-Len-

Raindrops gracefully roll off the window, briefly illuminated by the bright, passing headlights of some car. It's been raining for nearly a week now, and I'm beginning to wonder if it'll stop any time soon before it begins to really flood the streets. I sigh quietly. Either way, it doesn't matter much to me, I think to myself somewhat sourly before continuing to flick through the never-ending shirts and sweaters in Rin's closet.

My fingers linger on something thick and soft, and I silently push the array of shirts to the side and slip the sweater gingerly off the hanger. The room is dark, nearly pitch-black save for the small sliver of light streaming from the hallway slipping through the doorway, but I could still recognize it.

The turtleneck sweater is olive, and I've seen Rin wear it about a million times throughout the year alone. I pause to gaze upon it, almost with a murmur of guilt in the back of my mind. To wake up and find her brother missing, maybe forever, is already somewhat of a downer. She always complains that I hog the bathroom in the morning and that I leave unsightly dishes in the sink, to "soak," and I always leave my things lying around. At least she won't have to deal with that when I'm gone, but to find that her favorite sweater's also missing? The heartbreak would be unimaginable.

I imagine her tearing her room apart frantically, articles of clothing strewn across the floor in towering piles and pieces of furniture casually knocked over, all to find that sweater she loves so much, even though she could probably buy a replica from some other store. She'll live, I think to myself as I drape it over my arm. I don't have time to find any other articles of clothing that would match what they'd be looking for (I told them to look for something green, and a polka dot umbrella, just for kicks and giggles) and she has a ton of other sweaters to fill the gaping void that this one used to fill. She'll be fine, I reassure myself, yet still, the churning in my stomach and unsettling feeling in my mind remain.

I glance at the clock, the glowing red numbers almost obnoxious against the darkness of the room. It's 4:19 AM, which gives me about 11 minutes to get to where I need to be. There's a strong urge within me to linger, even for a minute longer, but I begrudgingly put one foot ahead of the other as I make my way to the door with silent and light footsteps. I've always been punctual, after all. I can't afford to make an exception, even this one time.

But when my fingers brush the cool doorknob, still, I hesitate. Perhaps it's the sudden realization of this god-awful situation creeping up on me and holding me captive, or it's the fear I'd been holding back for so long crashing down upon me like the merciless tide against stubborn rocks. I try to hide it: the sweatiness of my palms, my quivering fingers and trembling knees. I think it's so that I won't feel so...

Ashamed.

"Len?" A groggy voice murmurs, followed by the shifting of bedsheets. I look behind me and spot Rin's faint silhouette, halfway sitting up from the bed. "What're you doing?"

"It's nothing," I tell her as I hold the sweater against my chest as if it's some precious heirloom, hoping she's too sleepy to catch on. "Go back to sleep. Just thought I left something in here." My voice quivers slightly when the words escape my mouth, and it sounds foreign and strange to my own ears. For a moment I don't believe any of it, and I just want to grab Rin and run as far as I can, to anywhere but this godforsaken town, to the end of the Earth and to oblivion itself. But it's just a fantasy. A foolish and selfish one. A sense of dread seems to spread across my being. Rin doesn't notice, thank god.

"What? In my room?" She sits up a little further, probably squinting at him suspiciously. I can't see it, but I could imagine Rin's scowl. "If any of my panties are gone, you're losing kneecap privileges, understand?" I roll my eyes at the accusation. The absurdity of Rin Kagamine has no bounds, but I think that adds to her odd charm. It's strange to think that I'll come to miss it.

"Because there's this huge demand to see Rin Kagamine's undies, right? Fine, you caught me. I'm trading your undergarments in a black market scheme around school, and I'm making a huge profit off of it. Say, what should I spend the money on? A jetpack, or a Lamborghini? Since, you know, the whole school is paying a fortune just to get a peek at the oh-so enchanting and riveting Rin Kagamine's underwear." Rin's silhouette slumps back down into the bed with an irritated groan. If she had been more awake, she probably would've thrown something at me by now.

