cherriririn

[cherriririn]

“It’s been a long week,” I say in the middle of the day on Monday. 

[cherriririn]

With the recent additional backstory of Rin and Sae's past is coming into light in the latest chapter of the story, the inclusion of their parents makes it more intriguing and interesting.

I've seen some snippets from the fandom that the Itoshi parents were abusive or neglectful because of how they're reacting in the latest panels of the manga.

Looking over it, I wouldn't say that they're abusive nor neglectful rather they're LOST ON HOW TO HANDLE THEM. If you've noticed how the mother had reacted towards the scene of breaking the toy and asking Rin and Sae about it, she was anxious and stress like she was dealing with Rin's odd tendencies for quite sometime but is unable how to handle him properly. Additionally, it seemed like they know especially the father about Sae stepping in as always for his brother and taking the blame for it based on how he had called Sae to talk to him privately about it.

I wouldn't say that they're stellar parents as it was implied that Sae has been the one who was taking care of Rin most of the time. But rather they're the type of career oriented parents who are trying to juggle their professional and personal careers in their lives hence they're mostly absent from their children's lives so when they encountered a situation that they're not familiar with their children it makes them feel lost and mostly stress on how to handle them properly.

[cherriririn]

明星: milk, honey, & celestial bodies

ft. rin itoshi, sae itoshi, isagi yoichi

summary: the world can only revolve around one itoshi, but rin already knows it isn't him. basically a rin-centric character study from birth to u-20 arc combined with a very subtle hint of rinsagi. cw: some swear words and an unhealthy dose of teen angst; putting the diss in dysfunction; rin being pathetic in general; the sky, the stars, the sea; poetic prose and a whole lot of niche references; spoilers for u-20 arc and spin-off novels.

word count: 11.4k

status: ongoing; updates are sporadic.

table of contents:

01 // arrival

02 // departure

03 // reunion

04 // resurrection

© verysium 2023 / please do not translate, repost, or plagiarize any of my works

[cherriririn]

itoshi rin you're so attractive and for whattttt

[cherriririn]

OoHh NoO

*very obviously, dramatically drops something into your plot bunny game*

Itoshi Rin

"Have you seen my pants?" Rin calls from the bedroom.

"Which one?" You call back before putting the toothbrush back into your mouth.

"The checkered ones that I wear to bed."

"Mho"

"What was that?" He turns the corner and stops in the door. "What are you wearing?"

"Whot?" You ask, mouth full. His face has turned full scowl.

"You're wearing my pants."

"Oh," you rinse your mouth and turn back to him with a grin, "these? They're not pants, they're a full outfit. Watch!" You pull the pants up over your chest and the elastic holds, giving you the illusion of wearing the world's ugliest jumpsuit.

Rin rubs his hands over his face. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I've got an idea!" You raise your hand and show him your engagement ring. "You could marry me."

He gives you a blank stare for a couple of seconds before something clicks behind his eyes.

"No," he tells you, voice calm enough that you know you need to start running, now. "I'm going to tickle you."

-

"Babe, have you seen my scarf?"

"No." Rin scrolls on his phone, leaning against the front door. He's only waiting for you, like always.

"You know, the blue one, the one you bought me last- Rin, are you wearing it?"

"No," he repeats stubbornly, but you're already in front of him, pulling on the accessory that's tied around his neck.

"It's mine now," he declares, "You already got my pants."

"But this was a present from you."

"It's not even a scarf," he points out now, pulling it out of your hands and tying it around his head with a flourish. "It's a headpiece."

You stop for a second before you break, laughter peeling out of you.

"Oh, come on," you snuggle into him, "Can I just wear your headpiece around my neck today? It's going to be cold out."

"Fine," he huffs, untying it and tying it around your neck instead. "But I want payment for that sacrifice."

You lean in to kiss him. He might pretend he's grumpy, but you can tell he's grinning into the kiss.

[cherriririn]

—headcanons ft. rin itoshi

Rin puts up rigid walls around himself, an icy facade hardened by years of relentless training and single-minded focus on his goal. To the other Blue Lock players and coaches, he's the picture of stoic detachment and arrogant confidence on the pitch.

