Chapter Text
— THE UNENDURABLE MELODY OF SNEAKERS SQUEAKING AND REPETITIOUS THUDS BOUNCED ON THE WALLS OF RIN’S EARDRUMS. Pulsating in his ears with steady, seemingly invariable waves of frequency that translated into a god-awful collection of sounds. Rin found that in response to the excruciating clangor, only his eye could twitch as his body remained tethered to the ground.
Rin was thoroughly convinced that he was in hell, that whatever iniquitous doing he may have committed in a past life had just bitten him back in the butt.
His turquoise eyes followed your swift, fluid movements, almost entranced by the cool air of authority that emitted from you. Had it been a lethal venom, he would’ve long been dead, purged without a second thought.
His gaze refused to sweep over the cacophonous gymnasium, unwaveringly remaining glued to your figure and the, absurdly vibrant, leather ball, clutched in a sole, firm hand. The foreign sports calls around you never pulled away his attention, nor did the sudden plop beside him register within his focused state of mind.
Goosebumps littered his bare arms, the frigid gushes of wind curling into the air and nipping at his pale skin. As a result of the minuscule pierces, diminutive bumps arose from every fiber of his body, instinctively responding to the cool gust that repeatedly hit him in the face. He would momentarily shudder, a firsthand consequence due to the sharp maneuvers made just diagonal from him, emanating from a group of girls a mere few meters away from him.
Their keen actions, suicides, caused Rin to shiver in discomfort as he respectfully avoided glancing in their direction. Unlike his perverted teammates, he had been taught from a very early age to never view women in a lustful light.
You had also viciously beat it into every crevice and fold of his brain with the sheer power of your words, your past lessons revolving around feminism were forever a lingering bruise in his mind.
Though, this did not mean that vexation did not seep through his stoic expression. Idly sitting in a position that practically radiated discomfort, he squirmed in discomposure as a deep frown threatened to play on his rosy lips.
Practice had been canceled for the football team, grudgingly promulgated by the psychotic coach himself, Jinpachi Ego.
As a direct result of the flashes of brilliance in the solemn abyss above, an infernal thunderstorm was the root cause of Rin’s current predicament. The grisly symphony just outside the walls of the school court served as an ear-bleeding tribute to Rin’s crumbling sanity, persistent patters against the narrowed windows and ceiling akin to nails on a chalkboard.
A scowl harshly tugged at the corners of his lips, crippling boredom washing over him in crude waves. His phone had long died, and it almost seemed as if he were the only person in the ginormous athletic facility to even own a cellular device, for not a singular being in the building had a charger to spare.
That.. and he simply loathed having to talk with the pile of lukewarms that are his teammates, who were — thankfully — far away from him, ‘practicing’ in a distant corner. He wholeheartedly refused to talk to them, unless it was football-related.
The only reason that he even spoke to Shidou was because he was forced to, compelled to oblige in a childish fear that the fatass would rugby-tackle him again. With the other members of his team, they were all considerably weary whenever they were within Rin’s radius.
Immediately upon hearing that practice for the boys was canceled, Shidou and Otoya had the utmost brilliant idea of dragging the team to the girl’s volleyball practice. Though, truthfully speaking, the horndogs just wanted to catch a glimpse of girls in spandex.
Shidou made this point clear when he ranted on and on about it on the way to the practice, and sometimes he would even make suggestive jokes about you with Otoya. This led Rin, who was the unwilling witness to the jester himself and his sexual jabs, into shooting a stern, protective glare that only caused Shidou to subtly smirk as a taunting response.
Rin had no issue of going to the gym as well, though, for an immensely different reason.
Without the agonizing roach in his ear, he could finally catch sight of your consummate display of the novel multitude of stellar skills. Prior to placing the bet with Shidou, Rin had come to notice that you had been staying back after your practices again.
Rin had always felt a sense of deep pride in his acute observation skills, and this was quickly proven true when he instantaneously noticed Sae arriving home in the later hours of the day. Long after football practice had concluded, long after dinner was served by their tender mother, Rin would hear the familiar jingle of his elder brother’s house keys.
