Chapter Text
It's a normal day at Ichinan High School. I reached my classroom by 8:15 AM, as usual.
More than half the students were already seated, the morning murmur of conversations and last-minute homework copying filling the air. The spring sunlight filtered through the windows, casting pale rectangles across the linoleum floor.
And there he was, already at his desk by the window.
Isagi Yoichi.
The boy I'd been crushing on for... I don't know. A month? A semester? Since the day I first saw him frown at a math problem like it had personally offended him? Does it matter?
I schooled my features into a neutral mask, the kind that wouldn't scream 'I see my crush', and slipped through the door.
Still, my eyes found him instantly.
To anyone else, he was just spacing out. But I saw it—the slight furrow of his brow, the rhythmic tapping of his fingers against the desk. He wasn't just looking out the window. He was seeing something else entirely. A play? A strategy? Who knew. But I'd long since dubbed that expression his "soccer look."
As I walked to my desk—thankfully just one row over—my bag accidentally clipped a stack of books on the edge of an unoccupied desk. They tumbled to the floor with a sharp clatter.
Half the room turned. My face burned.
Isagi startled from his thoughts, his head snapping toward the sound immediately. For a split second, his eyes met mine—still half-lost in whatever game he'd been playing in his head, then sharpening into focus. "Ah, here, let me get that."
And bless my heart—he was already on his knees gathering the scattered books before I could even react.
His kindness was so automatic, so genuine, not performative or expectant. Just... Isagi.
I forced my expression back into its cool facade, swallowing the flutter in my throat, and managed an even voice. "Thank you, Isagi-kun. My bad. Wasn't looking."
Isagi straightened, stacking the books neatly in his arms before handing them over. He smiled. That simple, warm smile that made my heart stutter. "No problem at all. It happens."
I took the books, careful not to let my fingers brush his—not because I didn't want to, but because I wasn't sure I'd survive it—and placed them back on the desk they'd fallen from.
He turned back to his seat, and so did I, each of us retreating to our separate corners of the morning.
The moment I sat down, my friend Yumi slid to my side. "Wow, (Y/N)-chan. So cool. So collected. If only I couldn't see the tips of your ears burning bright red."
I quickly covered my ears, my voice coming out strangled and unconvincing. "They were definitely not red."
Behind me, I heard the muffled giggles of my two other friends—Hana and Saya—who had apparently been watching the entire disaster unfold.
I slumped slightly in my seat, staring fixedly at the blank page of my notebook. Sigh...
I just prayed class would start early to save me from my friends' teasing.
...
The school bell rang for lunch.
Me and my usual group of girls decided to eat on the rooftop today.
Yumi found us a spot near the center, and I settled down with my back to the fence, pulling out my bento. The city sprawled beyond the railing, all gray buildings and distant noise, but I wasn't looking at the view.
I was looking at him.
Isagi Yoichi sat within my peripheral vision, just close enough to track without being obvious. He was eating lunch with another boy—Tada, I think, from his soccer team. They were laughing about something, Tada gesturing wildly while Isagi listened with that easy, patient smile.
I turned to Yumi with accusing eyes. She held my gaze, utterly unrepentant, the corner of her mouth twitching.
She knew. She'd absolutely picked this spot on purpose.
I decided to pretend no one significant was sitting twenty feet away and eat my lunch normally.
Or so I thought.
We were deep in discussion about the latest drama episode—something about a love triangle and a misplaced letter—when I finally finished my bento. I reached for my napkin, ready to wipe my mouth.
Before I could raise it, a strong gust of wind whipped across the roof. My napkin tore from my fingers and flew.
Straight toward Isagi.
Perhaps it was his soccer instincts, or maybe some cruel twist of fate, but he noticed. Without a second thought, he lunged and caught it mid-air, just before it sailed over the fence and into the city below.
He stood there for a moment, napkin in hand, looking slightly embarrassed by his own reflexes. Then he walked toward us.
Hana and Saya were already shaking each other's arms, not subtly at all. Yumi had her phone out, positioned to snap a silent photo or video.
