The auditorium echoed with a roar of the crowd as the last few vibrations from the electric guitar hummed on its own. The four people paused, basking in the energy that radiated from the crowd. There were one green-haired person, twins with blonde hair, and the one with teal hair. The last one, particularly, stuck in her mind.
Holding her own breath, Luka watched she watched with wonder as the singer, the one with teal hair, looked just looked up to the ceiling, seeming lost in her own world, as if she can see the peaceful skies through the metal. It was the first time that she saw her – the first time she felt entranced by someone else.
~Miku's P.O.V~
Neon light bounces off of the walls as the music blared with an upbeat tone. People jumped as they danced at the sound of deep bass echoing from the large speakers near the DJ platform upfront. The puffs of white cloud rise as they did so. Meanwhile, a good number of people sat in the cushioned booths of the room as they talked.
Then, there is this one booth. A teal-haired teen has her arms crossed and her eyes glaring immensely at the sea of people on the dance floor. "Ugh... I can't understand clubs..." Miku said as she ruffled her hair in irritation. Seated on the soft leather of the booth that her friends acquired almost instantly, she huffed feeling the emptiness of her wallet.
She had to pay with almost three-fourths of her allowance just to get inside and that was saying something. She laid her back on the sofa, exhausted and irritated, thinking of the reason why she agreed to come in the first place. She pinched her nose bridge at the thought.
~0~
A few minutes ago, Rin, Len, Gumi, and Miku were just strolling down in celebration for the success of their club's little concert outside of school when Len spotted a familiar blue-haired upperclassman entering a certain establishment. It is a place with flashing neon lights and a led sign that says 'Underage paradise'. Miku almost gagged at the name but when she saw that there is no big buff men, guarding the door, only a booth for entrance she thought that it might seriously be for under-aged people.
"Who the hell would name a club 'Underage Paradise'?" said Rin as she squints at the sign. "And why is there is no bouncer?"
"Pftt.. That name makes me wonder what exactly they do inside. Want to check it out?" asked Gumi as she slowly trudged to the entrance, already deciding to go inside.
"I don't know about you guys but I have to go inside!" exclaimed Len, ready to barge into the bar like some fuming girlfriend. No one can deny him that. He has been crushing on the Kaito since the blue-head had transferred to their school. Plus, it is a known fact that he is a Bisexual- a fact that he provided.
The tealette was apprehensive, though, not wanting to go through any of the stuff that might just happen inside a club – unnecessary interaction with other humans, for example. "I don't really want to go." Miku said as she took strides away from the group before someone tries to drag her inside. "You guys go. I'll just go home for now. See you, guys tomorrow!"
As she walks away, she felt an arms slither around her own. Gumi and Rin grinned as they dragged her. "What do you think are you guys doing?!" She shouted as she tries to struggle from their grip but to no avail.
~0~
"That's right… I didn't want to go." Miku groaned, still pinching the bridge of her nose. Now, her friends are probably somewhere near the juice bar or on the dance floor, leaving her in their seats that is thankfully away from the swarm of human bodies in the bodies of the room. At the corner of her eye, she can see Len is looking around for Shion-senpai. Teal eyes only rolled her eyes, with a less than amused expression on her face.
The flashing of colourful lights eventually took her attention as it bounced on the walls of the room. Looking at the inside of the place, it is actually quite decent with neon lights that seemed to glow blue at the corners of the walls. White fog from smoke machines seem to take on the colors as it drifts away from the vastly moving bodies of the dance floor.
Her ears picked up on a high pitched squeal from the bar where she saw Gumi and Rin talking as they looked towards a guy with long purple hair. Miku squinted on the menu board and sighed in relief as she read the contents. The bar is only serving drinks soft drinks, water, a variation of smoothies and Frappuccino, and milk, overpriced as they might have been. Meanwhile, there are people like her just sitting in their seats, chatting innocently.
As far as she can tell, there was no drugs or overly exaggerated Public Displays of Affections. Honestly, she has never been in a bar before (being young and all) but movies and TV series are enough to tell her that it was a place for trouble. However, as she scanned the establishment, plastered on the wall, she saw a sign that says and warns people that if someone would violate any rules – adult or not, they would be thrown out of the place.
The tealette sighed as she drank from the soda that she got as a complementary 'welcome' gift. Teal eyes drifted through the sea of people. From where Miku is seating, she can observe the way they would be dancing with each other. Nothing is at the border of boring. Not at all. People are finding partners from one side to another as they move with the music. The tealette sighed. "It is still messy with people dancing all around, though. If I were there, I'd probably be dizzy and out of breath. I mean seriously! Who can dance in a place TIGHT with people?"
