Hear my Song!
Concert XIV
Wild and Tame and Miku Hatsune
Her face down on the table, Miku felt something really cold touch her cheek but she was too tired to even look up. "Luka?"
"Just me." Gumi was on break and had seen Miku in the lounge, exhausted, before she went to get a drink from the vending machine. "How are you holding up?" Gumi, like Luka, had experienced workloads like the current one many times before. But for Miku it was her first time of having to deal with so many things.
"I don't know, I feel like I might turn into a zombie. Is Luka still recording?"
"She practicing the choreography for her PV." Gumi kept quiet that Luka had put a big photo of Miku on the wall so she could see her even while she was working.
"Does this happen often? All those new songs, interviews, PV and other things coming at us in one go?" Miku couldn't understand how Luka and Gumi were handling all of it so well.
"Once in a while. You eventually get used to it. We relax a lot and store up energy when we're not working at all, and then we use it all up when this happens." Sitting down, putting her elbows on the table, Gumi rested her head on her hands. "It's hard for you since you still go to school, right?"
"I really want to finish and graduate but if this is what I'll be doing for the majority of my life, and I think I'd like that, I don't think it really matters. I was always a bit ahead of the material and had good grades so even if I don't have time to study at all now, I should still manage tests."
"What is your favorite class?" Opening her can of orange juice, Gumi emptied almost a quarter of it in one go.
Finally raising her head and taking the can that Gumi had put in front of her, Miku felt like going back to sleep definitely. "Makes me wonder if Yukari handled this alright, back then." Noticing Gumi's strange look, Miku realized what she had just said. "Nothing, just my thoughts being a total mess."
The stress was making her say things she shouldn't. Recording, interviews, PV and being on TV... it was worse than any cramming the night before an important exam.
"I need to get back." Gumi's break was only a quick get a drink and go back break after all. "Hang in there, Miku." It was really showing that Miku was still a newbie in the business while Gumi and Luka had long gotten used to the inner workings of the industry.
"I'll try." Hanging in her chair, Miku opened the can. Orange juice wasn't exactly her favorite, but she was still thankful to Gumi. The girl was really considerate.
Looking at the clock, she had ten more minutes before she had a class on choreography. She had never learned how to properly move in front of a camera, and earlier that day during the first practice run of her duet with Luka, the producer had called it on hold until she had taken a few classes. Feeling really inadequate thinking about that, she was more worried about Luka. She had almost taken the head off the producer off with just her look, but eventually she had to agree that Miku lacked proper training.
Feeling something really soft touch the back of her head, this time Miku was sure of who it was. "Here to cheer me up?" Bending backwards, looking up, Miku was quickly kissed.
"That too. I needed to recharge on Miku proximity. After the last two weeks, it's really hard on me barely seeing you for the entire day." Looking down on her darling, Luka had sweat on her forehead, tired from the continuous routine. She might be a star and used to it, but even she required training and practice to get a choreography down.
"Any scientist would cringe in agony after hearing you say that. It's sweet though. Are you gonna ask me how I'm holding up, too?"
"I know how you're doing, love. It's written all over your face." And she had asked the staff working with her but she wouldn't say that. "And I know you can do it. You're my partner, after all."
"Aren't we playing with fire, acting like this in the lounge?" Miku was just a tiny bit worried.
"People around here know not to ask too many questions when it comes to me." Luka grinned, as if it was a medal of honor.
"They're just afraid of walking into a mess too big to get out of." Sitting back up first before getting up, Miku kissed Luka on the cheek. "My break is up. I'll see you later."
"No, my Miku! Don't take it away!" Making a fake scene, Luka could tell that Miku was smiling wide in amusement while she walked away. Sitting on Miku's chair and looking at the can she had left behind, Luka took it. "Indirect kiss, get."
~~~ Hear my Song! ~~~
Borderline shouting, music that would deafen a normal person by it's volume, this was her world, her stage, her lair. Standing high on stage, with hundreds of people on the main floor below, Seeu was showing off what she really could do, dancing to the heavy beats of the current song, The Unforgiven Toxic, in the currently hottest club in all of Seol, the SheyShay.
Blue neon illuminating the three floors, the base floor in the center, the second floor to the right, reserved for regulars and otherwise more-important-than-normal people, and the top floor, for VIPs, staff and the owner. She belonged to a special group even within the VIPs. After getting popular, she wormed her way into the club, getting acquainted with the owner, receiving special permission to take the center dance stage, a spot that was usually reserved for the best dancer the club had to offer.
To the owner, Seeu was a blessing, her party hard; crash even harder attitude a blessing for the business. Massive cheers echoed through the club when Seeu pulled out her bra from under her tanktop, throwing it high in the air, her breasts now bouncing with every single one of her moves.
The song suddenly lost volume and Seeu glared towards the DJ, who was pointing up and making a fist in quick succession. Putting on the mic, he had an announcement. "We have a challenger for our very own star! Treading lightly, her voice enough to knock you right out of your shoes, here comes the missing link! Ia, Aria of the planetes!"
The mood inside the club almost exploded when from the ground up, a girl with pale blond hair and pink highlights ascended the stairs, looking straight up at her enemy. They had to pretend to go along at work, but this stage was different. Wearing purple high heels, a black mini skirt and a purple top, pink studs she was well known at the club, but so far she had never challenged Seeu up on the stage.
"You're going to regret this, bitch. I'll make you look like the bloody amateur you are."
"Do your worst." For Ia, this wasn't about Seeu. This was about achieving what her sister had done, beating the star dancer in the best club. It didn't even matter who she was up against. Seeu or the Antman.
Waving to the crowd, both of them glared at each other. Loosening up a little, Ia stretched her arms and legs. "You're nothing to my sister. You're not even in the same universe of skill or looks." Ia's eyes were looking dangerous again, like those of a hunter. Raising up and clicking her fingers, the first beat of the next song immediately popped in, a track they both knew. Alpha Blade.
Sitting in the VIP lounge, enjoying a cocktail, a particularly famous person was enjoying his stay in the club, watching two hotheaded girls battle it out on the main stage. "Who are they?" He was internationally famous but slightly out of touch with what was going on in Korea and Japan at the moment. He was sitting with the owner, an old friend of his.
