Addiction

Rin had to find a way to distract the man sitting in front of him. He thought back to anything that could help him out. Anything Klein said which could lead to a different topic. Eventually, his mind settled on a comment that seemed innocuous at first. 

"Sorry, but did you say something about me earlier?"

"Hmm?"

"I think it was something about me not being very social?"

Klein thought about it for a bit before realizing what Rin was talking about.

"...What about it?"

"You also said, he told you that. Who were you talking about?"

The question had succeeded in diverting Klein's attention as he took some time to consider how to respond to it. But it ended up backfiring as the way he eventually answered distracted Rin from the matter at hand as well.

"By him... 

I was referring to your father."

The room was dead silent. Rin simply stared at the man staring ominously back at him. 

A reaction was what he was after. He only said that to throw Rin off and get him to reveal something unintentionally. Despite Rin understanding this though, he couldn't help but wonder to himself.

-What if he's telling the truth?

Gritting his teeth, Rin finally responded.

"My father? How exactly did you know him?"

"Well, I guess you could say I was a co-worker of his."

There was an intense look in Rin's eyes. If it was related to the pocket watch in any way, he had to ask. At least, that's how he justified it to himself. 

"Then if you don't mind me asking, what were your jobs exactly?"

"Why are you so interested?"

Rin smiled wryly.

"...Well, his work must have been very fascinating... considering he never bothered coming home."

Klein's gaze softened in response to this. A look of regret slowly washed over him. 

"Sorry, but I can't give you any more details. I shouldn't have said anything in the first place."

"Why? Is it classified information?"

"Something like that.", Klein said.

He shrugged Rin off and went back to thinking to himself again. Seeing this brought Rin back to his senses. Realizing he'd just blown his opportunity to shift the conversation away from Lena, he desperately tried to revitalize the topic.

"Why can't you tell me?"

Silence.

"I'd really like to know more about my dad."

Silence.

Klein wasn't even willing to talk to him anymore. The more time passed, the more concerned Rin became.

His brain started fixating on all the noises in the room. Any potential train of thought was interrupted by tiny things like the vibrations of the air conditioning or the sound of their breathing. Perhaps the most infuriating noise to listen to though was the constant ticking of the clock.

*Tick tock, Tick tock*
The next few moments played out in slow motion as Rin put his entire being into coming up with a solution. He heard Klein mutter something under his breath. 

"...His cousin?"

*Tick tock, Tick tock*
The room started to distort in response to those words. Rin needed something, anything that could hook Klein and keep his attention.

*Tick tock, Tick tock*
Time was running out. In a final desperate attempt, Rin asked himself a series of questions. 

-What is Klein after? What does he want from me? What is he here to find? 

His eyes widened as he realized the answer was the same for all of them.

Finally, it clicked for Klein. He stood up instantly and made his way to the door, but before he could get far, he heard something he couldn't ignore.

"The pocket watch..."

Klein turned around slowly.

"...What?", he asked.

"The pocket watch. It's the only thing you could be here for."

Out of pure instinct, Klein grabbed Rin by the collar.

"...So, you do have it."

"I did, but I gave it to the trucker..."

Klein looked at him blankly.

"I checked him already. He didn't have it."

"Huh? But I know I gave it to him. I had to after he threatened mom."

A brief silence. What he said matched up with the footage.

"But from what I've heard, you're not especially close with your mother. So, why risk your life for her?"

With a static face, Rin looked at the window. He couldn't help but get lost in his reflection. It was impossible for him to tell if it was just a normal one or his future self, but either way, it seemed broken somehow.

"It wasn't for her. I... was just curious is all."

Klein's grip loosened as he deflated back into his chair.

"...That still doesn't explain why I didn't find anything on the trucker."

Rin pressed his hand to his forehead as if to seriously consider the possibilities. 

"That's true. But I feel like we're overlooking something."

"We're not. You've already admitted to taking the pocket watch. And the fact the trucker didn't have it means you still do." 

"And what if he didn't have it because someone else took it from him?"

Klein's left eye twitched.

"Explain now."

Underneath the sheets, Rin pulled out his phone.

"I can't say for sure because I passed out pretty quickly, but I heard someone. Another person talking outside the truck."

Rin swept his fingers across the phone's screen and unlocked it. 

"Man or woman?", Klein asked.

"A man for sure."

As he spoke, Rin typed away at a text screen. He was sending a message to a newly added number. 

"Do you remember what they said?"

"It was something about... Ah it's right on the tip of my tongue."

Klein was starting to lose faith in him. Rin hadn't finished typing yet though.

"But I know I'm close. I just need a little more time. If this is really important to you, then you wouldn't mind waiting just a bit longer for a lead, would you?"

The man said nothing in response. He picked at the lint in his pockets as he considered his next move. Eventually though, he leaned back into his chair.

Rin was just a muscle's twitch away from grinning.

"How about a card game to pass the time?", he asked.

With his free hand, he raised a pack of cards and handed it to Klein.

"You know how to play Old maid, right? If so, could you deal. It still hurts a little to move."

Klein responded with a couple of nods and split the deck up with little resistance. And as he dealt the final card, Rin hit the send button. 

Despite the game only beginning, he had already won.

***

Thirty minutes later. 

"Oh, I just remembered something.", Rin said.

Klein leaned forward.

"It was an officer."

"A... what?"

"Right before passing out, I heard an officer arriving on the scene."

Rin pointed at Klein smugly.

"He might be your man."

*SLAM*
The door to the room shut violently and Rin was alone again. Finally allowing himself to lean back into his pillow, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Nicely done.", his reflection said.

Rin didn't even look at him.

"Can't say the same for you. You almost screwed me over, twice. What are you sabotaging me for?"

"Well, it's fun."

"That can't seriously be your reason."

"You say that as if you don't agree."

Silence. Rin couldn't say anything to that.

"Please. I know better than anyone how to entertain myself."

Even if Rin wanted to respond, he couldn't. 

*Ring ring*
Throwing his blanket to the side, he grabbed his phone and answered the call immediately. 

"How did it go?", he asked.

"...Well, I did what you told me to.", Lena said.

She sounded a little creeped out as she drove away from a cemetery.

"But using the flowerpot like that..." 

"I wasn't going to visit anyway."

His indifference would've stunned her into silence if not for the more pressing issue. 

"Hey, what was this all about anyway? Are you getting involved in something dangerous? Shouldn't we call the police?"

"I don't want to..."

"What!? Why not?"

A brief silence.

"Thanks for your help. But don't come back to the hospital. You'll need to lay low for a while since they'll be watching you too from now on."

"Wait, Rin-"

Rin hung up the phone. His screen lingered on a list of contacts. It was weird looking at the only registered number there. He stared at it for so long his eyes started to burn. Eventually though, he turned the thing off and lightly tossed it to his side. 

Rolling over in his bed, he closed his eyes and finally let himself rest.