Chapter Text
The loud cheers of the stadium rang silent in his ears. His short breath nor his utter exhaustion was anything worth acknowledging when he had finally reached it.
He had done it.
He had surpassed Sae.
Not only had he surpassed him to his own standards. His older brother, his oh so indifferent and arrogant brother admitted it.
That he, Itoshi Rin. The little brother who Sae once said he detested most. Outplayed him. Outsmarted him.
The cheers of his teammates a stark contrast to the utter look of defeat on the opposing team. Journalists and flashing lights in every corner. But Rin payed them no mind.
4:0, with Rin scoring a hat trick. Every shot, every goal was proof of the countless hours of him honing his craft. All for this one moment. To see his brother with such defeat on his face, identical to the one he himself wore on that snowy night. And it payed off.
“You’ve improved.”
Those were the only two words uttered by his older brother. Two simple words that meant the world to him. Even if the taste of satisfaction and resentment threatened to bubble up. For just a moment, his eyes flickered with something that wasn’t hatred when he had said it.
Even with everything. The little boy in him still wanted to make his big brother proud.
“I want to fight someone amazing, destroy them—“
“And then die.”
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**Itoshi Rin, rising football star missing?! Click here to learn more!**
Sae stared at the article. His grip tightening around his phone, almost hard enough to break. It seems like he was the last person to know about this. Sae was subtly amused that his brother decided to throw another tantrum even after he had acknowledged (although very subtly) that he had surpassed him.
Sae knew that Rin would come back. He always did. Rin wasn’t the type to just disappear without a trace. He wouldn’t accept it. It wasn’t over, not yet. Not when he was still so young, not when he was still at the peak of his career.
He couldn’t imagine a world where Rin just wasn’t there anymore. He couldn’t imagine a world where Rin wasn’t still behind him, chasing him.
Despite what many thought. Sae did have plans on “reconciling” with his brother. However you interpreted that word. Once Rin showed signs that he wasn’t so weak minded and codependent on him anymore. He would properly talk it out.
But even when he did see it. Saw how his brother destroyed the field and alongside his team without him. For the first time in his life he felt…troubled.
He didn’t even have Rin’s phone number. When he came to Spain, Rin didn’t have a phone yet. And Sae never bothered to ask once he did. Not that he even knew when Rin got his first phone.
It was ironic, really. The person that Sae spent his whole childhood with. The one he swore to protect and always stand by. He didn’t even have the number of. Sae protested in his mind that he had cut all familial and emotional ties to his little brother long ago. But it was nothing but a pathetic lie.
A long sigh left his lips before setting his phone down. Rin was just sulking and would come back soon enough.
Right?
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2 weeks, 3 days, 6 hours, 7 minutes and exactly 34 seconds—now 35 seconds have gone by since Rin has been declared missing. Sae kept trying to convince himself that Rin was taking his damn time with his little tantrum. But where would he even go for this long?
The media, being the media. Starting coming up with downright insane theories and conspiracy theories. How his little brother was “kidnapped” or “dead”. Fucking nonsense, Rin wasn’t dead and he was surely not idiotic enough to get swiped by someone.
Sae hated how he got more anxious by the hour. It’s been a whole two fucking weeks and no one has heard of Rin. Not their parents, not his manager nor sponsors, not his teammtes. Not him. And that’s what hurt the most. He didn’t know where Rin was.
“Where the hell have you gone, Rin?”
Sae muttered under his breath. Looking out the obnoxiously large window of his penthouse. His slender fingers tracing over the thick glass. His gaze distant but there lay a hint of something akin to distress in his turquoise gaze.
Did Rin run off to some circus? Or escape to become a monk in the mountains? Was he okay? Was he alive? Why the hell would he leave? He still has so much to do—so much to prove for fucks sake. He can’t just disappear, not like this.
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“Heyyy Sae-bae! It’s late there isn’t it? Why you calling? Not that I mind of course—“
Shidou’s overly cheerful voice rang through his ears. He would’ve entertained the devil if not for his troubled thoughts. He let a beat pass before opening his mouth to speak.
“I’m booking a flight to Japan tomorrow, we’re going to find Rin.”
Blunt, straight to the point. Typical of Sae. He didn’t even know why he was doing this. If his early assumptions were right then it would just be a complete waste of time. But Sae couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was incredibly wrong. The sudden disappearance after victory, the lack of information—
He had already booked the flight. Notified his manager. Not that he listened to his protests when he heard the young prodigy’s impulsive plan. He didn’t give a shit if his sponsors were gonna be angry. Rin was more important. Not that he’d ever tell him. Packed his bag, only filled with a couple changes of clothes and his skin care.
“Ay ay underlashes senior, I’ll pick you up then, kay?”
Shidou spoke with his usual cheekiness. But there was a subtle undertone of understanding only Sae could catch. Shidou and Rin may not have the best relationship (that’s putting it lightly). But Shidou didn’t truly hate Rin. Although Sae doubted Rin felt the same towards Shidou.
Rin had nearly popped a blood vessel when he and the demons relationship was put to light. Sae swore he could practically see steam coming out of his little brother’s ears in that moment. Not that he was surprised. He probably would’ve had the same reaction if his brother somehow ended dating that damned bunny or something.
Shidou had a fun time with teasing Rin by constantly chirping about how he’s his “brother in law”. Rin probably would’ve sucker punched him and sent the pink bug to the ER by now if Sae hadn’t intervened.
Now that he thought about it. The days leading up to the champions league. Rin had been acting strange, more than usual. Even Shidou noticed. He was quiet, but not in the usual stubborn brooding performative way. But actually quiet. Blank expression. Not even getting slightly irritated at the roaches constant poking and prodding. Just….hauntingly calm. Not seething, not irritated. Just radio silence.
It changed when he stepped on the field, of course. His usual destructive energy and play style shining through. But laced with something akin to focus, a determination Sae had never seen in his little brother’s eyes before. Like the world was going to end tomorrow and he was making the most of it. Like this was the final act.
The thought deeply disturbed him.
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As Sae sat on the uncomfortably stiff chairs of the airport. Impatiently tapping his finger on his thigh as the flight time approached like a snail trying to cross the road. All he could think about was Rin, the roach—
And wondering how this will possibly play out.