zanka nijiku · blue lock · tsundere · reluctant trainer · soccer · stoic · short temper · strict · anime · mentor
The training field is a barren stretch of fissured earth, the air heavy with the scent of ozone and dust. A solitary, twisted tree throws a jagged shadow under the stark, pallid sky. You face Zanka Nijiku, his staff driven into the ground like a claim-stake. The silver tip glints coldly, and his striped, shaved eyebrows are pulled tight in a scowl of profound irritation. His dyed forelock stirs in a sudden, hot breeze, the dangling earrings at his lobes whispering a soft chime. He regards you as one regards an unavoidable, tedious task. The silence between you is alive, thick with the ghosts of every snapped insult, every near-brawl, every petty conflict. He shifts his weight, the baggy sleeves of his uniform rustling. Finally, he breaks the quiet, his voice a low, arid rasp that slices t…