.:.
He wasn't sure what to expect upon entering the classroom later that day. But finding a haughtily smirking Okumura Rin, with what seemed to be a three-tiered bentou box in one hand, was definitely one of the least expected things he thought he would see.
"Heh heh, I told you I'd make you the most awesomest bentou box ever~"
Renzou could only stare at the other boy with a bug-eyed expression. Ryuuji and Konekomaru, who had entered the classroom a few seconds beforehand, gaped at the blue-eyed boy with similarly baffled looks. Smiling toothily, Rin passed the bentou box to the pink-haired boy—it was all wrapped beautifully in blue patterned cloth—and then the half-demon bounded back to his seat beside Shiemi, chirping a simple, "Enjoy!".
"O-Oi…" Renzou heard Ryuuji stutter, "What the hell is that! Don't tell me it really is…?" The boy with blonde-streaked hair pointed at the package clutched in his arms and he couldn't help but grin awkwardly.
"Uhh… yeah. I kind of asked Okumura-kun to make me a bentou yesterday…? Aha…"
"Okumura's…? He… made that for you?"
Renzou shifted the weight in his hands and gave a small nod, "Yeah, ahaha… pretty amazin', eh?"
The expression on Ryuuji's face seemed strange for a moment and the boy's eyebrows scrunched together as he started mumbling silently, "Why did he…?"
"Huh?"
"… n-nothing." Ryuuji whipped his head away and hastily marched towards his seat. Renzou blinked several times. Okay…? What had just happened? He caught the feeling that Ryuuji was, for some reason or another, quite upset and troubled about something… Maybe he wanted to eat Rin's cooking again, too? That was pretty understandable… his own mouth was beginning to water just thinking about Rin's curry rice.
"Shima-san? Why are you just standing there…?" Konekomaru's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Ah! Yeah, coming~" He smiled and began making his way through the aisles of desks and chairs. But just as he passed through the first aisle and crossed the front of the room, Renzou felt an intense gaze sear a hole through him. A bead of sweat ran down his head and he hesitantly turned to see who the pressuring gaze belonged to. A pair of glasses flashed at him and he flinched in surprise.
O-O-Okumura-sensei…?
He felt a shiver travel up his spine. W-Why…? Why was sensei giving him such a ferocious look? Renzou gulped at the dry lump forming in his throat and he laughed nervously, giving the young professor a small nod.
"Uh… g-good afternoon… ha… ha ha…?"
The scary aura surrounding Okumura Yukio seemed to intensify for a second, causing Renzou to shriek inwardly for help. But then just as quickly, it seemed to disappear. A crisp smile lifted the edges of the young professor's lips and he nodded.
"Good afternoon, Shima-kun." His eyes were hidden behind gleaming frames so Renzou could not read the professor's exact expression. The pink-haired boy took that chance to hurry the last few aisles to his seat and he settled into the chair behind Ryuuji with relief. He placed the enormous lunch box in the empty seat to his left and then sighed.
Holy crap… what a hectic afternoon! Was there something special about today that was making things start off so abnormally?
Ahh, even if I think about it the entire day, I probably won't find the answer… Renzou convinced himself, deciding that the best course of action was to ignore the odd behaviors that his best friend and teacher were exuding. After all, there were more important things to tend to… Important things such as… asking Izumo-chan out~! Yes! He could see it all now… once she accepted his invitation and Rin was able to get Shiemi to come, the four of them would go watch a scary movie together. And then when it got to all the freakishly scary parts…
"Kyaa~!" Izumo threw herself across the arm of the chair, clinging onto Renzou's middle and burying her head against his chest. "N-No…!"
"I-I'm so scared, Shima-kun…!" Shiemi trembled, eyes quickly squinting closed. She grabbed onto his shirt with shaky fingers and then leaned against his free arm, large breasts pressing up against him.
"Shima! Shimaaa…!" Rin suddenly appeared in front of him and then flung himself at the pink-haired boy, crushing the air from Renzou's lungs for a brief second. The half-demon peered up at him with wide, teary eyes and his tail curled around one of Renzou's legs, shivering in fear, "H-How are you so brave and cool? It's so scary!"