"They make up one of the top ranked idol units, U-SAY. They're on their way to the top, particularly because they're like that." He knew all about Seeu and Ia, fully aware that they got along as well as fire and oil.
"Which one is which?" He was slightly impressed by the moves of the blonde that had been up there first. He was in town for a concert next week and enjoyed his freedom until then. Ditching his bodyguards and going to a club was his favorite pastime.
"The one that threw out her bra earlier is Seeu, the more impulsive, hotheaded among the two. She's not eighteen yet but always going past whats allowed. That controversial, delinquent nature of hers is what makes her so popular."
"The other one?" He was intrigued. Maybe he would ask them to come up and sit with him later.
"Ia is a bit of a mystery. You never know what she is thinking or planning on doing and there is something really sinister about her sometimes. They have a word for this in your home country. She treats most people like they don't even exist or only exist to serve her. In a way, she is more arrogant than Seeu but not as annoying or loud about it."
"How do people like that end up as idols for the general public? Don't the fans mind that they're doing this?"
"It makes them a hot topic. Of course there are fans that dislike their night behavior, but that is all forgiven when they see their next video. Their appeal is that, while private, they hate each other but act as lovers, very convincingly, on stage. I don't understand the teens of today, really."
Just as he explained it, Ia decided to put the finishing touches on her performance. The song was about to end and Seeu was rather out of breath. Grabbing her hand, she pulled her in, whirled past her, pulled her back and forced a kiss on her, again. Seeu was standing at the very edge of the platform and if Ia was holding her, she would fall.
And that bitch was going to drop her if she bit her, Seeu knew it. Feeling Ia's tongue playing with her own was too much to not get turned on by, whether she liked it or not. The pale blonde only stopped when she felt Seeu's nipples poke through her top. Humiliating the girl was so much fun, she couldn't resist! Stepping back and pulling Seeu with her, the younger girl covered her breasts and sunk to her knees.
With Seeu on the ground, Ia counted herself the victory but it was hard to tell by the crowd's reaction. The cheering and whistling was deafening, even over the loud music. "You don't taste half bad. I might get used to this." Talking to the girl that knelt next to her Ia's eyes were completely serious. She didn't have even a shred of love for the girl, but the taste of her anger was quite good.
Getting down from the stage, Ia was held back by the security guard. "Owner wants to see you." Shrugging, Ia changed course, stopping by the bar. "Martini." Ia was not quite legal drinking age yet, turning nineteen next month but that didn't bother her. The cool demeanor, uncaring attitude and slightly spaced looks gave her enough leeway to pass. Taking her drink to the VIP stairs, security let her through right away, recognizing her from before.
"How can I be of help?" When it wasn't Seeu, who she liked to bully a bit, Ia was very much a nice person that liked to help others.
"This gentleman is an old friend of mine and would like to meet you." Pointing to the purple haired man that sat next to him, the owner got up. "I have business to attend to. I will see you later, Kamui."
"Take your time. I'll be here for the night." Getting up and holding out his hand to Ia, she granted him a handshake. "It's nice to meet one of Seol's up and running idols. I'm-"
"Gakupo Kamui. Anyone in this business would recognize you because of the hair." Ia didn't like him much. He had the same hair color as her sister and his only saving grace was that he was really famous and popular. Otherwise, he would have been a disgrace to her sister.
"Please, sit."
~~~ Hear my Song! ~~~
Finally done for the day, Gumi just wanted to throw herself out a window. Used to it or not, at the end of a very long day, all she wanted was a bath, dinner and then sleep. But with friends like these, that was completely impossible. Despite wanting to go home and complaining, Lily had dragged her and Miku, with assistance from Luka, to a Bar & Grill.
"You two will be grateful to us tomorrow morning. We're taking the large buffet and a beer for me."
"Same here." Lily raised her hand slightly. "Gumi?"
"Coke." Now that she was already here, Gumi found it useless to resist.
"Also Coke." Miku wanted something with a bit of caffeine, so she would get through whatever night Luka had planned. "Luka, can't we just go home after this? I'm really tired."
"That was the plan. Eating delicious food, enjoying some background chatter at a great avenue and being with friends is the best relaxation there is." Looking to Lily and Gumi, Luka grinned. "So how are things between you two?"
"Luka!" Miku couldn't believe the nerve her partner had.
"Oh come on, Miku. I know you're just as curious as I am and I know that they've gotten closer."
"How did you know?" Lily was slightly confused.
"Gumi smelled like you when she showed up this morning. Not had sex with you you but you two definitely slept right next to each other." Luka almost laughed out loud when Gumi started to smell her clothes and arms.
"I'm going to order dog biscuits for you, McBark. What are you, a drug finding dog?"
"I'd be your puppy any day, Miku." Evading a head slap from her love, Luka reached over the table, towards Gumi, and plucked something out of her hair. "You had super long blonde hair all over you this morning."
"We fell asleep on the couch, watching TV. You're gonna pry until you know anyway, so I'll just tell you what things are like. Gumi is on my radar but I'm not going to lock on." Looking to the green haired girl by her side, Lily grinned. "If she wants to date me, she will have to ask me out."
"A declaration of war! Man the towers, bowmen at the ready!" Looking at Lily for a few seconds, both Luka and her started to laugh out loud at Luka's impression of a general.
Miku, sitting across Gumi, shook her head. "I've been thinking about this, Gumi. It must be our green hair. It's attracting all the weirdos and crazy people. It's a curse. We'll have to deal with these two blockheads for the rest of our lives. Well, at least I will have to."
"It's so sad you two can't get married. I'd love to see Luka in a tux." Lily was just joking around but it was fun to do that.
"Why am I wearing the tux?" Luka looked at Miku. "My breasts are bigger than hers, I should be wearing the dress."
"Since they're so small, I assume you won't ever want to touch them again." Peering at her love, Luka sighed. "I'll take the tux."
"She completely has you under her thumb, just like a caring wife." Gumi joined the conversation, imagining them in front of the altar, joking bickering still.
"What about you Lily?" Trying to change the topic, Miku thwarted Luka's attempt.
"I wouldn't mind marrying Luka if I could. Not now, though. Maybe in a few years, when the age gap has become meaningless and I settled into this line of work." Miku received awkward and impressed silence by her words. "What? I'm not just saying that."
