Main Pairing: Itoshi Reina (OFC) x Isagi Yoichi (Blue Lock).
Background pairings: Nagi x Reo courtesy of ichiruki41. Others TBD, if you want to see one, let me know and I can see if it's doable! : )
Disclaimer: I own none of the original characters nor plot of Blue Lock.
Warnings: cursing, harassment, references to potential assault (but none actually happening), Yoichi having teenage boy thoughts
TIMELINE SO FAR:
Pre-high school: Reo (12) & Reina (11) meet
End of August: Saitama Prefectural Final and the Tokyo Trifecta Annual Social event between Hakuho (Reo and Nagi's school; known for business), IMS (known for Social Studies/Law and Soccer; Reina attended for a month before transferring), Shibuya Academy (known for math; school Reina currently attends at their girl's only campus.) To clarify, Reo/Nagi & Reina do NOT go to the same school, but these three elite schools have a social event once a year for their students.
Early September: Blue Lock starts
Mid-late November: U-20 game. Itoshi "family dinner" after it.
Late November:
Day 1 – Boys freed from Blue Lock
Day 2 – Bowling in Shibuya. Isagi meets Reina (Rin & Sae's half-sister) and Megumi-san (barista), then meets up with Tada-kun.
Day 3 – Isagi (17) and Reina (16) meet up for a second cup, Iyo (his mom) helps him with laundry, he and Issei have a mini-heart to heart.
Day 4 – Reina's late to the duo's third meeting because of an interview, Isagi asks Bachira/Nagi/Chigiri for some girl advice. Iyo is getting more curious about his 'new friend'
Day 5 – YCA volunteering, on his way walking Reina back home they encounter Reo (17).
Day 6 – Reina and Isagi meet his parents, he's now walking her home.
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THANK YOU
TO MY BETA:
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I literally smile the entire time I'm reading your reviews and they keep me motivated. Tysm! I have some detailed responses below!
Onikko
{鬼っ子}
chapter 6 – bird sh*t
By the time Yoichi and Reina arrive at the Saitama train station, it's past 8:00 pm. They reach the surprisingly long line for the turnstiles, and he's about to say goodbye. But before the words can leave his mouth, something in the striker's chest roars. His skin itches with a sinister sense of something that he can't pinpoint. He gazes upon the other commuters in line for the fare gate with suspicion, assessing them. His mind conveniently pulls up all those stories on the news about gropers on trains. Now, instead of passengers, all he sees are potential perverts.
So Yoichi taps his card after Reina, stepping through the metal turnstile.
'It's only 20 minutes to Shibuya Station.' He justifies to himself. 'I'll just watch some replays on my phone when I'm on my way back. It's fine, I'll still have plenty of time to practice on the field after I drop her off.'
The girl in front of him frowns. "Yo-kun, you really don't have to go out of-"
"Sick of me already?" He smiles reassuringly.
"You're so silly," she tries to pout, but her lips twitch into a relieved smile as she grabs his hand once more. "Now come on, Isa-kun. Hurry up, or we'll miss the next train."
They reach their platform to find a sea of people. 'Looks like we're definitely missing the next train.'
Reina grimaces. "Is it always this crowded? I thought we missed rush hour."
"The festival." Yoichi explains. "It's actually bigger in Gunma, just north of here. Big enough that lots of Tokyo residents, especially the ones with kids, go out of their way to see it. A bunch of these people are probably from Tokyo or further south, and just heading back home."
Two trains fill and go, until the duo are finally close enough to actually see the doors of the third one slam shut.
"I hope we catch the next train." She bites her lip between her teeth, looking at the 8:40 blinking at them from her phone screen. "My curfew is at 10:30."
"Tons of time, don't worry." Yoichi squeezes her hand. "They really enforce a curfew? I thought you were on holiday?"
"Well, I technically am. But since I registered myself as staying in the dorms during break, I have to abide by their curfew. I can apply to have the time extended for a night or even for a weekend. But they usually need notice and a reason."
"The fireworks tomorrow will be at nine," he says lightly. "They're okay."
'You'll stay for those, right?' He asks without asking.
"Do you want me to come?" She asks almost too quietly to hear over the sounds of the station.
Yoichi feels his cheeks heat. "You can do whatever you want," he answers noncommittally.
Her eyes seem to dim a bit.
He sighs. "It'd be nice to have some back up." The striker mumbles, squeezing her hand.
The voice in his head grumbles incoherently about distractions.
'Shut up. I just don't want to be stuck alone with my parents,' he reasons to himself and the voice, even though he suspects that may not be the whole truth.
Reina smiles warmly at him. "I'll get my curfew extended for tomorrow then, okay? Since only a few of the students stayed in the dorms for holidays, I doubt the office admins will fuss too much over the short notice."
The next train arrives with a loud whoosh, causing some stray strands of her hair to dance around her face. The metal doors swing open with a musical tone, and Yoichi frowns at the density behind them. 'Shit.' Because of the construction on the second line, the trains departing after 8:50 to Tokyo (i.e. the next one) will start coming at thirty minute intervals instead of ten minute ones. If they miss this train, she might actually miss her curfew. 'No choice, then.' He tightens his grip on her hand before he shoulders his way on board, using his build and the sports bag strapped on his back to help carve out some room amidst the crowd. He turns and yanks her into his chest, mere moments before the doors slam shut behind her.
The train starts to move with a jolt. Yoichi's right hand reflexively swings up to grab a bar to steady himself and not completely crush Reina. Because of how packed the train is, she's literally glued to him. He's almost thankful for the layers of their coats, preventing him from freaking out over how her chest presses against his, and how his hips are positioned just above hers.
His left hand stays attached to hers, while his right holds the bar above her head. Because of how he pulled her into him when entering the train, her face is cushioned in the junction of where his neck meets the shoulder of his outstretched arm.
The unintentionally intimate position directs her every breath against his neck.
She apologizes, and he shudders at how close her lips feel to his skin.
(He mentioned it before, didn't he? How sometimes she set his every nerve on fire. This is one of those times.)
She starts saying something else.
"Don't talk," he interrupts curtly, voice gruff. If she keeps moving her mouth against his neck he'll actually combust. Or worse, he'll develop something she'll feel despite the layers of their coats. After his admittedly terse response, neither of them say a word for the rest of the ride.
A few stops into the journey, and the dense crowd lightens. But, he still keeps her close. "I just don't want to lose her in what's left of the crowd,' he justifies to himself, totally not enjoying the way every jerk of the train sends her falling into him. 'That's all.'
