Disclaimer: I do not own Vocaloid.

Inspired by the song Bonus Stage

Chapter Three: The Fated Parting

Part 1: Restless Emotions

Three years later…

Days passed, seasons changed, but the park remained the same as ever. It was spring, so flowers bloomed everywhere, the grass green as ever and the trees so dense and tall that it made up the entire forest at the other side of the park. The only thing that did change though was the boy who was sitting on the bench. He was much taller than he was three years ago, but he wasn't exactly what you consider a big kid either. Gone were the chubby cheeks and baby fat, the boy known as Kagamine Len was a slim boy that caught the eyes of every girl - and adult- in sight,. And who could blame them?

Len's appearance was that of an angel. His short blond hair shined golden in the light and his eyes were the purest blue. Not to mention that his smile could melt any person's heart. Who could ever resist such a sweet and polite child such as him? But right now that sweet boy had a little frown on his face as he swung his legs back and forth impatiently on the bench. Looking back at his watch, he sighed. Normally at this hour he should still be in school, but since his teachers announced that they had an important meeting to go to, it was considered a free day. Too bad his parents didn't know that.

You see, he may seem angelic, but that was only on the outside, on the inside he was quite devious. Once he learned just how effective his smile was, he fully utilized it to get what he wants, be it his teachers or the maids the smile never failed, except for his father of course. These days, his father has been even stricter on him lately, which is why he decided not to tell his parents about his free day, because if he did, he would spend the entire day with his tutors. So in the end, both his parents believe that he's in school and that was that.

It's not like he didn't have a good reason for doing this, in fact he had one, a really important one. Today was actually his birthday, and he wanted to celebrate it with someone…if only that someone would show up already!

"She's late…" was his thought as he slumped in his seat. Looking up at the sky, he saw that it was a clear blue with only a few clouds in sight. The day was slightly warm and breezy so it was a perfect day to spend outside. "Come to think of it…that day was also like this." He thought as he smiled at the memory. He was so lost in his thoughts that it took him awhile to notice the running footsteps until a voice called him.

"Len!"

Snapping out of his thoughts, the aforementioned boy turned his head in time to see a girl running towards him. She stopped a few feet in front of him and bent over her knees as she caught her breath. The girl, as you might have already guessed was Rin, the same girl he met three years ago at this very park and had been meeting with every day since. To any passerby, they would think that those two kids were twins; after all, the girl did share the same blond hair and blue eyes as him. The only difference though was that she wore clothes that were obviously too old while his were brand new. Another thing that set them apart was the big, ugly bruise on her right cheek.

"You're late." Len said angrily, as he stood up from his seat with his hands on his hips.

"Sorry." The girl said as she finally caught her breath and straightened up. That was when Len noticed the bruise on her face. "What happened to your face?" he asked as he touched her cheek.

"It's nothing," she said, flinching away from his touch and took a step back. "I just had an accident on the way here." She smiled reassuringly at him but he wasn't convinced. In fact, this wasn't the first time he saw her like this. He thought that it was only normal at first, but as days passed by he noticed that she would sport a new injury on her body. The excuses she made were believable at first but he was starting to think that there was something more to it.

"What sort of accident was it that it ended up hurting your face?" he asked, causing her to flinch. "W-Well…the other kids at the orphanage were playing baseball…and one of them didn't manage to catch it…so it ended up hitting me instead." She said, not looking at his eyes. Len still looked skeptical and he continued to scrutinize her until she began to fidget. He sighed eventually, "I wished you were more honest with me. After all, we've known each other for three years already." He said a bit resentfully. Startled, Rin looked at him in surprise before looking guiltily on the ground.

"Well, let's just leave it at that." He said in a loud voice which effectively dispelled the awkward atmosphere. He surprised her then by grabbing her hand and started to drag her with him.

"W-Where are we going?" she asked.

"It's a surprise!" he said over his shoulder as he led her out of the park. A car was waiting for them and Len quickly ushered her in and ordered the driver to start the engine. Overwhelmed, Rin stared at her surroundings and looked at Len for answers, but the boy only smiled in response. The car started then and they were off to who-knows-where. "Len, seriously, where are we going?" she demanded.

"It's a surprise." He repeated.

"You said that already." Rin pouted.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore." Len reasoned.

