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you clearly spoke internally too soon. because you watched as sae's once blank expression soured into one of distaste, his nose scrunching up slightly.

great. he definitely hates me...

"i'm the uh, club president here!" you blurted to try and change the course of whatever he was thinking, "are you.. hear to play chess?", you smiled a little giddy at the thought of new members, especially one as attractive as itoshi sae.

though the longer you looked at his face, the more your hopefulness faded.

who am i kidding? of course he's not here to play chess.

...

unless..?

"i'm looking for someone. they said they go to this club" he said in a monotonous voice, crushing any hopes you had going on in your head. you didn't even attempt to mask the disappointment on your face.

"looking for someone?" you repeated still sulking, raising a brow, "who are you looking for-"

you tensed immediately cutting yourself off. remembering the texts you had with him. the way you had annoyed him, the information you had stupidly dropped...

wait a second.. he's ACTUALLY hunting me down??

your mouth nearly dropped in shock but you covered it up with a few coughs. you didn't even have time to think, panicking once you saw his sharp eyes scanning upon the pitiful number of people in the room and then straight at you.

i need to say something! quick!

"they might not be here yet!" you said quickly, "there are usually more people here, it's just.. no one really decided to show up today.." you lied. on a good day maybe five or six people showed up.

he didn't say anything.

"do you know anything about this particular person..?" you said, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"they're a second year." he said plainly

i told him i was a second year? oh lord-

"oh a second year? haha.. we have A LOT of those round here..." you said playing it cool.

"we do?" you heard a quiet voice whisper in the background.

NOW'S NOT THE TIME ITADORI.

you cleared your throat awkwardly, "a-anyway, you might as well wait here. there's a chance they might turn up late.. most people do that."

"do they..?" you heard yet another voice mutter.

MIDORIYA!

you shot a quick sharp look over your shoulder as itadori and midoriya burst unto a quiet fit of giggles. turning back to face the man of your dreams, you put on an awkward smile.

"you can play chess while you wait?" you said, gesturing to the table you were about to play yourself on from where the two of you still stood by the door.

"it's um.. really fun.." you added on trailing off, wincing at how pathetic and sad you sounded.

you honestly felt a tad bit bad lying to him. being the person he was looking for, it meant that realistically he wasn't really waiting for the person he was looking for to walk through.

then you dwelled on the fact that the question you were asking him. was actually quite pathetic, or at least it made you feel so. especially with the deafening silencing, making you want to shrink back and hide under one of the tables.

heck rin, yoichi and meguru won't even play chess with me... what makes me think itoshi sae will??

you were expecting him to walk out the door any second, maybe with a cold glare as he left the room (giving you a reason to cry yourself to sleep tonight). what you WEREN'T expecting was him to speak up-

"fine."

——————————

and that's how you ended up sitting across from the itoshi sae with a chess board between you two.

don't stress out y/n... you're only playing chess with your husband-to-be. no biggie, no biggie at all...

izuku and itadori had clearly read the room, opting for quiet whispers rather than their usual chattiness whilst they played each other.

meanwhile you shifted awkwardly in your seat, suddenly interested in the material of your skirt as the man sat across you stared down the pieces on the board on the table.

he was white and you were black, meaning he would be making the first move. but judging from the lack of movement on his part, you quickly realised he probably didn't know how to play.

so you looked up.

"um.. do you know how to play-"

he moved one of his centre pawns forward.

"oh." you said. looking down at the board. you were definitely not expecting that.

he knows how to play chess? i think i just fell in love all over again

you had to clear your throat.

"i didn't think football players would know how to play chess if i'm being honest, haha..." you said, moving on of your own pawns forward.

the game started to flow and you could tell with the moves he was playing that he wasn't exactly a beginner. your eyebrows furrowed slightly.

do i go easy on him then..?

you wondered. you'd probably be able to win. despite not having anyone to play for a couple of weeks due to the lack of attendance, you still tried your best to play random strangers online on chess.com. though...

if i beat him.. that'll give him another reason to hate me probably..

you then chuckle to yourself.

but if i beat him, i can assert dominance... hehehe..

as the game carried on silently. a few pieces were exchanged but your mind couldn't help but be distracted, trying to think of things to say, the silence was killing you.

i might never get a chance to speak with him like this, yolo i guess..

after a short while of mental conflict, you eventually spoke up nervously.

"my name's l/n, by the way. y/n l/n."

for the first time since he sat down, his eyes locked with yours. a bored expression on his face, unnerving. you gulped, but held eye contact nonetheless.

he didn't reply, and instead moved his next piece.

ok. i just got aired.

you were entering the midgame, it was around some point during that time that you could hear the defeated noises of itadori losing again. you didn't have to look to know that they were about to play each other for the fifth time.

it was actually a bit frustrating that you weren't winning by as much as you thought you would be in your game against sae, and you showed it with the frown on your features. perhaps you had actually gotten a bit rusty.

in actual fact, it was hard to pay attention to chess in front of you when you had a drop dead gorgeous man in front of you as well. one that seemed to dislike making conversation with you.

which was fine, you'd keep trying.

"how bout we make a bet? you know, to keep things interesting," you said trying to play it cool, your bishop taking his knight.

he looked up at you again. and you really couldn't tell what he was thinking, but you assumed he was intrigued. so you continued.

"if i win, i get your number." you grinned, a new found boldness to win emerging inside of you. sae looked as if ,not that you could see since you were smiling with your eyes closed. well you were until a split second later when you froze and realisation washed over you

wait a second... i already HAVE his number. if i win, WAIT-

"ACTUALLY... i don't want your number, now that i think about it.." you laughed awkwardly, moving one of your pieces without much thought behind it.

"good. i wasn't going to give it to you anyway." he said bluntly, glaring at you ever so slightly. you sighed quietly in relief.

right. that was way too close.. me and my stupid mouth.

"fine. if i win then.. can i get your autograph?" you asked. after all, according to yoichi, sae was quite popular in the football world. you could already picture the autograph pinned on your wall back home in your room.

he said nothing.

well. he didn't say no.

a few more moves were taken.

"and if you lose?" he said, you were mildly surprised he held up the conversation. a small smile made its way to your face at the thought.

'hahaha... me? lose to you?'

is what you wanted to say, but you decided after some thought that that wouldn't end up well for you. besides-

"check." he said, moving his queen forward, finding an opening that you were unaware of.

you frowned, you were hoping to get the first check yourself. having no choice but to move your king along a square, you did just that.

