Nothing odd happened to Rin's relief as she walked beside Len. Hand still in his.
Rin did however felt awkward as she tugged her hand but Len only tightened his hold. Did they actually look like a couple like this? Rin couldn't help but wonder, which sent a bright red blush on her cheeks. No that would be impossible! She mentally shook her head.
"Um...where are we going?" She asked curiously. "Just somewhere." He said. "Trust me."
Trust was something Rin had issues on, especially on Len. Now that she thought of it...why did she dislike Len? Call it stupid or unreasonable but Rin had no idea why she hated Len. Sure, he was a player who only fools around with other people's feelings which was another why she disliked him but even Rin knew that wasn't the case.
She mused about for a while until Len stopped. "What is it?" Rin couldn't help but ask. Len was silent for a moment before he turned to her and grinned sheepishly. "You might hate me for saying this but the place we're going to...is outside of town."
Rin blinked. "Outside of town?" Len nodded.
"Yeah so we're going to have to take the bus."
"...Is it really that far?"
"Depends actually...we could also use the train."
Now that is really far. "You're joking right?" Rin stared at the blond haired boy as he shook his head. "Nope."
"Did you actually expect me to ride on a bus or a train with you?"
"Honestly no but like I said you have to trust me on this." Len smiled while Rin frowned. "That's it, I'm going home." She turned around to leave but Len grabbed her wrist. "Oh come on, lighten up. Sure, its just a bit further up the mountain but it won't kill you to have faith me."
"Mountain? You mean that mountain?" She pointed at the huge mountain in the distance. "Len, you're crazy if you think I'll go with you into that creepy place!"
"Ugh, Rin can you please relax and have some faith."
"On you? Ha! Like that's going to happen."
"Rin seriously, just this once."
"No."
"Riiinnn!"
"Leeennn!"
The two stared at each other for a while before Len sighed. "Look Rin, I know you don't trust or even like me...but just this once can you please stop acting so stubborn and follow me." Rin frowned deeper. Putting her trust on Len isn't exactly the easiest thing for Rin but from the look on his eyes and from how sincere he sound...maybe she did need to trust, if only a little.
"Ugh, fine I'll do it." Rin sighed. "But if I end up in some sort of freak accident when we get there, I'll personally send you to the moon got it?" Len laughed. "A little exaggerated but alright." He nodded and grinned. "But so you know, I would never let anything happen to you...you are someone I cherish after all."
"...Don't flirt with me Kagamine." Len just smiled.
"Are we there yet?" Rin questioned (though it sound more like a whine). "Not yet, we'll get there soon." She sighed and glanced out of the window. At the moment, the two were riding a bus since they didn't really have the time to ride the train. The bus was understandably empty since not many would choose to live in such an isolated area.
The sky was bright orange as the sun slowly dipped into the distance. They could easily see the town from the window as the bus traveled up the road.
"Why is the place you're taking me have to be so far and so..isolated?"
"You ask too many questions Rin."
"I have the right to know!"
"There's a reason why it has to be far- did you think I would bring you to the middle of nowhere for no reason?"
Rin didnt respond this time and just turned back to stare at the window. She still couldn't believe she was actually doing this. She really wanted to go home.
"Here's our stop." Len said as he stood up. Rin blinked before realizing they had stop, she quickly stood up and dashed out to the door. She looked around the unfamiliar place and saw nothing but a sea of trees surrounding the area and the bus stop that stood out of nowhere.
Rin turned around to probably go back inside the bus but it was too late as the automatic doors closed and the bus driving away into the distance. "You better have a good explanation for getting us here in the middle of nowhere." She huffed.
"Will you please be quiet for just a minute." Len sighed and crossed the road, towards the forest. "Wait...you mean we're going in there?" Rin gaped. "Yeah." Len said simply.
"Oh no, you are not leading me into a creepy forest at this time!"
"Rin, just relax."
"Ugh, if you haven't noticed I'm nowhere prepared to hike in forest like that. Especially with a dress like this."
"Its not to far anyway, there's nothing to worry about."
