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“Will ya marry me if we're both single by the time we're 40?” Hiori was not sure what prompted him to say this.
“No.” Toothbrush still in his mouth, Karasu answered curtly. The NEL had just concluded, and they were currently the last remaining two in the shared bathroom, still finishing up their nightly routine after the celebration parade.
Hiori was a bit disappointed for sure, he thought their friendship was at least strong enough for Karasu to accept his offer of being each others’ back-ups. He supposed Karasu never really saw him the same way Hiori saw Karasu. To him, his senior was someone he greatly admired, the first person to see Hiori as an individual, rather than a football player built around his parents’ expectations. But to Karasu, he was just another friend, acquaintance even, one of many.
“Are we plannin’ to adopt?”
“What?” The question caught Hiori off-guard.
“I mean, if we're plannin’ to have kids, we need to get married before 35 at the oldest.”
“... Why?” Hiori had seen this trope many times in movies and light novels before. The main character makes a deal with their friend to get married if they're both single by a certain age, usually 40. Hiori had never put too much thought into the logistics of the whole thing.
“It's just logical. If we're havin’ little ones we’ll need to financially support them until they're out of college. That's like at least 22 years. And I really don't wanna work past retirement age.” Karasu was making that expression that he often made when thinking something through thoroughly, like when coming up with a game strategy. Only this time, he was strategizing their hypothetical marital life. “Not to mention, I'd like fer our kid to have at least one sibling. A 2-3 year age gap between them seems ideal.”
“I guess yer right.” Hiori knew that Karasu had an older sister, he even met her once while crashing at Karasu's place after practice. He thought their constant bickering was tiring but endearing nonetheless. Hiori himself was an only child so it's not like he could understand. But he supposed that if he had had a sibling, his parents’ constant attention would've been split between their other children. Maybe that would've made his life easier. “But if we become famous footballers, we can make loads of money and retire early.”
“Fair point. Still, I'd like to get married sooner rather than later. I don't wannabe all wrinkly in my wedding photos.”
“So superficial. Regardless, I'm sure you'll look fine once the day comes.”
“Only fine? Aren't ya supposed to be my future husband? Don'tcha want me to look so handsome, you'd cry once ya see me at the altar?”
“I doubt I'd ever shed a tear fer your goofy spiky hair.”
“Hey! I spent a lot of time-”
“And hair gel.”
“-to achieve that look.”
Hiori would never admit it, but he had always thought his annoying crow was quite handsome. Goofy spiky hair and all. But Hiori quite enjoyed seeing Karasu like this too: hair slightly damp, around shoulder-length now that it's no longer held up by a metric ton of hair products, expression relaxed and shoulders sagging a bit from the lethargy accumulated over the long day. It was intimate. Comfortable. Hiori thought that, if they were to get married, he could get used to seeing this every day before bed.
“35 works fer me. Though we'll hafta be engaged for a while so we have sufficient time to plan a wedding.”
“I assume you'd want a small wedding?”
“Just yer family, friends, some of our old teammates and a few bluelockers.”
“Ya don't want yer parents to attend?”
“We can send them a postcard.”
They both started laughing at that.
“Sounds like a good deal. We can buy a house on the outskirts of Osaka.”
“Far enough from the noise, but still close enough for you to visit yer family.”
“3 floors, 4 bedrooms. We can have a gaming room set up for ya.”
“I'll add a beanbag and a few bookshelves of yer favourite literature so you can read while I game.”
“I dunno if I wanna read while ya shoot zombies in the background.”
“I'll wear headphones. Besides, I'm a quiet gamer. Promise.”
“Yer lucky you have such a supportive husband.” Karasu said with his signature annoying smirk.
“Lucky me.” Hiori responded with a soft smile of his own.
“We’ll also need a garden.” The older boy continued.
“Didn't know you were into gardenin’.”
“I'm not. But old people seem to love gardenin’ so I'm just plannin’ ahead. Fer when we grow old.”
Hiori was never someone who could envision his future. He just blindly followed his parents’ routine everyday. Never had he considered what he would do the next day, let alone what he would be doing when he's 35. If he was being completely honest, he never thought he would make it to 35. He'd probably be retired by then. Would his parents stop treating him like a tool once he was no longer of use to them? Would they finally get a divorce and be free of each other?
