─── 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒
+ sae x f!reader | wc 3.2k | content: angst, insecurities, death
notes: i’m sorry idk how this came about but i was in a mood :’) i promise i love him okay <3 feedback & reblogs appreciated !!
summary: he’s back home, and you recall the times you’d spoken to him. all the calls you made, then all the calls he made, and then all the times it went to voicemail.
you remember every conversation you’ve had with your boyfriend. the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. it’s hard to quantify into numbers since you’d been together for the last five years.
but there’s a few of them that are prominent, that are burned into your mind, engraved onto your brain. the sound of his laugh, for one, that’s always been precious to you, if only for the fact that he doesn’t laugh often.
sae always said you were the only one who could get that out of him, and you’ve kept it close to your heart since.
to the world, he may have seemed rude and off-putting at times, and despite the countless false reports of sae being an asshole to all his girlfriends in private (because the media can never decide who he’s actually with), he’s always been the same itoshi sae to you—the kind of guy who only ever bothers what you think about him because the other people not involved in your relationship don’t matter.
you remember everything he’s ever done for you.
“you know that one day you’ll be mrs. itoshi, right?”
yeah, you definitely remember.
MARCH 2020; [ sae’s fifth day in spain ]
“you miss me, itoshi sae?”
you can feel him rolling his eyes from the other end. “i should just hang up right now.”
“you could, but then you’d miss me even more.”
sae suppresses a grin, even if there’s no one around to see it. you’re right, but he doesn’t say anything.
it was rare for sae to call you at all. but then again, it is the first time you two had been apart since you got together. maybe it isn’t so weird after all.
“how’d practice go today?”
“it’s fine, nothing i couldn’t handle.” of course he’s fine, he’s the youngest on the team and yet it was as though he’d played the longest.
“of course it was fine, mr genius,” you tease, and he smiles because he knows you’re smiling too.
you can’t really remember how the rest of the conversation went. but you only remember this moment because it was the first time you realised that amidst all the times you’d pester him to go on a date with you, amidst all the times you asked him for a kiss, sae could miss you too.
SEPTEMBER 2020; [ sae comes back to japan soon ]
“hey so i was thinking, i’ll meet you at the airport?”
sae hums, “wanna see me that bad, huh?”
“shut up,” you snap at him, hating his quick tongue that so easily gets you flustered. “so i miss my handsome, successful boyfriend, big deal.”
he missed you too.
“am i just arm candy for you, y/n?”
“what? no—”
“too late. i’m offended. bye.”
then he actually hangs up on you.
it takes you half a second to pull up your message thread with him.
itoshi sae, you wanna die or something?
it takes him the same amount of time to respond to you.
y/n l/n, okay, then maybe i’d get some relief from you.
before you can even be actually offended, your phone vibrates again.
miss you too, stupid. see you tomorrow.
you can’t seem to rub the smile off your face.
FEBRUARY 2021; [ first valentines’ apart ]
it takes him three rings to pick up.
“happy valentines’, lover,” you giggle over the phone.
it’s been a few months since your about-to-go-pro soccer player boyfriend had gone back to spain, doing pro soccer player things. you miss him, especially since it’s the first time you guys are spending the romantic occasion apart.
it sucks that you couldn’t even spend new years with him. it’s okay though, you managed to video call him while you spent time with his family.
“think you got the wrong number.”
“itoshi—”
“open the door, smarty pants.”
“w-wait, what? did you send me something?”
you hurry over to your front door, not knowing what to expect. but you definitely didn’t expect sae to be there, in the flesh, sighing when you finally open your door, a pretty bouquet of flowers in his hand.
“what are you doing here?” you’re still shocked from his mere presence.
sae smirks, and you realise just how much you miss him. “think i got the wrong apartment, i was supposed to deliver these to my other girl—”
but you kiss him to shut him up. he’s full of nonsense, and so, so witty, and he’s here.
sae’s always claimed that it was not soccer stealing him from you, it was more the other way around. and he had been joking at the time he said that, but right now he thinks maybe there’s some truth to it.
if there’s anyone capable of having and getting him to willingly relinquish his attention from soccer, it’s you.
JUNE 2021; [ night of sae’s first PR event ]
“someone looks handsome,” you comment as you watch your boyfriend getting ready over the phone.
he has an entire entourage of people over at his hotel—they must be the makeup crew and stylists. his entire team is getting vip treatment for being champions of the league thanks to last week’s game. now, even more brands are trying to sponsor them and you really shouldn’t be surprised over the amount of girls going crazy over your boyfriend.
“and someone should really sleep,” sae pauses for a moment when the man beside him (presumably his stylist, because he’s double checking sae’s suit) asks a quick that your girlfriend?, to which sae says “yes.”
the man winks at you through the video. “lucky girl,” he comments, eyes back on the fabric he’s touching, “the only time i caught him smiling was while he was texting ya.”
you snicker through the phone as you watch sae’s face go beet red before frowning at you.
