Archive of Our Own

"Alright, listen to me, Rin-rin" Shidou started once he finally managed to drag Rin into an empty room and force him into a conversation. They were still in Blue Lock for now, but that was about to change. Soon, they’d be leaving this place and going back home for a two-week break after the NEL. He had to use this last chance to see Rin alone.

Itoshi reluctantly followed him, unable to keep listening to that irritating voice echoing in his head. He wasn’t a fan of the idea of talking to that pest in any way, but he agreed anyway, just to get it over with, knowing Shidou wouldn’t let it go.

"Why did you drag me here, you nuisance?" he asked, venom dripping from his voice. He should’ve been getting ready to leave now or spending his last minutes here training, not wasting time on some stupid conversation.

"I already told you to listen to me" whatever this was supposed to be, Rin already knew it would be dumb. He didn’t even respond, just waited for Shidou to continue.

"So, here’s the thing. Sae-chan probably doesn’t want me" Shidou explained in an irritating tone that tried to sound like despair.

"And you’re just noticing that now?" Rin groaned, his voice still dry. He’d known from the start that Sae wouldn’t be interested in someone like Ryusei, so he didn’t get why this was such a big deal.

"How brutal!" despite what he had just said, he chuckled quietly. Rin scoffed.

"Get to the point. Why am I here? Because if I have to listen to your love rambling-"

"Why would I talk about my love life with someone who’s clearly never experienced anything like that?" he mocked with a sneer, leaning against the closed door.

Rin thought he was going to kill him. Sure, he’d never dated anyone, never kissed, or done any of that stuff, but that was because he didn’t have time for such nonsense. Only football mattered, not romance.

"My life shouldn’t concern you" he shot him a skeptical look, irritation written all over his face, which only fueled Shidou’s laughter even more.

"I’m dating your brother, so technically-"

"You just said he doesn’t even like you, idiot!" he snapped angrily. He hated it whenever Shidou mentioned Sae in any way. Besides, they weren’t dating, what did Shidou even mean by that?

"Not yet. Luckily, I’ve come up with the perfect plan to make him fall for me" he admitted with a proud grin.

Rin scoffed quietly and moved toward the door. Unfortunately for him, Shidou was still leaning against it, making it impossible to open and escape.

"Move, or I’ll hit you."

"Scary."

Rin was already planning to swing at him, but Shidou was faster and pinned his arms down. He flipped their positions so that now Rin was the one pressed against the wall, while Ryusei stood in front of him, dangerously close.

"So, getting back to the point, listen to me carefully" he said, and Rin looked him over. To Shidou’s surprise, he stayed quiet. He took advantage of that moment, since Rin had finally shut up, and began explaining his plan himself. "If we pretend to be a couple, Sae will get jealous of me."

Rin thought he’d misheard him. Date Shidou? It sounded like the worst nightmare, and yet, his heart started beating faster.

Besides, why did Shidou even want to make Sae jealous? It didn’t make any sense in his head.

"What the fuck? I’d never date you in my life" he shot back immediately, struggling to free his arms from Shidou’s grip. Unfortunately, Shidou was strong and didn’t let go. He pressed him even harder against the wall with his body.

"It’s just pretend, Rin-chan."

"Find someone else to play along with you!"

"No, it has to be you" he admitted, staring at him intensely. Rin froze for a moment and looked back, feeling strangely aware under his touch. He pushed the feeling down and kicked him in the leg, making Shidou groan in slight pain and finally let go.

"There’s no need to be so aggressive" he said, still keeping his eyes on him.

"You had it coming, cockroach. Date someone else, the result will be the same. Sae won’t care" he summed up.

"No, because what if Sae-chan gets jealous of the person I’d be with, and not of me? He’s not going to fall in love with his own brother" he explained, while Rin still wore the same skeptical expression. He didn’t want to pretend to date Shidou under any circumstances, he hated that idiot. What if someone found out and took it seriously, and it stuck with him for the rest of his life?

He fell silent for a moment, then asked reluctantly "And what do I get out of this?"

"You’ll get your brother’s attention, and my presence by your side!" he said with a bright grin, as if those arguments would actually convince Rin.

Sure, maybe Sae would finally pay attention to him, but that wasn’t the kind of attention he wanted. Sae was supposed to look at him because of football, not because he started dating Shidou.

And Shidou’s presence only made it worse. Rin grimaced slightly.

"I absolutely refuse."

"Alright, then my second offer" Shidou said immediately, already prepared for rejection. He knew it wouldn’t be that easy.

"After this whole thing, I won’t annoy you for the first week when we get back to Blue Lock." That offer was more tempting to Rin. He’d suffer through this idiot during the break, pretend to be in a relationship for a bit, and get a week of peace? It was starting to sound more reasonable, even if it was still too small a reward for such torture and the risk of ruining his life.

"Two weeks, and I’ll consider it" he countered. Shidou clearly cared about this a lot, so Rin could bargain for more to his own advantage.

Shidou groaned. "Fine. But you better be a really good actor, because if we get caught, it’ll be your fault."

"Fuck you."

~🌸🌸🌸~

Rin didn’t even know how he ended up in this situation. Ryusei hadn’t told him anything more, and then one random day during the break, he told him to be ready to go out, giving him an hour to process everything and get ready. Luckily, his parents weren’t home at the time, so he didn’t have to worry about explaining the whole situation to them.

Even so, his urge to kill that cockroach was growing stronger with each passing day. He didn’t even know where they were going or what the day would look like.

But if this was supposed to make Sae jealous, they’d probably be around him. What a shame, he really didn’t feel like seeing him. Yeah, he definitely shouldn’t have agreed to any of this. Right now, he could be resting or training instead of picking out the least wrinkled shirt to wear.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Shidou showed up a few minutes before the time he himself had set, so Rin opened the door still in the messy clothes he hadn’t had time to change out of.

"Hey, lashes! So this is your house, huh? Not bad" he started, stepping inside without an invitation the moment Rin opened the door.

"Get out. You’re not welcome here" Rin shot back immediately, not wanting Shidou barging into his house so shamelessly and out of nowhere.

"You shouldn’t throw guests out, that’s rude" he said, walking further inside like he owned the place, completely ignoring the irritation written all over Rin’s face.

"How do you even know my address? We were supposed to meet at the train station" he asked, realizing he’d never shared where he lived with anyone. But he quickly connected the dots and figured Sae had something to do with it, though it was already too late, the words had already left his mouth.

"Sae-chan told me, specially for you, so you wouldn’t be sitting here all alone!"

"He could’ve kept that to himself. I don’t want bugs in my house."

