VICTORY always tastes sweet; so sweet that [name] swears she could never get tired of it. The pure rush of adrenaline you get when you win a game or any sort of competition is an exhilarating experience. Her grandparents made sure to drill the meaning of victory into her head when her soccer career took off years ago. They told her to savor those victories, to remember how you achieved them, and then some.

Those moments were such treasures to [name], and she would surely remember this one forevermore. As food continues to be spread out upon the table, [name] places a plate of fruits next to the steaks. Not even a minute passes when sudden grabby hands attempt to grab the delicious morsels. She slaps Naruhaya's hand away and he pouts.

"Teieriiiiiii." He whines.

"No. Naughty Naruhaya." She smiles playfully, chiding him with no seriousness. "We have to wait for the others."

He rubs his hand, fake crocodile tears cascading down his cheeks. The girl had to steel herself before his puppy eyes; she was so weak to those. "[name]...you're so mean to me!" He cries.

"It's just manners."

Then she sees everyone else already eating and blinks.

"Nevermind. Eat up, Naruhaya."

The boy scarfs down the fruit in his hands, prompting [name] to giggle.

Pillows fly between Igaguri and Imamura, only stopping when Iemon scolds them both, slapping Igaguri's bald head and tugging his ear. "Stop it, both of you! Help us set up for the victory feast!"

"Yeah, you slackers," Chigiri says, hypocritically, with a mouth full of steak. [Name] almost snorts and has to cover her mouth when he glares at her.

Kunigami leans down, a sheet slung over his shoulder, with a teasing smirk. "Eating a little early, aren't we?" Chigiri only hums in response, chewing with unexpected elegance.

"Can somebody grab some drinks from the cafeteria?" Kuon asks.

"Sure!"

[name] waves at them, "Ooh! Let me help, too!"

Bachira laughs, "the more the merrier!"

The walk to the cafeteria isn't far, and soon the three of them are there, filling up water bottles while engaging in light conversation and listening to Bachira crack his usual jokes. After filling up more than a dozen bottles, they all stand in front of them, satisfied with their work. Bachira stands beside Isagi, with [Name] on the other side of the jet-black-haired boy.

"Do you think we have enough?" Bachira asks, looking at both Isagi and [Name], his bangs falling over his eyes. [Name] hums thoughtfully while Isagi grins widely.

"Should be plenty." Isagi raises his head, looking at Bachira with a smile in his voice. "Oh, and thanks for that last pass, Bachira. You basically won us the game."

Bachira screws the lid onto another water bottle methodically, raising an eyebrow and letting out a giggle. "What are you talking about? I wasn't the one who made an awesome play." Isagi makes a noise of confusion, prompting Bachira to continue. "You did. Fact is, I know you, Isagi. You've learned something new, right?"

Isagi breaks eye contact to look down at a water bottle he's holding, his eyes focused on the ripples in the clear liquid. "Yeah. So, I think I understand what my weapon is. And specifically... where my talent lies. Even if I predict a situation using my spatial awareness, it doesn't matter. When I trap the ball, it gives the opponent time to respond, and I lose my advantage. So, then I started thinking back to my other goals."

A sudden flash of memory plays through [Name]'s mind, recalling the goal Isagi made in the game against Team Y that won the entire match.

That stunning direct shot.

Isagi unconsciously smiles, his eyes crinkling in adoration as he speaks. "That's when I realized... All the points I've made have been direct shots. I took what I've done intuitively and turned it into a formula I understand. I feel like... my lifetime as a genuine striker is really beginning!" He balls up his fist and pumps it up, a wicked grin on his lips.

When both [Name] and Bachira don't respond, Isagi stops, his cheeks flushing pink. He places down the bottle and fiddles with the end of his shirt, his voice meek. "Eh... I'm sorry. I got kinda carried away..."

"Don't apologize, Yoichi," [name] smiles tenderly at him. "It's very important to come to that realization. And now all you have to do is carry that formula forward as you go. Besides! Hearing your thoughts like this is really interesting."

"Thank you, [name]." Isagi blushes a bit.

Bachira giggles, "Look at you getting all the praise! Besides, thats a great look for you! Very egoistic."

Isagi scratches his cheek and looks to the side. "You think so?"