“he did not.”
his stylist is laughing at his reaction too. “totally did. i thought he was possessed.”
sae grabs the phone and relegates himself to the bathroom, glaring at you through the screen. he’s not mad at you, he’s just embarrassed and you know that. you’ve known him long enough now to tell his cues.
“i hope you know i hate you.”
he’s always all bark and no bite and you’re still laughing at him.
“aw, i hate you too, mr itoshi.”
“stop with the smart mouth before i find another contender for a mrs itoshi.”
you and sae had been staring at each other through the screen up until that point, when sae realised what he just said and has to look away.
“you… think i could be?”
neither you nor sae have ever broached another about the future, and sae has always been generally avoidant about it, which is why it makes you even more surprised that he’s the one who slipped up about it.
after a moment of silence, he sighs, trying to suppress a smile. it tugs at the edges of his lips, not really there but you can feel it.
“you know that one day you’ll be mrs itoshi, right?”
you don’t know that, he doesn’t know that, not until the day has come. but yeah, you really, really want to be.
OCTOBER 2022; [ sae’s birthday ]
“happy birthday, mr. itoshi,” you greet when he picks up the phone.
things had been rocky lately, admittedly. only because you and sae lived worlds apart.
sae is famous now, in both japan and europe, and it’s no surprise because he’s one of the best midfielders anyone has ever seen. his life is now full of the glitz and glam that you’re not even close to familiar with.
and you; you’re just a simple girl living in tokyo, with a normal life and normal friends and normal everything. except for the fact that sometimes people stalk you online because based on theories, you’re his girlfriend.
he was advised against confirming your identity with the press. for a myriad of reasons, apparently. and you’re fine with it, because yeah, you’re aware there are games to be played when you have his status. and it was fine with you, except for times when it’s not.
like how at his previous PR event he had to appear like he was dating some other celebrity. which was fine, but you’d be lying if you said it didn’t suck having to see your boyfriend appear intimate with someone else. even worse when you hear said someone else mention in multiple interviews that she’s always had a huge crush on him.
“thanks, though it kinda sucks today.”
but it’s fine; you’ve been with him long enough to know that sae isn’t the type to hurt you like that. so even if it’s rocky, it doesn’t stop you from loving him.
“why? i thought the guys were bringing you out drinking tonight.”
sae sighs. “that’s exactly why.”
you smile, thinking how sae is still the same sae you’ve always known. “you’ve been playing with them for more than a year now, i think one night out wouldn’t kill you, babe.”
“but they’re freaks.” and sae says that because they’re rowdy, noisy guys and he doesn’t even want to imagine them drunk.
“we both know they’re going to bother you to no end if you don’t go,” you point out, and sae relents. “and if you need an escape when you’re too tired, you could just use my name.”
you break into a grin because you know for a fact that sae uses you as an excuse to his publicist sometimes to not attend events.
“yeah, maybe i’ll tell ‘em the missus is angry,” he jokes, and you find yourself wishing you could hug him right now.
“have fun tonight, okay?” a little hesitance comes to you before you ultimately open your mouth, “i love you.”
sae chuckles, and he can’t even describe the relief that comes to him each time he hears you say those words.
“i love you too.”
DECEMBER 2022; [ the day you break ]
you don’t pick up his call.
when you saw the picture earlier, it’s like you’ve gone numb. and now everyone in the world will see the picture too. but you don’t really care. the images the paparazzi capture will die down after a while. the rumours will take longer.
right now you’re not even sure if your relationship is dead.
but you love him. you still do. and he’s still calling for what seems like the ninetieth time tonight.
this time you pick up.
“what?”
sae flinches on the other line because he’s not used to this coldness. “can i at least explain?”
you sniffle, gritting your teeth to stop your crying. “sure, why don’t you explain why i had to find out from the fucking news that you kissed someone else on your birthday?”
it’s that girl. the same celebrity you’ve seen ogling him and gushing over him and the one who has PR relations with him.
“i promise, she means nothing,” and you can hear the panic in sae’s voice. he sounds apologetic and manic and scared. “look, i-i was drunk, and she kissed me, and i pushed her off right after—”
“then why didn’t you tell me?” you yell back. because you’re sure that’s what happened. you believe him. but it wasn’t the fact that some other girl was so desperate for him that she’d do that, it was the fact that sae kept it from you.
sae can’t answer. he knows it, but he’s struggling to find the words. “i-i didn’t want you to misunderstand,” is all he can manage.
you pause for a while because you’re crying again, and sae can sense it even if you’re silent. he loves you and he’s killing himself for his stupid decisions.
“sae,” you call him, softly. “is that how much you know me?” because after all this time, you’d think he’d know better. you trusted him. a hundred percent. now? you’re not sure.
“please, y/n, i’m sorry, please just- forgive me?” and sae’s not sure how to do this. sae’s never had anyone he cared about this much other than you. you’re the only one and you forever will be. and he’s stupid and clueless outside of soccer but he’s always had you to hold his hand through this, yet now you feel further away from him than ever.
you’re quiet and he’s not sure what to expect. you’re just sniffling on the other side, not saying anything, and for the first time in his life, sae is afraid.
