I'M ALIVE I SWEAR! I am sincerely sorry for taking so long. I know it's short _ Thank you for staying on board. I appreciate the feedback. Any suggestions are welcome! Please feel free to message me should you find errors as well! I don't want to keep you guys waiting, so let's get on with the show shall we?

Disclaimer: Don't own vocaloid, never did, never will.

I didn't get the chance to put too much into this, so again, I'm sorry. But despite the lack of references, I hope you can enjoy the story itself C:

Departures

Chapter 2:

Rin's P.O.V.

Len held his hand out for me. "The Hatsune's probably won't leave until Miku's interrogated you. 'Sides, we ordered pizza and you kind of look like you could use something to eat."

"Thanks for letting me know I look like crap, Len." I pouted towards him.

He instantly began to blush. "That's not what I meant." I found his defensive behaviour funny, but I couldn't too well laugh. I was pretty exhausted.

I shook my head at his offer. "I'm not that hungry. I'd like to unpack my stuff as well." I didn't have a whole lot to unpack. I just wouldn't be able to eat right now.

I smiled as Len left the room, somewhat reluctantly.

Once he left, I felt the smile leave my face instantly. I now had time to think to myself. I wrapped my arms around my knees in and began to think.

What was I going to tell them? I didn't want to think about what happened in America.

How my brother wouldn't admit the stress was getting to him. He slowly began to grow distant from me.

I much less wanted to tell them about my life there. I just wanted to forget it all. That's why I came here. It's not like my brother will miss me anyways...

I felt my silent tears fall as I rested my head on my knees. This wasn't really the time to do this and I've shed enough tears over this... I'm not sure how long I was like this, but I snapped myself out of it.

I got up and began to unpack my few items. If I didn't, Len would question what I was doing. It was a good thing I did, within the next 20 minutes, Len came back to retrieve me. It was time for some explanations.

Len's P.O.V.

Rin and I sat next to each other on one couch, the Hatsune's parallel to us in the living room. For some reason, I felt Rin keep a distance between us...

"So Rin~" Miku began. I noticed Rin's expression go blank as Miku continued. "Where were you?"

"America." Rin's tone was innocent. She still had it in her, although this wasn't really the time for it.

Miku glared at her a bit but softened her look. "I know that, I just mean... Why wouldn't you talk to us?" Rin looked down to her clenched fists on her lap.

"Things..." She paused. "Things got really chaotic... With the company falling on Rinto and all." Rin's gaze didn't leave her lap.

"But, don't ponytail's parent's help you guys out? I mean, they're over there and you guys do co-own majority of the businesses."

I shot a glare at Miku, but this was no time to argue with her about that. I nodded, wondering about what Miku said. My parents did co-own majority of the businesses they had with Rin's parent's. Our parents were the closest people to each other, so weren't they helping Rinto with taking over their half of everything?

"It's a two person job." Rin simply responded, she looked up at Miku, staring her straight in the eyes.

"I know Rin-chan's pretty smart for her age but... How'd you even help him... I mean, we just entered high school this year..." Miku trailed off.

"Tutoring, home schooling." Rin spoke quickly.

"Boy that must have been a lot." Miku looked up, in thought. She began to process the idea.

"So what brought you to Japan?" Mikuo finally had some input. He was right though, if it was ever so time consuming and a two person job, why was she here? In the middle of the night?

"I think Rinto's finally able to take care of it on his own, with the help of Len's parents..." She hesitated again. "I figured, I should come back to Japan. America's really no home for me." She looked down again. Why was she so sad? The reason didn't seem like something depressing. Sure, it was a bit strange that she'd leave her only family there. Then again, Rin and I were like family. Maybe she missed me just as much as I missed her... Bit too much to ask huh? I'll ask her later, when those two are gone.

Miku snapped out of her thoughts. Probably not much anyways. "Still. That's no reason to shut us out. We were all worried. All we got is the occasional 'she's doing fine' from Len's parents. Really, Rin. Leaving us then not talking to us. A bit harsh." Miku frowned at Rin.

"I'm really sorry guys. I swear, I really did miss talking to all of you... I'm here in Japan to stay." I could tell Rin was holding back tears, as well as something else. Was there really no time in her schedule to stay in touch with us? Did she really miss us?

Miku gave Rin a puppy dog face. "You promise~?" Miku had made her way over to kneel down in front of Rin.

Rin gave her a gentle smile and a nod as Miku clasped Rin's hand in hers. "I promise."

