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The first thing Bachira notices when he wakes up is how much more comfortable the bed feels than usual. Perhaps his body was really tired from the previous day’s training, and now that he’s relaxed, he feels as if he’s floating on a cloud?
He yawns slowly, stretching after the good night’s sleep he’s had.
“Huh?! What…” he mutters in confusion as he opens his eyes and realises he isn’t in the Blue Lock dorm.
Bachira feels more awake than ever. He sits up instantly, on high alert, taking in the new situation he finds himself in. His mind is racing, whilst his eyes, now fully awake, scan the entire room intently.
He has no idea where he is.
The place doesn’t look anything like Blue Lock.
It’s a truly beautiful and luxurious room, even if it is minimalist. Bachira sees very little furniture, but everything looks expensive in some way. The bed is huge and incredibly comfortable, the lamps look like something out of a movie, and the TV takes up half the wall.
Bachira doesn’t think he’s ever been in such an extravagant place before.
He gets up from the bed, still on high alert, feeling the soft carpet beneath his feet. Bachira has never been this quiet in his life, weighing up his options and trying to understand what is happening.
Is he asleep? No... Bachira pinches his wrist, realising that this is very real.
Is that some crazy simulation by Ego? No. That definitely doesn’t look like his handiwork, Ego Jinpachi is far too busy worrying about the U20 World Cup, which kicks off in a few days.
But then... What the hell?! What’s going on?
Bachira walks over to the window, trying to figure out where he is. His eyes widen as he takes in the view through the glass.
Nothing had prepared him for the breathtaking view.
The skyscrapers, the lake stretching in the background, the trees scattered throughout the city, all bathed in the light of the rising sun. It’s majestic. If he had a camera, he’d want to capture this moment.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Bachira freezes upon hearing a voice behind him. He turns slowly, seeing a figure walking towards him, strangely familiar.
“You insisted we take this flat the moment you saw this exact view.”
“Huh?!”
“Now I wonder if you chose it because you already knew…” The stranger murmurs, folding his arms thoughtfully.
“W-what?!”
Standing before him is Itoshi Rin.
Well, not exactly...
This isn’t the Itoshi Rin he knows. This Rin looks... older? He looks more mature and taller, with sharper features. He looks different. There's confidence that Rin definitely doesn’t have yet.
His turquoise, intense eyes are still the same and that is the only reason Bachira knows for certain that it is Itoshi Rin before him.
“Wow, I think it's the first time I’ve ever seen you at a loss of words,” Rin says, genuinely amused by the situation.
What shocks him is how relaxed this Rin sounds.
Bachira pulls a horrified face, trying to formulate any coherent sentence, but he still can't make sense of what’s happening.
Who is this man in front of him?
Because…
“There’s no way you’re Rin-chan.” He mutters, but Rin hears him and laughs softly at his reaction.
He just laughed softly?! Oh, yeah... Bachira must have gone mad!
“Not yet,” he says, the gentle smile never leaving his face. “But I’m going to be the Rin you know in ten years from now.”
Bachira blinks a few times, trying to take in what he’s just heard.
“You’re in the future, in case that wasn’t clear,” Rin says with a casualness that’s astonishing for someone spouting such nonsense. “I can see the cogs turning in your head. How about we have breakfast while I tell you everything I know about this, huh?”
Bachira agrees. After all, what else could he do in this situation?
“Come with me.”
Rin starts to walk away. It takes him a few seconds to finally react and start walking too, but Rin doesn’t rush him or scold him.
It’s a bit weird for Bachira to see him so calm, waiting patiently…
In fact, the whole situation is strange, but somehow Bachira doesn’t feel worried or afraid. He just feels curious to get to know this Rin.
“Bathroom’s there and that's the walk-in closet over there.” Rin points to the other two doors in the room. “I’m just telling you this because I know how curious you are.”
The small talk catches him off guard. Usually, he’s the one filling the silence when he’s around Rin.
Rin just listens, occasionally giving one-word answers or snorting just to show he’s paying attention.
It’s an… interesting change.
“We think the flat's about the right size, well… I mean, us from the future. At first, the number of rooms sounds like too much, but when you’ve got visitors all the time, it feels a bit small, actually,” Rin continues, walking beside him. “We have loads of friends staying over, even though they could easily stay in a hotel.”
Rin snorts with amusement and rolls his eyes. The expression on his face seems so familiar, and yet so different... Perhaps it’s the softness in his eyes? Bachira doesn’t think Rin minds having people over.
But... Wait–
“We live together?!” Bachira asks, finally piecing the information together.
“Yeah, we’re roommates,” he replies, smiling gently again.