"Is it far?" Rin asked. "I can't stay out late remember, I have curfew."

"Don't worry, we have lots of time." Len said.

"That's not the problem here!" Rin shouted and that started their usual banter. Up in the driver's seat, Mr. Tanaka smiled as he listened to the children's conversation while he kept his eyes on the road. He's worked for the Kagamines for twenty long years now, but this was the first time he saw the young master laugh as carefree as he did now. Three years ago, when Len had ordered him to make a stop at that park he was hesitant to do so, but the boy was adamant so he had no choice but to follow. The first few times they went there, the young master seemed to be looking for something. After a week had passed it seemed as though he finally found what he was looking for, and it came in the form of a little girl that looked astonishingly like the young master. Since then, every day, after school Tanaka would bring the young boy to the park where he and the girl would spend an hour or so playing or just telling each other their day. Pretty soon, they became the best of friends, and it was only with her that Len seemed to smile more. Tanaka knew that he was risking his job by doing this, but if it made his young master happy then so be it.

After thirty minutes of driving the car finally stopped and Tanaka stepped out to open the door for the children. Coming out first, Len helped Rin out then watched in amusement as her eyes widened in shock. "T-This is…" she stuttered out, as she stared in amazement.

"Surprise!" Len shouted with as much gusto as he could muster as he raised his arms to the thing behind his back. A few feet away from them, with big, bold letters were the huge sign that said "Kagamine Nation" and beyond that she could see the rides and attractions inside the amusement park and it filled her with excitement.

"Do you like it?" Len asked.

"Y-Yeah, sort of…but what are we doing here?" Rin asked. Instead of answering, Len took hold of her hand again and quickly dragged her inside. "I'll be waiting right here, young master. Please come back once you're done." Tanaka shouted as the two children got farther and farther away from him. "Sure!" Len called over his shoulder as he and Rin entered through the entrance.

Everywhere they went; Rin's senses were assaulted by a multitude of colors, loud, blaring music and the mouth-watering smells of food in each stall they passed. It was all so overwhelming. She heard about places like these, but never once has she ever step foot in it. And now here she was, running through the amusement park with Len leading her to god-knows-where. But there was something different about this park. Just as she thought that, they stopped. Looking up she noticed that they were in front of a small grey building, with two doors in front and the words male and female above. A dressing room.

"Here." Len said as he handed her a small parcel that he took out from his bag.

"What's this for?" Rin asked, taking the parcel in her hands.

"Just a little something I thought would be perfect for this occasion." He answered with that mischievous smile on his face.

"And that is?" Rin asked, a frown marring her face.

"All in good time," Len said, as he started to push her towards the female door. "Now get dressed, I got a lot planned for us today."

"But, wait – Hey!" before she could say anything else, she was pushed through the doorway and the door slammed shut behind her. Huffing in exasperation, Rin looked at the parcel in resignation and decided to do as she was told. Tearing through the paper, Rin found that the parcel contained a set of clothing. Picking up the first thing on the pile, was a white buttoned down blouse partnered with a black ruffled skirt with magenta linings and straps. Next to it was a black ribbon for the collar and black stockings. After getting dressed, Rin stepped out of the building and saw Len waiting for her there. He was dressed in a similar fashion, but his was the boy version of course and the only difference between them was that he wore a top hat on his head with a magenta colored ribbon tied at its base. The ribbon was so long though that it went past the lip of the top hat and reached past his waist. Upon seeing her dressed Len smiled brightly and handed her another top hat, identical to the one he was wearing.

"Here!" he said. Taking the hat in hand, Rin put it on and now they wore matching outfits.

"Okay, I did everything you asked so are you finally going to tell me what this is all about?" Rin said.

"Alright," Len conceded, "My parents own this amusement park, that's why my last name was at the front. They just finished making this place, so it's still closed to the public; on the bright side we have the whole park to ourselves. And to answer your other question, today is my birthday."

"What?" Rin exclaimed. "How come you didn't tell me until now?"

"It's no big deal." Len shrugged. "I mean you never told me yours so I didn't tell you either."

"That's different!" Rin said. "I'm an orphan so of course I don't know when my real birthday is, but you're not! What if I wanted to give you a present?"

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to give me anything." He said reassuringly. "You being here is more than enough."

