Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following characters' in this story besides the plot, nor anything else mention. All rights go to the respectful owners.
Characters: Len and Rin (main minor chara: Miku)
Genres: Crime, Tragedy, Horror, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Suspense and Mystery
Rated T for swears, suggestive themes and (vague) gore
Chapter Note:Finally I can get my sister's OTP out of this story~! Yahhhoo~~ Sorry, we just don't see eye-to-eye. And shipping's are a big part of that. Anyways, remember that this isn't edited.
Chapter Three:
From The Shade Of Teal
.[October 13th].
Knock! Knock!
"Come in!" Len answered as he took out his left earphone, dropping it on his desk and over his homework in a sloppy manner. He turned to face the person with a ghost of a grin.
"I need help~!" Rin whined as she stumbled her way in, closing the door shut with her right foot and lugged her body over to Len's bed, plopping down face first.
Len laughed at his sister's childish actions, "C'mon, it's not hard. You're in regular classes, Rin."
Rin threw a silent tantrum whilst waving her arms and legs about, making his once neat bed now untidy, "But I don't get it~!"
Her brother frowned at her actions, "I'm sure you do. Like Mom says: You won't understand unless you try -"
"I've been on the same problem for the pass hour." She deadpanned, causing Len to choke on his words.
An hour? Well, that was a new record for his sister.
"What is it? You know my best subject is -"
"Math! Stupid, ugly, retarded math! Uggh!" Rin tossed and turned over her brother's yellow comforter, her homework tightly in hand, getting wrinkled with her anger that she harbored toward it.
Len rolled his chair over to her, leaving his half-finished work for later. With his elbows resting on his knees, Len reached over to grab the white sheet from his sister's death grip, "Which problem is it?" he asked as his cerulean eye scanned the numbers and doddles across the page.
"Number two..." Rin arose from the bed whilst bringing the cover over her crossed legs and upper half; she gave a pout to her brother.
Well, at least she past the first –
"Number one is wrong..." Len muttered, a frown playing upon his lips.
"What!? You lie!" Rin hissed as she bent over to get a look at her homework. Bringing her right arm out from the cover, she pointed to her messy numbers, "See! It's correct! I even asked Mom! Hah!"
That only caused Len to deepen his frown since he knew that their Mother wasn't the go-to person for Math problems, he found that out the hard way in grade school.
They said no kid could 'fail' their math work as long as they tried.
He and his Mom proved the school system wrong.
Len gave her a dull gaze as his pointer finger fell upon a buddle of numbers that didn't even make sense, "See here? This isn't even irrelevant to the equation the question is asking."
His sister frowned at the paper, then him, "But... that's Mom's work..."
He just insulted his own Mother.
"Look," Len messaged his temples to ease his growing headache, "here's the deal: I'll write, on a separate paper, examples of these equations for you to use as only examples. They won't have the answer; you'll have to study the format -"
"No!" Rin whipped his cover in his face, "Answer them! Now!" She then proceeded to whip his comforter.
Len was calm for a total of one second, until a pillow came at him, hitting him square on his face, "Listen, Rin," he began with a stern glare, "you know very well that I'm not the one to go to if you want free answers without doing some work."
Rin faked a gasp, placing her right hand over her heart, "But Lenny! You're my brother, and big brothers help their little sister with their work!"
Len gave his eyes a roll, "Oh, yeah. Sure they do." he bit sarcastically, "And little sisters are kind and adorable. Don't really see one, now do you?" He swiftly dodged his second pillow to his bed.
"...Meanie..." Rin muttered as she crossed her arms, giving him a glare with a light blush forming upon her cheeks.
"Mm." Len hummed as he rolled back to his desk, took out a notebook, ripped a page out and started writing with great and neat speed.
"C'mon, Len! Just do this homework for me, please? Just once."
Len sighed, but didn't bother to turn around as his words left his lips before they could process, because honestly, this scene would happened so many times during their school life, that his reply was almost natural: "Go ask Gumi for help then."
Rin sucked a large sum of air and held it as she let her brother's words gear though that thick skull of his.
The blond let a shaky sigh escape his dry, parted lips once the words dawned like the sun hitting the earth; slow and hallow.
"Here," he rose from his chair this time and handed Rin her homework back along with her example sheet, "I have a date, so please try to figure the problems out on your own, and don't go to Mom." he added, changing the subject even though the tension in the air was beyond thick.
