courage dear heart | Yuki Ishikawa

57

It was a hectic morning at the airport. All the athletes were buzzing with excitement as we prepared to fly back to Tokyo for the gala.

Ayumu was practically bouncing with energy, chatting with Hiro about how excited he was to see everyone dressed up. Reira and Ran were discussing what kind of food would be served at the event.

Meanwhile, I wasn't as enthusiastic.

I was exhausted, feeling the weight of the long training sessions and the extra responsibilities for sponsors.

I tried to tune out the conversations, leaning my head against the window and taking a deep breath.

What irritated me the most, though, was seeing Rina Yamada constantly hovering around Yuki.

She was always close by, finding any excuse to get his attention under the guise of her work as the social media manager.

Every time I glanced over, there she was, laughing at something he said or gently brushing his arm. It was frustrating, to say the least.

Yuki didn't seem to mind her presence too much, but I couldn't help but feel a sting of annoyance.

I tried to shake it off, telling myself that I shouldn't care, but it wasn't easy to ignore.

At one point, I saw Rina showing him something on her phone, her face way too close to his, and it made me clench my fists in frustration.

Reira noticed my mood and nudged me lightly. "You okay?" she asked, her voice concerned.

"Yeah," I muttered. "Just tired."

She didn't seem convinced but didn't press the issue.

As the others kept chatting, I put on my headphones and closed my eyes, hoping the music would drown out my thoughts and help me relax before the flight.

I suddenly felt a soft touch on my cheek.

My eyes fluttered open, slightly startled, and there was Kaito, crouched down right in front of me.

He had that familiar mischievous grin on his face, his finger still lightly brushing my skin.

"You're going to miss all the fun if you fall asleep here," he teased, his voice low.

I pulled out my headphones. "I wasn't sleeping," I mumbled, still feeling a bit out of it.

Kaito tilted his head, eyes studying me like he always did when he thought I was hiding something. "You don't seem excited. What's wrong?"

I sighed, leaning back in my seat. "I'm just tired, that's all."

He didn't say anything right away, just kept looking at me with that playful yet curious expression.

Then, with a small shrug, he reached up and flicked my forehead lightly. "Well, wake up. We've got a long day ahead, and you don't want to miss the chaos."

I rubbed the spot where he flicked me and gave him a mock glare. "What chaos?"

He laughed softly, leaning a little closer. "This is just the beginning. You know how these things go. And then there's the gala." He wiggled his eyebrows. "We've got to make a grand entrance."

I rolled my eyes, but his energy was infectious. Even though I wasn't in the mood, his goofy optimism was starting to pull me out of my funk.

"Come on," he said, standing up and offering his hand to help me up. "Let's grab something before we board. I bet you haven't eaten anything decent today."

I hesitated, glancing around the busy terminal, but then I took his hand, feeling a bit lighter. "Alright, fine. But if you flick my forehead again, you're paying for lunch."