"Are you absolutely sure we can leave you two alone?" Father asked, with a strained groan. It seemed as though he couldn't decide whether to be furious or to just let it go.

He and Mother stood opposite us once more; she seemed more disappointed than mad, and while that stung, I refused to take the blame. Then again, I had no choice. They would cancel their plans in a heartbeat if they thought us kids were going to kill each other as soon as they left.

Len took the coward's way out, not saying a single thing.

Looked like it was up to me. I sighed softly, giving a nod. "Yes, you can trust us. I'm sorry for my inappropriate behaviour," I said, biting my tongue the best I could. I also had to resist the urge to side-eye the hell out of my brother. Why did I have to be the one to apologise, damn it?

Mother broke her silence, turning to Len. "Are you sure you didn't say anything to hurt your sister's feelings?"

He froze, squirming under her stern gaze.

'Try and worm your way out of this one,' I thought, holding back a malicious smirk.

"I…"

"Let's sort this out when we get back home, hun." Before he could come out with some sort of pathetic excuse, Father interrupted, apparently deciding to let it go for the time being. He spoke softly to Mother, insisting they had to leave.

"Ah… Right, we really should be going now," Mother sighed, reaching down to pick up her bags.

"You two should consider yourselves lucky that we're letting this slide. I trust you'll reflect on your behaviour while we're away."

I tried not to grimace. Mother and Father were usually kind, warm and loving… But when they were all serious and strict, they became almost a little scary. I just nodded along, silently promising that I'd reflect or whatever. I totally wouldn't, because it wasn't my fault, but… Well, anything to appease them.

After exchanging goodbyes, our parents hurried out the front door, leaving us brats to ourselves. Now all I had to do was pray I didn't give into the desire to strangle my brother over the next two days.

"Geez, I thought they'd never leave…" Len huffed. Of course. He had plenty to say now we were free. "You know you almost screwed that up for us, right?"

Gahhh…! I forced myself to remain calm. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"Well, you should be glad I'm such an understanding, forgiving brother," he continued, not even acknowledging my response, in his own little world. Oh, yeah. How generous of him. "And you should also be glad that I'm still willing to go ahead with a certain surprise I've been planning for a while now…"

I cocked a brow, genuinely curious. That was the first I'd heard of a so-called surprise. "This isn't some kind of sick, practical joke… Is it? You're not leading me into a trap?" Shoving my piqued curiosity aside, I reminded myself to be more cautious. When had my brother ever been nice enough to surprise me with something?

"You think too little of me," Len said, putting on a grossly fake pout.

"Can you really blame me?" I remarked, with a tut.

Swiftly moving the conversation along, with a light awkward laugh, he didn't waste any more time beating around the bush. "Remember those dance classes we used to take?"

Oh. My life flashed before my eyes in that moment, upon the mention of such a dark, cursed time. Mild horror had probably flickered over my face for a split second, but I reigned it in, not daring to show weakness. "I swear, if this is a trap…" I hissed, leaning in to glare all threateningly at him.

"Of course not."

How could I ever forget? It had been simultaneously one of the best and worst periods of my younger life. The glory days of when Len and I actually got along… As well as a complete nightmarish disaster.

Mother originally only signed me up for after school classes back then. She'd figured Len would want to do something not as 'girly', in her eyes, so he was pushed into some outdoor sport. However, he complained the whole time, begging Mother to let him join me in dance classes, since he'd apparently 'missed Rinny soooo much'.

It was fun. I had gotten the hang of it on my own, naturally growing into my confidence – and with Len by my side, we became a sort of power duo, quickly becoming the fastest leaners in the entire class. Our bond was supposedly just that strong. Too bad literally no one, not even myself, had considered the possibility that I may have been deathly afraid of crowds. Absolute shitshow. I wish I meant that figuratively.

My cheeks burned at the memories all flooding back to me. "Wh...What about them?" I coughed, burying my humiliation the best I could.

