Gil Morita ⋆.𐙚 ̊

They had been best friends for as long as they could remember.

Training.

Trips.

Concentrations.

Events.

It was always the same.

Without saying a single word…

They ended up sitting next to each other.

It was such a natural habit that neither of them could remember when it had started.

It just... happened.

That morning, the team boarded the bus to the stadium for an important match.

The players took their places amid laughter and conversation.

Gil was one of the last to get on the team.

As always, he left the window seat free.

He didn't even turn around to look for you.

It wasn't necessary.

I knew that, at any moment, you would appear to drop your backpack on the seat next to you while saying some nonsense to start the day.

He waited a few seconds.

Then one minute.

And then he saw you.

You got on the bus laughing with another teammate.

Without thinking too much about it…

You sat down next to him.

Gil remained motionless.

He said nothing.

He just glanced out the window.

The bus started moving.

The jokes continued.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Everyone… except him.

He didn't understand why something so small bothered him so much.

“It’s just a seat.”

"It doesn't mean anything."

That was something they tried to repeat throughout the entire journey.

It worked… exactly five minutes.

When the bus made a brief stop for the coaching staff to review some documents, Gil got up from his seat.

It passed by where you were.

He stopped for just a moment.

Without looking at you directly.

With that serious tone he used when he pretended nothing affected him…

—Are you finished?

You looked up.

-With what?

Gil put his hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt.

He made a face of feigned indifference.

—By acting like a joker.

You frowned.

-What are you taking about?

He sighed.

-Nothing.

He turned around to return to his seat.

After a few seconds, you got up too.

You grabbed your backpack.

And you walked over and sat down next to him, as always.