“What?!” It isn’t really a question, just a spontaneous, shocked reaction. “You and I are roommates?! Why?”
Rin doesn’t even try to hide the amusement on his face. He really seems to be enjoying this conversation and everything that’s happening.
“We play together at Arsenaly and we’re close. It makes sense for us to live together.” He shrugs, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.
But no. That makes absolutely no sense.
First of all... Arsenaly?! Bachira hasn’t even received an offer from them in the NEL. Also he’s absolutely certain Rin will accept Real's. So... How did they end up at Arsenaly together?!
Secondly, they aren’t even friends. In fact… he considers Rin a friend, just like everyone else in Blue Lock, but he doesn’t think Rin sees him that way. At least not the sixteen-year-old him.
Which brings to the third point, they must be something like best friends to decide to live together.
“Should you really be telling me so much about the future?!” Bachira says, indignant at the spoilers he’s received about his own future.
“But I didn’t say anything out of the ordinary.”
Bachira pulls a face and says, “I disagree.”
They arrive in the dining room and Bachira sees a table laid out with all sorts of delicious food. It makes his mouth water, especially because there isn’t this much variety at Blue Lock.
Rin sits down and points to the chair next to him. Yeah... they’re best friends. The dining table is huge, and he knows that the sixteen-years-old Rin would choose the furthest seat if he could, even if Bachira would immediately follow him.
“Well, explain to me why you disagree, Meguru.”
Oh...
He wouldn’t call him that either.
No way.
“Um…” Bachira mumbles, a little confused as he tries to get his point across. “You told me we play for Arsenaly.”
“So what? You know we’ll keep playing football after Blue Lock.” Rin says matter-of-factly, pouring a little green tea into both cups. “Players change teams all the time too, it’s no big deal.”
Bachira snorts.
“No! I mean, yeah, but like…” He grimaces, trying to organise his thoughts. “Should I even know that? Isn’t that a massive spoiler or something? Wouldn’t that affect my decisions? What if the future isn’t the same now that I know?”
Rin hums, considering his point.
“I reckon even if I told you motives, match results or anything big, it wouldn’t change your resolve. So no… I don’t think I’ve said too much.”
His voice carries so much conviction that Bachira genuinely pauses for a long moment and stares at him.
He’s so much like Rin, yet so different...
Ten years is a lot.
He wonders at what point Rin became someone so confident and cool like this.
Wow.
“So that means you’d tell me anything, then?”
“Sure. Anything you wanna know?” Rin returns his gaze casually, as if he chatted with time travellers all the time.
There are many things Bachira would like to know right now, but probably his greatest curiosity is... “When did we become close? Rin-chan always keeps his distance, no matter how hard I try to break that barrier.”
Rin slowly chews a piece of bread, thinking about his answer.
“Hm... I think it was a while after I met your future self.”
Bachira tilts his head in confusion. “My... future self?”
“Yeah, where do you think my Meguru is right now?” Rin asks, giving a slight smile. “He must be teasing my sixteen-year-old self right now.”
“Oh.”
“I meant teasing, but don’t worry, your future self made a good impression on me back then,” he murmurs with a warm expression on his face.
Bachira’s eyes widen in surprise. He’s never seen Rin with that expression so... sweet?! It makes him a little nervous and his heart races for a moment.
Future Rin is quite charming.
Oh. No, no, no!
Bachira shakes his head. No, he can't think like that!
“Hmm... What about the World Cup? Did we win?” Bachira asks, changing the subject and trying to push his previous thoughts out of his mind.
Rin lets out a laugh, amused by the question.
“I knew you’d ask that, but you need to be more specific, okay? Maybe we won a few titles.”
Bachira’s mouth drops open, genuinely shocked. He isn’t sure if it's because of what Rin has just said or because he found the sound of his laugh so charming.
He never imagined Rin could laugh like that.
When Bachira returns to the present, he’s definitely going to tell Rin he has a lovely laugh. He should use it more often, happiness suits him…
“You got any more questions? I’ll have to head off to training soon.” Rin brings his attention back to reality. “You can’t come with me for obvious reasons, and I’ll tell the coach you’re ill today.”
Before Bachira can open his mouth, he hears a meow and instantly turns towards the kitten that has caught his attention.
“We have a cat?!” He looks genuinely shocked, not expecting this.
“We have two cats,” Rin corrects him, before whistling and holding out his hand. The orange kitten approaches almost instantly, wanting to be petted. “We have him and Kuro, but he’s a bit lazy, so you probably won’t see him up this early.”
Bachira feels his heart fill with joy.
