"Hmmm..." I sat up, and crossed my legs and assumed the meditation position, and I closed my eyes.

I heard gentle footsteps across the room and the unzipping of the luggage, and I heard the footstep drawing closer. I opened my eyes slightly and saw a pair of blue eyes staring at me.

"What are you doing?" Miku asked, tilting her head, and I opened my eyes slightly.

"Meditating. Good for the mind." I said, and I heard Miku climb onto the bed, and do the same.

"What are you supposed to do in meditation?" She asked, and I coughed.

"Empty the mind... Breathe in... Breathe out..." I said calmly, and I could hear Miku's breathing getting louder, and somewhat exaggerated.

"Breathe. Not asthma. Breathe." I demonstrated, taking a deep breath slowly, and then exhale. Miku followed the instructions, and I sat there, taking quick glances at her from the corner of my eye.

Hurry... Come on...

After a while. Miku's head sunk, and I turned a little. She had fallen asleep. I gave her a gentle poke and she collapsed onto the bed, breathing slowly.

I gently got off the bed and unzipped my bag, and removed a plastic film separating clothes from-

My fishing rod. It gleamed in the light. It was dark green, and I took out the box of mealworms beside it, and as quietly as I could, I scribbled a note to Miku to tell her to meet me at the breakwater and I left, bowing a little to an asleep Miku before leaving.

Why do I need an asleep Miku? Well, by the time she wake up, I'm bound to have caught something already. I think so anyway. Also, she keeps talking, not that I don't like talking, don't get me wrong. Just that for fishing…

"Wait! My laptop!" I cried to myself and re-entered the room, and as I bent down to retrieve my laptop at a corner of the room where it was charging, the fishing rod smacked the table lamp off the end table.

"Mhm..? Barzini-san..?"

Xxx
"You wanted to leave alone?" Miku said as I explained to her my situation, her face bowed and a small smile on her face. Was that forced?

"Well… Yes… Like I said, fishing is boring. You probably won't like it." I bit my tongue and looked at her guiltily.

"I-It's okay… I'll go away." Miku stood up abruptly and when her hair swung, I caught a glimpse of tears, and I panicked.

"Look, Miku… I'm sorry." I grabbed her by the arm, and she stopped, still not facing me, and the panic meter in me was screaming EMERGENCY.

"You wanted to be alone! So I'm going!" She said rather loudly, and I grabbed her other hand so that she will face me.

"Miku… Sit down… Come on. Just… Sit…" I said, and she did, still not looking at me. To be honest, if I were in her shoes, I'd be pretty mad as well.

"I… Am sorry. But…" I bowed my head and stared at the floor as well, sitting beside her.

"Yes! You said that fishing needs silence. So are you saying that I am a noisy chatterbox? So you think the same way like Rin?" She shouted, her tears pouring down her face.

I looked at her silently for a moment.

"Miku. Do not. Ever. Accuse me of thinking badly of you. In fact, if I think badly of you, I won't even be talking to you right now." I said, my anger slowly building up steam.

"Why the hell do you think I was so overjoyed when I had a Vocaloid? Because there was one true friend I was guaranteed for life! Why do you think that I talk to you so much every day? Why! Because you're my best friend!" I said, keeping my voice calm though I felt that I could explode soon.

"Why on earth do you think that I think the same way as Kagamine Rin? You're a friend! A TRUE friend! AND THAT! WILL! NEVER! CHANGE!" I picked up my laptop and got up, leaving all of my fishing equipment behind, wanting to go out and take a breather.

When I was at the door, I heard someone run behind me, and I turned around, and Miku dived at me, hugging me, burying her head, and I sighed, and hugged her back.

"I-I'm sorry, Barzini-san! I-It's just… I am so worried that you don't want me anymore…! Do you know how it feels to be unwanted? Do you?" She asked, and I smiled but I did not answer.

"Put it this way, Miku. As long as I am alive, I will need you. Come, go wash your face. Then we'll go for a walk." I said, and she looked up at me, her eyes watery, but she was smiling, and from her eyes, I thought I could see a… Wonderful feeling… A very human one.

It was joy, and…

Gratitude.

Xxx

The nice thing about being at a beach was that it… Is more cooling than being in mainland Singapore due to the land and sea breezes, otherwise, it won't be an overestimation to say that Singapore is like a gigantic microwave unless its near the year end monsoon season, where moisture laden wind carry- Sorry, got carried away with Geography.

As we strolled down the path, I pointed to Miku, across the sea, there was land which we could make out.

"On a clear day, you can see Malaysia there…" I pointed out, and Miku, dressed in her signature black and turquoise nodded, squinting her eyes to see, and she nodded, smiling as she walked with a spring in her steps, smiling at every sentence I say, and giving an enthusiastic reply.

As we reached the breakwater, I sat down by it, and placed my laptop on my lap, and as Miku sat beside me, I smiled.

"I may have to give up on this project I have soon…" I sighed, hitting the backspace button with deliberate force.

"Why, Barzini-san? And what was this even about in the first place?" Miku asked, and I felt that she had lowered the pitch of her voice as well as try to speak less, to which I sighed.

"Miku. Be yourself. You don't have to change for other people. But if someone is willing to change for you, then you better treasure that person. Since I obviously treasure you, I think I like the Miku I see every day." I smiled, and she seemed to think through what I said for a moment.

"Okay, Barzini-san!" She smiled, and I could feel that suppressed Miku, the one that I was always proud to associate with, the cheerful, hyperactive girl with turquoise hair.

"You wanted to fish here right?" She asked, closing her eyes to feel the breeze as I sighed and turned off my laptop.

"Sure did… But… Being with a true friend is much better in every manner possible." I smiled back, and Miku poked the laptop, and I grinned.

"You can't touch it. It's for us." I said, and Miku nodded her head, before shaking it quickly.

"What was that supposed to mean?" I queried, and she held up her leek and gestured at the computer with it.

"I can't turn it on, but I can access it's database." She chirped, and I placed a finger under my chin before I nodded slightly.

"That would be because I assume that you all have some form of database as well?" I said, and she shook her head, before pointing to a fishing store nearby that allowed people to rent fishing equipment.

"It's a waste of money…" I said and quickly looked away, looking across the sea, where the sound of the waves were strangely calming.

"Barzini uso!" She wagged her leek and I sighed, and bit my lips as I stared at the rental store. This was seriously going to burn a hole in my pocket.

"Alright... Fine..." I placed my laptop down and went to the shop, and my heart ached as I paid for the rod and bait, three hours. Twenty-five dollars. Painful enough.

"There..." I fixed the bait to the rod, and I saw Miku squirm and I grinned.

"It's not real. No worries. Just looks real. The one I have in the dormitory is the real thing." I smiled, and cast the line into the water, and pulled out a dog collar from my pocket, which had a bell on it.

"My grandfather taught me this." I smiled, and there was a pole at the edge of the breakwater, and I tied the fastened the rod to the pole with the collar.

"If there is a fish, it would tug on the rod, so the bell on the collar will ring, and if it's not too heavy, then all you need to do is to reel it up." I said, and headed to 7 Eleven to buy ice, and then borrow a freezer from the fishing store, in which I poured the ice into.

"So, Miku, tell me. You're 16 right?" I asked and she nodded enthusiastically, twirling her leek, and her eyes were clear, clear blue or cyan. Not the kind of gaze you get from us burdened fifteen year olds in the story because we all know how pressured we are at this age for our GCE O Levels.

"Hai~! Young! Young!" She squealed, hugging her leek.

"I know right... But you never age too. Oh, how were you born?" I asked, moving to sit beside Miku, and she fell silent and looked down.

"I... Was asleep... Then I heard your voice... Then I heard your name... And I was instructed to be with you... But I was scared... Then I heard all the music and laughter from your videos... And I got curious... So, I came out!" She said, recalling the day we first met.

"Interesting. So where were you asleep in? Some chamber?" I joked, and Miku held the bit down on her leek.

"Uwahh... It is like... I don't know... I did not look around when I woke up..." She said, confusing me further.

"Wait, so you awoke and you were already sixteen?" I asked, and she nodded slowly.