"Well… A few weeks ago, I started feeling oddly nostalgic, reminiscing the good old days. It kind of dawned on me just how much we've grown up since then, and… Part of me missed those unique experiences."

"Huh…?" I whispered, watching as his expression dropped to something so… serious. Passionate. I couldn't recall the last time he spoke so sincerely from the heart like that. Yet… Hey, if he missed it just as much as I did, why hadn't he brought it up sooner?

"A-Anyway…" He was quick to gloss over what he most likely considered vulnerability. "I found some of the videos Father took of us practising for the competition."

Ugh. I didn't know whether to be annoyed – since I had absolutely no idea such videos even existed – or if I should've prepared to face further embarrassment. "He… doesn't have any videos of the big day, does he?" I was almost afraid to ask, but I just had to know.

Len shook his head, taking on his usual cocky tone. "You're in luck, kiddo."

"Hah…" Did I mention how much I despised it whenever he called me 'kiddo'? First of all, we were the same age. Second of all, condescending as all hell. Whatever. At least I wouldn't have to stage a tragic accident where those videos ended up disappearing. And… At least Len wouldn't have any further material to torture me with.

He propped his hands up onto his hips, with a wide grin. "I scanned that shit religiously, for hours, just to get an idea of what our dance was like. I wanted to learn it all over again, and make sure I nailed it."

"Hold up, what?" I blinked blankly at him, wondering why he would do such a thing. I still wasn't quite following along. Oh… But one thing did click, at the very least. "Huh. That explains all the extra 'homework' you had over the past few weeks."

He'd always dashed off at random times, without any sort of reason, claiming he'd forgotten bits and pieces of homework. Honestly, I just thought he'd finally got himself a girlfriend. Although, it made more sense that the reason behind it was some nerdy crap.

Len nodded at me. "Clever. I thought you'd never catch on. Ahem! So, forgive me for rambling on for so long. With the stage set, I have just one question for you, my dear sister."

Jesus, what the hell was he going on about now? I recoiled, seriously weirded out. "Sure…?"

"Would you like to learn this dance with me, so we can impress our friends with our amazing skills?" Out of nowhere, he extended his hand toward me, glancing expectantly my way with puppy-dog eyes.

Well, that sure was one hell of a roundabout way to ask something so simple.

Uhh… Still, I had to admit I was rather confused. "You're doing all this… just to brag?" I tilted my head to the side, trying to piece together his motivations. I figured at least some of that rant of his would make sense, but… Nope.

"Rin…" His teasing, proud grin softened into something more gentle, as he took my hand into his, without even waiting for approval. "I know how much that incident all those years ago affected your confidence… And I know how much you've always wanted to get back into dancing, but could never find the will to do so."

Why… Why had the atmosphere between us suddenly become so… different? I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I didn't know why my heart had begun to beat a little faster in my chest. What was with his nice act? I remained silent, though nodded just once to confirm that was pretty much how I felt.

"All you needed was a push in the right direction. I'm sorry I didn't get around to doing this sooner. I just… wanted to wait for the perfect moment." He lowered his voice to a hushed, almost… shy… whisper.

I felt his free hand settle on my waist; my breath got all caught up in the back of my throat the instant he made contact with me. I allowed him to pull me closer, overwhelmed by a flood of different emotions. Confusion, joy, embarrassment… I timidly traced my glance up to look him in the eye.

He just smiled at me, patiently awaiting an answer.

"Len, I…" However, nothing came out. Instead, something I thought I'd long forgotten about hit me all at once. The position we were in… The soft, sweet eyes of my brother… That was right. I'd had a dream like this, a long while back.

A mysterious prince, at a fancy, royal ball. Out of all the gorgeous women who surrounded him, he focused on me. He chose me. He held me in a way similar to how Len currently was.

