Pairing: None
Rating: PG
Summary: Rin Okumura has started his first day at True Cross Academy and things don't exactly start off too well.
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Rin walked the hallways of his new school, following the other freshman through orientation.
True Cross Academy? he thought. I'll never make it through here. I'm not smart like Yukio. I'm not athletic or artistic. How did I even get in?
Rin couldn't help but admire the campus. Everything was so much bigger than any other school he'd been to -- and he'd been to a lot. He ran around the rooms, talking excitedly to himself about how big everything was.
"Who is that guy?" A few girls were whispering a few feet away from him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw them looking over at him as they whispered.
"I don't know, but he's so weird!"
"Why's he talkin' to 'imself like that?" One of the girls shrugged.
"I dunno, but he's gotta be crazy or somethin'."
Oh, Rin thought. Right. I do look kinda crazy, don't I? Maybe I should just stick to the back...
Rin walked to the back of the group. He didn't notice the pink-haired boy who'd been watching him the whole time.
***
Finally, the regular orientation was over. Now began the orientation for those in the first-year Exorcist Cram School. They were all called off into a group together. There were seven in all. Rin couldn't remember any of their names, though. They were each given keys to the cram school and led to the building. Rin walked at the back of that group, too. He still didn't notice the pink-haired boy watching him.
***
Soon, even that orientation was drawing to a close. All the exorcists-in-training were milling about, talking in their respective groups. Rin stood alone against a back wall. Yukio walked up to him.
"Rin, what's up with you today?" he asked, a concerned look on his face.
"Whaddya mean?"
"You've been quiet all day and stayed away from everyone. You're never like that. You're usually fighting someone."
"I already did my fighting for today, now leave me alone." Rin turned away from his brother.
"What happened?" Yukio asked with an exasperated sigh.
~~~
Earlier that day:
"Hey, who're you?" A thick guy with blonde and black hair approached Rin. Rin felt almost intimidated, but he knew better than to let it get like that.
"I-I'm Rin," he stammered. Dammit!
"I'm Bon. What're you doing all by yourself? Don'tcha have any friends?"
"Not really. I'm new here and all, so..."
"That don't mean nothin'. What're you even doing in this exorcist school anyways?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothin'. You're just so... Ya know... scrawny and stuff."
"What's that supposed to mean?" In his mind, Rin was getting ready for a fight.
"Scrawny. Ya know, weak-looking and stuff." Bon shrugged nonchalantly.
"Weak?! You think I'm weak?! I could take ten of you in a fight any day!"
"Wanna put a bet on that?"
"Maybe I will! You wanna know why I'm here? I'm here to kick Satan's arse!" To Rin's surprise, Bon actually laughed.
"You?! Kick Satan's arse? That's a good one. What's your next joke?" Rin was pissed now.
"It is not a joke," Rin said slowly, in a deadly calm voice. "I'll kick his arse for everything he did to me. I swear it."
"Swear it all you want. A worthless little runt like you couldn't kick the side of a barn!" He laughed again.
~~~
A fistfight came after that. Sure, the kicks and punches hurt, but nothing made Rin feel worse than Bon's words.
Worthless... Is that all I am? Rin thought as he sat against the wall, knees pulled to his chest. He hid his face against his legs, trying to be sure no one could see the few tears that accidentally escaped his eyes. Suddenly, he felt a hand resting gently on his shoulder. He looked up to see a pink-haired boy looking worriedly down at him.
"Are you okay?" the pink-haired boy asked.
"Yeah," Rin lied.
"Tell me the truth."
"Then, no." The pink-haired boy sat down next to Rin.
"I saw what Bon did to you. I heard what he said."
"Oh." Rin looked down.
"It isn't true."
"Huh?" Rin was genuinely baffled.
"What Bon said. It isn't true. You aren't worthless."
"Who are you to say anything?" Rin asked dejectedly.
"I'm someone who says you aren't worthless. I'm someone who would be your friend."
"R-Really?" Rin couldn't believe it.
"Yeah," the pink-haired boy said with a smile. "I'm Shima."
"I'm Rin."
And that was how Rin Okumura made his very first friend.
