Forever (Rin Matsuoka X Reader)

Chapter Three: Unravel

       I don't make it very far before fingers wrap around my wrist halting my attempted escape. I'm forcefully pulled into the bare chest of whoever stopped me. Looking down, I see black jammers with green detailing.
       "Let me go Makoto," I say into his pectorals.
       "Back in elementary school you always ran away when you got hurt," he whispers into my hair. "You can't run away from everything, no matter how much pain it causes you."
       Fuck.
       My heart shatters like broken glass. I know that he's right and I hate it. My knees give out and it even catches Mako off guard, but he quickly recovers and I don't hit the ground.
       "I don't even know what I was expecting," I say, tears falling from my cheeks to his abdomen. "It's not like I could really expect him to wait for me. We never even knew for certain that we would see each other again. We didn't keep in touch and the distance..." There's a golf ball sized lump in my throat keeping my words locked inside.
       "I know," he says. He strokes the back of my head and holds me closer to him.
       The sound of the door opening and closing startles both of us. Our embrace breaks and we look to see who it is.
       "Y/N," Rin says, breathless. He takes a step towards me.
       I take a step back and a look of hurt flashes across his face.
       "I can't do this," I say, shaking my head. Taking advantage of Mako being distracted by Rin's sudden appearance I take off running.
       They both call after me, but neither of them are dressed to being chasing me. I don't stop running until I reach the train station. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I ignore the incoming call from Gou. She sends a text and tries calling again. I ignore her next four attempts to reach me before finally putting my phone in airplane mode.
       On the train ride home I stare out the window, watching the trees and buildings pass by. I have my earbuds in and my music volume as loud as it will go, letting the lyrics drown my brain.
       I walk home and come across a stray kitten. It looks like it hasn't eaten for a while. I pick it up and carry it with me back to my apartment. I don't want to be alone tonight, but I also don't want human company.
       Finally home, I pour some milk into a small saucer and watch the little ball of grey fluff lap it up. I make a mental note to stop by a grocery store tomorrow to get cat food. Once the little creature is tired of the milk I place it in the sink, giving it a quick bath, discovering that the cat is a female in the process. Wrapping her in a hand towel, I cradle her against my chest and retire to my room.
       "What should I call you?" I ask and she mews in response. "How about, Bisky?" She mews again and it's decided.
       I take a dry towel and create a makeshift bed for Bisky on one of my pillows, rubbing her back until she's sound asleep. I head back into the kitchen and toss a styrofoam container of cup noodles in the microwave, having no energy to cook.
       With thirty-three seconds left on the microwave a quiet knock at my front door pulls my attention away from the declining numbers. I take a quick look through the peephole and see Haru, Mako and Gou.
       I open the door a crack. "I was actually just heading to bed," I try to say, but Haru doesn't buy it, especially as the microwave beeps. He pushes his way into my apartment.
       The others follow suit and stare at me with soft eyes.
       "Don't ever run off like that again," Haruka scolds me. "Do you have any idea how worried you made us?"
       I shrink in on myself. Walking back to my room, I pick up Bisky and run my hand through her fur to comfort me. It helps but not enough. With my free hand I pull out my anxiety pills and pour two into my palm. Tossing them back and swallowing them dry, I see the three of them noticed my actions.
"Who's this little guy?" Mako asks, petting Bisky with two fingers.
"A stray I found own my way home," I say, bringing her head to my lips.
"Didn't your mom tell you to stop bringing home strays?" Haru says. "In elementary school you had three cats and two dogs. You tried to take a bird home once."
I blush. "Well, she isn't here to tell me no."
"As much as I want to reminisce, we came here to talk about something important," Gou says, drawing all eyes to her.
My heart cinches in my chest. "I don't want to talk about it." Bisky rubs her face against the crook of my neck, almost like she senses my distress.
       "Y/N," Gou starts.
       "Please," I beg. "I just want to forget about it."
       We stand in silence. Forgetting about my food I ask them to leave, letting them know that I'll see them tomorrow. Laying in bed, Bisky curls up next my head and I open the locket. Looking at the picture of the boy who I want to forget I fall asleep with tears in my eyes.