"Uh, here you go." Isagi held the napkin out to me.
I took it, offering a small smile while desperately maintaining my cool facade. "Thanks, Isagi-kun. You have quick reflexes."
He scratched the back of his head, sheepish. "Oh, it was nothing. The wind is crazy today." He gave a small nod and turned back to his place. I caught Tada already giving him a knowing look, eyebrows raised in silent commentary.
The moment Isagi was out of earshot, my entire group erupted in silent, dramatic squeals.
"QUICK REFLEXES?! (Y/N)-CHAN, THAT WAS SMOOTH!"
"He's like a knight! A plain, soccer-obsessed knight who saves damsels from... runaway napkins!"
"I give the performance a 9/10. Points deducted for the slight, almost imperceptible tremor in your hand. But overall, masterful composure in the face of extreme cuteness."
I buried my face in my hands. These girls. They really needed better hobbies than this.
And I felt I'd need to withstand their teasing until the end of school today.
Thankfully, the rest of the afternoon progressed as usual. Lectures, notes, the slow crawl of the clock toward freedom. Yumi and I had no club activities today, so we packed up together when the final bell rang, falling into step with the stream of students heading for the exit.
Or so I thought.
Perhaps Yumi was still not done teasing me, because she suddenly veered left at the stairwell, away from the front gates. I followed, confused, until realization dawned with a sinking feeling in my stomach.
We both knew the soccer club's activity schedule well. Too well. Because apparently, I could be a stalker when I wanted to. And we both knew that Isagi would pass through the east hallway after changing into his training gear, cutting through the corridor that led directly to the field.
So instead of leaving school as usual, Yumi positioned me near the hallway exit like some kind of human trap, while she ducked behind a wall a few meters back, barely stifling her laughter.
"Yumi—"
"Shh! Just stand there and look natural."
I wanted to argue. I wanted to flee. But my feet stayed rooted to the spot, traitors to the end. Because I knew what would come next
After what felt like an eternity of awkward hovering—though it was merely ten minutes—Isagi appeared at the far end of the hallway. He walked with his eyes on the floor, lost in thought, his bag slung over one shoulder. Again, probably running through plays in his head, analyzing angles and passes that existed only in his mind.
Just then, he looked up. And noticed me.
"Oh, (L/N)-san." He stopped, head tilting slightly. "You're not going home?"
My heart lurched. I adjusted my bag straps, trying to look convincingly casual.
"Yeah, just waiting for Yumi-chan. She forgot something." The lie came out smooth, practiced. "Good luck at practice, Isagi-kun."
His face lit up with a pure, unguarded smile, the kind reserved for anything related to soccer, bright and earnest and completely devastating. "Thanks! I'll do my best!"
He gave me a quick wave and jogged toward the field with full energy, disappearing into the afternoon light streaming through the exit doors.
The moment he was out of sight, Yumi popped out from behind the wall, clutching her stomach.
"I'll do my best!" she mimicked, swooning dramatically against the corridor wall. "And you! 'Good luck at practice!' You sound like a supportive wife seeing her husband off to war!" She straightened, wiping fake tears from her eyes. "I can't believe I'm your alibi for this. The things I do for love."
My cool facade finally cracked into a giddy, unrestrained smile now that he was gone. "Shut up!" I laughed, shoving her shoulder. "Did you see his smile though?"
"Oh, I saw it." Yumi slung an arm around my neck, dragging me toward the side door that led to the bleachers. "And I saw you melting into a puddle of hopeless affection. Come on, you delusional goddess. We can watch the first ten minutes of practice before I literally drag you home by your bag strap."
We settled onto the metal bleachers, the afternoon sun warm against our backs. Below, the soccer club was already warming up, Isagi among them, laughing at something Tada said. The field stretched green and vibrant, and somewhere in the distance, a whistle blew sharp and clear.
Despite all the teasing from my friends, couldn't help but feel like today had been the happiest in a long while.
I wondered if I would talk more with Isagi tomorrow.