The birds chirped their morning song.
Miku wasn't sure what time it was, but she felt like she had slept for thousand years. Her body felt so new and light as she rose, though she could feel some pain at some parts. It was morning and she needed to get ready for school - but that was not her body's demand. She wanted to sleep for another five minutes - and a lot more five minutes - just to cure her unexplainable exhaustion.
She felt like she entered some black hole that twisted her whole body into angles.
The light peeping through the gaps of the leaves reminded her that it was morning, and she badly needed to prepare for school. Her father would knock on her door few minutes from now, and she didn't want to miss breakfast with her parents. They were a small family with only three members, she was the only child, and these little things she would do with her parents everyday completed her being.
But as she climbed down her bed, her mind was unstable. Miku kept on wrinkling her face, trying hard to remember if she forgot to do something. But what something? Was it a homework? Was it a new song to memorize? Was it a material needed for their experiments in Physics? She spaced out while staring on her shelves, slowly lost in deep thinking. Her fists clenched against her sheets, pondering deeply what was it that she had forgotten.
"I am missing something," she was certain with that. Miku walked away from her bed, and turned back to stare at it. It was unfixed and untidy, with her blanket tossed all over the place. The curtains pulled aside fluttered against the wind that sneaked from the little opening from her glass window. Of course, her place looked familiar — she was sleeping here since forever, but there was some weird knot in her chest that was assuming that this whole stuff was 'nostalgic', albeit she had no reason why long for the place.
Her musing was interrupted when she heard the noise from outside; it was the normal commotion that would wake her every morning. Right then, she rushed to her walk-in closet and pulled the clothes she'd wear to school, before hopping in to bathe. When she came out, she still had five minutes left before her father would knock on her door and ask her to have breakfast. So she picked up her bag, stuffed her phone in one of its side pockets, and marched towards the door, planning to surprise her father, but halted in a sudden. She whipped her head back to her bed situated below the glass window. For the second time around, her eyes scrutinized her place. The tiny thin branches grazed against the panes like fingers pressed against the glass. The shelf at the foot of her bed looked undisturbed, so as the one on her headboard. In general, nothing looked odd.
She pouted in distress, her mind seemed to make a fuss on everything. She felt weird—today felt weird—like something was new in her, or there was something new, she couldn't figure out which is which. She stood there for a couple of seconds, massaging the fold in between her brows. Deciding to drop the matter now, she turned back to the door and walked forward. She didn't miss her morning ritual—and that is to smile at the photos of her with her parents hanging in frames on the wall. Their faces were smiling at her and she was smiling back at the still images. "That was too intense to start my day," Miku stopped massaging her temples.
'Begin one's day with a smile and everything will be fine,' she hummed and clasped the door knob, yanking it open. Much to her surprise, her father was standing on the doorway, a hand held in the air - about to knock.
"Hey there." Her dad smiled. "Hurry up, buddy—"
"-mom's like Godzilla," she laughed and continued her father's morning greeting, before stepping out of her room.
It was always like this. The positive aura inside their house was incessant no matter how worse some days began. The little Hatsune family was well known as gleeful people making up the neighborhood bright. Miku was Meiko and Kaito's only child. She was provided everything she wished to have - from one musical instrument to other - but this didn't make her a marred girl. Everything she asked for - it was given, aside from one thing. A sibling.
Being the only child both has its pros and cons. Miku could have all the attention and love and support she needed. Just ask and it was responded as soon as she blurted it out, for they have few expenses in the household. But of course, it saddened Miku at sometimes because she was never able to play with a younger sister or brother, look after them or some sort of those sibling-bond one could see from movies. She was already sixteen, but her parents still refused to have another child. And having a sibling was something one could not buy, that's the catch.
Miku was envious of her classmates and close friends in school, for they had siblings younger than them. Gumi had Gumo and Ryuuto, Luka had her twin Luki, and Aoki had none — only Miku and Aoki were the sole child of their families. When Miku would see Gumi screaming to her two middle school siblings, she would tell the green-haired girl that she would like to have a brother, too.
"Oh, you wish!" Gumi would tell her. "These two are pestering me every single day. If your mom and dad are willing to adopt either one of these blockheads, go on. Feel free to pick one."
