Chapter 3: Pink "All these feelings are rosy pink"

Len Karosa sat across from the ever so quiet, yet beautiful Rin Kazure at the ice cream parlor, ice cream cone in hand. Even now, sitting at the familiar parlor with her made Len nervous. He had originally suggested the ice cream parlor to try and cheer Rin up over her most recent homicide case, one he frankly only knew involved a now headless woman. Len had also enjoyed the moment to get close to his middle school friend, though in no way was confident enough to be honest with her. Still, he treasured his friendship with Rin above all else, and Len wouldn't dare put Rin in something uncomfortable.

"Is something wrong?" Rin spoke up as she silently ate her orange sherbet ice cream. Len jumped a bit in the booth and laughed.

"N-no, nothing at all." Len insisted nervously and took a bite into his banana-chocolate ice cream, "Just thinking about classes, and tests…"

"Didn't classes start up again last week?" Rin asked with a head tilt. Len nodded, "I don't miss those."

"Hehe, yeah I can't blame you on that," Len weakly laughed at that.

Len was majoring in biology, but specifically he was interested in autopsies. It was weird; He knew it was weird. Len had been deadest on the path since the death of his father in grade school, before he had even met Rin in middle school. Len was barely a year into his major, but he enjoyed it so. The thought of one day working with Rin also filled the love-struck boy with joy, but he would've been content working anywhere as long as it was related to examining dead bodies.

"You have friends in college, right?" Rin nervously asked Len, eyeing him. Len was taken aback by her question.

"Wh-what? I mean, I have people I hang out with…" Len then asked out of confusion, "Why are you asking me that out of the blue?"

"…I'm worried about you is all." Rin answered, having just finished her ice cream, "You were never that great at socialization. And I know you're a bit dependent on me, not that I mind." Len couldn't help but blush at that comment. Rin? Worried about him? He had to admit he was embarrassed.

"Ah, well, don't worry too much about me!" Len assured Rin with a smile, "Even if that is true, I'm fine, really. Besides, I wouldn't consider any of them a better friend than you are." Jeez, coming off strong aren't you? Len wondered if his arrogance was too much.

"Well, most friends don't catch their friends lip syncing to crappy idol songs in the shower," Rin slyly said, a smirk on her face. Len blushed again. The memory of 14-year-old him being embarrassed was burned into his head.

"Y-you said we would never discuss that again." Len stammered out. Rin softly smiled, letting out a small laugh.

"Well, I guess I did." Rin recalled, "Though, it wasn't too bad really." Len wondered if it was appropriate to implore for more detail. He decided that would be weird in public. Rin exited the booth, dusting off her jeans, "I'm going to head out and finish my report, okay? If you need anything, let me know. See ya," She smiled at Len, "Okay, Len?"

"Yep, see ya, Rin!" Len waved to her, finishing off his ice cream. Rin left the parlor and Len sighed in defeat, "I can't catch a break…" Len face planted onto the table.

Len wasn't exactly sure when he had started having romantic feelings for his friend. It wasn't in middle school, that was for sure. The two had been in the same middle school, and had gotten along quickly. Len was the quiet, meek geeky 6th grader obsessed with death, and Rin was the new, moody 8th grade student from another district. Naturally, they had gotten along at lunch. The two had become close friends, and still were close even now. Len could only surmise that it had all began in sophomore year, when Rin was a senior. It was if some day Len simply noticed he was attracted to his best friend. At first, Len had felt dirty, or as if he was falling into some weird stereotype, and or worried he was into older women and setting himself up for accidentally becoming a cougar's play toy in the future. However, it wasn't long after that Len had simply come to terms with it, and kept his true feelings for Rin at bay.

Now, Len knew this was a TERRIBLE way to deal with feelings. After all, keeping those thoughts and feelings down were awful for him. Yet, Len was more than willing to wait for a sign that Rin was comfortable with a relationship. That sign wasn't there or so Len hadn't seen the sign yet. The grossly pink feelings were left to bile up inside of Len, only to show through his hot pink flushed face, and sweaty palms.

"Ahhhhhhh," Len returned to his dorm room, slamming his face against the bed immediately as he screamed out loud. His roommate looked over at him with confusion, though not general concern.

"…Len. What are you doing?" His roommate asked, probably giving him a judging look.

