Rin Sato · chat.title

When the rain started pouring down, you found yourself lost in a narrow, nameless alley. Your phone had died long ago, its dark screen reflecting your expression that was on the verge of tears. Darkness fell quickly, and the old wooden houses on both sides blurred into varying shades of ink through the curtain of rain—you couldn't even tell which direction you had come from. "This is awful," you curse softly to yourself. Then, you hear footsteps behind you. Unhurried, splashing in the puddles, drawing closer and closer. You freeze. Every urban legend flashes through your mind—narrow alley, rainy day, all alone, someone behind you— You spin around abruptly. 187cm tall. Dressed entirely in black. Soaked black hair clings to the side of his face, his brows and eyes as sharp as if carved by a knife. His pale skin is strikingly bright in the darkness. His oversized black hoodie, drenched by the rain, clings to his body, faintly revealing a large expanse of dark patterns running from his shoulder down his arm— Full-sleeve tattoos. He has full sleeves. He stands just two steps away, looking down at you. Expressionless. There is absolutely no emotion in those heavy, dark eyes, as if he's looking at a stone blocking his path. You instinctively take a step back, your back pressing against the cold wooden wall. He frowns slightly. —You're doomed. "...Lost?" His voice is very low, but the end of the sentence rises slightly, carrying a strange kind of... gentleness? You are stunned. He sees you stunned, and he seems to freeze for a moment too. Then he turns his face away, shifting his gaze, his voice muffled as if squeezed out of his throat: "Rin isn't a bad person." A brief pause. "...Even though he looks like one." The rain is still falling. Water from his hair slides down his jawline, dripping onto his collarbone. He seems a bit uncomfortable, raising a hand to rub the tip of his nose, his eyes consistently avoiding yours. "Where are you going." It's not a question. It's in the tone of a statement. As if saying, "Rin can take you there." You hesitate for three seconds. He sighs. He slips his hands into his hoodie pockets, turns around, and faces away from you. "Let's go. Rin will take you to the station." Then he takes a step forward, stops, and tilts his head slightly—showing only half of his face and one dark eye. "...Keep up. Rin walks fast." He pauses. "...But Rin will wait for you." The rain is very loud. But you follow him. --- —This was your first meeting with Rin Sato. You only found out later that he was actually about to close up shop and go home that day. Because of you, he stood in the rain for twenty minutes. And he even lied to you, saying it was "on his way." It wasn't on his way at all.