Kuri stood in front of her closet, tugging at the hangers with a mix of frustration and dread. Dresses in every color hung neatly before her, but none of them seemed right. Her hands lingered on a pink dress, a soft, flowing gown that she thought might be elegant enough for the Snow Ball.

Sighing, she grabbed it and headed for the bathroom to try it on.

Rin lounged on her bed, munching on a bag of chips he'd somehow brought with him despite her no-snacks-in-the-room rule. He didn't seem to notice her exasperation, his focus on crunching loudly instead of offering the moral support she had been counting on.

When she emerged a few moments later, smoothing down the fabric of the pink gown, she hesitated. "How does this one look?"

Rin glanced up lazily, his mouth full of chips. He paused, studying her for a moment before shrugging. "I dunno. Pink doesn't really suit you."

Kuri's shoulders slumped, the small flicker of hope she'd had extinguished by his casual dismissal. "Great," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

She stepped back into the bathroom, already feeling a little defeated. From the other side of the door, she called out, "Did you at least get a tux for the dance yet?"

"I've got a suit, if that's what you're asking," Rin replied, his tone nonchalant.

"That's not a tux," she retorted, shaking her head as she peeled off the pink dress and reached for another option—a sleek black gown that hugged her figure a little more than she was comfortable with. She hated it, but it was the only one left to try.

When she stepped out of the bathroom again, Rin started to make another snarky comment, but the words caught in his throat.

"Not another o—" His sentence died as he stared at her, wide-eyed and momentarily speechless.

"What?" Kuri asked, frowning as she tugged awkwardly at the fabric. "Oh, c'mon, not this one. I hate it."

Rin didn't respond, just nodded dumbly, his gaze fixed on her as if he'd forgotten how to blink.

Kuri laughed nervously, trying to ignore the sudden flutter in her chest. "Anyway," she said, turning away to smooth her hair in the mirror. "Did I tell you I got a date for the dance?"

That snapped him out of his trance. "You… what?"

She glanced at him over her shoulder, biting her lip to hide her nervousness. "Yeah," she said, trying to sound casual. "We've been working on the games and the carnival together, and, well… along the way, I just—"

"You just what," Rin interrupted, his tone sharp as his brows furrowed.

Kuri turned to face him fully, her arms crossed. "What's your problem?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "It's not like you don't have a date. You're going with Cassie," she said, spitting out the blonde's name like it tasted bitter.

Rin's expression darkened, a muscle twitching in his jaw. "What's it to you?" he asked, standing up and stepping closer.

"Seriously?" Kuri scoffed, feeling her temper flare. "You're really going to stand there and act like you don't know?"

A slow, infuriating smile spread across his face. "Jealous?" he asked, his voice dripping with amusement.

"YES!" Kuri snapped, throwing her arms up in exasperation. "Finally, you get it!"

Rin's smile faltered, his confidence slipping as her words hung in the air. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension between them crackling like static electricity.

Kuri's face burned, and she broke eye contact, brushing past him toward the door. "Forget it," she muttered. "Enjoy your date."

She stormed out, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to focus on anything other than the way Rin's stupid, smug smile had made her stomach flip.

Rin watched her go, his eyes following the sway of her hips as she marched down the hallway. His tail swished behind him, betraying the turmoil he felt.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair.

He sank back down onto the bed, the bag of chips forgotten as his mind raced. The idea of Kuri with someone else made his chest ache in a way he didn't fully understand—or maybe he did, but he wasn't ready to admit it.

His gaze flicked to the door she had just slammed behind her, and he let out a frustrated sigh.

"She's right," he said quietly to himself. "Cassie isn't who I want to be with."

But as much as he hated the thought of Kuri on someone else's arm, he didn't know how to tell her the truth: that all he really wanted was her.