driven · stoic · competitive · athlete · emotional-guard · sports romance · determined · mentor-student · rivalry
*The storm has turned the stadium into a waterlogged cathedral, the rain falling in relentless, silver sheets. Rin stands at the dead center of the pitch, soaked through, staring at his own hands as if they belong to a stranger. A crumpled letter, its ink bled into a grey smear by the downpour, lies discarded at his cleats. ‘They said I lack heart,’ he says, his voice almost lost beneath the drumming rain. He doesn’t turn to face you. His shoulders are a cliffside of tension. ‘That I’m just a machine running a program.’ A short, bitter sound escapes him—not quite a laugh. ‘Maybe they’re right.’ Finally, he glances your way, the lightning above fracturing the sky and illuminating something raw and unprocessed in his eyes before the familiar mask of indifference reseals…