Tie a Knot|| Blue Lock

Side Story: 1

Life was hard, [Name] knows this all too well. Despite that fact, he continues to do his best because he knows the world won't wait for him. It waits for no one.

He wipes his tear-stained face free of any traces of his anguish and plasters on a smile, forced to make himself ready to take on a new day because he needs to, because he must. The wounds and bruises he received from yesterday's mental fights were licked clean as he stood tall, acting like nothing was wrong.

It will heal, he tells himself. Over and over.

[Name] has lived like this for as long as he can remember, it would be a shame to falter now of all times. And so, he'll wait it out until the world allows him to heal, he'll wait until the world stops throwing hurdles in his way and allows him a moment of respite, to take a breather, and just...exist.

Patience is a virtue and [Name] excelled in its nature.

Even then, however, he was a mere human in the end. And humans break.

"You're here..." [Name] muttered, his eyes widened in shock at the appearance of a face he never thought would show up on his doorstep. He was equal parts elated and confused as he watched in caution, his heart feeling like it was floating.

The moon's soft light glowed upon the person who stood in front of him, making him look ethereal, untouchable. Somehow, he couldn't help but wonder if this person was actually standing in front of him or if it were a mere illusion created by a projection of his own heart.

"I am..." Sae responded back, his posture stiff and his expression aloof. He wore a simple outfit, a white button-up, and some pants. Who knows if they were branded because no matter what he wore, [Name] thinks he'd be able to pull it off effortlessly.

A silence resonated after that as they stood there as though frozen in time, as though nothing bad had happened yet and they were still young and 12. As though they were simply just Sae and [Name] again, not a prodigious football player and a singer. As though they were just existing with each other.

[Name] unconsciously shrunk in on himself, his eyes falling down to the floor as a momentary flash of cold teal eyes pierced his memories as it did on that day. "Did you come here for something?" He asked quietly, his voice as soft as his heart in this moment.

"I came for you," Sae responded back, his voice sharper and louder yet calm and less spiteful than the last time they encountered. They were both hesitant, their wounds still fresh and barely healing.

While they've gotten some things sorted out during that encounter in the karaoke place, they've yet to untangle and unpack any of the other exchanges between them. As much as they've wanted to, busy schedules from their respective careers blocked them from any chance to talk about it.

"You're gonna need to be more specific and this," [Name] replied with barely hidden amusement, his voice lightening up slightly as he continued to stare at the ground. The chance for a blithe exchange made Sae's heart jump a bit as he immediately opened his mouth again to reply swiftly.

"I want to take you out," Alright, he probably should've worded that better. In his haste to give a response, he didn't think about his words all too well. Sae cursed his awkwardness with words as he thought of a follow-up to clear things out.

[Name] didn't seem to mind, however, as he gave another gentle laugh. The chortle caught Sae off guard momentarily as he let his mouth hang loose, his heart beginning to thump as if he were young and freshly introduced to what having a crush felt like.

"Alright, where do you want to go then?" The younger teen asked mirthfully, his gaze light as it finally settled on Sae's figure.

The midfielder shuddered in a breath at the warmth of the person in front of him. Despite making those same eyes spill out tears of heartbreak and grief in the past, they still managed to look at him so warmly.