"I'm sorry I didn't know how to help you then, but I know how to help you now, (y/n)."
—~—
Third Person POV
Rindo never ran so fast in his life.
Because what do you mean gangsters were after his girlfriend?! After wasting time in that stupid gang in promise for her safety, some stray delinquents go and pull some shit like that? If he ever sees that Hanma or Kisaki guy again, he'll make sure to break a bone or two. Or maybe all 206.
'Shit, since Friday?! It's been two days then!' He thought, his feet were barely hitting the ground as he barreled past the people on the sidewalk, 'I swear— if you come back to me dead, (y/n)...'
He didn't want to think about it. That the stubborn ass girl he met back in April was defeated by some delinquents when she picked a fight with the most notorious one: himself. She couldn't go down so easily, she wouldn't. Not with his brother, not with Red Bullet, not with Shibuya Shadow— hell, he already suspected it's that fashion designer that was out to get her, Kagami or something like that, to pull something like this. He already knew firsthand that none of those people were enough to take her out.
Or at least, that was what he would like to think. All the signs pointed otherwise. All he wanted was for her to answer one text or call, but she didn't even so read it. She wasn't even in the right state of mind to worry about somebody out to harm her, which concerned him a lot more than he would like.
"Ran!" Rindo shouted at his phone once the 'click' of the call notified him that his brother answered.
"Hm? Are you done being whiny?" Ran jeeringly asked on the other end.
"Not the time. I need your help," the younger one urgently stated and pushed people aside to get inside the train station.
Some were about to protest until they saw who it was that rudely barged by. Rindo nearly glared daggers at them. He would've snapped at them if it weren't for the gravity of the situation.
"What is it?" Ran immediately changed his tone after picking up the seriousness exuding off his younger brother.
"(Y/n) was targeted by some guys from Valhalla."
"What?"
"I need your help finding them," he explained. As the rumors go, they could call up a hundred men with a singular call and he had no doubts he could find the perpetrators, "They have something of hers that she needs."
"Wait, where is (y/n)? Is she good?" Ran asked.
"I'm not sure, but I know she'll be fine. It's (y/n)," Rindo grinned, but it appeared more forced as if he was trying to reassure himself, "I'll text you where to meet up once I find her."
"Okay, I'll let the guys know."
Rindo nodded despite his brother not being able to see him. He merely ended the call and impatiently tapped his foot during the train ride to the hospital whilst people stared at him in the corner of their eyes. Whoever was on the other end of a Haitani brother's wrath must be goddamn delusional to be on their bad side.
Once the doors opened, the blonde unhesitantly sprinted out of there. A ten minute walk to the hospital turned to five, and after a few twists and turns, Rindo made it inside the building and ran to the receptionist. The poor lady was scared out of her mind.
"Is there a (l/n) here?!" He exclaimed. His violet eyes held a hardened stare almost like he was out to murder someone.
"S-Sir, you will be escorted out of here if you cause a commotion—"
"Is there or is there not a (l/n) in this building, yes or no?!" Rindo asked in irritation as he placed his palms on the edge of the table to keep him composed. If they say one more stupid thing, he may as well crack the table with how hard he was gripping it.
"Y-Yes! Room 100, down that hall," the receptionist pointed down the area behind him and he did not think twice to dash that direction, "W-Wait, sir! You need to sign in—!"
The tall male didn't bother to listen, instead he was already halfway down the hall and reached for the door labeled 'room 100' to his right. Sliding the door open, violet eyes made contact with (e/c) ones who stared up at him in absolute bewilderment. Rindo cocked an eyebrow at the small figure on the hospital bed and worriedly approached her.
"Maya?" He questioned as his gaze caught sight of the cast around her arm, "What happened?! Are you okay?"
"Rin nii-san..." Maya became teary-eyed and he carefully wrapped his arms around the little girl to comfort her, "I'm sorry..."
