A/N: Holy eggplants. Over 200 reviews? In only 10 chapters? I am so blessed. XD Rah… I am so tired. This chapter took FOREVER to complete, I'm afraid I have been infected with the case of 'WRITER'S BLOCK'. DX NUUU.

A big thanks for reviewing:

Chikanpo, fujingodofwind, Bubblycutie and Awesomenessdude, SeacatTopaz, TakumiChaos, ChocoCookiePuff, AnimaniacXOX, Hikari No Destany, SuperCrazedKITTY, Lex2995, Miko A. Kimura, Campanella, kuri L.B., Zaachan, yukitomaso, WanderingSoulofTime, Mizuki Kagamine, Bluejay92, kjbsadkas, and orangesky3~!

Disclaimer: I own "Project: VOCALOID"~! That's a given, at least.

Warning: This content contains mild swearing and crude humor.

Bold: Stands for singing.

Italics: Stands for German, insane yelling, trance-like dreams/flashbacks, and specific words.

Rin's POV

"Pretty Cure, Pretty Cure…~ ah!"

I lifted the weights off my eyes slowly, sitting up on my bed. Jumpy, upbeat music blasted from the other side of the wall, its sounds muffled.

"Gacha?"

Almost instantly, a small robot appeared before me, bowing. "Yes, miss Rin?"

"What is the time?" I asked, acknowledging his bow with a tilt of a nod. Gacha paused for a moment before replying.

"5:09 A.M. in the morning, madam. Why do you ask?" Then, the small machine looked at me in suspicion. "And how did you manage to wake yourself up at this hour?" As I was about to reply, the music started blasting again. This time though, a voice could be heard from the other side of the wall.

"Pretty Cure, ah! Pretty Cure, ah! Pretty Cure, ah! Pretty Cure, ah! Pretty Cure, ah~!" The magical words repeating over on over again.

That voice…

I hopped off the bed and walked towards the door to my room, opening it as quietly as I could manage. Gacha floated alongside me, apparently interested in the voice we both were hearing. Silently, we padded through the wide hall, following the sound. "Miss Rin, this voice…?" Gacha started mechanically. I nodded.

"It does strike as familiar, Gachapoid."

It was until we had arrived at a door. I blinked upon recognizing it.

Len's door?

Indeed, the heart of the voice sounded as if it were coming inside the room, with the upbeat music muffled inside. Curious, I turned the knob and opened the door.

"Len?"

In front of a bright-colored screen they called the 'television', Len, already dressed in the Seija uniform, was dancing, holding out a comb and swinging his hips with the music. He was singing. Gacha immediately sprang behind me.

"Pretty and Cure, the two of us are…

PURIKYUAAAAA~!…" Len immediately spun around with his blue eyes flashing, singing at a high note. Upon seeing me, his face suddenly paled and twisted into a look of pure horror. The comb from his hand clattered to the floor.

A brief silence, except for the music continuing to play in the background. Len continued to look at me with that strange expression of his. Then, my eyes widened as I recalled something. "Ah!" I immediately bowed to Len, showing my sincere apologies.

"I forgot to knock."

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Project: VOCALOID

Chapter 10

Love Is War

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Len's POV

"Mom! Dell! I'm off!" I rushed out the kitchen, waving back at the adults in the room. Rin stood up from the table and began to follow.

"Bye, honey! Have a wonderful day at school, you hear?" Nami called, blowing me a kiss. I heard Rin's footsteps pause.

"Goodbye, Nami. Goodbye, Mr. Dell."

"Bye-bye, Rin-chan~! You have a good day too, ne?" Mom's cheery voice rang airily as Rin's footsteps continued again.

"Nami, can't I take my motorcycle this time?" I heard Kaito complain.

"No, Kaito-kun~. Run along now."

"Dad…?"

"Take the bus, Kaito."

"… Dammit."

We were all walking to the bus stop together. Me, Rin, and Kaito, all lined up on the estate's sidewalk.

I was walking as fast as I could, almost breaking into a run. I stole a glance behind me, seeing a very confused Rin trailing behind who stared after me while chewing on a piece of unfinished bread in her mouth. Kaito walked beside her, clueless about the entire situation. I felt my face redden as Rin continued to stare at me. I turned back around, walking even faster.

At five o'clock this morning, Rin caught me singing the opening theme for Pretty Cure (which I'll admit that I still watch sometimes). It was so embarrassing.

Not that it was my fault! Once you hear that song, it gets stuck inside your head! Before you know it, you end up singing along with the lyrics!

… Yeah, pathetic. I know.