When they reach their stop, he realizes what she had been trying to say on the train. A few locks of her hair had escaped her braid, and wrapped themselves around the buttons of his coat's breast pocket when he had yanked her into his chest. Each time the train had shuddered to a stop, and lurched to restart, the movement had yanked at her scalp.
"You should have said something," he chastises, guilt creeping up his neck. He knows it was him who didn't let her.
"It's fine." She replies with a polite smile, as he helps her untangle the last strand. "It didn't hurt that much anyway."
The ruckus starts two blocks away from Shibuya station. Yoichi spots the problem first; but Reina reacts first, instantly running towards the trouble.
'Impulsive idiot.'
The duo had just turned onto a new street when they noticed a drunk salaryman following a blonde girl – clearly a foreigner by the way she kept loudly saying kekkou desu* with a thick accent. The older man's presence was clearly unwanted, based on the girl's repeated attempts to quickly walk away each time he tried to put an arm around her. In an effort to escape his harassment, the girl idiotically takes a side street off the main road. The persistent asshole refuses to take a hint, and turns as well.
Reina lets go of Yoichi's hand and bolts into the same side street, hurriedly placing herself between the man (who hasn't yet noticed Yoichi belatedly trailing after his reckless companion) and the blonde girl.
"She's not interested." Reina scowls, hands at her hips and not half as intimidating as she probably thinks she is. "Back off, or I'll call the cops."
The blonde girl looks at Reina with wide, appreciative eyes.
The man also looks at Reina with appreciative eyes, but the wrong kind. "If I can't have her, you'll definitely do." He slurs as his hand reaches for her. "Bet you'll taste good. How about I take you home instea-"
Yoichi comes up from behind, grabbing the shorter man's outstretched arm with an iron grip.
"Touch her, and I will break your arm." Yoichi snarls.
The drunkard stumbles.
Now, Yoichi isn't the tallest or strongest contender in Blue Lock by any means, especially compared to the likes of Kunigami and Barou. But he's taller than the average Japanese male, and it's clear he's an athlete. Oh, and he probably looks murderous, given the abject fear on the drunk's face.
('It's the guy from before,' Yoichi registers somewhere in the back of his mind. 'The angry businessman who had crashed into Reina earlier while he was yelling into his phone.')
"Get lost." Yoichi uses his arm to roughly shove the man into the wall. The striker immediately grabs Reina's hand tightly in his. "Time to go."
"Come with us," Reina immediately offers to the other girl, smiling while motioning with her free hand to the blonde. "We'll get you home."
Yoichi has no clue what the pair of girls are saying. And not in the stereotypically funny 'silly boy doesn't understand them crazy girl-speak,' kind of way. The two girls literally start conversing in a different language from the moment they leave the drunk, to when they arrive at the new girl's apartment a few blocks later. In hindsight, it looks like the side street from before had been a short cut to the girl's lodgings, which probably would have been useful information if the blonde had spoken up twenty minutes earlier, but whatever.
'They seem to be getting on really… well.'
(He's not jealous, he's totally not fucking jealous at all. So what if all of Reina's attention for the past twenty minutes has been on the new girl?)
When the trio reach the new girl's apartment, she eagerly hands her cell phone over to Reina. While Reina types in her number, the blonde girl finally looks at Yoichi for the first time since introductions.
"I am sorry, I no mean to be so rude. It more three weeks ago since spoke I in Spanish. So was nice to speak it again." The blonde smiles at him, in her broken Japanese. "Again thank you very, very much for helping me. He was me following for much streets. No one else help."
Yoichi nods at the new girl (Melissa Escudo* according to her earlier introduction, which was the only blip of Japanese he heard before the girls slipped into another language). "It's fine." He nods. "Glad you got back safely."
Reina smiles at Melissa as she hands back the phone, following Melissa's lead and returning to speaking in Japanese. Yoichi notices how Reina subtly slows the pace of her speech. "Generally, Shibuya is pretty safe. But you're only a few streets down from Isakaya Row. The area is fine before seven or even eight at night, but sometimes there's some creepy drunk salarymen wandering around after nine or so."
Yoichi tenses at her words. 'And how would you know that?' He remembers how he almost let her walk home on her own, then he remembers how that drunk asshole almost grabbed her, and he nearly retches. He glances at the impulsive so-called genius. 'What would you have done if I wasn't there to stop him?'
Yoichi vows to walk her home every night she's with him. The reckless idiot was too liable to get into trouble she couldn't get herself out of, otherwise.
Reina seems unaffected by the way her words cause him to stiffen at her side. "Since you attend Tokyo U," the dark-haired girl continues talking to Melissa, "they started this new program for its students. I think only like a year or so ago? It's a Volunteer Walking Buddy Service. I put that number into your phone, too. If you ever need to walk home and no one can take you, you can call them and they send a male and female volunteer pair to escort you home. I'm pretty sure you're in one of the areas they service. If not, you can always call the non-urgent 119 line and ask them to send someone to accompany you."
"You are kind so much, Reina-chan!" The blonde beams at Reina. "I am so glad to make so good friend here."
Reina beams back, replying quickly with something in (what Yoichi now knows) is Spanish. Melissa nods eagerly, before giving Reina a hug and… and kissing her cheek.
("Looks like Reo isn't your only competition," the voice snickers.)
Yoichi, stunned still, entirely misses Melissa waving goodbye and thanking them both again. He isn't pulled out of his shocked stupor until the apartment's front door shuts.
"Did she just…" Yoichi's still unable to process. "Did she just kiss you?"
"It's a common way to say hello and goodbye to friends in places outside of Japan," Reina explains. Something flickers in her eyes, but it disappears too quickly for him to decipher. Her smile turns a bit strained as she pulls on his hand. "Why? Are you jealous?"
"Of course not." His brows furrow as he glances away from her. "You just shouldn't let random people kiss you. It's weird." He pulls out his phone with his free hand, eager to change the topic. "It's already past nine forty-five. How far away is the Academy from here?"
When she doesn't immediately answer, he looks back questioningly from his screen to her. "Reina?"
She shakes her head, her eyes still a bit confused as they stare back at him.
'Idiot wasn't even paying attention. What else could you possibly be thinking about right now?' Yoichi sighs, shaking his bright phone in front of her face. "Hello? How far, space case?"
She pouts, blowing a raspberry because apparently she's six. "Don't be mean, Isa-chi."
He scowls at the childish nickname. "Pay attention." He flicks her forehead with his free hand.