Shidou chuckled quietly before sitting down on the couch in the living room. Rin kept tracking his movements, following him and watching as the other boy casually explored his home.

"What are you staring at, Rin-rin? I know I’m insanely handsome and hard to look away from, but-"

"Shut up" Rin cut him off, staring at him even more intensely. "What are you doing here? An hour hasn’t even passed yet."

"That was just to throw you off, so you’d feel the pressure and your cells start exploding. Just like in a match, right? Besides, you had to look presentable when I showed up" he kept talking nonstop. "We’re actually going to Sae in the evening."

Great. So he could’ve still been lying in bed playing games, but instead he’d started getting ready to go out, when he could’ve done it later anyway? If he could go back in time, he wouldn’t have opened the door for Shidou. He would’ve left him outside and used that time for something more useful than talking to him.

"I still don’t get why you’re here. I don’t need you" he pointed out. He could definitely manage just fine without Shidou around.

"So you don’t want to plan out the evening with me?"

"What plan?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. What did he even mean? They’d just go to Sae, feed him a few lines, and leave, that was the goal, at least. Rin hoped they could get it over with as quickly as possible.

"My original one. Three things we absolutely have to do to make Sae jealous" he revealed, leaning back against the couch, then gestured for Rin to sit next to him. Without a word, Rin sat on the opposite end, waiting for Ryusei to continue.

"So basically, Sae came back to Japan recently and mentioned he’s going to a festival" he said. he’d talked to Sae about it earlier.

"Why would he go there?" Rin asked, remembering that Sae had always been against things like that and never really cared for them. That’s why he didn’t understand why he’d suddenly decided to go.

"How should I know? Maybe he just wants to check out the attractions" he didn’t say it out loud, but he figured it was probably just so Sae wouldn’t spend the whole day stuck in his apartment. Everyone needed some fresh air. Seeing that Rin stayed silent, he continued "At the same time, we’ll show up there too. We both have to look amazing, so you, lashes, still need to work on that a bit."

"Fuck you" he said, throwing a pillow at him, which Shidou easily dodged. Itoshi clearly only had good aim when it came to football.

"Is that an attempt to knock out your boyfriend?" he laughed, tossing it back.

"We are not boyfriends!" he dodged too, though less gracefully than Shidou, still taking half the pillow to his shoulder.

"Once we step into that festival tonight, you won’t be able to say that anymore" he warned him. Rin scoffed.

"I’m only doing this for two weeks of peace" he reminded him, thinking of the reward for surviving this whole day, hoping he’d manage to endure it.

"Not for the chance to brag about me being your boyfriend?" he teased, watching as Rin went through several emotions in just a few seconds.

"If anyone other than Sae finds out about this, I’ll kill you" he said. He couldn’t allow himself to become a joke. He’d be mocked for the rest of his life, and the thought that anyone might actually believe Shidou was his ex was enough to make him miserable.

"Relax, Rin-rin, everything’s planned so no one will find out" he reassured him, confidence clear in his voice, as if he truly believed it. "I doubt anyone from Blue Lock would go to festivals instead of training like crazy or resting. Although, Otoya-" he didn’t finish, because this time a pillow hit him square in the face before he could dodge.

"They’re idiots. You never know what they do on their days off."

"Fair point. If we run into them, we’ll just say we’re friends" he said, grabbing the object that hit him and aiming it back at Rin, who blocked it with his arms.

"We’re far from friends."

"And yet you’re helping me."

"I already told you, it’s just for my own peace" he reminded him with a sigh. He was already fed up, and the real “act” hadn’t even even started yet.

"Whatever. Back to my plan. Step one is holding hands and stuff like that" he said with a cheerful grin, watching Rin grimace.

"I’m not touching you. What if I catch something?" he asked with a disgusted expression that made Shidou laugh.

"I’m worried about that too. But a relationship without touch isn’t a relationship. I already told you, Sae has to believe it."

"Maybe I’ll touch you once, but not more than that. I’ll probably have to wash my hands after."

"No need. We’ll hold hands once and not let go until the end. Maybe I should glue them together?" he said, trying to come up with some argument that would break Rin.

"I’m starting to feel sick" he admitted, and they both knew he was exaggerating. Shidou just ignored it and moved on to the next part of his plan.

"Then we’ll go up to Sae and ‘accidentally’ run into him." He made air quotes with his fingers so Rin would get what he meant. "We talk and say we’re dating. And don’t forget to come up with some cute nicknames for me!"

"Cockroach" he said immediately. Definitely his favorite nickname, it fit Shidou perfectly.

"Something cuter. Like ‘sweetheart’? I already decided you’ll be ‘darling’ or something like that!"

"I’ll cut your tongue off if you call me that." Nicknames like “Rin-rin” were already annoying enough, something like that would be unbearable. He seriously hoped Shidou would drop that idea, otherwise he was sure he’d hit him on the spot.

"I’ll drag it out of you until you say it."

"I’ll stay silent either way."

"Stubborn! Alright, then, let’s move on to the last point" Shidou said. Rin was relieved, it was the final point, and after that he could ignore him for the rest of the day until they decided to leave the house. Shidou grinned widely as he spoke. "In the worst-case scenario, it’ll be a kiss!"

"No way" Rin said. Holding hands was already hard enough, let alone a kiss. There was no way he would let Shidou get anywhere near his lips.

"I said it’s only a last resort! Only if Sae really doesn’t show any jealousy, we’ll kiss in front of him. That’ll definitely get a reaction!" Shidou explained. Rin just hoped it would never come to that.

He knew Sae probably wouldn’t care that they were “dating” but now he just hoped Sae would at least show a little jealousy, just enough so he wouldn’t have to end the day with a kiss from Shidou. There was no way he’d waste his first time on a pest like Ryusei.

"I’ll kill you before you try anything like that" he said sharply.

"I said it’s only if the situation calls for it. Although I have to admit, the Itoshi brothers are handsome. How do your parents look? They must be-" he didn’t finish because Rin interrupted him again, this time standing up from the couch.

"Enough. Shut up and don’t bother me" he said, intending to leave the living room and lock himself in his room. But Shidou started talking again, as if his mouth couldn’t be closed.

"Rin-chan, I’m hungry! You have to feed me, I’m your guest" he said, also standing and heading to the kitchen right next door. Shamelessly, he opened the fridge.

"Guests are welcome. And I’d honestly love to throw you out right now" Rin muttered, but he still followed him, peeking into the fridge. There wasn’t really anything of interest inside, which made Shidou groan and left Rin slightly embarrassed for some unknown reason.

"Luckily, you won’t do that because you adore me. But damn, are you starving in this house? There’s nothing here."

