Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It didn’t happen during a match.
Not at an awards show.
Not after a glorious goal or a bitter defeat.

It was a simple post.
A picture, barely a second captured on a phone screen.

A casual selfie, hastily framed.
Isagi in the foreground, his eyes shining like the clear skies of Barcelona.
Behind him, Bunny Iglesias, with his trademark tilted bunny-eared cap and a relaxed half-smile.
His hand rested casually on Isagi’s shoulder. The caption was brief.

“Special visitor 🐇⚽✨”

And yet, the impact was devastating.
Not for the fans—though the internet exploded—
But for three very specific hearts.

---

Michael Kaiser got the photo in a private message. Not in his feed.
Bunny sent it directly.
No explanation.
Just a simple: “Nice, right? :)”

Kaiser set his phone down on the marble counter like it burned.
He didn’t reply. He couldn’t.

The image of Isagi—so close to someone else, so at ease, so... not his—soaked him in a quiet, venomous rage.

He was the protagonist. The number one.
Since when could someone else show up next to Isagi and steal that spotlight without even earning it?

He trained like a beast that day.
Striking the ball with beautiful fury, every shot a silent scream.
But when night fell, he opened the photo again.

He zoomed in on Isagi’s face. Stared. Long and slow.
And muttered, almost bitterly:

—Why are you smiling like that for someone else?

---

Sae Itoshi also got the picture from Bunny.
They weren’t friends.
Not enemies either.
Just awkward rivals with tangled history.

The photo popped up in his inbox while he was alone at the gym, towel around his neck.

He opened it.
And felt a sharp sting beneath his ribs.
Not jealousy. Not yet.
More like betrayal.

He’d been watching Isagi’s growth from afar. Tracking his progress.
Admiring him—though he’d never admit it.
He had promised himself that the next time they met in Europe, it would be on his terms.

He would impress Isagi.
He would invite him to dinner.
He would initiate.

But Bunny had beaten him to it.
And worse—he flaunted it.

Sae clenched his jaw and saved the photo. He didn’t delete it.
Instead, he lay back on the bench, staring at the ceiling, letting the bitterness settle quietly.

—Stupid rabbit... —he muttered—
You really have no idea who you’re messing with.

---

Don Lorenzo wasn’t subtle with his emotions.
He laughed loudly, cursed louder, and went all in—whether it was for football or love.
So when he saw the photo Bunny had sent with a simple “Miss him yet?”, his reaction was immediate.

—What the fuck is this, okay?! —he shouted, shaking the phone in disbelief.

He was alone in his penthouse, surrounded by designer clothes, cash scattered across the table, and a ridiculously expensive aquarium in the corner.
And still, he felt... poor.
Empty.

Lorenzo wasn’t stupid. He knew he felt something for Isagi.
He liked that raw mix of humility and fire.
Isagi had impressed him on the field—but more than that, off it.
And now, seeing him in another city, with another player, with a closeness that made his teeth grit...

He looked at the photo again.
Zoomed in on Isagi’s neck. Was he wearing his chain? His bracelet?
Had he given him something he wasn’t even wearing anymore?

—Fucking rabbit... —he growled—
I’m gonna wipe that smile off your face, okay.

---

And Bunny, of course, knew exactly what he was doing.
He did it with intention.
Not out of malice—
But necessity.

Ever since he met Isagi, something inside him had shifted.
He didn’t fully understand it yet.
But he wanted him. Desired him.
And if the others felt the same way, well... they should know. Let them squirm a little.

Bunny wasn’t aggressive.
But he was clever.
He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t make threats.
He posted a photo.

And while the others silently boiled, he watched the likes climb.
But that wasn’t what made him smile.

It was remembering the exact moment the photo was taken.
The warmth of Isagi leaning against him.
His laugh.
His voice saying:

—Huh? You really wanna post this one? I look half-asleep.

And Bunny, calm as always, had replied:

—You look like yourself. And that’s how I like you.

Of course, Isagi didn’t get it.
Or maybe he chose not to.

But that would change.

Chapter Text

The Champions League Gala wasn’t supposed to be a battlefield.

It was luxury and glitter, champagne and suits, polished speeches and polite applause.

But to Michael Kaiser, Sae Itoshi, Don Lorenzo, and Bunny Iglesias, it was a war zone disguised in velvet.

And in the middle of it—unaware, radiant, deadly without knowing—stood Yoichi Isagi.

He’d been invited as one of the “Breakthrough International Players of the Year.”
He looked stunning, sharp black suit with a navy tie that matched his eyes. Hair brushed back just slightly. No makeup, no tricks. Just Isagi, raw and disarming.

He didn’t know the storm he’d walked into.
But everyone else did.

---

Kaiser saw him first.

Across the banquet hall, with people laughing, cameras flashing.
And his expression—cool, practiced—cracked for a second.

He took a step forward, hand instinctively adjusting his cufflink, lips pressed into a line.

He’s here.
He’s really here.
And he still hasn’t replied to my last message.

Not that he expected him to.
But still, he wanted Isagi to look at him.
To notice him first.
To come running over, maybe with a soft smile and a “Yo, Kaiser.”

Instead—

Isagi turned and smiled at Bunny.

---

Bunny, relaxed and charismatic as always, approached Isagi first.
He was in his Barcelona tux: sleek, pastel-toned with subtle sparkle, his hair falling messily perfect over one eye.

—You made it —he said with a tilt of his head, voice low.

Isagi smiled, giving him a fist bump.

—Wouldn’t miss it. Thanks again for the invite.

And Bunny just hummed.
Not correcting him.
Not reminding him that he hadn’t actually been the one to send the formal invitation.
Just enjoying the way Isagi’s voice sounded up close again.

He leaned in a bit.
Not close enough to touch, but enough to make it intimate.

—You look tired. You sleeping well, Yoichi?

Isagi blinked, surprised.

—Huh? I—yeah, I guess. Training’s been heavy.

Bunny gave him a knowing look, then—

—I could help with that.

Isagi laughed. Nervous. Flustered.

Bunny didn’t push.
He just smiled and handed him a glass of juice, pretending not to notice Sae arriving behind them.

---

Sae Itoshi moved like a shadow.
Precise. Quiet. Calculating.

He saw Bunny and Isagi laughing.
He saw Isagi holding the glass Bunny gave him.
He saw red.

But he didn’t show it.

Instead, he walked straight up to them, eyes on Isagi.

—Long time no see, Isagi.

His voice was calm. Polished.
Like glass—beautiful, but liable to cut.

Isagi brightened instantly.

—Sae! Man, you look good in a suit.

That was enough to make Sae’s throat tighten.
But he smiled. Barely.

—And you still say embarrassing things without blinking.

Bunny rolled his eyes.

—You two know each other?

