VinnyDrivesALambo

itoshi rin – “merry-go-round of life” by joe hisaishi

your story isn't glamorous whatsoever, which makes it infinitely more devastating because you're sitting on the floor in oversized pajamas, completely folded into your plush blanket with your legs crossed like you're eight years old again, absolutely locked into howl's moving castle playing across the TV as your eyes follow howl gracefully walking across the screen like your life depends on it. 

what you don't know is that rin quietly picked up his phone halfway through the movie because he looked over at you for what was supposed to be one second and accidentally spent an embarrassing amount of time just... staring. 

the picture he takes is painfully domestic. you're looking upward at the TV, completely unaware. rin is sitting directly behind you, one knee bent, his chin resting against your shoulder like that's simply where it belongs, his face tilted slightly toward your neck, and – against every law of nature – there's the smallest smile on his face. 

i’m talking about that microscopic little smile people have to zoom in three times to confirm they're actually seeing. the smile reserved exclusively for someone who has absolutely no idea they're being looked at like they're the ending credits to a peaceful life. 

the comments from your friends immediately become: "IS THAT... RIN SMILING????" "HELLO????" "he looks like he wants to crawl inside your skin (respectfully)." 

every guy who watches your story suddenly remembers they've never looked at anyone like that before and quietly exits instagram. 

your caption absolutely buries them: "i was distracted by howl, but rin was distracted by something else."  

rin pretends he hates that caption. but he totally saves the story before it expires. 

itoshi sae – “cariño” by the marias

everybody expects your first story after spain wins the champions league to be a picture of sae lifting the trophy with his teammates. instead, it's you. because the first thing sae did after receiving the trophy wasn't lift it toward the cameras. it was walk over to you. 

he wordlessly placed the entire world cup trophy into your hands despite it weighing way more than you expected, and the exact moment you made the most surprised face imaginable because of how heavy it actually was… he leaned over and kissed your cheek. 

the photographer captured the exact frame where your eyes went wide, your mouth opened in complete surprise, one hand nearly slipping off the trophy because your brain temporarily stopped functioning, while sae looked entirely unfazed by the fact that he'd just hijacked every camera in the stadium. 

he isn't even smiling. he's just looking at you like kissing you after becoming world champion was the most logical next step. 

the trophy becomes the second thing everyone notices. the first thing everyone notices is that the coldest footballer alive apparently becomes casually affectionate around exactly one person. 

your caption? "i almost dropped the trophy because of him 😭😭” 

every sports page reposts it. every comment section becomes: "he gave HER the trophy????" “i'd retire immediately if i lost the champions league and saw this on my feed." “everything i pray for god gives to sae itoshi and doubles it 🫩”  

nagi seishiro – “there’s no other” by felly

it's literally just an elevator mirror selfie. that's it. plain lighting in four boring walls. except nagi decided to flex one arm for absolutely no reason whatsoever after coming back from the gym, and instead of standing normally beside him like any reasonable girlfriend… you're hanging off his flexed bicep with both arms wrapped around it like a tiny koala. 

your feet aren't even touching the floor anymore. you're fully committed, dangling, smiling like your life is wonderful. 

on the other hand, nagi looks completely expressionless in the mirror as if carrying your entire body weight with one arm requires approximately zero effort. 

the funniest part is that one of your shoes is visibly swinging in midair because you started laughing halfway through taking the picture. 

every guy who sees it immediately starts calculating whether they, too, could casually hold their girlfriend off the ground with one arm. the answer is no. 

nagi doesn't even notice why the story goes viral. he just says, “did people like your outfit or something? i mean those sweatpants were really cute…" 

your caption makes it infinitely worse: "my favorite jungle gym." 

nagi reposts it with absolutely no additional text. because, in his mind… it’s accurate. 

mikage reo – “chicken on tree screaming”

nobody has context. nobody needs context. the picture alone tells the entire story. 

reo is caught perfectly mid-fall after you planted the most disrespectful little kick directly into the back of his calves while he was walking ahead of you, his knees buckling just enough for his expensive balance to completely betray him as one designer sneaker leaves the ground and both arms instinctively shoot forward to catch himself. 

you're standing one meter behind him absolutely crying with laughter because you managed to catch the exact frame where he realized he'd been attacked by the love of his life in broad daylight. 

what makes it even funnier is that the picture was obviously taken using burst mode because every swipe after that is just reo slowly recovering while pointing at you in fake betrayal. 

he wasn't hurt. but his pride absolutely was. 

every single one of his teammates replies with variations of: "LMAOOOOOOOO." "deserved.” "she finally humbled you bro." 

reo immediately reposts it saying, "this is domestic terrorism." 

your original caption, however, completely steals the show: "i make his knees weak 😍" 

every guy reading it physically has to put their phone down because you've turned playful assault into the cutest couple post of the week. 

reo complains for exactly five minutes before secretly making the burst photos his favorites because, in his words, "it's nice knowing i'm the reason you laugh like that." 

bachira meguru – “cooking mama” song

this entire situation starts because bachira decides that walking is "too much work" after training, spots you sitting on the couch scrolling through your phone, and without asking a single question, simply walks over, turns around, and plops his entire body weight directly onto you like you're a human beanbag. 

except he doesn't sit next to you. he sits ON you completely – legs folded, elbows on his knees, humming to himself. 

you're underneath him making the most dramatic face imaginable because this grown professional footballer somehow weighs approximately one million pounds despite looking like he lives exclusively on monster energy and bad decisions. 

"megs." 

"hm?" 

"i'm… literally dying…" 

"no, you're not." 

"my ancestors can… see me..." 

"tell them i said hi." 

your friend walks into the living room, immediately starts laughing instead of helping, pulls out their phone, and snaps the picture before either of you can react. 

the final image is criminal. bachira is smiling so brightly he practically has cartoon sparkles around him while completely unaware (or maybe fully aware) of the fact that your face is visibly squished into the couch cushions underneath him, one arm sticking out dramatically like you're reaching toward heaven for salvation. 

every single reply is some variation of: "GET UP???" "FREE HER." “i think you’re suffocating her…" 

your caption? "this FATASS." 

bachira's only response is sending you seventeen crying emojis before sitting on you again out of spite. 

shidou ryusei – “careless whisper” by george michael

you thought making dinner together would be romantic, genuinely, like a domestic diaries dream come true. candles? maybe. music? matching aprons? no. 

instead, you're approximately 12 seconds away from calling the fire department. because shidou caused an ordinary pan to erupt into a genuinely concerning wall of flames that's reaching so high it almost kisses the range hood, and rather than reacting like a normal human being… shidou is loving every second of it. 

your mutual friend had volunteered to take cute candid pictures of the two of you cooking together, expecting wholesome domestic content. what they actually captured belongs in a museum. 

you're clutching the spatula with both hands while leaning as far away from the stove as physically possible, eyes wide, mouth open, visibly screaming something along the lines of, "RYUSEI, WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'LET IT COOK'?" 

shidou is standing beside you grinning like the world's biggest menace, tongue sticking out, one hand on his hip while the other confidently points at the inferno as if he personally invented fire. "LOOK AT THAT FLAME!" 

"THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!" 

"IT LOOKS AWESOME!" 

"WE'RE GOING TO DIE!" 

"BUT WE'LL DIE FLAVORFUL." 

that's the picture your friend sends you afterward. somehow… it's adorable. people can't decide whether they're witnessing relationship goals or an insurance claim. 

your caption perfectly summarizes the relationship. "he said dinner was gonna be fire. should've asked him to elaborate." 

shidou reposts it with: "worth it btw." 

the smoke detector can actually be heard in the background of the next story. 

karasu tabito – “DEVOTION” by justin bieber

everyone assumes something horrible must've happened because the picture is just you clocking karasu across the face with a fluffy pillow at full force while feathers are literally exploding into the air like an action movie. 

the timing is so perfect that karasu's head has already started turning from the impact, one eye squeezed shut, mouth still half-open because he didn't even get to finish whatever sentence got him into this situation. 

the funniest part is that he isn't defending himself. because deep down… he knows he earned it. 

five seconds before the picture was taken, he'd looked you dead in the eyes with the most insufferable smirk imaginable and said something so unbelievably sarcastic that your soul temporarily left your body. 

"ya look… acceptable." 

WHACK. 

"... aight… fair enough… i deserved that." 

your friend, instead of intervening like a responsible adult, nearly drops their phone from laughing before managing to capture the exact moment justice was served. 

everyone immediately starts replying: "WHAT DID HE SAY." "I JUST KNOW HE DESERVED THAT." "CONTEXT???" 

karasu refuses to provide context. he knows the mystery somehow makes him look guiltier. and also, he’d rather keep some things private, too, as they’re more special that way. 

but your caption? "he opened his mouth." 

yeah… explanation unnecessary. 

kaiser michael – “the shining” by the neighbourhood

it was supposed to be one of those breathtakingly romantic pictures you'd frame someday – a field overflowing with wildflowers stretching across the horizon, golden hour, soft sunlight, cinematic breeze. everything was literally perfect. except the weather decided it personally hated michael kaiser. 

the wind absolutely adores you. your hair lifts beautifully around your face like you're starring in the final scene of an award-winning romance film, the flowers swaying gently around your ankles while you look effortlessly majestic. 

then there's kaiser. his expensive hairstyle is experiencing total structural collapse. blue-tipped blond strands keep slapping him directly across the face. one piece ends up in his mouth. he's squinting so aggressively against the wind that he accidentally looks annoyed instead of handsome. 

you're standing beside him looking like a literal renaissance painting, mogging him. 

he sees the picture afterward. "delete it." 

