omiai | blue lock

十七

an: there seems to be a misunderstanding with the yesterday's chapter. to settle and put it simply, rin isn't the newest addition to the admirers, rin is part of the original 7. a new one really entered the list.

A few inches of distance separates them, her chest slowly rising and falling all the while their eyes are only on each other's.

"How is it that I find myself unable to breathe and think clearly when I'm around you?" He asks her. "Do you know what you're doing to me?" He asks her again.

"Rin..." Misa breathes out.

"Is there even any logical reason why I'm only like this with you? But even without you by my side, I can't think properly. You're like a goal in a game that isn't counted and I'm left wondering why it isn't." He says, closing his eyes as he leans to press his forehead against hers.

"You..." Rin whispers, "I like you."

Just as Misa closes her eyes and anticipate his lips on hers, the keys fumbling outside the front door could be heard, immediately bolting her eyes wide open and craning her head towards the direction of the sound.

It could either be her older sister Anri or her parents or worse, all three of them.

"Hide." Is what she tells Rin, sitting up straight and taking a hold of his wrist, rushing towards her bedroom to have him hide inside her closet or her room's bathroom or under her bed. Whichever he preferred to hide. 

Closing the door behind her, Misa returns back to the living room, pretending as if she has just finished eating dinner.

Turning on the light of her bedroom, Rin honestly didn't know what to do by himself inside a girl's bedroom. He knows he shouldn't let his eyes wander all over, he could see something Misa didn't want him to see. He didn't want to upset her after all.

Idly sitting on the foot of her bed, he could hear her voice and the familiar voice of Anri, their assistant coach.

"I'm home!" He hears Anri say from the living room, followed by the sound of the door closing and then heels clacking against the wooden floor.

"Welcome home!" Misa greets in a cheerful tone. "I just finished eating!"

And that brought a small smile on his face. Misa and Anri are only two siblings in the family yet they have a good relationship. Whereas him and Sae...never mind. 

Resting his back against her bed, the rain outside seemed to have already died down. He can finally go home and just make up a reasonable excuse to his parents as to why he was out so late on a school day.

A small glint catches the corner of his eyes, turning his head to look at the direction of the beaming object flashing at him. There on top of Misa's study table standing proudly is a jar filled with folded papers, the lid of the jar half open.

Sitting up from the bed and then getting up on his feet, he walks closer towards the object, slipping two fingers inside to take a piece of paper into his hands. As he unfolds to read what was written, Rin wished he hadn't.

Princess! Last weekend, a cute cafe opened near our school. I haven't been there yet, actually I wanted to go there with you. If I finally show you who I really am, will you go out with me?

You're always in my mind, princess.

- your prince charming

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

When the following day arrives and Rin stands in the middle of the field with the ball just right beside him, he finds everything under the sun as annoying.

The tree leaves rustling against the cool afternoon breeze? Annoying.

The afternoon sun blazing in the blue skies? Annoying.

Shidou pestering him? Annoying. 

Aryu twirling a strand of his long hair around his finger besides a low self esteemed Tokimitsu? Annoying.

The image he saw of Sae walking into the airport on his phone? Highly annoying.

Misa's face of last night? Very much endearing.

"Hey, Isagi?" He hears Bachira's voice, turning his head towards their direction, the sight of Isagi looking over at Misa's direction then Bachira turning his head to look and see where is Isagi looking.

"You should have known. No matter where she is, he'll just stare at her!" Imamura replies, grinning widely.

Bachira slings an arm around Isagi's shoulders. "Why are you so thirsty?"

"I-I'm not!" Isagi stammers. "But how can you not fall for someone like Misa? Someone who's-"

"Pretty, smart, cute, kind." Gagamaru finishes.

"We've heard that line multiple times, Isagi." Kunigami responded. "It's like embed in our heads already."

So Isagi likes Misa too? Is he the one sending her those love letters? Because if he is, then the letters are growing too many in number to his liking.

Very much annoyed by Isagi's presence, Rin sweeps the ball to his feet, kicking it at an angle to hit the back of Isagi's head.

"Quit daydreaming." He says. "Let's start with the warm up."

Hiori stares at the letter he received from Misa in her shoe locker. Never did he expect to receive a response from her. Though he is a little sad that her answer to their pending cafe date depends on who he really is, he is now left all alone by himself in their locker room, debating if he should finally reveal himself to her.

Reveal to her that after all the years of secret pining and longing, he, who sees Misa as his oasis, finally come forward.

"You haven't joined the others yet?" 

Crumpling the paper in his hand, he lifts his head up to see Chigiri in the changing room with him.

"Not yet." He replies, shoving the letter inside the depths of his backpack. "I didn't know you're still here."

"I got out from the library a bit late. The queuing line was a little bit long." He replies, opening his own locker to change into his jersey.

Opening his own locket too, he shoves his bag inside before closing. All the while his face is being hidden by the metal door, he hoped that Chigiri didn't see anything questionable - his expression, the almost passive sounding like voice when he spoke to him and the crumpled paper in his hand.

"I'll be going ahead first." He tells Chigiri, giving him a quick glance. "I don't want to have additional laps on my warm ups." He adds, jogging out of the changing room.

Unbeknownst to Hiori, Chigiri caught sight of a paper in his hand. Now left alone, he wonders to himself, what could have Misa replied to his message? Did she no to the date? Or did she say yes and will meet up over the upcoming weekend?

Shivers begin to run down his spine. He hoped that in Misa's response to him, she says no.