Harm and Harmony

-Chapter 95-

Day: 123

Days Left: 5357

Lives Saved: 0

Corinna made her way to the back of the shop where the book selection was. There, as usual, she found Rin reorganising the titles by genre. Hesitating, Corinna stood from afar, fidgeting with her hands, wondering how to initiate the conversation. On the journey to Ivette's, she had an entire speech planned, yet now her mind had gone completely blank, the script slipped away from her grasp. With how long Corinna had stood there watching Rin, the situation became even more awkward. Forcing one foot forward, she managed to splutter a clumsily loud "hello."

Rin jolted, and she glanced back at Corinna, then resumed sorting the books. She returned a quiet nonchalant "hi."

Biting her lower lip, Corinna shyly shuffled her feet closer to the shelves, next to Rin. "So..." She scratched at the back of her neck. "How've you been?"

After a short silence, Rin eventually answered, "fine."

"That's good..." Corinna swallowed, unsure how to proceed naturally into the apology. Or perhaps she didn't need to. Maybe she could just come and say it. "I'm-"

"Sorry," said Rin before Corinna could finish. She looked away, hiding her face, but Corinna could see her ears turning slightly red.

Was she embarrassed?

Clearing her throat, Rin continued, "I'm not letting you be the better person before me. Especially since you... you really didn't do anything wrong."

"Well, I'm still sorry-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there!" Rin turned to face Corinna, then retrieved a piece of paper from her hoodie pocket. Her face scrunched up as she let out a long sigh. "Corinna," Rin began, reading out what was on the paper with a flat voice. "I am sorry. The words that I spoke the other day were out of anger and..." Rin's face twisted as she hesitated to say the next part. "And because I was... sad. I was sad because I- oh fuck this!" She tore up the piece of paper and threw it on the floor. "Stupid Sumit. Making me do something so...This didn't help at all!" she grumbled, followed by a series of profanities directed at Sumit.

"Um..." Corinna retreated back a step. "Are you-"

"I'm fine!" Rin bit down on her lip. "No, sorry. I mean-" She sighed, calming herself down. "I'm fine." After sucking in a short breath, she looked at Corinna directly for the first time in the conversation. "I am sorry about the other day. I am sorry about what I said and for my... outburst."

"It's okay." Corinna gave a weak smile. "I'm sorry too for causing it."

"I just-" Rin glanced down at the floor. "Hearing about your family, that you still have so much of your memories intact, I was... I was envious." She gazed back at Corinna. "I don't have any of that. I don't have any memories. I don't know if there's anyone on the other side waiting for me if anyone cares..." Rin cleared her throat and sniffed, her voice slightly cracking. "I woke up in the Abyss with no memories. I had lost everything. I know nothing about myself apart from the brand on my neck and a useless letter that I had on me." She crossed her arms, her mouth twitching slightly. "Addressed to 'Corinna' from 'Rin'. Not sure which one I'm supposed to be so I took both of the names. Hell, I might be neither. Might not be even my own fucking letter..."

"Rin..."

"You know you're more fortunate than most. Even if someone bashes your brain in and lose all your memories, you still have a lot of it written down. Sumit's only got the names of his parents and siblings, a bit on his crime, but that's it. Whereas you..." Rin laughed. "You got a bloody encyclopedia on your family." A small smirk spread across her lips. "Just wished I had at least something on my folks... if I have any that is." She gazed up at Corinna. "Hearing you talk about yours just made all of that... frustration and anger that I've suppressed... I took it all out on you." She paused. "And I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay. I won't talk about my family again." Corinna forced a laugh. "I guess I do talk about them way too much. Must be annoying."

"Yeah- I mean no! Sorry..." Rin scratched the back of her head. "You talk about your family as much as you want, well maybe just a smidge less. If I don't like it, then it's my own problem to sort out. Don't feel you need to change your ways to fit mine."

Corinna nodded, still feeling the guilt churn in her stomach. "Does this mean we're... okay? We're good?"

Rin shrugged. "Yeah. We're good."

"Really!" Corinna grinned. "I'm so glad!" She pulled Rin into a warm embrace, wrapping her arms around her neck tightly to much of Rin's displeasure. Despite her being clearly not the 'hugging' kind, Rin's scowling face hid a slight smile as she awkwardly patted Corinna's back in response.

After finally breaking away from the hug, Corinna still had a beaming grin on her face. "Right, well... I'll leave you to your work-"

"Oh, I'm not working," said Rin. "I've been pretending to sort this shelf for almost an hour. After Sumit messed up the ledger, I decided it would be best to avoid him and Ivette, so I don't get involved in their quarrel."

"Very wise." Corinna nodded. "Well, you've done an amazing job anyway."

Rin rolled her eyes. "The woman does not know how to treat books properly. When I got here, they were all over the place, no sign of organisation. Some of them were stacked horizontally! Horizontally, Corinna! Horizontally!"

"You should have seen it before," Corinna tuttered. "Some of the spines were facing inwards."

Rin's face twisted, horrified at the image. She looked as if someone had just stabbed her in the heart. "The monster! That's it! It is illegal for that woman to touch a book ever again!"

Due to the lockdown, I've had more time to write.

Harm and Harmony will now be updated every three days.