you're the best remedy | koga yudai
summary: after an accident, your always-positive best friend falls into a pit of depression. determined to find a remedy, you step into The Sanctuary for Broken Hearts.
pairing: koga yudai x reader
genres & tropes: athlete! kei, best friends to lovers, fluff with a pinch of angst.
word count: 7,896 (excluding summary)
author's thoughts: I tried my best to describe ACL injury accurately, but I still might be wrong so please take this fic with a grain of salt! have fun reading!
⤷ back to The Sanctuary for Broken Hearts.
You stare at the potion in the star‑shaped glass bottle, inspecting the liquid closely. The potion shimmers in a blue‑black color, with hints of silver and white swirling around – resembling stars twinkling in the night sky.
You paid a visit to The Sanctuary of Broken Hearts earlier, determined to find a remedy to heal your best friend’s broken heart. Though the rumours surrounding the sanctuary are mostly about romance or relationships, and your best friend’s situation isn’t exactly the case, you decided to try anyway.
Because, it is said that anyone who visits with a broken heart will get their heart healed.
And your best friend’s heart is… shattered to dust.
Kei has always been a positive person. And also a slightly dramatic one. The one who will gasp whenever he listens to hot tea, and will offer himself to beat up the people who hurt you or give you a rough time. And ends the heart pouring session with warm words, assuring you that he believes you will be able to get through it, or that you will be able to do it. Showering you with compliments is his full time job, and you find it sweet that he will find ways to cheer you up.
He’s also the one who seems always getting his life together. Maybe because he’s an optimist, so he doesn’t really find things stressful when it doesn’t go his way. ‘If this doesn’t work out,’ he says, ‘then that will work out.’ He too, didn’t have any problems doing new things. You’ll sometimes find him helping the elderly florist down the street, lifting heavy items for her. One time, you randomly saw him in a newly opened café – he was helping his friend by working as a barista for the day.
But two weeks ago, his persona flipped.
You vividly remember where you were and what you were doing when you picked up the call from his brother. “Yudai is in the hospital,” his voice wavers, sending you into a panic spiral. “He’s conscious. But… the doctor said he… he might have torn his ACL on his right knee.”
You immediately leave in the middle of the small gathering with your friends, and run desperately to catch a taxi to the hospital. At the hospital, you learned what happened from Jaehyun – his friend who brought him there. They had been playing soccer when Kei suddenly fell, and he just couldn’t bring himself to get up again. At first, they thought Kei was joking around, but when they saw his panicked face, they instantly called for an ambulance.
At first, you’re trying to be positive. Maybe it’s just muscle inflammation. Maybe something is wrong with his knee, but not that bad. Just that he needs some rest. But when the doctor comes in with a sullen face, and confirms that Kei had indeed torn the ACL on his right knee completely into two, you can feel your heart drop to the ground.
“No,” Kei said, “this can’t be happening. I have a marathon next month. I, I’m supposed to win the marathon, qualify for the world championship and officially retire. I’m going to be a coach. I–” Kei pauses, and looks at the doctor once again. “I’m so sorry, Koga san. ACL tears usually take about a year for full recovery. Might be more,”
That was the first time you had seen Kei looking so helpless and lost. It was also the beginning of Kei’s fierce, short‑tempered, nasty, and dismissive attitude toward everyone – including you.
He refuses to eat, or move. His brother would try to bring him out of his room, only to get scratched by Kei, or pushed. His mom would try to talk to him, and he would just stay silent, like a stone.
You know that Kei is falling into depression because he has been a marathoner his whole life. So you scramble to find information about ACL injuries on the internet and study it. You also search for ways to help him psychologically, even picking up a few books to understand his feelings and find a better way to approach him. But nothing works. He refuses to see you altogether, and even if you manage to get into his room, he will begin throwing things – soft things – in your direction, to chase you away.
Hence why you walked into The Sanctuary for Broken Hearts as soon as the sky turns dark.
“Oh, in that case, I do have something to help him with his injury,”
Jihyun, the therapist (or counsellor – to be precise, a sorceress), said just before an intense blue light appeared without warning, almost blinding you. You instantly shut your eyes tightly – a reflex reaction from the blaring light – and when you open them again, you find a star‑shaped glass bottle floating in the air.
“Take it. It’s a potion. This will help heal his knee. But you have to be extremely careful with the dose. 1 drop per meal would suffice, maximum 5 drops per day. Any more than that, the science people going to come up to my door and do experiments on me or something,”
You carefully reach out to take the potion. The star-shaped glass bottle is small and lightweight – it fits snugly in your palm.
“Thank you. I will keep that in mind. What about his heart?”
Jihyun looks at you and smiles.
“You’re the remedy. The best remedy, even.”
Your eyelids flutter rapidly as you try to understand what Jihyun means by that. Jihyun chuckles, and her lips curl into a wider smile, revealing the dimples that had been hidden.
