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"Are you sure you're okay with this, sweetie?"
Rin just looked at himself in the mirror once again, his new uniform looking anticlimactic on him. The sense of normalcy the uniform gave off was so out of touch with his own ill-belonging in it that it made him suppress a wince. Behind his reflection, he could see his mother. She was looking at him like he was a toddler, rather than a high schooler. Her eyes were filled with worry and something like pity. He tried not to let it get to him.
"I'm going to be fine, Okaasan." He answered as blankly as he could, which wasn't hard considering his facial muscles seemed to have shut down ever since the Incident. The Incident that made his mother look at him with a mix of worry-pity, and the others who know him look at him with a mix of disappointment-irritation.
"If you're sure." She wrung her hands in an unsure motion, betraying her thoughts about all this. Rin appreciated the fact that she didn't question him any further. Honestly, he didn't know what would end up breaking his newfound emptiness but he would rather not anyone test his patience for now. And well, he didn't really want the fall out to be directed towards his mother. She really didn't do anything wrong.
Rin turned away from the mirror, facing his mother with what he hoped was a smile but was probably closer to a grimace going by the look she gave him. He dropped it immediately and just decided to grab his bento from the table and go. "I'll be fine." He assured her once more before he walked out of the front door. He was assuring himself too. Or maybe it was wishful thinking.
Whatever it was, the door closed behind him. And he walked the way to his new school.
Rin decided: his classmates were annoying. He made this decision five minutes into the school day, after the homeroom teacher made him stand in front of the class like an ass just to say his name and where he came from. The teacher seemed disappointed when he literally just answered those two questions without adding anything remotely enlightening about who he might be as a person. The disappointment was shared among his classmates, the initial curious gleam in their eyes turning into a confused frown.
"That's it?" The teacher had said. And he had just shrugged before walking to the only empty seat in the back. Maybe his seatmate tried to talk to him once or twice. Honestly, he couldn't remember if he tried. And he didn't try.
The lessons passed by in a blur of things he had already covered in his previous school and some new information he wasn't all that concerned with learning at the moment. No one would complain if he just passed his exams normally. And he could do that later.
Lunch was a particularly annoying affair which only further proved his point about his classmates being insufferable. Thankfully, his lack of response and general disinterest in anyone afforded him peace after a few minutes of fruitless prodding. His classmates were quick to give him space then. And maybe he earned their ire, but he didn't really care so really, what did it matter?
(Distantly, Rin knew something fundamental about him had changed. He was never so aloof, never so openly hostile towards his peers. On the contrary, he grew up surrounded by people. He was always in the middle of classmates and friends and teammates . But he had changed. And now everything was a possible trigger to the metaphorical gun that was his sanity.)
So, all in all, his first day wasn't the best but it could've been worse. He just hoped his classmates would tire of their attempts at including him in anything resembling a conversation in the coming days. He just wanted to be left alone.
He was walking back home, a little out of it as he got lost in his thoughts. That was until a high voice cut through his trance.
"Look out, mister!"
His head snapped towards the voice and he found his body moving before his brain could fully register the ball coming at him. The thoughts that were rushing through his head halted, and static were left in their place. When he came to, he had already trapped the ball which now rested harmlessly beneath his left foot.
He felt a bit dizzy. It had been two months since he even saw a soccer ball. Much less touch it. It frustrated him how easy it still came to him.
"Wow! That was so cool!" Rin broke out of his impending crisis at the sudden praise from the voice earlier, sounding a little bit closer to him now. He looked up. And then down. He frowned at the beaming child in front of him. "How'd you do that?"
Rin realized they were in front of a local park. It had a small field with goal posts on the opposite ends, looking distinctly battered and weathered by time. A small group of children were running around there. But from the looks of it, they weren’t with the kid in front of him because they continued to play even without the ball.