"I think so... My first memory is of seeing you try to run away from me." She pouted, and waved her leek playfully at me.

"I see... So you were-"

If I die young, bury me in satin... Lay me down on a bed of roses...

My phone started ringing, and I saw that it was a friend of mine who was going through some relationship troubles. I sighed and gave Miku a tired smile.

I answered the call and coughed into it.

"Hey man... You free?" The boy's voice in the phone was shaky, obviously having cried earlier on.

"Sure man. But give me a second." I passed my laptop to Miku who looked at it.

"Let it entertain you first... I think this would be too boring for you." I whispered, lowering the phone so that my friend couldn't hear me.

Miku placed her hand at the laptop and her eyes shifted out of focus, and I resumed talking to my friend.

"Do you need someone… When you are sad? Is that being weak of me?" He said, his voice quivering and I sighed.

"No, I don't think that I'm weak when and if I need someone to talk to. You're only weak if you think you are weak." I replied, and kept silent for a moment before I continued.

"Different people got their own ways of expressing their sorrow. Some people must tell others. It's not being weak. In fact, don't you feel better after you tell someone about it? When I do, I do feel less burdened. Am I weak? I don't think so. Also, to tell you the truth. As much as I don't tell people a lot of things about me, I would end up doing so one day. Now that I got such a special and true friend that is." I said, turning to look at Miku who was beaming.

"She's right… I always need someone to lean on… It's… Okay… Thanks Barzini." He said quickly, and hung up. Obviously someone had entered the room. Sighing, I hung up and turned to Miku who was smiling at me.

"Whoa. You heard everything?" I asked her jokingly and she shook her head.

"Just the last few lines! But it's good enough advice and especially the last line which is so true! So worship me!" She pointed her leek forcefully at me, and she suddenly just stared at me, and I waved my hand in front of her.

"Barzini-san… I want you to tell me the truth about you being the ring leader of the organizations… Why would you destroy my leek?" She hugged her leek protectively, and I stoned there for a moment.

"Okay, tell me what is going on… Bit by bit…" I said, utterly confused and she told me that she had told Kaito who told Nicole about what I said, and the girl had not only shifted all the terror labels to my name, and added an Melt-all-Ice-cream-faction to it.

"I see… I see…" I scratched my chin and wondered about that for a moment. This was a sticky one. Truth or carry on playing?

"Well… I see what a clever game that Nicole is playing… To turn my allies against me… Worthy of a world-class assassin… Did you know she was the mastermind of the assassination of Willy Wonka? The person in charge of a huge chocolate factory? She is the ring leader of the organizations she mentioned. In fact, she is a member of the Dark Banana-group… A group aiming at poisoning all the bananas in the world to control the minds of everyone…" I said eerily, and Miku shuddered before she blinked.

"Wait. Isn't she part of the Anti-Banana terror group?" She said and I flinched. Oh no, a loophole.

"Yes, after the bananas are poisoned, and consumed and all of us have been controlled, therefore, we can all assist them to destroy the bananas." I said gravely, and Miku covered her mouth with her hand, horrified.

"I- I see… She… She is a killer? Nicole is too nice! She wouldn't hurt a fly!" She said in a hushed voice and I almost lost it.

"I know… But she'd hurt a fellow human being." I said, and Miku nodded slowly, horrified that our dear friend, Nicole, could do such a terrible thing.

I laid down on the rocks, and I could hear… the crashing of the waves… The rustling of the leaves in the wind… The ringing of bells… Miku who was lying down beside me… I could hear the rhythm of her breathing…

Bells.

Wait that didn't sound right. Bells?

"Fish! Fish!" I cried and rushed to the rod, which was trembling, it's rod bent, and with one hand, I clung onto the rod, hauling it up, and the other, loosened the collar, and leant my body back, with Miku watching on anxiously.

"Gambatte, Barzini!" Miku cheered as I started to reel it in, and lowering the rod further so that it won't be under too much tension and snap.

"Too… Heavy…" I grunted, and I decided to defy how the old method in which people fish.

"GWAH!" I cried and pulled the rod up slowly, and after a while, I suddenly felt a ceasing of resistance and I fell, landing on my back, holding onto the fishing rod.

"I think it got away." I panted, and stood up.

"Eh? Miku? Where are you?" I looked around and saw that she had fallen down as well, and I blinked.

"What happened?" I asked, shaking her.

"I can tell for sure that your fish did not get away." I heard her say and she sat up, and where her face was, the fish was there, attached to my rod.

Her face had a comical imprint of the fish's tail, which was reddish, implying that when I hauled it up, the rod had whipped back and slapped Miku across her face with the fish, causing her to fall down.

"Poor Miku…" I suppressed a smile and placed the fish into the freezer, burying it under all that ice and tied the rod to the pole again with the collar, and gave Miku a pat on the shoulder, and she pouted, rubbing the side of her face.

"Hurts…" She whimpered and my heart softened and I bowed a little.

"Gomenasai!" I said, and she narrowed her eyes at me for a moment before nodding.

"Forgiven!" She said enthusiastically, waving her leek at me.

I smiled back and the bells rang again.

So for whom does the bell toll?

Xxx

"All ready to leave?" Yukina raised her fist in the air and Piko did the same.

"Yes!" Everyone chirped, carrying their luggage as it was, with the exception of me who was lugging a freezer that I had bought.

"What happened to the one you borrowed?" Piko asked me and I sighed.

"Key being borrowed. But of course I have to return it at some point…" I replied and he nodded, and turned to face Yukina who was apparently thanking everyone for the wonderful time that we had together, and when her speech ended, I simply started clapping.

"So… How many fish did you catch?" Nicole said mockingly, and the people around me sniggered, with the exception of Allen and Haku. I think those two are going to be my best friends…

Miku raised her hands triumphantly, all ten fingers outstretched, and holding it so close to Nicole's face that there was this threat that if she was real, her face would get hit.

"Ten?" Kaito said, moving swiftly to stand between Miku and Nicole.

"No!" Miku pouted, throwing her leek onto the floor, and raised her hands again, and she stomped her feet as well.

"Guys, look at her toes." Michelle said, and we all bent down. Two toes were wriggling.

"Twelve?" Zheng Yi said, and Miku gave him a hug.

"Smart! Smart!" She said, picking up her leek and twirling it, and proceeded to walk around in circles me, who had my bag slung across me and hugging this freezer with a laptop on top that I almost looked comical.

"Let me help you with that." Zheng Yi said, and took the laptop off the freezer and I thanked him.

"Off to the bus stop! Follow tight! No one is going to get lost!" Yukina held her hand high and everyone laughed.

"The results announcement is at what time?" I heard a voice ask softly beside me, and I saw that it was Allen, with Haku whose head was bowed and had a slight shade of red on it, walking slightly behind him.

"Ah… I guess by the time we are back at school, around noon? We're supposed to go to the… Music Hall… To meet the preposterous poser of Albus Dumbledore." I grunted and Allen nodded, and slowed his walking, so that Haku and himself will fall at the back of the group again.

"You plan to shut these in your fridge?" Neru asked, her hand on her katana, which gave a vague impression of a samurai.

"Sure. Tuna is BIG and tasty if cooked right." I purposely lowered my voice as I saw that the fish-lover, SeeU was in front.

However, I forgot the TUNA-lover, Megurine Luka.

"Did you just say... Tuna?" I heard a dangerous whisper beside me and saw that Luka was eyeing the freezer in my hands and I gulped.

"C-Calm down! I-It's just tuna!" I stuttered, and Luka got closer and closer, losing her usually calm and composed manner, her mouth opened wide, her hand outreached towards the box.

"Wait. This is for humans. You can't eat it." I pointed out, and a blank expression appeared across her face, and she sighed.

"If only I could…" She made a swipe at the freezer box, hugging her huge tuna plushie tightly.

"Guys! The bus! Hurry!" I heard Yukina say and I looked up, and I saw the bus going to the bus stop. Run or walk? But I'm too lazy to run…

"Come! Come! Run! Run!" I heard Neru say and I saw her practically flying towards the bus, and I sighed. All you need is one runner and the rest will follow. Sure enough, everyone else started running, and I shook my head, before forcefully lifting my feet to the next step faster and faster and ran to the bus, with Hatsune Miku ahead of me, her long blue hair flying. Should she be real, her hair would have completely obscured my vision and had me run into a lamp-post or something like that.

