quick preface: okay so uhh. me and cafe and yam are doing a really dumb 100 theme challenge thing and i am doing it with vocaloid fanfiction, being the huge loser i am (i'll put a link on my profile if you want to see it haha). each chapter will be a separate story in of itself, and there will be a shitload of different characters and pairings (though probably a lot of rin, because i am biased). and without further ado, number one:

"If Miku was such a kind girl, why couldn't she make anyone care about her?"
notes: mikucentric. 1118 words (short). no pairings. gratuitous japanese.

1. Names

Miku Hatsune was a very kind girl.

Every Christmas, she set up the decorations by herself while Rin and Len pigged out and slept. While Kaito spilled packaging popcorn across the floor as if to spite her. Braved the cold in a miniskirt to buy her beloved family presents while they huddled in heated blankets and sipped mugs of sweet hot cocoa.

This, Miku reminded herself with a sigh, was exactly what she had just finished doing. Sapporo was rather cold, to be certain. December seldom found temperatures above zero, and certainly never during the night. She struggled to open the door with her frozen fingers (breathing on them hardly helped), and at last stumbled in.

The inside of the house was warm and quiet—she supposed they had all gone to bed, it was so late. Miku carefully set her goods on the ground and counted them for the third time that day. Seven. Just right.

Last year she had made the disastrous mistake of combining Rin and Len's birthday presents with their Christmas ones. It really wasn't her fault—the two days were so close, and Christmas really wasn't that big of a deal, right? It wasn't long before they would be receiving otoshidama anyway. At least that's what she told herself.

But she could still clearly remember two identical blonde heads shaking, two identical voices raised in unison—"No! That's not fair! Kaito and Meiko and Luka get—"

Fine, fine. This year she had bought their birthday gifts in advance—she probably wouldn't have time in between Christmas festivities and Kagamine birthday preparation.

Busy. Always so busy. As she took off her boots, she sighed. She went out of her way to make sure the other VOCALOID would have something to celebrate on Christmas day. But none of them ever seemed to do anything for her.

Every Christmas, she put the star on the tree even though she was short and had to use a stepladder (unlike Kaito or Meiko). While Rin sprayed whipped cream on the walls as if to torture her. Stayed up late to put the presents by the pillows while they slept in heated blankets and had dreams of strawberry cake. Yes, Miku Hatsune was certainly a very kind girl.

Then why was it that somehow she couldn't make anyone care about her?

Miku didn't know why she was so intent on delivering the gifts in secrecy. It wasn't as though her identity was unknown—after all, she was the only one who remained without a present each year, and it didn't take a terrible amount of intelligence to deduce who the mysterious benefactor was from that. But. . .she supposed it just wasn't the same to have your gift be handed to you, as opposed to waking up in the morning and finding it lying by your head. And Miku really would do anything to make the holiday as happy for them as possible.

Meiko, Kaito, and Luka were never a problem. Kaito made a few strange noises in his sleep sometimes, but all three were rather deep sleepers, and Miku could always sneak in and out of their rooms unnoticed.

The problem lay with them. Rin and Len. Len had the habit of silently staying up late reading occasionally, and it was always a dreadful shock for her. Those nights, she would have to wait—sometimes for hours on end—until he went to sleep, and pray that he hadn't noticed her opening the door a crack.

And Rin was the type to open her eyes at the slightest of noises. She usually wasn't fully conscious, but it was terrifying all the same. The two shared a room, which Miku was inwardly grateful for. Only one chance to be caught each year, and she hadn't been yet. At least to her knowledge. (Miku was fairly certain Len had seen her some years, but just wasn't telling.)

She opened the door a crack, and peered in. No lights were on, so she presumed Len wasn't awake. The creaking of the door and the ticking of the clock seemed thunderous in the silence, and Miku paused for a moment to collect herself before entering.

The shuffling of her slippers was like screaming to her ears. She gingerly placed Len's present by his head before heading to Rin's side of the room.

Rin was facing her, which made her irrationally nervous. The younger girl's breathing was loud and weird, which made her even more nervous. Did all people breathe like that? Miku's hands shook as she lowered the little gift box. Just by her pillow. That was all she needed to do. Then she could make a run for it—

"Hi."

A gunshot could not have frightened the sixteen-year-old more.

Miku froze instantly, her hands hovering mid-air. To her credit, she didn't scream. She was too scared to.

"Whatcha doing up so late?" In the darkness, Miku could see the blonde propping her head up on her elbows.

She couldn't speak. Just held the present stupidly, hands frozen, tongue frozen.

"Sorry if I scared you." Rin was sitting up now, swinging her legs carelessly over the side of the bed. "Len said you had weird night voyeurism habits. I was just curious."

"I. . ." Miku said intelligently.

"So whatcha doing?"

Still trembling, Miku dropped the box. It made a dull thud. Rin's attention was diverted instantly, and Miku could almost see the dawn of realization coming over her features.

"Ohhhh."

Miku nodded dumbly as the other girl picked up the box. So much for surprise. So much for secrecy. Her heart was finally beginning to slow down a little bit within her chest. Just a little though.

"How fitting."

What was fitting? Surely Rin couldn't be opening it already? "What is?" Her voice, not very powerful to begin with, sounded so pitiful. One would think she was being threatened with her life.

"Your name." The blonde sounded smug, but Miku was just really confused. She was fairly certain she had been named after a mispronunciation of the word for future, or maybe even "beautiful sky." But, to be honest, she couldn't see how that had anything to do with anything.

Upon hearing nothing but silence, Rin continued. "I mean. . .Mi-ku. 3-9. San-kyuu. Thank you."

Miku felt warm arms around her waist and the pressure of the other girl's head on her stomach.

"Thank you, Miku. Thank you for being so nice to us every year."

Why were the tears rolling down her cheeks? Miku chastised herself for being so sentimental. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Rin's arms were so warm on her still cold body.

". . .You're welcome."