Ignoring the breathless question by the raven-haired child, Rin bounced said ball with his foot onto his waiting hand. "Here. This is yours, right?" He offered it to the boy who looked even more excited now, looking at Rin like he had hung the stars in the night sky. Like he did more than just simply handle a stray soccer ball.
"Mister, do you play football too?" The kid asked as he reached for his ball absent-mindedly, his attention fixed solely on Rin. It made the older boy rub his neck with a rare show of awkwardness. He realized he never really had experience interacting with children. He was the youngest of two brothers and he didn’t really have younger cousins to be exposed to the childish innocence that the boy in front of him was showing him now.
Rin merely stared at the child who was bouncing on the tip of his toes, reminding him of an excited puppy. “No.” He decided to answer when the boy refused to set his sights on anything else other than him, his interest unwavering unlike his classmates who already would have given up by now.
“But you’re so good! Do you want to play with me?” The boy was so excited with his own proposition that he almost hit his face with the hand not carrying the ball, gesticulating furiously as he was.
"Uh… I think I'll pass, kid." Really, playing football with a strange child was the last thing Rin wanted to do right now. He just wanted to sleep.
"Oh! My name is Isagi Yoichi!" Isagi Yoichi beamed. "And I'm not a kid! I'm going to be 12 in a few months!"
That still makes you a kid, Rin wanted to point out. "...I think I'll pass on the football, Isagi." He said again.
Isagi pouted up at him. For all that he denied being a kid, he was awfully childish. "But, but you're so good! It's such a waste, mister!"
"No means no. If that's all, I'd like to go home now." With that, he turned away to proceed his walk to his house. He took five steps before Isagi called out to him again.
"If you change your mind, mister, I'll be here tomorrow too!"
Rin didn't turn around again. He seriously needed a nap.
When his mom asked him about his day, he just said it was fine before locking himself up in his room. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling blankly. Somehow, his first day at school paled in comparison to the stars that were in Isagi's eyes when the boy looked up at him.
Rin closed his eyes.
His mind wandered, remembering how he used to carry those stars too. He remembered the days before the Incident, before nii-chan—no, Sae pushed him away, back when he still dreamed with his whole heart.
Rin steadied his breathing, ignoring the surge of anger at the thought of broken promises and crushed dreams. His last thought before sleep overtook him was the familiar feel of Isagi's soccer ball against his feet.
—
"Rin-nii! Do you want to play football with me?"
Rin sighed as he turned to face a bright-eyed Isagi. He was holding his signature ball with both his hands, showing it off to Rin as if that would entice the older boy into playing with him.
This has been going on for a week now. Rin found that Isagi Yoichi was one stubborn kid. He didn't seem to know how to give up. Isagi was always at the park whenever Rin passed by on the way to his house. And without fail, he would call out to him with an invitation to play football with him. If his house wasn't right next to the park, Rin would've taken a different route to it by now.
Isagi was just so… persistent.
So annoyingly persistent that by day 3, Rin had reluctantly told the boy his name. Being called 'mister' all the time made him feel old and weird after all. The smile Isagi gave him when he told him his name was so unbearably blinding that it made Rin run home that much faster. He really did not know how to interact with kids.
"My answer is not going to change, Isagi. It's still a no." Rin answered tiredly.
He watched as the boy's face fell for a second before he was beaming up at him again. "Okay."
Rin narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Isagi had never let him go that quickly, ever.
"But!" Ah, there it is, Rin thought. "You have to watch me play instead!" Isagi bounced like the ball of energy that he was.
"I have to? Watch you play?" Rin quirked an eyebrow.
The boy nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yeah! If you watch me, you could give me tips! And then I'll forgive you for always refusing my invitations!"
"And what makes you think I want to be forgiven?" The older boy challenged, maybe a little amused by the fact that this tiny person who barely went past his waist was trying to negotiate with him.
Isagi frowned at that, his lips pursing into a childish pout. It was cute, Rin could admit. And maybe the kid was rubbing off on him because he forced himself to soften his voice.