Sae’s jaw twitched.

—We’ve played together. Unlike you.

Bunny tilted his head, amused.

—You’re right. I just had dinner with him. My bad.

The tension was electric.
Isagi looked between them, confused.

—Hey, chill, it’s not that deep—

And that’s when Don Lorenzo appeared.

---

Lorenzo had no grace in subtlety.
He was loud, flashy, and didn’t give a damn who was watching.

He strutted toward the group, gold chains glinting against his black and white suit, teeth sparkling—literally.

He didn’t look at Bunny.
Didn’t even glance at Sae.
He walked straight up to Isagi, grinned like the devil, and hugged him.

—¡Chico! I was starting to think you were hiding from me, okay!

Isagi chuckled, overwhelmed.

—Lorenzo?! You came?

Lorenzo pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes.

—Of course I came. I heard someone might be alone at this boring little party. Couldn't let that happen.

The tension exploded.

Kaiser, who had been watching from a distance, abandoned all restraint.
He walked up, calm but deadly, his eyes only on Bunny.

—You like playing games, don’t you?

Bunny blinked.

—Only when I win.

—This isn’t a playground. You crossed a line.

—Did I? I just shared a photo. Maybe you're overreacting.

Kaiser leaned in, voice low, sharp.

—You used him. To provoke us.

Bunny’s expression didn’t change.

—And yet, here you are. Provoked.

Sae stepped in between them.

—Enough. We’re at a gala, not a garbage alley.

Kaiser’s laugh was bitter.

—Right. You would know all about alley scraps, huh, Itoshi?

Don Lorenzo cracked his knuckles.

—If one of you ruins Isagi’s night, I swear I’ll drop you into the damn fountain out front, okay?

And in the middle of this standoff—
Isagi stood silent.

Watching. Listening.
His heartbeat rising.
His hands slightly clenched around the glass Bunny gave him.

For the first time,
he felt something unfamiliar in the air.

Like he was missing a piece of a puzzle that everyone else already had.

Four players.
Four flames.
All burning in his name.

Chapter Text

Yoichi Isagi wasn’t stupid.

He wasn’t the smartest player in the league, no.
But he understood people.
He understood silence.
And tension.
And glances that lasted a little too long.

By the time the gala reached its midpoint, the ballroom was full of polished laughter and symphonies, but Isagi felt like he was walking through a minefield of eyes.

Kaiser, arms crossed, watching him from the shadows of a marble pillar.
Sae, standing far but always angling himself so he could see Isagi’s face when he spoke to others.
Lorenzo, disappearing and reappearing at his side with casual touches, light teasing, and a weirdly intense protectiveness.
Bunny, charming, relaxed, but never more than five steps away.

And now—now—he couldn’t unsee it.

Every word they’d said. Every private message.
The way Kaiser always called him “mein Gott.”
How Sae’s tone softened just slightly when he said his name.
The way Lorenzo physically blocked other people from getting too close.
And Bunny’s photo.

That damn photo.

He pulled out his phone in the bathroom, locking the stall just to breathe.

There it was again, in his messages:
A simple image—Bunny, shirt half-buttoned, standing next to Isagi with his hand brushing Isagi’s hip.
Isagi was laughing, wet hair sticking to his forehead, exhausted after a light beach scrimmage.

The caption Bunny had sent to the group?
“Mine looks good in Barcelona, huh?”

At the time, Isagi had laughed it off.

But now…

Now he realized it had been a declaration.

Not a joke. Not a tease.
A shot fired at three predators.
And judging by the way they’d all looked at Bunny tonight, they’d heard it loud and clear.

His reflection in the bathroom mirror looked flushed. Nervous. His pulse throbbed in his neck.

Why hadn’t he noticed before?

Why had he thought he was just “close” with them?
Just lucky to be liked by big players?

Was he that blind?

He pressed his palms against the counter. Stared at his own eyes.

And for the first time, he didn’t ask, “Why me?”

He asked,
“What the hell do I do now?”

---

He exited the bathroom and almost collided with Sae.

The redhead didn’t even flinch.

He looked calm. Elegant. Distant.
But his eyes scanned Isagi’s face for too long. He noticed the pink in his ears.

—Are you okay?

Isagi tried to shrug it off.

—Yeah. Just needed air.

Sae stepped closer.

—They’re too loud. All of them. You shouldn’t let them swarm you like that.

—They’re not swarming.

—No? —Sae’s voice dipped. —Then what are they doing?

Isagi didn’t answer.

Sae’s eyes softened, just for a second.
Then his hand lifted—hesitated—and gently touched Isagi’s shoulder.

—You know what I feel, right?

Isagi blinked.

—What?

Sae’s expression didn’t change.
But his hand stayed, warm and steady.

—You’re not dumb, Yoichi. So I’m not gonna play games. I want you. I have for a long time.

Isagi’s breath hitched.

And then—

—Hey! You two making out in the hallway or should I join in?

It was Lorenzo, grinning, interrupting, arm slinging around Isagi’s neck like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Sae’s hand dropped instantly. His face shut down.

—Of course. —he muttered, walking away.

Lorenzo just watched him go, then turned to Isagi.

—Ignore that sad boy drama. You having fun, chico?

Isagi laughed shakily.

—I’m trying.

Lorenzo pulled him close, lips near his ear.

—Then let me make it easier for you.

He kissed his cheek. Light. Deliberate.

And when Isagi turned in confusion, heart hammering—

He saw Kaiser watching.

Kaiser’s jaw was clenched.
His wine glass cracked in his hand, drops of red staining the white cuff of his suit.

---

Back inside, Bunny leaned against the balcony rail, watching it all.

He exhaled through his nose, half amused, half bitter.

—Messy little game, huh?

And yet… his fingers hovered over his phone.

He opened a draft message.

To: Isagi

> "Come to my hotel room after the gala. Just to talk. You need someone honest."

He stared at it.

Then deleted it.

Not yet.
Not when the board was still moving.

Chapter Text

The party dragged on, but Isagi’s focus frayed.

Every step he took seemed tracked. Every time he met someone’s eyes—Bunny across the dance floor, Sae near the exit, Lorenzo mid-laugh—there was weight. Meaning. Something unspoken lingering.

But Kaiser?

Kaiser didn’t approach.

He stood still, perfectly still, beside the grand piano, sharp in navy velvet and silver cufflinks, his glass shattered earlier, replaced, untouched.

His eyes hadn’t left Isagi for over thirty minutes.

It was like being hunted. Not in fear. In tension.

In expectation.

So when Isagi finally walked past the heavy doors and out into the rooftop terrace, the night wind licking his neck—

He wasn’t surprised when Kaiser followed.

---

The door shut softly behind them. No one else was there. Just city lights below, wind above, and this standoff they’d both been dragging behind them like a chain.