"Don’t complain. How was I supposed to know you’d show up here? I didn’t get a chance to restock" he said defensively.

"Then I’ll have to deal with it myself" Rin muttered, not knowing what Shidou meant, so he just ignored him and snorted. "Lashes, what’s the address again?" Shidou asked, forgetting.

Rin raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"

"I’m ordering some food. We’ve still got an hour and a half before we leave, I can’t survive that long without eating" he said dramatically. Rin handed him the address without protest. He still didn’t understand why Shidou had come so early, when he could’ve easily shown up later, but he figured the pest probably just wanted to annoy and provoke him.

Soon after, Shidou made a call somewhere, probably to a restaurant or something else. Rin didn’t pay much attention and ignored him, instead heading to his room and leaving Shidou downstairs.

It was a bit risky, since he didn’t know what Shidou had in mind or what he might break, but he preferred that over spending time with him. Besides, he still had to get ready to go out, and he wouldn’t have been able to do that with Shidou around.

With plenty of time left, he decided to take a shower. He enjoyed different kinds of baths that helped him relax. This time was no different, he needed to unwind from Shidou and the whole situation.

Standing in the shower, he turned on the water, which was slightly cold but just the way he liked it.

In the meantime, he washed his hair so it wouldn’t look greasy or unkempt. He had to look good, after all.

Truth be told, he didn’t enjoy going to festivals of any kind, so the one they were going to would probably be torture too. He hoped they could leave quickly and get back home.

When he finished washing, he went through his facial care routine. Then, hearing a loud noise from downstairs, from the room Shidou was probably in, he decided it was the right time to check what was going on.

As he walked down the stairs, the smell of food and sounds from the TV hit him immediately.

"What are you doing?" Itoshi asked, stepping into the room to find Shidou happily eating pizza and watching TV on his couch. The worst part? Ryusei didn’t see anything wrong with it and was having a great time.

"Rin-rin, it was boring being alone, so I turned on your TV! Actually, I’m watching Netflix on your account right now" he said, looking pleased, shoving another slice into his mouth. Rin saw a movie playing on the screen, one he probably would never have watched himself. He felt his eye twitch, this pest was going to ruin his account history.

"You act like you own the place" he remarked, giving him a sharp look.

"Isn’t it good that I feel comfortable?" Shidou replied playfully, ignoring his harsh tone.

"I’d prefer it if you just shut up and were scared to touch anything."

"Don’t be grumpy, come join me. You can have a slice of pizza, and maybe I won’t make you pay for it" he said, encouraging him to come over. Rin wanted to refuse, but the food looked too tempting, and his stomach demanded a taste. Plus, it was free, so why not take advantage? Of course, he couldn’t agree that easily.

"We’re athletes. Why are we eating this kind of food?" he asked, but still moved closer, sitting next to him while keeping a bit of distance.

"We have a break to enjoy it and eat whatever we want" Shidou said. Rin snorted and, without further complaint, grabbed a slice. He took a bite, and Shidou kept watching him.

"…Turn on some interesting movie instead of just staring" Itoshi said, chewing his slice. Shidou laughed, grabbed the remote, opened Rin’s watchlist, and picked a movie that also piqued his interest a little.

"Happy now?" he asked again, looking at him. Rin just nodded and focused on the screen with curiosity. He could admit the movie was good, but that was probably only because it was from his watchlist, not because Shidou liked it.

They continued watching in silence, mostly because Rin wasn’t very talkative. On top of that, he was tired, it was getting late, and he had the sense that he had been getting ready for bed earlier, not for a festival outing, which confused his brain and made him want to sleep.

He even pulled a blanket over himself, making the atmosphere cozy.

Surprisingly, Shidou respected that, and all he did was glance at him from time to time, checking if he had accidentally fallen asleep. In the end, he hadn’t, but his eyes were dangerously heavy.

The movie wasn’t long, about an hour, but it was enough to rest and lose track of time.

"So, how was the movie, sleepyhead?" Shidou asked when the credits rolled. Rin opened his eyes wider and looked at him.

"It was fine." He glanced around the room, still a little drowsy, though trying to hide it. "Clean up after yourself" he added, noticing the mess they’d left behind. If his parents came back now, they’d probably scold him for the disorder. Luckily, they wouldn’t be home for the rest of the day, so he didn’t have to worry about that. Still, he couldn’t just leave it like this.

"Boring" Shidou noted, stretching on the couch.

"You can’t just come over and leave this kind of mess" Rin said.

"We’re going to be late" Shidou glanced at the clock, noticing it was already the time they were supposed to leave. Rin didn’t seem too concerned.

"I don’t care" he muttered reluctantly, still a bit tired, scanning the room one more time. Shidou groaned dramatically and also got up, closing the pizza box and tossing all the trash inside.

"You’re like my mom" he sighed.

"You made the mess, so you’re fixing it. Simple" he explained as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Shidou knew it was true, but cleaning was definitely not his favorite activity.

"Anything for you, Mr. Perfect."

"Shut up."

And so the next few minutes were spent tidying up the entire space they’d been in. In the meantime, Rin changed clothes, he didn’t want to look bad in front of Sae. He really didn’t want to see him and knew he shouldn’t have agreed to any of this, but it was too late to back out.

His plan was to simply confirm whatever Shidou said and not talk much around others. He already knew it would be noisy, and trying to push through all that sound seemed like a terrible idea.

Places like this seemed quiet at first, but under certain circumstances, the noise from so many people could be overwhelming. He hoped there wouldn’t be too many people, because crowded spaces weren’t his thing either.

"Okay, Rin-chan, I think it’s clean now" Shidou said, leaning against the kitchen counter. He was ready to get out of the house and go.

"Fine."

Shidou’s eyes lit up. "Alright, let’s go! Sae-chan’s probably there already."

Rin snorted and headed to the door. He put on his shoes, and Shidou mirrored his actions, quietly humming something under his breath. Rin found it irritating but decided not to comment, he didn’t want to start another argument. He just wanted to get this day over with.

They stepped outside into fairly mild weather. It was one of the warmer months of the year, though evenings were starting to get chilly. Still, it was something they could ignore and not worry about.

"We’ll have to take the train, Rin-rin. The festival location is actually pretty far" Shidou said, looking at the map on his phone.

"Tch. You didn’t have to come to my house at all, we could’ve just met there" Rin muttered as he walked beside him.

"Where’s the fun in that? You ate pizza on my dime, so no complaining."

"I deserved it for putting up with you."

Shidou laughed. "I enjoyed it" he admitted, and Rin fell silent. Indeed, Shidou was irritating, but sometimes tolerable. In certain situations, he could be dealt with, though Rin had no intention of admitting that. Instead, he let out a small frustrated sound and looked down.

