Aneko: This fiction is taking me forever and a day to finish. I just hope that the end result will be worth it.

Disclaimer: I still don't own it.

Chapter 10

When Saki woke up in the morning, Riko was already gone. Saki got up slowly, a sickened feeling in the pit of her stomach. She looked for her friend at breakfast, but still couldn't find her. She picked at the food on her plate, the sickened feeling growing.

Half an hour later, Saki and her classmates assembled in the lobby for their first activity of the day—a visit to a local and very old shrine. One of the few activities she wouldn't have to miss.

Though the shrine was within reasonable walking distance, everyone boarded the bus to get their large group their easier. A guide was waiting for them when they arrived. The shrine was certainly beautiful, but Saki was more interested in trying to talk to Riko, who she had located at last. She shuffled around her classmates, trying not to bring attention to the fact that she wasn't really listening to the tour information.

As they turned a corner, she finally managed to catch Riko's sleeve. People fowed around them like stream water parted around a rock.

"Riko! I need to talk to you!"

Riko gazed at her. "Ready to tell me everything yet?"

Saki waffled. "Well, uh…"

Riko pulled her arm away. "I guess not."

"Riko, no, please listen—" Saki took a step after her friend's departing back.

The world tilted. Saki blinked furiously, her eyes heavy. She had to—had to—she tried to bring her foot forward, but the feat was too great. She felt her strength give way, and her knees struck the pavement, people still flowing around her. Her vision was fading, but just as it nearly went black, she saw him—

A man in a suit, across the courtyard. Not young, not old.

She shuddered and closed her eyes to the sight, allowing unconsciousness to steal her away.

When Saki opened her eyes, she couldn't figure out what had happened at first. She was frowning up at the ceiling in thought, when a quiet voice spoke up beside her.

"Saki? Are you alright?"

Saki looked over. Riko was sitting in a chair next to her bed.

"Riko—"

"Don't get up." Riko quickly pushed her friend back onto the pillow. "The doctor said you shouldn't get up quickly or you might faint again."

"Doctor?"

"Yeah, you passed out, remember?"

"Oh, right. Where is everyone?"

"Still at the temple. One of the teachers brought us back to the hotel so you could rest."

Saki thought of how she had been trying to catch Riko, and then—Saki gasped, nearly jumping right off of the bed.

"Riko, listen, I—"

"Saki," Riko interrupted. She stared down at her hands. "I want to apologize. I shouldn't have acted the way I did. Just because there's something you can't tell me, it doesn't mean we can't be friends." She looked up at Saki. "When you fainted, I was really worried about you, and I realized that I'd been acting so stupid. So…can you forgive me?"

"Of course!" Saki laughed, feeling light-headed with relief. "Of course I can! Can you forgive me? For keeping secrets from you even though you're my best friend?"

Riko nodded. "Yeah. And don't worry. If there's something you need to sort out by yourself, I understand. I'll still be your friend no matter what."

Saki hesitated, then shook her head. "No, Riko, you deserve to know. I don't care if I get in trouble for telling you, I'll just deal with it somehow. Riko, I'm—I'm part of Vocaloid."

A brief, heavy silence fell. "…What?"

"Vocaloid—the group you love so much—I'm one of the members."

"What? That's—but—" Riko gestured ineffectually with her hands. "No way! But—"

Saki rolled her eyes. "Ill prove it to you." She looked around the room and saw her phone sitting on the nightstand. She grabbed it and dialed.

"So you finally told her?" Was the first thing Kaito said when he picked up.

Saki was momentarily as silenced as Riko. "Huh? Wait, you knew I Was going to? And what do you mean, finally?"

Kaito chuckled. "It was only a matter of time, Miku. She's your best friend."

"Whatever. Look, could you come over to my hotel for a little while? Oh, and bring my wig, would you?"

"A demonstration, huh?"

"Something like that."

"Well, this'll be fun to watch. Be right over."

Less than half an hour later, there was a knock at their room door.

"That's probably Kaito," Saki said, going to open the door. She had convinced Riko that she was well enough to stand now.

Kaito held up a bag as he entered. "Delivery!"

Saki took it and saw the turquoise fibers of her wig peeking out. "Great! Thanks, Kaito."

Riko's eyes had turned big and round.

Kaito held his hand out to her. "It's nice officially meeting you. Of course, Miku talks about you so much that it feels like I already know you."

"Miku…?" Riko asked in a mystified voice, shaking his head.

"That would be me," Saki said as she tucked the last of her hair under the flowing wig. "Um…ta-dah?"

Riko's mouth made a little 'o' of recognition.

Kaito turned to Saki. "Don't worry about telling Riko. I knew from the beginning that you were going to tell her eventually, so you won't get in trouble."

"From the beginning? Geez, am I that easy to read?"

Kaito shrugged. "You care about your friend. There's nothing wrong with that."

Riko was looking back and forth between the two of them. "Wait, so it—it's true? You're really…"

"Hatsune Miku, at your service."

Riko threw her hands in the air. "And here I thought you just hit your head too hard when you fainted and became delusional or something."

"Wait, fainted?" Kaito turned to Saki. "Miku, you fainted again?"

