"Hello?"

"Yeah, hey Dad, what's up?"

"Er... Len, it's me. Uh, I mean, are you free this evening? Can you make time to come to my place?"

"... Is there something wrong?"

"Nope, not really... Well, your Mom and Rin are going to visit and they said they want to have dinner together,"

"Oh, I see,"

"So? You're going, right?"

"... Okay,"

"... I'm going to hang up now, then. See you, Len,"

Len stared at his phone for a while. Thirty two seconds. Wow, that was new. After who-knows how long they hadn't been in touch via call. It was usually just short messages that came before his Dad's going somewhere abroad. And he'd reply with the same sentences;

Okay, take care. Have a good time. Good luck.

Well, it's not like he's upset or something, he's just gotten so used to it that receiving a call became something so... weird. It was making him uneasy—a call from his Dad usually was a bad omen.

And he could feel something was coming... with Rin and his Mom suddenly appeared in this country, even visiting, after years of only exchanging e-mail on his birthday—their birthday and Christmas; the news was kind of shocking.

Where were the last time they lived again? Somewhere in Europe? Yeah, he thought. He recalled Rin sent him a picture of Eiffel on his 18th birthday—their birthday; while Len sent her a recording of him playing happy birthday melody with his guitar.

Heh, Len thought. What's going to happen tonight?

The last time he saw his Mother and twin in the form of flesh and blood was like... 12 years ago. When he and Rin were six, and their parents were screaming at each other about how wrong the marriage was and how urgent it was to break up. Not a very pleasant memory. But he did remember holding Rin in his arm, while the little girl was crying her eyes out, shaking in fear—fear of being separated with him. Fear of having no complete parents, and then she started making a list of scary things that they'd have to go through if their parents were divorced. As if it's going to stop anything from happening. But then again, they were just kids. Kids' fear ain't gonna stop adults.

Len didn't cry. He never cried. He didn't even remember when was the last time he cried. Maybe it was so long ago, before he could memorize a thing.

But memories of his childhood with Rin were quite happy, actually. Beside the part when they were watching their parents swearing on each other. He was a happy child, having a cute twin sister who was always be there with him; they were together almost 24/7; and those were also times when he thought he could talk with Rin without words. Intense, huh? He was always this strong brother who protected his sister with his life; in every game they played, he'd always be the knight who defeated the dragon and swiped his princess out of her feet, kissed her, married her. And lived happily ever after.

Len didn't cry. He was afraid, though. Separated with Rin was his ultimate fear.

But fear only is never enough to prevent any undesired moments.

After the divorce, Rin lived with their Mother in the US; while Len was stuck in Japan with their Dad. Two years later, their Mother remarry, and their family moved to Europe, continue moving from one place to another because their Mother's new husband was an Ambassador for Sweden.

When he was 10, Len moved to US, for the sake of his Dad's career. Spent about 5 years there, and then back to Japan as a Board Director of his company. He seemed never satisfied with his career, though. Always pursuing something—maybe as a compensation of his lost love. And family.

As for Len's relationship with his Dad... it was never really bad, but not too good either. When they lived together at first, they spent the days just like other parent and child; meals together, talking about the day at school, this and that. Len was that kind of child any parents dream of: independent, diligent, smart and perfect attitude. Then sometime around his puberty phase, Len started drifting away from his father... without any solid reason. Maybe it was because his Dad spent less and less time home with him; or maybe he was the one who built the wall. No proper conversation had been established since then; no father and son quality time either. And once they were back to Japan, Len asked his Dad to allow him to live on his own.

Of course, his Dad declined at first.

But then Len started to rebel; that kind of what common teenagers do. Their arguments turned sharper and sharper each day. Until one day his Dad finally got enough, and asked him to get out of the house at once.

Len didn't hesitate.

No Mother who cried and begged him to stay anyway. No sister or brother who'd get in his way and stop him, too.

Deep down he knew that, the one's at fault wasn't his Dad. It was just him who hadn't let go of the concept of family. And kept on being angry for losing Mom and Rin. Kept on being jealous of Rin, for at the moment she had the complete family once again; a seemed-like much happier life. For he was hoping that Rin and his mother would at least remember that he was there, but they didn't..

For he was hoping Rin remember him as someone special; her other half,

But she didn't.

Or at least, that what he felt. And it hurt him the most.

Rin.

His train of thoughts were interrupted by the ringing sound of the bell. Lunch time was over.

And Len's meal was left untouched.