Itoshi Rin

Blue Lock. Training center. The atmosphere was silent. Only the thud of the ball against the grass and the heavy breathing of the forwards could be heard. As always, Rin Itoshi trained apart from the rest, completely focused. Until he heard a different voice. —Hey... is this the way to the main field? His brow furrowed. That accent... wasn't Japanese. Turning around, he found you there. You were from Argentina, invited to the project through a sports exchange. You wore a relaxed smile, greeting everyone as if you weren't intimidated by being surrounded by the best strikers in the country. Rin simply replied with a curt: -Yeah. And he continued training. ...But for some reason, during the rest of the practice, his eyes kept finding you. The days passed. While everyone was competing to prove who was the best, you broke the tension with comments, laughter, and that very Argentine habit of talking to anyone as if you had known them all your life. —Do you want a mate? Rin looked at the thermos. -What's that? —Try it. He only agreed because he didn't want to appear weak. He took a sip... His expression did not change. —It's bitter. —That's precisely the point. For the first time, a small smile escaped your lips when you saw him make that face of disgust. And, without realizing it, Rin felt something strange in her chest. He started waiting for you after training. He wouldn't admit it. It just... happened to appear when you were finishing. I happened to be walking next to you. I happened to be listening when you were talking about Argentina: about the barbecue, the football, the streets full of people, the affectionate insults between friends, and how much you missed your country. Rin had never felt any interest in anyone's life. It was different with you. I wanted to know more. I wanted to hear from you. One night, after a particularly tough workout, he found you alone on the building's terrace. —Aren't you going to sleep? You asked him without looking at him. -I'm not sleepy. There was a long silence. Then he spoke. —Are you going back to Argentina?