I'm a bit late updating… ; u ;

Chapter Seven:Façade

[RIN'S P.O.V.]

As the doors opened, I sprinted off the bus toward my destination as quick as my feet would carry me. As I made my way toward the theme park's location, my conversation with Piko yesterday began to resurface in the back of my mind.

("Lily is back…?" Rin's voice trembled along with the hand she used to hold her phone with. "What do you mean she's back? You said that she was coming back in one month!" Rin said in a panic.

"Calm the hell down!" Piko shouted with a notable amount of panic in his voice as well.

Rin couldn't calm down. No, Lily was back- how could she calm down about something like this? Lily, she saw through Rin's façade the very moment that they had first met- she knew exactly what sort of person Rin was and what sort of goal she had. Lily knew- she knew everything.

"Look, she'll be attending Yamaha with us one way or another, so just be on your guard. I don't want her to know about our plans.")

Lily was back and my goal is not all that entirely different from back then. I can't help, but feel that history is repeating itself. Could this be divine punishment?

At the same moment that thought had crossed my mind… The first thing I saw when I reached my destination was the very person who saw through each and every single one of my masks- Lily. For a moment there, I was paralyzed with awe and fear. I didn't know when, but I had stopped running. Perhaps seeing her was what brought my entire body to a halt?

"Oh. It's been a while. Hello, Rin." Lily said, bringing me back to my senses. I didn't even notice that she had become aware of my presence.

"H-Hello." I managed to say while glancing away, bringing all eyes on me.

"Oh, Rin. I didn't expect to see you here. Hey there!" Haku said in a cheerful voice that I rarely heard her ever use.

"Hey…" I waved weirdly at my friend.

I hadn't noticed it, but Haku had been with Lily the entire time. When I finally brought my eyes to examine the surroundings, I had noticed that Len was there as well. Was he… Talking with her?

"Well then, I'd hate to interrupt your date with Rin." Lily said, looking over to Len. "Have fun." She gave him a teasing smile before leaving with Haku.

Have fun… Oh, right. That's why we're here.

"Took you long enough," Len gave me a toothy grin before taking my hand and leading me inside the theme park, "let's go."

"Yeah, sorry."

[Neru's P.O.V.]

"I can't believe you called me all the way out here just so I could help you with this!" Mikuo complained once again as we continue to stack the boxes of prizes atop of one another.

"It's not like I forced you into doing this. I did ask you first-" I tried to explain.

"I thought you were asking me out on a date." Mikuo interrupted.

"Please, no. Dating you once was enough. I do not need to relive that tragedy again." I joked and placed the last box down. "Come on, it's our turn to go man the ferris wheel." I started toward the attraction ride, leaving Mikuo behind.

"Ouch, Neru-chan. That stung." Mikuo said as he caught up to me. "But seriously, let's go out again." Mikuo said with his face inching ever so closer to mine.

I would have reacted if a pair getting on the ferris wheel had not caught my attention. And it was because the pair especially resembled Len and Rin so strongly that I had become completely unaware of Mikuo's attempts to make a move on me.

"Move, idiot, I can't see." I pushed Mikuo's face away and strained my neck to confirm my suspicions.

"Ow! H-Hey! Seriously, do you have something against my face?" Mikuo started complaining again. "Neru?"

"There. Do you see those two?" I pointed out to the couple of whom I was referring to.

"Hm?" Mikuo stood, hovering over me to see who I was referring to. "Isn't that Len… and Rin?"

[RIN'S P.O.V.]

"Rin, did something happen?" Len said, taking my attention away from the view. I turned to look at him who sat in the seat across from me.

"What?" I stared at Len, surprised. "No." I gave him a reassuring smile.

Why had Len ask me that? Did I not seem alright to him? Or did he notice the uneasiness I felt when Lily was there?

Had I been discovered? Did he know? Did Lily tell him everything? With each and every single question that came to my mind, I shuddered just slightly. What was I to do if he had found out?

Before I knew it, Len had gotten up from his seat abruptly and made his way over to me. His expression was dark and serious.

"You shouldn't get up while the ride is still moving-"

"Please stop acting." Len placed his hands over my shoulders and pushed me deeper into the cushions of the seat.

"Argh… Excuse me?" Irritation accompanied my words and I glared daggers at him. I felt myself losing patience. I was surprised at myself for how long I was able to keep up with him.

"You're lying- saying you're fine and all when you've been acting so strange."

"I haven't been acting strange at all. Just what are you trying to do?"

"I have known you long enough to know when your smiles are sincere and when they are fake." Len continued to pry.

"You must be mistaken because the last time I checked, I don't smile a whole lot in front of you." I argued back.

It wasn't a lie. All he has ever done was cause me pain. Because of him, I wasn't able to smile. I only cried. I hated him so much.

"Is it because of Lily? Do you not like her? Or did I do something wrong again?" His words struck the final blow.

There are occasions when my brain stops working and I start to spout whatever nonsense comes to mind, oblivious to the future consequences. This was one of those times.