"um.. well if i lose. i guess i can help you find that person you're looking for." you offered, "i'm also a second year."

and then i'd get to spend more time with him.. without him knowing i'm the person he's looking for! it's a win win for me!

wait.

your mouth then formed a tight straight line as you realised you had just dropped the fact that you were a second year. you slowly looked down to avoid eye contact.

you'd like to think that sae didn't take note of the way you suddenly went quiet. but with your eyes glued down at the chess board, you failed to notice the way his eyes, narrowed, lingered on you for a second longer before too looking down at the table.

——————————

it wasn't until around fifteen minutes later when the endgame arrived. the two of you were down to your last pieces.

at that point you weren't really focused on the game, not anymore at least.

you found yourself prolonging the quick glances you were giving sae earlier, longing stares instead were sent his way.

clearly you were too busy checking him out, because before you knew it...

"checkmate."

you blinked. his deep voice breaking you out of your trance as you casted your eyes away from his and down at the board in front of you.

"eh?"

surely enough, he had used his rook and queen and cornered you in checkmate.

you were completely stunned, looking down in disbelief and widened eyes.

two overdramatic gasps could be heard in the background, accompanied with some not so discreet whispers.

"no way..."

"he beat l/n..?"

"but l/n never loses!"

you ignored them, of course. when you finally found your voice-

"I LOST!?"

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SUMMARY: in which 2nd-year y/n l/n one day turns up at their high school and falls heads over heels with a certain 3rd-year, one who has a strict ‘no-dating’ policy.

“don’t you think you’re being petty?” he asks. you say nothing, flipping a page louder than necessary to get the point across. i’m ignoring you. 

jinu sighs. “you know, you’re gonna have to come out of there eventually. i won’t bother you.” 

another page flipped.  

jinu throws his hands up in surrender. “fine! be that way.” 

you scoff at his lack of effort as he walks away, but you didn’t bother replying to him as you continued to read your book. 

hours passed and there was no sign of jinu, a part of you couldn’t help but feel disappointed at the fact that jinu kept his word and didn’t bother you. 

you swallowed, cringing at how dry your throat feels, looking around the living room, you see no sign of your demon boyfriend. surely, you can grab a glass of water and get back in your circle to finish your book.

you step carefully over the circle, making sure that your step makes no sound and that the salt stays in place. 

you let out a sigh in relief, only to scream in shock once a dark mist appears and a hand pulls you into a warm body. 

“hi there, sweetheart.” jinu whispers sweetly into your ear. you thrash against his hold, trying to pull away but you were no match for his inhumane strength as he had the audacity to laugh at your attempts. 

when you calmed down, jinu turned you around to face him, smirking at the pout on your face. 

“are you ready to talk now?” he asks. you shake your head slightly. “there’s nothing to talk about, jinu.”

“that can’t be right.” he clicks his tongue. “my sweetheart is mad at me. i want to fix things.”

jinu places a finger under your chin and tilts it up to face him. “let’s fix this, please?” 

you relent, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. 

“i really… didn’t appreciate you leaning close to rumi like that.” you say quietly, almost as if you dreaded what he would say. you expected him to call you overdramatic, that it didn’t mean anything or that you were blowing things out of proportion. 

“i see.” jinu replies, pulling you closer to his chest. “i’m sorry. i’ll do better. i should’ve thought how you would feel.” huh?

you pull away to see jinu looking at you with a serious expression. 

“i won’t do it again, promise.” you couldn’t find the words to say as you let him whisk you onto the couch. 

“can you promise me something too?” 

“what?”

“let me know when you need assurance. there’s only ever you for me.” 

abby: 

you and abby were in a standstill. you expressed displeasure about how his fans were too touchy and that he should establish a boundary between them because his body was yours to touch, not theirs. abby only patted your head and called you cute but did nothing to address your concerns and that irked you off. 

“baby, you aren’t serious right?” 

“yes i am.” you say as you cross your arms, sitting in your circle of salt, glaring at your boyfriend who looked like he wanted to cry. 

“all because a few randoms flirted with me? baby you know you’re the only one for me.” the way he brushes off your reason for being pissed off only serves to piss you off even more. 

you rolled your eyes, even going as far as to turn your back on him, huffing. 

a groan escapes abby’s lips. “babe, come on you can’t be serious.” you say nothing. 

“fine! be that way, let’s see who cracks first.” he says, sitting down on the couch and crossing his arms, staring straight at you as if he were challenging you. 

it was on. 

you spent the next hour on your phone, quickly liking then scrolling away angrily whenever a fanedit of your boyfriend appears on your feed. 

you didn’t spare him a glance but you were aware that he was still sitting on the couch behind you. your ass was starting to hurt from sitting on the ground. why couldn’t you have drawn your ring of salt around the couch instead? you think to yourself, almost wanting to get out of your circle just to stretch your legs. 

a sound almost resembling a whine interrupts your thoughts, you pivot slightly to see abby looking at you with a frown on his face. 

“are you seriously still mad?” the sad lilt in his voice made your body turn back around to completely face him. 

“you’re already cracking?” you couldn’t help but challenge him, a brow raised as your lover downright pouts. 

“babe, do you know how hard it is to have you so close to me but i can’t hold you?” 

“and whose fault is that?” you countered, crossing your arms. abby stands up and rounds the circle. 

“mine, sure. whatever, but please, let me hold you? we can talk about it more but i really need to hold you right now.” abby puts out his hand, a sad expression on his face as he waits for your response. 

“i’ll do better.” 

with a sigh, you reach out, your hand pushing through the salt ring’s barrier. abby immediately pulls you away from the damned circle, causing a yelp to escape your lips.

you were immediately greeted by a hard chest and abby’s face nuzzling into your neck. 

“‘m sorry babe! i know it’s hard to have a boyfriend who’s so hot that people just wanna touch his abs all the time–” you cut him off with you trying to pull his arms away from your form.

“let me go!” but there was no real bite behind your words.

“no, but in all seriousness. i’ll put a boundary between me and my fans.” he says, staring right into your eyes with an expression of sincerity. 

“i’d even put a boundary between me and the other saja boys if that’d mean you’d never put a boundary between us again.” 

you soften slightly, your hands patting his arms, which only causes him to hold you tighter. 

“you mean it?” you asked, pulling away from him to cup his face in your hands. abby nods, determined. 

“even jinu?” 

“well…”

“abby!”

“i’m kidding!”

the two of you shared a laugh over it, and your boyfriend kept his word. he put a boundary with his fans immediately when he had an event. 

he’d rather not touch anyone ever again than have you put space between the two of you again. 

romance: 

“oh?” the pink haired man asked, a smirk on his face as he crossed his arm and looks at the circle that was drawn around the couch. 

“and what have i done to warrant such a violent response from my lover?” he asked, tilting his head to the side, a frown on his face. 