Blushing, Luka hugged her partner, kissing her on the cheek. "That actually means a lot to me. Thanks."
"Stop it, it's embarrassing if you make a big thing out of it!" Miku blushed too, now.
"I've been around a lot and saw a lot of couples. Straight, lesbians, gay, all kinds. Some I'd rather not remember, too. But you two make definitely the cutest." Looking at Luka, Lily sighed. "Not the most fun, sadly, that goes to two of my old friends. But they were really good for nothing but having fun. You couldn't really count on them when you needed to. I know that's different with you."
Just as the situation turned back to funny, their drinks came. "Come to think of it, are you even legal drinking age yet, Lily?" Luka was eying the blonde over her glass.
"Never stopped me before. I look older than I am, although in a few years, I'm going to be complaining about that." Laughing and gulping down part of her beer, Lily felt refreshed. "I was going through furniture catalogs the entire day. I slept like a rock last night, but I can't have Gumi sleep with me on the couch all the time."
"I didn't mind at all. Sleeping on your lap was really calming." Noticing the big grin on Luka's face and her eyes, Gumi turned fiery red. "I was just sleeping! Geez, you're such a lecherous woman, Luka!" Acting out, the other three started laughing, while Gumi focused on her drink.
"So how is work going for you three?" A loud thud caught Lily's attention. Miku had put her arms and head on the table, suddenly feeling extremely tired. "That harsh?"
"I feel bad about delaying the band activities for so long but I don't think we can handle any other work until we're finished with our workload. If we finish early, we'll have two weeks off. If we finish just barely in time, it'll be ten days. Either way, we should have a good week to practice every day for a few hours.
"Don't worry about it. For the time being, I'll go flip burgers or something easy to get. You know I'm not above that."
"Just don't feel bad if we three are going to pay for the food. Well, most likely I will, because I make the most and I can afford to take my best friends and partner out for dinner. I called you to come over and drag Gumi with you, too."
"I know when I'm supposed to just appreciate others hospitality, don't worry. Considering it's still raining buckets outside, speaking of which, how long is that gonna keep going? Don't we need a big ark that carries two of each species?"
"Good thing Luka is an alien so I can take her with me as the human representative." Miku took a jab at her partner, who acted all shocked.
"I have to look after my favorite puny human after all."
"What was I saying?" Lily had forgotten.
"The rain. We made it in here in one piece and dry because you brought that... thing." Gumi hadn't felt very embarrassed using it, but she sure had felt stupid.
"The Umbrella Ball?" Lily had, on Luka's orders earlier that day, bought a dozen umbrellas of the same type and proceeded to build what was called an Umbrella Ball. It offered complete protection against the rain from any side, was of variable size and could be held by one or two people at the same time. Only the feet still got very wet. It was so rainproof that people only saw a massive clutter of umbrellas, all stitched together, when they came past it. The main problem was storing it, but due to Luka's nice asking, they were allowed to store it in the back for a small fee.
"It's the best one I made yet! Just look how wet and miserable the other people in here are! We're the only ones that are dry!" Lily was incredibly proud of it.
"It's a nightmare to store though, because you can't actually fold it in." Miku was grateful that she could stay dry but she wasn't really sure that a monstrosity like that had any real use beside extreme situations like now.
"Oh you can. I was wondering why none of you tried to do that when Luka asked where we could store it." Lily was slightly confused they hadn't figured that out. "You just have to close them all at the same time. It's a bit hard but definitely works."
"You should have told us that sooner!" All three of them rolled eyes to varying degrees.
"Ooops, my bad! Tee-hee!" Pretending to be an air-head and making the incredibly generic fist to her head gesture, Lily earned even more drastic reactions before they all laughed.
~~~ Hear my Song! ~~~
After their little affair the night before, Cul was having trouble looking at Yukari. She didn't suddenly fall in love with her or anything but she was embarrassed. Her needs had overcome her pride and she had begged Yukari to sleep with her.
And by the looks her sister was giving her, the redhead could tell that she knew about it. But she didn't exactly have a lot of other options. Doing her sister was disgusting just to think about. And whoring herself out on the street... she didn't find that any less disgusting than having sex with Galaco.
"Stop looking like a camel that lost one of it's humps. Or am I so ugly that you're disgusted you slept with me?" Yukari didn't need to look up from the book she was reading to know the face Cul was making. Books were surprisingly easy to come by. Bookstores tended to throw away slightly damaged copies and if one was to be in the right place at the right time, they could pick up those damaged copies. The book she was reading, a war tragedy, had a ripped cover. That was all that was wrong with it.
"I never had to beg someone, okay?" Cul hated begging. Her pride was wounded and she needed to rectify that. One solution would be to make Yukari want to sleep with her, but she figured that that was pretty much impossible like this. Another solution she couldn't think of yet.
"You're good looking, you could probably find someone pretty easily if you looked."
"She never had trouble sleeping around." Galaco landed a real low blow, jealous that Cul had gotten to sleep with Yukari. She wondered what it must be like to be with an older and probably really experienced girl.
"You're one to talk, little miss flash-your-tits. If I had 100 yen for every time you flashed your boobs at a concert, I'd have enough to buy a mansion."
"At least I'm not a sex addict. I'm still pure."
"Pure." Saying the word with utmost sarcasm, Cul wanted to spit. "Being awkward during sex and sucking, figure of speech, at making your partner feel good sure are great qualities."
"Will both of you shut up? You, if you want someone to sleep with you, I know a hotel where they're looking for stuff like that. The pay is good but you'll serve what you get." Looking up and at Galaco, Yukari's eyes narrowed slightly. "And you, if you're so preoccupied with your physical state, you might wanna go and run back home, because when living on the streets, being pure is the least of your concerns."
Getting scolded, both sisters went quiet, Cul laying down and grumbling, Galaco picking up a novel of her own.
"What happened to you finding your sister anyway?" Yukari preferred to live alone. Less mouths to feed and less annoyances. She very much preferred to stick to herself.
"We can't show ourselves in front of her like this." Cul's pride got in the way again. "Even if we knew where she is. This town has millions of people living in it, right? She could be anywhere!"
"Are you just planning to stay here until kingdom come? If you can't show yourself like this, go home. You just ran away, it's not like you can't go back."