“babe, i—”
“don’t say it, sae,” you sigh, because you don’t want to think that he’s saying it just to appease you.
sae obeys, because he’s scared that just a little nudge would push you right off the edge. “i’m gonna fix this, okay? i’ll tell everyone that—”
“it’s fine,” you interject, your mind in shambles. you’re tired, and you really don’t know what to do about this when it’s so fresh in your heart. “i need to think things through anyway.”
“no- y/n, please, i—”
and for the first time ever, you’re the one who hangs up abruptly. then you turn off your phone because you know sae’s not going to stop but you really just don’t want to to feel bad about not picking up.
you still love him, but you’re just heartbroken right now.
sae stares at his phone after you hang up. he can hear his heart beating out of his chest and his breathing gets shallow. he tries to call you again but it’s not even ringing.
there’s only one thing he knows: he fucked up.
a stupid, stupid mistake which was grave enough to make you doubt everything and you’re right. this was on him for not opening his stupid mouth and just trusting that you’d understand.
for the first time ever, he heard what you sounded like when you’re hurt and he can’t forgive himself. not if he doesn’t do anything about it.
he gives up on trying to call you and pulls up his club’s coach’s contact instead. “sub someone else in for me tomorrow, i won’t be there.”
“what? what are you talking about? we can’t play without our star midfielder! it’s a big match against our home rivals—”
but everything he’s lecturing sae about falls on deaf ears because sae’s already packing his duffel bag and searching for his passport. he doesn’t even bother acknowledging anything before he hangs up, dialing his assistant’s number instead.
“i need to fly back to tokyo. immediately.”
his assistant’s distraught voice is apparent. “wha- um, you have a game tomorrow—”
“i don’t care. i need to fly now. get me a flight or you’re fired.”
“uh, but- um, the private jet’s not available—”
“then get me tickets on a commercial flight. i don’t fucking care about what kind of plane it is.”
yeah, because he only cares about fixing things with you. no one and nothing else, just you.
his assistant sighs because he knows he’s going to get in trouble for aiding sae. “fine, i’ll send you the details soon.”
JANUARY 2023; [ the present ]
it goes straight to voicemail. you still talk.
“you know, i hate you so much for not having a voicemail recording.”
you pause, the tears streaming down your face. you’re staring at your phone, at his instagram, at his last post. something he posted before his flight.
a picture of the both of you in private, in your room. he’s sitting behind you on the bed, his arms around your neck as he kisses your head and you take the picture.
it’s funny because he was forbidden from sharing any sort of those pictures yet he still did it anyway. you stare at the caption.
i love only you
“itoshi sae, how am i going to hear your voice now, huh?”
you’re already full-on crying now, as you have been for the last month.
“itoshi sae! talk to me, answer me!” you’re screaming but no one will ever hear you.
how can sae hear you? you’re unreasonable for expecting that.
“tell me how to reach you,” you wail into the receiver.
you’re painfully aware of what you’re getting now.
“i love you, mr. itoshi.”
there’s no one on the other line who’ll chuckle now. you can’t hear the same fondness in his voice when he says he loves you too. you can’t ever hear him joking with you again.
no more sighs, no more video calls, no more love. no more you know one day you’ll be mrs. itoshi, right?
you hang up and look at the note in your hand; something sae’s assistant passed to you on the day of his funeral.
a few weeks ago, sae asked me to get this for him. i know he wanted you to have this. before he left for tokyo, he told me to get this done for you at all costs. it was only ready a day after he left. i thought you might still like to have this. i’m sorry you have to go through this.
the gold velvet box sits heavy in your hand. it’s all of sae’s commitment to you, feelings for you—it’s all of his resolution in one tiny package and it’s heavy.
you open it, same as the countless times before.
it’s still beautiful. it’s shiny and four carats and princess cut because you were always his princess. inside the band, he has mrs itoshi engraved.
you know one day you’ll be mrs. itoshi, right?
you bring up his messages and play the last audio he sent to you.
“look, i know i fucked up and it was stupid of me to keep it from you. i’m sorry, okay? and i know you don’t want to speak to me right now but i can’t just sit around and do nothing. i love you, so i’m coming back home, and we’ll talk, and then… i promise you, nothing like this will happen again.”
you remember your last words to him and can’t help but to hate yourself. you should’ve told him one last time before you lost your chance.
if you’d just stayed on the line, he wouldn’t have come back. if he didn’t come back, he wouldn’t have gotten into that cab. if he didn’t get into that cab, he wouldn’t have been in that fatal accident in shibuya.
staring at the ring, calling his number, getting no response, visiting his plot and running into rin. and repeat. that’s all life is now.
sometimes you wear the ring to pretend he’s still here. to pretend he’s already proposed and you’re waiting for him to come back from spain.
you’re probably at voicemail #314 now.
mrs itoshi stares at you until you’re crying all over again.
you’ll never hear his voice again. never hear his laugh. never get to hug him, or pick fights with him. you’ll never get to feel his broad shoulders or his strong arms around your body. you won’t get to go home ever again.
you’ll never be mrs itoshi now.
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