But it was relieving Kaito didn't know what was going on. He never would've let this pass; he was always out to get me. Still, I felt too ashamed to face Rin, not after she just saw that humiliating side of me.

"Uh. Len?"

"Huh?" I stopped in my tracks and spun around to who just called me. Kaito quirked a blue-colored brow at me before pointing at the sheltered bench behind him. "You know the bus stop is over here, right?" Beside him, Rin tilted her head at me sideways.

I couldn't help but blush even further in embarrassment. "Oh, right. Thanks." I mumbled before joining them under the sheltered covering. It looked as if an unusually large amount of people were waiting for the bus today, which was pretty explainable since the price of gasoline had risen in the past few months. And people were heavily urged to use public transportation (it's good for the environment but bad for me). I frowned at the thought of having to be squeezed in the middle of a heaving, sweaty mass of bodies, and with this many people it'd be nothing less than a stampede trying to find a good spot.

"I can't believe your Mom. Forcing us to ride in a godforsaken bus…" Kaito huffed, "What does she have against motorbikes anyway?" I rolled my eyes. He was still acting sore over the fact he hadn't rode his motorcycle in the past four days.

"It's fine with me," I said, "at least it's not the subway."

Kaito sighed, nodding in agreement. "Yeah…" He mumbled reluctantly, "I guess you're right. Anyway, the bus is almost here, so get ready and find a good spot."

As soon as he finished his sentence, a large automobile slowed up in front of us, coming to a creaky stop. I examined the windows. Luckily, most of the seats were empty this morning, I sighed in relief. But just as the doors wheezed open, it was every man for himself. People bustled around and about, I somehow managed to worm my way through into a pair of empty seats in the back. I smiled to myself, when I got there however, Rin was already sitting in the window seat, looking out.

I froze.

As if sensing my presence, she looked over. Seeing it was me, she tilted her head and smiled sweetly. Feeling my entire body heat up, I fumbled for words. "Can I sit here?" I asked in a faint voice, which was almost impossible for Rin to hear. She nodded in reply.

I sat down quietly, collected in the awkward silence. Rin, on the other hand, seemed undisturbed, looking out the window with blank expression on her face. I crinkled my forehead in interest. At times like these, one couldn't help but wonder what was on her mind. Sometimes she would stare off into space, and a thoughtful expression would engrave into her face. It was as if she was looking for something…

"You sing wonderfully." Rin's soft voice abruptly caused me to snap out of my thoughts. She was facing me now. A furious blush flamed my cheeks as I recalled her walking in on me in the morning.

"Y-You really think so?" I asked, smiling embarrassedly.

Rin nodded. "I do."

"Oh… well. Thanks."

A silence.

"… Have you ever sung before, Rin?" I asked, causing her to turn to me.

"Me?" Rin asked, pointing to herself. I nodded. She blinked again before rolling her gaze up towards the ceiling. "I…" She contemplated for a moment before answering. "No. I don't believe so."

I smiled a bit. "I'd like to hear you sing sometime." Rin turned to stare at me. "I bet your singing is just as good as mine, maybe even better. Seeing as you already have a pretty voice." I said, giving her a wink. Rin blinked in shock before looking to the side in embarrassment, a small blush crept onto her face.

"You flatter me too much, Len."

I laughed, feeling the rest of the tension shake off. "I meant every word I said, Rin. I'd never lie to you." I stated, I reached over and smoothed out the silky bow on her head. "I would like to hear you sing though; it'd be nice." Rin bit the lower portion of her lip, still blushing. I grinned, continuing to pat her head. On the inside though, I knew she liked what I said.

"I suppose…" Rin spoke, lifting her eyes. I stopped grinning when she gave me a serious look, "if I could sing for Len… it would make me very happy." Then, she tilted her head sideways. "It would make Len happy too, right? To see me sing?"

I blinked, then nodded. "Yeah. It would."

"Then…!" As gentle as could be, she grasped of one of my hands and clasped it against her chest. "I will sing!" Her sea-blue eyes glowed with anticipation. "I will sing if it makes Len happy!" She faltered slightly, "Even if I will never be as good as Len… even if it gets scary. I must keep trying! I will sing for you!" She proclaimed in that light, musical voice of hers, her face growing firm with strong determination.

For a moment, I just stared. Then, the heat rose in my face, and my entire body began tingle. How was it that Rin could make herself so friggin' cute even when she was trying to act serious?

I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment, smiling sheepishly. I couldn't help it. Looking at the childish determination on her face, it was just cute. I kind of liked it.

"You don't have to go that far." I told Rin, smiling as I ruffled her hair. "It's not like I'd die if I never hear you sing."