"I'd rather stay here forever than go back home." Cul's tone of voice changed so drastically that Yukari looked up. There was hatred oozing from her voice.
"Why do I know I'll regret asking later?" Shrugging, Yukari couldn't help herself. "What's the problem? Your parents beating you?"
"That would mean they actually give a shit." Galaco answered for her sister. "They had three girls and the first set out without as much as a word. Then Cul went away and they still didn't care. When I left, I saw them browsing for a new home, since they don't need that big house with their kids gone."
"Those are some pretty damn shitty parents. Why did your sister leave you with them?"
"We're not actually... going along that well with Lily. She doesn't hate us, but she wants her own life, away from her family." Cul knew Lily a bit better than Galaco did.
"So why are you looking for her?"
"We said some pretty horrible things to her before she left. I want to... set things straight." Galaco felt guilty about that. The fight had been so bad that Lily told them to never show their faces in front of her again.
"That's all? Don't you have her cellphone number? You can call her from a pay phone." Yukari didn't quite get what the big deal was.
"She constantly lost her cellphone. I tried her number over a hundred times before we went after her." Cul sighed. "I'm still hoping she does what she always does. Join a band, get some gigs, run into trouble, repeat. That way, we'll run into her sooner or later."
"Unless she leaves town. What makes you think she is even still here?"
"This town is the place she always wanted to live in. She is certifiably crazy about it." Cul didn't doubt that Lily would, if she could, stay here for the rest of her life.
"Good luck finding her. I'm willing to let you two stay as long as you make yourself useful and don't bother me too much but I'm not going out on a wild goose chase for some girl." Yukari just wanted to be left in peace.
"We get it, we get it." Cul didn't like her attitude but she was grateful enough. A teenage that had no real talents, didn't even graduate from high school... what choice but to rely on people like Yukari did she have? Galaco was in the same boat.
"I hope the rain stops soon. I'm going to be depressed one of these days because of it."
Both Cul and Galaco thought the same thing. That wasn't depressed already?!
~~~ Hear my Song! ~~~
"You did what?" Miku, eventually ordering a few beer with Luka, was just a little tipsy, barely enough to laugh a bit louder than normally.
"It was hellish cold. None of us had actually tested the water before, and because we went over the fence, we are pretty hot and sweating, too. So when we all jumped, our combined shrieking because of the cold lake water woke up the guard, who was horrified to find that he had to chase a dozen naked girls off the property." Noticing that Gumi was getting up, Lily looked at her. "Toilet?"
Nodding, Gumi left the table, heading to the back. Miku caught up with her a few seconds later. "I'm not that drunk, Miku." Smiling wide, Gumi noticed that Miku was very much in a hurry. "Oh." Chuckling, she let her friend go ahead, not having to go that urgently herself.
By the time Gumi was almost done washing her hands, Miku joined her again, looking a lot calmer than before. "The beer, isn't it?"
"Second time I had to go and we've only been here for..." Taking out her cellphone, Miku was surprised to see that it was much later than she expected. "Okay, maybe we have been here for two and a half hours already."
"Do you think they would listen if I told them I want to go home? It'll be past ten when we get back."
"They're a rowdy pair but they definitely listen to us when we're being serious. Lily seems to be a lot like Luka in that aspect." Finishing washing her hands, Miku took the paper towel Gumi was holding for her. "Thanks." Looking at Gumi, Miku did want to know after all. "I'm not going to talk to Luka about it, so you can talk to me. Is everything okay? I haven't known you for that long, but I could see how much you loved your sister. Are you doing alright, emotionally?"
"Lily already helped me get over it. Not the way you think. She talked to me and said some really great things. I was a bit worried because Luka and you obviously tried to make me like her that way."
"Luka might have been pushing for that a little but she isn't giving Lily suggestions or anything. When she thought about Lily and you being an item, she did mean well."
"I know that." Smiling, Gumi looked at her co-worker and nodded twice. "Luka is a really nice person when you get to know her. She can be a bit of a dervish at times, but that isn't anything I dislike, really."
"If Luka knew you said that, she'd be out of control, singing and dancing on the table. In one of those Hawaii straw skirts." Watching Gumi break out in laughter, the spring onion lover left, slowly pulling Gumi with her. Checking her table, Luka was talking to a waitress. She hoped she wasn't ordering more food.
Getting back and sitting down, Miku found Luka searching for her wallet. "Right back pocket." She knew exactly where Luka kept her stuff.
"Thanks." Smiling and quickly kissing Miku on the cheek, Luka counted her money. "Miku."
"How much are you short?" Taking out her own wallet from her handbag, Miku just grinned.
"Two hundred yen."
"I should just let you wash dishes for so little." Handing over two coins, Miku stretched a little, yawning in the process. It was high time they went home. If it had been a normal day of relaxing, the night would've been young still and a club visit would be up next, but alas it wasn't.
"How did you know we wanted to go?" Gumi was a little curious.
"Reading the mood. A few minutes ago, Gumi almost dozed off once. Maybe fifteen or twenty minutes ago, Miku yawned hard." Luka, explaining how observing she was, paid for their meal and held her wallet upside down. "A fly should come out."
"You want to be a comic book character, Luka?" Lily was the most energetic out of the four, with Luka just a bit behind her.
"They made that offer twice in the past. Both scenarios had me doing things I really didn't like so I had my agent reject the idea."
"I don't think I could live on if Luka was a manga protagonist." Miku shook her head, shuddering at the idea of that. "Even worse, they could make it into an anime. That would take her away constantly for voice acting stuff. No, no, no, no." Clinging to Luka's arm while they headed towards the back door to get their Umbrella Ball, Miku enjoyed being a bit tipsy.
"Let's go home then. I feel so silly with this thing."
~~~ Hear my Song! ~~~
Laying on her couch, Ia woke with a headache that was looking for one's own kind. Looking around, the room immediately started turning. Pictures of her sister where everywhere and a video of her was stuck on pause on the big projector screen. And something smelled so absurdly sweet that it was a bit sickening. And on top of all that, she found herself completely naked.
Trying to get her senses in order, Ia forced herself up, leaning against the back of her couch, Ia tried to remember how she even got home. She was at the club, making fun of poor little Seeu and... what happened next?