"Only about fifteen minutes," she rubs the spot on her head because she's dramatic. "So we have enough time to get there before my curfew."
"Okay." He tries not to look too obviously pleased at the short distance. Their delayed departure and then this detour with Melissa-san had taken more time than expected, and he's already unsure if he'll have any time left to practice when he gets back. (The public field by his house only keeps the lights on until 10:30.)
She looks at him apologetically, and he supposes maybe he is as easy to read as she claimed before.
"Sorry for taking more of your time. I just couldn't leave her." She frowns, voice lowering. "I know what it's like when everyone just looks the other way."
'Whelp, that settles it.' Yoichi decides, clutching her hand tighter. 'You aren't walking home alone again.'
She shakes herself out of her grim expression. "But not to worry, Isachi! I know a shortcut to get us back to the Academy even faster!"
In the end, it's bird shit.*
They're walking and she's happily telling him about how she and Melissa agreed to meet up soon so she can practice her Spanish, and Melissa can practice her Japanese.
He's nodding along, still trying to push down the strange sense of unease. The sensation had lightened after the alley, but it still hasn't let up since they departed Saitama. The duo turn into a side street that leads them behind multiple apartments. He dubiously eyes the dimly lit and very uneven path. "Short cut," Reina reassures him, before tugging him along by their joined hands. He ends up trailing just a half a step behind her, eyes narrowed at the poorly maintained backstreet.
It's when he's scoping out the pothole-laden path that he notices the hammer on the ground, and then a screwdriver. Oh, and then a pair of pliers. The three gadgets just in front of them look new and shiny against the weary street.
'Huh? Why-'
He hears a dull clang from above and before even looking up he reaches forward and roughly yanks Reina back towards his chest. He pulls them both away just in time.
A loud crash erupts.
They both stare wide-eyed at the spot where Reina had just been standing – the same spot where a huge, heavy tool box just slammed into the street, its contents exploding out of it upon landing. They stand there, stunned at what they (she) just avoided. They both remain still for long enough that a man comes racing out of the apartment next to them. After rapidly confirming neither of them were hurt, the man bows and apologizes repeatedly. He keeps saying something about house renovations and an attention-seeking kid that didn't know better and…
Yoichi continues to stare, shell-shocked at the disaster on the street in front of him, especially the overly large metal box and its sharp, broken parts. 'How did a kid even manage to push that out a window?'
There's a kid in front of them, no older than eight, being forced to bow low by his clearly furious and embarrassed father. The kid starts tearing up, and Yoichi almost scowls. 'Why are you crying?' His grip on Reina's waist tightens. 'You could have seriously hurt her, you clumsy brat.'
Reina finally comes out of her stupor, gently prying herself out of his arms. To his surprise, instead of rebuking the kid (which she has every right to, in his opinion), she fucking smiles. She acts all gracious, telling the kid and his dad that she's fine and even going so far as to get on her knees to help clean up the mess.
Her trembling hands belie her calm expression though.
Yoichi immediately stops her, grabbing both her wrists. There's a bunch of sharp, jagged metal pieces and half-bent tools scattered on the ground. "You're not touching that with your bare hands," he chastises.
The man then all but chases them off, clearly mortified that Reina offered to help when his idiotic son could have killed her. Yoichi pulls her away so they can make their exit. He doesn't say a word to the father or son, too furious to trust his composure. As the duo walk away, his heart continues to race, each thud and beat resounding to repeated thoughts of what if I wasn't here to pull you back.
The pair reach the end of the street before she abruptly turns around and buries her face into his shoulder. "I-I'm glad you came," she mumbles into his jacket.
His arms twitch reflexively, wanting to come and wrap around her. But he… is he allowed to hug her? (Can he do that? Is it weird?)
When she had turned, she latched both her hands into his, but kept them positioned at either side of their hips. So it's not like he can hug her, logistically speaking, even if he wanted to. (Which he isn't saying he wants to, it's just an observation, or whatever.) Instead of a proper hug, he settles for squeezing her hands in his, and bending his head so his cheek rests atop her messy hair. Once more, he wonders what would have happened if he hadn't come along. And maybe she's wondering the same thing, because she turns her head upwards to face him, dislodging his cheek from her hair. "Thanks for not listening to me. I think I… I could have gotten into a bit of trouble tonight if you weren't with me."
Instead of thinking of how close her mouth is to his, he thinks of the drunk man in the alley reaching for her, and the sharp-edged tools piercing the backstreet.
He tightens his grip on her hands; the itch on his neck finally subsides.
She buries her face back into his shoulder. "I'm fine," she whispers.
He doesn't know if she's reassuring him or herself.
They're only two blocks from the Academy, walking side by side, when she speaks up again. "So… what exactly is a Momoji festival?"
"It's one of the bigger fall festivals in Saitama," he answers.
"But what's it for?" She prods, squeezing his hand.
Yoichi snorts. "It's about the trees or something."
"Surely there's more to it than that?" Reina prods. "You've gone every year since you were a kid, right? Festivals are supposed to have some lore, so what's the story behind this one?"
Yoichi sighs, his free palm rubbing the back of his neck. "Do you honestly care?"
Reina pouts, cheeks puffing up. "Yes." She even pauses her stride and tugs him to a stop. Then she puts her other hand on her hip, wearing a fierce expression that clearly states she wants his answer before she's willing to continue walking.
'Annoying.' Yoichi rolls his eyes at her stubbornness. "It's about friendship, I suppose?" He shrugs then pivots to face her directly. While he turns, his left hand readjusts to the new angle, letting their fingers interlock more comfortably. There's no one else on the street; they can stay like this for a bit. "So, you know how there's a lot of maple trees all over Kanto, but especially a lot in Gunma and Saitama?"
Reina nods, looking up at him.
"There's a stupid tale they tell children. The story goes that back in the day, there's this kid living in the forest with only his parents. He's so lonely that he makes himself a friend out of fallen maple branches and twigs. And since the kid's super well-behaved, like he does his chores and prays a lot, or whatever," Yoichi rolls his eyes again, this time at the tale's lack of subtlety. "The gods do him a solid and turn his art project into a living child. Then the kid gets to play forever with his new best friend. The end."
"That's cute," Reina's lips curve into a smirk. She brings her other hand up to wag a finger at him. "You suck at story-telling, though, Yo-tan."
'Such a brat.' His right hand grabs her free one, locking onto her wrist. "Well, that's the edited, family-friendly version that the adults tell their kids, anyway."