It was harsh, yes, but Gumi was only saying this because she had them. "When one of them are taken away from you, I'm sure you will regret what you said." Aoki scolded their drummer; her statement made Gumi deadpan. "Miku and I always wished to have one. Shouldn't you be thankful because you have what other people wished for? To think of it, your brothers are charming boys!"
"If that's so, Luka is quite lucky, then? Luki is such a gentleman!" Miku exclaimed, but Luka whined her objection. This, however, surprised the three, because they never heard Luka complain about her twin.
"You better hesitate with what you just said. Once he heard that, you're...ew," Luka rolled her eyes and squirm, as if she was trying to shake something off from her clothes. "Luki liked Miku for some time already, and he was a pervert! Beware, Miku! He's keeping a picture of you in his room — gross, ew. Scary guys."
"What's wrong with keeping one's picture, though?" Aoki asked, somewhat puzzled with Luka's claim about her twin. What he was doing — such as keeping pictures of his crush — seemed normal. When Luka revealed the truth, Aoki's life colors drained.
The father and daughter ran downstairs and were greeted by Meiko from the dining table. There was a buttered toast stuffed in her mouth as she gathered cups from the sink, and placed alongside the plates with toasts.
"Hi, sweetie! How's your sleep?"
"The usual," Miku smiled and sat on her seat, quickly munching on her share of breakfast.
"How am I suppose to guess 'the usual', Miku? You've been telling that since last week, but I still don't know what's that." Meiko rolled her eyes and poured coffee in her husband's cup, then moved to her daughter's cup. "Coffee?"
Miku shrugged. She never liked coffee in mornings or in evenings - she never liked coffee. " 'The usual' is the usual, mom. Good...like that," Miku chuckled and picked another toast, glancing occasionally on her wrist watch. She wouldn't be late if she engaged herself a little more, but there was something in her that compelled her to rise from her seat and run to school.
Sensing the uneasiness in her daughter, Meiko narrowed her eyes against Miku's weird action. It was five minutes more before Miku has to leave for school. But Miku was having this weird twisted expression, as if she would miss something if she won't leave now.
"Honey, what's wrong?" asked Meiko.
"Nothing much, mom." Miku smiled. "Just checking when will be the right time for me to have a sibling. Any plans?" This wasn't the real reason, but it sounded more sensible to throw a joke than to tell her mom that she was anxious about nothing. Like seriously, her parents would assume that she's in love or something.
She watched her parents gag on their coffees upon saying that, her father even spit out the liquid from his mouth. It was a good joke for Miku, half meant since she was wanting to have a younger sibling. But whenever her parents would react like this, she couldn't stop but think that they were acting like teenagers. Miku chuckled and grabbed her bag, ready to dash away once her mom talk about having a child bluntly. As in bluntly.
"Miku, how dare you bring that talk again? Look, your dad and I can fuck all night - but you're already a lady, and don't you find it awkward to have such huge age gap-"
"Blah blah blah," Miku yelled and snickered, marching away from the dining table. See? Blunt! She turned back and waved a hand, a huge grin was plastered on her face. "I'm leaving, love you both! Bye-bye," she checked on her wrist watch as she stepped out of their house.
Three minutes early, she muttered to herself and proceeded to walk her way to school. The sun was up in the sky, its morning rays struck her with warmth. It was half an hour before eight, and she could dawdle on her morning walk for today. There were middle schoolers running on the pavement past by her, laughing at the joke they heard from yesterday's late night show. Some of their neighbors were also out early today, mowing their lawn and strolling their dogs. The newspaper boy was delivering the broadsheets and bottles of milk late for today. No wonder why her mom served no milk to her, Big Al woke up late today.
"Good morning, Miku!" He greeted as he rode his bike and went out of Mrs. He's lawn.
"Good morning, Big Al! You're surprisingly late today, huh?"
"Hard luck, dear. Alright, good luck to school!" The boy brisked away as Miku waved a hand to him.
Miku went back walking and studied the neighborhood. One of her neighbors out today was her crush, a freshman university student who was three years older than her. His red hair stood out of their green lawn as he walked out of it, carrying his white bunny in his arms. The way his eyes batted at her with slow recognition—she was sure that he had gotten up from his bed some minutes ago. Miku stopped in front of him and blinked, waiting for him to say something. He was staring down at her since she was a head shorter, waiting for her to say something, too.
"Hey," her voice hitched as she said that; his sleepy face was making her afraid to say anything without stammering or squeaking like a fan girl.