As we boarded the bus, I set my freezer down and paid the fare, before proceeding to join the gang seated at the back of the unusually empty bus.

"Hey, guise! Who do you think will do the best overall?" Amy asked, and Karina perked up instantly.

"Of course it is us! Who else!" Karina said proudly, pointing at Haku Yowane who blushed and looked away.

"Hey, that one with the killer lovers wasn't that bad you know." I added in and Len Kagamine looked at me incredulously.

"Why them? Would people like you all really have your loved one die and fall in love with the killer?" Len asked, and Karina nodded in agreement.

"Stockholm's syndrome. A psychological phenomenon where hostages express empathy or even affection for their kidnapper." I replied quickly, and I heard Miku sigh.

"Judging from that sigh… Barzini, which history book did you get that from? Or was it the Mentalist or CSI Miami?" Michelle said, and SeeU held up narrowed her eyes at me, raising her hand and brushed it against the side of her face.

"World is not enough actually. Pierce Brosnan as James Bond… My favourite James Bond forever." I pointed out and Nicole rolled her eyes.

"Wait. Where is Kaito?"

We turned to look at Yukina who was performing a head count. After a while, we slowly turned to face Nicole who had buried her face in her hands.

"Tell me… Did anyone see Meiko and Hannah too?" Yukina asked and we all groaned. Either Sake had done its job or both of them had really lost their way.

"Kaito said he'll catch up. Aisu stand… The old man with this motorcycle. And his bell. Ring ring!" Rin said, mimicking the way the street ice cream vendors rang their bells to attract customers.

"Ah… Then Meiko and Hannah?" Mai asked, looking up from his PSP and we looked around at each other. Someone needed to go back and get them. Finding them was the more major issue.

"Yukina, did you do a headcount in the beach house?" Zheng Yi asked, and Yukina nodded urgently.

"Of course I did! I am not dumb!" Yukina snapped, and a marshmellow flew towards Zheng Yi which went through him and hit an asleep Neru.

"Who… Did that…?" Neru said, sitting up straight, but not opening her eyes.

"OKAY! TELL ME HOW THE RESULTS GO!" Nicole said quickly, and as the bus pulled to a stop at the next station, Nicole hopped off, along with Piko and Yukina, allegedly to rescue Hannah and Meiko.

Or rescue Piko, now that it is mentioned.

"Okay... So... The rest of us..." Karina said, and then with both her hands, pointed at Amy who continued-

"Go back for the results!"

Xxx

"Ok guys! We have just twenty minutes. Twenty minutes. Go pack your stuff, clean up if you can do so in like ten minutes! And-" Karina said enthusiastically,until the loudspeaker played a musical chime signalling an announcement.

"All students, please proceed to the music hall in your best attire. The announcing of the results will be pushed back by an hour. Crypton Future Media President, Hiroyuki Itō would later be holding a press conference, with an important announcement."

"Does that call for formal attire?" Zheng Yi said brightly, and Neru looked at him angrily.

"Did you even buy any for me!" She growled, her hand on her katana, and Zheng Yi backed away, his arms raised to shield himself.

"Where's mine too!" Rin glared at Amoz who moved away, and both of their human companions were staring warily at their Vocaloids. One had a katana and the other had a steamroller.

"You two haven't bought formal attires for your Vocaloids? Shame, shame on you!" Amy stuck out her tongue and Aki did the same, causing Miku to skip over to the two boys and shake her head in an exaggerated form of way.

"Alright folks, I'll be off. An hour plus to waste and I am definitely not going to stand here. You few might as well go and shop for formal wear. Bye!" I laughed, and with the freezer in my hands, turned and started to make my way back to the dormitory, with Hatsune Miku following close behind me.

"Barzini-san..." She said and I cast a sidelong glance at her, and raised my eyebrows.

"No worries of course, good ole freezer is going back into the fridge along with all that ice in it... Guaranteed freshness." I said, and she shook her head.

"No, I wanted to ask-" She opened her mouth to speak and I sighed.

"Want some advice is it? Someone stole your leek?" I asked, trying to predict her question and she shook her head continuously.

"Advice regarding whether you still want your laptop back. It's still with Zheng Yi." She pointed at their rapidly fading figure as they walked away-

"HOI! HOI! STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!" I shouted at them and gave chase, with a girl that has extremely long hair in the colour of turquoise following behind.

Xxx

"Okay... Now we all need to wash up. You can go on in first." I said to Miku, who did some sort of a little bow and stepped into the shower.

Rubbing my forehead, I turned on my laptop, and went through my Facebook, noting all 182 of Miku's notifications, then pulled up Hotmail. I had mailed a friend on the consistent errors I kept getting in the scripting.

"Ooh... A reply..." I said softly to myself and clicked on it. I am going to succeed!-

Dude. What the heck are you going on about? -_-

I stared lamely at his reply and sighed. I was going to be on my own for this project, most definitely too.

As I opened the scripting window, I almost died.

"MIKU! WHY THE HECK ARE THERE MIKURAWKS IN EVERY ALTERNATIVE LINE! OH AND EMOTES TOO!" I shouted, and I heard a rather high pitch "Ooh!" and Miku scrambled out of the shower, with just a towel wrapping her wet body.

"DUDE! DUDE! WHAT THE HELL! YOU CAN ANSWER ME IN THE SHOWER! GO GO GO!" I hurriedly covered my eyes and only opened it when I heard the shower doors closing.

"The numbers didn't really make sense, so I thought it should be livened up!" I heard her say cheerfully and I didn't know whether to kill her or breakdown and cry.

"Ruined. I'm ruined." I flopped into the chair and slammed my fist onto the keyboard with deliberate force, and leant back, closing my eyes.

Launching…

Loading data cache…

Initializing Miracle App.

I opened my eyes at the last line and and I saw a folder being created on my desktop with the name, "Transformation App"

"C-Could it be… Possible?" I stared incredulously at the folder, and after a brief moment, I plugged in my iPhone and watched as iTunes popped up, but I ignored it. Going back to my desktop, I opened iPhone Explorer and dragged the folder into the apps folder.

"O-Okay…" I gulped, and disconnected my iPhone, and placed my finger onto the screen, and slid it across the screen.

Miracle

There it was, on the screen. ON THE SCREEN.

I tapped the app, and held my breath as the screen turned black, and then an interface turned up, a dark blue screen came up.

Initialize

How to use

"Of course I know how to use this…" I said absentmindedly and tapped on Initialize, which had the screen turn to a camera.

"Okay… So if I…" I aimed my camera at the laptop, and took a photo of it, and then, it gave me a selection box of items.

Identify object to Vocalize.

I made that term up. Cool eh?

Items identified in photo: Barzini's PC (Specs received via syncing with iTunes)
Fridge
Banana
Milkshake
Used paper
History textbooks
Table lamp

Identified via picture analyzing…. Complete…

Please choose item to Vocalize.

Holding my breath, I tapped laptop, and a loading bar came out, and my excitement rose as it started moving across the screen, and then-

It froze.

"Come on…" I shook my phone a little, and after another good five minutes or so, I set the phone down, and Miku came out.

"Well, almost did it. Almost." I muttered and Miku looked at me questioningly, and I stepped into the shower, thoroughly disappointed.

Naw… It'll work. I'm sure it work.

Xxx

"Uhh… Miku… Get dressed. I think I need to drop by the canteen for some food." I said, stepping out of the shower, dressed in a basic jeans and shirt (LOOK, I RARELY ATTEND FORMAL SESSIONS SO I DON'T REALLY HAVE FORMAL WEAR!), and I saw Miku hammering away at my laptop.

"Miku… Don't hit so hard at the laptop… My heart aches." I said sarcastically and I heard her reply indignantly, "NOT YOURS! MINE! IT WAS HERE!"

"Riiiiight." I said to her and picked up my laptop, and picking up my laptop, I hammered the back of my neck and gestured for her to get dressed for the occasion. She DID have formal wear.

"Let me turn off my laptop first…" She pouted, and I sighed.