“oh, are you talking to me? or the throw pillow beside me?” you answer sarcastically. romance sighs as he walks over to you, his hand reaching out only for him to hiss as the salt barrier burns him. 

“it hurts.” 

you roll your eyes. “good. i need space.” 

romance bites back a smirk, you were so adorable in his eyes that he couldn’t take the frown that was on your face seriously. 

“my love are you not aware? distance is only but a means to test how far our love can travel” he places a hand to his chest. “and it hurts me to see you intentionally test our unconditional love.” he sighs dramatically, but you weren’t in the mood.

“do you say this to all the people in your life or am i just lucky?” romance’s brows furrowed in confusion as you don’t play along with him. . 

you say nothing as you swiped on your phone and threw it in his direction, your phone hitting him square on the chest. romance takes a look on the screen and sees a gossip blog about him and a huntrix member, the focal point was the fancam of him smirking at her and placing his chin on his hand that was propped on the table. 

‘saja boys’ romance… romancing with huntrix’s mira?!’ the article read. 

romance takes another look at you who refused to meet his eyes, a small pout on your face as you hugged a throw pillow to your chest. 

“lover…” romance trails off. you flick your head to the side. “i really don’t wanna talk to you right now, romance.”

he didn’t think about how his actions would reflect the media, his intentions were only to piss the huntrix member off but it seemed like oblivious fans took it out of context. 

“i know that you’re flirty but i thought it was only for me.” you say quietly, still not looking at him. romance frowns, feeling his heart drop to his stomach as you remain saddened by his actions. “it sucks i have other people to share with when it comes to your affection.”

“my love—” romance kneels in front of the couch, a frown on his face as he reaches for you, baring his teeth as the circle burns his skin. 

“rome, what are you doing?!” 

“trying to reach you, my love.” he says, hissing out his words as you can see the layers of his skin peel, against better judgment, you swipe away at the salt, your lover almost falling face first into the sofa. 

“let me see that.” you say, grabbing his hand, clicking your tongue as you examined the burns. 

almost in a flash, romance’s skin goes back to normal in front of your very eyes and before you could react, you feel romance intertwine his hand with yours, his other one coming to sandwich your hand between his. 

“my lover…” romance trails off, “i apologize for making you feel that way. it was never my intention.” you still wouldn’t look at him. romance, still kneeling, places a kiss on your hand. 

“you are the only one to receive the highest severity of my affections. i’m sorry for making you doubt that. thank you for letting me know.” he says as he places another tender kiss on your knuckles, his lips staying on your skin for longer. 

“let me make it up to you?” 

before you could even respond, he whisks you in his arms, carrying you to your shared bedroom, wrapping you in your fluffy blankets and playing your comfort show as he cuddles you on the bed. 

he’d spend his entire lifetime just to show you that only you mattered to him.

mystery: 

something about your boyfriend is that he is feral. almost like a rabid dog if you’re being honest. but all rabid dogs eventually soften up and become affectionate to their owners, and it was no doubt that mystery fell into that category, he hated other people but he loved being around you. 

however, he shows his love in the form of biting. and (un)fortunately for you, your skin became his favorite chew toy. 

your skin became a canvas showcasing different shades of red, blue and purple, teeth indents scattered around from your arm, to your thighs even on your cheeks. 

you can barely move without any soreness, and you can’t even be mad. you loved mystery and you loved that he loved you just as equally. 

but your body needs a break. you fear that your skin might actually not recover. and it wasn’t as if you haven’t asked your boyfriend nicely. in fact, the fact that they’re just bruises instead of teeth indents was already an improvement. 

you just needed a break.  

the saja boys arrived back home after a fansigning event, mystery headed straight to his room, where you were in so that he could recharge, only for him to literally fall on his knees as he sees you sleeping on the couch, a ring of salt drawn around it. 

you were awoken to a whimper. your bleary eyes blinked to see your boyfriend with a pout on his face as his eyes were trained to you. 

“why are you doing this?” you unconsciously pout at the sad tone mystery uses. 

“myst, come on. my skin needs a break! there’s more bruises than skin.” you say as you gestured to your arms. 

“you know, people would think you’re hurting me.” you say in passing and you can see mystery tense up. 

“i would never hurt y—” “i know!” you cut him off, “but walking around with these marks would make people think otherwise.” 

“but… that’s my way to show you affection. i love seeing my marks on you.” if mystery were to hypothetically have dog ears, it would be flat against his head right now as he looks at you with a sad expression. 

you bit your lip, feeling your resolve chip away as you can see the distance between the two of you affect him. 

before you could even think of an appropriate response, mystery hisses as he forces his way in the ring of salt. 

“mystery!” you say, moving to break it but mystery snarls at you. “no, i need to know the pain my bites bring you.” 

“mystery, your bite only stays for a few days, i don’t need you burning yourself alive for me!” you say as you swiped away the salt, taking mystery in your arms as you tried soothing the burn on his skin. 

mystery’s lips tremble. “so… i’m not allowed to bite you anymore?” 

you part his bangs, placing a kiss on his forehead, thinking of a compromise. 

“how about… whenever you bite me, i bite back? that way, you can feel ” mystery’s head perks up, a small smile forming on his face as he gives you a curt nod. 

you moved first, placing a gentle bite on his arm, mystery purrs happily before he chomps down on yours. 

“myst, too hard!” 

“..sorry.”

needless to say, there was work that needed to be done but the marks on your skin noticeably lessened. 

 baby: 

you knew that baby rarely showed his affection and that the fact that you were his lover should’ve been enough. but lately, it felt like you were the only one exerting effort in your relationship and it was beginning to take a toll on you. 

you decided on giving him the same treatment back. 

you barely brushed a kiss on his cheek, you don't hug him back when he hugs you goodbye and you even resorted to sleeping in the guest room. 

baby thought nothing of it, in fact, when you fall asleep, he sneaks in the guest room to drape an arm on your waist and hold you. but you don’t realize it as he wakes up and leaves before you. 

you weren’t getting the point across. actually, baby thought your avoidant ways were adorable.

you needed to change your ways and do something even more drastic. 

the saja boys just finished a grueling dance practice and baby wanted nothing to do but rest in your arms, maybe even ask how your day has been. 

he was well aware that he was putting strain on your relationship by not giving the effort you deserved. he knows that his upcoming comeback was no excuse. but today marked the last day before the comeback’s release, the group was given a week to recuperate before promotions, and baby knew that he’d spend all ten thousand and eighty minutes glued to you, but who was counting? 

he clicks his tongue as he enters the room, seeing a ring of salt around the bed where you lay, scrolling through your phone. 

