Hakuho High School's football team drags Aomori Dadada through the mud, and you have never been more proud of your best friend.

Him and Reo had played phenomenally, and the crowd watching had gone absolutely wild, including yourself. You hadn't been able to take your eyes off Nagi for even a second, enthralled by him- you probably would have started drooling if you hadn't caught your mouth hanging open in time.

As the Hakuho team exit the football pitch, you catch Nagi's eye, and you wave at him enthusiastically. He gestures for you to go to him, which you oblige with happily, practically skipping towards Nagi in joy.

"You did it!" You exclaim gleefully, unable to stop yourself from wrapping your arms around him in delight. "You won! Against them!"

"I know," His voice is as monotonous as ever, but you detect a hint of satisfaction in his words. He doesn't hug you back- or rather, he can't, because you've pinned his arms at his sides with your own- but he rests his chin on the top of your head. "It was easy."

He's slightly sweaty, you realise, as you press your cheek against his chest. It doesn't bother you; if anything, you feel even more proud of him for actually exerting some effort, and you clutch him a little bit tighter.

"You're so amazing!"

"You're so loud!" Nagi does an extremely poor imitation of your excited voice, and you're in such a good mood you decide to mercifully let the remark slide.

"I still can't believe you did it- or rather, I did believe you could do it, I'm just so amazed because they're a Nationals-level team," You quickly correct yourself to avoid offending Nagi, which is a hard feat to accomplish within itself considering his laidback nature. "You're awesome, Nagi. Seriously."

"It's because you were there." He tells you softly, his voice gentle, as if the words he's saying are fragile. "You're my good luck charm, I think."

"You think? You aren't sure yet?" You look up at him; your face is so close to his chest that you've got a decent view up his nostrils, so you lean back a bit to get a look at his face.

"I mean, I haven't played in enough matches to test my hypothesis yet," He adds, rolling his eyes at you, though the action lacks any real annoyance. "But I'm pretty sure I'm right- you're my very own good luck charm, you know?"

You get the feeling you've said something along those lines to him before, but either way, you're flattered.

Your face flushes red, and you blink up him, flustered. You nod shyly, releasing him, suddenly acutely aware of the close proximity between you two. Nagi scratches the back of his neck, evidently embarrassed, and silence falls over you both.

You try to muster up the courage to say something equally as bold back to him, but Reo, ever your saviour, bounds up to you, looping an arm around your shoulders and holding you tight. He's a lot sweatier than Nagi is, and you grimace.

"Oh, gross, Reo," You jokingly push him off you, holding your nose shut."You're sweating buckets."

"Quit your whining, you," He flicks your forehead lightheartedly. "This is the smell of victory."

Reo's face is glowing with joy, his smile so bright you're positive it can be seen from outer space.

"I'm not going to argue with you there." You grin, raising your hand for a high-five. He returns it enthusiastically, clapping your hand hard enough to hurt, and you laugh, amused at his energy.

"You joining us for practice again?" He asks, reaching up to pull out his hairband and let his hair down.

"I don't know." You shrug. "Should I? I don't actually do anything though."

You don't want to admit it, but you kind of want to go. After all, you aren't eager to get home early, and watching Nagi play is quickly becoming one of your favourite things to do.

"Oh, please," He dismisses your claim with a wave of his hand. "It's not as if Nagi really does anything either. And he shows off a bit when you're there."

You laugh. "I doubt it. But if you want me there, then I'm there."

"I'm tired." Nagi suddenly announces, and stops in his tracks. You almost slam into him, and stop yourself in the nick of time.

"I don't want to walk anymore." He adds in his trademark deadpan voice.

You stare at him with a horrified expression- you've always known he was lazy, but to be complaining in such a childish way in front of Reo? You could almost die in the secondhand embarrassment.

Which is why you're immensely surprised when Reo sighs, bends down, and slings Nagi over his shoulders like an oversized backpack, looping his hands underneath his thighs and clenching his jaw with the strain as he stands straight and carries the taller boy into the changing rooms.

You're in utter disbelief. You look at the other team members to see their reactions- and they act perfectly normal, as if this is a regular occurrence that they are used to.

One of them pats your back as he walks past. "Don't mind them," he sighs, shaking his head. "They're weird like that."

"Tell me about it." You agree wholeheartedly before moving to head back to the main school building.

