Julian Loki, Leonardo Luna, Adam Blake, Pablo Cavasoz, and Dada Silva. The world five, and their next opponent. Akira knew all of them, some more than others. But still, he had a well-rounded idea of all of their strengths and weaknesses, their pros outweighing their cons by a country mile.

The curly-haired boy knew that this match-up would be an interesting one, as it would be the first time he would come face-to-face with Dada since leaving Brazil. The pair had always been close, and it was no secret the Brazilian tank was far from happy that Akira was moving to Japan. Going as far as to beg his father to let the younger stay with him so that he could continue to grow in Brazil. The older unwilling to lose someone who he had watched grow up before his very eyes, someone who he saw as a younger brother.

Akira wondered if Dada was mad at him, for leaving. The two had bid goodbyes to each other, but he wondered if he had done that only because the rest of the Brazilian national team and his cousin were there to see them off at the airport. 'Isso é muito estressante para se ter na noite anterior ao jogo' The bronzed teen thought, as he slipped out of the room without alerting the rest of his teammates, looking to find a quiet place to de-stress.

And he did, but what he hadn't expected was for Rin to also be there. Stripped with nothing but his boxers on, doing some simple meditation. Silently walking into the room, Akira picked up a yoga mat for himself and lay it beside Rin's. Before stripping down to his boxers and leaving his clothes neatly off to the side, joining the peaceful mediation session.

The teal-eyed teen seemed to notice his presence, opening his eyes slightly to see who had invited themselves into his private session. Surprisingly he didn't seem to mind, as he silently appreciated Akira's physique, 'I wonder what his routine is?' the Itoshi silently questioned, making a mental note to ask him later. 'I wonder what he would look like under me...'

The intrusive thought caught Rin off guard, as images of the boy beside him flashed through his head. Akira under him, naked, face etched with pleasure, and completely submissive to him and him alone. The thought was enough to make even the strongest man's resolve crumble, he was the definition of sweet temptation. A delicacy so irresistible that one could not help but want a taste, and Rin couldn't help but be one of the many who craved to do so.

Shaking the perverted thoughts that crowded his head, Rin ended his meditation early in favour of stretching out his body in the hope of shaking the aroused feeling that had infected him. With Akira following him, the golden-eyed teen silently followed the teal-eyed teen's lead as the two stretched themselves out.

Once again the Itoshi was left impressed, 'so he's flexible too, that could come in handy' his thoughts once again trailing towards the more explicit side. As his intrusive thoughts left him wondering so much, how many positions they could do before their muscles were sore? how many rounds could they go before one of them got tired? how many times could they make each other cum before their reserves ran dry? how many marks bites and scratches could they leave on each other before the lines of pleasure blurred into pain?

So many questions and scenarios, yet so few answers. The feelings Rin felt should be forbidden, and yet here he was not caring one bit. It had been so long since he felt like this, scratch that he had never felt like this. Ever, yet this angelic being from seemingly out of nowhere had awoken a part of him he didn't know existed. First, he matches him on the field, in skill and in reading of the game.

Now this? It was as if the universe was giving him a sign, presenting him with his equal. Someone who could complete him in every way, someone to replace- No. Someone who could erase his bastard brother once and for all, a person who he could create a new dream with. So together they could make it a reality, becoming the best in the world. Together.

"Your Miguel Ribeiro son right?" The question came out of nowhere, making Akira open his eyes looking at the teal-eyed teen next to him who had now sat on top of his yoga mat on the floor cross-legged. "Yes, why?" Akira joined him in taking a seat, the two taking a slight break before continuing their stretching. "So why not play for Brazil?"

A brief silence fell over the room like a blanket, as both teens looked at each other. One looking for an answer while the other was looking for a response. "I don't know," Was all the golden-eyed teen could respond as he sat in deep thought, Rin silently observing the teen before him. Allowing him to expand on his previous statement.

"When I came Japan, I didn't think was going to play football. The only reason I did was Reo and Nagi, they the reason I came to Blue Lock. Without them me no be here, you know?" The bronzed teen said looking to the Itoshi hoping understood what he was getting and thankfully he nodded, understanding where Akira was coming from.

"But now I here, I guess I realise if I play for Brazil I never be more than Miguel Ribeiro's son. I love my pai, but I want to be known for me not him. So if I play for Japan, it give me a chance to step out his shadow and make path as my own person. Make sense?" Looking to Rin who was silent during his explanation, his expression unreadable.