"No!" I nearly jumped at the harshness in her tone. Rin's eyes began to flare now, that was a habit of hers when no one took her seriously. "I will definitely sing for Len! Even it gets hard, I will fight back even harder! With more force! It's not fair I have to become such a burden if I cannot even do a simple task such as that!" Then, her face softened with sadness. "I… just want to be able to do that."

The other intruding noises on the bus suddenly faded into nothingness, all that mattered was Rin. I leaned forward and grasped both of her shoulders, making her glance at me in surprise.

"Len?"

"Sorry, Rin." I grinned apologetically. "I should've taken what you said more seriously." Rin blinked, startled. "Go for it then. Sing for me sometime." I said, "But not just for me, for everyone. Mom, Kaito, Meiko-nee, and Dell, I'm sure they all want to hear you sing as much as I would."

Rin stared at me.

"I'm excited. You've already heard me sing, now it's my turn to hear you. But I don't want you to rush yourself, so I'll wait." I said, my grin widening.

"Len…"

"I'll wait for you, Princess."

Rin's eyes widened at my statement. A pink hue painted her cheeks as she shyly looked down at her hands. "Thank you." I grinned and slung an arm around her shoulders as I relaxed onto the shared bus seat. Her body tensed at first but gradually relaxed into the lazy hug.

That had to be the longest actual conversation I've had with Rin so far. She never really talked in Japanese much, even to me. But she was coming out of her shell and opening up more to us now. It made me glad enough.

Two months ago, Rin wouldn't have gotten within two feet with people outside our family. Now she was already making friends of her own over the past few days at Seija. She still hung around me though, not that I minded. Over the past weeks of spending time with her, she sorta grew on me. It was as if I were the at times she'd remind me of the perfect little sister I never had. Cute, innocent, sweet… no one could stay mad at her for long (not even Kaito could). I had even thought up of a private nickname for her, 'Princess.' It suits her better than 'Rabbit girl' or 'Bunny-chan', right?

Rin's head collided on top of my left shoulder, making me stiffen in slight surprise. "Can we stay like this for a while, please?" She asked before I could make a move to react, "even if everything changes later on…can we stay like this? Just for a little while?"

I didn't answer at first, then a light smile etched across my face and I placed a hand on her head, patting it. I closed my eyes in contentment.

"Of course, Princess."

For the rest of the ride, we remained like that.

Rin's POV

The first class of the day had ended. Len had to stay after class to assist the professor, so I met up Teto and Luka. While dressing out for P.E. class, Teto had begun singing a strange song having to do with undergarments at the top of her lungs.

"BY MYSELF, I CAN~

TAKE OFF MY PANTIES,

TAKE OFF MY PANTIES,

TAKE OFF MY PANTIES,

YEAH~!"

"Teto Kasane! Stop singing that song and get down from there!"

I removed the bow from my hair, clipping it into the same ponytail Len always wore. While Teto had been singing, the girls in our class had give us the strangest of stares for the past five minutes, especially when Teto had climbed on top of a bench and started twirling her uniform skirt in the air in a violent motion.

"Once I've taken them off, I'll become an adult~!

I'm sure it's a wonderful feeling

TAKE OFF MY PANTIES,

TAKE OFF MY PANTIES,

TAKE OFF MY PANTIES, ALRIGHT~!

I can do whatever I want~, I'll show you how I'M. GOING. TO-"

"TETOOOOO!" Luka practically shrieked, causing all of us to cringe and cover our ears. A shocked Teto finally stopped singing and hopped off. She gave Luka a strange look.

"Wow, Luka-pants. Is my singing that bad today? You never say anything when we're at home. And you know I sing songs a lot more-"

"I know." Luka spoke quickly, a red tinge coloring her cheeks. "It's just…-"

"Just what?" When Teto managed to pull on the assigned black shorts we were supposed to wear, the three of us headed out to the open gym area. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing. Anyway, have you confessed to Kasane-kun yet?" Luka asked quickly.

Teto blinked, shocked. Then, splotches of red colored her cheeks. "W… What the hell, Luka?" She exclaimed, her face reddening. "You can't bring Ted-kun into this now!"

I cocked my head sideways, turning to Luka. "What is the subject about Ted?" I asked. The quiet, red-haired boy was one of Len's friends. He sometimes visited the mansion along with the other boy called 'Akaito', who was more cheerful in contrast.

Luka smiled, flipping out her long pink hair. "Well, you see Rin-san: Teto has a case of infatuation with Kasane-kun; she likes him."