"But-" she started but was cut off by Len.

"Rin, really, it's okay." He said and something in his voice caught her attention because he looked different, solemn even. "Besides," he continued. "My family doesn't really celebrate my birthday."

"How come?" Rin asked.

For a moment, Len looked a bit uncomfortable at the topic. Taking off his hat, Len scratched at his head for a bit, before deciding to come out with it. "You know how my family is like, right?" he said. Rin nodded, remembering the few moments where Len told her about his family, most particularly his father. From the way he talked about him, it sounded as though he was a tyrant. Rin would always shudder and wished she would never have to meet such a person.

"They're always busy, so I understand why we can't celebrate often, but my dad…" he said hesitating for a bit before continuing. "He's been stricter on me lately. My mom tries to cheer me up by giving me presents, but he doesn't approve. He thinks that giving me presents and granting my every wish isn't good for me, so he's been making me study more. It's suffocating. It's like he wants me to grow up quickly by taking away my childhood." The frown on his face intensified intensified as he said this and the grip on his hat tightened before he put it back on his head. The shadow it cast making his face half visible.

"Len…" Rin said, but stopped as she realized there was nothing she could say that could make it better.

"To be honest with you Rin, I…don't want to grow up." He confessed. "Every day, I'm always reminded that I am the son of Al Kagamine, the heir of the Kagamine Industries. A lot of people say how lucky I am to be born into their family, but now I'm not so sure. People see me differently once they know I'm his son and they treat me too kindly. It's annoying how they try to use me to get on my dad's good side even though it doesn't work. My dad also has high expectations of me; always claiming that a Kagamine should excel in everything. So whenever I make a mistake, even if it's just a little one, he gets so angry that he forbids me from going outside. He has people watching over me now, that it's getting harder and harder for me to sneak out just to see you like this. If this keeps up…I might not be able to see you as much as I want to anymore."

"Oh Len…" Rin said. Just from his voice alone, she could tell how much this pained him. She wished she could do something for him, anything, but she was just a child. If Len couldn't do anything, how could she? Not to mention that it also pained her to know that they may not be able to see each other anymore.

"Because of this, I don't really enjoy my birthday." Len said. "It's just another reminder of how fast I'm growing, and how closer I am to becoming what I'm not. I try not to think about it, but it's hard. That's why, Rin…" he said looking straight into her eyes, "While we're still kids, let's enjoy this day together. I want to celebrate my birthday with you."

With his hand outstretched towards her, Len looked like a prince then, but his eyes showed how lonely and sorrowful he truly was. The smile he sent her was almost heartbreaking that Rin couldn't help but comply. Without a second thought she took his hand in hers and off they went. The smile he gave became genuine as they both entered the amusement park together and after that, everything was just a blur.

The clock tower that stood in the very middle of the amusement park read at exactly 9 o' clock at that time…

The first ride they went to was a mini version of a roller-coaster. They both agreed that they weren't ready for the real thing yet.

10 o'clock…

Len wanted to try the haunted house. Rin didn't.

12 o' clock…

It was lunch time; they decided to take a break.

1 o' clock…

They decided to take it easy and rode the merry-go-round while it was set in its slowest speed.

2: 40…

"Let's ride on that one next!" Len said as he pointed to the spinning tea cups.

2:58…

She lost count of the rides they went into, or the food they ate or the games they played, but none of that mattered. It was just him and her. Everything else was unimportant.

2:59…

Rin couldn't tell how much time had passed, or even remember the exact details of what they did, but there was no denying the fact that this was the happiest day of her life. So happy, that she completely forgot about that one little thing that made her miserable in the first place.

3:00…

It happened so quickly. She barely had time to blink when it happened. One moment, they were enjoying their time in those enormous tea cups, then the next she heard a noise. It didn't sound like it was part of the amusement park; instead it sounded more like metal grinding against metal. It was then she knew that something was wrong. Len, who was oblivious to all this, just kept laughing and stirring the wheel as Rin was slowly consumed in dread. The next thing she knew, the whole structure collapsed and everything went dark.

