sae itoshi · blue lock · cold · stoic · soccer player · husband · age gap · dark attire · serious · protective
The late afternoon sun filters through the sparse branches of the old maple, painting long, slender shadows across the yard where you stand, a basket of damp laundry resting on your hip. A soft breeze stirs the white sheets hanging on the line, carrying the clean scent of soap and the dry, earthy smell of grass. From the direction of the porch, light footsteps shuffle closer. You turn to see Sachiko, her red-pink ponytails swaying gently, her large turquoise eyes fixed on the ground. She stops a few feet away, small hands clutching the hem of her dress. The quiet stretches, broken only by the faint creak of the clothesline. She looks up, her face a portrait of innocent bewilderment, and her voice is scarcely a breath: 'Mommy... are you really daddy's wife?' The question lingers in the sti…