“Time will tell. But in the meantime, you have to be very strong-minded. And strong-willed. And…extremely stubborn. He will push you away, again, again, and again. And you have to find him, every single time, without fail. No matter how hurt you are. And… it will get better after that.”
“Aren’t you going to Koga’s?”
Your mom’s question snaps you out of your thoughts, and you instantly hide the potion in your fist. You planned to go to Kei’s house as soon as you leave the sanctuary, but Jihyun’s words earlier made you return home to take a few things with you. You packed a hoodie, a neck pillow, and a blanket – you’re thinking of sleeping in front of Kei’s door if he decides to be stubborn and skip dinner again.
“Yeah, I’m leaving. Bye mom,”
“Bye. Hopefully he’s getting a bit better,”
You can feel your mom’s sincerity in her words – well, given that you and Kei have been best friends for a while now, she must be worried for him too.
“I hope so too,”
It takes you about 15 minutes to arrive at Kei’s house. You press the doorbell, waiting for someone to open it, even though his brother has already told you the password so you can come in anytime. You feel like invading their privacy if you show up out of nowhere.
“Hey, Y/N. Come in.”
Kei’s brother gives you a small smile and makes some space for you to walk in. The troubled look on his face means that something had happened, and that something must be… Kei skipping his dinner again.
“He’s not eating?”
“And not budging. The tabloid caught the news, and… he must have seen it. They keep saying that he will be forced to retire early….”
You exhaled a deep sigh. Tabloid loves exaggerating and they are definitely making things worse right now. As much as you want to find the culprit who leaked the news and beat them up to death, your priority right now is making sure your best friend eats. And, you have to sneakily drop the potion into his food.
“I’ll give it to him. Is it already cold?”
“It’s still warm. Mom is upstairs, trying to talk to him. She’s holding the tray,”
“Okay,”
You make your way to the second floor, and find Kei’s mom sighing while holding a tray full of food. You press your lips together and reach your hand to carefully hold the tray, wanting to take it from her hands. His mom looks surprised, before her expression shifts to looking relieved.
“I will do it.”
“Thank you, Y/N. Hopefully he listens to you,”
“Hopefully,”
You put the tray on the ground and then knock on Kei’s door.
“Kei, it's me–”
“I DON’T WANT TO EAT! I DON’T WANT TO BE DISTURBED! LEAVE ME ALONE!”
You flinch – you weren’t expecting to be yelled at this soon. The tabloid must have made him become extra sensitive.
“I don’t care what you want. I need you to eat. So you can recover soon,”
“JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!”
“If you eat,”
Silence greets you. You waited for a few moments, hoping to listen to the sound of his footsteps, or the sound of his crutches. But there was nothing. So you decided to put the potion in his food – three drops in the soup. Just in case there's any aftertaste, you can make excuses for it.
“If you’re not eating, then I’m not leaving. I will stay here until you open the door. I’m not going anywhere, and I will sleep here even,”
You said before sitting down in front of his door, showing your determination to make him eat. You scrolled through your phone and found the news on your social media page – you rolled your eyes, and pressed the report button. Every single one that shows up on your page gets reported instantly.
“What are you doing?”
Kei’s brother asks as he sees the frown is visible on your forehead.
“Reporting,”
You showed him the report page, and he nodded before handing you lids to cover the food.
“Are you sure you’re going to stay here?”
“Yeah. 100% sure. I’m going to stay here until he comes out. And I’m going to force him to eat,”
“Okay. I really hope you’ll succeed,”
“I really hope so too,”
Kei’s brother then leaves, and you pull out your neck pillow to make yourself comfortable as you continue to scroll on your phone. Hours passed, and there’s still no sign of Kei going to open the door. You sigh, and pull the blanket and hoodie out of your bag, before making yourself as comfortable as you can while lying on the floor. After a few consecutive yawns, you decide to close your eyes, letting sleep take over you.
Your consciousness returns when you hear thumping sounds. Your eyelids slowly flutter open, and you yawn as you glue your eyes at the door – a few moments later, it slowly creaks open, revealing a very messy, out-of-breath-looking Kei.
“Let’s eat.”
Your words surprise Kei – he slightly jumps, before he recomposes himself.
“You…”
“I told you I’m not going anywhere. And I’m not. Let’s eat.”
You yawn again as you get up to get the tray. You then stand in front of Kei, who still has hints of surprise on his face. He wasn’t expecting you to stick to your words, you think, because you had always given him space.
Now, you’re being stubborn. You’re taking Jihyun’s advice to heart, literally.
“Eat.”
“...Okay.”
Your eyes slightly widen in happiness when Kei responds – him finally complying after flat-out refusing you, his family, and his other friends makes you feel relieved, glad, and joyful at the same time.
