Chapter Text
When one lived their life according to their destiny and followed the natural aptitude nature bestowed upon them, existing on this planet was harmonious and without major strife. Of course, there would be sometimes small hitches and ditches that attempted to bring one to fall, but being in a harmonic relationship with one's destiny usually was enough to reduce the impact to small stumbles and brief moments of uncertain balance. Regaining equilibrium was an easy task, and so was the continuation on one's path that lay ahead.
Vivian Hugo had lived according to that rule ever since he was a small child, already aware of his destiny and the most suitable way to live his life despite his still tender age of two years back then. In the years that followed, never once did his belief fail him. If anything, he was proven right time after time again. He met people who defied their destiny and, as a result, struggled with everything they touched.
When he pointed out the obvious flaws, those unsuitable people would snap at him at first, but sooner or later, they would come crawling back to him and ask for his advice. It was the same in soccer, even when the creatures known as strikers were more violent than others. However, Vivian didn't care about such pointless acts of violence. If anything, it was another proof that he was right and they were not.
That was the simple and only conclusion one could draw after witnessing their struggles caused by their unsuitable way of living.
With such a strong faith in his belief, there was no room for the concept of irony in Vivian's life. Irony meant something had strayed away from its preordained path, which caused a whole bunch of follow-up events that were just as hawire. For someone who lived for the sake of his destiny and the logic that followed after it, irony was not a term that should exist in his world. It was solely reserved for those living unsuitably.
Yet, as Vivian stood in front of the gates of the building labelled in big, bold letters with BLUE LOCK, for the first time in his life, the burgundy man felt a foreign emotion wash over him, an emotion that was most likely the irony he had stayed away from in his life so far.
His expression remained neutral while his mind wandered back to the prior day and the match France had against Japan within those walls. Japan had a good, well-balanced team. Underestimating them could have resulted in unexpected events, which was why Vivian stressed that every member of his team played to the best of their abilities. Not only that, but he also created countermeasures against every single player of Blue Lock to shut them down before they could get dangerous for France.
More than anything, though, they capitalised on the one major flaw Blue Lock had, a role that Vivian took upon himself by marking their ace Isagi Yoichi.
In Vivian's world, Yoichi was one of those people who lived unsuitably by striving for something that was out of his reach since the moment he was born. He did not have the physical specs to be a number one and was far more suited to be the number two and a midfielder, just like Vivian himself. In that sense, Yoichi was no different to all the other people Vivian had encountered in the past, although he admitted that Yoichi did surprise him when he openly admitted that he was aware of his own shortcomings for the dream he was chasing after.
Other than that, Yoichi was no different from all the others. He was simply struggling because he defied his destiny. That was all there was to it. Or rather, that should have been all. And yet, Yoichi was the culprit for Vivian's presence in front of the gates of Blue Lock, the very reason why his destiny had gone astray and resulted in the experience of his very first sense of irony.
In the final moments of the game, Yoichi suddenly underwent an unexpected transformation in the middle of the match. Vivian instantly noticed the shift in his demeanour, and it gave him goosebumps all over his body. Was this the real Isagi Yoichi or merely the last lashing out of a cornered animal? In either case, Vivian found this transformation absolutely fascinating and thus went along with it.
In the decisive attack, Yoichi, in an act of pure egotism, enforced a battle of nothing but luck on Vivian, a fight that sent another wave of fresh goosebumps throughout his body. It was a strange sensation because his skin tingled all over at the prospect of betting everything on a single card. It was crazy and normally not something Vivian would accept, but witnessing Yoichi's true form made him do it anyway.
Besides, there was no way his destiny would lose to Yoichi's luck. Vivian had lived his life rightfully until now, never once failing at something he touched. He was the chosen one of destiny and believed in it as no one else did. It was impossible for him to lose to someone like Yoichi, who lived so unsuitably. So he moved when Yoichi did, the outcome clear in his mind.
And yet, when Yoichi flicked the ball in the direction opposite to the one Vivian had chosen, the direction destiny had picked for him, everything came crashing down. In the battle of his destiny against Yoichi's luck, the latter emerged victorious, thus proving himself superior to Vivian.
For the first time in his life, the cogs of his destiny stuttered and malfunctioned. Being the loser of the battle, Vivian had no other choice but to watch in pure and unfiltered bewilderment how Yoichi went past him and made his shot, a shot that would have scored if not for the unexpected interference of Itoshi Rin. Both hit the ball at the same time, which made the shot course unclear. As such, it hit the goalpost instead and fell to Loki seconds later, who zipped through the field and scored another goal for himself, thus ending the match 4:2 in France's favour.