Wow, he would never have bet on something like this for his future!
“Hmm… And what’s his name?” Bachira asks, holding out his hand too. The orange kitten sniffs it curiously, then quickly rubs against him as well, now seeking more affection.
“I’ve changed my mind.” He looks at Rin in confusion. “I’m not gonna tell you everything you ask me. If I can avoid this poor kitten’s tragic name, I will.”
Bachira raises an eyebrow, unable to believe what he’s just heard.
“Don’t give me that look. When we adopted them, I picked Kuro’s name and you picked this one, but you ruined the poor thing’s life by giving him a horrible name!” Rin is being dramatic, picking the kitten up in his arms as if he were protecting a kid.
“You can’t be serious…”
“But I am,” he says earnestly. “You can ask me anything, except his name.”
Bachira can’t help but burst out laughing. He never imagined Itoshi Rin could be so dramatic and entertaining.
This is definitely a new side to Rin that he won’t forget in a hurry.
“You’re so funny, Future Rin!”
Rin rolls his eyes amusedly.
“Meguru.” He sets the kitten down before turning his gaze to Bachira. “I’m not that different from the Rin you know now.”
“Huh?” Bachira pulls a face, thinking of the Rin of the present.
I’m gonna kill you, Bobcut.
“What, are you so old you’ve forgotten what you were like?!” He asks mockingly, making Rin snort at the comment.
“I know it might be hard to believe because my sixteen-year-old self is quite... intense, but we’re the same person.” Rin smiles gently, before continuing, “he’s just going through a lot right now.”
Bachira leans on the table, reflecting for a second on what Future Rin has just told him.
“Yeah, I know. I can see that...”
“Oh?! Really?” he asks curiously, wanting to know what Bachira has to say.
“Yeah... Rin-chan doesn’t really show how he feels but I can tell he's more tense now that we know Sae’s gonna play with us,” he admits. “I know he wants to crush Sae, but sometimes I wonder if that’s really it... Maybe he wants to prove something too? Rin-chan seems more defensive around Isagi now too, maybe he’s worried about being the best? I don’t know exactly…” Bachira sighs and pouts. “He’s been training even more seriously, which I didn't think was possible given how focused he already is and... Wait, why do you look like that?!”
“No, no, it’s nothing.” He waves his hand dismissively. “I’m just surprised you already thought about me so much back then.”
Something in his voice makes Bachira feel embarrassed. He looks away and Future Rin lets out an amused laugh.
“You don’t need to worry, Meguru.” Rin gave him a gentle pat on the head. “It’s nice to know you cared about me so much even before we got close.”
Bachira doesn’t know what to say, but Rin doesn’t seem to mind. He takes his phone out of his pocket and pulls a face before saying, “I’d love to keep talking, but I’m late for work.”
“Ah...” Bachira mutters, looking a little disappointed.
“While I’m away, you can do whatever you like, just don’t leave the flat, all right?” Rin begins, “It’s safer that way. You don’t know the city and we’re not sure what time you’ll return to your own time.”
“Okay!” Bachira nods readily.
“You’ll fall asleep at some point, and when you wake up, you’ll be back in your own time.” Rin gives a gentle smile. “So I’m saying goodbye now. I don’t think you’ll still be here when I get back from training.”
Bachira pouts, upset. He didn’t want this crazy experience to end just yet... He’s still really curious about the future.
He hears Rin chuckle as he notices his expression. “Oh, don’t be sad, I’m sure you still have plenty of time to discover some interesting things.”
“That sounded a bit suspicious.” Bachira narrows his eyes.
“Nah, I’m just being honest.” He says casually, getting up from his chair. “You can explore the flat, photo albums, the internet... whatever you want.”
Rin’s phone rings and he sighs. “I really have to go.”
“Oh, okay…”
“Can you put the breakfast stuff away for me later?” Rin points to the table.
“I’ll take care of it,” he replies, nodding.
“Thanks, Meguru. By the way, you should eat a bit more, I remember how bad the food was at Blue Lock.” Rin comments absently, typing something hurriedly on his phone. “You should make the most of it.”
Bachira laughs. “That’s true, thank you.”
Rin looks at him again, and Bachira takes the opportunity to appreciate that gentle gaze directed at him one last time. It’s a look he’s sure he won’t see from Rin any time soon.
“It was nice meeting you, Future Rin!”
“Bye bye, Meguru.” Rin gives a slight nod. “Take care of yourself and... look after the Rin in your timeline as well. He won’t admit it out loud, but he’ll appreciate it.”
Rin winks at him, then turns his attention back to his phone and starts walking away. Bachira watches silently as Rin picks up his keys before leaving the flat.