But in rare, stolen moments just the two of you share, you glimpse the tender heart Rin guards so fiercely beneath those frigid layers. His intense blue-green eyes seem to soften around the edges, crinkling at the corners when you draw a genuine smile from him.

He's loath to admit it, but Rin craves your reassuring touch when the pressures and mind games weigh too heavily. You'll feel his body slowly unwind as you card gentle fingers through his inky locks or trace soothing patterns over the taut muscles of his back and shoulders.

While acidic barbs and dismissive scoffs roll easily off his tongue around the others, Rin's voice takes on a lower, quieter timbre in your company. You've even caught the barest hint of tenderness underpinning his usual blunt candor when he murmurs your name.

Not one for frivolous displays, Rin still can't resist the urge to drinking you in with his gaze when you're absorbed in a task. He maps every curve and plane of your features with an unguarded longing he'd never unveil publicly. In these peaceful lulls, you are his entire world.

Though he maintains prickly distance from the rest, Rin doesn't hesitate to stake his claim over you with subtle, possessive gestures. The barest brush of fingers at your nape, a lingering arm draped protectively around your waist - silent reminders that you are his talisman of softness in this brutal landscape.

And when the crucible grows most unforgiving, when Rin teeters on the edge of his harsh persona consuming him whole, it's your steadfast faith and warmth that becomes his only anchor. You alone bear witness to the hairline fractures in his flawless mask as he buries his face against you, body trembling with unchecked vulnerability.

[cherriririn]

I wonder if Rin gets nightmares about that snowy night.

I wonder if he wakes up in the middle of the night all out of breath, sweating, anxious and scared. Does his chest feel tight, almost as if something was crushing it? Does he get afraid to fall asleep again? If yes, then how many sleepless nights he has been through?

What he does in his dream anyway? Does he fights again in hopes of fixing everything again? Or he simple relives everything everytime?

Underneath all those layers, he is just a little kid after all.

He is too young for the kind of pain he is carrying, you know.

It's pretty heavy.

And that's just sad.

[cherriririn]

i love him so much 😭

my baby ☹️🫶🏻

[cherriririn]

WHAT THE HELL IS THAT

close enough. welcome back, edward cullen.

[cherriririn]

"in another universe"

[cherriririn]

I...

I just wanna see him smile again...

[cherriririn]

rin itoshi would be absolutely clingy when he's tired. he wouldn't say a word to you, but he would simply lay his head on your lap, expecting you to caress his hair.

bye.

[cherriririn]

i love rin itoshi so much it's insane guys

[cherriririn]

Itoshi Brothers: U20 Edition

Part 1 to this is here! I explain my basic idealogy for Rin here, so it might be better if you that one first.

The basic tldr is: Rin doesn't see himself as an individual at all, and he doesn't seem to realise it. It's why Sae is pissed and as rude as he is, and it's why Rin feels like he's restricted.

He can be as annoyed about the "Itoshi Sae's little brother" label as he wants, but he hasn't realised he fosters it unconsciously.

Once again, this part is very very nicely covered in @/riririnnnn's post. Please go read their theories linked in Part 1 too!! And the source of this creative bug was @/boinin's work for Rin's Aura-also linked in Part 1.

This is when the realisation finally happens. He realises that he's being shadowed by Isagi constantly, watched, judged, all on the basis of what people expect of him. Of what he's imposed on himself.

And then there's this infamous panel.

No, he's not alone. And it's entirely the reason he feels as restricted as he is. Not because he's not alone- but because the second he feels like he isn't, he starts adapting those labels into himself. He needs to be Itoshi Rin if he wants to develop an ego of his own.

Everyone clap really loudly, okay- really really loudly. This man spends his entire life studying and emulating Sae and it takes him an entire year to realise that he's been doing it and see the problem in it.

Dumbass. Why am I analysing him again?

And this is what triggers his flow state. One of the craziest ones we've seen- why? Not as a flow state separately, no, but because this is what Rin is at this point in time. He may evolve, become a different person at whatever time, but at this point he's keen on finding a sense of self that isn't in relation to anyone else. Note how after the flow state- and the brutal comment Sae makes- he goes right back to "Crushing Sae Itoshi, but destroy Isagi Yoichi first". But now he's still in flow- a true, completely disconnected version of himself that is only influenced by his own thought process.