Miku grinned and giggled. She proceeded to glomp Rin. I pried her off though, last time, Miku practically squished her to death.

"You're no fun." Miku pouted at me. I simply rolled my eyes at her.

Mikuo laughed at us from his seat, with his arms folded in front of him. "So Rin, will you be attending school with us?"

Rin seemed to think about it for a while before responding. "Right away I hope. I really want to get back into everything." She finally said.

Miku perked up. "I know the perfect thing to get you back into it!" Oh boy. I rolled my eyes. This can't be good. It's never good with Miku. Then again, back in the days, Rin was pretty mischievous, especially with Miku...

"What?" Rin was confused by Miku's excitement.

"Join the Drama Club!" Miku's high pitched voice, I swear... Meanwhile Rin's eyes widened.

Rin's P.O.V.

"You actually joined that?" Miku nodded in response, still grinning. "I can't believe it... Hm... Well, joining a club's not a bad idea... But, drama's the last thing I need right now..." Even thought that's not what that kind of drama is. It's still a demanding club. Although, it might be the only club I'd be good with, since that's natural to me. Performing arts were part of my family business anyways.

Miku insisted. "But, Rin-chan~ You're so good at singing~" I knew it was going down this road.

"Besides, everyone else joined it~ It'd give us more time together, and you can meet all of our new friends as well!"

She was right, it would be a good way to spend time with everyone. And meet new people. Wait, something just occurred to me. Who exactly did she mean by 'everyone'? I turned to Len who began blushing furiously. He looked away avoiding eye contact while he mumbled, although I heard him.

"She threatened me." I laughed a bit. she probably threatened to take away all his banana's or something. She could be quite the little devil. Her and I were quite the pair of trouble makers when we were younger...

I looked over at Mikuo. "I can't let my little sister down, now could I?" He gave a faint smile. She probably threatened him too. Ah shit. She was probably going to threaten me too. I frowned. Much to Miku's enjoyment. Her eyes twinkled. I didn't like it one bit.

"You do remember, that pool party I had for my 8'th birthday party~ Don'tcha~?" She smirked. I tensed as I thought about it.

Blackmail was usually my forte when we were younger. Damn it Miku.

"Fine." I muttered, causing Miku to squeal. Much to my ears dismay. I held them in hopes of blocking out her high voice.

"Yay~! Can't wait see what part you get in the play~" Play? Well, I should have guessed, since it's a 'drama' club. "Of course you'll have to audition... Oh, we'll have to find a song for you to audition with." She trailed off. I turned to Len to see what he thought about this. "It's not as bad as it sounds..." He mumbled that a bit.

I was about to sigh when a yawn escaped my mouth. Len used it as a way to change subjects.

"Rinny's tired, huh?" He smirked at me, waiting for me to respond to the old nickname, which I hated ever so much. I hated it even more now. Ever since that bastard in America called me that. But I couldn't give hints to Len, he was a pretty smart guy. I'd have to watch my trail.

"Lenny, should be tired too." I pinched his cheek. I probably shouldn't take my anger out on Len.

"Oi." He rubbed his cheek. "That hurts you know." He frowned at me. I merely gave him an innocent smile.

Mikuo caught my yawn and Miku took notice of it. "I guess it's time we get going." She spoke as she stood up. Len nodded to her in agreement.

All four of us walked to the front foyer where their bags were. They grabbed their stuff and headed out the door. Len and I waved them off from the doorway.

"Bye ponytail, Bye Rin-chan~!" Miku chirped. Mikuo simply gave a raised hand to me Len and I. We both smiled until Len processed the comment.

"Hey!" He frowned. Miku and Mikuo ignored him and hopped into their car parked at the corner of the driveway, Mikuo taking the drivers seat. Funny, I didn't notice it when I arrived. Oh well. I wasn't in a very good state. As they drove off, I stepped back into the house and watched as Len shut the door. I just remembered something. Where's Tobimaru? But before I could ask Len turned around and spoke.

"Rin, why are you lying?" He looked me straight in the eye.

"What?" He knew?

"That." he pointed to the living room. I, being the idiot I am, tested my luck.

"I don't know what your talking about." I knew what he meant. He meant the conversation with Miku.

He stepped forward rubbing his forehead, but dropped his hand to face me.

"Cut the crap, Rin. I'm not that dumb. Your clearly lying. Those two are just too stupid to realise it." He raised his voice.

