Chapter Four

And Still Today It Rains Sadness

"Hey, Gumi!" called Gakupo. Gumi flinched. She'd been avoiding her friends all day, unable to face them after yesterday. She'd done the best she could to deal with them during class, like getting started on her homework instead of talking to them during breaks between classes, but now, after school, at her locker, there was nothing she could do to avoid Gakupo as he leaned against the locker next to hers.

"What?" she questioned irritably, pretending to be busy organizing her locker in order to avoid looking at the purple-haired boy.

"I just wanted to check that you were okay," said Gakupo, completely unfazed by her rudeness.

"I'm fine. Go away."

Gakupo sighed and gazed at her with a sympathetic expression that made Gumi want to pull his ridiculously long ponytail off his head. "Look, Miku explained it all to us."

Gumi froze and called Miku a choice word before slamming her locker shut. She swung her bag over her shoulder and began storming down the hallway. Everyone moved out of her way as she plowed down the hall. Gakupo followed loyally behind her, which only caused her anger to increase. Boys never seemed to understand when girls wanted to be left alone, and Gakupo was no exception. Gakupo was irritating the hell out of her right now, though he wasn't nearly as bad as her so-called best friend.

Miku had told them? She'd told them? That jerk! What right did she have to share something that Gumi had told her in confidence? And she'd done it without even asking Gumi at that! What if Luka or Gakupo told someone and Rin found out about it, or what if they told Rin herself? Miku was terrible! Why is the world would she do something so terrible? She knew how torn up Gumi was by the entire situation! Yesterday, when Gumi had seen Rin and Piko holding hands, their faces so close as Rin smiled at him, she'd been unable to take it. She'd tried to leave, but Miku wouldn't let her, trying to convince her that it was nothing, but how could something so intimate be nothing? Rin and Piko were obviously into each other, so it was all over for Gumi, and she'd told Miku that. But, even if it was over, that didn't give Miku the right to blab about Gumi's feelings to the first person she saw afterward!

"Gumi, wait up," insisted Gakupo, though his long legs made it so he kept up with her easily.

"I don't want to talk about it," insisted Gumi, feeling tears pricking the corners of her eyes as her voice wavered. She swallowed hard, unused to the struggle it took to keep her voice steady.

"Gumi, I've been friends with Luka all my life. I'm used to this sort of thing. There's no need to be embarrassed."

"Don't even try to put us on the same level," snapped Gumi, refusing to turn around and properly acknowledge Gakupo as she continued to storm down the hall, her eyes set on the door at the end of the hall. Luka had never had deep feelings for anyone. How could her feelings be anything like what Gumi felt for Rin?

"Trust me, she's even worse than you when it comes," persisted Gakupo.

"Gakupo, I don't want to talk about it," repeated Gumi, her patience coming to an end. She burst through the door, hitting a nearby student who stood in its way/

"You don't have to talk about it, just hang out with us again. C'mon, Gumi, we're your friends. We don't care how psychotic you act, we just want to be with you."

Now that they were outside, out of the crowded hallway, Gumi didn't have to worry about hitting anyone with her backpack when she spun around. Gakupo nearly crashed into her, startled by her sudden stop, but he didn't dare mention it when he made eye contact with her. Her eyes were ablaze, anger radiating through her entire body. "Psychotic?" she snapped, her voice trembling a little. "You make me sound like a freaking yandere. It's not like I killed someone or anything."

Now Gakupo looked confused. Slowly, picking his words carefully, he responded, "I wasn't implying that."

"Well you might as well have been," growled Gumi.

"Gumi!" came a voice just as Gumi was about to storm off again. Gumi refused to acknowledge the voice as Miku ran up to the two of them. She stood stock-still as Miku looped her arm around her shoulder. "Sorry, Gumi, I had to tell them that it was about that time of the month for you. I couldn't figure out how else to explain your crazy mood swings."

Gumi was full out ready to snap at Miku and refuse to accept the apology. Her mouth opened right was the words finally decoded themselves in her ears.

Hold on a second. Time of the month?

Gumi felt herself deflate, all the anger blowing out of her and a certain numbness and embarrassment taking its place. She closed her mouth, knowing the words she was going to say were pointless now. Time of the month? Miku had said she was PMS-ing? She hadn't spilled her secret? That would mean Gumi had blown up at Gakupo over something that must've seemed incredibly immature to him. Her face glowed red. Oh gosh. How could she explain this?

Well, while the lie was out there, maybe going along with it would come in handy.

Gumi giggled for a second, truly relieved, and then it exploded into a full laugh. "Oh, okay," she giggled, unable to control the laughter. She couldn't believe she'd gone so crazy. That wasn't like her usual easygoing, relaxed self.