She quirks a brow. "What's the real story, then?" She tries to shake her newly bound wrist free, but he doesn't let go.
"Autumn ends." Yoichi's voice quiets. "A brutally cold winter comes. The boy's family runs out of wood." The striker pauses before continuing. "So, to keep the boy and his family warm, the friend donates himself to become firewood again."
She frowns. "But how do you run out of trees while living in a forest?"
"How do a few branches keep a family warm all winter?" Yoichi volleys back, as his right hand finally releases her wrist. "I told you it was a stupid story." He tugs her along, his left hand still tightly intertwined with hers.
"So, that's really the end?" Reina seems disappointed. She takes a quick step to catch up to his pace and walk by his side.
"Nope." Yoichi continues. "The boy prays and prays, so the gods bring his best friend back to life."
"I like that ending." He hears her smile.
"But, only for a season." Yoichi tilts his head towards her as they continue to walk beside each other. "The gods give the boy his friend each autumn, but take the friend away each winter." He shouldn't do what he does next, but she seems so adorably invested. He can't help himself from smirking and tagging on, "well, not so much take away… more like roast or barbeque or-"
Reina smacks his shoulder. "You're awful," she rebukes with a light chuckle. But then her eyes turn from mirthful to thoughtful. "That's kind of a sad story for a festival, though, isn't it?" Reina frowns. "The poor kid gets his best friend back for just a short time each year, only to lose them again. And so terribly too. It just seems cruel."
Yoichi wonders why she's persisting with such a dour topic. "Well, better some time than no time, I guess?"
"No… I think it would hurt worse, actually." Reina shakes her head. "Do you know that famous phrase? Better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all*?"
Yoichi nods, the words sounding vaguely familiar.
"I think it's a silly idea," she continues, her expression contemplative. "It's crueler to love and leave, than to just let a person be. In my opinion, at least."
("Won't she be in for a nasty little surprise?" The voice in his head smirks. "When will you tell her she's made of firewood, too?")
Yoichi shoves away the voice, and another memory supplants it. He recalls one last rendition of Momoji's origin. "Some people say it wasn't a kid at all."
Reina quirks a brow. "What do you mean?"
"There's one last version of the story. In that one, it's not a kid making a friend, but a man making a wife."
"Urgh." Reina frowns. "Well that went from cute to creepy fast. I like the kid version better."
Yoichi shrugs. "In that story, the wife grows bored being hidden away in a forest in Kanto, with just her husband for company. Even though she was made for him, she wants to leave their small house and wander the world, or whatever." His eyes meet Reina's with a teasing glint. "And when her husband catches her trying to escape him, he sets her ablaze."
Reina gapes, horrified. "Liar! No way that's the story behind a festival!"
A smirk spreads across Yoichi's face, quickly incriminating him.
"I knew it!" Her eyes narrow, and her cheeks puff up again. "You totally made that last part up! You're actually awful!"
"I mean, I didn't." Yoichi chuckles. "During Momoji a few years ago, my parents and I ran into my neighbour. Toga-san and h-"
"Huh," she interrupts. "That name sounds familiar…"
"As I was saying," Yoichi pointedly continues. "Toga-san and my mom were plastered. They have a weird thing where they challenge each other to a drinking contest whenever they run into each other at festivals. I swear they're worse than fucking teenagers." He rolls his eyes. "Anyways, so Toga-san, drunk off her ass, goes on and on about the 'true' story behind the festival and how it's about a clingy, possessive guy who becomes an arsonist." Yoichi quirks a brow. "So I didn't make up anything."
"Well," Reina's cheeks puff out once more. "She's terrible for saying it and you're terrible for repeating it! How dare you soil the innocence of Momoji!"
"I mean, there used to be wooden effigy burnings during the festival back in the day." Yoichi shrugs. "So maybe Toga-san was onto something."
"I remember now!" Reina brightens, suddenly. "Isn't Toga-san the neighbour that caught you trying to bury a pot in your front yard?" She needles. "After you managed to burn water."
"You're such a pest," he grumbles.
She giggles into the scarf (his scarf) draped around her neck. "So, now that I know the story, oh, and," she interrupts herself. "I'm choosing to believe the version where the kid and his branch-friend live happily ever after, together forever." Her nose scrunches as she continues. "It's much more palatable than Toga-san's iteration with the yandere pyromaniac, thank you very much." She shakes away her unimpressed expression. "What is there to actually do at this festival?"
Yoichi shrugs. "The same stuff as any other festival."
She becomes weirdly flustered. "I… well… I mean, I haven't exactly, well… been to one before? A festival, I mean."
"You're kidding?" Yoichi's eyes widen at her look of embarrassment. "There's at least half a dozen festivals across the country each month, most of which are usually in Tokyo or just a train ride away. You've lived here since you were six and you haven't been to a single one? Ever?"
She immediately looks at her shoes. "I wasn't allo…. I was just busy with school and stuff." She turns back to give him a half-smile.
'That's not what you were going to say, is it?' Yoichi frowns at that familiar, polite, and plastic smile she likes to use.
("Bet she wouldn't have changed her words for Reo," the voice taunts. "Maybe she'd rather he be here than you?")
Reina brightens again, more genuinely this time. "Actually, I did go to one. Well, sort of. During the summer before Sai-niisan went to Spain, he snu-" she cuts herself off again. "He, well he's different now, but, before he went to Spain, Sae-niisan took Rin-nissan and I to Tanabata. But we were a bit… umm… late so we didn't get to do the parades or games or anything like that. But he bought us popsicles, and we watched the stars together on the hill, and then we watched the flying lanterns together. Before we had to leave, he even showed me how to hang up my tanzaku." She smiles warmly, voice nostalgic. "It's one of my favourite memories."
'I like your smile.'
Yoichi's face immediately heats, embarrassed by his wayward thought. "Momoji at Saitama isn't anything so fancy as Tanabata." He looks to the sky, begging for the wind to cool down his flaming cheeks. "There's no tanzaku, flying lanterns, or any of that elaborate stuff. I guess there are some local shrines that get decorated, but it's not like New Year's where there are huge line-ups to make prayers for luck, or whatever." He sighs, tilting his head back towards her. ""Honestly, it's mostly just fried food, alcohol stands, rigged game stalls, and some fireworks at the end of each night."
"That sounds like fun." Reina grins. "So why didn't you want to go?"
