Work Text:
"With three under par in the eighteenth hole, the winner is—"
When had been the last time Rion played in a seaside course? Had it been back in his third year in Eiai? Had it been a year already? Time sure flew fast.
All Rion could hear was the crash of the ocean waves far below, birds squawking, soaring high, up in the sky. The loud chatters of the audiences were lost in Rion's ears.
Rion's legs stayed rooted to the ground. He gripped his iron tighter and closed his eyes.
Everything else was but a distant reality.
He heard familiar steps made by spiked shoes approaching him. They were a sound Rion would never forget.
"Ri—"
“—on! You did a very great job! Eiai wins, thanks to you!"
With a wide smile, Souta looked like the personification of the sun itself; bright, beautiful. Gentle breeze ruffled Souta's hair as he jogged happily to Rion.
A grin etched itself on Rion's face. The mix of the last bit of adrenaline, the victory his school was ensured of by his win, and Souta's glowing face caused Rion's body to tingle with excitement, with heat and sparks and wonders.
"I know you can do it. I've told you again and again—"
"Gaah, Karasuma! And I've said again and again too, don't group us together, you genius!"
Souta ignored Rion. Instead, he slung his arm around Rion's shoulders. A smile was still lighting up his whole face. The brightness was supposed to hurt, but Rion couldn't help but be drawn to it. He let his body shuffle closer to Souta. Rion knew Souta wouldn't complain.
"This course is amazing, you know. I've always liked the seashore. Playing on a course where there’s a view to the sea is like a dream comes true," Souta said. His gaze lingered on the sea far below.
Awe. Rion could see it clearly. It was endearing to watch Souta like that.
"I think you said the same thing last year, dude. And I know your real dream is not playing on a seaside course. Don't be silly," Rion chided.
Souta smiled. “Am I not allowed to be silly near my best friend?"
Rion was taken aback. He blinked once, twice. Then, trying to ignore the way his cheeks were heating up, he said, "... Huh. Do whatever you want, Karasuma."
"This is the best way possible to end our senior year, don't you think so, Rion?"
Souta's arm was still firm around Rion's shoulders. For a second, Rion contemplated touching Souta's waist. But, he dropped the thought like it was a serpent’s venom.
"Yeah, you're right," Rion said instead. His brown eyes wandered far ahead, leaving the cliff they were standing on.
It was good to see Souta this upbeat. A couple of weeks ago, what Rion had caught from Souta's eyes had been a disturbing emptiness. It had been after the news of another breakthrough Youzan Miura had made in the US. The memory brought a chilling sensation to Rion, making him shiver without meaning too.
Souta directed a questioning look. "Is the wind that strong to you?”
Rion swallowed back the lump in his throat. "Kinda.”
"Well, time to get back to the others, then. Everybody is already calling senpai, senpai left and right," Souta said sheepishly.
Rion rolled his eyes. "And whose fault is that?"
"Come on, Rion. This is our last match together in high school. I wanna remember every single detail of the moments we spend here." Souta ruffled Rion's already messy hair. That drew a groan out of Rion.
"Dammit, Karasuma. I will never get used to you switching from happy-go-lucky to sentimental all of a sudden," Rion said. He huffed and faced away from Souta. Rion hoped the blush on his cheeks would just stop acting out on their own already.
Souta wasn't insulted even a bit. A small smile formed on his mouth. "It's been a while since the last time I feel this happy, Rion. Let me enjoy this moment a little bit longer, will you?"
Warm brown eyes met gray ones. Really, what could Rion say? He was not a bad friend, despite his famous temper. And Rion knew how important it was for Souta to enjoy every moment of happiness that came to him. After all, he wanted Souta to be happy too; all the time, if he could.
"Okay, okay," Rion said. "Just don't go too near the cliff. You'll fall and nobody will catch you, Karasuma."
"Last I heard, the one Hiiragi-senpai called 'reckless' was not me, Rion," Souta said cheekily.
A vein throbbed in the corner of Rion's forehead.
"What did you just say, Karasuma...?" Rion slammed his right fist against his left palm twice, a gesture that meant he would punch something, someone, should they say another word. Souta just raised his hands, giving up in the shadow of Rion's threat.
Rion would never admit he missed the feeling of Souta's warm arm around his shoulders.
However, that feeling of lost didn't last long. The next second, Rion was pulled by his hand to Souta's direction, going near and nearer to the edge of the cliff.
"Wha—Karasuma—?!"
"You trust me, right? I won't let you fall, Rion, relax. Besides, I just wanna take a picture with you. It's been so long since we last pose together." At the end of his sentences, Souta smiled.
And Rion ... Rion was left gaping open-mouthedly at him.
"What? It's just a picture! Best friends do this all the time, right? From what I hear from Tomoya...." Souta looked at anywhere but Rion. It might be just the trick of the light, what with the sun closer to setting, but Rion swore, he just saw a dust of pink on Souta's cheeks.
Rion blinked. The tingling was back.
It felt like a good thing.
"... Okay," Rion agreed. "Let's just get the damn picture and go eat with the others because I'm starving, Karasuma."
Souta smiled again. How many times had Souta smiled today? The expression looked good on him. It made Souta even more handsome.
Tch. Not now, heart. Dammit.
When the picture was finally taken, it showed two best friends smiling side by side, golf clubs raised high and proud, and the vast sky served as the background.
Rion thought the photo was perfect.
"Hey, Karasuma," Rion started. He was walking back to where the Eiai team was now waiting for him and Souta.
His best friend raised an eyebrow in question. "Yes?"
"Promise me, when we meet again as professional golfers, we'll play on a seaside course again, and you and I will have a blast together fighting each other," Rion said. His brown eyes stared seriously at Souta's gray ones.
"Won't it be a small chance of probability, Rion? What with having to be lucky and draw for not only the same course, but also for us to meet each other on it?"
Rion shrugged. "They'll work out, some way or another. I know they will. Just ... promise me?" Rion hoped his words didn't sound too desperate.
Souta hummed. Even if they did sound desperate, Souta didn't show any sign of mocking him. He actually considered this seriously, just liked what Rion wanted.
"Okay, then," Souta finally said. "I promise, Rion."
Rion smiled. "Thank you, Karasuma. That's all I ask."
Loud rumbles of thunder were heard from the sky. They swallowed Rion's name that escaped Souta's lips.
A droplet of water fell on top of Rion's head.
"Some promises aren't meant to be made, Rion." His voice was detached and cold. Another droplet of water fell, this time touching Rion's skin, harsh, as if it was the sharp tip of an icicle.
Souta's swings, precise and calculated, yet devoid of emotion and passionless, still played mockingly in the back of Rion's mind. And even then, Rion still lost to that kind of game.
Rion felt like a clown.
An iron-shaped bruised might have made its way on Rion's palm. Rion didn't care. The tournament was over for him, just like this match was over for him.
The worst part, they might not be the only ones over for Rion.
Rion raised his head. His eyes left the deep blue ocean below. He focused his attention on Souta’s gray eyes.
Something that tasted like the beginning of a vomit and a broken bond crawled from his throat to the inside of Rion's mouth.
"Goodbye, Karasuma."
Rion let his legs carried him far, far away from something he just lost, more than the match, more than the tournament. And maybe that something had been lost for a long time already; Rion had just finally accepted it after so many months.
Rion didn't stop walking calmly, even when another droplet hit the ground, followed by thousands of them. People began to scatter away from the course, avoiding the rain like it was some kind of a disease.
Unseen by Rion, as he walked away, tears slid heavily down his former best friend's cheeks.