Disclaimer: I in no way, shape, or form own Vocaloid. Each character used belongs to the respective company that produced him/her; I merely borrowed them for non-profit entertainment purposes. However, I do claim ownership to the cover art and words below. Well, not the paragraph about spider monkeys. Those words are from the novel Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff and have been borrowed for humor purposes. I clearly do not own those words either. Please enjoy.
It had to be the worst date of Miku's entire life.
This is what I get for letting a woman with a girlfriend set me up on a blind date with a guy, Miku decided as she used her fork to push around her salad. When Gumi said she knew someone Miku would like, Miku decided to go along with the arrangement. After all, Gumi was more than aware Miku had a crush on Kaito. Since Gumi's cousin Gakupo and Kaito were best friends, it wouldn't have been too far a reach to think Gumi finally managed to get Miku the date she so badly wanted.
Yet when Miku showed up at the restaurant and located the table Gumi had reserved for Miku and her date, she had to force herself to not walk away and pretend she had forgotten all about the dinner.
It wasn't Kaito who waited for her. Kaito, who Miku knew was precisely her type. Tall, athletic, and a sexy line of stubble on his chin. Nope. Instead the guy Gumi so insisted Miku would like was not much taller than Miku, heavyset, and had a baby skin smooth face. His blond hair was tied back into a ponytail, and thick rimmed black glasses hid his eyes. He introduced himself as Len Kagamine. Miku had no idea how Gumi knew him.
"Is everything all right?"
Miku looked Len directly in the eyes, and as soon as eye contact was made, he looked away as if the band playing jazz in the corner was the most interesting thing there. It took a lot of Miku's self-control to not scowl. The whole night had been this awkward. Eye contact was hardly ever made, let alone maintained. Small talk was suffocating. The tension in the air was so thick Miku could have taken her salad knife and cut into it if she wanted to.
"Not particularly," she said, her attention back to stabbing a tomato slice.
"You expected to be set up with someone else, didn't you?" Len asked, sounding hurt.
"Yeah," Miku answered. She sighed. "I'm sorry if I'm taking my frustration out on you. It's not your fault Gumi thought this would be a great idea."
Len nodded before returning to his half-eaten lasagna. Wordlessly, he took bite after bite while Miku couldn't eat at all. No matter how hard she tried, Miku couldn't figure out what Gumi had been thinking.
Miku was a Pilates instructor. She ran three to five times a week, rain or shine. Her body was strong, slim, and toned.
The boy before her was none of those things.
Although not incredibly overweight, Len could be described, in the nicest way, as chubby. He had a soft-looking face, complete with an almost prominent double chin. His dress shirt stretched over his wide, plushy chest. Then there was his belly. Len's round, bulbous gut hung well over his trousers and nearly sat on his lap. With how big it was and how close to the table Len sat, Miku genuinely wondered if his stomach brushed against the edge of the table every time Len breathed.
Just looking at him, there was no reason for anyone to think he would be even close to Miku's type.
"I'm sorry," Miku said again as she reached for her purse. "This is a nightmare for the both of us. Allow me to-" She stopped herself cursing as she dug through her purse again.
"What's wrong?" Len asked, watching her closely as if she was a rabid wild animal ready to strike at any moment.
"Nothing, nothing," Miku answered in a high-pitched tone. "I just can't find my wallet."
"I'll pay for you," Len offered.
"No, you won't."
"I really don't mind."
"No, you won't."
"Do you really want to stay here and do dishes for a few hours just to pay for a salad you barely ate?"
"Shut up." Miku restrained herself from throwing her purse onto the table. Not only was she on a blind date with a fat guy, but she left her wallet at home. To make matters worse, she couldn't call Luka to ask her to bring the wallet to the restaurant because Miku's wallet was also her phone case. Miku was well out of luck.
