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xoxobluelock · 1 year

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Itoshi Sae, Physical Contact, and the Exceptions: Rin and Shidou

As of Chapter Ch 214, the only two people we see Sae allow to touch him are his little brother…and Shidou Ryusei.** Post (S)pain, it’s only been Shidou.

**I’m going to argue that Sae allows Shidou to jump on his back. And I mean 'argue' in the lightest sense.

Quick preface: Just organizing and posting notes I took on the subject for characterization in a fic (they are, therefore, biased). I’m not claiming that no one has ever touched Sae, just that the manga only shows a select few occasions. We’ll go in chapter and not chronological order. For the most part.

The first time the manga shows us anyone trying to initiate contact with Sae is with these two clowns (JFU President and U-20 “coach”) in Ch 107. Hardly surprising that Sae wouldn’t shake the hands of people he so clearly doesn’t respect.

Every expression in this panel is priceless.

Next up, Ch 111:

Aiku and his proposal are plainly of more interest to Sae than the JFU bozos, yet Sae nopes right out of Aiku’s ‘gentlemen's agreement’ handshake. And then threatens to nope out of the whole match if the U-20 Team can’t meet his standards.

We see Sae being rushed by celebratory teammates several times. Not once do we readers see any of them actually succeed in throwing an arm around him pre-Spain, in Spain, or post-Spain. Until Shidou.

Post Spain (Ch 116):

Sae has just scored a goal crazy enough to have Isagi think, “The leading actor in this game is Itoshi Sae!!” The crowd is going wild, the U-20 Team is rushing Sae in joy, …and Sae literally slaps them off: “Hands off, chumps.”

Poor Fox Kid and Not-Bokuto. They seem so darn sweet.

Now, a blast from the past.

Pre-Spain (Ch 123):

I don’t know about y’all, but I can so clearly see Little Sae ducking right out these guys’ arms—in a more humorously standoffish way. Like how we see Rin sidestep Isagi (coming right up!). An imagination is all we got here.

Spain (Ch 125):

Now in the mysterious (S)pain… Hopefully we’ll get more than a glimpse of it one day! Would Sae have dodged the Real Madrid Youth Team guys? Would he have numbly endured it? Would he have slapped them off? Etc.? The manga, again, leaves us to wonder. (My money’s on the second one.)

Once again, I’m definitely not saying Sae’s teammates have never succeeded in tackling him in celebration. Just that it’s notable we, the readers, don’t see it. Yet.

I’ll conclude with some pre-Spain Itoshi Bros cuteness, but let’s talk some post-Spain Itoshi Bros parallels first.

Ch 121

Poor Isagi. 😂 Rin sees him coming with a little “!” and dodges his charge like the plague with a grumpy lil “Hmph.”

Rin, now away from Isagi, goes right back to business in the next panel.

Ten chapters later, we have a Sae parallel.

Ch 131

Just like Rin, Sae sees a celebratory missile coming right at him with a “!” and a less than enthusiastic expression—yet Sae doesn’t dodge Shidou.

Shidou definitely takes off like a bat out of hell (ha). But do we really think Itoshi Sae of the New Generation World XI couldn’t have even sidestepped—like his little brother—if he’d really wanted to?

I think Sae allows Shidou his moment of clingy celebration. Especially in light of the Rin and Isagi parallel. Remember, this was immediately following Shidou’s unbelievable Big Bang Drive—a goal that had even Sae showing open surprise on his face (Ch 130). Shidou becomes the first one shown to have jumped on Sae in celebration.

(Real talk, though: someone please give Kitsunezato and Neru a high five!)

The next page…

Both pursuers of the Itoshi Bros end up with a hard impact on the ground, and yet….

Sae doesn’t tell Shidou to f— off after throwing Shidou off him. Shidou doesn’t get an icy “Hands off, chump” like Fox Kid and Not-Bokuto. Sae doesn’t stalk off (he actually lingers and seems to chat while Shidou just chills on the ground and gives him a lil thumbs-up). Sae tells Shidou, “You have to get a hat trick, remember? Then you’d get my number. Hands off until then, you horny demon.” Untillll being the operative word (...one of them, anyway 😅). Not only does Sae let Shidou latch on, Sae banters with Shidou.

This is outside the point of this post, but Sae looks…sad? nostalgic? when Shidou first jumps on him. It doesn’t last long, but it’s there. Perhaps relating to the panels I’m about to bring up. (Addressing what may have prompted Sae’s “Gross” and “horny demon” reactions + his punch/tackle is also outside the purview of this post 😅 Same with speculating on what the helllll these two were talking about below.)

Concluding with some Pre-(S)pain Itoshi Bros

Ch 123:

We see Little RinRin as the original No Touchy exception. And it’s so wholesome.

And Sae actually reaching out to Rin and being affectionate. Maybe we’ll see it again one day.

Ch 124

Look, the Itoshi Bros are capable of high fives! Or, they were, anyway.

Unlike Sae, we actually see Rin's teammates grabbing him in celebration, pre-(Sae’s return from) Spain.