Despite the fact that Rin’s refusal to talk to Sae was ever obstinate, even the epitome of stubbornness couldn’t avoid hearing the galling clatter of metal. Hell, the only reason why he even abided his brother’s presence was for your sake, for you hadn’t even known about their ordeal to begin with.
Rin never would’ve told you about the cruel words that Sae spat at him that night, and he was certain that his brother wouldn’t even think about acknowledging it to begin with.
After Sae would return home, Rin would sometimes catch a glimpse of you through his bedroom window, taking notice that your hazy silhouette would sometimes still adorn the school’s volleyball uniform. The sapphire fabric would lazily cling to your figure, and on rare occasions, a gauzy coat of sweat would shine on your body, glistening beneath the moonlight.
You and Sae had an ongoing tradition, dating all the way back to the early days of your childhood. Walking to and from each other’s home, everyday, without fail had simply become a part of your daily routines. Every other day would be when Rin finds you, after dropping off the pinkette, leisurely strolling through the vacant streets of your neighborhood.
On the sparsest of junctures, prior to the wintry night that silently had been divulged as the downfall of the Itoshi brothers, Rin would tag-along to your walks home. He found it comforting, absorbing every show of sisterly affection that you offered with utmost gratitude.
He would bask in your affection with great appreciation, savoring any slivers of tenderness that you may give him. Even with your borderline passive aggressive behavior — usually, when you were locked in a volleyball tournament — you had your own, unique ways of showing your endearment for him and his brother.
Sae never said much when Rin would come with you two, he would just carefully walk behind you a few steps back, scrupulously scanning your surroundings and ensuring that you and Rin were safe.
Rin, ever the observer, picked up on this rather quickly.
Internally, Rin would ponder on whether his presence was dubbed as a burden by you two. Nearing his adolescence, insecurities began to taint his innocent mind, clawing at any remnants of normalcy he may have had left.
However, these thoughts withered away along with the slipping seconds of time, for you never once showed him true annoyance. Your exuberant demeanor never faltered within his vicinity, and you never proved his degrading theories to be veracious.
That was something he had always admired about you. You never seemed to lose your composure around him, you were always so put together; it got to a point where a young Rin had frustratedly declared that you were just perfect in anything and everything.
Sae would sometimes grumble complaints and curses beneath his breath during the walks, but that was to be expected. That was just how siblings were.
What he truly cared about was your, ever significant, opinion about Sae being forced to pick Rin up from school and bring him along. Though you hadn’t eased his worries with the comfort of your words, your actions spoke for you. You never wanted to make him feel like extra luggage, that’s what Rin had gathered from the moment that he met you.
And, he already knew what this meant, after all, you were staying back during practices again. You were—
“RIN!”
An intimate feminine voice called out his name, tearing him away from his trance as he sheepishly glanced around, probing for the source of the sudden noise. Somehow, in the few moments that he had been in a stupor, you had appeared just beside him in a crouching position.
His eyes widened, watching as everybody curiously turned to look at you two and your abrupt burst in volume. Rubbing the back of his neck, he animatedly shrunk beneath your heedful gaze, replying with a meek ‘yes?’.
You raised a dubious brow at his actions, though you shook it off with a quick wave of your hand. Dropping down just beside of him, you watched as his optics expectedly trailed after you and the ball that was still tightly gripped in your taped hand. Shunning the seething stares that pierced the back of your heads, you brought your knees to your chest and shattered the short-lived silence between you two.
“Calm down, Rin. I’m not going to spike it in your face. I was just asking if you wanted to come with me and Sae to Sakamoto’s. You could even bring your little friend, Shino—was it..? Or was it Shinso…?” You shrugged after a few more failed attempts of trying to recall the peculiar third year’s name, rapidly reducing his significance to mere sputtering endeavors of feigned remembrance.
You sat with the ball gently rolling back and forth between the enclosed spacing of the back of your thighs and the heel of your basketball shoes. Subconsciously toying with the loose leather of the volleyball with your wrapped fingers, dipped beneath one of your muscular legs, your eyes meticulously noted Rin’s prominent puzzlement.
Seemingly frozen in place, his gaze absentmindedly drifted off to the distance in deep contemplation, vaguely mouthing his thoughts. You choose not to say anything about this as you patiently awaited for the siren of reality to blare within his consciousness.