"no." 

"i look ridiculous." 

"i look ethereal." 

"... exactly." 

he still secretly saves it because despite looking like mother nature personally jumped him… you're smiling at him. and that's enough. 

the caption absolutely twists the knife: "one of us got the disney princess treatment 🌼" 

everyone already knows which one. 

kaiser pretends to hate the post. then quietly makes it his lock screen because it's his favorite picture of you. he just crops himself out. 

ness alexis – “gangnam style” by PSY

the two of you stumble across a tiny café with no sign, no social media, and approximately four tables outside, deciding that places like this always have either the greatest drinks imaginable or the absolute worst beverages ever conceived. naturally, you both order something neither of you can pronounce. 

your first sip? incredible. your entire face lights up immediately, eyes widening as you excitedly shove your drink toward ness insisting, "oh my gosh, taste this." 

he trusts you. poor decision. the exact moment he takes a sip, every muscle in his face begins filing for resignation. his nose wrinkles. one eye closes. his eyebrows knit together. his lips purse into the tiniest offended pout. 

he's trying so desperately to be polite because the owner is literally watching from inside… but his face has already betrayed him. 

you're sitting across from him absolutely beaming because your drink tastes like heaven while trying (and failing) not to laugh at the tiny crisis unfolding across the table. 

a friend walking past recognizes the two of you, quietly snaps the picture through the café window, and sends it later. 

it's one of your favorite pictures ever. ness's little sour expression is painfully adorable. he looks like an angry kitten that accidentally licked a lemon. you tell him that. 

he sighs. “i'm never trusting your recommendations in drinks again." 

10 minutes later, he's stealing sips from your cup anyway. 

your caption? "he's so dramatic." 

ness immediately messages you. "i did NOT make that face." 

you send the picture back. 

typing… typing… "... okay maybe i did." 

chigiri hyoma – “bad thing (bunny hop)” by ariana grande 

everyone thinks it's going to be some breathtakingly aesthetic couple photo because, let's be honest, it's the two of you. the lighting is perfect, the background is pretty and chigiri manages to look like he walked straight out of a luxury skincare campaign without even trying. 

except… neither of you is looking at the camera. you're looking at each other. 

specifically, you're giving him the most unimpressed side-eye imaginable because he'd spent the last 20 minutes deliberately poking your cheek every time you tried to take a nice picture. 

"stop moving." 

poke. 

"hyoma." 

poke. 

"i swear to–” 

"your angry face is cute." 

"oh you're about to see a cuter one." 

the photographer catches the exact second where you've finally turned your head to glare at him. chigiri is already looking back. and despite wearing the exact same mildly smug expression he always has… there's the tiniest smile hiding at the corner of his mouth because he knows you're not actually mad. 

it's the kind of look that says, you annoy me… but i like you anyway. 

every girl comments about how pretty chigiri is. 

every guy comments about how they wish someone looked at them with that much fond exasperation. 

your caption says everything: "he's lucky he's pretty."  

chigiri immediately reposts it: "still your favorite." 

ugh he's right. 

barou shoei – “otsukare summer” by HALCALI

barou has spent years cultivating the most intimidating public image possible – a terrifying and untouchable king with an aura so overwhelming defenders start reconsidering their career choices. 

and then you discover snapchat filters. specifically… the one that gives someone gigantic glossy anime eyes, rosy cheeks, fluttering eyelashes, and tiny sparkly cat ears. 

he only let you take one picture because you promised that nobody else would ever see it. you technically keep your promise. because it's only on your close friends story. which, unfortunately for him… includes half the blue lock facility. 

the picture itself is absolutely catastrophic. barou is sitting there with the most aggressively serious expression imaginable while sporting giant sparkling eyes and pink blush that makes him look like a magical girl who's about to transform. the contrast makes it 10x funnier. 

he doesn't even know how filters work. "why's my face like that?" 

"because you're pretty." 

"delete it." 

"no." 

"i'm serious." 

"so is the filter." 

your caption? "barou, barou-kyun!! 🩷" 

barou finds out approximately four minutes later because his teammates refuse to stop laughing. 

your phone receives exactly one message: "you're cleaning the entire house." 

yukimiya kenyu – “juicy” by doja cat

this picture genuinely looks suspicious out of context, which is exactly why you posted it. yukimiya is standing, hands tucked into his pockets, back facing the camera while he casually turns his head over his shoulder. he looks like he's posing for the cover of a magazine, naturally. because that's just what yukimiya does by existing. 

you're crouched behind him, one hand planted directly on his ass. your eyes are comically wide. your mouth is hanging open in fake disbelief. you're staring at your own hand like you've just unearthed an ancient archaeological treasure. the friend taking the picture is laughing so hard the image is almost blurry. 

yukimiya sighs. "are you done?" 

"i'm conducting scientific research." 

"on what?" 

"cake.” 

"... in the public server?” 

people online cannot decide whether to laugh or mind their business. nobody chooses the second option. 

your caption? "archaeologists finally found it." 

yukimiya comments: "please stop documenting your discoveries." 

you heart the comment. 

iglesias bunny – “pony” by ginuwine

bunny insisted the bunny café would be "healing." throughout the entire ride there, he kept saying things like: "it's impossible to have a bad day around rabbits." 

five minutes later… karma arrives. he's sitting at one of the low wooden tables with the fluffiest white bunny imaginable cradled carefully in both hands, smiling so brightly you can practically see sunshine radiating off him. 

then… the bunny shits. directly into his palm. 

for exactly two seconds… there's silence. then bunny absolutely loses it. he starts laughing so hard his shoulders shake. his ears turn bright red. his face follows. tears are literally forming in the corners of his eyes because he cannot stop laughing at the sheer disrespect of the situation. 

"IT PICKED ME." 

"IT DID." 

"WHY ME?" 

"YOU LOOKED TRUSTWORTHY." 

"I AM THE CHOSEN ONE!!" 

instead of helping, you take the picture. the final photo is adorable. bunny is doubled over laughing with the world's tiniest rabbit still sitting comfortably in his hands like absolutely nothing happened, even though the evidence remains. 

your caption: "bf got blessed with shit i’m crine 😭”

bunny reposts it immediately with: "i've never been more honored." 

hugo vivian – “la mentira” by luis miguel

hugo is physically one of the most intimidating footballers on the planet. he’s built like he was assembled in a laboratory – shoulders the width of a doorway and arms that could probably lift an entire refrigerator without warming up. it makes you wonder what he ate growing up to be so big. 

and yet… he becomes the neediest man alive the second you jokingly threaten to leave without him. 

"bye." 

"..." 

"i'm serious." 

"..." 

you take exactly three steps away. then something grabs your leg. you look down. there's hugo, crouched on the floor, both enormous arms wrapped dramatically around your right leg like it's the last life raft on earth. 

he's looking up at you with the most exaggerated pout you've ever seen. his eyebrows are knitted together. his lower lip is sticking out. he looks like someone just told him sci-fi films don’t exist anymore. 

the funniest part? you purposely angle the camera so only your legs are visible. the entire focus is hugo clinging to you for dear life. 

"vivi. people are watching." 

"good." 

"stand up." 

"carry me." 

"you're six-foot-something." 

"and?" 

every reply immediately says the same thing: "THAT MAN IS WHIPPED." 

yes. yes he is. 

your caption is the finisher: "ignore him. he does this." 

but girl, how could anyone ignore this? 

every now and then he'd glance down just to make sure you were comfortable, quietly adjusting the blanket over both of you or shifting so your neck wouldn't end up sore later.

if you buried your face into his chest and mumbled that you just wanted to stay like this for a while, he'd let out the softest laugh before resting his chin on top of your head, holding you just a little tighter. after a few peaceful minutes, he'd start absentmindedly playing with your hair, slowly running his fingers through it while the room stayed completely silent.

and neither of you feeling the need to fill it with conversation.

to anyone else he looked calm as always, but you knew better, because every small squeeze of his arm around you and every gentle touch against your back was his quiet way of saying he never minded when you asked for moments like this.

in fact, if you happened to fall asleep against him, he'd stay exactly where he was for as long as it took, ignoring his phone, the time, and anything else that needed his attention, because if cuddling with you meant you felt safe enough to rest peacefully in his arms, then he couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be.

michael kaiser ۶ৎ

michael would notice it before you even finished asking.

you'd wander over while he was busy with something, lingering nearby for a few seconds as if you were trying to build up the courage to interrupt him, and the moment you quietly asked if he could cuddle with you for a little while, his attention would shift completely.

at first he'd flash that familiar smug smile, acting as though you were making the greatest request imaginable, enjoying the fact that you came looking for him instead of anyone else. he'd make a playful comment under his breath about how irresistible he must be if you couldn't stay away, but there was never any real arrogance behind it whenever it came to you.

