Oh my god. How long has it been since I've written? Five months? It feels like I just stepped out of a cave and back into the sunshine. FRESH AIR. So anyway, it is with my great pleasure that I give you the next (boring) chapter of Campus Crush. And perhaps the longest. Thank you so much for waiting - I was really surprised when I checked FFN a few days ago and found that you guys were still reading and favoriting this. Thank you all for your support, and I'll make sure that I'll at least try to write more! (After finals, that is.)
(BTW - lyrics & translation by t12111. Not mine.)
Campus Crush Chapter 11
"I can't believe it."
She was crammed on a stuffy bus next to Miku, her legs cramped in the small space between her seat and the back of the beat up wall of blue, fake leather in front of her.
"Can't believe we're going to the competition?" Miku grinned.
"No, I can't believe we're on a bus that smells like a cow pasture with fifty other kids."
"Oh." She resumed looking out the window.
But Rin had to admit – she was highly anticipating the day that lay before her. In the morning, she had awoken to the sounds of buses and trucks loading equipment and props. Her props. It feels nice to be a star, she thought to herself, happily.
Although, she had to question why the dean had insisted that half the school attend the competition as some type of pep squad for them. Then again, he wasn't exactly the type of person to make rational decisions. So for the next hour, she was stuck on this magic yellow school bus. But there was an upside.
Lily wasn't here.
She screamed silently with victory inside, knowing that today, there wouldn't be any stupid girl to interfere with her and Len. Speaking of Len…
I wonder how he's holding up…
"I hate this."
His lips were pursed, arms crossed, his usually neat blonde hair a mess. Around him, a bunch of babbling older boys with idiotic looks on their faces poked and prodded him, as if he were some type of specimen in a biology class.
"Diva Len is upset?" Kaito jammed a finger into his arm forcefully, a malicious grin on his face.
"God, senpai, why are you doing this to me?" He jerked his arm back in pain, frowning.
"Break a leg. Or an arm. Or a few bones," was Kaito's reply.
Len groaned, hoping that his makeup later would be able to cover the countless bruises now popping up all over his arms and face.
"Tell me when we get there…" He closed his eyes and muttered in quiet anger.
Two hours and twenty-three minutes later, two-hundred tired and hungry children swarmed in front of the buses, stretching and rubbing their eyes.
"Remember, we're not coming back to the buses until midnight, so if you forget anything, that's your fault!" A teacher called from somewhere in the crowd. Miku swung her backpack to the front and frantically pawed through all the pockets, checking for all her accessories.
"Okay, phew, they're all here." She breathed a sigh of relief. Rin smiled. Miku was always paranoid about losing her belongings outside home, but her house was a catastrophe where she constantly lost her possessions. The head director stood up on the rim of the water fountain, and it suddenly got quiet.
"Students, thank you for coming today to support Team Crypton at the Countywide Competition. Here, you will see many outstanding performances and singers, many who will even trump our talented team members." He said, scanning the mob. "That isn't to say, however, that our team won't win this year. We have extremely wonderful students representing us, and we're counting on them to do a good job." The crowd roared in agreement, and Rin suddenly felt anxious.
We're counting on you. We're counting on you, Rin.
The words came tumbling into her mind, and she gulped. Guess I'll have to give it my all.
But what she was truly concerned about was Len's opinion of her if she were to mess up. He'd probably talk about her behind her back, saying how much of a bad partner she was, and how he would never work with her again. She couldn't afford that happening…
"Hey you two, we're due backstage in ten minutes." Rin turned around to see Kaito and Len walking towards him. Len was nursing a nasty looking bruise on his arm.
"A-are you alright?" She stuttered quietly. I wonder if he's okay…
Len jumped. Oh god, it looks like I got beat up… "Um yeah, I'm fine. I just uh... I mean, the bus accidentally drove over a bump in the road and I hit my arm on the wall."
"Okay…" She raised an eyebrow, not bothering to ask him to explain the conspicuous mark on the other side of his face.
Soon, they were introduced into the black-colored walls of the backstage room, where makeup artists and carts of props awaited them. Rin was pushed into a chair. She stared at her reflection as people rushed around, and she realized something.
I'm so… plain.
