1. Music Box

A.N: Please note that this is NOT a Miku x Reader. It's written all in 2nd person view, so Miku is addressing Kaito as "you"... If that makes sense... But anyway, I hope you enjoy!~

Hello, it's been a while. Well... I think that "while" is quite an understatement. Seven years. That's how long it's been. Seven entire long years, filled with misery and longing for you to be back. I still don't understand... Why would you do this? How could you have just left me like this, without even giving a proper chance to say farewell to you? Where are you right now? Are you thinking of me as much as I am of you? Is every single day, every waking moment of your life filled with thoughts of me? Is your slumber filled with images of me, just as mine is with you? Or have you forgotten about me completely? Am I just a fading memory, a ghost of the past? What am I to you? Did you honestly mean what you said to me all those years ago? It was such a little gesture, really, it was only just a soft whisper in my ear. But it's still one of the most prominent memories of my life. It was the last thing that you ever said to me... before you left me. People always tell me that I'm foolish to invest even a little bit of hope that you will ever return. They just say that your gone, and that I'm just going to have to accept that. But I still return to this very spot on a daily basis, to the place where we always played together. Waiting... waiting for you to return. I can never forget the day that it happened...

I was eleven at the time. I was so innocent, young and happy. Happy that I had a friend like you at my side. If only I'd known what fate had in store for me. What you had in store for me. It was in our special place, where we always played together, remember? On that hill at the foot of the sakura tree, where you and I had made so many wonderful memories together. We had just stumbled upon this place one day while taking a walk. We had found it so serene and peaceful, and so beautiful. It was the perfect place for us to spend time together, and we had declared it our special place ever since. Every single day, you and I would meet here, and play together from dawn till dusk. That was how every day went... until it happened. It had just been another ordinary day, and I was waiting in our usual place for you to arrive. You were two hours later than later usual, and I was starting to get extremely impatient waiting for you to arrive. Just as I was about to give up and head home, I heard your familiar voice calling for me.
"Hi Miku!" You said. I turned around and saw you approaching me, wearing your trademark wide grin. Yet somehow... I felt that your smile was somewhat forced, and that there was sadness in your cerulean blue eyes. But I was too irritated with you to pay attention to these minor details. I scowled at you.
"You're late, Kaito." I snapped.
"Aha, yeah... I'm really sorry, Miku, but I just sorta got held up back at home..." You replied, smiling apologetically.
"Tch. Whatever." I muttered in response. I turned on my heel, and turned my back on you, and folded my arms.
"Hey, don't be so angry now. I hate seeing you upset, you know that." You said in concerned tones.
"Whatever."
"I'm warning you... You'd better cheer up or else... I'm counting to three... 1... 2..." I turned around and raised my eyebrows slightly.
"What are you going to- HEY!" I shrieked indignantly, as you launched yourself on me and started to tickle me all over my body. I collapsed on the ground, giggling uncontrollably, but you refused to stop. "S-stop it! I-I'm not ticklish!"
Oh really? Well then, I suppose you won't mind me doing this." Your hands travelled to my waist, I let out a scream of protest, and laughed harder than ever. "There we are." You said, smirking with satisfaction. "There's my Miku's beautiful smile."
"Okay, okay I get it! Now will you please release me?" I yelled at you. Smirking triumphantly, you pulled away, and I heaved a sigh of relief.
"Oh, and by the way, I forgot, I got you this." You pulled a small wooden box out of your pocket.
"What is it?" I asked, staring at it with curiousity. You lifted the lid, and twisted a small silver key protruding from the side of it. A soft, tinkling yet soothing tune emanated from it.

"It's a music box." You said. You slid it into my hands. "Here. It's yours. Y'know, this music box actually possesses magical powers." I raised an eyebrow.

"How so?"

"If you wind it up, and you wish for something that you want hard enough, then it'll come true. You gave me a lopsided smile. "Consider this to be a make-up gift for being late today, yeah?" I shook my head and rolled my eyes at this statement, even though I couldn't suppress a grin. No matter how hard I tried, I could never stay annoyed at you longer than a few minutes.

"Fine, okay then." I replied. Then, quite suddenly, I poked, you in the ribs, taking you by surprise.

"Tag! You're it!" I yelled in a teasing tone. I turned on my heel and started running away from you as fast as my legs would carry me.

"Hey, I wasn't ready for that!" You complained, but you were laughing along with me. We played there for many hours in that very place. Finally, after the sun had set, you and lay on the grass, exhausted after those many hours of playing. Exhausted, but happy all the same. I can still remember vividly how peaceful it was... The soft bed of grass beneath us, the gentle breeze ruffling our hair, our tiny fingers interwining... At times like these, I was exceptionally grateful that we had chosen this place for us to play together. I was shivering, and when you noticed, you wrapped your arms around me, cocooning me in your warmth. Although I felt a rush of sudden warmth inside of me at this gesture, that didn't make the shivering stop, so you removed your scarf, and wrapped it around me. I breathed in the scent of your scarf, indulging it. I had always loved the smell of it. It smelled somewhat of ice cream, and a few other things... but it smelled mostly of you. Just you. I don't know how to describe it any other way. We lay there for a while, talking to each other for a while. Just talking. Conversations like these were very common in those days, so I never really gave it any value. But now... I would sacrifice anything to have one of them just one more time.

"Oh, look! A shooting star!" You said suddenly, gesturing toward the sky. Your finger traced the movement of it as it soared across the star strewn sky. We both gazed at it, awestruck. Sights like these are phenomenons when you're eleven years old, I guess. Anyway, so we stared at with utter amazement, until I broke the silence by saying,

"You know... Whenever you see a shooting star, you make a wish and it'll come true. You responded by giving me a smile that looked somewhat sad, yet still genuine.

