One thing Rin hated more than anything was when people tried to get close to her.
It didn't matter who they were—family, classmates, anyone. She had always been the kind of person who built walls around herself. Even her mother's parents, who had taken care of her after her parents passed away, couldn't break through those walls. They tried to love her, but she always found a way to keep her distance.
During her school days, it was the same. When people tried to befriend her, she pushed them away. She hated small talk, hated sitting with people during lunch, hated the awkward let's hang out energy that came with it. Even the girl who once asked her out on a date—she avoided her for weeks, pretending not to hear whenever her name was called. It was here she started hanging out with people.
Reading was the one thing she kept to herself.
It was hers—her own quiet world. She never shared that part of herself with anyone. The last person she had ever read with was her mother, years ago, before everything changed. Since then, books had been her only safe place.
And now, someone wanted to share that safe place with her.
She stood there quietly, staring at Suki, who held up another book with a hopeful smile.
"This one looks interesting. Should we try this one?" Suki asked, her voice light as she tilted her head.
Rin didn't answer. She just stared at the floor, her lips pressed together.
"Cousin Rin, is anything wrong?" Suki's tone softened. "I noticed you haven't said anything. I've picked like a dozen books, but you didn't say a word."
Rin's hands tightened around the strap of her bag. "Well... I did say I read alone in my room earlier. It's fun to read alone. Peaceful. No distractions." Her voice wavered a little. "But why do you want to read with me, if I may ask? I don't understand."
Ice, who had been quietly pretending to look through a shelf nearby, moved to another row. He didn't say a word, but his sharp ears were listening. His eyes flicked between the two cousins without turning his head.
"Oh, that." Suki's smile didn't fade. "You did say you liked reading alone, but I just thought... maybe it would be nice to have a reading buddy. Our cousins don't read much—they'd rather spend their days at the Maiden's Club, doing embroidery, tasting sweets, or gossiping about who likes who." She giggled softly, her fingers brushing the book's edges. "But I really love reading. Sometimes I wish I had someone to share it with. And when I heard you liked reading too, I thought... maybe I finally found someone."
Rin looked down.
The guilt was already creeping in.
She didn't want to read with anyone. That feeling of someone sitting beside her, flipping the same pages, breathing the same quiet—it wasn't comfort to her. It was pressure. Still, hearing the warmth in Suki's voice made her chest feel heavy.
"But reading alone is fun," Rin said quietly. "I do it all the time... and I love it."
Suki nodded, still smiling. "It is. But don't you ever wish you were reading with someone? Even just once? I'm sure it would feel different. Not bad different, just... new. You might even like it." She tilted her head again, her eyes gentle. "Don't you want to try it?"
Rin forced a laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm actually here to find a book that'll help me prepare for my date with Selene. That's tomorrow, so... yeah, I really have to focus on that."
Suki's eyes sparkled instantly. "Wow, you have another date with the Ice Queen? That's going to be so romantic!"
"No!" Rin almost shouted before lowering her voice again. "Not a romantic date. The opposite of romantic. I want to make Selene have the worst date experience possible."
Suki blinked. Then she laughed quietly, covering her mouth. "Okay, you're definitely, definitely different from the real Kisaragi. Like... the opposite kind of different."
"Yes, you're right," Rin said, sighing. "I'm her complete opposite. I'm not the romantic Casanova type like the real Rin Kisaragi. I just... read a lot." Her voice softened. "But I don't even use what I read. I just do it for fun. To pass time. To forget a little."
She hesitated. Her eyes flicked toward the floor again.
Then something inside her started to spill. Words she never planned to say. Feelings she never meant to show.
"I was dragged into a manga I loved reading," she said slowly, her voice trembling slightly. "And I became a side character. I don't really understand how or why it happened... actually, no, I do know why. It's because I underestimated the author. I wanted a happy ending—the kind my parents should have had. I wanted a happy ending for my favorite lovebirds." She gave a small, broken laugh. "That's what brought me here."
Suki's eyes widened a little, but she didn't interrupt.
Rin kept talking, almost like she couldn't stop herself anymore.
"I tried to use the chance to save them. It worked... but then the villainess fell in love with me for no reason. And I'm still trying to understand how and why." Her words began to quicken. "Then I started having these feelings—feelings I said I would never have. It's scary, because I don't even know if they're real. And now I keep feeling like something big is about to happen. Something I can't stop. And it's going to be my fault. Somehow."
The words hung in the air.
Suki stood there quietly, her lips slightly parted.
Rin blinked, realizing what she'd just said. Her throat tightened.
"I—" she began, then looked away. "I'm sorry, Cousin Suki. I didn't mean to dump all that on you. I just... I can't be your reading buddy. I'm sure you'll find someone else who loves reading as much as you do."
She smiled weakly, then turned away. "I need to get some fresh air."
Before Suki could say anything, Rin was already walking toward the door, her pace quick but shaky. The moment she stepped out, the quietness of the street hit her, and she exhaled hard, like she had been holding her breath the entire time.
Ice watched her go.
He didn't follow. His silver eyes followed her figure until she disappeared down the path. Then he turned his gaze toward Suki, who still stood there, holding the book to her chest, looking lost.
For a moment, he just stared. Then, quietly, he walked over.
Suki flinched slightly when she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. "Huh?" she said, turning to him.
Ice stood there, silent as ever, holding a book in one hand. He raised it slightly so she could see the cover—a soft pink romance novel with tiny hearts around the title. Then he tapped the book once, then pointed to her, then to himself, and then to the book again.
Suki blinked. "You... want to read with me?"
He nodded once, a small smile touching his lips. It was faint, but it made her heart warm a little.
"Wow... thank you," she said softly. "Should we sit over there?"
He nodded again. Together, they walked to a small reading corner by the window. The light from outside spilled across the floor, warming the wooden tiles.
They both sat down, cross-legged, the book resting between them. Ice carefully opened to the first page, his movements patient and precise.
Suki leaned a little closer, her fingers brushing the edge of the page. "You know," she whispered, "I've never read with anyone before either."
Ice glanced at her, then back at the page. He gave a small nod.
And just like that, silence fell again—soft, calm, and comforting.
Two unlikely companions sat side by side, reading quietly together as the sound of turning pages filled the room.