Chapter 27: The Silent Standard
The locker room was a humid box. The air was thick with the chemical sting of aerosol deodorant and the heavy, humid smell of thirteen guys who had just spent ninety minutes sprinting for their lives.
"Out of the way! Out of the way!" Raichi was shouting, shadow-boxing the locker doors. "I'm the one who shut them down! My defense is the only reason we're still in this project! I'm the king of this field!"
"Shut up, Raichi. You almost got a yellow card in the first ten minutes," Gagamaru muttered, sitting on the floor and calmly pulling a stray blade of synthetic grass off his heel.
Eshan sat in the far corner. He wasn't participating in the noise. He leaned his head back against the cold metal, closing his eyes. he was still —the guy who scored a hat-trick and looked like he hadn't even broken a sweat.
Isagi approached him, hesitant. "Eshan... about that goal. You saw my run before I even made it, didn't you?"
Eshan opened his eyes halfway, his silver-gray gaze flat. "The space was open, Isagi. If you hadn't moved into it, I would've just kept the ball and finished it myself. In Blue Lock, nobody waits for you. Keep up or get left behind."
Isagi blinked, the adrenaline of the win cooling instantly. He's not even celebrating, Isagi thought. For him, this was just the bare minimum.
The Cafeteria
The cafeteria was a mess of plastic trays and the sound of the digital ranking board humming on the wall. Team Z sat together, but Eshan sat at the very edge of the bench.
"Man, I'm sick of looking at this #300," Igarashi grumbled, poking his ranking patch. "When do these numbers actually change? I want everyone to see I'm a winner now."
"They don't change until the first selection is over, Igaguri," Kuon said, looking up from his scouting notes. "Until then, we're still the bottom-ranked team in the building. One win doesn't change that."
Eshan looked at his steak—the prize for the high-rankers. It was basic, functional protein. Bachira was sitting next to him, staring at Eshan's plate with wide, hungry eyes.
"Eshan-chan, you're not eating," Bachira chirped, tilting his head. "The monster says it's a waste. Can I have a bite?"
Eshan slid the plate toward him without a word. "Take it. I've had enough of this atmosphere for one day."
"Yay! Eshan-chan is the best!" Bachira cheered.
"Don't call me that," Eshan muttered.
The Friction with Team V
The room went quiet. The heavy doors to the cafeteria swung open, and the "Monsters" of Building 5 walked in.
Team V.
Reo Mikage walked at the front, looking bored but superior. Trailing behind him was Nagi Seishiro, his white hair messy, his eyes glued to a handheld game console.
Reo stopped. He looked at Team Z, his eyes eventually landing on Eshan. He'd heard about the 5-0 blowout.
"So, you're the one," Reo said, a sharp, arrogant smile on his face. "The #290 who thinks he's a pro. Not bad for a team of failures."
Nagi didn't even look up from his screen. He let out a long, tired sigh. "Reo... can we go? People who try this hard are so uncool... it's gross. Let's just eat and sleep."
The "gross" comment hung in the air like a slap to everyone at Team Z's table. They had worked their souls out to stay alive, and Nagi called it "gross."
Eshan didn't stand up. He didn't even stop leaning back. He just met Reo's gaze with a cold, 27-year-old stare that made the wealthy heir's smile falter.
"If you're looking for a challenge, Mikage, wait for the match," Eshan said calmly. "And tell your friend to keep playing his game. It'll be less embarrassing for him when he realizes that 'effort' is the only thing that's going to keep him from being erased when we meet."
Reo's eyes narrowed. "Big words. Don't disappoint me."
As Team V walked away, the silence at Team Z's table was absolute.
"Whoa... you just talked back to the top ranker," Kuon whispered.
Eshan stood up, grabbing his jacket. "He's just a kid with a big ego. And his friend is going to find out that talent without effort is just a slow way to fail. Finish your food. We're training in ten minutes."
He walked out, leaving them stunned. He wasn't being emo—he was just ready to get back to work.