Chapter Text
It didn’t happen during a match.
Not at an awards show.
Not after a glorious goal or a bitter defeat.
It was a simple post.
A picture, barely a second captured on a phone screen.
A casual selfie, hastily framed.
Isagi in the foreground, his eyes shining like the clear skies of Barcelona.
Behind him, Bunny Iglesias, with his trademark tilted bunny-eared cap and a relaxed half-smile.
His hand rested casually on Isagi’s shoulder. The caption was brief.
“Special visitor 🐇⚽✨”
And yet, the impact was devastating.
Not for the fans—though the internet exploded—
But for three very specific hearts.
---
Michael Kaiser got the photo in a private message. Not in his feed.
Bunny sent it directly.
No explanation.
Just a simple: “Nice, right? :)”
Kaiser set his phone down on the marble counter like it burned.
He didn’t reply. He couldn’t.
The image of Isagi—so close to someone else, so at ease, so... not his—soaked him in a quiet, venomous rage.
He was the protagonist. The number one.
Since when could someone else show up next to Isagi and steal that spotlight without even earning it?
He trained like a beast that day.
Striking the ball with beautiful fury, every shot a silent scream.
But when night fell, he opened the photo again.
He zoomed in on Isagi’s face. Stared. Long and slow.
And muttered, almost bitterly:
—Why are you smiling like that for someone else?
---
Sae Itoshi also got the picture from Bunny.
They weren’t friends.
Not enemies either.
Just awkward rivals with tangled history.
The photo popped up in his inbox while he was alone at the gym, towel around his neck.
He opened it.
And felt a sharp sting beneath his ribs.
Not jealousy. Not yet.
More like betrayal.
He’d been watching Isagi’s growth from afar. Tracking his progress.
Admiring him—though he’d never admit it.
He had promised himself that the next time they met in Europe, it would be on his terms.
He would impress Isagi.
He would invite him to dinner.
He would initiate.
But Bunny had beaten him to it.
And worse—he flaunted it.
Sae clenched his jaw and saved the photo. He didn’t delete it.
Instead, he lay back on the bench, staring at the ceiling, letting the bitterness settle quietly.
—Stupid rabbit... —he muttered—
You really have no idea who you’re messing with.
---
Don Lorenzo wasn’t subtle with his emotions.
He laughed loudly, cursed louder, and went all in—whether it was for football or love.
So when he saw the photo Bunny had sent with a simple “Miss him yet?”, his reaction was immediate.
—What the fuck is this, okay?! —he shouted, shaking the phone in disbelief.
He was alone in his penthouse, surrounded by designer clothes, cash scattered across the table, and a ridiculously expensive aquarium in the corner.
And still, he felt... poor.
Empty.
Lorenzo wasn’t stupid. He knew he felt something for Isagi.
He liked that raw mix of humility and fire.
Isagi had impressed him on the field—but more than that, off it.
And now, seeing him in another city, with another player, with a closeness that made his teeth grit...
He looked at the photo again.
Zoomed in on Isagi’s neck. Was he wearing his chain? His bracelet?
Had he given him something he wasn’t even wearing anymore?
—Fucking rabbit... —he growled—
I’m gonna wipe that smile off your face, okay.
---
And Bunny, of course, knew exactly what he was doing.
He did it with intention.
Not out of malice—
But necessity.
Ever since he met Isagi, something inside him had shifted.
He didn’t fully understand it yet.
But he wanted him. Desired him.
And if the others felt the same way, well... they should know. Let them squirm a little.
Bunny wasn’t aggressive.
But he was clever.
He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t make threats.
He posted a photo.
And while the others silently boiled, he watched the likes climb.
But that wasn’t what made him smile.
It was remembering the exact moment the photo was taken.
The warmth of Isagi leaning against him.
His laugh.
His voice saying:
—Huh? You really wanna post this one? I look half-asleep.
And Bunny, calm as always, had replied:
—You look like yourself. And that’s how I like you.
Of course, Isagi didn’t get it.
Or maybe he chose not to.
But that would change.