Aneko: Here we go, chapter seven. I…think the action is going to pick up from here? I think…
Disclaimer: Don't own it. Wish I did. I don't.
Chapter Seven
Saki's eye flew open as soon as her alarm clock went off. She stared at the ceiling, letting the music play for a few minutes before she turned it off and rolled out of bed.
When she finally pulled on her uniform, she went downstairs and found her mother setting breakfast on the table.
"Morning," she mumbled.
Mrs. Fujita glanced up. "Morning, darling. You seem low-key today. Are you alright?"
Saki half-smiled. It felt like everyone was asking that question lately. "Mmm…I didn't sleep that well, so I'm kind of tired."
"You're not getting sick, are you?" Her mother wiped her hands on her apron, feeling her daughter's forehead. "Hmm, you don't have a fever. Do you have work today?"
"Yeah."
"Well, if you start feeling sick, come straight home, alright? I don't want it to get worse."
"Okay. I'm probably fine, though. We have bee working hard lately since the concert is coming up."
"Well I don't want you to be overworked either. You tell your boss that," Mrs. Fujita said, moving away to check the omelets.
"…Which reminded me that I actually haven'tmet our boss," Saki concluded, handing another piece of music to Kaito. They were putting it back in the library. "Everything that I know, I learned from you. Why is that? Will I ever get to meet the President?"
Kaito glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and turned away, shuffling a stack of papers. "Yeah. Probably. He is pretty busy, though, so it might be a while yet."
"Oh. Okay."
"Well—ready to head to the stage?"
Saki smiled. "Yeah."
Today was the dress rehearsal. The concert was just around the corner. In a few days she would do it for real.
"Huh, I guess everybody else isn't here yet," Kaito said, when they arrived at the stage and didn't see the twins or Meiko. The area was abuzz with the sound of the tech crews as they hurried about, checking lights and sound systems.
Saki stepped forward to the edge of the stage. She imagined a crowd filling up the empty space below her.
"Are you excited?"
Saki nodded. "It's weird. I thought I'd be nervous, but I'm not at all. There's just…" she closed her eyes. "…adrenaline…my heart beating fast…anticipation…"
"When the concert comes, you'll really become Hatsune Miku. People all over the place will know you by that name."
Saki turned to Kaito. "That's right. From the concert, I'm really going to be a part of Vocaloid. I won't be just wandering around, not knowing what's happening. So I think you should take the honorific off my name. I'll just be 'Miku.'"
"Okay, then me too. Drop the –kun, just call me Kaito."
Saki put her hands behind her back. "Hmm…Kaito?" She asked, trying it out.
"Yes, Miku?"
Saki laughed, the name strange, but nice to hear. She looked at Kaito, though, and the laughter died on her lips at the look on his face. His eyes, usually bright with a smile that was or was not visible, were completely joyless and dark.
"Kaito…? Are you okay?"
Kaito glanced at her. "I'm fine," he said, after a pause. "Just tired." Saki opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by someone calling their names. " Sounds like everybody else just got here," Kaito noted.
"Kaito—" Saki called, but Kaito had already begun heading towards the back of the stage.
Just tired?
"But Kaito…"
"Just tired."
"…that sounded like…"
"Are you okay?"
"No. I…maybe I'm just tired."
"…Like you didn't mean it at all…"
"This wig sure is heavy," Saki said, tugging on one of the twin tails.
"Sorry, but it can't be helped if we want to keep you here with us, right? Meiko asked. "And you've got to get used to it for the concert."
"I guess it's good that I'll have to wear it all the time from here on out. I would hate having to readjust to it every single time."
"Okay, break's over," Kei called. "Everybody up."
Before the music started, Meiko caught Saki's eye. "Just a few more days," she mouthed, so her headset wouldn't pick it up. Saki grinned and nodded, just as they began to sing.
Honey, honey.
Honey, honey.
"Saki, you have to eat something."
"There's just not way, mom. I'm too excited!"
Mrs. Fujita leveled a stare at her daughter. "Young lady, concert or no concert, you are not leaving this house until you eat something. Unless you want the whole world to hear your stomach growling up on that stage."
A short while later, Saki bounded out the door, escaping with a piece of toast in her mouth. She practically flew to the Yamaha building, nearly bowling Kaito over when she got to the lobby.
"Are you sure you're not an overexcited fan?"
Saki laughed, and they headed upstairs for Saki's hair and make up. Once Saki had changed into wig and costume, they headed for the stage, where Meiko, Rin and Len were aready waiting.
"Have they started letting people into the concert hall yet?"
Meiko shook her head. "No, not yet. The light crew was making some last minute adjustments. But they should be here any minute now." She looked at Saki. "Miku-chan, is your mom coming to watch?"
Saki nodded. "I told her she didn't have to, since she's not really into pop music, but she wanted to come anyways."
"To support her daughter, of course."
Saki smiled down at her hands.
"Hey, they're coming, they're coming!" Meiko pulled the twins away from where they peeked out at the crowd so that their blonde heads wouldn't be seen.