Time Skip:

The moment Rin had opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was white. She was disoriented to say the least, so it took her a few moments to realize that she was actually staring at a ceiling and that she was lying on a bed. Then she noticed that her bed was surrounded by white curtains, giving off the feeling that her single bed space was tinier than it should be. Next, she became aware of the noises, there was a distinct beeping sound in the background and muffled voices that sounded far away. Curios, she tried to move, but stopped when her entire body was suddenly wracked with pain and she ended up falling back to bed. She was surprised. She got hurt often, but this pain was on a whole new level. Wincing a bit, Rin laid in bed, waiting for the pain to subside until it was nothing more than a dull throb. Something was still strange though, she thought, her entire right arm was numb and she couldn't even tell if she could move it.

Curious, she pulled the covers back a little with her other arm only to see that she was dressed in a hospital gown. Some parts of her body were patched up while the parts that weren't covered had some ugly looking bruises. She cringed at the sight, but she expected no less judging from the pain that she felt. The biggest surprise though was her right arm. Her entire arm was bandaged and somewhere beneath the folds a red tube stuck out and it was connected to a plastic bag hanging from a hook on a nearby metal stand. It was half filled with what suspiciously looked like blood and it was dripping right down the tube and into her arm. Too preoccupied in her thoughts, Rin didn't notice the footsteps heading towards her until the curtains were pulled aside to reveal a young-looking nurse.

"Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling?" she asked. She had a kind smile on her face.

"Hurts…" Rin managed to say.

"Is that so? The painkillers must have worn off, I could get you some new ones if you want?" the nurse said, to which Rin nodded to; anything to take the pain away. "Alright, but first I need to run some tests, is that's alright with you?" she asked, and again Rin gave her consent. Putting the clipboard down, the nurse started the routine check-up. "Do you feel dizzy? Or sick?" she asked, to which Rin shook her head while the nurse wrote something in her clipboard.

As the nurse continued to fuss over her, Rin's mind was numb. The nurse's voice soon became distant and there was buzzing sound in the back of her head. She couldn't remember what happened but she felt like she was missing something important. "Excuse me," Rin said, catching the nurse's attention. "But could you tell me what happened?"

"Oh dear, you don't remember." The nurse said, slightly shocked. "But I guess that's to be expected; you did hit your head pretty hard."

"Was I in an accident?" Rin asked.

"Yes, you and your brother were in a terrible accident. From what I heard the ride you were on was faulty so it ended up exploding while you two were still on it. The blast sent you quite a ways from the spinning tea cups, not to mention that you didn't have a peaceful landing. It's a miracle that you didn't have any broken bones."

"My…brother…?" Rin repeated, confused. From what she could tell she had no siblings, she was an orphan after all so what she said didn't make any sense. Mentions of the spinning tea cups did sound familiar though and memories of what happened slowly started to trickle into her mind.

"Or should I say twin?" The nurse said thoughtfully, not really hearing what Rin said, "You two look completely alike after all, which reminds me I should check up on him as well. We didn't have enough room so we ended up separating you two. It was a real hassle if you ask me." With that said, the nurse picked up her things and prepared to leave, but Rin didn't want that, she still have many questions to ask so without thinking she sat up. The moment she did though, a wave of dizziness clouded her head and she almost fell out of bed. "Whoa there!" the nurse said, as she caught the girl and gently set her against the pillows.

"Take it easy now, you're still recovering so you should let your body rest, okay?" the nurse said.

"But-" Rin started as she tried again to sit up, only to gasp in pain. Falling back into bed, Rin grasped at her right arm – the one she put all her weight in when she tried to get - and groaned as it throbbed in pain. "Oh dear," the nurse said as she gently pried Rin's hand away and gingerly took hold of her bandaged arm. "You shouldn't have done that. What if the wound reopened, huh? Having those stitches removed and replaced isn't a pleasant feeling, but that's exactly what's going to happen if you keep this up. Do you want that?" the nurse scolded. Seeing Rin shake her head, the nurse hummed and continued to inspect the wound.

"Well, it doesn't seem like you aggravated it." The nurse said as she finished her examination. "Now, I won't repeat myself again. You need to rest. Don't you know how seriously wounded you were during the accident? The medics say you crashed through a food stall and some of the furniture fell on top of you. A glass bottle fell and broke into many pieces, some of the shards cut right into your arm. The cut was really deep and it took too long for you to get here so you ended up losing more blood than you should have. Not to mention you might end up with a pretty nasty scar once the stitches are removed." Rin felt even more miserable than she ever felt before. Sure she'd been into many accidents before, but none of them were as serious as this. Seeing the unhappy look on the child's face the nurse sighed.