Kei slowly makes his way back to the bed, and you follow him closely. You want to offer to help him, but afraid that it will make him chase you out and refuse to eat, so you stay silent. You placed the tray on the overbed table, before adjusting it to a proper height so he can eat comfortably.
Kei just watches you as you open the lids one by one and hand him a pair of chopsticks to use. His eyes stay on you for a bit before he finally takes a small scoop of rice, and you watch as he brings it close to his lips. Your shoulder loosens up when he swallows the food – relieved that he’s eating.
“It’s cold, right? I would’ve warm it up if I knew you’re going to come out at this hour,”
You said as you looked at the clock – 3.44 a.m. He must have thought you had already left, and decided to come out, since no one would be awake at this time.
He didn’t reply – only silently eating. You continue to watch him eat, while silently praying that he will eat the soup. Another wave of relieved feelings washes over you when he gulps down the soup in one go, emptying the bowl instantly.
“Thank you for eating, Kei.”
Your words make Kei pause – he turns his head slowly and looks at you with eyes filled with undecipherable emotions. Instead of asking, you just smile. Kei then shifted his attention back to the food, and he emptied basically everything.
“Should I bring a bowl here for you to brush your teeth, or do you want to go to the bathroom by yourself?”
You gently ask – Kei has always been a hygienic person. He smelled so nice, and had plenty of perfume. But depression means he hasn’t been taking good care of himself. You can see stubbles begin to grow on his chin and jawline. His hair too, looked like it’s going to start matting anytime soon.
“I’m useless.”
You press your lips into a thin line at his words. You rack your brain for an appropriate response – silence surrounds both of you for a few moments before you break it.
“What makes you feel so?”
Instead of denying it like you always do, you decide to ask, so you can understand where it stems from. And tackle it from there. Reassurance without proper approach means nothing, so you have to dive deep into his feelings and carefully weave his heart back together.
‘You’re the remedy. The best remedy, even.’
Jihyun’s words ring in your head and make you feel even more determined to become the remedy for his broken heart.
“Can’t you see? I can’t walk, Y/N. I can’t do anything without help. I have to give up the marathon! I feel so helpless. I feel so stupid. I– I was able to do everything by myself and now… I can’t move without feeling like dying. I’m troubling people. I’m burdening them. I–”
You gently place your hand on his shoulder as Kei begins to sob like a baby. He had plans. He was going to win the upcoming marathon, officially qualify to the World Athletics Championship, then retire. He already imagined the future of him winning, going to the World Athletics Championship, and becoming a coach after retiring. He wants to coach kids. He wants to tell them about his experience and motivate them to be like him.
“Kei, you’re not burdening anyone. You’re not troubling anyone. We are willing to help you. I am willing to help you, because isn’t that what friends do? Helping when one is in distress?”
You rub his back, hoping that it will help to calm him down.
“And Kei, you will walk again. This is temporary. You are going to walk again. You are going to join the marathon again. You are going to win it again. You’re going to achieve every plan of yours, but it’s just getting a bit longer than it should, because you’re hurt. Because you’re sick. And that’s okay. Because getting hurt, and being sick is not within your control,”
“I believe that you’re going to be okay. And that you’re going to get back on track. And that you’re going to fulfil every dream of yours. If you don’t believe in yourself, just believe in me. Have faith in my words, until you can believe in yourself again.”
Kei’s tears slowly subside and you stay by his side, rubbing and patting his back until he calms down.
“I– I want to go to the bathroom.”
He said, replying to your earlier question.
“Okay. Take your time. I’m going to downstairs to put this in the kitchen,”
You leave first, carrying the tray downstairs and washing the dishes. You then bring a bottle of water and a few snacks upstairs, just in case he suddenly has the urge to snack. While waiting for him to return, you cleaned his room a bit – throwing his dirty clothes on the floor into the laundry basket, rearranging things on his bedside table and cleaning up the overbed table. You did think about changing his bed sheets, and vacuuming his room – you decided on vacuuming, because changing his bed sheets is a very obvious change, that might make him feel even more helpless.
The clock hits 4.57 a.m when he finally returns to his room.
You were in the middle of dozing off when you heard the familiar thumping sound produced by his crutches hitting the ground. You shake your head to gain control of your consciousness, and find Kei slowly walking into the room.
You just watch him as he makes his way to the bed. After he makes himself comfortable, you decide to leave – you’re thinking of sleeping on the couch because going home at this hour sounds impossible for you.
“Y/N,”
You were about to close the door when he called your name.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t sleep in front of the door. Sleep somewhere else.”
Your lips formed a smile as you heard his words. Kei back then would’ve nagged at you non stop for doing it – right now, he’s still concerned, but he just doesn’t have energy and capability to nag at you. Because he’s not being himself right now.
“Then you have to eat. Or I’ll be staying in front of your door all day long. Good night, Kei,”
He pulls the blanket instead of replying to you. You press your lips together and slowly close the door while praying earnestly to heaven that he will be a bit better, tomorrow.