"You sure do get our blood pumping," Bachira says, his eyes fluttering closed as he smiles brightly and raises his hand. "Now put it here, you egoist."

Isagi raises his hand, ready to high-five Bachira. "Sure! Right back at you-!!!" But Bachira smacks him in the face instead, causing Isagi to stumble backward and groan in pain. Bachira cackles, his cheeks flushing pink as his laughter fills the room.

With a strained voice and a forced smile, Isagi says, "Thanks for that... Real mature..."

"By the way, [name]. Will you be present with us during the second selection as well?" Asks Isagi after he recovered.

"Sadly, no. I'll be helping Anri and Ego with further planning." [name] says.

"Ehhhh?" Bachira hugs her, making her laugh and hug back. His face digs into her shoulder as he whines, "You can't leave us, [name]!"

"I'm not leaving forever! I'll come and visit," she pats his back rhythmically. "Chill..."

Isagi watches and his eyes narrow, the same icky feeling bubbling up in his chest again. He places a hand on his shirt; where his heart is, and grips it. 'What's wrong with me?'

[Name] and Bachira laugh but that abruptly stops when loud sobbing fills her ears. The three of them watch in silence as people flood the previously empty hallways, walking toward the exit with tears in their eyes and curses flying from their lips.

[Name] did her best to stay in different, but she couldn't help but frown. These boys had their dreams crushed like bugs.

"So, you made it through. Congratulations," a voice says from behind them. They turn around to see Niko leaning against a wall. The doors to the cafeteria, except the one where the players are leaving, are all locked. "It's been a while."

"Niko, hey..." Isagi says calmly, despite having humiliated the boy in their last match.

[name] narrows her eyes. 'Niko Ikki. He's very skilled at analytics on the field. His spatial awareness is just like Yoichi's.'

Niko's voice remains cold. "I survived the same as you-as Team Y's top scorer."

Isagi is clearly unsure what to say, his voice hesitant. "Oh... congratulations."

"Our game... I lost 'cause of your goal, but it gave me the push I needed. Instead of holding back and only passing to others, I started taking shots myself." Niko's expression is hard to read, but his shoulders tense and his lips turn into a frown. "Thanks to that point you made, I'm still here at Blue Lock. I won't lose next time."

Niko's baby blue eyes sparkle in the dim light, contrasting with the shadow across his face. "I'll be the one who crushes you."

Isagi tenses, and [Name]'s eyes dart between the two. The tension is thick enough to cut with a knife. A figurative staring contest ensues, with heated glares burning in their irises. "The reason I made it... is 'cause of you. Our last game-it made me evolve. Niko, name the time-I'll beat you again."

Niko stops, clenching his fists at his sides.

"Guess we'll see," he murmurs before walking away, disappearing into the shadows.

Bachira leans over, his face close to Isagi's, a coy grin on his lips. "You're getting mighty popular, Isagi. How many rivals does that make?"

"A lot," [name] slaps Isagi's back. "At this point, you're gonna have everyone obsessed with you."

Isagi just laughs.

As they approach the door of their room, Isagi announces, "Sorry for the delay, we're back with the drinks-!"

He stops abruptly upon seeing his teammates sprawled out or seated on the floor, completely knocked out.

[Name] smiles tenderly at all the sleeping boys. They must've been so tired.

Walking forward, [name] takes a seat at the table beside Kunigami, crossing her legs and grabbing a pair of chopsticks. She gently nudges Kunigami's head off the table and rests it on his futon.

"Huh? [Name]?" Isagi asks, confusion evident in his voice. [Name] glances up at him, her mouth already half-full with a piece of steak. Quickly adding more side dishes to her bowl of rice, she replies,

"Well? Hungry or not?" She covers her mouth and swallows her food before smiling, her eyes crinkling upwards. "This feast is all for us."

Bachira's eyes widen, and he licks his lips, placing down the bottles he was holding. He slides into the seat next to [name], giggling as he gets close and shovels meat into his mouth. This causes him to choke, prompting [name] to pat his back.

"You need to be careful!" she chides, and Bachira pouts.

After he drinks some water and stops coughing, he begins laughing again. Isagi takes a seat across from both of them, picking up a dumpling with eyes that light up like stars.

[Name] finds herself smiling while chewing on some steak, and before long, everything is gone, plates being left empty as the group laughs the night away.