if anything, he sounded almost pleased, like hearing those words scratched at the part of him that always wanted reassurance he was important to someone.

he wouldn't make you wait long. he'd open his arms with a grin, and the second you curled up against him he'd pull you close without hesitation, making sure there wasn't even the smallest gap between the two of you. one hand would rest securely around your waist while the other lazily stroked your back, his touch slow and comforting despite the confident image he liked to keep around everyone else.

he'd lean back against the couch or the headboard, letting you settle however you were most comfortable, never complaining if you practically climbed into his lap or buried your face against his neck.

if you looked tired, he'd tilt your chin up for just a second to check your face before brushing a soft kiss against your forehead, quietly telling you that you looked exhausted and that you should just rest with him for a while.

as time passed, the teasing slowly disappeared, replaced by a softer side that almost nobody else ever got to see.

he'd absentmindedly trace gentle patterns along your arm or lightly run his fingers through your hair while you relaxed against him, occasionally tightening his hold whenever you shifted as if he were making sure you couldn't drift too far away.

he liked the weight of you leaning on him more than he'd ever admit out loud, finding an odd kind of comfort in knowing you trusted him enough to seek him out whenever all you wanted was warmth and quiet. even if he had somewhere to be or something he planned on doing, he'd push it aside without much thought, deciding it could wait.

if you wanted cuddles, then for that moment, nothing else felt nearly as important as keeping you close until you smiled again or slowly drifted off to sleep in his arms.

sae itoshi ۶ৎ

sae wouldn't always be openly affectionate, so asking him for cuddles was something you did with quiet confidence rather than expecting an overly excited reaction.

when you walked over to where he was sitting and softly asked if he could hold you for a little while, he'd look up from whatever had his attention, studying your expression for a brief moment before giving the smallest nod. there was no teasing, no dramatic response, just a calm, silent agreement as he shifted over enough to make room beside him.

already knowing you wouldn't have asked unless you genuinely needed the comfort.

the moment you settled against him, he'd naturally wrap an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side with a firm but careful hold that made you feel safe almost instantly.

he wasn't the kind of person who constantly showered someone with affection through words, but he had always been good at saying things through quiet actions instead. if your head rested against his chest, he'd adjust his posture without a second thought so you could get comfortable, making sure you weren't awkwardly leaning against him, and if a blanket happened to be nearby, he'd casually pull it over both of you without drawing attention to it.

every small movement was thoughtful, done so naturally that it almost seemed like second nature.

as the room grew quieter, he'd begin gently rubbing slow circles against your shoulder or tracing light, absentminded strokes along your arm while you relaxed against him.

there was something calming about the way he held you, steady and patient, never fidgeting or making you feel like you needed to hurry. if you sighed and melted further into his embrace, he'd simply tighten his arm around you ever so slightly, letting you know you were welcome to stay there for as long as you wanted.

he didn't need to ask what was wrong every time or fill the silence with conversation. sometimes he understood that all you were looking for was the comfort of being close to him, and that was enough.

before long, your breathing would slow, your body becoming heavier against his as you grew sleepier, and instead of moving you or reminding you that he had other things to do, he'd stay exactly where he was. he'd continue absentmindedly smoothing your hair away from your face or resting his hand against your back, content to let the world wait a little longer.

anyone watching from the outside might think he looked as composed as ever, but the way his grip never loosened and the occasional glance he'd steal down at your peaceful face gave away what he would never easily put into words. moments like these were rare for him, but because it was you asking, he never found a reason to say no.

bunny iglesias ۶ৎ

the way you lingered nearby, quietly looking at him before softly asking if he could cuddle with you for a bit, was enough to make the corners of his mouth lift into an easy smile. instead of answering right away, he'd reach for your hand first, gently tugging you closer until you were standing between his legs, looking up at him.

there was something so natural about the way he welcomed you into his space, as if there had never been a question about whether you'd be allowed there.

once you settled beside him, he'd immediately pull you against him with an arm around your waist, letting you lean however you liked without making you feel embarrassed for asking.

if you tucked your face into his shoulder, he'd let out the softest laugh, clearly finding your need for affection more adorable than anything else. he had a habit of absentmindedly swaying the two of you ever so slightly, almost like he was rocking you without realizing it, his hand rubbing slow, comforting strokes along your back while the other rested loosely over yours.

the gentle movement made it impossible not to relax, especially when he occasionally rested his cheek against the top of your head without thinking.

he liked how easily you melted into him, and once he noticed you getting comfortable, he'd quietly start playing with your fingers, tracing little shapes across your knuckles or lightly squeezing your hand every now and then. there was never any rush with him.

he was perfectly happy sitting there doing absolutely nothing if it meant you got to stay close. if you mumbled that you didn't want to move yet, he'd simply nod, settling in even more as though he had already decided neither of you was going anywhere anytime soon.

after a while, he'd glance down at you and smile to himself, noticing how peaceful you looked curled up against him. he'd gently brush a few loose strands of hair away from your face before resting his chin lightly on your head again, keeping his embrace warm and steady.

being asked for cuddles never felt like a burden to him. if anything, it quietly made his day, because out of everyone you could've gone to, you chose him, and that simple thought was enough to make him hold you just a little closer without ever needing to say a word.

teddy knight ۶ৎ

teddy never thought much about asking for affection or receiving it, so the first few times you quietly walked over and asked if he could cuddle with you, he almost looked surprised that you had chosen him. it wasn't because he didn't want to—it was because he never expected someone to seek him out for something so soft.

after blinking for a second, a warm smile would slowly spread across his face before he shifted over and lightly patted the spot beside him, his expression saying more than words ever could.

the moment you leaned into him, he'd instinctively wrap both arms around you, holding you with the kind of gentle care that made it obvious he was always worried about squeezing too tightly.

his hugs were naturally warm, steady, and comforting, making it feel like all the tension in your body disappeared the second you settled against him. he'd quietly rest one hand between your shoulder blades, slowly rubbing soothing circles there while the other stayed securely around your waist, almost as if he wanted to make sure you always felt protected whenever you were with him.

he wasn't someone who needed constant conversation to fill the silence. instead, he'd simply enjoy having you there, occasionally glancing down to check whether you were comfortable before adjusting your position if he noticed your arm had gone numb or your neck looked awkward.

if you shifted closer without saying anything, he'd respond just as quietly, tightening his embrace enough for you to notice but never enough to feel trapped. there was a quiet patience about him that made cuddling feel peaceful, like you could stay there for hours without either of you growing restless.

if you admitted you were having a difficult day or simply said you wanted to be held for a little while, he'd never ask you to explain unless you wanted to. to him, being there for you didn't always mean finding the right words.

sometimes it simply meant letting you hide against his chest while he stayed completely still, making sure you knew you had somewhere safe to rest. every now and then, he'd gently brush his fingers through your hair or lightly smooth the fabric of your sleeve, small unconscious habits that somehow made his embrace feel even more comforting.

before long, you'd find yourself growing heavier against him, your eyes slowly drifting shut as the warmth of his arms and the quiet rhythm of his breathing lulled you into a peaceful sleep. teddy wouldn't dare wake you.

itoshi rin

rin genuinely believed he was mysterious in middle school. in reality, he was just... 13. there is an old instagram account consisting entirely of blurry pictures of rain puddles, empty hallways, electrical poles, and black-and-white photos of his own shoes with captions like "..." or "nothing lasts forever." he posted these from an iphone 6 while his mom was texting him asking what he wanted for dinner. 

when he first discovered english, he refused to use google translate because he thought he was "figuring it out naturally." he wasn't. there is still an old bio floating around somewhere that proudly read: cold... never giveing up... wolf spirit... football is my destiny... don't disturbing me. 

sae found it within 30 seconds. 

as a kid he was interviewed after a youth tournament and, with his entire face covered in juice from the orange slices they gave everyone afterward, looked dead into the camera and said, "i don't have friends because they slow me down." right after finishing the interview, he walked over to his teammate and asked if they wanted to trade pokemon cards. the contrast hurts. 

there exists security camera footage from a grocery store where he walked directly into one of those automatic glass doors because he expected it to open faster than it actually did. instead of checking whether anyone saw, he stared at the door like it had hit him. 

he once got caught practicing intimidating facial expressions in his phone camera before a match because he wanted to "look scarier." buttt, he forgot the front camera was recording. the video is just 5 straight minutes of him furrowing his eyebrows in complete silence before sneezing out of nowhere. 

itoshi sae

sae had the opposite problem: his digital footprint is almost nonexistent... except for the tiny handful of things that somehow make everything worse. 

there is exactly one surviving family video from when he was around 9 years old where he confidently performed an entire dance routine during a school festival. it’s because he misunderstood the assignment and thought everyone had to commit. his expression never changes once. he performs every move with the seriousness of someone conducting heart surgery while wearing a glittery cowboy hat two sizes too big. 

when he first moved overseas, he confidently started using spanish slang he'd overheard from his teammates without fully understanding what any of it actually meant. one day after a match, he wanted to congratulate one of them and proudly went, "felicidades, papi (congratulations, daddy).” the locker room went dead silent for exactly one second before everyone completely lost it. 

he once appeared in the background of another player's vlog carrying 9 grocery bags because he'd refused help. halfway through the parking lot one bag broke, oranges rolled in every direction, and instead of reacting like a normal person he simply stared at them for a full 10 seconds before sighing like this couldn’t have been avoided and it wasn’t his fault. 

he thought "photo booths are a waste of money." someone dragged him into one anyway. every single strip gets progressively worse because he clearly doesn't understand what you're supposed to do. first picture: 😐. second picture: 😐. third picture: slightly smaller 😐. fourth picture: blinked. 

his childhood haircut deserves prison time. nobody talks about it because they're scared of him, but the evidence exists… 

nagi seishiro

nagi's entire digital footprint is basically proof that nobody should've given him unrestricted internet access before the age of 13. 

there are years worth of abandoned youtube channels with names like epicdragonmaster72, nagi_gamez_real, and minecraftproofficial2, each containing exactly one upload before he got bored. every video starts with, "uh... hey guys..." followed by 23 seconds of silence because he forgot what he wanted to record. 

he once accidentally left his microphone on during an online game and recorded himself arguing with his mom because she told him to take a shower. 