"I guess it was fine when I was a kid. But, I don't know, it's just always so crowded and anytime you see someone you know, you end up recycling the same conversation." Yoichi shrugs. "I suppose this year I just felt like it would be a waste of time, especially since I've only got one more week before I'm back at Blue Lock."
Her grip on his hand tightens when he mentions leaving, and he ignores the pleased curl in his stomach at her reaction.
"But you'll come tomorrow, right?" she asks, eyes wide. "To the festival?"
"Well, it's not like I can leave you unsupervised with my mom," he mumbles. The crazy woman would probably take Reina shopping for wedding kimonos, or something equally fucking ridiculous and mortifying.
The striker expects the girl to give a snippy little retort or to tell him to go easy on his mom again. He doesn't expect her nervous silence.
"Hey… Yoichi-kun…"
'No stupid cutesy moniker. Something's up.'
He stops walking, waiting for her to speak.
"Umm could you not… could you not tell your mom about… a-about how I'm related to Sae-niisan and Rin-nissan." She locks her gaze on their shoes once more. "You d-don't have to lie… maybe just, just avoid it, or whatever. I just-"
"Hey." He interrupts her with a soft tug on her hair, guiding her eyes up to look into his. "I know what you think will happen, and trust me when I say it won't." His lip quirks. "My parents are embarrassing as hell, especially my mom, but they don't care about that kind of stuff." (Most people he knew didn't. A part of him honestly didn't get why she was so hung up about it.) "It wouldn't change the fact that they like you."
She shakes her head quickly, still anxious. "Just until after the festival," she whispers. "P-please?"
("Ask her what she's willing to do to keep your mouth closed," the voice titters.)
Yoichi's gaze falls from her pleading eyes to her pillowy lips, before he roughly shakes away the thought. He doesn't answer directly. "I wouldn't tell them something I knew would hurt you."
Her worried expression loosens into an appreciative smile. "Thanks."
("We didn't promise anything, you stupid genius. Learn to pay attention.")
"Don't worry," she continues, voice lighter. "It's just a secret until the end of the festival, okay?"
"You know," Yoichi deflects instead of replying. "If we don't get going, you'll miss your curfew."
Her eyes widen. She pops open her phone hurriedly before letting out a relieved sigh. "I've got just enough time." She pulls on his hand. "Come on."
They walk in comfortable silence for about a block before Yoichi speaks up again.
"So you're actually willing to come back to that crazy house?"
"Of course I am," she sing-songs.
He glances at her suspiciously.
"After all," she smiles not-so-innocently. "I'm still dead set on seeing those Princess Isagi photos your mom mentioned."
Yoichi scowls as her laughter rings into the street.
'Don't count on it. I'm burning them all when I get home. '
They reach the stoic pair of guards with about ten minutes to spare before her curfew.
"Oh, I almost forgot." She turns towards him. Her fingers loosen from his, and then she uses both her hands to start unraveling the red scarf from around her neck. "I should give this back now. I can bring your coat tomorrow."
She holds out the scarf between them. It's a thick red fabric engraved with a black Bastard Munchen logo, the very same one he had gone back to Shibuya to retrieve after bowling. It's the forgotten scarf that led him to her.
The bright cloth dangles loosely in his hands, limp, as he walks back alone to Shibuya station.
'There's an old tale about that too, isn't there?' He wraps the still-warm material around his neck. 'Something about two souls, a red thread, and a shared fate?'
The sports bag on his back ends up being useless. By the time he reaches Saitama station, it's too late to make it to the park in time before the field lights shut down. The voice in his head stays quiet, a distinctly foreboding type of silence.
"There you are!" His mom chimes from the living room couch, where she sits with his dad. "And here we were starting to take bets on if you had run off with her."
His father chuckles. "Did Reina-chan make it back home alright?"
"Yes." Yoichi responds tersely, his parents' taunting swiftly reminding him of their humiliating actions at dinner. The striker's especially not in any mood to entertain his mother. Yoichi opts instead to head straight upstairs to go over some plays.
"Before I forget!" His mom yells. "Make sure to bring Reina-chan here by four tomorrow, okay, Yocchan? That way we'll have enough time for pictures before we head to Momoji together!"
'Pictures?' He bristles. 'You'd better mean new ones instead of bringing out the old ones again.'
Yoichi abruptly turns away from the stairs, and instead stomps towards his parents in the living room. He needs to make sure they understand that they can't ever act like that again. "You're lucky I'm even letting her step foot in this house again after you tried so hard to humiliate me!"
His father chuckles again as he lifts the remote to pause the movie the couple are watching, their son now taking up half the screen.
"Neh, neh, Yocchan. Don't have a cow. It was just female bonding!" His mother waves a dismissive hand at him, before casually slotting a sweet into her mouth. On the table in front of his parents, the pastry box that Reina bought sits open next to an equally open bottle of sake.
His mom's flippant disregard for the situation infuriates him. "Don't make it seem like I'm overreacting! You went out of your way to embarrass me in front of her! I still can't believe you brought out the pictures. And the story about Christmas? Really, Kaasan? What were you thinking?!"
His Tousan seems to sense that Yoichi is genuinely upset. "Now, now." He placates. "Don't be too hard on your mother Yocchan, it's just what parents do."
'As if. No parent can possibly top Kaasan's performance tonight.'
Yoichi sighs, exasperated. He figures he's fighting a losing battle when he sees that neither of his parents seem at all affected by his displeasure. "Speaking of parents…" May as well get it over with now. "Hers aren't married. Her dad had an affair, and then she was born. Will that be a problem?" He challenges.
His Kaasan cocks a brow, genuinely confused. "Is it supposed to be?" She looks questioningly to her husband.
A bit of Yoichi's anger at the woman abates. As much as he hates her meddlesomeness and his father's passivity, his mom and dad are the best in the ways that matter, he supposes.
His dad turns to his mom. "I'm sure my grandmother would have had something to say about it. But since she's long gone, we're spared from any unsolicited and outdated opinions." The man turns back to his son, frowning. "Honestly I'm almost offended you think we would care, Yoichi."
The striker sighs. "It wasn't me who thought you would make a big deal about it. I guess other people have cared before, so she was worried it would change how you saw her, or whatever." He turns his head, mumbling just loud enough for his parents to hear. "Though I'm not sure why she gets the flack for it. Her dad's the one who cheated on his wife."
"Hmm…" His dad brings a finger to his chin in contemplation. "Now that I think about it… you said her last name is Itoshi, right?"
"Yes."
