CHAPTER TWO;
a regular

"What do you even like so much about him anyway?" Amari asked, her voice casual yet curious as she focused on piping buttercream frosting onto a cake for her club assignment. Her practiced hand glided smoothly, forming delicate swirls along the edges.

You paused, gathering your hair into a bun before securing it beneath a hairnet. The question lingered in your mind longer than you expected. 

What was it about Itoshi Rin that had you so caught up in your feelings? Sure, he was attractive, anyone with eyes could see that. But was that all? Was there anything deeper fueling this relentless infatuation?

You weren't sure if it was more than just the itch to get to know more about him.

"I don't know," you admitted at last, your voice soft, almost reluctant.

Maybe it was all in your head, just a fantasy you'd created. The version of Rin you admired could be nothing more than an idealized image you had painted for yourself. 

Maybe you were over-romanticizing him, giving too much meaning to the brief glimpses you caught of him on the field or in passing at school.

"Maybe you're just infatuated?" Amari suggested, her voice light but probing, as if hoping for some kind of clarity.

Enough with the maybes...

You were just about to reply when Nakamura Aoi, one of your clubmates, burst into the room, her face streaked with tears.

"What's wrong, Aoi?" her best friend asked, concern evident in her tone.

The entire room turned their attention to her, drawn to her distress.

"Itoshi rejected me," Aoi choked out, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, "I get that he wasn't interested, but... he could've been nicer about it."

You felt like you were stabbed from your stomach up to your throat, and you started to reconsider your plans of confessing. 

 Would that have been you if you'd gone through with your confession? 

Had you not chickened out that day, would you now be crying just like Aoi?

All of these girls comforted Aoi, as if they didn't rejoice at the fact that she got rejected.

That's because they too- liked Itoshi Rin.

"Another confession, huh, Rin?" Ryomei said awkwardly, trying to lighten the tension in the room. He offered a crooked smile, but Rin barely acknowledged him. With an annoyed grunt, Rin slammed his locker shut.

"It's annoying, I don't get why they feel the need to confess."

The frustration in his voice was evident. He genuinely couldn't understand the purpose behind these confessions, what was their end goal? To date him? He found it childish and pointless.

"Maybe they like you so much they want to go out with you," Kousei chimed in, yanking his sweaty shirt over his head.

Rin scoffed, his expression twisting in disgust, "Dating is stupid. I don't have time for that."

His voice was firm, dismissive. To him, relationships were unpredictable and fleeting, what was the point in investing time in something that offers no certainty to last long?

It wasn't that Rin had a negative view of relationships; in fact, his parents' relationship was the complete opposite of rocky. 

The Itoshi couple was inseparable, always had been, even with their children now nearing adulthood. They had the kind of bond Rin quietly admired, one that seemed solid and unshakable.

Other than being focused on his football career, if he was ever going to bother with romance, it had to be something like that, something steady, meaningful, and real. Not the fleeting kind of crushes girls seemed to have on him.

He puffed out an exasperated sigh, quickly dispersing the thought bubble forming in his mind.

"Man, don't be such a hater!" Kousei laughed, jumping on Rin's back and clinging to him like a monkey, "Keep that attitude up and you'll die single, you hear me?"

"I don't care if I die single," Rin shot back, shrugging Kousei off, "I don't mind playing football until I die."

"Okay, now that's just sad,"

It was hard being broke.

It wasn't that you were poor, but money was never something you had in excess either. Your allowance was just enough to get by, but your frequent purchases of baking ingredients or street food often left your wallet emptier than you intended.

To your defense, it wasn't your fault that the food stalls always smelled so good. If you were Eve in the Garden of Eden, and Adam offered you a tray of Takoyaki, you'd devour it in an instant, no hesitation, no regrets.

At times like this, you wished you weren't the glutton that you were.

You stood before the manga shelf, staring longingly at the latest Jujutsu Kaisen volume. The glossy cover gleamed under the store's warm lights. 

You hadn't been able to buy the last few volumes either, thanks to your questionable spending choices. And it wasn't like you could ask your parents for more.

