Lynne

Chapter 31

With my Len. "Me neither," I answered. I moved aside, inviting him in. "What's going on?"

"I gotta talk to you about some stuff." He stepped inside. "And I'll help you with... this."

We began arranging the furniture, keeping the intact pieces in the living room, and moving the destroyed things into the bedroom in the back. I had planned to spend most of my time in the living room, anyway.

He looked down at the empty bed frame. "You want to move this, too?"

"...No. Let's leave it. The couch is ripped apart, anyway."

He shrugged. "Let's at least get some cushions for it."

"What did you need to talk to me about?" I asked, trying to gather all the salvage pillows and cushions for my makeshift bed.

He was doing the same. "Everyone left town last night."

"What? Why?"

"Because Tatsuo has them doing a show tomorrow night."

My eyes narrowed. "Already?" I pulled another pillow from underneath an overturned table. Fluff stuck out of the sides. I threw it in our trash pile.

"Yup. Already."

"How...? Like, how are they selling tickets in that short of time?"

He let out a sad laugh. "It's free admission."

"What?!"

"Yeah. For a guy who's so money-hungry, he sure is good at bankrupting the company." He pushed a few chairs out of the way. They hit the wall with a thud, and one of the legs fell off.

"Why?"

"I think," he began, picking up the broken chair and setting it in our pile. "That he's trying to get more people to see the twins."

My heart dropped. "They're... they're performing?"

"I'm sorry, Rin."

I've been replaced. I looked away, trying to focus my mind on the task at hand.

"...Will it be broadcasted?" I asked, glancing at the TV behind me.

He followed my gaze. "Don't do that to yourself."

"Will it?"

"...I think so. But please-"

"I need to see it," I told him. "It's the only time I'll be able to... see them."

There was a pause in the room. For a minute or two, the only sound between us was the shuffling of furniture.

"If it makes you feel any better," Erik told me. "They're just as upset as we are."

My head perked up. "You've seen them?"

"Tatsuo couldn't replace me completely. I'm going to be at the Vocal House pretty often."

"That makes me feel a little better," I let out a deep breath, throwing another intact cushion onto the bed frame. "Have you seen them since-"

"I went back there right after I dropped you off," he explained. "They were packing when I got there."

"How's Gumi?" I couldn't imagine the girl being heartbroken over this.

"Quiet," was all he responded with.

"Miku?"

"Angry. All the time."

"...Len?"