Author's Note: The 9th chapter of Proof of Life. I do hope that you'll enjoy reading, as much as I enjoy writing this.
Disclaimer: I don't own Vocaloid.
Chapter 9: Bitter Truth
Luka was a strong woman. She never complained about things, she always excelled in any task she was given, she never got mad easily, and to top it all off, she never cried. Ever.
Sure she can be annoyed at her work, but she never complained about how hard it was being the owner and the manager of her own bakery. To think that Luka was crying in front of Len's eyes… well, that caught him really off guard.
"Lu…ka?" Len's voice was laced with hesitation and worry. Was this really the Luka he knew? When they were kids, it had always been Luka to be the one to soothe Len. Now, vice versa. "What's wrong?"
Luka shook the front gate slightly. "Let…me…in…first," she said between sobs. Len had been so startled, he forgot to let his childhood friend in.
The pink-headed woman tried to stop her tears with her hands, but it was no use. She couldn't stop crying.
Seeing Luka in this fragile state, Rin panicked. "Do you want some tea, Luka?" Yeah, that was the best she could do. Rin needed to persuade Luka into the house.
Luka nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. "T-that'll be great."
Len wasn't used to this fragile state of Luka. But, it was like that the slightest tremor could destroy her, reduce her to pieces. Len felt very protective of her then. He wrapped her right arm around Luka's shoulders, and patted her head.
"It's going to be okay," Len said softly. He wasn't used to soothing Luka, but he imagined that she was a lost child; which was not easy to do. "Everything's going to be okay."
That green jealousy monster, to Rin's surprise, didn't show up in her heart. Maybe it was because Luka was crying, or maybe that Rin also felt protective of her. Either way, she was glad that jealousy monster wasn't there.
Rin, Len, and Luka sat around the kitchen's table. The trio had a cup of tea sitting in front each of them.
Luka took the cup of tea in her trembling hands and sipped. She wasn't crying anymore. Thank goodness, Rin and Len both thought.
Both Rin and Len knew that it wasn't the right time to ask Luka about the cause of her sadness. They decided that they'll let Luka tell them by herself, without the need to be asked about it first.
As if right on cue, Luka opened her mouth to speak.
"It's about…" Luka placed the cup down. Although she wasn't crying, her eyes were already moist again, "…my fiancé."
Anger suddenly consumed Len. "Was he the one that made you cry?" Len's tone was intimidating. He had promised Luka that he'd beat her fiancé up if her fiancé turned out to be a jerk in the end.
Luka played with her long sleeve. "Well… more or less."
That's it, Len thought. This guy is so dead.
Rin could feel the murderous aura that Len was giving out. That was not good. Feeling the need to calm him down, she grabbed the edge of Len's sleeve lightly.
"Calm down, Len," Rin said softly. Then, she turned her calming blue eyes towards Luka. "What do you mean by 'more or less', Luka?"
The beautiful woman was in the verge of tears again. "He didn't physically make me cry. No, he'd never hurt me in that way. Actually, he was the literal cause of my sadness."
Rin and Len's faces both gave that what-do-you-mean look.
"Well, he's…" Luka, to Len's horror, started crying again. "…he's dead."
And BAM!
It was like something hard knocked both Rin and Len in the faces.
"Why—How—What?" Len couldn't find the exact words to express his surprised feeling.
"What—I don't—How—When?" Rin wasn't any better as well.
It was no surprise that both of them would act that way. Luka was talking about her fiancé with so much happiness—so much life yesterday, and today, he's a dead person.
"I d-don't know exactly when," Luka said as she tried to stop her sobs. "But the police said he died yesterday."
Died yesterday? Rin thought. I know one person who died yesterday…
"How?" Len was still left utterly surprised.
Luka shook her head. "The police said it was because he slipped and…impaled himself."
"Impaled?" Rin echoed. I know one exact same person who died because a sharp object impaled him right through the heart, Rin thought.
"Yes," Luka smiled ruefully. She looked extremely sad with streaks of tears along her cheeks. "That's him alright. He had always been so careless, it was no surprise that he managed to impale himself."
Len was a bit terrified. He didn't know Luka could talk about something like 'impaling' so lightly.
"He's just the talker type." Luka wiped her cheeks. "He acts tough, but he can be so careless from time to time."
Don't tell me… Len thought. I know one person who was just like that.
"That's Mikuo all right." Luka's eyes moistened again at the mention of his name. "Len, punch him for me, please. Turns out he's a jerk after all."
Mikuo.
That name rang in Rin's head for a thousand times.
But what hurt her the most, was the fact that Luka didn't know that Mikuo was murdered by her own brother.
What Rin found peculiar, was the fact that the police hadn't told Luka the truth. Maybe it was to make sure that nobody knew about a murderer in town. If the townsfolk heard about a murderer that had been walking their streets, chaos might spread.
