As I waited by the the behind the yellow line for the train to arrive, a loud ding! transferred my attention to my cell phone.
RIN-RIN ☆
I miss you!
A smile took the form of my lips. We hadn't talked in a few days and that was the first thing he texted?
Resisting the urge to shake my head, I brought my thumbs to the screen to type. After a brief thought, I sent something.
Did you see something that reminded you of me?
There was a long pause on his end. Until. . .
RIN-RIN ☆
Yes. . . ?
Wow, I typed. It's nice to know I'm only worth thinking about periodically.
RIN-RIN ☆
Ah! Of course not, Shii. I think about you all the time. I cry every single day knowing you aren't with me.
On cue, he sent a photo. Dressed in a casual light grey hoodie and dark washed jeans, a huge grin painted his face, his eyes glued to the puppy he cradled in his free arm. A boatload of puppies surrounded him, one sprawled on his lap; others rolling around nearby.
RIN-RIN ☆
But can you blame me? Look at them? They're so small and cuddly. Plus they look at me the same way you do when you're hungry.
All, "Feed me or I'll bite you," type of energy.
I snorted.
Before I could get the opportunity ask his whereabouts, he'd already answered.
RIN-RIN ☆
I came to this cafe earlier to film this 'mini Q&A featuring puppies' thing but couldn't bring myself to leave because they're melting my heart. So I decided to stay here until my next gig.
(*'▽'*)
They're too precious. Maybe I should cancel work and stay here forever?
Are you telling me all this to make me jealous? I wrote.
RIN-RIN ☆
Hehe. Maybe.
Also, I have a live performance tonight at eight. Be sure to tune in.
I'll do way better knowing you're out there watching me.
For as long as I could remember, Rin-Rin had a terrible case of stage fright. At our first ever concert in first grade, he wet his pants. In third grade, he threw up into one of the nearby stage props. Sixth grade was another story—he'd passed out after singing only one line to the audience.
Before his big break, back when he was partaking in every idol audition possible, he'd get super nauseous, his knees would wobble, and he'd squeeze my hand to the point where it'd turn blue. It was by pure luck that he managed to score the lead role in the award-winning musical that shot him up the ranks—and that was only because the director felt bad for him.
He was hopeless. But he worked incredibly hard—practiced and practiced in order to stand up to all potential obstacles in the way of attaining his lifelong dream. Now that he'd finally put a foot through the doorway—and had pretty much conquered his stage fright—there was no reason for him to even tell me—the person who'd witnessed this all firsthand by his side—to "tune in."
You're such a dork, Rin-Rin. I've had this event marked on my calendar, prerecorded, from the day the news of this came out.
YOU ARE READING
Outsider Syndrome | ✓
Teen Fiction(A Reverse Harem) Due to her above-average height, Shiina Kisaragi lives as the constant object of ridicule by her high school peers. Not a day goes by where she isn't reminded of being an outcast. With her mother having passed away a year ago, she...