Those were questions he often pondered whenever he'd hear his parents’ poorly concealed fights downstairs. But now, after everything he'd gone through in the Neo Egoist League, he couldn't find it in him to care anymore. He had finally found a path forward, one chosen by him and no one else.
Hiori might have been someone who could never envision his future, but he can start now. He can start with a dream to create the best striker in the world. A small wedding with only close friends and family. A house on the outskirts of his hometown. A family with children who will get to decide for themselves who they’ll become. A garden planted by two pairs of hands. A partner with excessive amounts of wax in his hair who he will grow old with.
Hypothetically, of course. If they're both single by 35.
“Give me your pinkie.” Karasu held up his own pinkie finger.
Hiori followed suit.
“I don't have a ring right now, so a pinkie promise will do.” Karasu intertwined their pinkies together. “Hafta make sure ya don't bail on me later on.” He continued, smug smirk still on his face, although his gaze had softened into something more fond.
“Will you, Hiori Yo, marry me, Karasu Tabito, if we're both single by 35?”
And here, in the messy communal bathroom of a football training facility that should've definitely been shut down months ago, 17 years young, Hiori took a blind leap towards his envisioned future. “I will.”
Fortunately though, he didn't have to take that leap alone.
__________
The news of Karasu's retirement elicited much love and support, even some sorrow, from fans. He decided now was the time to call it quits. He had a good run. Even got the chance to hold the World Cup trophy he was chasing his entire career two years back. It was time to step back and let the kids, Japan's new egoists who grew up watching Blue Lock, take over.
He dreamed of blue the night before he boarded the plane that would take him home.
Once he got out of the airport, he was immediately hit with the smell of the sea that he had always hated. It brought him back to when he was a boy, before becoming the captain of Japan's National team, before receiving an invitation from the JFU that would forever change his life, before they made that promise of a future his mind still wandered to now and again.
Ah, he was turning 35 in a month. Karasu had both looked forward to and dreaded this particular milestone. Did Hiori forget and move on with his life? They never mentioned it again after they stepped foot out of that bathroom. Technically, Hiori was still 34, will their promise only take effect after both of them are 35? Despite essentially mapping out their entire lives that night, this was the one detail they had overlooked. Maybe he's thinking too hard about this. Maybe he was the only one still clinging on to a stupid promise they made when they were children.
Only one way to find out. “I'm home.” The text was sent at exactly 11:20 AM.
That night he got to hug his family again after a year of not seeing them. His mother’s hair was grayer now. His father started using a cane while he was away. His nephew was now up to his torso in height. Every time he saw his family, he was reminded of what he had missed while he was away pursuing his dreams.
Karasu supposed that he, much like the landscape of the city he grew up in, had changed too. He wondered if his parents felt the same way he did every time they saw him. It didn't matter anymore, this time, he was here to stay.
He and Hiori had plans to grab lunch the next day. Unlike Karasu, Hiori announced his retirement and moved home almost immediately after they had won the World Cup, much to the dismay of his parents who he had been in low contact with ever since he'd left for Blue Lock. Maybe he thought that his dream was fulfilled when Isagi scored his winning goal with Hiori's assist.
They still kept in contact with each other through texts, calls and late night gaming sessions once they moved away to different countries to join their respective clubs. Despite the distance, they had grown even closer than before. This was why Karasu was a bit apprehensive about bringing up their “proposal” to Hiori. He thought that it would be better for his heart if the boy he'd been harbouring feelings for for almost 2 decades had just forgotten, rather than if he actively turned his back on their silly promise.
The local ramen shop they decided to meet up at was a place they often frequented in their Bambi Osaka days, though Hiori would never order anything and just watch him and his teammates eat due to his strict diet.
“Two bowls of tamari-shoyu ramen and a cup of barley tea please.”
“Ya still remember my order?”
Hiori didn't deign his question with a response.
Hiori looked freer now that he was retired. Although he always claimed to have played football for himself ever since the NEL, the shadow of his parents’ expectations looming over him was not something that could be easily escaped.
“They're gettin’ a divorce.”
“Finally. How yer feelin’?”
“Normal really. I'm just glad they can finally be out of each other's hair. I hope they can both find happiness movin’ forward.”
And that was that. Karasu had always expected this to happen. Frankly, he's impressed that they made it a whole 2 years after Hiori's retirement. Even if Hiori claimed he was ambivalent towards the situation, the glint in his eyes betrayed his words. Well in any case, Karasu was happy for Hiori, even if the younger boy was not willing to admit to his true feelings.
