⋆｡°🎧ྀི.⊹₊ ⋆ The Fact That Rin Is So Not Nonchalant Even Though He Tries To Be Is So

idk if youve written about this before but who do you think will heal like "fix" Rin: Isagi or Sae? (sorry for bad english)

(don't apologize!)

I kind of did

This was not too long ago and I still think feel the way I did when I wrote that.

I still think Rin's issues will be one of the core conflicts later on, seeing as how this entire PXG match was written to develop him further (make him more insane). Dedicating 200 chapters to developing one character means that character's conflicts are important and there will be more shit for that character later on. As far as fixing or helping (I get what you mean) I think it's gonna be a combo of both of them but more than that, Rin pulling himself together. Mostly because that's the pattern in Blue Lock so far. Nobody really discloses their baggage with anyone, the only one to do that was Bachira and that's because of how his relationship with Isagi is (very different from the other dynamics in the manga) and how Bachira just is as a person (very open about everything, esp w/ Isagi).

Bachira*, Chigiri, Barou, Nagi, Hiori, Yukimiya, Kaiser--> all of these people were "helped" by Isagi, but Isagi didn't do anything. He reached out to them to get them to collaborate and win matches. He was either met with resistance (Barou, Chigiri, Yuki) or willingness to make it work (Nagi, Kaiser**). Each time the outcome is the same though. Chigiri remembered why soccer was fun, so he jumped back in, Nagi realized what it's like to actually feel fired up about something, anything, Barou realized he can't just be The Way That He Is and win matches/be useful in matches/be a part of the team and given the opportunity/chance to score for the team. Hiori and Yukimiya found inspiration just playing with Isagi, Hiori moved past the pressure his awful parents put on him and found his own personal reason to play, Yuki and Isagi had a couple of Bad Moments and it worked out because they're both willing to admit mistakes and learn and change.

*Again, Bachira's situation was quite different from the rest, so we won't dive into his stuff here **Kaiser is unreliable and this comes with a grain of salt and that is an entire other post in itself, but the point still stands

Soooo moving back to Rin...I expect him to follow the same pattern. When you compare Rin's reaction to Isagi just PLAYING SOCCER and literally EVERYONE ELSE'S REACTION to Isagi just PLAYING SOCCER it's really wild.

Everyone else:

Rin:

Even fucking Kaiser started out acting like Rin and then shifted to feeling like everyone else (Kaiser and his unreliable narrating is a whole other post so I won't get into that here).

Everyone figured their own stuff out on their own terms (Not Kaiser lol). Rin should probably work out the same seeing as how he is seeing the same Isagi as everyone else but having a total 180 reaction. Rin is very much an anomaly though because unlike everyone else in the manga, he's stuck in his emotions and broken heart and can't get past it, and *his issues/narrative conflicts actually involve other characters who participate in the story (Sae). We're never gonna see Hiori face his parents or anything like that, so Rin is clearly a different type of story than everyone else.

*Kaiser and Ness but again, different post

Rin has two obstacles:

Figuring out what Sae was trying to tell him when he dumped him (in a fuck awful way, Sae is an idiot)

And the way he views Isagi

I didn't include "fixing relationship with Sae" as an obstacle because THAT will not happen unless he realizes #1. This story is all about "egos" (ego meaning finding your reason/motivation and not relying on anyone else). Rin always just wanted to be in his brother's shadow and Sae got really tired of that because he knew Rin was capable of more than that, so he dumped him.

Rin loses his shit a little (understandably honestly, really sad), uses his anger as a motivator (still missing the mark, that makes Rin codependent on Sae still), realizes there is finally someone who isn't just one of Rin's stepping stones (how Rin used to view everyone around him, first character flaw we see), and lost his shit a little more. Decided that beating Isagi was his next goal, which setting more reachable goals like that is good (it's what Isagi did with Kaiser), but because Rin has so many other unresolved issues he wasn't able to be normal about it and he let Isagi send him into a spiral/borderline meltdown on the soccer field in the PXG match LOL. Rin placed Isagi in the same playing field as his brother, literally compared the two saying he needs someone who makes him suffer in order to play to his fullest potential.

I don't think I need to explain why that thought process is completely fucked up lol. Sae legitimately hurt Rin. Isagi did nothing to him, so this comparison is evident of how desperate Rin is to keep finding a reason to play (his own ego).

I think the order of events for Rin has to be:

Get over this weird fixation on Isagi. Shift from letting Isagi ruin his life to letting Isagi inspire him like everyone else. View Isagi as someone to fight alongside and compete against without escalating into a mental breakdown lol.

Realize why he's playing soccer---> he SHOULD come to the conclusion that this sport brings him joy and it's fun. So far we've never see him really enjoy it. That's been the core of several arcs, Chigiri, NAGI especially my god (that's literally been the whole reason anything in blue lock has gone the way it has for Nagi lmao), Hiori. And even Bachira calls him out on it.

If things go that way---> THEN I think Sae will see this change and their relationship can mend itself. Sae just sees Rin as an annoying sibling who wants to ride his brother's ass and annoy him forever being happy with settling for living in a shadow (literally, this was confirmed by Kaneshiro that Sae does not view their little spat the same as Rin does, he thinks Rin is just being annoying, Sae is an idiot lol).

I also think Rin needs friends. He has none. Realizing that people are playing WITH him is started this WHOLE downward spiral in the U20 match, so for me it seems that Rin's endgame should be embracing the 10 other people he's playing with and enjoy it with them, not feel like he has to be alone and do everything himself otherwise he's not good enough. I think Isagi (and Bachira too tbh) will be key to this part of Rin's story.

To answer your question:

Yes. Lol.

Hello Mar, I love your writing and the answers to the requests you've received thus far (especially the plushie one).

How would Kaiser, Rin & Sae react to their so being incapable of kicking a soccer ball? They either miss kicking it entirely due to lack of coordination and ehen they do kick it, it doesn't roll very far.

Thank you!

Their S/O Being Incapable of Kicking a Soccer Ball

a/n-HELL YEAH GIRLL yall are litterally so creative w those requests i always can't wait to write them!

Enjoyy:>

- Kaiser, Sae, Rin

|masterlist

Michael Kaiser

Kaiser had never seen anything quite like this before.

"Liebling, what was that?" he asked, barely holding back his laughter as he watched you attempt to kick the soccer ball for the third time—only to miss it entirely. You stood there, foot still raised mid-air, blinking down at the completely untouched ball.

"I—I just miscalculated," you muttered, cheeks burning as you placed your foot back on the ground. "Let me try again."

Kaiser smirked, folding his arms. "Oh, by all means. This is the most entertainment I’ve had in weeks."

You huffed and squared your shoulders. This time, determined not to fail, you swung your foot back and kicked with all your might.

The ball rolled exactly two feet forward.

Silence. Then Kaiser burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as he doubled over. "Mein Gott, Liebling! That was precious. Are you sure you’re not secretly a pro?" He swiped a tear from his eye before sauntering over and ruffling your hair. "I think you should stick to watching me play instead. You’re much cuter that way."

You groaned, shoving his hand off. "You're the worst."

He only grinned. "And yet, you still love me."

Itoshi Rin

Rin was usually a patient man. Usually.

"How… how are you this bad at it?" he asked, staring at you in utter disbelief.

You scowled at him, arms crossed. "It’s harder than it looks! I don’t have a foot made of steel like you."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, let’s try again. Stand properly. Balance your weight. And for the love of god, look at the ball."

You tried. You really did. But once again, your foot barely made contact, causing the ball to pathetically wobble forward.

Rin exhaled sharply through his nose. "That’s it. We're not leaving until you kick it properly."

Your eyes widened. "Rin, no."

"Rin, yes."

"I swear, if you make me do drills—"

"Start running."

"I hate you."

"No, you don’t. Now, again."

Itoshi Sae

Sae was unimpressed. That much was obvious.

He watched as you lined up for another attempt. The first few times, you'd whiffed completely. The fourth time, you'd made contact, but the ball had barely budged. And now? Now you were overthinking it so much you looked like a robot about to malfunction.