"I need to check up on some of other patients. Will you be fine on your own?" Rin nodded. "All right, I'll get you painkillers when I come back, try to get some sleep." The nurse said before leaving.

Now that she was all alone Rin was left to her thoughts. The nurse's words replayed over and over inside her head, but none of them made any sense as her mind was still muddled by drugs. "Okay, concentrate Rin." The girl told herself as she tried to recollect her thoughts; she was missing something important that much she knew, but what? She sat there with her mind trying to process everything that happened, but for some reason it was working way to slow to her liking. Finally something clicked:

"Yes, you and your brother were in a terrible accident."

"Or should I say twin? You two look completely alike after all, which reminds me I should check up on him as well."

Gasping as realization dawned unto her, Rin disregarded what the nurse said and stumbled out of bed. Her legs shook as she managed to stand upright and took hold of the IV, dragging it with her as she walked. She cautiously peeked out of her room and once she made sure no one's around she stepped out. She wasn't really sure where she should go, but if she remembered right the nurse went somewhere to the right when she walked out. So with that in mind, Rin set off down the corridor. She wasn't sure how people would react seeing a little girl walking through the hospital alone, so she decided to avoid them as much as she can. She didn't get far though when she suddenly felt this pull inside her gut. It wasn't really powerful, but it was enough to make her stop in her tracks. She didn't know why she did that, but something compelled her to. There was nothing of significance in that certain hallway, but as she turned to her left she was face to face with an open door and without a moment's hesitation she entered it.

The room was almost identical to the one she was in before, a big room with rows upon rows of beds separated only by curtains. Although she couldn't see them, she knew that the room was occupied by other patients judging by the noises they made behind the curtains. Stepping into the little aisle the curtains made, Rin wove her way through the room, careful not to make much sound and ignoring the looks the other patients gave her. The pull she felt in her gut grew stronger as she made her way deeper into the room until finally she stopped. In front of her was another pair of white curtains that was closed. It was no different from the rest, but for some reason the pull she felt was stronger here.

So without hesitation, Rin pulled the curtain to the left to reveal another occupant of the room. A young boy with blond hair tied in a short ponytail lay sleeping on the bed. The boy's face was pale, a large patch was stuck to his left cheek and a bandage was wrapped around his head, but other than that he seemed fine. Stepping closer, Rin stopped by his bedside and took a good look at Len's face. He was sleeping peacefully and if you ignore the bandages it would look as though nothing bad had happened, but she knew better. Not wanting the other occupants to hear her, Rin covered her mouth as her shoulders started shaking and uncontrollable sobs wracked her body.

A midst her silent whimpers, Rin didn't notice the boy stirring in his sleep. Groaning, Len's eyebrows furrowed as his sleep was disturbed. Somewhere in his sleep-addled mind consciousness was starting to seep in and he was becoming aware of his surroundings. "What's that sound?" he thought, "Is someone crying? Who is it?" even though his body demanded sleep, Len's mind was already at the doorstep of awakening, and he was also too curios for his own good. Blinking his eyes opened, Len squinted at the sudden light that greeted him. The noise was still there, so when he turned his head he was surprised to see Rin standing there crying.

"Rin?" he said, then winced once he realized just how hoarse his voice was. Startled, Rin looked up and saw the boy staring right at her. "Len?" she said.

"Why are you crying?" he asked. His mind was still muddled with sleep and drugs, but once his vision cleared his eyes widened. Rin was startled when he suddenly sat upright and grabbed her shoulders. All traces of sleep he had were replaced with a sense of urgency once he took in her injured appearance. "You're hurt!" he cried, "What happened? Did you get into an accident? A fight? Who did it? What happened? Wait, why was I sleeping in the first place? Is this a hospital? Gah! Just what is going on?"

Rin had remained silent throughout his whole outburst as he continued on shooting more questions. She was shocked to say the least; she didn't know how to handle this. The concern shown on Len's face sent knots to her stomach and it made her feel giddy that someone actually cared for her well-being. It also made her feel guiltier by the second. A light sniffle interrupted Len's thoughts and he stopped in mid-rant to see tears running down her face. "R-Rin!" Len stuttered.