"Well... there isn't really anything I'd like to wish for... Well actually there is this one thing..."

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

"That beautiful smile of yours... could you keep it on your face forever? Even if I'm not around... I still want you to always be happy. That's all that I wish for, really. "

"Really?" I replied, resting my head on your shoulder. "Well if that's the case... then all you'll have to do is stay with me." This seemed to take you by surprise.

"H-huh?"

"Stay with me." I repeated, beaming at you. "I'm always happiest when I'm with you, Kaito." I said, giving your hand an affectionate squeeze. You gave me an oddly tremulous look for a moment. Then, without warning, you embraced me tightly, and burst into tears. Shaking with sobs, you managed to say four words.

"M-Miku... I'm so sorry..." You whispered. Utterly bewildered, I detached myself from you stared at you.

"K-Kaito... What's wrong?" You didn't respond, and just stood there resolutely weeping.

"If there's something bothering you, you can tell me, you know that!" I said worriedly. You shook your head.

"N-no... You don't understand... I can't..."

"Kaito, what-...?"

"It's nothing..." You mumbled, avoiding eye contact. You turned on your heel and began walking away from me.

"Wait! Where are you going?" I cried. You stopped in your tracks and turned around to face me.

"I... have to go now. But I'll be back soon. Wait for me, okay? I'll be back for you... I promise." That's when you said it. Four simple words that I would never be able to forget. Just a gentle whisper, that would remain etched in my memory forever. You approached me and leaned closer to me and you whispered it in my ear

"Miku... I love you." You breathed. I stared at you, wide eyed.

"I... love you too." I managed to say . You gave me a painful smile, and kissed my forehead. Then you turned away and began walking away, leaving me standing there on the hilltop... with the music box in my hands. If only I'd known... I could have just called out for you. I could have just said "Wait! Please don't leave me alone!" But instead I just stood there, watching you as you walked away from me. It was a decision that I would regret for all eternity. The next day, I went back to that hilltop, and waited for you to arrive. But you didn't come. At first I thought you were running late, like yesterday. So I waited longer than I usually would have. But after many hours of waiting, I concluded that you were ill, or busy, so you couldn't see me today. So, then I just swallowed my disappointment and headed back home. But when I returned the next day, you still weren't there. I waited for hours, but in vain, and I ended up walking home dejectedly, just like yesterday. Every single day I returned to that spot, that you would come back... but you never did. Our special place wasn't the only place that I looked for you. I searched for you at school, but you weren't there. I checked in your house, but it was deserted. I asked everyone for your location but they hadn't a clue of where you were. Day after day, week after week, mafter after month, I continued to wait in that place, still waiting for you to come back. And here I am today. It's now been seven years. Seven whole years. Why haven't you returned yet? Can you not see how much I long for you? Did you really mean it when you told me you loved me? Just so you know, when I told you that I loved you, I truly meant it, I really did. I love you with so my heart. I always had, yet I stillI kept my feelings bottled inside of me. Did you honestly mean it? Of you truly loved me, then why would you leave me behind like this? I want... no, I need you. I need you to embrace me, and assure me that everything's okay! I need to you to come back and be at my side again! I'm crying now. Tears are streaming uncontrollably down my face. I'm sorry, I know that your final wish was for to be happy forever, but I can't help myself. I wonder if it's still here. I turn around and shift aside a small pile of dried flower petals. And there I saw it. A large wooden box, that had acquired a thick layer of dust from having been untouched for seven years. This particular box had always been our prized possession. You and I had always collected several keepsakes of the past that we had kept this box. I open the box, and memories immediately come flooding back. Fragments of the past, of the childhood you and I had shared together, all collected in this box. I feel my hands shaking as I handled the priceless box. I feel a terrible stab of pain at the sight. All the memories you and I had together... All the games we used to play together... All the songs we sang together... All the songs we used to sing together... How could I have allowed it all to slip through my fingers do easily. I pull out one of the items, and blow the dust off it. It was a photograph of you and I. It's strange... Even though I know that it's you and I in the picture, it feels like I'm perceiving the eyes of strangers. Two happy young children, who used to play together in this very spot a million years ago. I can remember clearly when this photograph was taken. It was at Gumi's ninth birthday party, wasn't it? I still can recall that wonderful day as vividly as ever. Rin had "accidentally" thrown Gumi's birthday cake at Len, remember? You and I had both laughed ourselves to tears at the sight of a bemused Len covered head to toe in frosting. We were both slightly sadistic back then, especially when it came to Len. We would often join Rin in the planning of her next prank for him. I smile reminiscently at the memory, even though tears are still streaming down my face. I shift aside a few of the of the objects, and I see a drawing of you and I holding hands and singing, a bracelet that you had given me for Christmas, and... the music box that you had gifted to me before you left. Tears spilling down my face, I extract it. I remember what you had said to me when you had given it to me. That this music box had the power to make wishes come true. At the time, I had never really taken you seriously, but I wind up the box now, hoping against hope that it would work. The gentle tune fills up my ears, and then I wish... I wish so desperately hard... that you could return... that I could play with you just one more time. ...It's pointless now, isn't it? It's all gone, isn't it...?

You're gone...

Everything that was ever between us is all gone...

And there's nothing I can do to retrieve it no matter how badly I long for it...

I think it must have been my imagination, but I swear, that for one moment, I heard your kind, gentle laugh fill my ears once more.