In conclusion...

So far, the manga shows Sae breaking his general Kuzco Rule with only two people.

Pre-Spain, Little Rin was a very obvious exception. Post-Spain / currently and more subtly, Shidou is the only exception we've seen. Is it a respect thing? A soft spot? Emphasizing Sae is an "untouchable" player? Some combination?

As for canon… I really hope we see Sae and Shidou become friends. They’re both so alone but seem to bring each other to life. I also really hope we’ll see Sae accepting his teammates’ celebration one day. Just imagine Sae pulling off a crazy pass or stealing a goal at the World Cup, both Rin and Shidou rushing him in joy, the rest of the team on their tails! Or maybe something smaller, like just celebrating a cool move in practice. I think we’ll see it eventually. Just like I think we could see Shidou act as a bridge between the estranged Itoshi Bros.

You’ll find what notes / “meta” I’ve already posted under #xoxoBlueLockNotes. Will probably organize and post more somewhere in here!

PS: Check out @bluelockhalloweek for spooky Blue Lock fun! 🎃 Halloween is just around the corner!

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blueparadis · 1 year

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❝ BLINDING LIGHTS ❞ + SHIDOU RYUSEI !

( ! )—› sae x f!reader x shidou, angst and feels, one sided pinning, smut descriptions, fwb, relationships, confession; word count :: 2kish.

( syn. )—› Ryuusei thought his morals, ideals, likings, and disliking would never clash with Sae. Well, he was not entirely wrong but fate always had a knack for playing it dirty.

( . . . )—› if you think he's ooc in this pls forgive me. i saw him come alive on screen and my first instinct was to hurt him -_- listen to the song blinding lights by lucas estrada. redirect to blog navigation.

What's a mistake? A miscalculation? A misunderstanding? A white lie? Well, what is it?

For someone like Sae, Shidou thought he was never the type to date, not until he is established and well-settled. Sure, there were flings, casual dating, infatuations, and even bad break-ups but Shidou never thought he would get left behind. Part of him liked chasing Sae, in academics, sports, and sometimes girls but he never anticipated that this competitive gulf would widen so much in just one semester when he did not share the same class as Sae. But, Shidou could adapt to anything at light speed. Maybe, that is what prevented him from losing the spotlight to others. Shidou’s class was at the utmost corner of the floor, that is, the last classroom on the third floor. That was the only thing he liked about this semester. At least, he will attract stares whenever he goes for a toilet break during classes. He loves to put up shows, especially when he is the icon of them. Moreover, this semester, he and Sae belonged to the same section which secretly makes him look forward to his progress, to this semester. Being competitive with Sae is like walking on thin ice. One crack, one error and it's game over.

Summer is here, and the shrill cry of the cicadas is almost at par with his annoyance. Late classes again. . . or detention, as put by his homeroom teacher. Well, at least Sae is waiting for him in the library. He does not have to walk home alone. Shidou's juice can is almost empty by now as he proceeded toward his classroom. He halted before the second last room of the long corridor. He was standing near the windows from where he could perfectly see Sae towering over a girl, his head buried in her shoulders, his hands clasping around her back while hers skimming through his hair, her mouth slightly parted, legs curling around his waist and her eyes. . . were stuck on Shidou. He immediately hid against the door crushing the juice pack out of agitation. It is no surprise for him to see Sae with a girl. He has seen him plenty of times at after-match parties, at locker rooms or at a closed friendly gathering. But here? At college? He must be desperate, and that girl sure got some fire to make him bend one of his codes. But why, why is it bothering him? Is it because Sae did not tell him, about this girl? Or is it just a kickstart for another boring semester? That day Shidou ended up waiting for Sae at the library instead.

Weeks passed but the uncanny feeling of sharing stares in the corridor kept piling up. Shidou was aware that she saw him walking into them and she knew this could ruin some relationships if not kept a secret. Shidou never asked about her to Sae and y/n never told him that Shidou saw them, that Shidou saw. How ironic it is that two people who never talked to each other decided to do the same thing.

Lately, Sae has been cutting ties off with his previous flings, not answering their calls, leaving them with a short reply, and telling them he does not have time even though he has nothing planned by his schedule.No one could see it more prominently than Shidou. They were roommates after all; of all the things Sae could do, he decided to hide things from him. So naive or . . . is it that he does not want y/n under his radar? If that is the reason, then he sure is going to do what he is not supposed to do, what he is not expected to do, what Sae does not want him to do . . . “that’s it for today’s class. Students who did not submit their homework should finish them and submit it before going home.” A united sigh echoed from the class. While everyone was dejected for having to stay late at after classes, Shidou was delighted, in fact, was looking forward since his bench partner was her, Y/N. Maybe not having subjects in common with Sae wasn’t so bad.

It is true that from the day his eyes met her, he kept thinking about her. Thinking about things like how she speaks? what did she like? what she does not like? what she hates the most? what kind of person she would be? He weaved a version of her and when his homework was over, he realized how wrong he was about her. It was as if she broke through all his ‘types’ and ‘rules’. No wonder Sae liked her. Maybe it was more than just liking.

