AruuYuda-ShoriKyuyu: Another plot-bunny! They really hurt my head... TuT" This is just a one-shot, with a simple plot. The "camera views" and the time-setting are changing. That's all. Baiii...
And, oh. This fanfic is Len x Miku x Kaito (but Kaito doesn't make an actual appearance here).
*flooded by OTP feels*
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A boy was reading a book inside a large bookstore. The book he was reading was romance in genre, with a happily-ever-after in ending.
He was scanning a lot of romance books to choose which one to give to someone he liked. And it was taking a long time. He hoped that she would patiently wait for him.
He planned to buy one and slip a pretty letter between two pages. That letter would be one written out of love, but also it was really childish if one would look at it.
'I really like you. Let's be together forever!'
His search took an hour or more. He got the best book he found and bought it. He also had it wrapped in a neat, simple gift wrapper.
He returned to where he left the girl he liked, but she wasn't there anymore.
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A sigh escaped from the girl's lips. She slightly bowed down her head, a little in despair.
He was a really close friend – her best friend – whom she secretly liked. Too bad, there was a misunderstanding, which caused them to not talk to each other or interact with each other. Every time he saw her, he would turn away. And she would be left behind sighing in despair.
Her close friend thought that she threw out their friendship by being all too friendly with other people. He felt really, really bad that she "denied" her best-friend-since-middle-school. Which wasn't true. He just saw her giving a pretty key-chain to a (rather handsome) guy coworker, treating her girl coworker to an ice-cream parlor and many more. Being too friendly wasn't a bad thing, right? He was just possessive of his best friend, wasn't he? But not that he liked her, anyways, that's why there was a part of her that didn't care.
But a majority of her feelings wanted to make her cry because the boy she liked was now avoiding her.
She straightened up and continued to walk through the hallways of the school, carrying loads of things too heavy for her lithe arms – cans of spray paint, slabs of styrofoam, and Japanese papers.
She was a pretty young teacher of middle-school children, and as one, she had to work for an upcoming event, which explained the items in her arms.
As she reached the end of the hallway, she opened the door to the faculty room and entered it. A bulletin board was mounted on one of the room's walls, and she walked towards it, reading a post regarding what the teachers should do for the school event.
She was assigned to buy all the materials for it, the money coming from all of the teachers' contributions. She mentally checked the list as she read them and made sure that she had them.
Going after four items on the list, she nodded slightly. She read the remaining items.
She needed packets of glitter, rolls of ribbons, meters of cloth for the stage, pins and fake decorative flowers to complete the job.
She walked towards her own work desk and put down her burden. As she did so, she inhaled in relief and gave out a loud exhale. Fuu! They were quite tiring to carry!
She turned around and exited the room, going straight to the center's exit. On the way, she pulled out her phone and listed the things she still had to buy before she forgot them.
Just halfway before she reached the exit, she noticed that there were cops awaiting, their cars parked inside the premises, at the parking lots. She didn't mind them – she didn't have any business with them, anyways.
However, what they did contradicted her thoughts.
They yelled a "Hey!", pointed and ran towards her. The girl, not having any ideas, was frightened. Her eyes widened and droplets of sweat trickled down her forehead as she ran away, successfully going past the exit. The police were slow runners – powered by nothing but greasy pizza and sugary doughnuts which made them real weighing down – and she escaped them, going around a corner of the street, but it wasn't safe to say that she really did.
What was that about?! She didn't do anything wrong!
Perhaps they mistook her for somebody else? Maybe some criminal framed her for his or her crime? Those were the only possible reasons. She knew she didn't do anything wrong.
Past five buildings, there was a narrow street. She ran past it, going past seven more establishments. Then there was a dark alley. She turned left to finally stand there, waiting for the cops to pass by.
Her breathing was uneven. She didn't have lots of stamina. But then, she tried suppressing her heavy breathing so that when the policemen pass by, they wouldn't hear any sound. She leaned against the brick wall and gave out a sigh as her heart-rate finally relaxed.
There was a fairly foul smell invading her sensitive nose. She turned around, away from the open end of the dark alley where the smell came from. Well, there was a heap of garbage – three large black bags which had some rips at some areas, and scattered trash around consisting of paper cups, left-over food and scraps of paper. There were also little puddles of vomit. Then, the walls farther smelled of urine. There were a couple or more rats scurrying around, looking for food. The girl puffed her cheeks, a little disgusted at the sight.
Her heart-rate came back up as she felt a hand tap her shoulder, and it rested there as it gripped her. She tensed up. Cold sweat trickled down her neck and forehead as she tried not to move for a few seconds.
