𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍; 𝐈𝐭𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐒𝐚𝐞

04. MONEY

Now with Shoko at preschool every day, Sae can safely travel an hour away to practice without worrying his ass off.

A lot had changed since the divorce. The Itoshi family was living in Valencia, Spain because of Sae's profession as the core middle fielder on the Re Al football club. Re Al was known as the most prestigious football club in the world at that point, and since his wife wasn't working, it was a no-brainer that they lived closer for Sae's convenience.

Everything was damn perfect. Sae was rising in the ranks in football at unforeseen rates, his wife and child were happy in his home, and for once, Sae was happy.

But it all fell apart.

It was a slow and strenuous process, but his wife slowly became more irritable. She got mad over the smallest things, got into screaming matches over practically nothing, and began making egregious threats of leaving him out of nowhere. And at its climax, when Sae saw how badly it was affecting Shoko, it was all over.

Sae took full custody over Shoko and moved to Japan. He announced a one-year break from playing football to get his life together, and Re Al had been extremely accommodating for Sae's situation. They payed him his salary in full over the time he was gone to ensure he was amply supported and able to take care of his young child.

The wife remained in Spain, not even bothering to see her daughter goodbye when they finally left for Japan.

In this year-long timeframe, Shoko and Sae were figuratively attached by the hip. They needed each other to get through the heartbreak of losing a mother and a wife in one fell swoop. Eventually, through the many tears (mainly Shoko's), they rebuilt their lives in a new home near Sae's hometown.

Oddly enough, this catastrophe was the single collision that lead to the Itoshi brothers making amends. Rin was the first person Sae called to tell about the divorce, and the last person he'd expected to show up at the airport and drive them home in the midst of a national tournament. Rin made a point to say that he never liked Sae's wife to begin with.

Rin was probably the only reason Sae and Shoko made it through the year. He made time to watch over Shoko when he was free, and even made a few of his teammates pitch in with the babysitting as Sae fought numerous legal battles back and forth between countries.

Sae could remember every moment of that year with full clarity. All the restless nights, the stressful court meetings, and the moment half his assets were handed over to that bitch.

The same bitch who was calling his phone.

Sae stared blankly at the number. "Itoshi Natsuki." Bonus points that she kept his last name as if to rub it into his face. Sae had noticed she'd left him numerous calls during practice and stepped out to finally deal with the monster head on.

He took a careful breath before he answered the phone.

"Natsuki."

"Sae. It's been a while." She sighed through the phone. Her voice sounded the same as the day he met her: overly bored and calm. At first, it intrigued him, but now it only made him pissed off.

"It's been eight months. Everything alright? What's the call for?" He asked.

"I found a peculiar bill in my mail this morning. I never thought to open them myself, since the butler usually took care of it." She hummed. "But I felt the need to this morning, I don't know why."

"And?"

"It's child support." She scoffed. "Itoshi Sae, are you really that cheap?! You know about my condition. I can't work. I'm essentially jobless- I can't pay you child support! It's not fair, you're the one raking in millions each month."

He pinched his face at her screaming.

"It's the law, Natsuki. I don't give a shit if you actually pay them or not-"

"You're so high and mighty, aren't you?!" She yelled through the phone. Sae heard a crash from the speaker, causing him to instinctively flinch the slightest bit. "Cant you think about anyone else other than yourself?! I don't think so, you narcissistic asshole!"

"What the hell do you want me to do?" Sae sternly asked. "I've already told you. I couldn't care less about the money. Don't pay it."

"You're nothing but the same cold man I divorced." She spat. "I want you to come to Spain and dispute this. Legally. I don't want any more bills appearing on my doorstep every single damn month, reminding me of you!"

Sae clenched his jaw, glaring down at the name on his screen. "Done. I'll be there when I'm free."

He didn't let her respond and hung up. Sae had the innate urge to throw his phone at the wall and then go run seven laps, but he didn't. He stood still, running his hand through his hair while trying to catch his temper.

Natsuki was basically a child. She acted like she was high and mighty, then when things don't go her way, she went straight to having a temper tantrum until it was fixed. She wasn't always this way, and Sae had no idea how she turned out to be so pissy.

"You know, I've always hated that bitch."

Sae glanced to his right and saw Shidou, holding two beers. Ever since they played together at the U-20 match, there had been some level of respect between them. Or, at least, from Sae's perspective. When Sae had came to Shidou and asked him to look after his kid, Shidou was enthusiastic to do so.

"Really?" Sae asked, grabbing one of the drinks from Shidou. "Rin says the same things."

"Well for Rin that's expected. I doubt he'd hop on the hype train of any girl who dared to steal his older brother away from him." Shidou joked and Sae rolled his eyes.

"And why did you hate her?"

"Because she was after your money from the start." Shidou blankly replied, catching Sae off guard.

"Lesson number one. Never date a fan." Shidou shook his head. "They've always got some ulterior motive behind them, whether it be their stupid fantasy or money-grubbing scum like Natsuki."

Now Sae was curious. "What else ticked you the wrong way?"

"She'd always order the most expensive shit. Remember we went out with the team and the wives, and she bought an entire bottle of that Italian wine even though she barely touched the thing? She was doing it to show off how much money she had." Shidou shrugged. "Aka, how much money you had."

Sae thought back, and that was entirely true. At the time, he just thought she had high standards, but it's obvious now. She deliberately chose the best clothes, best jewelry, best cars, and best vacation spots for the sake of luxury.

"You've been gold dug, my friend."

"I guess I have been."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Shidou grinned.

Sae didn't give him the answer he wanted. "Nothing. I don't give a shit about what she takes, I'm not into football or life for the money."

"And you're going to Spain for that pain in the ass?"

"I guess I am." He answered. "I won't rush. I'll take my damn time."