Rin stared up at him, taking in his stiff frame, blank eyes and parted lips. He didn't want to talk anymore about those two, she knew.
But it hurt her.
"Okay..." she scooted off his bed and shuffled her way to his door, opened it to leave but paused at the frame, "Be careful, all right?" she whispered; the sound tugging at her brother's heart strings.
Len smiled, almost appearing hurt by her words, or their true meanings, or maybe something else.
He walked up to her and ruffled her hair, "Don't worry, we'll be safe." He then gently pushed her out and softly shut his door, leaving his little sister to whisper her parting words,
"I didn't mean for Miku..."
.V.
"Isn't this cute, Len! Right?!" Miku babbled her legs bending slightly as she appeared to be hopping with each of her steps.
"It sure is!" Len faked his enthusiasm because honestly, he wasn't fully enjoying walking around the mall, 'helping' Miku pick out the right dress for her brother's get-together.
"I'm sorry..." Her soft words halted Len's steps.
"What?"
"For dragging you around this mall. I know guys don't like this stuff and all, but I really want a guy's opinion on how these dresses look other than the girls." Miku explained as she turned to face him, staring up into his downcast eyes, "I mean, usually I'd... I'd..."
He watched her bit down on her lower lip and knew she was holding in a cry of a memory. Great, first date and he was already making a girl cry. So smooth.
"It's fine, it's fine." Len assured her, placing his hands upon her thin shoulders, "I go shopping with Rin and my Mom all the time. I'm used to it. Heck, I'm probably the best male to ask out of our group." he joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere, to raise his crushes mood.
Miku gave a laugh, the laugh he loved about her, "You're right. Sorry for bring up such a touchy subject. Come on, I'll do a walk way for you~!"
Len could only nod because really, didn't she just agree to his own insult?
Dogging after Miku, the two finally made it toward the back of the store where the dressing room was (thank Heavens for Len that there was a sofa to sit on).
He then picked up a worker pushing two racks of clothing over to Miku, and Len soon found out that he wasn't quite tolerable for this 'shopping' girl's speak of.
He really wasn't.
But time flew on by in seconds, and with great thinking on Len's part, he helped Miku pick an appropriate outfit for that get-together. Too bad he wouldn't get to see her in it on that night, but hey, at least he got a cat-walk show, no?
"So where do you feel like eating at?" Len asked as he lightly swayed the pair of bags in his right hand as Miku bobbed her head left to right on his left side.
"Fast food's fine." She replied with a smile, her teal eyes lightened up with that spark Len fell for the very first time he saw her.
To be frank, Miku was part of those stereotypes populars at school; those preppy girls that chirped in a weird way; those jerks that call themselves kings of the school because they play sports and just plain 'ol teenagers that were living life to its 'fullest', but in a more arrogant way.
In fact, Len was the one to introduce Miku to the gang which was roughly the beginning of their final year in high school. He had felt that Miku didn't belong with that type of group, she never appeared happy or 'herself' when she was surrounded by people or had attention on solely her.
So he befriended her (and maybe his crush had a play in the befriending too).
Most of the gang (maybe all) didn't accept her at first because she was, of course, part of those stereotype-teenagers, and no one can really erase that from memory, right? It was a touchy subject for them all since every one of them in the group were bullied some point in their life by those type of teenagers, and one can't really forgive so easily nowadays.
But slowly, everyone began to accept her, everyone but Rin.
"You sure?" Len asked, and although the past was the past, he couldn't help but think she'd snap at him (or the group) whenever they went to those fast food joints, or played sports in the heat. She was part of the populars once in her life, she had the appearance for it, and the personality; it wouldn't surprise him if she cracked one day.
Miku playfully shoved his left shoulder with her light body weight, "Of course! I don't really like those fancy places. Bleh! Fast food's better, cheaper too!"
Ohh, so that's way she pointed out fast food, huh?
"Are you saying I can't afford those 'fancy' places?" Len jested in a light tone, the corners of his lips twitching to hold back his silly grin.
"Wa-Wait! That's not what I meant! I didn't mean -" Miku stuttered out, and Len couldn't help but let a laugh out. Forget about being a popular! She wasn't like those backstabbing girl's! Nothing like them at all!
.V.
"What do you like about her?"
"What?" Len questioned, unsure if he heard right.
