, pretending nothing happened. Everyone was also doing the same.
No encounters in the hallway, no brawl that almost took place. Only a meeting that was about to
start. Though there were still 10 minutes before their arranged schedule, Kaiser felt as if Mikage
Reo was awfully late.

"Apologies everyone for the delay." Mikage smiled apologetically. He was right on time in spite of
his words. It was common courtesy for businessmen to arrive earlier than their expected arrival,
and Reo also abided by that rule. It seemed that there was an exceptional reason as to why. He
didn't disappoint. "There was so much traffic as I went here. I also fetched someone in Shibuya, so
I'm sure you know how that went."

He glanced at the person between him and Zantetsu. The person he fetched in Shibuya, most likely.
Isagi recognized him. Nagi Seishiro, the man whose match he'd seen just yesterday. He didn't look
at any of them, eyes merely focused on Kaiser.

"I'd like to introduce you to Nagi Seishiro. I believe you recognize him. He's the #1 player of
Japanese soccer, and he's interested in meeting one of the major sponsors of Bastard Munchen,
who he deeply respects as a rival."

"I heard you were one of their players once." Nagi said, something he didn't know about Kaiser. If
Kaiser was going to become one of their associates, he should begin looking into him now.

Kaiser laughed. "It's a bygone era now, but I can help you meet them outside of matches, if you
want. We're still friends."

"Even when they're discussing their strategies?" He asked.

Kaiser's lips curled into a teasing smile. "I'm afraid that's out of my jurisdiction." It stretched,
turning predatory. "And I don't like seeing Bastard Munchen be taken advantage of, especially by a
sewer rat from a backwater country."

There was the Michael he knew. The last one had been too strange, too fake. Maybe that encounter
was really just a dream, materializing because he was stressing too much about Kaiser's existence.
Why Kaiser acted nice in that dream, he didn't know. Didn't want to know.

Nagi didn't seem fazed by the insult. Mikage and Zantetsu frowned.

"Yet you're here in this backwater country." Nagi continued. His gaze was just as predatory as
Kaiser's. "You know we can beat you."

Isagi could feel the blood pounding in his ears.

 You know we can beat you.

How many times had he said that to hundreds of opponents in the past?

When their nerves tensed up, realizing that this wasn't as easy of a match as they thought. When
they realized they underestimated a bunch of kids who made it to the nationals solely because they
looked scrawny (Kunigami being the exception).

He missed it. He missed it so, so much that he would be riled up by Nagi's provocation to Kaiser's
face made in a hotel without a single field in sight. Or for miles and miles away. But maybe it was
because it was said to Kaiser's face that it affected him so much. Maybe the days when they said
that together still slithered around his memories.

Everything he lost felt nearer, achievable since Kaiser returned.

"Nagi, Sir Kaiser." Mikage's voice hardened. "We're here to make friends, not foes."

Kaiser shrugged, leaning back on his seat, while Nagi found one for himself. Zantetsu handed out
the papers he held. The meeting began in earnest.

"What's your favorite color?" Sae asked as they stood in the elevator.

"Blue." That was a no-brainer. "Why do you ask?"

Silence.

"...I realize that I don't know much about you." He muttered, close to a whisper, vulnerable. "I'd
like to get to know you better."

Chapter End Notes

Sometimes I find myself making Sae ooc by making him talk about something subtly
because that's how characters of his archetype usually are. Then I remember that
canon Sae is blunt as fuck and change all that dialogue to something more
straightforward. The flirting and personal feelings side though..well, that's a bit
different.

I won't be able to upload as much as school's continuing tomorrow, but I'll try to make
sure that ya'll get at least one long chapter a week. Longer than this one, since I'd have
so much time to write it within that timeframe.
 Isagi Yoichi - IV
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

It was his turn to fall silent.

What was it with everyone not acting like themselves today?

"Why?" He blurted out.

Sae cocked his head. "You're my friend."

Friend.

The word sounded foreign from Sae's tongue, though Isagi had repeated it too many times to
count. Friend. It was only just friend yet Isagi's throat constricted, begging him to release that cheer
of joy he fought against and almost lost to.

Sae had never called him friend. It was always my assistant. And while the title brought a sense of
pride, a sense of how much he had achieved, it was cold, distant. Not personal. Not what he
wanted. Not what he needed.

Maybe he hadn't spoken for too long.

"Was that too intimate?" He asked.

Isagi spluttered. "Uhhh..no. It's unusual is all. You never called me that before."

