Rin ended up going to the hospital a few days later though Minami hadn't gotten a chance to speak to her, or that they were both avoiding each other, though she was at least staying at the hospital which was a good sign.
"Are there actually going to be a campfire and rocket fireworks at the school festival?" Minami asked as she took a bit out of a double chocolate chip cookie.
"It's not true.. Both of them are lies." Yuki explained as he shook his head.
"That sucks…" Minami said and leaned back against the wall. "I guess life isn't like anime and manga."
The tree of them sent her dull looks. "What are you an otaku?" Kyo asked her and she rolled her eyes.
"No. I haven't been for a while." Minami explained.
"So you actually were…" Kyo said and Minami looked the other way in embarrassment. Although it had been over thirty years since she had been a large fan of anime though she occasionally read manga when she had the time. It still felt weird to look at the pages and she would wonder if these worlds also existed and it made her all existential, which wasn't anything she needed.
"Have you visited Rin yet?" Shigure asked even though he knew she hadn't.
Minami sent his a blank look in response.
"You shouldn't avoid her." Kyo said.
"I'm not!" Minami said defensively. Kyo only looked up at her unbothered, it would be these small moments when she would notice how mature and calm he was becoming. Their height gaps were only growing and the Kyo who she used to berate was now doing the same thing to her. Minami blushed and looked away.
"Did something happen?" Kyo asked, Yuki looked just as confused.
"Nothing happened.." Minami muttered. "It's just a me thing, that's all."
"I'm not telling you to do it now or anything." Kyo said and placed a hand on hers. He stared down at the hand as he lifted it up, Minami noted how much larger his hand become, it almost made her embarrassed. "I'm just don't want you to try to make up excuses for your actions, just be truthful, you don't have to lie around me… at least."
Minami felt some heat on her cheeks and she squeezed his hand and sent him a soft smile. "Ky—" She was pushed forward and fell onto Kyo's chest as they collapsed onto the ground.
"SHIGURE!" They yelled and Shigure held his hands up, though a big smile was plastered on his face.
"The mood was so good I had to help." Shigure said cheekily.
"We're not even that way." Kyo muttered annoyed and pushed both of them up. His eyes traced the various gifts she had from Hatori and the single one from Yuki. He took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. "Just go visit her alright, it's not like you to run away from your problems."
Minami felt her mind go blank at that statement. Lying… Running away… She had done all those.
"I will!" Minami said and put on a big smile and Kyo bumped her on the head. "Ow…"
"Stupid, stop thinking so much." Kyo said and smiled at her. She returned the smile, this time with a real one.
She had followed Kyo's… advice a few days later on the weekend. She had made some jelly like Tohru had and some chocolate brownies for herself.
"Oh dear, right now, she's refusing all visitors." The receptionist explained once she realized Minami could understand Japanese.
"Is she alright?" Minami asked, though she guessed it must've been because of Haru.
"It's alright; letting girls through." A nurse who was walking by told tehm.
"Ehh… really? Oh, good. That's good. Go right ahead and visit then." The receptionist explained and Minami walked towards Rin's room and opened the door. There was a moment of silence as Minami saw Rin with her cute pigtails and a full black outfit with a thick scar on her back.
"... what?" Rin asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"They…. Suit you…" Minami said slowly. Rin stared at her for a moment and took out the pigtails.
"You're not gonna stop me?" Rin asked.
"It's your choice." Minami said and she took a seat some ways away from her bed.
"I already know that. ...I had a number of tests and it was in the way so I tied it back." Rin explained and Minami showed her the jelly she brought. "Did… Haru tell you?"
"No, let's say that I couldn't see you eating a bunch of cakes, cookies or brownies.." Minami said, which was true.
"You didn't have too…" Rin said and she saw a cute embarrassed look on her face, Minami wondered if she could be considered a tsundere. The thought made her laugh lightly. "What're you laughing at?"
"Nothing." Minami said and sent Rin a soft smile, and placed the jelly's in the refrigerator and took out a brownie.
"You even know I dislike eating in front of others." Rin said annoyed and Minami froze and looked at her. "You, I ccan feel you're not like everything else. I'm right aren't I?"
Minami gave her a leveled look. "M… Yeah you are…"
"Well stop. Just because you think you're different, that just because you can hug us, doesn't mean you can break the curse. Just what do you think you're doing? Are you looking down on us? Do you feel sorry about our unsightly forms? That sort of thing is all — it's all none of your business." She sent her a nasty, angry look. "GENTLE PEOPLE SHOULD GO LIVE IN A GENTLE WORLD!"
Minami smiled at her, suddenly feeling very old, like she was looking at the old Kyo. "It's amazing how much you can assume about someone you don't even know." Minami said and sent her a rueful look. "Gentle. That's not how I would describe myself. A hypocritical liar. I think that suites me more." Rin's eyes widened for a moment but settled. A cold frown was on her face. "I didn't come here to save you, or fix all your little problems, that's not my job."
"I'm special, but not in a way that anyone would want. I know things that you couldn't imagine. I know things that you'd never be able to live with." She leaned forward towards Rin's face. "So tell me Rin, do you think that you'll be able to stop me? That your little pathetic martyr role is going to save Hatsuharu, save Hiro? Because it won't I can tell you that for a fact — "
Rin's eyes went black and she pulled Minami up by her shirt collar. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I TOLD YOU IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUINESS! DON'T INTERFERE! DON'T SAY ANYTHING!... STAY JUST SAY OUT OF IT! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUP UP THERE ISN'T ONE! THERE ISN'T ONE ANYWHERE A WAY… NO ONE KNOWS IF THAT'S THAT CASE! WHAT… NOW WHAT AM I TO DO…"
Rin's hold only got tighter as she yelled at her but large tears fell down her face and splashed onto Minami's face. Minami felt her eyes widened as she looked at the woman.. The girl in front of her… who was sobbing in her face. Minami raised her hand and Rin immediately flinched back up Minami only wiped away the tears from her eyes, although they only continued to spill.
"Tohru… I wonder if she would've had this expression on her face right now…" Minami said quietly as hot tears ran down her face. Rin she wasn't sure how to deal with Rin, because… she reminded her too much of Tohru… of that Tohru… "I'm sorry… I got too emotional… and took out my anger onto you which you don't deserve."
Rin's dark eyes matched hers and her sobbing only got louder, she heard the door to the room open and the nurse and doctor yell at her, but right as they tried to drag Minami away she felt warm hands wrapped around her body. Rin's head on her chest as she continued to sob.
"... I don't know… what to do… anymore… I don't know… I can't… do anything by myself… On my own…" Rin whispered.
"Honestly…" Minami sighed and Rin tensed up, about to pull away put Minami placed a hand on her head and ran her fingers through her hair. "I already have enough little kids to take care of."
Minami smiled sadly. She wondered if it was possible to be a big sister for a girl who's older than you.
"It's okay.. It's okay… I won't leave any of you alone… We'll break it together…"
Minami felt very old.
And very tired.
A/N: If you know Tohru as a character, then you'll know that her and Rin are a lot alike. I imagined that Minami reacted to Rin's breakdown so badly because it was the one thing that Tohru wouldn't allow herself to do, which caused her death. Rin also represents Minami because both of them are terrified and fighting against the past. I'm so proud of our boy Kyo, he's become so mature, and Minami is mature but unstable. Like usual.
Rin and Minami butt heads like sisters, Tohru became a mother for Rin, Minami became a sister.