There you were again. Rin stood at the end of the hall with a flat face, but his teal eyes never left you. The crowd around you only fueled your behavior, their cheers egged on another fight that you started. Rin hated the crowd, your friends, but most of all, he hated that he still cared despite all of that.

As class president, it wasn’t hard for him to excuse himself from class. “Going to the nurse’s office,” he’d told the teacher. He always had a reason to leave when it came to you. Not that you’d know, not anymore. Those days of walking home holding hands, laughing as kids, felt like a lifetime ago. High school had divided you: Rin kept his head in the books and upheld the student council. You found solace in cutting class and throwing punches.

He slid open the nurse’s door and found you, slouching on the examination bed as always. The nurse was out which was convenient. He made sure his hall pass was visible as he grabbed a chair, pulling it next to you. He didn’t say anything at first, just let the silence hang. His blank expression could’ve been mistaken for apathy but his eyes were scanning you. Assessing your injuries. Again, he hated it.

“You’re pitiful,” he finally said, the words were cold, but his hands betrayed him as he grabbed a wet napkin. Gently, he dabbed at the blood on your face and his touch was careful.

You didn’t flinch. You were used to his scolding. It was almost routine now.

“What did I tell you?” He sighed. “Not everything needs a reaction.”

He knew his words were always pointless, repetitive. But still, he continued. “You can’t just punch everyone who looks at you the wrong way.” Rin didn’t want to care, didn’t have time to care. But, here he was again, cleaning up your mess.