"Shut your trap, Luka-face! For your information, Ted-kun happens to be very sexy!" Teto looked the other way, puffing her cheeks out. "He and I both have red hair, we're both 5'3'', both our last names are Kasane. Those are signs from God! To get us together, DUH." She said, her gaze flickering back to Luka. "Besides, at least I'm not the one who daydreams about the eggplant-obsessed science professor during the day."

Luka blushed. "I- I do not dream of professor Kamui during the day!"

"Uh-huh, right." Teto sent her a strange wink. "Don't worry. I once read in a magazine purple and pink make awesome chemistry. Your babies won't turn out too freakish-looking."

"TETO!"

I furrowed my face in confusion at their strange conversation, but I didn't really mind. I grew accustomed to it. For the past few days, Gacha allowed me to attend Seija Academy by myself. Being here, I met a wide variety of people. Luka and Teto especially, they even attend some of my classes.

Teto is a cheerful but eccentric. I share some classes with her. She enjoys talking a lot and has a strange obsession to what she called 'yaoi manga.' She is also very aggressive, and she takes PE activities rather seriously.

Luka is Teto's cousin. She's a very beautiful and a very talented girl. Mature and gentle, Len, Kaito, or Meiko-nee sometimes talked with her. She appeared to be close with Teto, despite their differences. And she favored books, cooking, and (strangely enough,) tuna.

We arrived at the front of the soccer area where most of the male students were already competing in. "KYAAAH~! It's Ted-kuuuuun!" Teto immediately started squealing, pointing at the familiar redhead who was guarding the left net.

"Oh, look. Kaito-senpai and Meiko-senpai are playing." I heard someone comment. And it was true, Kaito was kicking the ball towards Ted's position while avoiding the opposing players. Meiko-nee was running a few feet away from Kaito.

"Kaito, pass it over here!" I heard Meiko-nee shout to Kaito. Looking over, he seemed to hesitate before sending the ball across the field and over to Meiko-nee, who delivered the final kick towards the net. I felt the air around me grow tight.

"KYAAAH~!" Other students on the sidelines gasped. Ted, a faint smirk on his face, jumped to the left and caught the ball in his hands.

"GO, TED-KUUUUUUUN! THAT'S MY MAN~!" Teto's loud voice pierced the area as Ted threw the ball to his teammates, Luka and I had to cover our ears from the deafening blow. Then, out of nowhere, Len appeared and stole the ball, delivering it straight into the net.

"GOAL!"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

BA-THUMP.

I gave a slight gasp as I clutched at the front of my chest. It was that pounding sensation again. I looked over at Len who was being crowded around his teammates. He smiled at all of them as he rubbed the back of his neck. I felt a smile tugging at the corner of my lips.

Then, Miku flounced up to him with a big grin on her face as she suddenly threw her arms around him, making Len stutter and blush.

The smile on my face immediately vanished. Disappointment fell on me watching how close that girl was to Len. Seeing how his face began turning colors, it greatly saddened me.

But… why?

Then, the whistle blew. The teacher was calling us all over on the other side of the area.

"Man, and I thought Ted-kun's team was gonna win. No fair." Teto puffed as we began walking towards the teacher. "Kaito-senpai and Meiko-senpai are just lucky they have someone like your brother on their team." She said to me, scowling a bit. Luka smiled politely at me.

"Well, I think Kagamine-kun played wonderfully. You should be proud of him." I nodded in agreement, but my gaze traveled over to where Len and that Miku person was. I had encountered that beautiful teal-haired girl a few days before, but I did not enjoy her company. She would always cling to Len and ignore me, once or twice giving me an odd-looking stare. They were talking and laughing, their faces flushed.

Len looks so... happy. Being with that beautiful girl, laughing and smiling like that…

"Anyway, Rinnie-boo. Is there someone you like?" Teto suddenly asked, making me turn to her in surprise. I blinked.

"Like?" I repeated, confused. "What…?"

Teto looked at me strangely. "Uh… you know 'like'? As in 'ooh-I-want-go-out-with-that-guy~!' or 'Oh-my-god-that-dude-in-my-class-is-soooo-sexy~'? See where I'm getting at? Or, 'I-want-to-bring-that-hottie-in-my-bed-and-"

"To 'like' is to feel a specific attraction towards a special someone, Rin-san." Luka interrupted, who was also looking at me strangely. "Haven't you ever experienced that feeling?"

I stared at them both in confusion. "I am afraid not." Their jaws slacked open at my words.

The red-haired girl eyed me in disbelief and shock. "Are you saying you've never liked anyone before, Rinnie-boo?" Tilting my head sideways, I returned their looks with a confused stare of my own.

"Is that bad?"

"THAT'S TERRIBLE!"