"Dammit," Miku muttered, defeated, as she placed her face in her hands. She could go through her purse again, but as much as she wanted to, Miku knew her wallet would not materialize out of thin air simply because she wanted it to.
"I'll pay," Len offered again. This time, Miku only responded by nodding. "I'm so sorry this night isn't what you thought it would be."
"Me, too," Miku replied into her palms.
"It's all right," Len said, and Miku felt awful. Here she was being sorry for herself while Len, who undoubtedly was having just as bad a night as she, offered to pay for her ungrateful self's food and not suggesting ideas to how she could pay him back later.
After the food neither finished was paid for, Miku bid Len a quick farewell before stalking to her car. "I swear to God, Gumi is going to get an earful later." Miku retrieved her keys and got into her car. She stuck her key into the ignition, but when she turned the key, an unpleasant grinding sound came from the engine. "No," Miku breathed, disbelieving.
Again and again she tried to start the car, but to no avail. She knew her battery needed to be replaced soon, but she thought she had another month at best. Now not only could Miku not call Luka to bring her the forgotten wallet, but Miku couldn't even order an Uber if her sister couldn't pick her up.
Resting her head against the wheel, Miku swore softly.
Then jumped when something knocked against her window.
Snapping her head to the side, she saw Len standing just outside her door. His brows were furrowed. "Dead battery?" he questioned. Not trusting herself to speak, Miku merely nodded. "Need a ride home?"
"I'll be fine," Miku said as she opened her car door. "I just need to find someone with cables to jumpstart my car. You don't need to trouble yourself."
"You really want to go back inside that restaurant and look for strangers to jumpstart your car for you?"
Miku was about to answer positively but shook her head instead. "If I had cables myself, I'd ask if you would help me," she admitted.
"Sorry, but I don't have cables either." Len held out his hand. "Let me drive you home. I promise I won't murder you and dump your body into the woods." When Miku didn't replied, Len stammered, "Th-that wasn't funny. I don't know why I said that. I'm sorry. I just ruin everything, don't I?"
Instead of replying, Miku questioned, face straight, "How do you know I won't murder you and dump your body into the woods?"
Len's mouth hung open before he laughed. "Looks like we might have to trust we're not going to murder the other."
"Seems so." Reaching out, Miku took Len's hand so he could help her out of her car. The warmth of his hand and the gentleness with which he held her fingers surprised Miku. After she was on her feet and Len let go of her, Miku found herself missing the contact.
"You sure this won't be an inconvenience for you?" she asked, crossing her arms. "You could very well live in the opposite direction for all I know."
"I thought of that," Len said, "but I'm not changing my mind. I can't leave a lady to walk herself home."
Miku snorted but said nothing. Len further proved himself a gentleman when he opened his passenger car door for her and closed it after she sat on the seat. Ashamed at herself, Miku was surprised to find that the inside of Len's car was clean and not filled with empty fast food bags like she expected. His car interior didn't even smell like fries. How many other stereotypes have I decided apply to him?
Without speaking, Len got into the driver's seat and started the car. A voice began to speak from the radio.
"This girl has to be some kind of spider monkey. I don't know what those are, but I know what a spider is and I know what a monkey is, and if you found some unholy way to combine the two, that's what I'd be watching right now."
Panic stricken, Len pushed numerous buttons before he found the pause. He didn't say anything, but his face turned a shade of red so bright Miku noticed it despite the poor lighting from streetlights this time of night. It was her laughter that broke the silence.
"That's from Illuminae!" she exclaimed, her laughter subsiding. "I love that audiobook."
"Really? Me too!" Len's face was still red, but he broke out into a wide smile. "This is my third time listening to it."
"Third? I've listened to it seven times. Talk to me again when you're playing on my level, amateur."
"Well I read the physical book five times. Does that count for anything?"
Miku hummed. "I suppose it has to since I've never actually read the physical book."
Gasping, Len replied, "How is that possible?! You mean you never once read it alongside listening to the audiobook? That's the best way to experience such an amazing story!"