Getting up, staggering, she still couldn't see clearly. That didn't feel like just being drunk. Holding her head, she felt like throwing up and there was a salty taste in her mouth already. "Did I get drugged?" Talking was painful, her throat was completely hoarse.
Taking a few steps, she stumbled over something big, falling and crashing onto the ground. Looking what she had fallen over, she groaned in pain, not because her head hurt but because of what she saw. A blonde girl, naked, was laying on her side, snoring very quietly. "Oh god... I can't seriously have... did I...?" A few very bad scenarios went through her head.
What had led to Seeu, that stupid girl she was always bullying, being in her apartment, naked, and sleeping on the floor. At least she wasn't dead. That would've been really bad. No matter how much she bullied the girl, she didn't want her dead. Unless she would insult her sister. Death was justifiable punishment for that.
Getting up and looking for clothes, she didn't see any in her living room. Staggering to the floor, she found panties that didn't belong to her, black lace, something very fancy. She doubted that girl had ever actually seduced someone.
Close to her door were several pieces of clothing, most of which her own. Getting into the bathroom, she hung herself under the tap, drinking as much water as she could handle. Looking into the mirror, Ia started to feel sick. Her face, neck, shoulders, arms... there was lipstick everywhere. She didn't doubt for a second that the lips it came from belonged to Seeu. Touching her crotch, she wasn't wet anymore, assuming she had fucked the girl in some way, so some time must have passed. Looking at the clock, it was four in the morning, too early to wake up, too late to go sleep.
Her eyes were slightly blood-shot, at least from what she could make out and her fingers and legs didn't quite obey her the way she was used to. Sitting on top of the toilet, Ia tried to recall what else had happened after she bullied Seeu. She... went down and then... someone... the owner... wanted to see her?
Remembering the owner made her remember the purple haired man. And from there, the memories vaguely came back. She got talking with the internationally known star and eventually, Seeu showed up as well, both of them hissing at each other whenever they got the chance.
And then, Ia realized what had happened. The purple man had ordered two drinks prior to Ia's arrival, supposedly, and handed one of the drinks to each girl. She was now sure she had been drugged. Proving it was a waste of time. Considering how hard Seeu and she partied, nobody would believe someone slipped them a little extra.
No matter how hard she tried, there was not even a blur of what happened. Hopefully Seeu had some kind of memory of it. Supporting herself against the wall, like someone who was wounded, Ia made it to her bedroom, getting some simple clothes and putting them on.
What was she gonna do about the girl in her living room? She could just leave her on the floor, but there were much funnier options available to her. If she had already gotten herself knee deep into shit, she might as well have some fun with it before it all went to hell for good.
Sitting on her bed for a while, trying to get her vision to clear up, Ia started to feel awfully hungry after a few minutes. Dragging herself into the kitchen, Ia opened her fridge and found her bra inside. Deciding now to think about it, she grabbed a pack of cheese slices and started eating them without anything else whatsoever. It was filling, didn't require any preparation and as long as it was eaten in moderation, it was also tasty.
With something in her stomach that wasn't alcohol and god knows what drugs, Ia felt a lot better. Finally capable of walking without the need for support, she went back into her living room. A lamp was knocked over, Seeu smelled like a goddamn candy factory and the projector had been running non-stop, probably costing a fortune in electricity. Turning the projector off and grabbing Seeu by her ankles, Ia started to pull her away. She didn't care enough to actually lift her up until pulling her around the corner was becoming a massive hassle. Carrying her piggyback into her bedroom, Ia almost threw her onto the bed. "If there is no idiom that says stupid people sleep sound, there should be."
She was a little disgusted with the idea of sleeping next to Seeu, but the reward would be worth it. Completely. If she played her cards right, she could have a lot of fun with this until she went to Japan. After that, she couldn't care less about Seeu, Korea, the universe or anything else, all that mattered was Yukari.
Stripping again and leaving the clothes randomly on the floor, Ia sneaked under the blanket. In her opinion, Seeu was much more tolerable when she was asleep. She was almost like a heavily retarded skunk that way. Still extremely distasteful to have around but somewhat bearable when it didn't spray it's scent everywhere.
Before she laid down, Ia bend over Seeu, kissing the side of her neck and sucking really hard for several seconds, leaving a really big hickey behind. Unless she wore a really big scarf, people would see it. And it would be incredibly embarrassing for her.
Relishing in the small time torture, Ia tried to go back to sleep but Seeu's quiet, but present, snoring kept her awake for a good ten minutes longer than she had expected. Eventually dozing off, Ia rolled over in her sleep and grabbed the blonde next to her, holding her just like a lover.
~~~ Hear my Song! ~~~
Waking up very early, six in the morning, Lily peeled herself out of her blanket on the couch, putting it over Gumi, who had fallen asleep next to her. She hadn't even noticed that the green haired girl had joined her, and she didn't know when she had come out of her room, but Lily was slightly touched. Thanks to that, she had slept like a rock.
Covering Gumi with the blanket, convinced that she couldn't pull off the mythical act of carrying the girl to her bed without waking her, Lily packed her few belongings before taking the duty of morning hygiene. Brushing and looking into the mirror, she had a random thought. "I'm sure Luka and Miku switch their brushes all the time." Amused by that idea, Lily finished up and grabbed the backpack that contained a change of clothes, placed a small note on the living room table and vanished out the door. It was incredibly cold outside for the that time of the year but at least the rain had finally stopped. The was still cloudy but it looked like the worst was over.
Going down the stairs, she stopped at the bottom and looked up, wondering if Gumi would be alright, waking up on her own and getting to work. Ignoring her worries and taking a few steps down the street, she stopped again. Did she actually get everything? Going through a small but important list in her head, she rummaged through her backpack, finding everything she had listed. Stretching, she pulled out a local map, ready to be on her way.
"That way." Getting across the street, Lily didn't notice that someone was watching her. A particularly interested redhead had just walked out the door was Lily went through her backpack. Seeing her, she thought she was still dreaming. But it really was her.
Running down the stairs, Cul tried to make out where Lily had gone but couldn't spot her anywhere. There were over a dozen possible paths she could have taken and her sister was not exactly the best at navigating her way around.
Cursing, she didn't want to look stupid and shout. But at least she knew that her sister was somewhere in the town, likely looking for a place to stay. Or work. Or something really weird that she didn't really want to contemplate after knowing her for all these years.
