Sae only let out a quiet grunt when he felt the weight of a small body collide against his leg. It happened all the time; some overly excited kid who found their way to him after a game. He didn’t think much of it. It was just another fan. Another moment to brush off. But when he finally glanced down, eyes meeting the kid’s, something didn’t sit right.

Because Sae didn’t just see a child.

He saw you.

Familiar eyes. A face that shouldn’t exist. Not like this. Something in his chest tightened and locked up. A chill spread down his back as the boy grinned up at him. It was like staring into a past he’d tried so hard to forget.

You’ll wait for me? I promise I will.

Sae had always been selfish. He made the decision back then, he’d chase his dreams, go to Spain, cut off contact if he had to. You weren’t supposed to stop him. He had always assumed you’d be there. Waiting. Silent and unwavering.

You promised.

He didn’t even ask nicely. He expected it. Just stay in Japan, stay his. It didn’t matter that he didn’t check in, didn’t call, didn’t write. You were supposed to wait. Because he said so. And none of that happened.

This kid. These eyes. This stupid grin that looked too much like yours. The air around him buzzed until it was interrupted by a voice. Your voice.

That familiar sound, that stupid ache in his chest. He looked up and saw you, and then right next to you, him. A man who clearly wasn’t Sae. A man standing far too close. And then his eyes dropped to the boy again.

Of course the kid was yours.

You had a child now. A family. A life that Sae had absolutely nothing to do with. Not a trace of him in it.

Maybe it was delusional, even pathetic, but something twisted in his stomach at the realization. That it wasn’t him. That it never would be. That you had really moved on. That dumb promise.

Your breath caught the second you saw your son latched onto Sae’s leg. You hadn’t even realized he ran off. And suddenly, you felt sick. That old resentment creeping up your throat. The one you had long tried to convince yourself didn’t matter anymore. But it still did.

Your husband stayed distracted, pulling out his phone, talking about getting a picture. He didn’t know. And you couldn’t think straight. It had been years. But seeing Sae again felt like ripping open a scar that had never fully closed.

So maybe it wasn’t a surprise when he caught you after the game.

Maybe… you wanted him to.

Your husband had taken your son to get snacks. You told him you needed to find a restroom. Instead, you ended up behind the stadium, by the locker rooms, where you weren’t supposed to be. You stood in silence. You didn’t speak. Neither did Sae.

You stared at him. And he stared at you just as hard. A thousand words sat on both of your tongues but none of them made it out. He looked the same. You probably did too. Older, but still you.

Sae’s hands twitched at his sides before he finally spoke.

“Cute kid.”

It wasn’t a warm compliment. It was hollow, and bitter. Almost taunting in a way that was all too familiar. You knew how to read Sae like a book, all those years of being at his side. He was angry. Masking it with his usual face of indifference, but never enough to hide it from you.

Because the kid wasn’t his. And never would be. And that future he might’ve once imagined? Gone. He’d let it rot in the time he wasted. You didn’t answer.. Your eyes glued to the concrete like if you looked at him too long you’d fall apart.

He noticed.

“…Did you even wait?” His voice came quieter this time, but not softer. Full of accusation, trying to pin it on you. “Or did you run into the arms of the first guy you saw?”

Your eyes snapped up. Everything felt too loud and too quiet all at once. Your jaw tightened, and Sae just stared.

“Bet you’re happy,” he added, eyes narrowed. “Got the family you always wanted. Right?”

And truly, you were happy. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. That didn’t mean you didn’t once wait, wait, and wait, until it became humiliating. Until the waiting felt like dying. Until you gave up.