"Nothing to worry? W-What if there are wolves or...ghosts!"
"Okay I'm not going to deny the wolf thing but ghosts? Seriously Rin I think you're overreacting."
"Overreacting?! You didn't deny about wolves being here! Of course I'm freaking out!"
Len sighed and walked back towards her. "Rin what did I tell you about having trust in me?" Rin pouted. "You're bring me to a deep forest that has wolves in it and it's already getting late. My 'trust' in you wavering you know."
"But I'm here to protect you so there's nothing to worry about." Len held out his hand towards her. "I'll protect you so won't you believe in me for just a bit?" Rin stared at his outstretched hand and bit her lip hesitantly. "Oh fine." She groaned and took his hand. "But if a wolf ever jumps out, I'm making a run for it whether you're with me or not."
Len laughed and began leading the reluctant girl into the woods. Rin could hear the rustle of green leaves and in the distant, faint howling of wolves could be heard. She gulped but surprisingly, it never had any impact on Len. He must be here a couple (or more) times to be already used to this...If he weren't, he wouldn't be leading her through these kind of...disturbances in the wild.
She suddenly yelped causing Len to stop at his tracks. He looked behind to find her suede boot entangled in sharp torn-like roots. "You have got to be kidding me. Who the heck places roots like these here anyways!" She groaned in irritation.
Len rolled his eyes as he carefully strolled over towards her and crouching down. "Don't move your leg." He ordered as he pulled out a pocket knife from his pocket. Rin blinked when she saw the silvery dagger in his hand. "Err...Do you always carry that around?" She asked nervously. Len looked up at her eyes and raised a brow.
"No, I only brought one today." He said as he slashed at the roots, cutting them instantly. "Why?" Rin questioned. A sudden image of Mikuo suddenly popped into his head (in a comical fashion) and he mentally shook his head. "No reason." Len stood up and Rin shook off the remains of the roots from her boot.
She stared down at the shoes and frowned deeply. "Damn, Miku is going to be pissed when she finds out I just ruined her brand new boots."
"I bet she will." He snorted a laugh before continued leading the way.
Rin began to think this whole scary journey was going to take an eternity. The more deeper they walk into the forest, the more eerie and darker it appeared. Heck, she thought she heard wolf howling in a closer distance. Her eyes were a bit watery with tears as she checked for more roots and branches along the path while feeling both hesitant and scared but even so, she noticed how confident Len seemed as he lead her through the woods.
She wouldn't admit it but she trusted Len to be her tour guide. Len said the forest wasn't too dense but Rin saw no difference. In the end, she was exhausted. Her legs feel numb and limp and she felt like she was going to pass out.
Len noticed her fatigue and laughed. "We're almost there." Rin nodded when suddenly Len stopped and turned to look at her. "Close your eyes." He said with a cat-like grin on his face. Rin stared at him in shock. "Close my eyes? Have you not noticed the sharp objects laying around this place?" Len simply nodded.
"It won't be that hard nor dangerous. Don't worry...Feel free to tear my arm off if it doesn't work."
"I'd rather tear it off right now." She muttered as she clasped her hands over Len's arm. She shut her eyes slowly but tightly and began tip-toeing on the ground in case some creepy-crawlie would sneak up on her legs.
Len's eyes searched the way and they brightened when he saw a light in the distance. From his position, he was definitely sure it was there and made a move for it but not forgetting to go slowly since Rin was with him.
"Oh, why do I get this feeling that I'm going to trip?" Rin asked, sarcasm dripping from her tone.
"Say that again and I'm leaving you here."
"Y-You can be seri-!"
"Hush now."
"Ugh." She groaned silently, her eyes rolling from behind her eyelids. She was going stagger and stumble any moment now but thankfully, her impatience ceased when Len finally stopped. She sighed. It didn't feel dense anymore, it was calm and relaxing. She could hear the sound of rustling leaves and branches faded off and she could hear the crunching of grass as they walked nearer to the sound of serenity.
Len glanced around for a moment before softly announcing. "You can open your eyes now."
Rin slowly opened an eye, to make sure he wasn't joking around at first but then both her eyes fluttered opened and she sucked in a breath when he stepped aside.