With a long sigh, Sae pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're not fighting for your life. Just kick the damn ball."

"I'm trying!" you snapped, frustration bubbling over. "Some of us aren’t soccer prodigies, y'know."

Sae raised an eyebrow. "Clearly."

You turned away with a scowl, but before you could kick again, you felt hands on your waist. Your breath hitched as Sae leaned down, his voice low in your ear. "Here. Let me show you."

His foot ghosted over yours, adjusting your stance. He guided your leg back and forward, helping you make clean contact with the ball. It rolled smoothly across the grass.

He stepped back, crossing his arms. "See? Simple."

You turned to him with a glare. "Yeah, well, it’s easier when you're practically doing it for me."

Sae smirked. "So, you admit you need me."

You rolled your eyes, but the warmth on your face betrayed you. "Shut up."

He let out a soft chuckle, ruffling your hair before walking off. "Come on. Let’s try again. Maybe in another hundred years, you’ll actually get decent."

You groaned. This was going to be a long day.

the lack of yuri on ice fanfiction is EATING me alive. I LITERALLY YEARN FOR A GOOD YURI ON ICE STORY THEYRE ALL FROM YEARS AGOOO

I'd like to think that you and sae would have the most atrocious digital footprint

summary · you're fifteen and chronically online. sae's fifteen and annoying. together, you're a PR team's worst nightmare.

series masterlist

you have exactly seven drafts saved on tiktok. six are you dancing. one is sae telling you to shut up.

“can you not,” he mutters, turning his face away from your phone. you’re filming him, of course. again.

“the people need to know the real you.”

“no one needs to see me brushing my teeth.”

you zoom in closer. “he’s camera shy.”

he flips you off with the toothbrush still in his mouth.

you cackle, tapping save to drafts like it’s muscle memory. it is. you’ve been doing this since the dorms started assigning roommates. and even though you technically aren’t rooming with him, you still manage to worm your way into every piece of content that’ll get you both publicly humiliated someday.

not that you care.

you set the phone down on the counter, careful lest sae splash it with tap water, plop on the closed lid of the toilet seat, and lean your elbows on your knees. “we’re gomna be international one day.”

sae snorts.

“no, really,” you insist. “and when that happens, our managers are gonna comb through every post, every comment, every digital crumb of personality we’ve ever left online and regret ever signing us.”

he spits into the sink and pats his mouth dry meticulously, vaguely amused. “you mean they’re gonna regret signing you. i’m normal.”

“sae,” you deadpan, “you started a twitter war with a fan account because they said jude bellingham was better than you.”

“they were wrong.”

you stare at him. “they were twelve.”

“wrong,” he repeats, tone final.

you’re too tired to argue, so you snatch the phone beside yours on the sink and open his barely-used tiktok account. well. barely-used by him. you made it when he refused to download tiktok and you wanted to piss him off.

he squints. “why do i have a video?”

you turn the screen to show him the lone post: a blurry mess of you running, the microphone catching nothing but wind and your wheeze-laughs. in the background, sae sprinted after you, blur of red hair and fury.

amidst the rush of air catching, your voices managed to still be distinctly heard.

“give. it. back!”

“say you love me first!” your shriek echoed through the speaker.

he groans. “delete it.”

you throw him a convicted smile. “no.”

— — —

you don’t get to keep them all.

a year or two later, just as your names start making headlines, your PR manager politely asks—read: forces—you to delete everything. your posts, his posts, your shared posts, even the cute ones where you and him were just innocently trying funny filters.

you used to joke that if either of you ever made it big, your teenage digital footprints would be your downfall.

you were half-right.

your pages were a goldmine of post 2016 cringe. you’d hop on every trend like it was the last oxygen tank on earth—heart-beat-beat-beat dances, slow-mo transitions, and god-awful povs that somehow always featured you looking out a rainy window mouthing “you said you’d never leave…”

sae with his twitter wars, unprovoked beef with strangers about him vs jude bellingham: who's more handsome??? anime opinions, and once, an argument about whether mint chocolate ice cream deserved rights.

they all got wiped up.

both your socials? nuked.

tiktoks: gone.

twitter: locked, deactivated, incinerated.

instagram? scrubbed.

except… they missed one.

sae’s old instagram account that's just floating in the void, quietly haunting the web while the polished, verified one gets all the attention.

it's completely bare, no posts, no profile picture, and a simple username. one might even think it was a spam, random, fan account—unless they did a double take, because just right below the cut was a highlight. just one. titled with a single white heart emoji. you werent sure if you were the one that placed that. you didn’t even know it was there.

it was a photo from your dorm days in madrid. sae still looked boyish then, still had that awkward teenage charm that clung to him in the tail-end of puberty. and you were just as young, just as wide-eyed. he still wore those stupid blunt bangs that refused to grow out no matter how many times he tried. but what caught everyone, even you off guard was the picture itself: sae pressing a kiss to your cheek, and you frozen in an over exaggerated, comical shock—one hand covering your parted lips like a silent film actress. no context. no caption. no explanation.

the internet lost its mind.

the account got unearthed after someone on football twitter went, “wait… did itoshi sae have an old IG?”

the tiktok posts came next.

“he was soft once. ONCE.”

“idk what’s worse, the highlight or the 2016 vibrance filter.”

“someone tell BOTH their PR teams tht account exists.”

“NO WAY SHE USED TO DO TIKTOK POVS AND HE DATED HER ANYWAY.”

you got a text from sae at the crack of dawn, since a handful of your fans were a bit more prominent internationally:

(3:09 AM) sassy man: did you forget to delete my old account?

(3:09 AM) fine shift: did you forget you kissed me on camera and let it live in a highlight captioned with a 🤍

(3:09 AM) fine shift: you're so sappy, sae

read (3:11 AM)

typical. he left you on read. (and you knew he was pacing around the hotel room muttering “shit.”)

but the damage was done. “sae itoshi’s secret soft era” became the fandom’s latest obsession.

you were mortified. but somewhere, deep down—beneath the grown-up layers, the career polish—you were kind of glad. because no matter how far you both got from who you were back then, that little ghost of your digital past still lived on.

and it was kind of nice, being remembered like that:)

sae itoshi was not a nonchalant boyfriend or a chill guy, despite how much he tried to seem like he was. you don’t ask him for his opinion on your outfit? do you not want him (to compliment you and ask you to do a small twirl so he could see the ensemble properly and then pepper your cute face with kisses)? you don’t want him to share his food with you? okay, so basically you’re saying you want him to go to hell.

you tell him to quit liking flirty comments from random people under your posts? what’s wrong with that, he agrees with them— you’re absolutely stunning. and no, he isn’t doing it just so those randoms get a notification that saeitoshi, with a silly picture of you and him with your cheeks smushed together as his profile picture, has liked their comment so that they now know you aren’t single and looking for some sleazy jackass who thinks they can get your undivided attention just by commenting ‘🔥🔥’. seriously, how dare you accuse him of such pettiness?

but really, none of that is compareable to how he feels right now; damp hair sticking to his forehead, towel over his shoulder, one hand buttoning up his loose shirt while he’s looking at his phone, fresh out of the shower after the usual training. his teammates are yapping about something like they always do but it’s all silent in his head as he takes in what feels like utter blasphemy on the screen.

zero notifications.

well, actually, he had a shit ton of texts messages from his teammates and people he considered somewhat his friends but none of them really matter— only you do.

and you hadn’t texted him since yesterday (almost 24 hours ago!), when he was on his way home and asked you if you wanted him to bring you extra snacks or something.

do you hate him?

he clicked out of the messages app and checked instagram, where you’d usually have flooded his dms with chronically online shit that he had no idea how you found funny. seriously, what the heck is all that about divers going into small spaces and eye of dih? he visibly deflates when he sees you hadn’t sent anything on there either (the last text was from him, when he’d said ‘???’ to your text that read ‘what is a father?’).

Sae [16:43pm]: Do you hate me

nah. scoffing to himself, he deleted the words, exited the app and pocketted his phone. since when was he such an attention deprived, needy little shit? whatever.

by the time he opens the front door to your shared home, there’s still no text, no call, no reel, nothing from you. “angel?” he calls out in his usual, casual tone, nudging the door shut with his boot. “’m home.”