Besides, you'd be sentenced to death if you killed someone. The fact that Rin's brother might be death sentenced did not unnerve her at all. Kei lived all his life in vengeance, and she knew that he won't beg forgiveness for his sins, no matter what. Death was the only way he could escape. He had wanted it, anyway. The look in Kei's eyes had been screaming 'kill me, please'. Yes, Rin had seen that look before; in her own eyes when she was little.
The fact that her brother killed Luka's fiancé, made her very guilty. She tried to hide her guilt, but Len had noticed it.
"He impaled himself?" Len asked. He had to drive the attention away from Rin, so that Luka wouldn't see the guilt in Rin's eyes.
"Yeah," Luka said. "Stupid, but that's Mikuo. The stupid, careless Mikuo that I love so much."
Love, Rin thought. She loves him. And my brother took him from her.
"So anyway," Luka had regained her composure, "I came here to tell you guys about the burial. I wanted to tell you the details, but I lost myself for a second there. Sorry."
"It's okay," Len said. "I'd be worried if you hadn't cried."
"Mm." Luka nodded. She took 2 invitation letters from her pocket. "The details are all in here. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some baking to do."
Luka stood up and headed for the door. Before she turned the handle, she smiled at Rin. "Oh, and thank you for the tea."
Rin had never felt so guilty in her life.
Not long ago, it was the green jealousy monster. Now, it was the yellow guilt monster that was corroding her heart; just like acid.
It's because of me, Rin thought. I caused this to happen.
She felt vulnerable then. Yes, she was used to the green jealousy monster running, rampaging through her heart. But the yellow guilt monster that leaks acid… that she wasn't used to. The guilt was corrosive, and it felt like it can burn her heart into ashes.
Len noticed that Rin was in pain. He could see that she was burdened with guilt. The pained look on Rin's face hurt him as well, and his body instantly wrapped their arms around her.
"I know what you're thinking, Rin." Len's grip tightened. "It's not your fault."
"But my brother killed him. He took away Luka's lover, Len." Rin tried her best not to cry. "We're related, don't you remember? That makes me feel…guilty."
Len stifled his laughter. He wasn't laughing at her, he was laughing at how innocent she was; completely unlike him.
"Don't you remember, Rin?" Len asked. "You said that people are different. Their lives are different books, and they're very different authors. No one is the same."
Rin's breath stopped for a moment. Len had turned her words against her.
"So you and your brother are different authors," Len said as he grinned. "Different individuals."
Rin looked up.
"His life is his life, and yours is yours." Len patted Rin's head lovingly. "The only thing that connects you both is the blood running through your veins. Other than that, you're completely different."
Len was right.
"His problems are his, Rin." Len smirked. "And his sins are his sins."
Len was always the smartest kid in school. He was always smarter than anybody else, it was no wonder the teachers all learn to love and fear him.
But about life? Rin was always better than him.
Rin was the one who reaped the meaning of life, and how precious it is. Len was the one who used her words against herself, using logic. So, the one who cheered Rin up, was no other than Rin herself. Len was only the person who made her realize that.
"So anyway," Rin felt better now, "when is the burial?"
Len opened the letter. "Tomorrow at 3 in the afternoon."
"They don't waste time, do they?" Rin cleaned the cups of tea.
"No, they don't." Len put the letter back into the envelope. It was rare for him to think about Miku, but he knew what it felt like to lose someone you love. "I wonder how Miku's doing."
Rin's hands stopped cleaning.
"I don't know much about their brother-sister relationship," Len said. "But they didn't look like they were close at school."
"But still." Rin finished cleaning and sat opposite Len. "They're still related. I just hope she won't take it very hard."
"Mm." Len nodded. All this talk about life and death made him remember about Lily. He hadn't meant to do it, really. He did what he thought was best.
It was a long time ago. Len was just turning 8, and Lily was 12. Len loved his sister dearly, and he looked up to her. Lily had a melodious voice, a beautiful face, and a kind heart. Unfortunately, her life was destined to burn short.
Len always played with Lily, but he knew when to stop. He had to stop when his sister was breathing heavily, and when her cheeks reddened. He couldn't afford to increase her heart rate, as it will shorten her life span.
But lately, Lily had been sneaking out of the house while Len was at school. Lily would always come back to the mansion panting, and she'd crash into her bed.
One day, Len decided to skip school so he could watch his sister. Lily, of course, thought Len had gone to school, and climbed down her window by climbing the veins that grew alongside the walls. Yes, she was extremely good at climbing.
Len decided to follow after her. While Lily excelled in climbing, Len mastered the art of stealth. He could follow Lily without being noticed at all.
Len followed Lily to a part of town he wasn't familiar of. Well, it was out of town, to be exact. Lily walked through the woods and hummed happily as she enjoyed the view. Len, on the other hand, was left confused. Did Lily walk here every day he saw her panting?
Lily got out of the woods and into a wide, beautiful flower field. Len hid not far away from her behind the bushes. His sister was looking around, as if she was looking for somebody. Why was she meeting somebody here of all places?
The blond-haired girl stopped looking around, threw her arms in the air and shouted, "Miku!"