What she saw was a sight to behold. She was standing near a lake that sparkled with tiny diamonds on the water's surface. It was bright orange as it reflected the darkening sky. It looked more like mirror to her but the movement and ripples of water convinced her that it was indeed a lake. It stretched so wide that it was probably the size of a football field or even wider and in the background, more trees surrounded the lake like a beautiful wall as the cool breeze gently caressed her cheek as if to kiss it.
Rin was simply astonished by the sight. It was beautiful and enchanting that it felt like they entered a fantasy world. She took in the breathtaking view and span towards Len with a huge grin that stretched from ear to ear. "This is amazing!" She said breathlessly. She admired the view of the setting sun that reflected on the water like a large mirror.
She took a deep breath and sighed. "I've never seen this place before! It so magnificent!"
"I knew you'd love this place." Len nodded in satisfaction. "But you should see this place in the night, its twice more beautiful at that time. Its still and silent, with no disturbance at all, Its great." He said proudly while catching up behind Rin as she danced and twirled around on the grassy land. Her orange dress wavered and the ribbon in her hair bounced on her head. She stopped when Len moved past her, strolling casually to the edge of the gargantuan lake.
The blond haired girl followed after and sat next to him. There was silence between them but it was the uncomfortable silence they usually have, rather it was a peaceful and relaxing kind of quiet.
That was when Len got up and began unzipping his black jacket. "What...are you doing?" She couldn't help but ask.
"Preparing to take a swim." He pointed at the lake. He kicked off his shoes and socks and tossing them into the pile. Her eyes slowly widened when the boy stripped his shirt off and tossed it to the side. He then turned to face her, tilting his head. "What's wrong?"
He asked when he noticed her face was now crimson red. She began crawling backwards, away from him in shock. He probably didn't notice it but Rin was staring at his lightly toned chest. She brought her hands to her face and covered her eyes, though it appeared useless since the damn gaps of her fingers still allowed her to see it all.
It wasn't that she hadn't seen him shirtless before...the whole incident about her science book was one of them...its just that she never seen him shirtless anymore. She wanted to scream at him to put something on but she somehow lost her voice and looked away. "I-Its nothing!"
This was so embarrassing! She sneaked a glance towards him but immediately regret it when she saw him put his hands onto his pants. "No, No, No, NO! Leave it on! Leave it on! I'm begging you!" She screamed.
Len noticed her discomfort before he laughed loudly. "I'm just joking, these pants are waterproof."
Rin wanted to punch his face so badly but she held it back, that was until she saw a huge splash of water hurdling towards her face. Rin stumbled back, completely stunned when the icy cold water smacked her on the face. She was even more furious when the water dripped on her favorite orange dress.
"That idiot!" She nearly screeched. "Errr, He so owes me a new dress!"
She stomps towards the edge of the lake and yells as she saw Len disappearing into the depths of the large body of water. "Kagamine! Come Back Here This Instant!"
He wasn't listening at all. Rin sat down on the wet grass and sighed in frustration when she couldn't see him anymore. She took off her boot since she didn't want to ruin them any further and set them beside his clothes. She wiggled her toes in the water, feeling the odd warmth of it embrace her feet. This was soothing and so contenting.
She quietly fell onto her back, staring at the blackening sky for a moment before she closed her eyes. She would've fell asleep if it were for a splashing sound coming from the lake which made her sit up. She saw a figure rising from the surface and of course, it was Len emerging from the surface.
He ran a hand through his hair as he shook his head vigorously to get rid of the water. Rin only watched as he swam back to shore, fast and swift like a shark. Rin always knew he was athletic so this was no surprise. She brought her legs to her chest by reflex when he reached her.
"Had fun down there?" She huffed before she pointed at her clothes. "You're lucky my clothes aren't too drenched"
"Oh yeah, that reminds me." Len said nonchalantly before he dipped his right hand into he water and sweep it towards her. A large amount of water was scooped up by his hand, splashing onto the girl's dress, making her scream in shock.