I could never remember how that dream ended, though. All I knew was that it made me physically nauseated when I awoke the next morning, so I buried it, in hopes of forgetting about it. I mean, what'd be the point in forcing it to resurface if it unsettled me that much? But… Despite that, here it was, completely out of the blue… Brought back by my brother, of all people?

I sighed softly, deciding not to dwell on it. I briefly closed my eyes, taking in a breath to compose myself. "You were really… that committed to doing something so sweet for your sister…?"

"Well, I know it's kind of sappy, but yeah," he said, with a quiet laugh.

Then, I shattered the tense air between us instantly, flicking my eyes back open. "That is… so embarrassing for you…!" I snorted, before roughly slapping my hands onto his shoulders. "You're such a nerd."

"Ah…!" Len gasped, seemingly caught off guard by the tonal whiplash. "You are such a pain in the ass…! Not even a little grateful that I'm being a good brother?"

"Oh, I'm totally grateful. That doesn't mean I'm not going to mock you until the end of time for this," I said, unable to hold back the fit of laughter welling up in my chest any longer. I lost it right in his poor face, before forcing him to get on with practise already.

…

Len had always been there for me. No matter what my issues were, no matter how petty… If something was wrong, he was at my side on the defensive, no questions asked. Mother and Father could never really wrap their heads around my vast array of emotions, yet my brother somehow always knew how to deal with me.

I tried my hardest to return the favour. Perhaps it was some deeply ingrained twin thing, and if I dug deep enough into my own instincts, I would be able to help him with his own problems. But he never opened up to me. Maybe I didn't pry hard enough…? Sometimes I wondered if we drifted apart because I never supported him in return.

Whatever the case… I would never forget how many times he helped me. I would never forget our bond.

During the more rocky years of adolescence, my emotions were all over the place. One of those emotions in particular being… well, love. I was incredibly prone to developing crushes on so many different people at school.

Maybe he got fed up with my messy feelings, like everyone else. There was one memory that stuck out amongst all others to me, though. I didn't realise how much it meant to me at the time, but I often thought back on it with fondness, on the lonely days where I missed how close we used to be.

My shoulders shook; I couldn't regain control over my short, sharp breathing, no matter how hard I tried. My neck and back ached from being so pathetically slouched by my locker. Not just my neck and back, but my whole body. All I could do was hug myself for warmth, hoping the relentless tears would stop eventually.

At the very least, no one would see my breakdown. The majority of students had cleared out, headed home for the day.

Dang it… Why…? Just why did this always happen to me? I wouldn't ever be able to toughen up my sensitive heart, would I?

Those feelings… They were so much more intense than what I was used to. Up until that point, I'd only developed minor crushes on fellow peers. But when it came to… that person…? That, coupled with a harsh rejection, had torn me apart.

"Rin…?"

I froze, breath catching in my throat. Someone's voice drifted through the halls, calling my name. I immediately lifted my head up, on high alert. I couldn't recognise their voice.

Was it… one of my friends?

Oh, no, no… I simply couldn't let them see me in such a state. I'd been sobbing for at least ten minutes straight. I probably looked like a total mess.

"Rin?"

Their voice travelled through the halls once more. Except that time, it sounded as though they were closer than before.

I took in a shaky breath, attempting to calm my nerves and get my tears to stop. I couldn't will myself to stand up from where I slouched, however. All I could do was slightly lift myself, to rest my back against my locker.

Sniffling, I glanced to my left, hoping to catch sight of whoever was calling for me. No one.

When I turned my head to the right, I set eyes on my brother, who was stomping toward me at a fast pace.

My heart dropped; I had to prepare myself for the inevitable lecture he'd give me. Or perhaps he'd even mock me. He never understood my crushes. Never took them seriously. Why would he start now?

Sometimes, he offered a few kind words, but then he went straight back to getting on my case about something. Always looking to pick a fight.

Not only that, but… What made me even more anxious to face him, compared to every other time… was the matter of the person I'd developed a crush on.

