A month later...
"So, are you ready to begin training, kid?" John, Rin's uncle asked with a smile the moment he sensed Rin wake up and walk out of the guest bedroom.
"Yawn, sure why not, as it's not like I have anything better to do," Rin replied as he glanced at his uncle before suddenly receiving a series of System Notifications after a month of silence since coming to America.
[Congratulations! Prototype System of ??? has reached Rank 2!]
[Due to this rare accomplishment, you have been given the chance to receive a free reset card, or the chance to buy anything from God's Warehouse free of charge! But do be warned you only have a minute to state your choice or else the System Admin will automatically choose for you!]
[So, what will be your choice, Rin!]
'Um, can I get like two more minutes please?' Rin asked as he yawned again and blinked twice to make sure he was not hallucinating.
[Request Denied!]
'Fine then… I will take the free reset card as it might just allow me to strengthen my foundation, even though option two sounds like the better choice,' Rin pondered before his thoughts were disrupted by another System Alert.
[Ding!]
[Thanks for shopping at Gods Warehouse and may you have a lovely day as one free reset card will be sent to your inbox momentarily!]
Blink. Blink.
"… Bro this got to be a prank as there is no way I just got played?!" Rin muttered to himself as he rethought life for a moment completely ignoring everything around him including the question his uncle just asked.
"Now nephew while I am not one to stuff my nose in other people's business… can you tell when y'all two meet?" John asked as he tilted his head towards a pink-haired girl sitting at the dining table, minding her business as she listened to music and scrolled through her phone.
"Wait, wait hold up what did you just say?" Rin asked as he snapped back to reality and recalled what his uncle said before following his eyes and catching a glimpse of a familiar somebody.
That he met yesterday during a cookout one of John's friends threw, where he vaguely remembered speaking to a girl yesterday named Jasmine. However, Rin did not recall ever telling her where he lived.
"Yo, Jasmine what are you doing here?" Rin asked a bit confused as to what was going on as he walked toward the dining table, 'Surely, this can't be real?'
"It's real, nephew… welp, it seems you got some straighten to do, so good luck and just tell her how it is," John said as he patted his nephew's shoulder and left the two love birds alone.
"Um… I am not sure, but can I just say, I missed you and wanted to spend some time with you before you left," Jasmine replied as she glanced at Rin meekly with a nervous smile, while the latter just shook his head in disbelief before sighing.
"… while that sounds amazing, Jasmine, I don't think you truly understand what you're getting yourself involved in if you choose to continue pursuing me?" Rin replied as he looked Jasmine in the eye.
"…" Jasmine.
"Jasmine, I don't mean to scare you or anything it just that a lot of things come with dating a~"
"Dating a what, Rin? A clan member of the Kurama Clan, one of the notorious Nine Dragons of Asia, or is because I am a commoner and a noble like you cannot date someone of average origins." Jasmine asked on the verge of tears as she glared at Rin awaiting an answer.
"Jasmine… I did not mean it like that, I just~"
"Forget it, Rin as I should have just listened to Mother and never came here," Jasmine said as she ran out of the apartment with tears running down her face.
"Sigh… just why must love be such a hard thing to keep?" Rin wondered as he got up and walked back to the guest room to freshen up and take a nice long cold shower to ease his burdened mind. After not even getting up and trying to pursue the damsel in distress who just wanted reassurance and confirmation that Rin shared the same feelings as her.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Hey, kiddo you, okay?" His uncle asked before entering after allowing Rin to collect himself and understand his emotions.
"Yeah, I'm alright…" Rin replied as he lay on his bed and glanced at the ceiling in heartache.
"Hey, kiddo I know it must hurt but this isn't the end for you… so pick yourself up and continue onward as there are plenty of other fish in the sea," John said as he knew what Rin must be going through but now wasn't the time to be stressing over some girl as they had a list of things they had to accomplish before Rin's 15th birthday.
"You know what… fuck it! The past is the past and the present is a gift given from God to those who want to make a change," Rin told himself as he got out of bed and left his room.
***
Sometime later…
"So, when are we leaving?" Rin asked after his uncle left to get food from a nearby breakfast diner which consisted of two servings of smoked sausages and ham, buttermilk chocolate chip pancakes, cheesy eggs, and avocado toast with bacon bites.
"Anytime, to be honest, but first let's finish breakfast as I don't know about you but I'm starving," John said as he took a portion of the food and began to eat with relish.
"Okay, but before we depart for this revolutionary journey, do you know any secluded places outside of the city where I could cultivate for a bit," asked Rin as he served himself a little bit of everything before digging in.
"Sure, just don't take too long or get caught by city guards, during their patrol and you should be fine."
"Hmm, well then that shouldn't be hard to do, and thanks for the help, John."
"My pleasure, oh and not to be weird or inquisitive, but how was your first time, nephew?" He asked out of nowhere after both he and Rin finished eating their meals. Catching Rin off guard as he did not expect his uncle to ask something such a question right after breakfast.
"Ahem, well um… it was cool even though he just made out and cuddled," whispered Rin as he averted his uncle's prying gaze.
"Come on, nephew you can be honest with me as this is a safe place for the weird and uncommon so, please do spill the tea," John smiled as he out of nowhere began to drink tea while waiting for Rin to commence the tale of his first time.
Beginning the start of a relationship unlikely any other as they transcended family ties and became something akin to close friends. Yet, nothing lasts forever, and with time they would again become just strangers bound by a family connection of faint threads.