Teto abruptly came flying at me, her ruby eyes now wide and crazed. She grasped both my shoulders and starting shaking me violently. "WAKE YOURSELF UP, RIN! IT'S NOT NORMAL FOR ANYONE NOT TO HAVE SEXUAL ATTRACTIONS TOWARDS THE OPPOSITE SEX PAST THE AGE OF 13! WAKE UP, DAMMIT!"

"Stop that, Teto!" Luka scolded as she pulled the other girl aside, replacing the spot where Teto once stood. I could still feel myself swaying back and forth from the dizzying motion, my eyes might've been spinning in circles at the moment.

"I am sorry…" I murmured, fighting to regain control of myself.

Luka frowned. "Don't be. It's alright. But I have to admit, that does sound like an unusual case. You're sure you've never liked someone before?"

"OKAY, EVERYONE! LINE UP! WE'RE DOING VOLLEYBALL TODAY!" The teacher yelled when we came over. Everyone cheered. "You all know the rules, just keep serving the ball and add the given points." The teacher announced, dividing us into separate groups and setting teams on opposite sides of a six-course net.

I was still thinking about what Teto and Luka had said.

'Like'?

Do I 'like' anyone?

"Rin-chan~!" I snapped out of my daze and heard a familiar high-pitched voice squeal. A girl with ridiculously long golden hair pulled into a side ponytail ran towards me. She threw her arms around me, enveloping my entire self in a tight hug. "We get to be on the same team~! Isn't that just fabulous?"

"A… kita-san." Was all I could manage to say through the tight, rib-crushing embrace. Two other girls were on either side of Akita-san, one was tall and the other one short. "Sonika…-san… Gu…mi-san." I gasped while trying my best to bow. Then, Akita pulled away, allowing me to breath.

Akita smirked, her catlike eyes glowing. "I hope you're just as good as Len-kun at volleyball, Rin-chan. I wouldn't want to be made a fool on this-" Akita shot Teto a glare, "- team."

Teto snorted. "Ha. So long as you're playing too, Akita. Not painting your nails or texting on that goddamned cell of yours." Akita-san scowled as she marched up to Teto, their heights almost matching.

"Same goes for you, Kasane. Hopefully you won't be too distracted looking at Kasane-kun over there." Teto flinched, her ruby eyes starting to flicker dangerously.

"You wanna go, Akita?"

"Well, sure. Why don't we take this outside?"

"Fine by me!"

"Teto! Akita-san, please save it for the game!" Luka chided in, pushing the two girls apart. Her blue eyes flickered in the other direction, "See? There's who we're going against." Looking across where Luka was pointing, were six other girls already in the right positions.

In the front was Miku.

"Is everyone ready over there?" A girl on the opposing side with short black hair called, waving to us. Akita and Teto looked at each other uncertainly before scowling.

"We'll finish this later." Teto stated, glaring at Akita.

"Agreed." Akita shot back. And we all took our positions. Miku had the ball, she was bouncing it up and down repeatedly before looking at me, her stony eyes digging into mine.

A fire crossed between us.

An icy rush of chills traveled up and down my spine. The teal-haired girl threw the ball high in the air and slammed her closed fist on it.

I saw nothing but a white blur-

WHAAAP!

Something had slammed right against my face, causing me to fall backwards in surprise. I felt my back come in contact with the cold ground. The object that hit me rolled off to the side, replacing my face with a throbbing sensation. My eyes began to water from the pain.

"Nnn…"

"Rinnie-boo!"

"Rin-san!"

Before I knew it, someone pulled my to my feet. Looking to the side, I saw Teto and Luka supporting my weight with both arms. Luka frowned. "Are you alright?"

"Sorry, Kagamine-san. I didn't mean for your face to get in the way." Turning sideways, I saw Miku come over and pick up the ball that had rolled to the side. She looked up and me and gave me a stare. "But you should've been more prepared." A sudden rush of heat swelled inside me hearing those cold words.

"Ne, Hatsune, that was a penalty strike!" Akita came up from behind me and swiped the ball from Miku's hands. "You don't get the ball this time, sorry." She handed the ball to me, smirking. "It's your turn to serve, Rin-chan." For a moment, I awed Akita's boldness.

Miku's eyes narrowed. "Alright then." With that, she headed back towards her own group. Teto and Luka returned to their given positions, ready to play. I looked at the white ball in my hands, then at the teal-haired girl in the front of the net. I pictured her laughing and clinging to Len in the past four days.

"Kagamine-kuuun!"

"Haha… you're so funny, Kagamine-kun!"

A rush of heat traveled to my head, it suddenly grew harder for me to breathe. My insides swelled with coldness. The air around me grew heavy with uneasiness. "Ne, Kagamine-san? Are you gonna serve or what?" My head snapped up, my eyes immediately came into contact with the heavily-lashed viridian eyes of Miku Hatsune.