"I don't like the cover," Miku explained. "I never, ever read books with covers I don't like. If it doesn't follow my cover rules, the book doesn't exist as far as I'm concerned."
"Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'Don't judge a book by its cover'?"
"I have, but I still do it. To get me to read Illuminae, my friend Dell got me the audiobook for my birthday a couple years back since I don't have a rule about audiobook covers."
"Smart friend." Len smiled as he drove out of the parking lot. "Okay, cover judge, what books do you like?"
During the drive to Miku's place, the two discussed their favorite books which in turn lead to their favorite movies which in turn lead to their favorite hobbies.
"I love reading fan fiction," Miku said after telling Len to turn onto a street. "Undertale fan fiction is my everything."
"Isn't there some pretty scaring stuff out there?"
"Yeah, but my soul is dead so I'm not afraid to dig through it." When her condo came into view, Miku frowned. The whole time she and Len were on their sorry excuse for a date, all she wanted was for it to end. Now she dreaded ending the conversation and saying goodbye to him.
"Thanks again for the lift," she said, hiding her disappointment.
"I'll walk you to the door," Len replied. "After coming this far, the least I can do now is see you safely inside."
Miku allowed Len to open the car door for her a second time and walk her down the pathway. When they stopped by the entrance, Miku searched desperately for her keys. "I know they're in there," she told Len. She shook the purse and heard the keys clank against each other. "See? It would be a lot easier to find them if it wasn't so dark."
"Don't you have a front porch light?"
"Yeah, but the bulb needs to be changed." Miku shook her head. "My sister has yet to do it, and I have acrophobia so standing on the stepladder scares the heck out of me."
"I thought you said that your soul's dead."
"It is, but somehow it resurrects any time I get two feet or more off the ground. Here they are!" Miku pulled her keys from her bag and gave them a proud shake. "I ain't sleeping outside tonight!"
"Has that actually happened before?"
"Just once." As Miku unlocked her front door, she tried to figure out what else to say. A thank-you-for-the-ride-home was obvious enough, but she still found herself desperately raking her brain for something more.
"Want me to change that bulb for you?" Len offered, looking up where he assumed the light was meant to be.
"Sure!" Miku quickly said. She cleared her throat. "I mean, sure. Let me, uh, get the bulb and a flashlight. Luka, I'm home!" Miku called as she and Len walked through the front door. Miku flipped on the lights and called again, "Luka?" Frowning, Miku mumbled, "She must have gone out."
It took only a minute for Miku to retrieve a fresh lightbulb, a flashlight, and the stepladder. She and Len went back outside, and Len replaced the bulb while Miku held the light so he could see.
As the bulb was screwed into place, light ran down onto Len's face. Even as he squinted, Miku thought about how cute he looked under the light. Realizing what she thought, Miku blushed and switched off the flashlight as Len climbed down the stepladder.
"There you go," Len said as he smiled at the light. "I suppose I should be leaving now."
"Wait," Miku said. She chewed her lower lip. "Come inside. Perhaps I can offer a drink or something? To thank you for not only paying for my dinner and taking me home, but also for changing the light. After how nice you've been while I was such a brat, it's the least I can do."
"You really don't have to," Len said, but Miku waved a hand at him.
"I want to," she insisted. "Your kindness should not be left unpaid. Please, if I can offer you something, let me."
Len stared at her, seemingly taken aback by her insistence. Finally, he smiled. "A glass of water would be fine."
As Miku told Len to make himself at home, she picked up her wallet, pulled out her phone, and checked her messages. Just one from Luka.
Meiko invited me out for drinks. Will be home late so don't wait up. Love you!
Smiling, Miku replied to the text. When she looked away, she saw Len watching her. "My sister," Miku quickly explained, not sure why she felt the need to do so. "We live together, but she's out with her BFF right now."
Nodding, Len asked, "Are you two close? I mean you must be since you live together."