"Like the Itoshi International Corporate Law firm?" His father asks. "The one with that new big building in downtown Saitama?"
'Huh? No clue.' Yoichi thinks about it. 'Rin and Sae definitely carry themselves like kids who come from money.' And he doubted tuition at a school in the middle of Tokyo with a gated entrance that had a Tennis Court C was cheap.
"Maybe?" Yoichi pulls out his phone. "I'll check." He quickly coogles 'Itoshi Sae Lawyer.' The first article that pops up is an interview with a background paragraph that mentions the midfielder's father works as a lawyer, and that his mom's on the board of some charity. "Looks like it."
"Ahh, that makes sense then." His father looks between his son's raised brow and his curious wife, then clarifies. "That was the private event our restaurant hosted just a few days ago, that evening I had to work late. Now that I think about it, the manager mentioned to us all that having the Itoshi company choose the restaurant was a big deal. Apparently the man who runs it comes from one of those old, important families. I think a co-worker mentioned that downtown Saitama was their third or fourth branch to open up. The main boss – I'm assuming her dad – didn't even show up, though. One of the other partners led it." His dad tilts his head. "If her family runs in that sort of circle, it explains why she was so nervous about our reaction. That whole upper echelon type of crowd her dad keeps with, I imagine they would… make a big deal about her parents' marital status."
His mom rolls her eyes. "Rich people have the time to fuss over the stupidest things, honestly." Her mood flips from displeasure to joy. "More importantly, she is so wonderful! Oh Yocchan, I just adore her for you." Yoichi tries to interrupt her, to clarify that he and Reina aren't whatever his parents think, but his mother barrels on. "You will bring that delightful girl here tomorrow, or so help me, I will never speak to you again!"
Yoichi's expression flattens. "Is that supposed to be a deterrent?" he deadpans. (He's totally borrowing a word he heard Reo use last night, but whatever.)
"Oh my!" his mother feigns outrage, playfully hitting his dad's shoulder. "Issei, quick! Think of something witty to say back to our belligerent offspring!"
His dad chuckles, patting her hand. "How about I take a shower instead."
"Traitor!" She accuses jokingly.
"Love you too, dear." The man kisses her forehead before turning to head upstairs.
Yoichi turns his head away at the affectionate display between the couple. 'They're so embarrassing.' The striker turns to follow his dad upstairs, when his mom's voice intercepts his departure.
"Before you leave to no-doubt do something soccer-related in your room, sit, Yocchan." She pats the now empty space beside her. "I'd like to talk with you."
The striker settles into the couch with a heavy sigh, ready to endure whatever meddlesomeness she's concocted. Her sake cup is notably empty and his mom's small. 'This won't end well.'
There's barely a moment of sanity before she reaches for him. "Ohhhhh, you're just so grown up, now! Bringing a girl over to meet us and everything," she coos, pinching both of his cheeks.
"Kaasan!" He immediately pulls away, neck flushed as he leans back. "I'm not a kid!"
"Oh, yes you are!" She smiles. "You know, you're my one and only child. My pride and joy. I love you more than anything."
Yoichi's cheeks burn more as he looks away. He shyly murmurs out a very quiet and very embarrassed, "love you too, I guess."
His mom reaches up to pats his cheek. "You know, Yocchan. I don't know if I ever told you this… but… we had to try for a really long time to have you."
"Okay?" He quirks a brow. 'Where is this going?'
"It was a really hard time for me." Her smile wobbles. "I was sad a lot."
"Kaasan?" Yoichi falters, now concerned over the direction this is suddenly heading and, 'shit, is she about to cry?' If there's one thing his earlier interaction with Reina taught him today, it's that he sucks at handling crying girls. He awkwardly pats his mom's shoulder. "Should I go get Tousan, or-"
"It's okay, it's okay." His mother waves him off. "Happens with old age. you know." She chuckles, it sounds a bit wet. "You get teary over everything." She reaches for a tissue from the table, then loudly blows her nose before continuing.
"I mean…" He tries really hard not to obviously frown at the way she drops the snotty, crumpled tissue on the table. "It could also just be the sake, Kaasan."
She lightly smacks the back of his head. "Anyways, the point I was making was that during that difficult time, your dad…" Her voice softens. "During that time, he was the only one who could make me smile… and I cherished him even more for it. And when we finally had you, you were just the absolute light of our life, you know? You were my favourite part of every day."
"Kaasan…" He flushes again, unsure how to respond.
"And when you started smiling, oh it just blew my breath away. I wanted nothing in the world as much as I wanted to see your smiles."
He looks away again, thoroughly embarrassed by her sentimental words.
"But then… you started to lose them." His mother's voice saddens, and he glances back at her. "As you grew up, I grew more and more worried. The only time I saw those genuine smiles were after you scored a goal or won a game. And please don't take this the wrong way, honey. I'm glad you found something that brings you so much joy. But, I wanted so badly for you to have that with other people – with friends too. But you never did. You just got more in your head and more aloof, especially these last two years… You would choose practice over hanging out with classmates; you'd rather spend an evening watching reruns instead of watching movies with me and your dad. We were worried, you know? Even with us, you started showing only parodies of that smile we loved… you'd just occasionally pacify us with a strained curve of your mouth."
Her voice turns from thoughtful to teasing. "I mean, sometimes it felt like the only time we won genuine reactions out of you were when we went out of our way to embarrass you."
"Lame excuse for your meddling, Kaasan," he mutters.
She gives a small chuckle and ruffles his hair, before her voice turns thoughtful again. "You stopped giving anyone or anything your warm, genuine smiles outside of soccer, so I worried." She continues. "I worried you were so busy chasing that game, that you would miss out on genuine human connections."
Yoichi sighs. "Now you're just being dramatic."
"Who's your best friend, Yocchan?"
He pauses, startled by the seriousness of her tone. Then he sees a flash of Bachira, followed by a flicker of Chigiri and maybe even Nagi. But… is he allowed to call them something like best friend when they've only known each other for a few weeks?
"I guess it would be-"
"Before Blue Lock."
Yoichi pauses again. "I guess… I'm not sure?" He sees her frown at his answer, so he rushes to tag on, "I have friends mom. It's not like I'm some loser or anything." He recalls Tada-kun, his other teammates, and his classmates. They all get along with him well enough, right?
"No, Yocchan." His mother shakes her head. "You have friends of convenience and you have admirers. You have classmates you talk with during breaks between classes to occupy the time, and you have teammates you talk with during practice. You stopped bothering to make friends outside of soccer. And you never even kept those when you changed teams. And in school you have classmates who think you're the cool, dedicated, and talented soccer player. You have their admiration, but you don't consider them true friends that you would trust with your troubles."