I narrowed my eyes, sending a sharp glare his way as he approached. Out of everyone who could've found me here, it just had to be him, didn't it? I'd rather be alone than deal with him so cruelly making fun of me.

Before I knew it, he was a mere few paces away.

"Rin!"

When he snapped my name, I couldn't bring myself to keep up my defensive act. I thought I could just be cold in return, but no. It stung. I pulled my eyes from him, resorting to staring down at my shoes instead, the urge to cry surfacing again.

"I was so worried…!" Unexpectedly, he dropped to his knees beside me; I saw him extending his hands out, and… They landed on my shoulders, touch oddly gentle and… comforting…?

"Len…?" I whispered, thrown off by his sudden change in attitude. I looked up to him, connecting our eyes. That one gesture of his left me speechless.

"What happened to you?" He sort of squeezed my shoulders, a hint of urgency in his words. "Luka didn't hurt you again, did she?" Then, there was a flicker of… anger.

God damn it… Luka. She was always so mean-spirited. She constantly teased me, set her goons on my friends, made our lives miserable, and so much more. But one day, I got a glimpse of her good side. Knowing the typical 'mean girl bully' persona of hers was an act, a mask she wore to bury whatever pain she'd been through in her life… I was hooked. I wanted to see more. I wanted to help her become a better person.

I shook my head in response. Well, she had hurt me. Not in the way he assumed, though. "No… We… didn't fight or anything like that," I mumbled. Oh, that expression on his face… It killed me. I lowered my head, screwing my eyes shut.

I knew Len would judge me so hard for my crush on Luka. I would never hear the end of it. Sure, he seemed genuinely concerned now, but he hadn't heard the truth yet.

"Then what is it? Why have you been crying?" Len continued to interrogate me, still holding onto me. "Rin, you don't have to be afraid. You can tell me if Luka and her friends cornered you and bullied you. They will never hurt you again, I promise."

He squeezed my shoulders once more, reminding me of his presence, of his love and care for me. It made my heart ache.

"Why do you care so much…?" If he was going to tease me about her, like he did with literally every other personal thing in my life, then why…? I wasn't able to wrap my head around his shift in behaviour.

I sneaked a glance up at him, and caught surprise taking over his features.

"Why wouldn't I care?" He gasped, seemingly offended.

"Because you never cared before this," I said, with a weak snort.

"Of course I did," he argued.

"Ugh…!" See, now we were back to bickering like children. A frustrated groan escaped me. That was exactly why I wanted to be alone. "Just…"

"Here." Len cut my words short, retracting his hands from my shoulders, before pulling his jacket off.

I silently watched his movements, brow raising as he held his jacket out to me.

"You're cold, right?"

As he asked that, I instinctively ran my glance over my bare arms. Hmph… I snatched it from him, with a pout. "I know you're only doing this to trick me into thinking you actually care about me, but thanks," I bitterly said, sliding his jacket on. Ugh… It was a couple sizes bigger than me. I was going to look ridiculous walking around in it.

He cracked an almost smug smile, letting loose a stupid, yet partly sincere laugh. Yeah, that just about revealed his intentions.

Still… The mood had kind of been lightened now. I even found myself wanting to smile and laugh along with him. I stopped myself from doing so, though, a dull ache still plaguing my heart. "Hey… Promise you won't be mad at me, or make fun of me."

His smirk dropped into something sweeter, and he gave a nod. "I promise. I'm listening."

Len had… always been there for me, ever since that incident. Well, he'd been kind of supportive at random intervals throughout our childhood, but before that, he never showed so much concern and care for me.

It was weird, in a way. Twins were supposed to know everything about each other, weren't they? Or at least, almost everything. Yet my brother had always been so mysterious to me. Just when I thought I'd finally got him all figured out, he strayed from the script and acted differently.

Maybe he was playing mind games with me on purpose, like… Maybe he got some kinda sick pleasure from messing with me. I'd tried time and time again to ask him what his deal was, but he always avoided the question, in one way or another.

