𝓡𝓲𝓷 𝓲𝓽𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲 𝓫𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓶 𝔁 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂

54. Kaiser x Rin (part 2)

The night air was thick with salt and regret. The dim glow from the field lights cast long shadows on the empty bleachers where Kaiser and Rin sat, their silence louder than any words spoken. The distant crash of waves provided a steady rhythm, like the ticking of a clock counting down the seconds of a fragile moment slipping away.

Kaiser’s chest felt tight, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts, but none of them made it to his lips. He wanted to say something—anything—but the words lodged in his throat, strangled by pride, confusion, and guilt. Rin finally turned to him, his usually sharp, piercing gaze softened by the sheen of unshed tears. The sight hit Kaiser like a punch to the gut.

But still, he said nothing.

They sat there, the distance between them growing with each passing second, not measured in inches but in unspoken words. Rin eventually stood up, brushing his hands on his shorts as if trying to wipe away not just the sand but the heaviness in his heart. Without a word, he walked away, leaving Kaiser rooted to the spot, staring at the empty space Rin left behind.

What neither of them realized was that they weren’t entirely alone.

Hidden behind the bleachers, crouched like a group of overly invested spies, were Isagi, Reo, Bachira, Nagi, and Shidou. They’d stumbled upon the scene after noticing Kaiser storm out of the building earlier, their curiosity piqued by the tension that had been brewing for weeks.

Isagi let out an exasperated groan the moment Rin disappeared into the darkness.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he whispered harshly, standing up and dusting himself off.

Reo ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. “Seriously? That was the moment! And he just sat there!”

Bachira, always the wildcard, tilted his head thoughtfully. “Maybe he’s broken. Like emotionally constipated or something.”

Shidou snorted. “Nah. He’s just an idiot.”

Nagi yawned, clearly unimpressed. “That was boring. I thought there’d be yelling. Or a fight.”

Isagi couldn’t take it anymore. He marched around the bleachers, his footsteps loud enough to snap Kaiser out of his daze.

“What the hell was that?!” Isagi barked, glaring down at Kaiser, who blinked up at him, clearly not expecting company.

Kaiser frowned. “What are you doing here?” His usual arrogance was dulled, his voice lacking its typical edge.

Reo appeared next, arms crossed over his chest. “Saving you from yourself, apparently.”

Bachira bounced over, plopping down dramatically beside Kaiser. “You know you’re supposed to talk to people when they’re upset, right? It’s like, a basic human thing.”

Kaiser scowled. “I didn’t ask for your input.”

Shidou leaned against the railing, grinning like he was enjoying the mess. “Yeah, well, you clearly need it. Watching you fumble through that was painful. Like watching a toddler try to do algebra.”

Kaiser shot him a glare. “Mind your own business.”

Isagi didn’t back down. He stepped closer, his frustration boiling over. “It is our business when we’ve had to deal with Rin’s mood swings and your obliviousness for weeks. Do you even realize how much you’ve hurt him?”

Kaiser opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He hated how empty he felt—how hollow the victory of “winning” an argument seemed when there was no actual fight to be had.