To Stop Time - Act II (ch 6)

The school was announced closed for an entire week, including the cram school.
Students were still allowed access to their dorms; however could not use the area where Kei Wakahisa had fallen head first onto the cement from a 60 meter height.

Everything was a lot more quiet ever since he had killed himself.
In fact, that seemed to be the only topic circling around the students' minds lately.

(including the controversial topic about just how he had managed to land on his head)

It was just a lot to take in all at once...

Ryuji Suguro sighed, handing each one of you the drinks he had grabbed, sitting down at the restaurant table next to Rin Okumra with his own. "Man, this blows..."
Konekomaru Miwa nodded in silent response. In times like these, such terms only seemed fitting.
Even Renzo Shima was out of his usual character. He had noticed a rather attractive woman sitting across the diner, but made no effort to go flirt with her. Instead, he played around with the straw in his drink, rattling the ice cubes around as he awkwardly glanced up at Rin and over at you, sitting on the other side of Miwa, every now and then.

You and Rin both had to be in the worst mood out of anyone in the group.

Bon took in a heavy sigh. He would normally tell Okumura to man up, but now seemed like the worst time.
Rin had previously told him in private that Kei's death was his own fault.
Ryuji had tried to convince his friend otherwise, telling him how ridiculous he was being to think such a thing, but Rin had broke down in response. In that moment, he had decided never to bring up the subject to him again.

You, on the other hand, hadn't spoken a single word ever since Kei's suicide. Even though you hadn't told him, Bon was quite certain you felt similarly to Rin's case, being you were the one who had broken up with Kei just two days before the incident.

He also figured you two had no idea the other felt the same way about it.
It was frustrating.

"The whole damn school was closed 'cause of some damn idiot..." Ryuji growled, clenching his drink in his hand.
"Bon..." Miwa mumbled, glancing a concerned look over at you and Rin, neither of you looking up from your laps.
"Seriously, that jerk just had to pull some shit stunt like that and ruin things for everybody!"

You clenched your hands into fists in your lap, shaking.
Miwa noticed. "Bon...!"
Ryuji ignored him. "It just makes me so damn pissed! He not only closed the school, but he hurt my friends, too! That asshole--!"
"BON!"
"WHAT?!"

You stood up abruptly, face dark from the shadows your hair cast upon it. When you lifted it, it was clearly visible that you were in tears.
"IT'S NOT HIS FAULT!" you practically screamed, causing everyone in the eatery to look over in shock, even Bon, who was staring at you with immediate regret as though he had suddenly accidentally caused another World War.
Even Rin looked up, although his shock was a bit weary.

Silence followed as your head dropped, and the shadows once again hugged your face.
Konekomaru touched your trembling arm, trying to console you. "...(f/n)--"
Before he could say anything else, you pushed his hand away and rummaged past his and Shima's legs to get out of the booth, then ran out the entrance door.

After a few seconds, Rin stood up as well, then slid past Bon and raced after you.

More silence followed, then Ryuji sighed, slamming his head down into his folded arms on the table. "Dammit..."


"(f/n), wait!" Rin called out, catching up to you as you slipped into a nearby alleyway, wanting to hide away from the world; hide the tears which made you feel weak.
He grabbed your arm and you, in response, immediately pushed away. "Go away!"
"(f/n)! Listen!" he barked, grabbing you by the shoulders.
You shook and squirmed, trying to get away, but he kept his hold on you.
"Please..." Rin consoled, looking you straight in the eyes. "...Just listen to me..."

Seeing the calm but pained look in his eyes calmed you down enough to listen to what he had to say, as gentler tears began to form in your eyes.
"(f/n)..." He took a deep breath, as he was on the verge of crying himself. "...I'm sorry... It's my fault... I'm so sorry....."
His hands began to shake, and he slid them down to grasp yours firmly. Confusion masked your face now, slowing the waterworks.

"...What?"
"I... I led him to it..." His breath shook, and you felt immediate concern for your friend.
"...Rin--?"
"I-I killed him...!" he cried, shaking like never before. You tried to release your hands from his to comfort him, but he held on.
"R-Rin, you... you didn't kill him!" You looked directly into his eyes, but he couldn't keep his on yours. "I saw Kei... we all did... he fell himself... No one pushed him...!"
"Maybe not directly," he responded, sounding as though his sanity was being pushed to its limits. "B-But I pushed him, all right..."
"Rin--!"
"HE WAS ALREADY IN A BAD PLACE AND I PUSHED HIM, DAMMIT!" he nearly yelled, and you noticed a flash of red in his eyes for a moment as small blue flames rose from his arms and shoulders, causing you to suddenly feel fear.
You shook it off. "R-RIN! STOP IT!"

You pushed yourself into him, forcing a tight hug. He shook with a low growl, but soon calmed at your embrace.
"(f-(f/n)..."
"Rin... please....." You tightened your hold, eyes beginning to wet again. "...No matter what you say... no matter what happened between you two..... it's not your fault....."

He was silent only briefly before he began to choke on his tears. "I-I met him on that rooftop... his favorite place to hang out..... I told him about how upset you were... I just wanted to know what was going on..... I just... wanted to help... but he snapped, and told me these awful things he did... he said you were going through trauma because of what he had done to his parents....."

Your eyes widened, and you suddenly felt like everything was crashing down upon you.
You had no idea he had felt that way.
How could you have forgotten something like that?
How could you have been so stupid...?

                             It was more so your fault then you had imagined.

"R-Rin....." you breathed, feeling a little faint.
"I-I wanted to go together with him to ask you about all of it, but he--"
"...Rin... I... I'm the one to blame... it's all my fault..."
"Wait, what?!" His grip on your hands tightened. "(f-(f/n)... i-it's not your fault..! Wh-What would make it your fault?!"

You looked down, shadows veiling your face. "I... I should have been there for him... I should have told him... that I had long since forgiven him for that..... that none of this was his fault... that h-he wasn't the reason I was leaving... that I loved him... and I had no other choice....."
Rin furrowed his eyebrows. "...Wh... What do you mean...? ...H-He wasn't the reason...? Wh-What's going on, (f/n)...?" He noticed you suddenly starting to lose your balance. "(f-(f/n)?!" He caught you in his arms.
"R-Rin... I... I need... to tell you..... I......."
"T-Tell me what?!" He shook you a little, strangely feeling a sudden deep, sickening fear. "(f-(f/n)! Stay with me! (f/n)!"

The world around you went black.