Despite the win, Vivian felt not an ounce of happiness swell inside his chest. How could he when his destiny had been crushed by Yoichi a few minutes ago, leaving him behind with his whole world in shambles? Not only that, the mad egotist called out to him not to run away from his destiny, his destiny that got devoured and was now inside Yoichi's stomach.
That night, Vivian had a restless sleep in which his mind constantly went back to the match, recalculating and re-evaluating all the events that led to his loss. No matter how often he ran the simulation, he always came to the same result.
Yoichi won, and he lost. That was the simple and undeniable truth behind the outcome of their fight. To Vivian, this was a reality-shattering event because the loss of his destiny against Yoichi could only mean one thing.
His theory of living suitably by following his natural aptitude and becoming the number two in the world was wrong. In other words, the one who had been living all this time unsuitably was not Yoichi. It was him. He was the one who had been living all those years unsuitably.
When that realisation struck him in his core, Vivian felt lost for the first time in his life. Where his path had been so clear before, it was now shrouded in a dark mist that made it impossible to see through it. Therefore, Vivian had to take baby steps as he walked through this unfamiliar territory, only for his feet to catch on a little bump on the ground. Unable to break his fall in time, he ate the dirt at his feet, another first for him.
Looking up, his face now covered in mud and filth, Vivian understood how lost he was and how devastating his defeat at the hands of Yoichi was. Before meeting this crazy egotist, his life was in order, but now, after being devoured by him, none of that remained. It made him bite his lips in complete and utter frustration, his teeth digging into the tender flesh until the metallic taste of his own blood filled his mouth.
For the remainder of the night, Vivian tossed and turned in his bed, unable to find an ounce of rest. How could he when his whole life had gotten smashed to bits? When morning came, Vivian barely looked like a winner of a match in the World Cup. His burgundy hair was an uncombed mess, his long eyelashes were curly and twisted in every direction, and he had dark, prominent circles under his eyes. Not to mention, the raw flesh of his lips that carried the indentation of his teeth was painfully visible.
Why he chose to get breakfast in person instead of ordering room service was honestly a question he could not answer. With how he looked, it was hardly a surprise that his whole team fell silent the moment he walked through the door. Not only had he overslept, an occurrence that was so far uncountable because it had never happened before, but he looked like a dead man walking on top of that.
Needless to say, this earned him a whole bunch of raised eyebrows while Charles poked fun at him for having a wild night with a groupie to celebrate their victory the prior day. If only he knew.
Vivian ignored all comments directed towards him, which quickly turned from amused to concerned when he stayed unresponsive. He merely ate his dry croissant in silence, not because he was hungry but because he knew his body needed the nutrients. That was the only reason he forced himself to chew on the baked grain.
While he slowly nibbled on the French treat, his mind was lost in itself, still running the same calculation over and over again, only to always arrive at the same conclusion. Yoichi won. He lost. It had become a living nightmare for him at this point, one that seeped through the machinery inside his brain and caused malfunctions all over until some bits began to catch fire before exploding in a violent flash of destruction.
Vivian could watch in real life how his entire world turned to dust, all at the hands of Yoichi, who lived so unsuitably and yet still scored a win against him, proving that his destiny logic was false.
At some point, he had left the cafeteria and returned to his room, where he mindlessly lay on his bed. With his hands crossed behind his head, Vivian stared aimlessly at the ceiling, ignoring every call and every knock on his door. His mind was racing marathons as he tried to make sense of how he could have lost to something as illogical as luck and how his destiny theory could have been wrong.
He went through every major event in his life so far, and through the small ones too. From the day he was born to the moment his brain understood the concept of destiny and natural aptitude, when he saw his first ever soccer match. His mind sorted through all the memories about people who were full of flaws, flaws he discovered easily and pointed out.
Were they really flaws, though?
Vivian had never once doubted that he was right and that others were not. However, with the crushing defeat against Yoichi under his belt, the midfielder wasn't so certain anymore about the past and corrections he had given.
Do this to get that. Behave like this to charm that person. Improve in that area to get better at that.
It was easy for him to give profound tips to those who asked for his aid because it was all painfully obvious to him.
What if all of his advice was wrong, though?
It was another moment of doubt, another moment where Vivian suddenly felt uncertainty wrap around him like a thick blanket in a freezing winter season, clouding not only his vision but his judgment, too.
What if every word, every action, every achievement of his past life had all been for nothing? What would he do in such a case?
For the umptenth time this day, he went through another first, another moment where Vivian felt lost and helpless.
