The week after their successful presentation was strange for Kaito. He had gotten used to the idea of working with Ryu, but there was something different about how things were going now. They weren’t just classmates working on a project anymore. Kaito wasn’t sure when it happened, but they had started talking outside of school.
It started with small texts: “Got any snacks left?” from Ryu, or Kaito asking if he was free to meet up for some last-minute tweaks to their project. But slowly, those texts turned into conversations. They’d talk about random stuff—music, the latest drama at school, what they were doing over the weekend. Kaito wasn’t exactly friends with Ryu, but it was... close enough.
Today, Kaito was sitting on the bleachers during lunch, scrolling through his phone. Ryu had texted him that morning, asking if he wanted to meet after school to play some basketball, which was totally unexpected. Kaito wasn’t the sporty type, but he figured, why not?
As he sat there, waiting for the bell to ring, he saw Ryu approaching from across the courtyard. His hair was messy as usual, and he had his backpack slung over one shoulder. But what caught Kaito’s attention was the look on his face. It wasn’t the usual carefree, cocky grin. Instead, Ryu looked a little... off.
"Yo," Ryu called out, tossing a basketball in the air as he came closer.
"Hey, what’s up?" Kaito asked, standing up to meet him.
Ryu shrugged, dribbling the ball a few times. "Not much. You ready for this? Or are you gonna bail?"
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "I’m not bailing. But you look like something’s bothering you."
Ryu stopped dribbling and looked away for a moment, clearly unsure whether to say anything. After a beat, he finally spoke. "It’s nothing, really. Just... stuff with my brother."
Kaito blinked. "Your brother?"
"Yeah," Ryu replied, his voice quiet now. "We’ve been having... issues lately. He wants to take over some of the stuff I’m doing, and I don’t know. It’s just annoying."
Kaito didn’t know what to say. He knew Ryu wasn’t exactly the type to talk about family stuff, let alone open up. So, he just gave a slight nod. "That sucks, man."
Ryu let out a deep breath, shaking his head. "Yeah. Whatever, though. Let’s not talk about that. You ready to lose?"
Kaito smirked. "I’m ready to win."
And just like that, Ryu’s mood shifted again, the carefree attitude back in full force. The two of them headed to the court to start warming up, but Kaito couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Ryu was always so full of himself, so confident, but today he seemed a little more vulnerable.
As they played, Kaito kept an eye on Ryu. Despite his natural athleticism, it was clear he wasn’t as into the game as he usually was. He was distracted, making sloppy passes and missing shots he usually made without even thinking about it.
"Hey, what’s really going on?" Kaito asked during a break, tossing the ball to Ryu.
Ryu caught it and looked away again, a brief frown crossing his face before he forced a grin. "It’s really nothing. I’m good."
Kaito sighed, sitting down on the edge of the court. "If you say so."
They sat in silence for a minute, the sound of the basketball bouncing on the court the only thing breaking the quiet. Kaito couldn’t help but feel that there was more to Ryu than just the lazy guy who always acted like he didn’t care. He was starting to see cracks in the façade, and it made him wonder what else Ryu was hiding.
After a while, Ryu stood up, finally looking at Kaito. "Hey, I’m not gonna drag you into my stuff. Thanks for just... listening. It’s just, I don’t know. Family stuff. You wouldn’t get it."
Kaito didn’t respond immediately, but after a second, he nodded. "I don’t have to get it. But I’m still here if you want to talk about it."
Ryu paused, clearly caught off guard by the offer. He seemed to contemplate it for a moment before shaking his head with a smirk. "Whatever. We’re here to play basketball, not talk about feelings."
Kaito smiled, standing up. "Yeah, alright. But if you need to talk, you know where to find me."
Ryu threw the ball to him with a wink. "I’ll think about it. But for now... game on."
They spent the rest of the afternoon playing, the tension between them slowly fading away with every shot and every missed rebound. By the time the sun was setting, they were both exhausted, but it felt like the day had brought them a little closer.
The next few days were quiet. Kaito couldn’t help but think about what Ryu had said about his brother, but he didn’t bring it up again. He wasn’t sure what he could say to help, especially when Ryu kept shutting him down every time the subject came up.
But it was clear that their partnership wasn’t just about the project anymore. It was... something else. Maybe it was the way Ryu had finally opened up, even if it was just a little. Or maybe it was the way they’d started relying on each other in a way that felt real, like they weren’t just classmates anymore, but something more.
Kaito wasn’t sure what it was yet, but he had the feeling that this wasn’t the end of their strange, unpredictable partnership. It was only the beginning.
ns 15.158.61.44da2