“in here, sae,” you call out from the bedroom and he quickly takes off his shoes, drops his duffel bag onto the couch and trudges into the bedroom, feeling as if if he were a puppy, his tail would be wagging harshly behind him. “i was just about to text you.” you tell him with a small smile from where you’re sitting on the office chair behind the desk, your laptop in front of you and notes strewn all over the desk. you were.. studying.

ah, right. no wonder you hadn’t texted him.

you barely register his silent footsteps and fast pace until he’s right behind you within the time it took for you to blink, one hand on the arm of the chair to turn it around before he’s half hunched over you, his other hand pressing on your back to tug you into a hug. “missed you,” his voice is muffled as he buries his face into the crook of your neck, the soft tufts of his moist hair tickling your chin and neck. “thought you hated me.”

“what?” it was said so quietly that you almost didn’t hear it, but you do and now you’re pulling back a bit to look at him properly. “what gave you that idea?”

“forget about it,” he tries to avoid the question in a painfully untactful manner, attempting to hug you again, but faltering as he sees the look on your face. god, this was so humiliating. “y‘didn't text me today— or call, or send me stupid reels,” he points out with an embarrassed grunt, standing up to his full height and running a hand through his hair. “thought you were pissed at me for beating you in monopoly or something.”

huffing, you grin up at him. “you didn’t have to bring that up, jerk. but no, as you can see,” you gesture to your table and he notices the splotches and lines of dried ink on your fingers from your pen. “i’ve been studying. or trying to, at least.”

“huh.” he lets out, grasping your hand in his and intertwining your fingers before untangling them again so he could toy around with them. his brows furrow and he scoffs when you continue, saying something along the lines of ‘i didn’t think you’d notice.’ “yeah, well, i noticed. i dunno. kinda hard to miss the zero texts from the only person i reply to, yeah?”

your eyes brighten at that, but you tease, “ohh, yeah, right. sorry, i forgot you’re a friendless loser.”

“look who’s talking,” he shoots back, and you’d almost be offended if it wasn’t for the playful look in his eyes. he sighs and dips his head to press a kiss to your temple before walking over to the closet.

“were you really sad that i didn’t send you stupid reels?” you ask him with a curious look while watching him pick out a random t-shirt and sweats, not making fun of him like you’d usually do, just genuine curiousity in your tone.

he hums in response, undoing a few buttons of his shirt before tugging it off his head and glancing at you, with his teal eyes narrowed in contemplation, shirt still hanging around his elbows. “guess so. ’s stupid, huh?”

“nah,” is your immediate reply, followed by a small shrug. “i think it’s sweet, actually. in a pathetic sort of way. you’re kinda sweet.”

during his 10-minute break from training the next day, he finds himself on the bench of the locker room, resting his aching legs with his half empty water bottle next to him as he’s scrolling through your dms with a soft smile. a shit ton of reels and one ‘good luck at practice!!’ message stares back at him.

yeah. he thinks you’re (kinda) sweet too.

Missed calls - {itoshi sae}

“gosh you’re so fucking annoying. I wanted to call my girlfriend so that I could calm down from the huge amount of stress I’m already under and here you are acting like a nagging clingy psycho.” before any other words could be spoken you hung up the phone placing it on the nightstand.

Sae <3: I’m sorry.

Sae <3: y/n?

1 missed call

5 missed calls

12 missed calls

20 missed calls

hearing your phone ring once again you picked up up furiously screaming into the phone. “WHAT?” you yelled out of character, there was silence before he spoke, “you’re ignoring my calls.” without answering you slammed your phone on the nightstand not before turning on do not disturb.

you and sae had gotten in a pretty heated argument which ultimately ended with you hanging up the phone and ignoring it. he is in the states right now for a tournament so he can’t come to you. usually his sullen, dull, asshole personality would be just fine because that’s what you’re used too but this time he went too far.

he seemed like he didn’t even care. he wasn’t due to come back until next month so you opted to block his number leaving him with his “issues” that he has to deal with. if he thinks you’re clingy, fine. you’ll just go on about your business and leave him to do whatever he wanted. he always acts like he doesn’t want to be in a relationship so why not give him the freedom he’s wanted.

sae the moment those words came out his mouth felt like a dick. you were only worried because he had gotten trashed in an interview and it was shown on tv everywhere. he was frustrated and took it out of you, he knew the choice of words that he spoke was wrong but he said it anyways.

after you hung up on him he decided to wait until the morning to talk to you but his text weren’t going through and his calls weren’t either. “I’m sorry, the number you have dialed-” he tossed his phone on the hotel bed grabbing his head in frustration. his day was already starting horrible, usually you two would call each other in the morning and talk about what you’d do during the day so that you two knew when to call each other later.

two weeks passed and at this point he had called your number at least 40 times a day. any free second he had he would call you or text you, this is the longest you two had ever gone without talking to each other and he was seriously getting worried. getting back to his hotel for the night he laid down on his back holding his phone above his face. his phone was basically stuck on your contact card and that was the only form of you he had besides the endless albums of you in his photos or his rotating lockscreen picture.

he backed out of your contact and went to his brother’s reluctantly pressing the call button and waiting for him to answer. “what?” he spoke and sae was already rolling his eyes at his brother attitude. “can you check on y/n?” rin let out an annoyed sigh and sae could hear shuffling on his end of the phone. “y/n are you okay?” he heard you say yeah in the background confused then he heard more shuffling before rin spoke up again.

“she’s fine.” he was about to hang up but sae needed to ask, “why are you with y/n?” “we have dinner ever sunday together.” before any more questions could be asked rin hung up the phone leaving sae feeling more empty than he already was.

a month passed and now with him coming home he was excited to see you but he needed to win this game before going home to you.

you were sitting in your car outside of the stadium debating on whether or not you wanted to go in. you had never missed any of his home games and you didn’t want to start, you just kept going back to your argument. the night sae called rin, that was the only time he had ever come over to yours and sae’s apartment for dinner. you had spoken to him about what happened and even though him and his brother aren’t really that close he gave you good advice.

“sae is an asshole, that not a secret. he doesn’t think before he speaks and doesn’t think about the damage his words can cause. all I have to say is he has never called me for anything relatively important but he just called me to ask if you were okay. I can’t speak for him, he said what he said and now he’s paying the price for it. only speak to him when you are ready.” he ended with that before leaving.

last night when you unblocked his number all the messages and missed calls that you missed flowed through your phone all at once. tears prickled on your bottoms lash line reading all of his text messages. the last one had you crying yourself to sleep while hugging his pillow.

sae <3: this is the last message I’ll send tonight. tomorrow we’re coming back and I would love to see you. I know you are probably still upset with me and I would be too. I hurt the person I love so bad to the point where we haven’t spoken in a month. I miss you, I love you and if you come to the game and even though I’m we haven’t worked things out, if you wear my jersey tomorrow I’ll know that we’ll be okay. sweet dreams princess i love you.

he was right, you were still pissed but you missed sae, prior to the argument he’d been gone for a month already and that made you miss him so much more. the sheets didn’t smell like him anymore nor did his pillow. you wanted sae back but you weren’t going to make it easy for him. unzipping your jacket you slipped the long sleeve over your head then pulled down the mirror to fix your hair and makeup.

~

you sat in the VIP section in your normal seat playing on your phone until the game ended. everyone stood up leaving the area while you stayed put, you could see sae being interviewed by someone but because of the distance you couldn’t tell if he was actually paying attention which irked your nerves. he was always so rude to people whenever they interviewed him but went through with them because you asked.

a couple of minutes passed and once almost all the people were gone you noticed sae started to walk towards your direction so you stood up and walked down the steps stopping at the railings that was separating the two of you. “y/n…” he spoke stopping right infront of you, looking at him you kind of glared trying to hide how much you missed him. more silence filled his ears and out of defeat he dropped his head taking a deep breath.

suddenly a small quiet sniffle sounded and he looked back up with tears in his eyes. “I can’t lose you, I fucked up I know I did. if you want to punish me some more then do it but please stop ignoring me I physically can’t do it anymore, I can’t live without you.” standing there you looked at him in shock, he’s never cried before especially over something like this.