"5 more minutes.” 

"you said that 40 minutes ago." 

"yeah, but now i mean it." 

the clip has been reposted so many times that even professional players quote it at him. 

there is a photo from elementary school sports day where every child is smiling except nagi, who's lying face-down in the grass because he decided the event had "gone on long enough." teachers initially thought he'd fainted. he was just bored. 

his search history would kill him. i’m talking: can you microwave frozen pancakes. how long can clean clothes stay in basket before technically dirty. do plants know if you forget to water them. is sleeping 12 hours actually bad. 

he once confidently answered "yes" during a school presentation after the teacher asked, "does anyone have any questions?" the entire classroom stared at him. he had misheard. 

mikage reo

reo's family tried very hard to give him a polished public image growing up. unfortunately, they couldn't stop him from being deeply, painfully enthusiastic. 

there is a professionally filmed video from a charity event where 10 year old reo confidently walks onto stage, trips on air, disappears below the podium for a full second, stands back up, brushes imaginary dust off his suit, and continues his speech as if the laws of physics simply didn't apply to him. the audience applauded harder after the recovery than the speech itself. 

he had an embarrassingly intense "gentleman" phase after watching old movies where he'd insist on introducing himself by kissing the backs of elderly women's hands. everyone thought it was adorable except him years later, when his grandmother showed the compilation during his birthday dinner and joked about how this is why his elementary school teacher hit on him. 

his first ever username was something like richboy_reo because he genuinely thought people would assume it meant he was "rich in personality." nobody assumed that. 

middle school reo discovered expensive cologne and interpreted "one spray is enough" as "they're lying." there's an old class photo where every student is smiling except the one directly behind him, whose eyes are watering because the scent cloud was apparently visible to the naked eye. 

before he met nagi, he tried making motivational workout content online. one particularly infamous clip features him enthusiastically saying, "if i can do it, so can you!" before quickly slipping off a balance ball and vanishing completely out of frame. whoever edited the video zoomed in, replayed it 3 times, and added meme sound effects. he accidentally uploaded that version instead of the original and didn't notice until it had already accumulated thousands of views. 

even years later, nagi still occasionally watches it when reo starts acting a little too smug. "you gonna finish lecturing me... or are you gonna fall off another yoga ball?" 

"delete that video." 

"mmm... no." 

bachira meguru

bachira's mom absolutely documented everything. every birthday, every school recital, every random tuesday where he decided wearing rain boots with pajamas was "fashion." buttt for him, she also believed facebook albums should contain no fewer than 387 PHOTOS each. there is an entire album titled "meguru discovers worms!! 🪱💛" consisting of him enthusiastically introducing individual worms to the camera like they're distinguished guests at a dinner party. "this one's really nice. his name is noodles." he was 7 years old. 

he went through a phase where he thought beatboxing was the coolest skill a human being could possess. he wasn't good at it tho. there are dozens of voice memos on an old ipad that are just "boots and cats and boots and c– pffft– hold on." once, he accidentally sent one into the class group chat instead of his homework. nobody let him forget it for the rest of middle school. 

there is a clip from a youth tournament where the interviewer asks, "what motivates you to play soccer?" and bachira, after thinking very seriously for a moment, goes, "the little monster in my head.” complete silence. one parent in the background quietly asks, "... should we tell someone?" 

he made one of those "day in my life" videos as a kid and completely forgot other people would actually watch it. halfway through, he proudly shows the audience the tiny pebble he's been carrying around for 3 weeks because "it has good energy." the comments were split between "this kid is adorable" and "i think he's communicating with spirits." 

when he laughs really hard, he still occasionally snorts exactly like he did when he was 8. there is no escaping your genetics. 

shidou ryusei

shidou's digital footprint is less "embarrassing" and more "how are you still allowed to participate in society?" 

there is security camera footage from a convenience store where he walked in, saw one of those inflatable tube men outside through the window, pointed at it, and shouted, "HE'S JUST LIKE ME!" before sprinting outside to hug it. the tube man reflexively smacked him across the face. 

he once accidentally livestreamed himself trying to cut his own hair because "how hard could it be?" the answer was very. halfway through, he realized he'd created an accidental bald spot, stared into the camera for a solid 10 seconds, sighed, and muttered, "well... we're committed now." he emerged the next day wearing a beanie in the middle of summer and claimed he was “trying to be a trendsetter.” 

there is an old school disciplinary video where teachers are trying to explain why climbing onto the gym roof is dangerous. "why did you do it?" 

"wanted to see the sunset." 

"... during math class?" 

"yeah?" 

he downloaded one of those voice changer apps and spent an entire weekend prank-calling his own friends pretending to be an old lady. everyone knew it was him because he'd randomly start laughing halfway through every sentence. 

there's a clip of him celebrating a goal so aggressively during a youth match that he tripped over absolutely nothing, rolled 3 times across the grass, stood back up with both thumbs in the air, and somehow got an even louder cheer than the actual goal. 

karasu tabito

karasu had the confidence of someone who genuinely believed he was the funniest person in every room. sometimes he was. sometimes... he was not. 

his middle school youtube history is full of videos titled things like "top 100 savage comebacks" and "how to roast people instantly." he memorized them like they were flashcards. one day, he confidently hit a classmate with, "yer built like an expired yogurt." 

"... what does that even mean?" 

"... i dunno." 

there’s an old video from a school festival where he volunteered to emcee because he thought he'd absolutely crush it. he spent the first 30 seconds making jokes that landed perfectly... and then confidently introduced the wrong performance group. the poor elementary choir walked onstage while he proudly announced, "LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE KARATE CLUB!" 

he went through a phase where every single instagram caption ended with a smirking emoji because he thought it made him look cooler. 

good game 😏 

pizza 😏 

happy mother's day 😏 

like stop. please. 

(thankfully) his teammates had to steal his phone and remove the emoji from his favorites. 

he once tried winking at someone across the room because he thought it'd be funny. then he got dust in his eye halfway through and ended up looking like he was having a medical emergency. 

kaiser michael

kaiser genuinely thought he invented aura. 

there is an ancient photo from his teenage years where he is wearing approximately 6 different necklaces, 3 rings on one finger, leather pants that looked painted onto his body, a scarf despite it being july, and a vest with no shirt underneath. every single item individually could've worked. together? he looked like he'd lost a fight with a pinterest board titled "dark prince aesthetic” or something. 

before becoming famous, he tried making football edits of himself. every video featured aggressively slowed-down clips, random latin phrases, phonk music, and enough monochrome filters to convince people color had been outlawed. the comments were ruthless: bro thinks he's the final boss. who edited this? shakespeare? it's a 5-second pass, calm down. 

he once got caught practicing "effortless" candid poses in a store window reflection. he didn't realize the glass was transparent. everyone inside watched him dramatically lean against a wall, look into the distance, adjust his hair, leave the frame, and immediately come back to try again because he didn't like the first attempt. 

there's an old interview where someone asked him what his greatest weakness was. 

"i don't have one." 

"be serious." 

"i am." 

the interviewer just blinked. 

every now and then, someone reposts an old photo where he attempted to bleach his hair by himself before he knew what toner was. it came out super yellow. ness claims it looked "radiant." literally everybody else calls it the banana era. 

ness alexis

ness… has the kind of digital footprint that screams gifted kid who discovered editing software! 

there are approximately 200 anime-style edits he made in middle school using free editing apps, complete with glowing eyes, galaxy overlays, fake lightning, floating feathers, and enlarged text that simply read: "never underestimate me." the character in the edit? himself. 

he went through an impossible-to-defend magic phase. not liking magic. genuinely trying to become a magician. 

there is a christmas video where he confidently announces he's about to make a coin disappear forever. he then drops it into the heating vent and bursts into tears because it actually disappeared forever. 

his first powerpoint presentation in school had 43 slide transitions. every single bullet point exploded, spun, bounced, dissolved, or flew in from somewhere. his teacher reportedly looked motion sick by slide #8. 

he once accidentally posted a selfie to his story instead of sending it privately because he wanted to check if his hair looked fluffy enough. the caption simply read: hmmm... maybe. he deleted it 30 seconds later, but it was too late. 

there’s also an old screenshot where he corrected someone's grammar on youtube with: "actually, it's 'you're,' not 'your.' 😊 just trying to help!" he never lives this down. 

and finally... because the universe enjoys bullying him... there exists one ancient livestream clip that ness has spent years trying to erase from the internet. every time it resurfaces online, kaiser likes it within 10 seconds. 

he was answering viewer questions when someone asked, "what's something you've always wanted a partner to do for you?" 

without a single ounce of hesitation, he leaned toward the microphone and said, "i think it'd be cute if they dressed as a puppy. just once. like with little floppy ears! and maybe they'd bark once! i think it'd be really adorable!" 

yeah, you’re cooked. 

