The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character Chapter 284 284: That Loser

Thirty minutes slipped by in a blur, and Keira still hadn't managed to give Rin the homade food she'd prepared.

But giving up? Not a chance.

For now, she'd just… put that plan on hold.

The problem was, while everyone else had already taken pictures with him—laughing, posing, sotis even dragging him into awkward couple-like shots—she was the only one who hadn't.

"This is rigged," she muttered under her breath.

When she said she was tired and wanted to sit on a bench, the others imdiately turned with concern, but she waved them off with a quick smile. "I'm fine, go on ahead. Don't worry about ."

As soon as they left, her smile crumbled.

"…A girl who still calls him a loser has no right to ask for a picture with him."

The words slipped out, bitter and small.

Because deep down, she knew the truth.

If she'd been just a little braver, just a little more assertive, there had been plenty of chances. Rin wouldn't have refused. He wasn't that type of person. But every ti, she hesitated, tripped on her own words, or let the mont pass.

It wasn't Ryen's fault. It wasn't Leon's.

It was hers.

"I'm the loser," Keira whispered, sinking lower on the bench. "Why do I keep calling him that? Why do I act like I don't care when I actually… do?"

Her hands curled tightly on her lap. She'd even made Rin's sister frown at her because of that stupid nickna. One step forward, two steps back—that was her life.

She just wanted to be friends with him. Not rivals. Not strangers who exchanged barbs. Just friends.

She just wanted sothing small, sothing harmless—like a picture of the two of them, tucked away on her phone. Sothing she could glance at late at night, smile at, and maybe giggle like an idiot over.

But even that felt impossible when she couldn't muster the courage to ask.

She sighed, leaning back against the bench, watching the others laugh in the distance.

"…Pathetic."

But her eyes followed Rin anyway, even when she tried not to.

Would she have had a chance if she'd called him by his na instead of "loser"?

Could things have been different if their first eting had been even a little warr?

aningless delusions bubbled up in her mind, no matter how much she tried to push them down.

"…Rin."

The na slipped out, soft and natural, before she could stop herself.

"Oh, hey."

Her heart nearly stopped. He was right there, standing with a drink in each hand. His tone was casual, like he'd been waiting for her to call him all along.

"How did you know? And what's with calling by my na?"

"…Huh?" Her mind blanked.

"What?" He arched an eyebrow, his lips twitching at her expression. "You called , didn't you? Why do you look more surprised than ?"

The faintest laugh escaped him, the kind that always sounded like he was halfway between amused and tired. He held one of the drinks out toward her. "Here. I grabbed an extra. Don't say I never do anything nice."

Keira hesitated, staring at the cup in his hand as if it were so sacred relic.

He… thought ahead? For ?

She took it carefully, her fingers brushing against his for the briefest second.

"…Thanks."

Rin tilted his head, watching her fumble with the straw. "What, no insult? No sarcastic jab? Who are you and what have you done with the real Keira?"

She quickly looked away, cheeks warming. "Don't push it, loser."

"There she is," Rin said, sipping his own drink with a smirk.

But when she glanced back at him, she couldn't stop the small smile tugging at her lips. For once, the word "loser" didn't sound like an insult at all—it sounded almost… fond.

Keira sipped her drink, pretending to focus on the taste, though her mind was spinning too fast to register anything. Her chest felt tight—like she'd just run a marathon without moving from the bench.

Rin stretched his legs out, settling beside her with that easy, careless air that made it seem like nothing in the world could bother him. He tapped his cup against hers with a dull clink.

"A toast," he said flatly.

She blinked. "A toast?"

"Yeah. To surviving this field trip without strangling each other."

Keira bit her lip, fighting the urge to laugh. "That's… probably the most Rin-like toast I've ever heard."

"Mm. I'm not known for my optimism." He took another sip, leaning back. "Still, you didn't look like you were having fun earlier. What's with sitting out here alone?"

Her heart gave a startled jump. "I-I was just tired."

"Uh-huh." He gave her a sidelong glance, the kind that made it impossible to hide anything. "Tired, or sulking because Leon and Ryen kept dragging around?"

Her face burned. "W-what?! I wasn't sulking! Don't flatter yourself, loser."

Rin let out a quiet laugh, the kind that felt like he saw right through her but didn't mind letting her keep her excuses. "Relax. I'm just ssing with you."