Isagi turned, arms crossed.

—Are you going to say something, or just keep glaring at me from the corners of every room?

Kaiser didn’t move.

Then:

—You smiled in that photo.

Isagi blinked.

—What?

Kaiser stepped closer.

—You smiled. With him.
That smile you don’t give anyone. You looked… content. Like he gave you something I never did.

Isagi frowned.

—It was just a picture.

—Not to him. —Kaiser’s voice sharpened. —And definitely not to me.

The silence snapped tight.

Then Isagi, still unsure if it was courage or exhaustion, stepped forward too.

—Why does it matter to you?

Kaiser laughed once. Bitter.

—Don’t ask questions you already know the answers to.

His hand raised—briefly, hovering near Isagi’s jaw. Not touching. Trembling with restraint.

—You’re in my head all the time, Isagi. Every match. Every breath. I wanted to beat you—still do. But then I started wanting more. More than goals. More than wins. I wanted you to see me. Only me.

Isagi swallowed.

—So you’re jealous?

Kaiser’s smile was small. Sad.

—Violently.

Another step. Now they were too close.

—He touched you like he’d already won. —Kaiser’s tone cracked. —I hate him for that.

—He didn’t “win” anything, Kaiser.

—Didn’t he?

Kaiser’s hand finally cupped Isagi’s cheek. Warm. Desperate.

Isagi’s breath caught.

—Then who has?

The world paused. The wind quieted.

And Isagi—still overwhelmed, still unsure—reached up, curling his fingers around Kaiser’s wrist. Not pulling away. Not pushing closer.

—...I don’t know yet.

Kaiser closed his eyes. Exhaled like it hurt.

—Then don’t decide without giving me a chance.

Isagi nodded once.

And Kaiser let go, stepping back. That sharp, perfect mask slipping again.

—Just… don’t let Bunny decide for you, Isagi. He plays for show. I play to win.

And with that, he turned and left, coat catching in the wind like the ending of something. Or maybe the beginning.

---

Inside, Isagi found himself drifting.

His mind was noise. His heart louder.

And his phone buzzed.

From: Bunny Iglesias

> “On the rooftop now. Come if you want the truth.”

He stared at it.

four messages. Four men. FOUR hearts on fire.

And the storm hadn’t even really started yet.

Chapter Text

The rooftop door groaned open again.

Isagi stepped out, jacket pulled tighter against the wind. He’d only just left this place. He hadn’t had time to breathe, let alone process what Kaiser had said.

But Bunny was waiting, one foot up on the low stone railing, scrolling casually through his phone like this wasn’t some pivotal moment.
Like he hadn’t just sent a bomb disguised as a text.

He didn’t look up.

—Took you long enough. Thought you’d be busy kissing Kaiser by now.

Isagi’s mouth twitched.

—Shut up.

—Is that your way of flirting?

Isagi crossed the space between them, stopping just close enough to make it clear: this wasn’t a joke.

—Why did you send that picture to all of them?

Bunny finally looked at him.

His eyes, usually glittering with mischief, were darker now. Quieter. Like he’d been waiting for this question longer than he should’ve.

—To piss them off.

—That’s not a real answer.

—Isagi… —Bunny’s voice dropped. Not low to seduce. Low to protect himself. —Do you know how annoying it is to like someone who doesn’t notice anything? Who gets chased, watched, wanted by every man with a spine and never seems to realize?

Isagi blinked.

Bunny went on.

—Do you know how many people would kill to be in your shoes? Sae won’t even date anyone, but he follows you like a shadow. Kaiser basically lost his damn mind over one smile. Lorenzo’s been buying shirts in your size just in case you stay over one day. And me? I got one photo with you. One. And I made it count.

Isagi stared.

—Wait. You’re saying—

—I like you, Isagi. Have for a while. It’s not subtle. But you’re too focused on soccer and dreams and being everyone’s hero to see what’s right in front of you.

He hopped down from the railing, brushing past Isagi. But before he reached the door, he stopped. No theatrics. No smirk.

Just him.

—They’re all going to try to win you. Their way. Quiet, loud, twisted, or sweet. Me? I play dirty when I want something.

He looked over his shoulder.

—And I want you.

The door shut behind him.

Leaving Isagi in the cold again, heartbeat unsteady.

He wasn’t dense. Not really.

He just hadn’t let himself believe it.

But now, everything was cracking open. Kaiser’s confession. Bunny’s boldness. And somewhere in the hotel, Sae was probably waiting too—with that quiet gaze that never missed a thing.

Too much.

Too fast.

And still... he couldn’t stop the flicker of heat rising in his chest.

Because for the first time, Isagi wondered:

What if someone loving him wasn’t a burden, but a possibility?

Chapter Text

The hotel room was silent when Isagi opened the door.

Sae was by the window.
Lights off. Curtain open. Watching the city like it owed him something.

He didn’t turn around.

Didn’t say a word.

Isagi’s voice was barely a breath.
—You knew, didn’t you?

Sae’s reflection blinked in the glass.
—About what?

—About the others. Bunny. Kaiser. Lorenzo. You’ve known this whole time.

Still no turn. Just his voice, flat as winter.
—Of course I knew. I watch them the same way I watch you.

That stopped Isagi.

Sae exhaled through his nose, sharp.

—They’re obvious. Loud. Jealous. Kaiser’s trying to win you like a trophy. Bunny wants to make you laugh just to see if he can keep the moment for himself. Lorenzo doesn’t even pretend. He wants your loyalty like it’s currency.

He finally turned around.

And there it was.

The cold-blue stare Isagi had seen on the field, in interviews, across oceans. Except now, it was here—full of something that looked a lot like grief.

—And you? —Isagi asked, voice thinner than before.
—What do you want?

Sae didn’t move.

For a moment, Isagi thought he might just walk out. Avoid it like always.

But then—

—You. I want you. I want to be the person you look at when things fall apart. I want to be the one who understands the parts of you you don’t show anyone. I want... something quiet. Something real.

Silence.

Isagi’s heart was a riot.

Sae stepped closer.

Not fast. Not desperate.

Like every inch mattered. Like this was the only game he couldn’t afford to lose.

—I’ve been waiting, Isagi. Not because I’m patient. But because I hoped one day, you’d see me—not the name, not the fame—just me. And maybe, just maybe... you’d choose me.

He was so close now, Isagi could see the way his lashes trembled. Like he wasn’t used to vulnerability. Like it was burning him alive to say all this.

—Why now? —Isagi asked, hoarse.

Sae’s lips tilted into something sad.

—Because Bunny made the first move. Kaiser followed. Lorenzo is next, you know that. And I... I’d rather lose with honesty than win with silence.

A pause.