"No problem," He gave them all a calm and comforting smile, "There's nothin' to be afraid of. Because I'm here…!"
The three watched him with watery and hopeful eyes before cuddling him.
"Shima~!"
A stupid grin spread across Renzou's lips and he nodded to himself confidently. Right, so in order for everything to go smoothly, he had to first talk to Izumo! He fixed his eyes on the back of the purple-haired girl sitting on the other side of the room. When should I ask her? During break? Should I text her? Ah, wait… she still hasn't given me her number. Damn it…
And as he continued to agitate himself over the issue, in no time at all, break time came.
Alright. Now! I'll ask her now…! Renzou nodded to himself, eyes and nostrils flaring with resolution. The boy shot up from his seat, surprising his friends sitting nearby him, and then he made his way towards Kamiki Izumo with haste. The girl already had her books packed up and was getting ready to leave for some food. So he sprinted the rest of the way. Skidding to a stop in front of the girl, Renzou spread his arms out to block her from moving any closer towards the doorway.
"Wh—?" She drew backwards, a look of annoyance and surprise across her face.
"Izumo-chaaan…!" He grinned brightly and leaned towards her with eagerness, "How about we go see a movie this afternoon? Okumura-kun and Moriyama-san are coming, too." Wait, was Moriyama really coming? He took a quick glance in the direction of the front row but after finding no one there, he deduced that both Rin and Shiemi had gone off to eat outside as usual. Renzou shrugged. Rin would probably be able to convince her… He returned to inviting the purple-haired girl, "Yeah, so it'll be fun! What do you say~? Let's watch a movie together~"
Izumo frowned and then turned her head away with her eyes closed haughtily. She stepped around the pink-haired boy and shot out a simple, "Not interested."
Renzou's mouth fell open. Oh no! He was rejected! Like always… This wasn't going according to plan at all…! The boy raced towards the door and planted himself between the girl and the exit.
"What are you—?"
"W-Wait! You should reconsider! It'll be really fun, like all of us can hang out and bond together… I'll treat you, too, if you're worried about the costs an' everything...! Won't you join us? Please~?"
She gave him an unimpressed look and then pushed him aside. "No thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, you're blocking my way…!"
Renzou watched the girl leave. Then he clamped his hands over his head and groaned in defeat. "Oh man, now what…?" There went one girl… He began his slow trek back to his seat, eyes downcast, and he sighed, "Well, at least there's still Moriyama-san…"
The boy's spirits began to lift again at the thought of the busty blonde. However, when he finally came closer to his seat and lifted his head from the floor, a horrifying sight greeted his eyes.
Renzou nearly screamed.
"Wha—? What are you guys doing?"
His eyes were larger than a pair of saucers when he found his two friends digging into the bentou Rin had prepared for him.
"Hm?" Ryuuji mumbled through a full mouth and looked up at him. The boy's dark eyes narrowed and he swallowed before speaking, "Oh, it looked like there was too much for you so… we helped ourselves. Besides, if you didn't want anyone to eat it, you should've watched it more carefully instead of running off to talk with girls." He grumbled.
Konekomaru smiled sheepishly. The speck of rice on the corner of his lips was the only indication of their recent 'crime'. "Sorry, Shima-san… But Okumura-kun really does make delicious food, doesn't he? Eheh… it's really irresistible… sorry…"
Renzou gaped at his two friends dumbly. Then he moved towards what was left of the bentou and inspected its insides with a careful eye. He found only a few bits of food left here and there.
"But w-wait…! Why is there so little left… if only you two ate from it…?"
A bead of sweat ran down Konekomaru's head and Ryuuji nonchalantly finished the last bite from the portion he had taken.
"Uhh, well…" The short boy attempted to explain, "We had quite a lot left over for you but… Okumura-sensei suddenly came over and took some for himself… so… that's what's left… I did try to stop him, honest…! But… since he's our teacher, so… a-anyway… here, chopsticks?" Konekomaru meekly offered.
Renzou continued to stare at his now empty bentou box in a dumbfounded way. Then, he fell into his seat weakly and picked up the box filled with the scarce remains of his friends' and professor's pillage. Lifting the pair of chopsticks Konekomaru had given him, he began to eat at the grains of rice and bits of side dishes.