"How do you turn off my laptop when it is with me? Silly girl…" I laughed, and it was at this moment when my dysfunctional brain clicked.

I looked at the laptop in my hands and the one sitting on Miku's lap.

"W-Where did you get that?" I asked her, and I felt my face tensing. It is always like this when I am nervous or afraid.

"Y-you're so pale. Sit down, Barzini-san!" She waved her hand at my face and that was the last thing I remembered.

Xxx

"Wake up, boy… It's no good. Get me a glass of water." I heard a man say, and some footsteps.

"Is he… Dead?" I could hear a familiar high pitched voice, which was trembling.

"No, just fainted. Nothing we couldn't solve, really. Here you go!"

I felt a dash of cold onto my face, and some entered my nose, causing me to choke and cough, opening my eyes, I see that Caucasian man from a long time ago.

"Hey! You're awake. Thanks chap." He said to a bell boy who bowed and left, and I sat up, looking around.

"Your good Vocaloid there was screaming in the hallway. And I was at the first floor." He grinned, and I grinned sheepishly.

"Thanks… What time is it? Am I late for the results?" I said, and the man looked at his golden Rolex.

"Well, you got another ten minutes, and your Vocaloid took the liberty of getting dressed into that nice white dress of hers while we tried to wake you up. Come on now… I need to go, I'll have Miku here taking care of ya. If there's anything, get her to scream." He winked, and gave me a firm pat on the shoulder, before he left.

"Barzini-san! Are you okay?" Miku bent down to me, and I nodded, standing up firmly. I'm not swaying about the spot, which means that I'm fine.

"It worked… It worked!" I moved to the iPhone and I was grinning like a lunatic.

"What does?" Miku asked curiously, and I smiled.

"Oh, let me demonstrate my curious little toy. My… PWECIOUS…" I stroked the iPhone with this crazed grin on my face that even the great, Hatsune Miku was moving away.

"Okay, you see that? You see that teapot set we brought back with us from the project? Now look…" I restarted the app, and took a photo of the teapot and selected it under identified objects to Vocalize.

Five minutes later, a Vocaloid teapot fell from where the camera of the iPhone was and it seemed to happen in slow motion.

"CATCH IT!" I shouted, and Miku dived forward, and she caught it just an inch above the ground.

"Nice one." I commented, and she held up the tea pot, turning it around on her hands, opening and closing the lid.

"Cool~~~!" Miku chirped, and I glanced at my watch.

"We better go! Or something bad is gonna happen to our results! I wonder if the numb cake who got lost and the volunteer search party are there…" I said absentmindedly, picking up my laptop, and Miku did the same, picking up her clone of my laptop which was completely available for Vocaloids to use.

"Let's get our judgement."

Xxx

I looked seriously out of place outside the Music Hall which was still shut.

"Barzini-san! Look! Everyone, black suits! White suits! You in jeans! Poopoo!" Miku leant forward and covered her nose, causing several people beside me to laugh, and cause my face to turn a slight shade of red.

"Shhh… You're very pretty in that dress… So don't make a fool out of your dear friend here okay?" I whispered to her and she blushed a little and nodded.

"On one condition!" She whispered back, and I nodded.

"Leek leek, mucho leek." I replied, and she nodded happily.

"Hey mate!" Amoz walked towards me in a tuxedo, with Rin dressed in a orange dress that had a bow in the centre.

"Hey… Looking good there!" I laughed and looked at him from top to toe.

"Where's your suit?" Kagamine Rin asked, pointing at my white shirt, and I rolled my eyes, prompting Amoz to laugh.

"Barzini never wears formal wear. Like never. He hates it." Amoz told Rin who nodded slowly.

"So difficult to move in them… For me at least." I grinned, and I saw the rest of the crew, minus Nicole, Kaito, Meiko and Hannah, Piko and Yukina.

"Our search party seems to be MIA." I commented, and Amoz nodded.

"Maybe Hannah and Meiko went for a swim in their pool of Sake." I heard a girl's voice and turned, and there was Michelle with SeeU. Michelle was dressed in a black gown, and she was wearing…

"Are those gloves?" I said incredulously, pointing at them.

"Yes, for formal wear. Problem?" She snapped, and I raised my hands a little, signifying-

Nope, no problem at all.

"I see SeeU doesn't need changing of clothes." Amoz pointed at the cat-like Vocaloid which went "Nyan~" and pawed her face.

"I figured hers was formal enough in the first place." Michelle said, and we could only agree. It DID look sort of formal with those buttons.

"You guys anxious?" Amy popped up with Aki, in a ridiculously long white dress, with the latter in a-

"Seriously. A kimono for her? Amy? You're kidding." I said, pointing at Aki who was dressed in one kimono that was a slight shade of red, with prints of cherry blossoms.

"I would have insisted upon getting-" Amy started until Karina turned up, dressed in a black short dress, and Karina with her hands on her hip, turned a bit on the spot, and attempted to do a catwalk, and that irritating naughty version of me came up, and I stuck out my foot, hoping to trip her.

"Oi!" She cried out, and stumbled a little, and turned to glare at me, and I whistled, and turned around on the spot with my foot stuck out, and Amoz laughed.

"Alright alright. Just a joke. Just a joke." Amoz said, and Karina glared at me and I stared back at her until she lost the staring contest. Then came Zheng Yi with Neru Akita, Zheng Yi… Was in a fine tuxedo suit we all see on a typical James Bond movie. Neru was…

"Amazing…!" Rin awed at the girl dressed in a dark red kimono, but with the katana still at her side, she looked a bit like an odd mix between a samurai and a traditional, but elegant Japanese lady.

"Tch! W-What!" Neru said defensively and her face reddened slightly, and she looked away, but you can obviously tell that she is pleased.

"I- I have to admit… You look sen-" I started, and Miku suddenly walked in front of me, turned herself 90 degrees to face me, then she lowered her head a little and stared at me, pouting. Getting the hint, I fell silent, and pointed at Megurine Luka who was dressed in her signature costume, and Mai who was dressed in shirt and jeans as well, his hands with a PSP and… Now I am beginning to like this boy.

"My good kamerad! Comrade!" I walked to Mai and gave him a good old pat on the shoulder and I stared at the screen. Patapon.

"Dude, move them forward." I urged, and he shook his head.

"Enemy strong. Me weak." He said, and I sighed. Was he trying to be Yoda? Or someone similar?

"Okay… Any news from our beloved Supreme Leader of the Group, Nicole? And Supreme Beach House dictator, Yukina?" I asked around, and Neru shook her head.

"Zheng Yi didn't get a call. Right, Zheng Yi?" Neru turned forcefully to Zheng Yi who gulped and nodded quickly.

"Hai! N-No calls!" Zheng Yi answered and we stared at him strangely. Japanese? Zheng Yi said Hai?

I was about to say something cheeky when the doors to the Music Hall swung open, and I felt a huge rush of the aircon in my face.

"Judgement time. Let's go." I smiled at Miku who was beside me, who looked at me for a moment, before smiling herself, her eyes closed. She seemed happy.

I hope so.

Xxx

"Please, quieten down! Quieten down!" the MC said into the mic, and I gestured silently at the back-row, and headed there, with Miku who also hurried up the steps and I sat down on a red chair, and narrowed my eyes as Miku was humming a tad too loudly in such a formal event.

"Be considerate for the one on stage and the next time, they may thank you for it." I whispered to her, and Miku's mouth gradually closed up and she stared at the stage, and the rest of the group fell to the seats near me, minus the search party and the lost.

"What do you think is our result?" Michelle whispered to me and I shrugged. They were definitely people as good as us, if not better. As everyone gradually settled down, the same three Crypton executives took the front row, and two girls walked onto stage, holding cue cards and microphones and dressed in almost identical black gowns. One had dark blue waist-length hair and the other

"Konichiwa, fellow classmates, teachers and Crypton executives, I am Karen, and this-" She pointed at the girl beside her with dark purple hair-

"Is Penelope. We are your MCs for this event." She smiled, and everyone in the audience clapped, and two of them stood up to applaud dramatically.