The rest of the way to the train, neither of them spoke, both lost in their own thoughts. Once they arrived, they went inside and looked around. Luckily, there were free seats, so they could sit comfortably.

"How long are we going to be there?" Rin asked before he could think. He hadn’t planned on starting a conversation, but apparently, his brain decided otherwise first.

"As long as Sae-chan doesn’t get possessive” he said with a smile, and Rin snorted. He knew Sae well and knew it would be hard to get any reaction from him, which meant a long night ahead.

“Why does it have to be so late?” Rin asked, bitterness in his voice. He didn’t like going out at this hour; it was already almost dark outside.

“The main attraction is the fireworks. And they’re exactly at midnight. Besides, that’s when Sae is going” Shidou explained. He asked Sae about everything, so he knew all the details, and the older Itoshi had also mentioned he’d be going out in the evening.

“Couldn’t he just pick a normal time?” Rin groaned, slumping in his chair, which made Shidou laugh.

During the trip, they exchanged the occasional sentence, but nothing important. Still, it made the journey feel faster, and in no time, they arrived at their destination.

They got off the train and headed toward the festival. From a distance, the shouts of the crowd could already be heard, making Rin want to grimace and run away. He had only been to a festival twice, and that was when he was a child, so he didn’t remember much, but he could guess what it would be like.

Shidou, on the other hand, often went to events like this. He didn’t like sitting at home, and occasions like this were perfect for going out and having fun.

“There’s no turning back now, lashes. Remember to get into the role of my boyfriend” Shidou reminded him just in case. Rin nodded.

“I remember, you bug. Don’t remind me. I already feel disgusted just thinking about it.”

“Don’t exaggerate, it’ll be fun.” Shidou grabbed his hand, and Rin’s first instinct was to pull away. He tugged gently, trying to free himself from the grip, but Shidou didn’t let go.

Itoshi felt Rin’s slight embarrassment and lowered his head, simply continuing to walk.

“Now we need to find Sae. Keep your eyes peeled" Ryusei said as they entered the festival grounds.

“Hmph. I hope we don’t run into him" Rin admitted. He wasn’t in the mood to see Sae again, and that bug hadn’t even given him enough time to prepare mentally for it.

“Then we’ll have to repeat our mission” Shidou teased.

“I take back my words” Rin muttered. He really didn’t want to go through that a second time, or meet up with him again.

Shidou laughed, and they continued walking forward until one of them spoke up.

“Let’s enjoy some of the attractions, Rin-rin. Like tossing balls into cups for prizes. Or grabbing some food!” he started suggesting various things, and although Rin wasn’t in the mood, he agreed, hoping it would make the time pass a little faster.

They approached the first game booth, where the goal was to knock over all the cups arranged in a triangle with a single ball. If you succeeded, you supposedly won a prize.

Without hesitation, Shidou pulled out his wallet and paid the full price for the game. Rin thought that next time he should pay for something, but kept the thought to himself.

“I’ll go first!” Shidou declared, grabbing the first ball. They had five throws, which felt like both too few and just enough.

Ryusei aimed for the center but didn’t have enough luck to knock over all the cups. Rin immediately seized the opportunity to tease him.

“Loser" he said, and Shidou laughed nonetheless.

"Your turn to try, smarty” he said, handing him the ball. Rin took it without hesitation and aimed at the cups, but he did just as poorly as Shidou, only half of them fell. This time it was Ryusei laughing at him.

“You’re just as bad as me” Rin remarked.

“Again” Shidou said, but unfortunately, that attempt missed as well. The last two throws were his, but games like this clearly weren’t their forte.

In the end, they didn’t win anything, but they at least got a consolation prize, a lollipop, which Rin accepted without protest.

“I’m the one suffering with you, so this is mine” he said, tucking the candy into his pocket.

“Whatever. If you’re that eager for sweets, let’s try some festival snacks” Shidou suggested.

“We already ate at home” Rin noted, but he still let Shidou pull him further into the crowd.

“Not trying something at a festival is just cruel” Shidou replied. No matter how many times he’d been there, he always wanted to try and test the food. Rin had to admit that the food here really was good, and it would be a shame not to indulge.

Rin snorted but allowed Shidou to lead him to the Taiyaki stand. He actually wanted some too, though the long line was a bit discouraging.

“We’ll be standing here for an hour” Rin remarked, but Shidou didn’t care.

“Patience, lashes” Ryusei laughed, moving close enough that Rin could feel their shoulders touch. “Do you like Taiyaki?”

“They’re fine” Rin admitted, trying to ignore the way he could feel Shidou’s breath on his skin.

Shidou looked around, and that’s when he spotted a familiar person. Immediately, he grabbed Rin’s hand and pulled him out of the line, completely forgetting about the food they’d been waiting for.

“What are you doing, you pest?” Rin groaned, confused.

“Sae-chan over there! Let’s go to him” Shidou said right away, and Rin felt stress rising automatically. Soon he’d have to talk to Sae, and just the thought sent shivers down his spine.

He followed Shidou, who kept tugging him along, until they finally reached their destination. They hid behind a tree, watching as Sae walked freely, paying little attention to anything around him.

“We need to bump into him… ‘accidentally’” Shidou explained, observing him. Rin sighed.

“Let’s just do this. I want it over with” he said, not very convinced. He really just wanted to go back home.

“I already told you, you’re impatient" Shidou said, still holding his hand, and pulled him out of their hiding spot. Just as planned, they pretended to walk casually, talking as if they hadn’t seen anyone at all.

Suddenly, on the way, Sae and Shidou bumped shoulders, and Rin had to admit, it really did look like an accident.

As soon as it happened, Shidou turned around and spoke as if he hadn’t expected to see them at all.

“Oh, Sae-chan?” he said, feigning surprise. Sae looked at him without showing any emotion.

“Demon. What are you doing here?” he asked, unfazed, resting a hand on his hip. Rin stood beside them, observing.

“I came here with Rin-rin to hang out together. Isn’t it cute?” Shidou asked, and Sae’s gaze briefly fell on their joined hands. He said nothing, ignoring it.

“Do whatever you want, just don’t bother him” he said in his usual tone. Rin frowned.

“That’s none of your business who I hang out with” Rin interjected, taking everything as an attack, as usual.

“I don’t care. But Shidou is a poor choice” Sae remarked, looking straight ahead as if the conversation didn’t matter to him at all.

“You’re hurting my feelings, Sae-chan!” Shidou groaned loudly enough that both brothers felt like throttling him.

"Have fun on your own. I’m moving on” Sae said, not caring about the look he got, and started walking ahead. Shidou immediately reacted, letting go of Rin and running after him.

