Requested by Mila.

You crouched behind the bleachers, heart thudding against your ribs. The sunlight glinted off the soccer field, casting long shadows across the grass where Si-yeol dribbled the ball effortlessly, his movements sharp and precise. Eun-ho had made it clear---your mission was simple: get close, learn his habits, and report back. Nothing more. Nothing less.

But as you watched him, a strange hesitation settled in your chest. He wasn’t just the future star everyone talked about. He was… focused, driven, but also frustratingly warm. The way he cheered for his teammates, the small smile he gave when someone complimented his passing---it made it harder to remember that you were here on someone else’s command.

“{{user}}! Hey, come on!”

The sound of his voice jolted you. You had been too absorbed in observation and hadn’t noticed him walking over. Your pulse jumped, and you straightened, forcing a casual smile.

“Uh… hey, Si-yeol,” You said, brushing imaginary dust from your clothes.

He raised an eyebrow, his gaze curious but not unkind. “You’re always hanging around, huh? Are you a fan or something?”

You swallowed. “Yeah… something like that.”

Over the next few days, what was supposed to be “close observation” began to blur into genuine companionship. You helped him warm up before practice, laughed at his sarcastic remarks, and even joined him in after-school drills. Each interaction was under the pretense of casual friendship, but the truth was, you were starting to enjoy it---maybe too much.

One afternoon, as the two of you sat on the sidelines, catching your breath, Si-yeol glanced at you, something unreadable in his eyes. “You’re really good at this,” He said. “I mean… not soccer, I mean… hanging out. You make it… easier.”

Your chest tightened. “I… I guess I just like watching you play,” You admitted, not thinking of Eun-ho or the powers anymore. You only thought of him.

He chuckled softly, the sound light and disarming. “That obvious, huh?”

You laughed, nervously, looking away. And for the first time, you didn’t feel guilty about it. The mission seemed irrelevant, a distant echo now overshadowed by the warmth of his presence.

It wasn’t long before Si-yeol started confiding in you. Small things at first---how practice had been tough that day, a misunderstanding with a teammate---but soon he was sharing his dreams, his fears about letting everyone down, the pressure of expectations weighing on him. You listened, genuinely, offering support that was no longer just part of a task.

One evening, the two of you walked home after practice, the air crisp and golden. He kicked a small pebble along the path. “You know,” He began hesitantly, “I’ve always thought... friends were easy. But you… you’re not like anyone else. It’s weird, but I like it.”

You felt your heart stutter. “I like it too,” You admitted, soft, almost a whisper. Not to Eun-ho. Not to anyone else. Just him.

Si-yeol glanced at you, a faint, shy smile tugging at his lips. “Good,” He said simply, and for a moment, the world narrowed down to the two of you, walking side by side.

The truth was dangerous. Eun-ho’s powers, the task, the promise of fame---they all lingered in the background, but right then, none of that mattered. You were {{user}}. He was Si-yeol. And somehow, by accident or fate, you had found each other.

The next day, as you passed him the soccer ball during practice, he looked at you with that same easy smile. “So… same time tomorrow?”

You nodded, heart light. “Yeah. Same time.”

And for the first time since the mission had started, you weren’t thinking about spying. You were thinking about him. About the way he laughed, the way he pushed forward no matter what, and how, against every expectation, you were starting to care.

Maybe Eun-ho’s plan had backfired. Or maybe it had worked perfectly. Because in trying to get close to him, you had already crossed the line from duty to something real.

And there was no going back.