"Those two are quite enthusiastic." I whispered to Michelle beside me who nodded and whispered back-

"They would. They're Vocaloids or UTAUs… I can't see them from here… But well, I would assume they belong to the MCs."

I took another look and she seemed to be right. Their colour seemed to uhm… Dark for humans. Definitely either Vocaloids or UTAUs.

"Yes, today, ladies and gentlemen, we are honoured to have the pioneer behind the idea of Vocaloids… Chief Executive Officer of Crypton Future Media, Hiroyuki Itō!" Penelope announced, and the three Crypton executives stood up, and taking the cue, the rest of the audience stood up, clapping, and a man wearing a leather brown jacket, grey jeans appeared, a black-framed spectacles atop his nose.

"Dear all, if you do not understand Japanese, you will realise that there is a pair of headphones under your seat. Kindly put them on!" Karen literally sang into the microphone and I bent down and saw a pair of headphones dangling underneath my seat.

I took it out and looked at Miku, who was just sitting there.

"Aren't you going to like… Put on your headphones?" I asked her and she pouted and bowed her head to stare at me.

"I understand Japanese!" She pouted and looked the other way and I grinned while shaking my head, and put on my headphones.

The CEO opened his mouth to speak, and his voice came clearly into my ears.

"Minnasan, arigatou."

A second voice started once he finished the sentence-

"Thank you everyone."

The CEO then looked up at the sound control room, and after a while, he gave the thumbs up and continued.

"Koko ni kite wa hontouni watashi no yorokobi da."

"I am very pleased to be here."

"Kyou wa hajimari, Sapporo de no isogashii sukejuuru wa hima ni natta, kono kakumeiteki na gakko e kuru no chansu ga aru."

"This is the first time that I managed to free up my schedule in Sapporo to come to this revolutionary school."

The CEO looked up and smiled, and he spoke again-

"Watashi wa shinrai, kimi tachi wo motsu no vocaloid wa subete manzoku shite iru deshou ne?" He said, his voice going higher slightly at the end of the sentence. A question- What was it?

"I trust that all of you are pleased with your vocaloids?" The second voice answered my question, and there was a general murmur of agreement and cheering while I just looked on.

I saw a finger poke me and I felt nothing. Obviously Hatsune Miku.

I pulled up a side of the headphone and she leant closer, and whispered, "Why aren't you agreeing? I am awesome."

"First, there will be a lot of people cheering. I'm too lazy to. Second, I beg to differ the latter of the statement." I whispered back, and Miku puffed up her mouth and shot me a look before settling back into her chair, giving a defiant, "HMPH~!"

When the cheering died down, the CEO continued-

"Maa, tonikaku, crypton future media kara no juuyou na happyou ga aru…"

"Okay, anyway, there is a major announcement from Crypton Future Media…"

"Kimi tachi to vocaloid no tame ni, waga kaisha wa Shingaporu de no ootekouriten to oote shopingu senta isshou ni sagyousareteiru, motto minnasan wo tsukau koto ga dekiru no aitemu ga tsukuru, dakara kimi tachi wa monogoto ga ima doko ni demo kaukoto ga dekiru."

"We have worked hand In hand with most major retailers in Singapore, and now, in major shopping centres, there are items for both Vocaloids and yourselves."

At the end of the Japanese sentences, I saw the vocaloids jump up and cheer, and our Vocaloids as well, for she could comprehend Japanese, which made me raise my eyebrows. At the end of the English translation, my widening grin became a smile, and I joined in the cheering, and saw Miku's mouth move. I pulled the headphones aside.

"Why are you cheering now?" Miku asked, her face still puffed up.

"Because you're awesome." I replied and there was a faint shade of red on her cheeks and she stuck out her tongue before looking forward again.

"Sorede, happyou owari. Puroguramu wo hajimemashou!" the CEO bowed and stepped off the stage, and we applauded although we did not know what he was talking about. But if he steps off the stage, you got to clap right?

"Enough words! Let's have the results!"

Okay, THAT sentence got me hyped up. I didn't even realize that Michelle was squealing because I had sunk my fingers into her skin out of anxiety.

"Bar-bar-bar- Baraaaaaaaaaaah! Get your ahhhh! Fingers! AWAY!" Michelle squealed and I turned and quickly removed my hand. I had left 5 finger marks on Michelle's left hand, and she glared at me.

"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAA! YOU HURT MY OWNER!" SeeU raised her… hands… Or paws…? But she did have very long nails…

"Thank you sir! First off, let us see the various performing groups in action on this video!" Karen said, and Penelope gave the thumbs up to whoever was in the sound and video control room.

The lights started to dim, and the only lights available were the ones at the exits, and from the projector. The classic "4-3-2-1" countdown was shown, and then, a number ONE was shown.

"Is that the winning group?" I whispered to Michelle, and as the video played on, I relaxed. No, they were just showing it in order of performance in cinematic viewing. I didn't know they had cameras for close-ups and overhead…

All the performances were changed to like MVs, with professional (more or less) type of shooting and editing. Computer generated light were added into this huge clip as well…
"To be honest, in that Romeo and Juliet play, if they actually placed a backdrop of Verona… I'd be most pleased… Did you know that the Romans-" I whispered to Michelle, who turned and said-

"The Romans said that I did not want to know any of those things?" She whispered back and I fell back and sighed. THE BEAUTY OF HISTORY. THE GREAT BEAUTY OF IT!

"Check out the kidnapper's face closeup. Rather hamsum vocaloid." Michelle whispered, and I nodded. Rather hamsum indeed. (Singlish for handsome)

"Wait… That… That… That dagger… It looks pretty cool… But a pity that it is for Vocaloids." I sighed, muttering to myself, staring at the silver coloured blade.

"Our turn…" I bit my lips, wondering how it would turn out under such high-quality filming. Even that HD camera I brought for memories sake couldn't match its quality.

The screen started up, and you have Piko in the room, a gradual zoom and shift in the camera until only his silhouette could be seen staring outside the window, then there was a shot of his face from outside of the window and you can hear a door opening.

Then you hear Haku's voice, and the camera slowly moves up from her shoes, up to her face, and her conversing with Piko. Then when the hug came, there was a zoom on Piko's face first, and-

"Acacia… Every flower one gets another has a hidden meaning behind it... And for this… Concealed love?"

Then, the camera focused on Haku's smiling face and it faded to the next scene. And as the video went on, we could only wow.

Then the song came, with mostly overshot views, capturing their expressions and graceful moments perfectly.

Especially the part when the arrows made contact with Piko. You have a closeup of the eyes of the guards narrowing, then the sound of the bows letting loose their arrows, that "TWANG" sound was purposely magnified and echoed, and the camera follows the arrow, and just as it is about to hit Piko, you can a zoom in on his shocked expression, and everything seems to slow down for a moment, and as the first arrow buries itself into Piko, you have a shot from behind of him, his body trembling from the force of the arrows.

"Oh my goodness… That is so Hollywood like." I heard Amy say, and turned behind and nodded in agreement.

"I heart Haku's dress… Barzini-san… Can I have one?" Miku whispered, and I turned to face her, and smiled, nodding. Miku gave a soft smile back, her leek sitting on her lap. I think Miku has matured a lot. At least now she asks things without demanding, although I firmly believes that it is still a secondary option for her.

Then when Haku screamed, it zoomed out slowly, her scream echoing, and the camera continued to zoom out, until it showed the exterior of the castle.

"Okay… I did not do that. I did not have an exterior of a castle…" I said, and turned to Mai who was beside Amy, and he nodded.

"We did NOT do that." He agreed with me, and then I heard my voice as word overlays started to go up the screen, in front of the castle.

Nothing is known of what happened next that day. A reddish glow emerged from the room where the fighting took place, and there were screams of distraught and fear. The entire castle's occupants were killed in that day. Even the heavily protected King met his end. None was spoken among the masses when Prince Utane took the throne, along with his newlywed, Queen Haku Yowane.

The words in blue slowly scrolled up the screen, and then it faded to black, and that still image of Haku in a queenly dress seated on Piko's lap was shown, just a lot darker and more sinister, and it ended, and the theatre turned back to darkness.

I heard some voices, and I saw someone leaving the Music Hall, and the lights came back on. Then, there was that piano sitting on the stage again.