"I should start calling you that then."

"But---"

"I won't call you that on business occassions, of course." His voice softened. "But you're more than
just an assistant to me."

If Isagi didn't know him any better, he really would've gotten the wrong idea.

Isagi's mouth opened and closed, wanting to refuse, wanting to deny that title for the sake of
formality that Sae never cared for but he did, but goddamn it was this what he wanted---well,
maybe more but this was a step. A step he would remain at, no more, no less.

"You still haven't told me about yourself." Sae pointed out. Ah. Right.

"As I said, I like blue. Light blue especially." Interacting usually came as naturally as breathing.
But now, he felt like he was suffocating. In a good way. If suffocating was ever a good thing. "My
favorite food is kintsuba. I like walking around.." He laughed awkwardly. It wasn't something he
easily admitted, since many found it odd or silly to like, but Sae's gaze was beguiling. There's
patience there, interest; no judgment in his tastes, seeming as enthralled by his words as Isagi was
by his eyes.

"...Autumn is the best...My favorite animal is lobsters..If it was my last day on Earth, I want to die
eating kintsuba and drinking tea..."
"What about you?" Isagi asked. Just as his boss never pried for more personal information unless
strictly necessary, so did he. It was a line between them, a rift, one that distinctly reminded him of
what their positions were. What couldn't be. Yet Sae was crossing that line now, and he didn't
know what to feel about it.

"I don't like French Fries. I like looking out at the sea." Sae paused. "My favorite show is Chibi
Marukochan."

His surprise must've shown.

"It reminds me of home whenever I'm watching it abroad." It sounded slightly defensive.

"No, it's just..that's really cute." Wait. Holy shit. Did he just say that out loud?

"Oh." Sae said, after a while. Was that a blush? The elevator stopped and Sae walked out, going at
a pace that Isagi had to jog to catch up to.

He really shouldn't have said that out loud.

Isagi threw his bag down the carpet and sprawled onto his bed. Then, realizing his mistake,
stretched his arms to grab the case and opened it, heaving a sigh of relief seeing that none of his
things were broken. He took out his laptop, settled his bag down more carefully, and began his
research of Kaiser while laying on his stomach.

Michael Kaiser

Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle

Michael Kaiser is a German Businessman who had been CEO of Pinnacle since 2026. He was
once part of the world-famous German football team, Bastard Munchen as their captain, and
though he quit to inherit the family business, he still remains a major sponsor today.

A picture of a group of men standing and posing with grins and smiles on their faces appear on the
related searches below. Kaiser and Noel Noa were the only ones he could recognize.

It was strange. Years ago, in what felt like another lifetime, he would've known the names of all
the players in their roster. Bastard Munchen was his favorite team, the team of the person he
looked up to the most, yet now he was out of touch. He didn't even know that Kaiser joined,
though knowing Kaiser, he probably made it to international news.

He scrolled down. Is Michael Kaiser single? He paused, huffed out a laugh. If only they knew
what type of person he was. Yet he found himself clicking on the downward arrow.

Michael Kaiser had dated famous celebrities such as Elaine Warren and Jane Winston in the past,
but all his relationships had been short-lasting and left on a bitter note. He hasn't entered a
relationship in the past few months and is currently single.

He stared for a moment before continuing surfing.

It was a fortunate thing that Bachira's arrival was scheduled for the weekend. He sat in the airport's
waiting room, rapping his feet against the terrazo floor as he watched the sun rise and dapple
across the asphalt runway and landing aircraft, muting the sky with purple and yellow and orange
hues, blinding Isagi's view with its transitory beauty.

That was why he didn't notice him at first; the lower locks of his hair and wide eyes blending with
the background. It was only when he stepped out of the light's reach did he see him, and Isagi rose
from his seat, awaiting his approach.

Bachira wore a navy hoodie and loose pants, weaving through the relatively small crowd while
scanning the terminal. Their eyes met. Bachira beamed. He quickened his steps, almost running.
Bachira pulled him into a hug before he could, wrapping his arms around him so tightly Isagi could
swear he was going to crush him.

"Bachira..can't..breathe.."

"Whoops!" Bachira laughed, pulling away. "Sorry Yoichi. It's been so long!"

Isagi huffed in exasperation, though he couldn't help the smile that made its way on his face too.
"It's only been a week, you know."

Bachira shrugged. "Felt more than that to me."

"How was the tournament?" He asked.

Bachira grinned. "We won!"

