Tʜᴇ Rɪᴠᴀʟ Nᴇxᴛ Dᴏᴏʀ | Itoshi Rin

11. Confusion

It was around seven in the evening when Reo dropped Shizuka off at her residence. As she handed the helmet back to him, he frowned, glancing over her shoulder.

"What is he doing there?"

Shizuka followed Reo's gaze and spotted Rin marching toward them, a bag clutched tightly in his hand. Her eyes widened; he never approached her in front of either Reo or Nagi. She had always kept any interactions with Rin under wraps, choosing to share only the barest details with her friends. Hesitantly, she stepped in his direction.

"What do you think you're doing, Shizu?" Rin spat, his voice laced with irritation as Shizuka frowned at him. "How could you—I mean, you can't—"

"Are you drunk?" she asked, furrowing her brows as the smell of alcohol wafted over to her. Leaning slightly closer so Reo wouldn't overhear, she whispered, "Get it together. Don't do anything stupid."

"What's the matter, Shizuka?" Reo's annoyance grew as he noted the tension between them. He had never liked Rin hanging around her.

"Why don't you tell him what we are, Shizu?" Rin sneered, his accusation hanging heavily in the air.

"There's nothing 'us,' and there never will be," she ground out between gritted teeth.

"Are you scared that he's going to find out about our friendship and tell your mom?" Rin smirked, provoking her, but that was a mistake. Shizuka's fury ignited, and she grabbed him by the collar, glaring fiercely into his eyes.

"Don't you dare mess with my life again, Itoshi," she hissed, her heart pounding with old memories that surged back like a tidal wave. "This time, you won't be forgiven."

Reo couldn't see what was happening since Shizuka's back was turned to him. But when he caught sight of her gripping Rin's collar, he quickly jumped off the bike and pulled Shizuka away from him protectively.

"What's going on?" Reo scowled as he scrutinized Shizuka's furious expression. It was clear that they were both locked in a glaring contest.

"Are you her boyfriend, huh?" Rin challenged, raising an eyebrow. "If not, stay out of this!"

"You dumbass!" Reo snapped, ready to punch Rin when Shizuka gripped his upper arm firmly.

"Reo, just go," she insisted, her voice steady but urgent. She knew there was no benefit in escalating the situation further. "I'll talk to him, okay?"

Reo glared at her, caught between concern and anger. But as he looked into Shizuka's pleading eyes, something shifted in him. With a sigh, he relented.

"Fine, but if things go south, I'm going to beat the hell out of him until he stops bothering you," he warned, causing a chill to run down Shizuka's spine. She knew Reo always kept his word.

As soon as Reo left, Shizuka crossed her arms over her chest, stepping forward to face Rin.

"What the hell, Rin? Are you out of your mind?" She pointed her finger at his chest, her expression a mix of frustration and disbelief. "First, don't talk about problems when you're drunk."

"It doesn't matter to me," Rin replied, grabbing her hand unexpectedly. Shizuka's eyes widened at the sudden physical contact—she felt a mix of discomfort and confusion wash over her. Their hands lingered together for a moment, both of them lost in the sensations and the implications of what it meant.

"What's happening to me?" Rin thought, releasing her hand and looking away, bewildered by his own feelings.

Shizuka shook her head, her brows furrowing as she tried to understand this strange version of Rin. There was no point in continuing the conversation until he was sober. With that thought in mind, she turned to walk past him.