It scared me a bit. This was a bit out of character for him. Especially towards me. I rarely saw this side of him. In fact, I can't remember the last time I did.

I prepared myself for this earlier, but he seemed so calm, so I let my guard down. Smart move, Rin.

I hadn't noticed, but I was looking away. He seemed to realize my fear. He stepped forward again, but by reflex, I stepped away from him.

"Rin, you don't have to be afraid of me." He sounded somewhat hurt. I can't blame him.

He sighed before speaking again. His voice became soft. "Rin, I'm not going to do anything to you." He took one last step towards me, this time I stayed. He reached out and pulled me into a hug. "I don't know, what's making you act like this... But, please don't lie, at least not to me?" He rested one hand on my head. My arms stayed pressed against his chest as I gripped his shirt.

I didn't mean to lie. I just, couldn't tell him. Not yet. I needed more time. It was all still too fresh in my head.

All I got out was a mutter. "Sorry." I heard him chuckle softly.

"Stop apologizing." He pulled away to look at me.

"Len..." I looked away to think for a second before looking back at him. "I didn't mean to lie to you... Just give me some time?"

He nodded in response. "Come on, you're probably exhausted at this point." He let go, but not entirely as he began up the stairs.

"Len?"

"Hm?" We kept walking.

"Can I have my hand back?" I mumbled.

"What?" He turned around. "Oh..." he looked forward again, dropping my hand. He spoke once more, but It was barely audible. "Sorry."

"It's fine." I muttered back. It fell silent for a minute. I stood outside my door, as did Len. Our rooms were across from each others. The silence was broken by a loud bark.

"Len... Don't tell me you left-" He cut me off.

"Well, he doesn't exactly tackle every girl who comes over!..." he mutter something under his breath. I couldn't make it out though. Something about 'growls.'

Tobi came trotting out as soon as Len cracked the door open wide enough. He circled around my feet and looked up at me with his puppy dog eyes before barking happily. I crouched down and began to pet him, much to his liking.

"Sorry I left you with this idiot." I scratched his ears before picking him up and snuggled him. He seemed to like it, as I received a lick.

"Hey, I'm not an idiot." Len frowned at Tobi and I. Tobi appeared to give him a grin. I smiled at the thought.

I walked into my room and plopped Tobi down onto my bed. I should shower before I go to bed. It might help me relax. Even though I was pretty tired already, I was still tense from today's events. Come to think of it, what time was it? I looked over at the clock and wished I hadn't read it correctly. 4:00am.

Damn it. I didn't realise it was this late. Why were the Hatsune's here this late? Didn't their parents mind?

...Oh yeah, their parents were rarely home... They were probably here to keep Len company.

Sorry, Len.

I didn't need to think about bad thoughts anymore though. I walked over to my drawers and took out some clothes to change into after I'm done showering. I didn't notice but Len had entered my room.

"You gonna be okay?" He sat next to Tobi, who was curled up into a ball, on my bed. I nodded in response and walked out of the room.

"I'm just gonna shower before going to bed... I hate the smell of rain in my hair." I muttered the last bit.

I left Len in my room as I walked to the bathroom. He'd probably just go to bed. But knowing Len he wouldn't sleep though. I remember as kids, I used to beg him to let me sleep with him. I was afraid of the dark, something I had grown out of since moving to America.

I locked the door, stripped and entered the shower. I always enjoyed taking extremely hot showers, although I've heard it's bad for your skin. I've never had skin problems though. As I showered, I noticed the difference in my body since I was last here.

I just needed to move on. Forget about it.

I took no longer than 15 minutes. I stepped out and applied lotion to my skin. People always wondered why it was so soft. It wasn't rocket science, that's for sure. I put on my orange tank top and a black sweater over it, to cover my arms. I pulled on some black shorts and proceeded to dry my hair off with a towel.

It didn't quite dry enough so I decided to use the hairdryer. I only took a few more minutes before brushing my teeth. I left the bathroom to see the back half of Tobi laying in the hall, the other half was through my doorway. What was he doing?

I walked over to my room to see Len sitting at the foot of my bed with an angry glare aimed at the dog. It seemed to just be grinning, with its tongue hanging out of course.

"What did I miss?" I questioned as I stepped over Tobi, and into my room.

Len and Tobi didn't stop their staring contest while he spoke. "Damn mutt won't let me out." I chuckled. Tobi seemed to understand Len's words and barked at him. I spoke on his behalf.