Shidou kept not doing his homework on a regular basis. She was the kind who never missed any of the homework but being a class representative had its own pros and cons. He never bothered to talk about that illicit stare they shared at the advent of the semester while she thought that very eye contact would be enough of a reason to stay back after classes. Maybe this went on for almost a month. Shidou could not tell that time flew by so quickly until some mock tests were announced. Shit! He can’t stay back after school anymore. Practice tests became frequent. Shidou started submitting his homework on time. Y/N saw less of him as the end-semester exams approached. Time ran faster than usual and perhaps, they forgot about each other in time, or atleast that is what Shidou hoped for. There is no gain to remember someone who belonged to someone else, right?

“There he is,” Sae spoke leaving the crowd to walk toward his former roommate. New semester, new roommate. Sae walked towards him. The music was loud, and the lights were dim but Shidou could see her clearly, walking towards him. . . maybe she remembered him after all; he blinked as Sae introduced her to him. He never would have imagined that Sae would be so fast at making this official. Did he actually know that he likes y/n? He shifts his haze beside the girl who curled her arm around Sae's. Oh yeah, how could he forget those eyes? Those eyes beckoned him while she made love to his friend. “Hello, I’m y/n l/n. I’m sure you heard a lot about me. . . she looks at Sae with a beaming smile on her face and then looks at Shidou saying, “nice to meet you,” extending her hand towards him. Oh dear, she must be kidding with this act. Shindou could see her nerves wracking, tension slipping through her very fingers that is supposed to welcome him. Was he supposed to keep it a secret? That they knew each other?

He grins meekly before speaking. “Nice.to.meet.you, y/n. . . call me Ryuu.” He utters plainly without smiling or even shaking hands with her and walking past her. Sae smiles, not surprised by his behavior but quickly wraps his arms around her waist giving a little squeeze and a kiss on her temple exclaiming fondly, “Sorry for that. He is a little moody today.” scrunching up his nose regretful of his friend, an apology that Sae should not ask but rather Shidou should; but who was y/n to judge? She hit his nerve the moment she decided to treat him as a complete stranger even though they were not, they were like what. . . just . . .study buddies? The party went on, with music buzzing in his ears, neon lights blinding his vision, and his senses and all Shidou did was sit in silence amongst these busy noises. He did not even entertain the advances of certain girls. He was exhausted, exhausted for being the chaser. For once he wanted to be an ally. If only Sae told him about her before anyone, would things be different?

From then, a weekly study session was done in Sae's room. Things were awkward at first but time, time wiped all of it but it could never fade the hurt y/n was going through. Sae always had a bevy of girls, sometimes boys after him. He was just a popular guy. And, there were times when Sae failed to be Y/n's support, sometimes even when she was looked down upon, or begrudged by others. So, Shidou ended up doing something he should not have done. He went to visit her, when Sae was not around and when there was no study session scheduled.

Mouth open ajar, eyes full of perplexed look. “Why . . . why are you here? We don’t have a study session today.”

“What makes you think I came to meet you? I came to see Sae, where is he?” He voiced irritatingly.

She brushed his harsh tone and responded.“Out. been gone for almost an hour.” Shidou did not press her about it anymore. Even though he was not facing her, he could tell she was about to cry, at least she sounded like that. “I’ll give him a call,” She called Sae but there was no answer at the other end. Y/n was about to text him but Shidou grabbed her wrist, firmly, saying, “Don’t,” leaving her hand. “I’ll wait.” He exhaled deeply regretting coming here out on a whim, what if he can not tell what he was supposed to tell by coming here? what if he hurt her more than him? What if he is wrong all about her? what if she still chooses to be by his side despite Sae being so cold to her . . .Shidou rubbed his hands, then put them inside the pocket of his jersey-jacket. Mind fogging with so many thoughts, he blurted out of the blue, “I like you.”

“. . . Huh?”

“i like how you . . . your voice, uhm. . . your smile, face, just . . . everything about you ” Shidou sat on the edge of the bed. Y/n licked her lips before letting out a soft chuckle. She knew this was going to happen at some point. She felt it, felt it during every study session, felt it every time Ryu kept looking at her.

“Ohhh?” She exclaimed with a hit of mockery in her voice “then, Is there anything you dislike about me ?”

“there is.”

“I don't like the fact that you're just his speed dial girl” How did he know that? She walked towards him where he was still seated. His eyes did not leave her and neither did hers. Extending her hand to cup his face she said, “Ryuu. . .” rubbing his cheeks gently, Shidou closed his eyes feeling the warmth of her hands, just for a moment before the warm recoiled. “You should leave. Sae will be here soon.”

Ryusei smirked, standing up.“Yeah right.” he exhaled deeply. “yeah.right.”

What's a mistake? is it not a miscalculation?is it not a misunderstanding? or a white lie? or is it not being able to come to terms with the output that one would not dare to imagine?

@tokyometronetwork

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