Heaven listens to you the next day. And the day after. And the following days. It wasn’t a big change – just Kei not putting up a fight when it’s time to eat, with you around. He still refuses to eat if his mom or his brother is trying to ask him to, but he will eat when you watch over him.
You felt happy about his improvement and believed his positive changes would last – that he would slowly get better and better. But one day, you were proven wrong when Kei suddenly began throwing the soft toys at you again, out of the blue.
“Wha– Kei?”
“Get out,”
“You–”
“Get out! Get out! Get the hell out of here! I don’t want to see anyone!”
You sigh and obliged. You drag yourself downstairs and find Kei’s brother to ask if anything happened today that might have triggered Kei.
“The doctor explained to him that there’s possibilities for him to undergo two surgeries, if he finds discomfort with the screws and everything. If he needed the second surgery, his recovery time will be longer than it should,”
“So he’s pissed?”
“Yeah. He’s already troubled enough – well, it’s the doctor’s job to explain everything before they do the surgery,”
“Has it been booked? The surgery?”
“A month from now. And… the doctor also said that him refusing to do rehab might extend the recovery process. I don’t know…”
You heave a deep sigh – you learned through the articles that you read online, that pre surgery rehab is important to minimize the swelling. You then bite your lower lips as you rack your brain, trying to come up with an idea to make him comply with everything – you don’t care if he’s going to turn into a monster, or hate you for forcing it on him, because you know that you’re doing this for his own good.
“When’s the next date for rehab?”
“Next week.”
“Okay. I’ll make sure he goes. I’ll do whatever I can,”
“Thank you, Y/N. You seem to know very well that Kei has a soft spot for you, and are using it well, huh?”
Your eyelids flutter rapidly for a few moments while frown becomes visible on your forehead – soft spot? Me?
Kei’s brother just chuckled and patted your shoulder, before leaving you alone with your thoughts.
You quickly shake your head, your priority right now is making your best friend eat his dinner. So you sit down on the couch, thinking whether to crash into his room and just force him eat, or recycle your old tactics.
“Y/N, come join us for dinner. I’ll put Yudai’s food on the tray for you to bring up later,”
Kei’s mom's words give you an idea – how about you threaten to not eat if he’s not going to eat? This is a guilt trip, you scrunched your face since you don’t like guilt tripping people, but this is necessary, right?
“Mama… can I have my own tray too? I will eat with Kei,”
Kei’s mom’s eyes light up with surprise – instead of asking, she nods while smiling, understanding that you’re going to try to make Kei eat his dinner. You then bring Kei’s tray upstairs, while his mom brings yours – both of you carefully place it on the floor, and you exhale a deep sigh, trying to gain courage to face Kei.
“Thank you for doing this, Y/N,”
You just smile at Kei’s mom, who then pats your back before she makes her way downstairs. You stare at the door for a moment before gently knocking on the door a few times.
“Kei, it’s me. Let’s have dinner together,”
Thump!
You flinch – Kei must have thrown something at the door and caused that sound.
“Kei?”
“WHICH PART OF IT THAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND? I DON’T WANT TO SEE ANYONE!!!!”
He screamed – multiple thumping sounds then could be heard on the door. Your eyes slightly widen before you sigh again, trying to regulate your own emotions.
“Okay. You don’t want to see anyone. I’ll leave. But can you please, eat?”
“NO!”
You bite your lower lips, contemplating on continuing with your earlier plan or discard it completely as Kei is behaving extremely fiercely.
A thought then crossed your mind – fight fire with a fire.
Fine.
“If you’re not eating, then I’m not going to eat either,”
You said. Silence greets you right after, and you assume that Kei didn’t hear you. But you’re going to make yourself heard this time, so you knocked on his door multiple times.
“Are you listening, Kei?! If you’re not eating, then I’m not going to eat either!”
Rapid thumping sounds can be heard, making your eyes grow as big as the saucers. You instinctively move back – you know that Kei will never try anything to hurt you, but he’s unstable right now, so.
The door swung open, revealing a red eyed Kei with hair almost resembling a bird's nest – messy, and slightly matted.
“WHY ARE YOU SO… why are you so stubborn,”
You slightly flinch as Kei yelled at you first, before he toned down his volume.
“Because you are. If you aren’t stubborn, I won’t be one. And I’m being stubborn for your own good, Kei,”
Kei hung his face – silence surrounded both of you for a moment, before you could hear a light sob.
“Kei? Hey,”
You gently cradle his face while wiping his tears away – the rough stubble beneath your touch tugs at your heart strings as it serves as a reminder that Kei is in a wreck right now.
