Corpse Bride || Haitani Brothers/OC

04 - hope, soul, and the lack of both

Hikari ignored Rin as he called for her. she can't hear anything, if she did, she couldn't really make sense of it. It can't be, right? it just can't be.

maybe there was a counterfeit Haitani out there, wishing to be half the man Ran was as he foolishly decided to get the same tattoo. or Haru could've been wrong. no, Haru was too smart to be wrong—I should've asked more. what was the color of his hair? was his voice deep? did he smile often even when there was nothing to smile about? Ran did. he did.

"what am I thinking, really," she mutters to herself incredulously. this was only a part of grief—denial.

but just how long will she be grieving him? a dead man should stay dead even in her mind, in her heart more so.

"Hikari." Rindou's voice finally penetrated through the deafening thoughts of Ran, and she looks up at him in surprise.

"what's wrong with you?" he asks.

she blinks a couple of times, scanning her eyes around her. they've already arrived at the penthouse and she had bolted straight to her room. except this wasn't her room. maybe for a while it was.

"did you need something?" she looks up at Rin again. when he lets go of his hold on her arm, only then did she realize they were even touching. she steps back, and he pretends to not notice her deliberate distance.

"what?" she repeats.

do I need to have reason to call for you?

of course I do.

Rin grimaces as he looks away for a while. "you just seemed out of it. what are you even doing here anyway?"

"I wouldn't know, I was just out of it as you said," she mutters.

he nods, clearing his throat as he glances at the door to Ran's room for a while. Hikari made a point to never go in it again ever since...well, ever since she thought he died. he doesn't know if she really loved Ran. they were complicated, but he acknowledges that they were a pair.

Hikari eyes him, difficult questions on the tip of her tongue.

"Rin..."

"what?"

she bites the inside of her cheek, and he could see the conflict in her eyes. hesitantly, he reaches to touch her hand. he doesn't know why he wants to, but he does. she doesn't resist him, making him wonder how he'd even find it in him to let go.

it was his way of saying that she could talk to him. that he was here. and he was messy and probably the worst man she'll ever meet, but he didn't plan to be the worst towards her. he'll notch down his bad personality—that's what he'll do; what he's already been doing.

"what is it? I won't get mad," he murmurs, sliding his thumb against the back of her hand. when he does so, she pulls away like she'd burned him.

his voice was so soft that Hikari momentarily forgot about everything else. there was movement in her chest, it was probably her heart, already gone insane enough to skip a beat for Rindou.

"nevermind, goodnight," she shortly says.

Rin scoffs, somewhat wounded that she recoiled from his touch. he didn't touch women like that—he's never had any reason to hold their hand. yet this girl...he chuckles.

"whatever. goodnight, Hikari."

she watches as he walks away, their rooms on opposite sides of the space. as he turns the corner and disappears into the next hall, she lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. she'd become familiar to the sound of his footsteps, and when she can no longer hear them, she turns and makes her way to her own room.