"Tobi's a purebred, thank you very much." I brushed my hair a bit, before putting the hairbrush away. I walked over to my bed and crawled under the covers, making myself comfortable.

Meanwhile, Len and Tobi still didn't budge. I patted my lap and whistled.

Tobi instantly ran forward and jumped up onto my bed. Len had a bit of a surprised look on his face as his eyes followed the dog. I made pulled the covers down a bit on my right, making a space for Tobi, who gladly crawled in and awaited a cuddle. "Time for bed okay?" He whimpered, understanding. Boy, I love this dog.

Len sighed. He got up and stepped into the doorway of my room.

"Um..." He paused as he leaned on door.

"You can turn off the lights." I smiled at him. It's kind of funny that he remembered that. He laughed a bit.

"You sure?" He grinned at me.

"I'll be fine." I patted Tobi. "I've got Tobi."

"Alright. Night, Rin."

"Night." He shut the lights off and pulled in the door.

I curled up in bed with Tobi. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep, strangely enough. I hadn't been getting much sleep lately, but I was pretty tired.

Len's P.O.V

I leaned against Rin's door. If I remember, she's afraid of the dark. I know she's older now but... If I'm lucky, she still is and I'd get to stay with her for the night. I kind of really missed sleeping with her.

"Um..." I started. But I couldn't think of what to say. Damn it Len, why not just ask her if she'll be okay? She noticed my lack of words.

"You can turn off the lights." She smiled faintly at me. She knew what I was thinking about? Well, I guess she's grown out of it.

"You sure?" Maybe she's just saying it.

"I'll be fine." I guess not. She began to pet the dog. "I've got Tobi."

I guess I don't deserve it, especially considering the way I shouted at her earlier. She seemed pretty scared of me... I brushed the thought off.

"Alright. Night, Rin.

She simply replied "Night." I shut the lights off and pulled in the door.

I walked across the hall into my room. I changed quickly and flopped down onto my bed. I thought for a moment.

Rin's back. But she's acting pretty different. She's much more... Fragile. I wonder why? Could it have something to do with her time in America? Or maybe it was because of her parents? It had only been 5 years...

Well, whatever it was, there was time to ask her about it. She promised she was here to stay.

Rin is back, and she's staying. I'd have more than enough time to tell her.

-Next Day-

I awoke to the smell of pancakes... not just any pancakes, banana pancakes. And bacon. I could smell bacon.

I hopped out of bed and quickly went downstairs. My eyes widened at the scene.

I saw a small stack of pancakes next to a place with bacon and sausages. Next to that were eggs and toast.

Rin was wearing an apron over her pyjamas. Her hair was tied up in a bun with her signature clips still in place. She was flipping more pancakes. I took the sight in for a moment. I really missed seeing this.

She noticed me and turned around. She grinned at me. It was a real grin. That was good to know. But why the sudden personality flip?

"Morning~" She turned back to the pancake and flipped it onto the pile in a plate next to the stove.

"What's all this?" I questioned as I sat down on a chair.

"Well, I felt bad for showing up unannounced. Plus Miku's coming over. 'sides. I know you like my cooking..." She smirked. "Considering you can't." She placed the plate down on the island table.

I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn't think of anything. It's true, I'm not the best cook in the world. Rin probably is. Well she is to me anyways...

"Hey... Are you okay?" She reached across the table and placed a hand on my forehead. "You look kind of-" I quickly pulled her hand off of my head.

"I'm fine!" I shook my head. I tried to change the subject. "Why's Miku coming over?"

"She insisted on taking me shopping." She began undoing her hair and taking off her apron.

"Shouldn't you be getting prepared for school though...?" I grabbed a plate and began to take food out for myself.

"I already called them. They told me to go early on Monday, to pick up my uniform and schedule and all that." Rin sat down and began to do the same for herself.

"Oh..." Rin would be attending school with me again. We'd probably be in the same class, considering our grades. We always ended up in the same class, along with Miku. Then it occurred to me...

She'd hear about my behaviour.

Ever since Rin had left, I kind of got... Somewhat depressed. Especially after she stopped talking. I got frustrated.

And I began to look for ways to forget her. I began to date. Multiple girls at once. I've calmed down a bit, since Miku got on my case about it. I'm only dating one girl right now... Miki. Miki Furukawa.

My thoughts were cut short by Rin poking a fork into my mouth. "Eat before it gets cold." I chewed and swallowed the piece of pancake quickly.

I needed to figure out a plan. And fast. Luckily I know just who to call.