A rush of excited voices clustered near the front of the Vocaloid store drew Kaito's curiousity.
"What's going on, Manager? Is the store having an unexpected sale this morning?" The bluenette asked, an edge of that excitement rubbing off on him. Maybe someone, a wonderful Master, would finally come today and buy him, if that were the case! Kaito turned hopeful, elated eyes to the Manager as he thought this.
"We just got a new body type in stock, that's why, Kaito! It's really, really cute. I think we'll sell a lot of units. We're calling it, 'Append' body type. That Miku up there in front has already had it installed; that's why the customers are all making a fuss over her," The Manager smiled back at Kaito. "Ah- it looks like one of them has already decided on her. With a cute body type like that, the sales people will have an easy day today in earning their commissions! One of the Luka units is already having this new body installed, too. Pretty smart, actually. Potential new Masters are always quickly drawn to lovely new model body types like this, after all!"
'A new body type?' Kaito thought in growing excitement. 'This is it. This could be my chance to impress my new Master!'
Kaito's blue eyes took in the movement as the sea of people parted, and a customer bowed to one of the sales people. The Miku at his side was wearing a beautiful body, indeed. The blue-haired Vocaloid took in the lingering murmurs of compliments towards the Miku as she giggled, grinned, and left with her new Master, practically skipping with joy at being purchased.
"Manager! Please, let me have that new body type, too! Please give me the Append body as well!" Kaito turned and begged with an earnest, shimmering face and a huge smile. "I want to be sold quickly to a loving Master also!"
"Ehh? Kaito? But... hmmm," The Manager looked the bluenette over. The Vocaloid's anxious tension and hopeful look and trembling smile of excitement weren't lost on the human. He scratched the back of his head, shrugged, and gave a small laugh. "Well, if anyone can pull it off, maybe it'd be you, Kaito. All right, come with me. I'll install your new body."
"Thank you, Manager!" Kaito's exuberance was contagious, and the Manager's smile softened and grew.
"Of course, Kaito. I hope you find your future Master who loves you, soon."
Kaito touched his new body with a great smile, almost as if in disbelief that this was now his. The outfit was cute, shining, and attractive. The curves on his new Append body were eye-catching, soft, beautiful. He stared at his reflection, and couldn't contain his joy. He looked beautiful. Surely, now, a Master would quickly come to buy him! He would be loved by that special human, and be allowed to sing their song, from today on! All he had to do was go back into the showroom and show his beautiful new body off to the customers there. Surely, surely; today would be the day.
"What do you think, Kaito? If you don't like it, I can reinstall you in your old model's body, you don't have to worry," The Manager's question drew the bluenette's attention, but Kaito was far too excited to even consider the possibility. He shook his head fervently and grinned widely at the human.
"No, please, I'd like to... I'd like to go back into the showroom now, Manager! ...If that's okay," He hastily tacked onto the end of his exclamation, suddenly feeling a little shy. What would he do if a lot of people clustered around him, like they'd clustered around the Miku Append? A blush suffused his face happily.
'And from that crowd my Master will appear,' Kaito thought to himself elatedly, and hid his adorably blushing face in his hands as he struggled to hold back a happy sound.
"Hahaha, you're easy to please, Kaito! Well, alright, go back out and mingle with the customers. You'll be a one of a kind Kaito Append today," The manager replied, glad that this Kaito unit seemed so happy. "I'm finished with the upgrade, so, you're free to go."
"Thank you, Manager!" Kaito barely managed to get out, so eager was he to get to the showroom again.
Kaito quickly nodded, bowed, and rushed from the back room, maintenance complete. That crowd of people was back in front again, and the voices were squealing. The Luka unit must be there! Kaito's steps slowed, suddenly feeling anxious, but still excited. He'd never been able to compete with a Luka before now. But in this new beautiful body, surely, the humans would pay attention to him as well.
"Oh my gosh! This Luka is SO beautiful! She's even cuter than that Miku Append from before!"
"I know, just look at her, she's absolutely lovely! I'm so jealous of those who can afford to purchase a Vocaloid like this one!"
"Thank you so much, everyone," Luka smiled serenely and tried not to preen at the admiring looks and enthusiastic voices of all the human customers surrounding her. She'd only been in the store for a day, but the timing couldn't have been better. New body types like this rarely came out, and she had snagged one for herself almost instantly. She'd surely be purchased without fail, and start a brand new life as a beloved Vocaloid with her new Master.
