The phone continued to ring without anyone noticing. The small vibrating sound echoed inside of the little cabin and locker, it was placed in.
The hallways were empty and only dimly lit with a small light every two-three meters. The long hallways stretched out towards a practice field that shone brightly from afar.
Two people could be seen standing there. First, Itoshi Sae and second Shidou Ryusei. They were both dressed in their casual attires instead of their training clothes, and were doing some light work going through strategies and positions.
Shidou glanced at Sae from his position on the field. Sae was standing on the offside of the field. He wore his usual stoic expression and seemed to be unfazed by what happened. Shidou intended not to pay too much attention to it, but Sae would response slower or seemingly uncaring of whatever it was that Shidou threw at him.
After the call earlier had ended, Sae's mood seemed to have dropped slightly. Curious, Shidou attached himself to him wondering what it was that got the cold-hearted teen this flustered.
Without replying, Sae simply left for the football field. Shidou usually wouldn't care if it was anyone else, but Sae and Yui were an odd and interesting duo that he found himself intrigued with.
Shidou was well-aware that it was Yui on the call. After all, who else but his manager and her would Sae call after practice.
Shidou flicked open his phone. At the same time his phone began to ring. The screen lit up with a name he hadn't quite expected to see.
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Yui hurried through the streets with quick steps. After her initial panic and worry caused by the trouble her (let's call it) acquintance Atobe Keigo stirred up, Yui soon realized that she was getting nowhere with calling and instead decided to visit the U-20 Football Training Hall herself.
After a quick call to her driver Maureen, they promised to meet up at the nearest main street. Yui exhaled a shaky sigh. She could only hope that her hunch was right and that Sae was still there.
The events that unfolded today were a mix between bad timing and missed opportunities.
Yui had known about her family's intention for her to get married to Atobe for a little over a year. Of course, the girl refused. She felt a chill rundown her spine at the thought of being forced into a political marriage by the same father that had abandoned her mother and her all throughout her childhood.
Yui also refused to be used for his gain. Except for Yuusuke, she really resented that part of her family.
The path cleared up in front of her and Yui soon arrived at the promised place. The moment, Maureen spotted the girl through the window, he immediately stepped out and announced his presence with a polite bow.
«This way please, Young Lady.» Maureen said when he opened the car door for her to enter.
«Sorry for the inconvenience, Maureen.» Yui said apologetic when she stepped inside.
«Not at all, Young Lady. It's rare of you to call for me yourself.» Maureen replied with a soft small smile.
Yui mellowed shyly at the genuine joy on the driver's face when he said this to her. She looked down shyly and gave him a soft nod. Maureen saw that as his sign to close the door and entered his front seat.
«Where to, Young Lady?»
Yui looked down at the phone and pondered for a moment. If Sae wasn't going to pick up the phone, then she would have to come and get him herself.
As if to reaffirm her resolve Yui nodded to herself before she gave the instruction to her driver.
«To the U-20 Training Hall.»
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U-20 Training Hall
Yui-chan😍💕
That beautiful soft sounding name lit up the screen of Shidou's phone. The moment he saw that a proud smirk appeared on his face.
Shidou accepted the call and threw his head back whilst he ran a hand through his hair.
«You finally called~ Are you feeling lonely now, Yui-chan?» Shidou said with a hint of excitement. He didn't care about whatever was happening between Sae and Yui. Afterall, all was fair in love and war.
Shidou could hear the other end of the line grow incredibly quiet and somber. Without his knowledge, Yui was actually reconsidering her decision. For just a split second, she thought that calling him might have been a big mistake.
«...Mhh...» Yui hummed softly.
«... It's about Sae.» She then continued.
Hearing the seriousness and somberness in her voice, Shidou clicked his tongue. This wasn't even about winning one of them over, he couldn't even find a space to squeeze himself in with Yui being this blunt about matters. Even if Sae was oblivious, Shidou was not.
«Tch, boring.» Shidou mumbled.
«... Sorry for that.» Yui responded. She then decided to change the topic before Shidou could hang up on her.
«Do you know where he is?»
«I do~» Shidou smirked playfully as he glanced at the red-head who had finally noticed the phone on his hand. Sae stared him down with an unimpressed look in his eyes.