The moment the van pulled away from the swarm, a heavy silence settled over the vehicle. Only moments ago everyone had been fighting for their lives. Now that they were temporarily safe behind metal doors and reinforced glass, the adrenaline began wearing off and reality started setting in. Some of the boys stared blankly out the windows while others struggled to catch their breath. One looked moments away from being sick.

You couldn't really blame them. The city looked like a warzone. Abandoned vehicles clogged the roads. Buildings burned in the distance. Every now and then you caught glimpses of people sprinting through alleyways with infected close behind. Gunshots echoed from several directions while dark smoke rose into the sky like storm clouds. It was difficult to believe that this had all started only a few hours ago.

There were still some infected blocking the road, so instead of swerving to avoid them, you drove even faster, intentionally crashing into them. It didn’t matter who it was, man, woman, or even child. The boys in the back couldn’t even stomach watching it. Watching how blood splattered all over the windshield while simultaneously hearing the cracking of bones. Who knew they were so easy to break, as if they were just mere twigs? Who knew a human being could carry that much blood? When you’re choosing between surviving and dying in the apocalypse, the answers become simple and your morals turn grey.

Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, you finally spoke. "I'm heading toward the outskirts. That's where my house is." None of them immediately responded, still out of breath and in a state of shock, "If any of you want to get dropped off somewhere along the way, now's the time to decide."

The red-haired boy sitting further back snapped his head toward you, "... How are you this calm?" He blurted out, sounding equal parts frustrated and terrified, "Did you not see what happened back there?"

The question lingered in the air. Truthfully, all of them had been wondering the same thing. Ever since climbing into the van, the boys had found themselves stealing glances in your direction. They weren't stupid. Anyone who had just escaped the beginning of what looked like the end of the world should've been shaken up to some degree. Yet aside from the faint sheen of sweat on your forehead and the dried blood splattered across your shoes, there was very little evidence that you'd just fought your way through an infected school and driven through a city collapsing in on itself.

You weren't trembling. You weren't crying. Hell, you didn't even look scared. If anything, you looked mildly inconvenienced. And it didn't help that you had driven straight through several infected without so much as flinching. Most people would've at least hesitated. You simply pressed down on the accelerator and kept moving as if running over monsters was no different from avoiding potholes on the road. Naturally, that made them uneasy. Not because you had saved them. But because they couldn't quite figure you out. You were what, a girl their age who knew how to hotwire a car, drive it, and not hesitate when going in for the literal kill? Yeah, textbook serial killer.

In contrast to the boys view of the situation, you had accepted it. This was your reality now, the life you knew before won’t ever return, at least not the way you’d remember it. In this new world, it was kill or be killed. Only the strong survive and the ones who don't have the guts to stand up and fight back will be left behind to perish in the chaos. No one wanted to turn into a cannibalistic monster, no one wanted to be forgotten, or left for dead in the tragedy. That’s why even if the rest of the boys wanted to yell at you for killing those people as if they meant nothing. As if they weren’t once normal and had lives of their own. They couldn’t bring themselves too, too selfish, too egotistical to think about saving other people. They were going to survive this crisis, but in order to do that they’d need to prioritize their own skin.

Sensing the growing tension inside the van, the dark blue-haired boy spoke before the conversation could go any further, "We came from Blue Lock." You glanced at him through the rearview mirror, one eyebrow raising slightly.

The name meant absolutely nothing to you. Maybe you’ve heard it in passing at school, some of your classmates liked to gush about the latest sport topics, but it didn’t really affect you in any way so you found no use in remembering such pointless information. You glanced at them from the rearview mirror and realized that the uniform they were wearing was somewhat familiar. But you couldn’t quite place your finger on it.

Seeing your confusion, he quickly clarified, “It’s an isolated facility where we trained.” He explained, his voice sounded steadier than most of the others, though the tension in his shoulders suggested otherwise, “The chairman of the football union came in infected then all hell broke loose, we figured it must’ve been better outside but everything's gone…”

“By 1000 hours the city was already run over, there were reports in the morning but none explain how badly the situation escalated." You responded, not bothering to try and remember whatever Blue Lock was.

The boys gave you a weird look for using military time but it was a habit you’ve picked up since you were a child. You merely hummed in response after that as if that could break the tension. For now, you assumed that the boys will be going with you until they have a means of getting home. Apparently none of them lived in the Tokyo area and they didn’t know how to drive a manual car so they were stuck with you until they could figure out a safe mode of transportation, plus they needed to rest and collect themselves, so you all collectively agreed on staying at your house at the moment. The boy who you know as Isagi introduced the rest of the survivors— Rin, Bachira, Chigiri, Nagi, Reo, and Barou.

“You’re from Hakuho High School, (L/n) (Y/n), right?” Reo asked, taking a good look at your uniform, the same one he used to wear, “Nagi and I went there, is everyone…?”

“It’s been overrun.” You simply said, not even bothering to sugarcoat it, there wasn’t in use in hiding the truth

That’s why there was a bit of familiarity to them. You had seen Reo and Nagi around before, the girls in your class used to gush about them. Reo was popular enough that even you who never really interacted with others, heard about him. You probably passed by them in the hallways too throughout the years… But that didn’t matter anymore. There was going to be no friendly or warm gesture coming from you, given the situation and your personality.

Reo had paled at your words, while Nagi didn’t want to believe it. Before Reo had entered Blue Lock he was the King of Hakuho. He had gone there his whole life and with the nature of his family’s reputation and business, he had that school wrapped around his fingers. He knew the ins and out and what kinds of strings to pull to get what he wanted. He had known most of the students there so he was a bit surprised that out of everyone they could've run into during the apocalypse, it was you.

He was a bit familiar with you. From what he knows and heard around, you’re a smart but quiet kid, your grades were the top of your entire batch, but you weren’t really a people’s person. He didn’t know much about your background or family since you liked to keep your life private, but Reo remembers how his ex said in passing how weird you were, something about being emotionless like a doll. Eyes hollow like they could stare directly into your soul.

Reo and Nagi decided not to pursue asking any more questions about their old school, not wanting to face the harsh reality just yet. So the boys changed the topic quickly, feeling bad for Reo as he held his head down in his hands while Nagi stared out of the window, eyes devoid of any emotion, almost glassy as though he was lifeless. Both boys shared their griefs and each other's sentiments, but expressed them in completely different ways. Chigiri, who wasn’t even that close to the boys, patted Reo’s back in comfort. At least the change in topic lifted the atmosphere a bit, but just a bit.

They started asking questions and stringing together information but none of their theories seemed plausible except for the fact that we were dealing with, as they called it, zombies. It seemed a bit ridiculous to say but the proof was in front of your face. Starting today the world has changed, it was the beginning of the end if the government couldn’t contain the outbreak. You were silent for the most part again, quietly observing and focusing on crashing the vehicle into the infected like it was a game and each hit scored you a point. Then the radio which had been static earlier finally worked.

“This is the emergency broadcast system, all citizens are advised to stay inside of their homes. A violent virus has broken out, turning the host violent within seconds to minutes. The spread is at an unprecedented and alarming speed. Spread of infection is the result of blood to blood contact. Getting infected blood in your mouth or eyes can also result in transmission. Symptoms include fever, headaches, and increased aggression. Prepare food and water enough for one to two weeks. The following cities have been quarantined: Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto, and other neighboring major cities have been declared under martial law. The military has set up a base camp and is accepting refugees at the Tokyo borders connecting to Kamakura.”

The automated voice crackled through the radio, filling the van with an eerie calm that felt strangely out of place compared to the chaos unfolding outside. No one spoke. Even the boys who had been talking moments earlier fell silent. The only sounds remaining were the steady rumble of the engine, the occasional crackle of static from the radio, and the distant screams that filtered in through the windows whenever the van slowed at an intersection.

Quarantine. Martial law. Refugee camps. Those weren't the type of words people used unless the situation had already spiraled far beyond anyone's control. Several of the boys exchanged uneasy looks. And even Bachira who had gone around earlier saying that his monster was far better than these zombies was stunned into silence. Others stared out the windows in deep thought, watching people being massacred from outside the window as they processed what they had just heard.

After a few moments, Rin finally broke the silence, "I live in Kamakura."

Your eyes flickered toward him briefly before returning to the road. Unlike his usual blunt demeanor, which he had been exhibiting since earlier, there was a noticeable hesitation in his voice. Not fear exactly, but uncertainty. As though he was trying to convince himself just as much as everyone else.

"If the military is holding the line there..." He continued, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside the window. "Then it should be safer." Should. Not would. Should. The distinction wasn't lost on anyone. Still, it was the first remotely hopeful thing anyone had heard since this nightmare began.

