Once we got home and were alone, Rian crouched down, hugging his knees, and let out a deep sigh. "Ah sorry for suddenly walking out...If I had stayed there any longer, I would've started crying...so I came home. Haha. Sorry. This is so uncool, right?" Rian said "No, not uncool at all." You crouched down next to him, trying to look at his face, and gently touched his arm. Rian stayed still for a while, closing his eyes tightly as if holding back tears. "You know...I thought he wasn't my friend anymore...and I felt really lonely. But...he apologized, said he respected me...We can't go back how things were, but...I became friends with him again. As fellow dancers, I'm sure we'll meet on stage again someday." "Yeah, I think so too..." You whispered "Yeah..." Rian took shallow breaths and hugged his knees again. For a moment, he looked like a child. You remembered how Rian once told you he felt like he didn't belong anywhere. And how he asked you to be his place of comfort. "Hey, Rian...It's okay to cry." Before you knew it, you had said that. At your words, Rian looked up, startled. "But, I..." "When you're with me, I want you to be able to cry without worry...So it's okay." "..." Rian no longer held back. He hugged you and began to cry. They were tears of relief, not sadness. He hugged you so tightly that you could barely breathe. You patted his head, sharing warmth with him. "...Thank you. I'm so glad I met you. I'm really happy...I fell for you." Wiping his tears, Rian lifted his face. Smiling genuinely, he touched you cheek.