Rin rolled her eyes at his deaf-like ears as she placed the rest of the dishes into the sink for Len to clean since it was his night, "I said: What do you like about her? Miku."
So he did hear right; and what a question to ask when their Mother had just left to get dress for work, upstairs.
"Uh... well..." This was beyond awkward for Len since he was supposed to give Rin an answer on why he liked Miku, his crush. Uncomfortable would be a good word at that moment because really, he wasn't comfortable talking about Miku when Rin was around since she pretty much hated the pig-tailed girl's gut for some unknown reason.
The blonde twin watched her brother scrub the dishes at a snail's pace. Did he really need to think about it, because that just pissed her off more?
"Her eyes." Rin's own eyes widen at the first thing he could've said. Not personality, nor body, or taste, but her eyes.
He continued, never looking up from the dishes nor picking up on his own words, "They're a pretty color or green, like the border line of blue and green in a sense. Not to mention when she's laughs, they light up or sparkle when she's happy. It's almost like they tell her mood, you know? Like when she's sad or down, her eyes dim to a low, dull green. It's interesting, no? And don't say I'm cheesy."
"...Is that all you like about her?"
"No," Len placed the last plate on the dish rack, picked up a rag to dry his hands clean and turned to face Rin with his waist against the counter, "That just happened to be the first thing I noticed when I first saw her. Over time I grew to like her bubbly personality, that shyness that floats about her aura, or how she blushes easily be it being embarrassed or angered. You know," he shrugged, "her habits."
Rin watched her brother place the rag next to the wooden rack and couldn't help but feel her chest tighten. Why?
"Oh... Well, that's good. I guess." Why couldn't she keep herself from snapping at him? He wasn't the one she hated, it was Miku. So why was she releasing all her anger out on him? Why?
Len pushed off the counter and walked over to Rin, once again ruffling her hair with his silly, adorable grin, "Don't worry, Rin. We're not going to jump into a relationship so fast here. I mean, yeah, I've had a crush on her since our first year, but I want to wait a bit until I know the feelings mutual, got it?" He paused, waiting for Rin's answer.
"I understand." She muttered, ducking from under his touch but regretted it when the top of her head felt cold and alone.
"I know, because she's got to pass the little sister test, no?" Len then gave a one-armed hug as he brushed past her, "Anyways, I'm heading to my room to take my quick nap then finish my homework. Be safe when you go over to Neru's tonight, don't go outside, got it?"
Rin only nodded at him, her eyes widened but Len didn't seem to notice. He then left without another word or thought.
She then released a rotten smile that spread from her lips to eyes.
That's right, no girl has ever pass the sister test.
No one.
.V.
Tossing and turning, Len finally awoke from his daily nap, sitting up from his bed to only be welcomed by the spinning walls, cuddling him in a tight embrace.
Len hissed as he brought his hands up to his head, holding it as if that action alone would stop the spinning.
It didn't, like it always did.
He lost whatever little balance needed to sit up and fell back onto his bed with his eyes shut tight. He wasn't feeling so well in the stomach either.
But the blond sucked it up, inhaling deeply and exhaling all the same. He continued for two minutes and soon, the room was back to normal like his statue, beside a headache that was sure to come in seconds.
He slowly sat back up then tested the room.
Normal, so there's no need for his pills this time around.
They were pills to help his vertigo, something he had since he was ten years old, though his was a 'unique' case. He didn't really know how or why he got it at such an age (his parents never telling him the reason), but he learned to deal with over time.
And how exactly?
By taking naps every hour or so, and they truly helped, given that fact that he hardly remembers if he wakes up during that time or not, or sometimes - on rare occasions - he doesn't remember what he does before he falls asleep.
When vertigo kicks in at odd times, he'd have himself his own personal black out time, albeit the fact that he mostly has nightmares during those times, but mostly his dreams were black or rushed; never knowing what he was dreaming about, and didn't really care.
"I guess I should finish my homework..." Len rose from his bed and got dress in a wife beater and boxers and was about to take a seat when his phone caught his eye.
He checked it and found that he had one miss text around seven, about an hour or so ago; from Miku no less.
Normally, he'd check it in a heartbeat, but with the events that played out these past days, it was understandable why he was hesitant. But he clicked on it anyways, and felt his room steer once again at the words that were typed:
"Aren't teal eyes just beautiful?"
.V.
Len didn't know where she was, nor where he was, but all he cared about at that very moment was finding her, be it alive or... or...