“this is how we’re playing now?” baby asked, you looked up, staring straight at him, voice monotone as you responded. 

“go away, baby.” 

the blue haired demon only smirks as he rounds the bed, toeing slightly at the salt ring, chuckling as his boot sizzles against it. 

“really? where’d you get this technique, the dark web?” he says sarcastically. “are you planning to exorcise me in my sleep too?”

you huff, crossing your arms. 

“it’s keeping you away, so it’s working even if you make fun of me!” 

“what brought this on, sweetheart?”

“dunno.” you answered, lying down and turning away from him. “go away.”

baby stays quiet, too quiet that you didn’t even know if he was still in the room, but you didn’t wanna turn and check if he’s still inside the room. 

you sigh sadly to yourself, you didn’t even know where this back and forth was going because it was obvious to you that baby didn’t see what was wrong and why you were acting that way. 

“hey.” you let out a screech as arms wrap around your waist, turning you around and pulling you flush against your boyfriend’s chest. 

“w-wh— how? what?” you sputtered out your words as baby smiles mischievously. 

“the thing about salt rings is that… there’s always gonna be a portion that’s drawn thinly.” he says as he gestures towards the foot of the bed. 

“seems like you overlooked that, babe.” you clicked your tongue but went limp in his hold nonetheless. 

“now,“ baby starts. “do you wanna tell me what’s wrong?” his hand comes up to cup your cheek, his thumb rubbing on your skin. you don’t face him as you answer. 

“i felt like i was being neglected by you.” you say, voice  barely above a whisper. “and i didn’t know how to bring it up because you were always so busy and–” baby cuts you off with a soft kiss on your forehead. 

“‘m sorry.” he says, voice matching yours. “it was unfair to you, i know. i’ll do better.” you couldn’t shake the sincerity from his voice as he forces you to look at his golden eyes. 

“you’re always welcome to talk to me, i’ll make time for you, always, okay?” he presses a kiss on your chin, “i’m sorry.” a kiss on your cheek. 

“i’ll do better.” another kiss on your forehead. 

“i don’t deserve you.” finally, a kiss on your lips. you reciprocate, not knowing that tears were slowly slipping from your closed eyes. 

you didn’t realize that you were overthinking for nothing and that you didn’t need to go to such lengths, but baby understands. baby made an oath to himself to never make you feel this way again.

he promises to never be the cause of your tears ever again. 

“you need to bend your knees a little more.”

frozen stiff from the unexpected company, you awkwardly try to bend your knees further, all while staring at the ground. if sae was nice, he’d laugh and joke around with you, asking why you seemed so scared of him. but he’s not, so he only sighs and stands beside you while you try.

after a few more seconds, sae understands you don’t really understand so he moves to push down on your thigh, and by then you really freeze up, falling flat on your ass in front of him.

sae wants to laugh now, really, because it’s amusing how nervous you are. for no good reason too.

the next time sae talks to you, it’s during lunch time when he queues up behind you. on purpose. he doesn’t even usually eat from this stall, but seeing you there makes him want to mess with you a little. he purposely stands a little too close, makes himself prone to an accidental bump.

which does happen. because you’re just like that.

“oh, sor—” you stop midway as if realising it’s sae immediately dissolves you of any obliged apologies. “sorry,” you force out before whipping your attention back in front. the both of you don’t talk in that moment and sae can’t help but feel a little disappointed.

but sae continues to help you during phys ed classes, and you still try to get assigned to be his group mate. nothing groundbreaking happens during sophomore year of high school because nothing is born out of it.

nothing, except maybe a tiny bit of sae’s inexplicable emotions for you.

HIGH SCHOOL: SENIOR YEAR

sae thinks maybe you went to a shrine over the holidays. how else would he explain you finally getting partnered with him on a project? and to top it off, it’s a two-person team for the entire year.

you get him all to yourself.

the moment the teacher calls your name after his, it’s like sae can practically see your tail wagging. you manage to compose yourself when you catch him staring at you though.

it’s a little cute, if he’s being honest.

“so, what do you think our project should be about?” your voice wavers a little when you speak to him. is he that intimidating?

sae wonders what if he tries to be a dick during this project. would you be obedient or would you actually bite back?

he tries to find out.

sae shrugs and acts disinterested, staring out the window of the second floor of the library where you’d both agreed to meet to work on it together. “don’t know, don’t care, think you could handle it for us? i’ve got too many soccer trainings, too tired.”

for a split second, you’re taken aback—he sees you sitting upright a little more, blinking twice at him because surely that’s not what you imagined your crush to behave like. not when he has straight As and is almost the top of your cohort.

and for a while, sae thinks you might actually be the former; obediently listening to him, making sure he’s happy. but then you furrow your brows and clench your fists and go “itoshi sae, who do you think you are” and oh, oh, you’re not the former, you’re the latter and you’d actually kill him if he was a dick. fuck.

somehow his hands instinctively come up in surrender and his mouth opens, “i was just kidding.”

it’s almost comical how your expression softens up immediately and you laugh, and sae keeps staring at you because you actually have a really nice smile. he never really noticed it before. and when the two of you actually get started on the project, sae finds himself observing you more than actually contributing.

yeah, you’re really quite pretty.

“any plans for the summer?”

it’s now almost july and summer break is around the corner, and to be honest sae’s kind of bummed about it. it’s beyond him why not seeing you would make him disappointed, but he’s not going to try and pursue the reason. he has his training camps to worry about.

“soccer. you?”

“mmm, a short trip with my parents.”

usually sae would leave it at that, but he asks about you, and he sees that tail wagging again. “where?”

“just gonna go to hokkaido,” you tell him. and you look like you’re anticipating him to ask more, but sae’s stuck. he doesn’t really know what to ask. he’s not exactly curious as to what you’d be doing there.

so you take matters into your own hand when you swiftly grab his phone from the table, key in your number and call yourself from his phone before putting it right back. sae watches you the whole time, wondering when exactly you’d gotten this bold.

“there, now you can’t escape me even over summer break.”

and he doesn’t. because you text him about your trip when you’re there, you send him pictures of the scenery and of the food you’re eating and you’re really inconsiderate because you send him that shit when he’s stuck in soccer bootcamp with twenty-four sweaty guys who’s none the better than him.

sae can end it by all means, just by not responding to you, but for the first time, talking to someone isn’t really a pain, and he thinks you’re kind of funny and the stickers you send are kind of cute so he’ll let this continue. even if by continue he means sending mediocre, lacklustre responses that just barely manages to keep the conversation going.