“Don’t you think it’s boring to walk alone?” he asked, keeping pace with him. Rin reluctantly followed, not wanting to be left alone in a place he barely recognized.

“I’ll be heading back to the hotel soon anyway.”

“You’re not staying for the fireworks show?” Shidou reminded him, recalling that this was supposed to be the main attraction, the reason people gathered here in the first place.

“Waste of time” Sae replied. He wasn’t interested in that sort of thing. Truthfully, he had only wanted to come here briefly, see some interesting sights, and then return to the hotel where he was staying. Unfortunately, someone had started interfering with that plan.

“You know, Rin-rin and I came here just to see them!” Shidou exclaimed. It was an obvious lie; in truth, the fireworks didn’t matter much to them either, but Sae didn’t need to know that.

“Why are you two even going out together? I thought you didn’t like each other” he asked bluntly, recalling all the arguments and quarrels he had witnessed on Blue Lock TV. It was almost strange that two rivals were voluntarily spending time together.

“It’s just for show! Rin-rin and I adore each other!” Shidou pulled Rin closer, almost knocking him over. “Actually, you know, Sae-chan… we’ve been together for a while!” Lying came unnaturally easily to him. Rin, on the other hand, bit his tongue to avoid saying something foolish.

Sae didn’t stop but looked at them skeptically. “You’re… dating?” he asked, more surprised than jealous.

“Of course! Isn’t it obvious?” Shidou immediately confirmed, pleased with himself, while Sae glanced at his brother, who no longer looked so happy.

“Rin?” the older Itoshi asked, not entirely convinced. He had seen how they had interacted earlier, and it hardly resembled a real relationship. But if they wanted to play these games, he couldn’t stop them.

And if this was actually serious, he hoped his brother would be careful. Shidou often acted like a weirdo, and Rin was just a kid after all.

When the younger Itoshi stayed silent for the first few seconds, Ryusei gently nudged his leg with his foot to signal that it was time to speak.

Rin swallowed his pride and tried to sound casual. “Yeah, whatever.”

“…Well, congratulations then” Sae admitted calmly, though he didn’t really believe them. Rin definitely didn’t seem convinced. There might have been a kernel of truth in it, but he figured it was just the silly antics of the two of them. He didn’t want to cause an argument, so he simply went along with it.

Shidou groaned inwardly at his reaction, which gave him literally nothing, but he decided to keep acting as before, raising no suspicions.

"Yes, that’s absolutely wonderful. So now that we’ve met, maybe we can spend more time together? You and Rin-Rin might finally talk to each other" he suggested, trying to make them spend more time with him. He still needed to see some jealousy on Sae’s face, and a relationship with his brother alone clearly wasn’t enough.

“I’m not interested” Sae immediately denied, though Shidou didn’t accept his refusal.

“Nothing will happen if you walk with us for a bit” Sae neither agreed nor refused, so Ryusei took it as a “yes”

After that, no one else spoke, so Shidou continued the conversation, feeling as if it were one-sided. And well, it basically was, but he hoped it would change later. Although he couldn’t expect too much from the Itoshi brothers.

“So, where are we going?” he asked as they moved forward. Not giving anyone a chance to answer, he continued “Let’s get some Taiyaki.”

He started leading Sae to the place he had been at earlier with Rin. The line was slightly shorter than before, which was a plus.

Once they got there, the atmosphere between them was slightly awkward and dull. Sae clearly wasn’t convinced about continuing the conversation and stayed behind them.

Rin was embarrassed and barely spoke as well. Shidou tried to engage them in conversation, though his main focus was on Sae, who was clearly trying to avoid him, which drove him crazy.

“Sae, maybe you can tell Rin-Rin and me what it’s like in Spain?” he approached him, leaning against the same wall as the older Itoshi, who sighed.

“Just a normal life, nothing extraordinary.”

“Great. And what are you doing in Japan now?” he pressed on, asking as many questions as possible.

“I had to take care of some business here, but I’ll be heading back to Spain soon.”

“So you’re leaving me again?” he groaned. He wished he could spend more time with Sae, ideally alone, but it was clearly impossible.

Itoshi didn’t answer, just kept looking straight ahead. Rin stood a bit in front of them in the line, but he could hear the conversation well enough.

The fact that Sae was in Japan, yet hadn’t even visited his own family, was irritating and somewhat painful. Rin still didn’t want to have anything to do with him, not after being abandoned. On top of that, knowing that Sae didn’t even try to contact him made him feel even more that their entire childhood was an illusion, and that his own brother didn’t truly like him.

He tried not to let negative thoughts take over, but listening to the conversation behind him made it difficult. Unable to take it any longer, he decided to interrupt it.

“The line’s moving, idiots” he said, stepping forward. The people behind him moved as well, though Shidou’s annoying voice was still present. He decided to take advantage of the fact that in this fake relationship, he could call Shidou over. After all, Shidou couldn’t refuse if he really wanted Sae to believe in their relationship and feel at least a little jealous.

"Come here, Shidou.” using his real name instead of nicknames like “cockroach” or “bug” felt extremely strange.

Shidou looked confused and sighed, but moved closer, making sure Sae could see their arms brushing against each other.

“What do you want, Rin-rin? Don’t you see I’m trying to flirt with Sae-chan?” he asked quietly, so only Rin could hear.

“I don’t care what you’re doing, but I’m tired of listening to you behind my back. Besides, Sae isn’t interested in you.”

“Not yet. Soon he’ll be mine, you’ll see” Rin said confidently, though he didn’t fully believe it himself, trying with all his strength to suppress that feeling. “And if our conversation bothers you that much, you can stay in line, and we’ll go do something together!”

He hesitated “…Fine, go ahead, but don’t expect me to bring you any food.” The thought of being alone in a place he didn’t fully know wasn’t pleasant, but listening to the two of them was even worse.

Shidou smiled in satisfaction. “Don’t worry, lashes, we’ll come back for you. I need you for a lot of things today.”

“Don’t say that. Now get lost with Sae” Rin huffed, pushing him away. Ryusei didn’t resist and went over to his older brother.

“Hey, Sae-chan, Rin-rin is being so nice and staying behind to hold our spot in line. In the meantime, we can go do something together!” Shidou suggested, while Sae still looked completely unfazed. His monotone reactions were starting to get boring.

“Make it quick. I don’t have much time” he said. It was a clear agreement, which pleased Shidou. At least that was something.

He moved closer to him and led him through several alleys until they stopped at a dart-throwing booth. It wasn’t anything special, but it was enough to spend some time together.