Sae.? Oh yeah, Sae.
Where was he anyway?
Wait.. friend? Rin barely even had anyone he could call a friend, and he would certainly remember if he had ones with such lukewarm names as that.
Oh, God.. did you mean Shidou?! Ugh — whatever. He’ll come back to this.
Going back to the missing Sae..
”Huh.? Is he even here?” Rin cowardly queried, confusion’s effect clear upon his furrowed brows, subconscious softening of his default scowl, and his eyes darting around the gym in bafflement. You paused, opening your mouth to speak, then closing with a blank expression. Owlishly blinking at him with a deadpan, your eye comically twitched as your deafening silence began to claw at his nerves.
Then, your features slowly began to morph into one of pure concern, the worry written on your face. “Rin.. are you okay? Like, you genuinely can’t be serious.”
”Huh..?”
Your question only urged his perplexed mind to grow in scale, and as you gestured to his right side with the outstretch of your free palm, tilting your chin in the same direction: Rin mechanically twisted his head to glance behind him. The teal depths of his eyes had immensely enlarged in size upon seeing the grotesque sight before him, and for a second he had almost feared that they would pop out of his skull.
Fuchsia tufts of hair caught his line of view, standing out amongst the side of the gymnasium that Rin had, originally, refused to look at. Gelled wisps stubbornly stood in different angles, per usual, and he was met with a grueling realization.
Sae had been next to him the entire time.
Inattentiveness had been becoming quite a resilient theme for Rin.
Genuine terror was etched across his features, true horror bleeding into the past vexation he once felt. Yelping, he crawled back until he felt something soft hit his back, though, he truly couldn’t find it in himself to care as his arms instinctively snaked around your waist in a fearful clutch.
He heard your snicker from behind him, and his mind debated on whether he should focus on his embarrassment or how petrified he currently was.
Clearly, he chose the latter as the grip around your waist only tightened.
The same godforsaken colored eyes stared back at him in half curiosity, half indecent amusement. Sae rose a brow, the dam of his stoic facade slowly beginning to crumble beneath the sheer entertainment he felt at this very moment. Though he failed to express it, the linger of faint merriment was ultimately inevitable.
Your regaled gaze traveled down to the black strands of hair that lightly tickled your chin, your mirth as inconspicuous as a nuclear explosion. Chuckling, the low rumble failed to reach Rin’s ears as he pointed an accusing finger.
”What the fuck?! H-How.. how long have you been there?”
Sae scoffed, transparently unbothered and paying little to no mind to Rin’s reluctant fear. Resting his phone down on one knee, he fully glanced over at you two and scanned your intertwined position. Raising a suspicious brow, designated solely for you, he merely rolled his eyes when you shot him back a playful wink.
Jerking his neck to the side, he clearly took his time to answer as he hummed in satisfaction after hearing the imperceptible crack, plus, the yearned release of the gas bubbles within the synovial fluid of his neck joints. Letting a quiet sigh to fall from his lips, he uncrossed his calves and simply allowed himself be propped up against the wall at a comfortable angle.
Both you and Rin deadpanned, watching as Sae quite literally rubbed his feet together before choosing to respond. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting for Sae to finally let the words escape, the anticipated conjoined syllables had reverberated within your ears.
”I’ve been sitting here since the beginning of N/n’s practice. I was here when you sat down, fucking idiot.”
What a man of words.
You inaudibly sighed, not even bothering to scold the boy for his foul mouth as you glanced back down at Rin. Just beyond the borders of black hair, that you carefully brushed out of his eyes, you caught sight of his irked expression. Peeping how his eye twitched in simmering annoyance, most likely preparing a snarky retort, you mercifully interrupted the sixteen year old before he could counter.
”Rin, you never answered me. Do you want to come or not?” Your tone was uncharacteristically stern this time around, and Rin finally seemed to realize how he was laid out on you when your warm breath fanned the shell of his ear. He became alarmingly aware of how he was sprawled out on your chest, how your arms were wrapped around his neck in an unyielding hold, and how the faint pace of your heartbeat drummed against his back.