"… My apologies." I replied with the most calm voice I could muster. Stepping back a few paces, I felt my neutral stare gradually build up into a glare. Carefully, I placed one foot behind me and threw the ball into the air, I jumped in the aftermath and raised a steady fist.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!

I slammed my hand into the ball, hard. So hard, in fact, it became a white blur as it flew past. Alarmed gasps sounded around the net, the ball slammed just a few inches away from where Miku was standing. She had been so caught off-guard, in fact, that the ball flounced to the side in the aftermath. With trembling hands, she bent down and picked up what appeared to be the remains of the ball, eyes widening in surprise.

A large hole corrupted the entire round structure, leaving it a white shapeless mass.

The other girls stared at us in dumbfounded silence. Miku's eyes met mine, but this time, hers were filled with shock and disbelief, which slowly turned into fear. Glaring straight at the teal-haired beauty, I said these words in a cold, monotone voice:

"I believe that one was a point."

Meiko's POV

It was quiet.

Eerily quiet.

And also makes things awkward.

Wanna know why?

Today, there weren't that many people eating in the cafeteria today, since it was due to most seniors having to stay behind to finish up tests. But that wasn't the reason why everyone was so quiet. A certain blonde-haired girl sat away from the rest of our lunch group, eating her packed lunch in silence. An intense, dark aura radiated from her as she watched us like a cat. I felt my back prickle at the creepy stare she was giving us.

"… Dude, Len. Did you do something to piss Rin-chan off or something?" Akaito finally asked in effort to break the uncomfortable silence. Len flinched, fully aware that Rin's stares were directed mostly towards him.

"I don't know, actually… when I handed over her lunch, she just took it and sat over there. She doesn't want me to come sit with her either." Len frowned, taking a bite out of his lunch. Beside me, Kaito rose an eyebrow.

"Really? What'd you do to her?"

"That's what I don't know."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, I made an attempt to joke about it. "Did you poison her lunch or something?" The blond shot me a hard look.

"Not funny, Meiko-nee."

"Sorry." I mumbled, feeling embarrassed.

"Have you tried talking to her?" The normally soft-spoken redhead suggested.

Len sighed. "She won't even let me come close enough to have a decent conversation with her." Well, that sounded interesting. Rin-chan always welcomed attention from Len.

"Well, someone better go over there and talk to her. That look she's giving is really starting to creep me out." Akaito shuddered as he looked away from the blonde.

"Well, I can't go over there." Len said, sighing. "I think she's pretty angry with me…" He looked at Kaito.

"Wha-! Don't look at me! I enjoy living, thank you very much!" Kaito exclaimed, holding his hands up in defense. "Why not them two over there?" He pointed to Akaito and Ted, who both rejected the offer by scooting further down the bench.

"Uh…" Akaito laughed nervously. "I'm afraid Ted and I don't understand the complicated emotions of girls. We're guys, and we don't have that connection… maybe a girl…?"

Suddenly, everyone was staring at me.

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"OH HELL NO! Don't look at me like that!" All their faces turned desperate.

"C'mon, Meiko-senpai, we're guys! Total idiots! We'd only piss Rin-chan off even more if we tried talking to her!"

"And I said, 'HELL. NO." I replied, tilting the tip of my canteen back and drinking up the rest of the water. "God. All of you, suck it up and act like men."

"Please, Meiko-nee? I'd try if she'd only let me come within two feet of her."

"No."

There was just no way in hell I was risking my life with the recently turned demon-girl staring at us with creepiness and such. Tragedy and so, I wasn't willing to take up that suicide mission.

"Mei-chan…" I flinched at the new voice added in. A blue-haired moron suddenly came close enough that our noses were merely inches away.

"D-Don't even try, Kaito." I stuttered, trying to make myself look tough. He was being way too close right now.

"Mei-chan, I'm afraid we don't have the woman's touch to do the job. We can't do this without you." His icy, vanilla-scented breath tickled my nose.

Why. Oh why did he always have to eat ice-cream during lunch?

"A-And what the fuck do you mean by 'woman's touch', idiot?" I asked, trying to prevent our noses from colliding together. Kaito's puppy pout grew deeper, making the heat rise to my face. I couldn't help it though, since kindergarten I never could resist that pout.

"Meiko. We're worried about Bunny-chan, and I'm sure you are too." I inwardly flinched, it was true. I was worried about Rin. "But it looks like only you can talk to her right now, so do that, okay?" A slight scowl formed my lips, making Kaito stare at me even harder.

