"Kaito!" I call out lovingly, skipping towards his tall figure. I wrap my arms around his one arm tightly, snuggling my cheeks against it. Kaito looks down at me and smiles gently, Patting my head.

"Hey Miku." he greets me simply. I smile in absolute adoration. Kaito, Kaito, Kaito! He goes to check his phone. I look up at him curiously.

"What're you looking at Kaito?" I question innocently. He turns to look at me.

"I'm texting Luka to ask her when she'll be arriving." he answered. My expression falls slightly. Oh yeah. Luka's coming too.

"Oh."

"What, Miku? You got a problem with that?" he spat with venom lacing his words. It was so sudden that I was left speechless. Slowly, I let go of his arm in shock.

"What? O-of course not Kaito! Why would you say that?" He roughly turned to me, looking down at me with his eyes blazing in disgust and anger, brows knitted together sharply, mouth turned to a deep scowl. I cower under his frightening gaze.

"That's how it started for you isn't it?"

"S-started wh-a-at? I-I don't understand..."

"The loathing. The annoyance. The detachment. The selfishness." he growled out, clenching his jaw tightly. He roughly pushed me away from him, eyes never leaving mine. I tremble and sweat, feeling vulnerable and exposed. I reach my hand out to grab his, for some kind of dependence, for confirmation that this was all just a joke or misunderstanding, for anything he would offer me...

"K-Kaito, I have no idea what you're t-talking about, o-okay? Let's just wait for Luka and…" Suddenly his eyes lit up, smile returning but looking directly through me. He ran past me, waving to whoever just appeared.

"Luka!"

Luka looked up from the ground before a bright smile lit up her features. I witness Kaito finally arriving next to her, wearing that same gentle smile he was directing at me just moments ago.

"Kaito!" she exclaims enthusiastically, color seeping into her cheeks a bit. Both turn away from me to walk the opposite direction. I desperately try to run after them, but my body won't move, so I yell for them as loudly as my throat would allow, but no sound ever came out. They were drifting away. Farther, farther, farther away from me. I could only make out their vague silhouettes now.

"Kaito! Luka! Wait for me! Please! Please! Please don't go! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry, so please...don't leave me…" I sobbed aimlessly, not knowing if anyone would even hear my cries.

"I broke our promise…"

I gasped, injecting myself back to reality as I stared wide eyed at the familiar white hospital ceiling. I could feel myself shaking uncontrollably, along with the cold sweat that broke out in my sleep. My eyes looked around frantically before I clutched my head in pain. I could feel the headache steadily seeping into my awoken body. My hand clutches the gown in front of my chest tightly, trying to calm myself, trying to grasp onto anything that would give me some balance, some kind of stability. I will myself to slowly breathe in and out.

In, out. In, out.

I repeated the mantra again and again for the nth time. Hesitantly, I peek out from under my eyelids, head slowly looking at the clock. It was 5am again. I breathe out a shaky sigh, running my now only slightly trembling hands through my thick locks.

Another nightmare.

I looked around the hospital room pointlessly, if only to find something to get my mind off of what just happened. I don't want to go back to sleep...only to return to that…

"To the roof then…?" Flashes of gold and bright blue paint my memory, accompanied by a gentle smile. I pause. He wouldn't be there again…right…? With only the focus of getting out of this constricting room, I head for the roof, somehow managing to walk even with my headache. It took me an even longer period of time to arrive than yesterday. My one hand struggled to open the heavy metal door as I leaned into it with my body weight.

Though, it appears I didn't need to open it myself after all.

The door opens unexpectedly as I yelp, sending me flying into the chest of whoever it happens to be.

Oh lord it better not be-

"Hatsune-san!" the boy greeted in surprise as he wrapped his arms around me. I looked up at him, trying to adjust myself back into an appropriate position. He seemed to notice my state as well and scrambled to help me up, cheeks heating up in embarrassment. He gently took hold of my good arm as I stood back up.

"Thank you." I uttered softly. Although I would've been fine if you weren't here in the first place. He smiled shyly, unaware of my inner musings. He rubbed the back of his neck, still slightly flustered at the situation. I nodded and headed to the same bench as before, which he automatically helped me get to, to my exasperation. I sit down as he sits across from me yet again. Looking up, I find myself observing his features more closely.