“meet me in the tunnel.” “no.” he quickly responded jumping up and climbing over the railing. he landed immediately taking you into his arms, you gasped at his action but ultimately wrapped your arms around him gently rubbing his back. for a quick second you could feel him shaking but you may have been imagining it.

he pulled back keeping his arms wrapped around you so that he could admire what he missed in these two months. “you look gorgeous, I love you princess.”

“I know you do, you and your 1,882 calls” he laughed awkwardly as you pressed a small kiss on his sweaty jawline smiling up at him. “I love you too.”

REO AND RIN AHHAHZHAH OMGOSH I LOVE THEM

Blue Lock characters and you living rent-free in their mind

Featuring: Isagi, Rin & Reo

Warnings: OOC? Probably. Cursing in Rin's.

-----------------------------------

Isagi Yoichi

Lowkey goes crazy because he can't think about anything or anyone else. Every little thing is somehow tied to you. It's as if getting to know Isagi can't go without knowing you.

As with most things, it started small.

Like when Isagi went out for lunch with his trusted friends, and he saw a certain dish on the menu he knew you'd like.

Or when he'd bypass a shop, see a shawl, and remember that you'd mentioned you liked it in passing.

Then, his thoughts started to... change.

He started to wonder if you'd like a certain shirt he'd bought, or what you'd think about a tactic he came up with in football.

Those were all innocent things, just small matters he liked to ponder about. But it didn't stay that way.

But at some point, he began to feel more... conscious of himself when you were near. His fingers would rake through his hair, wondering if you liked the more roguish or put-together style.

He would stand in front of the mirror a bit longer, nervously straighten out any wrinkles, trying to look his utter best.

Although it was difficult, he tried to temper his football enthusiasm with you. He knew he could ramble on and on about tactics, plays, and chemical reactions, but he was scared he would drive you away with his overwhelming zealousness.

But well, he stayed a football geek, and reeling himself in wasn't really something he excelled at. But when you reassured him with a gentle voice and a sparkle in your eyes, after he abashedly and profusely apologised for droning on about football that it was okay, he could've sworn he could feel his heart beat out of his chest.

If there was any moment in time, in which he could exactly pin-point when he'd fallen for you, he would most definitely say that the moment you indulged him in his football freakiness, and even proffered some excitement yourself, was the exact moment.

Because from there on out, his thoughts took a deep, deep dive.

At random moments during the day, he'd think about how your hands felt in his, or how ethereal you looked like in the setting sun. He'd zone out, the faint ringing of your laughter playing in his ears like a broken record.

Even during training, you would invade his mind. Even sometimes resulting in him messing up a goal opportunity or pass. Then his teammates would snicker loudly and claim that he was too head over heels to get his head in the game.

Well, they weren't wrong.

At night, when he was worn-down from training or an interview, his thoughts would drift to you again.

He'd think about the satisfied noise you made when you ate something you liked, or when he returned from training and your eyes would light up, a sight that never really got boring.

He'd think about how your lips looked like when your mouth stretched into a big smile, or when you were annoyed and your lips frowned in that particular adorable way.

Or how your lips would feel like on his.

How soft they would feel, against the curve of his bottom lip, how they would part when his mouth moved, kissing you more deeply, more passionately, more fervently, until those hums would leave your throat that made his head reel, and then he'd move to your jaw, peppering kisses along the slope of it, inching slowly and slowly towards your neck, a sigh leaving your mout--

Isagi sat up. Heart in his chest and pounding a hundred miles a minute. His eyes were wide open, but the image of you pressed against him was still seared in his mind.

He touched his lips. The phantom touch of your lips lingering there. He swallowed, feeling a strange sense of loss.

He blinked a few times, still trying to come to terms with what the hell he was just thinking about.

What did this mean?

Was he disrespecting you in this way?

Knowing this, what if you didn't want to see him anymore?

His heart halted, his pacing coming to an abrupt standstill.

He frowned. He wasn't the best with emotions, but even he knew how he felt about you by now. But what should he do? Tell you? And risk rejection?

At the thought of you rejecting him, his chest contracted painfully together, as if a freight train had crashed into him.

No, no. He should just suck it up. Think about... about... football! Yeah, that would nicely take his mind off of you. He'd just ignore all the bodily reactions he got and keep a reasonable distance for friends.

He tried to ignore his heart sinking in his chest at the word friends.

But well, he'd deny any allegation about him sleeping terribly that night was due to something as silly as thoughts.

He was fucked, wasn't he?

The next day, you met up again, right before he would hang out with his friends.

When he saw you in the distance, waving sweetly at him with a big grin stretched across your face, his pulse sped up, and his cheeks flushed.

Alright, you can do this. Isagi hyped himself up, a grin of his own forming on his face.

Then, you gave him a hug, arms around his waist, body pressing flush against him.

His brain short-circuited.

You pulled away, and he caught himself reaching out to you again. He quickly clenched his hands at his sides, his lips slightly downturned, lamenting the loss of your warmth.

"Yoi, is something wrong?" You searched his eyes, a frown tugging at your lips.

Isagi swallowed, his gaze flicking momentarily to your lips and then hastily to your eyes.

"I'm... uh, fine! Just thinking about uhm... a new football tactic."

You shook your head, a grin on your face. "You and football. That's all you can think about, huh?"

Isagi laughed awkwardly.

If only you'd know.

"So... uhm, should we go out for lunch? That restaurant you mentioned last week?" Isagi proffered, changing the subject.

"Yeah, sure! Let's go!"

You wrapped your hand around his, fingers interwoven, as you pulled him along.

Isagi's soul left his body.

"You know, I think Y/n would like that smoothie, it's her favourite flavour. You think I can order it and take it with me?" Isagi absentmindedly said.

"Y/n, huh?" Hiori echoed, a playful glint in his eyes. "Didn't ya have a date earlier this mornin' with her?"

"Mhm."

Then, realising what he said, Isagi shot up, face red, as he stammered, "Uh no. We just... hung out. Like perfectly good friends. Yeah. Friends. Perfect. Perfect? Did I say perfect? Well, yeah, she is perfect, but that's not the point, what I meant to say was--"

"Oh, you have it bad." Bachira mused, all the while Hiori and Kurona cackled in the background.

"What? I don't have it bad, I just... like her, okay?" Isagi huffed, crossing his arms petulantly.

"Oh yeah?" Bachira raised his eyebrows, tilting his head, amused. "Then please tell me how your thinking about her 25/7 and your embarrassing rambling can be compartmentalised underneath "liking"?"

"He's in love, your honour." Hiori snorted.

"He's been pining all this time, and he didn't even notice, notice." Kurona remarked, a glimmer in his eyes.

"What?! No! And it's not embarrassing! You're embarrassing!" Isagi huffed.

The three looked at him, identical looks of amusement on their faces.

That was too much for Isagi to handle. "Shut up, shut up!" His face was now full-blown on red.

Dismissing his outburst, Bachira asked, "so, what, are you going to ask her out?"

It became dead quiet.

"I... uh..."

"He's goin' to wuss out." Hiori observed.

"Menace on the field, loser in real life, life." Kurona nodded sagely.

"I want to, really, believe me..." Isagi said, a conflicted expression on his face.

Because the thought of you and him being official, did horrible, horrible things to his heart.

Waking up with you first thing in the morning, being the first person to see you in your unguarded state, or making breakfast together and snuggling together on the couch while watching football matches, holding hands and spending holidays together, just the two of you--

"Aaaand he's doin' it again."

"Earth to Isagi?" A hand aggressively waved in Isagi's face.

Isagu spluttered, taken aback, almost falling out of his chair.

"This!" Bachira pointed at his face, wearing a triumphant look, "This is what I meant! This dopey, lovesick look! There's no way you just like her!"

Isagi made a face. "I don't wear a "dopey, lovesick look"."

