Disclaimer: I own it not.

Warnings: n/a

A/N: Placed so far in the (implied) future – who would have thought? -ponders- Hrm, usual stuff (insert blah-blah-blahs here) and… implications of possible pairings? Deep friendship mentioned, really, but, you know. Everyone loves to pair everyone else off; but it's up to you whether you read it that way or not.

Locked in a Cage
19
(You Are My Hope)

Jin had always lied to himself.

He forever turned a blind eye on the fact that Kazune and Karin were obviously so infatuated and in love with each other. And aside from that, the idol was never the sort to take any loss well. 'Loss' was not a word in his well-known vocabulary, after all.

As far as he knew, he would never give Karin up (no, not even if she did get married to the annoying girly-boy).

Things began to turn slowly, though, when he came to know the final member of the Sanki Shin and Kujyou's cousin. As Karin and Kazune began to actually date like a couple more often – yes, as much as Jin liked to lie to himself, he couldn't stop it happening – he had come to spend more time with the pair, enjoying their company more than he could have ever expected.

They were both hopelessly optimistic about the future, though, and more often than not, it irritated him. But, then again, they also made him forget about so many things that weighed on his mind.

Yes, he was scared of himself – but they weren't, and it eased his own perception of self. With them, he didn't have to keep pretending and lying about so many things that dragged him down.

Although it had begun with Jin's search for his goddess, he had found much, much more. Someone above must have liked him, and he could only silently thank them for the single, kind gesture.

Such friendship and company (perhaps more?) was not something to be taken for granted, after all; Jin knew well enough, and kept the thought in mind always.