"Then that's where we go," Chigiri said, sounding more relieved than excited. His shoulders visibly relaxed for the first time since entering the van. "A military base has supplies, soldiers, medical personnel... It's probably our best chance right now."

Nobody from the boys argued. Not because they completely believed it would be safe. But because having a destination was better than driving aimlessly through a collapsing city and hoping for the best. They were desperate for a real solution, desperate for a silver lining to their misery. These boys had their entire dreams and careers ahead of them, they had it in their grasp, it was so close enough to taste. And yet, the facility they lived in for a year and had called a home was gone. The friends they had made through their trials and tribulations were gone. The work they put into their entire lives was gone. They weren’t even able to step foot in the field before this whole ordeal went off.

The radio you keep in your bag started crackling, signalling someone trying to reach you, “Can you get that please?” Rin clicked his tongue but reached for your bag anyway.

As he searched through it, he briefly paused after pulling out a packet of emergency supplies you always carried around. A small first-aid kit, spare batteries, a flashlight, energy bars, and other necessities. His eyebrows twitched. Apparently carrying half a survival kit inside a school bag wasn't normal aside from the school books. You ignored the look he gave you and almost crinkled your eyes in slight amusement when he fumbled with a period napkin, his entire nonchalant persona breaking as he shoved it back in as if nothing had happened. A moment later, he found the radio at the bottom of the back and handed it over.

"Focus on driving," Rin muttered as he handed over the radio. "I'd rather not survive all this just to die in a car crash." A fair point.

You switched the radio onto the speaker and placed it between the seats, then almost immediately, a familiar voice crackled through the static, "State your identification."

The effect it had on you was immediate. The moment your father's voice came through the radio, your posture straightened instinctively. Your grip on the steering wheel adjusted itself without conscious thought, shoulders squaring as years of conditioning took over. It was muscle memory at this point, drilled into you through countless mornings, training exercises, and lectures that always seemed to begin with the words standing properly. You hadn't even realized you were doing it until it was already too late.

The casual atmosphere inside the van disappeared almost instantly. Not that there had been much of one to begin with, but whatever remained of it vanished the second your tone changed. The boys noticed it too. You could feel their eyes shifting toward you from different corners of the vehicle, their earlier conversations dying out one by one. A moment ago, you had simply been the strange girl who happened to know how to drive and somehow managed to stay calm during the apocalypse.

Now, you looked like someone receiving orders. The distinction was subtle, yet impossible to miss. Even Rin, who had spent most of the drive looking annoyed at everything and everyone, seemed to pick up on it. His gaze lingered on you for a second longer than usual before shifting toward the radio resting between the seats. For the first time since they'd met you, the boys seemed to realize there was probably a reason you acted the way you did.

"(L/n) (Y/n). Callsign Ghost. Standing by.”

Several pairs of eyes immediately turned toward you at that, with the most bewildered look in their eyes. but you ignored them and kept your attention fixed on the road ahead. The streets were becoming increasingly difficult to navigate, abandoned vehicles littering intersections and forcing you to weave around them. Up ahead, an overturned truck blocked nearly half the road, forcing you to slow slightly before maneuvering around it.

"Report status."

"Alive and mobile. Currently en route to home location. Accompanied by seven civilian survivors." For a brief moment, only static answers.

"Copy." His voice finally returns

Even through the radio, his voice remained as calm as ever. Not reassuringly calm. Not the kind people used to comfort others. It was the sort of calm that only came from someone who had already accepted the situation and was focused entirely on dealing with it. The realization made several of the boys gulp in worry. If one of the military officers handling this crisis sounded that composed, then maybe the situation was even worse than they thought.

"Proceed home immediately." your father continued. "Your brother is being dispatched for extraction. The earliest estimated arrival is tomorrow morning, assuming airspace remains operational."

Tomorrow was longer than you would've preferred, you tightened your grip on the steering wheel slightly but otherwise remained silent again, "If extraction becomes unavailable, proceed to the nearest military installation and await further orders. Current priority is survival until retrieval can be arranged. We’ve prepared a mission for you." Another burst of static followed and only then came the part you had been expecting, "As of this moment, you are being called in for active duty support."

The words settled heavily inside the van. Several heads snapped toward you. This time you could practically feel their stares, Nobody interrupted, but the confusion was obvious. A girl their age being called into military duty wasn't exactly something people heard every day. And how exactly was that even legal, you haven’t even graduated high school yet?! Then again, when you see your city being torn apart limb from limb, the hierarchy of rules becomes meaningless.

"Understood."

The response came automatically on your part. Not even the slightest hint of hesitation. You asked no questions. Nor given a single complaint. Several images went through the boys' minds, mostly about the sight they witnessed earlier on the bus they were on before it had crashed. They recalled the state of the Japanese military personnel they had seen deployed, and they had lost to the infected so quickly. Surely you wouldn’t do that too, right?

Surely you had much more common sense and self preservation than that. How was it so easy for you to just throw your life out of the window like that? Joining the military as a girl this young, and not to mention the certain complex dynamics of the situation at hand. And that’s when the realization hit the boys so heavily, you must’ve been more qualified to have the military come after you. They were then questioning if the real monster was inside or outside of the vehicle.

Your father didn't even ask if you were injured. He didn't ask if you were frightened. He didn't even ask if you were safe. Instead, there was only a brief pause before he spoke again, "Good. Stay alive until then."

After the transmission ended, silence followed. And not the comfortable kind, it was the awkward kind. The kind that settled in after people learned something they weren't expecting. The engine hummed steadily beneath you while the scent of burning cities followed you, even with all the windows rolled up, the horrid stenched still seemed to be carried from the wind. Rin fumbled a bit to turn the device off before holding it tightly in his hands, trying to comprehend the situation after that entire information dump, to see what he could use to his advantage. After all, he was once known as Blue Lock’s puppeteer.

He refuses to die here and turn into one of those freaks of nature, he just wants to go home and for this entire nightmare to end. And that was coming from a boy who was an absolute horror nerd, loving the way it gave him adrenaline and thrill. Take note, keyword was, after experiencing such barbarities he doesn’t think he can handle another late night zombie movie marathon. Honestly, the entire situation just felt like a bad dream to him where he couldn’t wake himself up. He was worried about his brother Sae, he wasn’t even sure if was in the damn country or in Spain. He just needed to not be alone, but it had to be with Sae.

“You’re heading for the military? It’ll be safer than risking driving around. Take us with you.” Rin asked decisively

You turned to look at him and crashed into another zombie, turning on the windshield wiper so that you could see, “… Okay.”

Somewhere in the distance, another explosion echoed through the skyline, followed by a column of black smoke rising into the air. Wow, there were really so many explosions and buildings crashing down. Eventually, Bachira was the first to break. Inside the van, however, nobody seemed particularly interested in the scenery anymore. Their attention remained fixed entirely on you. Eventually, Bachira couldn’t hold it anymore and decided to ask the question everyone wanted to know.

"So... Your dad’s a soldier?" You kept your eyes on the road,

"My father's a Colonel, so yes, I guess."

Nobody interrupted, but the confusion was obvious. A girl their age being recalled for military duty wasn't exactly something people heard every day. Their eyes bounced between you and the radio sitting between the seats, trying to piece together everything they'd learned in the last few minutes. A few nervous laughs followed your answer, though nobody looked particularly relaxed afterward.

The heavy use of military terminology. The survival gear stuffed inside your school bag. The fact that you somehow knew how to hotwire a vehicle and drive a manual transmission through a city that was rapidly descending into chaos. Individually, any of those things could have been brushed aside as odd quirks. Together, however, they painted a very different picture. You could practically see the realization forming inside their heads.

Bachira looked fascinated more than anything else, as though he'd just discovered a new puzzle he wanted to take apart. Chigiri appeared uneasy, likely questioning how much of your childhood had been spent around soldiers. Reo seemed deep in thought, probably connecting details he'd overlooked earlier. Isagi looked as though he was trying to analyze everything at once, while Nagi had somehow managed to look half asleep despite the literal apocalypse unfolding around him.

Only Rin remained difficult to read. From the corner of your eye, you noticed him watching you again. The annoyance he'd shown earlier was still there, but it had faded somewhat. In its place sat something else. Curiosity, you ignored it. None of this was particularly surprising to you. Being called in for support wasn't shocking. The outbreak wasn't shocking either. For years, your father had spent every opportunity drilling the same lesson into your head. That one day, there would come a war so great that there was only one thing you could do. Hope for peace. Prepare for war. Granted, you were fairly certain he hadn't meant a zombie apocalypse when he said it, but the principle still applied. When disaster struck, everyone had a role to play. Apparently, yours had just been assigned.

"Active duty support?" Isagi finally repeated, breaking the silence. "What exactly does that mean?" You shrugged.

"No idea."

That answer seemed to catch everyone off guard, "You don't know?" Bachira asked.

"No."

You maneuvered around an abandoned sedan before continuing, "My father rarely explains things unless he absolutely has to. If he says I'm being recalled, then I'll find out when I get there."

