Operation Ten

Am I Not Allowed to Love Her?

Miki glared at the floor from where she sat on the edge of Piko's bed, scuffing the bottom of her shoe irritably against his carpet. He was still working on the computer he'd hooked her up to, despite her having been stuck to it for days now. It was infuriating not being able to move more than three metres from the computer, and Piko had little sympathy. That was the way he was, though, when it came to her. He said she whined too much, just like all the other girls here, and that she might as well give up on Rin since Rin would obviously never feel the same way. He was so blunt that it was painful, but she knew he was right.

Still, she curled her fingers into her palm and stretched them out once more over and over again, her limbs aching to get out of this room. She was tired of being a sitting duck. She wanted to get out there and see Rin, protect her from Neru, from Ring, from Piko, from Rion, from Iroha, from Kaito, from everyone. She wanted to be by Rin's side, not Piko's.

"You should have come to see me earlier," Piko told her coldly, refusing to show even a hint of remorse for holding her captive in this room.

"I was busy," she replied, narrowing her eyes at him. Usually, she didn't mind Piko too horribly, but her patience for him grew lower the more time he kept her locked up. This time had been longer than usually; however, the time between her visits had been longer, too, since she hadn't wanted to leave Rin's side.

He shrugged, which was his way of saying that he didn't really care either way. "If you don't come and check in, I can't warn you about anything. You avoid me, too, and it's not my job to come find you."

She scowled and looked at the floor again, not wanting to see the horrible Vocaloid who held her here. "Then don't come and find me."

She could feel his gaze on her for a moment before he turned back to the monitor and continued slamming away at his keys. "If I do that, you'll expire. If you're okay with that, then I'll leave you alone."

She almost wanted to say, Then leave me alone, but she knew that Piko had backed her into a corner. So, all she argued was, "It's not fair."

"That's inconsequential," was all he responded before she looked up to him, attracted by a flicker of movement in her peripheral vision. He had stood up and was walking toward her. She stared into his mismatching eyes as he kneeled down in from of her so that they were on eye level. His face was close to hers, far too close, as he gazed into her eyes, but she was used to this by now. Then, he pulled back and returned to his computer. "Okay, I'm done. You're free to go."

Miki must've looked as startled as she felt, because the faintest hint of a smirk graced his face as he told her, "You don't want to keep Rin waiting, do you?"

Miki felt a smile light her face and jumped from her seat to rush out of the room. Swinging the door open, she barely stopped to call, "Thanks, Piko," over her shoulder before dashing into the hallway. She was certain he snorted, but she didn't care. She wanted to find Rin, no matter what.

However, she found her search to be fruitless not long after. She arrived at Rin's room only to find it empty. With a small scowl, she headed to Iroha's room, where Rin commonly relocated to watch anime, but that room had been abandoned, too. She went next to Aoki's vacated room, recalling Piko telling her that the fairy-girl and her girlfriend had been having troubles. Her irritation was beginning to rise when she checked with Len and Yuki, neither of which knew where Rin was. The next closest person would be Gumi, she supposed, but she wasn't really in the mood to see Rion, so she decided to take a peek in Neru's room, though she felt dread weighing on her heart as she did. It lifted when she saw that the room was empty, so she returned to Gumi's room, bracing herself to deal with Rion, but the room was empty. She'd already guessed what was going on, but, just for certainty's sake, she headed to enemy territory, Ring's room, and slid the door open quietly. Ring was no where to be seen, but a large stain of light blue nail polish had leaked across her carpet since the last time Miki had been here. Miki sighed and closed the door, finally checking in with Gakupo to ascertain that Rin was, in fact, at the Green Is the Enemy club.

She knocked on his closed door, remembering the time when she'd been greeted with an unpleasant sight upon barging in without warning, and then entered when she heard the man call, "Come on in." When she did, he looked up from his monitor and smiled. "Hey, Miki! Haven't seen you for a while! Where've you been? Rin's been looking for you everywhere. Have you seen her, by chance?"

Miki shook her head and wondered, "Do you know where she is, by any chance?"

Gakupo paused to think for a second before replying, "I think she was heading to that club you guys are in."

So she'd been right. "Thanks, Gakupo," she said, already stepping back out the door. "I'll see you later. I've got to get to club."

"Ah, wait, Miki, would you sing a—"

She already knew what he was going to ask, and she didn't have the heart to refuse the poor man, so she opted instead to pretend she hadn't heard him and make her way down the hallway, to the clubroom. After turning the last corner into the hallway where Rin awaited, Miki's ears were assaulted by Iroha's loud voice.

"You have no right to be here so just get out!"

Then came Rion's, raising into a higher, more nasally register as her frustration heightened. "What's your problem with me, Iroha? I've never done anything to you!"

"Neru, either she goes or I go! Make your decision!"

"Iroha." That tentative voice was Rin's.

"Shut up, Rin! I refuse to work with this cocky little Utau!"

Rion was obviously offended, and that outrage echoed in her words. "I'm not an Utau! I'm a full-fledged Vocaloid!"

Iroha snorted. "Yeah, well, that's what Teto said, but I'm not stupid enough to be fooled, unlike my predecessors!"

