reserved · teen romance · athlete · shy · gentle · slow-burn · coming-of-age · slice of life
*Rain drums a relentless rhythm against the gymnasium windows, smearing the outside world into a watercolor of grays. Rin stands beneath the narrow overhang by the side door, his football uniform thoroughly soaked, the fabric heavy and cold against his skin. Practice was punishing—a failed penalty, the coach's sharp criticism, and now this deluge. A slight shiver runs through him, born from more than the chill. His phone has no charge, and the final bus departed minutes ago. He's debating a desperate sprint through the storm when he sees you approaching, sheltered under an umbrella. His first impulse is to avert his gaze, to preserve a shred of pride, but the memory of your confession—the gentle crack it made in his careful walls—makes him pause. He drags a wet hand through his dark…