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Afuro had always been fascinated by the intrinsic theme of love, to the point that he chose the nickname Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. In his view, the two concepts are inevitably linked: love possesses a sublime beauty, pure or sensual, reflected in the brightness of people’s eyes, in the bouquets they give, in the desire to make themselves attractive for a loved one, in the perfection of two bodies seeking and finding each other. Likewise, beauty can inspire love, as shown by the fact that people with harmonious features are often the first to draw attention when love is involved.
Some might argue that this constitutes superficial love, yet Terumi believes that is not entirely true. If one can be moved to tears by the beauty of a well-executed painting, then it can certainly be happening in love too.
For this reason, not only has he always taken care of his appearance in anticipation of a chance encounter, but whenever he imagines himself falling in love, he pictures someone who stands out for their grace and shares his tastes.
That is also why, when he finally found himself playing against Raimon, he was taken aback to realize that the first person to catch his eye (besides the captain, of course) was that boy with the two-tone cap and wide eyes.
The cap was the first thing that struck him - not that he hadn’t seen stranger accessories on the field, but it still felt unusual. With that thing on, he really did look like a kitten.
Apart from the cap, nothing else about him stood out. He wasn’t unattractive, but he didn’t fit Terumi’s ideal of beauty, which made it even more unsettling that he kept watching him whenever he could.
With everything that happened afterwards, he had other things to worry about. But once he had finally reflected, found himself again, and chosen to start anew - this time on his own - the image of that boy began resurfacing from time to time, and it was strange.
Over time, he made peace with it, especially because, when he helped Raimon fight the “aliens,” he noticed the boy was no longer on the team (he didn’t know whether he was injured or had quit). He would never admit to feeling a faint pang of disappointment though.
He still didn’t take the matter seriously, but even if he had, it was obvious they wouldn’t meet again, so he let it go.
Fate, however, had other plans, and one day they bumped into each other while shopping at the same supermarket.
— Ah — was the only sound that escaped their lips as they stared at each other in disbelief.
— Aphrodi! — the red-haired boy exclaimed at last.
‘’He remembers me…’’ - thought the blond, almost moved. After all, they had never even spoken.
— Yes, though, well, I do have a real name — he replied with a slightly embarrassed smile. — You are one of the Raimon players, right? We never had the chance to introduce ourselves properly. My name is Afuro Terumi, nice to meet you.
— Matsuno Kuusuke, but you can just call me Max — he smiled back. A wide smile, and for some reason, Terumi felt that same strange sensation again.
They paid for their groceries and decided to sit on a bench in a nearby park.
— I like this park. I usually come here to train when I’m not training with the others — said Max, placing his hands behind his head.
— It’s quiet, and there’s plenty of space — replied the other, sitting far more composedly. — Now that I think about it, I never apologized to you specifically for what happened during the Football Frontier final. I treated all of you pretty badly. I’m sorry…
— Don’t worry, you already made up for it when you helped Raimon against Aliae Gakuen. I watched the matches on TV, and I have to admit you looked pretty cool when you threw your body on the line for that shot.
Terumi wondered if his body was actively sabotaging him, because there was no other explanation for why he suddenly felt his face heat up. Sure, the boy had complimented him, but he wasn’t exactly unaccustomed to compliments. And it wasn’t as if he was special in any way - certainly not to him. Ridiculous.
— Anyway, if you ever want to chat, you know where to find me.
A very friendly invitation, but unfortunately, he had no reason to return.
⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇
He had no reason to return, and yet here he was, holding two drinks in his slender hands, perhaps a little sweaty from nerves.
Max was dribbling a ball, but stopped as soon as he noticed him and jogged over.
— Hey, you actually came. To be honest, I wouldn’t have bet on it.
‘’Trust, me neither.’’
— I was just walking around and thought you might be thirsty — only the second half of that statement was true.
— That’s nice of you, thanks — he said, taking the drink and sipping from it.
Look at him, he even drank inelegantly. So why was he so intrigued by him?
— How’s your training going?
— Meh. I don’t feel like I’m improving much lately… — he muttered, lowering his head slightly, the braids on his cap following the movement.
He was exactly what one would call a “sad kitten,” and for some reason, that image made Terumi strangely sad as well (not that he felt sorry for him, mind you).
— Want to pass the ball around a bit?
— Huh? I’d like to, but I’m nowhere near your level…
— That doesn’t matter. Soccer isn’t only about that, is it? — The wink that followed seemed to lift his spirits.
In the end, he stayed in the park until dinner time - another thing he had not planned at all.
⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇
Days passed. While Max continued going to that small park to train, Afuro kept joining him, and they spent time together. The red-haired boy probably assumed he had nothing better to do with his day, and that was fine.
Even Terumi didn’t understand what was happening to him. Was he doing it because they were friends? Did he even consider him a friend? Or was it because his heart sped up whenever he saw him?