His senses had unsettlingly heightened in a rapid upsurge of intensification, and at the worst moment possible; he was clinically keen of his surroundings. Jumping ahead, almost akin to a startled cat, Rin murmured out a series of apologies as he tore himself from you. He just barely picked up on Sae’s snort, who was now (ironically) diagonal to him.
Sitting up, Rin sheepishly ran a hand through his messy hair, using all remaining slivers of his mental strength to avoid eye contact with either of you. Awkwardness crept into the air between you three, well, at least for Rin as he felt his face heat up. You and Sae were too amused with his vexed, objectively rude demeanor being dimmed to clear sheepishness.
He hadn’t been held like that by you for a hot minute, and the ravenette had fortunately caught himself before he could become mush in the solace of your warmth. It was genuinely alarming how close he was to the brink of becoming a glop of tenderness, which was why he hurriedly reminded himself that he was no longer the little kid who you used to smother. That familiar phrase was an unyielding chant within the heap on his mind, a cacophony of words that, at the moment, held very little truth.
Rather abruptly, he now secretly understood why Sae had looked so comfortable in your arms last weekend.
Ignoring your two gazes, Rin gracelessly cleared his throat and scooted farther away from you at an almost comical pace.
Why did the Itoshi brothers always find a need to lay on you? It’s almost like they forget that they’re giant beasts with towering structures.
Yeah. That was exactly what Rin assumed you were thinking right now.
“Uh.. Yeah, I’ll go.” He finally murmured, continuing to eschew eye contact as he blindly handed you the stray volleyball that had rolled to his side. Hopping up from the ground, you took the volleyball from his palm and cocked your head to the right once more. Holding it beneath your armpit, you easily towered over the two Itoshis as you spoke once more.
“Rin-chan, bring your friend. I don't think we ever had a proper introduction, and it seems like he’s a bit too preoccupied right now.” Teasingly winking at him, you returned back to your solo practice. From behind, Rin heard Sae let out a low chuckle as he continued doing whatever it was that Sae did in his free time, probably something half-baked, he mused.
Rin felt his face cool down from the previous embarrassment, that had incessantly raked at his coherent thinking process, as he let out a sigh of relief.
Anyways..
What.. What was Shidou even doing?
Please, don’t let it be anything idiotic.
Please, don’t let it be anything idiotic.
Please, don’t let it be anything idiotic.
Please, to whatever deity above who may be watching, don’t let it be anything idiotic.
Snapping his head in Shidou’s direction, Rin felt the rhythmic beating of his heart come to a halt, once again, as his jaw dropped to an almost unfathomable level. His eyebrow comically twitched, his deadpan almost a beacon of the pure disbelief he currently felt. A sound of disbelief rippled from his throat, a putrid mixture of a groan and a dry croak.
Of course it was idiotic.
It was Shidou, for fuck’s sake. He was the human embodiment of idiocy.
Shidou, comfortably lounging in a corner of the gym, had a pile of chargers resting by his side. The audacious amount of cords glared back at Rin, seemingly mocking him and the previous predicament with his dead cellphone.
Despite the blonde third year being impudently slumped, drool prickling from the corners of his mouth, he somehow slept with a shit-eating smirk plastered on his face. With his expression painted in twisted triumphant, Rin felt his blood boil when the irony of it all hit him with the grace of a catalyst.
Shidou didn’t even have a phone anymore, for he had broken it after their spy mission at Nekola Café.
SAKAMOTO'S CONVENIENCE STORE .ᐟ
Rin was thoroughly convinced that whatever divinity above truly loathed him. For, that was the only plausible explanation for the absolute hell he was being forced to endure. He unremittingly cursed the past-him, the him in another life, for whatever vulgar acts he must’ve perpetrated to put the current-him in this situation.
The distinct hum of the lights purred throughout the entirety of the unostentatious abode of the convenience store, serving as the only remedy for his wilting sense of stability. A booth for four was embellished with the varying people who made up the unlikely quartet.
The subtle hue of ocher gently pampered your faces in delicate pecks, finalizing the kisses with a cultivated touch of amber. The ligneous table creaked beneath every one of Shidou’s enthusiastic movements, scraping against the tiled flooring in a cacophony of unflattering screeches. Rocking back and forth on the seating of the booth, he rested his chin in one palm as he glanced over at Sae.