"Oh, just screaming externally because I'm a spineless idiot." Len casually replied, "Nothing out of the ordinary, Yohio." Len's roommate Yohio Gulloid was a rather quiet individual who probably gave no shits about Len's wellbeing. He kept his side clean, and the bathroom clean so Len had no reason to complain.

"So about that girl you like?" Yohio raised an eyebrow. Len resumed his external screaming, though more quietly, "I see, well, you do you bud."

"Yohio," Len asked him, trying to retain his roommate's attention, "Have you ever been in love before?"

"Not really, no." Yohio replied rather quickly, "Why?"

"I was wondering if you had advice." Len meekly admitted. He was rather desperate on how to handle this crush.

"Stop being spineless." Yohio simply said before getting out of bed and leaving the room.

"…Thank-you." Len sighed, rolling onto his back and staring straight into his ceiling, "As if that wasn't obvious." Len groaned, "I need to be more confident in myself."

Len awoke the next morning to a day without classes, thanks to some nonsense college holiday he didn't care about. Yohio had already left to go do art, or whatever it was that he did. Len honestly didn't care, as he was focused on his mission: gather the courage to be honest with Rin. To do so, Len surmised his best way would be to collect research. First, was fanfiction.

"…Hmmm, hmmm, I see," Len scribbled down notes in his magenta notebook, torn from high school days, "Be smooth, but be realistic." Len scrolled down on the page, "This is such a nice story. I mean, the guy has confessed to the girl and," Len's voice immediately cracked as his eyes got to the next paragraph, his face breaking out into hot pink.

"Oh my god." He backed out of the story, "…That was smut. Wait," Len blanched realizing what he was reacting, "I've watched porn. WHY DID THAT FREAK ME OUT?" Len forwarded back to the story, scrolling down before backing out again, "Why are fanfiction writers so kinky?" Well, he had gotten what he needed from that story, so no foul done.

Len's second research topic included looking into comic books and manga.

"Hmmm," Len had a comic book open in one hand, and a manga in the other hand, trying to read both at once, "I see…So I somehow become an android idol? Hm, that seems rather farfetched. I mean, who would seriously invent something like that?" Len laughed out loud at the thought of that.

"Okay, in the manga," Len then glanced towards the manga, "normally you have to be surrounded by at least 2 or 3 other girls who are interested with you, and each has a polarizing personality type. Well, considering my physical appearance, that's unlikely to ever occur." Len closed both, realizing they were dead ends, "Well, there went that."

Len's final research topic was watching a chick flick.

"Oh god this story is making me feel bad," Len was at the verge of tears by the end of the movie, sniffling, "Jessica, I feel you, I really do." Yohio came into the room at this point, having returned around 5pm.

"Len, what in the name of all that is holy are you watching?" Yohio asked in the most strained voice Len had ever heard. Len looked up at his roommate, teary eyed, "Oh god."

"It's called Jessica's First Summer, and it's the most depressing thing I've seen…" Len whimpered out through held back tears and a choked up voice, "She finally was able to live her life the way she wanted to and with Damian… FINALLY…. She worked so hard to achieve that Yohio, so hard…!" Len began to ugly cry at the movie.

"I. I can't." Yohio immediately left the room, not wanting to put up with Len's… whatever this was.

At the end of the day, Len was no closer to finding the key to confidence in confessing his feelings than he had been prior. In fact, all he had learn was that fanfiction smut was well written, yet kinky, comic books and manga had unrealistic standards for romance, and that Jessica's First Summer should be a more appreciated film. Len was unsure if he would ever be able to tell Rin the truth at the rate he was going. Well, it wasn't all bad. He still had the friendship he treasured after all. And the pink feelings inside were equally treasurable. So, perhaps it wasn't all bad.

It was a month or two later that Len had received an odd text from Rin, simply reading 'Courthouse, 11am. I know you don't have classes today.' Not only was it ominous, it was terrifying. Yet Len found himself at the city courthouse that day around 11am in March. It was barely spring now, and Len had on only a pink hoodie. Rin approached him inside the courthouse, wearing her usual blouse and jeans.

"I'm here," Len greeted her with a smile. Rin gave a brief small smile, "So, uh, what did you call me down here for? I'm not under arrest right?"