But please, how could he like that guy? Being friends was one thing, but imagining him as a romantic partner was absurd. No, it made no sense.
Lost in thought, he didn’t even notice that he kicked the ball a bit too hard, and off-angle, resulting in it hitting Max square in the face with a comical pum.
Matsuno’s head snapped back, followed by the rest of his body as he fell to the ground. Terumi’s face drained of color.
— Oh my God, I’m so sorry — he rushed over to help him up.
— Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious — Max didn’t even finish the word serious before a thin stream of blood trickled from his nose.
Terumi clapped a hand over his mouth, turning even paler, if that was possible.
— Oh my God, please tell me I didn’t break your nose too — he blurted out, while Max wiped the blood away with total nonchalance.
— Nah, don’t worry, I’ve always had sensitive veins in my nose — he said, just as another crimson line slid from his nostril, as if to confirm it.
— Either way, come on, you need to sit down. — ‘’As far as I’m concerned, I may have given you a concussion too’’ - he thought, distraught. He took him by the arm and led him to the nearest bench.
He wet a handkerchief at a nearby fountain and carefully cleaned the bloody area. He had to admit it was a little disgusting - he’d never been fond of the sight of blood - but he kept it together until Max’s face was clean again.
The redhead didn’t so much as flinch. He simply watched Afuro and let him work, a calm smile on his lips. Even this docile version of him was cute, which was strange, since aside from his face, everything else was a disaster. His hair was messy, his arms covered in scratches, his shirt and shorts dirty with dust and grass… At least his cap had somehow survived intact.
Afuro sighed deeply. There was definitely something wrong with him, he thought, as he applied a band-aid to Max’s nose.
⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇
The next day, Terumi returned to the park. But instead of finding Kuusuke kicking a ball in some corner of the public garden, he found him lying beneath the shade of a tree, legs crossed, arms folded beneath his head like a pillow. He seemed to be relaxing.
— No soccer today? — he asked as he approached. Despite this, Matsuno kept his eyes closed in blissful stillness.
— It’s too hot — he replied, proving he wasn’t asleep, just as Terumi had suspected.
‘’He says he’s hot, yet he won’t even take off his hat. How stupid’’ - he thought, suppressing a laugh.
He sat down beside him. It really was sweltering, the sun blazing in the sky without even a small cloud to obstruct it, a yellow disk against a bright blue canvas. Even the birds seemed to be suffering; not a single chirp could be heard. Perhaps they were dozing among the cool leaves, just like the boy next to him.
— Why didn’t you stay home then?
— Because there was a chance you’d come too.
Ah. An arrow straight to the heart. But he must not acknowledge it. Absolutely not.
— Besides, I sleep just fine here — continued the boy, giving Afuro a moment to recover.
— How can you sleep comfortably against tree bark?
Kuusuke shrugged, then pushed himself up to sit, finally opening his eyes.
— It’s a matter of adapting.
Yep. A cat. Definitely a cat.
— You’re weird — he said, as if teasing him lightly, but deep down, it was also a necessity, a way to chase away other kinds of thoughts.
— Look who’s talking, the guy with the nickname of a Greek goddess.
— What’s wrong with my nickname?
If he said the wrong thing, Terumi was ready to throw hands. His nickname was perfect, just like him.
— Nothing. I’m just saying we’re all a bit weird in our own way, aren’t we?
Max laughed, instantly turning what could have become a bloodbath into a peaceful moment.
Terumi felt a tickle in his chest, but surely it was nothing important.
— Well, maybe that’s true. But don’t you dare bring up my nickname again.
— Is that your insecurity?
Hm. Perhaps the risk of bloodshed hadn’t been completely avoided.
— No, I don’t have insecurities. Though I bet you do. Do you always wear that hat because someone told you you had a big head when you were little or something?”
When he wondered if he’d gone too far, Max chuckled again.
— Well, someone did say that once, but no, I just wear it because I like it — he smiled, entirely unbothered. But his cheerful expression soon shifted into an annoyed grimace, and he let out a huff. — By the way, is it just me, or has it gotten even hotter?
Then Afuro witnessed a scene he thought impossible: the redhead removed his cap, revealing a mass of thick, unruly strands escaping from the elastic of his ponytail, and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm. He looked almost like a normal boy… and even cuter. Kuusuke turned to face him, eyes widening.
— What is it?
— No, nothing… It’s just, this is the first time I’ve seen you without your cap.
— Right, because I never take it off.
— So why take it off now?
Max turned his head away, pouting slightly, his cheeks tinged the same color as his hair.
— You’re acting like I did something wrong. What, am I not allowed to show you my head?
Afuro stared at him for several seconds, heart pounding, then let out a sigh.
He tried. He really tried. But…
— That’s it. I give up.
— Hm? What-
Matsuno couldn’t finish his sentence because the blond grabbed his cheeks and kissed him on the mouth.
It was his defeat, truly.