"At least for me?"

The.

Cheesiest.

Words.

EVER.

"… Dammit, fine." I snapped, blushing. I pushed the blue-haired freak away from me, despite the fact I kinda liked how close we had gotten- NO. I got myself up and sent glares all around at the inferior males. "You fuckers owe me one."

Kaito sent me a strange grin. "I don't know how we'd survive without you." A vein popped at the top of my head, I scowled.

"I swear to God if you say another word, I am going take your throat in my hand and push you off the side of the building."

If anything more, his grin widened.

"Awesome. Love you too."

On the way stomping towards the blonde, I felt like hitting something. Stealing a glance back at the boys, I could see Kaito indulge in a fake conversation with the others.

Argh.

To think I had to fall for my own best friend at this time and age.

I hate my life sometimes.

"Why the long face, Rinnie?" I sat myself down next to the glowering blonde girl, who was picking at her food. "You've been sitting over here for the past fifteen minutes. Is something up between you and Len?" She flinched at the mention of the other blond's name.

Hm. So this did have something to do with Len.

"E… Everything is fine as always, Meiko-nee." Rin answered softly, switching her gaze to her shoes.

I scoffed. "You can't fool me with that sad face of yours, Rin-chan. I know better than that." She seemed to falter at that statement, the sides of her bow drooping like puppy ears. To soften the blow, I slung an arm around her neck comfortingly. "So, tell Meiko-nee what the matter is, alright?" She gave me a hesitant look, the dark look in her eyes disappearing. Instead, it was replaced with fear and anxiety.

"Must we talk about this?"

I nodded firmly. "Yes, we have to."

Rin fiddled nervously with the hem of her skirt. "I… I don't understand, Meiko-nee… in the last class, Teto and Luka talked to me about something very strange." I nodded to show I was listening. "They were talking about… 'liking' a person?"

"Go on…" I encouraged gently, trying to find out more. Rin paused before continuing.

"And… for me, when I contemplate on 'liking' a person…" Rin looked up to the ceiling in blank wonder, "it's somehow connected to Len…"

… Oh.

OH.

Now I knew where this was going.

Haha... yeah.

"But… I do not understand." Rin turned to me, her face contorted in a look of pure confusion. "What does it mean? To 'like' a person? Why is it that I think of Len when 'liking' someone comes to mind?"

I quirked a brow.

"You've never liked anyone before, Rin?" Reluctantly, she shook her head.

"It's all so confusing…"

I sighed. Who knew Rin-chan could be this innocent?

"And when I think of Len spending time with other girls," Rin uttered, suddenly looking over towards where Len was. "Especially when he's looking happy with Hatsune-san instead of me…" Then she lowered her head. Strands of sun-colored hair shadowed her icy-blue eyes which turned cold with contempt. "… it hurts."

I sighed, fully aware of what she was talking about.

Len and Miku had been spending more and more time in each other's companies in the last couple of weeks, even when Rin hadn't been here.

I knew exactly how she felt.

"I want to separate them… but," Rin suddenly lifted her head, her eyes storming with anxiety. "Len has shown me nothing but kindness, teaching me lots of things… teaching me how to talk, smiling for me..." As she spoke, her expression began to darken. "If I did such a selfish thing, it would make him sad." She paused before continuing, "So I mustn't be selfish… not while I am indebted to someone so kind."

I studied her for a long while, then sighed.

"Well, I guess there's a first time for everything. Even if it's at a late age." I made an attempt to cheer her up by flashing her a wide grin. "Don't worry. I think you're a little confused, after all, Len's basically the only boy you've grown on these past few months, so it's natural you'd be a bit jealous."

The girl looked up, facing me.

"Jealous?"

I grinned. "You got it. Face it, Rin. You like Len-Len."

She blinked.

"I… 'like' Len?"

I nodded. "To 'like' is to have special feelings for that specific person, a close person in particular." I continued further when I saw the bemused expression on Rin's face. "When you like someone, you want to make sure you're always at your best. You feel a warmth whenever you're around him," I suddenly found myself glancing over at Kaito. "… Like, you can't even feel the same around other people, and whenever you're with him… you can just laugh off the awkward fights and be yourself."

I looked back at Rin, who was looking at me closely.

"Do you have someone you like, Meiko-nee?"

I blinked, completely taken off-guard by the sudden question, then a huge blush broke out on my face.

"What? M-Me? Ohahahaha!" I let out an nervous laugh, rubbing the back of my head. "Well… kinda." I tore my gaze away from Kaito, smiling. "But it's not really a matter of 'liking' him, it's something a lot stronger. I've known him for a long time." Rin tilted her head to the side, curious.

