Doorbell

He swiftly cut the beef in a precise manner. Every piece of meat has the same size and shape. It is truly delicious in the eyes. Then afterward, with his quick hands, he took a bottle of cooking oil and place some on the preheated frying pan. The oil sizzled right after it was placed. When the oil's heat was enough Rin gracefully placed the bits of beef that filled a plate onto the frying pan. The cooking oil slowly made the beef tender and its juicy flavor started to make the aroma spread and into Rin's nose.

He then splashed some spices on the frying pan when the heat was enough and made the beef's juicy flavor more savory. Using the spatula in his hand, Rin carefully rambled the bits of beef on the frying pan while making them jump from the pan itself. He looked like a veteran chef in his form.

After the meat changed into its perfect color, Rin turned off the soft flame and placed the smoking meal on the plate.

"… I forgot about the rice…" Rin blankly stared at the meal he cooked. His stomach was growling from hunger since he smelled the food. Rin started to salivate from the "glorious" meal he made.

"No!", he slapped himself, "A rice is always needed when a person is hungry." He gave himself a reason that he did not believe. He just wanted the meat on rice, since it would taste better.

After forty-five minutes…

"Finally~ I can eat. Although the meat is getting cold with the hot rice, it will gain its heat, I think.", Rin cried.

He did not waste any time and already ate all of it in just a minute. He drank a cup of water and saw in the reflection that he had gained back his appearance.

Growl~!*

Everything that he ate instantly went to his body. Since the result was almost instant then the process should be non-existent and would not take eight hours...

Kring! Kring! Kring!* After finishing his business in the toilet, he heard the doorbell ringing. It reminded him that for almost every day, someone rang their doorbell at that time of the day.

"Who could that be?", this has been in the back of his mind when he was hanging. This just added to his suffering every day and now he's going to meet that somebody.

With huge strides, Rin got to the front door at the same time, the ringing stopped. This person must have a mountain of patience to ring the doorbell every day for more than two weeks but even if this person has a lot of patience, it is not infinite.

But what could this person want? Or who could this person be? Rin, filled with curiosity, opened the front door hastily.

A shiny black hair spun and traversed through the midair when the person turned their head around. Finally, the door was opened.

Rin couldn't believe who he saw at that moment. It was Dana, his classmate, in her school uniform- a sailor top and a miniskirt. Actually, it was also this time of the day that school just finished and students are allowed to leave.

But still, that doesn't make any sense on why would Dana visit their house every day. Is it a coincidence and Dana just happened to be the one to be there when Rin was able-

"You finally came back." Dana's emotionless voice interrupted Rin's train of thoughts.

"You mean you're the one who's coming here every day, ringing the doorbell?"

Dana's eyebrows furrowed, she said with a tone of anger, "Wait, how do you know that? Are you actually in your house for almost three weeks straight without answering the door while I wait?", she raised her voice a little.

"Uh…. Sorry..?", Rin couldn't make any excuses. It's not like he can say that he tried to kill himself and failed for almost three weeks.

"Hn!", Dana lightly stomped on the ground.

"Are you angry??"

"Am I? I don't know.", Dana ignored Rin and grabbed some papers from her bag and handed it towards Rin, "Here, the handouts for the last two weeks."

"You…. went here every day for this?", Rin asked confusedly as he looked upon the thick pad of papers at hand.

"Yes.", Dana said as if not was nothing "I know that you are working hard to get better grades even if you're dumb so it would be a waste of an effort to skip almost three weeks-…"

Dana continued to speak as if she was Rin's mother or something.

'Why does she sounds like she cares so much?', Rin thought while listening to Dana's nagging.

After Dana's "speech", the sky was already getting dark.

"You should've gone inside if you're not going to leave soon.", Rin said without thinking. It just came out of his mouth. It's not that he's nervous or anxious but in fact, he's relaxed.

Dana's eyes widened a but while her hands softly clutched as if surprised. "Ah… n-no."

Rin's eyes narrowed and teased Dana, "Huh?? Why did you stuttered?"

Dana's face furrowed but she's just cutely angry not angry angry. "None of your concerns and since it's already getting dark, I should be going now."

Rin looked at the almost night sky where stars slowly started appearing and shining while the sun sets down, welcoming the dusk, "Yeah, since it's already dark. The streets are dangerous at night."

Dana's cheeks puffed, "What's with you?"

"What?", Rin raised an eyebrow.

"You changed, what happened?", Dana pointed out.

"What happened?? What?" while Rin still confused.

"Hmm, well, before, I couldn't think even a bit of you as a man. You're even so anxious when we first talked that you stuttered in every word you say.", Dana's sharp tongue pierced Rin again through and through on his vital spots.

"Uhh… your words still hurt.", Rin caressed his chest, looking quite pained.

"But…"

"But?"

"But now you even had the courage to walk me home tonight.", Dana strongly said.

"Huh? When did I ever say that I will walk you home?", Rin scratched his head

Dana turned around and glared at Rin, "Sorry, I thought that you've manned enough to walk me in the dark dangerous streets. It looks like I'm wrong."

Just by Dana's words, Rin couldn't fight back but could only give up, "Okay, fine. I'll walk you home."

"Hmmm, okay.", Dana turned around.

Seeing the current situation, Rin lightly smiled and thought, 'Isn't this too good to be true?'