Tie a Knot|| Blue Lock

Chapter 20

"Sae?"

[Name] whispered once more, his voice more hopeful and pleading this time as he gazed at the back of the figure in front of him. His heart thumped loudly within his chest and rang aloud in his ears. 

Is it actually him? Has he really come back after all these years? Why now? Why not sooner?-

Too many thoughts swarmed his mind yet the loudest one was the realization of how long it's been since they last saw each other. Somehow, that hit him hardest as he thought of another question.

Are we still friends?

It's been years, after all. They kept in contact for the first few months after Sae left but it didn't take long for their communication to suddenly cut off. For some reason, he woke up to Sae's number not being available anymore.

He was distraught when he first saw it and cried to his mom, wondering what happened. They went to Hana that same day out of his insistence but even she didn't know how to fix it.

They permanently lost contact after that and as the years flew by with [Name] focusing on his own career, he eventually stopped trying to get in contact with Sae. He learned to be satisfied with learning about Sae's progress through articles but now that he possibly stood before him again, his tongue burned with the questions he's been aching to ask.

Why did you cut me off?

He opened his mouth to ask but when the person turned around to finally face him, his words died before they escaped his throat. It was Sae, definitely Sae, but not the Sae he remembered.

This one was thinner and taller. His hair was different and his eyes looked tired, seemingly lost the glimmer he would always search for when staring into them. His gaze no longer held the same childish excitement and innocence he once did.

No matter how much he changed, this was still Sae, he was sure of it. The thing is, this wasn't his Sae anymore, was it?

"How've you been?" [Name] mumbled shakily, trying to offer a small smile. Despite his realization, he chose to hold out hope. Maybe if Sae realized it was him, then he'd crack a smile his way?

"Who are you?"

[Name] froze as he dropped his popsicle onto the ground. "Ah." He mumbled as he turned to the fallen treat, feeling shaken up a bit. He knows they both changed but was it really to the point of no longer being able to recognize each other? He recognized him, didn't he?

He swallowed his shock as he balled his shaking hands into first, not realizing that it was shaking in the first place. "Right, sorry." He breathed out as he stared back into the eyes that continued to remain indifferent to his presence. "It's me, [Name]..." He mumbled, not feeling as confident anymore. "Do you not remember?" He whispered.

Was it dumb of him to have expected Sae to remember him? They've only known each other for a little over two years and that was when they were both still young. They've spent more time apart than together.

"Oh," Sae spoke in a monotone voice causing goosebumps to litter [Name]'s skin from the coldness. "I know you." Somehow, that last part brought back a surge of hope within him as he perked up.

"Then, how have you been?" [Name] asked, still quiet yet feeling a bit more frantic now. His heart sped up inside his chest once more as he looked at Sae with some sort of longing in his eyes. Maybe there was still some hope in this after all! "You...you've changed a lot, obviously. And..."

"You look like a mess." Sae cut him off as he stepped closer, the wind still making his hair fly slightly in the air. He pulled out his left hand he'd hidden this whole time inside his pockets in order to brush away a loose strand of hair on his forehead.