(in sae’s mind at eighteen, sending replies like okay and i see are considered acceptable and subjectively considered effort.)

when summer break finally ends and it’s early september, sae finally sees you again while he walks to school. he walks a little faster just to catch up to you before he adjusts his pace, acts like it’s coincidence that he’s right beside you.

and somehow he’s made it a routine; to memorise what bus you get off of and catch you on the way to school. even if he sees you in classes and even after classes in the library.

you’re acting a little less like he’s on a podium and more like normal friends and he kind of likes that. he likes being able to see you unfiltered when you gossip, likes seeing you laugh at stupid lame jokes, likes the way you hang close to him whenever you’re beside him.

okay maybe like is a little stretching it, he doesn’t mind being able to tolerate it. or maybe he’s just in denial, whatever.

winter comes and it’s somehow the time when more girls try to talk to him, mainly because somehow the school decides to hold a winter event this year; it’s going to be held near the edge of the city, where the biggest skating rink is.

by his guess, most girls are looking for a guy to have a skating date with.

in the library during your usual meetup for the school project, sae gets more than a couple visitors trying to get him for that same reason. you eye everyone that approaches the table, and sae can’t help but notice how he actually likes when you’re pouty. maybe it’s his twisted thinking that jealousy means you’re still into him.

“itoshi-kun, i was thinking whether you wanted to go to the winter event together?” another girl from your class, mizuno, asks him, and sae is tired of it, frankly. but he doesn’t show it. he only looks at you, and you look back at him because he doesn’t usually stare for this long.

then, he looks at mizuno and rejects her.

“sorry, can’t, i’m going with y/n.”

(you get home that day being completely flustered and completely happy.)

on the day of the event, sae keeps his word. he goes with you, sticks beside you the entire time. his friends snap pictures of the two of you and you always look so embarrassed. maybe you’re just not used to all of this attention. but that’s fine, it’s cute.

one thing he learns about you is that you can be real clumsy sometimes. like now, when you get so excited over your watermelon slushie that you somehow spill it all over your jacket and clothes.

sae ends up giving you his puffy winter jacket while he braves the cold with whatever he has left. that’s fine, he’s strong. besides, getting to watch you wear his jacket the entire time feels like a bonus somehow.

he thinks by now you should confess already, but you don’t. you’re happy to stay in this bubble with him right now, whichever phase the two of you are at. so is he. it feels kind of nice.

feels especially nice when you hang onto him for dear life in the skating rink even though neither of you are moving. sae’s aware that people are staring holes into both of you but it’s strange how much he doesn’t mind when it’s with you. that’s why he holds his hands out, lets you take them, makes himself pull you along. he finds himself wishing neither of you were wearing gloves so he could feel how soft your hands are.

by the end of the day, everyone takes it that the both of you are together, even though the both of you are too avoidant to talk about it.

“hey, sae? thanks for today,” you say later that night when everything is done and you’d had the giddiest experience with sae. he’s walking you home and he doesn’t even know why; it’s a mystery to him why he keeps himself close whenever he can.

“it’s fine, i was the one who told people i was going with you, so.”

when he gets you to your front porch, you don’t go in immediately, standing right there with your back facing him, and sae wonders what’s going through your head. if only he could see the expression on your face right now, maybe he’d know.

you let him; because you turn around, giving him a big smile before you take a step forward and press a chaste kiss on his cheek, immediately turning on your heel and running into your house.

neither of you say bye, both of you are just a little too stunned to speak. sae stands out there in the cold for a little while longer, his face and ears red—he’s not even sure whether it’s from the weather or from you—but even when he starts to leave, you’re still slumped at your front door, covering your face in embarrassment, knees too weak to stand up.

there’s only one more quarter left until you graduate and sae and you both act like nothing happened that day. you still gossip unfiltered and he still listens but acts like he doesn’t.

except now instead of sitting across from you, he opts to sit directly beside you. sometimes sits a little too close just so your arms will brush against each other. sae also lets you keep his puffy jacket because you said you liked it.

you wear it throughout winter.

when graduation comes around and it’s time for sae to choose his university, he can’t help but take a peek at your screen. a smile comes to his face when he sees your first choice is the same as his. you’re smart too, he doesn’t doubt you’ll get in.

“itoshi sae, you can smile?”

sae immediately turns it into a frown. “guess not.”

you take your words back. “hey, i’m just kidding! it’s just rare… that’s all.”

so you notice him a lot then?

sure, you might not have seen him smile a lot. but that’s fine. from what sae knows, you have the entirety of your university years to possibly catch it.

UNIVERSITY: FRESHMAN YEAR

of course you enter the same university as itoshi sae. it’s not on purpose, but you’re glad you both made it here anyway.

at least knowing one friendly face is better than none.

to be honest, you’re not really sure where you and sae stand. he’s never said anything about that kiss, but he also doesn’t stay away from you. can you take that as a positive thing?

if anything, he’s even closer.

somehow, his dorms and yours are practically next door. when you open your bathroom window, you can look right into his. it happened once, by accident, and you’d caught him, shirtless with just a white towel hanging around his neck, hair damp as he brushes his teeth, the droplets of water on his abs looking very inviting.

but then he caught you staring and you’ve shut your bathroom window ever since. thankfully, he never mentions it.

being in university and staying in campus meant that you were both hanging out much more informally. and you’d think that two people at the age of nineteen who’d known each other for three years would be less awkward than this but it’s you and sae and somehow there’s always an element of awkwardness.

it’s halfway into your freshman year and you’d just watched the first match that sae’s playing for the university team. you’re a little starstruck, honestly. to think that the guy you’ve always had a crush on is this good at soccer.

he’s amazing. you’re feeling like a potato sack.

“hey, you know him right?” hime gushes.

your friends are with you, so it’s natural they ask.

mira on your left sighs, “guess we have no shot with him since he’s with y/n all the time,” she says, nudging you in the elbow.

you’re starting to regret bringing them here with all the teasing. you’re also regretting coming here yourself because you see several girls running to him asking for a picture together. some of which you recognise, some of which are the popular girls.

sae doesn’t stop them from snapping what they can, but he also doesn’t stop for them at all. instead, he saunters over to you, hime and mira wordlessly disappearing to the side.

“gimme that,” sae says, gesturing to the phone in your hand. you obey, of course, and he smirks, then he snaps a selfie with you before tossing your phone back and walking off.

the pairs of eyes on you make you half-embarrassed yet half-proud. even with this many fangirls, sae chooses to come to you.

that night sae asks you to send him the picture.

yeah, maybe you can take that as a positive thing.

freshman year after that is generally uneventful. you and sae are both trying to find your footing, with him preoccupied mostly with soccer trainings while you’re drowning in assignments and projects that have nothing to do with him.

but you still see him in the mornings sometimes, when you walk past your common room and he’s in his, and you wave at him when he’s alone so you’re not so shy, and he nods in acknowledgement before he just walks away.

one night while you’re burning the midnight oil trying to cram some accounting knowledge into your brain, you get a text from sae.

wanna get supper?

both of you end up at one of the supper spots outside of school, a little cosy shop that sells boba and ramen even after midnight.