"I'll come back for you." you tell the books- like the weirdo that you are.

As you were about to leave the shop, you see someone enter the door from the big circular mirror that hung at the ceiling.

Itoshi Rin.

What is he doing here?!

Panic seized you. Your eyes darted around the store, searching for cover. You ducked behind a nearby shelf, heart hammering in your chest. But then you paused.

'Why am I even hiding?' you scolded yourself. You hadn't done anything wrong. Rin didn't even know you existed.

"Good afternoon, Rin!" the store owner happily says from the counter.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Nakamura." it was him, no doubt.

You inched toward the edge of the shelf, just enough to sneak a peek. Dark green hair. Tall, lean, and athletic. Definitely Rin. The moment his gaze shifted in your direction, you retreat behind the shelf.

"Do you have the new Resident Evil game?" Rin asked.

"Sure do!"

They exchanged a few more words before you heard the familiar jingle of the doorbell. Assuming Rin had left, you exhaled in relief and stepped out from your hiding spot.

"Oh! Y/n, I didn't know you were still here," Mr. Nakamura called out.

Your stomach dropped. Oh, hell no...

Rin was still standing there, now eyeing you with a slightly furrowed brow, like he was trying to place where he'd seen you before.

Your chest tightened, "Um, yeah. I was just... buying this." you grabbed the closest item from the video game shelf without looking.

"That game's trash," Rin said bluntly, turning back toward the counter, "Don't waste your money."

"I'm off. Thanks, Mr. Nakamura," he added before shoving his newly purchased game into the pocket of his hoodie and heading out the door.

"That kid..." Mr. Nakamura shook his head, "Don't mind him. He just has different tastes. You might like that one."

You laughed nervously and returned the game to the shelf, "I'll trust his judgment on this one." 

The truth? You couldn't afford it anyway. And besides, you never liked horror games to begin with.

While Mr. Nakamura busied himself with another customer, you found yourself dwelling on a surprising realization:

Itoshi Rin was a regular here.

amari<3

14:32

AMARI

U WONT BELIEVE WHO I
JUST BUMPED IMTO AT MR
NAKAMURA'S STORE LMAOO

what

who??

ITOSHI RIN 😭😃

WHAT

WHAT WAS HE DOING
THERE LOL

HE BOUGHT A VIDEO GAME

we interacted for a bit

he wants me for real

hell naw

get your deluded ass outta here

LMAO

what did you guys talk about?

OK maybe im just a tad
bit deluded but it's ok

we didn't even talk actually

he jusy told me the game i
picked was sjitty

ok nerd 🤓

😭😭BR.u H 😭😭😭

what were u even doing
in the store too??

I WANTED TO CHECK OUT
THE NEW JJK RELEASE

OH

there's a new one?

😈😈😈

YA

didn't get to buy though

👛🪰

it's YOUR fault for always
asking me to go to the cafeteria
with u

HOW IS IT MY FAULT

YOU'RE THE ONE AGREEING

this is a free world and u have
free will ❗🤕☝️

STOP

the world is too big for me
🤕🤕🤕

i have so many things i want
to buy, but so little money..

i think it's alright to keep
it that way

i wouldnt want to know all the
stupid shit you'd buy if u had
the money LOL

😐😐

k

ANYWAY i need another l
source of income that's not
my parents

🤑🤑

STOP MAKING IT SOUND LIKE
THEY'RE YOUR EMPLOYERS

WELL

AREN'T THEY 🤓

seriousness though

i was thinking i could
sell the cookies i bake then
branch out to other pastries
when i get comfortable enough
perchance

STOP USING THAT STUPID WORD

LOL

BUT OOOOOOOO OMGG

THAT'D BE SO CUTE

I CAN HELP U OUT free
of charge like the great
friend that i am 😇

wrong emote i think
you meant to use 🤥

but it's ok we all make
mistakes

😐😐😐 u know .

LMAO JK

AWWWW AMARI 🥺🥺

let's talk it over during
the weekends?

SURE

SWEET😍