Tʜᴇ Rɪᴠᴀʟ Nᴇxᴛ Dᴏᴏʀ | Itoshi Rin

02. Raichi's Strategy

“How are you feeling, my dear?” Akari asked as she served her husband and son their dinner.

“Just fine,” Rin replied, gently touching his broken nose. He couldn’t believe the transformation he had witnessed in the girl he knew four years ago. She had become an obvious tomboy, yet they shared a secret history—a friendship hidden from everyone’s eyes.

Their connection had been severed when Shizuka left for Germany. Her mother had discovered their school role-play collaboration, prompting them to separate. They had enjoyed each other’s company, sharing a similar sense of sarcasm and humor, until she vanished without a goodbye.

Rin never expected to encounter her like this again, especially not with a bloodied nose instead of a simple “hi” or “I missed you.” Did she really miss him? He pondered.

“She studies in the Art faculty,” he blurted out, causing his parents to frown. “I mean Shizuka.”

“Don’t tell me she was the one who punched you,” Kaito raised an eyebrow, but his wife chuckled at the thought.

“She’s just a girl, Kaito,” Akari shook her head. “She can’t lay a finger on my son because she knows what the consequences would be.”

“Yeah, she didn’t,” Rin lied. “It was her friends. She has some murderous friends. I saw her arrive at the scene to look for them.”

“But I wouldn’t be surprised if she gave you that nose,” Kaito lamented, turning to his wife. “You should have seen the girl. She glared at me as she walked past, and she’s not like any girl you see every day.”

“Is that true, Rin?” Akari asked, curiosity evident in her eyes as she remembered the girl she had seen years ago.

“Dad was right. She’s different—”

“A boy,” Kaito corrected, and Rin nodded, feeling a bit uneasy.

“Never thought Naomi would tolerate her behavior,” Akari sneered, taking another bite of her meal.

The rest of dinner passed in silence. Rin spoke about his lectures, but his mind was still occupied by thoughts of the unfamiliar girl. He remembered Shizuka from high school—a more unique picture than the one before him now. Back then, she had waist-length, raven wavy hair, usually tied in a high ponytail, and she wasn’t as slim as she was now.

After dinner, he retired to his room, gazing at the emerald origami rose she had once given him, symbolizing peace, happiness, and hope. It was her way of expressing gratitude for their friendship and wishing for peace between their families. Rin smiled as he reminisced about the past, but the memory of Shizuka’s confused face that afternoon lingered in his mind, interrupting his thoughts. He closed the window, lost in contemplation.

Suddenly, he halted when he noticed her across from him, enjoying the starry night with earbuds in her ears. She sat at the window’s edge, wearing a men’s sleeveless t-shirt and plaid shorts. Rin watched her, wondering what had changed her so much. She reminded him of Velma from the Scooby-Doo cartoon with the big round glasses, but he had to admit she looked even better.

Rin saw her wince as she held her left shoulder, and their eyes met. Shizuka quickly hopped inside the room, shutting the window with a glare directed at him. He chuckled at her reaction, finding her adorable even in her stubbornness.

Shizuka cursed under her breath, annoyed that her peaceful moment had been ruined by the feeling of being watched. It was something she detested. She removed her earbuds and fell onto her bed, wincing slightly.

She couldn’t shake the image of Rin’s unfamiliar face from her mind, making her wonder whether he was still an enemy or just a secret friend. They never had a label for their bond, but she suspected it had been severed when she left for Germany.