"Don't you have any friends you could play with instead?" He asked. For the week Rin has seen the younger boy, never once did he see him with anyone else. He always seemed to be kicking and running around alone. Which made for quite an awkward football game to watch.
Isagi frowned harder. "The others say I'm too serious about football and it's no fun to play with me."
It was Rin's turn to frown then. Not that he could comment on anyone's lack of friends but it felt… wrong to see Isagi so crestfallen. The child seemed to like football a lot. It reminded Rin of his younger self when he used to follow Sae around everywhere. And back then he always had his older brother to play with but Isagi had no one. For the first time, it made him feel bad for always rejecting the boy.
Rin sighed. "Fine. I'll watch you."
Isagi's face immediately brightened as he cheered, grabbing Rin's arm with one hand as he dragged him towards the field. The older boy couldn't help but smile at the quick change in the other's mood.
That day, Rin spent the evening giving football tips to the first person who made him feel genuinely welcomed in this unfamiliar town.
—
"Rin-nii, are you sure you've never played football before?"
Rin looked up from his book that he was reading in between watching Isagi go through the ball exercises he had taught him.
It's been a month since he agreed to watch over what Isagi called his "Becoming-the-Best-Striker-in-the-World Ultra Super Practice" but what was really just him kicking a ball around aimlessly before Rin came around to actually plan effective routines. For a month now, Rin would turn the corner to his house and detour into the park, doing his homework or reading a book as he went along with Isagi's practice. During that time, Rin could begrudgingly admit that the kid grew on him. He didn't even pretend to be annoyed anymore when the kid bounded up to him with much too much energy that tiny body could possibly handle. Most days, Rin didn't even wait for the boy to call out to him, he would just sit on the grassy side of the field in front of Isagi. When he did this, without fail, Isagi would smile a thousand watt smile at him and greet him with the enthusiasm of a golden retriever.
It wasn't hard to fall under Isagi's adoring and worshipful gaze. So, here Rin was, spending most of his free time looking after a kid 5 years younger than him when he still hadn't even made a single friend in his school.
"I played a bit during middle school, I guess." He answered honestly, although he was not really keen on expounding on it more.
"I knew it! You're too good at it to not have any experience, Rin-nii!"
Rin just gave him a placating smile that may or may not have come off as a wince. "How'd you figure that out? You've never really seen me play." And Isagi hadn't seen him play. Except for their first meeting where he was caught off guard, Rin had kept his vow to not play football ever again, no matter how much Isagi begged him to.
"I don't need to! You give out such good pointers that only good players will notice. And I know you're secretly very, very good! Whoop!" Isagi cheered as he managed to trap the ball he was playing around with. The move was something Rin had polished by pointing out Isagi's stance and ball control.
The older boy felt warmed by Isagi's honest praise and unwavering belief in his supposed capabilities. He might never get around to touching a ball again, but it was comforting to know that the years he spent on it wasn't completely useless. If he could help someone else with their dream, then maybe his dreams weren't meaningless.
—
Rin woke up to snow. He looked outside his bedroom window, his comforter still wrapped around his shoulders, as white crystals fell from the sky for the first time this year. The first snow , his mind supplied.
It was December now, a two weeks before Christmas, and he had already been in this town for 7 months. He found himself a bit surprised at the fact that he had already spent more than half a year here. It didn't feel that long yet. Or maybe it didn't feel that short? Rin didn't know which was more accurate, but perhaps he could say that time passed by in a blink of an eye.
And wasn't that unexpected? Seeing as his days here have been as mundane as can be. He still didn't have anyone he could call a friend in his school, only a few acquiaintances that didn't completely get under his nerves. So, school was spent by going through classes and eating lunch in the classroom. He found that it didn't really matter.
Aside from school, there was his time spent with Isagi. Rin didn't know how to feel about the fact that the highlight of his day was the few hours he spent with Isagi after class. Was it kind of sad that the only meaningful relationship he managed to form in his 7 months in the town was with an elementary school kid? Maybe. But at this point, he was too attached to even consider distancing himself.
