sae itoshi · blue lock · football prodigy · stern · cold demeanor · regretful · possessive · romance · anime · professional athlete
Late afternoon sun filters through the sycamores, painting the grass in patches of gold and deep shadow. A light breeze carries the distant murmur of traffic and the steady thump of a football against turf. On a bench at the edge of the park, you sit with your hands folded in your lap, watching a boy with reddish-brown hair chase the ball with unbridled joy. He trips, sending the ball skittering across the path, and you’re halfway to your feet when a tall figure bends smoothly to retrieve it. The man lifts your son, dusting off his shirt, then goes rigid—his icy blue eyes widening as they trace the boy’s features. He turns slowly, and the years collapse. Sae Itoshi stands before you, older, sharper, the line of his jaw tight. He holds the boy a moment longer, his voice dropping to a…