When he is finally alone, Bachira lets out a long sigh, still unable to believe the whole situation and everything Future Rin had told him. The conversation had been good and Bachira would have liked to keep talking to him.
It really is a shame that Rin has to go to work...
Because now he is a professional footballer. Future Meguru is too.
And they play together.
They live together.
They have cats together.
Oh my God!
That still feels so... surreal.
Bachira hurries to eat a hearty breakfast before putting things away in the kitchen. He isn’t sure how much time he has in the future and doesn’t want to spend it all sitting at the dining table.
He wants to explore the flat. He wants to find the other kitten. He wants to find out as many details as he can about the future!
As he walks around the flat, Bachira realises how spacious the place seems for just two people, but Rin said they get lots of visitors so... that’s good.
The comment still puzzles Bachira. Who are these visitors?! Could they be his friends from Blue Lock?
He thinks so, especially after seeing some framed photos on the shelf in the living room. There are photos with Isagi, Chigiri, Nagi, Hiori, Loki, Shidou, Sae…
Bachira spends a good minute looking closely at the photos in which Sae appears.
In one of them, the Itoshi brothers are still kids, and it’s honestly too cute. Rin-chan was so adorable!
In the other, Sae is sitting right between Future Meguru and Rin, hugging them somewhat reluctantly, and they’re all wearing matching winter tracksuits.
Now he knows that Rin and Sae are going to sort things out. That’s really good! He wonders if Rin-chan will be happy to hear this...
But how did that happen?! When did it happen?! And another thing… Future Meguru seems close to Sae, so how did he come into his life?!
Bachira thinks it must be through Rin, as they seem to have a really close relationship, but…
Wait–
Just how close are he and Rin, really?!
Bachira hurriedly grabs a specific photo frame and leans in to get a clear look at what he's seeing.
“Oh my God...” he murmurs in shock, feeling his mouth drop open and his heart race as he sees the photo clearly.
They are sitting on a bench, wearing thick ski clothes, and there is snow everywhere. Bachira doesn’t recognise the place, but he doesn’t care about that, not when his eyes are fixed on the absurd detail...
Rin is kissing his cheek passionately.
And Meguru is smiling… completely happy and loved.
The gesture seems intimate and natural. They seem far too comfortable with each other, as if this were the norm for them.
The place they’re in is cold, but there’s so much warmth between them... It makes Bachira’s heart skip a beat.
They aren’t best friends.
They aren’t just roommates.
They’re in love.
Bachira lets out a nervous laugh, still in shock, running his finger over the photo as if he could feel the moment. It seems surreal, but the truth is right before his eyes.
What’s more, Future Rin had made some comments...
We're close.
It makes sense for us to live together.
My Meguru.
I’m sure you still have plenty of time to discover some interesting things.
Future Rin didn’t say anything, but he didn’t exactly go out of his way to hide it either… That thought makes Bachira snort. Future Rin must still be mocking him even now.
Perhaps Bachira doesn’t fully understand the extent of their relationship, but it’s obvious that their future selves are in love.
Something about that leaves him in a state of total euphoria.
He and Rin.
They’re together.
They found love in each other…
It’s the most unbelievable thing he’s ever seen, but still… it feels so right.
Looking at that photo brings a strange feeling to Meguru. Possibility.
The possibility of having something solid, real and beautiful.
The possibility of finding in someone what he hadn't known he needed until now.
Bachira never thought Rin could mean that much to him…
He never imagined that anyone could show him so much love.
He wants that. He wants that feeling so much. He wants the happiness that Future Meguru shows.
Bachira doesn’t know how long he’s been staring at that photo, but at some point a meow catches his attention and he spots the orange kitten approaching again. He puts the photo frame back and quickly bends down to pet him.
“Hey, cutie. I’d like to know your name…”
The kitten meows again and Bachira lets out a little chuckle.
“Future Rin says your name is awful because of me, but you love me, right?! So, it can't be that bad if you're still here.”
Bachira hears a meow in reply and melts. He never had pets before and never considered it, but now?! He’s decided he wants kittens, and this one will be his someday.
Wait. Rin said they had two…
“Where’s your brother, hmm?” he asks, starting to get up. “Kuro, right? Where is he, kitty?”
Bachira keeps exploring the flat, moving from room to room as he looks for Kuro.
“Are you gonna keep following me?” he asks, smiling as he watches the orange kitten walk beside him.
They’ve set up a gym in one of the rooms, with some really impressive equipment. There’s nothing particularly interesting, except for a huge board showing medals from ten years of his and Rin’s story.
