#bankrupt

you barely looked at him. barely even acknowledged him beyond the most basic courtesy. a glance. a polite smile. a nod when necessary. nothing more. you didn’t fawn, didn’t blush, didn’t giggle. you didn’t trail after him or hang on his words. didn’t care when he slung a towel over his shoulder and his shirt clung to his skin post-practice. didn’t so much as glance at the stupid, limited-edition watch on his wrist that was probably worth your rent. 

and gosh, it drove him insane. 

at first, it was just an irritation. a minor dent to his ego. maybe you were just playing hard to get. maybe you were the kind who wanted to be chased. fine. he could play along. he was good at games. he could wait for you to crack. 

but you never did. 

weeks passed. then months. you were the same. cordial. friendly enough, but so completely unmoved by him, it made his eye twitch. you were kind, sure. sweet, even. just… not specifically to him. you treated him like he was just another guy. not reo mikage – the heir, the rising soccer star, the guy with a face and a bank account anyone would die for. 

and it left him a little unhinged. 

suddenly, he was the one looking for you at practice. lingering by the vending machine because he knew you always grabbed a drink there. making excuses to walk past the staff office, just in case you were there. he started trying, actually trying, to get your attention. 

he started lingering in conversations longer, waiting for you to notice his voice. he made half-hearted jokes to hear your laugh. let out exasperated sighs louder than necessary when he was tired, hoping you’d ask if he was okay. 

nothing. 

when he bought new shoes, he casually asked, "you like them?" 

you blinked. glanced at them briefly. "yeah, they’re cool." 

cool. cool. 

his shoes were custom-made and flown in from italy and all you could say was cool??? 

reo was losing his mind. 

the final straw came at a post-match event. he had just scored twice, and everyone was celebrating. people congratulated him, patted his back, showered him with praise. and then he saw you, quietly sitting on the terrace balcony, nursing a drink. he didn’t think twice before slipping away from the crowd and joining you. 

"you’re not celebrating?" he asked, feigning nonchalance. 

you glanced over, then back at the view. "i am. just not a fan of big crowds." 

he took that as an opening and slid into the seat next to you. surely, you’d see him differently tonight. he was riding the high of victory, practically glowing from it. girls were practically staring at him, but here he was, sitting next to you. 

"you saw the match, right?" he asked, eyes glinting, lips quirking into that signature smirk that usually made people weak in the knees. 

you hummed. "yeah, you were good." 

good. good. 

he was phenomenal. he scored the winning goal and you had the audacity to say good??? 

he didn’t even realize he was pouting slightly until you gave him a funny look. 

"what?" you asked, clearly confused by his expression. 

"nothing," he muttered, sulking into his seat. 

there was a beat of silence before you spoke again, your voice almost hesitant. 

"hey… do you think you could introduce me to nagi?" 

reo physically malfunctioned. he stared at you, mouth slightly open, unable to process what you just said. "what?" 

you smiled, completely oblivious to the dagger you’d just driven through his chest. "nagi. he seems cool. i feel like we’d get along." 

nagi. nagi. his lazy, bored, white-haired best friend. you wanted to meet nagi. 

for the first time in his life, reo mikage was faced with the impossible: rejection. not even outright rejection, just a complete, indifferent dismissal. you weren’t playing hard to get. you just… didn’t care. you weren’t interested. you didn’t look at him and see wealth or status or charm. you saw some guy. just reo. 

and as he sat there, stewing in disbelief, he realized two things. 

one: this was new territory. he’d never actually had to try before. 

two: he liked you more for it. 

because you weren’t shallow. you weren’t there for his money, his name, his easy charm. you didn’t fall for the things that made him likable to everyone else. and maybe it pissed him off at first, but it also made him want you more. 

so, as you kept rambling about how nagi seemed fun, completely unaware of the internal war raging inside him, reo downed the rest of his drink. 

fine. you wanted nothing to do with his wealth or charm? 

good. 

he’d just have to win you over the hard way. 

© 𝐤𝐱𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