"M/N!!" A faint yell reverberated across the expansive hallway, reaching your ears from behind. You swiftly turned around, and there was Bachira, bounding toward you with unbridled enthusiasm. As he closed in, he wrapped you in a warm, tight embrace, his face lighting up with an infectious smile.
"M/N! M/N!" Bachira exclaimed, his excitement palpable. His eyes danced with joy, leaving you curious about the reason behind his exhilaration.
"Are you coming to the field trip?" he inquired, tilting his head with an air of curiosity.
Field trip? Wait, what?
"A field trip? We're having one?" you responded, taken aback by the sudden revelation. "You didn't know? It's happening tomorrow!" the boy with two-toned hair replied, pulling out his phone to show you a message from the school principal that had been sent five days ago, announcing the upcoming excursion.
Oh. Why am I just hearing about this now?
"Soo? Are you coming or not?" Bachira probed, clearly eager to know your decision. "Well, I'm not sure yet. I'll need to seek my parents' approval first," you said, a faint smile forming on your lips. "Okay then. Isagi's coming too, so you better join us!" Bachira enthusiastically declared, giving you a thumbs-up before dashing off, gradually disappearing from your sight.
Continuing down the hall, you headed for the library to return a book you had borrowed the previous week.
After a few minutes of walking, you arrived at the library's entrance, your hand reaching for the door handle when suddenly, someone grabbed your wrist, halting your action.
Annoyed at the interruption, you turned your head to see who it was, and it turned out to be Sae.
"Hey," the cerulean-eyed male greeted, his grip on your wrist tightening slightly. "Have you seen Rin? I've been searching for him all over the school today, but he's nowhere to be found," Sae inquired with evident concern. Clearly, he cherished his younger brother and couldn't help but worry when he hadn't seen him throughout the day.
"Rin's missing? Are you certain you've thoroughly searched everywhere?" Your voice took on a concerned tone as well, considering Rin's friendship meant a lot to you.
"Yes, I've checked everywhere, and I even reached out to some of the helpers at home in case Rin returned, but they haven't seen him," Sae replied, his voice cracking with emotion. It appeared he was on the brink of tears, which was unusual for someone like him who rarely showed vulnerability. Despite that, he tried his best to stay composed during the whole conversation.
Sae managed to hold back his tears in the end, although it was evident that he was struggling. Nonetheless, as a friend, you agreed to assist him in searching for Rin around the school once more, as that's what friends do.
Finally, after searching until afternoon, the two of you eventually found Rin in the storage room, looking for an old camera.
"Hey," Rin greeted, rubbing the back of his head, a dusty old camera in his hand.
Meanwhile, Sae appeared disappointed and spoke up, a frown forming on his face. "Rin, I've been searching everywhere for you!" You remained quiet, allowing them to converse.
"Sorry. Um, but I found a camera, see?" Rin changed the topic, extending the camera he held. It was covered in dirt and dust, but it seemed salvageable with some repair.
Sae questioned, pointing at the camera Rin clutched, "Where did you even get the idea to come here and search for that camera?" Rin simply replied, "I don't know. I was bored, so I came here. Do you think it still works?" He then turned to you for an opinion.
"Perhaps, with some adjustments, it could work," you replied, drawing on your photography experience to offer an informed guess.
"Maybe we should take it to a camera repair shop?" Sae suggested, leaning back with his hands on his hips. "Good idea. Let's go," Rin was about to leave again, but Sae stopped him, dragging him back to where they were standing before. "Not now, Rin. Let's get it fixed tomorrow," Sae said with a sigh, glancing between Rin and you.
Both you and Rin questioned in unison, "What?" You looked at Sae, slightly puzzled.
"M/N, you're going on the field trip, right?" Sae asked, his expression gentle as he focused on you. "Uh, yes?" you replied, though you hadn't yet obtained permission from your parents.
Rin quietly observed the both of you. It seemed as if he was calm and composed but the truth is — he felt a sense of jealousy pass through him as he observed you both talk.
He felt this sensation rush over him that other day too, and yet — he never knew the reason why.
"Great. Rin is coming too, so I need you to look after him," Sae said, causing Rin to frown and pout, saying, "What am I, a child?"
Sae clarified, "No, but you can be a bit careless sometimes, so having someone to watch over you will be good."
Observing the wholesome and amusing bickering between the two brothers, you couldn't help but smile.
Sae turned to look at you — he raised an eyebrow as he asked a question, "So? What do you say? Do you think you'll be able to look after him?"
Rin also glanced at you, not really a glance but more of a glare. The way the two of them stared at you made you pressure yourself — so you ended up saying the first three words that came to your head.
"I can manage."
And with that — Rin sighed in defeat, looking down at the floor.
He wanted to thank Sae so badly for giving him this opportunity, but he had to act as if he hated it so it wouldn't be obvious.
As much as he didn't want to admit it, he liked the idea of you looking after him.
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AN — Helloo! I'm back, I got my writing motivation again, soo I might actually update this book more.