"Oh, screw you." She mutters. I stare at her form for a minute before speaking again. I wonder a lot of things that feels like it takes up eternity, but really only lasts for a couple of seconds. The idea that this would be the last time I'll see her, hopefully, instills a premature sense of yearning for home within me. But I push it aside, knowing that I have a greater purpose ahead.

"Goodnight, Rin." I say. I stand, staring at Rin's lavender walls that are covered in posters and pictures and at Rin who's somewhere in that jungle of bedsheets, each passing second making it feel as if my feet are glued to the floor. I swallow the regret and guilt lodged in my throat. "Love you."

"Mmm, whatever." She murmurs in response. "Come into my room again, and I swear, you're gonna end up on those 'missing person' posters." I force a small smile on my face because Rin's always had this stupid joke about her being some prophet or psychic or something, and I think it gives me the courage to slip through the door and shut it behind me quietly, because it's just so...Rin.

She never did like saying goodbye.

2.5 years later

-Miku-

I don't know how I found myself in that room that's never quite talked about. I'd like to think that maybe...

Fine, there's no excuse for it; I was just being obnoxiously nosy. One minute, I'm leaving the bathroom, and the next, I find myself in that strange room nobody bothers to mention. I run my fingers over the film of dust blanketing the dark oak desk, wondering exactly how many lonely years or months it wistfully watched rot away.

I haven't known Rin that long- just a few months after I moved to town. It makes me feel worse, just barging in here without even knowing what this room's purpose is- or, was. Every time I asked, she'd very sneakily bring up another topic, and I probably should've taken that into consideration before waltzing in here like I owned the place. But, well, careless me, right?

My eyes roam around the room, running over the bed with the neatly made cream-colored sheets and pale sunlight-yellow pillows and dust-lined bookcase. My gaze catches onto a compact little gray dresser with what looked like picture frames and a stack of notebooks on top. I find myself wandering over there, figuring that since I've already trespassed, I might as well explore a bit.

The top notebook is blue, and scribbled on top in a strange messy, cursive-print font are the words 'stupid math.' I chuckle. Though it's something Rin would definitely title her notebook, the handwriting doesn't match; her words are written with elegance and long, flowing tails.

My eyes shift to the picture frames. I frown, not out of a sudden surge of unhappiness, but mostly out of confusion. There are various pictures, almost all of them containing the same blonde-haired boy with the dazzling smile and vivid blue eyes who looks a lot like Rin.

"That's my brother," Rin says from behind me. I jump and immediately turn around, my hands flying back instinctively and hitting the dresser's edge. I wince, ashamed. She smiles wistfully. "His name wa- is, Len."

I look down at the floor, knowing damn well that I shouldn't have ever been in here. I scorn myself internally without mercy for this. "I...I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to come in here, I just got curious, and...I'm really out of place here, I'm so sorry." Rin chuckles. I look up guiltily. Her mouth is turned in a small smile, her eyes running over the photos and glimmering with nostalgia.

"You know, I was always the strong one, and he was just this sack of skin and bones, and pretty, pretty hair," She said, holding up a picture of herself (a little younger, with longer hair) holding Len up bridal style while he laughed at the camera. She smirked. "I always joked that he probably would've made a prettier girl than anyone else in our grade."

I blink, relaxing just a bit, realizing that maybe she isn't mad. "I didn't know you have a brother." I admitted. I pause, remembering her near usage of "was" rather than "is." My heart sinks a bit at the realization. "Oh...I'm sorry."

She gives me a small smile in return. "He isn't dead, you know. Or in a coma, or anything like that. At least, I hope not." She sets the picture down gingerly and strolls to the bookcase. She runs a finger through the coating of dust, and looks at it in disdain. "It's been a while since I've dusted," She explains as she wipes her finger on her jeans, "I usually do it once a month, but well, I got lazy. I mean, it's been 2 years. I don't think he'll ever use..."