“Let’s play this. I’ll go first!” He paid and grabbed the first dart, hitting a 4-point spot. Sae simply watched.

“This is a waste of time” he finally commented.

“Doing something like this once in a while won’t hurt! Your turn” Shidou said, handing him a dart. Sae took it with slight reluctance. In his opinion, games like this were pointless, and competition unnecessary. The only kind he accepted was football, not throwing darts at a board.

His throw landed the same as Shidou’s, also 4 points. Ryusei told him to go again, and this time his result was better.

“Not bad at all, Sae-chan!”

"It’s just dumb dart throwing.”

“Even in things like this, you’re good” Shidou smiled, and this time decided to take the next throw himself. Sae’s lack of enthusiasm for competition wasn’t really his style, he enjoyed competing even in the dumbest things, but he chose not to dwell on it.

In the end, he won, probably because he was the only one actually trying. Though he had to admit, the difference in their scores wasn’t as big as expected.

“1–0 for me!” he shouted proudly.

“Whatever.”

The next stop they made was pretty childish, just scooping fake fish out of a bucket of water, but Ryusei insisted on it. He was clearly way too excited.

“Wanna make it a competition?” he asked. Sae agreed, though he didn’t look particularly invested while playing.

It wasn’t like it bothered Shidou that much. Spending time with him was still fine, nice, even, though he usually preferred people who were a bit more impulsive, with more interesting reactions.

He tried not to think too much about it. After all, it was Sae. He was cold, and Shidou knew what he was getting into by trying to stay close to him.

“Another win!” he shouted when they finished. The game didn’t last long, so a winner was decided quickly.

"Yeah, because they’re games for kids.”

“Anyone can play them, Sae-chan!”

They started walking again, looking at different attractions along the way. Many of them were repetitive and not particularly impressive, though the atmosphere itself was pleasant. That’s when Sae decided to ask Shidou about his relationship with Rin, he didn’t want to do it in front of his brother. He wasn’t sure how Rin would react or if he’d even want to talk about it.

“So you and Rin really get along?” he asked, slightly suspicious. Shidou didn’t hesitate.

“Of course we do! We spend a lot of time together, and like I said, we’re together!” he emphasized the last words so Sae would definitely understand them.

“How did that even happen? Last time I checked, you two wanted to kill each other” Sae pointed out.

“That’s our love language. Isn’t it cute?” Truthfully, Rin wasn’t that bad, he had great reactions and a sharp tongue. Ryusei had never really said he genuinely disliked him, and their “hatred” mostly came from the field. Outside of it, being around him was actually enjoyable.

“That’s stupid” Sae sighed. “But if you want to keep this up, it doesn’t bother me.”

That was exactly the kind of reaction Shidou had wanted to avoid. He had hoped Sae would at least object a little, show some jealousy, but apparently, getting that kind of emotion out of him wasn’t going to be easy.

"So it really doesn’t bother you that I’m dating your brother?” he asked for confirmation, slipping his hands into his pockets.

“Why would it? It’s not my life.”

“Fair enough.”

They kept walking for a few more minutes, talking about various things, mostly initiated by Shidou. Eventually, they decided to head back to Rin, who had just received his Taiyaki and was slowly eating it.

“So you only got one for yourself, huh?” Shidou asked, noticing Rin holding just a single portion. Sae didn’t care much, he wouldn’t be able to eat it anyway because of his diet.

“I’m the one who stood in line” Rin pointed out.

“Well, I’m sure you don’t mind sharing with me” Shidou said, stepping closer before taking the food straight from his hand.

“Give that back” Rin said, but it was already too late, Shidou had taken a bite of the Taiyaki. Rin frowned.

“Really good” he smiled, taking another bite without hesitation. Rin swore that if Sae wasn’t watching them right now, he would’ve already killed that bug. Instead, he just snatched it back from him, clearly irritated.

"That’s mine. Go buy your own.”

“Pathetic” Sae muttered, which only irritated Rin even more.

“Oh, how about we just keep going!” Shidou cut in, making sure the two of them wouldn’t start arguing. If that actually happened, the younger one might decide to quit this whole fake relationship, and it would all be over. Shidou couldn’t let that happen, not yet. Not until Sae showed at least a hint of jealousy.

Rin grumbled quietly under his breath, finishing his taiyaki and silently following behind Sae and Shidou. It almost seemed like those two got along better than Rin could’ve ever imagined.

He didn’t want Shidou and Sae to get close. If someone asked him why, he’d probably say he didn’t like the idea of Shidou somehow becoming part of his family and showing up at his house for different occasions.

Even so, he knew that wasn’t the real reason. He just couldn’t fully figure out why it bothered him so much. He simply didn’t want it to happen, without any clear explanation. And because of that, he kept that thought to himself.

Sae, on the other hand, saw Shidou as something like a friend. Ryusei was someone who especially caught his interest when it came to football. Personality-wise, he’d say Shidou was annoying, but still somewhat tolerable. That’s why he could stay in touch with him and occasionally reply to his messages.

“Rin-rin, come over here" Shidou called out when Itoshi had been walking behind them most of the time, as if trying to avoid conversation. Still, he reluctantly moved closer, positioning himself more on Shidou’s side, clearly not wanting to be near Sae.

As soon as they were close enough, Shidou wrapped an arm around Rin’s waist, gently pulling him in, then grabbed his hand.

Feeling his touch, Rin experienced a strange sensation inside, something he had never felt before. At the same time, he hoped his face hadn’t changed color, because if it had, he’d definitely have to leave immediately.

Sae watched them closely, observing Rin’s reactions and how eager Shidou seemed to be to stay close to him. It wasn’t suspicious, Ryusei seemed like the type who loved physical contact, especially in a relationship, so it could easily be seen as natural behavior.

However, Rin looked like this was his first time experiencing something like that, as if he didn’t quite know what to do. And that was what raised a small red flag for Sae. Then again, Rin might’ve just felt uncomfortable because it was happening in public, so he chose not to jump to conclusions.

“We don’t have to stand this close” Rin muttered quietly, though Sae still heard it. He didn’t react to those words, however.

"Don’t be so shy, Rin-chan" Shidou said, still holding their hands together. Rin felt like he was slowly getting used to it, since it had been happening pretty often today.

“You’re both being insufferable” Sae sighed. That only made Rin grimace even more, and he suddenly felt like hurting someone. He hadn’t even wanted to spend the day with Shidou, and now he was getting insulted by his own brother because of that damn bug.

“Shut up, Sae” he snapped harshly, stepping to the side to put some distance between himself and Ryusei, but Shidou clearly had other plans and pulled him back close with a bit of force.