"Um," A slightly nervous, excited male voice spoke into the din of compliments and fussing, and briefly, the humans distractedly looked to where it was coming from, then fell silent one by one as Kaito, holding one arm shyly, smiled at the ground from a short distance off. His new Append body attracted everyone's eyes and in an instant, the clattering din stopped dead.
"Um, I..." Kaito's hopeful eyes turned to the sea of customers. He'd made an impression! Now it was time to impress them further by demonstrating what he could do and-
"How offensive!" One of the female customers spat out in his direction. The words felt like a physical blow and Kaito flinched from them, his eyes going suddenly wide from the force of them.
"Who would do this? That's disgusting, what a horrifying thing to see!" Another human whispered in absolute disgust and complete disapproval. "I can't believe this store allows such a nasty thing to exist."
Tears welled up in Kaito's eyes and he bowed his soft blue head slowly, his bangs covering his eyes in sudden, debilitating shame as further whispers were joined by louder voices, all full of disgust and disapproval. He stood rooted to the spot, shaking, unable to escape from the violent words of hate.
"Ex-excuse me!" A high pitched voice cut through the nasty din as a hand grabbed at Kaito's new body's soft, beautiful... ugly... UGLY... hand, and began to pull him away from the crowd of customers. Kaito couldn't stand it, and broke away from the Vocaloid at his side, running away from the humans with tears streaming down his face from the agony of his broken dream and the hurt of utter rejection. Making it to the nearest store room, he closed the door and sank down onto his knees, hugging them tightly to him as he cried painfully.
"Why? They loved Miku and Luka. It's the same body, the same!" Kaito's voice was thick as he sobbed, unable to help himself. "Why am only I no good?"
It hurt. It hurt. It really, really hurt.
"There must be something wrong with me. It must be me, that's disgusting. It's my fault. It's me," Kaito whispered to himself long after the tears had dried tightly and uncomfortably on his face. He stared at nothing, his head bowed. "I'm just no good, it seems."
A soft knock came on the storeroom door. Kaito didn't respond, but after another moment, the door opened slowly of its own accord, and the Manager stepped inside and lowered himself next to the bluenette.
"Kaito?" The human's voice was quiet. "Are you alright? One of the salespeople told me you'd run in here."
"Manager..." Kaito's soft voice cracked a little. He felt so deeply ashamed now to have anyone even look at him. He was offensive. He shouldn't even be allowed to exist, if he was like this. He wasn't going to be loved like the others. Despite this cute Append body... he was ugly. He was no good anymore. "Manager... please... give me my old body back. No one can love me... if I look like... this."
The human's troubled expression gained a sort of pain to it, and he rose slowly from his squatting position near the Vocaloid.
"Kaito... I'm sorry, Kaito. I didn't think it would go like that. People can be cruel sometimes. I'll put you back in your old body. Don't worry, it'll be okay. Come on, we'll go together, okay?"
Kaito's lowered head nodded once, but it took a long time for him to rise.
"Oh! Look, it's a Kaito unit!" A customer addressed him, and smiled brightly, pleased, at the male Vocaloid in his signature white coat and long boots. Kaito smiled back.
"Hello, I'm Kaito. Thank you for noticing me," The bluenette replied quietly in a friendly manner.
"My friends and I are always admiring you! You look so handsome! What a treat! I love your model's outfit," The customer enthused. Kaito kept the soft smile on his face. This customer was one of those who had been in the crowd, before. She didn't recognize him as the same unit, now that his old body had been re-installed, but he knew her face. "You wouldn't believe some of the horrible things I've seen people do to your model, though. Just the other day, some abomination of a Kaito model was shown in this very store. It was such an abuse of your beautiful character! I wanted to complain to someone about it."
Kaito's smile remained softly frozen on his face as he nodded quietly and listened to the chattering of the human until she decided to leave; once again, he was left unpurchased. But that didn't matter. As long as he did everything the humans told him, and never did anything, or looked like anything, outside of what they wanted, someday, someone would surely purchase him. As long as he did everything perfectly.
"You're beautiful, Kaito! I love everything about you!" The customer waved as she left, looking happy.
Kaito's smile remained on his face, until she disappeared from sight.
...It hurt.
Image for this story can be found at deviantart.