ReACT
Chapter 1: First ReACTion
The ring shone under the hospital's bright light while Miku sat down on her hospital bed with no life. Her face didn't show any pain or sadness or happiness. Miku's aqua-blue eyes were so lifeless and dull as she stared out the window.
Miku shared the big room with a blonde girl who was still sleeping. She was just admitted to the hospital five hours ago.
"This is her room," the nurse said, leading a blonde-haired boy into the room.
"Thank you," he said as the nurse gently closed the door.
The boy noticed Miku's teal-colored pigtails, but didn't see her face for she was still looking out the window. When he placed the bouquet of flowers down on the nightstand beside the blonde girl's bed, the plastic's noise woke her up.
"Len?" she asked, slowly opening her eyes.
"How are you feeling, Rin?" asked the boy whose name was revealed to be Len.
"I'm okay," the blonde girl named Rin replied.
"I told you to be careful, didn't I? With your condition like that you'll always—"
"I know, I know. No need to worry, I can handle myself," Rin interrupted to keep Len from giving her another speech on why she should take care of herself.
"Here, I brought you flowers," Len said, helping Rin sit up.
He handed her the bouquet full of pink roses and white tulips.
"They smell great," Rin smiled.
Suddenly, Miku stood up and walked slowly across the floor to leave the room. Rin paid attention to her fragrant bouquet of flowers, not noticing the teal-haired girl leave. Len, however, caught a glimpse of her.
He noticed the bandages around her neck, her lifeless eyes, her pale face and the ring she wore around her right ring finger. Len was drawn to her mysterious character.
"What's her name?" asked Len after Miku shut the door.
"Who?" asked Rin.
"That girl with the teal pigtails," he described.
"I don't know. I know she's been here for almost two weeks now," Rin replied, placing the bouquet of flowers on the nightstand.
A group of nurses came in and told Len to leave the room for Rin has to undergo treatment which would take a long time. Len promised Rin that he will be back to visit her tomorrow.
On his way out, he noticed the teal-colored pigtails he saw in Rin's room earlier. He decided to sit down one seat away from her. Len took a closer look at her, realizing that she is completely lifeless.
Before he could say anything, the lifeless girl stood up and slowly walked back to her room. He tried to catch up with her, but he thought it was pointless. He went home with her presence still in his mind.
The next day, Len came back to Rin's room to find her reading a magazine. Even though he came there for Rin, the first thing he looked for was the teal-haired girl he tried to talk to. His attention to her was, however, taken away by Rin when she asked him for his opinion on the dress she saw on the magazine she was reading.
Miku was once again sitting down on her bed while looking out the window as she watched the rain patter down. Len looked like he was listening to Rin, but he was actually paying attention to Miku. While Rin was chattering away, she noticed that Len's eyes were not on her.
"Len, is there something wrong?" Rin asked, pausing her story.
"Huh? Oh! Nothing. It's nothing," he blurted, startled.
Miku stood up, grabbing Rin and Len's attention. She walked out of the room on her wobbly feet without even looking at the people that were inside the room with her. To Rin's surprise, Len hurriedly walked out of the room, not even gently shutting the door.
Just like his hunch, the teal-haired girl wasn't feeling very well when she stepped out of her room. Len helped her up when he saw her lean to the wall for support as she walked in the busy hallway.
"Miss, you should go back in. You don't look well," Len said, putting a hand on her back.
"I'm fine. Leave me alone," the girl replied with no life.
"No!"
Miku stopped walking and looked at the boy's face. She saw his persistence and determination to bring her back into the room in his eyes. Without feeling anything, she turned back around with Len assisting her to walk back even if she didn't want his help.
"I'm Len. Len Kagamine," he said, looking at her eyes.
He finally took a closer glimpse of her dull eyes and pale face, realizing that she was dead inside. He figured that something horrible happened to her.
"Miku. Miku Hatsune," she replied, her facial expression intact.
She was so dead inside that she didn't even bother looking at Len for the second time. She focused on her steps, her eyes still on the floor.
Len didn't take away his attention from her that he didn't even realize what was happening in his surroundings. While he was lost in Miku's cold eyes, he didn't realize that a group of nurse took Rin on a gurney.
"Len," Rin whispered, a tear escaped her eye as she saw Len walking with her roommate.
Len helped Miku up her bed as soon as they got back inside her room. After he tucked her in, he stood up to close the curtains.
"Don't," Miku dully said, preventing Len from completely closing the curtains.
"I like the rain," she whispered, closing her eyes.
Len smiled, happy that he finally got to talk to her. He sat down on a stool beside her bed, watching Miku fall asleep.
When Len woke up, the sun was starting to set. The bright, orange ray shone on the hospital's white ceiling. Len stretched his arms to get the blood flow all over his body.
"Still asleep, huh," he smiled, looking at the sleeping face of Miku.
Out of nowhere, a group of nurses brought Rin back to her room on a gurney.
"Rin!" exclaimed Len, just realizing that Rin had been gone.
"Len," she smiled, hiding her stress and pain.
"What happened?"
"Just a few tests."
"Oh, thank goodness," Len sighed, relieved that nothing serious happened.
The nurses left as soon as they placed Rin back to her bed. Len was left to do the task of tucking her in. Just before he finished, Rin hugged Len out of nowhere, shocking him.
"I was so scared," she cried, tightly hugging Len.
Len felt bad for her and hugged her, stroking the back of her head to give her some relief and comfort.
"Don't worry, it's over. I'm right here," he comfortingly said.
"You'll always be here…for me, right?" Rin asked, sobbing.
"Yes, I'll always be here. I promise."
Miku held her hands together to feel the ring around her finger after watching and hearing the siblings' conversation. She closed her eyes again as tears ran down her face.