They continued talking even long after they finished their meals. Hiori showed him around the neighborhood that he grew up in but could no longer recognize. He showed him the local community college he was studying at now that his time was no longer dedicated to football, the new supermarkets that replaced the convenience stores that used to line the street, the newly renovated football field where he first fell in love with the sport.
And finally, a quaint apartment block where Hiori was renting at. The apartment was a bit messy, Karasu instinctively realigned the shoes by the entryway and picked up the loose socks strewn about on the couch to put them in the laundry basket.
There was a guitar hung on the wall and different art supplies in the corner of the living room. Hiori had taken up different hobbies after his retirement. He had even played a few songs for Karasu over call once. Although Hiori was not as gifted a musician as he was a footballer, Karasu could tell he was having fun, and Karasu would willingly listen to his off-tune music for as long as Hiori allowed him to.
“Ya got a place to stay yet?”
“I'm stayin’ with my family fer now. It's a bit crowded but it'll have to do.” After a small pause, Karasu continued. “Why yer still rentin’? I'm sure you have more than enough money to buy a house.”
“I'm waiting until after I've settled down.”
“And when's that? You're almost 34.”
Hiori expression soured at the comment. “And you're almost 35. Where's your house then?”
“Touché.” The implications hung heavy in the air. Karasu was now confident Hiori still remembered their promise, but for one reason or another, he's also avoiding directly bringing up the topic.
“Ya plannin’ on doing anything fer your birthday next month?”
“I have nothin’ in mind. Probably just gonna spend it with the family. You're invited too of course.” He tried to answer nonchalantly.
“Does the birthday boy want me to get him anything in particular?” Hiori asked innocently but his act wasn't going to fool Karasu. Hiori knew exactly what Karasu wanted.
“Surprise me.” Karasu wasn't going to take the obvious bait that easily.
Over the next month they continued hanging out together. Lunch dates, movie nights, aimless walks, convenience store runs. All the things they did when they were still growing teenagers. Somewhere along the line Karasu applied to be a coach for the Bambi Osaka Youth team. Naturally, they were more than happy to offer the position to the ex-captain of the National team.
It was nice living in the same area as Hiori again. Their careers had led them across the world, but never within each other's orbits for too long. He had missed the simplicity of just existing alongside someone who made him happy, a kindred spirit, a lifelong friend.
As his birthday approached, they made increasingly bolder insinuations about their promise.
“I heard the price of gold is dropping. Perfect time to buy some jewelry. Maybe a ring.”
Hiori mentioned once while they were at a local café, Hiori studying for his mid-terms and Karasu planning out the training regimen for his new job.
“Maybe I should just pick someone and get married next year. Tying the knot in the year of the Dragon will surely bless our marriage with much fortune. Such an auspicious time only comes once every 12 years after all.”
Karasu wasn't going to just back down either. He mentioned this in passing while they were hunting down new houseplants for Hiori's balcony.
“Senior is so wise. In that case maybe I should pick someone as well.”
“Maybe.”
Despite all of the overt teasing, neither of them dared broaching the topic directly. It became a challenge of sorts, to see who would fold first. And Karasu was nothing if not competitive.
On the day of his birthday, Karasu went out for a fancy dinner with his family. It was a pleasant evening. Though he couldn't say he's not a bit disappointed. Hiori was invited of course, but he cancelled last-minute due to a “scheduling conflict”. An excuse that Karasu could see right through. The only time he heard from Hiori that day was in the form of a quick generic “Happy bday!” text.
He had been looking forward to this day for more reasons than one. After all the teasing they've done over the past month, he had thought they were on the same page about this marriage. But perhaps he was mistaken. Perhaps Hiori chickened out last-minute. Perhaps it was all in his head, just delusions fueling the warmth in his heart. A warmth that had nothing to show for it now but a gold band weighing down his pocket.
He had it all planned out. After the celebration, he would walk Hiori home. Karasu would drag Hiori to the Bambi Osaka pitch under the pretense of needing to pick up some of his coaching equipment. And then he would propose, properly this time, where they first met. It was his fault really, for expecting this to go any other way.