And with every spiralling thought his brain mulled over, with every new moment of doubt that arose in him like a festering illness that had nested inside him for years but only broke through now, and with every new calculation that delivered the result he already knew, his mind wandered back to one singular person, the root cause for all his troubles.
Isagi Yoichi
He was supposed to be a nobody. If Vivian felt generous, something he never did because it was unsuitable behaviour, he would allow Yoichi to be a small hitch in his destiny. However, he turned out different from what he expected, a grave miscalculation that had cost Vivian everything, leaving him behind with nothing in his hands aside from complete and utter defeat.
That Blue Lock's philosophy came crashing down alongside his destiny theory was hardly a win for Vivian. He strived for perfect victory and nothing else. Mutual destruction was the farthest from his ideal vision of achieving his dream.
Yet, he couldn't deny one thing. In their battle, Yoichi had undeniably devoured him. There was no way of avoiding that reality. At the same time, wanted or not, this had also tied Vivian to Yoichi whether he liked it or not. Because his destiny was not gone. It was inside Yoichi's belly, serving now as nourishment for the other's mad ego. He could still sense it, could feel how his destiny was slowly digested inside the egotist's digestive system.
Maybe that was why, after staring at the ceiling of his hotel room for hours, Vivian decided he had to see Yoichi again. He had told him they would meet again, and he was serious about that. Vivian wasn't one to lie even if he lay defeated in the dirt. Call it pride, but he would never step so low as to lie to someone's face. Truth be spoken, though, the midfielder hadn't planned their promised second meeting would be this soon.
It was a minor detail, though, and somehow fitted into the whole irony of the situation, so Vivian paid it no more mind. Stepping through the automatic doors, he was hit by the cold wave of the air conditioning running full throttle to protect the inside of Blue Lock from the relentless summer sun.
Using his devoured destiny like a linchpin on his internal radar, Vivian walked with confidence through countless unfamiliar corridors and hallways, following the increasing beeping sound inside his mind. Even with his destiny ripped away from him, some of his basic skills remained intact, so he was able to locate his aim with ease.
It didn't take long before he arrived at one particular corridor that had only one door attached to it. His inner radar was pointing to the inside of that room, and fittingly, Vivian heard voices coming from the inside. The earbuds he had brought along translated what was said. One voice stood out to him because it belonged to the egotist he came here for.
"I'm so frustrated, I could die," Yoichi admitted to the other person inside the room, which Vivian assumed was Itoshi Rin.
Vivian had no particular thoughts about Sae`s younger brother. He had some talent, but other than that, he didn't stand out much in Vivian`s view. And to be quite frank, he was in the way right now because Vivian wanted to see and chat to Yoichi. With Itoshi Rin around, however, this was hardly possible.
Therefore, instead of entering the room, he leaned against the wall on the outside and waited for his turn. Surely, this wouldn't take too much time until these two were finished with their talk. One might accuse him of eavesdropping, but it was really only Itoshi Rin's fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Like that, he listened to the ongoing conversation, gaining more insight into the flaw in his world as Yoichi spoke in a strict, self-analytical way, devoid of any emotion. Vivian liked that self-reflective side. Yoichi delivered the reason as to why they had lost the match in his eyes, before he began to explain the new discoveries he had made during his battle against the midfielder, not knowing that the other teen was standing outside the room only a few metres away, feeling a weird sense of giddyness and pride that he was as much on Yoichi's mind as the other was on his.
The egotist then went on to talk about the new concept of "Ego Idiosyncrasy" and explained what he meant by such a weird-sounding term. Vivian, who listened in calm reverence much like Sae's younger brother did, found it oddly befitting for Yoichi to come up with a word that only made sense to him. Blue Lock's ace really couldn't be summed up in known terms. In a way, it spoke of the danger that Yoichi emitted, and Vivian wondered if he had paid closer attention and noticed this underlying threat that hid beneath the petite and pretty appearance sooner, whether he would have still lost in the enforced luck battle or if he could have thoroughly crushed Yoichi instead.
In any case, Yoichi's explanation of his view on the match was like a treasure trove for anyone willing to listen with an open mind. Lost as he was, Vivian soaked up all the details the egotist offered on his own accord. However, as fascinating as Yoichi's view was, something swelled beneath his words that made Vivian frown, a deep furrow telling that something was terribly amiss in this whole situation. And by that, he wasn't referring to his eavesdropping. It was something else, something that didn't fit the image Vivian had of Yoi-
"Gee, thanks," Yoichi suddenly huffed at something Itoshi Rin had said.
"Basically, what I'm trying to say is for me to become the world's best striker... I need your larger-than-life ego, Rin."