Was it one of the police...? She gulped at that thought.
"Hey, Miku..."
That voice...it was very familiar. It was her best friend's.
"Len?" her voice came out, tiny and nervous. Heart-beat irregular once again, she turned around to see the person. Len Kagamine, her best friend, was there. His sapphire blue eyes were bright, and his lips were pursed. His cheeks were puffed out. She knew that expression – he was eager to do something. But what? "W-what are you doing here?"
"I just saw you running away from the cops."
"A-and...?"
She couldn't speak much. He didn't answer her question straight. Weren't they in, say, bad terms? They were in a misunderstanding, right? So why was he talking to her? He didn't even look like he was just going to leave her behind. A haze of confusion and a lot of questions were making her head hurt.
"Come on."
He suddenly took her hand and he led her someplace, running. Miku bit her lip as she followed, letting him pull her hand. His hand was warm. There was a part of her that was a little scared. He didn't say anything but that she was being hunted down. Maybe he would hand her down to the cops? But that would be betrayal. Len wouldn't do that. Or maybe...
Reaching a cafe's parking lot three lots away, he mounted his jet-black motorcycle. Miku was frozen there as she stood. He inserted a key in the keyhole, and the vehicle started up. He zipped up his navy blue jacket completely.
Noticing that Miku wasn't moving, he looked up and flapped a hand at her, making her snap out of her thoughts. "Hurry! Come on!"
Miku couldn't do anything. She just quickly mounted the vehicle, sitting behind Len. She didn't have her arms around the boy because it felt awkward – she just had her fingers gripping the cloth of his jacket. Yes, they were best-friends, but Len was a boy, and she was a girl. Riding on a motorcycle. Of course it was awkward.
She felt the vehicle move. It set on the streets, which didn't have much vehicles. It wasn't rush hour, but it was surprising. It was afternoon, and many people usually were around. Perhaps they were still busy at work, still inside the establishments?
She squinted as the wind brushed against her skin harshly. Well, that was Len. He didn't bring helmets around when he was just riding to a nearby place, or when he went to the cafe where he worked.
Len was driving rather quickly, and it made her cower a little. It was the first time she rode on a motorcycle together with Len. They usually walked together, or rode their bikes like schoolchildren.
But then, after running so quickly like it seemed that the speed reached over the limit, Len made the vehicle slow down, making the cowering girl look up with a questioning look in her eyes.
Len had his right hand gripping the handlebar while he extended his left arm behind, reaching for Miku's hand. He pulled it towards him, his hand warm against hers, and made her wrap her left arm around his torso, sending the message that it was all right to do so to keep her safe while traveling.
Miku didn't wait for him to pull her right hand. She, on her own, wrapped her right arm around his torso a little hesitantly. Then the motorcycle drove faster again, the wind hitting against the bare skin.
'His body so warm...' the girl thought. Since their misunderstanding, they didn't share hugs anymore – no, not romantic ones. They were casual ones. No message was being sent through touch, but then she missed hugging him.
Maybe this wasn't a hug, but she considered it to be, anyways. It counted to be – hugs are the act of having your arms around a person's body and squeezing them. She missed how they were all laughing and giggling as they shared stories and jokes...
She felt her heart beat faster, making her feel conscious. She felt her cheeks get warmer. She prayed hard that Len wouldn't feel it against his jacket.
It felt like hours of traveling around the city until they reached a large parking grounds surrounded by a lot of buildings – mostly one to two-story ones. There were three five-story buildings at sight.
Seeing a suitable spot, Len parked his motorcycle and turned off the motor, making Miku finally ease up. But then, she didn't know the place – it was a part of the city she didn't get to explore yet.
They were parked near the corner of the grounds, near the one-story buildings that were mostly small restaurants.
"Where are we?"
"Shops and eateries near the city's boundary," Len answered. "I haven't brought you here yet, huh...It's too far away from our homes... Heh, well, there aren't anything much interesting here. Most of the shops here sell cheap things." He grinned, though a little bit weakly, at her, running his right hand's fingers through his shaggy blonde hair.
"Oh," she mouthed, looking around. She then turned back to Len. "So, why did you bring me here?" she asked, tilting her head sideways.
"I just have to do something. Wait for me here. I'll come back for you...maybe after a few minutes, okay? When I come back, I'll go with you back to your house."