Then, softer:

—But I don’t think I’ll lose. Not really. Because even if you don’t pick me... I’ll still be the one who knows what your heartbeat sounds like when you’re trying not to cry. I’ll still be the one who doesn’t need a photo to remember how your hair curls after a shower, or how you hum when you’re tired.

Sae’s hand reached out—but stopped just short of touching.

Not because he didn’t want to.

But because he respected the space between them too much to break it without permission.

—Tell me to stop, and I will. But if you let me stay—I'll wait, Isagi. As long as it takes.

The room was quiet again.

Only this time, the silence felt full.

Of choices.

Of feelings.

Of names Isagi had never let himself say out loud, and the men who had already whispered his like a prayer.

Chapter Text

There was a reason Don Lorenzo didn’t speak often in interviews.

It wasn’t that he didn’t know how.
It was that words failed to capture the violence of what he felt.

And when it came to Isagi Yoichi, everything Lorenzo felt was violent.

Not in the way people feared. Not in the way the media painted him—this grinning mafioso in cleats, always joking about death and contracts like love was something you owned.

No.

With Isagi, Lorenzo wasn’t joking.

And he wasn’t sharing.

---

He saw the photo.

Of course he did.

Not on social media first, no—Bunny Iglesias had sent it to him. With a stupid caption:

> “Hope this doesn’t ruin your day 💋”

Lorenzo had laughed when he saw it.

Not because it was funny.

But because that was Bunny’s move? A selfie with Isagi in Barcelona? That’s what he thought would break him?

Lorenzo zoomed in.

He looked at Isagi’s face. The soft smile. The relaxed shoulders. The fact that he let Bunny get that close.

The laugh stopped.

---

Isagi had always been a little too kind for his own good.

That’s what Lorenzo liked most about him.

He was strategic on the field, sharp as knives in interviews—but off the pitch? Isagi was soft. Open. Naive enough to let people into his space if they smiled right.

It infuriated Lorenzo.

Not because Isagi was weak—Isagi wasn’t.
But because he was too pure to notice when he was being hunted.

And right now, Bunny, Kaiser, and Sae were hunting him.

Sae with his ice.
Kaiser with his flame.
Bunny with that shiny smile full of secrets.

And Lorenzo?
Lorenzo wasn’t pretending to be anything else.

He wanted Isagi. Fully. Obsessively.
He didn’t need tricks.

Just time.

---

He called Isagi that night.

Not a text. Not a DM.

An actual phone call.

Isagi picked up on the second ring.

—Yo, Lorenzo. What’s up?

Lorenzo didn’t waste time.

—You looked good in the photo. But I could tell you were tired. You sleep okay at that hotel?

There was a pause. A beat of surprise.

—Yeah. I mean, I didn’t think you’d notice...

—Of course I noticed, —Lorenzo said.
—You’re always worse after long flights. And you never drink enough water when you're trying to be polite.

Another pause.

This one warmer.

—You really remember stuff like that?

—Every breath, cariño. Every single one.

Isagi laughed—soft and a little shy.

And Lorenzo leaned back in his chair, watching the city lights from Naples flicker like distant stars.

—I don’t like that they’re making moves on you, —Lorenzo said, casual like a whisper, lethal like a knife.
—I could take it, if they were subtle. But they’re not. Bunny’s flaunting you. Kaiser’s throwing tantrums on his stories. And Sae? Sae’s pretending he’s not shaking every time you say his name.

He heard Isagi exhale. Like all of this was too much.

So Lorenzo softened.

—You don’t have to choose. Not now. Not yet.

—But they want me to, —Isagi whispered.
—I feel like I’m being... pulled in four directions.

—Then let me be your anchor, —Lorenzo said.
—Don’t pick me. Just lean on me. Let me keep you steady while they scream for your attention. I don’t need you to love me back. Just let me love you in peace.

A silence stretched between them.

But this one didn’t hurt.

It held something else.

Something sacred.

—Thank you, —Isagi said at last.
—I don’t know what I’m doing. But... I feel safe when I talk to you.

Lorenzo smiled.

Not the sharp one. Not the playful one.

But the rare smile. The real one.

—Then we’re good. For now.

And he didn’t say mine.
Not yet.

Because when the time came, he wouldn’t need to.

Isagi would know.

Chapter Text

Bunny Iglesias knew how to win.
He also knew how to hurt.

That’s what made him dangerous.

Not the dribbles. Not the perfectly-placed goals or the interviews where he charmed everyone from grandmothers to rival captains.
No.

What made Bunny dangerous was the way he never looked like he was trying.
Like he was born winning.

And in a way, he had been.

But not with Isagi.

Not when it came to that.

---

When Bunny saw how Kaiser looked at Isagi—like a challenge, like a prize, like something he wanted so bad it burned—he was annoyed.

When he saw Sae watching from a distance, expression unreadable but gaze locked, he was amused.

When Lorenzo started texting Isagi every night like he had the right, Bunny laughed out loud.

—You guys think you're slick, huh.

But then he started checking Isagi’s profile a little too often.

Refreshing his DMs.

Reading over old messages like they meant more than they did.

That’s when Bunny realized it wasn’t a game anymore.

At least, not for him.

---

The selfie in Barcelona hadn’t been planned.

They were sitting at a café near the training complex. Isagi had been invited by the club—publicity, maybe a trial, maybe more.

They were just talking. Laughing. Isagi had a little chocolate on his lip.

Bunny had reached out, wiped it off without thinking, and then—
click.

A casual photo.

One that showed nothing if you didn’t look too hard.

But Bunny always looked too hard.

And that photo?

It told a story he wasn’t brave enough to live yet.

---

He didn’t post it right away.

He saved it.

Held it.

And only when he saw Kaiser go quiet online, when he saw Sae fly back to Japan early, when he realized Lorenzo had somehow gotten Isagi to answer his late-night calls—

Only then did he send the photo privately.

To all three.

No caption at first.

Just the image.

Isagi, smiling. Bunny, close. Their heads nearly touching. Sunshine, golden hour, something soft blooming behind the ordinary.

Then a follow-up.

> "Cute, no? 😊 Thought you boys should see how Barcelona’s treating your boy.”

Petty? Maybe.

Honest? Absolutely.

He wanted to shake them.

He wanted them to feel what he felt—
That they were too slow.
That they didn’t get to keep Isagi just because they wanted to.

That Bunny had already been there.

---

But even after sending it, he couldn’t breathe right.

Because now that he’d said it without saying it—

He couldn’t take it back.

And what if Isagi saw through him? What if he realized Bunny wasn’t just playing around?

Worse—

What if Isagi didn’t care?

---

That night, Isagi texted him:

> "Did you send that photo to the others?"

Bunny stared at the screen.