A collective silence followed. For some reason, that explanation worried them even more than the original announcement. There were more important things to focus on. Like getting home before sunset. And hopefully getting a shower before the military inevitably ruined the rest of your week.

By the time you reached home, the van had almost given up entirely. The engine rattled beneath the hood before finally falling silent with a small boom. Even if the boys wanted to use the car, you had damaged it too much on the way home with your harsh driving skills, even as you turned the key yourself, it was dead. Judging from the fuel gauge, it probably wouldn't have carried everyone much farther even if you had wanted it to. It had done what it needed to do. It got you here.

Compared to the city, the outskirts looked almost untouched. The streets were empty, save for the occasional abandoned bicycle or a car left carelessly parked in the middle of the road. Curtains remained drawn behind neighboring windows and the only sounds that reached the property were distant sirens carried by the wind from somewhere much deeper within Tokyo. It looked peaceful enough to fool someone who hadn't seen the city an hour earlier. You weren't one of those people. The infected would eventually make their way here too. It was only a question of when.

The ominous house rolled in and the boys weren’t sure how to react with it. You parked the car just outside the house and climbed out first, taking your walkie-talkie back from Itoshi and slinging your bag over your shoulder. Opening the fenced door and signalling for the boys to get inside quickly. Rin stuck his head out to see if there were still any signs of life before getting out and following behind you, signalling to the boys that the coast was clear. The tensions were high, at some point during the drive, the whole area started to become covered by fog, or maybe it was smoke from all the fire coming from the cities.

Though it obstructed your visions, you needed to act quickly and quietly to get to safety. If you can’t see the infected through it, then probably they couldn’t see you. But that was a risk you’re going to have to take. The boys huddled in quickly with Reo having to drag behind him. You and Rin were the last ones to enter the gated fences before shutting the gate and hurrying inside. The boys let out a sigh of relief as they tried to calm down in the entrance hall. You didn’t pay them any mind as you took off your shoes and gestured to them to follow the same, making your way through the house and locking all of the windows and closing the blinds.

Rin looked at how the rest of the guys were reacting only to find them not handling it well. He rolled his eyes at them and lifted the curtains covering the small windows besides the door. It was quiet, too quiet here that it didn’t make sense. He was certain whatever peace they had in this moment wouldn’t last long, he needed to get to Kamakura soon if he wanted to find his brother and his parents and escape this hellhole.

He couldn’t see anything outside, the fog too thick to see past the trees that also helped to block his view. Instead he observed the residence they were currently sheltering at, it was… certainly not something you’d expect to be someone’s home. The house was protected by steel fences with barbed wires coiling on top of it, and no doubt it was probably electric since he could see the yellow warning sign in the distance. There were security cameras in every corner monitoring and it slightly gave him the chills, reminding him of an old horror movie he used to watch.

Closing the curtains, he followed after you wanting to ask if he could make a call since he lost his phone in the bus crash earlier. He observed around and was slightly stunned to see that not only was the outside of your house a fortress, the inside was not an exception. There were reinforced locks fitted onto every door, security cameras tucked into the corners of the ceiling, the emergency generator positioned neatly beside the hallway, and heavy steel shutters folded above each window aside from the curtains. None of it looked temporary. None of it looked recently installed. It looked as though the house had been waiting for something like this long before the rest of Tokyo had even imagined it.

The man you talked to earlier was a very paranoid man, Rin could tell. And he was right, of course, your father had spent years turning the property into something closer to a military outpost than an ordinary family home. So even if those things eventually found this neighborhood, they'd have a difficult time getting through.

The others were far less interested in the defenses than they were in the house itself. Bachira wandered through the entrance hall with open curiosity, turning slowly as he took everything in, while Nagi glanced around once before lazily commenting that it looked more like a prison than somewhere people actually lived. You supposed he wasn't entirely wrong. Growing up here, you'd stopped noticing things that other people found unusual a long time ago.

Only after everyone had wandered farther inside did they finally begin taking in the rest of the house. It was clean to the point of feeling almost sterile, it even had that horrid clean scent, one akin to hospitals. Every piece of furniture sat perfectly where it belonged. Shoes were aligned neatly beside the entrance. Not a single object had been left lying around carelessly, and yet it seemed to be abandoned. Not a trace of life presence, it felt too cold to be called a home. But then again, compared to the blood-soaked streets outside, it was way better despite it seeming disconnected from reality.

"... You guys knew the apocalypse was coming or something?" Barou, who had been staying more silent than anyone else commented.

“It looks like a hideout in one of my video games, Reo.” Nagi nudged the purple haired boy

“This place is nuts!” Bachira smiled widely and spinned around, taking in his environment

You stopped everyone just as they reached the living room, your attention immediately drifting toward the couch. Blood had already begun drying on their jerseys, leaving dark patches across the fabric that would be a nightmare to scrub out if they rubbed against the upholstery. You usually wouldn’t mind that, your system was too used to the scent of it alone however, you noticed Nagi was just about to plop down on the couch and stain it.

"Don't sit down with those dirty clothes." You set your school bag beside the stairs, stopping Nagi right in his tracks just as he was about to lie down, "Father will make me wash the covers if they stain, and I'd rather not."

The house had been silent ever since all eight of you stepped inside, but this silence felt different. It wasn't the silence of safety. It was the kind that followed after people had spent hours listening to screams. The kind where everyone was too exhausted to think, yet too awake to stop thinking. Only now did the boys really notice the states they were in and once again reminded of the horrors they were forced to go through.

Their uniforms were filthy, stained with dried blood, dust and dirt gathered from running through a city that no longer resembled the one they'd woken up in that morning. The only thing to console them at least was the fact that the blood tainting them didn’t belong to themselves. Alright, maybe that fact wasn’t actually consoling but actually craved a deep sense of guilt in them.

Chigiri stared at you for several long seconds at your comment before letting out a dry, disbelieving laugh, "... Seriously?"

"What?" You questioned, head slightly titling to the left

"That's what you're worried about?" His voice rose despite himself, frustration finally breaking through the restraint he'd been holding onto since escaping Blue Lock. "The world's falling apart. We just watched our friends die. We don't even know if our families are alive anymore..." He gestured vaguely toward the front door before pointing at the pristine white furniture, "... And you're talking about a couch." His breathing had become uneven, he was angry, he was scared, and he wanted to drag you down into his misery, "What really happened at your school? How can you fucking act like this if you also witnessed the terrors outside? How are you so calm and clean when we went through Hell and back today just to survive!" His hair which was usually perfect was now knotted and tangled, he was close to breaking down but refused to go right in front of everyone. Unfortunately for him, his words didn’t feel the least bit threatening in any way.

You remained quiet for a moment, not because you were searching for an answer, but because you were remembering the order everything had happened, "The announcement came first then someone forced the classroom door open and our teacher got bitten. Everyone started to panic, they started running thinking they'd survive. Most of them got infected though." You paused, "So I left."

"...That's it?" Chigiri asked.

"There wasn't anything else to do."

"There had to be."

"I don't know."

"You just left them?"

"I thought about helping." Every eye in the room shifted toward you. "Maybe if they had asked for help..." You shrugged almost absentmindedly, "... I would've, but they didn't. And they were already infected. If I'd stayed, I'd probably be dead too."

Chigiri opened his mouth again, only for Reo to cut him off before another word could leave it, "Stop." His voice came out sharper than anyone expected that even Chigiri froze, "I said stop." Reo rubbed both hands over his face, his breathing noticeably unsteady, "... I don't want to know. I don't want to hear another story about people dying. These are my schoolmates you're talking about... I don't wanna hear it." He glared at the boy

The anger drained from Chigiri's expression almost immediately, replaced by the same exhaustion everyone else had been trying to ignore. You watched the seven boys for another second before shifting your bag higher onto your shoulder.

"If you don't like me or my rules, you're free to leave." Your tone never changed, "I can manage on my own. But if you're staying..." You turned toward the staircase, "I'll bring down my brother's clothes for you guys to change into. Leave your uniforms outside the bathroom when you're done changing. I'll wash them before they stain permanently. There's a landline in the corner, call your families."

Without waiting for a response, you walked upstairs. Nobody tried to stop you. The silence lingering in the living room felt heavier than before, though none of them could tell whether it came from everything that had happened today or from the conversation they had just shared with you. It wasn't often someone could make an entire room fall quiet without raising their voice, yet somehow you had managed it with nothing more than a few calm sentences. The image of your expression refused to leave their minds.

You hadn't looked angry. You hadn't looked upset. If anything, you'd looked almost... Inconvenience and indifferent. That made Rin not like you as you reminded him of his brother, Sae. It was though watching your classmates die had simply become another fact to accept instead of something to grieve over. Shaking his head at the situation, clearly annoyed and frustrated, Barou went to the corner to call up his sisters, no one answered. The boys took turns in calling their respective families, but again no one answered. Tensions grew high again at their fear, anxiety, and stress at not knowing if their loved ones were safe.

Isagi was the first to break the silence, "Play nice, Chigiri" he glanced toward the staircase, "We've got nowhere else to go even if we could leave, let’s just hitch a ride to the military base and head for Kamakura."