”Sooo.. do you two come here often?” The blonde’s voice reverberated through the small store, catching a few stray glances from passerbys in the midst of his sentence. Rin winced at the stares, twisting his head towards the window adjacent to him, in a pathetic attempt of trying to act like he didn’t know the boy beside him.
”We come here every Friday for drinks after practices end.” Sae carelessly replied, not bothering to spare even a passing glance to the pair across from him. The wooden stick of a popsicle hung from the corner of his mouth, leaving his lips painted in a faint tint of blue.
With his voice as monotonous as it was, Rin genuinely questioned how you had dealt with it for the entirety of your friendship.
He wasn’t really one to judge, for he wasn’t any better, but his mind still rummaged with possible explanations for his simmering query. It was almost inexplicable how somebody like you could even tolerate somebody like Sae.
After your practice had come to an anticipated conclusion, Rin had (unwillingly) asked Shidou to come along with him to your and Sae’s weekly ‘matcha meetups,’ another intimate ritual you two had. And Shidou, embracing the opportunity with the typical mischievous glint in his eyes, immediately agreed.
Rin, surprisingly, was never invited to these sessions. Since the tradition had come to life after you and Sae discovered the existence of the underrated store, his elder brother would shoo him off after Friday practices and walk with you to your usual hotspot.
At the time, Rin didn’t care that much. Frankly, he had many more things to worry about after his puberty had sparked at thirteen. Pimples, voice-cracks, a ‘mustache’ sprouting on his upper lip, he didn’t have time to fret over your trivial meetings. He was already facing the wrath of becoming a man; he didn’t find a need to give a damn about those matcha meetups.
That was.. what he had always presumed. He always believed he’d feel that way: annoyed rather than feeling left out because of your ‘little dates,’ as he liked to call them, solely to tease Sae and pester the living shit out of him. He found it to be peak comedy when Sae would grit his teeth and attempt to push back the flush on his cheeks.
Rin had just believed that he would blush due to the vexation, not because of anything else.
But, as of the unfortunate present time, Rin would rather be anywhere else than here. He’d rather die than tell you that, though. For very clear reasons, he finds it rather difficult to tell you ‘no’ when it comes to situations like this.
Sipping from his matcha, an immediate wave of umami washes over, easing at least some of his grated nerves as his eyes bounce from Shidou to Sae, and finally to you. The artificial blonde, his boisterous upperclassman, continued to hound his companion with goading jabs, earning halfhearted swats in response.
Sae was frankly unbothered by his classmate’s actions, mindlessly scrolling through his phone as he awaited for your conversation with the store owners to conclude. His face remained infuriatingly neutral, the same blank look that made Rin’s skin crawl whenever he even caught a glimpse of it.
And as for you.. God, Rin felt that he may lunge across the table and forcefully rip you away from that fucking conversation. Resisting the tempting urge, he watched your interaction with utmost intrigue, diverting his attention from the two lukewarms that agonizingly orbited his teenage life. Focusing in on your discussion, he — somehow — muted the two and their one-sided talk.
The elderly woman, Sakamoto Kazuko, had stopped by your booth around ten minutes ago, ranting nonstop about her grandson, and how you two would be a ‘heaven-sent couple.’ You’ve been politely listening with the charming grin that you always gave, using the people-voice that Rin would only dream of ever mimicking.
He had long known of your absurd social skills, and he actually respected you even more for them. The way you could go from an arrogant egoist, who seemingly rivals Ego himself, to an alluring extrovert will forever astound him. Rin finds it astonishing how easily you could put up a specific front for the specific people.
Ever since he had first gained consciousness, Rin had always noticed how blatantly rude Sae was to anybody he couldn’t tolerate for more than a few minutes. So, it came as a true surprise when his second beloved celebrity, you, had the ever-loving charm and people-skills of a seductress. It was truly extraordinary how well you handled situations.
As of now, it appears as if you have been weathering this type of conversation with her for a while, perhaps it’s a usual topic that resurfaces every time you and Sae visit. Rin wouldn’t know.
Her son, the current owner of the store, Enji, has also been rambling to you about the enigmatic boy. Sae had already set his phone down, intensively listening in on how they praised the male. Even Shidou dimmed down with his theatrical antics, solely to listen to your conversation whilst dramatically sipping from his vanilla matcha.