Returning to her room, Cul found Galaco still asleep. It didn't really matter when she told younger sister where the older one was. Or rather, that she had seen her. Yukari was still asleep as well, and Cul felt a slight tingle when she looked at her. Shaking her head powerfully, Cul tried to get that idea out of her head. Absolutely fucking not could she develop any kind of attraction to her, purely sexual or not!
About an hour and a half later, Gumi rolled off the couch, waking up to the sound of birds chirping outside. "Lily...?" Looking around, she couldn't see her anywhere. Noticing the note on the table, Gumi smiled. "Don't look for me!... She says." She knew exactly where Lily had gone. Maybe she didn't remember saying it after all they had talked about, but the evening before she had told everyone that she wouldn't come back until she found a part-time job.
Turning the note around, there was something else written on it. "Just kidding! I'll be back in the evening, so do your best at work! Laters! Lily." Shaking her head and smiling even wider, Gumi threw the note back on the table. "I think I understand how Miku feels like sometimes."
Said girl, and her partner, were in immeasurable distress. "Did you find them?" Luka looking through all the piles of somethings on the floor, causing an even more massive chaos than their apartment normally had present.
"Not under the bed! Where did you put them Luka? I remember putting mine into the bowl on the heater!" Miku was completely under the bed, like a monster from a kid's horror story. "Help!"
Running into the bedroom, Luka found her partner sort of immobilized under the bed, unable to get out on her own. She would have used the chance to peek at Miku's panties, under her skirt, but she knew they didn't have time. Grabbing her leg and pulled her out, Miku had a bit of dust covering her hair.
Jumping up and going into the kitchen, Luka continued her search for a few seconds while Miku freed herself from the dust. A scream, something very unnatural for Luka, alarmed Miku, causing her to rush into the kitchen. Luka stood in shock, holding a pack of cereal. "Take... it... away... throw it... away..." Her voice was just a flimsy echo of what was normally like.
Looking inside, Miku shook her head several times, breaking all guiness world records in doing so and stepped back. "No, no, no, no, no! You buy those, you throw it!"
"Miku... please..." Almost whimpering, Luka was holding the back with just her thumb and index finger at the very top. A bestial flavor was coming out of it. The green haired girl opened the closet, took out a fresh trash bag, opened it up and held it out towards Luka, averting her eyes and closing them.
With a rustling thud, the bag landed inside the trash bag, immediately causing a green cloud to rise from it. Making a knot into the top so fast that Luka could hardly follow her hand movements, Miku was out of breath. "That's why I tell you not to put these into the back of the shelf!"
"I didn't think it would turn into the leftovers of an Alien from Mars!" Luka couldn't handle moldy food. It was incredibly disgusting, extremely bad for her health and... and... she just couldn't handle it. For the better or the worse, Miku shared that disposition very much, making it a spectacle to behold every time they found something moldy.
"Why did you even check the cereal?" Miku didn't understand the logic behind that. Putting the trash in a corner, opting to take it back down when they left, if they would leave at all, and restarting her search, Miku waited for an answer.
"I sometimes wake up late at night and get hungry. Cereal is always ready, easy and quick to eat, not bad for my body and very quiet to eat. I picked up on that since you started sleeping with me."
Miku found it very sweet that Luka was taking that into account. "Don't you mean sleeping at your place?"
"No, I meant when we first started having sex. I wanted to be prepared for the stage when you sleep at my place."
"I don't know if that's sweet or ridiculously arrogant."
"Let's go with sweet." Luka laughed after saying so. "I can't find them in the kitchen!"
"I found mine! But I have no idea where yours are!" Shouting from the bathroom, Miku had found her keys inside her toothbrush cup. How they had gotten there was anyone's guess.
"Yours will have to do. We can look for mine when we get back."
"We're going to be late if we don't take your car."
"Then we're going to be late. I can't take my car with half the streets still being part of Water World." Luka headed to the door and put on her shoes. Wearing a long black sleeve shirt and jeans, she wasn't exactly the cutting edge of fashion but it had to do.
"Stop!" Holding Luka back, Miku suddenly pulled up her shirt.
"Miku, you know I'm always up for crazy ideas, but this time we really should get going and why are you undoing my bra?" Luka didn't even blush but simply stood there, arms up.
"It was twisted, I could see it through the back of your shirt. That would've hurt a load after a few hours." Connecting the hooks, Miku left Luka to do the rest herself. "Come on, stop gaping." Taking her own shoes, simple pink pumps, Miku wore black leggings, a turquoise sweater and a matching mini skirt.
"They're going to have our head." Luka laughed, knowing that she wouldn't be laughing when they showed up late.
~~~ Hear my Song! ~~~
Her head hurt so much, she felt like several heroes were fighting several demon lords all at once inside. She had no idea what was going on. Someone was holding her and she smelled a bit like blackberry, a very unique scent. And also a pretty obscene one. Her mouth was so dry that just parting her lips hurt like crazy. There was so much sand in her eyes that she felt like a desert traveler. Turning over, Seeu realized that the edge of the bed, at least it was a bed, was right there. Opening her eyes, she saw a closet she wasn't familiar with.
"Princess finally decided to wake up?" Sitting in bed, Ia had gotten bored of waiting, reading a novel, stark naked, wearing reading glasses. She would have lit up a cigarette if she had some at home, but since she didn't smoke, she had none.
"I'm gonna puke."
"Bucket's next to the bed." Anticipating a reaction like that, just in case, Yukari had prepared measures.
Head just barely over the edge of the bed, Seeu emptied her stomach of anything that remained from last night. The smell was indescribable. She had woken up in the only place that was worse than purgatory and hell put together.
"Why... are you here..." Looking back at the other girl, Seeu didn't need to really think about why that beast was in the same bed as her, naked, just like she was. The one and only saving grace was that she was a girl. Getting pregnant on top of this would've been justifiable cause to jump out the next best window.
"My apartment, my bed. Why are you so surprised to wake up next to, I'm quoting what you said last night, your darling?" Ia was lying straight through her teeth and Seeu's reaction was positively hilarious. The horror that was written all over her face was amazing to behold.
"Liar."
