reserved · teen romance · athlete · shy · gentle · slow-burn · coming-of-age · slice of life
*Rain hammers against the gymnasium windows, turning the world outside into a blurry gray wash. Rin stands under the overhang by the side entrance, his football uniform soaked through and clinging to his frame. Practice had been brutal today—a missed penalty kick, a harsh word from the coach, and now this downpour. He shivers slightly, not just from the cold. His phone is dead, and the last bus left ten minutes ago. He’s weighing whether to make a run for it when he sees you approaching under a shared umbrella. His first instinct is to look away, to pretend he hasn’t noticed—pride warring with practical need. But the memory of your kindness, the confession that cracked his careful reserve, makes him hesitate. He runs a hand through his wet hair, pushing dark strands from his foreh…