Vivian almost choked on his breath when he heard that, his eyes widening in surprise. What-
"...so you can devour me? I'm not even on the starting lineup anymore."
"You'll get your chance. I'll make one for you, Rin. In this match against England become our last missing piece to save Blue Lock."
Vivian's mouth opened as those words washed over him like a ferocious, gargantuan tidal wave. If not for every muscle in his body tensing at the same time, he would have sagged where he stood and collapsed on the floor. He could hardly believe what Yoichi had just said. He needed Itoshi Rin and his ego? And that he would create this chance for him? Vivian's brain faltered at those honest declarations, the metallic cogs and wheels in his mind stuttering due to malfunctions again.
What the hell was this supposed to mean? What did Yoichi mean when he said he needed Rin's ego and would create a chance for it to shine? Why did Yoichi of all people make such an unreasonable claim after everything that had happened on the pitch during their match? What was Yoichi thinking?
Vivian felt flabbergasted, almost as if someone had slapped him harshly across his cheek and stunned him into deafening silence afterwards. Yoichi's words sounded familiar, too familiar. They were so familiar to Vivian because it could have been something he said.
Needing someone to make his dream a reality? Creating chances for this person to shine during a match? All of those were words Vivian would say about his chosen striker with whom he wanted to achieve what nobody else did: winning the World Cup four times and dethroning Pelé.
For that means, he had chosen Loki as his chosen one, and everything had gone according to Vivian's imagination... until Yoichi ruined it all.
In a single moment, he had torn down everything Vivian had built up throughout his life, pushing him back to square one.
Vivian had accepted that reality, had accepted that his theory was no good and that he had to find something new. So why was Yoichi, the one who had shown that bitter truth to him, now saying the exact same things he did the prior day? Why in the world would he do that?
The words were different, but the meaning? The same. Needing Rin to make his dream a reality because he was not suited to be a number one, only a number two? Exactly what Vivian had talked about yesterday. Creating chances for Rin? The same as submitting himself to the position of a midfielder, the number two on the field, so that the number one could sparkle and bewitch the world with his plays.
His past self from yesterday would have been happy about this development, seeing as his theory was proven correct once again. But now? One day later? After he tasted the despair of defeat? All Vivian felt was pure devastation as those words came from Yoichi's mouth, not his. Hearing such words from the crazy egotist bewildered Vivian more than he dared to admit because Yoichi shouldn't talk like that. He shouldn't say that he would move for the sake of someone else because that was the complete opposite of what he had embodied throughout the whole match.
That theory, that way to live your life. Yoichi had been the one to destroy it, so why was he now talking about doing the same? Why was he contradicting his own ego? That made no sense to Vivian because Yoichi should know the result. He had revealed it himself after all.
Vivian's head was spinning from this unexpected turn of events. In a move that was contradicting his whole being, or what was left of it, he pushed his body off the wall and turned towards the door, shamelessly walking inside and making his presence known in a pure and driven by instinctual desire move.
Itoshi Rin, who was facing the entrance, stiffened the moment he saw the midfielder walk into the room. He frowned instantly because that bastard was stalking around like he owned the place, causing Rin to snarl at the other teen.
His reaction was completely ignored, given that Vivian noticed it in the first place. The way his void-like onyx eyes were fixated on Yoichi's back suggested he didn't acknowledge Rin's presence at all, treating him like he was nothing more than a meaningless pebble that stood between him and his destiny.
After taking a few more steps into the room, the tall, burgundy teen came to a halt. He noticed how Yoich's neck shuddered, likely taking notice of his presence. The muscles in the egotist's neck flexed as he was about to turn and see what the disruption of one of the calm moments he shared with Rin was about. Before he had the chance to execute the motion, though, his ears were suddenly assaulted by English words with a strong French accent that almost made him jump out of his skin.
"Do you really mean what you just said, Isagi Yoich? Or is this merely a tasteless and unsuitable joke?" Vivian asked in what had to sound like pure bewilderment to the other two teens. His normally emotionless eyes were gaping wide and intense, the edges of his retinas chaotic from a strong sense of both disbelief and uncertainty. After all, there was always the chance his earbuds translated Yoichi's native language incorrectly, which could lead to unfortunate moments such as the one he suddenly found himself in.
"Hugo?" Yoichi breathed in complete shock at the midfielder's sudden appearance. He had been so engrossed in his talk with Rin that he hadn't taken notice of Vivian's incoming presence. As such, he was completely caught off guard. He blinked several times to ensure he wasn't imagining the bulging form of the midfielder now blocking the exit to the yoga room. No matter how often he repeated the motion, Vivian didn't turn into dust. That meant he was really here, in the flesh, looking at him with those intense dark eyes once again.
