Sometimes, Rin’s life decides to take a different turn and makes him pay for being an ass in his high school years.
This time, it comes in the form of his mother’s call in the middle of the night, all the way from Iwatobi, somber and anxious and worried, “Rin, Gou’s been in an accident.”
For a second, his whole life turns into an inexplicable tableau of chaos. He’s gripping his phone too hard, knuckles white, breath coming faster and faster. “What? What accident? Is she okay?”
“There was a fire at school.” He hears a distinct murmur somewhere in the background, and realizes that his mom is still in the hospital. That makes something in his stomach bottoms out, for some reason. “Her whole class was in the chemistry lab, and they couldn’t open the door. She’s alright, just some smoke inhalation, the fire brigade came very quickly, but the doctor wants her to stay in the hospital for a few days just to be safe.”
“I’m coming home,” Rin says, his mind already running all the possibilities of how to get to Tottori. “Tonight. I can probably still catch the night bus, there should be one that leaves in about three hours, and I’ll get off at Nagoya and take the plane from there—“
“No, Rin, you can’t, you have a race the day after tomorrow. Gou’s perfectly alright, I’m calling to tell you not to worry about it—“
“Mom, if she’s in the hospital, she’s not alright!” He bursts out, voice shaking, panic and fear clawing their way up to his throat. It’s like his father all over again, he realizes—if he doesn’t get there on time, what would happen if Gou just slips away, without him even being there to say goodbye, or kiss her forehead for the last time. “I’m going home. I’ll skip on the race, is no big deal—“
“Matsuoka Rin,” and that’s her mother’s stern tone, the one that would always makes him stop dead in his track, stop and truly listen, no matter what. “I’m with her in the hospital. She’s just gone to sleep, and she’s okay, she was still yelling at Mikoshiba-san—“
Rin backpedals. “Why is Mikoshiba-san there—“
“Because he’s her boyfriend, and I’m not going to be that evil mother who keeps him from seeing her.” Rin wants to protest, but her mother’s voice has taken a soft, fond tone. Fuck. “Don’t worry your head off, boy, your sister is alright. I’m calling to tell you that she’s alright, rather than wait for some of your friends to call and freak you out before they could explain properly what is happening.” A pause, and then his mother’s voice drifts away, like she’s talking off the phone. “Yes, Nagisa-kun, I’m talking to Rin. Yes, of course you may stay, if it’s alright with your parents, too.”
So Nagisa is there. If Nagisa is there, Rei probably is, too. Except if Rei had also been in the fire, and—no. If that’s the case, he’d probably heard first from Nagisa, not his mother. Still, that doesn’t stop him from asking, “Are the rest—are they okay, too?”
“Nagisa-kun and Rei-kun?” His mother’s tone take a rather amused tone. “Yes, they had gym out in the field. Good thing the fire brigade came quick, I heard Nagisa-kun was about to run into the building to get your sister out.”
Rin sweeps one hand across his face. God, he has such idiotic friends. “What an idiot.”
“Your friends are great.” His mother tells him. “Now don’t worry about us, and go back to sleep.”
How to Spend A Night [Makoto-Rin-Haru (1/2)
This time, it comes in the form of his mother’s call in the middle of the night, all the way from Iwatobi, somber and anxious and worried, “Rin, Gou’s been in an accident.”
For a second, his whole life turns into an inexplicable tableau of chaos. He’s gripping his phone too hard, knuckles white, breath coming faster and faster. “What? What accident? Is she okay?”
“There was a fire at school.” He hears a distinct murmur somewhere in the background, and realizes that his mom is still in the hospital. That makes something in his stomach bottoms out, for some reason. “Her whole class was in the chemistry lab, and they couldn’t open the door. She’s alright, just some smoke inhalation, the fire brigade came very quickly, but the doctor wants her to stay in the hospital for a few days just to be safe.”
“I’m coming home,” Rin says, his mind already running all the possibilities of how to get to Tottori. “Tonight. I can probably still catch the night bus, there should be one that leaves in about three hours, and I’ll get off at Nagoya and take the plane from there—“
“No, Rin, you can’t, you have a race the day after tomorrow. Gou’s perfectly alright, I’m calling to tell you not to worry about it—“
“Mom, if she’s in the hospital, she’s not alright!” He bursts out, voice shaking, panic and fear clawing their way up to his throat. It’s like his father all over again, he realizes—if he doesn’t get there on time, what would happen if Gou just slips away, without him even being there to say goodbye, or kiss her forehead for the last time. “I’m going home. I’ll skip on the race, is no big deal—“
“Matsuoka Rin,” and that’s her mother’s stern tone, the one that would always makes him stop dead in his track, stop and truly listen, no matter what. “I’m with her in the hospital. She’s just gone to sleep, and she’s okay, she was still yelling at Mikoshiba-san—“
Rin backpedals. “Why is Mikoshiba-san there—“
“Because he’s her boyfriend, and I’m not going to be that evil mother who keeps him from seeing her.” Rin wants to protest, but her mother’s voice has taken a soft, fond tone. Fuck. “Don’t worry your head off, boy, your sister is alright. I’m calling to tell you that she’s alright, rather than wait for some of your friends to call and freak you out before they could explain properly what is happening.” A pause, and then his mother’s voice drifts away, like she’s talking off the phone. “Yes, Nagisa-kun, I’m talking to Rin. Yes, of course you may stay, if it’s alright with your parents, too.”
So Nagisa is there. If Nagisa is there, Rei probably is, too. Except if Rei had also been in the fire, and—no. If that’s the case, he’d probably heard first from Nagisa, not his mother. Still, that doesn’t stop him from asking, “Are the rest—are they okay, too?”
“Nagisa-kun and Rei-kun?” His mother’s tone take a rather amused tone. “Yes, they had gym out in the field. Good thing the fire brigade came quick, I heard Nagisa-kun was about to run into the building to get your sister out.”
Rin sweeps one hand across his face. God, he has such idiotic friends. “What an idiot.”
“Your friends are great.” His mother tells him. “Now don’t worry about us, and go back to sleep.”
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