I'm almost done with the third chapter and I was wondering if there were any background pairings someone wants me to include. I'm okay with anything, as long as the two people involved aren't related.

/

Mikuo was more than surprised to arrive home and find a package placed on his front step, about two hours later. The same elegant handwriting that belonged to Mayu Yoshida could be seen, scrawled along the side darkly. The package was about the size of a typical book, wrapped neatly in smooth brown paper. Normally, Mikuo would be suspicious of a package without stamps or any sort of postage mark, but he doubted a teenaged girl like Mayu could build a bomb or something equally destructive. So instead of ignoring the package, he chose to scoop it up delicately, examining it as he entered his house. As soon as he had shut the door behind him, a certain short girl tackled him in a death-hug.

"Mikuo!" his sister exclaimed happily, "Hi! Where have you been?"

Mikuo smiled down at his sister. Despite being a year older than him, Hatsune Miku was small and delicate; far smaller than him. Reaching about 5 foot 2, his older sister was possibly the most beautiful girl he had ever known. They were very similar in looks, sometimes being mistaken for twins, something neither sibling minded much. Throughout Mikuo's sixteen years, no one had been a closer friend than his silly sister. And he liked it that way.

"Kaito's sister is sick again. So he sent me to get some stuff for her," Mikuo replied, "Now please get off me so I can take off my shoes, Nee-chan."

"Alright!" Miku agreed, releasing her death-grip on him and twirling to face the other way, "Mom made breakfast before she left for her meeting! She was feeling lazy, so we get smoothies!"

He watched as his sister skipped to the kitchen, humming a tune that had been frequenting many radio stations as of late. Shaking his head, he bent to remove his shoes, gently placing the package next to him on the floor. Quickly, Mikuo placed his shoes in the front hall closet, closing the door quietly behind him. Only then did he follow Miku to the kitchen, carrying his labeled gift with him.

"Luckily, Mom only made this a couple minutes ago. Don't you hate it when smoothies sit for too long and get all icky? It's so gross," Miku rambled as Mikuo sat himself at the table. She was busying herself with the task of pouring fruit smoothie from their blender and into the glass cups she had set out. She glanced to Mikuo as she placed his drink in front of him. "Eh? Mikuo, what's that?"

Miku was referring to the package he had set on the table, right next to his elbow.

"Oh, that. Someone left a gift for me outside. I don't know what it is," he admitted, gulping down some of his ice-cold strawberry-banana smoothie. Miku cocked her head curiously.

"Do you know who left it? Accepting gifts from strangers isn't a very good idea, 'Kuo," she told him thoughtfully, as if this had just occurred to her.

"Yeah. Well, no. Kind of," Mikuo replied unwillingly. He had gulped down entirely too much of the cold liquid and now his head felt like it was freezing over. "I mean, I do know her, but I've never met her."

To Mikuo's surprise, Miku clapped loudly and sang out her next sentence as if it were a gift from the angels. "Mikuo has a secret admirer!"

Mikuo held his hands over his ears. "It isn't exactly secret if I know who she is, now is it?" he demanded, wishing his sister didn't feel the need to be so loud all the time.

Miku instantly stopped singing the song she had been in the middle of creating. Actually, she had ripped the tune off of her idol, Luka Megurine, and was steadily adding more and more phrases that had to do with Mikuo's pitiful love life. Mikuo fought the urge to grimace at her rhyming capability.

"I guess you're right," she admitted sadly, falling into her seat, "But having a secret admirer sounds so much cuter."

Mikuo couldn't resist a chuckle at her childishness. Really, her head was stuck in the clouds most of the time, filled with dreams of love letters and princes that would sweep her off her feet. His big sister was a child at heart. Mikuo doubted she would ever grow up completely.

"Do you want me to open it with you?" Miku asked, her attitude turning for the better in an instant.

"A-alright," Mikuo replied, pulling the package in front of him and setting his drink to the side, "I hope she won't mind."

Miku squealed happily. "Yay! I bet it's super romantic."

Mikuo resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Carefully, he pulled the clear tape away from the fold on the edge of the package, pulling it open just enough so that he could get out the contents. To his surprise, it was a book. In fact, it was the exact book he had been examining earlier at the store. How had she…?

Oh, yeah. That was creepy.

"Mikuo! It's that series we like, right? You have to let me read it after you!" Miku exclaimed brightly, "The girl who gave this to you is so good at giving gifts!"

Mikuo suppressed a grimace. He couldn't subject Miku's innocent mind to the truth. Actually, she probably wouldn't even understand. Better not to say anything.

"Yeah. I'll have to thank her," Mikuo agreed. And he would. It was just the polite thing to do.

"Great! When you're done with your smoothie, wash your cup, okay?" Miku told him. She gulped down the last of her own drink and washed the cup in record time, skipping out of the room. The footsteps he heard climbing the stairs told him she was going to her room. Moments later, a door closed and Mikuo relaxed back into his chair. His stomach was doing flips in response to his latest "communication" with his stalker. This was getting pretty weird, even for him.

Nevertheless, he finished his smoothie, washed the cup, and trekked up to his room, where he remained as he attempted to finish the book he had been given. He was surprised to find that, by the time he chose to get up, hours had passed. 233 pages later, Mikuo forced himself to glance to his window. Normally, he wasn't the type to waste a lovely day inside with a book, but he couldn't help it. Not only had he been waiting for months for this book, it was the final one in the series. He had to find out the ending.

But he knew he would regret his lack of outdoor time. So, with a sigh, Mikuo set the book on his bedside table, bookmark placed at chapter twelve exactly.