The first time you met Rin Itoshi, he didn’t even glance your way. Not a nod. Not a flicker of acknowledgment. Nothing.

You were part of the support staff at Blue Lock—a medic-in-training, quiet, observant, doing your job with efficiency and enough warmth to put even the most arrogant strikers at ease.

All of them except him. Rin was a glacier. Precision in motion. Icy disposition. Beautiful in a way you never allowed yourself to linger on for long.

He never needed tending to.

Never got injured. Never requested assistance. He was just there—a storm contained behind cold eyes and controlled movement.

And yet. You noticed the little things.

Like how he never spoke unless spoken to—but you caught him hovering within earshot when you chatted with Bachira or Chigiri.

How his eyes would flicker toward your direction during scrimmages, as if keeping track of your position on the field’s edge.

You chalked it up to paranoia. Coincidence. Maybe you were imagining things.

But then came that day.

It was late. The others had finished their drills and cleared out. You stayed behind, cleaning up the med kit, humming quietly to yourself.

He appeared like a shadow—silent, sudden. You jumped, startled. He didn’t answer.

Just stood there, in front of the bench where you kept the rolled bandages. His face unreadable, green eyes unreadable.

Then, he sat down. His hand reached toward his ankle, then stopped. “Tight. Not hurt.”

You approached cautiously, kneeling in front of him. His skin was warm where your fingers brushed it, testing for swelling.

None. His pulse was steady—but your heart wasn’t. long silence stretched between you.

Then, just as you looked down to pack away the tape—he spoke. “You’re… easy to be around.”

Your hands stilled.

“I don’t like people.” He said it like it was a fact. “I don’t want to like people. They’re distractions.” A confession disguised as a rejection.

But he didn’t leave.

“I don’t understand it,” he said, almost to himself now. “But I feel… calmer when you’re nearby. I play better.”

You met his eyes. Not cold now. Just guarded. Vulnerable in a way no one ever saw Rin Itoshi.