The movie began, and Utaha turned her attention to the screen.
Ryan Hoshino sat beside her, trying to focus… but after just ten minutes, he was already bored out of his mind.
"Utaha," he whispered, "this plot is so boring. Don't you feel sleepy?"
She didn't look away from the screen. "It's fine. You just need to calm down and appreciate the art."
"'Appreciate the art'? The plot makes no sense! The second girl likes the first guy, the first guy likes the main girl, the main girl likes the second guy, and the second guy likes the first guy! What is this, a love pentagram?"
While complaining, Ryan slouched back in his seat. Since the theater was empty thanks to Utaha renting it out, he stretched his legs across the row, lifted the armrest between them, and gently laid his head on Utaha's smooth, soft thighs.
"Ahh… comfy."
Utaha glanced down, stroking his hair. "You really like using my lap as a pillow, huh?"
"Mhm. It's soft and warm. Perfect."
"Hey, stop moving around, it tickles."
"Oh? Where does it tickle?"
"Not that kind of tickle, idiot. Your hair's brushing against my thighs."
"I meant that kind of tickle! You're the one with the dirty mind."
From his current position, Ryan's line of sight was… limited.
All he could see were two perfectly curved hills blocking his view upward.
"I can't even see your face," he muttered.
"Of course not," Utaha teased. "Your favorite pair of mountains are in the way."
"Can I touch them then?"
"Eh?! Here? No way!"
"Oh come on, there's literally no one else here."
Ryan turned his head sulkily, pressing his cheek against her stomach instead.
"You look like a spoiled baby right now," Utaha laughed. "I should take a picture."
"Go ahead. Just don't post it online. If my family or friends see it, I'll never live it down."
"Don't worry, I won't. This one's for my eyes only no one else gets to see my adorable boyfriend like this."
But when she lifted her phone, she realized Ryan had already fallen asleep on her lap. His face looked peaceful, almost childlike.
Utaha smiled softly, took a few pictures, then leaned down and placed a tender kiss on his cheek.
"Good night… my dear boyfriend."
Morning After the Movie
By the time the credits rolled, nearly two hours had passed.
Utaha gently patted his cheek. "Wake up, Ryan. It's over."
Ryan blinked awake. "Huh? Already? That was fast."
"You slept through the whole thing," she said, amused. "An hour and a half."
"Damn, I wasted the ticket."
Utaha smiled warmly. "It's fine. I only rented out the theater so we could be alone. As long as you were comfortable, that's all that matters."
Ryan stretched, yawned, and stood up. "Let's go. The others are probably waiting by now."
They got into a car and headed to a five-star hotel.
When they arrived at the presidential suite, Ryan knocked on the door.
"Coming!" a familiar voice called.
A moment later, the door opened. Mai stood there, wearing casual clothes and a faint smile.
"You guys are here. Yukino arrived half an hour ago."
Inside, Yukino sat elegantly on the sofa, reading a book.
"Yo, Yukino! Long time no see," Ryan greeted with a grin.
"…Didn't we just meet this afternoon?"
"Yeah, but it sounds cooler when I say it like that. I've decided this is my new greeting style."
They all sat down. For a while, no one spoke.
It was strange each girl was used to being alone with Ryan, but now the four of them together created a heavy silence.
Eventually, Ryan broke it. "So… who's showering first? If no one volunteers, I'm going."
Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed a towel and disappeared into the bathroom.
The three girls sat quietly, awkwardness filling the air. The sound of running water echoed from inside.
Utaha was the first to break.
"I have a photo none of you have. Want to see?"
Yukino raised an eyebrow. "What, a selfie? I've got those too."
Mai joined in. "Yeah, same. I've got plenty."
Utaha smirked. "Oh no, this one's special. Way rarer than any of yours."
She pulled out her phone and showed them the picture of Ryan fast asleep on her lap at the theater.
"See? Ryan sleeping on my lap. Adorable, right?"
Both Yukino and Mai leaned closer, eyes wide.
"Wow… he looks so cute, like a little kid," Mai murmured.
"Right?" Utaha said proudly.
"How did you even get that picture?" Yukino asked.
"He got bored during the movie and fell asleep on me," Utaha said smugly. Then she added, "Oh, and he also asked if he could touch my chest but I refused."
Mai chuckled. "He didn't ask me that. But he did drag me into a grove earlier and kissed me."
Yukino glanced down at her own flat chest… then at the other two.
In that silent, invisible contest
Yukino: Defeat.
She crossed her arms. "He tried to kiss me too. I even closed my eyes and waited, but he just stared at me and laughed! Only after I got mad did he finally do it."
Utaha giggled. "He did that to me as well. Said he just wanted to 'see my lipstick color.' I ended up crying before he kissed me."
Mai joined in, smiling shyly. "For me, I kissed him first. Then he kissed me back. My legs almost gave out afterward."
Ten minutes later, Ryan emerged from the shower wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.
He stopped when he saw the three of them deep in discussion.
"Whoa, what's all this? You girls having a summit meeting about me?"
Mai turned to him, eyes wide.
"Why do you always look good from every angle? Even your bad side's handsome. It's ridiculous."
"Right?!" Yukino said. "It's unfair. We can't even take an ugly photo of him."
Utaha nodded. "Even his sleeping face looks like a magazine ad."
Ryan grinned smugly. "Of course! I'm the universe's number one handsome man. Taking an unflattering picture of me? Impossible!"
