SPICE!💛 rinxlen

chapter 5

Len staggered into his house. He did not remember what happened last night. He felt like somebody had hit him in the head with a sledgehammer repeatedly, and could barely keep his eyes opening.

"Len-kun," Rin said. "Are—are you okay?"

"Rin…is that you?" Len's vision was blurred. He could barely see.

"Yes, it's me. Oh my god, Len…you should lay down! I stayed here all night waiting for you but you never came back!"

Len touched his neck and winced. Oh yeah, that, he thought as he sat down on the floor.

"It's 6 o'clock, you know. I started to get worried!" Rin cried. "Wh—what did Meiko do to you?"

"We just went out for dinner," Len lied. "But after dinner, I felt a bit sick and I didn't think I could make it back home, so Meiko drove me over to her house."

"What about that cut on your neck?" Rin asked.

I can't tell her Meiko gave me a hickey! Rin would go ballistic! Len thought. "Um…well, while we were at the restaurant, I slipped on an ice cube and cut myself on the table," he said. "It's fine, really."

"Oh, Len, you poor thing! You look terrible!" Rin cried. "I think you should stay home from work today and get some rest."

"You sound like a mother, Rin-chan," Len said. "I'll be fine. I just need to wash up and get changed and I'll be fine. Our shifts start in an hour, so let me get ready…"

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Rin asked.

"Oh, yeah! I mean, um, well not in Meiko's BED, of course, I was in the guest room—"

"Don't worry, Len, I believe you," Rin said. "I packed you lunch today!"

"Thanks, Rin," Len said. "Um…I'll get ready real quick and maybe we can go to work together?"

"That'd be great," Rin cheered. "I'll just, um, wait for you outside or something!"

"Okay," Len said as he headed off to the bathroom.

Len stared at himself in the mirror. Thank god Rin believed me, he thought. I do look terrible, though. Len's eyes were red, his hair was askew, his face felt greasy, and then there was what Meiko did.

Why, Len, why? Len thought as he washed his face and hair in the sink. Why did you let her captivate you?

After he had washed and changed into his café uniform, he looked at himself in the mirror again. "Much better," he said to himself. "I'm NEVER going to Meiko's house again…"

"Are you sure?" Len's reflection seemed to say. "Didn't you like it?"

"I guess I did," Len said. "But—but that doesn't make it right!"

"You're in high school now," his reflection said. "You can make your own choices. There's no need to hold back. I mean, obviously you love her if you did those things—"