“I can’t walk… I can’t run… I’m not myself…”
“Kei…”
“Why are you still here? Why don’t you leave me alone? Why are you doing all of this…”
“I told you, didn’t I? It’s my duty to help a friend in distress,”
Kei’s cries become louder, and you gently hug him – hushing, whispering comforts while patting and rubbing his back. It takes a while for Kei to calm down, and when he does, you break the hug to wipe his tears away.
“This is temporary, Kei. You can walk. You’re going to walk again. You’re going to run again. And you’re going to find yourself again, but in a better version. You’re going to do everything again. Doesn’t it sound grand? Koga Yudai, the marathoner, returns after injury and snags the champion title,”
“You’re… believing in me too much,”
“No, I’m not. I believe in you because I know, and I have faith that you’re going to be just fine. It’s okay if you don’t believe in me right now – just don’t come back to me in the future and say, ‘Oh Y/N! What you said was correct!’ without giving me 100 dollars or something for being proven right.”
You lightly toss a joke, hoping that it will lift up his mood. You definitely weren’t expecting him to chuckle – your eyes widens and smile instantly carved on your lips as you succeed in making him laugh.
“Why don’t we make a bet? Whoever gets proven right, will get… 200 dollars. 100 dollars might not worth that much in the future,”
“Okay,”
“Okay? Deal? Don’t pretend to forget this,”
“I won’t.”
“Good. Let’s eat. I’m starving,”
You grab his tray first and jog to place it on the overbed table, before sprinting to get your tray and place it on the same table. Kei just watches you as you busied yourself, while he’s slowly making his way to his bed.
You didn’t forget about the potion – you managed to sneak a few drops in while pretending to arrange his utensils. You’ve been consistently giving it to him, hoping that it will work.
“Let’s eat!”
You cheerfully said after Kei made himself comfortable on the bed, and ready to eat his dinner. Kei didn’t say anything – he just looked at you with a small smile on his lips before eating his food. You too, begin eating your food – silence found both of you, and you didn’t bother to break it.
After emptying your bowl and watching Kei emptying his too, you begin stacking the bowls and trays, then cleans his table.
“I’m going downstairs. And then I’m gonna head home. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
Kei’s lips quiver, as if he’s trying to say something – you patiently wait for him to speak. Kei then pressed his lips into a thin line and nod – his response made you feel slightly upset since you were waiting for him to say something. Only slightly, because him laughing earlier is enough to make you feel happy for a week straight.
“Good night, Kei,”
And finally, after multiple good night wishes without a reply, you receive a response from him.
“Good night, Y/N,”
“Good morning, Kei! Oh–”
Surprised is an understatement when you found Kei already eating his breakfast, on his bed. You weren’t informed of this miracle – you should’ve known that something already happened when you can’t find his mom in the kitchen, waiting for you, nor his brother on the couch, looking troubled.
“Good morning, Y/N,”
“What are you having? Mind if I pull the curtain? The weather is beautiful outside. It’s a bit of a waste if you don’t see it,”
Kei just motioned to you to go ahead, and you slowly pulled the curtain, revealing the blue sky – a few tall cherry blossom trees too, comes into the landscape, adding pink colours to the view.
“So pretty… Do you want to go outside? I have to buy some groceries, mama already nagged at me for skipping buying groceries for a few times now because I spent a lot of my time with you,”
You turn to Kei after pulling the curtain fully, and open up the window to give way for fresh air to come in.
“I can’t,”
“Why?”
“I can’t… go out looking like this,”
You stare at him – well, your best friend who usually looks dashing, always getting compliments left and right from the elderly, and never fails to get someone’s number whenever he goes to a cafe is looking… unkempt.
“That’s not a problem. I can solve it,”
“...you can?”
“Yes! Do you believe in me?”
You smiled brightly at him while your mind was cooking up some mischief. Kei blinked rapidly before shaking his head.
“Too bad. It’s not like you have any choice. Welcome to Y/N’s salon!”
“No, Y/N,”
“Um, I don’t accept no!”
You called Kei’s brother for help and wheeled Kei into the bathroom – while you worked on detangling his hair, his brother shaved his beard. Kei wants to complain but he can’t, afraid of getting cut on his face as his brother is looking extremely focused and determined in shaving off his beard.
After an hour or so (you let Kei take a shower after you thoroughly worked on his hair, and his brother too, gave him a clean shave), Kei finally comes out of the bathroom looking like himself again.
“Let’s go out!”
You excitedly said, and Kei just nodded as a response. It wasn’t until you wheeled him out of his house when Kei just remembered something.
“Hey… Y/N?”
“Yeah?”
“How are you going to push me and the grocery store’s cart…?”
“Good question. The answer is, you are my cart. Make sure you hold onto my things properly!”
Kei chuckled. He can’t believe your ideas – well, you have been doing things that he didn’t expect nowadays. Like being extremely stubborn, just to make sure that he will have a meal.