On the way back home, he recounted stories of his football career at the request of his nephew. It was obvious to everyone, except for his young nephew, that his thoughts drifted elsewhere. They probably just chalked it up to him being tired, maybe that's why his usually talkative family was so quiet.
He just wanted this day to end already. He'll have all the time in the world to mope about his unrequited affections tomorrow. So engrossed in his thoughts that only when he reached the porch of his house did he realize his family had dropped a considerable distance behind him. It took him a few tries to unlock the door. He should replace the old lock, it was getting-
“Happy Birthday!!!”
He heard the sound of a familiar voice before he even opened the door completely.
“That was too early you idiot!”
The moment he stepped inside of the foyer the lights flicked on revealing his living room decorated with gaudy streamers, garlands and an assortment of coloured balloons.
“Ah, I thought we all agreed to go “Happy Birthday!” at the same time?” Now that's a face he hadn't seen in a few months. Zantetsu, his old teammate, is standing in the middle of the living room holding up a blank banner.
“That's ‘cause you went too early! You were supposed to wait for the signal!” Shidou looked like he was about to wrangle Zantetsu right there and then.
“Guys! Let's not do this here!” Nanase, the sweetheart that he is, got between Shidou and Zantetsu. This whole scene is giving him deja vu.
“Congratulations on reaching the end of your youth!” Otoya popped a confetti popper into his face and slung an arm around his shoulders.
“Wait, what are you guys doing here?” Still a bit dazed, Karasu scanned the room to spot many familiar faces.
“To celebrate your 35th, dummy.” Yukimiya ripped the banner away from Zantetsu's hands and flipped it around, revealing the words “happy born day” in sloppy handwriting, accompanied by an amateur attempt at a sketch of a crow.
“How did you guys even get inside my house?!”
“I let them in. Your folks lended me the keys. They'll be staying over at yer sister's place tonight so we can have the place to ourselves.” Hiori jingled the keys attached to a familiar keychain in his hand.
“You guys are unbelievable. And how did ya even get Rin to come here?” That was the most unbelievable part of this whole ordeal. While they were still in PXG together, Karasu had to physically drag Rin out to social events. It was for the sponsors, he had tried to reason with Rin, but the younger Itoshi brother had never cared much about the politics surrounding football. To be fair, he was always too good of a player for PXG to drop, so his blatant disregard of anything other than foot and ball never affected his career that much.
“Don't act so shocked, he was your teammate for over a decade.” Bachira, who was holding multiple differently sized gift boxes, noted.
“Happy birthday.” Rin just gave him a curt nod. It was always weird to see this side of Rin, awkward and clearly out of his element, unlike the unpredictable monster on the field that he had come to know. Bachira probably dragged him here.
“Hurry up and blow out the candles already, birthday boy.” Otoya pushed him towards Hiori, who was holding a crudely made birthday cake covered in uneven patches of sprinkles. Cute.
“Woah, slow down, I just got here. Can't I take the time to enjoy my own party?”
“Oh please, we all know everyone is here to get hammered. The sooner we get the formalities out of the way, the sooner I can get absolutely wasted.” Otoya paused for a bit before turning to face Karasu with a dead-serious expression. “Unless the birthday boy wants us to sing him the birthday song first.”
“That's not-”
“Everybody!”
The whole room erupted in an off-tune rendition of the birthday song, with Otoya and Zantetsu singing the loudest and Rin just standing there awkwardly clapping along. Karasu would never live this shame down.
“So.” The lights had been turned off in between the singing. The only light source left was the limited coverage of the candles on the birthday cake. The flickering flames illuminated the countenance he had watched grow up and mature into the person he'd fallen for. “What are you wishing for?”
Karasu looked into the eyes of the boy he had loved for so long, and saw his own fond gaze reflected back in those blue eyes. He blew out the candles.
It's around midnight. The party was a success. Karasu got to catch up with all of the friends he hadn't been able to see since his retirement. Shidou and Zantetsu had monopolized the Karaoke machine. They're sure to get a noise complaint first thing tomorrow morning. Otoya, Yukimiya, Kurona and Kiyora, both of whom only arrived later on, were playing some sort of drinking game that Yukimiya learned during his time in Germany. Bachira, Nanase and Rin were conversing about gods know what in the kitchen while enjoying the leftover birthday cake.
The only person that was nowhere to be seen was the person he wanted to talk to most. That was not surprising. Hiori had never been good at socializing with so many people for an extended period of time.