The music was keeping everything alive and more heat is obviously coming out from the crowded part of the room as the bass blared even louder. It is exciting, Miku can't deny. "Maybe it is just because of the music and the strobe lights." She thought as she took a sip of her drink. "I want to go home…" she muttered, almost unheard by her own ears.
Suddenly, cheers are heard from where she is sitting. The tealette turned a curious eyes to the middle. People are gathered in a circle. Their movements are slight as they still danced with the beat of the music, while they make an empty area in the middle. Then, she saw glimpses strands of silky pink hair flow from inside the circle.
Curious, the tealette sat straight in an attempt to see clearer. Dynamic and lively, there danced one person. It is a female with her long pink hair tied into a ponytail and her bangs partitioned so that the right has more of her hair than the left. Her face is concealed by the cap but you can see her smile as she moves. She is wearing a black v-neck top that is a little bit too loose for her. Her pants are gray and baggy, like those you would often see from hip-hop dancers. Her shoes are regular converse with a black color and white shoe lace.
Miku found herself in the same state as the people watching her – entranced. Teal eyes became insistent on watching that she felt herself walk a step closer. Explosive is a word that she can say would define the girl's movements. Graceful is the one she would use for the smoothness of the transition. And harmonious is for the over-all composition. It was like she was composing her songs all over again. She felt like she is being pulled to the circle
She stands on her toes, wanting to continue watching despite the swarm of bodies blocking her view. With a grimace, she silently glared at the people blocking her view. As soon as, some people separated enough for her to see the dancing pinkette on the floor, teal eyes are trained on the pinkette as the girl relentlessly hit the beat. Miku sees how people would join her, feeling the same pull she had towards the dancer, but they were pushed away almost instantly, failing to keep up with her movements.
Miku wants to step forward, to join the girl, but at the same time she felt like she would intrude if she would. She would feel like she would shatter the girl's world if she would set even a foot in it so she contents herself with just watching like any other spectator. "Wow…" she sighed.
As if she was heard, the tealette found herself under the gaze of electrifying ocean blue eyes. Time slowed as her breath hitched, mesmerized by the intense eyes. It felt like they were staring for a few minutes even if in reality it was merely seconds. The guitarist may have been seeing an illusion, but she could have sworn… the dancer smirked at her.
The pinkette began to dance once again, a delighted smile seeming to be plastered on her face. This time, it seemed that every twist and turn that the girl is making is directed to Miku, as if inviting her to join the crowd. The tealette soon found that the only time the pink-haired girl would open her eyes is when she knew that it is where teal eyes are. Then, as the beat paused to the drop of the bass, the pinkette stared at her, blue eyes intense.
For a moment, Miku panicked. "D-Do I have something on my face?" Miku asked as she touched her face.
The pinkette's eyes widened but as soon as she realized what Miku is doing, she laughed. The song continued and ended with another drop of the bass. Feet apart, she raised her fist with one finger pointing upward and her head downwards just when the song ended and into the next one. Everyone clapped. Cheers invaded the dance floor.
Thanking the people for cheering her, the said pinkette is now making her way towards a certain tealette. "Oh my leeks! She is going towards here!" She panicked, not knowing what to do. She immediately dived for her bag and grabbed a book from her bag to make it seem like she is reading something. Covering her face, she hoped that the girl is not actually making her way towards Miku.
A soft laugh alerted Miku that that certain someone is already near her booth. "You know, it is a little dark to be studying a book upside down, Miss." Melodic alto said, amusement clearly evident in her voice.
Miku knows that her face is already red with embarrassment. "AAhhhhhh! Oh my leeks! This is so… AAARGH..! Stupid me!" She is, therefore, not going to put her book down.
"Miss, may I take a sit here?" The same voice asked. Miku only replied with a small nod. The pinkette smiled at the girl as she took the seat next to her, earning a small shriek from the embarrassed tealette "So, your name is Hatsune Miku, right? You are a second year of Vocaloid high school, correct?" she asked, hoping that the tealette would be less tense.
Miku peeked a little from hiding. "H-How do you know that?"
The pinkette smiled patiently as she took her cap off of her head and swished her hair from side-to-side. "It is on your book." She gave the tealette a wink. Miku felt her cheeks heat up again. "My name is Megurine Luka. Same year level and school! Nice to meet ya!" she said with a childish smile and an open hand for shaking.
Feeling comforted after knowing the pinkette's name, Miku took Luka's hand and shook it after laying down her book. "Oh. Nice to meet you, too." While the softness of the hand did not go unnoticed by the tealette, she merely searched her mind of anyone with the same face as Luka but she found none. "Why haven't I seen you around the campus?"