The entirety of the table had gone unnervingly silent as they, inconspicuously, listened to the conversation. The nosy little shits were all just collectively curious about what your reply would be to the outrageous panegyrizes that were thrown your way.
It seemed as if only Sae was truly aware of what was going on, for he was the only one who looked genuinely irritated as he watched the scene unfold. His pink eyebrows were furrowed, and though invisible to the naked eye, the ghost of a frown had found its way on his lips.
Rin would worry what that expression was about later.
The woman took your hand in hers, enveloping your hand with her palms on either side as she offered you a subtle curl of her lips. You mirror her, keeping your eyes on her figure as Enji continued to babble about his all-too-familiar son. It’s almost endearing how adamantly he spoke of him.
Almost.
The striking shade of their hair, an elegant olive-brown, shines beneath the tinted lighting. Their eyes mirror the exact hue of their hair, and it’s almost as if the boy himself is staring back at you again. You avoid staring at Enji for too long, in fear that the dear captain may materialize from the elder’s equivalent facial structure and stoic features.
“He’s a regular on the Shiratorizawa team! A true leader, he is!” Enji excitedly nodded, flashing you a wide grin when he noticed how you momentarily froze, and in his eyes, it was due to the new clue he’d given you.
The Sakamotos had an anomalous habit of hyping up their son to you, eulogizing his accomplishments in volleyball and academics that were akin to yours. After the discovery of your fame in the sports world, and how your skills were openly admired around Japan, they insisted upon you at least giving him a chance.
They claimed that two skilled people would be a match made in heaven, a couple meticulously picked from the best of the best. And two beacons in your youthful volleyball world would be just the match. This tradition had been ignited after around an entire year of your matcha meetups; when the Sakamotos had seen you on a big-name sports magazine for the first time.
But.. they refused to reveal his identity, that was the rather odd part. They insisted that you show ‘true interest’ before they introduce the, ever mysterious, prince charming.
Another sliver that screamed irony, was something far more confidential, something only those deep in your world would know.
They couldn’t be that clueless, could they? Hell, even some people outside of the volleyball world know about your past with him. It would be ridiculous if they weren’t aware.
You gather your bulging thoughts before you allow your prepossessing demeanor to falter even further, concealing your swift waver with a chuckle as you tilt your head to the side. Ignoring the piercing stares that stab the back of your head, and the sudden shoot of warmth from Sae’s palm on the small of your back, you flash Enji a teasing smirk.
“Shiratorizawa, huh? He must be pretty decent if he’s a regular.” You hum, your voice as smooth as velvet, an evident undertone of knowing in your words. You raise a brow in faux muse, gently loosening Kazuko-sama’s hold on you in order to slither your hands away.
Just barely, you hear a small, “What the hell is a Shiratorizawa..?”, from behind you.
Feeling her curious, lone gaze fixated on you, you cup the right side of your face in your hand, leaning into your own hold as you continue to speak. “Let me ask, he wouldn’t have been in the same magazine as me, would he? Y’know, Weeky Tokyo Times? The least you could tell me is that, since you’re so careful about fully revealing him to me!”
You comically whined, animatedly complaining about how they gatekeeped the identity from you, despite the fact that they would continuously attempt to raise your interest in him. You found it almost endearing how Kazuko-sama stifled her chortle at your childish maneuvers, and how Enji sweetly smiled while observing you.
The Sakamotos also heavily displayed their favoritism for you and Sae over the other customers, dubbing you as their most ‘loyal’ clients. Sae didn’t really mind, the fatass was just happy that Kazuko-sama would hand him syrupy popsicles on the house. You were the one who was forced to have weekly conversations with them on your usual Friday trips, though you didn’t really complain much; it was just the son part that constantly threw you off.
You also found it profoundly entertaining how they thought that ‘hiding’ his name would ever work against somebody as vigilant as you.
Enji paused, cocking his head as his lips twitched upwards. Your emphasis on the specific magazine hinted at your growing speculation of who he really was. “Yes, he is! You’re fairly close to discovering who he is! After all, you were featured in it multiple times before transferring to that academy. I wouldn’t be surprised if you two had been in there at the same time!”