They've turned one of the bedrooms into a game room. There are consoles, computers and all sorts of gaming gear. Bachira lets out a laugh as he realises he had to wake up in the future just to find out something Rin likes. After all, this must be his, since Bachira's never been into gaming stuff.
There are also a couple of guest rooms. Which makes sense, since Future Rin had mentioned they have friends over.
Oh. Wait–
The room he woke up in belongs to him and Rin…
Bachira sighs.
He goes back to their bedroom, noticing just how huge the bed really is. Far too big for just one person. Bachira feels stupid... he should have suspected it sooner.
If he’d realised that earlier, he might have asked Future Rin how it happened. He’s very curious now. How did they fall in love, and when was it? When will he ever be that lucky?!
The kitten meows again and runs into the walk-in closet.
“Oh, Kuro is in there?! He must be in there. We haven’t found him anywhere else…”
Bachira’s jaw drops at the sheer amount of clothes, accessories and shoes. Of course, they’re probably his and Rin’s, but still… it’s impressive.
Another meow, this time a lazier one, catches Bachira’s attention. He sees a black kitten stretch and emerge from somewhere amongst the clothes.
“Hey, Kuro!” He lets out a little chuckle. “Morning, nice to meet you!”
Bachira spends some time petting the two kittens and talking with them, but at some point he yawns, which is strange since he slept well.
Oh, perhaps his time in the future has come to an end...
“Aww, already?!” he grumbles to himself, yawning again.
Bachira walks over and flops onto the bed, really tired.
He’s still curious about the future and has loads of questions, but it’s over...
He takes a deep breath and accepts it, falling asleep with a warm feeling in his chest. This future belongs to him.
ੈ✩‧₊˚
Itoshi Rin is always the first to wake up at Blue Lock.
He likes to sacrifice an hour of sleep to gain an hour of individual training. No... actually, he doesn’t like it, he has to do it.
Since they returned to Blue Lock after the two-week break following the Neo Egoist League, Ego has been focusing on group training, which means Rin doesn’t have as much time as he’d like to improve individually.
And that’s why he’s been getting up a little earlier every day.
Everyone at Blue Lock is still asleep and should remain so for at least another half an hour, yet... Rin hears something behind him and knows he's no longer alone on the field.
Rin sighs, slightly frustrated that someone is about to disrupt his training session. He didn’t want to waste energy so early on chatting to anyone.
“Ever thought about trying that with your left foot?” Rin hears someone ask after he kicks the ball towards the goal.
“No.” He replies, glancing over his shoulder to see who was speaking. Rin frowns when he sees a hooded figure he definitely doesn’t recognise. “Who are you?”
His voice isn’t friendly, and the stranger notices this too, as he lets out a whistle and laughs. The sound is somewhat familiar to Rin, but he has no idea where he’s heard it before.
“Oh… How could I have forgotten just how cold you were, Rin-chan.”
Rin grimaces even more at the remark. He doesn’t quite understand, but the mocking is irritating...
“Uh?! What the hell you mean by–” He stops speaking the moment the stranger pulls down the hood of his sweatshirt.
His mouth is still open, the words stuck in his throat, and his expression is now one of utter bewilderment. Rin’s eyes widen as he looks up and down the person in front of him.
Standing before him is someone who looks very much like Bachira Meguru if he were older. He has the same intense eyes and bright smile, and his hair is similar too, though longer.
Does Bachira have an older brother? Rin tries to recall if the boy has ever mentioned his family, but nothing comes to mind. In fact, the only thought that occurs to Rin is how siblings always look alike...
He looks like Sae.
Ugh…
“Wait, you get that look on your face whenever you think about Sae-chan. Why are you thinking about him now?”
The question catches Rin off guard.
“What did you just say?!” Rin says angrily, walking towards him. “Sae-chan? Who the hell are you?”
“Calm down, you hothead.” He lets out a chuckle and raises his hands in surrender. “Let’s have a chat.”
“Just answer my question.”
“You don't recognise me, Rin-chan? That breaks my heart, you know?” He puts a hand over his heart and pouts. “It’s me, Bachira Meguru! Well… from the future.”
“Huh?!”
“More specifically, ten years in the future!” He smiles confidently and nods excitedly, as if he’s pleased to finally say those words.
Rin stares at him for several long seconds before pulling a face. “Is this some sort of prank? Where’s Bobcut?”
“You don’t believe me?” Future Bachira scratches his head in confusion.
“No,” he scoffs, glancing around and looking for Bachira. Perhaps he’d brought a relative into Blue Lock just to play a prank or something.
“I can prove I’m from the future!”
