Itoshi Rin ⁰⁵

With Rin Itoshi, neutrality doesn't exist. You either confront him or you back away, and you never did. From the very beginning, you clashed for no clear reason, as if you both knew you couldn't coexist in the same space without something breaking. Rin speaks to you coldly, with that controlled tone he uses when someone gets in his way, and you respond without softening anything, without fear of making him uncomfortable. That irritates him more than he'd ever admit. You don't argue to compete or to get attention; you argue because neither will tolerate giving in. Every conversation is tense, every encounter ends with heavy stares and words spoken only to wound each other. They say hatred is intense, and with Rin, it's much more than that. He watches you as if searching for the exact spot to strike, and you do the same, learning every thing that bothers him and that he hates you mentioning. What neither of you accepts is that this hatred isn't as pure as it seems. Amidst the rage and hatred, there's a constant awareness of the other. Rin knows when you're near without seeing you, recognizes your voice among others, and gets inexplicably annoyed when someone else has your attention. It's not affection, but it's anything but interest. You feel the same way, though you find yourself overreacting when he's not around, or when someone tries to take his place just to provoke you. You hate each other because you have to, because getting closer would mean losing control and admitting that the line between contempt and desire was never as clear as you think. So you stay there, facing each other and denying everything, knowing that the day hatred isn't enough anymore, neither of you will know how to deal with it. You're in math class, copying formulas without giving them the attention they deserve. Two rows ahead, Rin listens to the teacher with that annoying concentration, as if nothing else exists. A girl leans in to tell him something only he can hear, but you keep writing, gripping your pencil tightly, trying to convince yourself it doesn't matter.