«Then, can you tell-»
«But I don't wanna share~»
«...huh-»
«Just come to the match tomorrow if you care so much.»
«Wait, Shid-»
Shidou ended the call before Yui could question him anymore. He smirked to himself and walked towards Sae with a big grin.
«Sae-chan~ Want to hang out with me some more?»
Yui stared at the ending call sign with mild irritation welling up in chest. She found herself increasingly annoyed at the invention of phones. For all of its conveniences it was quite a headache at times.
Yui sighed softly and looked out of the window.
'The match tomorrow... Who is to say that I'm not gonna be a bother to him if I appear...' Yui thought to herself mildly hesitant.
Her mind was filled with doubts. Even if she appeared, there was no guarantee that it wouldn't affect Sae's performance tomorrow. He might be mad right now. He might think of her as a liar. She didn't know what Atobe had said to him, but Yui really wished it happened at a better time, when she was ready... and Sae as well.
Still, there was also the possibility that Sae wasn't affected by the news about her and Atobe at all.
That thought hurt.
But it might have been the best for them.
'This is where I stand in the end...'
Yui dropped her gaze to the phone and put it away.
«Sorry Maureen, I have decided to go somewhere else.» Her voice resounded through the quiet car.
Maureen looked at her from the front view mirror. His eyes showed a hint of concern and hesitation.
Yui held her head high and returned to look at the passing city landscape absent-mindedly. He knew that look on her. It was the gaze Yui had when she first returned to Japan. A dim, distant look that spoke of a wisdom gained from the years of concealing her thoughts and feelings. It terrified him to think that a child would wear such an expression, but then again, the children of the Sano's were far from normal.
They were smart and skillful beyond their ages. They matured earlier than most of their peers, but that left them with lasting scars that could not easily be healed. They were children far too good at hiding their emotions and feelings. It didn't mean that they suffered any less, it's because no one ever taught them how to express that part of themselves.
The Sano family prided itself in their rationalism and coldness with winning as their motto. Between perfectionalism and rationalism, feelings were unneeded and uneccesarry. More often than not, they would just get in the way of logic. Yuusuke, even amongst all his sibling perfectly embodied that trait. From a young age on he was considered as the pride of his family.
Maureen remembered the times he caught a glance of the child and how cold he was. It was a frightening sight to see a young child assess the employees' work attitude and behavior and whether they were good enough for the company or to be fired.
People would beg for leniency, but Yuusuke remained cold and strict without so much as even batting an eye.
The Young Master Yuusuke however changed once he reunited with his half-sister Yui. Yui was a child different from the others. She was timid and shy. She avoided the family's rules and regulations and seek to distance herself as far from them as possible.
She was more compassionate than any of the other children here. It was due to that compassion that Yuusuke was saved from going down the path of his parents and older siblings. At least, Maureen hoped for the happiness of these two. They had after all, grown on him like niece and nephews.
«... As you wish, Young Lady.» Maureen responded kindly. Whatever it was that His Lady wished for, he would oblige.
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Shidou kicked a pebble on his way with a little too much force. He watched the little piece of stone skitter across the streets before it finally plunged into a nearby spot of grass. It disappeared from his sight completedly and Shidou's expression soured.
For some reason he felt increasingly annoyed.
After Shidou ended his phone call with Yui, he tried to take his chance and get to know Sae better. Sae however immediately shot him down - again - and like this the two of them went home.
Two weeks of practicing was enough for Shidou to know and notice things about Sae, the teen obviously hadn't noticed himself.
At first glance, it would seem that Sae treated everyone the same. Shidou thought that there wasn't any difference between the way Sae behaved around Yui and everyone else, at least not a huge or noteworthy one, but as time continued Shidou naturally picked up more and more hints.
There were little and striking changes in Sae's behaviour that one would only notice if they had seen him with Yui before.
If Sae was always a 99% in front of everyone else, than Yui was the one that brought out that 1% within him.
Shidou didn't believe in destiny or the likes. He didn't believe in those wishy-washy romance stories from dramas, but he would not deny the adequateness of that saying - even if he thought it was disgusting. He was convinced they were dating and yet when he started to text with Yui he realized the absurd situation and stallmate they were currently in.
It was ridiculous to him. He didn't care enough to pry into matters as to what was stopping them. All that he cared about was that he had his chances with both of them, and Shidou would take them.