It's only then that you see a young woman standing alone, clipboard in hand, dressed in formal wear. She's got short pinkish brown hair, with chocolate brown eyes and long fluttery eyelashes. She's on the phone, you realise, and your curiosity peaks when you hear her say both Nagi's and Reo's names.

"Yes, Ego." She nods her head despite the person on the other side of the call not being able to see it, and you make a face.

What kind of a name is Ego? It sounds ridiculous.

She says something else which you don't quite catch, and you kick yourself mentally for letting yourself be distracted by something so mundane. She hangs up her phone and curtly walks away, and you wonder what she was talking about.

The incident leaves your mind when you meet up with Nagi shortly later- he's changed from his official uniform into his gym clothes now, and you will yourself not to fixate on the way his tracksuit perfectly hugs his body.

"Can you believe this?" Nagi asks you, and you give him a confused look.

"Believe what?"

"I just played in that match and I still have to practice." He grumbles, puffing out his cheeks.

"Well, yeah," You laugh. "Reo did say that earlier, you know?"

"You're supposed to show me sympathy, you know?" Nagi huffs in another awful attempt of impersonating your voice. It's really cute when he does that, you realise.

You laugh again, and sigh when he frowns at you. You reach up to pat his cheek consolingly, cooing sympathetically, pointedly ignoring the butterflies that erupt in your stomach when he leans into your touch.

A football races towards Nagi's feet and he stops it with ease, cleated foot resting atop the ball as he scowls into the distance behind you.

You hear footsteps, and turn to see Reo running toward you two, hair tied back and dressed for practice.

"Come on, Nagi!" He yells, beckoning him over with a hand. "Leave the pretty girl alone and come practice! You can't get sloppy now, dude!"

Your cheeks flush at Reo's compliment and you step away from Nagi, gesturing for him to join Reo. He sighs heavily and mumbles something under his breath- you can't quite make it out, but you get the feeling he's said something along the likes of "What a pain."

If Reo was telling the truth earlier about Nagi showing off whenever you're there, you can't tell. He plays the same way he always does, mostly standing around and waiting for the ball to be passed to him before kicking it into the back of the net with ease.

Practice proceeds the same way as yesterday- though thankfully, no stray balls come in your direction- and once again, Reo offers you and Nagi the courtesy of dropping you both off home in his limousine.

"You don't have to, Reo." You tell him, not willing to make him feel as if you're taking advantage of him. "I can walk home, it's completely fine."

"You sure?" Reo frowns at you. "It's getting quite dark, and Ba-ya should be here any moment now, so- oh look, there she is."

Reo's limousine pauses in front of the three of you. Ba-ya exits the car and takes Reo's bags, placing them in the boot before returning to whisper something into his ear, and Reo's frown deepens.

"Sorry, guys," He announces, genuinely upset. "But it looks like I've got to go somewhere, so I won't be able to take you either way. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Bye bye, Reo!" You wave at him with a smile, not wanting him to feel guilty. "I wouldn't want to be a hassle anyway!"

"Nonsense!" His cheerful grin returns as he goes to enter his limo, and he waves back. "You could never be a hassle for me, lovely. Or Nagi, I suppose."

He winks at you through the window as Ba-ya drives off, and you giggle at Nagi's disgruntled face.

"Well, that was just rude," He grumbles as the two of you walk together. "He's the one making me go through all this work anyways."

"I mean, it's paid off, evidently." You tell him, looping your arm through his. Again, you ignore the butterflies in your stomach that erupt at the touch; you've always walked with Nagi like this before, so there's no reason for you to be acting silly now.

"Yeah, but still. It's a pain."

"You're a pain." You giggle, bumping Nagi slightly as you walk, and he just fixes you with a deadpan look with just a slight hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.

You walk in a a comfortable silence after that, nothing like the awkward tension that you'd felt earlier on after the match. Your arm is still looped through his, and if it's affecting him as much as it's affecting you, he certainly is not showing it, his hands stuffed into his pockets like always.

Although, you do make a mental note the way he's closer to you than he needs to be, and the way his arm is sandwiching yours close to his body as if he doesn't want you to let go- not that you're intending to. 

The peace and silence is ruined when you and Nagi happen to bump into some of the players from Aomori Dadada's football team- you recognise one as Nameoka Ryo, the team's central player, the guy that Nagi and Reo had crushed today with ease.