~ Rin's Point of View ~
~ A Few Hours Earlier ~

       Walking out of the locker room I'm met by Rio wrapping her arms around me. We recently started seeing each other and she feels the need to make it known to everyone every time she sees me, whether we are at practice or if she sees me around the school. I don't really mind though, she's got a nice body and she leads most of the conversation so I don't have to put much effort into being interesting.
Haru and Makoto are staring at me with their mouths hanging open. Somewhere else I hear my sister yelling a name I haven't heard in a long time and then the Iwatobi guys follow her lead. I watch as Makoto runs out of the pool area chasing after a girl with H/C hair.
"Y/N!" Haru shouts, taking off after Mako.
Pushing Rio off my side I reach out and grab Haru's shoulder. "What's going on?"
His eyes narrow, but he doesn't give me an answer. I push past him, curiosity moving my legs. Through the glass door I see Mako with his arms wrapped around a girl, her face obscured in his chest.
Opening the door, they separate and I swear time stops.
"Y/N," I breathe. I step forward and my stomach drops when she steps back. I haven't seen her since elementary school, but she's never left my mind. I lost hope though that I would see her again. I tried to find her on social media, but there was nothing. Finally I gave up. That's when I met Rio.
I had only been back for about a month and was more depressed than I had been since quitting swimming. Being back home I looked for Y/N everywhere I went even though I knew better. That's why I decided to go to Samezuka instead of Iwatobi High. I thought surrounding myself with people that had no connection to my past would be easier, but no matter what I did I couldn't get Y/N out of my head. Then one day Rio came up to me and she was persistent...
As Y/N runs away from me only one thought echoes in my mind. If only I had waited a bit longer...
It's not like I knew. I'm not psychic.
"Makoto," I say. "When you see her, tell her I'm sorry."
I've never seen Makoto angry until now. "I'm not telling her anything that you can tell her yourself." His shoulder knocks into mine as he heads back to the pool.
Back inside Rio latches onto my arm. Shoving her off I growl, "Can you just back off?" Her teal eyes look hurt, but it doesn't cause any reaction in my chest. Not the way that seeing Y/N did.
Pulling my goggles and cap on I jump in the pool, swimming faster than ever. I don't stop until my arms feel like they are going to fall off.
Rio notices that I'm struggling to get out of the pool and offers her hand.
"Leave me alone!" My outburst bounces off the walls of the now silent pool.
"Rin," her voice shakes.
Finally pulling myself onto the tiled floor I grab my towel and stomp to the locker room. By now the Iwatobi team has left and the only other person in the locker room is Nitori. He's already dressed and waiting by my locker.
"Rin, are you okay?" He asks.
I brush him off. Quickly changing into my track suit and slamming my locker shut I walk out of the locker room. I send Rio a text.
It's over.
I try calling Gou while heading in the direction of the train station. It's late, but there should still be one more train heading to Iwatobi Station.
She answers but doesn't say anything.
"Tell mom I'm coming home tonight," I say into the receiver.
"What about your classes tomorrow?"
I click my tongue. I can't just skip school. If the Captain found out he would kick me off the team. "Fine. I'll be home for the weekend." Hanging up the call and slipping my phone into my pocket I turn around and head back to my dorm.
Sitting outside my room is the familiar light pink hair of my now ex-girlfriend. Tears stain her face.
"Please," she cries. "Please don't do this."
"I'm not doing this," I sigh. "I meant what I said. We are done. I didn't want to be with you from the get go. You didn't give me a choice when you claimed me as your own. I was with you only to satisfy my own needs." I never vocalized this to anyone before but the truth pours out of my mouth. "You were just a means to an end. None of it was real."
By this time doors along the hallway are open with people looking out.
"You don't mean that," she whispers.
"You don't know me," is all I manage.
She takes off down the hall, sobbing the whole way.
"That was a bit harsh, even for you," a boy in the room across from mine says.
I roll my eyes and slam the door to my own room shut, startling Nitori. I lay down on my bed facing the wall making it clear that there will no discussion tonight.