Chapter Text
"Hatsuharu" - the first month of spring [January]; early springtime
Rin hates summer.
And she hates that, though the sun is beating down mercilessly, the cicadas are screeching incessantly and summer is obviously already here, Haru still isn't on summer vacation. Why isn't he?
She still stays at Kazuma's most of the time, and Haru's when she's not. She can't remember the last time she spent the night at Kagura's, or the last time she went to school. But everyone has accepted that these arrangements are here to stay.
Being someone who had technically graduated from high school and has no intentions of pursuing her studies, Rin finds herself with nothing to do a lot of the time. And now that the curse had been broken, she currently lacked that stubborn determination she had possessed while desperately trying to achieve her singular desire.
Put simply, she was bored.
She loved the time she could spend with Haru. They were precious, precious moments where the world would feel just that little bit more at peace, and nothing else mattered. And she hated the time couldn't spend with him.
And those were, mostly, the mornings and half to full afternoons Haru spent in school. He was still completing his final year in high school. What a bother.
Summer starts in June. His summer vacation starts in July. Rin thinks it makes no sense. And Haru had solemnly agreed with this sentiment. He had never been one for the uptight environment of school either, and it seemed he was raring to follow in her footsteps and quit after high school. Asking him when exactly his last day of school before vacation was was useless. She had tried, and he had honestly had no idea.
Rin sighs for the umpteenth time that day. It was ironic, yes–that being free from the curse and most other things left her feeling so dispirited and of little motivation to do anything. She was supposed to be free. But she wasn’t free to do what she most wanted to do. And speaking of, it seemed she had lost her one and only hobby during this time as well.
Drawing. Or what she would prefer to call scribbling. The lack of motivation she had to do anything else translated into lack of inspiration to draw. Some might use grand labels like “artist’s block”, but Rin would immediately dismiss the notion. She was no artist. It’s not like those scribbles are any good.
Everything is at peace. But at the same time, everything’s wrong.
“Pictures you put your heart into drawing aren’t scribbles. They’re precious…”
…not that Rin believes that. So why do I feel so disappointed?
It wasn’t because she liked her drawings, heaven forbid… it must be because it meant she had one less thing to do to occupy her time as she waited idly for Haru to return. Yes, that had to be it.
By now it’s already evening. School is akin to a prison, she thinks. Just how long are they planning to coop him up in there?
Rin is just about to fall into another bout of loathing when she hears a knock. A beautifully clear, resounding knock coming from the window. As if by reflex, the corners of her mouth curve slightly into a small smile. Standing up and walking to the window takes no time, and when it’s open, she’s face-to-face with Haru.
Now this was a ritual she loved. A knock on the window, and her savior’s appearance. Just like all those years ago.
The window was slid open as quickly as Rin could make it, and just as quickly, she found herself leaning into the crook of Haru’s neck as he pulled her close, arms wrapped around her shoulders. “I missed you, Rin.”
“...me too.” Nevermind that the two had spent the previous night together; it was as if they were always in need of each other. But Rin pushed aside some of these thoughts and tried to confirm her suspicions. “Are you on vacation yet?”
“You bet I am. Wanna go out?”
“Do I even need to answer?”
In a flash, Haru had leaned in and scooped up her frail form into his arms. After carefully maneuvering her through the window, he set her down on the ground in front of him. There was a visible pink flush highlighting her cheeks as he took her hand and led her away, away from the courtyard of Kazuma’s house and into the peacefully empty streets.
“Where are we going?” Back when she stayed in Kagura’s house, they would usually stroll around the Sohma compound, rarely venturing outside of the massive landscape, though that was partially due to their age and the watchful eye of the adults roaming the grounds. But now, they were truly free to go wherever they wanted.
Haru smiled. “The Summer Festival. We might as well. They have plenty of oden. And jelly. Probably.”
Rin wasn’t too sure about going to a crowded place swarming with people, especially one like the Festival where she would probably stick out like a sore thumb for looking like a wet blanket around the bright, smiling faces she was sure to be greeted with there. But the idea of oden and jelly was quite enticing. And going somewhere to have fun with Haru even more so.
It didn’t take very long for the pair to reach the site of the Festival. The bright, vibrant lights everywhere made them certain that they had reached their destination. Haru seemed quite proud of himself for not getting them lost, folding up the little map Momiji had drawn up for him and putting it into his pocket.
Though, considering the Festival was rather high-key in the rural part of Tokyo they resided in, even a kindergartener would have little difficulty finding the site. But for someone with a hopeless sense of direction like Haru, it was truly a victory.
Just as Rin ponders this, she hears Haru’s stomach rumbling. She giggles, and Haru with his usual deadpanned face begins to lead them through the crowd, his nose leading them towards an oden stall. Sharing oden was a bit of ritual of theirs, just like his timely knocks on the window. So it seemed only apt that they should begin the night with a bite there.
The oden stall is a fairly big one, with some extra tables and chairs set out in front of it for customers to eat at more comfortably. Haru made a beeline for the makeshift counter with Rin in tow, smoothly ordering their favourites before pulling out his wallet–how did that massive pouch even fit in his pocket?--and paying for the food.
The stall owner made quick work of their order and Haru was soon gratefully receiving the food from the countertop. While he did so, Rin glanced around, looking for a place where they could sit. In all honesty, she would prefer not to sit at the tables, and instead find an isolated corner where they could eat without her having the feeling that a bajillion people were staring at her.
But as her eyes pass over the tables, she spots, from behind, a black head of hair that looks just a little too familiar. And as her gaze lingers on it just a second more, it turns around to reveal–
–Hatori.
He’s retrieving something from his back pocket, it seems, and he doesn’t notice her gawking at him at all. In an instant, he’s once again facing away from her, and it looks like the whole thing never even happened. Well, for him, at least.
But it seems Rin is not so lucky.
Her jaw is practically on the floor, not just because she never expected Hatori, of all people, to visit a Summer Festival; but also because of the fact sitting across from him is–a woman. One she doesn’t recognise. Though Haru seemed to, because the oden almost fell out of his hands. Thankfully that crisis was barely averted.
“H-haru… do you know her?”
“She’s my teacher. And no, I wasn't surprised because they’re eating together. I was surprised to see them so suddenly.”
“Your what?! And what do you mean? You mean you knew that they were friends?” Rin was caught completely off guard once again. Though the incident now on hand was nowhere near over.
For just as she was picking her jaw off the hard floor, she saw Hatori and Mayuko feeding each other. They were taking turns. In public. Sure, she and Haru liked doing that kind of thing too, but… but not in public. Rin was wholly unprepared to witness this. All she had signed up for was a fun night out with Haru. So how did it turn into this?!
Who was this woman, and why was she doing these things with Hatori?
Haru didn’t seem fazed. In fact, he looked just mildly amused, his deadpan expression leaving his face just a millimeter.
“We should do that too, Rin.”
She jabbed him in the ribs.