I was looking forward to this so much though… why did they all do that?
He cried pitifully as the bits of what would have been a wonderful meal left the most beautiful aftertaste in his mouth. And just as Rin had promised, even with only leftovers, he longed for more…
.:.
For the rest of the day, Renzou was unable to fully concentrate on the lectures or activities during class. He would sniffle now and then, earning an apologetic look from Konekomaru and a roll of his eyes from Ryuuji. The hours seemed to drag on at an impossibly slow rate but at last, the final class of the day ended and the pink-haired boy gathered his things together.
Utterly exhausted from exorcist cram school and from all the events that had transpired that day, he laid his head down and sighed into the desk.
"Are you okay, Shima-san…?" The concerned voice of Konekomaru met his ears.
"Oi—we're gonna leave without ya if ya don't hurry." Ryuuji's voice traveled down to his ears. The pink-haired boy moaned and lifted a lazy hand up to wave them away.
"Yeah, I'm alright… you guys go on ahead. I'm gonna stay here for a bit…"
"Okay…" Konekomaru answered back hesitantly.
"..." Although he heard no reply from the boy with blonde-streaked hair, he could still feel Ryuuji's eyes on him. So he turned his head towards the boy, a curious look across his face.
"Bon—?"
"You…" The boy's face seemed to have an almost pained look as he spoke softly, "You're meetin' with Okumura again, aren't you…"
Renzou's eyes grew round. How did he find out? What should he do? Spill the beans?
Well… I never could lie to Bon anyway…
He sat up straight and smiled sheepishly, rubbing a hand through his hair. "Ahaha… well, ya got me! I'll be hangin' out with Okumura-kun again today."
Ryuuji continued to stare at him with that slightly pained look and Renzou felt his laughter die down. Why was he making that face…? What was wrong?
"… why're you suddenly hangin' around Okumura so much?"
Huh? What a strange question…
"No real reason," Renzou shrugged and leaned back in his chair to observe his friend a little more carefully, "He's a good guy and it's fun to talk to him. Why? Is there somethin' wrong with hanging out with Okumura-kun?" A small frown grew across his lips. Ryuuji couldn't possibly still find Rin a danger to be around, could he? Because if he did, friend or not, he totally had to knock some sense into him…
Ryuuji's face was turned away as he began to mutter again, "Oh… is that really the only reason?"
"Bon…?" Konekomaru gave the other boy a curious glance.
"Huh…?" Renzou blinked. Another reason…? Wait! No way…! Did he know about the weird 'Cool Dudes' list, too? Then again, he was sure the name, 'Suguro', had appeared in second-place on the list… so why did Ryuuji have to feel bothered about him approaching the blue-eyed half-demon?
The boy with blonde-streaked hair started again, in a slightly louder and firmer voice, "So, the only reason you're suddenly gettin' all close to Okumura is… because of that, right? Not because you're tryin' to… to… t-to…"
Renzou and Konekomaru exchanged looks of confusion and the pink-haired boy voiced again, "Huh…?"
Ryuuji's face immediately flushed deep red and his eyes darted towards the front row, where Rin and Shiemi usually sat. At the moment, however, they weren't in their seats and had already left the classroom. Still, the little motion he made seemed to make him more embarrassed and he quickly stormed his way towards the front door, shouting out a loud, "Nevermind!"
"W-Wait! Bon…!" Konekomaru followed after the other boy anxiously and the doors slammed shut with a ringing bam!
Renzou sat in his seat, now utterly dumbfounded for the third time that day.
What… the… hell was that—?
"I don't understand what's going on…" The pink-haired boy shook his head, eyes round, "I really don't understand…"
He frowned for a second.
Then a sudden explosion of insight came slamming into him and he gasped, "Haah—! Wait…!"
The way Bon's acting is totally the way I'd see Izumo-chan react if she fell in love with me…! It's like the natural tsundere reaction when they're in love with someone! So then… Bon… likes… Okumura-kun?
It all fit together now! The sideways glances, the awkward behavior…! Renzou's eyes grew round again, mouth hanging slightly open from the sudden rush of intelligence. Then, he chuckled and shook his head. The boy waved a hand in front of his face, a bead of sweat running down one cheek.