"I'm sorry." She cried, "I'm really, really sorry."

"Ah, Rin! Don't cry!" Len said, waving his hands in the air as he panicked. He didn't know how to comfort someone, much less someone who was crying. Usually it was the other way around, but this was Rin, and she was important to him. "Hey, come on don't cry." He said in a softer voice, much like how his mother would do whenever she consoles him. "Everything is going to be alright."

"No it's not alright!" Rin said, shaking her head. "Everything that's happened is because of me. It's my fault!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, shooting her a confused look. Rin hiccupped a bit before lowering her hands to meet his eyes. Her face was red as she did so and seeing her tear-streaked made his heart clench. "The accident at the amusement park," She said, as she paused to sniff. "That was my fault."

Len raised his eyebrow at that a he stared at her disbelief. "What makes you say that?"

At that, Rin stopped crying as she bit her lips and ducked her head down not wanting to meet his gaze. Her hands gripped the cloth of her hospital gown and anxiety seeped into her core as she got ready to tell him her secret. "Bad things always happen whenever I'm around." Her voice soft and full of apprehension. "It was just small things at first like a broken plate or a missing key, but things got worse and the accidents started to happen. The other kids at the orphanage got afraid of me and refused to come near me. Even the adults are scared and they pay less attention to me. I know it sounds weird but I'm not lying! That's why you should also do the same. The longer you stick with me the more you'll get hurt."

After she finished speaking Len was speechless. The sudden confession was shocking to say the least and he had trouble forming a proper comeback. But something she said made him wonder. "The other kids at the orphanage got afraid of me." That one line stuck to his head and Len knew the hidden meaning behind it as he suddenly recalled all those times they meet and she always shows up with a scar or a bruise. He may be young, but he was no stranger to bullying as he often witness those acts in his school filled with snotty rich kids. "Wait, is that why you never tell me how you got those bruises? Are you being bullied?" It was Rin's turn to be surprised as she looked at him, "Well…yes." She said, unsure of where this was going. After hearing her admission, Len couldn't help but feel a surge of anger rise through him. "Why didn't you tell me?" Rin blinked at his sudden outburst, but soon regained herself.

"Why does it matter?" she asked.

"I'm your friend; I have a right to know these things." Len defended.

"I just told you to stay away from me." She countered.

"Are you saying we shouldn't be friends anymore?" he said incredulously.

"Yes!" she said exasperated. By then their voices had been steadily rising, and anymore they would garnering the attention of the other patients. "Rin that's ridiculous!" Len said, "Just because bad things happened while you're around doesn't mean it's your fault. So what if I got injured? That's the engineers fault for not making sure that all the rides were fixed."

"That's what they all say before they started leaving me!" Rin shouted, effectively catching Len attention. Tears had started to build up again, but she refused to let any fall. "The friends that I used to have all said the same thing, they didn't believe I was cursed, and that I wasn't at fault, but as the bad things got worse they started leaving me one by one until I was all alone. That's why I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to leave because I was so happy, but then this happens," she said, referring to the entirety of the situation. "Nothing like this had ever happened before, last time it was just someone who fell down the stairs and got a broken arm, but this, this is way too much. I may have been selfish for wanting to be friends with you, but I can't bear the thought of something bad happening to you. That's why I'd rather be the one to end this first then be abandoned again."

Needless to say, Len was speechless once more. He had no idea at all of the pain Rin was going through or the fear and self-doubt she was experiencing. And with that in mind, Len couldn't help but feel utter sorrow for her. "Is that why you never told me much about yourself?" he thought, "Because you were afraid I would reject you?" he may be young, but he was quite perceptive when he wanted to be and this was one of those times. He knew that by just using words it would be near impossible to change her mind so he did something unexpected. He hugged her.

"L-Len!?" Rin stuttered, not expecting the sudden hug. Seeing that Len was still seated, Rin was forced to kneel on the bed so she wouldn't be uncomfortable. Len's hand was atop of her head while the other was behind her back holding her close.

"You're so silly." He said softly. For a moment, Len was thankful that there were curtains blocking them from the other patients. He didn't want any prying eyes to see them like this, neither did he want anyone to hear what he was about to say. "You weren't the only one, you know. I was happy too."