“why’d you wanna get supper?”

sae shrugs, taking a sip of his plain water. “just bored, couldn’t sleep.”

“isn’t this soccer season? you can’t even eat anything in here, it’s definitely not passable for your diet.”

he sighs, leaning back against his chair. “so? quit whining and start eating your shit already.”

if it was some other guy you’d be rolling your eyes and storming off. but it’s sae and you know him and he thinks he’s talking normally like this. besides, when you catch his eyes flicker up to lock with yours you get a little dizzy inside.

“what’re you up so late for anyway?”

sae’s fingers are drumming lightly against the surface of the metal table, teal eyes diligently observing as you bring the strands of noodle to your lips. “told you, i couldn’t sleep.”

you find that strange; he’s always been able to sleep, no problem. and he’s strict about his eight hour sleep schedule. what could be getting to the great itoshi sae?

(sae’s lying through his teeth; having his bedroom right across from yours means he can see when your lights aren’t out. sue him for being a little concerned.)

“so, heard you and the team are going on a soccer trip somewhere in europe,” you bring up. you’d heard it from your friends, strangely, instead of sae himself.

he nods. “yeah, just a select few,” he tells you, “only if we win the tournament though, then the team’ll officially invite us over.”

so-called team you heard about is real madrid, and you’d be crazy to think that sae couldn’t help your university team win on his own.

“guess i won’t be seeing you around when you go,” you mumble idly, not completely aware of what you’re basically saying.

sae is adept at reading in between the lines, but he doesn’t probe you on it. he’s not sure he wants to. he doesn’t know what this is. do you still like him? does he like you too? all these feelings are new; sae doesn’t know what to do with it.

so he keeps it to himself. for now.

he doesn’t really do a good job at following through with it though, because on the day of the tournament finals, he looks at you and winks right as he orchestrates that winning goal for his team, and you’re left wondering if you’re imagining things.

UNIVERSITY: SOPHOMORE YEAR

the final part of your freshman year went and gone, and it didn’t go exactly how you imagined it to be. you didn’t expect to hear from sae at all when he went on his trip after that tournament.

but you did.

he replied you whenever he had the time. told you anything you asked for. even called you when you had a mini meltdown because of finals.

to be frank, you don’t know what the both of you are anymore. you’re cursing yourself for being too scared to ask.

“hey y/n, have you seen hime anywhere?”

it’s oliver asking, captain of the university’s soccer team and also hime’s current situationship. he’d started hitting her up since that first time sae played and brought attention to you and the people around you.

“yeah, she’s by the pool with mira.”

oliver leaves as soon as you tell him, and you stand awkwardly at the corner of the living room, by the full panel of glass windows, wondering if you should just go home. you’d only came because hime and mira both said you needed to experience a party at least once this year but now you’re surrounded by people making out and drunkards slipping into the pool that it makes you regret giving this a shot at all.

especially since sae’s not going to be back till tomorrow, garnering as much interest as he did during his time in spain. you really have no reason to be here.

“hey there, pretty.”

startled, you find a familiar face up close in your personal space, his finger twirling your hair. you’d recognise that head of blonde and pink anywhere.

“oh, you’re ryusei shido right? you’re on the soccer team with sae,” you think out loud, and he nods, and you can see his blonde lashes so closely it’s making you flustered.

“mhm, fwhat’s a pretty girl like you doing all alone in a corner? seems like a shame,” he comments, though he doesn’t even give you a chance to answer. the next thing you know, shido drags you into a drinking game with hime and mira (which is why your first instinct wasn’t to run off, if you could trust anyone it’s your best friends). although, shido is getting annoyingly close and you can’t decide if you’re nervous or annoyed.

and the heavens surely love you when they let shido draw the card that corresponds to a dare, and they love testing your boundaries when some guy called otoya dares him to kiss you.

but no, you know that the heavens really do love you when someone yanks shido’s hair back and pulls him away from your face, taking his spot in between the both of you in the bid for proximity that you don’t mind because it’s itoshi sae.

“sae, what’re you doing here? i thought you wouldn’t be back till tomorrow,” you ask, a little shell-shocked but you still notice he’s discerning frown and how there’s barely any space between the two of you.

he looks at you, tilting his head, “what? my girl’s not happy to see me here?”

you don’t respond. half because you think you’re dreaming and fuck—really, did he just call you his girl?

“eh? i don’t recall you having a girlfriend?” shido leers, a hand on the spot of his head where sae had pulled on earlier.

“yeah, besides, shido still has to do the dare.” otoya sounds bored more than anything, but the guy beside him, karasu, if you remember correctly, is smirking.

sae sighs, and you feel like you must’ve crossed the boundary to another dimension when you feel sae’s lips on yours, and you think you’re in limbo when you feel his hand on your neck, pulling you close. his tongue pries your lips apart and people are whistling while shido’s behind him saying get a fucking room or i’ll beat off to this.

when the object of your affection finally pulls away, you’re met with the same pair of unbothered teal eyes, the pair that immediately turns to face otoya. “there, did it for him. now move on.”

you’re beginning to thank alcohol for its existence when almost everyone obeys wordlessly, moving on to some other guy’s turn. you really can’t remember who sits on shido’s right when all you can think of is that itoshi sae, your longtime high school crush, actually kissed you.

that’s enough to warrant the question, right? the question of what sae takes you for?

the inner debate sparks long into the night, even when sae walks you back to your apartment, the both of you side by side in silence.

“sae, what was that?”

he plays coy. “what was what?”

you’re only a little tipsy, so you can still tolerate his avoidance. “you confuse me a lot, you know that?”

sae doesn’t take the bait. “oh, i see.”

“you were jealous.” he was. he really was. you can tell; he was sour to shido the entire night. he stuck close to you too, sometimes your fingers brushed against each other’s.

“so what if i was?”

this one is new. sae’s actually admitting it. and usually you’d chicken out but you can see your apartment coming into view and you don’t want to let this go.

“what am i to you, sae?” you manage to choke it out a few feet away from the door, and sae stops in his tracks, hands in his pocket and teal eyes looking heavenward.

you’re beginning to regret your decision to ask; you’re not sure if his indecision is a good or bad thing. nothing seems to be simple when it comes to itoshi sae.

but he does nothing to appease your confusion when he steps in front of you, his body pressed flush against yours as he presses another kiss to your lips, and you think this one is special because it’s not done in the name of a dare or in front of anyone else. this kiss is for you and you alone and sae is doing this on purpose.

when he pulls back, you see him furrow his brows and you can tell that maybe he’s just as confused as you are.