Miku answered, "She's actually my half-sister. We share our mom, but Luka was raised by her biological father and his wife. We didn't spend much time together as kids, but we still get along really well. Probably helps we didn't grow up stealing our clothes from each other and pulling the other's hair." Getting a couple of glasses from the cupboard, Miku asked, "What about you? Any siblings?"
"An evil twin sister, yes," Len answered. At Miku's insistence, he sat on the barstool on the other side of the counter. "Three minutes older, but three times more vicious."
"Do you two fight often?"
"Surprisingly, no. We don't agree on a lot of things, and she's as different from me as night is from day, but Rin's my best friend. I wouldn't replace her for anything in the world."
After she filled the glasses and handed Len his water, Miku furrowed her brows and wondered aloud, "Your sister can't be the same Rin Kagamine in my Pilates class, can she?"
Len's eyebrows shot to the top of his forehead. "Has to be. How many Rin Kagamines live in this city and take a Pilates class?"
"But the odds of her being your twin are so . . . so . . ." Miku's face and neck burned so much she wanted to run away. What kind of hole am I digging myself into?
Knowing why Miku was choking on her words, Len laughed and told her not to worry. "I understand. Really, I do. Most people meet us and find it hard to believe that Rin and I are twins. She was born with the athletic gene and blessed with a fast metabolism. I've seen her eat more than a bear prepping for hibernation and not gain an ounce. Me, on the other hand . . ." Len slapped his gut, a wave rippling through his fleshy orb. "I look at a doughnut and put on ten pounds. Rin was on all the sports teams at school, and I was the tubby brother who hated going outside." Even as he said it, Len didn't seem sad or uncomfortable. He was merely stating a fact.
"It never bothered you that your own twin is slim and fit while you're, uh . . ."
"Fat?"
"I was going to say chubby!" Miku exclaimed. "I wasn't going to call you fat. I think 'adorably chubby' is better suited." She needed to stop talking. Her face was burning again.
"'Adorably chubby'?" Len began laughing so hard his belly bobbed up and down.
It really is adorable, Miku thought, unable to stop a smile from growing on her face. Why was I so quick to dismiss him because of his weight? It's really not so bad once you get used to it.
Len rubbed his belly as he said, "Maybe one day I'll decide I want to slim down. You know, eat well and in moderation and exercise. But for now, I'm gluttonous enough to say I prefer my bigger size because it means I can eat more food."
"Speaking of food, wanna order a pizza?" Miku pulled up the website on her phone. "Even if I did finish that salad, it would not have been filling enough."
"Then why did you order it?"
"It was the only thing on the menu that's vegan." As an afterthought, Miku added, "By the way, I'm ordering a cheeseless pizza. You want some?"
After the order was placed, Miku directed Len to the living room to find something on TV while she changed from her nice black dress into something more comfortable. When she returned dressed in sweats and an oversized Garfield T-shirt, she plopped down on the couch a seat away from Len. One of the Star Wars movies was on, but he only seemed to be half watching it.
He must have been just as eager to keep talking as she was, because when the movie cut to commercial, Len asked, "So, you're vegan?"
"Yeah," Miku answered as she played with the ends of her hair. "More out of digestive issues than a choice, though. Don't tell anyone, but I'm a bad vegan who occasionally craves sushi. I'm okay not eating any other animal products so going vegan wasn't a hard choice, but God, sometimes I miss sushi so much I have to give in."
"Your secret's safe with me," Len replied with a wink. "So, back to your being a Pilates instructor?"
"Can I just say Rin is my favorite student?" Miku cut in, snorting. "I always hear her in the back making the best comments. 'Are you serious?' 'Another count of eight?' 'How does she bend like that? Is this woman made of rubber or something?'"
"Sounds like Rin all right." Len laughed. "It's only been a few weeks since she started though, so give her time. She's so determined, she'll have Pilates mastered and be trying to teach your class before the year ends!" When Miku responded with nothing more than a laugh, Len asked, "So how did you end up a Pilates instructor?"