It was really, really hard to hate Isagi. And he had tried. The kid was too innocent and honest and good . Rin had caved on the first day of trying to distance himself from the younger boy. (He didn't know until then how effective puppy dog eyes were in guilt-tripping someone, but oh, he found out, alright.)
Speaking of Isagi, Rin wondered if the younger boy was out playing even in this weather. It was the weekend, but Rin knew from talking to the kid that he spent every free time of his playing football as much as possible. They only ever met each other after school, some unspoken boundary of theirs not allowing for a meeting during the weekends. But perhaps Isagi wouldn't mind if he stopped by there? Rin didn't really have any plans other than moping around his room, reading novels or maybe playing computer games.
Before he could think better of it, he was already bundling himself up with his winter jacket and scarf. He was out the door with a quick goodbye to his mother.
The crisp grass frosted over by snow crunched under his feet as he walked into the field. Like he suspected, Isagi was there, kicking his familiar ball around. Rin couldn't help but crack an amused smile at the boy who was absolutely round with his thick jacket layered over a sweater. And the older boy broke into a chuckle as Isagi waddled after his ball which had went astray when he kicked it too far.
Isagi looked up and met his eyes. Immediately, his face brightened as he smiled his familiar smile reserved for him. "Rin-nii!"
"Hi, squirt. Isn't it a little cold for football?" Isagi ran up to him and Rin fondly ruffled the boy's hair.
"Nope! I have to keep to my training! Why are you here, Rin-nii?" Rin quirked a brow, hiding his amusement. "Not that I don't want you here! I'm really happy to see you! But you don't usually go here on the weekends!" Isagi was quick to assure him.
Rin let out an amused huff as he shook his head. "I get it, Isagi. I was just messing with you. I'm here because I was free, and also because I was worried a certain dumbass was playing football even with the snow."
Said dumbass pouted up at him. "It's not snowing that hard."
"It still isn't very productive to be playing football in this cold weather. Not to mention, I doubt you're getting anything done with how you look like a ball yourself."
Isagi looked down at himself and his, frankly, ridiculous getup against the cold and he pouted even harder. "My mom wouldn't let me out unless I had four layers of clothing on."
Rin couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of that statement. "You are a baby." He teased, knowing full well how being called a baby annoyed the boy.
"I'm not! It's just my mom treating me like one!"
"Okay, okay," Rin smirked as Isagi visibly relaxed. " Baby ."
"Rin-nii!" The older boy laughed as Isagi started hitting him with closed fists. He didn't have the heart to tell him that it barely hurt.
"I'm joking, I'm joking." He amended, holding Isagi's wrists to stop his fruitless attacks. "But I am serious about playing in this weather. You'll get sick or you'll slip and end up hurting yourself."
Isagi looked disappointed with his plans for the day being cancelled.
"Do you want to come to my house?" The kid looked up at the sudden invitation. "We have recordings of my past matches. I'll let you watch it if you want." He offered.
The younger boy brightened immediately, the disappointment simply disappearing as if it wasn't even there to begin with. "Can I really? I want to!"
"You have to ask permission from your parents first." Rin reminded, a little confused why he ended up blurting out that invitation. It was unlike him to voluntarily make reasons to spend more time with someone. It seemed he was learning a lot of things about himself thanks to Isagi.
"I'll text my mom to let her know! Let's go, Rin-nii? Puh-leaseee!" Isagi brandished his puppy dog eyes, aware of how weak the older boy was to them even as he tried to remain stoic.
"I got it, brat. Chill out." Rin huffed as Isagi started to skip towards the direction of his house, ball in hand and forgetting that he didn't really know which one was Rin's in the neighborhood.
Isagi stepped on a frozen patch on the road and would have almost slipped if not for Rin shooting his arm forward to grab him by the waist. The younger boy squealed as he regained his balance, face reddening as he locked eyes with the amused Rin.
