Chapter Text
The hallway connecting the two locker rooms is quiet except for the echoes of excited celebration coming from Rin’s team in the distance. Rin leans casually against the brick wall painted white, a smug smirk plastered across his face.
“That was pretty pathetic,” Rin says as Isagi storms past him, the first player from their opposing team returning from the field to the lockers.
Isagi freezes suddenly, clenching his fists as he spins around to glare at Rin. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Rin says as he walks forward toward Isagi. “Your effort out there was laughable. All that just to lose… must feel bad, huh?”
“At least I wasn't hogging the ball like some shitty self-absorbed excuse for a team captain,” Isagi shoots back, stepping closer to Rin. “Your teammates looked about ready to murder you at any second of that match.”
Rin shrugs, not caring about their feelings in the slightest. “Who cares? We still won. Maybe if you weren’t so busy analyzing shit like chemical reactions, you could’ve actually done something to help your team win.”
“You’re such an asshole!”
“Aw, did I hurt your feelings? Eh, like I even give a shit.”
They are inches apart now, the air between them mixed with their frustrated breaths. Rin can tell Isagi is angry because his face is flushed as hell, and his cheeks are puffed out too. Though Rin doesn’t budge, his teal eyes glinting with satisfaction at getting this kind of reaction out of Isagi.
Before either of them can move the argument further, an earth-shattering scream sounds out from the field above them.
The sound cuts through the hallway like a blade, causing them to press their mouths shut and stiffen in place.
“What was that?” Isagi asks. His voice is quiet now, his anger replaced by panic.
Rin’s brows furrow as he turns toward the door leading back to the field. Another scream follows in the wake of the last one, this time followed by a multitude of frantic shouts.
“Stay here,” Rin orders, already moving toward the door to investigate the source of the sounds.
“No way in hell am I staying here alone!” Isagi argues, moving to follow closely behind Rin.
Rin rolls his eyes and slowly pushes the door open, turning around to make sure Isagi is following behind him as he walks up a couple of steps until he can get a view of the field… and what he sees makes his stomach flip – in the worst way you can think.
The field is full of complete chaos. People are running in every direction, some falling over as others push them to the ground in hopes of getting out. Rin thought a fight had broken out at first, but then he saw all of the blood and inhumane behaviors.
“What the…” Isagi mumbles, his voice breaking slightly.
“Shit,” Rin mutters, gripping tightly onto the handrail of the stairs. His eyes scan the field once again, hoping to see something… anything different, but there’s no mistaking what’s in front of him. This is not just some high school sports brawl.
Rin spots his coach stumbling across the field. His arm has nearly been torn off, and it’s spraying with blood now. Before Rin can even register everything going on before him, a man lunges and tackles his coach to the ground, sinking his teeth into his neck.
Holy shit…
Rin turns around quickly and grabs Isagi’s wrist as he starts running down the steps. “Go!”
“What? Go where?!”
Rin slams open the door at the bottom of the steps and scans the hallway before spotting a small janitor’s closet tucked into the corner in front of them. He runs over to it, dragging Isagi along with him.
Rin yanks the door open and forces him inside before following him in and slamming it shut behind them. They are nearly swallowed in darkness, but a faint light filters through the crack of the door, illuminating Isagi’s dumbfounded face.
“What the hell was that?” Isagi whisper-shouts, his voice shaking as he presses his back against the shelves in the closet.
“Shut up,” Rin hisses, trying to catch his breath. “Just shut up.”
The two of them stand frozen as the sounds outside grow even louder – screams, growls, and the heavy thuds of bodies crashing against the ground. Isagi shifts, his shoulder brushing against Rin’s chest in the cramped space.
“Can you not?” Rin snaps with a sharp whisper.
“There’s nowhere else to go,” Isagi mumbles with a frown, his breath hot against Rin’s jaw.
Rin shifts awkwardly, unsure how to act with Isagi pressed against him so close. He doesn’t know what to do, he’s never imagined this kind of scenario in his head with his rival at such a close distance. It’s not like he wants to fight him or anything, but… he’s uncomfortable, dammit!
