♪ ♪ ♪

You lie in your bed, face buried in your pillow, muffling your screams of frustration as you groan into the soft fabric.

"Did I really just...?! AGHHH!!"

The memory of what just happened plays on a loop in your mind, like a broken record you can't seem to turn off. 

Did you really confess your feelings, just like that? 

You've spent so long keeping it hidden, wrapping it up in layers of friendship and normalcy. 

But in a moment of weakness, of raw emotion, it all spilled out, unplanned and unfiltered.

And now, here you are. What next?

You keep replaying the words in your head, feeling like an idiot, wondering if you'd just ruined the one stable thing in your life: your friendship with Rin.

<><><><><><><><>

The day after was nothing short of awkward. 

You tried to act normal, to pretend like nothing had happened, but the tension between you two was undeniable. 

You caught Rin looking at you with that familiar, puzzled expression more than once, clearly unsure of how to respond. 

It was as if the air around him had shifted, and you had no idea how to navigate it.

But what could you even do? Pretend it never happened? Let time dull the edges of the moment?

So, you tried. 

You joked, you laughed, you did everything you always did, hoping that the natural rhythm of your friendship would somehow smooth over the confession. 

But something felt different, like the unspoken words between you two were creating an invisible wall. 

It was still the same on the surface, but beneath it... it was different. 

You felt it. And you were pretty sure he did too.

And yet, somehow, nothing really changed. 

The days rolled by, and you went through the motions, hoping he'd say something, anything. But nothing. 

Rin stayed just as distant and warm as he always was, and you began to wonder if it was you who was the one acting weird. 

Was it possible that he didn't even take it seriously? 

Or maybe he was just as confused as you were.

You didn't want to overcomplicate things and think any more, so you did what you thought was best: avoid all your problems.

"Hey Rin! You look dazzling as always," you winked at him playfully, sitting next to his desk in class.

Said guy was obviously taken aback, almost choking on his drink.

You had never been this bold. Ever. 

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this..."

With a casual shrug, Itoshi Rin shook it off, giving a small, almost bashful nod in acknowledgment, his cheeks tinged with a faint blush.

"T-thanks, um... you too...?" he stammered, his usual cool composure faltering ever so slightly.

You grinned at him, watching him fumble with his words. 

It was a rare sight, and for a moment, it made everything feel a little lighter. 

You flashed him another quick smile before turning your attention back to the glass board, your pen moving in rhythmic strokes as you tried to focus on your homework.

The classroom was eerily quiet, save for the soft scratch of pens on paper. 

It was still early, and the only two people present were you and Rin, the hum of the fluorescent lights above the only sound filling the room.

The silence stretched on until Rin broke it, his voice hesitant.

"Say, Y/n..."

You didn't look at him, but raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Just as you were about to hear what had been on his mind, the door creaked open, and someone stepped inside. 

Rin's words faltered mid-sentence, and he let out a small sigh, his usual cool facade slipping back into place.

"Never mind," he muttered, the unfinished thought hanging in the air between you two.

You blinked, a mix of confusion and curiosity bubbling up inside you, but Rin was already back to his usual self, the moment slipping away as quickly as it had come. 

You weren't sure what he was about to say, but you had a feeling it was something important.

<><><><><><><><><>

As Rin walked home that afternoon, his mind wandered to you.

You hadn't joined him like usual. Instead, you'd told him you had some important things to take care of, urging him to head home on his own. 

At the time, he hadn't thought much of it—after all, you two often went your separate ways when needed. 

But today, something felt off.

There was a quiet heaviness in the air, and it wasn't just the evening chill creeping in. 

He found himself replaying the words you'd said earlier, the way you'd smiled a little too brightly, like you were hiding something behind your casual tone.

The more he thought about it, the more his mind kept returning to that moment when you confessed.

Shaking his head, Rin tried to focus on the path ahead. 

But your face kept creeping into his thoughts, and with each step, his thoughts only engulfed him even more.

The moment Rin stepped into his home, the familiar warmth of the place felt oddly suffocating. 

He kicked off his shoes, preparing to head upstairs, when a voice broke the silence.

"What's up, Rin?"

Startled, Rin froze, his eyes widening as he paused mid-motion. 

He quickly recovered, continuing his actions, though with a clear shift in demeanor.

"What do you want, Sae?" he muttered, his voice flat.

Sae leaned against the doorway, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. 

"Hmm? Is something bothering my little brother?"

Rin's jaw clenched. 

"Don't call me your brother," he snapped, turning sharply and brushing past Sae, shoulder bumping as he stormed off. 

Without a second glance, he locked himself in his room, the door clicking shut with finality.

Sae just stood there for a moment, scratching the back of his head, a look of mild confusion on his face. 

He stared at the door, trying to make sense of the sudden outburst.

"Must be puberty..." he muttered under his breath, shrugging it off with an amused grin before heading to the kitchen.

But Rin's mood lingered in the air, a question that Sae clearly wasn't quite able to answer.

<><><><><><><><>

Rin lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, the quiet of his room only amplifying the thoughts racing through his mind. 

Was he overthinking this? Did he even need to respond to you?

After all, you seemed like that was the end of it-- you wouldn't really care what he said after, right?

He tossed the questions back and forth in his head, but the more he tried to push them aside, the more they crept back in, relentless.

And no matter how much he tried to deny it—no matter how many times he told himself it was just a fleeting moment, or that he'd snap out of it—it became impossible to ignore.

The truth was right in front of him, as obvious as the ceiling above: He liked you too.

The realization hit him like a wave, crashing over him, and suddenly, everything felt so much heavier. 

The quiet between you two, the unspoken words, the lingering tension—he couldn't pretend any longer. 

The hardest part wasn't admitting it to himself though, it was figuring out what to do with that truth.