Work Text:
Hiori never really liked spring.
Sure, the skies were clear, the weather was nice, and schools were closed for spring break, but he was far too busy with football to ever even notice when anything other than practice started or ended.
The cherry blossoms were a nice sight, and the festivals were always fun to watch from afar. But sometimes—just sometimes, he couldn't help but feel like nature was just taunting him.
Everything around him was so bright, and so were the people; it seemed like spring had that effect on everyone. Yet, somehow that light always seemed to miss him, leaving him in the dark while he watched as everyone else lived out their youth.
Hiori didn't like being negative—he really disliked that glum state he'd find himself slipping into every now and then, but how else was he supposed to feel when he couldn't even enjoy simple pleasantries like everyone else his age?
It was unfair.
But this year was different, he wasn't living with his parents anymore.
He was in Blue Lock.
They were currently on a mandatory spring break, but he was temporarily living with Karasu.
He didn't have to go home anymore.
Which meant he could finally do the one thing he's always wanted to do during spring.
Go to a book fair.
----
Hiori knew it probably sounded lame to literally anyone else.
Geeky, nerdy, dorky, and every other name for someone who genuinely likes to read under the sun, yet, he still couldn't help but smile from Karasu's house all the way
into the building where the book fair was being held.
This was his first time in forever doing something nice for himself, dammit! He'll be as giddy as he pleases!
The building was huge and the shelves stood tall—each shelf loaded with books of a specific genre. Romance, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and more than meets the eye.
While soaking in the sights of all the stands and sellers, oohing and ahhing at manga he recognised, and leaving almost every shelf he came across bare, Hiori passed by the horror shelf.
He walked parallel to the shelf, scanning through all the books when suddenly something caught his eye, so much so that his eyeballs nearly shot out of his sockets when he saw it.
Junji Ito's classic, Uzumaki.
The manga that first got him into supernatural horror, which he is now an avid fan of.
And there it was, the last copy of it too, just sitting there completely untouched shining in all its glory.
It was blinding.
Hiori damn near shed a tear at the sight of it—Lady Luck truly was on his side!
He quickly lunged forward, although pounced would be a more accurate description; arms stretched towards what he could only describe as heaven on earth (or the exact opposite, considering the book's content), determined to be the first one to get his hands on this book.
But when he finally got hold of it, an unfamiliar hand came rushing in at the same time as his and with almost enough vigour to challenge his own, while holding onto the opposite side of the book.
Hiori's face soured.
He honestly debated on simply snatching the book straight out of the stranger's hands and strutting off.
It wouldn't be wrong, right? He was technically here first, but unfortunately for him, he had never been a fan of conflict.
He's heard a multitude of stories on the internet about how people have gotten into legitimate fist fights over manga at book fairs; they were told like they were veterans just coming back from a war.
Although Hiori found these stories absolutely hilarious, he wasn't looking for a fist up his nose at his first spring book fair, so with an unwilling smile he slowly took his hand off the book with the motion of someone who looked like they were getting electrocuted.
"Ah, looks like we were both reachin' fer the same thing,," Hiori started politely, turning his head sideways to face the person who seemingly had the same interests as he did, "It's fine, you can have it, ill just go look for his other—" the words seemed to die in his throat as he made eye contact with the person next to him.
It was a face he was far too familiar with, a face he had dedicated time to memorising every single feature of. From the curvature of his jaw to how his bangs framed his face, drawing everyone's attention to his turquoise eyes and long lashes, this was undoubtedly—
"...Rin?"
The green-haired boy flinched at the sound of his own name "Damn it,,, I knew I should’ve worn a mask." He hissed while pulling his cap down to cover his face.
"Fancy seein you here, I never would've guessed you were into manga!" Hiori chuckled, his past frustration now a mere memory... Somewhat.
"I'm not." Rin immediately interjected, It's... for my brother."
Which Hiori might've believed, if Rin hadn't been wearing a graphic tee that had panels of both 'Tomie' and 'Uzumaki', with "Junji Ito" written in big, bold letters.
He looked him up and down.
"Right... Ain't he in Spain?"
Rin didn't answer, instead clicking his tongue in annoyance which Hiori took as a sign that he was right on the money.
"Anyways—as I said before, you can have it. Yer obviously quite the fanboy!"
"Shut the hell up, dumbass." He scoffed, although Hiori caught a glimpse of embarrassment spreading through his cheeks before he pulled his cap down even lower.
Rin took a long look at the book. A really long one—like seriously, he was staring down at that book for a good minute.
He looked like he was stuck between some sort of moral dilemma and somehow Uzumaki was the centre of it all.