Luka smirked and said "I'll be transferring on Monday. Don't know what class though. I came here with some upperclassmen of the same school. Do you know Shion Kaito?" She asked with the same spark in her eyes. She is brighter than any of the strobe light in this bar.
Realizing that she was staring, Miku stuttered a bit. "Y-Yeah. W-We did come here to find him. Well, my friend did. I was just dragged along."
Luka hummed. "I bet that friend is named Kagamine Len." she said. Miku looked at her suspiciously but was soon ebbed as the pinkette kept talking. "Kaito has been keeping an eye out for him since last year. He says that he is afraid that some wolf would eat the innocence out him." She laughed. "Kind of stupid huh? He can take care of himself."
The tealette laughed as well. "He might be right about this one, though. Len is as innocent as little kid. Even his twin sister beats him in that area."
"Really? Wow…" she chuckles. "How about you then? Are you innocent?" she asks with a hint of mischief in her eyes.
"Of course I am!" Miku pouts.
Luka laughs. "I am sorry. I just can't help but ask. It is just that you are reading a rather interesting subject of creating a human."
"What?" She glanced down at the book she is holding. It turns out that she had the book turned to a page about the human body and its purpose. The tealette went red and closed the book and then put it inside her back pack.
"I was just kidding!" She smirked at the pouting look of the tealette. "Well, aren't you adorable?" She says as she squeals a bit in her seat. "I hope that we are on the same class. It would be nice to know someone as cute as you in the same class." she winks at her. Miku has her thoughts invaded by that very same phrase until a certain remark from the same pinkette had her head buried in her hands. "Especially, the time when you thought something was on your face while I was dancing. That was cute too!"
"Y-You saw that?" Miku asked a bit terrified and embarrassed.
"Yeah! That was the first moment that we saw each other! I was just dancing with the music, in my own little world. It was always like that whenever I danced but this time it felt a bit different. I felt someone enter." She looked towards the tealette, ocean blue eyes sparkling against the throbbing of different lights. "Someone was staring at me and they caught my attention."
Miku gulped at the thought that she may be pertaining to her. Whatever nervousness she has, she swallowed it down. She smirked at the dancer. "You are aware that there were at least fifty people staring at you while you were dancing, right?" She deadpanned, a bit proud of herself for the comeback.
Luka chuckled. "Yeah, you're right but only one caught my eye." Luka said as ocean blue eyes drifted back to the dance floor, a small smile gracing her face as she did. Teal eyes merely stared at her, feeling her face warm as a blush formed. A soft smile etching her face, the dancer looked away, her eyes directing towards the dance floor. Miku watched as the pinkette frowned before shaking her head.
A minute later, Luka shyly turned to the tealette and murmured "I hope that we can be great friends."
Miku casts a curious glance at her before laughing, finding it a bit cute. "Sure. Why not?"
Luka's eyes sparkled and her face brightens. "I would love that! Thank you!" She says as she grabs the tealette's hands for a second, which immediately makes Miku categorize Luka as a tactile person. Out of nowhere, Kaito appeared with a clinging Len on his arm.
"Hey, Luka. I think it is about time to go home. You still have some papers to go over, right?" He says. "Oh! Hi, Miku! Where are the others?"
"They are…" She looked around the bar and found them walking right towards their location. "There! I think we are about to go home too." She says as she fixes her things. "Rin looks like she had a bad time."
"Oh! Cool then! We can head home together!" Kaito says with a smile on his face.
As soon as Rin and Gumi met up with them, the small blonde slammed her hand on her bag and fumed her way towards the exit. "What's wrong?" asked Luka. "That kid looks like she had a bad time."
"Don't call her a kid. She'll kill you if she heard." warned Len.
Gumi sighed and took her bag. "The juice bar kept on giving her milk under the request of some guy named Gackupo."
They stayed silent for a few seconds until a certain pinkette commented. "That guy has no game whatsoever." Gumi agreed with a nod.
Kaito sighed. He rubbed Len's head affectionately and gestured to the exit, saying "Well, we have to go home. Oh yeah! I haven't introduced little miss heart breaker there! I'll introduce you guys outside." The group proceeded to go outside where Rin is trashing a trash can. She kept on slamming the lid back on the can and then kicking the trash can over and over again.
"Rin, calm down." Miku says. "The poor trash can is already bent!"
Rin glared at the tealette with murder in her eyes. "I am going to vandalize this trash can until I can see that purple haired idiot in blue and black."