"I bet Y/n would like it, though."

Isagi visibly perked up. "Really?"

Then, realising he'd been baited, he groaned. "Shut up."

"We weren't saying anything." Bachira's eyes twinkled.

"You were thinking something."

"Yeah, 'bout how you should just ask her out!" Hiori cut in, "Don't know what the big deal is, when she'll say yes for sure!"

Bringing his hands away from his face, Isagi said, voice small, "You think?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...thanks guys."

"Well, we don't know for sure she'll say yes, but you're a great guy!" Bachira patted his back, exchanging pointed glances with Hiori and Kurona.

"But, what if she rejects me?" Isagi frowned, looking like a kicked puppy.

"Then ya will stay friends, right?" Hiori chimed in. "She wouldn't just cut contact with ya, right? I don't think she's that kind of person."

"No." Isagi sighed. "No, she's amazing. Of course she wouldn't. She'll probably just smile and reassure me, with her pretty eyes and pretty laugh, and her pretty face. Or she would ask me about football, because you know, she's thoughtful like that, or we would hang out together again, maybe go to that new arcade she's seen--"

"Yeah alright, that's enough, lover boy." Bachira snorted.

"He can't help it, he's too in loooveee." Hiori teased.

"Shut up!"

"I can't shut up, because I'm Isagi and I'm too head over heels to ever shut up about the girl I love, and I'm a total loser--"

Isagi groaned, covering his ears to muffle the incessant teasing of his friends.

But between you and me, Isagi knew his friends were totally right.

He was totally in love with you, and he was constantly thinking about you.

And maybe, just maybe, he would admit that to you one day.

----------------------------------------------------

Itoshi Rin

Mad denial. This man would literally say Isagi was a better striker than him than say that he had feelings. He'll literally distract himself, training thrice more than ever, just to avoid thinking about you. Because with feelings? He was utterly hopeless.

The first time Itoshi Rin caught himself thinking about you in a particular way, he immediately froze.

Woah, stop. His mind said. This isn't good.

So, Itoshi Rin went back to the gym after having already spent three hours in it and went back to his gruelling sets. All to just take his mind off of you.

Because you were a distraction.

It was not because he didn't know what to do, when his hands would turn up all clammy, or how his face would turn his embarrassing red. No. 'Course not. Pfft.

And when you'd meet up, and he saw you in your new clothes, his eyes would linger a second longer, cheeks flushing red.

It suits her, his mind unhelpfully supplied.

"You look like shit." Is what Itoshi Rin said instead.

When you showed up at his game, Rin almost choked.

There you were, wearing his jersey, cheering him on.

A warmth coated his chest.

Rin went still. Mortified.

"Tch. Lukewarm." He grumbled to no one in particular.

His teammates exchanged glances, wondering what they had done now to elicit Itoshi Rin's ire.

During the game, Itoshi Rin was focused. But when he scored, his eyes unconsciously slid over to you.

As you cheered exuberantly, a perceptive onlooker would have noticed the barest of hints of Itoshi Rin's lips quirking up.

Then, Rin caught himself, mouth immediately forming a scowl.

During break, Rin sipped his water, damp hair sticking to his temples.

As his teammates were recounting the first half and discussing tactics, his mind involuntarily went back to you.

The way his jersey hugged your figure, the way a genuine smile flitted over your face, and the way your eyes twinkled so zealously when he'd scored, like a child excited for Christmas.

"What are you thinking about, Rin?" Isagi asked him.

Rin was startled out of his thoughts. "Nothing."

"Ah, you sure?" Isagi teases.

Rin went really, really still. Before he exploded.

"Yes, I'm sure. Shut up! Play better! And don't get in my way! Better yet, just step off the field. You're an eyesore, and you're so damn bad, you're not even annoying anymore, you lukewarm NPC."

Stunned, Isagi's lips parted, but Rin had already strode away.

Did he go overboard there? Maybe.

Did he care? No.

But what he did care about was that a player of the opposing team approached you.

You just had to be friends with everyone else, right?

Of course you were. That's just the kind of amazing, kind person you were--

No. Nope. Nuh uh. Not today. Not ever. Think about anything else. Football. Crush Isagi Yoichi. Be the best striker, defeat Itoshi Sae. Not necessarily in that sequence, but enough to take his mind off--nooo. No.

Despite vowing to himself, he wouldn't look. He still occasionally glanced somewhere in that direction that you just happened to be in.

Rin's eyes narrowed as you chatted cheerily with the other player. A grin was on your face as you playfully shoved him.

Rin's heart sunk.

From disgust, obviously.

Scoffing, Rin threw his bottle away, uncaring about how the team's assistant scrambled to pick it up, apologising profusely to the people surrounding them.

"Fucking half-baked donkeys." He cursed.

The people around him were stunned.

"Itoshi Rin, yellow card."

Rin dusted himself off, standing up from the ground.

"What the hell, man?!" The player from the opposite team yelled out indignantly.

Tsking, Rin turned to him, his face impassive.

"Small fry like you don't deserve to play against me. So keep away from her."

Then, Rin stalked off.

"Wah, huh?" The player was flummoxed. "What the hell is he talking about?!"

No one knew.

"You're crazy!" He shouted at number ten.

But Itoshi Rin didn't hear it. He was too sunken in his thoughts, fists clenching when he recalled the gleeful look on your face, one that wasn't directed at him but at that worthless piece of shit.

You should just look at him. Only at him. No one else. No one else was deserving of your gaze.

"Rin! What's up with you?!" Isagi, the pest, ran up to him.

"There's nothing wrong with me. You're the problem, you meddlesome bug." Rin spat.

Isagi's eyes narrowed. A thoughtful expression crossing his face. Sadly, he didn't take offence to Rin's insults.

"It's about her, isn't it?" His eyes subtly drifted over to where you were sitting in the VIP box.

Clenching his teeth, Rin stalked up to him, his hand sinking into Isagi's jersey as he lifted Isagi off the ground.

"No, it isn't about her!" Rin's eyes spat fire. "Shut your damn mouth and focus on the game already."

"Woah. Chill out, dude." Isagi's eyes widened.

"Tch."

But as Rin shot a sidelong glance at you, it was clear that his focus wasn't on the game at all.

Rin sucked in a sharp breath, willing his mind to focus.

The player he had accidentally tackled was taking a penalty right now.

He took a step back, brought his leg back, and shot.

"GOALLL!!"

Rin's jaw tensed.

From the corner of his periphery, he saw you clap your hands.

Tch. How annoying.

"Just look at me. Only me." He mumbled.

Cheer me on. No one else. No one else but me.

He would score more goals than the rest of them, just you wait. Just so you wouldn't look at anyone else.

The referee whistled.

Just wait. Just wait and see.

His feet thrummed over the ground, his focus sharpened and sharpened, until all he could see was the goal.

"Rin, what are you doing?!"

"Pass the ball!"

"Don't charge in alone!"

Rin ignored his teammates' calls, dribbling past players and tearing down their defence.

Four defenders. Three. Two.

Until it was just him and the keeper.

Rin shot.

He scored.

His eyes drifted to you. You clapped.

Harder than for that other goal, he noted with just the tiniest hints of vindication.

Nevertheless, it didn't his heart from quickening.

"Rin. Good job." Isagi commented, approaching him.

Rin turned to him, his face inflectionless.

"You're slow today. Try to keep up."

Having been used to his antics, Isagi only shook his head.

Then he gestured with his head at the stands, a Look in his eyes.

"There's no trying to keep up. There's only trying to take." He raised his eyebrows. "Shoot your shot. And stop being so stubborn. Anyone with eyes can see you love her. Do something about it. Your lovesick behaviour is detrimental to the team."

Rin's breathing involuntary sped up.

Do something about her...? Like what, like invite her to more games? Spend more time with her? Kiss her--

Rin's brain screeched to a halt. An embarrassing flush appeared on his neck.

It was from fury, obviously.

Naturally, he directed said fury at one Isagi Yoichi.

"Tch. Go away with your stupid puns. I don't need your dumb advice, you amateur." Rin said snidedly, crossing his arms.