"Long story made short, I used to be a ballerina," Miku answered. "However, I sustained a bad knee injury in a biking accident when I was fifteen, forcing me to drop ballet altogether. I was devastated. About a year later, after I had fully recovered even if my knee will never be the same, Luka took me to a Pilates class she went to at the time. I immediately fell in love. After I graduated high school, I got certified so I could get a job teaching Pilates and use the pay to help me get through college.
"I originally went to study marketing to one day work in the field, but I dropped out after getting my Associate's. I enjoy teaching so much I couldn't imagine not doing it, y'know? It makes me happy. Why do I need to get another, quote-end-quote 'better paying' job when I already have one I absolutely love and gives me the means I need to support myself?"
"You don't," Len said. "I think it's great you enjoy doing what you do. If you're going to spend a good chunk of your life working, might as well have a job you love."
"Exactly!" Miku grinned. "What about you? What do you do for a living?"
"I'm a baker at The Mischievous Cupcake."
"Really?! You're kidding! That's my favorite bakery!"
"I know." Len chuckled. "Gumi says as much every time you visit."
"I wondered how you know Gumi," Miku said. Gumi worked the cash register and displayed the pastries at the bakery. Since the two were high school friends, Miku tried the food to support Gumi at her job, but Miku stayed for the desserts. "How come I never see you there?"
"I work in the back. That's where the baking stuff is, after all."
"Ah." Miku drummed her fingers on the counter. "I'm curious about something. When I first started visiting the bakery, I could still eat whatever I wanted. Then I switched to vegan and thought I could never go again. A month later, Gumi called to ask if I wanted to try the new vegan brownies. As time went on, more and more vegan options were added to the menu, even if they have to be special ordered. Either way, it was a miracle I could visit my favorite bakery again. That's why I have to know: Who came up with all the vegan options? At first I thought it was Gumi since she's vegetarian, but I recently found out it wasn't her, and she won't tell me who it was."
"Oh, well, you see . . ." Len looked away. "I did."
It took Miku a moment to process what Len said. "Wait, you came up with the vegan options?!"
"Yes."
"All of them?"
"All of them."
Miku shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. "But why? The lasagna you ordered at the restaurant had ground beef in it, so you're obviously not vegan. Why bother finding all those substitutes when so few people in this area would even want to eat them?"
Merely shrugging, Len replied, "Gumi was so upset one day, and when I asked what was wrong, she told me about how a friend of hers wouldn't be able to visit anymore because of health issues. Upon discovery how vegan desserts might help this friend, I spent my days off figuring out what to do. I did research. I experimented. Finding substitutes was easy, but getting the recipes right so the pastries tasted like their traditional counterparts was a challenge."
"And you did all that for someone you would likely never meet?"
"Do I have to know someone just to do nice things for them?"
Len's question caught Miku off guard. She blinked, trying to find her answer. "Other than small, random acts of kindness," she finally said, "I never really thought about doing something nice for someone just because I can." She looked at her lap and sighed. "I suppose I'm not as nice a person as I liked to believe I was."
"How so?"
Chewing her lower lip, Miku forced herself to be honest. "Our date tonight didn't have to go so badly. I was nothing more than a shallow twit who disliked you for no reason other than something as meaningless as weight. You weren't who I wanted to be there, so I took one look at you and immediately decided you were the last person I could ever be compatible with. Instead of giving you a chance, I judged your book by its cover, something I really am awful at. I acted cold and cruel, and for that, I'm sorry." She couldn't even look at him. It was while staring at her clenched fingers Miku asked, "Will you forgive me?"
Another hand entered Miku's vision and took up one of hers. When she looked up, she saw Len looking her in the eyes as he smiled and answered, "I forgive you, but only if you forgive me."
