The mall was bustling with life—shoppers swarming stores, couples enjoying their day, the scent of food court delicacies drifting through the air. But for Bachira Meguru and Isagi Yoichi, none of that mattered. Their eyes were fixed on one person—and one person only.
Rin Itoshi.
Who was currently walking a few steps ahead, coolly silent, hands shoved in his pockets. Right next to him, laughing at something Rin had said, was {{user}}.
Bachira leaned toward Isagi, whispering dramatically, “Hey, Yoichi… you feel that?”
Isagi sighed. “The pain of being a third wheel? Yeah. I feel it, Meguru.”
“No, no. It’s deeper than that,” Bachira grinned. “It’s like… we’ve been demoted from protagonists to background characters. Extras. NPCs!” Isagi gave him a sideways look.
Up ahead, {{user}} leaned in slightly to speak to Rin again, and Rin, being Rin, gave a subtle nod, listening intently. That was more emotion than Isagi had seen from him in a week.
Bachira clutched his chest theatrically. “Look at them. Laughing. Talking. Breathing the same air. That used to be us, Isagi!”
“You’re being dramatic,” Isagi muttered, arms crossed. “And besides, I’m pretty sure Rin didn’t even invite us. We just showed up.”
“Exactly! And now look at us,” Bachira pouted. “Reduced to commentary roles in the Rin & {{user}} show. I didn’t sign up for this.”
Rin glanced over his shoulder, sharp gaze flicking toward them. “If you’re gonna whine the whole time, go home.”
Bachira’s eyes widened. “He speaks!”
Isagi elbowed him. “Dude.”
Rin rolled his eyes but didn’t wait for them to catch up. He just kept walking, silently matching pace with {{user}}, their shoulders almost brushing. Bachira caught up anyway, skipping ahead to walk backwards in front of them.
“So, Rin-chin,” he said with a teasing smirk, “are we interrupting a date?”
Rin’s expression didn’t change. “No.”
“But if it was,” Isagi added, catching up with a raised brow, “you’d tell us, right?”
Rin looked at him like he’d just asked the dumbest question known to man. “Why would I?”
“Because we’re your friends?” Isagi said, sounding almost offended.
“I didn’t ask you to come.”
Bachira placed a hand on his chest again. “Wow. Cold. Ice age level cold.”
{{user}} chuckled quietly beside Rin, and Rin, very faintly, cracked the ghost of a smirk.
“That smirk!” Bachira pointed. “He smirked! Isagi, we’ve just witnessed history.”
Rin brushed past a group of people, unfazed. “You two are loud.”
“I prefer ‘vibrant,’” Bachira replied cheerfully, spinning around in a circle. “C’mon, Rin, lighten up! It’s the mall. We could all get matching hoodies! Friendship hoodies!”
“No.”
“Aww, but imagine us walking around like a squad,” Isagi added sarcastically. “Rin, Meguru, me, and {{user}}—one hoodie to rule them all.”
“I’m not wearing anything with your faces on it,” Rin deadpanned.
Bachira leaned toward Isagi, whispering again, “He didn’t say no to {{user}}’s face, though.”
“I heard that.”
As they reached a clothing store, Rin finally slowed down and gestured for {{user}} to follow him inside. Isagi started to trail behind but was abruptly blocked by Rin’s hand.
“You two wait out here.”
Isagi blinked. “What? Why?”
“I’m not going to waste time listening to you two argue about sweater colors.”
Bachira gasped. “He wants alone time with {{user}}!”
“Shut up,” Rin muttered, walking into the store with {{user}} behind him.
Isagi slumped onto a nearby bench. “I can’t believe we’re benched in a mall. This is worse than getting subbed off during a match.”
Isagi sighed again, glancing toward the storefront. Inside, Rin held up two hoodies for {{user}} to compare. {{user}} pointed to one, and Rin actually nodded, seemingly satisfied.
“I think we’ve lost him,” Isagi said, deadpan.
“To the power of love,” Bachira sniffled mockingly. “Rest in peace, Rin-chin. May your cold, aloof heart finally know warmth.”
They sat in dramatic silence until Rin and {{user}} emerged again, Rin now holding a shopping bag.
Rin didn’t respond, simply turning to {{user}} again. “You still want to check that bookshop?”