You chose to ignore the prominent weight added on the chosen words, brushing off how he was insinuating his distaste with your transfer, and having the audacity to conceal it with a sweet tone.
You remained silent for a few seconds, allowing the unbearable silence to grow. You could almost sense the confusion that radiated from the two behind you. Enji’s timbre reflected yours, and Kazuko-sama never let her eyes travel away from you, she’d already given Sae his weekly popsicle anyways.
You could even faintly hear the obnoxious clatter of the wood against his teeth, a rhythmic click that chimed whenever he would play with the popsicle stick in his mouth.
They couldn’t have not known about your relationship with him. It’s almost impossible not to know. Hell, the only reason why Rin wasn’t aware of it was because you meticulously made sure to hide it from him. Sae had even vowed never to mutter a word about it.
The large hand on your back pressed in further, telepathically telling you to give it up before you utter something disrespectful, something ignorant. Something that may blow your cover, that may lull Rin and his freak friend into digging deeper in your past.
Something that may motivate them to spy on you and Sae even further. Sae wouldn’t want that, you were sure of it. He was always weirdly secretive about your past relationships.
However.. you’ve recently been a sucker for entertaining Rin and his friend’s antics. You found it hilarious how they considered themselves to be inconspicuous on their ‘spy missions.’
And, you were also infamous for never listening to Sae.
Imperceptibly letting a disappointed breath fall from your glossed lips, you gave an eye-reaching grin that the two Sakamotos immediately returned.
Finally mustering up your response, you ensured that your tone was sickly sweet as you endearingly clasped your hands together. “Tell your son that I may go out with him if I truly know his identity! He sounds like quite the charmer, and I can already sense that he’s one handsome boy! Please treat yourself with the tip I left you, Enji-san!”
Your deliberate wording and careful underlining of something more were scrupulous, copiously gesturing towards the possibility of you going out with the enigma that is Enji’s son. It was also the perfect amount of ‘concealed’ secrecy to tug at the freak and Rin’s interest with continuing with their spying.
You were just doing it for shits and giggles at this point, they would find it out sooner or later. You were also quite determined to receive the actual reasoning behind them spying on you and your best friend.
The time when they were watching through the window of Sakamoto’s may have just been a friendly coincidence, you didn’t think much of it.
The second time when they literally spied on you behind a bush, you grew reasonable suspicions. You’re almost convinced that they had forgotten who exactly they were dealing with. You, somebody who was infamous for your keen senses, and Sae, somebody who had the spacial awareness of a fucking war general.
The third time, it was almost them just blatantly telling you about their intentions. Rin’s friend truly isn’t much of a whisperer.
Anyways..
Another intention that your words aimed at was the chance of Rin being able to grasp a vague notion of how rigorous you truly were. You had always been aware of how he looked up to you, but, you needed Rin to realize that you weren’t the epiphany of perfection.
You had your own reasons for this.
Finally getting the hint that the conversation was over, the two left after offering a tender farewell. Feeling the toasty warmth of Sae’s palm diminish into nothingness after their exit, you bounced back to your prior conversation with Rin.
”Anyways! Rin-chan, have you had any luck with girls recently?” You chirped, taking a well-deserved sip from your white chocolate matcha as you hum in delight at the sweetness. Plucking a fine, delicately made croissant from Sae’s plate, he tsked at your actions, stealing a fuck-ton of your daifuku as a petty counter.
Fatass.
”No, N/n, I don’t have time for lukewarm relationships. You already know where my mind is at.”
The ebony haired boy, though surprised with your flicker in personalities, subconsciously mimicked your swiftness in rolling back into your conversation. He had noted how Sae subtly rolled his eyes during your final sentences with the Sakamotos, crossing his arms in visible annoyance as a scoff escaped his lips before he had a chance to suppress it.
It was safe to say that his suspicions had been arisen to astounding heights, and Shidou was no better, Rin was just more subtle about it. Shidou was practically vibrating with questions, unable to stop squirming in his seat as he conjured an infinite amount of possibilities that could’ve led to that reaction by Sae.
Just what was going on with Sae.?
And just why the actual fuck did you entertain the store owners and their half-baked frolics?