"Yeah, while we were visiting the shrine. But I feel fine," she added quickly as he opened his mouth.

"Are you sure?"

Saki waved a hand in the air. "Yeah, definitely. I'm fine now." Kaito pursed his lips. "Really!"

He said nothing, and Saki cleared her throat, going to open the window blinds. "Anyways, it's time for work, right? Sorry if I put everyone behind schedule. Today's our first stage rehearsal, right?"

"Yeah, we should get going…maybe Riko-chan should come with us?"

"What—me? Really?"

"Really? Kaito, would that be okay?"

Kaito shrugged. "Sure. All we would have to worry about would be if your teacher said no. I'll go talk to him and see what I can do."

He left the room, and Riko turned to Saki, a big grin spreading across her face as her eyebrows rose.

"So, it is a boy after all! I knew I wasn't wrong!"

Saki fell onto the bed, groaning as Riko laughed.

"First name basis and everything!"

"Riko! Advice! Please!"

"Been on a date yet?"

'Um…yes-no."

"What does that mean?"

"Yes, but then again, no…Yes in the sense that we went somewhere together. No in the sense that I don't know if it was as anything more than friends."

"Is he nice to you?"

"He's nice to everyone, Riko."

"No, I mean like nicer than he is to everybody else kind of nice."

"How should I know? And besides, what if I'm wrong? I'd never live down the embarrassment."

"You could always ask him."

"Yeah, right!" Saki threw a pillow at Riko.

"I'm just trying to be constructive."

"Or destructive."

Riko stuck her tongue out. "Well I am trying to help."

"I know." Saki pulled a pillow over her face, until she heard the door open again.

"Good news," Kaito said. "Riko can come with us."

Saki and Riko cheered.

"Well, come on! Let's go!"

Kaito drove them straight to the stage where Saki enjoyed Riko's silence and stupefied expression. Though it was Saki's first time seeing this particular stage, the crew walking around—doing sound checks, fixing lights—wasn't new, and made her more comfortable.

Saki caught sight of Meiko and the twins on the far side of the stage. "Come on," she told Riko, grabbing her hand and dragging her over to them.

"Ah, Miku-chan."

"Miku-nee!"

"Who's this?"

"Everybody, this is my best friend, Riko."

If Riko was stunned before, she was positively awed now.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Riko-chan." Meiko grinned.

"Y-yeah, same here." Riko gave a slight bow.

"Could you guys look after her for a few minutes? I've got to change."

"Sure!"

Saki ran off to get changed, hearing Meiko say as she left, "Come on, Riko-chan, we'll give you a tour."

Saki went to the auditorium's lobby and to the restroom to change. Since it wasn't concert day, she didn't have to worry about her makeup. Putting on her costume took just a few minutes. A little adjustment to the wig, and she headed out to go back to the stage. She was walking down the hall when she saw further ahead what looked like Kaito's shockingly blue hair. He had his back turned to her. Saki opened her mouth to call out to him, but she froze when she heard him speak.

"…that Saki-chan fainted again?"

Saki wasn't sure why she hid. Her legs just carried her to an alcove some distance away.

There was a pause, then Kaito's voice rang out again, impatiently. "I'm not talking about that! I'm talking about her as a person! If she's affect in any way—"

Saki frowned. What was this about her?

"I want her checked by a doctor, Saito," Kaito continued. After a moment of silence, his voice became more intense. "You will have her checked, and if there's anything wrong…just do it!"

She peeked around the corner and saw him snap his phone shut. He stared at it for a few minutes, and then with a sigh, he started to walk down the hall.

Saki watched him leave, unable to get rid of the cold chill running up and down her arms.

That was how Gakupo found her five minutes later, staring after the spot where Kaito had disappeared.

"Miku-dono? Are you alright?"

Starting, Saki looked up. "Gakupo." She blinked and shook her head. "Uh…yes. Yes, I'm fine."

"That is good. I believe it is time for rehearsal, is it not?"

"Yes, you're right." Saki smiled at him. "And I have someone I want you to meet."

"Is that so?" They began walking together. "And who might that be?"

"I have a friend who loves Vocaloid. I told her that I'm Hatsune Miku, and Kaito told me it would be okay for her to watch practice. She's with Meiko, Rin and Len right now."

"I see. I look forward to meeting her, then."

Yhey arrived on the stage. Riko recognized Gakupo from when they had met him while shopping, and was as surprised as Saki had been to learn that he was part of Vocaloid. Saki could only laugh at the expression on her friend's face.

Though they were supposed to start practice, they sat around on stage in a circle for a little while, chatting and getting to know Riko. After the initial shock had worn off, Riko took her association with the group in stride, and having a conversation about school with Rin and Len.

Everyone's laughter echoed around the large room, but Saki couldn't join in. Her eyes kept straying to Kaito—who was laughing with everyone.

What was going on?

Aneko: So I'm sorry that this chapter is a little short. I just really wanted to post it since it's taking me a long time between updates. I'm going to try to start making them all a little longer, because there's still a ways to go before this is finished.

And also, sorry for any typos in this chapter. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to type with a band aid on top of your index finger (I have a mysterious paper cut that appeared out of nowhere…)