"You'll pay for that!" Rin's fist came hurdling towards his face but she winced when his hand caught hers just in time. Rin cursed. "Damn it."
He laughed. "Aww, don't try that on me. Its not going to work this time."
"You knew that was going to happen did you?"
"Living with you in the roof for a while, I was lucky I did. Anyways I got you something." Len dug into his pocket, not letting go of her fist despite the fact Rin was tugging her hand away. He then took something out and Rin leaned in for a better look.
She only saw a flash of blue. "Here." He said as he pried her fist open and placed something into it. He then carefully closed her fingers with a small smile on his face.
Rin took her hand back and peeked into her fist. As she opened her hand, she gasped when she found a small rock. It wasn't any ordinary rock, it looked more like a diamond. It gave out a magnificent blue hue and it was interestingly shaped as a tear, taking the size of her palm. It was slight heavy but Rin couldn't stop the smile from creeping on her lips. It reflected the shine of the sunset, just like the water of the lake.
She smiled at the boy and said in an admiring tone. "Len this is..."
"Its a Tanzanite." Len explained. "Its down at the bottom of the lake, where a lot of remarkable fishes cast cocoons around the rocks to form the solid shape."
"Its so beautiful." She remarked, turning the stone around as she saw thousands of her reflection on it.
"I want you to have it." Len said and Rin looked at him with wide eyes. "But are you sure? This thing has got to be priceless and-"
"Geez, I went through hell just to get that." He announced honestly as he showed her his arms that were filled with tiny bite marks. Rin cringed while Len scratched his head sheepishly. "Besides...I think it suits your eyes. They are very beautiful after all."
Rin had heard all sorts of compliments from boys before but from the way Len said that, a bright red blush formed on her cheeks. She brought the gem to her chest and smiled gently, she ran her fingers along the smooth surface of it causing small churns of diamond dust to be blown away by the air. "Thank you..."
Len smiled at her but his smile soon faltered the more he looked at her. "Hey...Rin."
"Hmm?" She looked up as Len gazed into the blue lake. His hair covered his eyes so she couldn't see them. She began to wonder if she was just hearing things but then the blond haired boy spoke so silently it was almost a whisper. "What do you think of...the lake?"
"What I think?" He nodded. Rin was confused for a moment before looked over to the lake. Her eyes widened when she saw the scene has changed. She finally noticed that the sun had already disappeared and was replaced by the moon and the stars. Rin admired the collection of constellations that scattered all over the sky as it was mirrored by the lake. The moon drifted lazily as streaks of translucent clouds draped over it like a blanket.
Rin smiled. She now understood what Len meant when he said it was much more beautiful in the night. "Well...When the moon shines on the lake, the surface sparkles and shimmers and its like as though large collection of diamonds are there and how it seems to reflect everything like a mirror is enchanting!"
Rin turned to Len and grinned. "Overall...the shine on the water is simply beautiful. Don't you think?"
Len brushed his wet bangs from his face and closed his eyes as he tilted his head down. "I agree...Its definitely great to witness something so beauty that is kept in secret.
The girl then noticed a small difference in distance between them. She felt her shoulder bump hers as he leaned towards her. "Its like your eyes...simply beautiful, though in more ways then one."
Rin felt her face warm up when she realized his face was dangerously close to hers. She pursed her lips and gulped. Was...Was he going to kiss her? She was already used to having Len's face close to hers since she always wakes up, finding him next to her but this...
She closed her eyes tightly and waited. However, a few minutes later she was suddenly scooped up and her eyes shot open when she realized Len was carrying her bridal style. "L-Len!" She cried out, her arms were thrown around his neck out of pure instinct.
Len just grinned slyly. "Relax Princess. I just noticed how warm and red your face was a moment ago so..." If possible, Len's grin seemed to grew wider. "I'm thinking of cooling you down."
Rin's head shot towards the lake hen back to Len. "Oh no...Oh No, No, No, NO! Don't you dare Kagamine! I'm warning you, Don't ever think about- Eeeek!"
SPLASH!
