PHANTASM BLUES || Suna Rintarou x Reader x Kita Shinsuke

Chapter 3 | From Zero

"I am going to miss you too, Rintarou." Your hands got lost in his soft hair, caressing it as he snuggled even closer, making your heart tingle. "Hey, Rin?" You called out to him, and he just hummed a little, starting to doze off from your touch.

You didn't continue your words, and it made him confused by now as he furrowed his eyebrows.

"What is it?" His lips shaped into a frown as his green orbs filled with curiosity, "Don't 'Hey,' me and then say nothing. It will haunt me to sleep."

"Well, the sun still shone, Rin." You flicked his forehead gently, but he hissed anyway since he always disliked it when you did that (even if he actually loves any kind of tease that you threw for him), "You shouldn't have fallen asleep you know."

"I don't care. It's your fault for being here." He shrugged his shoulders a little, making you roll your eyes as he continued to nuzzle his head in the crook of your neck.

You were always getting blamed by him for his sleepiness. Every time you went to his house to help him with some homework, it would end up with him tackling you to the ground and just asking for your little affection. No matter how many times you wanted to scold him, in the end, you would just be there — and sometimes even did his homework if he looked extremely tired after some joined practices or match.

"I am serious though, what is it?" He suddenly spoke up once again, making you jolt since you thought he was already fast asleep by now.

You let out a long sigh, and somehow, it made the middle blocker worried about what you were going to say next. The two of you were always pining over each other, saying the three magical words like it was a habit, without anyone dared enough to say the real meaning behind every affectionate word that was being spoken.

And before he goes, you want him to always remember it.

"I love you, Rin." There was no playful tone in your voice. It was sincere, and his heart stopped once the words rolled down from your lips. He gripped harder on your shirt, biting his lips as he tried not to show any kind of emotion. Either from excitement, or sadness because it was a little bit too late.

From all these years, he always thought that your love towards him was platonic. All the longing feelings, the cold sweat that you produce when he touches you, he kept saying to himself that you only saw him as a best friend, one that you wanted to invite to your wedding.

He was afraid, if he ever mistook your love to be more than that. You may be the only person that he fantasized to be his lover, but he never knew what was exactly on your heart. After all, why would someone as wonderful as you want to be with a man who could not even voice his mind so freely?

But as he replayed the words that you said, he knew for sure that what you felt was more than what a best friend should have. And right now, he cursed at himself as some tears escaped his eyes, without him even realising it.

From all the time he was together with you. He wondered why this realisation happened on the last day he would see you possibly for years. He couldn't pinpoint the right time he would come back. He never knew what would happen while he was away either.

And here you were, confessing your love while it would be the last time you saw him until God knows how long.

"I love you too." So much. "You have no idea..." He trailed his words as he wiped his tears that fell on your shoulders.

"A-Are you crying?" You asked timidly as you could feel how his body trembled in your arms, "Rin... What is it? I am sorry I didn't mean to make you—"