Isagi sighed. "How long will you stay in denial?"

Bristling, Rin sneered, "I'm not in denial about anything."

"He said in denial." Isagi murmured, before walking off.

Tch. How annoying.

He'll show him who exactly was in denial.

After he would be done today, the only thing in denial would be Isagi's salary.

"GOALL!! ITOSHI RIN'S FIFTH GOAL! HE'S ON A ROLL TODAY, LADIES AND GENTS!"

Rin wiped the sweat off his face, heaving heavily.

Then, the whistle blew.

End of game.

Rin let out a relieved breath. Not that he'd admit that to anyone.

His muscles were straining, sweat was pooling off of him, and he was beginning to see black spots. Not at all concerning.

He pushed past people, their words falling on deaf ears.

"Rin." Rin let out a perfunctory sigh. Ah yes, the bane of his existence. Rin turned around.

"You really did well today." Isagi once again walked up to him, undeterred by the threatening looks Rin was shooting him.

"I guess I was wrong. You're not in denial. Anyone can see why you scored so many goals."

"What."

"Maybe it's about time you realise, too." Isagi nodded, his eyebrows raising expectantly. He looked over Rin's shoulder. Rin followed his gaze. He froze.

"Good luck."

Then, as the fucking traitor he was, he left.

Rin stared at you, lips slightly parted and eyes slightly widened.

"Rin, you did amazing." You complimented softly, stepping closer to him.

Rin took a step back, feeling heat crawling up his neck.

Your scent invaded his nostrils, and Rin could feel himself involuntary lean in.

Ah no. Nope.

Feeling himself stiffen up, Rin pushed you back, not too hard, but enough to give him free space.

His ears were tinted red, as he looked at you with narrowed eyes. "I don't love you."

He then turned around and stalked away.

Stunned, you looked at his retreating back, then at the jacket in your hands that he'd just shoved at you.

You smiled softly. He'd noticed. Of course he had.

It had been a windy day, extraordinarily cold on the stands. Rin must'e noticed this. Even while he was playing and metres apart, he still had noticed. He always did.

This man would literally say Isagi was a better striker than him, than say that he had feelings.

But this man would literally score five goals to show he loved you, then see you smile at another man.

If that wasn't love, then what was?

But well, he was still Itoshi Rin.

He was still in denial.

----------------------------------------------------

Mikage Reo

Once he notices how often you're on his mind, he'll come up with this big plan to woo you.

But Reo Mikage is kind of a perfectionist. He wants everything to go utterly perfect. So much so that he'll forget not everything goes according to plan.

The thing with Mikage Reo was, was that he was quite perceptive.

He could easily distinguish between the debilitating moods of his competitive teammates or notice the discrepancies between a client that was about to be won over or who'd absolutely throw in the towel.

So it came as no surprise that Reo would make sense of his emotions and feelings early on, too.

He'd notice how his thoughts would revolve more about you when he was sitting in tedious company meetings or when he'd pulled off another copy move during football, wondering what you'd think of it.

Or the way the residual embers of your touch on his skin lingered even hours after.

Or perhaps it was the simple way you treated him.

Not like the future CEO of Mikage Corporation. Not like the personal butler friend who'd get exploited in turn for companionship.

No. Just him. Reo.

You treated him as if the person underneath mattered more than the things he could offer. You'd surprise him by insisting you needn't go out to some fancy restaurant because you preferred his cooking and his company over that of a buzzing hub.

Or the way you didn't shy away when the responsibilities that came with the Mikage name threatened to put pressure on you, always staying with him during thick and thin.

You treated him as if he were a normal person for once, but it made him feel special all the same.

That's why he had made up this elaborate plan to properly court you and to win over your affections. So you'd know you were as special to him as he was special to you.

So, this plan had to be flawless.

Because Reo was nothing if not a perfectionist.

Reo had mentally stored a list of what you'd mentioned you liked. It ranged from favourite food to favourite countries and languages all the way to your preference of how you specifically wanted your coffee.

And well, somewhere on the list, stood amusement park.

So, he just had to rent it out. Easy peasy.

But what came after? Did he need to order some stalls to prepare your favourite food? Yes, totally. But what if your cravings differed that day? And what about the weather? What if it rained, or it was smoking hot, and you'd have a terrible time?

And what if you didn't even want to go to an amusement park? And if you did want to go to one, which one would you like better? Orlando? Legoland? Disneyland? Which Disneyland? In France, Japan, or America?

And the day mattered, too. Not Friday the Thirteenth, or on a Monday. Mondays are dreary. But Saturdays were for football games, and Sundays were a tricky bit with his company events and meetings.

And what... if you didn't even want to go with him?

Reo wanted to pull out his hair.

At last, he finally had finalised his plan.

First of, the date of the event would be on Friday the ninth of May. He'd taken a peek in both his and yours agendas, and you were both free, with him having no games that weekend and you being on a break from university.

He'd wake up at 8 am, then let his personal chef prepare your favourite breakfast. Around ten, you'd leave for Tokyo, where Disneyland was located.

During the trip, he'd prepared several board games and movies you could watch, including the newest ones that haven't been launched yet.

And when you'd arrive, at around twelve, the perfect time to eat lunch, he had found a commendable kaiseki restaurant nearby that should be up to your tastes.

In the meantime, his assistant would take care of checking in at the hotel for him, giving him ample time to explore the city with you.

At around 6 pm, there was a light show scheduled at the outskirts of the city. He would order his assistants to bring out blankets and a comfortable stretcher.

It would be some sort of picnic, with Yakitori and Sukiyaki served. Really romantic if he said so himself. That was sure to make you swoon.

Afterwards, you would return to the hotel and turn in for the night, preparing for the flurry of activities he'd planned the day after in Disneyland.

Because Disneyland was such a hot commodity, queues were a given. And he hated queues. Obviously, he got VIP cards. He could then immediately showcase that he was capable and thoughtful, qualities any woman liked in a man, right?

The rest of the day would then be spent with enjoying the attractions, your smile, the shows, the food, your smile, and the parades.

And then... he'd rented out the ferris wheel at exactly 8 pm. The same time at which the firework show started.

Then, when your cabin had reached the highest point, he'd confess his feelings to you and ask you to be his girlfriend.

And then--

"Reo?"

Startled, Reo's dreamy smile was wiped off of his face. He quickly scrambled upright, eyes widening when he took note of all the papers of his grand plan strewn about his floor.

You knocked, worried voice sounding through the door. "Are you alright there, Reo? You've been there for quite a while."

"Oh, uh... I'm fine... just doing some cleaning!" Reo lied, straight through his teeth.

"Shit..." He cursed. There was no way he could clean this mess up without being suspicious.

"I'm coming in, alright? Ba-Ya made this delicious meal, and I'm sure you'll like it."

"Ah, uh... alright! Come on in!" Reo puffed, pushing his hair out of his face after practically speed cleaning his room.

You came in, peeking your head through the door opening.

"Ah, hi, Y/n!" Reo waved at you, beckoning you to come in.

You frowned. Noting his flushed deposition and his stiff posture. "Are you sure you're alright...? You look a bit... worked up."

"Me? What? I was just... doing some push-ups, you know, for training."

"For training." You raised an eyebrow.

"Yep! Ah, is that for me?" Reo pointed at the platter with steaming food in your hands. "Delicious, thank you!"

He took it from you, wincing underneath his breath when he almost burned his fingers.

You watched him with a pained face, debating whether or not you should help him.

Then, your eyes fell on a piece of paper, sticking out from underneath his desk.

"Hey... what's this?" You crouched down, pulling out the paper.

"What's what?" Reo turned to you, glancing at the paper in your hands.

His face turned pale.

Oh fuck.

"Disneyland?" You read aloud, a contemplative frown on your face. "Favourite foods and snacks. Five-star hotel and ferris wheel?" You looked at him, a questioning look in your eyes.

"What's this?"

"I... uh. Nothing! Here, let me take that from you." Reo nervously snatched the paper from your hands.

"Wait a second... Mikage Reo... are you planning a date?"

Reo went very, very still.