After what Hiori could only describe as an uncomfortably long silence as he watched Rin spiral (ba dum tss) through every negative emotion possible in only a matter of 60 seconds as he awkwardly shuffled around in place, Rin kissed his teeth before holding the book out to the other boy.
"Whatever, I don't need this crap anyway, just take it."
Hiori perks up at Rin's words.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Are ya sure?"
"I said yes.
Hiori paused.
"...Yer not messin' with me, are ya? It'd break ma heart if ya were."
"Just take the damn book before I change my mind."
Well,,, that was unexpected. Although it looked like he was in physical pain while handing over the book, with him clenching his teeth, eyebrows furrowed, and he swore he could see a vein seconds from bursting on his temple, it was still weirdly nice of him. Unfamiliarly so...
Every time he's seen him in Blue Lock he always looked like he was one bad day away from mauling anyone unfortunate enough to breathe in the same direction, and that's putting it nicely.
But off the field, his presence feels much more lax. Well,,, as lax as an Itoshi can get, at least, which truthfully isn't a lot in comparison to literally anyone else, but it's something!
Still—Hiori can't help but smile to himself, he had an awfully cute face when he wasn't salivating all over the field, maybe he was just a big softie after all!
"Yer as sweet as sugar, Rin!" Hiori thanked cheerfully.
"Fuck off." Okay, maybe not a softie.
Hiori just laughs it off as he takes hold of the other end of the book, pulling it towards himself.
It didn't move an inch.
...
"Okay, that was weird, maybe ma fingers were just slippery." Hiori thought to himself before tugging the book again with more force than his first attempt.
Still nothing.
The blue-haired boy slowly peels his eyes off the book to look up at the other boy.
"...Hey, Rin, ya gonna let go, or,,,?" Hiori questioned with an awkward smile on his face.
Rin stares before huffing, "...I did."
"Ya sure 'bout that..?" He asked, giving the book a harsher tug to no avail. "From my end, it feels like yer holdin' onto the thing fer dear life."
"How the hell's that my problem that you're weak? It's not my fault you have the grip strength of a claw machine."
Hiori felt his eye twitch.
Calling him weak was one thing, but comparing him to those shitty claw machines that have scammed him out of so much money? That’s just a low blow.
"Rin, I already told ya, if ya want the book, you can have it!"
"I told you it's not for me."
"Yer literally wearing a Junji Ito shirt."
"...I got it from my brother."
Hiori cocked an eyebrow, "Did you now?"
"Yes."
Silence hovered over them for a moment. Hiori gave Rin a look that immediately told him that he's heard Pinocchio tell better lies, a look that Rin didn't care to meet.
Hiori sighs.
"Rin, keep the book." He said, pushing the book into the other boy's chest. "It's fine, honestly. I'll just go find other manga to buy."
Rin blinked, "You're buying more?" He asked eyeing Hiori's comically large bag filled with nothing but manga.
"Well, I don't see why not, so you just keep that, kay?"
Rin adjusts his cap down to his eyes once more with his head tilted down, but even with his eyes hidden Hiori could feel his softened gaze lingering on him.
"Thanks..." He mumbled, turning his face away from the blue-haired boy and placing a hand on his nape, leaving only his red ears exposed.
"No biggie." Hiori smiled, satisfied.
Hiori was about to turn on his heels and give a wave goodbye to Rin, but before he could, he noticed Rin's face sour as he frantically began patting around his body.
"Hm? Somethin' the matter?"
Rin stayed quiet for a second, still searching for something that he definitely did not have.
"Did ya lose somethin'? I could help ya look, if ya did."
Rin hesitated.
"I... forgot my wallet in Blue Lock.."
"..."
.
.
.
Hiori ended up buying the book for him, much to Rin's dismay. It was that day in which Hiori had the pleasure of learning that outside of football, Rin was as sharp as a bowling ball.
☆~Additional Time:
Hiori and Rin are currently leaving the bookfair: Hiori, with two oversized bags of manga that were enough to fill up a small library, Rin with his pride broken and Uzumaki, and both content.
After a while, Rin suddenly broke the silence between them, "So,,, why did you even let me have the book in the first place, it was obvious that you really wanted it."
"Ah, I just don't like confrontation all that much.. I was plannin' on askin' Shidou to run ya over so I could loot it offa ya!" Hiori joked with a hearty laugh, although Rin had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't joking.
"..You're a freak."
"Maybe!"
A moment passed between them before something in Rin's mind clicked.
"Wait—Shiodu was at the book fair??"
"Ya! I saw him while I was passing by the yaoi section"
"Of course you did."
.
.
.
"What the hell were you doing in the yaoi section???"