"Ah… Those music videos were rather entertaining, weren't they?" SOUL's voice came on, and there were a murmur of agreement in the crowd.

"So! The moment that you all have been waiting for." SOUL said, and the three executives stepped onto the stage.

"Our principal and Chief Executive Officer has some urgent business to attend to, so, I will take over his announcing of the results." The man who had first greeted Miku said, his voice resonating to the back of the Hall.

"In third place… The group who gets to win a room expansion and upgrade, would be… the group with… Garcia Leong! The song titled, Prisoner of Love!" He announced and there was a loud scream from some of the girls in the group, and Garcia stood up, waving her hands as she ran down to the stage, dressed in a good ole tuxedo.

"That group was rated 1 for lyrics, 6 for originality of script, 6 for acting. 13 in total. Of course, the perfect score is 10. Yes, most of you were abysmal." SOUL said matter-of-factly, but it seemed to only bring up the mood of Garcia's group, and dampen the mood of the others.

"Miku, where is my rings of Cyanide?" I asked, and her eyes widened.

"Cyanide? What's that?" She asked, bewildered, shaking her leek at an even faster speed.

"Poison. But good, you're innocent." I nodded approvingly at Hatsune Miku, who still looked just as confused, and I grinned, looking back at the stage.

"At second place, with a prize for a shop-all-you-can-for-free at the Vocaloid mart, we have Han Yu's group, The Bloodied Romance!" the executive announced, and a boy… Or so I think, with hair like a Viking Helmet's, down to his chin.

"That group was rated 7 for lyrics, 3 for originality of script, 10 for acting." SOUL said, sounding kind of bored, however, for sure, our group were gripping our seats. Michelle was making an odd sounding noise like-

"OOEOEOEOEOOE!"

Amy and Karina, from me turning around to observe part of the group, they were holding hands with each other, squealing and shaking their hands up and down. Mai and Zheng Yi and myself were apparently pretty calm. Allen in particular.

Now, the report on Vocaloids.

SeeU - "NYAN! NYAN! NYAN! ME WANT WIN! WIN! WIN!"
Miku – "NO! MY LEEK BROKE!"
Luka - …
Aki- E-EXCITEEEED~!
Len and Rin Kagamine- UWAAAH!
Neru Akita- …
Haku Yowane- Ahh… (And she buries her face in her arms)

The ones not mentioned are currently participating in the popular TV serial, LOST.

"In first place, the winner was clear the moment we set eyes on the rehearsal. The technical support, sound and lighting wise, was superb. The script, original, and the member-to-member bond, I'm proud to say, was beyond anything I have seen so far. The song titled…" The Crypton Executive stopped for a moment, and we held our breath. It was either make or break!

"Magnet! Please, may Nicole please come down!"

Our team literally started screaming. Even I jumped up and threw myself on- I mean, through, Haku Yowane, and my head collided on the chair, which caused everyone to start laughing.

"Will Miss Nicole please come down while we she collects the plaques of accomplishment on behalf of the entire team?" SOUL cheered, and our scores were projected onto the screen. 30 points. 10 for everything. Perfect score.

"Nicole! Go down! Now!" Karina shouted and jumped around on the chair, but that girl with white spectacles was nowhere to be seen. Nor was the ice-cream addict in winter clothing.

"Ahhh… Who go down then..?"

Suddenly, someone kicked the door open, and then there was like… those kind of foggy thing from dry ice flowing in, and because the room was dark, you can only see the silhouette of the person.

A girl was clearly there, her hair blowing, and she stood there for a moment while we all stared at her. Then, a guy walked up behind her, his scarf billowing… Like those traditional showdowns…

WAIT. Scarf?

"What are you guys looking at! Can you help us out?" The girl shouted, clearly exasperated, and we blinked, and the people seated at the front row rushed forward, flooding towards her.

"Is that Nicole?" Karina screeched, and we stared at her for a moment before crashing down, and the furthest we could get to was a few meters away due to the entire front row getting up to help in whatever she was asking for.

"No point squeezing, Miku. Take the vantage point." I said, and we ran back up, and after a while, we saw Hannah being carried in by 4 men. Two to restrain her and the rest to lift her. Meiko was being carried by eight vocaloids, and she was clearly struggling to get away from her grasp.

"Does Meiko-oneesan need that many people to carry her?" Miku asked me, rather loudly too, and I was about to answer when one of Meiko's hands got loose, and punched a male vocaloid onto the ground, and another male vocaloid got into place, wrestling with her hand and applying force on her elbow so she can't bend it and do FALCOOOOOOOOOOOOOON PUNCH!

"Ouch… He looks like he is in pain…" Miku said, and before I could stop her, she ran down to the Vocaloid, who was holding his nose. I ran after her and bumped into a boy, with emo kind of hair.

"Are you okay? Are you okay? Are you okay? Are you okay? Are you okay?" Miku said rapidly, kneeling on the floor and shaking the stunned Vocaloid excessively.

"Go away." The seemingly-owner-of-the-OWNED-vocaloid said, pushing Miku away, and I caught her, though my hands went through slightly, I looked up at the emo boy, thoroughly shocked. Her face was a complete look of surprise.

"She was just trying to help!" I said, slightly enraged, and he looked over, and gave a snort, and gestured for the Vocaloid to get up, and they went back to sit down, and I helped Miku up, to her seat. Yukina and Piko were there already, by some miracle squeezing her way through the crowd.

"Hey, Miku. You okay?" Piko asked, concerned and I raised my finger to my lips and shook my head, and Yukina gave Piko a tug, and he nodded.

"CALM DOWN EVERYONE!" the executive who had finished laughing boomed into the mic and everyone looked up.

"Can Miss Nicole please come and take the plaques for first position in the music project!" He said, half-laughing, while the other two men in big bad suits were grinning.

Nicole, from my point of view, she seemed to just stone there for a moment, before smiling a little and walking up the stage calmly and accepted a small box, bowing a little, and shook hands with the three executives, and bowed as the audience clapped.

"This group scores perfect score in everything. The rest of you would do well to learn from this group. Of course, learning from me is better but…" SOUL said, emphasizing the word, ME.

Nicole walked off the stage coolly, and up to us, and Kaito threw himself on her, hugging her, and Nicole simply smiled. Calm and composed.

"So, how does the plaque look like?" Karina tapped her from behind, and the next response from Nicole made me jump.

"Do Vocaloids have them too? Do we have them too?" Piko asked, rubbing his hands together anxiously, and suddenly, a plaque with their name on it appeared in their hands, and they cheered, minus Haku and Luka.

"IT'S AWESOME! OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOOOOOOOSH~!" She squealed, holding up a plaque and passing it to Karina and slowly distributing them. Our names were engraved on it, and it was… SHIIIINY…

"Arigatou, obasan!" I said to Nicole, and her Kaito's face sank.

"Do not call Nicole-sama that…" He growled, and I laughed as his over-protectiveness of Nicole.

"Being so overprotective is not good for the health." I commented, and suddenly, a whole lot of white hair barred my vision.

"Barzini-san! Plaque nicey!" Miku said, hugging the plaque, and shaking her legs up and down excessively.

"W-What devilry is this!" I said, and the hair retracted as quickly as it blocked my view. White hair.

"G-Gomenasai…" I heard Haku mumble and I smiled, waving it off.

"Hoi, Piko! Don't be so full of yourself! It's just first place!" Neru Akita said, looking away at this silly smile plastered all over his face.

"Haku and I won! Haku and I won!" He said gleefully, and Neru gave a "HMPH!" and looked away, glaring at Zheng Yi who quickly looked away.

"Also, in addition to the awards, the first prize winners will get to win a trip to Sapporo, Japan in an all basic expense paid trip, which includes food and accommodation, and a 30,000 Yen pocket money for the 8 day trip. Any objections from Nicole's group?" the executive said, and also asking the obvious.

I did my best imitation of the movie, the Inglorious Bastards.

"NEIN! NEIN! NEIN! NEIN! NEIN!"

Xxx

"I would suppose that this calls for a celebration." Luka said calmly, her arms folded, and we cheered upon her suggestion. We were all huddled up together as a group outside of the Music Hall.