Rin stares at him, looking unconvinced, and raises an eyebrow. “Ok, prove it.”
The supposed Future Bachira points at the ball. “Let’s play.”
He kicks the ball towards Future Bachira. He doesn’t think this will prove anything, but at least Rin’s training won’t go to waste.
“You’re gonna try to take the ball and I'll show you why I’m the best in the world.” Bachira flashes an arrogant smile.
The smugness irritates Rin, and he rushes to try and take the ball from him, but his initial attempts fail.
“Can you see how easily I read your moves?”
“Shut up.” Rin mutters, focused on his movements.
“That’s because I know you.” His comment isn’t meant to be mocking, it’s just an observation. “Now I’m gonna dribble past you and score a goal.”
Even though Future Bachira had warned him what he was going to do, Rin couldn’t stop it. This irritates him deeply, after all, this isn’t the first time he’s seen Bachira do a step-over move.
He does it all the time, but how–
“Don’t be upset that you didn’t stop it.That's ten years of experience.” He winks and smiles again smugly.
“Let’s go again.”
Future Bachira lets out a chuckle. “Oh, so now you wanna train with me? If I remember correctly, you hate training with my younger self…”
He makes a noise in disgust at the reply.
“You’re so annoying.”
Rin can believe that standing there before him is Bachira Meguru from the future.
He really can believe it!
Does this seem like an impossible situation? Yeah, definitely... Time travel is a bit far-fetched, but Bachira is the only person who always knows exactly what to say to get under Rin's skin and make him lose his temper.
“Your future self disagrees with that!” Bachira says cheerfully, easily dodging Rin’s attempt to steal the ball. “He thinks I’m funny and witty!”
“I’d never call you that.” He scoffs, still watching Bachira’s movements closely, trying to spot a pattern.
“Oh, you’d be surprised at yourself...”
Something in his voice makes Rin curious to see what kind of expression Future Bachira is pulling. When he looks up, he notices that Bachira is already gazing at him sweetly.
Rin narrows his eyes, trying to interpret what that means.
“What the hell are you getting at, old man?!”
Bachira opens his mouth in indignation. “What did you just call me?!”
Although Bachira seems to have let his guard down, Rin quickly realises that Bachira’s reflexes are simply better than his own as Bachira easily evades his attempt to win the ball.
Rin bites his tongue, trying to suppress his frustration at losing. He never thought that one day Bachira Meguru would be able to humiliate him like this...
Bachira lets out a laugh as if he knows exactly what Rin is thinking. And well... perhaps Bachira really does know.
But the bigger question is... “How do you know me so well?!”
“I’ve already told you, Rin-chan, I’m from the future,” he says in a playful tone.
Rin pulls a face and shakes his head in disapproval.
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“Perhaps you asked the wrong question.” Bachira catches the football in his hands, putting an end to their dispute. “You should've asked why I know you so well.”
“Is semantics really that important to you, or are you just trying to annoy me?”
Bachira amuses himself watching Rin narrow his eyes in irritation.
“You already know the answer, Rin-chan!”
Rin lets out a sigh, which makes Bachira laugh at his defeated expression.
“Come on, don’t look so down! Isn’t it nice to know I’ll be in your life forever?!”
“Actually, I don’t care.” The moment he says it, Future Bachira slaps him on the forehead. “What the hell?!”
“Oh, don’t be rude, Rin-chan!” Bachira’s voice doesn’t sound hurt, in fact, he sounds amused, as if he knows something really funny but isn’t letting on.
Rin doesn’t know Future Bachira, but he knows present Bachira well enough to realise that voice can only mean one thing...
He's making fun of him.
“What’s so funny?” He crosses his arms, trying to look more serious. “I know you’re making fun of me. I'd recognise that mocking tone of yours anywhere.”
Bachira raises an eyebrow and stares at him for a few seconds.
“All right, all right.” He lets out a sigh of surrender before continuing, “It’s just funny to see your indifference when I know that, in the future, I’m going to be the most important person in your life.”
“Huh?!” Rin mutters, trying to make sense of what he just heard.
“And you’ll be the most important person to me!” Future Bachira smiles, genuinely happy.
“You… can’t… be serious…”
“If you don’t believe me, wait until the Meguru you know comes back from the future. He'll confirm it himself.”
“Wait, what did you say?” Rin’s eyes widen. “He’s in the future?!”
“Oh, did I forget to mention that earlier?” Bachira lets out a little chuckle. “He’s there, probably talking to your future self right now.”
Rin’s mouth hangs open slightly and his brow furrows at the remark.
“Why are you saying this nonsense so casually? Is time travel common in the future?”