Miku? Len thought. Hatsune Miku? My classmate who has throat cancer?
Len hadn't noticed it before, but suddenly, a girl with long, loose, teal hair sat up. She had been lying on the grass before, the reason why Len hadn't seen her.
"Lily!" Miku croaked. She called out with such delight, even though her voice was rusty. "I've been waiting for you!"
"Sorry!" Lily ran to Miku's side. Wait! She wasn't supposed to run! "I had to make sure no one's home."
Miku smiled delightfully. "No, it's okay!"
Even though Len was a bit far away now, since Lily had run to Miku's place, he could still hear what they were talking about.
"So, what do you want to sing today, Miku?" Lily asked as she plopped beside Miku. "Something cheerful, I hope."
"Yes!" Miku threw her arms around Lily. "Let's sing something fast!"
They both sang and ran around in the flower field until the sun went down.
Len was growing tired waiting in the bushes.
So this is why Lily always looked so tired, Len thought. Because she was pushing herself over the limits with Miku.
Not long after the sun went down, Lily began panting heavily and beads of sweat rolled down her face. She stopped running and clutched her chest tightly. Noticing that no one was chasing after her, Miku turned around and gasped.
"Lily!" Miku ran to Lily's side. Lily fell to her knees and gasped for air. "Lily! Are you okay?"
No! Len thought. He didn't care about his hiding spot anymore. Instead, he intended to reveal himself to both of them. And so, he jumped out and ran to his sister's aid.
"Lily!" Len shouted.
Miku was startled and dumbfounded. "Len?"
"Move," he said while pushing Miku to the side. "She needs air."
Miku stepped back fearfully. "W-what's wrong with her, Len?"
"You mean you didn't know?" Len felt anger rising to his chest. "All this time and you didn't know?"
"W-what do you mean?" Miku was trembling now.
The 8-year-old boy carried his unconscious sister on his back. "She has heart cancer. There. Happy?"
Miku's eyes widened in shock and she fell down. "She…has heart cancer?"
"Yeah." The boy turned his back. "And you're trying to kill her."
Len walked away, leaving Miku speechless.
Back at home, Lily woke up to the sound of Len's breathing beside her.
"Len?" Lily sat up and rubbed her head. She shook her brother's shoulder gently. "Len, wake up."
Len, being the light sleeper he was, woke up by the sudden movement on his shoulders. He opened his eyes and rubbed them sleepily.
"Lily," he said.
"You saw us, didn't you?" Lily locked eyes with Len. She had a rueful smile across her lips.
"Yeah, I saw." Len tried not to look sad. "Are you trying to kill yourself, sister?"
Lily nodded half-heartedly. "About time you figured out, little brother."
The 8-year-old looked surprised. He hadn't meant what he said, really. It was just a cruel joke.
"But," Len looked down to his feet, "why?"
"I…" Lily patted Len's head lovingly. "I know I'm destined to die soon, Len. I'm just trying to speed up the process."
"No," Len shook his head, "you're lying. I know. I can feel it."
Now it was Lily's turn to look shocked.
"You're trying to help Miku, aren't you?" Len hypothesized. "You know she has throat cancer, and you're trying to help her, being the kind person you are. Being with Miku is speeding up the disease, and you're trying to tell me that you're the one who wants to speed up the process. You're only telling me that so Miku won't take the blame, am I right?"
Lily laughed. "You've always been too smart for your own good, Len."
Why? Len thought. Why is she willing to risk her life on helping one person?
"She needs my help, Len," Lily said. "I won't die until she is convinced that life is precious."
"No." Len shook his head. "I'll make sure you never see her again. I'll drop out of school if I have to."
The weak girl started to shake her head. "No! Please, Len. Let me help her. If I don't, she might lose hope on life."
"I don't care." Len was well aware that he looked like a cruel 8-year-old by saying this. "Your life is more important to me, sister."
"No!" Lily grabbed Len's shirt to stop him from walking away. From a far point of view, a 12-year-old clinging to an 8-year-old boy would've looked funny. "Please, Len. If I succeed in making her cheerful again, I'll have a proof of my life."
Len turned around. "Proof of life?"
"Yes." Lily smiled and let go of her brother. "A proof that I existed. It can only be achieved by doing a very good deed. And my good deed is convincing Miku that life is precious."
I don't get it, Len thought. Isn't living with us proof enough that she exists?
Noticing that Len wasn't going to change his mind, Lily sighed.
"Look, Len." Lily took her brother's hands in hers. Her gaze was kind and it warmed Len right to his feet. "I know I'll die soon."
Len felt tears prickle his eyes.
"The only reason I'm holding on, is to get a proof of my life." Lily smiled.
No, Len thought. You're my everything, Lily. I'm nothing without my sister.
"If I don't succeed in convincing her," Lily smiled happily, which Len thought was a bit peculiar, "I want you to kill me."
Author's Note: What do you think? Did you enjoy it? :]
