𝓡𝓲𝓷 𝓲𝓽𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲 𝓫𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓸𝓶 𝔁 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂

55. Reo x Rin

The cold bit at Reo’s skin as he tugged his jacket tighter around himself, his breath forming white puffs in the frigid air. The so-called “training camp” felt more like a survival mission with temperatures dropping lower than anyone had anticipated. Reo didn’t mind the cold usually, but this was different. This was bone-chilling, the kind that made you want to curl up under a mountain of blankets and never leave.

But that wasn’t the real reason Reo was frustrated. No, the real reason was Rin Itoshi—the love of his life, the quiet storm who had stolen his heart. And right now, Rin was rooms away, separated from him because of the stupid random roommate selection.

Reo was stuck sharing a room with Sae and Shidou of all people. Sae, Rin's older brother, who he hadn’t spoken to in years, and Shidou, who… well, Shidou was Shidou—chaotic, loud, and impossible to ignore. Rin, on the other hand, was sharing a room with Isagi and Bachira, which didn’t exactly make things easier. Reo could barely sneak in a glance at Rin during the day, let alone steal a private moment.

And it was driving him insane.

It was late in the evening when it happened.

Sae was rummaging through his bag, looking for something—or maybe just pretending to. Reo was lying on his bunk, pretending to scroll through his phone, trying to ignore the tension that had been building up in the room. Shidou was thankfully out, probably causing trouble somewhere else.

Then Sae spoke, his voice low but sharp, like a blade cutting through the silence.

“So…” Sae started, not even looking up from his bag. “How long have you been dating my brother?”

Reo froze, his thumb hovering over his phone screen. His heart skipped a beat. Shit.

He slowly sat up, trying to keep his cool. “What are you talking about?”

Sae finally looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Don’t play dumb, Reo. I saw the way you look at him. The way he looks at you. It’s not that hard to figure out.”

Reo swallowed hard, but he met Sae’s gaze head-on. “A while,” he admitted, his voice steady despite the pounding in his chest. “Almost a year.”

Sae didn’t say anything at first. He just stared at Reo, his expression unreadable. Reo wondered if Sae was angry, if he was going to tell Rin off or make things difficult for them. But instead, Sae just… sighed.

“I should’ve known,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Rin’s always been stubborn about who he lets in.”

Reo frowned. “You’re not… mad?”

Sae chuckled dryly. “Mad? No. Surprised? Maybe. But Rin’s old enough to make his own choices. I just didn’t expect you to be one of them.”

Reo wasn’t sure if that was an insult or not, but he decided not to push it. Instead, he lay back down, staring at the ceiling as his heart slowly settled back into a normal rhythm.

The next day, the weather took a turn for the worse. The wind howled outside, rattling the windows, and the snow piled up in thick, heavy drifts. Training was canceled, and everyone was given a free day to do as they pleased. Most of the guys stayed in their rooms, huddled under blankets or trying to stay warm by any means necessary.

Reo saw this as his golden opportunity.

He knew Isagi and Bachira had mentioned heading to the common room for a while, probably to play video games or mess around. That meant Rin would be alone in their room.

Reo didn’t waste any time. He grabbed his jacket, ignored Sae’s raised eyebrow, and slipped out into the icy hallway. His footsteps echoed in the silence, the cold air biting at his face, but he didn’t care. All he could think about was Rin.