Rin swallows hard, his throat suddenly feeling dry in the tight space of the closet. “Stop moving,” Rin whispers, less an order and more like a plea to slow his own spiraling nerves. Isagi glares up at Rin but ultimately stays silent.
Outside, a scream sounds out, sending a chill down Rin’s spine. Both of them freeze, and Rin can feel the soft hitch of Isagi’s breath against his neck.
Rin’s fists clench at his sides as he fights the irrational pounding of his heart against his chest. Focus, for christ’s sake…! Now is certainly not the time to be so distracted by the way that Isagi’s soft hair feels against his cheek, or how Isagi’s lips part slightly as he lets out a breath.
“What is happening out there?” Isagi asks, looking up at Rin with fearful eyes, seemingly unaware of how awkward Rin is acting right now.
“I’m not sure,” Rin admits. “But whatever’s going on, we’re not opening this door until those screams stop.”
Isagi doesn’t respond, but he nods slowly as his eyes drift toward the floor.
—
Soon enough, the screams begin to subside, and Rin’s heart rate does as well. Rin presses his ear to the door, listening for any sounds. He lets out a sigh of relief when he hears nothing but the flickering of the lights in the hallway.
“Alright, it’s time for us to get out of here,” Rin whispers, circling his hand on the doorknob. “Stay close behind me, and don’t make a fucking noise.”
Isagi nods quickly, his face determined but hesitant. Rin pushes the door open slowly, taking a look into the hallway. It’s completely empty, the fluorescent lights flickering creepily over streaks of blood smeared across the walls. Rin grimaces before forcing himself to exit the closet, motioning for Isagi to follow behind him.
They move with haste, remaining silent as Rin takes them to the emergency exit leading into the back parking lot.
Rin scans the lot, finding dozens of cars still parked in place under the headlights. His eyes catch on a dented red car near the center of the lot. The driver’s door is open and he sees the keys dangling from the ignition.
“There,” Rin says, pointing at the beat-up car. “Come on,” He turns to Isagi and grabs his wrist again, dragging him forward to their only way out. He shoves Isagi over to the passenger side of the car and gets into the driver's side as fast as he can. Once Isagi slams the passenger door shut, Rin doesn’t waste any more time, turning the keys in the ignition and bringing the car to a start. He shoves the gear into reverse and pulls out of the parking spot, jerking the car backward and causing Isagi to yelp as the tires screech against the pavement. Rin looks over in annoyance to see Isagi fumbling to buckle his seatbelt. Only this NPC would care about buckling his seatbelt in a life-or-death situation like this…
“Shut up and hold on,” Rin shouts as he slams the car into drive. Dozens of snarling figures stumble from behind the parked vehicles, turning and locking their eyes onto the car. They begin to sprint towards the car before Rin can even get his foot on the gas pedal.
“Rin!” Isagi yells, gripping the dashboard.
Rin slams on the gas, swerving hard on the wheel to avoid the rabid people. The car sputters forward, narrowly dodging a freak that dives at the front bumper.
“Fucking hell,” Rin mutters, weaving between the leftover cars and feral bodies clawing at the air. His grip on the wheel is unrelenting as he clenches his jaw, focusing on getting the hell out of there.
Someone lunges at the rear end of the car, slamming into the trunk and clinging onto it with unbelievable strength. Isagi twists around in his seat, his eyes widening with panic. “It’s on the car! Rin, they’re hanging on the car!”
“Dammit, I know! I told you to shut up!” Rin growls, jerking the wheel sharply to the right, toward the exit of the parking lot. The sudden movement throws the person off of the car, and they tumble onto the pavement with a sharp thud. Rin doesn’t look back to see the aftermath, just speeds forward, turning out of the parking lot and onto the main road. The streetlights flicker ominously as the car speeds down the streets of the town Rin once thought to be comforting. What the hell has he gotten himself into?...