“Hey, isn’t that a fortune-telling tent?” Shidou asked, pulling them away from the tense atmosphere. “Wanna go check out our future?” he laughed.

“That stuff is for idiots. They just take your money and tell you random things" Sae said. In his opinion, fortune tellers and things like that didn’t exist, and neither did predictions. Though he could admit he’d heard of a few cases where things strangely lined up, he still didn’t believe in it.

“There are plenty of stories where predictions actually come true” Shidou pointed out. Maybe they were coincidences, but they could still be fun.

“Coincidences.”

"We choose our own fate” Rin said, firmly believing in his words. After all, no one else could decide what his life would look like, especially not some random cards. It was all up to him and his hard work.

“It’s just for fun, you don’t have to take it so seriously. Damn, the Itoshi brothers are really against everything” Shidou groaned.

“But what if it predicts something bad?” Rin asked thoughtfully. He’d rather live in ignorance than know that something unpleasant was going to happen in the future. Shidou felt the same way.

“Yeah, but you can always change it, right?”

And just like that, they ended up standing in another line, this time for a fortune teller, who might as well have been a scammer. Sae deeply regretted coming to this festival. He could’ve been relaxing in his hotel instead of being stuck in a place like this.

When it was finally their turn, Shidou went in first without hesitation. He had slight concerns about leaving Sae and Rin alone, but figured nothing bad would really happen.

Inside the tent, it was quite dark, giving off a movie-like atmosphere. The fortune teller was an older woman who seemed rather kind. She immediately began instructing him, telling him to sit comfortably in front of her.

“So, what would you like to ask about?” the woman said, smoothly shuffling the cards in her hands.

Shidou honestly didn’t know why he had come here, so he just improvised. “Can’t I just ask about the future?” he complained lightly, making the older woman chuckle softly.

“That’s too general. Give me a theme, success, career, love, friends…”

“In that case, I choose love" he said immediately. He might as well take the chance and find out if Sae was meant for him, how romantic. He hoped the signs would point to yes. “Have I already met the person I’ll spend the rest of my life with?”

The fortune teller began shuffling her cards, then laid them out on the table in a specific pattern. One by one, she started revealing them.

“My cards show that this person is already in your life and plays an important role” she said, which, for now confirmed Shidou’s theory that it was Sae. How perfect. He’d always been right about things like this. “However, neither of you may be ready yet. That’s why it’s important for this relationship to develop at its own pace.”

Shidou felt like he was ready for something like that, but apparently, maybe he wasn’t.

“So when will we be ready?” he asked his second question. This time, the woman didn’t reshuffle the deck, only slightly rearranging the cards already on the table.

“That’s not something that can be answered precisely…” she revealed the first card. “But I can see that it will take some time… and it may not be the easiest path.”

So his brilliant plan to make Sae jealous might end up being pointless?

“You may not even know who that person is yet” she continued, but Shidou interrupted her.

“I actually have someone in mind” he admitted. The woman looked at him, then gathered the cards and laid them out again.

“I see that before that true relationship, another one may appear, if you let yourself be guided too much by impulsive decisions” she said. Shidou didn’t quite know how to interpret that, so he just sighed.

“So it’s not the person I keep thinking about?” he asked, almost afraid of the answer. What could she possibly mean? Of course it had to be Sae, the person he felt good around, the one he enjoyed talking to. It had to be him.

“I can neither confirm nor deny that. Questions like that are difficult to answer…” she said, still studying the cards. “But I do see you in the future with someone who makes you happy. That’s why you should make the right choice without my guidance.”

And just like that, the visit gave him almost nothing, except a mess in his head. He wasn’t sure whether to believe in things like this anymore. He had always thought there might be some truth to it, but apparently, it was more complicated than he imagined.

He asked a few more questions, and before he knew it, his time was up. He left the tent deep in thought. Both Itoshi brothers noticed, though neither of them asked anything.

“That actually gives you something to think about” Shidou sighed once he was close enough to them. “So, what now, your turn?”

“We don’t have time for that” Sae said, slightly turning away from them.

“In that case, you’re going next, Rin-rin!” Shidou decided for him. Besides, it gave him a chance to stay alone with Sae.

“But it’s pointless for me too” the younger Itoshi admitted.

“It won’t hurt to try!” Ryusei grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him toward the entrance. Feeling his touch, Rin reacted automatically and moved forward, quietly cursing under his breath.

Once he was inside, it felt too awkward to back out, so he stayed. He looked around, then hesitantly walked over to the seat where he was supposed to sit. The fortune teller began the same way she had with Shidou, though Rin chose different questions.

He didn’t care about love, only about football. That was his top priority, and he wanted to know as much as possible about his career.

"Will I become the best in the world at football?” he asked. The woman smiled as she laid out her cards.

“You definitely have the determination and potential for it” she admitted “but there are also many difficult paths ahead of you, just like for anyone.”

Rin didn’t respond, staring at the table in front of him. Seeing this, the fortune teller continued, describing what she supposedly saw in her “magical” cards.

“I can see that many paths are open to you right now… so you can stay optimistic and keep doing what you’ve been doing.”

That was partly true, the NEL had just ended, and it had brought him a lot of recognition. But aside from that, he hadn’t learned anything new. The answer basically boiled down to “if you keep trying, you might succeed.” He already knew that. What a waste.

“And will I defeat my brother?”

The woman gathered the deck, shuffled it a few times, and then laid it out again just like before.

“For now, you’re not ready yet” she said. Rin already felt like leaving. Maybe he wasn’t ready now, but he definitely would be someday, and this fortune teller couldn’t just tell him otherwise.

“Besides, I can see that in the distant future, your relationship will become a good one.”

He definitely liked this more. He still hated Sae, but the thought that someday he might be able to spend time with him like they used to was really nice. Although he wouldn’t admit it.

“Do you have any more questions?” the woman asked. Rin hesitated. He actually didn’t want to see anything else, but their session hadn’t ended yet, so when the fortune teller noticed Rin had no more questions, she took the initiative herself.

For several long seconds, she shuffled the cards, then told him to draw one. Rin did so without hesitation, picking the first card he could grab.

Seeing it, the woman added a few of her own cards and then began to speak again.

“You are at a stage in your life where you think only about achieving your goal… I suggest you take a moment to breathe and also focus on other matters.”

Rin didn’t know what she meant. For him, only football mattered he didn’t understand why he should bother with anything else.

That was when their visit ended, and Rin left without learning anything. After stepping outside and seeing neither Sae nor Shidou anywhere, he felt like leaving the festival and going home.

He kept walking forward, hoping to find them, since he still had no idea where the exit was. On top of that, he worried that after spending money on the fortune-telling, his account balance had dropped sharply, and he might not have enough for a return ticket.