"Whatever happened, you must've been terrified, huh?" He softly said and he felt her slightly nod at his statement, "But look at you, you got out of the situation alive and with a cool battle scar, at that."
"But I wasn't able to protect (y/n)-nee..." she murmured and the blonde male tensed at the implication.
"Where is your sister, kid?" He tried to stay calm, but he was slowly losing his composure. Everything was pointing to the fact that his girlfriend was injured, or even worse, dead.
"You didn't see her? She just left," Maya tilted her head in confusion.
As quickly did he enter the room did he also leave in that instant. Rindo left after a quick 'I'll be back' and immediately darted right out of the room. Turning the other corner where (y/n) probably went, he managed to catch a glimpse of (h/l) (h/c) hair before it completely disappeared behind the wall.
'(Y/n)!' He thought and gently caught the person's arm to make sure it was actually her.
Due to the sudden force, the individual turned around and Rindo could make out (e/c) hues behind the continuous rush of tears filling her eyes. After confirming that it was in fact her, he did not hesitate to pull her in a much needed hug.
He found her... and he now knows what he has to do.
|—~•~—|
Safe to say, the conversation didn't go the way he thought it would.
"What?! You almost broke up with Rin nii-san?!" Maya exclaimed in shock after Rindo simply said, 'Your sister almost broke up with me, can you believe that, kid?' and (y/n) shamefully hid her face in her hands. The two were plopped on the visitor seats as they were both emotionally exhausted for the day.
"I did say I didn't want to be emotionally driven the next time I see him," the (h/c)-haired girl groaned as her voice was muffled behind her hands, "You just had to show up early!"
"Are you putting this on me?" Rindo playfully jested back and pinched her cheek, "I'm sorry for worrying that you got jumped."
Both of them were anything but okay after (y/n)'s breakup scare; however, they were just glad that it didn't end up as so. (Y/n) had to pry Rindo off of her as he didn't let her go for ten minutes straight— his shaking would not stop. A small part of his pride was partially the reason since he didn't want to show how much she affected him, but fuck that, he was so scared of losing her. The only other person he willingly accepted into his life and she would've been gone with a simple three words, and that nearly broke him.
Same could be said about (y/n). Again, it's not like she wanted to end things with Rindo, but she loved him too much to see him get hurt. It's the fact that she didn't even think twice of losing her dream career if it meant to keep him safe. When all he's done was protect her even before they got into a relationship— even before they became friends— she wanted to protect him too. She couldn't bare to see him die because of her.
And yet, they couldn't do it... End things, that is. Not when being together was the happiest they've ever been. Not when the other person made them realize their faults. Not when they were both the comfort they needed when their minds told them otherwise.
It wasn't like the movies or the sappy romcoms or the shoujo mangas. They weren't soulmates, they weren't the home where they could return to the other person...
They were the person they needed the most.
When all else fails and they are forced to see the mirror of themselves that achieved the one thing they didn't. That's why they know how to comfort the other without even trying. When all that's left is a husk of their child selves seeking validation outside of their siblings' success, they already found the solution that was meant for the other. Despite the indisputable hatred they had the first time they met, fate or destiny or whatever higher entity put them in the same path to need the other. And that 'need' slowly became a 'want'.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I won't do that again—"
Soon, however, a knock on the door was heard and the three turned to find (y/n) and Maya's parents. The older (l/n)'s greeted Rindo for his surprise visit and offered him the takeout they bought, but said male looked over to (y/n) with a certain expression to his face.
"(Y/n), can you buy me a strawberry drink at the vending machine? I'm pretty sure I saw one when I passed by," the blonde male said and she stared at him incredulously.
"Hah? You can buy one yourself," (y/n) shrugged him off and continued to organize the food on the hospital table. Her mother scolded her for her rudeness, but Rindo was just glad his girlfriend was still the same annoying cretin even after the whole ordeal, "Fine, geez, I'm going..."