"Just because we go to the same school and have the same classes doesn't mean you know shit about me! Just who do you think you are?"

"Your friend!" Len said, silencing me.

For the moment, I was unable to comprehend the situation. My lips trembled as I searched for the right words and my eyes wandered away.

"Well, then… That's enough of that." I glanced over to the door to see it was opened. There stood Mikuo and Neru.

"Mikuo? Neru?" Len stared at his friends, awestruck.

"I'm going to use the restroom." I got up, knocking Len back and proceeded out of the cart, to the girls' restroom.

"Just how long do you intend to stall?" Neru asked. I heard a sigh come from her when I didn't answer. "Sorry."

"Huh?" I looked up at Neru for the first time since we've entered the facilities. "Why… Why are you apologizing to me?"

"I accused you of lying last time and I also suggested that you were actually still hung up over Len. It was horrible of me." Neru smiled.

I felt a tear in my heart. Neru was apologizing to me… She was apologizing to me for something that she had been completely right about. All I could do was give her a slight nod- I didn't dare to tell her the truth.

"So what's bothering you? I know you wouldn't say those things unless you really had something on your mind."

"Am I really that readable?" My gaze shifted away once again.

"It's because I'm your friend."

Neru had had given me the same exact reason that Len had given me- so why was it that I did not freak out this time? Oh. It was because he asked about Lily, wasn't it?

"Lily… She's back."

"What? Is that why…"

I nodded. "I wonder if she told Len everything… I wonder if she hates me enough to do that after finding out that I was responsible for their break up…"

"Are you scared?"

"Ahah… I guess I am." I bit my lip, trying to hold myself back from my feelings.

There was a period of silence after that. I looked over to Neru to see her staring at the floor, mulling over what I had just told her. And then finally, she continued again.

"It's too late to regret over your past actions, Rin." Neru smiled sadly at me. "All that you can do is reflect over them so that it doesn't happen in the future."

And for the second time today, I was left speechless. Neru hadn't sugarcoated her words to comfort me- instead she had told me to move on. I chuckled to myself for a while. That was probably the best advice I've heard in a long time.

"Come on. We can't stay in here forever." Neru winked before unlocking the door to the restroom and leaving.

I stood there, slightly refreshed and turned to face the mirror. It was fine. I was fine.

[NERU'S P.O.V.]

I tapped against the send button on the screen and watched the message on my phone send itself over to Mikuo. I looked back over to the door to see Rin coming out. Rin, you said you were scared, but why would you be scared if Lily told Len? Are you falling for him again?

[RIN'S P.O.V.]

When Neru and I regrouped with the others, I was greeted with a sudden tackle… er… Hug. When I recovered from the sudden attack, I was surprised to see Miku was the one who was hugging me. I looked up to see Len and Mikuo grinning at me.

"I told Mikuo to call her here. Let's have some fun." Neru said in her usual calm and collected voice.

"Rin! Let's go on the rollercoaster!" Miku dragged me off before I could answer.

And like Neru had planned, we did enjoy ourselves that day. The whole incident I had with Len that day hadn't bother me at all anymore.

The day had ended and the five of us had parted ways. Len, of course, having the same route I take home, accompanied me. I would be lying if I said that I didn't feel an awkward tension in the air.

"Sorry about today…" Len began, speaking for the first time since we parted ways with Neru and the others. "But you know… I'm glad you're back to normal."

"I didn't really think much about it-" I stopped in my tracks when Len's actions and words finally register into my mind.

He's glad that I'm back to normal?

("Rin, did something happen?")

("Is it because of Lily? Do you not like her? Or did I do something wrong again?")

("Just because we go to the same school and have the same classes doesn't mean you know shit about me! Just who do you think you are?"

"Your friend!")

The memories came rushing back one by one. I found myself in shock at the realization. Len had been thinking about me? Was he perhaps worried?

"Rin?" Len called out and began approaching me.

As if it was instinct, my body shifted away and words flew out of my mouth once again. "I'm going first. I'm not feeling well." I replied before breaking out into a sprint. I didn't want to give Len the chance to respond.

By the time I arrived home, I realized that I was in a state of chaos. What was going on? Had I been wrong about Len? If that was truly the case then can I even justify what I am doing anymore?

I looked to my right to see that the plates of food that I had left for my mom on the table were untouched. She hasn't been home… She was working herself too hard again.

I was about to clean up the food when I heard a sudden beeping from my pocket. It was my phone. I whipped out the mobile device to see that I had a new text message:

Are you okay? Don't work yourself too hard.

-Len

New guilt and confusion descended into my heart. Len, just what kind of person are you?

I really, really do need to apologize this time. I know I told some of my reviewers that I would update by the end of February, but well… Yeah, I have no excuse. I won't lie! Procrastination is procrastination! ; o;

This chapter was actually rewritten 3 times because I hadn't planned for any of it to happen like I did with the others. By the way, if you feel like this chapter's format felt familiar, it's because I was trying to mirror Rin's feelings in this chapter to Len's feelings in chapter 5. . w.

Thanks for reading! ; u;