"Careful. Wouldn't want you breaking your neck on my watch." The older boy steadied the younger with gentle hands, a contrast to his teasing words.
"Thanks, Rin-nii…" Isagi muttered softly, his face still unnaturally red. Rin worried slightly if he was cold even with the four layers of clothing. He removed the scarf around his neck and wrapped it around Isagi's instead. Curiously enough, the red in the kid's cheeks seemed to deepen.
"Okay. Let's go." Rin nodded in satisfaction as he led the way but he made sure to keep his pace so he could walk side by side with Isagi. He kept his hands on his sides, ready if ever the kid lost his balance again.
Soon enough, they reached the Itoshi household. Rin welcomed Isagi into his house, briefly introducing him to his mother who was busy making dinner before she had to head out to her night shift. His mom seemed to adore Isagi right away, confirming Rin's suspicion that the boy simply had that effect on people.
They spent the rest of the evening watching Rin's past matches in the living room. With every match, Isagi seemed to look at Rin with greater admiration than the last. He seemed so amazed as he ooh -ed and ahh -ed, eyes transfixed on the little Rin on the screen running around like he owned the field.
Rin was glad the boy seemed to be enjoying himself. But he also couldn't help but feel the undercurrent of hurt that haunted him whenever he was reminded of his years spent playing football. He would never admit it out loud but he still missed the sport. Most days, he'd be watching Isagi have fun and he'd find himself wondering what it would feel like to simply play football because he enjoyed it. And not because of some surface-level promise he made with his brother when they were younger and didn't know any better.
He felt a weight fall on his shoulder and looked down to see Isagi had fallen asleep. Rin found himself softening at the edges as he watched the steady rise and fall of the other's breathing.
The sounds from the match were playing in the background, the heat from the living room's AC blanketing them in warmth. And Isagi looked so peaceful and content as he nuzzled closer onto Rin's side.
Later, he would wake the boy up. But for now, Rin let himself close his eyes, taking comfort in the warm body pressed against his, reminding him that although he might never play football again, there was someone who saw him as more than a disappointment or a waste of talent. That there was someone who looked at him with open admiration. Rin closed his eyes and basked in the fact that he wasn't alone.
—
He should've seen this coming. It was the holidays after all. No matter how much of an ass someone was, it was tradition to go home for the holidays. And what holiday was better celebrated than Christmas?
Rin watched detachedly as his mother cooed over Sae, turning him this way and that before embracing him in a tight hug. Their father was talking to him, Rin knew that, but he also couldn't fully focus on the man in front him. Much like Sae, he hadn't really seen his father for almost a year. It was hard to reconcile the time apart with the present. And the present situation was that, his father, who had been working in Spain, and his brother, who had been playing for Spain, were back for Christmas. And Rin had never felt more out of place in his entire life. (Which was concerning because they were supposed to be family .)
At least his mom was enjoying herself. He knew that she missed her husband and her other son, but Rin obviously didn't know how much because she simply couldn't stop laughing and smiling and hugging them. He was happy for her if nothing else.
"Rin, isn't it so nice to have your father and brother together with us again?" His mother asked him with her eyes filled to the brim with hope.
She knew that something had happened between him and Sae but didn't know what. It wasn't hard to figure out after all, what with them suddenly drifting apart when they used to be so close. Not to mention, the fact they had to move towns because Rin was having panic attacks whenever people from his old town recognized him for his or his brother's football careers. Maybe his mother was hoping he could make up with Sae or whatever. Rin just hoped she wouldn't be too heartbroken when she realizes that's not going to be happening in the foreseeable future.
"Yeah, Okaasan." Still, Rin could behave for one dinner. No matter how uncomfortable he felt, it was only going to last as long as Sae was going to stay in Japan. Hopefully, he'll leave as soon as possible.
