"You can cry now…" he said softly, his voice unexpectedly tender.
He didn't expect much of a response, thinking her tears had already run dry.
But his words seemed to tap into a deep well of emotion within her, releasing the flood she had been holding back.
Mei's body stiffened, and then, as if a dam had burst, she broke down completely.
"Ah… ahhh… mmm…" she whimpered, the sound catching in her throat as her body began to tremble.
Her sobs came in waves, heavy and raw, shaking her small frame as she clung to him, desperate for something to hold onto.
"Hnnn… ahh… I-I can't…," she sobbed, her voice muffled against his chest, the sound of her despair cutting through the quiet of the room.
Each breath was a struggle, her tears flowing freely, soaking into his skin as she buried her face against him. "… why…"
He could feel her pain in every sob, every broken cry that escaped her lips.