Sᴘʟᴀsʜᴇs & Sᴛʀɪᴋᴇs | Nagi Seishiro √

14: 𝐀 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐬

"Rea didn't come today either?" Nagi questioned, walking by Reo's side at a matching pace. Reo shook his head. "She hasn't been here for the last four days. I thought she might come today to watch the match."

"Because I'm not playing," Reo lied. He was fully aware of why Rea wasn't attending school. He had tried to talk to her, but all she said was she wasn't ready to meet Nagi. He never imagined his sister would be more terrified when Nagi returned her feelings rather than being happy and starting to date.

"Is she okay now?" Nagi asked, concerned. Reo nodded, further confusing Nagi Seishiro. After he confessed to Rea Mikage, she seemed to vanish from his sight. Whenever he went to their house, her door was locked, and she never came out. What was really wrong with her?

"Reo?" Nagi called him as they walked outside. It was time for their match to start, and Reo planned to sit in the bleachers as usual. Reo crooned, and the white-haired boy let out a heavy sigh. "I like Rea, and I told her that last Monday."

"Uh huh." Reo looked at Nagi, expecting more.

"I assumed you already knew since you aren't surprised at all," Nagi said as Reo nodded. "I asked her out to be my girlfriend, but she didn't reply. The next day she's at home, and I haven't seen her since then."

"I've heard it was more of a declaration than an asking out," Reo chuckled. "Something like, 'I like you, be my girlfriend, and date me.'"

"You know," Nagi sighed. "Did I do something wrong?"

"You just caught her off-guard. That's it," Reo reassured. "She didn't expect you to say it suddenly. I think it just surprised her. She'll come around soon; give her some time."

"How long?" Nagi frowned as Reo raised his brow.

"C'mon Nagi, she waited for a year without showing it," Reo stated. "And you can't wait for four days."

"Are you really my best friend, Reo?" Nagi raised his brow.

"I'm her brother before I became your best friend," Reo chuckled. "Okay, if you score the most goals today, I'm gonna earn you a chance to meet her. I know it's sort of betraying her. But more than that, this annoyed me, listening to both of you rambling."

"Really, Reo?" Nagi's eyes sparkled as Reo nodded, smiling.

The match started, and Reo smiled, watching his usually sluggish friend very focused on scoring goals. He never expected Nagi to fall in love with his sister. He remembered Nagi always saying that relationships were a hassle; he couldn't bother to think about such. So, what happened to this man? On the other hand, he realized his sister wasn't little anymore. Although he treated her as if she were his kid, deep down, he knew their age gap was just months, and sooner or later, she would face this. What would happen to him? Would they neglect him and spend more time together, leaving him alone? That worried Reo Mikage. Both of them were everything to him, his most precious treasures, and now he was going to let them hang out alone.

As the final whistle blew, their school team emerged victorious with a staggering 9-1 score, and Nagi Seishiro, true to his word, had contributed seven goals. Now, with no alternative, Reo had to fulfil his promise. The duo later arrived at Reo's house, with Nagi intending to spend the night, unwilling to depart without resolving the issues with Rea.

Reo gave Nagi a stern warning before they approached Rea's room. "You just don't speak, alright?" he said in a hushed tone. He knocked on her door, calling out to her, but received no response.

"Rea! Are you sleeping?" Reo called out again. "Rea!?"

"Come in, onii-chan. It's open," Rea's sleepy voice finally answered, prompting Nagi to feel a sense of relief. It had been four days, but the absence felt like an eternity.