jitae:
[ ... ]
And as fate would have it, the moment his final class of the day finished, the campus was swarmed with students moving in every which direction. Jitae sighed, arms full with the weight of his notebooks and assignments. He dashed out of the classroom in hopes to be early in the queue for the campus cafe. But his efforts were thwarted, seeming as though other students had the same idea as him. With his day going impossibly awry, he decided it best to just give up on finding something to eat and head home instead. Of course, with living in the outskirts of the lower layer, he wouldn’t be home for a few hours. How frustrating.
Walking down the streets of Shibuya to get to the transportation station, Jitae struggles to focus on the path ahead of him – mind dozing off into fantasies about meals he can’t even begin to afford on his budget. Blinking to keep himself awake (and on this planet), Jitae’s eyes land to focus on a familiar face. Thinking at first that it could just his delirious mind playing tricks on him, he pays it no mind.
However, the person doesn’t seem to be blurring out into nothingness. Suddenly, Jitae’s anguish about a long day on an empty stomach is forgotten as he bolts towards the taller male. His empty book-bag swaying chaotically to and fro as he runs clumsily, arms still carrying heavy books and school supplies. But, he couldn’t care less. He hadn’t seen this person in what felt like forever. His adrenaline pumping madly as he gets closer and closer, until he’s just inches from him.
“Riiiin!!” Jitae calls and drops his supplies on the pavement, reaching his arms out to embrace the taller man in the tightest hug he could muster. “It’s been forever, I’ve missed you so much!!”
He can’t help the loud chuckle that escapes from his lips when he sees the younger man drop all of his things on the pavement just to give him a hug, which he returns happily and tightly. He wraps his arms firmly around Jitae and rests his chin on his shoulder, his hands slowly rubbing circles on Jitae’s back --- and Zeus, the scary and big dog, cries as he jumps on both of them, his one front paw searching for support against Jitae’s legs. Zeus wants attention, he wants all of the attention, and he’s gonna work for it. His cries and attempts to pull the younger man closer to him don’t stop until he has Jitae’s hands on him.
But that doesn’t stop Rin from making this hug last longer. He makes sure to squeeze Jitae in his arms before he pulls away and takes a good look at his face, his smile getting wider and brighter when he can finally stare at his friend --- that word still feels strange for him when it comes to Jitae, but it’s what they have decided to be. “I’ve missed you so much too, Ji... It’s been so long, I feel like Zeus is desperate for your attention.” And he looks down at the dog, reaching over to pet his head a little bit before he crouches down and collects the boy’s school supplies from the floor. “Tsk, still so careless... Aren’t you?” He says, but it’s nothing but a way to tease Jiji.
Once he’s back standing up, he reaches for the younger’s backpack and puts the supplies inside of it before throwing the heavy bag over his shoulder. “This is a lot of weight, let me carry it for you.” Rin nods and frowns a little bit when he looks at Jitae again. He reaches over to touch the other’s cheek and squints at him just slightly. He’s seen Jitae’s face that pale before, and it was at the hospital back when they first met. “You’re not eating well again, right?” He asks but he already knows the answer, and he shakes his head a few times before wrapping an arm around the other man’s shoulders. “Let’s go, you’re coming with me and Zeus for lunch. You can’t say no, Ji. You look just like when we met at the hospital... I’m not letting you get sick again.”