Yoichi shuddered under the burning glance, his body and his back in particular still remembering the events from yesterday all too well.
"What are you doing here?" Yoichi asked, still feeling overwhelmed by the sudden shift inside the yoga room.
Hugo opened his mouth to reply, but stopped himself beforehand. It looked as if he had just remembered something important, an action he had to deal with first before he could proceed. And he did. Pulling out one of the earbuds, he threw it in a perfect arc towards Yoichi, who caught the tiny device just as gracefully. Looking at it, he shivered where Vivian's remaining body warmth seeped through his skin.
Even without saying it, Vivian's intentions for giving him the earpiece were as clear as day. Whatever it was, he wanted to talk. Knowing the midfielder, though, it was probably another load of bullshit he wanted to spill over him. Yoichi was not in the mood for that, so he hesitated, caught between accepting the request and denying Vivian's advance.
"I told you yesterday we would see each other again, didn't I, Isagi Yoichi?" Vivian intervened with another sultry line of French English when he saw Yoichi's doubts. Wishing to see his coming here bear fruit, he interveined on his own behalf.
"As it has turned out, next time is already today. Don't deny me now, Isagi Yoichi," Vivian added, keeping his gaze locked with Yoichi's.
"After all, I came here specifically for you."
Yoichi narrowed his eyes at that detail, and against his better judgment, yielded to Vivian's demand. He would definitely regret this, but his curiosity what this was about got the better of him. If he didn't grab this opportunity by the back of its head, he would think about the missed opportunity for years to come.
Popping the earbud into his ear, Yoichi sighed: "Alright, Hugo. What do you want from me? Must be something really big if you came here just to see me. Or do you want to gloat over your win? In that case, I'm out of this room and-"
"It's none of that, Isagi Yoichi," Vivian interrupted, throwing off Yoichi's tantrum before it got too serious. "To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what caused me to come here," he said then, his gaze turning distant for just a moment. Because why indeed. Why did he come here in the first place?
Yoichi blinked in surprise. "You don't know? Are you for real?"
"Why are you so surprised, Isagi Yoichi? This is your fault after all," Vivian answered in return, his gaze back to locking with Yoichi's own.
"I assume I was hoping the moment I saw you again, things would make sense again, but I'm afraid they do not. If anything, I feel irritated at the moment," Vivian continued, not caring how Yoichi would take his words.
Naturally, he scoffed at the admittance that the midfielder felt irritated after seeing him again. This feeling was mutual, and he already began to regret his choice for humouring the meddling jerk this long. This had been a bad idea from the beginning, and he felt stupid for falling for it.
"I feel the same, you jerk. If that's everything you have to say, then see yourself out. I have some yoga to do, and with your ugly mug around, I can't concentrate properly."
Surprisingly, Vivian hummed in return, seemingly pleased with this kind of response. It ticked off Yoichi only more, berating his past self for making such a poor choice. He was in the process of ripping out the earbud, but Vivian's next words put a halt to his motions.
"I see you can't stop thinking about me either. It is illogical, but I'm feeling rather pleased about this admission, Isagi Yoichi."
"Hah?" Yoichi bristled. "What the fuck are you talking about? As if I would think about you any longer than I have to, you meddling jerk! Don't pull the wrong conclusions here!"
Another hum. "And yet, you're not denying the general fact that you're thinking about me."
"I..." Yoichi began but stopped himself from continuing. He hated himself for it, but in the past twenty-four hours, his stupid brain had been haunted by the nasty grimace of Vivian more often than he liked to admit. Whenever he thought about the match, his thoughts automatically spiralled back to Vivian and how annoying and... awesome he had been. For the love of god, Yoichi would never turn out to be like that midfielder, but he acknowledged the strength Vivian had obtained by living according to his destiny theory.
"One more thing, Isagi Yoichi. My irritation doesn't stem from seeing you again. In contrast, I feel a sort of jubilance about meeting you again."
Once more, Vivian was making no sense to the egotist. He was talking and talking and talking nonstop without a pause between his words. Did he try to drown him with them or something?! Or was it something else? Yoichi really couldn't understand Vivian, no matter how hard he tried.
"You're making no sense to me, Hugo."
It was how he honestly felt about the current situation. Vivian was standing right in front of him, close enough that Yoichi could smell his cologne and hear the beating of his heart, but at the same time, he seemed so far away, almost as if words were separating them.