“Hmm... No, I don't think so.” Bachira tilts his head thoughtfully. “I’m calm about it because I’ve been through it before, you know? Ten years ago.”
“Right…” Rin mutters, still unsure. “And when does this strange experience end?”
“Probably soon.” He shrugs. “Anything you want me to tell your future self?”
A silence hangs in the air after Bachira’s question.
Rin looks pensive. “Nah, but... I have a question. Do I defeat Itoshi Sae?”
Bachira snorts and lets out a laugh. “I thought you hated lukewarm, obvious questions.”
“When do I defeat him, then?”
“I can’t tell you anything that would affect the future, Rin-chan!”
“But… you said you’re gonna be the most important person in my life in the future.” Rin feels his cheeks flush as he repeats those words, a little embarrassed. “Wouldn't telling me that change the future?”
“It’s different.” Bachira shakes his head.
“Why?”
“Because Meguru has seen a future he won’t let go of.”
Huh?!
Any argument Rin had died on the spot.
Bachira's voice carries too much confidence, as if he is absolutely certain of it. Besides, Rin knows that when he decides something, no one can change his mind...
This makes Rin curious. “And what did he see?”
“Oh, lots of things.” Bachira lets out a little chuckle. “Medals, awards, pics... I don’t know, there are a lot of exciting things in the future.”
Rin hates how intrigued he feels, but he thinks Future Bachira is being deliberately vague on purpose, just to make him curious.
“And… will I like this future?” he asks, a little uncertain, looking down at his own feet. Rin isn’t sure why he feels so small whilst asking such a silly question.
“Yes. Life will be kind to you, Rin.” Bachira’s voice is soft as he murmurs words too sweet, too fantastical.
Kindness? He doesn’t need that. He needs strength, destruction, blood, but still… hearing that brings a sense of hope, even if he doesn’t understand why yet.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be okay.”
Rin lets out a sigh, a little breathless at the thought of it. He doesn’t know why that affected him so much.
Perhaps it’s because he secretly wishes for certain things and knows he’ll only be fine when they happen. Or perhaps… it’s because Future Bachira Meguru looks at him so kindly, as if he deserves it.
ੈ✩‧₊˚
As soon as Rin steps into the flat, he's greeted by the delicious aroma of food.
“Hey, you’re back!” He hears an excited voice coming from the kitchen and walks towards it.
“Shouldn't I be the one saying that to you?” Rin leans against the doorframe and watches Meguru switch off the hob. The domesticity of the scene makes him smile. “How was your day?”
Bachira looks in his direction and smiles back.
“Ah, you won’t believe it, love!” He walks towards Rin. “I time-travelled today. Met this grumpy, emotionally stunted teenager, you know?”
“Oh, really?” Rin asks, trying to stifle a laugh, opening his arms for Meguru to step into a hug.
“Yeah.” He murmurs, wrapping his arms around Rin’s waist and breathing him in, finally making up for a day apart. “I’d forgotten what you were like back then.”
“I’m sorry you had to deal with him,” Rin murmurs, stroking his hair. “I was awful at sixteen.”
“Silly! Don’t worry, I’ve always liked every version of you,” Bachira admits. “Besides, it was fun! We played together and had a good chat. I didn't want to be specific about anything because I didn’t want him to know, but I think it was enough for him to feel like he'll be okay one day.”
“Yeah, it was enough.” Rin gently brushes a strand of hair aside and kisses his forehead. “I remember how kind you were back then. Thank you.”
Bachira lets out a satisfied sigh.
“And you? How was your day, love?”
“It was fun. Some interesting things happened.”
“Oh, really?” he asks, intrigued.
Meguru pulls back just enough from the embrace to see Rin’s face, still holding him close. The moment their eyes meet, Rin gently cups his cheek.
“Yeah, first of all, I scored like five goals in training today.”
“Oh???” He raises an eyebrow. “You're really on form today, aren't you?”
“Yeah. I felt pretty inspired after finding out I’m apparently that handsome, charming guy you mentioned once.”
Bachira pulls a confused face, but his expression quickly softens when he understands.
Years ago, when they were still at the start of their relationship, Meguru mentioned that apart from Rin, there was only one other guy he'd ever found handsome and charming. But he was older and he'd only seen him once, so Rin didn't need to worry.
“I spent years being jealous of myself, you know?” Rin laments, burying his face in the crook of his neck. “If your younger self hadn’t been so expressive, I’d have never realised you were talking about me.”
He lets out a genuinely amused laugh and hugs Rin even tighter.
Bachira never thought it had stuck in his mind.
It had just been a casual remark at the time, a private joke he made to himself.
