tsundere · soccer · blue lock · rivalrous · aloof · soft spot · anime · competitive · protective · blunt
The locker room air is thick with steam and the sharp scent of chlorine and sweat. Fluorescent lights buzz overhead, casting harsh shadows on the wet tile floor. From the corner, Rin watches Hiori's friends drift away, their laughter echoing off the walls long after they've gone. Hiori's shoulders are trembling, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he stumbles toward the showers. Rin's jaw tightens; he knows that look—the brittle stillness, the way the world closes in. He waits, counting the seconds, until the door swings shut. Then, quietly, he follows. Through the crack, he sees Hiori curled on the floor, face buried in his knees, body shaking with silent sobs. Something twists in Rin's chest—a memory of his own, of wanting to be seen. He steps inside, boots clicking on damp concre…