Lily's face. Lily's hair. Lily's style. Everything about Lily was so horribly perfect. Her hair was always perfectly conditioned and combed straight down; no knotting. She wore a sensible amount of makeup – not too slutty, but not too plain. All her clothes were from the most fashionable brands in the department store. She was so pretty, so exquisite, like the flower after which she was named. No wonder Lily could catch Len's eye. And I can't?
What she saw in the mirror was a girl with short, dirty blonde, choppy hair, knotted, and treated horribly. The girl in the mirror wore decent clothing – decent enough to be recognized as someone with respectable status, but not beautiful or stunning… like Lily.
She closed her eyes. Why are you comparing yourself to someone like Lily? Do you want to act like her? A shameless flirt, who tries and steals other people's love interests? Do you want to be her?
"Excuse me, Miss Kagamine." Someone tapped Rin's shoulder lightly. "Your makeup and hair is finished." Her eyes flickered open once again, only to see a different girl looking back at her. Her hair had been combed into two short ponytails, her hair clipped up by her signature white pins. "We thought it would be nice to keep a bit of the Kagamine-ness with your outfit." The man smiled. She stood up and twirled around to look at the rest of her outfit. Only one thing came to her mind as a grin came to her face.
I look amazing.
Nearby, Len had finished his own makeover. The bruises had been hidden, thank god, he thought to himself. He turned around to face a confident looking Rin, admiring herself in the full-length mirror propped up next to a wall. He stood up, and felt himself blush.
She looks adorable.
He opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly another figure burst through the door, holding a stack of papers that loosely fell to the floor. "There's been a change in schedule, Rin and Len Kagamine, you're up right after the next performance."
Len's makeup artist frowned. "How much time do we have?" He asked.
"Three minutes until someone will come and get you," the man said. "Anyway, I need to go alert the rest of the participants. Good luck!" He sped out of the room, the metal door clicking shut nonchalantly after him. But it soon opened again. "Oh, and I have a message from your teacher. At the end of your routine, you need to hold hands. Just putting it out there." The door was shut again.
"Hold… hands?" Rin let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, dear lord."
"Dear lord indeed." Len agreed.
Flashing lights blinded the two blonde singers as they stepped onstage awkwardly. They looked towards the cheering crowd, and gulped. Almost half the audience wore their school's navy beige uniforms. Crypton was known for being notoriously large.
"Representing Crypton University, here's Rin Kagamine and Len Kagamine with a duet entitled 'Suki, Kirai.'" The crowd's cheering droned out as the lights dimmed. Len looked hurriedly at Rin.
"Um, good luck…"
"You too."
Rin carefully took her first few steps and tilted her head up to face the lights. The music cued, and her bright voice echoed into the auditorium, Len's following shortly after. In that second, their voices entwined, becoming one. She strode across the stage, elegantly, acting out her part as the stubborn girl.
Mou! Aitsuno kokuhaku tteyatsu
Atama no naka guruguru to mawaru
Suki kirai mannaka wa aruno?
Semarareru ni taku
(Dang it! That guy's confessions
Are spinning inside my head
Isn't there a middle area between like and dislike?
I'm forced to make only one choice.)
Len's face flushed red, and he began his part with a grin on his face.
Mou henji wa kimatteru hazusa
"Wedding" sou bijon wa kanpeki!
Souda, sumu nowa matsu tou atari ga iina
Kodomo wa san nin kanaa
(Well! The answer is already decided.
"Wedding" That's right- the future is perfect!
Yeah, I want to live in a place with lots of trees!
And about three kids.)
The audience chuckled as Rin frowned, lightly pretending to slap away Len's hand.
And as suddenly as it had started, Rin found their act ending. Oh crap, the holding hands part! She didn't want to do it…
Suddenly, she felt something warm in her hand, and realized that Len had stopped his routine, and was…
Holding her hand.
Her face turned beet red. But the show must go on.
Sukiyo kirai wakatteru sukiyo
Sukida igai arienai sukida
Suki to kirai owaranai
Suki Kirai
(I now understand like and dislike - I like you
I like you- there's no other - I like you!
Like and dislike won't end
Like, dislike)
The song faded into the distance, and the crowd began to applaud. Rin and Len, flustered, took a bow and exited the stage.
"What was that?" She exclaimed, half out of giddiness and relief, after the door had closed and the next competitors had gone onstage.
He grinned. "Improv?"
She grinned with him.