And Sae, of course, knows. I mean- it makes sense right? He's the only one who's seen Rin before he started playing football, before he became Itoshi Sae's little brother. When he really was just, Itoshi Rin.

At this point, however, he's still focusing on completely destroying expectations. An antithesis of everything he used to be called, everything he used to be. So his aura shifts to directly contradicting Sae's- it is still not his own.

This is why the unusual water theme comes in so late. It is Rin's, of course it is, but until the NEL/end of U20 he never knew of himself.

I will be skipping over the absolute trainwreck that is the ending of U20- you get it. Sae acknowledges Isagi, affirms just about every single one of Rin's insecurities, and this time repeat cycle. Destroy the target of Sae's attention, Isagi himself.

You know what the most interesting part of this all is? AFTER ALL THIS. He's learned so much, he's grown so much. Don't get me wrong, this younger sibling is learning to be his own person.

But. Then you see him in the current NEL Arc.

This fucking idiot- I mean. Ahem.

He's still thinking in terms of other people. Of course, now he's learned to separate himself from the equation, thankfully. But he's still not playing for himself. He's not "Itoshi Sae's little brother" anymore, he's the one who will "surpass Itoshi Sae and destroy Isagi".

Nagi asks the very good question of, what comes after that? Rin is no longer someone's shadow, but still thinks in terms of surpassing them, much like Nagi used to think before the Manshine vs BM Match. And this absolute nutcase. Replies.

You know, he's a stupid guy, but atleast he's honest about his thoughts. Makes it easier for me to analyse him, unlike his emotionally constipated brother.

He's describing it as a baby just born- fitting, because he's trying to find his footing after being label after label in someone else's story. Not that he was doing it intentionally, but it had become subconscious. He hasn't thought about the future, at all, because he can barely understand what he's doing now.

"Number 1? I don't care about that. What I care about is destroying you, Isagi." Well, I've rambled long enough. You get my point now. He's learning!! Like a baby bird learning to fly, very slowly. Hence the newly present water aura. This will become so much more interesting when we learn what happened to Sae in Spain, and if Rin finds out? Well. Maybe we can finally get the resolution I need them to have.

Because, god forbid they have another miscommunication. I will actually lose my mind.

But also, I'm someone who understands Rin on a really deep level because I've had similar experiences with mirroring an older sibling because I had nobody else to turn to for a role model or admire. And I tend to think of myself in terms of other people, too. So this analysis was something that came really naturally to me. I hope it was worth your time.

[cherriririn]

Batten down the hatches: Rin's ego is about to land

The latest chapters show Rin playing with an unfamiliar aura: what looks like swirling rivulets of water.

This represents the refinement of his ego and playstyle since the under-20 match. But what exactly are they going for with the swirling water? Here's my two cents.

Rin is strongly associated with water, specifically the sea. He grew up by the coast; he and Sae shared a love of watching the sunset over the water after training together. Those childhood memories are turbulent now, like dark clouds on the ocean's horizon.

It's here he realises that he can no longer play the puppetmaster football that helped him thrive in Blue Lock. As good as he is, it wasn't authentic... and it's nowhere near where he needs to be to compete with his brother, or even Isagi.

Rin's flow state is the most unique out of any others we've seen. Let's dig into it. All panels are from the official translation, which is important as the translation choices are 1) consistent and 2) likely chosen carefully.

In the dying moments of the match, Rin complains about feeling restrained. Being Itoshi Rin is eating him alive.

Cool, calm and aloof.

A genius. Prodigy. Puppetmaster.

Team player. Team captain.

Isagi Yoichi's partner. Shidou Ryuusei's rival.

Itoshi Sae's little brother.

The prospect of defeat rudely wakes him up. His pretence comes crashing down hard, triggered by his ineffectiveness in spite of the teammates around him. It's one of the best rugpulls in sports manga.

When the power of friendship comes knocking, Itoshi Rin tells it to fuck off and die.

What a glorious moment... and not just because it posits Rin as a Uchiha Sasuke kinnie. I prompt you to examine his eyes in this panel.