Miku nodded. With that, Len gave a smile and ran off, waving, leaving the tealette behind. His figure got smaller and smaller as he got away, until he became a mere silhouette. Her eyesight wasn't that good anymore because of how she frequently read books and used her computer for her work as a teacher – she didn't see where he went or where he turned to.
She waited for ten minutes, obediently sitting on the motorcycle's seat, swinging her legs back and forth like a child playing with the river-water. Len wasn't back yet. She waited for a few more minutes. Len wasn't back, still. She was beginning to get curious, a little impatient, and worried, as well. She pushed herself off the seat and began wandering around the area, trying to look for him.
She set foot on the sidewalk, walking and secretly peeking through some establishments' glass windows, searching for her best friend. But he wasn't in any of them.
There were vending machines past three restaurants, and there was a dark alley after it, separating the building which seemed to be a watch repair shop.
She didn't look through the doors of the shop at first. What would Len do there? But she thought how long it was since he left. She considered checking the place, and she did.
He wasn't there.
She was beginning to get worried. And she thought that she mustn't go farther. What if Len returned, only to find her gone? She returned to where she was, a face of worry plastered on her face.
Where did he go?
She thought of contacting his phone, but then she remembered that before they had their misunderstanding, some person snatched his phone, and she didn't know whether he had a new number or not. As for thinking of going to his apartment, she set that aside, because they weren't still in good terms.
He didn't come back. She just returned back to her own home, carefully, so that no policeman would catch her even though she did nothing.
She did come home safely without any police tailing her, or any police cars ringing out their sirens. Perhaps the warrant of arrest was retracted? She was finally free?
Len didn't even try to contact her that night. Right there, she finally thought that their friendship was already done.
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It had been a year, and they haven't communicated with each other yet. But then, she didn't mind anymore – she got someone beside her that she now really loved. He was really handsome with his silky navy-blue hair and fair skin, and he was also fun to be with, even though he was somewhat over-protective. Although a little annoying, she didn't mind. He was just making sure that she wasn't cheating on him.
One day, Miku received a text message from an anonymous person who introduced himself to be a school staff, inviting her over for a job interview at a fine-dining restaurant downtown. At first, the girl thought it was a scam, but then she had this strong gut feeling that it was a new opportunity to work at a better place.
Usually, her guts were to be trusted, and were right.
She went to prepare for the meeting. She dressed up in a simple black-hemmed powder blue dress, black doll shoes, and a silver lightweight bracelet and necklace. She had her hair in a high ponytail held up with a black ribbon. She put on a bit of make-up to make her not look like she just gone from a three-whole-day slumber.
Seeing herself at the mirror, she decided that it was fine, and she was confident with her look. She then got out of her apartment.
She proceeded to go to the fancy restaurant downtown the anonymous person told her to go to. She wondered the purpose of the meeting. While it seemed exciting, it seemed a little scary and suspicious, too.
She took out her cellphone from her handbag and reread the message from the unknown number.
"Good morning, Miss Hatsune! I am one of the staff of one school, and I would like to hold a job interview this afternoon at five o'clock at a fine-dining restaurant downtown. It is the only one there, so it's easy to find. We were able to contact you thanks to the people who recommended you to us. Please reply to let us know you're going."
She haven't replied yet. She tapped the "reply" button and typed a short reply.
"I'm coming. Thank you very much."
Her message lacked...say..."gratefulness at the offer". She was a little hesitant to tap the "send" button, but she did, anyways.
Fifteen minutes later, she reached the restaurant. A personnel opened the door for her with a respectful bow and a smile, and he directed her to a reserved seat. The person who contacted her must be very fast, huh?
It was a two-person table, and there were two sets of dining wares already set down for her and the interviewer. Two menu books were propped up. Miku sat down and made herself comfortable.
The waiter who directed her to her seat gave a final bow and left.
The person who wanted to interview her wasn't still in the restaurant. Was he, or she, late? That would be kind of improper...and rude. She had her fist under her chin as she waited.
It had been a few minutes, and she was already drumming her fingers on the tabletop. She sighed and had her head lowered. She clutched her handbag – it was her habit that whenever she felt impatient, she would grab her bag, its strap, or cellphone.
Then there, she noticed a tiny white box resting next to the silverware on the table. It was open, revealing a red velvet inside, and two silver rings with some...scratches, maybe? They were small.
Her impulse of picking up things out of curiosity kicked in. She picked up one of the rings and brought it closer to be examined. She noticed that the "scratches" were voice waves – just like the rings she saw back then while she browsed the Internet. The voice waves of couples saying "I do" at their wedding day, which were recorded, were engraved on the rings. It was pretty romantic.
