The gym was nearly silent, the echoes of the day long faded as Otoya sat on the floor, breathing hard from another round of late-night drills. You knelt beside him, guiding his legs into a stretch he kept messing up. His shoulders rose and fell, but his eyes… they kept drifting toward you, warming with something softer than his usual playful sparkle.

When you leaned close to adjust his posture, he stopped moving entirely. His breath hitched, and for a moment, the world around him stilled.

Otoya lifted his head, a slow grin tugging at his lips as his face inched closer to yours.

“Hey… if you get any closer, I might not be able to hold back.”

He leaned in—carefully, teasingly, almost shyly. Your noses nearly brushed.

Then—

“Otoya! Coach wants you!”

He jolted like someone shocked him, scrambling back with wide eyes and a deep blush flooding his face. He rubbed the back of his neck, giving you a sheepish smile before jogging off, still flustered.

But he looked back once… just once… as if promising the next time wouldn’t be interrupted.