"Oh, you so are! So, who's the lucky person?"

"..."

"Come on, you can tell me! Is it one of your business dates? Or that heiress your father picked out? Or..." You wiggled your eyebrows. "Is it Nagi?"

Reo spluttered, "Wah? No, no! And it's also not Nagi... it's..." He trailed off, turning his head to hide his reddened cheeks.

Reo sighed, resigning himself to this terrible, terrible fate.

"You."

"Ha, ha, how funny--wait what?" The amusement faded out of your eyes, replaced by shock.

Reo's jaw tensed. "I planned this for you."

"For... me?! What for? Oh no, what did I do this time?" You joked.

"For being you." Reo shrugged.

"I wanted to tell you I liked you this way." Reo admitted, but then immediately cringed internally.

Great. He was supposed to be the charming and eloquent heir of Mikage Corporation, yet he couldn't even properly tell you he fancied you! Oh, this was just humiliating, no borderline mortifying--

And then, you laughed.

Your shoulders shook as a big grin stretched across your face. The clear chuckles streaming out of your mouth, making Reo's heart race.

"I... I can't be... believe you made up this plan!" You laughed.

Reo frowned, almost sulking.

"What do you mean with that? I... I thought I included everything you like!" Reo's face was now synonymous with a tomato.

You wiped a tear from your face. "Oh Reo, this sounds like a honeymoon."

"So?"

"For newlyweds."

"I still don't see your point."

You sighed, but it was good-natured. "Reo, if you like me, you can just say it. You don't have to come up with this whole plan."

"But... you deserve this! I wanted it to be special."

You shook your head. "Listen Reo, the plan's thoughtful and romantic. But I don't feel special because of that."

Reo opened his mouth to argue, but you trudged on.

"I feel special because you make me feel special. You continuously remind me of how highly you think of me, and this plan is only a testament to that."

Glancing at the paper, you were slightly taken aback at the sheer amount of activities planned, all up to detail and exact minute, too.

Your heart warmed at the thought of how much effort Reo must've poured into this, remembering all your likes and dislikes and planning it down to the very minute.

It was so Reo, but it was also over the top, and sometimes you would need to be the one to step in and reel him back in.

You looked up, eyes locking with Reo's hopeful ones. "You can just say you like me, and I'll feel special all the same."

You gently reminded him, taking his hand in yours. "You're enough on your own. You don't have to come up with a whole plan."

"Well... if you prefer it this way..." Reo exhaled deeply. Then, he looked up, his eyes gazing in yours as he stepped closer, hands coming to hold yours.

"Y/n, I think you're the most special, amazing girl in my life. You're kind, thoughtful, and you motivate me day and day to do my best and to live my life to its fullest. You continuously remind me that I'm not only the overachiever in school or the heir of Mikage, but that I'm also just me. Reo. Your Reo, if you'll have me."

A genuine smile spread over your face. "I like the sound of that." You nudged his shoulder. "My Reo. My boyfriend."

Reo's heart thrummed in his chest at the label, a zip going up his spine.

Yours.

"Then, as your boyfriend, allow me to spoil you."

You let out a chuckle. "Still holding on to the plan, huh?"

Reo sheepishly scratched his neck. "I kind of... already booked it?"

You shook your head, but this was just so Reo that you couldn't help but feel enamoured.

"Good, because I was already craving that kaiseki."

Reo rejoiced. "Knew you would like that one."

Reo Mikage is kind of a perfectionist. He wants everything to go utterly perfect. So much so that he'll forget not everything goes according to plan.

But well, maybe this time, that wasn't really a bad thing.

how easy it would be to forge itoshi rin’s signature.

“What’re you doing?”

Rin sat on your bed, his back pressed against the headboard, legs stretched out in front of him. Your dorm was decent, neat in some areas, and cluttered in others—nothing too bad to the point where it was concerning. The desk was stacked with books and loose papers, a mug of half-finished tea sat forgotten on the little kitchen counter, and the walls were decorated with a mix of posters that he remembered you saying that you liked, candid polaroids, and lots of memorabilia.

You sat cross-legged beside him, practically bouncing as you shoved your scrapbook into his lap, your excitement bubbling over like always. Rin had long since learned that when you got like this, there was no stopping you—only surviving.

Surviving meant just going with whatever it is that you wanted.

“You have to sign this page,” you said, pointing eagerly at a newly decorated spread.

“It’s for today, so I don’t forget it.”

Rin glanced down.

The page was filled with doodles—some of him, some of a soccer ball, and what seemed to be a very lopsided drawing of a goalpost. You’d also glued a small Polaroid of you two together from earlier, where you had ambushed him for a selfie after his practice.

Without a word, he picked up the pen (a glittery navy blue one, if he may add) you handed him and flipped to the empty space at the bottom of the page. He’d done this enough times that he didn’t need to think about it. With fluid, precise strokes, he wrote his full name: Itoshi Rin.

No embellishments, no fancy loops, just his name.

As soon as he finished, you leaned over to inspect it.

You blinked.

Then blinked again.

“That’s it?” you asked, tilting your head.

Rin frowned. “What?”

“I mean…” You pursed your lips, squinting at his handwriting like you were analyzing a piece of evidence. “Your signature is so simple. I could probably forge it.”

Rin immediately shot you a warning look, as if already giving you an internal monologue. “Don’t.”

“But it’s so easy,” you said, dragging out the last word as you grinned. “Like, I could totally get away with it.”

He sighed, running a hand down his face.

“Why would you want to?”

“Well,” you hummed, tapping your chin in exaggerated thought. “What if I need to sign something important on your behalf? Like, let’s say you’re too busy being a famous soccer player, and I need to approve some official documents for you.”

“You don’t.”

“But what if?” You smiled, leaning closer, eyes gleaming with mischief. “What if a brand deal needs your signature, and you’re not around, and the deadline is right now? I could save the day.”

“You’d get arrested for fraud.”

“Would I, though?” You poked his arm, and Rin shrugged with a quick, quiet sigh. “Because I’m pretty sure your manager would just be like, ‘Wow, what a responsible lover! Always taking care of Rin!’”

Rin’s face fell flat.

“No, they’d be like, ‘Wow, what a criminal. Get them arrested immediately.’”

You laughed, completely unbothered. “Okay, fine, I won’t forge your signature for business deals. But, hypothetically speaking, what if I had to? Like, say I get kidnapped—”

Rin groaned, already regretting engaging in this conversation.

“Why are you kidnapped now?”

“Because!” You gestured dramatically.

“Some rival team wants to use me as leverage against you. They tell me, ‘If Rin doesn’t throw his next match, we’ll make you disappear!’”

He let out a slow breath. “Then I’d just find you.”

“Oh?” You awed, tilting your head. “You’d come rescue me?”

Rin didn’t even hesitate.

Why would he?

“Obviously.”

For a brief moment, you paused, your playful demeanor faltering as you stared at him. Then, just as quickly, you shook off the thought and cheekily smiled.

“Okay, okay, new scenario,” you continued. “What if you get kidnapped—”

“Why am I getting kidnapped now?”

“Because you’re Rin Itoshi! Maybe some crazy fan takes you hostage, or a rival team wants to sabotage you, or, I don’t know, some billionaire wants to add you to their private collection of elite soccer players.”

“That’s not how people work.”

“Well, whatever the reason,” you said, waving a hand, “you’re held captive, and they demand that you sign a fake retirement letter so you can never play soccer again. But! You refuse because you’re stubborn, so they bring me in and tell me, ‘Forge his signature, or else!’”

Rin leaned his head back against the headboard, closing his eyes. He could feel you draping your legs over his, and he made no move to try to move them away. “I hate that you put this much thought into these things.”

“Come on, it’s fun.”

“No, it’s exhausting.”

“Well, since you refuse to make your signature harder to copy, you better hope no one actually tries to forge it.”

He cracked an eye open to give you a skeptical look. “Are you planning to?”

You gasped, placing a hand over your heart like he had just accused you of the worst crime imaginable. “Me? Your beloved? I would never commit fraud against you.”

Rin didn’t look convinced.

