IC INBOX: INUGAMI

[underlined]

“Uh, hello. You've reached Keisuke... I’m sorry, but I’m not able to pick up right now. Leave me a message and I'll try to call back. Um... thanks, bye.”

[VOICE CALL, TEXT MESSAGING, AND PHOTO SHARING IS ENABLED ON THIS CELL PHONE.]

Comments

[underlined]

[It wasn't even so much that he was questioning. He had given it the sporting try once and realized that it was an impossibility with someone he didn't have a certain depth of feeling for, and... well, once he realized that he had feelings for Akira, it had just devolved into a whirlwind of self-loathing, compartmentalization, and deep denial. Maybe Rin could help him in that, to assuage him that he wasn't some sort of traitor or terrible person for falling for a friend when he should be just that, a friend. He felt awful about it all the time, like he was a liar and a cheat for keeping quiet. But he doesn't know what else to do.

It would mean something coming from Rin, though. He does trust the guy now, more than most everyone else in the school, so he wouldn't have any reason to lie to him, right?

In turn, the question just makes Keisuke's face flush a little bit.] N - No...! It just - came up. [It's precious how genuine he is.

He regards Rin with some nerves for a moment; where he always feels as though he can guess what Akira might say or do, based on how well he knows the guy, he never feels as though he can ever anticipate what Rin might say or do.]

Practice? You mean sparring? [Now he has a real reason to be nervous.]

I - I don't know... you'd kick my ass.

[That's an understatement.]

[koat]

[ At least, in that regard, Rin might be able to understand. Keisuke's decision to withhold his own feelings for a friend is almost a direct mirror of his own decision to do the same with Kazui. Only, he doesn't want Keisuke to end up regretting it like he has, now that he has no chance of being able to confess his feelings anymore. It'd be a big step in, hopefully, the right direction, for them to talk about both situations. Rin laughs again, gaze softening at how endearingly precious Keisuke can be, and bobs his head in a few nods. ] Yeah, of course! And I would, no doubt about that- [ Sorry, man... ] -but the only way you'll get better is by practising and learning more! [ He walks back to the corner of the hall, one hand raised in a wave as he gets ready to depart, flashing Keisuke a warm, broad smile. ] Humour me one of these days, or I'll drag you along without giving you a choice!

[underlined]

[Excuse you, Rin, he's not precious, he's...! Okay, maybe he's not manly as hell, but the sentiment stands...!

(No offense taken...)]

Y - Yeah, I guess that's true. [His expression sets into a small frown. His only concern is that it's not just he hasn't practiced or learned it. He'd learned to fight and to kill since he was young, the same as Rin, and it had never "clicked." He froze up then, and he froze up now. It didn't give him any reason to think that would ever change.

But humoring Rin... that might help. Maybe.

Keisuke lifts a hand in farewell, pausing before replying,] Okay... if you say so...!

[And Rin leaves Keisuke alone. He pauses a moment, thoughtfully, before going to tidy things up and put them in the right places. Rin always ends up arriving and leaving like a hurricane.]