His mom pats his hand as he considers her words. "Even that day a few weeks ago, when you lost that big game, the one you had practiced so hard for all year. You came back and your eyes were so red. I knew you were heartbroken. But you didn't cry with your teammates, did you?"
He blinks.
"Yocchan, I'm your mother, and I haven't seen you cry in ten years. And when you came home that night, you didn't even give us a chance to help you cope with your loss. You just gave your dad and me the same strained smile you use to lock away your feelings, and hid your actual emotions behind that decade-old wall."
He flinches. She's making him sound like a robot. He hadn't been that bad, had he?
(Tada-kun's words echo in his mind. 'Man, you never change with that aloof thing you do!')
"But your true smile…" His mom brings him back to the present. "The same one from the day you won that U-20 match… I saw that same smile again three nights ago, and you weren't anywhere near a soccer ball. I caught it when I watched you in the laundry room, thinking of her. And then I saw it again the other evening while you were texting her on your phone. And so many times at dinner today, when your eyes kept drifting to her."
Yoichi's face burns. 'She's making me sound so lame.'
She pats his flaming cheek. "In life there will be times when things get tough. And during those times, I want you to have someone who makes you smile the way you do with her."
His mother pauses, seeming contemplative. "But you know, it's even more than just that. That other night, when I asked you about Blue Lock. Usually you would have just given me a line or two, because soccer isn't my realm. The you from before would have just given me that same polite smile and an obligatory 'it went okay, some parts were hard, but I got through them,' or something equally vague. But this new you… you told me about your new friends and some of your struggles. And I was so thankful, because she pulled a part of you open and I got to see it too."
The striker wonders how much of that was really Reina, and how much of that was Blue Lock. Maybe his mom senses his thoughts. "Honestly, I'm glad for that program. I think you made some good, true friends in Blue Lock. Those boys, they put cracks in that wall you built back when you were seven. And Reina-chan, she's prying those cracks open. The reason I wanted to talk to you tonight was to ask you: please let her."
"I…" he hesitates, lost for words.
She strokes his hair, the way she did when he was a kid. "Don't deny yourself happiness out of fear of rejection, Yocchan. Because the only thing scarier in life than rejection is regret."
Finally upstairs and post-shower, Yoichi sets an alarm for his morning run. He sets it two hours earlier than usual to make up for the time he's going to be spending at the festival. It's only then that he realizes he's missed a bunch of messages from Reina.
48 minutes ago
[Thanks for walking me back. Are you home yet?]
35 minutes ago
[Helllloooooo.]
[Did you get back alright?]
26 minutes ago
[You were supposed to text me when you got back, mister.]
15 minutes ago
[Please tell me you aren't in a ditch somewhere?]
8 minutes ago
[Isagi Yoichi, I'm genuinely growing concerned here. RESPOND!]
2 minutes ago
[Respond to me or else I promise I will send Mei-chan after you -.-]
[Isn't she out of the country?]
He sees text bubbles from her side of the screen immediately.
[She'd come back if I asked.]
[Probably twice as fast if I told her it was to maul you.]
[I thought she 'warmed up' to me? Your words, genius.]
[How dare you let me think you were dead in a ditch.]
He bites back a smile. 'She's so dramatic.'
[I'm alive.]
[Not for long. Mei-chan's already locked-on to your scent.]
[You might want to seriously consider skipping town.]
He snorts, then recalls something she mentioned at dinner.
[I didn't know you skipped a grade.]
[There's a lot you don't know about me, Isa-kun ;)]
Before he can respond, more bubbles pop up.
[I'm just a box of mysteries, soccer star.]
[Which btw I'm sorry we didn't finish all the game reruns you wanted.]
[We can finish the rest of those plays you wanted to review tomorrow?]
[If that works for you?]
[How's two o'clock sound?]
[My parents want us here for four instead of six. Can you meet me at the café at one?]
[Yup!]
[Don't forget to get your curfew extended for tomorrow.]
He realizes how clingy and desperate that sounds after he hits send, and immediately regrets it. But before he can type something to try to sound less lame, she responds.
[Way ahead of you, striker.]
[I already submitted my form over the school's online portal.]
[After all, I needed to occupy myself…]
[while I was debating whether to…]
[CALL THE COPS TO REPORT YOU AS MISSING.]
He rolls his eyes.
[I'm all safe in bed. No need to be concerned.]
'But maybe it's kind of nice,' he thinks… having someone other than his parents that cares if he made it home.
[Of course I was concerned!]
[Do you not watch ANY crime shows?]
[I was the LAST person with you.]
[I'd be the number one suspect in your murder!]
[And then I'd never get to space,]
[because of my criminal record]
[and instead I'd spend the rest of my days behind bars,]
[in an orange jumpsuit]
[cursing you.]
[You're so dramatic.]
She responds by sending a jailed emoji.
[How did you even find such a specific emoji so fast?]
[I'm brilliant.]
[Duh.]
He shakes his head fondly. 'Idiot.'
[I'm heading to bed, genius-sama. See you tomorrow.]
[See you tomorrow!]
[Night YOCCHAN!]
'That little tease.' He can almost hear her smirk.
[Goodnight.]
He tries (unsuccessfully) to bite down his smile as he puts his phone on charge and settles into his sheets. He buries his face into his pillow, trying to cool down his cheeks. Then he thinks on his mom's words. For a moment, he wonders if… if maybe he could still talk with Reina even when he went back to Blue Lock… 'Maybe that could be okay, right?'
"Don't let Kaasan fill your head with stupid thoughts. That woman gave up on her dreams, remember?" The voice returns with an angry vengeance, clawing into his the back of his eyes. "You missed practice tonight because of that annoying distraction. She cost you an entire evening. Do you realize that you didn't even touch a ball today? You fool, you're going to lose everything if you keep chasing her."
Yoichi abruptly sits up, resetting his alarm for another two hours earlier than before. Hand shaking as he taps on the screen. 'It's fine. It's okay. I'll just… I can make up for it.' He falls back into bed, feeling a little colder than before. 'I can just make up for it tomorrow, right?'
As the striker shuts his eyes, the voice grows louder and harsher, drowning out his mom's words.
"Regret, she says?" The voice sneers. "You'll regret it for the rest of your life when you get kicked out of Blue Lock because you were too busy getting distracted by little miss mistake."
