It started raining right after lunch.
Not a gentle drizzle, but a hard, relentless downpour that smacked against the windows and flooded the courtyard with grey. The kind of rain that drowned out thought. Yuuji stood by the classroom window, arms folded, watching water race down the glass in jagged lines. His classmates chattered in the background, but their voices felt muted, like the whole world had turned inward.
It was supposed to be library duty again.
Another two hours trapped with Ren Sakamoto and his impossible smirk.
Yuuji didn't know why that suddenly made his heart beat faster.
"Hey, golden boy."
Yuuji didn't need to turn. The voice was unmistakable—low, rough around the edges, and irritatingly familiar.
"You always stare dramatically out windows, or is this a rainy day special?"
Yuuji exhaled through his nose. "What do you want, Ren?"
Ren leaned against the windowsill beside him, far too close. His shoulder nearly brushed Yuuji's.
"Nothing. Just admiring the scenery." He glanced sideways with a grin. "Or, well, someone in the scenery."
Yuuji looked away sharply. "Don't flirt with me just to get under my skin."
"Who said I'm trying to get under your skin?"
Yuuji turned, finally meeting his gaze. "That's what you do. You poke, you prod. Like this is a game."
Ren's smile dimmed slightly. He looked out the window again, silent for a beat.
"You ever think maybe I just like the way you look when you're flustered?" he said, quieter now.
Yuuji's breath caught.
Before he could respond, the school's PA system crackled to life. "Due to flooding in the west wing, some club activities are canceled. Room 3-B will remain open for shelter and study. Please report there if needed."
Yuuji blinked. "That's... the old art room."
Ren tilted his head. "Wanna ditch the library and hide there instead?"
"I don't ditch things."
"You do now."
---
Room 3-B smelled like damp chalk, old ink, and faint mildew. The lights flickered once before staying on, casting a tired yellow glow over half-empty shelves and covered easels. It was cold. The windows rattled with each gust of wind.
Yuuji sat cross-legged on the wide window ledge. Ren took the opposite one, kicking his shoes off and stretching his legs.
For a while, they sat in silence.
Then Ren asked, "Why do you act like you're made of glass?"
Yuuji blinked. "What?"
"You hold everything in like if anyone gets too close, you'll crack."
Yuuji's fingers curled on the edge of the ledge. "Maybe I'm just trying not to shatter."
Ren's eyes flicked toward him. "You think you're the only one trying to hold things together?"
"I don't—"
"My mom's a ghost at home," Ren interrupted. "My old school kicked me out. And everyone here either stares or avoids me like I'm contagious."
Yuuji turned slowly to face him. "You don't act like someone who cares."
Ren laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Yeah, well. I've gotten good at acting."
Yuuji looked at him for a long time.
"I never asked to be perfect," he said quietly. "But people... expect it. My teachers, my parents. If I don't meet that expectation, they look at me like I'm broken."
Ren's gaze softened. "You're not broken, Yuuji."
The way he said his name—it wasn't mocking. It wasn't teasing. It was careful. Like a secret.
Yuuji's throat tightened. He looked away. "Don't say things like that."
"Why not?"
"Because you say it like you mean it."
"I do."
The silence between them filled with rain and something else—unspoken truths, hanging too heavy in the air.
Then Ren stood and crossed the room in a few easy strides. Yuuji tensed as he stopped in front of him.
"You keep pretending you're untouched," Ren said softly. "But I see the cracks. And they don't scare me."
He reached out—slowly, deliberately—and brushed his fingers against Yuuji's collarbone, just above the top button of his uniform.
"You always button this up so tight," he murmured.
Yuuji caught his wrist before he could undo it. His hand trembled slightly.
"I don't want to be your experiment," Yuuji whispered.
Ren's eyes darkened. "You're not."
Their faces were close—too close.
Yuuji could smell the citrus and smoke again, could feel the warmth of Ren's breath. But he didn't move away.
He couldn't.
---
The door creaked suddenly. A janitor peeked in, surprised to find anyone there. Yuuji dropped Ren's wrist like it burned.
"We should go," he muttered.
"Yeah," Ren said quietly. "Let's go."
But as they left the room, neither looked at each other. And neither could stop thinking about the nearly-crossed line that now hovered dangerously between them.