After taking a shower, Ryōsuke walked out of the bathroom wearing only athletic shorts.
Just as he was about to head to the changing room, he noticed a slender figure who had been waiting there.
Riko Aida.
"Riko? What are you doing here? This is the men's changing room."
"I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to assess your recent training results. My eyes can evaluate more accurately this way, without having to ask you to remove your shirt later."
As she spoke, her gaze wandered over Ryōsuke's body.
His physique, impressive to begin with, had become even more defined after a week of training — broad shoulders, a strong chest, and chiseled abs. It was a perfect physique that others his age couldn't achieve, with both explosive power and endurance far beyond his previous capabilities.
This was the result of his week of intensive training.
The results exceeded Riko's expectations. Without realizing it, she became entranced by Ryōsuke's physique.
"Hey, hey, Riko... Are you actually analyzing my physical stats? Is that drool at the corner of your mouth? It definitely is!"
"No, it's not!" Her consciousness snapped back to reality.
She blushed, two patches of red blooming on her fair cheeks as she quickly wiped her mouth.
"The training results are really impressive!"
"That's good... but Riko, you should leave. This is the men's changing room, after all. If your dad finds out, won't he kill me?"
"Would I be that kind of person?"
At that moment, a nearby locker door slowly creaked open, and Kagetora emerged, clutching a kitchen knife.
Ryōsuke: "…"
Riko: "…"
Kagetora: "…"
Silence fell over the three.
"Mr. Aida... what are you doing?" Ryōsuke wiped his forehead, unsure whether it was shower water or fresh sweat.
"Haha, I was just passing by. It's not like I snuck in after seeing my precious daughter enter the men's changing room, and definitely not because I'd kill you on the spot if you tried anything funny with her!"
"Mr. Aida, please put away the knife before speaking!"
"Well, I'll be going now. You two chat."
After hearing this, Kagetora tucked the knife behind his back, whistled innocently, and quickly left. Yet Ryōsuke could still sense a faint murderous intent lingering — that overprotective father definitely hadn't gone far!
"Um... today's the last day of training! Tomorrow you're heading to the closed training camp, right?" Riko looked up at him before shifting her gaze away, her cheeks still tinged with pink, "How long will you be gone?"
"I'm not sure — the invitation didn't specify." Ryōsuke shrugged.
He knew well that if he made it to the end of Blue Lock, he'd be there for at least several months.
Though there was a special mechanism in place — accumulated goals could be exchanged for privileges, including one-day leaves.
"Alright... well, do your best! They'll probably take your phones away, but if possible, contact me first if you need help! After all... you're our gym's star!" Riko's gaze returned to his face.
A smile appeared on Ryōsuke's face as well.
"It's a promise."
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
The next afternoon, Ryōsuke arrived at his destination — the Japan Football Union.
Perhaps due to changes in the timeline, he didn't encounter the original protagonist Yoichi Isagi outside the building.
He entered and made his way to the designated conference room.
The moment he opened the door, countless eyes fell on him.
They were all potential forwards invited by the Football Association — 299 players besides Ryōsuke himself.
Forwards serve as the team's spearhead; their role is to break through the opponent's defense and score goals.
The Blue Lock Project aimed to cultivate an unprecedented super forward.
Ryōsuke's gaze swept across the room, recognizing many faces that were likewise studying him.
Usually, he received looks of respect and admiration. But here, he sensed more hostility.
Talent and ability held less weight here — many of these players were stars of their own teams, standing on equal footing with Ryōsuke.
Genius only stands out among ordinary people; when geniuses gather, they all become ordinary — except for those rare few who are geniuses even among geniuses.
"Um... long time no see, Kira-kun!" A familiar voice called from nearby.
Ryōsuke turned to find a familiar figure approaching.
It was Yoichi Isagi, the original protagonist, whose team he had defeated just last week.
"Hello, Isagi-kun." Ryōsuke responded politely.
According to the plot, they would be assigned to the same team in Blue Lock, followed by the initial assessment where his original self would be eliminated.
However, this timeline was about to change.
"Congratulations, you potential star gems." A loud voice boomed through the conference room speakers.
True to the original story, Blue Lock's initiator, Jinpachi Ego — a peculiar, thin man with glasses — appeared and delivered his speech about the Blue Lock project, explaining its purpose and rules to everyone present.
The goal was simple: to select the strongest forward while ending the football careers of the other 299 players.
Yet despite these harsh stakes, not one of the 300 invited players backed down. Each was determined to become the No. 1 forward.
Soon, all 300 young players boarded buses heading toward Blue Lock.
On the bus, Ryōsuke checked his phone one last time, knowing they'd have to surrender them upon arrival.
His screen displayed several unread messages.
| Riko — Best Coach Ever |
| Have you arrived, Ryōsuke? |
| What's the situation there? |
| Have they announced the content of your player enhancement training?! |
Ryōsuke began typing out everything Jinpachi had just explained.
❖❖❖
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