𝓡𝓲𝓷 𝓲𝓽𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲 𝓫𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓶 𝔁 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂

59. Shidou/ Nagi x Rin (part 1)

It had been a couple of months since Shidou was officially out of Rin’s life. Sae made damn sure of that. The two still saw each other at matches, training camps, press events — but the air between them was cold, charged with the kind of tension that promised violence if either one of them stepped too close.

Rin kept his head down, focused on football, pretending Shidou didn’t exist.

And for a while, that was enough.

Then came Nagi Seishiro.

It wasn’t planned. Rin had known him in passing — Blue Lock, the occasional scrimmage, Nagi’s lazy but deadly genius on the field. They hadn’t talked much beyond the usual “good pass” or “watch it” during a match. But one evening, after a post-game event Rin didn’t even want to attend, they ended up next to each other on the sidelines.

Nagi was sitting under a tree, picking at his phone with an expression that was more bored than usual.

“Hate these things,” Nagi muttered when Rin dropped down beside him, exhausted.

“Then why come?” Rin asked.

Nagi shrugged. “Reo made me. Said ‘networking’s important.’ Whatever that means.”

Rin snorted. He could relate.

They sat in silence for a bit. It wasn’t uncomfortable. Just… easy. Neither of them felt the need to fill it with pointless conversation.

After a while, Nagi glanced over.

“You okay? You’ve been kinda… I dunno. Off.”

Rin stiffened, startled. Not many people noticed. Or if they did, they didn’t ask.

“It’s nothing.”

Nagi tilted his head. “That thing with Shidou?”

Rin’s jaw clenched. He wasn’t surprised Nagi knew. Word traveled fast in their world.

“Yeah.”

“He’s a dick,” Nagi said simply.

Rin blinked. Then, despite himself, laughed.

It was a small thing. But it was the first time in weeks something felt genuinely light.

“Yeah, he is.”
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After that, they started hanging out more.

It wasn’t even intentional at first. Nagi would drop by his place after practice because “Reo’s being annoying” or text Rin random memes at midnight. They started gaming together — Nagi was unfairly good at it. Then came after-match dinners, lazy afternoons in the park, and the occasional impromptu movie marathon on Rin’s couch.

Sae noticed, of course.

When he visited one weekend, he caught sight of Nagi’s shoes by the door and raised an eyebrow.

“You and lazy boy hanging out now?”

“He’s… easy to be around.” Rin shrugged, not looking up from the instant ramen he was making.

Sae smirked. “Better taste this time. Good.”

Rin rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.

And honestly? Sae was right. It was good.

Nagi never pushed. He didn’t expect Rin to be anyone other than exactly who he was. They talked when Rin felt like it, stayed quiet when he didn’t. And somehow, in all that unassuming comfort, Rin started letting his guard down.
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