With a small wave of her hand and a glare towards the younger Haitani who sent her a jeering smirk, she exited the room and left Rindo with her family. As soon as he knew she was out of earshot, he turned to her parents with a look of utmost determination.
"I know this might not be the best time, but I have something I wanted to ask you," Rindo said and the two adults peered expectantly over for him to continue. Maya was about to eat but held her fork in the air to listen to what he has to say, "Please show up to the fashion contest (y/n) is entering."
He knows now. After so much trial and error, he knows what (y/n) needed the most.
She wanted her seven-year-old self to be seen, to be heard... to be noticed. Even if it's only for one last time.
'I know how to save you now, (y/n),' he thought, his violet eyes were piercing with conviction, 'So please wait.'
|—~•~—|
The rest of the day after that was pretty normal, according to (y/n). Kinda.
"What the hell is happening...?" She mumbled to herself, the straw to her strawberry yoghurt drink hung to her lips as she carried other drinks for Rindo and her family.
"Nee-san, I didn't know you had a contest!" Maya cried and the (h/c)-nette snapped her head to Rindo in absolute bewilderment, "I just wanted to show you the drawing I made in the back of your book! But now it's ruined..."
"It's fine," (y/n) started rather confusedly, "I wasn't planning on going anymore, anyways—"
"Are y'all sure this is the correct room?"
"Of course it is, dumbass. Can't you read?"
"Move, you guys are blocking the way."
"If you guys are any louder, we'll be kicked out."
"Then knock, you idiot!"
"Fucking— get out of the way."
Before they knew it, a singular knock was heard before the door slid open altogether. A group of five stared at the other group of five. (Y/n) and Rindo nearly facepalmed. (Y/n) heavily sighed whilst Rindo pinched the bridge of his nose. The rest of the (l/n) family stared at the small crew of delinquents in horror.
"Oh good, she's safe," Ran commented before his attention was laid onto Maya, "Ooh... but the demon spawn isn't. You know what, I'm gonna go punch those assholes again."
Now, Ran was uncharacteristically angry at those gangsters after knowing the bothersome child got hurt. Sure, she was a pest but he saw too much of a young Rindo in her that he ended up caring for her like his own sibling. (Y/n) was happy with that development.
"Sorry, this is my brother and friends," Rindo gestured for (y/n)'s parents to see and they hesitantly nodded in understanding, "I asked them to find the people who did this—"
"You found them?!" (Y/n)'s mother exclaimed and Rindo heard (y/n) mumble an 'oh no...' or something along those lines, "Where the hell are they so I can break their bones for hurting my babies?!"
Ran, Shion, and Mochizuki grinned in agreement, but (y/n) quickly put a stop to their schemes, "Alrighty, if you guys want to take a seat, I'm sure we can ask for more chairs."
"Oh no, we're not staying long," Kakucho politely smiled, "I believe we have something of yours that you might want."
"Huh?" The (y/h) girl tilted her head and Rindo smirked at her puzzled face. She looked like a doe, which was cute.
Ran handed Rindo an item, to which she couldn't see before turning to her. A hand was held behind his back and a wide grin was plastered on his face.
"I don't like that smile of yours, it's creepy," (y/n) stated but his expression didn't falter.
"(L/n) (y/n), I hope you're ready for the next couple of weeks," Rindo started and she has never been more confused in her life, "Cause I know you'll be stuck in that club room of yours, preparing for that fashion show you always wanted to go to."
He held his hand out revealing the back half of her ripped sketchbook— the front half laid on the small table in the corner of the room that Maya protected with her life.
"But... it's too late now," she spoke in disbelief, "I've already wasted so much time and a lot of the designs are ruined..."
"(Y/n), you don't have to win. Whatever happens, I'll be right here."
—~—
Author's note: Oof sorry for this chapter, I thought I would be able to delve more into it but I guess not.
Anyways, take care and see you in the next chapter :)