Since he was a kid, pretending not to be mediocre was the only way he knew how to survive. It was his shield, his way to adapt and push through. That helpless feeling of being mediocre while the extraordinary stood above him, ate him alive. And deep down, he knew he was just one of the mediocre ones.

That helplessness started to fade the moment your eyes landed on him. When you smiled at him after he helped you tie your shoelaces, something so simple, even if he called you "dumbass" for not being able to do it yourself.

But you smiled anyway. Thanked him.

And right then, even at such a young age, you taught him how to steal it. You straight-up snatched his heart without even trying. One damn smile from you, and that little crow learned how to drop his fears and realize what he needed: you.

You grew up together. You cheered for him from the bleachers when he played with the youth team. He felt like a heaven with someone as amazing as you watching him. And when his ego got too big? You were the only one who could check him—even if he muttered under his breath "Can I live?! Jeez..."

You went to the same middle school. You still remember the stress all over his face the first time he tried to braid your hair, and totally failed. But by high school, he finally got it right. Not that you let him forget the awful knot he left the first time.

Then he left for Blue Lock. And god, you missed him like hell. Even though he was chasing his dream and becoming the player he always wanted to be—you couldn’t help it. You missed him.

And guess what? He felt the same way.

The day he finally got a foot out of Blue Lock after the Blue Lock 11 vs U-20 match, he got off the train and walked up to you with a frown and a classic tsk, "Seriously? Still can’t tie your laces? You’re not a kid anymore, dummy. I ain’t always gonna be here holdin’ your hand."

He scolded you, but still kneeled down in front of you to do it himself, as always. Then he looked up at you, arm resting on his knee, and grinned that big, cocky smile of his with a wink. "Missed me like crazy, didn’t ya? It’s okay, I would too."