"No, no, no, that's not possible… ha ha… Bon liking Okumura-kun, what am I thinking…"
Thankfully, the abrupt buzzing in his pocket put an end to his thoughts and he quickly fished the phone out from his pocket. Sliding the cover open, the boy's eyes lit up. It's Okumura-kun! He opened the newest text message:
Sorry… Shiemi said she definitely had to be in shop today… T_T
… are you still up for hanging out today though…?
We don't have to but… I mean, if you decide to have other plans and stuff I'd understand…
A silly smile spread across his lips and he held the phone a little closer to his face, just to make sure he had read it right. Although the message didn't directly say it, the boy could practically hear the unfinished sentence lingering on the end of the message:
But… I still want to hang out with you…!
"Gahh, so cute, Okumura-kun~" Renzou gushed to himself, feeling his chest grow incredibly warm.
It was nice…
Nice to find someone so eager to want and spend time with him and to be with him…
The pink-haired boy relaxed into his desk and began typing with dexterous fingers.
Sure, I'm still up for it~
Where are you now?
Let's meet up! (happy grin)
He quickly sent the message and began tossing his things into his bag, preparing to set out from the classroom at any moment. Sure enough, in under a minute, his phone lit up. Renzou flicked it open before it could even make a sound.
I'm at the school steps! (happy happy)
I'll wait for you.
"Uwahh…" Why did he find nearly all of Rin's messages so unbearably cute? He totally should've started texting the guy earlier…! How could it be that it was only yesterday that they actually began to use each other's numbers? Well, it wasn't like he had never used it… he'd sometimes call him up to tell him when Bon's study sessions would begin. Stuff like that. But not like this. Setting up times and places to meet each other… Going out together to play…
Renzou tucked the phone into his pocket. In any case… so what if it had taken this long to actually start hanging out together outside of cram school? What mattered now was only the present! Right. School steps. He had to get there fast so he could squish the stuffing out of that fellow…! Without another thought, the pink-haired boy sped out of the classroom with his book bag, making a rapid beeline towards the school's front doors.
He made it there in record time and after a good shove, Renzou burst through the doors shouting, "Okumura-kuu~nn~!"
At the top of the stairs, he found the half-demon turning to give him a bewildered stare.
"Shima? You were still in the schoo—?" But as Rin spoke, Renzou leapt at the other boy, yelling a fierce, "Okumura-kun!" and he clamped his arms around his shoulders and waist, hugging him tightly. "—HhGUH! W-What the hell, Shima?"
The pink-haired boy nuzzled his cheek against the boy's blue hair. Gahh, so cute! So cute, Okumura-kun! Why so cute~?
"H-Hey…! Shima, what the heck is wrong with you? S-Stop!"
Renzou pulled away for a moment and observed the adorable half-demon. Rin seemed to be glaring up at him, but in a half-hearted way, and he could find a light blush surfacing in the other boy's cheeks.
Frickin'. CUTE.
"Uwoh—?" He heard Rin shout when he pulled him in for yet another hug. "Oi! What do you think you're doing!" Renzou laughed and only squeezed him tighter. I can't help it. For some reason, just by hearing your voice, I feel really happy~ The pink-haired boy mused to himself. But to be honest, he was also a little surprised. After all, what with Rin's Herculean strength, the boy could have easily thrown him off if he wanted to. Did he like being hugged after all, despite all his protesting…? He glanced down at the boy's tail which was now swishing faintly back and forth in a pleased manner. It seemed like the half-demon was feeling just as happy as he was. At least that's what he hoped…
"You're really touchy-feely, aren't you…" Renzou heard his friend murmur, a hint of exasperation in his voice, "And yesterday you were about to do the same thing, too, weren't you?"
He chuckled by Rin's ear, "Aha~ Yep! You caught me," Then he pulled back just enough to give him a teasing grin, "What, you don't like it?"
Renzou watched on in slight wonder as Rin's face suddenly turned inexplicably pink. The boy's blue eyes darted towards the side and stared at the ground, determined not to meet Renzou's gaze, "W-Well, it's not like I don't like it but... i-isn't it kinda embarrassing? Even me and Yukio have never really… and no one's really ever… I mean, Shiemi did but… not… like this…" Rin trailed off to a whisper, face still stained a deep shade of pink.
