CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR;
under the heat

The weather has been abnormally inconsistent these days. It'd be really hot and sunny in the morning, but then it'd start to rain a lot in the afternoon.

"Next! Inoue Takumi!" You wondered if you were lucky to have your PE classes on a fiery day rather than a rainy one.

Class 5 had just started their Fitness activities, earlier than the rest of the other classes since their PE schedules varied.

Inoue Takumi was running a lap around the field, it certainly was a workout.

"Have you ever considered cutting your bangs? I'm sweating just by looking at you," you comment, pointing at Rin's hair.

"Is this your hair?" he asks.

"No...?"

"Then don't tell me what to do with it."

You crossed your arms and puffed out a long sigh, then you gave him the spare black hair tie on your wrist, "At least put it up, you're going to get bad forehead acne."

"Whatever," he mutters, taking it from you. He wasn't threatened by what you said though, in fact he had very great skin. Rin might be mighty and indifferent, but he takes pride in the way he cares for himself.

He fixed his bangs into a small ponytail, revealing droplets of sweat that had formed on his forehead. "Doesn't that feel refreshing?" you raise your brows, lips turning an expecting tight-lipped smile.

He doesn't say anything back and continues to watch your classmates from the bleachers. "Next! Itoshi Rin!"

You observed him as he came down from the bleachers, stretching briefly before waiting for your PE teacher's signal to go.

Your eyes followed his running figure, your index finger tapped on your cheek. Scoffing at how Rin didn't even struggle to sprint at a consistent pace, "You're staring pretty hard," a classmate of yours that you were quite close with, Amasaki Miwako, interrupts your thoughts.

The sun was warm against your skin, but you weren't sure if it's because of that- that your face felt hot. "I wasn't staring," you straighten your posture, clearing your throat as you wandered your eyes around.

"Suuurrreeee, you're not. But honestly? I get it he looks good," she laughed, you turn to look at her. Amasaki Miwako's face was swallowed by her smile, "Are the two of you friends? You seem close,"

"Kind of?" you answer, unsure if you could really consider him as a friend, the whole connection felt one-sided. While it's fun to interact with him, he was just tolerating your presence.

Miwako raises a brow at your uncertainty, "Kind of? What does that even mean?" she presses while grinning teasingly, implying that there might be more than what meets the eye.

"Nothing, he's just someone I talk to sometimes."

"Someone you talk to sometimes?" she narrows her eyes at you slightly, throwing a leg over her knee, she leans closer to you, "The guy who doesn't even make small talk with most people?" 

You roll your eyes, taking your electric mini fan from your side, you turned it on as your face felt hotter, "Miwako, what are you getting at?" you groan.

"Don't you think he probably finds you interesting?"

You sneer to yourself, finding the unlikely suggestion ridiculous. Before you can retort, the PE teacher's whistle blows, signaling the end of Rin's sprint. While he slows to a stop, his eyes sweep through your classmates before landing on you.

"Did you see that?" Miwako grabs your arm and shakes it, you gently slap it away.

"You're reading too much into it!" you scolded her, "I don't even like him that way," -anymore. 

"Really?" she drags the word, hinting that her suspicions were aroused, "Maybe you're just not reading into it enough."

She moves away as Rin climbs the bleachers, you straighten up, trying to look nonchalant. He looks at you with an unreadable expression before taking the hair tie off, but he doesn't give it back and slips it onto his wrist.

He takes a seat one row below you, drinking from his water bottle. His legs spread apart, and he leans forward, then his elbows rest on his knees. You sink in your seat awkwardly, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.

Rin was confused too. Was it normal to be like this with people you've rejected before?

The thought gnawed at him more than it should have.

A few months ago, he had been clear with you. He had shut you down with a finality that left no room for doubt. He didn't care about the aftermath, rejecting people was something he was used to. But then his teammates started teasing him, pointing out how he had misunderstood the situation completely- that he had misjudged you.

At first, Rin dismissed their jabs, he wasn't having any of it, and he had hoped his teammates would just let it go. But after a while, it started to sink in. Could it be he had been too blunt? 

After he rejected you, he started to see you less than what he was used to.  

Now, here he was, staring at the hair tie you'd lent him, then to you. You were doing warm-up stretches with Miwako, laughing with your other classmates. Your face lit up with a carefree smile, it was hard to ignore. 

"Miwako! It hurts! I am not flexible!" you whine as you push your feet against Miwako's, while her hands pulled your arms.

"Y/n, you're making a really stupid and funny face right now." another classmate, Takahashi Tetsuya snorted. 

"Shut up and go away!"

It struck him how easily you got along with everyone, including him, despite everything that had happened between you two. It was frustrating...because for the first time, Rin wasn't sure if he should feel guilty for how he rejected you, or if he should feel something else entirely.

He had expected you to shy away or even to distance yourself from him (though he's pretty sure you've held some kind of grudge). But instead, you were as carefree around him as you were with anyone else, joking, chatting, even tossing him little teasing remarks as though nothing had ever happened. How were you able to do that?

He didn't think he'd grow comfortable with your presence, you weren't overbearing.

Rin had always been the type to enjoy his own company.

But whatever this thing between you two was- it was different. And Rin didn't know what to do with that.