Chapter Text
Beep beep beep
The sun peaks through the curtains, it’s 6:00 am. Birds can be heard singing faintly outside the walls as the sounds dance around the room. It’s summer, a season that only brought one good thing routinely in and out of Sae’s life. Faint memories of summer's past appear in his mind. This house no longer brought the same joy as it did in his adolescence. After peering around the room for a moment, he leaves his bed and makes his way to the kitchen.
It’s a dull room, devoid of life and personality. No dishes in the sink, silverware placed neatly in drawers, and chairs tucked under the table, not like he would ever use them anyway.
He starts the kettle and grabs a mug from the cabinet. Kombucha was a favorite of his, not particularly because of its taste, but he read something about its apparent medicinal properties on a forum somewhere.
He takes the tea and makes his way to the back porch. Staring off into the distance, all he could see was the beach, and the vast ocean that accompanied it. Soft waves flow back and forth over the sand. He began to recall a younger version of himself, one that used to run back and forth across the shore. Someone was with him, he couldn’t remember who. He remembered the way the water hit his feet, sharp and cold, tripping and falling into it, being soaked from head to toe. Something, someone, was missing from these memories, but he hadn’t been able to recollect it for years now. It’s not like he had anyone left to help him remember.
There was one thing he remembered, though. A soccer ball. He found it the night before, as he was rummaging through some old boxes. He studied it and its signs of years of wear and tear, marks, scratches, and faded paint. He tried juggling it, and was surprisingly successful, though only for a few seconds. This was clearly something his muscles remembered better than his mind.
He places his mug on the ground, and takes the ball into his hands to look at it more closely. Shifting it from his right hand and his left, he suddenly loses control, and it slips from his grip and bounces down the rocks toward the beach.
He rushes down the steps, trying to avoid it getting caught in the waves. He makes his way through the grass, and down onto the beach. He spots the ball, but someone's holding onto it.
“Yo, this yours?”
Sae rubs his eyes to get a clearer view. The man is tall, accompanied by a lean figure. Tan skin, with blonde and pink hair that spikes up unnaturally, and a few pieces of fringe looming over his eyes.
“This is private property.” Sae says, furrowing his brows.
“Just answer the question, lashes.” The man said in response, shifting the ball from his right hand to his left. And a smirk plastered on his face.
“It is, now answer mine.” Sae responded.
“Could've just said that man.” An unamused look wiped over Sae’s face.
“Answer the question or I’m calling the cops.”
“Okay okay, chill. I was just walking along the beach, forbid a guy just takes a stroll… wait, private property? Who told you you could own the beach? Seems like you're stripping the public of the natural resources provided to us by mother earth herself.”
“What the hell are you talking about? Who are you?”
The man chuckled, “Are we playing 20 questions? I want in on this,” he paused for a moment. Comically placing his hand on his chin to reflect the look of intense thought. “How’d you get your lashes so long? Are they natural?”
“First of all, that was 2 questions, second of all, shut your mouth and answer me.”
“Fiesty, I like it.”
Sae flashed him a glare, more intense than the one before, the man laughing harder in response. “Alright alright, the name’s Shidou Ryusei, what’s yours pretty boy?”
Sae grimaced, “I don't have to tell you anything.”
“C’mon, then by your logic why'd I tell you mine?”
“So I’d know what to tell the police.”
Shidou’s laughter somehow got even louder, Sae not seeing how any of this could be funny.
“Sae.”
Shidou stopped laughing and looked at him with a puzzled look, “Man you folded fast, thought you were gonna keep putting up a fight about it… That it? Just Sae?”
Sae didn't answer, just shifted his gaze behind Shidou towards the water. The ocean seemed to have calmed a bit since he was at the house.
“Hm… you play soccer?”
Sae reverted his gaze back onto Shidou, he didn't know how to answer that. “Dont remember.”
Shidou shot him a confused look, “You don't remember?”
“No.”
Shidou hummed, and dropped the ball to his feet. Kicking it over to Sae with his right. “Wanna play? One versus one.”
Sae raised an eyebrow. This guy is a freak. Yet something about Shidou drew Sae in, almost like an invisible force, akin to gravity.
“Absolutely not.”
“Awh c’mon, you're not scared are you? Afraid I’ll get past you? One shot match, you in or not?”
One shot match, where have I heard this before? Doesn't matter, Sae may be stubborn, but his ego severely outweighs it. He contemplated entertaining this, well, he didn't have anything else to do today so might as well. “Fine, but if I get past you, you’re leaving.”
Shidou lit up, “Now that's what I like to hear! Bring it on, hot stuff.”
Sae fixed his stance, left foot moving backwards, while his right stayed next to the ball. He dribbled, keeping his pace slow, as to judge what Shidou does in response. Shidou braces, eyeing Sae down as his moves closer, waiting for a moment to strike.
Sae dashes, immediately kicking the ball to his right in order to sprint past him. Shidou moves quickly, lunging to his left in order to stop him. Sae shifts the ball to his left, and maneuvers his body in a 360° turn that keeps Shidou from having time to regain his footing, or having an opportunity to kick the ball out from between his feet.
Sae jogs a little past Shidou, before stopping just far enough so the waves don't press against his shoes.
“Man, that was awesome! You've got real talent, you a pro or something?”
“No, now stick to the deal and get out.”
Shidou’s grin lowers slightly, “Yeah yeah I get it, you win. But don't think I’ll get out of your hair just yet, I’ll be back.” He says as he starts to walk off into the distance, speaking without turning around.
Sae looked annoyed, I hope he didn't mean that.