"Guys, tell you what. Meet me, out back at the Barbeque pit behind the dormitories. We'll barbeque tuna!" I grinned, and the usually calm and outstandingly cool Luka lost it.

"T-TUNA! T-TUNA!" She said to herself, taking a large step closer to me with each syllabus (with me taking an equally large step back with each syllabus).

"Fish, fish! Nicey, nicey!" SeeU said, and Michelle grinned, patting SeeU on the shoulder.

"Yes! The Vocaloids can have them too!" I chirped, doing an irritatingly high voice, though Miku blew a raspberry at that.

"Not high enough! It must be like this!" She said, her voice going higher and higher in the sentence until it hurt your ears.

"B—But how? You mean buy from the canteen?" Mai asked, finally not staring at his PSP for once. Oh my goodness… I can see his eyes for once… I may leave this world in peace…

"Shh… Ask me no questions and I will tell you no lies." I winked, and grabbed Miku by the hand and pulled her away, valiantly defending her human friend from an all-tuna devouring… Luka!

"Argh… What day is today…?"

"Who said that?" Zheng Yi asked, looking around, and we shook our heads, until I felt a hand on my leg and I looked down.

There was a person there, covered in blonde hair, with bloodshot eyes, and her speech was slurred. Wait… That's a ghost!

"AH! AH! AH! GHOST! GO BACK INTO THE ABYSS!" I hastily took out my wallet which had a protective charm from the temple, wrenching my leg away, and slammed the wallet down onto the foul demon's head.

"BACK! BACK TO THE ABYSS!" I shouted, and kicked her back, and the person fell back with a groan, and her blonde hair moved to the side of her face… It was…

"Hannah!" Amy squealed, and rushed to her side, holding her up. Hannah's head had a reddish imprint of my wallet.

"W-Who a-attacked m-my owner?" Meiko who was still miraculously standing up, slurred and walked towards Neru.

"H—Hannah… Are you o-okay..?" She stuttered, and hugged Neru, who cried out and tried to pull out her katana, but the grip around her was too tight.

"Well, I'll leave you people to deal with your own problems. I'll go back and prepare. Meet me at 6pm at the BBQ pits!" I said, bowing to Hannah in apology before skipping away with
Hatsune Miku, who was apparently devastated with her broken leek.

"L-l-leek…"

Xxx

"Barzini-san! Barzini-san!" Miku chirped, hugging her laptop, and jumping up and down on her vocaloid leek-shaped bed, the plaque bouncing up and down from the motion of her jumping.

"Yes? Yes?" I said, going over my shopping list, the plaque already on my end table, proudly displayed.

"What are you going to do at a barbeque pit? Barbeque leek?" She said excitedly, and I grinned.

"Miku, how are you at cooking?" I asked, and the cringing of the springs of the bed stopped for a moment.

"Cook? FUN!" Miku jumped on her bed again, and then jumped down onto the floor, and then skipped to beside me, her ridiculously long turquoise hair obscuring my vision of the piece of paper again.

"Yep! I'll use the app that I developed to duplicate the fish, and then you people can start cooking!" I said cheerfully, and Miku did some sort of jig.

"YAY! YAY! YAY! SUGOI!" She squealed hugging her leek plushie on the bed.

"Okay… I need to go grocery shopping first." I said, checking my wallet before stretching out my hand and gestured at Miku.

"We're leaving! Grocery shopping!" I said, and she smiled, and tried to hide a huge leek behind her back, her face puffed a little, looking at me with her eyes slightly narrowed, taking baby steps towards the door.

"No worries. I got no problems with you bringing the leek about. But someone needs to carry groceries!" I grinned, and Miku winked, leaning forward while doing that.

"Ah… Mortal… You forget you place. I am High Queen Hatsune Miku of Singapore. Bow to my might!" Miku said, holding her huge leek plushie over her head, and I frowned.

"That sentence is familiar… Have you been staying up to watch me play Skyrim again? How come I didn't notice?" I asked her, and her smile grew wider.

"Let's go shop, my servant!" Miku said, hugging her huge leek plushie, and I sighed, doing a little bow.

"Hai! Obasan!"

I wonder how it would really feel if the wrath of leek really descended upon you? I couldn't tell you how it felt when the Leek of Doom descended.

It went right through me.

Xxx

"HMPH! NTUC! FAIRPRICE! A GOVERNMENT MACHINE OF DECEPTION, MIKU!" I said as we walked to the supermarket.

"YOU MAY HIDE THE TRUTH FROM THE MASSES… BUT ONE DAY…"

"One day, you will get me leek everyday! Urusai!" Miku said, hitting me on the head with her leek plushie again. It didn't hurt but… Cute overload is not good in excess.

"Okay… We need leek… and cheese… Mozeralla cheese, bacon. And some like… Ice cream… And vegetables. Potatoes… Oh, some spices too!" I wowed, having not cooked for like… A month…

"We must walk through such a big supermarket? Miku lazy and Miku tired! BLEH!" She fell down purposely and clinged onto my shirt, making sounds like "BLERRRR!"

"Don't be so lazy, get- Get in that." I said, grinning as I saw a means of transportation.

"Get in what, Barzini-san! Miku tireeeed!" She wailed, apparently still clinging onto my shirt and she looked at where I was staring at.

A trolley.

"The Queen deserves to be pushed around!" Miku said, and I laughed.

"That came out a bit wrong. You mean I can bully you?" I grinned, and Miku smiled a little, bowing her head as she walked, her leek plushie in one hand, and seemed to have muttered something.

"I beg your pardon?" I smiled, and her face turned a bit stiffer, and redder.

"Only Barzini-san is allowed to." She said softly, and my face turned red a little. That was a typical line from them cheesy Korean dramas. I wonder if Miku had gotten hooked to any.

"Okay, get aboard the Vocaloid express please! First stop, Dairy Products." I said, mimicking those kind of broadcasts that you hear on trains.

"Go full speed ahead, Barzini! Choo~! Choo~!" She said, holding her leek high above her head.

She was weightless of course, so it was like pushing an empty cart at least.

We slowly cruised along the polished floors of the supermarket, Miku exclaiming at this item or that.

"Cheese, Barzini-san! There!" She pointed her leek there, and I nodded, pushing it over, and I picked up the mozzarella one.

"So, gourmet Barzini, how does the cheese fit into the recipe?" Miku asked, in a french accent, and I decided to play along.

"It iz very ze eazy. I zu not uze it for zour meal. Itz just for perzonal enjoyment because I love ze cheese a lot." I said in a terrible imitation of French and Miku stuck out her tongue.

"Leek! Leek! Cannot forget leek!" Miku said, her legs crossed, hugging her plushie as she said so, and I continued pushing the trolley down the aisle, and Miku's constant humming suddenly stopped, and I saw her bow her head.

"What's up." I said, stopping at the grocery section and picked up a potato.

"Mhm… Am I annoying?" Miku asked, putting her head on the edge of the trolley, her hands stroking her long hair absent-mindedly.

"Hmm… I won't say that you are. In fact, I'd insist that if I was hurt and someone asked me if I was alright, I would be grateful." I said, casting a potato aside. It had black ends and sunken spots.

"Then why did the owner call me annoying?" Miku asked, turning to face me and I absent-mindedly pick up another potato.

"Because there are weird people in this world who do not appreciate getting help once in a while." I said, satisfied with the potato and took a small bag of it and placed it into the trolley and continued pushing it down the grocery aisle.

"Then should I continue to help people?" Miku asked, and I laughed.

"Good question. I would say yes. When we help others, it is conscience at work. If they indeed need our help, then being happy is an added bonus along with satisfying your conscience. If you don't help, and they end up actually hoping you would help them, you would feel guilty." I said, stopping beside some stalks of leek.

"That is a good stem of leek. Take my advice for it. And what if they don't need your help?" She asked, pointing at the leek.

"Okay, you saved me sometime, thank you. Well, if they don't need your help, they can be all mean about you being annoying. But remember, you won't be guilty. And one day, maybe, they'll come back just needing help." I said, and Miku scratched her head and seemed to think about it for a while.

"Don't worry. Deep thoughts need time to process." I said, picking up some tomatoes, and then a bag of peas.