Chigiri let out a frustrated breath, dragging a hand through his hair before looking away, "You heard her. She watched her classmates die and walked away. I don't know about you guys, but that's not normal. We’re with a serial killer here, I’m telling you." He whispered-yelled

"Mhm..." Bachira hummed absentmindedly, his gaze still fixed on the second floor where you'd disappeared. "Maybe it's just me, but I don't really mind her. She’s got a monster inside her too." A small smile found its way back onto his face, though it lacked the usual playfulness it carried. "She's strange... But I don't think she's lying about her intentions. She just seems to like taking the most efficient route."

Nagi leaned against the wall, folding his arms behind his head, "She's still one girl." He shrugged lazily, "If something happens, there are seven of us."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Reo's voice was quieter than everyone else's, but it immediately drew their attention.

They all slowly looked around the living room for what felt like the first time since entering the house. Earlier, they'd been too busy trying to stay alive and noticing how well secured the house was to pay attention to their surroundings. Now that the adrenaline had finally begun wearing off, details they had overlooked earlier started standing out one after another.

Lining the walls were medals upon medals, framed certificates and commendations that stretched farther than any of them expected. Some looked old enough to have yellowed with age while others appeared relatively recent, their glass polished so cleanly it reflected the afternoon sunlight spilling through the windows. None of them looked like the certificates parents proudly hung after a school competition.

Every single one carried military insignias, commendations for combat drills, survival exercises, marksmanship, leadership or field training. There were simply too many for them to belong to one person alone, some belonged to a man named Yoshinori and others belonged to who they assumed was your brother, named Kaito. A fair portion of those achievements belonged to you as well. The entire house felt less like somebody's home and more like an extension of a military headquarters.

There was a particular photo that caught their attention, it was a family portrait. The man they'd heard over the radio earlier is who they presumed to be in the silhouette and it seemed to be more recent. Even trapped behind a layer of glass, he looked intimidating. Tall, broad-shouldered and built like someone who had spent his entire life on a battlefield, faded scars disappeared beneath the sleeves of his formal navy uniform. His expression never changed regardless of the occasion. Whether he stood beside fellow officers or his own family, his face remained just as stern as the voice that had calmly ordered his daughter to report for active duty.

Beside him stood another young man. He couldn't have been much older than eighteen or nineteen, yet the resemblance between the two was impossible to ignore. The same hair. The same sharp eyes. The same rigid posture drilled into soldiers from years of discipline. He wasn't as heavily built as the older man, nor did he carry nearly as many scars, but it was obvious he had been raised the same way, to be just as strong.

Then there was you. Seated neatly between them, you almost looked like you belonged somewhere else entirely. Compared to your father and brother, your features were softer. Smaller. Younger. Dressed in a navy skirt uniform with a matching cap resting neatly atop your head, you looked more like an honor student posing for a formal ceremony than someone who had calmly driven through a city overrun with the infected. Yet despite the softness of your appearance, every photograph carried the same expression. Not a smile. Not a frown. Just those same hollow eyes they'd seen since earlier. The same empty look you'd worn while talking about watching your classmates die.

Rin's attention drifted away from the family portrait toward several smaller frames resting on a cabinet nearby, "She's got awards for shooting and combat training lying around if you idiots didn't notice."

There was a photo album placed on the table, since he couldn’t contain his curiosity, Isagi snatched it up and opened it, the other boys huddling around to see what was inside. They sealed their breaths at the sight, unsure what to feel exactly at the pictures. You standing at shooting ranges barely tall enough to properly shoulder the rifle in your hands. You crawled beneath barbed wire while soldiers watched from the sidelines. You standing knee-deep in mud during what looked like military exercises. Some showed a younger version of you receiving medals from decorated officers. Others captured you standing among adults in camouflage that dwarfed your smaller frame. Below the pictures were notes scribbled down with records of your progress.

"So her dad's one of those military freaks?" Chigiri muttered, though the annoyance in his voice wasn't nearly as convincing as before.

"Still..." Nagi yawned, folding his arms behind his head. "She's one girl. There're seven of us."

“Put it back where it belongs, this is an invasion of privacy. It’s wrong.” Barou grabbed the photo album and placed it back on the table

"The kitchen's to the left!" your voice suddenly echoed from upstairs. "Get whatever you want if you're hungry!"

The sudden sound of your voice made all of them glance toward the staircase, "... Food sounds good." Nagi immediately leaned against Reo. "Carry me."

"You've got legs."

"And I'm choosing not to use them." Reo sighed, already knowing he'd lose the argument anyway, and reluctantly supported the lazy striker's weight.

Once your footsteps faded again, Chigiri spoke, "I still don't trust her."

"We'll keep an eye on her." Isagi replied quietly. "If something happens, we'll leave."

"Tch." Rin clicked his tongue, "You guys are so lukewarm. Did it not occur to you that she might hear everything you're saying? We're the only ones in this house." Rin folded his arms, leaning against the wall.

One particular photograph on the table that caught Rin's attention, he leaned closer to get a good view at it. You couldn't have been older than ten. The shotgun resting in your left arm looked far too large for someone your age, forcing you to support its weight with visible difficulty. In your right hand, however, you held the severed head of a deer by its antlers, dried blood still clinging to its neck. Standing behind you were your father and older brother, both carrying hunting rifles over their shoulders while the bodies of several freshly hunted animals lay at their feet. A small campsite occupied the background, complete with canvas tents surrounding a crackling bonfire nestled deep within the forest.

It looked like an ordinary family camping trip. Except… You didn't look proud. You didn't look excited. If anything, you looked frightened. Your grip around the deer's antlers was tight, almost reluctant, while your expression seemed uncomfortable, as though you'd been told to stand still until the photograph was taken. At ten years old, those hollow eyes of yours were nowhere to be seen and left in its wake was this fearful look you had. Rin couldn't tell whether you were scared of the dead animal in your hand or of the man standing behind you.

"If you spent half as much time observing as you do complaining, you'd actually notice something. She never argued. I asked her to open the van. She did. We asked to come with her. She agreed. We asked questions. She answered." He clicked his tongue again, "... She's obedient. Too obedient because she’s trained to be a soldier. So quit whining and use your heads for once, you half-baked strikers." Rin finished

Isagi eventually walked over, followed closely by the rest of the boys. His gaze lingered on the photograph for another moment before shifting toward Rin, who still hadn't looked away from it, "Do you think we can trust her?"

Rin remained silent for a moment. "We don't have to." His answer was short, almost dismissive, "We can use her."

Nobody argued with him. Whether they liked it or not, the girl upstairs had a secure house, military connections and enough survival skills to keep seven complete strangers alive. In a world that had collapsed within the span of a few hours, those things were worth more than trust.

"... Poor animals." Bachira's voice came out much quieter than before.

His smile had long since disappeared as he stared at the photograph of your younger self holding the deer's severed head. The lifeless animal drew his attention more than the shotgun resting in your small arms. His brows knitted together with genuine sympathy, his expression softening as he quietly mourned the creatures that had long since become someone's dinner. None of them noticed the footsteps approaching from behind.

"My first kill." The calm voice made every one of them stiffen.

They turned so quickly it almost looked rehearsed. You stood in the doorway carrying a stack of neatly folded clothes in one arm while dragging several folded camp beds and sleeping bags behind you, apparently having hauled them down from your brothers room without much difficulty. Your expression remained exactly the same as before, as though catching them rummaging through your family photographs wasn't something worth reacting to.

You glanced briefly toward the picture Rin had been studying, "Father said we couldn't afford to be picky with food." Your eyes lingered on the photograph for only a second before returning to the boys. "He taught me how to hunt, gut and cook animals when I was ten." The statement was delivered so matter-of-factly that nobody knew how to respond. Walking over, you handed each of them a change of clothes, "I hope these fit. My brother's a little taller than most of you." You pointed toward the hallway without much thought. "The bathroom's over there. Leave your uniforms outside the door when you're done changing. I'll wash them later." The room remained awkwardly silent, "...I'll make lunch while you're at it."

They flinched, shocked at how they weren’t able to notice your presence at all. These boys were used to facing opponents who managed to conceal themselves in the field, but the way you walked in on them was nothing like how their old teammate, Otoya did. You managed to erase your entire existence, not a single footstep was heard which caught most especially Rin and Isagi off guard. Nobody even thanked you as you handed them the new clothes. The seven boys simply stood there, still embarrassed after being caught inspecting your family photographs.

Nagi was the first to recover, "I'm starving." Without thinking, he lazily leaned his weight toward you out of habit, only for you to step aside at the last second. Deprived of his intended support, he stumbled forward before Reo caught him by the shoulder with a tired sigh.

"Watch it." You paid the small incident no mind, "There's still a few hours before sunset." You adjusted the sleeping bags in your arms before turning toward the kitchen. "Watch the news if you want. We don't know how much longer we'll have electricity. I’ll make dinner."

With that, you walked away once more, leaving the seven boys standing exactly where they'd been. This time… None of them found themselves looking at the photographs anymore. Instead, they quietly watched you disappear around the corner, each of them wondering the same thing. Just what kind of childhood could make someone speak about their first kill with the same casualness as deciding what to cook for lunch?

Taglist: @thetwinkims @catty080 @kanavu14 @virginiaay @danhoneyyy @miss-maem @chaekins @hydraa17 @rotheboattohell