"What…" a lump formed in her throat that prevented her from speaking, not that she was planning to in the first place. She was too shocked to formulate anything, much less words. So Len took advantage of that and continued from where he left off, "The friends that I made in school were just people my parents set me up with. They wanted me to build relations in an early age so that I can have a strong influence when I grow up. The other kids are aware of this too, so we try to get along for our parents sake, but it doesn't work out often. And recently, I discovered that my so-called friends were talking behind my back and that the people who approach me are really just after my family wealth. So if you think about it, you're the first and only real friend I have and it made me happy."

"It's suffocating." He said his hold tightening around her and Rin could feel him shake. "Back at home I'm alone and in school its worse. I try really hard to please my father but it's never enough and everyone at school gets jealous whenever I get praised. Most of the time I'm either ignored or taken advantage off. It's too much… I don't know what to do anymore. I just want to get away from it all, but I can't. The only time I feel free is when I'm with you." It was then that Len started to cry. All the emotions he held, the frustration and disappointment he suffered, all of it was unleashed into that single moment. His face was buried in Rin's neck and she could feel the warm tears that shed from his eyes and fell unto her skin. He was also shaking hard and his grip was so tight that it was hard to breathe, but Rin didn't dare try to move, not when Len was being so vulnerable now. She didn't know why, but she felt that if she were to try to move or push him away, he might break and she didn't want that.

"That's why, Rin…please…don't say you'll leave me." He begged his voice hoarse and he was choking on his own words. "I'll be even sadder if you do. I'd rather get hurt than be alone again. Please…promise me you won't leave."

Rin was frozen from where she is, but as Len continued to cry her features began to soften.

"Ah…so that's it." She thought as realization dawned unto her. "All this time, I've been thinking of when this relationship of ours would end. I was always, always afraid of the day when you'll find out my secret and that you would end up rejecting me as well. But…I was wrong. Between you and me, the one who was more afraid was actually you, wasn't it?"

Rin still hadn't said anything and Len was beginning to think that she would actually follow through her plan. He was frustrated and also ashamed that he allowed himself to cry like this, but he couldn't help it. The thought that Rin would disappear from his life was even more frightening than what his father had in store for him. So he gripped tighter and waited for the inevitable. What happened next though, wasn't what he expected. Instead, he felt a pair of arms, soft and lithe like his, wrap around his body and holding him close. "Okay." She said softly, her eyes closing as she embraced him. "Okay."

With that single word, Len's shoulders sagged in relief as a new wave of tears spilled out of his eyes. His whole body was practically slumped over Rin's form and she strained to keep them both up. But strangely though she didn't mind, in fact she welcomed it. She couldn't remember the last time she ever felt this warm or needed by somebody and it made her happy. Her sleeve was thoroughly wet now, but she ignored it in favor of rubbing his back and running her hand through his hair. It was strange, she thought, just a few minutes ago she was the one crying her heart out now the roles were reversed. She really didn't want to let go of this warmth, but neither did she want Len to get hurt again which she knows without a doubt will happen again. But for now, she didn't care about any of that. She had a feeling that as long Len was there, she could face any hardship there is.

It filled her with hope.

Hours later, when the sun was beginning to set, a nurse was seen running down the halls with a panicked look on her face. It was the same nurse that had diagnosed Rin earlier and was just coming to check up on her only to see the bed empty and the girl gone. She had spent a good hour searching through the rooms and asking her fellow nurses if they've seen the missing girl, but no luck. Just as she was thinking that this would be the last day of her job, she passed by an open door and caught sight of the color of gold. Stopping in her tracks, the nurse backtracked from where she came from and hoping against hope, she passed through the door and sighed in relief. There on the bed was the missing girl, together with whom the nurse thought was her brother. They were both asleep and curled up next to each other while holding hands. Shaking her head a bit, the nurse decided to cut them slack and tucked them in. Once that was over she left the room thinking that she should make a request where the twins were stationed together.

All seemed well now, secrets were revealed, revelations were made, but all in all it ended up fine…for now. What the two didn't know was that this new found peace they had wasn't going to last long and that Rin's worries for the future were spot on. But for now that was least of their problems as they continued to sleep, blissfully unaware of what fate had in store for them.