"Hey," he smiled—it was a sleepy sexy morning Greek-god-like smile he flashed to her, as he fondled his bunny's head. His russet eyes narrowed at her, and along the process he unintentionally puckered his lips. Miku wanted to faint now in embarrassment. He was too cute for her to handle that easy. "Miku, your face is red. You aren't sick, are you?"
This surprised Miku. She didn't know she would blush in front her upperclassman real quick, especially that he was not only a regular upperclassman. He was Fukase Dudley—of all people! Miku deadpanned, ignoring her warming cheeks as if they never happened, and diverted the talk professionally.
"Oh, don't you have classes today? University is far from here. I thought you are staying in your flat," her smile was unnerving and forced, but the redhead seemed not to care. He just shrugged, his fringe was automatically brushed aside, and grinned.
"Well, I don't have subjects for Monday. But I'd probably leave later afternoon." He showed her a thumbs up before dropping an arm around her, pulling her back to the pavement to continue her walk to school. Miku was staring at the bunny he was carrying, its red eyes stared daggers at her. "But before I leave, I want to hear Miku sing. I'll play the piano and you'll sing for me. What about that little bargain?"
Miku smiled sheepishly at his offer. Fukase was the former founder of their high school's Band Republic, he wqeknown as the band's pianist and sometimes bassist — he could play any instrument and sing very well. He was her role model, the image she idolized in their school who inspired her to make her own band. When she entered high school, they met and acquainted. Beginning that day, Fukase personally taught her all the things he could teach her, eventually passing the band to her.
Given all the time she spent with him, she liked him more than a friend — and that liking was because he was good in music, he was a good singer, and he was a good upperclassman to her. But he had a girlfriend, she was one of the vocalists of the Band Republic who also taught Miku about music. Rana and Fukase looked happy back then, Miku could only wonder why she rarely visited their village for sometime now.
"Or maybe you'd like a duet with me?" Fukase peered at her, bending himself down to see her face clearly. His black-rimmed russet eyes stared at her — they looked like two crimson rubies against his white skin. "We never tried to sing in duet, right? I think we will sound good together?"
However, his words flourished a different idea in her mind. 'We will sound good together,' her mind replayed the same words as if he was conveying a different message. Miku flustered again, her redness that hadn't faded yet, grew deeper and she could feel the heat creeping to her ears. "Eh? But you only sing with Rana..." Before she could continue, he waved his hand, freeing her shoulders from the weight of his arm. He dismissed her as soon as Rana's name left Miku's mouth, and she was sure that something's wrong between them.
Fukase petted the rabbit's head, eyeing the white hare with such gentleness Miku never had seen on him. It was like the world was only about him, and him alone. Was it a standstill? Miku wasn't sure. Whenever she was with Fukase, all she could see was him and his flaming natural red hair. The entire block of greenness was ignored by her eyes, since she could only focus at him and his angelic smile. The laughter from the children earlier, faded in her mind as she listened carefully to what he was saying.
"We broke up last month. Things would be better that way, I think? So, what now? You had Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' songs in your phone, right? Why don't you sing 'Cat and Mouse' with me?" He grinned, ruffling her hair as he walked with her still. She started to wonder where he was planning to go. "I'm heartbroken so I want to sing something like that."
His chortle didn't sound lighthearted for Miku — and even though she was itching to ask how did he end up breaking their relationship, she was not in place to voice her thoughts. Miku was a mere apprentice for Fukase, she was sure with that. But her liking to him was more than an admiration of an apprentice to her mentor. She perked her head up to him, attempting to unveil the hurt behind those gleeful smiles he was wearing, but she knew she was not allowed to see more than what was outside—what he would show.
"Okay," she sighed, giving in with his demand. "I think we can try. But don't blame me if we mess up, okay? You're a good singer and I'm an amateur." His hand found its way to ruffle her hair again, and she was supposed to get mad at him because of that — but it was him, okay? He had this charisma that canceled out all possible hatred she may bestow him.
Fukase seemed delighted with her answer, and it showed in his huge grin. He even yelped. "We won't mess up. Who knows, our voices might be a perfect fit. What do you think, eh?" He dropped an arm around her and pulled her along his long strides, humming a familiar melody. Fukase loved contemporary rock songs, and Miku seemed to inherit that liking of his. "Alright, since I am glad with your response, I will take you to school."
