18. Sympathy
"Rin? You in here?"
Len pauses in the girl's doorway, frowning at the darkness. Clearing his throat, he calls out again. "Rin?"
"...Go away."
The raspy, tearful voice emanates from the direction of her bed, the lump atop the cover shifting slightly.
He ignores her forceless eviction and instead wanders to her bed, sitting down beside her. "Hey. I heard about what happened." He says softly, looking down at her, though he can't see her face. "Kaito's an idiot for rejecting you like that."
She sniffles, and moves again to sit up. Her short blonde strands are sticking up, and her eyes glisten in the faint light. "I really loved him, Len." Her voice sounds broken and dejected. "I really loved him, and he doesn't- he reje- he-" Her mumbling dies down as clear streams rush down her face.
Len pulls her close and lets her cry into his shirt. "Shh. I know." He does know how it is, to love someone but to not be loved in return. It burns your heart, and leaves a sour taste in your mouth. If only you knew how much I understand. He can easily sympathize with her, because even now he feels the pangs of that aching hurt.
He was in love. In fact, he still is. With a girl who wears bright white bows and smiles often. The girl in his arms right now, crying over another boy. Selfishly, he's happy that the bluenette rejected her; on the other hand, he could easily go and punch Kaito for making her cry. He fights with his mixed feelings every single day.
But that doesn't matter. What matters now is consoling his friend. She's in pain, her heart shattered because of someone.
He knows all too well the sharp pain of unrequited love.