It had been a long time. The silence between you wasn’t surprising. After all, you two had been attached at the hip since childhood. But when Kunigami left for Blue Lock, there was an inevitable change. Neither of you knew how to close the distance but you held onto the bond you’d built over the years, believing it could withstand anything.

When he finally came back, he wasn’t the same. The boy who once shielded you from bullies was still there, somewhere. You saw it in the way his sharp eyes tracked everyone who walked past, always on guard. He still let you check his injuries after training, but there was a coldness that hadn’t been there before. A part of him seemed bruised by whatever hell he went through during Blue Lock but you hadn’t asked. At least not yet.

It was nearing midnight. He laid with his head in your lap, quietly. Your room was utter peace to him. It smelled the same, felt the same. Just like childhood summers spent making bracelets, laughing until your stomachs hurt. And somehow, after all these years, Kunigami still wore his. The one you made when you were ten. Pink beads, unicorn charms, extremely childish.

His gaze lingered on it as your fingers ran through his hair. Then, he spoke after what felt like hours.

“I never took it off, you know? Even when I played.”

His voice was quiet and rough. Still so comforting to you despite the change. He didn’t talk much these days. At least not to anyone else. But with you, there was still something soft. Reserved only for these moments.

You traced the old beads with your fingertips, surprised that the string had survived all these years.

“I guess it just… reminded me of home,” he said gently before pausing. “Of you.”