𝓡𝓲𝓷 𝓲𝓽𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲 𝓫𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓶 𝔁 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂

34. Shidou x Rin part 2

Weeks passed, but for Rin, the pain of that night still lingered like a fresh wound. His room had become a sanctuary, a place where he could shut out the world and the two people who had shattered his heart. Shidou and Sae kept their distance, as he had asked, but neither of them truly left. Every now and then, Rin would hear the soft knock of Shidou or Sae at the door, offering apologies, asking for forgiveness. But he couldn’t bring himself to respond. Not yet.

He spent his days going through the motions—training, eating, and sleeping. But his heart wasn’t in any of it. It felt like the light had gone out inside him, replaced with a numbness that wouldn’t fade. Sometimes, he’d catch himself thinking about Shidou’s smile, the way his laugh used to fill the air when they teased each other. Other times, he’d remember Sae’s quiet advice, the brotherly support that had always been there, even when they didn’t see eye to eye.

It wasn’t that Rin didn’t love them anymore. That was the problem. He did love them—too much. And that’s what made the betrayal hurt so much more.

One evening, just as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the sky in deep shades of purple and blue, Rin found himself standing at his window, staring out at the fading light. He sighed, his heart heavy, when a soft knock echoed from his door.

It was Shidou’s voice this time, quieter than usual. “Rin… I know I’ve said it a thousand times, but I’m sorry. I’ll say it a thousand more if I have to. I messed up, and I don’t know if you’ll ever forgive me, but I’m not giving up on you. Not ever.”

Rin’s chest tightened at Shidou’s words. He clenched his fists, the conflicting emotions swirling inside him. Part of him wanted to open the door and let Shidou in, to fall into his arms and forget the hurt. But another part of him—the part still reeling from the betrayal—held him back.

Before he could respond, another voice joined Shidou’s. “Rin… it’s Sae. I don’t have any excuses for what I did. I hurt you, and that’s something I’ll never forgive myself for. I let you down as your brother. And I’ll understand if you never want to see me again, but… I need you to know how sorry I am.”

Rin’s heart ached. The two people he had trusted most had hurt him, but they were also the ones standing outside his door now, pleading for his forgiveness. He turned toward the door, the weight of their words pressing down on him.

For a long moment, he stood frozen, torn between his anger, his love, and his pain. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he made a decision. Slowly, he crossed the room and rested his hand on the door handle. His pulse raced as he twisted it and pulled the door open just a crack.

On the other side, Shidou and Sae both stood there, their eyes filled with guilt, regret, and—most of all—hope. Shidou’s usual playful expression was gone, replaced with a somber sincerity. Sae, usually so composed, looked vulnerable in a way Rin had never seen before.

“I don’t know if I can ever forget what happened,” Rin said softly, his voice hoarse from weeks of silence. “You both hurt me more than I thought was possible.”

Shidou’s eyes filled with tears, and Sae’s face tightened with regret.

“But…” Rin continued, taking a shaky breath, “I love you both. I can’t just… turn that off. I don’t know if I’m ready to forgive you yet, but I’m tired of being angry. I’m tired of hurting.”

Shidou took a cautious step forward. “Rin, we’ll do anything to make this right. I’ll wait as long as it takes. I just want to be with you again. I want to make you happy.”

Sae nodded, his voice thick with emotion. “Whatever you need, Rin. I’ll be here. I’ll always be here.”

Rin looked between the two of them, his heart aching with both love and uncertainty. He wasn’t sure if things could ever go back to how they were before, but maybe… maybe that was okay. Maybe they could find a way forward—slowly, carefully.