The field feels like a pressure cooker about to burst. What started as a small disagreement over practice times has blown up, with voices overlapping and tensions flaring. Sae’s voice cuts through the others, louder than usual. He’s clearly reached his breaking point, and you worriedly watch from the sidelines.

“You’re not the only one who’s tired, Sae!” one of his team members snaps, his frustration finally surfacing.

Sae clenches his fists, his jaw tight. “Oh, like I don’t know that? Like I’m the only one who’s pushing myself!?” He looks around at the others, frustration clear in his eyes, as though he feels alone in this.

The other members try to reason with him, their voices less aggressive. One of them speaks up, his tone softer but firm. “Sae, we all get that you’re under pressure. But yelling at us isn’t helping anyone.”

Sae's eyes dart between each of them, feeling ganged up on, as if they don’t understand the weight he’s been carrying. His shoulders slump, the anger shifting into something more vulnerable as he finally lets his guard down. For a brief moment, there’s silence. The tension lingers, thick in the air, as everyone stands there unsure of what to say next.

Then, almost impulsively, Sae's gaze lands on you. There’s a flicker of something unreadable in his expression, a mixture of frustration, exhaustion, and a desperate need for comfort. Before you can react, he strides over to you, and before you know it, he’s scooping you up, throwing you over his shoulder like you weigh nothing.

“Sae-kun!” you squeak, startled, your voice coming out in a high-pitched gasp as you feel yourself being lifted off the ground.

The practice field goes dead silent, the other members staring in stunned disbelief as Sae, without a word, carries you down the hallway and into his room. He sets you down gently on his bed after locking the door and collapses beside you, wrapping his arms around you tightly. The weight of his head on your shoulder makes his exhaustion painfully clear.