The crowd was growing, probably because midnight was approaching, the famous fireworks show. Pushing through the streets, he finally spotted them. They were standing at a food tasting stall, looking far too pleased with themselves.

That was when he noticed Shidou leaning dangerously close to Sae, constantly acting as if he wanted to be as near him as possible, leaving no space between them.

God, if they really were in a relationship, he would have killed him on the spot. Watching them from a distance felt strange, and he definitely didn’t want it to look like that. He wanted to separate them as far as possible so they could never look at each other again.

He walked toward them confidently, and once he was close enough, he stood between them.

“What are you doing, and why did you leave me?” he asked, his voice filled with hurt.

“We’re trying different foods. Besides, we didn’t feel like waiting for you that long, Rin-rin! Want to try something as an apology?” Shidou said, to which Rin snorted.

Don’t you think that since you’re my boyfriend, you shouldn’t be this close to Sae?” he asked, using Shidou’s own tactic against him. Ryusei immediately paused, considering his response seriously.

“Sure, Rin-rin. You want me to be just for you?” Shidou teased.

Rin pressed his lips together. He didn’t want to admit it, and besides, he still hated him, right?

Sae said nothing, but he kept watching them, his eyes slightly narrowed. It felt as if he were watching a live romantic movie.

“Let’s just get out of here” Rin finally replied, stepping back. Shidou, however, seized the opportunity and did the same, keeping them close together. He turned so that Sae could clearly see the profile of their faces.

Ryusei grabbed him by the shoulders and began pulling their faces closer. Rin already knew what that pest had planned and honestly panicked inside. He didn’t want it to show, so he tried with all his strength to maintain a neutral expression.

Finally, Shidou pressed their lips together. Both of them felt their hearts racing far too fast. Rin had no idea what to do with his hands, so he just held them still, which probably looked comical. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, completely lost, not knowing how to act, while Shidou was having far too much fun.

However, he didn’t do anything too aggressive, sensing that this was the younger one’s first kiss.

When they pulled away from each other, they looked at Sae as if expecting something from him. But, as usual, the older Itoshi just snorted and turned away, acting like he couldn’t care less. How cruel.

At that moment, Shidou felt like exploding, he had just kissed his rival, and Sae hadn’t shown even the tiniest hint of jealousy.

Well, he could admit the kiss was fine, but it still hadn’t achieved its goal.

“Next time, don’t make a scene. I’m embarrassed to be seen with you” Sae said, and both Shidou and Rin felt like they could die from mortification.

“So it really doesn’t bother you that I’m with your brother?” Shidou asked, checking again as if expecting a different answer than before.

“Why would it? I’ve already said, do whatever you want. I’m going back to the hotel, you’re giving me a headache” he said, beginning to head toward what was probably the exit.

Normally, Shidou would have run after him, telling him to stay, but this time he just sighed in disappointment.

“Maybe he really doesn’t want me” he said, his voice tinged with a little sadness. Rin looked at him, and it made his heart feel strangely heavy.

"Yes, that’s true” Rin admitted, trying to suppress the feeling.

“You’re not helping” Shidou groaned.

“But there are plenty of other people you could be with, and all you do is stare at him. Idiot.” Rin hadn’t wanted to say something like that, but the words had slipped out anyway.

“Is that supposed to be comforting?” Shidou now sounded more pleased, which stirred even stronger emotions inside Rin.

“Shut up.”

Shidou chuckled quietly. “Maybe you’re right.”

And at that very moment, the fireworks display began, exploding loudly and spreading across the sky, painting a beautiful scene above them. Both of them looked up.

“Let’s go up the hill the view will be better there” Shidou said, clearly in a much better mood, at least that’s how it seemed.

They went up the hill, where fortunately there were only a few people, and the view was indeed stunning.

They sat on the ground next to each other, gazing at the sky and taking in the scenery.

“You know, lashes, you don’t have to keep pretending to be my boyfriend anymore” Shidou finally said, not even looking at him.

“You’re giving up so easily?” Rin was surprised at how suddenly Shidou seemed to surrender. That was definitely not like him.

“Make Sae jealous? Man, he definitely doesn’t want me like that. When we were alone, he told me so” his voice was genuinely downcast, but it seemed like he was trying to come to terms with it.

“What?”

“That we can be friends, but he doesn’t want a relationship. And I can’t change how he feels” he leaned back on his arms, thoughtful.

Indeed, when they had left Rin alone, they had a moment to themselves. That was when Sae had made it clear that he didn’t return Shidou’s feelings. And yes, it was painful in a way, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t change it. He had to accept it.

“So you’re just going to accept it like that?” He couldn’t believe Ryusei could give up so easily. On the other hand, when it came to feelings, you couldn’t force someone else.

“What else am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know! It’s just… you don’t seem like the type to give up so easily or anything” he fumbled, embarrassed. He didn’t know whether to comfort him or say anything at all. Besides, he wasn’t used to talking about these kinds of things.

"I don’t like giving up, but you have to know when to let go. Besides, the fortune teller told me I’ll never be with Sae” he sighed dramatically, trying to lighten the mood.

“Why did you ask about Sae?” Shidou furrowed his brows, his voice a little louder than he intended. He could have asked about literally anything, and he chose Sae?

“I had to know if we were meant to be. And apparently, we’re not. You can’t change fate.”

“Yeah, maybe” he admitted, and then they both sat in silence, unsure if they should say anything else. The fireworks in the sky were almost over, yet they didn’t want to leave. It was too comfortable.

Finally, Rin let out a quiet sigh and forced himself to speak. “You know… since Sae wasn’t jealous, I didn’t accomplish what I was asked to do.”

“Huh?” Shidou looked at him, confused, not understanding why he was bringing this up.

“That means I can’t take my reward: two weeks off from you” he admitted quietly, and Shidou’s eyes widened with both joy and surprise.

"So that means I have the right to tease you even when we get back to Blue Lock?” he leaned closer, making Rin tense up sharply. Still, Rin took a deep breath to calm himself.

“I don’t care” he said, turning his face away. He could feel Shidou’s breath on his neck, making him feel like his pulse was racing.

“Really? Because that sounded like you wanted me to spend time with you” Shidou said, resting his head on Rin’s shoulder, gently pressing their bodies together.

“Shut up” Rin said, his face now clearly red. He could feel the warmth next to him, seemingly unwilling to go anywhere. He himself didn’t plan on moving either. He was even afraid to make the slightest movement that might make Shidou pull away.

Both of them enjoyed how perfectly their bodies fit together. It felt really nice.

They never thought their day would end like this.