Chapter 21

Len.

I walked home with Rin after the music club. Everyone else had split and had gone their ways. Yuma and Gumi ran a lap around the track, and while Gumi had insisted they run another one, Yuma wasn't up to it. It was getting late by then, so we decided to start heading home.

"See, I told you, Len!" Rin grinned as we neared her home. She held out her hand for me to high-five, "You're great at singing!"

I met her hand with mine, high-fiving and shivering as our flesh touched. "I was surprised myself," I replied honestly, "Thanks for taking me with you, Rin."

She hugged me really tightly, really quickly. My heart was beating in my ears, and I could barely hear what she was saying.

"I believed in you, Len," she said softly. I wasn't sure what to say. It's true, she did, but she had just made all of me freeze up with that hug.

We walked the rest of the way to her home silently. Suddenly, I remembered how her expression had changed so drastically earlier, at the mention of Kaito.

"Rin," I began slowly as she pulled a key out of her pocket, "Can I ask you something."

She looked at me with wide eyes and a tight frown, seeming both curious about what I meant to ask but also a bit afraid. Slowly, she slid the key into a small lock on the large gates outside her home.

"Okay," she said quietly, waiting for me to continue. I nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Did someone hurt you?" I asked, looking into her eyes. She looked so pretty, but so sad, "Please, I just want to know. Just tell me, I need to know. I don't like seeing you like this, it...hurts me when you're sad."

Rin grabbed my hand and squeezed. She scrunched up her face, fighting back tears.

"Kaito," she whispered, "Kaito."

Yeah, yeah. Cliffhanger, short chapter, sorry! Longer one next time, okay? GASP what will Len do now?