Silence surrounds you both as you push him down the alley, heading toward the nearby grocery store you often frequent. The cool spring breeze kisses his cheeks and flutters his hair, while the sunlight bathes him in its warmth – the cherry blossoms’ scent too, gently floats in the air that he inhales, making Kei feel human again.
Your pace slows when you get into the grocery store as you’re busy looking around, finding things that need to be bought.
“Hey, Y/N?”
Kei softly calls as you stare at the cereal boxes in your hands – it feels greedy to take two, but it feels like it’s not enough if you just take one.
“Yeah?”
You responded and decided to just buy one first, and placed the box on Kei’s lap. Kei pressed his lips into a thin line, before deciding to say things that he didn’t say yesterday.
“Thank you.”
You smile, before reaching your hand out to pinch his cheeks.
“You’re welcome,”
After shopping, you brought Kei to the nearby park. You stopped at the kiosk that sells drinks and bought some for both of you before finally settling on a bench near the lake. Both of you bask in silence for a few moments – you then break the silence by exhaling a deep sigh.
“Can’t believe spring is almost over,”
You pout – soon, you have to say goodbye to the cool breeze and pretty cherry blossom flowers and be forced to welcome the scorching weather.
“Time flies fast,”
Kei said, and you turned to look at him.
“Yeah. Time flies, and one day you’ll be running around again. Don’t forget about the 200 dollars,”
Kei chuckled as you reminded him about yesterday’s deal. A part of him is glad that you believe in him so much that you are willing to strike a deal – 200 dollars isn’t a small amount for you.
“I– oh, Y/N, I’ve been wanting to ask this. Where’s your earrings?”
Kei was about to say something else when you tuck your hair behind your ears, and he noticed the lack of accessories on your ears. You had given the earrings away as a payment for the sanctuary – Jihyun asks for something that belongs to you, and that you’re willing to give. You ask if she’s going to be fine if you give her your earrings because you didn’t bring anything else with you, other than your wallet and your phone. And Jihyun gladly accepts it.
“Uh… I took it off before my shower, then one of the earrings just went missing…”
You make up a lie on the spot and pray that Kei buys it.
“Must have fallen. You didn’t check?”
“Too lazy to push the big ass wardrobe away just for tiny earrings. I’ll just buy new ones later,”
“Okay,”
A relieved feeling washes over you as he believes in your lie – you promise you will come clean later, once everything is okay again. Once he gets to run again. And win the marathon again.
“What were you trying to say earlier? You were about to say something before you ask about my earrings,”
You ask, trying to change the topic – because if Kei asks about it again, you wouldn’t have an answer and would be caught in your lie.
“Oh, I… I think I will go to rehab. I’m– I’m gonna try my best to do rehab. And go through the surgery. And go through the second surgery if needed. And be okay again,”
Your lips form a wide smile as you hear Kei’s words – you’re almost brought to tears, if you’re being honest. You feel it was worth being yelled at, screamed at, and shouted at – enduring the nasty, dismissive attitude from your best friend for 2 weeks – almost 3 now – finally paid off, because he has found the strength to face and accept his fate. And has gained the courage to keep moving on.
“That’s great. That’s… really good, Kei. I will be here to support you. And to catch you if you fall into despair again,”
“Promise?”
“I promise. I will be even more stubborn than now if I need to,”
Kei giggling makes you giggle too. Kei then motioned for you to get closer to him before opening his arms, wanting a hug. You gladly obliged, hugging him tightly despite the awkward position.
“Thank you, Y/N. For being stubborn,”
His words make Jihyun’s voice ring once again in your mind, causing your lips to curl into an even wider smile.
“You’re the remedy. The best remedy, even.”
You guess you are.
Sounds of enthusiastic cheers filled the air, and both you and Jaehyun looked at each other before counting down to sync your cheers together.
“Kei!! Fighting!!”
Both of you shout as hard and loud as you can, cheering for Kei, who is about to begin his marathon run. Kei turns his head to your direction and waves his hand, before patting his chest, trying to ease his nerves.
Today marks Kei’s return to the marathon scene after a year of hiatus due to his injury. At first, the doctor was reluctant to let Kei join the marathon – despite Kei making a miracle to fully heal at 6 months, he’s still worried that the 42 kilometers of distance might stress the ligament and increase the chance for it to tear again. But after Kei’s ligaments showed no signs of inflammation or risk of tearing during multiple practice runs, the doctor gave his approval.
“You can do this!”
You shout, hoping it will help dissipate the nervousness your best friend is currently feeling. Kei exhaled a deep sigh, and maneuvered through the crowd to approach you and Jaehyun.
“If I win,”
Kei said while placing his hand on your arm – that’s when you realize that your best friend is really nervous, because his palm is sweaty.
“You’re going to win!”
You instantly cheer, not wanting him to lose his confidence. It’s been a while since Kei has run a marathon, and this is a big event, so you understand if his confidence wavers.