Rin quickly burst out of the water with a huge gasp and shriek in anger. Len popped out next to her soon after, laughing loudly. "Len! You bastard!" She lunge towards him but Len swam to the side instantly, causing Rin to dive into the water again. Len laughed again as Rin popped out of the water with a frown.
"Ahh! You are definitely buying me a new dress!" She sneered. "Alright, Alright." Len chuckled. Rin grunted, she can't believe she was actually expecting him to kiss her! Was she an idiot? Maybe she was being infected by Len's stupid antics.
"By the way...where is the Tazanite?"
Rin froze before her face paled when she realized something. She had accidentally dropped the stone when they landed into the water. "The gem!" She cried before diving into the water to retrieve her jewel.
She swam into the lukewarm water and saw something winking at her on the lake floor. She was immensely relieved when she saw the gem stationed on the sand. She grabbed the jewel and held it carefully between her hands, making sure it was the right one she lost. Sure enough, it was.
She swam back to the surface for air and searched around for Len...who was nowhere to be found.
"Len?" She didn't notice a shadow approaching her from underwater. Just as she was about to swim back to shore, something wrapped around her waist causing her to freeze. "Boo." Len whispered in her ear before chuckling. Rin blushed and pushed away from him. "Len!"
"You're very stubborn aren't you?" Len sighed, snatching the jewel from her hands. "Ah, Hey!" Rin reached out to get it back but Len pulled it away from her reach. "The Tazanite's not that fragile, unlike you. Don't go into the water like that again."
"Hey, its my gem so of course, I want it back." She huffed as she tried getting it back. Len rolled his eyes. "But I'm the one who got it for you."
Rin had enough of this and splashed a handful of water towards him, blinding his vision. "Ack! Hey Rin!"
"Got ya!" She snatched the jewel from his hands and cheered. "I did it!"
"Wha-! Oh I see then...take this!"
Rin squealed when a large wave was splashed towards her. "Len! Thats it, this is war!" The two began splashing each other with water playfully as they laughed together, feeling completely free.
"So how did you find that place anyway?" Rin asked as she pulled Len's jacket closer to her form. Currently, the two were at the bus stop, waiting. Len offered her his jacket since her whole figure was drenched and the fact, her dress was sticking to her like second skin didn't help at all so of course, she accepted it.
"Well...when I was a kid, way before I met you. I was goofing around in the forest and somehow I just ended up there." Len explained before he grinned. "Since then, I've been going there everyday until it was already late at night."
"Wait...Everyday?"
"Yeah, thats why most of the time I come home late."
'So thats why he's been coming home late?' She thought. Usually she simply thought he was with a girl the whole time thats why he was always late but that wasn't actually the case. Rin felt a little guilty for thinking Len was just playing around with some girls.
"...Haaa I give up." Rin muttered as she stood from her seat. Len looked at her in confusion. "I might have to change my thoughts about you Kagamine." Len blinked before a smile slowly stretched his lips. "Then does that mean...?"
"But I still think you're a good-for-nothing player so don't get your hopes up." She huffed. Len cheered and threw her arms around her. "Thats good enough! I knew bring you here would change your mind!"
Rin's face turned crimson and she began trying her best to push the guy away. "Get off me! The only reason I came with you here was because you drag me into this!"
"Aww! You're so adorable when you act all tsundere*!"
"Who are you calling a tsundere!"
Yup, she has definitely changed her impression about him. He was good-for-nothing, perverted playboy!
A/N: I. AM. ALLLIIIVVVEEE!
Hello citizens of the world! Guess who's back! First of all, I'm so so so sorry for the extreme delay but things happened but as long as a next chapter has been updated you'll all forgive me right?
*A brick was thrown directly at the face*
Yeah...I thought so. Anyways thank you for all of you who have supported this story so far. I would have promised to update more but my motto is: "Do not make promises you cannot keep"
Anyways please also read my other stories for me okay? I would highly appreciate it!
Be sure to review and tell me what you think about this new chapter okay?
Well then, see ya later!
*Tsundere= A type of character development; A person who is outwardly cold and hostile but is actually warm and kind in the inside.
-Yugao702