Gumi sighed and went behind the small blonde. She put her arms around her neck, effectively calming down the fuming blonde. "Rin, he doesn't deserve your attention." The blonde smiles and then purrs.
Len rolled her eyes at the scene. "She always does that for some reason." the male twin commented.
"Yeah, it runs in the family." says Miku, receiving a glare from Len to which the tealette responded with a stick-out tongue.
"Anyway…" Kaito drawled. "Let me introduce you guys to this, girl right here." He says as he put his free arm around their Luka's shoulders. "She's Megurine Luka! She's my dorm mate, my best man, and best friend. She'll also be transferring to our school on Monday! Please take care of her." he says with a grin.
"Your 'best man'..?" Asked Gumi.
"She just wants to be called that instead of 'lil' gal' or 'kitty' or 'cupcake'." Kaito says with shrug as he starts to lead the pack to their homes – more specifically to the Kagamine household.
Luka gagged as she removed the upperclassman's arm from her shoulders. "Who would want your weird nicknames? It makes me wanna puke."
"Aww come on. Those were awesome nicknames! Right, Lenny-kun?" He grinned at the boy gripping on Kaito's arm. Len only blushed and nodded but Miku was more than creeped out once she thought of her upperclassman giving her any nickname. "Ugh… I know how you feel, Luka." thought Miku.
The pinkette looked like she was about to barf but Luka kept quiet, instead, as she put her cap back on her head, effectively hiding her expression, wisely thinking that it would be best to just keep her mouth shut. Miku only smirked.
The group went ahead and walked to their neighbourhood which is only few blocks away the shopping district and the mall. It was and is convenient. They never had to walk too far for anything, even school is just a few block away from their neighbourhood.
It was still a beautiful night, though. Thousands of stars are visible in the sky as the crescent moon shines brightly as the cold breeze slightly blew on their skin. Miku decided to lean back and enjoy the cold quiet night.
Teal eyes trailed to her front where Gumi and Rin walked hand in hand, unashamed and innocent in its own way. They never did care about who was going to see them and possibly misunderstand. Miku merely smiled at their usual antics. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one pinkette smiling at the same sight in front of them.
Miku nudged Luka with her elbow. Earning the taller girl's attention, she whispered "Jealous?" with a smirk on her face. The pinkette's eyes widened at the tealette's comment. "They are always like that so it is normal for them." Miku motioned for them to slow down, making it so that they are placed at the back of the group. "Cute, huh?"
"Heh. Yeah, they are quite cute to look at." Luka commented as they lagged a bit behind. "How about you? Are you jealous?" she asked back with a bit of a mischievous glint in her eyes.
The tealette laughed and recalled the annoying times when Rin would often get the attention of Gumi. "I don't think so. Rin is often annoying that I'd hate to be in Gumi's spot."
"Oh? But would it be alright if I were to annoy you, though?" She smirked a bit. "I don't have anyone to talk to there so I'll probably come to you even if we are in different classes." Grinning from ear to ear, she faced Miku. "Also, I'd love to be… friends with you!"
"You don't have to keep on stressing that out." Miku smiled. "We are already friends so don't sweat it, okay?"
Hearing a scoff from Kaito, the two turned their attention to the people in front of them. "Right, friends. Pfftt… Are you sure, Luka? Just 'friends'?" At that, Miku noticed the pinkette's cheeks go a bit red and her eyes turn into something a bit more playful but irritated at the same time. She saw her get into a running position and charge at the unsuspecting blue-haired senpai. She used tackle, rendering the ice-cream lover unable to fight.
Unfortunately, Len went down as well. He was happy, though, getting trapped by his beloved senpai's body. "Enjoying, are we, Len?" Rin teased.
"Right back at you, Nee-chan. You should be thankful that Gumi is oblivious!" he teased right back. Rin blushed. With a clenched fist, Rin punched him on the head, leaving Len unconscious. Thankfully, Gumi wasn't listening. Oddly enough, the greenette seemed too intent on looking at the pinkette.
Luka looked at the mess she made and sighed. "Uh… sorry about that." She nervously chuckles as she rubs her neck in embarrassment. "Is Len's home farther? I can carry him if you guys want."
"Nah! We are already here actually." says Rin as she points out the house right in front of them. It is quite average but a bit too big for a family of four to live in. "Shion-senpai needs help though." He is sprawled in the floor on top of an unconscious Len with a gaping mouth and slight drool at the left corner of his lips.
Luka smiled and posed with her arms upright, showing her muscles. "Don't worry I can carry him on my own!"