But now it seemed as though he’d done it on purpose, like a joke that Rin would only understand years later.
“I love you so much, really!” Bachira murmurs, still laughing. “It’s always been you. Only you.”
“You’re unbelievable…” Rin pulls a dramatic face and Meguru laughs, kissing his cheek several times.
“You’re so sweet, my love.” He gently squeezes Rin’s cheeks before kissing him softly.
They only pull apart when a soft meow catches Bachira’s attention.
“Player Katsu life on the line! I’ve missed you! Where have you been?!” He picks up the orange kitten and gives him a little kiss on the forehead. “Why do you only turn up when Rin’s around?”
Rin lets out a dramatic sigh, realising that the kitten’s name is still ridiculously long. “He only turns up when I’m around because he hates you.”
“Or maybe he just likes having both his parents around.”
“I’d never have a kid with such a ridiculous name.” He scoffs, then reaches over to stroke the kitten anyway.
“You know… it’s kinda your fault,” Bachira murmurs amusedly. “I only picked that name because I knew it had to be unique enough to get a reaction out of you.”
They share a long look, before Rin shakes his head and steps back. “No, it’s not my fault.”
“Of course it is! The butterfly effect, you know? Ten years ago I found out you hated his name, so I chose something ridiculous on purpose.” He stares at Rin with a smug smile.
“No way…”
Bachira lets go of the kitten and moves back to Rin again, wrapping his arms around his neck again. He lets out a laugh before kissing him.
“Hey, don’t worry, one day you’ll forgive yourself for this!”
He sighs, still incredulous. “And should I be worried about any other butterfly effects I don't know about?”
“I don’t think so. And even if something does change, I think they’ll be fine.” Meguru smiles. “After all, we both made it, right?!”
ੈ✩‧₊˚
“We’re gonna be roommates one day. Did you know that, Rin-chan?”
Rin coughs in surprise, choking on his water.
He hadn’t expected Bachira to approach him so casually and talk about the future like that. Earlier, he could barely look in his direction without blushing and looking away whenever Rin caught him staring.
“Yeah, I heard something like that,” he mutters. A lie, of course. Future Bachira hadn’t mentioned that...
He’d been so cryptic about most things that Rin wasn’t sure about anything, but he wouldn’t let Bachira know that.
“You’re not upset about it, are you?”
Rin frowns at the thought.
Living with Bachira Meguru isn't his first choice, but it was the choice made by Future Rin. He doesn’t know everything that will happen over the next ten years to lead to such a reckless decision, yet he trusts his own judgement.
Well… he’d also had a glimpse of what Bachira Meguru would be like in the future, and he seemed decent… good at football, kind, and supposedly his favourite person, or something like that.
“I’m fine with that,” he murmurs, still pensive. “And you?”
Unlike him, Bachira doesn’t hesitate to say, “Yeah, I'm fine with that too.”
Rin nods, watching Bachira awkwardly twirl a strand of hair around his finger, a little nervous.
“You know, Rin-chan, your future self is really funny!”
“And your future self is really annoying.”
Bachira lets out a laugh.
“Hey! Bachira and Rin, break’s over! Get back to the game!” Someone shouts.
“Coming!” Bachira shouts back, glancing at Rin one last time. “By the way, Rin-chan, you've got a lovely laugh. You should laugh more often!”
Bachira smiles gently at him and takes a step closer, as if about to tell a secret. Rin pulls a face, but still finds himself leaning in to hear properly what he has to say.
“And... I’m pretty sure future me fell in love with future you because of this. Well… at least, I can see myself falling for your laugh.” He lets out a slightly nervous, embarrassed chuckle.
“What?!” Rin mutters, confused, trying to make sense of what he’s just heard.
Not noticing Rin’s shocked expression, Bachira runs back onto the field, leaving him alone, tormented in his thoughts.
I know you.
Oh, you’d be surprised at yourself.
I’ll be in your life forever.
I’m going to be the most important person in your life.
You’ll be the most important person to me.
Future Bachira’s words come flooding back to him, and suddenly everything makes perfect sense. All that mystery, the way he was telling the truth, yet still holding back certain details...
“No way,” he murmurs, his mouth still slightly open in shock.
He feels his ears burning with embarrassment and his heart racing at the thought. So that means they–
“Rin-chan, come on! Let’s get back to the game!”
He looks up at Bachira, who is smiling brightly, unaware of the turmoil he's caused in him over the last few seconds.
Still dazed, Rin slowly walks back to his position.
Meguru has seen a future he won't let go of.
And soon, Rin will realise he wants that same future with Meguru, too.