If he would continue this, Miku's unrequited love would quadruple. Her brain would continue to misinterpret all these, even if she knew that he was being friendly alone. Miku knew she should not have her hopes high because of the fact that he had broken up with Rana. He was nineteen, she was sixteen, and so romantic relationship was impossible. Fukase might not be considering that—never at all!
"No, you don't have to do that! Promise!" Miku interrupted. Her friends may taunt her if they will see Fukase with her, and she won't let that happen. The two of them stopped walking as Fukase gazed at her. The greenness of the lawns came back to her senses, the laughter, the morning ruckus, Big Al's yelling from the other blocks — everything. Miku woke up from reality.
His eyes were round and curious, peeling the layers Miku had used to conceal her liking to him and the real reason why she wouldn't want to be seen with him. However, his innocent staring made her uncomfortable. "Ah, you see, I need to go now, Fukase. I will be late," she stammered a little, but managed to pull it through. She untangled herself from his arm around her and jogged ahead, waving a hand to him.
Miku found herself jogging together with the middle schoolers from earlier. They were still laughing about the puns they loudly proclaimed, unaware how annoying those puns sounded to Miku. Irritated with their high-pitched laughter, she pulled out her earphones from the side pocket of her bag and connected it to her phone. Maybe she could familiarize herself with 'Cat and Mouse', partly because she was curious why the redhead chose it; the other, was because she was a music lover. She liked RJA for a while now. Miku turned right, walking on the opposite way from the middle schoolers, glad that she was not going towards the direction of the kids.
The piano solo began, then the percussion instruments joined smoothly. "How melodramatic," Miku commented. Then the drums gave slow beats, the bass guitar started the melody. It was too slow for Fukase's genre, but his voice would definitely fit this song. "The lyrics, though," Miku massaged her her temples as she continued to listen, removing the other speaker from her ear, since she would walk on the crossroads. "Fukase must be really broken."
Looping her fingers on the straps of her bag pack, she slowly nodded along the rhythm. Every student walking with her was inanimate in her eyes as she paved the sidewalk, humming the melody. A few more seconds, she found herself singing the chorus.
"Am I supposed to be happy? With all I ever wanted, it comes with a price. Am I supposed to be happy? With all I ever wanted, it comes with a price. You said, you said that you would die for me..."
When was about to reach the end of the street, she heard loud screeching brakes followed by a crash. She whipped her head to her right, on the alley where the sound was from, and she saw a bike and its rider on the ground.
"Oh!" Miku turned towards that alley to help the rider, but before she could take a full step, an arm clung to her left and pulled her back to her original route. It was her band-mate, Gumi, who tugged her back to the pavement. "Hey, Gumi! We need to help — "
"Hey, Luka!" The short-haired girl dragged Miku again after seeing another familiar person along the throng of students walking with them. The pink-haired girl looked back at them, waving a hand. "Come on, Miku."
And though she was worried about the little accident on that alley, she still ran with Gumi. "Some students would help the rider, for sure." Miku thought, but she was still uneasy, being the eye witness. "Gumi, wait. Someone needs help from—"
"Oho, I saw that. I am walking behind you, y'know. Fukase-senpai rescued the man already. Forget that, let's go~" the girl dragged Miku away, and the teal-haired girl was forced to neglect that she witnessed that event.
Unbeknownst to her, it was the first mistake on the loop of events — she should have helped the rider. Albeit he was not injured, their meeting might change things a little.
Mumbling a curse, he crawled away from his bike and began dusting off his pants. He was just lucky for he wore the protective gears today, or else his arms and face would end up rugged. Amid his internal cursing, a stranger pulled his bike up and tightened something on his brakes — and before he could ask what he was doing, a white bunny hopped to him.
"You should check your bike before riding it," the redhead smiled at him. "It's okay now. Are you hurt?"
The rider winced, removing his cycling helmet. Blond locks fell above his shoulder as he stared up to the young man who adjusted his brake. His bright blue eyes were wide opened, pupils dilated at the sight of the good-looking redhead's face.
"What's your name, dude?" Fukase picked up his bunny and offered the blond boy a hand. "My name's Fukase."
He grabbed Fukase's hand and pulled himself up. The two of them stood at the same height, they even had the same paleness of their skin. "My name's Len. Kagamine Len."