He typed and deleted three different answers before settling.

> "Just felt like showing them what they’re missing 🐰💋"

Isagi didn’t reply right away.

After ten minutes, a new message popped up:

> "You’re not subtle, Bunny."

Bunny smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

> "I know. I just didn’t want to lose without saying anything."

Another pause.

Then, finally:

> "You haven’t lost yet."

And Bunny—golden boy, glittering star, king of making hearts race—
Felt his own heart skip.

Chapter Text

Michael Kaiser was beautiful even when he was angry.

It was that kind of dangerous beauty, like a painting that burns and smiles while it does so.
But in that moment, he just looked broken.

The rose tattoo burned. Or so he imagined. Because as soon as he saw the photo Bunny sent, something in his chest twisted.
A small inferno began to expand just behind his sternum.

Isagi. Smiling. With him.
Too close.

His head tilted toward Bunny, as if he owned her.

Kaiser didn't breathe.

He just looked. Once, twice, ten times.

And then... he laughed.

A hollow, cynical laugh.
The laugh of someone who'd just been stabbed by the person they promised themselves not to love.

"Checkmate, bunny," he muttered, putting his phone down on the table.

But it wasn't.
It wasn't a checkmate.
It was a dirty move in a game where Kaiser thought he still had control.

And he'd lost it.

---

For weeks, he'd acted like he didn't care.
As if Isagi were just a memory.
A passing obsession.

A lie.

There wasn't a day he didn't check his account.
Every post. Every word.

Sometimes he'd like it.
Sometimes he'd silently stare at it.

And sometimes… sometimes he'd write messages he never sent.
Messages like:

> "Why do you smile more when I'm not around?"

> "I miss you. Shit. Is that what you wanted to read?"

But Bunny wouldn't hold back.
Bunny would act.
Bunny would drink.

And now everyone knew.

---

Kaiser grabbed his phone again and typed something short.

To Sae.

> "Did you see it?"

The answer came almost instantly:

> "Yes."

Silence between them.
Both proud. Both hurt.

Until Sae sent another line:

> "We're not going to let him win."

Kaiser smiled, but it was like a grimace.

> "No. But he's already chosen..."

> "He hasn't chosen. Not yet."

A pause.

> "What if he already did and didn't tell us?"

Sae didn't answer.

There was no need.
They both knew the same thing.

Isagi wasn't cruel.
But he wasn't stupid either.

If he hadn't said anything, it was because he was still confused.
Because he was afraid.

Or because he loved them... all of them.

---

That night, Kaiser locked himself in his apartment.
He played music at full volume. Not to dance. To avoid thinking.

But he did it anyway.

He remembered when Isagi first yelled at him.
When he pushed him after practice.
When he told him he hated him.

And how, after all that…
she still looked at him with those big, honest, damn pure eyes.

Kaiser was screwed. He knew it.

And yet, he typed the message.

> “I won't let Bunny beat you.”

He deleted it.

And typed another one:

> “I miss you.”

And sent it.

Because for once…
he didn't want to lose by pretending not to care.

Chapter Text

Don Lorenzo had always been the kind of man who laughed when others flinched.

He found comfort in chaos. In blood. In pressure.
But there was one thing he had never found peace in:

Jealousy.

The moment Bunny sent him the photo, Lorenzo stopped speaking.

The world didn’t go quiet — it went static. Like a television stuck on a dead channel, buzzing in his brain.
Isagi. With him. Bunny. Smiling like he’d already won.

Lorenzo stared at the image for a long time.

Not angry.
Not hurt.

Calculating.

Then, very slowly, he locked his phone and lit a cigarette. Something he only did when he was dangerously calm — the kind of calm that meant people would regret things soon.

—He’s mine, —he said out loud, to no one.

Not out of hope.
Out of certainty.

Like a prayer.

Like a threat.

---

It wasn’t that Lorenzo thought he deserved Isagi.

He wasn’t delusional.

But he knew better than anyone what obsession looked like — and he recognized it in himself the moment Isagi looked at him during a post-match interview.

Eyes wide. Honest. Curious.

Lorenzo had smiled, gold teeth gleaming, and Isagi had looked away too fast — like he’d felt something and didn’t know how to name it yet.

Since then, Lorenzo had studied him like scripture.

Every goal. Every word. Every twitch of his fingers when he got nervous.

It wasn’t love.
Not in the soft way people meant it.

It was need.

A need to protect. A need to be the one Isagi ran to when the world got loud. A need to keep him close, untouched, unbroken.

And now…
Bunny had touched him.

And Lorenzo was going to burn that smile off his face.

---

He didn’t text Isagi.

Didn’t call.

Lorenzo knew timing was everything.

He had patience. He had presence. And more than that — he had strategy.

Let the others act out. Let them fight each other. Let Kaiser spiral. Let Sae go cold.

Lorenzo would wait. And then he would move.

Because the difference between obsession and devotion was simple:

Obsession took.
Devotion planned to stay.

---

That night, he sat in front of his mirror, staring at his reflection.

He took off his jewelry one by one — the gold rings, the thick chains, the earring with the flame design.

Left only the tattoo on his nape visible.

The burning mouth. His signature.

A warning.

—You’re going to choose me eventually, Yoichi, —he murmured, voice thick with certainty.

—And when you do… I’ll make sure no one ever touches you again.

Chapter Text

At first, it didn’t even register.

The photo.

Just a picture with Bunny in Barcelona — laughing, sun hitting their faces, his arm wrapped casually around Isagi’s waist.

A good memory. A sweet one, even.

He hadn’t thought twice when Bunny asked if he could post it.

—You’re sure it’s fine? —Isagi had asked, a little shy, thumb brushing over the edge of his phone.

—Why wouldn’t it be? We look good, cariño. You look good.

So he said yes. Shrugged it off.

Then the messages started.

---

First, it was Kaiser.

Cold and short.

> “Nice photo.”

Just that. But Isagi could feel the ice under those two words.
Could hear the tension behind his silence.

Then Sae.

No message.
Just a heart reaction — ironically — and then nothing.

Not even a follow-up.

And somehow… that silence was worse.

---

Don Lorenzo didn’t text at all.

But Isagi noticed something strange:
his Instagram story views always included Lorenzo, always first, always fast.

This time?
Lorenzo hadn’t watched it.

Not once.

---

Isagi felt it before he understood it.

A weight in his stomach. A thrum in his chest.

Like something had changed — and no one had told him.

Like he’d done something wrong, but didn’t know the rule he’d broken.

He thought back to Bunny’s smirk after posting the photo.
How he’d winked, casually adding, “Let’s see who gets jealous first.”

Isagi had laughed.

Now he wasn’t sure if Bunny was joking at all.

---

He opened his chat with Kaiser.