They're a swirling vortex of hate and destruction, befitting Blue Lock's angstiest character. The shape reminds me of this:

Satellite images of Hurricane Franklin and Hurricane Idalia, August 2023. Image credit: NOAA Satellites.

Rin's true ego, which he unleashes against Sae, is a storm.

Optional soundtrack for the rest of this post (because Rin 100% listens to this once it comes out in Blue Lock's universe).

Although it isn't portrayed visually as such in the under-20 arc, the metaphor fits Rin's evolving playstyle. What is more destructive, more uncontrollable, more senseless than a hurricane? A violent force of nature that we can predict but never avert?

When a storm approaches, all we can do is rank it, track it, then attempt to mitigate the inevitable damage.

In football terms? Sounds a lot like playing Rin.

It's even alluded to in chapter 250: the graphics for Rin's formation are similar to the satellite images of large storms.

Within the U20 match, there are exchanges that support this theory. Darai calls Rin's evolving playstyle arrogant and avaricious. The latter (meaning extreme greed) is evocative of a force that pursues what it wants without regard for anything in its surroundings. What it can't have, it destroys.

Niou is confident enough in his physicality to try withstand his opponent's attrack. Rin literally flips him into the air. Niou's hubris brings to mind all man-made constructs which are supposedly storm-proof... until a cyclone comes along and proves otherwise.

The contrast between Rin and Sae's egos are interesting. If we accept Rin's is a storm, i.e. a destructive force of nature that cannot be controlled, Sae's is the opposite despite being as impossible to defy. Sae's motif is defined in the manga as "beautiful destruction", plays and passes depicted in graceful data strings. Rather than natural, his playstyle is sleek and controlled, and dominant to the point of appearing pre-ordained by his opponents.

Their attitudes are equally different. While Rin drools and loses composure in the final minutes, Sae does little more than raise his eyebrows throughout the entire game. He's completely emotionless.

It's the extremes of human nature: animalistic rage versus robotic detachment. This time, the latter wins. Will Rin have an opportunity to face his brother again, with a better grasp on his ego? Here's hoping.

My final thoughts on Rin are speculative. How does one beat a storm? Not just endure—but subdue and calm one?

It's beyond human capability. The ability to control the weather exists only in myth and fantasy, and even then it's usually in the hands of powerful entities, not mere heroes or wizards.

Subduing something as powerful as a hurricane would require a god.

Is this Isagi and Rin's endgame?

Time will tell.

[cherriririn]

got me crying 😭😭😭

“the very first night”. rin itoshi based • angst to fluff & based on the ts song. • (part 2 to foolish one) sorry 4 the delay!

may contain errors, similar content is coincidental.

months pass. but you never really dared to keep count of how many months did pass. (you still did, and it was 10 months). so, it’s been 10 months after rin left to go to paris. … 10 months after that last conversation between you and him passed. “i love you, but i can’t commit.” sometimes you just doubt his words. if he did love you. or were you just something he was using to make the time pass by? you heard from your friends that he was here in japan again. temporarily.

your friends also told you that, in a recent interview, he mentioned he’d only come back to japan for something special to him. … shouldn’t you not care anymore? isn’t that irrelevant to you? wasn’t your relation unhealthy for the both of you? but you also still can’t seem to get over him. every single path or road you take, was always going back to his house. they all lead back to him, huh?... bothered by the door bell, you get up from your couch to open the front door— — and there you see, rin itoshi. standing on your porch. he’s panting and sweating. did he run going here? or are you just being delusional right now? “do you know how much i miss you?” “rin, what?” “i’m sorry i left— okay? i was an asshole for that.” "i came here to pick up something really fucking special, that i lost 10 months ago." "yes, i kept count of how many months has it been and i'm really pathetic right now but i—" “— i miss you like it was the very first night.” “no one knows how much i miss you.” “… i still love you.” "you’re leaving soon. rin— you can’t just barge in my life again, plus we’re two different people with two different lives, so we'd have different schedules—” “— are you over me?” “because i know i’m not over you.” “but if you did move on, then you would’ve shut the door already.” “if you were, then you wouldn’t be standing here, right?” “i won’t leave the country if you give me another chance.” “i won’t go too fast, so you can keep up with me.” “we can walk beside each other, instead of you always being in the back.” “so please, let me now make you one of the highlights of my life.” “let me be the man who spends all his tomorrows with you, and you only.” "s'il te plaît mon seul amour." you stay quiet, starting to tear up. by reflex, he wraps his arms around you. “then take me away, to you.” “gladly.” — fin.

sorry i didn't post yesterday !! ok so i'm pretty sure i still suck at fluff but, reblogs and likes r very much appreciated (comments too!! feedback would be so lovelyy) <3 there are still other fics coming out this week though, so keep out for them!!