The girls turned and instantly froze.
The towel. The muscles. The sheer confidence.
Their faces went bright red.
Mai was the first to regain composure. "Hey, could you maybe… not walk around half-naked when there are girls here?"
"Why not? You're all my girlfriends. You can look all you want. Heck, want to touch?"
He sat down casually.
Mai hesitated… then reached out, unable to resist, and poked his abs.
"So hard…"
Yukino gasped. "Hey! No fair, Mai!"
Utaha smirked. "Oh? Then let's all touch."
Within seconds, the three of them had swarmed him, hands exploring, laughter filling the room.
"Wait hey! Don't pull the towel!" Ryan shouted, trying to fend them off.
"Hehehe, no use resisting, junior-kun~"
When the chaos finally settled, each girl went to shower in turn.
The Morning After
By the time dawn broke, the first sunlight fell across Ryan's face. He opened his eyes slowly, pushing aside the arms and legs draped over him.
He checked his phone two hours left before he had to return to Blue Lock.
After a quick shower and a call to order breakfast for four, he went back to the bed and gently shook them awake.
"Rise and shine, sleepyheads. Sun's up."
Mai cracked one eye open, groaning.
"Five more minutes… We went to bed so late. How are you this energetic?"
"Because I'm built different," Ryan said proudly.
After some effort, he finally managed to get all three up just as breakfast arrived.
They ate together, though the girls looked exhausted from… well, last night's activities.
Yukino was the first to speak. "When are you leaving?"
"Right after breakfast."
Utaha pouted. "So soon? Feels like you just got here."
Ryan smiled, ruffling her hair. "Don't worry. I'll come see you again as soon as I can."
After eating, the girls walked him to the door though none of them had the energy to go farther.
Ryan kissed each of them gently on the forehead.
"The next time you see me," he said confidently, "I'll already be standing at the top of Japan. So wait for me."
"We believe in you," the three replied together. "Because you're Ryan Hoshino the strongest."
Ryan grinned. "Then I'll be off. See you, girls."
"Take care," they said in unison.
Return to Blue Lock
Back in the car, Ryan leaned back, closing his eyes for a short nap.
To be honest, the night before had been more exhausting than any match he'd ever played
but somehow, he felt stronger for it.
When the car finally stopped, he stood before the massive steel doors of Blue Lock.
"Open sesame," he said dramatically.
Silence.
"Hey, Ego! Don't tell me you're still asleep! Open the damn door!"
After a moment, a familiar voice echoed from the intercom.
"So noisy. You're surprisingly energetic for someone who supposedly spent the night… occupied."
Ryan smirked. "That's called natural talent. Now stop talking and let me in."
"Fine, fine," Ego muttered. The doors slowly opened.
Training Hell
Inside, Team Z was in the gym, finishing a brutal two-hour endurance run.
As soon as they stopped, gasping for air, the door burst open.
"Blue Lock, your king has returned!" Ryan announced dramatically.
No one responded. They were too exhausted.
"What's with the zombie faces? Shocked to see your beloved captain again?"
Only Reo and Kunigami had enough strength to mumble, "Welcome back, Ryan."
Ryan joined the workout immediately.
2 PM: Core and resistance training two sets, one hour each.
4 PM: Weight training.
6 PM: 100 sprints.
8 PM: Dinner.
By the third day, everyone was dead on their feet.
Isagi even tripped during a sprint.
"Come on, Isagi! Get up!" Ryan shouted as he blew past him.
Isagi stared after him, panting. How is he still moving? Is this guy even human?
By day four, several players were throwing up during training.
And then, day ten arrived.
At 6:30 a.m., the lights flicked on, and the loudspeakers crackled to life.
"Attention. The First Selection is now officially over. All advancing players, report to your building's central underground chamber immediately."
Relief washed over everyone.
Finally, they thought. It's over.
They gathered, exhausted and hollow-eyed, joining players from other "buildings" who looked just as dead.
Ego's face appeared on the massive screen.
"Hi, my little unpolished gems. Congratulations on surviving. I'm sure some of you have already realized there are no other buildings. There never were.
There is only Building Five in Blue Lock."
A shocked silence filled the room.
"I made you believe you were the lowest-ranked group," Ego continued. "I wanted to see you struggle, desperate to prove yourselves. That desperation… is what creates a striker."
Cries erupted:
"You're kidding, right?!"
"Are you playing with us?!"
"This is insane!"
Ego smirked. "Exactly. I wanted to shatter your fragile self-confidence. I wanted to forge ambition to create the hunger that drives the world's best forwards.
Look at players like Noel Noa, the man the world calls the strongest striker. Born in the slums of France, raised in crime and poverty. His only way out was through a ball.
The same goes for countless strikers worldwide. You pampered Japanese players could never understand their desperation to score.
That's why you're here. To learn that hunger.
You all came here because you wanted to destroy players stronger than you. Because you believed you could win. That ego that selfishness is what can change the world."
He paused, smiling eerily.
"Now, the Second Selection begins.
The First taught you to turn zero into one to discover your meaning as strikers.
But from here, in our most advanced facilities, you will turn one into one hundred.
There are five stages in this selection. Only those who clear them all may move on.
And those who succeed… will join a special training camp with the world's top players chosen by me."
Ego's image flickered.
"That's all. If you're ready, step through the gate before you."
The screen went black.
And thus
The Second Selection of Blue Lock began.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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