Please review friends : )
Also, if you haven't seen it, I posted a new Reo & Reina art at the bottom of Chapter 4 Part 1
Asterisk Notes
* kekkou desu = no thank you
* Melissa Escudo (Spanish for shield), and yes, that was another MHA reference ;)
* bird shit = reference to Ego's analogy about luck & observation
* love and lost quote taken from Alfred Tennyson
Preview
This house will never welcome you… You're nothing but father's mistake, here.
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"Always playing victim, how lukewarm." Rin steps closer. "What? You really think you can hide behind a shithead like him?" He mocks.
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"Are you really that dense, Isagi? … Little Rin abandons little Reina. Little Reina gets a grudge that grows with her.….. One week later I find Reina clinging to you on our usual running route. Kind of convenient… Reina's smart and bored, Isagi; don't get caught up in her games."
/-/
Kaiser has the type of condescending smirk that makes you seriously contemplate murder. Like actually look up the number of years you'd be sentenced for homicide just to see if it would be worth it. (It isn't, but only by the smallest margin.)... If there was an award for most smackable smirk, the German player would be a three-time recipient … smiling like Satan himself. Trying to unnerve her by testing her boundaries.
/-/
"If you get to use me," he whispers into her neck, "I get to use you too."
/-/
"Oh please, don't make me sick... You don't love him Reina." He sneers out the word, his distaste palpable. "You're just desperate for someone to love you. It's fucking pathetic and honestly embarrassing to watch… When he realizes that, he'll hate you… Do you really want that? Another person who wishes you never existed?"
Responses to Reviews
Oliviastone - I def had secondhand embarrassment myself while writing it too LOL. Another reason for her experience is the 'type' of people she was exposed to. Her family is considered an old/rich one (in this verse) so that's the judgy circles they ran in. I'm keeping my lips sealed re: Cersei ;) But I will def say the conflict is comingggggg esp. when we encounter her brothers *rubs hands together menacingly* Omg you are too sweet. I could never as you to until I could commit to reciprocating!
Sammysdkfjasl & 102602 – tysm for your readership and reviews !
Sp8cefluff – you were totally right, the character count is 5k. I don't know why but the first time I tried the character count was 1000 so I felt I couldn't fit it? You'll meet more of the Itoshi's soon (I'm saving more of Reina's past for when I catch up to cannon) but yup, you are spot on, friend. ouououou the brother's reactions are coming soon :) (in the next 2-3 chapters-ish)
Isagi loves thighs - I vaguely hinted at them in chp 1 but the thighs are coming during the festival, I promise ;) Oh yeah, Isagi's going to be up that river for a while (or more like jumping back and forth between the shore and his boat). Honestly I love writing jealous MCs, so much fun. I'm trying to keep it fluffangst but oh man I can already feel the angstfluff switch plotline creeping up in my head. Oh man I agree, literally the coolest/chillest parents. Hehehe I maybe intentionally mislead with that preview, but you got your answer ;) I can't promise I'll have Kurona anytime soon but we will be getting some Hiori/Bachira/Chigiri/Nagi/Reo soon! Enjoy your meal ;)
Anon - Ahh Im so glad you were fangirling because *I* was totally fangirling while writing it LOL. For now the rating will stay T, maybe progress to M but only because of 'referenced' content rather than anything to explicit (I couldn't write anything explicit if I tried, I'd combust lol). Def making use of thighs, coming soon ;) I follow the same religion LOL. Omg I love Hawks toooo. I'm a major Hawks x Fuyumi fan (imagine him as Endeavours son in law?) and I know it'll never happen but it lives in my head lol. I have plot ideas galore to keep going until they are adults! The true question is whether I'll stay motivated and honestl your and everyoen's passionate reviews help so much to stay motivated, I literally smile the entire time I'm reading them!
T-minus 800 - I can't promise he won't be lovestruck a bit OOC at times, and I don't want to spoil, but there will be MUCH conflict regarding them chasing their individual dreams/what they are willing to sacrifice to get there (including each other/for each other). More of this conflict when they're a touch older but it's def coming! They're still teenagers in their first relationship so they are going to be making a LOT of mistakes, but they will learn from them as they grow, promise ;) Nah, our boy saved her - tbh there was another plotline I was going to do where it involved a shooting on the subway, but it would just take over too many chapters/be too "much" to manage/incorporate into their characters in the context of everything else (I do eventually want to get him back to Blue Lock lol). I might write the shooting incident as an AU one shot later though once I run out of steam with this :P
YouFuckingSerious?
I definitely welcome all reviews, they keep me motivated! I'm glad you like how Isagi is written – I'm trying my best : ) Ahh yes please no conflict everyone it makes me nervous *hides face* (I suck at conflict resolution / avoid conflict like the plague – a trait that Reina will also share lol). I hope you keep reading and continue to enjoy
AnythingForGiorno
I'm glad you like the OC! I was very nervous writing one. I'm glad you feel he's in character, I am trying my best to keep him so! : ) Oh yes, family drama is commmiiinnggg. I love the overprotective older sibling trope, so will be making plenty of use of it.
VoidListener7
You can for sure vote twice LOL. I feel like Yo-kun/Isa-chi/Yocchan are all somewhat equally in the lead (I'll be doing a formal count again before I post the next chapter) and she'll likely end up just switching between the three if the counts end up being equal ;P Thanks for reading!
HyenaFan12 - tysm for clarifying! I tried looking up honorifics but there was a lot of variation so I just gave up *sweatdrop* So would you typically romanize Yo-kun to Yokun as well/ for the others also just remove the dash e.g. Yotan?
Guest - LOL I feel like I lot of us who are past teenagehood def had the same experiences :'P Ahh I'm so happy you thought the characters were written well! Tysm for your readership : )
Guest #2 - ty for catching that! I will go change it on AO3 for sure, might have a bit of delay before I update the ffn one. If you catch any more PLEASE let me know : ) I'm so happy you find her realistic, that's exactly what I'm aiming for!
DrVicFranknstn - I intentionally (initially) left her race vague because I wanted the reader to just pick whatever they wanted for her, but then at one point I decided I wanted her to be second gen latinX through her grandmother&mother so that she had Spanish and English as her first languages. She's born in LA/USA so she's nationality speaking American and Japanese, but ethnically 1/2 japanese and at least 1/4 latinx, and I guess the other 1/4 is dealer's choice ;P Oh I 100% agree re affection between parents, Isagi just won't appreciate that until he's older lol.