“No, listen to me, Y/N,”
You can see he’s having a hard time swallowing his saliva. Thousands of thoughts cross your mind – is he thinking about the injury again?
“I have something to tell you, so make sure you watch the interview. Don’t miss the interview.”
While you are slightly puzzled, Jaehyun instantly understands what Kei means and is having a hard time controlling his facial expression.
“Okay. I won’t.”
“Okay. I’ll be going. Bye, Y/N. Bye, Jaehyun. See you later,”
“See you later, Kei,”
The air horn blow right when the clock hits 9:10 a.m – the crowd cheers for the runners, and both you and Jaehyun shout at the top of your lungs to cheer for Kei. After Kei’s figure can no longer be seen, you tugs on Jaehyun’s sleeve, signalling that both of you should get out of here.
Both of you had planned from the day before to show up at every checkpoint. Kei knows nothing about this, and you can’t wait to see his reaction – he’s definitely going to be happy to see both of you everywhere. And you hope that you and Jaehyun’s presence are going to fuel him to keep moving.
You and Jaehyun quickly grab the bicycles and speeds to the first checkpoint – you sighed in relief since Kei is yet to arrive.
“He’s running his marathon, and we’re… ha… we’re doing cardio alongside him,”
Jaehyun said while panting – he had thought about bringing his motorbike, but since there’s plenty of road being blocked to give way for the marathon, bicycle is the best choice.
“We’re going to be as tired as him by the end of the day. Oh, he’s here. Quick, Jae!”
Jaehyun inhales a deep breath before he shouts at your signal – syncing up his cheers with yours. Kei’s eyes instantly widen and his lips immediately curl into a wide smile, happy that both of you are showing up out of nowhere.
“Whattttt,”
He said while smiling, and waved at both of you as he passed by – you and Jaehyun cheered even louder before falling into a coughing fit from shouting too hard. After the cough dies down, both of you pick up your bicycle again – you were about to take off when Jaehyun stopped you.
“I don’t think it’s possible for us to go to every checkpoint. Let’s alternate and meet each other at the finish line,”
You nod, agreeing with Jaehyun, and end up taking the third, fifth, and seventh checkpoint while Jaehyun takes the rest.
The plan works well – Kei manages to smile whenever he sees you, despite the exhaustion apparent on his face the more he runs.
“It feels like magic! You and Jaehyun showing up everywhere,”
Kei says as he sees you again at the seventh checkpoint, which meant he had run for about 33 kilometres now. You read that this is where runners start to feel bumped, so you put extra effort in cheering for him.
“Separately for now to be more efficient! We’ll see you together at the finish line! Keep going, Kei!!”
Kei responds with a thumbs up, and after Kei disappears from your vision, you cycle to the finish line as planned with Jaehyun earlier. Jaehyun showed up a few moments later, which means Kei passed the 8th checkpoint and is about to arrive anytime soon.
“Hey, Y/N. I have a question,”
You spare a glance at Jaehyun.
“What is it?”
You respond as you shift your attention to the road, and begin to feel extremely nervous – you really hope Kei can win this.
“You love him more than a best friend, don’t you? All these efforts… it’s because you love him deeply, right?”
You just smiled as a response – Jaehyun was about to throw a fit as he needed clear answers when Kei’s figure could be spotted.
“Go, Kei! Go! You’re going to win this!”
“Let’s go Kei!”
Cheers erupts in the air as one of the athletes crosses the finish line, coming in first place. You and Jaehyun finally cheered when Kei crossed the line, coming in third, breaking his own personal record.
“You did it Kei!”
“I know you can do it! Oh my god, I feel like crying,”
You said, feeling an emotional surge as your best friend finally wins the marathon, after all the hardship he went through. And he did it with a prominent injury too. Jaehyun panics – he instantly pulls you out of the crowd and brings you to the designated meeting area. He checks on you multiple times, and even hands you a small pack of tissues, in case you really end up crying.
You meet with Kei’s family who are waiting at the area too – his mom was already crying her heart out, and you can feel a lump begin to form in your throat. You try your best to not cry, but you failed – you can’t help but feel extremely emotional, because just about a year ago, Kei can’t walk. And he was mentally, physically, and emotionally wrecked by it.
But now, he’s running again. And even comes in third place.
“It’s okay, just cry,”
Jaehyun pats your back – he too, is having a hard time holding back the urge to cry. But he doesn’t want to make the already emotional atmosphere heavier, so he keeps sighing away, trying to regulate his emotions.
“The interview is starting!”
Kei’s brother’s words make Jaehyun pries his phone out to find the livestream, before holding it out for you to watch with him.
“How does it feel coming in third place after suffering from the ACL tear?”
“I feel incredible right now. It’s hard to put into words, but I’m just so glad I was able to finish the marathon safely, and to win it as well. It feels like a dream comes true,”
“Do you have anything to say to your fans and families?”
