chi

sae learned very quickly that you were gonna annoy him. for him to become your model. he never saw you this hyper before. it's like you got ten times more energized when you got the camera.

"sae! try to look cool!"

"sae not like that!"

"sae like this!"

"sae do a handstand!"

sae groans, absolutely not liking it. cause why are you telling him to do a handstand in the middle of a field?...of flowers ofcourse.

"can i try? handstand!" little rin tried, failing but he looked so adorable, you took pictures of him.

sae groaned, walking to you to turn the camera to himself, "not him. me."

sae was outside your place, ready to throw candies again when you already peeped out of the window, the candy hitting your head. you let out an ow, rubbing where you got hit.

you invited sae in. it was his very first time at your place. sae placed the candies in the bowl nearby, watching as you sat cross legged infront of the mirror, braiding your hair, tongue poking out in concentration.

"this is why you're late every time? you braid your hair so slow..."

you were too focused to pay attention to his words.

sae simply leans back on his palms, looking at you, popping the candies in his mouth once in a while, even feeding you time to time.

when you were done with setting your hair, you looked at him, smiling, "all done."

and sae pretends he never blushed, his cheeks puffed with embarrassment and candies.

you'd bring the same candies you both loved so much to after his practice sessions. he never shared them with anyone. not even rin.

sae never let anyone make fun of you. not about the silly candies, not about the silly camera you carried, not about your silly braids, not about the silly braid you'd absentmindedly make on the lower back ends of sae's hair. just like how astrid would braid for hiccup.

you and sae were glued to each other the whole childhood.

ofcourse he allowed that.

he was sick in love with you.

so when he told you it was time he went abroad for some soccer reasons you couldn't really grasp. cause you were already feeling so so sad, not wanting him to leave.

"sae...will you take pictures in spain?"

he wanted to say yes. but instead, he said that he'll be busy.

"sae..." you opened your arms, your eyes teary. he didn't hesitate to hug you, earning a gasp from little rin when you kissed sae's cheek.

"don't miss me, ok?" sae held your hand, and when he let go, there was that candy in your palm you liked the most.

you shook your head cause how are you supposed to not miss him?

that was the first time you cried for sae.

the second time was when you didn't feel the same for him anymore when he returned years later.

you don't know what happened.

still, you cried, cause you yourself didn't know what emotion you were feeling. you were too oblivious.

you grew up, getting used to flowers and sceneries. you'd stand in the middle of fields, taking pictures with a better camera your papa got you.

but you never allowed itoshi sae to peep into the camera again. never told him to model for you.

everytime you'd shrug him off, he'd ignore the annoyance.

that's till it happened again after the u-20 japan vs blue lock match.

everything all together was overwhelming.

so if you ignore or shrug him off again, he'd do something stupid.

and you ignore, turning the other way.

and he did something stupid.

something he never did before. something he didn't allow anyone to do.

he tugged on your braid.

"y/n," he calls sternly. you look at him and he pretended he didn't feel the warmth in his heart. the sundress you wore, the camera in your hands, the braides and the stupid silly cute adorable frown on your face, "im sorry."

you were used to simple things. flowers and sceneries, yeah. not this expensive restaurant. you almost felt embarrassed that you didn't wear something that matched the aesthetic.

"you look good," sae said softly.

you felt relieved. but you don't face at him. feeling too shy shy, "don't look at me like ive something stuck on my face."

"you have."

"what? where?"

"i lied."

you pause. eyebrows knitting together as you exhale, "you're not funny sae."

sae knows. it was a lame attempt to make you smile. didn't work apparently.

"i pretended a lot," sae starts, "i will stop that now only if you stop."

you blink. confused. so so confused, "what did i pretend?"

"that you don't like me."

your eyes go wide and your face goes tomato red. and you asked for proof. yes. proof and evidence that he found where you liked him.

"you cried because of me," sae gives a reason, "twice."

"listen, sae. one because you left. two because you were so mean."

"...i know. but i already said made up for that," sae defends, "your camera roll is full of me. you can't deny you didn't like me," he gives a other bit of evidence. oh and the debate starts. back and fourth.

"i take pictures of everything."

"you braided my hair."

"i love braiding. it calms me down."

"you cried when i was leaving."

"you're being mean—"

"you hugged me."

"i hug everyone."

"you kissed me."

"sae—"

"you liked me."

you open your mouth to deny but he flicks your forehead before you could defend yourself.

"how are you so oblivious, you dumb girl?"

"you're being cruel, sae."

"i'll confess."

he does. he doesn't go into detail. cause he doesn't know how to. he's as bad with emotions as much as you're oblivious with them.

what he doesn't confess: that your braids always made his heart flutter. your sundress he always found cute. your puffed and chubby cheekies when you got mad, the smile when you'd be satisfied with after taking pictures, your cute face when you cried for him and only him, your happy face eating the candies you both loved so much, your fingers that ran through his hair before you braided them, and how your overall sweet n soft spoken self made his heart race.

but what he did confess was short and simple. he was sick in love with you ever since childhood.

time passed so much that the candies from childhood were not being sold anywhere.

but the field of the flowers remained healthy.

you left the camera home. but the spirit of photography never left you. you didn't need a camera. your phone did the thing just fine as the two of you sat.

"sae," you smile innocently. the one he'd fall for everytime, "come here."

you tuck a little flower behind his ear.

he huffs, doing the same.

and you take a selfie, thinking he'd hate it for being too cheesy.

"...you took a picture of me after so long," he says, "send that to me."

"sae. why are you being so..."

"so what?"

"so romantic?"

really? you call that romantic? then sae showed you what real romance is.

you yelp when he hovered over you.

"you just noticed that im being romantic? stupid oblivious girl."

"sae—"

and he did something even more romantic.