Spice!

Chapter 20

Rin entered the house. It was dark, and she felt along the wall for the light switch. Finding it she flicked it, and light flooded the living room.

As she blinked spots from her eyes, she saw someone with teal-green hair, huddled up into a ball on her favourite orange-shaped chair. ''Miku?'' she asked hesitantly, approaching the figure.

The girl's head snapped up, her green eyes filled with absolute terror. As she realised it was just Rin, the fear faded away. She just stared at Rin for awhile.

Then, suddenly, without warning, she burst into tears, burying her face against Rin's shirt. Rin blinked, shocked, but she hugged Miku, patting her long, silky hair. ''What happened?''

Miku hiccuped as she sobbed, explaining in fragmented sentences what Len had just done, and when she was done, Rin was pissed.

''Why didn't you go home?'' Rin asked Miku. Miku rubbed at her eyes, bloodshot from all her crying.

''I don't feel like going home and facing my brother,'' she mumbled. ''I don't feel like going anywhere, or facing anyone.''

Rin squeezed her shoulder. ''Wait here. I'll make Len pay, Miku.'' With that, she went up the stairs and turned to her brother's room.

It was unlocked, and as the door swung open she caught sight of Len lying, shirtless, on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Rin walked over and slapped his face.

Len's eyes flicked down to meet hers, but otherwise he didn't react. ''Rin. You're back,'' he said, voice empty. ''How was your date?''

''You're such a jerk,'' Rin hissed at her younger twin. ''How could you do something like that? What happened to your morals?''

''I never had any,'' Len went back to staring at the ceiling. ''Too bad if you deluded yourself otherwise.''

''Len!'' she tugged him up so that he was no longer lying on his bed. He went up, fingers running through his rumpled blonde hair, averting his gaze.

''Is...Is she okay?'' he asked hesitantly. Rin's eyes narrowed at him.

''Do you think she is?'' she asked scathingly. ''You forced yourself on her - rape happens to be a criminal offence, Len.''

''I know that!'' he snapped back, his blue eyes flickering with guilt. ''I...I'm sorry for it, too.'' His gaze went over to the doorway. ''Is she...still here?'' he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

''She is, and she doesn't dare to face anyone because of what you did,'' Rin hissed at Len. ''If you lose her because of this, Len, then know it's your own fault.''

''I know that,'' he said softly, lying back down on the bed and turning away from her. Rin knew that he wouldn't listen to anything else she said, so she sighed and left the room, switching off his room lights.

She went back down the stairs to the living room, but Miku was no longer anywhere to be seen. The only thing left of her presence were two blue hair bands, the kind used to tie hair.

Rin took the hair bands, then went back up the stairs. Once again, she entered her brother's room and placed the hair bands on his bedside table, then quietly she left him alone.

Len watched his sister close the door behind her, then sat up and felt around the table for what she had left behind.

Picking up the objects, he held them up to his nearby window so he could better see what they were. Two blue hair bands, hair bands that Miku used to tie up her long teal hair.

His heart froze with guilt.

He had never raped someone before - there wasn't any need for him to do so. But he had done...that...to Miku, who hadn't deserved it.

She had shrieked and struggled, but he had ignored all that, forcibly using her body for his own pleasure. She had cried afterwards, fleeing from his room, and he hadn't known if she had stayed or left his house.

I shouldn't have done that, I know, Len's conscience plagued him, and he sighed. What was he supposed to do now? He didn't think just apologising to her would work.

Why had he been so stupid? He had let his jealousy over the relationship between her and Gakupo push him too far, and he hadn't thought of anything beyond trying to forget his pain.

And now, as Rin had warned him, if he had lost his last chance to win her back, it would be his own fault. He doubted Miku would ever return to his house, not after what had happened there.

He shut his eyes, preparing himself for a troubled night's sleep.

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Miku let herself into her house. Her brother was already asleep, so she tiptoed quietly up the stairs so she wouldn't wake him up.

I hate Len Kagamine, her mind whispered brokenly, but her heart thought otherwise.

Despite what he had done, despite the way he had acted, Miku still couldn't forget him. She laughed quietly, bitterly, at her own obsession over him.

She was supposed to hate him now. He had robbed her of choice, made her feel helpless. Powerless. But she couldn't hate him, couldn't bring herself to do that.

I'm really such an idiot.

She went to her bed, collapsing in it, her eyes closing. She didn't want to think about Len Kagamine and what he had done. She didn't want it to become a nightmare.

She had even enjoyed it a little - what kind of sick pervert was she becoming? Did she need mental help? What kind of person enjoyed being sexually harassed?

Maybe it's because you still can't let go of Len. You still like him that way.

She wanted to slap herself. Miku shook her head and squeezed her eyes further shut.

She hoped she wouldn't have nightmares tonight, but somehow she doubted she would have. She could never have nightmares about Len Kagamine.

''Maybe tonight was just a dream. Maybe tonight was the nightmare, and I'll wake up to find out that none of this has happened,'' she said aloud.

How am I supposed to face Len at school now?