"Right then! I'll drag this banana head to the house. Good night guys!" Rin gleefuly said. "Come on, Gumi!" she says enthusiastically.
"Oh, you guys live together?" Luka asked as she went to pick up the unconscious senpai, putting an arm around her shoulder.
"Yeah, we do. My parents are friends with the Kagamines." Gumi explains, a soft mischievous smile on her face as she stared at the pinkette. Weird. "It was nice to meet you again by the way!" said the greenette as she shot a last look at Luka who only nodded, unaware of the looks the greenette sent her. Gumi, seeing this, stifled a laugh as she went on to help Rin carry the unconscious Len. After shutting the door, the only people left are Luka, Miku, and Kaito.
Miku strides on forward to go back to her house, not minding the playful changes of expressions her friend had. She took out her phone, only to find out that it is already ridiculously late. "Thankfully, I texted my parents that I'll be arriving late at home today." she thought. She looked a bit to the side, taking a glimpse of Luka, making sure that she is not strained from Kaito's body weight.
No, the pinkette was not. In fact, the tealette noticed the straightness of her back and the pinkette's confident strides. She doesn't break a sweat, neither does she look like she is having a bad time. "Does she work out? Or something?" Miku thought. Observing the new addition to their group, she began analysing the pinkette without even knowing that she is.
"She… doesn't feel too tomboy-ish but she doesn't feel too girly too…" Once again Miku's eyes followed, the pinkette's body. From the way her short sleeves hang on her shoulders and the way her shirt clings to her body loosely, the tealette can tell that she is very slender further proven by the slight tones of muscles on her stomach and shoulders. Her baggy pants doesn't leave much of details but they are probably tall and sleek.
"E-Ehem!" the pinkette managed to let out. Miku met with Luka's eyes. Was she staring that long? "Tha-That's a bit too bold of you, Hatsune-san. But if I must… I'll-" The pinkette implied as she slowly slides her strap with her free hand.
Miku blushed immediately and panicked. "Wh-Wha-What are you doing! That's inappropriate!" she says as she stops Luka's hand from going down even further.
With the very same mischievous glint in her eyes, Luka smirked. "But you have been eyeing my body for about ten minutes now." She placed her free hand again on the strap a slowly pulled it down. "Are you sure you don't want to know..?"
Miku shrieked but her red impression of a tomato is still on her face as if it would be permanent. "Stop it!" she shouts.
Luka laughed. "Now, that was priceless!" Miku pouts, although the heat on her cheeks remains. "I didn't expect you to be the type to ogle at people, Miku." the pinkette joked.
"Shut up." Miku murmured. Luka laughed out loud at Miku's retort.
The pinkette's smirk somehow says that she is enjoying this. The residential sign ahead reminded Luka of the reason why they are on the walk. "Oh! Where is your house?" she asked.
Miku looked around and pointed to a small house nearby a building. "There. It's right next your dormitory."
"Oh! Then, we can go to school together?" Luka said with a childish sparkle in her eyes. "This is awesome!" A groan was heard from the temporarily forgotten guy in the pinkette's shoulders. "Oops! I guess we have to go now." She gripped at Kaito's arm a bit more. "Come on! Let's go get you back home!" She grinned at the way the blue-head let out a groan at Luka's loud voice.
"Just so you know, I don't need you taking me there. It is just that were are neighbours." the tealette retorts. Luka rolled her eyes and went on her way with Luka on her trail. Luka waved a bit of a good-bye when the tealette said a bit louder than normal. "We go to school early so be up by then, alright?"
The pinkette looked surprised a bit but graced her with her same childish smile. "Yeah! Thanks for that, Miss ogle! See you tomorrow!" she waved a bit as she entered the building.
Miku blushed a bit more because of the nickname but she decided to let it go and enter the house. Her parents who were already back are surprisingly awake discussing their day in the kitchen. They greeted her as she passed by. The tealette went to her own room and slithered her way under her blanket.
~0~
Gumi sat on her bed with her back propped up by the two fluffy pillow, stacked behind her. Her headphones perched on her head, her mouth by the microphone. "Yes. Yes, I know but you have to consider, MC-san… Oh shush, I know you want me to visit you guys!" she smiled a bit. "You know, Jaehee-san would always be available. If you know what I mean?" she said teasing evident in her voice.
The greenette frowned, hearing the same excuses over and over again from the same person. "Oh come on! What? Me? I don't have anyone like that! I just-!" She paused, her eyes widening even as her ears become irritated from the worried voice at the other end of the line. If her eyes had not betrayed her at the club, then she was right. "Oh my fudge." She groans as she buries her head in her hands.
"Not again…"