[cherriririn]

"And that's it!" The announcer's voice rings out through the stadium and on screens across the globe. "With that goal Itoshi Rin secures his place as the best player in the world!"

The roar of the crowd is deafening. Your hands want to fly up to cover your ears on instinct but you don't need to; you've had earplugs in since the beginning of the game.

You smile.

The live broadcast showing Rin running across the field with an expression of absolute serenity switches to you for a moment and some of the viewers think your reaction is lackluster compared to the people around you.

Your boyfriend's team just won the world cup! And his name's going to go down as one of the all-time greatest players in world history! Do something more than just sit there and clap, show some spirit!

Back down on the field Rin doesn't fight it for once as the team swallows him in celebration.

He doesn't complain as they crowd around and shower him with compliments.

He doesn't even mind that reporters stop him on his way back to the locker room.

"Itoshi! Itoshi! Anything to say after today's game?"

His teal eyes glow as he lets the corner of his mouth lift in a rare smile and stares directly into the camera. "Who's lukewarm now?"

He strides off, the picture of pride, for his post-game routine as he overhears them speculating who he was talking to.

Rin thoroughly stretches, does his yoga and meditates, and showers. Water flowing down his back he closes his eyes; the world's going crazy as he cools down but they can wait all night for their formal interview for all he cares.

All he can think about is how he's going to face you.

"It's your obsession with Isagi that's holding you back!"

It's been a month since he's seen you.

"You can't improve because you can't see past him! It's the same as it was during the U-20 match when you were so focused on crushing Sae!"

Mostly because of the grueling World Cup schedule but also because you've been giving him space.

"Isagi surpassed you then because you let your hate and desire to destroy your brother take over your ability to focus. You let it control you. And Isagi will keep surpassing you as long as you're obsessed with crushing him. God, do you even know why you're playing this stupid game anymore?!"

"TO BE THE BEST, STUPID!"

"OBVIOUSLY NOT, STUPID. Because if your goal was to be the best you'd be acting completely differently."

"My goal is to be the best. Crushing them is just a--"

"Just a WHAT Rin? A detour? A stop along the path?"

"YES! So don't say it as if I can't crush them along the way to becoming the best. You don't know anything; you're not even an athlete. You're just some lu--"

"Don't. You. Dare call me lukewarm," you snarl from the depths of your soul, black fire burning in your eyes. "You let yourself become so distracted in your short-sighted, petty competition that you lost before you stepped on the pitch."

Rin cocks a response, ready to defend himself to the death but you deal the final blow.

"That's why Sae recognized Isagi at the end of the U-20 match."

Rin pauses for a moment. As your words sink in he slowly straightens up, betrayal and a depth of pain he's only revealed to you shows across his face.

"You were too caught up," your voice evens, no longer laced with anger, no trace of pity, as you simply state the fact, "in your childish obsession with beating your brother to see the bigger picture.

"You're the one who's lukewarm."

He's confident that your silence has only been to let him focus, sure that if that fight had meant the end of your relationship you would have told him.

And it helped. It gave your words time to soak in and for him to accept that you were right.

Doesn't mean he hasn't missed you.

"Itoshi!" one of his teammates shouts into the showers snapping him back to reality. "Coach says five more minutes! And someone's here to see you!"

The handle squeaks when he cuts the water.

He dries off and wraps the towel around his waist; the locker room's empty except for one person:

you.

You're calmly loitering by his cubby looking around the room until he walks in; a dozen emotions swim through your eyes as you look at him and he feels the reflection of them in his chest.

He looks you up-and-down still wondering how to start.