Isagi remembered the days he visited his dorm. How Bachira and his teammates looked back then.
Focused, determined. Staying up over midnight and barely taking a break for practice sessions.
"Congrats." He said, and he truly meant it.

"Thanks." Somehow, he felt as if the smile he gave him then was even happier than the grin he
showed him earlier.

"What about you? How have you been?"

"The same as usual." Isagi replied. That was a lie, but he didn't need to know that. Not when it
involved Kaiser. That was a disaster waiting to erupt. "Did you eat yet?"

"No." He said, then paused. "Does canned pineapples count?"

Isagi sighed. "You're not supposed to eat that for breakfast." He said. "I saw a coffeeshop nearby.
Wanna go down there and grab a bite?"

"Sure."

The shop was small, humble with its warm browns and faded whites. It was cluttered, the space
between the stools and the shelves barely a few meters apart, yet the disorganization of it all was
what made it so distinct from the other shops around. It gave it a sense of coziness found only in
the haven of a bedroom yet seen by your parents.

Bachira ordered for the two of them---he knew what he wanted, anyway---Mocha Coffee for
Bachira, Caramel Frappé for him---and they sat near the corner, out of sight, out of ears.

They talked about life; how Bachira's game went, his teammates and enemies' strategies. They'd
laughed about how one of them, a guy named Raichi, accidentally left his underwear out in the
open for the team and manager to see. Isagi's work, his scheduled meetings and complaints about
his coworkers.

They were completely mundane compared to Bachira's tales, yet Bachira seemed completely
engrossed, leaning so close he could feel his breath whenever he laughed, sunshine eyes never
leaving his own.

The waitress came, placing their orders down. Isagi thanked her, and the waitress smiled, saying
"Have a good date!" before leaving.

...Wait, what?

He wanted to correct her, that Bachira was his best friend, but she already left and all he could do
was splutter.

He glared at Bachira, who was trying to cover his blatant snickering.

"You know Yoichi, with how many people tell us that whenever we enter a coffeeshop, we might
as well make it true."

"Don't be a tease."

"We'll make a good couple! I mean, imagine: A famous pro gamer dating the main assistant of one
of the richest men in the world. It's primary news material. Wouldn't that be cool?"

"Since when did you become a journalist?"

"If it means making the lady's dream come true, since now." Bachira winked. "So? What do you
say?"

"That you should drink your coffee before it gets cold."

Bachira stared at him as if he was trying to determine whether he was serious or not. He sighed.
"Seriously.."

"What?"

"Nothing. Let's drink!"

He and Bachira went to his dorm afterwards. No one was there, which was unsurprising
considering that they were at break. He dumped his luggage in his bedroom before leaving and
continuing their wandering of the city. The city beyond was a stark contrast to the airport's
tranquility and the coffee shop's homeliness. It was loud, crowded, exotic and alien to the two-story
houses just a street or two away.
 They were roleplaying the tourguide and his tourist, Isagi pointing at whatever building he saw and
telling Bachira both important and random trivia he knew while Bachira played along, pretending
as if this was the first time he learned of them.

"And this is..?"

Isagi's gaze landed on the building. "A convenience--"

A ball

Behind you

A person chasing it---

Isagi swerved and kicked the ball that rolled to his feet. It went flying, the man following after it
stilling with widened eyes.

Shit.

It was bad enough that he did that on instinct.

It was even worse when the man trailing it was the man he met just a few days ago, Nagi Seishiro,
a good friend of Sae's business partner and the #1 football player of Japan.

Chapter End Notes

I want to show you all Sae's and Reo's pov so badly, but..not now. It has to wait.
Besides, Reo isn't even relevant yet lmao.

I might write a Bachira pov because his pov of their airport reunion is cute asf.

Also I can finally add the Bachira x Isagi tag lets gooo

And Nagi x Isagi next chapter *wink wink*

-

You know, with the start of a new year and a new quarter, I thought school was going
to go smoothly..I thought that I wouldn't really be busy since there doesn't seem to be
much things to do..and then I actually went and got dumped with a bunch of projects, a
test, and an exam. Fuck. I really did think that I'd have the time to write over 5k
words..

On the flip side, I'm one of the top students and I'll be getting an award tomorrow
so..that's great.

Frappés my beloved..there was a coffeeshop near my old school four years ago. It sold
frappés that were absolutely fire. Like, they were SO good, and cheaper than
Starbucks.

Then the pandemic came and it closed down.

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