"Something stronger? What do you call it?"

I hesitated before glancing over back at the idiot I so adored. He had grabbed Len a headlock, grinning as he gave him a full noogie, despite the protests. He was smiling, laughing.

… Just like those other times.

"Meiko-chan! Catch!"

"No, not yet." I murmured, looking back at Rin with a sad smile. "Not yet, Rin-chan. You'll know what it is, someday."

Rin looked at me confusedly. "How will I know?" I sighed, stretching my arms out towards the ceiling before nestling my gaze back out Rin.

"Because he's the one who taught you how to smile."

Rin's POV

Someday…

What had Meiko-nee meant by that?

The day at Seija had ended, and we were all walking home from the bus stop. Kaito was traveling ahead of us, as always, and Len was walking just a few steps ahead of me.

I sighed. "Len?"

Immediately, he turned around to face me.

"Rin?"

I felt my cheeks flush. I… 'liked' Len. Even if it was a little bit, I think I understood what it meant. "Do you… like Hatsune-san?" As if I had been shouting, he recoiled back in surprise with his cheeks flaming.

"Wh-? How do you know what it means-"

"Do you or not?" I pressed on, determined to know. For a moment, Len stared at me, cheeks stained red and blue eyes wide. Then, he relaxed himself into a small smile of embarrassment.

"Yeah… I do. I like her."

BA-THUMP…

Slowly, I felt my hands drop at both sides of my skirt. My chest started to hurt, I had to resist the need to grasp at it this time.

Why did hurt so much…?

"Rin?" I glanced up to see Len's worried expression. "Is something wrong? Are you hurt?"

I didn't want Len to 'like' Miku.

I didn't want him to smile with Miku.

I didn't want him to be happy with Miku.

But…

I gathered all my strength in what was supposed to look like a smile. "I am fine, Len. Thank you." He frowned, seeming unconvinced.

"Rin…"

"Really, I am. Just, please…" I said, making my smile widen. I felt my eyes water for some reason as I lowered my head and brushed past him, still holding onto that false smile as I stopped at the very side of him.

"Be happy."

And I broke into a run.

Small beads of water began sliding down my cheeks as I ran to catch up with Kaito. My chest heaved with painful effort to breathe. I made the attempt to smile even further.

I couldn't be selfish.

I couldn't.

I still didn't understand the feeling of 'like', so it was nothing to cry over about. I had to remain unselfish. For Len.

Still… why wouldn't my tears stop?

I suddenly tripped, gasping out. I found myself falling headfirst towards the concrete- A flash of teal.

Before I knew it, I suddenly found my body being secured by a firm pair of arms. The ground remained below me, yet I had not hit it. I looked up to meet a gentle pair of blue-green eyes, almost turquoise. Blinking, the owner of the eyes allowed me back on my feet. I gasped upon seeing who he was.

There, standing before me, was a tall, slender youth with finely sculpted features. He had slightly disheveled teal hair that hung loosely below his ears. His face was smooth and unblemished yet defined at the same time. He looked to be about the same build as Len, if not a few centimeters taller. But what struck me the most were his piercing, emerald eyes. So many emotions seemed to range behind the mysterious irises, drawing curious onlookers closer and closer.

BA-THUMP…

I gasped, clutching at my chest.

This sensation…

The teal-haired boy suddenly grinned, giving me a wink. "You always did have a klutzy stride about you, princess." I nearly gasped again. He leaned over and dried the tears from my eyes.

He spoke… German?

He suddenly extended his left arm, sweeping into a graceful bow. "Until then." He said before flashing me another charming grin before walking off into the distance.

"Rin!" I turned again, seeing Len, breathless and flushed from running. A look of worry crossed his features. "Are you alright? I saw you trip and-" Then, he looked at the boy walking off, he raised an eyebrow, "-… who's that guy who helped you just now?" I blinked before settling my gaze back on the teal-haired boy.

BA-THUMP…

It was strange.

For some reason, seeing that boy's face… he looked familiar.

It was as if I had met him before.

A/N: asdfkfhadlkfjhadsklfh It's DONE~! There are NO words to describe my awesomness right now. XD *faints*

Haha, who IS this mysterious stranger? Can YOU guess? Well, if you know the Vocaloid section well enough, you'd know by now by the OBVIOUS color. But yeah, this handsome boy's actually gotten quite a number of votes on the poll before he actually showed in the story. Isn't that kinky? LOL.

YOU WILL REVIEW IF YOU LOVE ME... just saying, cuz it's true, right? RIGHT? O_O yeah, but pleeeeeeease? *puppy eyes*

Es lebe der Geschichte!