“when i managed to get an earlier slot for my flight, all i could think about was how excited i was to see you.”

is this… a confession? you’re even more confused now that you don’t even know what to say.

to be honest, so is sae, which is why he swallows the lump in his throat and relegates to his apartment, “goodnight.”

things after that change just a little.

you’d decided to go with the flow, just because you really don’t want to sabotage whatever friendship you and sae had left, although most of the time, sae is the one toeing the line. even though he doesn’t outright tell you anything regarding his feelings.

but you think you figured him out.

sae asks you out whenever you’re both free, and not for shit like studying or errands, but for movies and dinner and he drives you around in his car and looks at you like you’re the only girl he sees. his eyes don’t wander when he’s with you, and he lets you wear even more of his jackets. it’s also evolved to his jerseys and his beloved windbreakers. you have one of each in your own closet and he never seems to ask for them back anymore. he also lets you wear his rings, puts them on your fingers randomly.

both of you still go for parties, especially when it’s one of the soccer guys who are throwing it, because they practically force sae to go and they know you’re the key to convincing him.

most of the time the two of you just laze on the couch, drinking and talking about nothing at all, and he idly plays with your fingers when he’s tipsy, something you never tell him because you like it, because you don’t want him to feel self-conscious and stop. he also smells your hair after he sends you home and hugs you before he retreats to his place, and you wonder if he’s fully sober when he does that.

you resign to getting your answer some other time, because you don’t want anything to ruin this, if this is just an illusion. yeah, you’d talking feelings some other time.

UNIVERSITY: JUNIOR YEAR

you really had no right to be, but you are. try as you might, you can’t stop yourself from feeling the way you do. especially not when she’s sitting so so close to him, when her hand brushes his fingers.

she’s just his project partner, nothing more, but something irks you about the way she can get so close to him so quickly when it took you much longer. but then you hear from shido that kaori is rin and sae’s childhood friend, so maybe that’s why they’re so damn close.

apparently, she’d gotten back to japan after ten years abroad. with great timing too, right when you thought you and sae could amount to something.

“you know, i could help you make him jealous if you wanna,” shido whispers in your ear one time when he catches you staring at them. “we’ll make him feel how you feel, m’kay?”

and while that’s tempting, you shake your head. it’s unreasonable for you to take it out on him that way, not when he hasn’t actually done anything that proves he’s just leading you on.

lately sae’s been so busy around kaori that you’re just thinking too much. you’re wondering if he’s slowly replacing you. he still talks to you over text, but you barely hang out like you did before. you still spot him through the windows, but he’s always too tired to notice you. even his texts are getting slower.

“hey, you okay?”

trust it to hime to notice your personal dilemma. you’re not really surprised though, because she’s been watching you moping for the last few weeks. she now has oliver wrapped fully around her finger, with him sticking around her all the time, which is a surprise considering his reputation.

but hime will take your side, you know this, and maybe that’s why you play it off. you don’t want her to hate sae because of a momentary feeling, so you tell her you’re just sick and you’ll go back home.

the moment you get back to your apartment, you see sae waiting out on the front, car ready while he leans against the hood, waiting.

and you might’ve asked if he was waiting for kaori, but then he looks up and sees you and smirks and that’s all you need to know that he’s not. he was waiting for you, and now he’s opening the passenger side door and telling you to “get in, stupid.”

that’s how sae is with you, impromptu and surprisingly sweet. he drives you to the pier, a cute spot right next to an amusement park where he’d gotten you some candy floss before the both of you just sits on the hood of his car, enjoying the scenery.

“why’d you suddenly bring me here?”

sae lies down, the sun hitting his face in all the right places. he’s gorgeous, you realise for what seems like the thousandth time since you’d known him.

“oliver told me you’d been a little mopey lately,” sae says, and you’re already embarrassed. “sorry if i’ve been busy lately.”

you mirror his position, lying down next to him, and it feels oddly nice like this. you’re not sure if it’s the situation or the person.

“it’s okay, i heard that kaori’s your old friend right? you guys must have a lot to catch up on.” it doesn’t stop you from feeling jealous, but it’ll pass. you hope.

sae chuckles before he turns to you, and you turn to face him too, “you’re jealous.” he smirks, and you’re reminded of the same thing you told him that first night he kissed you.

“shut up, sae.”

he laughs because you’re being pouty, and because maybe it feels a little nice to know you can feel it too. just then, he mirrors what you did way back in high school, reaching across you for your phone. except he doesn’t key in anything—he opens up your camera and takes a picture of the two of you like this, sae looking naturally handsome and better than you because you’re stunned he’s doing this, eyes wide and expression puzzled.

“what’s that for?”

sae’s still fiddling on your phone as you ask, and then he passes it back to you. he’d set it as your phone’s wallpaper.

“to remind you that you’re the one i like, idiot.”

and even though you and sae aren’t physically too close in the wallpaper, you think maybe it’s enough to tide your feelings through for now. he doesn’t ask you for anything else after that, just leaves his confession at that and sends you home before saying he has to finish up his project, aka going to find kaori.

it’s fine by you though, because now you know where sae’s head’s at, even though he never explicitly asked you anything. you’re sure he knows how you feel too, especially since you’d been the one to kiss him first that day a few years back.

but how apt for you to go to sleep early and be woken up by dozens of messages blowing up your phone, the majority of them attaching pictures at a certain party.

still pictures of sae locking lips with kaori, and you feel your heart sinking.

sae’s message comes through just as you’re scrolling through your phone.

meet me at my place? not what it looks like, i promise.

and maybe it’s because you feel like you know sae well enough that you’re not even panicking. you respond within seconds.

sure, see you!

you take the liberty of going next door, entering when one of the other guys who lives there clumsily walks in drunk. it’s easy enough to find sae’s room, you recognise it from across your own room too well. and maybe it’s a slight invasion of privacy but you can’t help but turn your attention to his desk.

his room is all neat with the occasional laundry thrown on the corner of the room, trophies and medals on the bookshelf by the table. but what catches your eye is the little pink heart-shaped post-it note that looks all too familiar.

your handwriting fills the piece of paper.

i think you’re cute and i really really like you

you could cringe right now from how cringe you were being back then. but then you realise, sae kept this? did he keep this knowing it was from you? you hear the door opening downstairs and jump back a little, accidentally pressing on his keyboard while trying to place your note back in its position, and the screensaver that greets you renders you speechless.

it’s the picture sae took of the both of you at the bleachers of his first match.

someone closes the laptop before you can think any more, and you’re greeted with sae right next to you, cheeks flushed—either from alcohol or embarrassment. you can’t really tell, but judging from the lack of alcohol stench, you’d like to bet it’s the latter.