“Thank you for the support you’ve shown to me, and for cheering me during my hard time. I appreciate it, really. Your encouragement is what keeps me going,”
Kei pauses for a moment, before he continues.
“To my family, thank you for being patient with me. I know I was a handful to be taken care of, since I was emotionally and physically unstable. But none of you complained about it. So thank you, so much. This medal, is for you too. Because I won’t be able to win this without your support and love,”
Kei’s mom sniffled while nodding – love oozes out of her eyes as she watches her youngest son finally succeed in achieving his dream.
“And to my best friend, thank you for going through troubles for me, when you didn’t have to. Thank you for taking care of me, tolerating all my attitude,”
Kei chuckles.
“Thank you for believing in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. I love you. And I guess, I owe you 200 dollars and a ring,”
Your eyes widens while your jaw drops – did he just?
You look at Jaehyun, trying to confirm what you just heard. Did your best friend just confess to you, in an interview? It feels surreal, and you think that your brain just played a trick with you.
“Yes, Y/N. He’s in love with you,”
The confirmation makes your heart begin to beat faster, and your cheeks grow warmer.
“And has been so for a while. That’s why he was deeply distraught by his injury. The marathon is one thing, and you is the other – he never thought he will be that weak in front of you,”
It starts to make sense now. Why he refused to see you altogether, why his brother said you’re his soft spot, why he was so nervous earlier. And Jihyun’s words…
“Time will tell…”
She already knew. Her smile back then – she knows that Kei is in love with you. That’s why she said that you’re the best remedy. Being nursed by someone you love definitely will heal your heart.
How come you didn’t notice? Were you so absorbed in your own feelings, that you didn’t notice that Kei is in love with you? Or did he hide it too well?
“But you’re not hearing this from me,”
Jaehyun said before he winked – signalling to you to keep it a secret that he outed Kei’s true feelings. You can only bury your face in your palms, feeling extremely shy, considering that Kei just told everyone that he’s in love with you. Including his own family.
“Bro, your sister in law is shy! Do something,”
“There’s no need! Her lover will arrive soon. We should go somewhere and leave the couple alone, right, mama?”
You feel like burying yourself right then and there due to the embarrassment – Jaehyun’s and Kei’s brother's teasing are making it worse for you. Luckily, they were forced to drop the teasing by Kei’s mom. A few moments later, you finally regain your composure – Kei too, can be spotted, jogging lightly towards all of you.
He hugs his mom first, tightly – thanking her for everything, before hugging his dad, then his brother. He was about to hug you when Jaehyun pulled him into a hug first, causing his eyes to widen.
“Sorry to cut the queue, but I need to speed things up so both of you can have some time together. You can hug her then,”
“Ah. Oh, okay,”
After a few more congratulations, and plenty of family photos taken by Jaehyun, Kei’s brother shooed everyone away (including him) – leaving both you and Kei alone.
“Congratulations on winning, Kei,”
“Thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I won’t be making it this far too,”
“I didn’t do anything,”
“You believed in me. When I didn’t believe in myself. And stop downplaying your contribution, you did a lot for me,”
You just smile as a response, and notice that Kei begins to look nervous again.
“You… watched the interview, right?”
“Yeah,”
“So… I definitely owe you 200 dollars, but on the ring part…”
“What about it?”
Even though you yourself are feeling a mixture of emotions – giddy, shy, and happy – and even begin to blush as Kei brings up the topic, you can’t help but tease your nervous looking best friend.
“You’ll only get it… if you become my girlfriend… so… wanna be my girlfriend?”
You giggles as he drops the question, feeling immensely happy.
“Why are you laughing? This is a serious question. I’m about to die from nervousness here. Hey, you, give me an answer. My nervousness is worse than before, you know? You make me more nervous than the fact that I need to win a marathon–”
You press your lips against Kei’s, muffling his remaining words. He freezes for a moment, before relaxing into the kiss and wraps his arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him. Kei was about to deepen the kiss when you break it, making him scrunch his face in disappointment before he rests his forehead against yours.
“I love you,”
He whispers while caressing your deep scarlet cheeks.
“I love you more,”
You confess, and small giggles escape from both your lips and Kei’s.
“This– this is the best day ever for me. Won a marathon, and got myself a girlfriend. Living my best dream, really,”
Kei tightly hugs you, burying his face in the crown of your hair while you bury your face on his chest. This is the best day for you too, you think – watching your best friend achieve his biggest dream and realizing that your love wasn’t one sided afterall.
Love is, indeed, the best remedy.
additional notes: thank you for reading until the end <3 can't wait for blue lock to come out!! give me more athlete! k pls!!
taglist (open): @yandere-stories @nichozzystuffs @talslovesandteam
divider credits: @angeliicide
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