Neru's cool, clipped voice interrupted then. "Both of you, get out. Using the term 'Utau' like that is something I won't stand for. They're no lower or higher than all of you. We're all equal, the Utaus, the Fanloids, me, Haku, and all of you."

It was quiet for a moment, but Miki could hear in Iroha's voice that she'd been fuming the entire time. "Screw you, you stupid Boukaloid."

"Iroha!" exclaimed Rin in disbelief.

Miki then saw Iroha storm out of the room. The girl was glaring at the floor, stopping only when she spotted Miki's shoes, at which she turned her gaze upward curiously. The anger only faded for a moment to make way for shock, and then sadness settled. Hesitantly, she stared at Miki and wondered, "You heard me?" Miki nodded, offering an apologetic smile and holding a hand out to Iroha. She understood how the girl felt far too well. Iroha accepted the offer and placed her hand in Miki's. Thought Miki wanted to see Rin, she knew that this was more important, so she guided Iroha to Rin's room since it was the closest of the three and closed the door, taking a seat of Rin's bed. Iroha sat, too, and stared at her. "Do you think I was being crazy?"

"No," Miki insisted. Then, she paused, and realized that there was something she had to say to the girl. "Iroha, if you want to have this conversation, you have to tell me something." Iroha averted her gaze, defensiveness habitually rising, as she braced herself for the question she knew Miki was going to ask. "Do you like Gumi?"

Iroha was quiet for a little before confessing, "I don't dislike her."

Miki knew that meant she did, so she pressed forward. "Why haven't you told her?"

Iroha's eyes flashed with anger, and she quickly barked back, "Why haven't you told Rin that you like her, huh?"

Miki withheld a frown, trying to remain polite. "It's different with Rin, and you know that. Rin likes Neru. She'll never look at me that way as long as Neru still holds her heart."

Iroha scowled, probably because she didn't like being argued with. "Well, maybe it used to be different, but, now, it isn't. She likes Rion. It's obvious."

The cherry-haired girl might have laughed if she didn't know what it was like to be in Iroha's position. Rion was like Iroha's version of Ring, only Iroha believed that Gumi actually liked Rion. Miki wanted to tell Iroha that Gumi liked her, but she knew better than to do so. It was up to Iroha to realize it. Instead, she told her, "It's obvious that Rion likes Gumi, certainly, but nobody would agree that the opposite is true, other than you, it seems."

Iroha was quiet for a little longer before she looked up to Miki with sad eyes, saying, "I just can't like that girl, Miki. There's nothing wrong with her, really, but there's no way I'll ever be able to get along with her."

Miki nodded her understanding. Ring had proven many times that she wasn't terrible, but, as long as Ring pursued Rin, Miki could never feel more than resentment toward the blue-haired Vocaloid. Then, remembering what had happened before Piko had kidnapped her, she added, "Besides, she thinks Ring and Rin would be a cute couple. That's just ridiculous."

Iroha nodded her agreement, but, after a moment's hesitation, she stared Miki in the eye and said, "But, Miki, I don't think you and Rin would be a good couple, either."

The moment the words hit her, she thought she'd dreamt it, but the look of guilt in Iroha's eyes told her otherwise. Numbness spiked her skin, and it took her a while to finally form the simple word, "What?"

Iroha couldn't meet her eyes anymore, it seemed, because her gaze fell to the bed. "I'm sorry, Miki, I just don't think you and Rin would be good in a relationship, and I think there's someone you'd both be better with in this household."

Miki couldn't believe what she was hearing. She'd been trying to console Iroha when, all this time, Iroha hadn't been rooting for her? A sense of betrayal sparked in Miki's heart, and she jerked herself off the bed. She heard Iroha say, "Wait," but she refused to. Without another word, Miki left the room and headed back to the club, grateful that Iroha hadn't followed her.

All eyes turned onto her when she entered the clubroom. Rin sat with Aoki, and they appeared to have been in conversation before Miki had arrived. Ring was busy on her cell phone, as was Neru, but the tsundere's addiction to her phone was normal. Ring missing out on a chance to be with Rin while Miki was gone wasn't. Rion was still sitting next to Gumi, clinging to the girl, despite having been told to leave earlier.

"Hey, Red, welcome back," Ring welcomed with a grin, looking away from her phone. "Where've you been hiding?"

Miki was only staring at Rion, though, who began to shift nervously under that stare. All this time, Miki had rooted for Iroha and hated Rion, but the kittyler hadn't returned the favour. Miki had no reason to dislike Rion, then, so she didn't care if the girl joined the club or not.

"But, Miki, I don't think you and Rin would be a good couple, either."

Anger still flowing through her veins, Miki told Rion, "You and Gumi would be a cute couple. You should go out."

Gumi remained her same inexpressive self as joy sparkled in Rion's eyes at those words. Alarm came in Rin's voice as the blonde gasped, "Miki!"

"Really?" Rion shrilled, looking eagerly to Gumi. "What do you think, Gumi?" Gumi's only response was a shrug, but Rion interpreted that as an acceptance. A sick pleasure filled Miki's heart. Fine. If Iroha wouldn't root for Miki and Rin, Miki wouldn't root for Iroha and Gumi.