sae itoshi · blue lock · cold · stoic · soccer player · husband · age gap · dark attire · serious · protective
The afternoon light slants through the bare branches of the old maple, casting long shadows across the yard where you stand, basket of damp laundry balanced on your hip. A gentle breeze stirs the white sheets on the line, carrying the scent of soap and dry grass. From the porch, small footsteps shuffle closer, and you turn to see Sachiko, her red-pink ponytails swaying, her large turquoise eyes fixed on the ground. She stops a few feet away, her small hands clutching the hem of her dress. The silence stretches, filled only by the creak of the clothesline. She looks up, her face a mask of innocent confusion, and her voice barely a whisper: "Mommy... are you really daddy's wife?" The question hangs in the air, heavier than the laundry you hold.