His feet took him to the park for some unknown reason. And try as he must to turn around, his body disobeyed his mind and pushed forward where he soon found himself in front of the public bathrooms with the lights off, save for the flickering one in the girl's restroom.
Len was sure he had sought her off to her home, watched her walk into her house with a smile, into the warm, safe shelter. So why would she be out here?
No, she wasn't. She wouldn't. Maybe she was pulling a prank on him?
That would be another no since it just wasn't how Miku was. She was a nice, shy, bubbly girl; she'd never pull this type of prank on him, right?
Right?!
His shaking legs brought him, slowly, to the girl's restroom, the flickering light taunting him of death. He pushed open the door with his eyes shut.
The boy was scared of what he might see, witness with the flesh of himself. He couldn't bear to see Miku, his crush, his friend, a sweet girl, heck, future girlfriend even, be... be...
He opened his eyes and saw horror.
There she was, under the dim, flickering light with her back up against the tile wall, her left pig-tail undone, her clothes dirtied and cut, her skin pale, her mouth agape and her eyes... no longer present.
But the hallow sockets weren't like Gumi's or Miki's, how they were clean cut and flawless. No, hers were gashed out, he could tell by the dry blood trail from the sockets and cuts around the black circles.
Miku had put up a fight until the bitter end, but came out with the short stick.
"God damn it!" Len cried as his body moved to hers and collapsed next to her but paused. Should he hold her body? Or... No, the hell with evidence! He didn't care about that, he'd just tell those adults that he was over emotional and hugged her purely by the wild emotions...
He embraced the pale body, cradling her as his slender finger ran though her tangled hair, "I'm sorry, Miku... I'm sorry..." he felt his tears falling and did nothing to stop them.
What if Rin was the killer's next target now? What then? What then?!
That's when he felt something wet, behind her head and covered under her hair. Moving his hand away, he saw the bright color that told him the killer had bashed her out cold by slamming her head against the restroom wall.
"Oh Go- ... Miku..." He whispered, rocking back and forth as his trembling fingers trailed the sockets, his breathing growing heavy, "Why would you come out here? Why?"
Then something, out the corner of his eye, green reflected under the sinks. Gently placing her back in place with care, he crawled over to pick up Miku's phone and activated it.
"Wha... What?" Len gulped as his shaking fingers clicked on her recent text... from him.
"There's something I want to tell you, think you can make it over to the park?"
With clumsy hands, Len yanked his cell out of his pocket and quickly went straight to the text he sent.
There were no recent messages from him, nor any replies from Miku.
His eyes jolted back to Miku's phone, to the number his name was under.
It was definitely his number, but the proof from his phone showed that he never texted her unless... unless...
Someone else used his phone during that hour.
A/N: So... that's that. I'm dropping hints like no tomorrow, but at the same time, I'm miss guiding you all the same. Anyways, this chapter should clear some things up (vaguely) since I recalled that I had some plot-holes to cover... Like Len and his blackouts, reason as to why Rin hates Miku (though I didn't really state it clearly :3) and then left even more clues to the murderer!
The Gang Includes: Len, Piko, Gakupo, Kaito, Yuuma, Rin, Miki, Luka, Meiko, Gumi and Miku.
Soo... Who do you think the killer is? {Let's all mark off Miku... or should we? o.O} Here's a hint: The killer has a somewhat legitimate reason for killing.
R&R? Pretty please? Feed me your thoughts of this idea, your view point, who you suspect...
Reviews are greatly appreciated and so is constructive criticism!
Guest: Seems like I knocked one of them off, huh? Thanks for leaving a review.
WhatGoesUpGoesDown: Hopefully this is as wonderful as the last~ LOL Yanderelen... Why did I read that in a weird way? Maybe it's my pronunciation... Your question has been somewhat answered :P Thanks for leaving a lovely review.
Chocolatesaregood: I just... gotta say that I love your penname. Hmm, seems most are thinking it's either Rin or Miku... Interesting, I wonder what's the reason behind it? Thank you for the compliment and thank you for following and leaving a review.
Cartoon-Slash-fangirl: I understand. I didn't want to kill them off, they're one of my few favorites too. The killers probably someone you'd least suspect... probably. Thank you for following, favoriting and dropping a review.
Lolly1o1: :O You sound so sure of yourself! :P You'll just have to wait and see~ Thank you for following, favoriting and leaving a review.