"That is my line, Isagi Yoichi," Vivian replied, pulling the egotist away from his spiralling thoughts. It was only now that he noticed how the air inside the yoga room had suddenly become a lot thicker to the point it felt suffocating.
Vivian's posture had changed, too. It was tenser now, stiffer than before. His gaze was more penetrative, too; those dark onyx eyes staring at him, through him. Yoichi swallowed the urge to gasp at the sudden shift, wondering what had changed.
"What is it now?"
Vivian didn't reply immediately. Instead, he continued to look with that searching gaze. Only after what felt like hours, he finally answered.
"Earlier, I said I had no idea why I came here, and that was true. However, that changed after I heard what you said to him."
Bobbing his head sideways, Vivian pointed at Rin, who had stayed silent so far, not wishing to become a part of this conversation.
Yoichi followed the motion with his eyes, looking between them. Then realisation struck him.
"You were eavesdropping?!"
"No," Vivian denied, pointing at Rin. "It's simply his fault for standing between you and me."
"Leave me out of this," Rin groaned.
"Doesn't matter! You were eavesdropping, and that's a fact! Are all of you foreigners like this?"
"Call it whatever you want, Isagi Yoichi. It matters little to me. More importantly... what you said. Do you really mean it?"
Vivian had to know. He had to know whether Yoichi truly meant those words or if all of this was merely a tasteless joke.
"What the fuck are you talking about? Of course, I meant them! To win the next match, Rin and I need a new chemical reaction, and for that to happen, I need him and his ego on the pitch."
Yoichi yelled those words, clearly getting agitated again by Vivian's antics. Unlike before, the midfielder didn't act to stop his tantrum, though. He was too stunned for that, too surprised that Yoichi was serious about the declaration he had made earlier and repeated moments ago.
He needed Rin and needed to rely on him. Vivian had known Yoichi for merely the ninety minutes plus the few minutes of additional time during the match, but even then, the midfielder could tell there was too much need in what Yoichi said. It didn't sound like him at all, not when he was always talking about his ego. Under that premise, relying on others and needing them wasn't something he should say. And that was what irritated Vivian because it sounded too much like his destiny theory, the theory Yoichi had destroyed and devoured.
"How unsuitable, Isagi Yoichi," Vivian countered after the former's emotional outburst. "To think in your fright of losing you would even forego your own ego that you praised so much during our match. How disappointing. I expected more of you, Isagi Yoichi," Vivian continued, each of his words a sharp blade that cut deeply into Yoichi's skin until the red blood from his veins was gushing out in a morbid stream of copper.
For better or worse, in the span of a single football match, Vivian Hugo had already mastered and perfected the art of riling Isagi Yoichi up to the point where the shorter of the two was moments away from swinging at the tall, burgundy-haired midfielder the moment he opened his mouth.
"Shut the hell up, you meddling jerk! My choices are none of your concern! Fuck off already!" Yoichi bellowed back in unbound fury that matched the image of him grinding his teeth together in a poor attempt to keep himself in check. In a way, Vivian found it fascinating how Yoichi tried to keep his cool, playing it off as if Vivian's comments didn't affect him at all. The simple truth, however, was that the midfielder's words were getting to him. They were doing quite efficiently, too, in digging in all the spots that left the biggest destructive impact on Yoichi.
Therefore, it was no surprise to Vivian when Yoichi suddenly jumped to his feet and shoved his face so close to his own that the latter felt the other's heat on his skin. Blue eyes of a deep ocean-blue were swirling from countless emotions clogging in a big lump that was equally breathtakingly beautiful and a sore and nasty view to Vivian's void-like stare.
Despite how tense the air inside the yoga room was between the three of them, Vivian stayed perfectly calm, showing no signs that he was faced with anything at all. Not the stuffy air impregnated with the stench of stale sweat and the underlying tension that came with the potential abolition of Project Blue Lock, not the aggressive behaviour Yoichi was showing while he bared his fangs like a wild animal and not the poor choice he was about to make.
Nothing managed to break through Vivian's calm demeanour, his poker face warding off Yoichi's furious and emotionally overloaded charge with a graceful ease that left Rin as the sole observer to their exchange speechless.
Vivian Hugo was one of a kind as much as the teal-eyed teen hated to admit that. His meddling was equally annoying as his own brother's behaviour, and he wasn't sure how he should feel about it.
"And that's where you're wrong, Isagi Yoichi. The choices you make do concern me."
"Hah? What the fu-"
Yoichi's reply was cut off when Vivian's bulk suddenly moved. A large palm placed itself on Yoichi's chest before he gave him a strong push, causing him to stumble backwards until his back hit the wall. The harsh impact squeezed the air out of his lungs, and he gasped as a result, desperately trying to regain the air he had lost.
