𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐓 ➛ ryusae

chpt 13 ➛ sae

That day had been busy for both Sae and Shidou. They decided to spend the day apart, not willingly but they both had shit to catch up with, and they knew either of them would be a distraction to the other. Sae had some studying to do before the new term stared and had some notes to write, so he spent most of his afternoon at the library, trying to get as much done as possible before he'd spend the evening at Reo's with the others.

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Reo's dorm
10:03pm

Reo's dorm was spacious—easily one of the nicest on campus, with a sleek modern design that screamed money. The furniture was chic, the lighting warm and inviting, and the massive flat-screen TV mounted on the wall practically begged to be the centerpiece of every movie night.

Reo, naturally, was basking in the compliments as the group settled in. "Not bad, right?" he said, smirking as he handed out bowls of popcorn.

"Overcompensating, maybe," Rin deadpanned, staking out the farthest corner of the couch like a moody king.

"Don't listen to him, Reo. This is awesome," Bachira chimed in, bouncing into the middle seat like an overenthusiastic kid at a candy store. "Do you have surround sound? Oh! Do the lights dim automatically when the movie starts?"

Reo's smirk widened. "Of course. Top of the line."

"Rich kid perks," Isagi teased, taking the spot next to Bachira and nudging him. "Don't let him fool you. He'll be sending you a bill for the snacks by tomorrow morning."

Reo frowned, pretending to look offended. "Excuse me, I'm hosting out of the kindness of my heart."

"Kindness?" Rin cut in, raising an eyebrow. "You dragged us all here and gave us no choice. Speaking of dragging... how come you haven't dragged Nagi here?"

"He's out of town, sadly." Reo frowned, waving him off before tossing the remote to Bachira. "Here. Try not to break it."

Bachira caught it one-handed and immediately started flipping it like a baton. "What happens if I do?"

Reo narrowed his eyes. "Then you're paying for it."

"Relax, Reo," Bachira replied with a grin, clicking through the TV's settings. "I'm a professional."

"You're a professional pain in the ass," Rin muttered, earning a snicker from Isagi.

Sae, sitting on the far end of the couch with one leg crossed over the other, watched the chaos with faint amusement. The group's dynamics were as mismatched as ever, but somehow, it worked. He hadn't initially planned on coming, preferring his evening to be spent with Shidou, but Reo's persistence and Bachira's infectious energy had worn him down.

"What are we watching?" Rin asked, his tone sharp as ever.

"Something fun," Reo said, scrolling through the options on the massive screen. "Explosions, car chases, a little chaos—basically Bachira's vibe."

"Hey!" Bachira said, though he didn't deny it. "Pick that one! The guy's got two guns and is jumping out of a helicopter!"

"That's just the poster," Rin muttered, unimpressed.

"Yeah, but it's a cool poster," Bachira argued.

"Let's just pick something before I fall asleep," Isagi interjected, laughing as Bachira started a mock debate about the merits of judging movies by their posters.

Reo sighed and clicked on the action-packed option Bachira had chosen, muttering, "Fine. Let's get this over with."

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