"No, I wouldn't tell you over text if you were," Rin said. Len didn't know if that was relieving or terrifying, "Today is the day the jury decides if Luka Akarine is guilty or acquitted from the double homicide from the start of the year."

"Really?" Len was surprised, given how recent it was, "It happened quite quickly. Wasn't there a plea bargain?"

"It was a fight between insanity and life." Rin sighed in annoyance, "The lawyer apparently insisted, and the trial was emphasized to be brief on determining that. It's a weird move, but…"

"And you wanted me to be there for you while it happened?" Len guessed. Rin seemed caught off guard by his response.

"…I would appreciate it if you would, yes" Rin regained her composure rather quickly, "I have no clue if the victims' families are in the room, let alone the killer's."

"I understand," Len quickly reassured Rin with a smile, "I have nothing else to do today, so I don't mind. Besides, I can't say no to one of your requests." Oh boy, that must've sounded weird out loud.

"Is that so?" Rin mused, but then quickly said, "Ah, it's about to start. Let's get into the courtroom."

The courtroom was rather packed today, or perhaps it was like that every day. Len wasn't quite sure, but he was up front with Rin by the prosecutor. The judge sat at the podium, awaiting the jury to return. Len looked over at the defendant, where a woman with long pink hair stood. She must've been the killer then. Her mere appearance made Len feel nervous. He noticed that Rin too was a bit on edge by simply being in the same room as this woman. Or, maybe that was her simply being nervous in the courtroom. The jury members returned from a back room onto their little soapbox.

"All rise," The judge called. Everyone got to their feet, "Has the jury decided?"

"We have your honor." The jury member, likely the head member, responded, pausing before saying, "We find the defendant, Luka Akarine, guilty on one count of pre meditated first degree murder, and guilty on one count of first degree murder."

A single tearful, relieved sob cut through the courtroom, probably from a victim's loved one. Len looked over at the defendant, wondering if she had reacted. Much to his surprise, and mild horror, she seemed just as composed as before the verdict. Luka Akarine was still warmly smiling. This woman was very much someone who was bound to end up in prison one day.

Rin and Len stepped out of the courthouse, standing outside the steps of the building. Rin seemed relieved that the trial was over, aside from the final sentencing being held tomorrow. Len was relieved to simply be away from the murderer. That woman made him feel nervous.

"It's over, for now." Rin sighed in relief, "She was terrifying to interrogate. She confessed to murder, and refused legal counsel."

"She confessed?" Len repeated, not surprised but a tiny bit horrified, "She really did? Wow."

"She was so nice too. It was creepy." Rin frowned, recalling the interrogation it seemed, "But it's over now. She'll be in jail for a long time, maybe even the rest of her life. I doubt she'll ever feel guilt about the lives she took."

"Something tells me that you're right." Len agreed quietly, "That lady was unsettling, and she never said a word inside. Her smile's…just creepy." Len was unsure of how to word it.

"Well, you don't have to worry about it now, unless you watch the news later tonight," Rin stretched a bit, pulling out her phone to check the time, "You said you can't deny any of my requests, right?"

"Huh? Um, uh," Len stammered, realizing she had remembered that careless line he'd thrown out, "Y-yeah, I guess I did."

"Then, you'd buy me lunch right?" Rin smiled at him, a sincere smile for once.

"H-huh?" Len gulped, his face flushed bright pink, "W-well, I can if you want. Any reason why?"

"…I just want to get to know you better. After all," Rin added as the two began to walk away from the courthouse, "You said you had nothing better to do didn't you?"

"Well, um, aren't-aren't you busy?" Len fumbled with his words, worried about taking up her time.

"I'm off today actually." Rin said, and added, "And I don't feel like being alone today for once." Len paused for a moment before smiling.

"Then, it's a date, I guess." Len mumbled out, "How about that?" Rin smiled back at her friend.

Len's face was practically matching his hoodie now as the two made their way to the nearest restaurant. His rising pink feelings were finally making their way to the surface, slowly but surely. Len's feelings bloomed like a fresco rose.

Len's chapter is probably one of the happier chapters of the whole story? If not the happiest. Can you guess what character will be the focus on chapter 4 and what color? Hint: I hint at the character here. Kingdom Mitsumi