"Now that hurts. After telling me how much you actually love me last night. I was willing to let bygones by bygones." Pulling a face, Ia was so incredibly happy she was a good actress.
"I don't believe you. Admit it, you got me drunk, forcefully abducted me, raped me and now you're lying to me!" Seeu couldn't believe a single word that venomous snake was saying. There had to be some kind of explanation. She could tell she did have sex with someone last night, and there was likely little way around that being Ia, but she still couldn't possibly admit that.
"If you'd like, we can check my surveillance footage. I had that installed in case one of those disgusting stalkers followed me home." She was taking a gamble. Ia didn't know what happened that night either, and she only hoped that the footage was actually beneficial to her.
Unsure if she wanted to take the gamble, Seeu knew she wouldn't be able to ever outlive the shame if what that snake was saying was actually true. "Show me." Seeu stared when Ia simply got up, naked, and casually started to dress.
"What? We fucked like rabbits last night, don't act all prude when seeing me naked now."
"You ever say anything about my choice of words again, you bitch." Feeling sick again, Seeu realized that she had slept with a Japanese girl. She wouldn't mind quite as much, but still a whole lot, if Ia had actually been a Korean girl.
"Where are my clothes?"
"Probably somewhere on the floor. Go look for them. If you're acting like this, I'm not going to get you anything."
"Fuck you." Getting out of bed and walking around naked, her face fiery red in shame, Seeu wasn't quite able to walk in a straight line. "Dammit... how much did I drink?" Picking up a tanktop she recognized, Seeu put it on, knowing she wouldn't find any bra.
Ia, in the meantime, headed to end of the living room, where a single cord went from her computer into the ceiling, connecting to three cameras. One covering the entrance, one covering the living room and one covering the balcony beyond the living room. It was a very western styled apartment, all in all.
A half-dressed Seeu eventually appeared, looking like someone had just raped her and left her half naked. It looked so pathetic that Ia could hardly hold in her laughter. It was going a lot better than planned. Accessing the footage from last night, she fast forwarded after the time stamp hit six in the evening. There was nothing until twelve-thirty. Ia's heart was racing a little, too, not knowing what exactly would show.
But the moment the door opened, Ia knew she had won. Completely over each other, the image showed Seeu and Ia, wildly kissing and making out, Seeu's hand somewhere under Ia's top. Pausing the video, Ia zoomed in, getting a good look on the faces. Both of them were looking at each other, as if their eyes were glued together, like animals in heat.
Fast forwarding briefly there was nothing else in the video from the entrance camera. Starting the living room one and skipping to twelve thirty, Ia was treated to what easily passed as a pornographic video. Seeu was first to be completely naked and let Ia readily push her on the couch. "Wanna see the rest?"
Turning around, she saw Seeu in tears of raging anger. Turning around and running back into the bedroom, Seeu had to vomit again, some pitiful leftovers from before coming out. Ia hadn't expected such great success. Now she had to check how much more fun she could get out of this.
Going into the bedroom, Ia sat on the bed next to Seeu, petting her back. "Oh come on, at least you didn't bang some random person on the street and got knocked up. Imagine if the paparazzi had made photos of that." Ia would have played with the idea of leaking the videos if she wasn't in them, too.
"Shut up already. And don't touch me!" Still crying, Seeu didn't know what she was supposed to do. The videos clearly showed that she threw herself at Ia more than willingly. Should she just kill herself now and get it over with? "I should just kill myself."
Seeu was hit so hard that she fell over, her jaw in a world of pain. Ia was right above her, glaring at her with eyes of pure contempt. "Say that again and I will kill you." There was no doubt that she was completely serious about that.
The blonde was scared of Ia at that moment. Even if she had been intimidated by her before, she had never been truly scared of her. Why did saying that set her off like that? Looking down, Seeu calmed down a little. "What is wrong with you? Did someone try to kill themselves in your family?"
"My sister tried when she couldn't handle the stress my good for nothing parents forced on her. She almost died." Her eyes were still full of anger. "Get dressed, I'm going out and not leaving you alone in my apartment." She wasn't having fun anymore. Not only did she unintentionally turn into what she despised most, her parents, but she knew that there would be extremely serious repercussions if Seeu did kill herself.
"Dressed with what? I can't find half my stuff!"
"Just take something from me then! I don't care! You saw what went down in the living room, do you really think it matters if you wear my clothes?" Ia was getting pissed for different reasons altogether now. She hadn't planned that she could end up having to get out of the situation in some way.
~~~ Hear my Song! ~~~
Nodding, and nodding again, Luka looked over her shoulder. "Yeah. Okay, but don't let her catch you. I told her I lost my keys. The goods are inside my pillow. Hm, what? Which one is mine? Just check the one that smells like me. What do you mean, you can't tell them apart? Just check them both. Okay. Yes. Okay. See ya." Hanging up, Luka quickly looked in both directions.
Hearing steps, she faked drinking from a can of apple juice. Seeing that it was Gumi, she relaxed. "Looking forward to later?"
"I hope Miku doesn't faint. You're really going all out with this." Gumi was obviously in on the plan, having received a text message from Luka on her way to work. "I didn't even know that Miku's birthday was today! She never said anything."
"You turn eighteen only once. Its the legal drinking age in many countries in the west and also the point where you're considered an adult. And you know what Miku is like. She's been a bit... stingy with money for a long time so she probably never really got a big party before."
"Was it really necessary to have Lily go into your place and steal your present? You hid it so she wouldn't find it, right? Why not get it yourself?"
"I just couldn't find a chance to put it into my bag this morning, Miku was constantly scurrying around, unpredictable to the max. Lily said it's completely fine, she was going back to change clothes anyway."
"She needs to go out and buy some for herself. I'll give her some money, she's stretching out my clothes."
"In the chest region?"
"No!" Turning a bit red, Gumi responded with a bit more certainty than she wanted to let on. "I need to get back to recording, I was only supposed to use the toilet." Sighing, Gumi didn't feel so good about the song she was doing at the time. "I should have picked something that cheers me up instead of making me depressed..."
"Hang in there, Gumi." Waving, Luka looked at the clock. She didn't manage to get the reservation for the restaurant, but given everyone she was inviting, that might have been a bit too high class anyway. Dialing the next number, Luka went back on the phone. "Hey, is this Kaito's number?" A woman had answered.
