He still remembered writing the letters home. They didn't always make it to the people they were wrote for but he always wrote. His room with his host family had been comfortable but Australia didn't feel like home unless he was watching the ocean or scribbling nonsense down to someone back home. Rin never understood why Sousuke became his go to address. He didn't think the older one would care about the kangaroos and he never really felt comfortable with expressing how much he struggled but he couldn't bare the thought that he might have been seen as lesser in Haruka's eyes. He wanted to viewed as whatever that kid who could win at everything; be it swimming or cracking the other's shell. It could have easily gone to Makoto but he was too close to everything. If Tachibana knew something was up, Rin knew he'd end up showing it somehow. And, in his own way, Haru would figure it out. Not Sousuke though. The two kept their distance and wouldn't be tempted to discuss him.
A box was tossed on the bed beside him. It was weird to have kept all the undelivered and unresponded notes but he was sentimental. When he wanted to feel close to someone he couldn't be, he had the small box of pointless papers. It shouldn't have been needed now. His cards had been shown; there was no hiding. A balled up letter was opened again. He knew that letter. It was one from his weakest moment- asking to come home. He wouldn't have needed to ask. If, at any point, he truly wanted to return, he could have. Though sending that letter would have only been a way of asking someone to tell him to stick it out.
The back of his hand ran under his eye, the paper was crumpling against his chest. One second of weakness could have changed his life so much. Who knows for the better or worse. Tossing the letter back in the box, it was closed again. Maybe he'd get around to throwing them out next time.
