lucky charm, itoshi rin ✓

𖥻 09

an incredible wave of relief spreads through you when you hear the familiar engine and then see rin's car pull up.

you had been talking on the phone until just now because he insisted on not leaving you alone, even though hardly any crooked things happen in the rich neighborhood where you live.

"thanks for picking me up," you look down, ashamed, avoid looking at rin.

on the one hand, you feel awkward that he had to come all the way here for you, though you're still not sure why you called him of all people.

on the other hand, you caught a glimpse, and even though he's only wearing a loose white t-shirt and simple adidas sweatpants, he looks irresistible.

"again and again, babe." you can feel the cheeky grin on his face.

on the inside he could freak out, wouldn't have believed that you would call him when you want to leave home or there is stress.

and you just can't understand it either, acted without thinking.

you could've also called your best friend, who knows about the constant stress with your parents, or kae, a good friend of yours. rather, the only ones your parents see as appropriate for you.

for the next few minutes there is silence, except for the thoughts that buzz in your head, reminding you of what happened earlier.

also, you wonder where you are going, rin is now driving through shabby apartment buildings that line up like trees in a forest. you don't know what you're doing there until rin comes to a stop and then smoothly drives the car into one of the many garages until you realize that he lives here.

"my parents. they want to put me in an all-girls boarding school. just because my current school doesn't meet their standards," you interrupt the silence as you continue to sit in the car. rin hadn't said a word and hadn't asked you what was going on. nevertheless, you feel that you owe him this information, that you can trust him with it. "i stood up to their word for the first time and resisted because i don't want to leave here. but they don't care. it's always about business, about their ridiculous standards, whether i want something or not or whether i'm happy doesn't matter." unintentionally, tears form in your eyes, which you try miserably to blink away, but fail.

you feel uncomfortable crying in front of rin and suddenly you feel his hand on your thigh, soothingly he moves it up and down, leaving a pleasant warmth in his wake.

"that's bad, but in the end they only want what's best for you, right? if something were to happen, they would do anything for you. it's about business, about money, about looking good, but they'll give you anything you want, won't they?," his questions throw you off your game.

you look at him with a blur, a small crooked smile on his full lips. "my mother died when i was in elementary school. it was in a car accident. my father took care of me as best he could, but he had to take care of not only me, but my brother as well. money was getting tight and he barely had time to grieve himself until he reached for the bottle." rin falters as if he is about to cry, but his eyes are not the least bit moist and his expression is not convulsive or sad — quite the opposite.

he still has that little smile on his lips, but his eyes are cold. "he lives alone in an apartment now, he's taken care of, and i go to see him every other day. i dropped out of school, but i work in yoichi's father's garage. but there's not enough money, so the car races, they're a part of my life, and i love it more than anything. " he tells you about his life, which leaves you speechless.

you never expected rin to reveal so much about himself and tell someone he barely knows. you feel a little stupid for getting so upset about your parents.

"i-i-," you falter, swallow as he comes a little closer to you and puts his other hand to your wet cheek. his forehead finds yours, his thumb draws circles on your soft skin.

"you don't have to say anything. it's enough that you listened, y/n" he breathes in front of your lips so that you can feel his hot breath on them and the desire to kiss him doubles every second.

your heart leaps and your stomach tingles as if there were thousands of butterflies in it when rin finally puts his lips on yours. his hand moves from your cheek to your neck to press you even tighter against him and no leaf would fit between you anymore.

although it's a bit uncomfortable since you're still sitting in the car, this moment couldn't be more beautiful.

and once again you realize that you feel comfortable with him, that you trust him and he you.

you have something, one could almost say, magical in common.

and you would also go through difficult times together, where some will come in the future.