Typed:

> “Did I do something?”

Backspaced.

Tried again:

> “About the picture—”

Deleted it.

He hated this. Hated guessing. Hated walking on glass.

Because beneath it all, what really scared him wasn’t the awkwardness.
It was the possibility that they all felt something more.

More than he was ready for.
More than he knew how to handle.

---

The truth?

Isagi liked them all. In different ways. For different reasons.

Kaiser with his sharp tongue and hidden softness.
Sae with his distance that begged to be crossed.
Lorenzo with his obsession disguised as protection.
Bunny with his chaos and quiet affection.

He liked them all.

But he didn’t think they’d…

That they’d be in love with him.

And now — maybe — it was too late to pretend he didn’t know.

---

He lay down that night, eyes open, phone on his chest.

No messages came.

Just silence. Heavy. Charged.

Isagi pressed his hand to his heartbeat.

Four names echoed in his chest.

And none of them had ever said it out loud.
But now he felt it.

And it terrified him.

Chapter Text

Sae didn’t speak much. That wasn’t new.

But silence was different when it was intentional.

He sat in his apartment, alone, lights off, the glow of his phone screen reflecting in his eyes. The photo — that photo — was still there. In his gallery. Saved. Not because he wanted to see it, but because he couldn't stop looking.

Isagi and Bunny.

Smiling.

Touching.

And worse — comfortable.

---

Sae didn’t get angry. Not like Kaiser. Not like Lorenzo.

His jealousy didn’t flare.

It sank.

Cold. Heavy. Controlled.

He’d always hated when people claimed he was “emotionless.” He felt more than anyone — he just refused to let it bleed where others could see.

But tonight, something cracked.

And he didn’t know how to stop it.

---

He scrolled through old messages with Isagi.

Ones he hadn’t answered. Ones he’d left on read — not out of cruelty, but fear. Sae didn’t do vulnerability. He didn’t know how to want someone and not ruin them in the process.

But Isagi was different.

Isagi never asked for anything. He just… gave.

His energy. His admiration. His honesty.

It was unbearable.

Because Sae wanted it all.

And Bunny — with that perfect smile and casual charm — had taken a piece of Isagi that Sae hadn’t been brave enough to ask for.

And now, Sae was furious. At himself.

At Bunny.

And at the version of him who waited too long.

---

He finally typed something.

To Isagi.

> “I saw the photo.”

Deleted it.

Typed again.

> “You and Bunny look close.”

Deleted it.

His fingers trembled. He hated this. Hated what he was becoming.

So instead, he opened another chat.

To Bunny.

> “Interesting move. You always mark your territory like this?”

No reply. Bunny was probably waiting for him to lash out.

Sae didn’t give him the satisfaction.

He put down the phone and stared out the window.

The city was quiet.

But inside, something sharp was waking up.

---

—You don’t get to have him, —Sae whispered to the dark.
—Not when I haven’t even tried yet.

Chapter Text

Bunny loved chaos.
It kept life interesting, kept rivals on edge, kept himself entertained.

That’s why he posted the picture.
That’s why he hit “share” without hesitation, tagging Barcelona, letting the world see Isagi under his arm like he belonged there.

Because he knew what it would do.
To Kaiser.
To Sae.
To Lorenzo.

He wanted to watch them squirm.

And they did.

---

But what Bunny hadn’t expected…
was himself.

The comments were flooding in:
“Cute together.”
“They’d make a good couple.”
“I ship it.”

He laughed at first.
He always laughed.

But later — when the noise died down — he stared at the photo again.

Isagi’s smile.
The way he leaned into him naturally, like gravity had made the choice for him.
The way Bunny’s hand fit against his waist like it had been there a thousand times.

And suddenly, the joke didn’t feel like a joke anymore.

---

Bunny dropped back onto his bed, one arm over his eyes.

He had told himself it was just to provoke. Just to remind the others that Isagi wasn’t theirs.
That he could touch, that he could be close, because unlike them, Bunny had the guts to cross lines.

But the truth?

He wanted to keep crossing.

Not just for a reaction.
Not just for pride.

For Isagi.

---

The worst part?
He knew he wasn’t the only one anymore.

Sae, with his quiet obsession.
Kaiser, with his restless need to own.
Lorenzo, with that suffocating hunger behind his grin.

And now Bunny — the one who thought he’d stay untouchable — was tangled in the same net.

---

He unlocked his phone.
Opened Isagi’s chat.

Typed:

> “Did you like the picture?”

Erased it.

Typed again:

> “Next time, let’s take one just us.”

Deleted.

He cursed under his breath.
Bunny Iglesias, tongue sharper than knives, suddenly couldn’t send a single message.

Because for the first time, this wasn’t about rivalry.
This wasn’t about control.
This was about the boy in the photo — the one who still didn’t know he was carrying four hearts on his shoulders.

---

Bunny clenched his phone tighter.

The others would come for him. He knew it.
They’d fight.
They’d try to tear him down.

But he wasn’t backing off.

Not now.
Not when he finally admitted to himself:

He wanted Isagi, too.

Chapter Text

Michael Kaiser hated losing.
Didn’t matter if it was a match, a bet, or even a conversation.
He was born to win — not just on the field, but everywhere.

So why, staring at his phone, did he feel like he’d just lost the biggest game of his life?

---

The photo glared back at him.
Bunny and Isagi.
That damned arm wrapped around Isagi’s waist.
That smile that wasn’t for him.

Kaiser’s jaw clenched. His hand curled tight enough around his phone he swore it would shatter.

Bunny Iglesias. That scar-faced bastard.

He could practically hear Bunny’s laughter, see the smug satisfaction of posting that picture. Not just publicly — no, privately too. The man had sent it to him. A direct slap in the face.

---

Kaiser paced the length of his penthouse, rage and pride colliding until it was impossible to tell them apart.

He’d worked too hard for this. For Isagi’s attention. For his admiration. For that little flicker of respect in his eyes that Kaiser lived off.

And now?

Bunny had stolen it with one photo.

One fucking photo.

---

Kaiser threw himself onto the couch, running a hand through his hair, frustration searing him from the inside out.

It wasn’t fair.

Sae could hide behind his cold mask.
Lorenzo could play the predator in the shadows.
Bunny could grin and provoke with reckless confidence.

But Kaiser?
Kaiser was supposed to be the one. The center. The irreplaceable.

And yet, Isagi still wasn’t his.

---

He opened their chat. Scrolled.

Isagi’s last message was days ago, something small, something innocent. Kaiser had left it on read, like always. He thought it kept him in control. Kept the balance tilted his way.

Now he realized what a mistake that was.

He typed:

> “You looked good in that picture.”

Deleted.

> “You should’ve smiled like that with me.”

Deleted.

