**Title: The Game Between Us**
---
Itoshi Rin stood at the edge of the soccer field, his gaze fixed on the sunset-hued sky. The brilliance of the setting sun matched the fire in his heart, the one that never ceased to burn for the game he loved. Soccer was his life, his passion, his everything. Yet, lately, something else had begun to infiltrate his thoughts, something—or rather, someone—who made his heartbeat quicken in a way that had nothing to do with the adrenaline of a match.
Rin hated feeling out of control, and that’s exactly how *he* made him feel.
Sae, his older brother, had always been a looming shadow over his life. But it wasn’t Sae who had Rin tangled in knots now. It was Yoichi Isagi. The teammate who always seemed to be a step ahead, whose presence on the field both challenged and infuriated Rin. And off the field? Well, Rin wasn’t entirely sure how to navigate those feelings.
He’d spent years building walls around his heart, focusing solely on becoming the best player he could be. But with Isagi, those walls crumbled far too easily. Rin clenched his fists, trying to shake off the disorientation that came whenever Isagi was near.
It was just soccer, he told himself. The intensity of their connection was born from competition, nothing more. Yet, when Isagi would flash that determined grin, eyes locked with Rin’s, it felt like something far deeper, something Rin wasn’t prepared to confront.
Tonight, they were the last two on the practice field. The rest of the team had gone back to the dorms, leaving them in a silence that buzzed with unspoken tension. Isagi jogged over to where Rin stood, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
"Good practice today," Isagi said, his voice casual, though his eyes bore into Rin’s with that same intensity that always unnerved him.
Rin grunted in response, trying to ignore the heat rising to his cheeks. "You’re in my way, Isagi," he muttered, turning away to mask his discomfort. But Isagi wasn’t one to back down easily.
"You’ve been avoiding me, Rin," Isagi said, his tone playful but with a serious undercurrent. "On the field, we’re always in sync. But off the field… you act like I’m your enemy."
Rin felt his heart pound, but he refused to let it show. He was not about to let Isagi see the effect he had on him. "You’re not important enough to be my enemy," Rin snapped, but his words lacked their usual bite.
Isagi chuckled, stepping closer. "Then why do you keep looking at me like that?"
Rin’s breath hitched. How was he supposed to respond to that? He couldn’t admit the truth, not even to himself. He wasn’t sure what he felt, only that it was overwhelming, consuming, and utterly terrifying.
"I look at everyone like that," Rin said finally, his voice tight.
Isagi leaned in, his smile softening into something more sincere. "No, Rin. You don’t."
Rin felt trapped, not by Isagi’s proximity, but by the storm of emotions swirling inside him. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He was supposed to focus on soccer, on surpassing his brother, on winning. But now, he couldn’t stop thinking about how Isagi’s eyes seemed to see right through him, how his touch might feel, how—
Rin flinched when Isagi’s hand suddenly brushed against his own, the simple contact sending a shockwave through his body. Isagi must have noticed his reaction because he paused, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face.
"I—" Rin started, but the words caught in his throat.
Isagi’s hand lingered, warm and steady. "Rin," he said softly, "you don’t have to fight this. Whatever this is, it doesn’t have to be a battle."
Rin’s instinct was to push him away, to retreat back into the safety of solitude. But another part of him, the part that had been quietly yearning, wanted to step closer, to let Isagi in.
"Why do you care?" Rin whispered, more to himself than to Isagi. He didn’t understand why Isagi was trying so hard to reach him, to break through the barriers Rin had spent so long building.
Isagi’s grip tightened ever so slightly, grounding Rin in that moment. "Because you’re important to me, Rin," Isagi said simply. "On and off the field. I want to understand you, to know you."
Rin closed his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts. Was it really okay to let his guard down? To let someone else see the parts of him he kept hidden? The idea scared him more than any match ever could.
But as he opened his eyes and met Isagi’s gaze, something shifted within him. Maybe, just maybe, it was okay to be vulnerable, to let someone in. He didn’t have to face everything alone.
Rin took a shaky breath and, for once, allowed himself to take a step closer to Isagi, to let down his defenses. "I don’t know how to do this," Rin admitted, his voice barely audible.
Isagi’s smile was soft, reassuring. "We’ll figure it out together," he said, his tone filled with a warmth that Rin hadn’t realized he’d been craving.
And for the first time in a long while, Rin felt a sense of peace wash over him. Maybe he didn’t have to have all the answers right now. Maybe it was okay to let himself be led for once, to trust someone else with his heart.
As they stood there, the last rays of the sun dipping below the horizon, Rin felt a small smile tug at his lips. For the first time, the idea of being with someone, of not always being in control, didn’t seem so frightening.
And as Isagi’s hand gently clasped his, Rin allowed himself to lean into the warmth of his touch, feeling a new kind of fire ignite within him—a fire that had nothing to do with soccer, and everything to do with the boy standing beside him.