"Well, well, well, would ya look at that?" He snarls, and both you and Nagi come to a halt. His lackeys laugh at you both, as their boss looks Nagi head to toe.

He's got an impressive physique, with a muscular build that is evident through his clothes and the way he holds himself. Despite the cold, he's wearing shorts, exposing his tan skin to the cool winter air. He's incredibly tall too, close to Nagi's own height, and you don't like the way he's looking at him, baring his teeth menacingly.

"Do you know him?" Nagi asks you, apparently not registering that Nameoka is glaring at him and not you.

"What're you talking about, bastard?" A vein bulges in Nameoka's forehead, and you tug slightly at Nagi's arm, eager to leave the situation. "You don't recognise me?"

"He's gotta have brain damage or something." One of the guys in the background says, and the others laugh. You roll your eyes, not finding their pathetic insults funny in the slightest.

"Of course he does." You interject, gulping slightly when Nameoka's venomous gaze slides over to you. You turn to Nagi, willing him silently to defuse the situation. "You played against him and his team today, remember?"

"Oh," Nagi says simply. "The one we beat?"

Nameoka's buddies go silent.

"Don't get cocky, idiot," Nameoka cracks his knuckles "That was a one-off thing. Won't happen again."

"If you say so." Nagi shrugs, unconvinced, and you resist the urge to step on his foot.

Nameoka's eyes almost bulge out of his head and he takes a step forward, fingers curling into fists. "You little-"

"Okay, let's all calm down here!" You pull Nagi back slightly, and he follows you without resistance. "It's getting late, we should-"

"Shut it." Nameoka spits at you before sneering at Nagi. "This your little girlfriend, huh?"

Your heart stops for a second. You're about to tell him no, you're not dating, but Nagi beats you to it.

"What's it to you?"

His response surprises both you and Nameoka; his voice has an uncharacteristic edge to it, and his eyes are looking at Nameoka with an emotion that you can't quite decipher. He's also tightened your arm around his, and you can feel the blood rushing to your cheeks.

"Don't needa get all defensive, dipshit." Nameoka scoffs, and his friends cackle with laughter- you really wish they would just be quiet. "Surprised a lazy bum like you managed to actually bag a half decent chick."

Okay, now that's just rude.

Something in you snaps. You pull your arm out of where Nagi's trapped it with his own and point a finger angrily in Nameoka's face- or at least, you try to, what with Nameoka being abnormally tall for a teenager.

"I don't think you should talk!" You retort, and the shocked look on his face is absolutely golden. "You just got your ass handed to you today, so why don't you get out of the way so I can walk home?"

Nameoka is stunned into silence, and you grab Nagi's hand before flipping the Aomori Dadada guys off and walking away.

You don't want to admit it, but your heart is racing, and you speed walk to avoid being beaten up by a bunch of pissed off athletes.

"They're so annoying." You grumble once you're out of their sight, taking a slightly longer detour to your house. Your hand is still clutched in Nagi's, and your heart rate skyrockets as you remember how Nagi had gotten protective over you before.

"For real," He agrees, a slight frown apparent on his otherwise expressionless face. "Calling you half decent as if he doesn't look like he was dropped on his head as a child."

"Nagi!" You let out a surprised laugh, covering your mouth with your other hand.

"What?" He protests innocently, but you see a small smile threatening to break out onto his face. "It's true!"

"He'd be lucky to ever get a girl like me." You proclaim- you intend for it to be a joke, flicking your hair over your shoulder dramatically, but Nagi answers in the most serious manner, nodding his head as if he wholeheartedly agrees.

"Anyone would."

You could almost die, what with the way your heart beats a mile a minute and the sudden lack of oxygen being breathed into your lungs.

"Thanks." You whisper shyly. He just hums in response, leaving you to drown in your thoughts as he walks you the rest of the way home.

Once you get there, you wave him goodbye, keeping composed as you watch him wave at you and then walk down the street, out of sight as he goes to his apartment.

You squeal with joy, jumping up and down as you reflect on what's just happened.

You're on cloud nine as you skip up to your bedroom, not even fazed when your dad tells you to stop making so much noise as you dance around, elated.

Nagi Seishirou is seriously going to be the death of you.

To be honest, you aren't really complaining.