Blonde hair, pulled into a short, messy ponytail. Surprisingly sharp, bright blue eyes, pale skin, a youthful face. From what I remember he was about the same height as me. Same age? From his behavior I assume he's younger… I stop myself from delving any further. It doesn't matter anyway… I notice him fidgeting in his seat, eyes looking anywhere but me, lips held a bit tightly. Cheeks once again tinted red. I look away from him, understanding that it was my gaze that made him squirm this time. My eyes land on a different flower bed this time. Daisies. I adjust myself to the same position as yesterday, head resting on my hand as my eyes close. I tucked a loose hair behind my ear, though not really minding the feeling as the fresh air and wind calmed my nerves and allowed me some moments of peace. I listen to the soft fluttering of the flowers tussling around each other, petals dancing, drowning out the sounds of the city far below. The muscles of my face start to relax, adapting to the serene setting.

"Woah…" My eyes open to look at the boy across from me whose baby blues positively sparkle at me, mouth slightly open and ears rosy.

"What?" I mutter, annoyed that my moment of peace was interrupted once again. His face fully heats up to my utter confusion, and he runs his hand through his messy bangs in an attempt to grab onto any semblance of reality, as if he had just come out of a dream. I looked at him pointedly, trying to get an explanation as to why my moment of peace was interrupted with a "woah".

"It's just uh… well I...uh…" he stuttered out, as his vocabulary has once again decided to leave him in the dust. I look away from him and back at the daisies, too numb to concern myself with another jumbling sentence that would spew out of his mouth. Give the kid a break. Although I don't even know what I did in the first place to make him need one. His thought process was clear as day, as his expression was showing that he was thinking of something, anything to say to me. Just as quickly as he thought of an idea, his brows furrow as well.

"Wait, Hatsune-san. Didn't I tell you not to come up here again without assistance? You know your body can't handle strenuous activity like that." he huffed. Since when do you know about the do's and don'ts of my health and wellbeing? I silently questioned.

"I needed to come out here. Just for a bit. Alone." Which I would have been if you weren't here, again. I look past the fence of the roof into the horizon, taking the colors in.

"I guess we all need alone time, huh?" he spoke lightly, though I could tell me coming here alone still worried him. My gaze didn't leave the horizon. I realized my mind wasn't in a jumbled, depressed mess anymore. At least not to the extent of the last few minutes just now. The panic settled, thankfully. I nodded carefully. A moment of silence passed before he asked, "Hatsune-san, do you have any interests?" I gave him a blank look.

"What?"

"Do you have any interests? Hobbies?" he questioned happily. What is this? Twenty Questions? Have I given any indication to this guy that I was interested in small talk? I inwardly sigh for the nth time. Confrontation is tiring. Guess I'll go along with this. Wouldn't hurt to keep my mind off certain things.

"...music. I like singing and piano." he smiled so widely and brightly I thought the sun itself was sent to burn my eyeballs off. Who even is this kid?

"Oh wow! Me too! I love singing. Instrument wise though, I'm better suited to guitar, but piano is a close second." he makes a motion with his fingers to imitate guitar and piano playing, innocently strumming his fingers to an imaginary tune. My eyes soften, and I reminisce a bit.

It was a Sunday evening, and I was home alone. Mother and Father were out doing God knows what but, I didn't care. It was just me, my keyboard, and the sunlight that peeked through my window curtains. My fingers naturally made their way to the keys, and hovered over them just enough not to make contact. I took a breath, and started playing.

It was a soft melody that matched the tranquil atmosphere of the sunset that quietly descended into night. I let my fingers glide their way through the keys, not interested in playing any specific song, just… playing in the moment. I started to hum along to the tune, which I slowly realized became a lullaby of sorts. Perhaps I was sleepy? Who knows, I can't remember. My heart relaxes as I let my mind go, emotions only there to fuel the melody now.

Music always did help me calm down. When there was so much going on around me, muddling my head with stress or when the pressure was just too much, I would always turn to music to forget about it all, only focusing on what I was creating in the present. I loved it because it was mine. No one else had a say in it but me. I, myself wasn't mine, in a way. Like a puppet, I was pulled by strings all around me. Before I was me, I was first an obedient daughter, a bright student, a naive child, a blossoming young adult, a bothersome burden… It was never my choice to be any of these…

Though I suppose there was one thing I chose to be… a friend.