“I knew I'd found ya here.” Karasu sat down on the steps next to Hiori after stepping out of the house into the backyard.
“I just needed some air.”
They sat there in silence for a while. It was nice. A comfortable silence shared between two people who were so used to each other's presence that they didn't need to say anything to be understood.
“So. I'm 35 now.”
“Yer 35 now. Happy birthday, by the way. I never got to congratulate ya properly.”
“Ya would've gotten the chance if you hadn't cancelled on me last-minute.”
“Sorry ‘bout that. I didn't plan to cancel but the birthday cake was… just not comin’ along so I had to start over. Besides, yer family was in on it.”
“I knew it was you who baked the cake. It's kinda like you, ya know.”
“Lopsided and a bit too dry?”
“Charmin’ and sweet.”
Hiori shoved Karasu immediately after he said that. “Yer gonna make me cringe.” Karasu just stifled a laugh.
“What did ya wish for?”
“Can't say. Birthday wish rules and allat.” Karasu paused for a bit. “There's really only one person that can grant me my wish.”
This was it. The line neither of them dared to cross for the past month. The precipice on which everything hung in the balance.
After a moment that felt like an eternity, Hiori finally broke the silence.
“Tabito, I- Give me yer pinkie” Hiori, clearly flustered, held out his own pinkie.
Karasu didn't hesitate to wrap his pinkie around Hiori's, just like he once did so many years ago.
“You mean everything to me. And it really felt like forever ago when we made that silly promise but… And I would completely understand if you've changed your mind!”
“My pinkie wouldn't be intertwined with yours right now if I've changed my mind, idiot.” As much as he tried to act confident, Karasu could feel the heat creeping up his ears.
“Oh. Right. I would like to fulfill our old promise. Marry me, Tabito. And I would like to make a new promise tonight.” Hiori tightened his pinkie finger around Karasu's. “I promise to love and care for ya, even when you annoy me, even when, ...especially when, I wanna slap that stupid smirk off yer face. I will continue to love you, just like I've always done.”
It was the easiest thing Karasu had ever done. With a hand reaching up to wipe away the free flowing tears from his love's face, he guided the other man forward until their lips met. He melted into the touch, Hiori's lips were soft, a tenderness he wouldn't ever be able to forget. It was slow, as if time was suspended just for them. Everything else faded away, the only things he could feel now were Hiori’s lips on his and the pounding in his chest. Only then did he realize how cruel he had been to his heart. All of the love and affection that he'd locked up, neglected and repressed inside his heart now flowed out with more intensity than he thought he was capable of feeling. It felt like freedom. It was the easiest thing Karasu had done that took him two decades.
They eventually pulled away, both gasping for air but foreheads still pressed together. They stayed like that for a bit, just basking in the other's presence. Without a word, he took the ring that had been weighing his pocket down the entire night and carefully slid it onto Hiori's ring finger.
Hiori stared at the ring like it was an alien object for a few seconds and just bursted out laughing. He pulled out a ring of his own from his pocket, took Karasu's hand in his and slid the band on the older man's ring finger, matching his own. He supposed the price of gold did actually drop after all.
Karasu once again intertwined their pinkies together, hands now a little heavier from the added weight.
“I too, promise to love and care for ya unconditionally, fer as long as you'd have me. Just like I've always done.”
This was really shaping up to be his best birthday.
___________
17 years ago
“Will you, Hiori Yo, marry me, Karasu Tabito, if we're both single by 35?”
He knew it. Otoya had always suspected that there was something going on between the two. One just doesn't find another dude’s leg “erotic” platonically.
Otoya was just about to enter the bathroom to grab a towel when he overheard Karasu and Hiori. And well, morally speaking, he knew he should've left immediately. But who could really blame him for being nosy, don't judge him when you know you would've made the same decision. Besides, it's their fault for having their love confession in a public space.
“I will.”
Cringe. Otoya thought to himself.
__________
Present day
Otoya was just about to leave the house for a smoke when-
“Marry me, Tabito. And I would like to make a new promise tonight. I promise to love and care for ya, even when you annoy me, even when, ...especially when, I wanna slap that stupid smirk off yer face. I will continue to love you, just like I've always done.”
Cringe.
“I too, promise to love and care for ya unconditionally, fer as long as you'd have me. Just like I've always done.”
Double cringe. Took them long enough.