Miku furrowed her brows. "Forgive you? For what? You've been nothing but a gentleman this whole night."
"Maybe, but I haven't been totally honest with you." It was Len's turn to gather his courage. "Our date was only half blind. I knew exactly who Gumi set me up with, and I also knew she didn't tell you who I was. Looking back, I realize that was trickery from the both of us. I'm sorry we fooled you. It was wrong, and I don't blame you for being upset."
"But the setup was Gumi's idea," Miku pointed out.
"I unintentionally encouraged her." Len's face started to turn a deep shade of red. "You probably don't remember, but a few weeks back, while you were visiting the bakery, I went through the front to get something from my car. All it took was one look for me to be smitten." Len laughed, the sound displaying how awkward he felt. "You didn't even look at me, and I already had a persistent crush. Gumi noticed and decided to set us up. Looking back, going with the idea was not the best choice for me to make. So you see, you're not the only one who needs to apologize. I'm sorry for my dishonesty."
The silence stretched on for a minute and a half before Miku replied, "It's okay. I don't think I could be mad, not after I found out you're the reason I can still visit my favorite bakery." She smiled and squeezed his fingers. The action reminded Len that he was still holding her hand. He tried to pull away, but she wouldn't let go. "You never knew who Gumi's vegan friend was?"
"Not until tonight, no."
No wonder Gumi thought this date would be a good idea, Miku thought. "You're too nice for a selfish brat like me."
Len smiled. "From what I've learned about you since we met, you have a heart that's open and understanding. I can't find reason to think you could be a caring, accepting individual if you choose. You just have to have a little faith in yourself," he squeezed her hand ever so slightly, "just as I have faith in you."
For the umpteenth time that night, his unconditional kindness warmed Miku's heart. Without thinking, she placed her free hand on Len's face, leaned forward, and kissed his cheek. It was so soft and warm that she didn't understand why she ever had a problem with his baby face. She giggled after she pulled back and saw how red Len's cheeks were. His eyes had widened considerably, as if he didn't know what just happened or what was going on.
"Oh," she said, still laughing, "you have blue eyes. I didn't notice before, not with your glasses in the way. They're beautiful."
"Th-thank you-ou." Len looked down, and when he saw that he was still holding Miku's hand, he yelped and tried to pull away. Again, Miku did not let him go.
"Len," she began and realized it was the first time she had ever used his name. She smiled and said it again, liking how it felt on her lips. "Len, would you care to join me for lunch this Thursday?"
Len's blush did not let up. "Lunch?"
"Yeah. You know, like a date. A proper date. First date, round two."
As Len understood what Miku asked, his smile grew wider and wider, lighting up his whole face. "I would love that."
"Me, too," Miku replied. Just as the words exited her mouth, the doorbell rang. Excited, she declared, "Pizza's here!"
Author's Note: According to my head canon, Len's body type is the string bean. However, I have to admit chubby Len is cute, too! Hence my excuse for writing this silly story. lol
But seriously, some people can be super shallow when it comes to weight. I believe there's nothing wrong with someone being a little overweight, a little underweight, or perfectly "average." (However, someone who is severely overweight or severely underweight should seek medical attention; there is no excuse for not taking proper care of yourself.) Weight isn't always about diet and exercise - some people eat right and workout and are still a little chunky, and some people eat a ton of food and never work up a sweat and somehow remain skinny. Genetics and metabolism play just as big a role as lifestyle when it comes to how our bodies look. Then there are the cases of health conditions and medications that affect weight, so this is a lot more complex than one would initially think. You are totally entitled to your opinion, but I encourage you to not make conclusions based on what you can only see on the outside.
I know some people are going to absolutely hate this story because I "made Len fat," but I don't care. I'm not here for fat shaming. I'm not here for skinny shaming. I'm just here to write. If for whatever reason this story wasn't your cup of tea, that is totally fine! You do you, my friend.
- Fantastical