"Well, shall we?" Everyone nodded. "We'll see you in a few minutes, Miku!"
Saki separated from the others to collect her headset and stand beneath the stage.
The plan was the let the other four sing the opening song, and then Saki would get to make her entrance. Saki reached her spot below the trap door just as the music began, and her heart began to beat faster.
Out in the audience, Riko was singing along. Though it wasn't a new song, she didn't really care. Being able to sing along was just as thrilling. Beside her, another girl was singing as well.
The song came into the final chorus, and the whole audience was singing along, or at least trying, as they waved glow sticks in the air.
A purple butterfly on your right shoulder
We kissed
In the corner of the room
Iearned what it's like
To have a heartrending feeling
Sounds of a piano rebounded,
Dissonace in my head
The four singers on stage stopped, freezing in poses as everyone cheered. When the stage went dark, everyone was still cheering.
Riko had to stop when her throat began to ache from all of her yelling. As she tried to clear her throat, she thought she heard—
Someone plugged in the electric guitar, as a strain of keyboard music began. Riko's eyes widened, and she grabbed the girl beside her, whose name she didn't even know. "It's her, it's got to be that girl—"
Lalalalalalala...
"It's her!"
Lalalalalalala…
As Saki sang out, her platform began to rise.
Lalalalalalala
Lalala…la…
Four pairs of hands reached down to grab her, and suddenly, she was there, in the middle of the light and the sound and the music. She had little time before the words began, and her voice sang out even though she was still feeling overwhelmed.
I wake up in the morning
And immediately I start to think of you
I decided to cut my bangs
Just to hear you say, "What happened?"
A pink skirt, and a flower barette
And it's time to go
I'm looking super cute today!
Melt - I'm about to melt
I can't tell you that I like you... but...
Melt - I can't let our eyes meet
I'm not into love and all that
But I do... like you
Lalalalalala...
Lalalalalalala
Lalala…la…
The crowd was beside themselves. Saki was surprised at the number of people who were singing along with her, and she felt some of her confidence return, a grin spreading over her face. Everyone else wasn't singing, but they were still dancing beside her.
The weather report lied
It's pouring down
My umbrella still folded in my bag won't do
So I gave a sigh
"I guess I'll have to let you in"
Beside me you say, laughing
That was the sound that made me fall in love
Melt - I can hardly breathe
My hand, touching yours, is trembling
My heart is racing under this half of the umbrella
If you should stretch out your hand to close the distance, what'll I do...?!
My feelings will reach you
It's time to stop wishing, I feel like I'm gonna cry
And yet, I'm so happy I could die!
Lalalalalalala...
Lalalalalalala…
Lalala…la…
Melt - We've reached the station...
We can't see each other anymore, we're close yet so far away, so...
Melt - I want to walk hand in hand with you!
Must we say goodbye so soon?
Hold me tight right away!
...or something
Lalalalalalala…
Lalalalalalala…
Lalala…la…
A cascade of electric guitar notes ended the song. Saki was happily out of breath, and she continued to smile out into the crowd. After a few moments, Kaito began speaking.
"If anyone here has bought one of the two CDs released before now, you have no doubt been wondering who the owner of the mystery voice was. Now it is our pleasure to introduce her to you—Hatsune Miku!"
When Saki stepped forward, everyone cheered. "It's nice to meet you!" She called, and the chattering died down a little. "I look forward to singing for everyone, so please continue to support us, and enjoy the rest of the show!"
She finished speaking just as the music began, and Meiko stepped forward to take the lead in the next song.
Honey, honey!
When Saki went backstage, her mother was waiting in the wings to give her a hug.
"You looked wonderful out there, Saki. I'm so proud of you."
"Yeah, you did great, Miku-chan!" Meiko said as she came in behind her.
"Now that we've had the concert, what's next?" Saki asked.
Meiko shrugged. "Who knows? But whatever it is, it's going to be awesome."
"It was so awesome!" Riko raved. "And now we finally know who that girl is—Hatsune Miku."
"Mmm…" Saki said, feigning disinterest, but she was trying her hardest not to break into a grin.
"It's too bad you couldn't go with me."
"I did get to watch it on TV, though." Her mother had recorded the entire concert so that she could watch it. It was a very surreal feeling, seeing that girl singing and smiling, who looked nothing like her, but was her.
"Hey, Saki!"
Saki started, realizing that she had been zoning out. "Wh-what?"
"You want to go shopping this weekend?"
Saki grinned. "Sure." Kaito had told her that she could have a little time off since the concert had just finished. "Sounds great."
The bell rang, and Riko returned to her seat.
Saki tried her best to concentrate, but every doodle in her notebook turned into music notes, and the teacher's words were drowned out by a refrain.
Aneko: And they all lived happily ever after.
…Just kidding. But wouldn't it be nice if it ended that neatly?
It's a little short, but what the hey. I'll make up for it by having more chapters in this fiction than in any of my other multichapters! (Maybe…)
I don't own the song Melt, or the brief part of Honey, Honey (all two lines of it...both times...)