(cr: anonermis - 7 Minutes, ao3)
Today's training session was canceled due to equipment issues, and Ego allowed Blue Lock to take a break.
Not wanting to waste their vacation, the guys decided to throw a party. They just took over one of the biggest rooms in the Blue Lock building, brought in a bunch of pillows and blankets, and for drinks, they had some random sodas from the vending machines and old sweets. It was more like a sleepover than a party. Still, it was nice to relax like this. Almost everyone was there. No arguments, no tension on the field, no coaches...
Kaiser and Ness arrived late and uninvited, claiming that they were "just curious about the lingerie-stealing party." Ness immediately went to fetch snacks and drinks for them, while Kaiser leaned against the far wall, arms crossed and head tilted, idly observing the "party." He wasn't sure whether to be impressed by their foresight or amused by it.
He feigned boredom. However, his gaze remained fixed on a single figure.
Isagi Yoichi.
The party reached a lull. The noise died down, giving way to fatigue.
And that was it.
Someone suggested playing Seven Minutes in Heaven. At first, everyone was hesitant - after all, they were with guys, and getting stuck in a closet with another guy wasn't a pleasant prospect.
But still the game started. It wasn't about the kisses - it was about the pressure, the awkwardness, the intrigue. The bottle spun, the couples disappeared into the hallway, where there was a closet in the locker room. More than one couple returned after seven minutes, laughing or bickering, bumping shoulders, without any tension. Just silly fun.
And the sight of Isagi leaving the room with Reo made Kaiser tense up. He was sitting in the same place, his hands resting on his knees, his fingers slightly curled. But his jaw was clenched. His leg twitched once and then stopped.
When Isagi returned, Kaiser didn't look at him. However, he had already headed towards the circle to join the hellish game, surprising even Ness.
Therefore, as soon as he headed towards the circle, everyone noticed it. The conversations ceased. Heads turned. Even Nagi opened one eye with vague interest.
Everyone knew that Kaiser and Isagi didn't get along.
They had witnessed their arguments on the field. The stubborn silence at team meetings. The way they looked at each other before a match. It was as if they were ready to kill each other in a matter of seconds, or... do something completely different.
The corners of Kaiser's lips curved into a smile. He knew he would win this silent, unspoken competition.
He was no stranger to this game.
He had already played "Seven Minutes in Heaven." At real parties, where there was no smell of sweat or lemon wipes. Then he learned this trick: to control the bottle with a single wave of his hand, to tilt the bottom on an uneven surface, to calculate the rotation with just enough randomness to deceive the crowd and land exactly where he wanted.
He leaned forward slowly, placing two fingers on the neck of the bottle and allowing everyone in the room to watch him.
His eyes never left Isagi.
Not once.
The bottle danced across the floor.
Silence.
Kaiser did not smile. He did not smirk or gloating. His eyes were fixed on Isagi long before the bottle chose him.
He just leaned back again, calm and composed, his eyes fixed on Isagi, as if the game was already won.
He stood in a relaxed position, slightly tilting his head, as if it didn't matter at all. As if he hadn't deliberately set up this whole turn so that the bottle was looking directly at the only guy in the room, Isagi Yoichi, who made his blood boil and his head spin.
“You're not cowering, are you, Yoichi?” The question was rhetorical. They both knew he wouldn't. “Dann los.”