Gakupo just stared at them in shock for a moment before turning his gaze to Miku. "My gosh, Miku, you are a goddess! One touch from you and she calms down," he said in adulation.

Miku flicked the hair from one of her ponytails, her nose up in the air. "Well, you could say that, but, truly, my skills lie in a more intimate place."

Gumi rolled her eyes. Gakupo smirked and began flirting harmlessly back and forth with Miku. The two constantly participated in innocent flirting, though they never seemed to actually go anywhere with it. Of course, Gumi and Luka always stopped them when it was taking a turn toward something that rated higher than PG. They didn't want to hear those two talk about that kind of stuff with each other.

"So, Gumi," said Miku abruptly, having grown bored of her flirtation with Gakupo. "Have you heard the latest gossip?"

"I haven't really been in a gossipy mood today," said Gumi, freeing herself from Miku's grasp to lean against the school's wall.

"Class 2-C has a new student," announced Miku. "A boy."

Gakupo laughed, though he looked slightly dejected at being pushed aside so quickly. "Come on, Miku, Gumi's never had any interest in romance before. Why would she change just for this new transfer student?"

But Gumi had perked up at Rin's class number. A new student? This time of year? "What's he like?" she couldn't help but ask.

"See, I told you," said Gakupo. Then, he heard what she said and turned to her in astonishment. "Wait, what?" He was in a state of shock, perplexed by Gumi interest in anyone other than her group. Then, he seemed to accept that it was just another sign that it was her time of the month and distracted himself with his bag as Miku began blabbering.

"Get this," said Miku excitedly. "So, you know how you gotta introduce yourself and stuff on your first day? Well, as an introduction, he was just like 'I'm sure you're all looking forward to a great year with me, and I know you're all eager to take good care of me.' And then he just winked at them!"

"Well, what a conceited little jerk," said Gakupo, unimpressed.

"I know, right?" replied Miku, excitement glimmering in her eyes. "He's just my type!"

Gumi felt herself grow steadily more tense. There was a boy like that in Rin's class? But he sounded like such a player. And Rin was so nice that she'd have trouble turning down anyone, even if they were a pervert, like Gumi thought this boy was from his introduction. Her impression could be wrong, but, if it wasn't, she was concerned for Rin.

"Okay, and here's the really weird twist," said Miku, drawing Gumi out of her thoughts. "His name is Kagamine Len."

Gumi froze. His name was what?

Gakupo noticed too. "Isn't there a girl in that class with that last name, too?"

Miku nodded. "Yep. Kagamine Rin. Their names even sound similar, huh? But, oddly enough, this Len guy insists that he and Rin aren't related whatsoever. So weird, huh?"

"Yeah," agreed Gumi numbly.

Miku made eye contact with Gumi to make sure that she was paying close attention to the next words. "Anyway, Rin seemed to have an interest in this boy, so anyone who wants her better snatch her up fast."

Gumi's whole body went cold.

The words dug deep into her and echoed over and over in her ears, even long after she'd arrived at home. From there, she'd proceeded to collapse on her bed and drown in her own thoughts.

What could she do? Why did it seem like Rin was surrounded by possible love interests? Gumi was even becoming unsure of Rin's relationship with that girl with the cowlick. Miki, she thought was the girl's name. When Gumi had passed by the lunch room, Rin and Miki had been sharing a seat, even though there had been plenty on empty seats. They had been sitting so close together, so comfortable, so at ease. Just like Rin seemed to be with that Piko boy, who Gumi was still sure had a thing for Rin. As if those two weren't enough to worry about, now she had to worry about this Len boy.

Gumi took off her goggles and lifted them into the air in front of her face, twirling them around her fingers. She truly cared deeply for Rin. She wasn't sure how she could deal with Rin being with someone else. She wanted to be with Rin so badly, but, even now, she couldn't find the courage to tell her. And, after all this time, how could she even have a chance? Rin had obviously moved on with her life, even if Gumi was still hung up on her. Even if Gumi could find the bravery to express her feelings, would Rin even taken her seriously now? After all, would someone who was in love truly just let the object of their affection go like Gumi had before?

Rolling over on her bed, Gumi felt her heart aching. She couldn't just give up. She didn't know how she'd survive if she lost Rin. Still, she had no idea what she could do now. No matter what, it would seem completely out of the blue. Would Rin even want anything to do with Gumi anymore? What if she was too busy with her new friends to let Gumi back into her life?

But she couldn't just give up. That wouldn't accomplish anything. Even if she failed, she had to try. She wasn't willing to give up Rin so easily.

Author's Note: Not much to say this time. I apologize to all Miku fans for having Gumi think such awful things about her. Oh, right, yandere is a person who is so insanely in love they do psychotic things, like stalking their love interests, killing rivals, or killing the love interest themselves. I couldn't thing of a proper English equivalent. Anyway, review please!