The voice waves were reminders that they both pronounced "I do" on their happiest day of their lives, and the vow exchanged shouldn't be broken.
Those rings weren't hers. Maybe the people who sat on the seat before her left these behind?
"Waiter!" Miku called out. The waiter whom she called quickly walked towards her and gave a brief, but polite, nod. "Did a couple who sat here before me left these?" She pointed at the box of rings.
"No, madam," he said, shaking his head. "The person who reserved this seat for you left this behind before he left."
The girl nodded, but then it took a her a little while to sink in to her head that a boy left the rings to her. As it sank in...
"A...boy?"
"Yes, madam."
Miku's eyebrow raised, but she dismissed the waiter, and he gave a bow before he left. She gazed at the rings a little longer.
That anonymous person turned out to be a boy, and he left two rings for her. He didn't show up in their arranged meeting...
She knew it wasn't her boyfriend. If he was, he should have shown up sooner. And he wasn't the type to give these types of rings. When he gave her jewelry, it usually had some musical notes. Because they both loved music.
Maybe he just liked this one? But when one proposes, they only give one ring. Not two. She considered calling him, but then he was really busy at work. He shouldn't be bothered in any way. A busy person wouldn't plan to set up something like this when he himself couldn't attend to it. At that, it was final that it wasn't him.
There, she realized, that there was someone else who set this up; somebody loved her secretly. And the hidden message seemed to reveal itself as she realized it. That message was that the boy who loved her secretly was letting her go. He was now happy that she found someone else she really, dearly, loved.
She didn't know why she thought of it, but that was the hidden message she could see. It was strongly-implied. And the romantic books she read before helped with her realization. Some stories could be real, too – not just simple stories conjured by the imaginative mind.
That boy was giving these specially-made silver rings to her and the boy she now loved. Tears streamed down from her eyes, trickling down her warm cheeks. The tear-tracks seemed to warm up against her skin. She cried quietly as she clutched on the ring, warm metal against her skin.
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"Just tell her that the person who reserved that table for her left it for her. Don't let her know my name. Not even my appearance."
"Yes, sir."
He nodded at a suit-clad restaurant waiter as a "thank you" and hid at an alleyway which was near the restaurant and waited quietly for a few minutes. And then finally, he saw her come inside the establishment, wearing a pretty, nice dress.
He bit his lower lip and he bowed down, sighing. He took his phone out of his faded jeans pocket and swiped the screen to unlock it.
He tapped the "message" button, and he saw the most recent reply he got – from "Miku Hatsune".
He opened it and reread the message.
"I'm coming. Thank you very much."
He remembered the time he left her behind for what he thought was only a short time. He had been gone for an hour or more - he didn't know because he didn't keep track of time - in search for something he wanted to give her, but then when he returned, she wasn't there anymore. Only his vehicle was left.
He knew how her mind worked. She already thought that he left her behind for good, and he felt bad about it. He didn't try to visit her again, because he knew she already thought that their friendship was finally done.
He felt really bad.
He eased himself by breathing deeply. He turned off the phone and clutched on it longer. He felt his cheeks beginning to warm up. He stayed like that for a few more seconds. Then he slowly walked towards the restaurant, putting on the hood of his jacket over his head. But he didn't come inside the building. He already told the personnel inside not to open the door for him. He just took a peek through the glass window panes.
There, he saw her talking to a waiter. A few words exchanged, then he left. The pretty girl stared at the rings he left behind longer.
The boy looked up at the greying sky. He noted that the weather report was inaccurate. The whole day was to be clear, according to it. But no, it wasn't.
The faint afternoon sky finally disappeared from his view while the clouds gathered up. At that he knew that it would rain. As if on cue, the rain fell, slow at first. Then it strengthened a little, showering the city in coldness. The cold droplets of rain dripped on some of his exposed skin.
He turned back towards the girl. He saw tears flowing down her cheeks, still visible to him, even from the distance. He knew when the girl wept. He pursed his lips tightly, feeling them trembling.
"I'm l-letting you go, Miku... It's f-fine..." he muttered. His eyelids were heavy, slowly closing over his sullen sapphire eyes. He bowed down his head. He had his hands raking through his messy blond hair – an old habit of his. He then cried silently, the raindrops masking his grief from the girl he loved.
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AruuYuda-ShoriKyuyu: Haha. It's my first attempt to do "camera view" transitions and large time-skips. Are they horrible? Are there any mistakes or grammatical errors (because I wrote this while I was a little groggy)? Reviews, please! I would really appreciate (and freaking love) them!