#the ending was kind of rushed oops T__T

[ryusei-nopulse]

hello, i was the anon for sending the leo request and that was so cute sobs 😭😭😭😭 and i have another request, but this time it's for izumi!! this can take place in their graduation ceremony where his s/o (gn of course) broke down crying, touched because the knights and them have been through a lot.

hope this make sense 🫶🫶

a moment of eternity [izumi sena]

notes hi again anon!! i'm glad that you liked it :D i.. have not finished requiem fully yet .. so i hope that this isn't too canon-divergent or short ^_^

description repayment fes has concluded, and you feel yourself overwhelmed with all kinds of emotions.

additional info ! era, gn reader, takes place during repayment fes, title is taken from this song, i once again had no idea how to end this >w>

graduation season... you've attended a few graduation ceremonies over the years, but none of them have felt quite as emotional for you as this year's repayment fes did.

knights in particular seemed to be struggling in the weeks leading up to the repayment fes. as someone who was close to all of the members, you did your best to help with what you could, but even then, you weren't exactly the most aware person out there of most of the issues related to passing down roles and graduation.

either way, requiem was.. successful. in the end, arashi was deemed the first-placer of the duel, but it was tsukasa that was ultimately the one chosen to succeed leo as the king of knights.

...now that you thought about it, so many things seemed to be changing from next year onwards, both inside and outside of knights. izumi and leo were going to work on their respective careers overseas, tsukasa was going to be the new king of knights, ritsu and arashi would be 3rd years already, not to mention how knights would most likely get new members... thinking back, you couldn't help but feel sentimental. you weren't a member of knights, no, but you've been beside them for so long that it felt like you've experienced a good amount of the highs and lows that the unit has gone through.

you felt the tears threatening to spill, but you swore to yourself that you wouldn't cry. no, not yet. graduation is a day to make memories, to cherish the company of your classmates that you most likely won't see for a while.

izumi seemed to notice the fact that you were holding your tears back. "hey, what's wrong? if you're gonna cry, do it now."

he was right, you knew that it would be pointless to hold your emotions back now. it would probably be one of the last times that you'd see everyone in knights together for a while, and you'd miss them, but also—

then came the tears. you tried to wipe them from your eyes, but to no avail. they seemed to never stop.

"ahh... things sure have changed, huh?" you sniffled. "everyone in knights..."

you paused, trying to wipe your tears. "they've all changed so much... this year has been—"

it was no use. the tears felt like they would never end. the emotions overwhelmed you like a tidal wave as you cried even more.

a few moments passed by before you felt a hand on your shoulder.

looking up through your tear-blurred vision, you met eyes with izumi. "...you're right. things have changed a lot this year, haven't they?"

silence fell over the two of you. through the windows, you could see the sunlight shining through, tinting the room in orange and pink.

you didn't want to ruin such a moment, but you felt a question weighing on your mind, one that you needed to get out into the open.

"hey, izumi." your tears had slowed down by now, reduced to sniffles. "do you think that knights will truly be alright now?"

"haah? of course we will. what kind of question is that?"

you paused. of course they would. knights clawed their way to the top after that scandal during spring. even after all that they've been through, from last year to this very moment, you knew that they'd be alright. they had to be alright.

"...just wondering," you shrugged, wiping the tears from your eyes.

"well, in any case..." izumi trailed off, trying to choose his words wisely. "i'm glad that i met you."

that certainly caught you off-guard. graduation was indeed a sentimental time, but to hear izumi sena of all people giving you a genuine confession of gratitude?

"huh..? really?" you asked.

"yeah. why wouldn't i be?" he questioned. "you've been by my side for years now, so it's only natural for me to thank you."

"ahh, i'm so grateful to have met you too, izumi!" you exclaimed, feeling the hot tears spill down your face. "i just... i love you so much!"

"h-hey, don't start crying again!" izumi responded. "we still have to meet up with the others!"

"...i can't help it! you all mean so much to me!" you sobbed into his uniform blazer.

...izumi couldn't deny it — he shared the sentiment. from the larger veteran unit of chess/othello/backgammon to knights... knights, both as a unit and as individuals, have been through a lot over the course of its history. of course he'd feel something towards his current unit mates.

"...hey, (name). look at me."

...perhaps, just this once... just for this singular moment, izumi will be up-front with his feelings, just for you.