His chest tightened. He hated this weakness, hated this need.

But worse than hating it—he hated knowing the others felt it too.

And they weren’t afraid to show it.

---

For the first time, Michael Kaiser admitted something he swore he’d never say, even to himself.

He was jealous.

Dangerously jealous.

And if Isagi didn’t realize soon who really deserved him…

Kaiser wasn’t sure what he’d do.

But he knew it wouldn’t be pretty.

Chapter Text

Don Lorenzo didn’t get angry.
Not the way normal people did.
His anger was quiet, smooth, a slow burn hidden behind gold teeth and an easy grin.

And tonight, that grin was wider than ever.

Because he’d seen the picture.

---

Isagi.
With Bunny.

The boy who laughed so freely. The boy who didn’t understand what it meant to belong to predators like them. The boy who still smiled at Lorenzo like he wasn’t dangerous.

Too innocent, Lorenzo thought, twirling a golden tooth between his fingers as he lounged back in his chair. Too unaware.

---

Bunny had been bold. Posting it. Sending it.
Kaiser’s rage was obvious. Sae’s silence, colder than usual.

But Lorenzo?
He didn’t rage.
He didn’t sulk.
He didn’t even argue.

Because predators didn’t bark.
They waited.
They circled.
And when the time came, they sank their teeth in and never let go.

---

Lorenzo replayed the image in his head: Isagi’s waist under Bunny’s hand. That smile, too soft, too unguarded.

He licked his teeth.

It wasn’t jealousy that filled him. Not entirely.
It was hunger.

Hunger to see that smile directed at him — only at him.
Hunger to hear Isagi’s laugh when they were alone.
Hunger to sink into him so deeply no photo, no rival, no anything could come between them.

---

He pulled out his phone.
A message already typed, sitting unsent for hours.

> “Don’t let Bunny use you. You’re better than that.”

He hovered over send. Smirked. Deleted it.

No. Too soon.
Isagi wasn’t ready for claws.

But soon he would be.
And when that day came, Lorenzo wouldn’t need to post photos or provoke rivals.

He would simply take.

---

The predator’s smile gleamed in the dark, sharp and certain.

Because unlike Kaiser’s jealousy or Sae’s cold obsession…
Lorenzo had no illusions.

He didn’t want to love Isagi.
He wanted to consume him.

And once he started… he wouldn’t stop.

Chapter Text

Isagi Yoichi never thought much about photos.
A picture was a picture. Proof of a good time, a way to remember the little things he usually forgot in the rush of training, travel, and matches.

So when Bunny insisted on snapping a photo with him in Barcelona, Isagi didn’t think twice.
They’d spent the afternoon walking through the old streets, grabbing food, talking about football, life, silly things. Bunny was loud, easygoing, full of jokes that cracked Isagi up until his cheeks hurt.

When Bunny pulled him close for the picture, Isagi smiled naturally. He felt comfortable. Safe, even.

He didn’t think of what it looked like.

---

Hours later, when the photo hit the internet, Isagi only saw it as one more post.
Fans flooded the comments, some cheering, some speculating. Nothing unusual.

He scrolled, shrugged, and set the phone aside.

---

What he didn’t see—what he couldn’t see—was the storm brewing behind other screens.

Kaiser, raging in silence.
Sae, watching from a distance, calculating.
Lorenzo, smiling like a wolf in the dark.
And Bunny himself, smirking at the chaos he’d unleashed.

---

Isagi went about his evening normally.
Cooked something simple. Called his mother to check in. Reviewed match footage until his eyes drooped.

But his thoughts kept circling back to Barcelona.

Not the photo.
Not the internet.

Just the warmth of Bunny’s arm.
The sound of his laughter.
The way he’d looked at Isagi when he thought Isagi wasn’t paying attention.

It felt… strange.

Like something was there. Something Isagi didn’t know how to name.

---

He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

For a second, his phone buzzed.
A message from Kaiser.
Short. Cryptic. Something that didn’t make sense.

He frowned, reread it, typed a confused reply.

No answer.

A moment later, another buzz. Sae this time. Cold words. Detached questions. But underneath them… a tension Isagi couldn’t quite understand.

And then Lorenzo. No message. Just a like on some random post Isagi had made weeks ago.

Weird.

Weird, but not enough to keep him awake.

---

So Isagi closed his eyes, oblivious to the fact that four men across the world were awake, restless, and burning for him in completely different ways.

To him, they were rivals. Friends. Maybe annoying at times, maybe too intense.

But to them?

He was everything.

And soon, Isagi would realize it.
One way or another.

Chapter Text

Sae Itoshi never wasted energy on emotions.
Not publicly. Not even privately, if he could help it.
But tonight… tonight was different.

The photo had burned into his mind.
Bunny.
His hand on Isagi’s waist.
That smile. That closeness.

Sae’s jaw tightened, his eyes fixed on the ceiling of his darkened apartment. He should’ve brushed it off. He should’ve told himself it didn’t matter.

But it did.

---

Sae wasn’t naive. He knew what Bunny was doing.
Provoking.
Testing.
Claiming.

And the worst part? It worked.

Because Sae couldn’t erase the image. Couldn’t stop replaying it, every detail sharper, heavier, until the silence of his room became suffocating.

---

Isagi didn’t belong with Bunny.
That thought came unbidden, but it rang true.

Isagi deserved better.
Someone sharper. Smarter. Someone who could give him the world, not just laughter and empty games.

Someone like Sae.

At least, that’s what he told himself.

---

He reached for his phone, typed out a message.

> “Stay focused. Don’t get distracted by people like him.”

He stared at the words. They felt cold. Too cold.
He deleted them.

Tried again.

> “Don’t waste your time with clowns.”

Delete.

Again.

> “Did you enjoy Barcelona?”

Simple. Neutral. Harmless.

He hit send before he could second-guess himself.

---

The reply came minutes later.

> “Yeah, it was fun! Bunny showed me around. We ate too much though lol.”

Sae’s chest tightened. His fingers hovered above the keyboard, but he forced himself to stop.

No. He wouldn’t beg. He wouldn’t fight.

Not yet.

Instead, he sat back, letting the cold fire burn low in his chest. Quiet. Controlled. Deadly.

---

Bunny thought he was clever.
Kaiser thought he was entitled.
Lorenzo thought he was inevitable.

But Sae Itoshi was patient.
And patience was far more dangerous than rage.

Because when Sae decided to move, he wouldn’t provoke, or bark, or even smile.

He would strike once.
And it would be enough.

Chapter Text

Isagi didn’t think of himself as clueless.
On the pitch, he read the game better than most.
But off the field… things were different.

And lately, he couldn’t shake the feeling that people around him were acting… weird.

