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A HAZE OF ALCOHOLIC FUMES hung thick in the air, clinging to the fabric of the crowded bar.
raucous music pulsed through the space, the rhythm vibrating through the floorboards.
from his vantage point on the second floor, a private room with expansive windows overlooking the revelry below, itoshi sae watched the scene unfold.
lost in his own introspective world, he was unaware of another presence entering the room.
a sharp rebuke pierced the air, shattering the fragile peace.
"oi, you dumbass!" rin spat, snatching the glass of wine from the prodigy's grasp.
"give it back, you piece of shit." sae snarled, lunging for the glass.
rin, with a flick of his wrist, sent it spiraling through the air, the sound of its demise echoing in the tense silence.
"what the fuck is wrong with you?" sae's voice was a growl, ice hardening his gaze.
"i should be saying the same to you," rin retorted, a scoff escaping his lips.
"what would y/n think if she were to see you in this state?" he added, settling into a chair opposite his brother.
despite their strained relationship, the sight of sae drowning himself in self-destruction gnawed at rin.
sae scoffed at rin's words, bitterness dripping from his voice. "she wouldn't even care."
the statement sparked a fire in rin's eyes. he shot up, fists clenched, and landed a punch on sae's jaw, albeit with restrained force.
sae, too drained to react, remained slumped against the couch, the impact barely registering.
"what the hell do you mean 'she wouldn't care'? of course she will care. are you that stupid?" rin roared, grabbing sae by the collar and pulling him close.
"she loves you, you dickhead. are you that oblivious or are you just that stupid?" he continued, shoving sae back onto the couch, his chest heaving with anger.
the prodigy, unable to muster a word, mumbled a barely audible, "i ... i love her too."
the words, though faint, were enough for rin. "then go tell her again and stop being a pussy," he spat, turning on his heel and leaving the room.
rin knew more than he let on.
he had overheard sae and y/n's conversation on the beach, their stolen glances and whispered confessions revealing a mutual affection that was undeniable.
he also suspected y/n's condition, a nagging intuition that manifested as a memory loss that seemed to erase crucial moments.
he reasoned that y/n's forgetfulness was the cause of her seeming indifference to sae's confession.
