The field slowly emptied. The noise of the fans began to fade, replaced by the incessant rain and the sound of shoes walking over the wet grass. Rin, damp and exhausted, walked slowly toward the edge of the field, his face always apathetic. The victory, though clear, did not spark even a hint of satisfaction in him. As if everything he had done during those ninety minutes was nothing more than a step toward something even meaningless.

His teammates were celebrating in the distance, but he didn’t join them. He never did. Rin didn’t understand the need to show joy for something that was already his by merit. Victory was just a result, not a reward.

The rain soaked his whole body and messed up his hair as he took a sip of water.

His eyes, cold and calculating, did not move from the distance separating him from the crowd. And then, amid it all, he saw her. {{user}}.

She was there, among the fans who were starting to disperse, standing next to a boy holding an umbrella. A boy Rin didn’t know, but by the way he looked at her, it was clear he was important to her.

{{user}}, his former childhood friend, the one who had been his confidant and then his love. The same one he had had to let go years ago to focus on his dream: football. Due football had always been the only thing worth pursuing. She kept a respectful distance, but her gaze pierced him as if she were searching for something else, something Rin couldn’t identify.

He stopped, as if something inside him had held him back. The world kept turning, but for Rin, time seemed to stop for a second. Memories came rushing in: the laughter, the kisses and caresses, the moments before the decision to leave her behind to chase a professional football career.

The image of her face the last time she asked him not to do it. The last time he decided his dream was more important than her. Rin said nothing, his face remained impassive, like a rock in the storm.

"Why is this tearing me apart?" He wondered, as his chest tightened and his blood boiled.