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"hmm, how can i make it up to you?"
"there's no need, i just don't want us to be like how you are with ran, or kakucho- pretending almost ten years haven't passed by. we're both different now."
"hmpfh~!" you laughed, making your way to your own double bed which rindou had invited himself to lay on, "that i agree with! i mean... look at you~ you're hot!"
"hey?! i wasn't hot before?" rindou groaned lightheadedly, as you scrambled closer towards where he lay and rested your head beside his on your own pillow.
"well, i'd say you were cute before. the type of rindou i just wanted to put in my pocket and run with." you shuffled with a giggle, adjusting your body to ensure you weren't laying on your wounds, nor too close to rindou, yet. "you were so so cute." to this rindou quietened and shuffled himself, hiding his own joyful expression. it was clear your words held weight towards him, and you loved knowing of the effect you had on him. "we were the best group of friends in all of tokyo~!" you reached over to the bedside drawer, pulling a paper bag and lighter. rindou immediately knew what you were doing: your attempts to light up a joint and spill secrets like little kids. he gave in, grabbing the rolling papers himself and rolling a small but rather packed joint.
"friends huh? and you thought i was cute? if i didn't know any better i'd assume you had a little crush on someone." he tested the waters, filling his own head with the delusions that allowed him to sleep at night, and feel wanted.
"aw c'mon rin, don't embarrass me even more." you hid your face with your hands, unaware of what you were doing to rindou. "ran teased me for it every day~! i had the most appalling crush on him." him, rindou's heart ached, it was always ran that the girls liked. charismatic, stronger than him and more sweet-talking than him. ran haitani had his life layed out, while rindou trailed behind - how could he ever compare?
he chose to sit there huffing a smoke since he simply could not find the words to describe what he was thinking in the moment. "y-yeah." a feeling of uselessness filled his heart.
had he really spent the last near-decade sobbing over the tenjiku days every time he drank too much? had he really strayed away from involvement with other women after not having his feelings reciprocated by you, when really you would secretly bask in ran's embrace with the same intent in mind?
"chill out- i can practically see the cogs in your brain turning." you slapped his upper arm lightheadedly, "plus, it's not like it even matters anymore- ran never liked me back." both your's and rindou's heads whipped around at the sound of shattering glass downstairs in the complex. as luck would have it, any progressive conversation between you and rindou just had to be cut short. "we're both adults now, i don't have stupid crushes on people anymore." you stood slowly from the bed and sighed, waiting for rindou to copy your actions. "we have bigger concerns, huh rin~?" you asked with a smile, already knowing the answers as your smile quickly shrunk and turned bittwersweet.