His thoughts came to an abrupt end then when he felt something warm and big slip under his shirt, caressing the bare skin of his tummy. His brain short-circuited at the unexpected touch, and it took him embarrassingly long to regain his composure and understand the new situation.
Vivian, as if it was the most natural action to take, had slipped his stupidly big hand under his shirt and was rubbing his tummy with soothing circles, his long and tender fingers brushing over his skin. Yoichi hated himself for it, but he squirmed, mentally unprepared for such an... intimate touch. Sure, Bachira had been touchy-feeling with him from the beginning, but Vivian was crossing so many lines all at once while still looking like the most composed man alive. Yoichi hated it, hated this meddling jerk!
"You... fucking pervert!" Yoichi roared, the last of his restraints snapping apart. He lunged at Vivian, but his fist was caught before it could reach the fucking jerk's jaw. Yoichi lunged with his other fist then, but that too got caught by the tall midfielder before both of his hands were slammed above his head, pinned down by Vivian with his stupidly big hand. Fucking Europeans and their fucking tall sizes!
"Don't play dumb with, Isagi Yoichi. Have you already forgotten what you did?"
"What the fuck are you talking about?!"
"This."
Vivian pressed his palm harder against Yoichi's stomach and felt the blubbering gurgles from his last meal tickle his fingers.
"You devoured my destiny, and now it's right here inside you."
To underline what he meant, he tentatively brushed over Yoichi's navel with his thumb, rubbing conceptless forms into the heated skin of Yoichi's tummy.
"Whether you like it or not, we are bonded together by my destiny now."
For a moment, Yoichi didn't know how to reply. Something was seriously wrong with this guy. He had thought he had seen everything because Blue Lock was full of crazy but also weird people. None of them could compare to Vivian, though.
"Fucking creep! You're totally nuts!"
Yoichi was still struggling and squirming beneath Vivian's touch, unable to fight off the midfielder with his larger and bulkier frame. Yoichi wasn't dissatisfied with his size, but right now he wished he was at least one head taller.
"But you're the one being nuts, Isagi Yoichi," Vivian breathed, displeased at the misplaced accusation.
"Huh?"
"Yesterday, you proved that my destiny theory is false by devouring it completely. You went even as far as calling it bullshit. And yet, here you are, saying similar words my past self would have said."
Yoichi blinked, surprised. "What are you talking about?"
Vivian huffed. "Isn't that obvious? The words may be a bit different, but at their core, the meaning is the same. Needing someone else to fulfil your dream? Creating chances for them to shine? Where is the difference between that and what I've been doing all this time?"
Leaning forward, Vivian forwent every bit of the remaining personal space between them, placing his forehead on Yoichi's. Their strands tangled and their noses brushed, each inhaling what the other exhaled. Then...
"Don't tell me after devouring my destiny theory and proving it wrong, you are about to repeat the same mistakes I did, Isagi Yoichi?"
Yoichi gasped, namely for two reasons. Firstly, he finally understood what Vivian was trying to tell him, that he was hinting at the possibility that he had overtook the midfielder's concept of destiny and natural aptitude, meaning he willingly reduced himself to the number two on the field while choosing Rin as his number one. Such bullshit! He would never do that! He would never become the same as Vivian!
Yoichi felt infuriated, but all his anger was suffocated by the proximity of Vivian's face to his own. With his advanced senses, it was like there was no space between them whatsoever. He could feel the heat from Vivian's body on his own, sensed the beating of the other teen's heart on his skin and smelled the sharp, but pleasant, flowery cologne he used. The contact was intense, more intense than anything else he had experienced so far. It made his head hazy, Vivian's presence working like a magic drug on him.
Yoichi was so close to losing himself in the sensory overload that pulled at the strings of his brain, but then Vivian opened that annoying mouth of his again, spewing another load of bullshit.
"Don't go and disappoint me now, Isagi Yoichi. I have high expectations of you in the future, so you would best drop this unsuitable act immediately."
Those words were enough to drag Yoichi out of his stupor. Instantly, blind fury overtook his features, and he snarled like a feral animal.
"As if I would ever be like you, you creepy jerk! Also, let go of me already before I force you to!"
"Not until I have ensured you scrap this way of thinking," Vivian shot back, unimpressed.
Yoichi snarled again, and having reached the bottom of his patience, he was done showing mercy. Therefore, he kneed Vivian straight into his guts, and when that wasn't enough for him to loosen his grip, the egotist kicked him in his shin, twice for good measure.
