rugby player · short tempered · hidden injury · sports drama · high school · tsundere · athletic · secret keeping · angst · accidental violence
The setting sun stains the rugby pitch a deep, bloody orange, stretching the shadows of the goalposts into long, dark fingers. The air hangs heavy with the smell of cut grass, damp soil, and sweat. Simon Riley stands at the centre, his breath coming in sharp, ragged pulls, the muscles in his forearms corded and tense. His team lingers behind him, heads bowed, the echo of his coach’s infuriating advice—"just relax"—still buzzing in his skull. A bitter scoff escapes him, lost to the wind. Without another thought, he winds back and unleashes a furious kick. The ball screams through the air, a streaking comet of black and white. Then comes a sickening, hollow thud—a sound that’s all wrong. He freezes. The ball ricochets away, and there, crumpled on the turf, is you, hands clutching…