"So, Mi-chan," Sakura drawled, leaning forward with her chin propped on her hands, "do you make it a habit of falling into the arms of mysterious strangers, or was our new manager just special?"
Mizuki lied flatly out on Ren's bed, staring at the ceiling. She was so done with this conversation. "Are you ever going to let that go?"
"Nope!" Sakura chirped, popping the 'p' with obvious delight.
"How'd you end up managing this place anyway? You don't really seem like the desk job type," Ren pointed out. His eyes were on this mysterious new manager, watching him intently. There was something off about this guy that he couldn't quite put his finger on, and it didn't help that he seemed to have a connection with Mizuki.
"Observant. You're right—it's temporary. I'm usually out in the field, but everyone needs a break sometimes. When I heard Hayami needed someone to cover while they handled some personal matters, I volunteered." Ren just huffed under his breath upon hearing this. He still wasn't sure what to make of Renji Kurohata, but he was pretty sure he didn't like him.
"The managers here do a lot more than people realize," Mizuki added, seemingly grateful for the change in subject. "They're basically our lifeline when we're out on missions."
"True that," Sakura nodded. "Can't count how many times Hayami's saved our butts with last-minute intel or backup."
While Sakura continued to run her mouth about the wonders of the managers, Ren's attention was focused elsewhere. He eyed the scar on Renji's neck, trying to figure out how he got it. It was faded and looked like an old wound, but it looked elevated above his skin. The cut must have been deep, but not life-threatening. "Hey, how'd you get that—"
WHACK
"Ow!" Ren rubbed the back of his head where Sakura had smacked him.
"Don't be nosy!" she scolded. "You don't see him asking about that weird talisman taped to your chest, do you?"
"Alright, alright," Ren rolled his eyes, but turned to Renji apologetically. "Sorry, that was kind of rude of me."
Renji just shrugged, but his eyes flickered to Mizuki with interest. From her body language, she was clearly uncomfortable, and he was curious as to why. Oddly enough, her anxiousness made him want to poke and prod more to see what would come out. He had an inkling she'd fold like a house of cards if pushed enough, and that thought thrilled him.
"Actually," Renji started, grabbing the attention of the three students, "I got this during a mission in Hokkaido. We were tracking what we thought was a netherborn malediction, but it turned out to be much stronger. The wraith used some kind of blade technique—caught me off guard. I barely managed to dodge, but..." He traced the scar with his finger. "Let's just say I learned to be more careful after that."
Mizuki's eyes were now fixed on the scar, her earlier nervousness replaced with obvious interest. Renji noticed her stare and smiled. "Want to touch it?"
"I—what?" Mizuki stammered, her face flushing red again.
"Oh my god, Mi-chan," Sakura cackled. "Your face right now!"
As silent as Ren was, his heart slowed, then pounded as he watched Renji take Mizuki by wrist. He raised her hand to the scar, letting her fingertips brush over the raised skin. And to his surprise, Mizuki seemed genuinely interested in what she was feeling. It was hard for Ren not to stare, but he forced his gaze to look at anything else, though it was no use.
"Woah," Mizuki breathed, feeling the strange texture and roughness of the scar tissue. "It looks rough, but it's surprisingly smooth." She could feel a change in Renji's pulse, the veins protruding ever so slightly at her touch. When she looked up at him, he was staring right back at her with an intensity that made her shiver. She pulled back. "Sorry. I didn't mean to linger for too long."
"No worries."
Sakura leaned forward eagerly, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "So, manager-san, what other exciting missions have you been on? Any other cool battle scars to show off?"
Before he could answer, Ren let out a long yawn that he tried and failed to stifle behind his hand. The sound drew Mizuki's attention away from Renji, and she noticed how tired he looked. Who wouldn't be exhausted after being possessed by an ancient wraith? "It's getting late. We should probably call it a night and get some sleep," she said.
"Aww, what? But I'm having fun!" Sakura whined, clearly enjoying herself despite the late hour. "Isn't that right, manager-san? You don't mind staying up a little longer, do you?"
"Renji is fine, you know…" Renji didn't know what to make of Sakura. She was definitely a firecracker.
"Sakura, come on. Ren needs to sleep. We can continue this another time." Mizuki tugged on her arm gently, attempting to persuade her friend to agree.
"Fine, fine," Sakura conceded with a dramatic sigh.
"Ren." He perked up at the sound of his name, looking at Mizuki expectantly. "Text or call if you need anything, okay? It doesn't matter what time it is." She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a gentle hug. He wanted to hug back. Why wouldn't he? But the fresh memory of himself choking Mizuki kept his body from doing so. He felt that he had no right to hold her, but he accepted the gesture nonetheless, keeping his arms at his sides.
"Hey, what about me?" Sakura rushed over to join the hug, clinging to Ren with a tight squeeze. A weak smile tugged at the corner of his lips. At least his friends cared about him. That was something to hold onto, even if he didn't feel deserving of their affection at the moment.
"Alright." Mizuki tore away, pulling Sakura along with her. "Night, Ren. Sleep well, okay?"
"Yeah. Don't go killing anyone in your sleep or anything like that, got it?" Sakura was delivered a bump on her head for her comment, and she whined in response. "What? I'm just saying…"
As the two ladies walked away, Renji and Ren stared at each other once again. The look lingered, akin to a challenge. Renji gave a wispy chuckle. "Sleep well." Ren didn't respond, watching as the older male turned to follow Mizuki and Sakura.
After the soft click of the front door, Ren sighed and dragged his hand down his face. Lickety-split, he grabbed his phone from his back pocket and shot a quick text to Kiryuu:
That temp manager is sketchy as fuck. I don't like him…