“Okay, okay,” you relented, leaning back against the pillows. “I won’t forge your signature. But you should really think about making it cooler. Maybe add a little flourish?”

“No.”

“An underline?”

“No.”

“A small soccer ball doodle at the end?”

“No.”

You pouted. “You have no fun.”

“And you have too much.”

You laughed again before turning your attention back to the scrapbook. Running a finger over his signature, you muttered, “Still, I bet I could copy it.”

Rin reached over and flicked your forehead.

“Ow!” You swatted at him, though there was no real force behind it.

He clicked his tongue, though softly. “Try it, and I’ll make sure you never get to hold my autograph again.”

You gasped dramatically. “You wouldn’t!”

“Try me.”

You huffed before flopping onto your stomach, burying your face into the bed. “You’re so mean.”

“And you’re ridiculous.”

“Yeah, but you like me anyway.”

Rin rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, he reached for your scrapbook, flipping through the pages filled with their memories. His name was already scrawled across several of them, marking the proof of your time together.

“Next time,” you said, peeking at him, “I’m making you sign in cursive.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am.”

“No.”

“Just wait and see, Rin. I’ll wear you down eventually.”

Rin exhaled slowly. If it were anyone else, he would have dismissed the idea entirely. But this was you. If there was one thing he had learned about you, it was that you were relentless.

And, somehow, he didn’t really mind.

SEUMYO © 2025. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, PLAGIARIZE, MODIFY OR TRANSLATE.

ITOSHI RIN is honestly sick of all of the stupid lovey dovey tiktoks you send him. first of all, he barely uses tiktok (his profile is just his name and nothing is customised), second of all, he only uses it to like your posts (you're the only one he follows) and third of all, he just doesn't have the time! but he hates seeing you look so dejected whenever he tells you that he hasn't seen your messages filled with links yet, so he has no other choice but to bear with it.

and one in particular has been on his mind lately. he hasn't been able to see you in days, and the separation is starting to get to him. no hugs, no kisses, no you, no nothing! he thought being victim to your favourite trends was beyond him, but with all of the couples baking cookies shaped like each other, it was sparking something inside of him without consent.

on a random tuesday night, you got a text from rin. that's rare, because he barely ever texts you first. and what was it? a video of him baking cookies shaped like you. he was silent, straight faced, only showing off the ingredients and dough every now and then before you finally got to see the final result. you could tell he tried his best, even putting in the tiniest of details, and creating separate smaller cookies to stick on top.

no, he didn't really want to record himself, but he knew what you were like. he knew you wanted to post the video on tiktok, wanting to show off this new form of affection he's evolved into. he doesn't get it, but he knows it makes you happy.

@cherrysurf

Hiii, love ur posts <3

Can I please request sick (with fever) and grumpy Rin and y/n has to take care of him

♡ Sick!Rin x gn!Reader, 1k words

♡ Contents: Pro Soccer player Rin, established relationship, fluff

"What do you think you're doing?" You ask, catching up to Rin right before he's about to leave for practice. He turns back around to look at you with a confused expression. "Going to pactice." He says matter of factly. You sigh, rubbing the remainder of sleep from your eyes. Usually you'd sleep for another hour before getting ready for work, but this morning, the sound of coughing and sniffling had you stirring in your sleep, and wake up startled when the realization that your boyfriend was going to practice sick, hit your groggy mind. You had managed to scramble out of bed right in time to stop him.

"Rin, we've talked about this." you sigh and hug yourself, rubbing your arms to ward off the cold that your flannel pjama fails to protect you from. "You're clearly not better. I'd even go as far as to say that you look worse than yesterday. And I made you promise that you would stay home if you're not better." Your lips curl into a frown.

"I'm feeling fine." Rin replies, but the cough that follows his word proves the opposite. "Go back to bed love."

"Only if you go to bed with me." You try to reason with him. "I'm not letting you leave this appartement Rin, and if I have to drag you away from the door and tie you to the bed, so be it, but you're not going to practice today." Both of you know that Rin could easily overpower you. He benches double your weight in the gym. Rin lets his bag slide down his shoulder, watching it hit the floor with a thump. "I'm really ok tho, love. My nose is just a little stuffy."

You huff, and with two steps forward you close the gap between the two of you. Gently you place your hand on his forehead, feeling the heat of his skin. "You have a fever." you mumble, and Rin looks back at you, guilty, like a child that's just been caught stealing from the cookie jar. "Arguing back won't do anything but waste the time we could be spending cuddled up in bed." You say after a moment of silence, in which Rin had been pondering his options to somehow convince you to let him leave. But looking into your eyes, he knows you won't budge. He sighs, kicking off his shoes. "Fine, let me just inform everyone real quick."

Not even ten minutes later the two of you back in bed. Rin is stripped down once again to merely his underwear, his usual sleeping attire, and you're hugging him, your arms tightly wrapped around his middle. "I feel like I'm wasting important time." Rin mutters. You know how much it hurts him to miss practice. It always makes him feel like he's not good enough, and like it's slowing his path to the top. "Even the best soccer players get sick babe. It won't keep you from being the number 1 striker." You reply and he huffs. You press a kiss to his temple, feeling the warmth of his fever against your lips. "Your body needs time to heal, Rin. You're not a machine."

Rin lets out a quiet sigh, his body finally giving in to exhaustion as he sinks further into your embrace. His fever-warmed skin presses against you, and though he won’t say it, you know he finds comfort in your presence. “Even if I'm sick, I still need to be out there. Otherwise I won't improve.” he mumbles, his voice softer now, edged with lingering frustration. Your fingers threading through his hair in slow, soothing strokes. "You can’t push yourself if your body gives out, Rin. That won't help you improve either. It's ok.” His grip on you loosens slightly, his breathing evening out, and as his eyes flutter shut, you know he’s finally allowing himself to rest. You smile, brushing stray strands of hair from his face. “Sleep well, striker.” you murmur, and he hums faintly in response, already drifting into much-needed sleep.

When Rin wakes up from his dreamless slumber he doesn't know if he's been out for minutes, hours or maybe even days. What he does know, is that the pounding and his head and the hot and cold flashes that had been his raking body are gone now. He stretched, his limbs pooping, everything feeling stiff. A warm shower would take care of that. Rins gaze sweeps over the bed, finding your side empty. Carefully he gets up, putting on a sweater and some sweatpants before he makes his way to the living room. A delicious smell hits his stuffed nose as he walks down the hallway.

"You're awake!" You say cheerfully when you see Rin walk into the kitchen. You're standing infront of the stove, stirring the insides of a big pot. "How are you, love?" Rin wraps himself around you, resting his head on your shoulder. "A lot better." he replies, and peers down into the pot. "What are you making?" Rin asks, softly kissing your neck. "Chicken soup. With the added secret ingredient you should be back to normal in no time!"

Rin chuckles, "The secret ingredient is love, isn't it?"

You laugh, shaking your head as you stir the soup. “Maybe,” you tease, bumping your shoulder against his. “But I was actually going to say ginger. It helps with colds, you know.”

Rin hums, tightening his hold around you as he nuzzles against your neck. “Love sounds like a better ingredient,” he murmurs, voice still slightly raspy but full of warmth.

You roll your eyes, but you can’t help the smile tugging at your lips. “Alright, if love is the secret ingredient, then you better eat every last drop of this soup.”

Rin chuckles, pulling back slightly to look at you. “If you’re the one who made it, I’d eat it even if it tasted awful.”

You gasp, feigning offense. “Excuse me? Are you saying my cooking is bad?”

He smirks. “No, I’m just saying I’d suffer through anything for you.”

Shaking your head, you ladle some soup into a bowl and hand it to him. “Less flirting, more eating number one striker.”

Rin grins before taking a sip, warmth spreading through him. He exhales softly, his shoulders relaxing. “Tastes like home,” he murmurs, and the sincerity in his voice makes your heart melt.

A/N: I'm SOOOOO sorry it took me this long to write this request (-﹏-。) I hope it was worth the wait (˘ᵌ˘)/*♡ I'm convinced Rin would be such a baby when sick, he just wants to be held