I didn't mind, though. Those surprises… were nice. I eventually settled on the theory that he was just too embarrassed to tell me directly about his soft side, so instead, he showed me when the time was right. If that was the case, he could try to hide it and deny it all he wanted – I knew he really did love me, deep down.

At least… That was what I wanted to believe.

…

Just as Len finished guiding me through our new and improved dance routine, the doorbell rang. He flashed a bright grin. "Just in time. Think you got it?"

I gave a strained shrug. During practise, I'd messed up quite a few times. I stepped on his poor toes, crushed them, landed an elbow right in his gut during one of our twirls… Ah, man… "I guess so?"

The fact that I used to be one of the top students at dance class baffled me. Just… how?

"Well, at least we don't have to show our friends until tomorrow," he replied, lowering his arms back down to his sides. "I'll go answer that, okay? Heh… Given that it's not quite time to meet up yet, I bet our favourite drama queen is here."

I let out a slight laugh, trying my hardest to focus on his words, and not give away my inner turmoil too much. When he turned his back to me, exiting the main room, a small sigh passed my lips.

I couldn't stop thinking about how close he and I were during all of that. The connection between that creepy, mystery dream and our dance was starting to sink in and really mess with my head. One thing was for certain – I could not let any details of it slip to him. Gah, but at the same time, I couldn't just keep it all bottled up!

"Lennyyyy! Your favourite person in the whole entire world has arrived!~"

My eyes widened at a sudden loud shout from somewhere in the house. It snapped me from thought almost immediately; I darted my glance toward the door, trying to get a peek into the main hall. Hah… Len had perfectly pinpointed our first guest.

Alrighty, Rin. Time to act normal.

I headed over to the door, deciding to go greet… her. But really, I wasn't sure if I could handle her insanely high energy right now. Not that I didn't want to see her or anything. I just had no idea if my social battery could last for long.

However, as I approached, the door burst open, mere inches away from whacking me right in the face. I gasped sharply, reflexes kicking in, and escaped my fate by jumping backwards. "Woah…!"

On the other side of that door was none other than Meiko, eyes filled to the brim with joy. "Rinny!" she screeched. Ow!

I had no chance to react at all. I was still a little disoriented from almost taking a door to the face, too – she wore this almost predatory look on her face, signalling she'd pounce at any moment.

"H-Hey, Meiko!" I choked on my words, throwing up my hands to beg for mercy just this once.

However, it was if she didn't even register my obvious nerves. "Happy Birthday to the bestest friend ever!" she yelled, and god damn it, she lunged for me!

"Meikoooo!" As she crashed into me, I let out an ear-splitting scream. I lost control of my feet at the sudden weight of a whole other person body-slamming me. All I could do was screw my eyes shut, bracing for the worst… and fell onto my poor back, all within the space of a few seconds.

Oh, and of course, I took Meiko down with me.

A loud thud echoed out, and an agonising pain coursed through my body. "Owowowow…" I hissed, lifting a hand up to weakly clutch at my forehead. Wait… Why was there some kind of warm sensation on my face…?

I reluctantly opened my eyes, and… Holy melons!

Meiko's chest was directly on my face. Now, Meiko wasn't a heavy girl or anything like that, but good god, any weight she did put on went directly to her chest. Pretty much my entire god damn view had been obscured.

I squeaked, flushing a nice bright, burning red. Before I had the opportunity to push her away, footsteps rapidly approached.

"Hey, hey! I heard all the noise! What happened, did someone get hu- Huh? Huh?! What the hell is going on here?!" Len's tone was filled with concern as he came rushing into the main room, but presumably, he set sight on mine and Meiko's odd position, and instantly began freaking out.

"I… I… Wah!" Snapping out of my daze, my brain finally started to work again. I pushed the equally dazed Meiko off of me, wondering how the fuck I'd explain it to my brother.