The dinner was…tolerable. Rin tried his best to seem like he wasn't affected by Sae being right in front of him. It was easier than he thought, what with his sham of an older brother pretending like he didn't exist. Well, two could play that game. The hour was filled with chatter courtesy of their parents, who seemed to be doing their best to bury the silence.
After finishing his meal, he quickly excused himself to his room, ignoring the way his mother frowned. In hindsight, he should've known that Sae would be sleeping there too. Their new house was relatively smaller than their old one, and only had two rooms with beds. (The third room which was supposed to be a guest room was transformed into his mother's home office.)
"Rin." Sae said in lieu of a proper greeting, the first word he spoke to Rin in 7 months said in a bland, almost bored tone. It pissed Rin off like no other.
Rin had so many things he wanted to say, and yet sinultaneously, he didn't want to talk to the older boy at all. They stood there looking at each other as if they were strangers meeting for the first time. With every second that passed, Rin mourned the loss of their brotherhood and their dream.
"I heard you quit football." Sae moved towards the bed, passing by Rin as he did. It made the younger tense up, hackles rising at the still bored tone of his brother's voice. "Good."
Rin clenched his hands on his sides.
"You make me fucking sick."
"Don't make me your reason for playing football."
"Get lost. I don't need you, Rin."
The words Sae had told him over a year ago echoed in his head as if mocking him. They had kept haunting Rin since then, festering like an open wound. The despair he felt back then was fresh even now. And now, Rin hated the older brother he used to adore and admire.
"I'm glad you listened to me back then—"
"Shut the fuck up." Rin growled, turning to his brother who was looking around his room with disinterest. They locked eyes, Rin glaring at the other.
Sae raised a questioning brow. "Rin. Surely, you're over that unrealistic dream of yours?"
Unrealistic . As if Sae wasn't the one who made him believe—who made him dream . Rin hated him.
"You don't get to ask me that, Sae. You don't get to pretend as if you weren't right there with me every step of the way." Rin gritted out. It took everything in his power not to punch his brother in the face.
Rin willed himself to move, however. If he stayed here any longer, he knew he would end up doing something his mother wouldn't approve of. So, he forced himself to turn away—walk away even as his hands shook. He walked out of his room before Sae could even think to respond.
The wind was cold against his skin, stinging his cheeks as it swept past the streets. Rin didn't know where he was going. He just knew he couldn't stay in his house with someone who had become worse than a stranger to him.
Rin let his feet carry him aimlessly. And he wasn't surprised when they carried him to the park. Even unconsciously, he registered the place as somewhere safe, no matter how cold it was and how stupid being out at night was.
He sat himself down on the swing, staring at a random point in the field in front of him. It wasn't covered in snow per se. On the contrary, it barely snowed in this new town. Just once or twice every week. But that didn't lessen the coldness that seeped into his skin.
I should've worn more clothing, Rin thought to himself as he blew hot air on his hands.
He was lost in his thoughts when his cell phone started ringing from his pocket. Rin took it out and picked it up when he saw it was Isagi.
"Hello?" He opened, a little confused.
"Rin-nii! Hi!" Isagi's voice through the phone was brighter and bubblier than usual, if that was even possible. The sound of it made Rin's heart warm.
"What are you calling me at night for?"
"Oh! Uhm, I just wanted to say merry Christmas!"
Rin chuckled despite himself. "You already told me that earlier." He reminded the younger boy.
"Through text! I wanted to greet you in person too but this is the next best thing…" Isagi trailed off, sounding uncharacteristically shy.
"Well, in that case. Merry Christmas to you too, Isagi."
Isagi huffed out an amused breath. "Yeah. How's your Christmas, Rin-nii?"
"Hmmm…" Rin didn't really want to trauma dump on a kid 5 years younger than him. "I would rather watch you play football." He answered honestly instead.
He heard something like a sputtering sound from the other end of the line. "M-me too."
Rin realized he was smiling. Damn brat and his pull on people. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. I miss you, Rin-nii."