Rin's face falls, and she crosses her arms, looking away from the book case and at the opposite wall. It goes quiet. I put my hand on her shoulder, and for a moment, I think I see something shining in her eyes. She blinks rapidly and it disappears.

Her eyes don't leave that spot on the wall as she continues to speak. "2 years since he's left. I don't even know what happened. He was there one night, gone the next, without a trace. I don't know if something happened to him, if he just...got tired of everything or not, but I thought he had a pretty good life here, you know? So why on God's green Earth would he just get up and leave like that?"

"I don't know." I offer, tentatively. "But maybe he'll come back. Maybe he...got mixed up in something, or...I'm sorry. I didn't know him, but you're such an amazing friend. I don't think he'd leave because of you."

Rin's eyes stare off beyond the wall, now glazed over and shining. Then she puts her heads in her hands, hiding her face from me, and shakes her head. "That night," She says hoarsely, "he was in my room. I woke up, and he said he was looking for something. Then...he said goodnight. He told me he loved me. And I..." She chokes up before she could finish her sentence.

I go to her and envelop her in a hug. I know it isn't much, but I feel that it's all I could do, and I feel even worse knowing that my being here is what caused this flurry of memories to come back to her. I feel shame, regret, and a deep sense of guilt, so I hug her tightly and hope that it's tight enough to feel safe.

"I said 'whatever.' I didn't tell him that I loved him back. And you know what's real messed up? I...I threatened him, you know, as siblings do. I told him that if he went in my room again, I'd make sure he ends up on a missing persons poster. God, I might just be a fortune teller. For that to be my last words to him..."

"You don't know that," I tell her softly. "It pays off to be optimistic sometimes." She sniffs and raises her head. Her cheeks are damp, and her eyes hold just a vestige of redness. She wipes her tears with the back of her hand and gives me a small smile.

"Yeah, I wish I could say the same about my math tests," She mutters. "If I ever go in there thinking I'm getting higher than a B, then shoot me, because that's definitely an evil clone or something." I smile at her, and pat her shoulder.

"There we go," I say. "Back at it again with the self-deprecating humor. Love to see it." She rolls her eyes, and I think she's about to say something, but her phone rings from downstairs.

"Right. I've gotta get that. Come downstairs, and I'll call that Chinese place down the street for delivery, and we'll binge Law & Order."

"Sounds good," I tell her as we leave the room. As she hustles downstairs, I cast one last look back at Len's room, wondering if he'd actually ever come back. I wonder what he's like, what happened to him and a multitude of other things I decide to push out of my mind before shutting the door silently and making my way downstairs. It'd be best if I didn't think of him, for the sake of Rin. Maybe one day, she'll talk about him some more. Clearly, that day is far from today.

When I get to the kitchen, I find Rin standing in front of the sink, her phone clutched tightly in her hand which hangs limply at her side. Her eyes are glazed over, and her face completely pale, almost like a ghost. Her lip trembles; I barely even notice it, and when I do, I see her hands following suit, but a lot less discreet.

Alarmed, I rush toward her as she drops her phone and grips the edge of the counter tightly, hanging, as if to stop herself from collapsing. "Rin?" I say. I grab her shoulders, and she looks up at me, but her unfocused gaze looks like it isn't seeing me at all, like she's looking at something in the distance. "Rin!" I shake her shoulders a bit in hopes of snapping her out of this trance, and it works. Her eyes focus again, and they fixate on me.

"Rin, what's wrong?" I ask. She blinks slowly then looks around the kitchen as if something had, somehow, changed within the last minute or so. "Come on, talk to me," I urge her. She nods slowly.

"They...found him." She croaked. I stare at her in disbelief, wondering if she meant what I thought she meant, and if she did, whether or not this was some freaky coincidence or some act of God.

"You don't mean..." I say, my voice trailing off. "Len...?"

She looks at me and smiles a smile that I don't think I've seen before. It's a little lopsided, and wide, and in her eyes are a concoction of relief, tears, and joy.

"Len."