As she rolled off me and her back made contact with the floor, she, too, came back to reality. She blinked a few times, before sitting up with an innocent grin on her face. "Oh… I kinda sorta tackled Rinny a bit too hard this time," she said, poking her tongue out.

I met Len's cold, judgemental eyes – he stared directly at me, awaiting my explanation. Oh, lord. He didn't believe Meiko at all. He was assuming the worst, wasn't he? Wahhhh, what a nightmare! "I… I, uhh…" My throat had gone all dry, pressure building in my head.

A hint of a smirk pulled at his lips. "You have to stop letting yourself get so worked up over the slightest bit of teasing, Rinny," he said, in an obnoxious, smug sort of tone.

My eyes widened; I hit boiling point, steam rising from the top of my head. Oh, that… that…! He seriously made me think- Gah!

I reigned my frustration in, deciding not to start a screaming match in front of Meiko. Besides. I lacked the energy, body still sore. "Screw you," I scowled.

Meiko pulled herself to her feet with a little giggle, before reaching her hand down to me. "Here, lemme help you up," she offered, with a grin.

I'd rather wallow for a while, actually. I politely refused, shaking my head. "Nah, I'll just… Uh… Chill here for a few," I mumbled, sprawling my arms and legs out, like the lazy mess I was. What a crazy birthday thus far.

She simply gave a shrug. "Sure thing, Rinny."

Len gave a light sigh. "Well, good thing Meiko handed the presents to me before she went for you," he said. "They're out in the hall, safe and un-crushed."

Oh, yeah. I was so glad the material things were safe. Never mind my bones. Geez, I loved Meiko. Truly, I did. Yet that girl wasinsanesometimes, not to mention totally unpredictable. Heh… I supposed I wouldn't have it any other way, though.

"But seriously, when I dashed in here, I certainly didn't expect to find you two in such a provocative position…"

There he went, running his dumb mouth again. I sent a fierce glare his way from where I lied on the floor. "Looks like someone forgot they were on pizza boy duty," I said, a threatening hint to my words.

His expression soured immediately, and he averted his glance. "I didn't forget. I just… um…"

Meiko butted in before he could finish, eyes lighting up at the mention of pizza. "Ooh! Lenny, you didn't tell me you got a job at a pizza place!"

"Uh…" He furrowed his brows, confusion slapping him in the face. "That's because I… didn't…" he awkwardly muttered.

"Oh." That seemed to disappoint her far more than it should've.

"But he is, in fact, on pizza ordering duty tonight," I swiftly added. That ought to teach him to think twice before saying some more stupid shit. "And he's spending his own hard-earned chore money on it for us! Isn't he soooo thoughtful and kind, Meiko?" Oh, I was having way too much fun mocking him in front of others.

"Wow! You're so good to your friends and your family. You're the bestest ever!" Meiko excitedly said, beaming all brightly. Jesus, her flip in attitude was almost scary. It was like she was operated by a switch or something – flip down for sadness, flip up for happiness. Flip down…

Len released a strained, breathy laugh. Yep, he most definitely wanted to murder me, right here, right now. "Well. I guess I better get to ordering, huh?" He spoke through gritted teeth.

I had to admit, his level of restraint was somewhat impressive. I'd have stabbed a bitch by now.

"Awesome! Then I'll be on door opening duty!"

"Oh, it's-" I couldn't even get more than a couple words out; Meiko had already dashed away to the main hall, within the blink of an eye. "Alrighty then…"

Just when I thought I had a second to myself, to take a breather and convince myself to keep pushing through the chaos… I noticed Len towering rather menacingly over me. Eh? When did he move closer…?

"Are you sure you want to keep humiliating me in front of our friends?" He whispered, voice still strained, as if he didn't want Meiko to hear.

I snorted, before flashing an unflattering, smug grin. "What're you gonna do about it?" I fired back.

"Trust me, you don't want to find out."

"Aww, did I wound Lenny's fragile little ego?" I snickered, continuing to poke fun at him.

