common enemy [Ryuji Sakamoto x Reader]

chapter nine: track traitor

You panted heavily, grabbing your shaking knees for support. "Holy shit..."

Ryuji did the same as he tried to slow his breathing. You looked up, making eye contact with him. You burst into laughter at the same time as he did. "We look fucking pathetic don't we?"

"Yep," you agreed through ragged breaths.

It had been two weeks since the two of you promised to start training together. You would meet with him after school and complete various exercises and sprinting activities. If he had extra time you would go to the gym with him afterwards. When Ryuji was busy (which happened a lot, surprisingly) you would train on your own. Regardless of the pain the two of you were in, you used your time together to grow closer with him.

"We might still suck," you showed him the time on your watch, "but there's been improvement!"

"Not bad." He nodded, standing back up. "Wanna do another lap?"

You shook your head. "Can we take a break? My calves are killing me."

"Sure."

The two of you sat down, grabbing your water bottles and taking short sips. You glanced around the "secret spot" Ryuji had shown you when you began to train with him. He had told you he used to go to this spot when he ran track. It was an area behind the school that not many people passed by. Hidden in the shadows, this corner of the school was filled with lush grass and the occasional untamed wildflower. It was calming to train in such a secluded environment.

You felt Ryuji's eyes on you for a few minutes before you finally decided to turn and meet his gaze. You immediately noticed how he was staring at your body, obviously since you weren't wearing much. Your (h/l)(h/c) hair was in a ponytail, and you were sporting a tight dri-fit tank top and spandex shorts. You knew the clothes were revealing, but you wondered why you were okay with him seeing you in them. Even when you were facing him, he wasn't taking his eyes off of you.

"The hell are you staring at?"

Your question snapped him out of his trance as he turned to look somewhere else. You could see that the tips of his ears were red with embarassment.

"N-Nothing."

"That's very convincing, Sakamoto. Especially when you say it with a blush on your cheeks." You laughed. Ryuji had endured constant teasing from you the entire time you had known him. He always tried to get you back but not much bothered you. Despite his tough exterior, he was easily flustered around you. You enjoyed these moments with him.

A cold voice suddenly cut through the air like a knife, contrasting the calm scenery. "What are you doing here, Sakamoto."

You snapped your head to the voice to discover a small group of students in workout clothes had confronted you. Ryuji looked emotionally pained for a second before he stood, tucking his hands in his pockets.

"Nakaoka... Takeishi..." He muttered looking at the owners of the names respectively. Something about the anger the group radiated made you stand up defensively.

"Running, huh?" The boy named Nakaoka spat out like venom. "I saw you from the window."

"What, you gonna come crawling back to the track team?" Takeishi added. The boys behind them looked at Ryuji with scorn.

"H-Hell no..." Ryuji looked downcast.

"What the hell is going on here?" You intervened.

Nakaoka looked at you as if he just noticed you were there. "Stay out of it. We just wanna talk to the track traitor."

"Track traitor?"

He ignored your question and turned back to Ryuji. "Bringing backup, huh? Can't defend yourself?"

You clenched your fists in anger. Ryuji took it silently.

"This was your secret training spot, right?" He continued, "Well it belongs to us now, the former track team. We don't even have a locker room anymore, thanks to someone I know."

That was your breaking point. "Shut. Up." Everyone looked at you with surprise. "Leave him alone. We aren't bothering you. There's no reason to treat him like this!" Your nails were digging into your palms as you forced the words out.

"(L/n)..." Ryuji's voice was distant.

Nakaoka's face twisted in anger. "We have no reason? How about how he shut down the track team and destroyed our chances at reccomendations?"

Takeishi stepped forward. "All of us were dealing with Kamoshida's bullshit, and he had to go and ruin it for all of us."

Kamoshida? That sex offender teacher?

"What are you even doing, hanging out with a loser like him?" Nakaoka snapped, clearly irritated.

Takeishi sneered at you. "You better watch out. He'll probably hit you the second he gets pissed off."

The other track team members began to layer on more insults as Ryuji stayed silent. "I heard his dad was the same way. Like father like son, right?"

"That's enough. We're out of here." You decided to get away before you got any more pissed than you already were. You grabbed Ryuji's arm, pulling him along with you. The track members watched in pure hatred as you disappeared from their sight.