Fictober Day 16: "Listen. No, really listen."

The temperature had dipped into a new level of cold when the sun went down. Izumo pulled her coat closer to her body, her breath visible as she strolled down the sidewalk. It was probably stupid to be out here in this weather, but she stubbornly refused to go back to her dorm. Not now. Not after what happened between her and Paku.

Her eyes and nose burned and her throat ached. But she wasn't crying. She wasn't. Really. She wasn't ups—

Her gaze was lowered and she wasn't watching where she was going, so she didn't see him coming until it was too late. Until she bumped smack into his shoulder, causing them both to stumble backward.

"Wha—? Oh. Eyebrows. It's you."

Oh, shit. Not him.

Izumo kept her gaze lowered, glaring at the ground as she shoved her hands back in her pockets. "What?"

"Nothing," he said slowly. "I just didn't expect to see you out—hey, are you crying? What's wrong?"

"No," she snapped quickly, but the break evident in her voice betrayed her.

Rin just stood still, not making any attempt to move. "Are you... are you sure?"

"Yes, now leave me alone, damn it," Izumo said heatedly, before turning so she could march off in the other direction.

"Wait! Izumo, listen."

His hand made contact with her shoulder and she tried to brush him off with a harsh shrug, but he was adamant.

"No, really listen," Rin persisted, pinching the fabric of her jacket. "It's ok. I'm on your side, here. I just want to know what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong."

Rin quieted, out of respect or because he was at a loss for words, she didn't know. Nor did she care. But as she started to walk away, he just fell in step with her, much to her annoyance.

"Why are you still here?" she asked flatly without looking at him.

"Maybe I'm headed in this direction, too," Rin said casually.

She huffed but did not give a verbal response. Her hands curled into fists as she staved off shivers, careful to keep her gaze fixed on her path ahead.

"Say," Rin went on, "isn't your dorm that way?"

Izumo was stubbornly silent.

"Did something happen? Did you get in a fight with somebody?"

That made her pause. "How did you do that?"

A blink. "Do what?"

Was he doing that on purpose? Playing dumb? Izumo's eyes narrowed, pinning him with a glare that would have frozen anyone else into place. But the tearstains on her cheeks and the redness of her nose and eyes ruined the effect, watering down her resolve.

So she tore her gaze away from his, now staring at the ground in not-quite defeat. "Alright, fine. I... I got in a fight with Paku. There. Are you happy now?"

Rin was silent again, but she didn't dare look up to see his expression. Thinking about it made her eyes sting anew, but she determinedly blinked the sensation away.

"I see," he murmured faintly.

"It's actually stupid," she went on without even thinking. "It's just we rarely fight and I didn't know what to do, ok? So I left."

Seconds inched by slowly, and neither of them spoke, just listened to the thrum of the city and the faint whispers of the winter wind. Eventually, Rin said, "I can't say any of my advice will hold any weight. I mean, have you met me? I don't have that many friends, either." A humorless laugh. "But I've met Paku. I know she cares about you. So... maybe you should head back there and talk it out."

Izumo inwardly sighed. She wasn't all that great with apologies and mushy-gushy stuff, and Paku knew that. Some primal piece of her was annoyed at Rin's suggestion, whether he was sincere or not.

Except... that sincerity did mean something to her. Just a tiny, little bit. It wormed its way into her heart and she couldn't ignore it.

"Yeah, maybe," she muttered quietly.

Rin hesitated. "I could walk back with you if that would make easier?"

She had to stifle the instinctive scoff that rose in her throat. She didn't need a babysitter. She didn't need somebody to hold her hand. Come to think of it, what the hell was he doing out here, anyway?

But what came out instead wasn't at all what she was thinking: "Fine. Whatever. Just don't annoy me more than you already have."

In her pants pocket, her phone vibrated. Cold fingers reached for the device and she flipped it open. A message from Paku.

I'm sorry. I hope you're ok.

"Well?" she pressed impatiently when Rin just stood there. "Let's go already."

Now he was beaming. "Right. Let's go."