I snap back into the present, shaking my head. Why are you remembering that now? What good will music do you, huh? I frown, grimacing as I look towards the ground. Music can't save you now…

"You've got that sad look on your face again." My teal orbs jerk to look into the eyes of the boy across from me. I blinked at him, surprised at his direct statement. His eyes look straight into mine, and that piercing, all-knowing look is back. The crystal blue in his eyes become solid and assure, his gaze searching for something. I continue looking at him, still taken aback by his serious expression. "I thought you would be a bit happier, talking about something you love." he spoke gently, lips tilted upwards slightly as his gaze became soft. My head quickly turns to the side, nervous, though I try not to show it. Such warmth being directed towards me… what did I do to warrant it? I don't deserve it. I don't want it.

"What do you want me to say to that?" I ask bluntly, composing myself enough to look at him again. He chuckles lowly, eyes shining in my direction. Once again, I am taken aback by his positive reaction. Does nothing I say faze him even a bit?

"You're right Hatsune-san, I guess I'm too direct to a fault, huh?" he laughs again, eyes closing in joy. I tilted my head to the side, just dumbfounded at this point. One of his eyes peek out from under his eyelid to see me staring at him, and he freezes. Instantly, he fixes his posture to stiffly sit upright and going silent, a fresh blush making its way up his cheeks. My eyebrow quirks up slightly in curiosity. First it's direct to a fault then fumbled, embarrassed shyness?

"What does it matter to you if I'm happy? You don't know me." I reason, feeling a bit more confident and put together. Those clear cerulean orbs stare back into me, and I feel my confidence waver at his gaze once again. I guard myself, trying not to let it faze me. His head tilts in confusion this time.

"I don't need to know you to want you to be happy. I know I don't want you sad, that's for sure." he answers honestly. I blink a few times, feeling a bit owlish at this point. Another direct answer.

"Do you always wish for the best for strangers?" I retort.

"If they aren't jerks, then sure." he counters. I stay silent for a few moments. I see.

"Then you really don't want to wish for my happiness, Kagamine-san." his head perks up in surprise at hearing his name come out of my mouth for the first time. I lock my gaze onto the exit and sigh once again as I prepare to get up. He quickly hurries over to help me but I stop and look him directly in his eyes, my gaze piercing into his own. He froze, face transfixed onto mine. "The next time you see me, if you see me at all, ignore me. Pretend I don't exist. And keep it that way." I tell him coldly before I usher myself to the exit. His eyes are shocked and confused, body still without motion as I turned away from him. He doesn't follow me this time.

I manage to make my way back to my room in a daze, and sit on my bed once more. My body realized it's been injected into the cold setting of the endlessly white hospital room again and drooped. I find myself looking out the window for the nth time since coming here. The sun is about to come up. My limbs go limp at my sides while my legs dangle carelessly from the bed. Silence consumes me once more as I feel my senses lose focus on my surroundings.

It's deafening.

And yet, it is nothing.

I'm back again.

Back to nothing.

My head slumps as I feel tears gliding down my cheeks, though I have no idea why. I try to wipe them away with my bed sheets but wince, as my wounded left arm cries out in pain. I cradle it tenderly, the silver ring on my right hand gleaming in the sunlight. The tears don't stop flowing and I close my eyes tightly, failing to stop them from falling. I clutch my arm roughly. The pain spikes up, nails brutally digging into my skin, with only the loose bandages acting as a barrier from direct contact. There might be new wounds now, I can't really tell. I block out everything around me, my mind slowly slipping away from me as different thoughts and emotions collided with one another, creating a noisy, cluttered symphony in my throbbing head, threatening to pop open.

I deserve this!

What have I done?

How did things turn out like this?

Why won't the pain go away?

I need the pain! It's all I have now...

How could I do that to them?

What's wrong with me?

I'm going crazy. I am crazy.

I have no one.

Not anymore.

Never again.

I can faintly feel a liquid situating itself under my nails, realizing that it's fresh blood oozing out from under my bandages. Brightly contrasting red soaks through the pristine white. Slowly, I let go of my abused arm, nails showing resistance while clinging onto my bruised skin. I look down at it for a few moments.

It's messy.

Bloody.

Ripped.

Broken.

I look back towards the rising sun, letting in a new day. The tears still don't stop flowing.

A/N: Woah! That chapter was a wild ride to write! Anyways, I hope I got the emotions of everyone right, and that it wasn't too weird. Stay tuned for the next chapter!