I'm sorry I wasn't able to do Rin-ness this chapter! D: I just wanted to finish up Len's dilemma. It's short and scanty, but the next chapter will be the actual awesomeness and make up for this short one XD

RIGHT AND VOTE ON MY POLL. VOTE ON THE POLL. It's for Rin's partner.

Thanks to these people for reviewing~ Ten-Faced, PopRockPuppy23, Skafe, Dale Z. Larmint, RinLenLOVE4427, Forever Lazy, avaflava1, Koolteen619 (that's okay, at least you're being honest XD), and Aomori Miki! Sankyuu as always~! I feel like such a terrible person because I haven't been updating...

Bras, Tampons, and Other Enticing Things;

Fifteen and a Half: To Choose

Girls are such a big part of Len's life now.

For example, honey-tongued Iana would take him out in the lunch period for coffee breaks. They would speak over matters of the school over the dark drinks; it feels quite official that way, and Iana has recently taken up smoking—a cigarette to go with coffee.

Softhearted Luna would run up to his elbow and clutch it, her blue eyes wide. "Do you really love me?" she would ask, to which Len has no answer.

Quiet, shy Miki would watch him from a distance, but sometimes she would turn and glance at him, her cherry-auburn eyes simmering with such ferocity of feeling that Len almost reels. When she realizes that he's looking back at her, she blushes to the roots of her crimson hair, but not before she shoots him an adoring smile. However, Len notices that she's torn in choosing—Piko, Kaito (who has now been peeled off of Miku), or Len?

Loud Teto would boldly run up, giggle girlishly, hug him, and hurry away, but always not before yelling to the jealous fangirls, "YOU SUCK, LOSERS!"

Ruko is much the same, except she chooses a much more subtle way. When the other girls aren't around, she would slink up to him and offer her hand and a brilliant smile. For a moment, words would elude Len's mind as he gazes down at her slim, outstretched fingers.

Seiyu is new, but she keeps chattering to Len about Korean marriage rituals. Len, for some reason, doesn't find it annoying. Instead, it comes as endearing to him—the mandarin duck, thrown to predict the baby's gender, is one of his favorites of hearing about. She would replay the tale of it over and over again.

Luo Tianyi doesn't speak much during school hours as she is quite studious, but when she sees Len alone after school she would lead him to her favorite park, and they would sit down on the benches and simply talk.

But that's all okay.

Len doesn't care that much about them.

It's probably just a simple high-school crush that would fade sooner or later.

The two girls that Len has the most trouble deciding around are Miku and Gumi.

Miku is sweet and pretty. Her features beautifully articulated, her status of being at the top for the battle of popularity since she was only ten. She's quite similar to Iana, except she's much less sly, and her voice is clear and pure, unlike Iana, who purrs to muffle the roughness of her voice. Len knows that Miku truly cares for Rin, but Rin is way too blunt to admit that for herself. She's been a bit cold toward Miku ever since Miku left them, and then came back.

Gumi, meanwhile, is honest and true. She doesn't have any of the perfection that Miku implies, but instead a heart of gold. Tender and kind, never hesitating to give any opinions, but in, rather, the nicer way. They're both beautiful.

~.~^.~

"Don't you ever miss Russia?" Len finds himself asking one sunny June day, the question aimed at Gumi.

Gumi looks at him for a while, then gives an airy shrug. "Well, I guess. I sort of miss the cold…I mean, I even bundle up on the spring days." She smiles slightly in remembrance. "I also miss how the Easter eggs are painted. It is like nobody here cares much about the eggs in Easter. My grandmother was a Ukrainian, and you should have seen the eggs she had painted. They are really pretty."

"Is that so," Len muses softly. "I see…"

Gumi nudges him. "Anyway, I broke up with the Russian guy…he is flighty. He sees me for one moment, and then he has got his eyes on another person. I am sorry I got so carried away."

Len's bewildered. Gumi is apologizing out of the blue…?

"I do not plan on our friendship being the same as it has ever been," Gumi continues, and smiles brightly at him again. "In fact, go after Miku if you wish, but I just want to remain friends. Okay, Len?" Len's jaw drops; he has no words for this. "I'll miss you, but I know that at least it's not in vain that I try to catch your attention," Gumi remarks.

"Th…thank you," Len stammers.

"Now let's go get some carrot cake," Gumi replies, flashing another of her quick grins at him.

~.~^.~

The creamy popsicle soothes Miku's tongue, which is aching for a taste of Len's mouth again. She sits at her place at the tea table rigidly, because it's not every day that people turn to gawk at her sophisticated-ness. Miku actually finds attention rather awkward out of school, and her eyes dart back and forth among the people who are trying to make the fact subtle that they're looking at her. Where is Len? Is he late again?

There's a thump across from her. Miku raises her delicate eyebrows, above her sunglasses, and realizes that it's Len's bag that's making the sound.

"Hi, Miku," Len pants breathlessly. "I'm sorry I was late."

He's kind of cute when he's like that…

Miku has a sudden urge to cuddle him in public, because of the amusing apologetic look on his face, but no, that wouldn't do. People are wondering who Miku and Len are, and Miku doesn't want to lose her composure that quickly to Len.

"Tea," she says, passing him a porcelain cup. Len nods and takes a gulp.

"Aeeeeeegkkkkkk!" He chokes on the tea, and Miku leans across the table to slap him on the back. Len coughs and sets the tea down sheepishly.

"You weren't supposed to drink it so quickly, Len," Miku says, stifling a giggle. "This is not soda. Take meditative sips. Like this." She demonstrates by raising the teacup to her rosebud lips and silently savoring the taste. Len watches her closely, and tries to do the same, but with the same result.

"Tea's not for me," Len gasps.

"I figured that out quickly enough," Miku agrees, taking a lick of her popsicle as Len unwraps his.

"Anyway…" Len raises an eyebrow.

Miku stops in midbite. "Yessss?"

"I cleared it up with Gumi. She's fine with us going out, but you'll have to accept her sometime."

Miku can't help it then. "Really? Really?" she asks excitedly. "That's pretty generous of her. I can't…Well, I don't know her much, but I'll try to be nicer to her. Now I feel kind of guilty for being so mean…"

Len smiles. "That's okay. In any case, shall we get some alone time together?"

Miku nods and giggles. "That'd be fine with me."

~.~^.~

Len has invited Miku over for more than an hour, and they have spent that hour in the bedroom. Mrs. Kagamine wonders what this could mean.

And strange sounds are coming from the bedroom…Oh, dear.

IA SMOKES!

...Now that my hyper burst is over, let's talk about Rin's partner! Should I put an OC or a Vocaloid? If it's an OC, tell me how the OC is supposed to look, act, and everything...and his name, definitely.

Otherwise, vote on the poll~!

~Unyielding Wish