Keira clutched her cup tighter, staring at the ice bobbing in her drink.

Why does he always do this? Say one thing that makes flustered, then laugh it off like it's nothing…

Still, she found herself asking before she could stop: "Do you… not mind it?"

Rin tilted his head. "Mind what?"

"…That everyone keeps taking pictures with you. Even the couple-y ones."

For a mont, she thought he'd shrug it off. But instead, Rin's lips curved into a faint, crooked smile.

"I mind it less than you think. But…" He swirled the ice in his cup lazily. "…I haven't taken one with you yet, have I?"

Her throat went dry. "N-no. We haven't."

Rin stood abruptly, holding out a hand to her. "Then what are you sitting here for? Let's get it over with before Leon cos back and drags into another staged romance shot."

Keira stared at his hand, her heart hamring so loudly she thought he might hear it. Slowly, almost disbelieving, she reached out and took it.

His grip was steady, warm.

And for the first ti all day, she felt like the chance she'd been waiting for had finally arrived.

Keira's fingers curled nervously around Rin's as he pulled her up from the bench. It wasn't the first ti she'd touched his hand—but sohow, this ti felt different.

He didn't let go right away, just walked with her at an easy pace toward the little photo spot near the flower arch. The noise of the others laughing in the distance faded, leaving just the two of them.

When they reached the archway, Rin finally released her hand, only to take out his phone with his usual nonchalant expression. "So," he said, tilting the screen toward her, "how do you want to do this?"

Keira froze. "…Do what?"

"The picture, obviously." His lips twitched like he wanted to smirk but was holding it back. "You didn't think I dragged you all the way here just to stand around, did you?"

Her heart pounded so hard she could barely keep her voice steady. "I… I don't really know how to pose."

Rin looked at her for a mont, then let out a quiet sigh that sounded more amused than annoyed. "…Then just stand next to . That's good enough."

She nodded quickly, moving closer until their shoulders nearly brushed. Her breath caught—she hadn't realized how tall he really was until now. Rin lifted his phone and angled it slightly, his expression calm and focused.

"Ready?"

Keira swallowed hard. "Y-yeah."

The cara clicked. One shot. Then another.

And then, just before the third, Rin lowered his phone a fraction, his eyes eting hers. "You look… more like yourself when you're not forcing a smile. Just relax."

Her lips parted, but no words ca out. The way he said it wasn't teasing or mocking—it was gentle. Almost protective.

So she let out a small, real smile, the kind that slipped past her defenses.

Rin clicked the last photo.

For a few seconds, neither of them moved. He glanced at the screen, then held it out toward her. "…Not bad."

Keira leaned closer to look, her shoulder brushing against his.

The picture stared back at her: the two of them under the arch, close enough that it almost looked natural. Her smile was shy, genuine. His expression, as usual, unreadable—but sohow softer than usual.

Her chest tightened.

"…Thank you," she whispered, her voice almost trembling.

Rin slipped the phone back into his pocket, his gaze steady on her. "You don't have to thank for sothing this small."

But to Keira, it wasn't small at all.

And she knew—even if no one else ever saw that picture—it was sothing she'd treasure.

He studied her expression for a mont, then tilted his head. "You look way too happy. What, did the others gang up on you and refuse to take a picture or sothing?"

Keira's cheeks puffed slightly as she tried to hide her embarrassnt. "No way. You just don't get it. Honestly… you really are a loser.

"Hey," Rin shot back, half-smiling. "Didn't you just promise to call by my na? Now you're back to 'loser' again?"

Her lips twitched, caught between guilt and habit. "…I'll try."

He blinked. "Try what?"

"…To call you by your na. I'm not ready yet. But I'll try. Soday, I'll be able to greet you normally… and call you Rin."

Rin stared at her for a mont, caught off guard by how serious her tone was. "You're making it sound like a huge ordeal. Does calling soone by their na really take that much effort?"

"Yes." She nodded firmly, then broke into a bright, almost relieved smile. "You, being the loser you are, might not understand it—but to , it's important."

Her smile lingered, soft and genuine, the kind Rin wasn't used to seeing from her. For once, it didn't feel like a jab or a challenge—it felt real.

And Rin, though he didn't say anything right away, found himself staring just a little longer than he ant to.