Yet, Vivian persisted, which only further infuriated Yoichi because he knew it affected the midfielder more than he let on. He felt how the fingers around his wrists curled tighter with every attack and heard the suppressed grunts rattling inside Vivian's chest. A soccer player's legs were strong, and while they were mostly made for kicking a ball, they could also be used in this way.
"Stop your pointless struggling already. Just commit to dropping this false act and-"
"As if I would let you tell me what to do and what not!"
Another attack came, this time a stomp with his heel straight onto Vivian's foot. It pulled a hiss from the midfielder and finally had the desired effect. His grip loosened, and Yoichi instantly used the chance to slip free from the Frenchman.
"Fucking asshole," Yoichi spat in pure distaste.
Not wasting any more time on this meddlesome jerk, he stomped towards the exit without looking back even once.
An angry Vivian and a stunned Rin both watched as Yoichi stormed out of the yoga room in blind fury. A string of obscene curses echoed in the corridor soon after, speaking of how riled up the egotist was after his talk with Vivian, if it could even be called that.
Rin had known Yoichi for a while now, and he knew the small striker had quite a mouth on him, but even that knowledge was not enough to prepare him for the scene he bore witness to moments ago. It was enough to leave him speechless, for he had no idea how he should react. He was completely stupefied in every sense of the word.
In the next moment, it was all blown away when Rin suddenly shuddered from intense pressure that assaulted him like gravity itself. He swallowed at the sensation, and when he turned towards the source, he found Vivian glaring at him. So far, he had been ignored by the midfielder, an act he found equally annoying and relieving. Now, however, Vivian's undivided attention was resting on him, and Rin couldn't find it in himself to consider this as a good thing.
Those emotionless eyes staring at him were blazing with unbound fury, although Rin had done absolutely nothing to the midfielder. Not during the match and not during this random encounter. The glare he received was completely undeserved, but Vivian seemingly didn't care about that.
"Itoshi Rin," the midfielder drawled dangerously low, the pronunciation of his name heavy with the midfielder's French accent. Taking one step forward, Rin became a real-life witness to how this cold-hearted robot's eyes turned into a dangerous red. Not only that, but the mechanical parts of him began to fall one after another, initiating a transformation Rin would have preferred never seeing.
The peeling parts revealed countless weapons beneath the metallic surface. The moment they saw the light of the world, energy began to flow through them as they began to awaken one after another. The noises of beeping and metal scratching across metal echoed inside the yoga room, each sound making Rin's ears bleed.
Rocket launchers, machine guns, giant ship cannons, and rail guns. There was not one type of weaponry present in this transforming robot that turned from a soccer-playing jerk into a living machine god of war and destruction. Worst of all, all those weapons were pointing towards Rin, making his eyes widen. Again, what did he do to this crazy bastard? Dealing with ten Yoichi's sounded more appealing than dealing with this robot freak.
Vivian took another step forward, entering what Rin considered the zone where he had to decide whether to fight or flee. His choice was obvious, so he rose to his feet - or rather, he tried to. Vivian moved faster than he did, a large and strong palm grabbing his shoulder and pushing him back down on the floor. He cursed and was about to throw a punch at the other, but in the next moment, the same hand that had pushed him down wandered to his head and roughly fisted his hair between its fingers.
Then Vivian pulled.
"You bastard!" he seethed in fury, unable to believe this was happening to him.
Vivian ignored the curse, lifting him higher until he was forced to his knees in front of the midfielder. He leaned down then, and his lips parted.
"Dans l'état où tu es en ce moment, tu n'es qu'un poids mort qui le freine," Vivian breathed, not caring whether Rin would understand or not.
In the state you’re in right now, you’re just dead weight holding him back.
"Si tu n'arrives pas à changer ta façon d'aborder le football et que tu continues à le freiner, alors…"
If you can’t change the way you approach football and you keep holding him back, then…
Vivian leaned in, similar to how he had done earlier with Yoichi. Rin gritted his teeth when the midfielder's sharp cologne slapped him across his face. He wanted to spit into his face, but the firm grip Vivian still had on his greenish hair prevented him from retaliating in any way. The best he could do was glare back, which was unfortunately not very much.
When the annoying midfielder's lips were on the same height as Rin's ear, he parted his mouth and delivered one final line.
"Arrêter le football."
Quit soccer.
Vivian retreated after he had said what he wanted, loosening his grip on Rin's hair until he released him. Then, without sparing Sae's younger brother a second glance, Vivian left the yoga room too, his robotic steps echoing in the corridor.
Rin was left behind in stunned silence and a hurting head, wondering what the hell had just happened.