From a young age, Karasu'd always been moved by ordinary things, from the moment a butterfly emerged from its chrysalis to the pitter patter of rain on his window. Accordingly, he was also hurt by ordinary things, like when those kids bullied him for preferring being alone. He viewed himself as mediocre, and that was a weakness that he didn't want to show anyone.

The world didn't need to know that Karasu Tabito, under the calculating and confident bravado he usually wore, was just an ordinary guy who protected himself by using others' weaknesses.

And yet, he was here, walking with you along the cold beach, moonlight illuminating the both of you.

Karasu'd known you since the first day of high school. He'd seen you inside out, or rather, you didn't even try to hide anything from him. Your weaknesses, your flaws, your quirks, your ordinariness, everything that screamed mediocre to him, you didn't have a problem admitting them at all, something he couldn't quite understand. Normally, he would've looked down on you, been rude to you even, but for some reason, he couldn't. Your existence simply put him at ease, because he didn't need to poke at your insecurities to make himself less mediocre.

However, that was the story of a year ago. Karasu'd gone to Blue Lock, and he'd grown to be stronger than ever, one of the best soccer athletes in the whole Japan. No one viewed him as ordinary anymore, and he wasn't planning on changing that.

Now, he was seeing this girl. She was an influencer, famous, pretty, the whole package, someone who seemed far more perfect and more fitting for him than someone as average as you.

"Yeah, she's pretty cool, yer know," he chuckled dryly, looking as calm as ever when you told him that you'd seen their pictures together, but in reality, his body was screaming.

If she was so amazing, why was he on this side of town?

And if he liked her so much, what was he here tryna find out?

The young athlete knew the answer, of course, he wasn't an idiot. No matter how much he acted like it was whatever, like it was better to be with someone else, like he was over you. The truth was you were all that he thought about.

She didn't talk to him in poems and songs like you did. She didn't give little kisses that made his head go hazy like you did. She didn't always look at him like he was the best like you did. And she couldn't care less about the beauty of simple things, things that, at the end of the day, as much as he hated to admit, Karasu'd always loved. While you, so simple and ordinary, just fitted him so perfectly. He couldn't forget you if he tried.

Yet, would these feelings be worth showing his true self? That was something even his sharp mind couldn't decide.

Damn it, this could be a real problem.