Chapter Text
The sun had begun to set and the air chilled slightly.
Soon this bet would be over, and Rin would've shown Isagi he was more than capable of handling this concept of socializing.
However it also awakened something inside him he hadn't deemed possible since losing his brother.
A genuine care for someone else. Even if it was different than what it was with his brother.
The only problem. Bachira was an opponent, someone he had long surpassed, he wasn't an ally in this world. Blue Lock didn't have allies, only rivals, opponents, and enemies.
But...
When had Rin ever been a stickler to someone else's philosophy. Maybe he doesn't have to feel that way about this boy. He had surpassed him already anyways. So long as these feelings didn't get in the way of his ultimate goal and playing, then some small butterflies shouldn't be anything to worry about.
Rin's real problem would be showing this new side of him to anybody. He had never even had a crush before. How could he ruin his reputation like that!? All because some angel made his heart flutter, and his face heat up, and his mood lighten-
Shit got carried away again.
But damn.
He always found a way to get into his thoughts.
The boy in question had went off to get some waters from the vending machine a few minutes ago. It was taking awhile though now that Rin thought about it.
Maybe I should check on him... No! Then i'd look desperate! Besides he's probably fine.
After another few minutes Rin couldn't stand there anymore. He got up from the bench he had been waiting on and headed towards the pavilion where the vending machines were.
As he got closer, he could hear people. He didn't recognize them but then he heard Bachira's unmistakable voice. Although something sounded, different. It was still a cheerful tone, though it sounded more... forced.
Rin's protective instincts instantly clicked in and he quickened his pace towards the building.
Once he rounded the corner where the voices were coming from he found them. Bachira was standing near the wall with two waters in his hands while three other boys, non of which Rin could recall seeing before, were standing almost in a huddle around him.
Something was definitely wrong.
"Bachira. What's going on?" The boy's whirled around upon hearing Rin. His tone meant this was not just a friendly greeting towards the strangers.
Bachira perked up ever so slightly upon seeing the green haired boy.
"Rin-Chan!" He would've sounded normal to any other human but Rin could sense the relief in his voice. "Sorry to keep you waiting." He rubbed the back of his head nervously and put a small grin on his face. It didn't have the brightness as the usual Bachira smile did. "I just got caught up with some old buddies."
Rin inserted himself in between Bachira and the other boys.
The taller one, a boy with black spikey hair and an obnoxious looking smirk spoke up with an all too loud and annoying voice. "Hey Meguru, why didn't you mention that you had brought Itoshi here?"
Meguru? Something about that made Rin's heart twinge and his eye twitch. First name basis? Who is this guy?
One of the other, a shorter one, spoke up. "The least you could've done was introduce us, after all the chance to meet one of the best soccer stars in Japan doesn't happen everyday!"
"What do you want, and how do you know Bachira." He didn't have any desire for small talk especially if they made Bachira's light dim.
"We were just catching up with Meguru." He looked over at the brunette who was now subtly inching his way behind Rin.
Rin felt his eye twitch.
"Yeah, uh we were just catching up. We can go though if that's why you were looking for me though Rin-chan." The brunette piped up from behind him.
No. Not until Rin found out what these guys could've done to make his Bachira dim his sunshine.
"You know, I never expected someone like Meguru to go as far as to be able to play with people like you Itoshi." One of the pests piped up.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
The guy shrugged with an annoying smirk on his face. It pissed Rin off so much he wanted to reset the guy's jaw.
"It's just that he's kinda different ya know." He looked over at him with an obvious staged fondness. "It was almost amusing. Weird though."
Another dared to add, "Yeah, he was always known as a freak." Rin felt Bachira tense behind him. "Funny how the world works to allow people like that to get the spotlight."
"What's your deal?" Rin finally had enough of this.
He must've startled the guy but he had the nerve to continue. "It's just weird how even people like him can find a place here-"
The sound of the water bottles hitting the ground cut off his sentence and the brunette ran from his place behind Rin dashing deeper into the park.
"Bachira!" Rin called after him but the older didn't even glance back. He clenched his fist and turned to the assholes in front of him. "What gives you any idea that you have the right to talk shit like that you half baked insignificant stain!?" He grabbed the boy's collar.
The boy had the audacity to try and apologize but Rin wasn't having it! He shoved the guy down and had he not been fueled by the need to find the older boy he would've really rearranged the brat's bones.
He ran after Bachira but he had already disappeared from view. The sun had pretty much set by now and darkness was falling too quickly.
Meguru.
Where are you Meguru?
He searched for any sign of where he could've gone but he couldn't find anything. He opened his phone and scrolled through his contacts, but nothing came up.
Shit. That's right. He had deleted everyone's contact from the facility. Including Meguru's.
Damn it...
"Damn it!" He slammed his fist on a tree.
He lost it.
Again.
He couldn't keep the person he cared for.
He lost his brother.
And now Meguru was gone. What if someone finds him? What is those shitheads came back? What if Bachira doesn't talk to him anymore?
No... not again.