Little did Akira know, for Rin his words made his heart soar. Finally, someone who was like him, whose journey was the same. Both of them are on a path to exceed their predecessors, they truly were a match made in heaven. "I know the feeling" The teal-eyed teen finally spoke up, looking at the curly-haired teen. Eyes full of silent understanding, "I'm only here to surpass my brother Itoshi Sae, and I will stop at nothing to get there"

"Por que? He seems nice though?" Akira was genuinely confused as to why there was so much animosity towards Sae, thinking back to the interaction he had with him. The bronzed teen found it a pleasant experience, sure he was blunt and not much of a talker. But he just chocked that down to his personality, "He's good at acting, if you ever have the misfortune of meeting him you'll see him in a different light."

"But I have..."

"When?"

"During me day out from Blue Lock,"

"Where?"

"Shopping centre?"

"What did you do?"

"He bought me some jewellery and lunch. Rin, are you okay?"

"Peachy..."

'How dare he,' Rin thought silently seething, his brother just had to insert himself into the mix. To try and ruin another thing for him, just like he always did. No, this time he wouldn't let it happen. At that moment, Itoshi Rin made a silent vow to himself. 'I'm going to destroy him and prove to Akira that I'm better than him. Better than all of them, and that I'm the only one worthy of his heart'

Standing up and offering the curly-haired teen a hand, "We should do the last of our stretches before going to sleep, we have an important game tomorrow." And with that, the topic of Itoshi Sae was forgotten, as the two continued to decompress in silence until they were joined by a third who alerted the pair to his presence with the sound of his shaky breathing.

Isagi Yoichi attempted to follow along with the simple stretches but was clearly struggling. The shuddering and heavy breathing proof of that, "What are you doing?" Rin asked unamused at the blue-eyed teen's attempt to follow along "Trying to catch up to you two obviously, no pain no gain am I right" Isagi said, as he smiled through the pain as best as he could. But it was clear he was out of his depth, and unwilling to admit it.

"You're so dumb" The teal-eyed teen simply said, as he and Akira shifted into the meditative position. "What are you two doing by the way?" The black-haired teen asked, confused at what the two were doing as he followed their movements. "My after-game routine, a yoga cool down and meditation"

"Oh yeah? Is this an everyday thing for you?" Isagi asked in an attempt to learn more, in hopes it would help him improve and grow stronger. "Why do you care, if you're going to be a pest leave?" Rin said annoyed at all of the questions, the blue-eyed teen was asking while Akira simply tuned him out his eyes still closed as he had yet to acknowledge his other teammate, far too deep in the peaceful zen to break it for a pointless conversation.

"But Akira's here"

"He's not a pest, and he can actually keep up. There's a difference, you half-baked NPC."

"I've been wondering this for a while, and never got to ask. You and your older brother, is there bad blood?" Isagi asked these words were met with a confused silence, "What?" was all Rin responded with. "Well, I got that impression" the blue-eyed teen clarified, "You're wrong it's an awkward but healthy relationship, the kind that will fix itself after I defeat him."

Now Akira couldn't tell if Rin actually believed what he was saying or if he was lying to avoid showing any weakness in front of Isagi, either way, this conversation was taking a turn and he wasn't sure if it was for better or worse. Couldn't a man stretch in peace for god sake!

"Wow, sounds complicated. I've got a feeling sticking around you two is going to make me a whole lot stronger, cuz that's how it is with rivals, right?" Isagi said in an attempt to add a friendly dynamic to the conversation but was shot down instantly.

"You're absolutely nothing to me, least of all a rival. In that game in the final moment, yes I lost to you. But I will never let it happen again" With that both Rin and Akira, switched positions into a one-arm handstand. Which left the blue-eyed teen stunned, as they did it with such ease and grace. While he struggled to even get his feet off the ground, a clear sign that the difference in strength between them was larger than he could have assumed.

"H-How is this supposed to be a cool down? bet you this isn't even an actual yoga pose" Isagi managed to choke out, as he huffed and puffed but couldn't do what the others were doing. "I like to call this particular one, 'your never going to beat us'" Rin said eyes dark with a certain sense of superiority, adding the 'us' as if he was staking claim to Akira which only riled the blue-eyed teen up further.

"You such a bastard! Don't you underestimate me! Yup totally my bad, I got carried away" Isagi apologised as his attempt to fling his legs into an upwards position failed, leading to him collapsing on top of Rin. Luckily for Akira, he flipped out of the way. Watching the teal-eyed teen grab the other by his shirt, clearly angry that he had been smushed under him.

"Rin, calmo! Please, violência não é a resposta!" The golden-eyed teen said intervening to de-escalate the situation, which Isagi was grateful for. As he was sure that if he didn't, those would have been his final moments alive.

"Oh by the way Akira..."

"Sim Isagi?"

"Bachira broke your headphones by accidentally sitting on them..."

"QUE?!"

"Don't worry! I talked to Anri and she said she's going to get them fixed before tomorrow's match"

"É melhor que estejam ou vencer essa partida será a última das suas preocupações"