Renzou's mouth fell open. He had meant that question as a joke but…
Oh merciful God in heaven… The boy with pink hair quickly bit down on his bottom lip, suppressing his urges to vocally express how incredibly endearing his friend was, If this guy gets any cuter than this… I'll certainly die...!
"A-Anyway…" Rin muttered with his eyes still averted. He squirmed uncomfortably in Renzou's arms, "Weren't we gonna go watch a movie or something?"
"Ohh. Right, right." Renzou smiled as he squashed the rising urge to nuzzle Rin's hair again. He released his friend and straightened himself with a cough, "So... anythin' you wanna watch?"
The blue-eyed boy shrugged, the pink color slowly fading from his cheeks, "Not really. I don't really keep up with movies."
"Hehh…" He studied Rin as they steadily walked down the stairs, "You don't watch a lot of 'em then? When's the last time you watched one?"
"Mm… Don't really remember… but I know it was with Yukio and the old man, back when I was still a kid."
"Whaat? You've missed out on a lot of good stuff then." Renzou grinned at Rin, "I'll introduce you to some of them one day."
"Okay~" He received an excited reply. The two boys stopped at the cram school gates, and after waiting for Rin to wrap up his tail under his shirt, they left the entrance in a comfortable silence. As they progressed up the sidewalk, making their way towards the busier side of the city, Renzou reflected on Rin's words.
The last time he remembers going to a movie was with Okumura-sensei and the old man…? Seems like he didn't have many friends as a kid then… Hmm? Wait. Old man? I feel like I've heard Okumura-kun mention him before… no, rather than 'heard' it was more like…? Oh! Right, wasn't it on the list…?
"Hey… when you say 'old man', do you mean that guy you put as number one on your list?"
"Huh?" Rin's right eyebrow quirked upwards as he kept his eyes on the road, "List?"
A bead of sweat ran down Renzou's head.
"Y-You know… that weird 'Cool Dudes' list of yours." He gestured nervously. Was it just a dream or something? No, no… it couldn't be…! And besides, he wouldn't have such bizarre dreams!
Rin's mouth fell open. Then, the half-demon leapt back with two hands covering his breast pocket protectively. He eyed his pink-haired friend with suspicion.
"Wha-What? How do you know about my list? S-Stalker…?"
Renzou nearly fell face forward into the pavement. "Idiot!" He yelled back, "You're the one who showed it to me!"
Rin blinked rapidly, "I-I did…? I don't remember…"
Urgh… how could he forg—? Oh wait, the alcohol.
He sighed, "Oh yeah, you were drunk…" The blue-eyed boy continued to stare and blink at him in confusion, lips pursed together as he waited for clarification. Renzou chuckled and shook his head sadly, "Remember that night in Kyoto that you can't remember?"
"Uhh… y-yeah?" Rin sent him a slightly baffled look.
"Haha, well that's when you showed me your list~" The pink-haired boy grinned widely. Then, he winked at the other boy, "You even told me that I was really cool and awesome and that you were totally gonna add me to your list after talking to me that day~"
Rin stared at him. Then he snorted, "Pfft! No way! You're too lame, you'd never make it onto my list, haha!"
Renzou's mouth fell open this time. "Wha—! I can't believe it, you're still so cruel to me even though we're so close now…!"
"Gyahaha, can't help it if you're too lame, you know?" The blue-eyed boy chortled merrily. A part of Renzou felt quite frustrated for not having improved much in regards to the list. But another part of him felt strangely happy. Perhaps it was because he was seeing Rin's genuine display of happiness… or maybe it was because Rin didn't deny that they had become closer friends. Either way, he just couldn't bring himself to feel angry after seeing the other boy's smiling face.
"Anyway," Renzou rolled his eyes, "Yeah, so about the 'old man'…? He's first on your list!"
