Learn English – Why does “one of a kind” mean “unique?”

It's a sarcastic response.

Taken literally the sentence would mean the speaker isn't already familiar with the situation and wants more information. However it is rarely (these days never) meant literally, and is used sarcastically to mean the opposite. I.e. That the speaker is already familiar with the situation. Its meaning is similar to the expression, "You don't say?", where the speaker is acting like they don't already know, when in fact they do.

The difference between these two expressions however is that, "Tell me about it", has taken on a sympathetic tone over the years, indicating shared misery, whereas, "You don't say?", is an insult where you don't actually care what the person has to say.

There's little in the words themselves to indicate that difference. That difference is simply the connotations those expressions have taken on over time. Tone of voice is pretty critical here, because the difference between a sympathetic statement and an insulting one is simply a different inflection while saying the exact same words.

"Two of a kind" means that there are two parts that make up the total. "The two were of a kind" is a little different because it doesn't imply that there are only two in that "kind", but that those two are in that "kind", where kind generally refers to a unique personality trait, state of mind, or way of looking at the world.