---

First it was Kaiser.
His messages had gotten sharper. Not openly hostile, but laced with some strange tension. Questions that didn’t make sense. Statements that felt like challenges rather than conversation.

Then Sae.
Short, clipped words that seemed to ask something without asking it. Almost like he wanted to say more but wouldn’t.

And Lorenzo…
Lorenzo wasn’t direct, but his sudden habit of liking Isagi’s old posts at midnight? Strange.

Isagi didn’t get it. At all.

---

Sitting at his kitchen table, half-eaten instant noodles in front of him, he scrolled through his phone again.

The photo. The one with Bunny.
The comments were still flooding in.

He didn’t understand why it mattered so much.
It was just a picture.

Bunny had taken dozens of photos that day—street corners, food stalls, stadium shots—but that one had blown up. The one where Bunny’s arm rested over his shoulder, pulling him close like they’d known each other for years.

Isagi tilted his head, studying his own face in the image.
He looked… happy.

Really happy.

---

He shook his head.
No, that wasn’t important.

What mattered was training. Improving. Keeping his focus sharp.

Still, when his phone buzzed again—another cryptic message, this time from Kaiser—Isagi sighed loudly, dragging a hand down his face.

“What’s wrong with everyone lately…?” he muttered to himself.

He didn’t realize the answer wasn’t simple.
He didn’t realize the storm of emotions swirling behind every word they sent him.

To him, it was just noise.
Background static.

But to them?

It was a war.

Chapter Text

Kaiser was used to being loved.

By fans who screamed his name in stadiums.
By teammates who admired his genius on the field.
By media outlets that plastered his smirk across glossy covers, calling him The Crown.

Adoration was a constant. He had been raised in it, surrounded by it.
And yet—none of it filled the silence in his chest.

Because there was one person who didn’t look at him like everyone else.

Isagi.

---

From the very beginning, Kaiser had noticed the difference.

When others bowed under the weight of his charm, Isagi pushed back.
When others were blinded by his talent, Isagi matched him play for play, bite for bite.
And when Kaiser smiled his most dazzling, calculated smile—Isagi only rolled his eyes.

Infuriating. Addictive. Necessary.

---

Kaiser sat in the half-dark of his penthouse, city lights glittering outside. His phone lay face down on the table, ignored for once.

Instead, his mind replayed every second he’d shared with Isagi:
The sharpness in his eyes when he analyzed the field.
The way his hair stuck to his forehead after ninety relentless minutes.
The rare, unguarded grin when victory actually felt earned.

God, that grin.

It was the kind of smile people would kill for. The kind of smile Kaiser wanted to lock away, keep for himself, like a treasure only he was worthy of.

But it wasn’t his.

Not yet.

---

He poured himself a glass of wine, watching the red swirl against the crystal.
It reminded him of blood. Of hunger. Of desire he didn’t want to name.

He had built his life on the premise that everything was his for the taking.
Titles. Glory. Power.
But for the first time, he stood before something untouchable.

Isagi wasn’t dazzled by him.
Isagi wasn’t afraid of him.
Isagi wasn’t even… interested.

To Isagi, Kaiser was just another player.
Another rival. Another noise in the chaos of football.

And that reality burned.

---

He leaned back in his chair, resting his glass against his lips but not drinking. His reflection in the window stared back at him: flawless, composed, the perfect mask of arrogance he had crafted for the world.

But inside, the truth gnawed at him.

He didn’t just want Isagi to see him.
He wanted Isagi to need him.
To ache for him.

He wanted to shatter that maddening indifference and replace it with something raw, something that screamed his name.

---

“Kaiser.” He whispered his own name like a curse, like a reminder.

The crown was heavy.
But it meant nothing if Isagi never looked up at it.

For the first time in years, Kaiser felt small.
And he hated it.

But hatred could be sharpened into resolve.

If charm couldn’t break Isagi’s defenses, if arrogance couldn’t force his attention, then Kaiser would find another way.

Because he wasn’t letting go.
Not of this obsession.
Not of him.

Chapter Text

Sae Itoshi did not waste words.

He never had, not on the field, not in interviews, not in his personal life. Words were unnecessary, fragile things that often betrayed more than they protected.

And yet, when it came to Isagi Yoichi, Sae found himself biting back sentences that threatened to spill from his mouth.

Unacceptable.

---

Sae’s entire life had been measured.
Every decision weighed, every movement calculated.
From Spain to Japan and back again, he had always been in control.

He didn’t chase. He didn’t beg. He didn’t need.

But Isagi…

Isagi unsettled him.

---

He remembered the first time they met on the pitch, how Isagi’s eyes had burned—not with talent, not with the arrogance of gifted players, but with hunger. A hunger that mirrored his own when he was younger, before the world had taught him to suffocate it under ice.

That fire had seared something into Sae. Something he hadn’t been able to put out.

Even now, in the solitude of his apartment in Madrid, Sae replayed Isagi’s movements in his mind. The way he read the field like a second language. The way he defied expectations.

The way he made Sae want to watch.

And Sae never watched anyone.

---

On his desk, a single photo rested beneath a heavy glass paperweight. It wasn’t official—no media gloss, no team branding. Just a candid shot he’d managed to acquire, Isagi laughing mid-conversation with someone else, completely unaware of the camera.

Sae’s fingers brushed the edge of the paper.

He told himself it was nothing.
A reminder of talent worth respecting.
A study of a rival.

Lies. All of it.

Because at night, when silence filled his apartment, Sae stared at that photo longer than he should. His chest ached with something he refused to name.

---

Unlike Kaiser, Sae didn’t feel the need to flaunt his desire. He didn’t need to brandish it, to shout it into the world. That wasn’t his way.

No—Sae’s fixation was quieter, colder, more dangerous.

It lived in the way he monitored every headline that mentioned Isagi.
In the way he replayed his matches with obsessive precision, memorizing every detail.
In the way his jaw clenched when Isagi smiled at someone else.

Especially Bunny.
Especially Kaiser.
Especially anyone who dared stand too close.

---

He despised that weakness in himself.

Love—if that’s what this was—felt like rot in his bones. He wasn’t built for it. He wasn’t supposed to want.

And yet, Sae did.

He wanted Isagi’s attention, his time, his trust. He wanted Isagi to look at him the way he looked at football—with that relentless, unwavering devotion.

He wanted Isagi to choose him.

---

Sae closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair. For a moment, he imagined it—Isagi standing in front of him, no crowd, no cameras, no rivals. Just him.

Would Isagi smile at him like that?
Would he laugh the same way, unguarded and free?

The thought made Sae’s chest tighten in a way he couldn’t control.

Control. That was what he needed to regain.

He would.

Because no matter how long it took, no matter how many stood in the way, Sae wasn’t someone you could escape from.

Not when he had decided.
Not when he had chosen.