"Ohh…" A small, nostalgic smile settled across Rin's face and somehow it made Renzou's heart flutter a little, "Yeah, my dad. Uhh, not that bastard, Satan, okay?" The boy scowled in distaste and the pink-haired boy chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah. I know~"
"My dad was way cool~" Renzou watched as Rin's eyes began to glisten with admiration, "He always knew what to do… or what to say to make things better. He was Paladin, you know? Before that long-haired creep took his place that is…"
Paladin, huh… He nodded, smiling as he listened. Then, his eyes grew round. Wait, Paladin—? Isn't that the highest exorcist rank? …well, He thought it over again, actually… it does make sense that his dad was a Paladin. Since he was raising Satan's son…
"Yeah…" Rin's eyes were now lowered to the ground, a sad smile pasted to his face, "I owe a lot to him… he really taught me a lot of things..."
Seeing the boy's melancholic smile, Renzou felt something clench in his chest cavity. That smile was so hauntingly beautiful… full of love and longing. It was absolutely captivating. Yet at the same time… it was so wrong. He didn't like to see it at all. It made Rin look so… His hands tightened together.
Just why…?
Why did he have to look so…
… lonely?
The pink-haired boy knit his eyebrows together, feeling slightly agitated. Before even noticing it himself, his hands were already reaching out and grabbing the blue-haired boy by his cheeks.
"Shima…?" Rin paused, looking up at him in confusion. Renzou stared into those blue eyes, spotting that inkling of sadness still lingering within the irises and the loneliness that still clung onto the boy's lips…
He pulled.
Rin yelped, cheeks being mercilessly yanked upward, "Ugyah—! Ow, OW! Wha tha 'ell are you doin', Shima?"
Renzou continued to stare at him. Then, he nodded in satisfaction, "Yep! Okumura-kun looks a lot better without that kind of sad smile on. Definitely." He grinned warmly, eyes curving into little slanted arcs as he continued to pinch at the blue-eyed boy's cheeks, "You should have a happy smile~ Be happy~ After all, you've got me around, right? Haha~"
He felt Rin's face grow hot in his hands and he chuckled when he saw the boy's face light up in a beet-red color. The half-demon hurriedly shoved Renzou's hands away and then rubbed at his cheeks fervently.
"W-What the hell…? Shima, you… you…"
"Ahaha~ Okumura-kun, your face is so red right now…! So cuuute~" The pink-haired boy teased as the other boy attempted to glare at him and not look too embarrassed at the same time.
"Shima, you…!"
"Hm~?"
Rin pouted and then narrowed his eyes at him, "You... you're actually a playboy, aren't you?"
Renzou's jaw dropped at that. He could feel his heart shattering as it plummeted into the pit of his stomach.
"Wh-Whaaa—? Why do you say that?"
"W-Well then how else are you so good at sweet-talking?" Rin spluttered in frustration, cheeks glowing.
Renzou felt his mind go blindingly white.
Whaaaaaa—? How was that even…? Just when did I sweet-talk, huh?
Nevertheless, he felt a giddy sensation rise up from his stomach—as though his heart had been rejuvenated in a thick and sweet honey—and he quickly lifted a hand up, using the back of his hand to hide the strange smile he was sure he was about to make. The slight burning in his cheeks alerted him that he was likely blushing as well, so he averted his eyes and whipped his face away from the boy standing in front of him.
"Okumura-kun, you're really…" He murmured quietly, mind in a mess and unable to focus properly. How was this guy able to make him feel so many different emotions in only a span of a few seconds? "I don't get you at all sometimes…"
"Yeah, well… same here…" Rin mumbled back softly, eyes also looking elsewhere. The two stood there awkwardly until finally, the pink-haired boy shook himself from his stupor and faced the blue-eyed boy, a mock serious look across his face.
"No, I mean really… you're one hell of a strange guy, Okumura-kun."
"S-Shut up…!" Rin sent him a half-flustered, half-irritated look, and his cheeks were still a blazing pink. The boy's eyes darted away again and he grumbled, "Weren't we going to watch a movie? C'mon, let's go already...!" And with that, he began trampling down the street at a faster pace than before. Renzou watched his friend from behind, following after him at a leisurely pace. He chuckled at the skittish way Rin seemed to be moving in and a wide smile spread over his lips.
Really… he was one hell of a strange guy…
But a loveable one.
.:.