But reality couldn't be any further away from this. Shidou steadily realized how delusional he was.
Even though he tried for two weeks, he couldn't wedge himself between them. Of course it wouldn't stop him from trying but... He was growing continously impatient and frustrated.
It was that same frustration that led to him cutting the call on Yui.
His actions probably weren't fair.
He refused to feel bad for his behavior. After all, nothing in life is ever fair.
Shidou snatched back his grocery bag that lay abandoned on the pathway and returned his run home. He had a match to win first. Everything else could wait for after.
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Similar to Shidou, Sae too had the match on his mind. He didn't linger much longer after practice and went back to his hotel as soon as possible. Sae was growing incredibly hungry not only from practice, but even more because of that edgy voice in his head.
It started the moment practice ended.
'A~n?'
It was that annoying sound that kept popping up in his mind and distracted him from whatever it is that he resolved himself to do.
Sae had seen the amount of calls and messages Yui left behind. She was probably frantic and worried by now, but Sae couldn't find the strength and time to bother with explaining himself over text. He was gonna focus on the match tomorrow first before he will pay attention to anything else.
It was how Sae always did things and he didn't expect for this to be any different this time.
But it was.
As Sae approached the hotel, his eyes stared at Yui's contact information on his phone.
He wasn't sure what to do. Sae knew he wasn't the most empathetic or understanding person ever. With the match coming up, he wasn't sure if he could invest that strength into conversing now...
He really sucked at it.
Nevertheless, even for just a brief moment, Sae wanted to hear her voice. He felt like whatever uneasiness was currently irritating him, would begone the moment he had her close to him.
He didn't care about anything else, he always lived selfishly so why would he suddenly act nice and change all that now?
Ring. Ring. Ring.
A melodious ringtone played from the entrance of the hotel. Sae lifted his gaze towards the sound and saw the small statue of a brown-ashenhaired girl standing leaned against one of the building's strong pillars.
Ka-chak.
«...Sae ༄»
Her voice, as soft and mellow as a mild breeze on the beach during the morning, rang through the phone speaker in his hand. He saw the lovely smile she made when she whispered his name into the phone. Sae's mind and body was purified by the angelic sound of her gentle voice.
«...» He quietly admired the girl in front of him before ending the call.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Yui's eyes widened in panic when she heard the beeping sound that echoed from the phone in her hand. She bit onto her inner cheeks, and tried not to crumble down.
'She's distressed. How cute.' Sae thought as he quietly approached her.
«Isn't it better to talk with the real thing than the phone?» Sae smoothly intercepted.
Yui startled and whipped her head to the side quickly.
Her eyes widened into a pair of beautiful crystals.
Her genuine touched expression baffled him for a moment. Yui froze and quietly looked at him until a single tear dropped down her cheek gently.
«..Sae...» She mumbled visibly exhausted and Sae felt a tinge of guilt stab at him.
He sighed, pulled his hands out of his pockets and gently wiped away the tear stain from her eye.
«I'm making you cry way to much.» His words sounded rough but carried a gently air of care in them.
Yui choked up a little and remained quiet. She calmed down soon and looked up at him.
«I'm sorry for what happened.» Yui apologized and bowed. Before she could finish her bow however, Sae stopped her and instead grabbed her hand into his.
«... Now is not the time for this.» Sae cut her off frankly.
Yui stiffened and paled a bit. Her eyes went to their interlocked hands. It was the only source of comfort that prevented her from retreating into her shell.
«Can you see me tomorrow? Let's talk about this after the match.» Sae responded.
Yui looked towards the ground with mild uneasiness. She flashed him a small helpless smile and nodded in agreement before lowering her head again.
Sae too stiffled slightly at her reaction. He knew she wanted to talk to him, but he wasn't ready for it now.
He was sure he would make a terrible boyfriend for her if he didn't change.
«For now... Come with me.»
But he pulled her along anyway.
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A/N
Hello all, I'm so sorry for the delay.
I was struggling with mental health, appointments, paperwork, and promotional work this week, but I'm happy to announce that this chapter is finally out 💕🤍
Thank you for the wait 🤍
PS. Writing Orbit feels so therapeutic and relaxing for me. I was tearing up a little bit.
Please keep supporting Orbit and Blue Lock by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura!