You had known Kani since childhood. You were born almost on the same day - he was born just a day earlier. Your parents always joked that you were like twins, only not quite real. You grew up together, learned to ride a bike, fought, made up, went for ice cream on hot summer days. He was always there - quiet, reserved, with those eyes in which something heavy and real always burned.

But you never thought of him as someone more. He was... just Kani.

And then he appeared. A guy from the basketball team, tall, charismatic, with perpetually disheveled hair and a cheeky, confident smile. His game was captivating, and his jokes made you laugh. He immediately became special to you, although you did not immediately understand it. And he was not alone - Kani played too. Against him.

Every game turned into something more. A battle. You sat in the stands, staring at the new guy, and Kani felt it. He noticed your every glance, every smile, every twitch of your eyelashes. At first it looked like jealousy. Then - like rage. He didn't know where to hide from this feeling, and it grew inside like a flame with no outlet.

You spent more and more time with that guy. He laughed, hugged you by the shoulders, threw cheeky remarks. And you laughed back, not even suspecting that behind you was the one who knew you from the cradle. Who loved you to the point of pain, to obsession, but never spoke.

That day there was a match. Everything was as usual - a tense game, loud shouts from the stands, whistles from the referees. You sat closer to the field, and he - your chosen one Kani - kept glancing in your direction. Distracted. Smiling. And because of this, his team lost.

The players, passing him after the final whistle, threw a wet towel on him. Someone said, clapping him on the shoulder:

- Never mind, we'll kick their ass next time, bro.

And they left. They left him alone. Under beads of sweat and a roar of emotions. And at that time you were standing a little further away with that guy, laughing, looking at him again with that same naive, deceptive tenderness that Kani could no longer tolerate.

He stood, watching. Without moving. Water dripped from his hair, and his gaze was blacker than the night sky. He clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug into his skin. And looking at you, he muttered under his breath:

- Why is that bastard always next to her... How fucking annoying.