“you have me as your wallpaper?”

sae clicks his tongue, annoyed he didn’t get there in time for you not to see that. “who else would i put there?”

you bite your tongue to stop yourself from instinctively saying kaori out of spite. guess you’re still a little groggy from being woken up in the middle of the night.

“about earlier,” sae begins, not really sure how to continue.

“you mean the pics going around of you and kaori kissing?” you’re not even mad, you’re sure there’s an explanation—that’s how much you feel you know itoshi sae. he’s not the type to bother with leading someone on; if anything, he’s probably the type to immediately cut things off if he wasn’t interested and so far, he’s always been thinking of you.

sae sighs, rubbing his temple before taking a seat on his bed. “that was fucking stupid,” he grumbles, eyes closed. “she was way too tipsy and getting all up in my face and before i knew it she just—” his eyes are open now, briefly looking at you before looking away, hiding behind the sides of his soft locks, “she kissed me. i was stunned for a little so…”

you snicker a little, because sae looks so different from how he usually looks—aloof, ignorant, arrogant. now he looks like a puppy who’s been kicked to the side and you can’t help but notice the difference.

“sae… why are you telling me this?”

screw his indecisiveness, if it was in the first place. you want his answer now, up straight. and sae seems to know what you’re thinking because he chuckles, relieved because he can read your tone—you’re not angry, not upset, you trust him somehow and it’s only because despite what you think, you know him better than anyone else.

“fuck off, y/n, you already know,” and he says this affectionately because you can feel the tenderness in the way he says your name, in the way he invites you into his arms—the way he pulls you close and lets you sit facing him on his lap. “you gonna be my girlfriend now or what?”

your lips are so so close and you’re both holding back so so much. “mmm i don’t know, itoshi sae, what if i wanna see you beg me for it?”

“god, i hate you,” he says, without meaning it. it’s the first time you’re actually feeling how strong he is, because he lifts you up from the back of your thighs and throws you on his bed as he hovers over you, a little squeal leaving your lips at the unexpected gesture. “hm, kinda like that sound you make.”

he’s saying it so monotonously that you’re embarrassed. “shut up, sae, before i leave.”

“that’s cute, you think you’d actually leave me,” he teases, and you curse yourself for finding that slight condescending tone of his hot. “but hey, really, be my girlfriend.”

“you asking me that after kissing another girl?” you act shocked, acutely aware of how his fingers are all intertwining with yours, your hands on either side of your head, sae pinning you down. if anyone walked in now, they’d get the wrong idea of what you two are doing. for sure. but you try to act unbothered, you don’t want to boost his ego even more.

sae leans down to press his forehead against yours, and you’re hoping your heart doesn’t leap out of your chest because he’d definitely feel it. “shit timing, i know. but you’re the only one i want, so.”

he’s pretty shit at talking emotions, you realise. and then you realise that this only works because you’re equally good at reading his. despite his reluctance to talk emotions, he shows you how special you are, constantly.

many girls want him, but you’re the one he spends most of his time with. you’re the one with his actual clothes in your closet and his rings on your fingers. you’re the one sae kisses and willingly so, the only one who’s on his wallpaper reminding him of what he’ll have each time he comes home.

“i told kaori i liked you and no one else too,” sae continues explaining, though he really doesn’t need to. you listen anyway. “she got mad and stormed off but shit, i don’t care. only care about you.”

and he’s pretty forthcoming with his feelings when he wants to be and that’s enough for you. you squeeze his fingers lightly and smile at him.

you don’t have to hear any more to know.

“i love you too, itoshi sae.”

the way he marks you that night lets you in on everything you need to know.

UNIVERSITY: SENIOR YEAR

six years.

it’s been six years since you’d first had a crush on itoshi sae. and now you’re his girlfriend, always in the front row for every match and the object of most of his fangirls’ hatred. that’s okay though, none of that matters.

whenever you come back home to your (shared) apartment now, it’s like all your worries melt away into the void, and sae reminds you just how much you mean. even if his pet names are less than swoon-worthy at times.

“you really need to stop posting shit like this,” you deadpan, showing sae your phone screen. it’s a picture of you asleep in the morning, drooling on his bare shoulder.

sae blinks, acting coy like he always does. “what? it’s cute.”

“you’re insufferable, itoshi.”

sae ignores that, switching the subject. “hey, you have any goals for your twenties?”

you hum, pondering. “well, i guess if i could do what i want, i’d travel the world,” you pause, sitting up on the sofa and looking at him. “why?”

it’s the last year of university, and the both of you are finishing your degrees, with the possibility that sae might be getting a contract with one of the overseas clubs. you’re not really sure; there’s a few of them who’ve expressed interest, but you’d always let sae think through it on his own.

does his question have something to do with that?

“was thinking i wanted to take you along if you wanted to come with,” sae half explains, because he’s bad with details like that. he continues when he spots your confusion, “if you wanted to explore wherever i decided to go.”

oh, he means he wants to take you along to wherever he decided to go. you’re flattered, honestly.

“you mean, the itoshi sae wants to bring me wherever he goes, huh?” sae is already turning red, sensing your big head. “you offering to be my sugar daddy too?”

sae sighs. “you’re so stupid, i swear,” he complains, his words lacking any bite because he’s rubbing circles onto your arms. “you said you found some remote jobs right? thought we could make use of that and just go wherever together.”

after six years, you finally see sae trying to plan a future where the both of you are together. he loves soccer, but he loves you too, and you’re not the kind of person who’d make him choose, so you appreciate his compromises instead.

“itoshi sae, i’ll follow you wherever you go.”

he presses a hasty kiss on your lips, “good, ‘cause i plan on keeping you forever.”

you grin, pulling him down to you and kissing him even deeper, “i’ll hold you to your words, then.”

sae smiles against your lips. because he knows he got lucky with you, lucky you were there at the right moment, slipping your love letter into his locker. lucky you continued to like him, lucky you knew how to put him in his place whenever. lucky you’re you and you love him.

maybe he’s always liked you, even back in freshman year of high school when he realised how kind you are, how gentle you could be. you looked pretty in the sun that day, when he first saw you trying out soccer in the yard and falling flat on your ass. you didn’t notice him back then but he noticed you, not that you knew. sae didn’t try anything because he was sure it’d fail. but who knew all it took for his mind to change was a simple nudge from you?

he’s pretty sure that you’re his human manifestation of a forever.