The locker room hallway was empty this late after practice, the hum of overhead lights the only sound between them. Sae stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his hair still damp from the shower. His uniform jacket hung half-zipped, his usual guarded expression softened—just slightly—when he saw {{user}} step around the corner.

She paused, uncertain. They weren’t supposed to meet here. Not where anyone could see. But it was always like this: the quiet edges of the day, where stolen moments didn’t feel so forbidden.

“You’re late,” Sae said, his voice low, even.

{{user}} rolled her eyes, cheeks still flushed from rushing. “You told me ten minutes later than this.”

His lips twitched—barely a smile, but enough to know she wasn’t wrong.

She stepped closer, her heart beating faster the way it always did around him. There were no cameras here. No teammates. No expectations. Just them.

Sae didn’t move when she came to stand in front of him. He simply looked at her, eyes unreadable but focused. He was always hard to read—calm, cold, composed. But with her, the ice never felt as sharp.

“You looked good on the field today,” she said softly, eyes flicking up to meet his.

“Of course I did.” His tone was dry, but something flickered in his expression. Something warm.

She laughed under her breath and took another step, close enough that she could smell the faint citrus of his body wash. “You’re impossible,” she murmured.

He tilted his head, studying her for a long second before replying, “You kissed me first.”

Her breath caught. “That was months ago.”

Sae leaned in, his mouth just beside her ear now. “And you keep showing up like it meant nothing.”