Third Selection – Five-Man Room
After finishing their showers, everyone sat on their beds, discussing the match they had just played.
"Even though we won that match… aside from Ryan, we were completely helpless against them."
Chigiri wiped his hair as he recalled the game.
"Yeah. After coming to Blue Lock, I thought I'd gotten stronger, at least strong enough to clearly understand my own level."
Aryu wrapped his long hair in a towel, looking just like an elegant noblewoman.
"But for some reason… maybe because we were playing against people I've only ever seen on TV this was the first time I truly felt what 'world-class' really means."
Bachira clenched his fist, a sharp contrast to his usual cheerful self.
"I get it. The world's number-one striker… it's no longer just some fantasy."
Aryu felt the same and nodded in agreement.
Kunigami, standing nearby, also nodded.
"It's far away… but it definitely exists."
"…And somehow, it doesn't feel that far either."
Chigiri silently argued back in his heart and looked toward Ryan, who was lying on his bed playing on his phone.
But Ryan, as if he had some kind of spider sense, suddenly turned his head, caught Chigiri sneaking a glance, flashed a goofy peace sign and then went right back to his phone.
This guy… is seriously beyond saving.
Chigiri looked at Ryan, who seemed completely unaffected by everything, and thought bitterly that the world should just hurry up and end. He'd honestly welcome it.
Who could have imagined that such a carefree, unreliable person would possess such terrifying strength strong enough to completely suppress world-class players on the field?
When someone is only a little stronger than you, jealousy is inevitable.
But when their strength far surpasses yours so much so that you can't even see their back
all that's left… is admiration.
That was exactly how Chigiri felt toward Ryan now.
In that match, only Ryan shone brilliantly, overwhelming one world-class player after another.
Meanwhile, I was crushed by sheer power so shocked I couldn't even move.
As the match went on, all I could do was watch Ryan face them alone, cheering him on from behind like a mere spectator.
And at the end… when facing Loki, I was so terrified I couldn't even resist. My mind went completely blank.
If Ryan hadn't arrived in time to save me, my fate would've been the same as that of a powerless husband helplessly watching the ball get stolen by Loki.
Still… being able to compete against such overwhelmingly strong opponents he should feel happy.
Through this match, at the very least, he wouldn't become complacent just because of a slight improvement in strength.
It made him realize how vast the gap still was between himself and world-class players.
So the fact that Ryan could achieve that… was truly incredible.
To me, the world is still something I yearn for.
But to Ryan
it's already something he's trampled beneath his feet. A defeated foe.
Chigiri believed that only someone like that could become the world's number one.
But that didn't mean he would stop here.
Ryan… I won't let you leave me behind.
I will catch up to you.
Third Selection – Second Stage
Language Learning – Communication is Power
Those words appeared on the screen.
The room soon filled with Bachira's voice as he read aloud.
"Sunday, Momday, Tuesudaye… We…"
Bachira thought for a moment, then finally wrote down a word.
"Wednesuday?"
Ryan, sitting beside him and guiding him, felt a bit speechless at Bachira's self-invented vocabulary but still patiently corrected him.
"It's Wednesday. Aside from Sunday, you pronounced everything else wrong. Also, don't read English using Japanese pronunciation; it sounds really weird."
"Huh? But I'm Japanese. I only know Japanese pronunciation."
…This world is hopeless. Just destroy it already.
Ryan stared lifelessly at a German vocabulary book in his hands.
Don't be fooled by how carefree he looked sleeping through classes, playing football after school, then going home to play games or going on dates with his girlfriend.
He had been ranked first in his grade for years.
By now, he had already mastered six languages: Japanese, English, Spanish, Russian, German, and French.
He was only flipping through the German vocabulary book because he had nothing better to do.
After all, this was study time playing on his phone would distract others, and he wouldn't enjoy it himself either.
" Ryan, when introducing yourself, is it better to use I'm instead of My name is? Is that true?"
Kunigami asked while holding his notebook.
Just as Ryan was about to answer, Aryu leaned in.
" Ryan, when I lightly bite my tongue Th… is that how it's pronounced?"
Aryu's saliva nearly sprayed onto Ryan's face.
Meanwhile, Chigiri quietly listened to the audio practice nearby.
He decided to start with listening comprehension first.
" Ryan, what should we do? Isn't My name is still better?"
"Th Th Th… is this right or not?"
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