"Where do all these deep thoughts come from?" Miku asked, and I shrugged.

"Well, life experience and waste some time googling instead of Facebook. Or read Confucius. Notable authors? Well… Either ones will do." I said, and Miku went, "OH~!" hugging her leek plushie again.

"Let's go on with the shopping , shall we?" I smiled, and Miku raised her leek.

"Full steam ahead! Choo~! Choo~!"

Xxx

Meanwhile, in the Home Economics room where students can cook for free…

"Ok, Barzini-san! Let's cook!" Miku said, in an apron, amidst sacks of groceries for humans and the vocaloid ones that I have cloned with my phone.

"Okay, Miku. First, wash the fish. Like this." I moved the fish to the sink and started scrubbing it gently, so that the skin of the fish will not come off.

"Gently! Gently!" I said, and Miku used extremely little strength in cleaning it that I doubt that even the skin will be clean.

"Okay… Miku… Not THAT gentle. A bit more force. WAIT! NO!" I said, as she scrubbed the entire skin of the fish off.

Take Two.

Cloning the tuna from the real thing again.

"Yes… Good Miku… Good job." I applauded a little as she did it correctly, and she was smiling.

"Okay… Now, knife work. Hold up your blade, and slice it sideways. Big slices, but make sure it is one clean stroke. So, when the knife goes through the meat, hold the top, and bring the knife across." I said, cutting off a rather thick piece of tuna.

"BARZINI-SAN! I CUT MY FINGER!

Take Three.

"Slowly… You're not Neru cutting it with a katana." I said, my heart aching for that plaster around her finger.

"Just make sure you have a firm hold on the meat, and then just cut it through in one brutal slice… Like how Shana… MWAHAHAHAHHAHAA!" I roared, and Miku looked at me.

"Barzini-san different from usual…" She whimpered.

Take Four.

"Okay, place the tomatoes on a grill, then rub some canola oil on it. Then okay… Place the pepper onto the grill as well… No not the crushed one! The whole one!" I said, looking at Miku who blundered for a moment.

"Okay, leave it there until the skin blisters. Let's prepare the leek." I said, and Miku cheered, jumping up.

"Okay, trim the top of the leek, then bring the blade down centre. Then put it in the salted boiling water…" I said, chopping it till it reaches the root, then gently putting it into the water. Miku would have potential as a cook. Really.

"Okay, take the tomatoes off, and put it in a bowl… Then wrap it up with foil. Let it cool." I said, turning my attention back to the grill, and bearing with the stinging heat of the tomato and pepper and wrapping it in.

"HOT! HOT! HOT!" Miku said, and in pain, she threw the tomato up, and it landed in the bowl. We looked at each other.

"I got skills, Barzini-san!"

Take Five.

"Right, for the leek now, let it run under cold water now." I said casually, turning on the tap and placing the leek under it, and Miku did the same, sizzling sounds could be heard.

"Now, put it on a plate, and spray some canola oil on them." I said, picking up the spray and giving it two gentle squeezes.

"Okay, leave the dish at that, now, take the tomato and pepper, and peel their skins, place them into the blender. Okay, then you pour in orange juice and lime juice. Later, add some salt and pepper. On button!" I said, and the blender started shaking as I held down the pump for everything to blend together. While her vocaloid blender was shaking out of control.

"BARZINI-SAN! Tasukete!" She cried out, and the blender's grip shot up, and a piece of a tomato flew out and hit her on the face…

Take Six.

"Okay, grill the tuna." I said, placing the piece I previously cut out onto the grill and it sizzled.

"Hai!" She flung it onto the Vocaloid grill and the whole thing fell forward and crashed onto the floor.

Take Seven.

"Put the tuna on the leek, and then take the sauce we made, and put a few spoonfuls on it." I said, and Miku imitated, and then smiled.

"Seikou!" She said, and picked up a fork and spoon, and sat down, eyeing the fish.

She cut out a small slice of the fish and with the fork, placed some sauce on it and put it in her mouth. I awaited her verdict.

"O-Oishii! Oishii!" Miku cried out and took another bite and closing her eyes, squealed.

"Really?" I grabbed a spoon and placed a small bit of the fish in my mouth and I sighed in relief.

Cooking never goes away even after a while after all!

Xxx

"Yo mate. Rin is just behind. And what's that I smell?" Amoz said, sniffing the air and I grinned.

"Just the sauce. You guys grill your own fish. I did the rest already." I said, and Amoz nodded approvingly.

"Been a long time since we had a BBQ together!" Amoz said, and we heard a loud scream, and we turned. I had the shock of my life.

A steamroller was descending upon us! Quick! Battle stations! Miku was running for her life!

"KAGAMINE RIN! NO ORANGES FOR LATER!" Amoz bellowed, and Rin hopped off the steamroller and pouted.

"You people are boring." She said coolly, straightening out her ribbon.

Shortly after, the rest of the group turned up, together, heaving one huge chest. Meiko was being carried by the vocaloids.

"Why are you people together?" I asked, and Mai glared at me, and SeeU raised her paws.

"Well? Hannah is still drunk right now, in this chest. And you just left! You better have some good food ready!" Mai said, and Luka nodded, slightly red faced and panting

SeeU was walking up to Miku, her paw raised, and Miku had a leek in her hand.

"Nyan! You never helpy!" She said threateningly, and I assessed the situation before it hit me.

"Amoz, why didn't you help?" I asked, and Amoz stuttered.

"I-I well… I was busy!" He stammered, and the rest rounded on him.

"HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO US! TRAITOR! DESERTER!" Neru screamed and pulled out her katana and Rin gulped, climbing back into her steamroller and starting her getaway vehicle.

"Okay guys! Chill! Hungry and thirsty?" I said loudly and the answer was unanimous.

"YES!"

"Who wants some tuna?" I asked, and Luka's glowering face brightened up immediately, along with SeeU.

"Okay people! Tuna is sliced up in that ice box over there, along with ones for the Vocaloids. And, drink wise, there is orange juice, Coca Cola, and milk for us and Vocaloids as well in the other ice box! Please grill your own tuna, and when you're done, place them on the plate with leek on them, and then please take the disposable cutlery there, and then proceed to where I will be standing. I will then pour the sauce onto your fish." I clapped my hands together and stood at a makeshift table.

There was a loud cheering and everyone started getting busy, but it was orderly, minus Neru forcefully telling Zheng Yi to let her go first with her hand on the katana.

Miku went to stand beside me to wait for pouring of the sauces for the vocaloid, and I looked at her.

"Aren't you gonna at least get something to eat?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"You are not eating. I am not eating. We suffer together and enjoy the good times together!" She said, in all maturity and smiled at me, prompting me to smile back.

"Miku! Hurry!" Luka rushed forward with the plate with like 5 pieces of tuna on it, her eyes watering.

"Hurry… Please… I want to cry…" Luka whispered, and Miku, trembling, poured 5 pieces worth of sauce we made onto it, and Luka whispered, "Thank you…" and she didn't even bother using cutlery-

Using her hand, she took a huge bite off a piece, and her tears flowed.

"My compliments to the chef…"

"Oh yes! Nicole and Kaito! Ice cream in that freezer!" I shouted, and bowed to Megurine Luka.

Xxx


Finally done! No, I'm not dead. Sorry for such a late update. I'll go into a brief explanation anyway… Well, we (Nicole and myself) were preparing for the next stage of our lives, further studies. We just finished exams and were picking a school, doing interviews… Etc. Etc… No, I did not forget you people!

Well, now that I'm done with this 12,826 words chapter, I would like to thank all of you for reading and please stay with us! More fun is to come! Oh leave a review so that we know that we haven't lost you guys! Bye! Oh Nicole would like to say something!


Hi! Well, it's my first time really translating anything from English to Jap…cos well mostly it's the other way around, esp when I read manga. So sorry for any mistakes in the spelling and grammar/sentence structure/particles/etc. it's my fault solely…feel free to tell me where my mistakes are as I'm still learning Japanese…arigatou ne! Mata! (It seems that the CEO of Crypton adopts an informal tone, so I went with that as mush as possible…)

Thats it from her! Bye!