Although, really… Deep down, I didn't want to fight. Fatigue was seeping into my bones, head a little fuzzy, but… The constant cycle of bickering and teasing was 'our thing'. I had to keep going along with it. Had to appear normal. Otherwise, he'd probably make fun of me for being too much of a wimp or whatever for backing out.

I desperately wanted a break, though. Just for today.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he said, with an exaggerated shrug. He turned on his heels and took his leave, probably into the hall or something.

Looked like he was going to find some way to embarrass me later. Wonderful, just what I wanted. Maybe I had took things too far… Ugh, but the only reason he was stuck ordering pizza for us was because of the gross stuff he came out with earlier!

No. I would not take the blame for that. Still, if I just backed down…

I sat up, frantically shaking my head. What was my deal, anyway? Why had I gotten so emotional out of nowhere? We'd be back to normality soon. I just had to laugh through it and get it over with. With a heavy grunt, I rose to my feet and took a moment to dust off my skirt. Had to look presentable and ready for the arrival of everyone else.

I decided to follow after Meiko; as I passed through the hall, I briefly noted Len was nowhere to be seen. He must've been up in our room, ordering on his phone in private or whatever. I swear, if that insensitive idiot didn't get all my favourite toppings…

Approaching the entrance, I found Meiko stood guard at the front door – which was wide open. She had her head poked out, scanning for our other friends, no doubt.

"Heya, Meiko. How goes door duty?" I giggled. She always looked so cute, doing silly Meiko things. I loved everything about her, obviously, yet sometimes I couldn't help but prefer her more lowkey, mellow moments.

"Ah?" She whipped her head back to glance over her shoulder, and broke out into a big smile when our eyes met. She then spun 'round to face me. "Sir! I mean… Ma'am!" She saluted.

"At ease, soldier," I said, biting back another laugh.

Meiko nodded, lowering her hand. "No sign of anyone else yet. You think they were abducted by aliens or something?"

I raised a brow, peering out the door, down the front path. Hmm. Indeed, the street was empty. "Who knows," I said, with a sigh. They knew exactly what time they were supposed to turn up, so… Slightly odd that they were late, but oh well. "They better get their butts here soon. Today is important!"

"Ehh…" Meiko muttered, stroking at her chin. Oh? The gears in her head were turning right now, huh? "If they don't turn up…"

"Hmm?" I raised a brow, waiting to hear what other cute, random things she'd come out with.

"That just means more pizza for us."

Hah! She certainly had a point. "Smart girl," I replied, playfully ruffling her hair. This was one person whose ego I did not mind feeding into. She deserved all the praise.

She burst out into a mini-fit of laughter. "Uh huh! The smartest," she agreed, all proudly. "Oh, oh! I think I hear someone coming!"

"About damn time," I said, slightly bitter. They better have a real good excuse for being late, I thought, puffing my cheeks out in irritation. As I turned to look out the front door alongside Meiko, my eyes landed on someone I thought I would never see again.

My heart skipped a beat, and I found myself paralysed, muscles stiffened and jaw dropped.

"R-Rinny…" Meiko shakily gasped.

All I could do was trail their movements with my eyes, fixated on them as they came closer and closer, walking up the path. Smiling. Waving. Acting completely normal, as if nothing ever happened.

"Oh, my! Looks like the birthday surprise was a success! Hello there, my dear Rin." She made her way toward us, voice all silky smooth, hips swaying. Strutting like a god damn model in my front garden.

I could barely believe my eyes. Was I… hallucinating? Perhaps stress was playing a cruel trick on me? That didn't explain Meiko's shock, though. I thought I would never see her again, after she left school, all those years ago.

That… That god damn…!

Several months worth of repressed memories and oh so many emotions resurfaced, knocking the air out of me. Not only that, but the intensity of that shock and nausea made me physically tremble on the spot. Her name escaped me as a breathless, pained, stunned growl.

"Luka."