You cross your arms, resigned. "If you were anyone else...I'd apologize for what I said."

"If I was anyone else...I'd probably care."

In the silence that follows you stare at each other, tension building until

you drop your hands and a smile spreads across your face.

"I missed you, Rin."

He smirks and reaches for you, wasting no time in pressing the side of your cheek against his bare chest. "I missed you, too."

Your hands leave trails of goosebumps along his bare back as you clutch him; god he's been so touch-starved he nearly moans.

But he has to do this before he loses his nerve.

He says your name lowly and fervently; you pull back to look at him, wary of his sudden change of tone.

He steps back and you frown at the loss. "There's something you need to know."

"Okay..."

"The night we fought..." He takes your hands in his and swallows thickly. "I..."

"What is it, Rin?" your voice is quiet but not tender, exactly the kind of soft he needs.

He sinks down to one knee.

"Ooohhhhhmygodnooooo, Rin get up right now!"

With an impish smirk he stays kneeling, holding your hands firmly in place. "Why?"

"Rin. RIN! You know exactly why!" You're glancing nervously around as you try to get your hands out of his and he's enjoying this way too much.

"Oh, this?" He casually looks down to the towel that's fallen to the floor leaving him stark naked at your feet. "What's the problem?"

"Rin," you growl and he knows you're absolutely flushed with embarrassment; you won't even look down enough to meet his eye.

"I'm proposing," he says so flatly that to anyone else he would've sounded annoyed but you can hear the soul-deep satisfaction at the effect he has on you, "the least you can do is look at me."

Steadying yourself with a slow exhale through flared nostrils, you let your gaze sink to his and feel like you're melting as you try to ignore everything else.

"There. See?" The demon has the audacity to smirk and you shake your head. "Was that so hard?"

He cocks an eyebrow, daring you to make a joke and you almost do...but it's been too long since you've seen him and you're too caught up in the heat of the moment as he reaches into his duffel and pulls out a little velvet box.

~

Rin follows his team onto the media stage and takes his place front-row, center as the frenzy begins.

He answers questions about the game, specific plays, it's endless yet you patiently wait off to the side in shadow of the reporters but with a clear view of Rin.

And then the topic turns.

"Who were you talking to earlier? When you made the lukewarm comment? Was it Isagi Yoichi?"

"He wishes," mutters Rin in irritation. "And no it was-"

A reporter cuts him off knowing there's not much time left. "People watching at home are thinking it was your significant other?"

He opens his mouth but another jumps in.

"Especially after the lackluster reaction to your incredible performance!"

They're all talking over each other now, cameras flashing as his scowl gets deeper and deeper.

"Seriously, the crowd was going wild but all you got was a little applause?"

"Don't you deserve a significant other who cares about your achievements?"

"How would you react if-"

"-not even excited to see you play-"

"-couldn't have been less interested-"

"Wouldn't you rather have someone more excited for you!?"

SLAM.

Rin drops his fist onto the table making all the microphones bounce and the room falls icily silent which makes it easy for everyone to hear

your muffled laughter.

They all turn.

You ignore the intimidating attention--you're not one for the spotlight and hadn't meant for this to happen--and focus on Rin.

"Sorry." You smile. "I was just imagining you pouting because I didn't cheer hard enough for you."

Rin snorts in a sound of entertainment to you, derision to the rest of the world. "I would've been offended if you did cheer for me."

A mixture of confusion twists through the crowd and Rin reclaims their attention. "What was it one of you tepid losers said? Wouldn't I rather have someone more excited for me?

"Excitement implies feeling a rush of emotion, a rush requires a build-up, and a build-up is caused by stress or tension or anxiety any of which would only grow from a seed of doubt...And did you doubt me at all, love?"

"The night we fought," Rin admits holding the little velvet box for a moment, "I realized that you're the only person in the world brave enough to say those things to me without me wanting to crush them in return."

You laugh exuberantly, the sound blossoming in his chest like cherry blossoms solidifying his confidence, making him smile as he says

"You're the person I believe in, trust, and love the most...And that never waivered once over the past month. Did you doubt me all, love?"

You let your smile spread into a proud grin. "Not for a moment."