Hearing the other say that made Rin soften. And with a jolt, he realized he had missed Isagi too. It's only been four days into the winter break and he was already missing the time he spent with the kid. Though, the realization didn't surprise him as much as it maybe should have.
With a fond smile on his face, he answered: "Me too, Isagi. I miss you too."
—
Six Months Later.
Rin's grin was feral as he watched Isagi score another goal. The now middle schooler found him in the crowd—like he does every time he scored—and gave him a grin as terrifying as his.
Isagi Yoichi was now a first year middle schooler, but despite that, he was already a regular in his school's football team. Rin couldn't have been prouder. Watching his younger friend and protegé tear up the field was immensely satisfying, especially when the little striker used the moves Rin had taught him.
Around him, the people cheered for Isagi and his school. Isagi's teammates clapped the boy in the back and ruffled his hair. One kid who had yellow streaks in his black hair jumped on Isagi's back and wrapped his arms around the striker's neck.
The match went on. It didn't take long before the whistle sounded and the final score was announced. 6-2. Isagi's team had crushed the other school's. And half of the goals were by Isagi himself.
Rin found himself going down the spectators' stand and towards the field where Isagi was still being congratulated by everyone. The kid's parents were on either side of him, a hand on either shoulder as they smiled proudly. Rin was probably sporting the same smile as well.
He stood to the side, not yet approaching completely seeing as the boy was still surrounded. But he wasn't unnoticed for long as Isagi met his eyes over the crowd. Immediately, Isagi was beaming and in the span of a blink, Rin had an armful of his friend.
Isagi squeezed his arms around Rin's waist before looking up at him. "Rin-nii! We won!"
Rin felt overwhelmed with fondness when he saw that the younger boy still looked at him with the same admiration—the same adoration—he had when they first started hanging out. It made him feel warm to think Isagi still thought so highly of him even though he had seen his lesser traits through the time they spent together.
"Congratulations, Yoichi. You did well." He ruffled the kid's hair and the kid leaned into it. It reminded Rin of a small animal.
"Remember your promise?"
Rin huffed amusedly. They had made a bet of sorts in the beginning of the school year. If Isagi managed to score enough goals to make his team win, Rin would try out in his high school's football team. And well, Rin kept his promises.
"Of course. You won, after all."
It still surprised Rin sometimes, how much he'd changed after meeting Isagi. A year ago, he never would've agreed to such a promise. All he could associate with football back then were anger ( so much anger), wasted time, and broken dreams. But watching Isagi's football, the way he played only for himself, changed something in him. And now, when he thought of football it wasn't painful. It wasn't painful because all he'd think of was the kid's light laughter as he tore through the field.
Rin would've never considered going back to the sport if he hadn't met Isagi Yoichi.
The kid squeezed him tighter for a second before letting go, still smiling that blinding smile up at him. Rin felt sentimental as he realized Isagi gave him a reason to play again. Not for anyone else, but for himself this time.
"Thank you." He blurted out before he could think better of it.
Isagi tilted his head in confusion, but Rin just shook his head with a smile. The kid didn't have to know right now, but someday, he would tell him just how much he'd helped him.
"Isagi!" They both looked towards the coach as he motioned for the kid. "We're gonna have a meeting."
Isagi nodded once in acknowledgement. He looked back up at Rin, his eyes swimming with some unknown emotion. But then he seemed to make up his mind as he tiptoed. And planted a quick kiss on Rin's cheek.
Rin's eyes widened as the other pulled away, pink tinging his cheeks adorably. "I-I have to go. Seeyou,Rin-nii ." Isagi said quickly before following his coach towards the entrance to the locker rooms.
Rin watched him retreat, still dumbfounded, before he huffed out fondly.
He looked up towards the blue, blue sky where the white clouds drifted by. And he thought of blue, blue eyes meeting his, filled to the brim with determination.
Warmth lingered where soft lips met his skin and there was a fluttering in his chest. And Rin knew he'd be alright.
They would be alright.
fin.