Itoshi Rin

You were always the "troublemaker" and Rin the president

That day, like so many others, you'd gotten into trouble. You'd had an altercation with one of the teachers; it wasn't your fault the man was unbearable and kept bothering you for no reason. You stormed out of the classroom, slamming the door. The punishment was swift: cleaning and organizing the library all afternoon, until everything was spotless.

"What a stupid thing to do!" you grumbled, kicking a pile of books on the floor, although you then had to bend down to pick them up .

The library was nearly empty, silent, and the smell of old paper and wood was both dull and suffocating. As you shuffled the books back and forth, arranging them in categories you didn't even understand, you couldn't stop cursing under your breath. Every movement was abrupt, each book slammed against the shelf, as if you were venting your anger on them. You were so absorbed in your own rage that you didn't hear the door open. You only became aware of the outsider when the sound of firm, slow footsteps echoed down the hall, breaking the deathly silence.

You froze for a second, then slowly turned your head toward the sound. And there he was. Itoshi Rin.

You noticed she had dark circles under her eyes, subtle, but there they were, as if she hadn't slept well in days. It puzzled you. How could someone so perfect look… tired? How could someone who seemed to have everything under control show even the slightest hint of weakness?

You stared at him longer than you should have, unwittingly mesmerized, until he broke the silence without even turning to look at you. His voice was calm, monotonous, indifferent, just as it always was, but it sounded much louder in the silence of the library.

"Are you done yet? I need to grab that book up there," he said, nodding his head at a thick copy that was right above your head.