— HASTUMA PARK —
The wind whistled in your ears, sweeping through the elusive gaps of your hair as it gently oscillated the strands in an endearing sway. The park was fairly populated, scattered with children and adults alike as everyone savored the warmth of summer’s debut.
Cicadas lazily hummed from afar, creating a nostalgic atmosphere between you and Sae as you both absentmindedly conversed about nothing and everything at once. Sauntering through the intricately-grown garden of the broad plaza, your tennis shoes pattered against the stone tiles in a synchronized fashion.
Running a hand through the silky tufts of his wavy hair, he vexedly sighed in evident, bubbling frustration. Before reluctantly agreeing to your proposal of a quick stroll through the area, Sae hadn’t bothered to gel his locks. Quite obviously, he didn’t pay regard to the consequences that may come from his abrupt decision.
You two had been casually walking for around an hour or so, allowing yourselves to be embraced by the serenity of the calm. Though, the only downside (other than Sae’s bangs) was the scorching heat that dawned upon you, seemingly glaring down in heinous heat waves. A thin layer of sweat coated your bodies, causing the athletic wear to pathetically cling to your builds in a dolorous embosom.
Glancing over to your side, you cracked an amused grin, noticing Sae’s quiet huffs in annoyance as he continued to run his porcelain fingers through his hair, a desperate attempt of trying to slick it back with the sole power of his persistence. Chuckling, you came to a halt, gesturing for Sae to do the same as he glanced down at you in curiosity — finally stopping his relentless finger maneuvering.
“Sae, do you want one of my hair ties? I could literally just tie it up for you.”
He grumbled something incoherent beneath his breath, crossing his arms in faux anger. “If you really have to..”
Smiling, you gestured for him to dip his head forward as you carefully removed the black ties that clung to your wrist. Dramatically sighing, solely to display his show of displeasure, he tilted his head and leaned forward.
As you tied his hair into two, admittedly foolish pigtails, you brought your mouth to the shell of his ear and murmured softly. “Do they think we really can’t tell? They couldn’t be any more obvious..”
Sae hummed, not a sliver of surprise in his demeanor from your actions, as he kept his gaze to the ground, letting a scoff fall from his lips. “As if I care, they’re so half-baked—having nothing better to do with their lives, that they voluntarily choose to spy on us.”
You laughed, briskly flickering your gaze behind with an ‘oblivious’ look. Glancing back at him, you backed away and triumphantly clasped your hands, admiring your glorious masterpiece from afar.
The pigtails were crooked, yes; but, it was still a quite delightful sight to see. The Itoshi Sae, the midfielder known for how adamantly insolent and impolite he was — leaned over for you, with his hair tied up into two bundles of pink locks. It was almost impossible not to chuckle at the winsome glimpse, and the irony of it all.
”Do you want to tell them that we’re catching on? It’s a fucking pain for them to pathetically spy on us so often.” Sae stated, an undertone of hidden amusement in his words as he tilted his head back to look you in the eye. Maintaining eye contact, you swatted away a stray strand of his hair and feigned deep thought.
The meticulous pattern of your fingertip brushed the supple skin of his forehead, and from afar — the scene would appear romantic for everyone else, a moment of hushed secrecy between two lovers as they gently whispered in each other’s ear. The close proximity a testimonial exaltation to their sacred bond, and their mirrored, undying love for one another.
”Nah, we’ll keep it up for a bit longer. I love messing with people like them.” You kept your hand on his soft cheek, cupping it with a faux look of adoration in your eyes. Biting back the shit-eating smirk, your mischievousness was impeccably concealed for everyone but Sae. The familiar glint in your optics, the way your eyes would momentarily scan your surroundings; every factor added up to one sole, sick explanation.
You just loved tricking people.
He cracked a small, borderline minuscule, smile. “You’re kinda an asshole, y’know that? You’re baiting them into believe something completely fabricated, princesita.”
”They’ll find it out sooner or later, for now, just go along with it. You haven’t even complained about me acting like this with you since we started.”
”Fair. Just don’t let the Sakamotos or Ushiwaka catch onto your plan.”
— 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎. matcha.
status / complete. [ ✓ ]
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NEXT. ♯03┆nevertheless .ᐟ