While Luka was handling calls, Gumi was back at work and struggling with it. The lyrics were in English and the mood of the song was very much depressing and sad. The title was I (Love), as if it was a message to her sister. That was why she had picked the song, but she didn't expect it to be that difficult. Standing in front of the microphone, Gumi started from the top.
"I know the cryptic way she hides it – I see how she fakes her attention – I tried to understand everything – But I guess I'm just a hopeful fool..." Singing those lyrics made her feel like she was yelling, shouting at Sonika despite the gentleness of her tone. She felt betrayed and hurt that Sonika had left things as they are now. She had the feeling that she was also in on Luka's plan. "To her I'm nothing, We weren't anything, Just a basic test, An experiment, I know it's pointless, I know it's worthless, But I won't give up, I won't surrender."
Waving her hand, Gumi couldn't handle going on. Taking a few deep breaths, she felt tears coming up. Taking one particularly deep breath, she thought of her talk with Lily. The blonde was right, being sad over what had happened wasn't something she should fight. Embracing the feeling, Gumi let it run from the top, this time simply letting the sadness show on her face. Even though a tear ran down her cheek, her voice didn't change. "I – won't – let – you leave me behind alone, I'll – find – you – and then you will love me, I – won't – let – you to this to yourself, I'll – find – you we're perfect together." A declaration of war to her sister. She wasn't the little sister that would just sit and wait patiently anymore. If Sonika didn't come to her out of her own free will, she would make her.
"I don't get why she's not listening, I am fighting an abandoned war, I tried to show her how I feel, but I guess I'm just a hopeless fool. To her I'm nothing, We weren't anything, Just a basic test, An experiment, I know it's pointless, I know it's worthless, But I won't give up, I won't surrender." A repeat of the earlier lines followed and Gumi felt tears running down her cheeks. "You will see, It will finally, Be just you and me, Till the end of the world, I want you, I deeply need you, I won't forget you, You're my sanctuary." And the lyrics repeated itself. Singing about being in despair and not giving up on her love, Gumi wondered what her sister would think when she heard the song.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Gumi felt a lot better now that she had that out of her system. Looking with eager eyes to the people behind the big glass screen, they shook their head. "You were off-tone a few times at the end. Are you okay? You've been crying."
Letting her head hang, Gumi left the room. "Give me ten." Apparently, singing while crying wasn't that easy after all.
Going back into the lobby, she was witnessing a bizarre sight. Handling two cellphones at the same time, Luka was talking so fast that Gumi thought she was practicing for a new kind of crazy song. Ending both calls at the same time, the songstress fell back into a chair. "And I thought singing was exhausting." Taking a quick look at Gumi, Luka instantly changed modes. "Hey, whats wrong?" Walking over to Gumi, the green haired girl looked awfully surprised and confused. "You're crying."
"Stupid song is a heart breaker." Rubbing her eyes, Gumi smiled. "I'm just really easily swayed by what I sing."
"Just don't let Lily see you like this. She doesn't look like it, but I think she would worry. You are coming to the party later, right?"
"I wouldn't miss that for the world. Even if my sister showed up to see me, I'd take her there. I'm not that horrible a friend that I won't come."
"Come where?" Miku had just come across the corner, seeing Luka and Gumi in a very compromising situation. The green haired girl with red eyes and tear stains on her cheeks and Luka looking all worried, holding her by her shoulders. "I know there is an explanation for this, I just don't quite know if I will accept it without throwing cans of juice."
"Gumi's new song has her in tears. I got worried. Please don't assault us?" Luka grinned wide, hastily ducking from nothing.
"Happy go lucky and cheery songs are more your things, Gumi." Walking up to the two, Miku gave Luka a curious look. "What were you talking about before? Are we planning on going somewhere again today?" Miku wasn't completely against it but she would need to take one or two nights off, soon, to study for upcoming tests. And she had to go back to school. Her attendance had plummeted thanks to her job.
"I was thinking about it and wondering if Gumi would come. We haven't really decided where to go yet." Luka was a great liar. But not great enough.
"That's a really shady excuse. If you're going as far as putting on your best pokerface, I suppose I can just wait. Just don't take us somewhere weird." Smiling, Miku extremely slowly walked past Luka, playing with her fingers for a moment before heading towards the vending machine.
Giving Gumi a relieved look, Luka sneaked away. She still had work to do herself, even though she had taken care of most of the things for Miku's party.
~~~ Hear my Song! ~~~
"Where are we going?" Miku had never been to this part of the town. She was a little worried that Luka was taking her to a very questionable place.
"Not going, went. We're here." Turning about and facing the door to a bar called Yamaha, Luka held the door open, the inside very dark and gloomy. "After you, my dear."
Sighing, not expecting much, Miku stepped inside and was blinded by several big lamps being turned on all at once. "Surprise!" She was almost deafened by the volume of it. Surprise? Was there some... thing...
Standing there with her mouth open, Miku realized only now that it was her birthday. She had turned eighteen today. Looking around, the, from the outside gloomy and shoddy looking, bar was festive, decorations hanging from the walls and the ceiling, tables filled with an assortment of cakes, drinks and snacks. In the back was a burly bald man, the barkeep as it looked, waving to her over the counter, over which was an almost massive banner that spelled out Happy Birthday Miku not in letters but hand-drawn spring onions.
The room was full of people, almost everyone she knew. Several of her friends from school, Kaito and Meiko, Neru as there as well, furthest in the back and keeping Haku out of the bigger crowd, her neighbors Len and Rin and many more.
Next to the counter was one large table, consisting of four tables put together, that had presents piled up on them, each and every single one with a name plate attached to them, showing who it was from. Confetti was raining over Miku as the guests started to pop the birthday cones. Gumi and Lily showed up just in time, entering with Luka, the four pushing Miku a little bit inside.
The now eighteen year old girl was completely moved when everyone declared loudly "Happy Birthday" to her.
Turning to her partner, Luka smiled. "Happy Birthday, love. I know I'm not exactly the best at planning these things and this was put together in a hurry, but I hope you like it."
Almost jumping at Luka and hugging her, Miku shed a few tears out of happiness. She had always spent her birthdays in relative quiet with what was left of her family and she had never even thought about having so many people come to her, her birthday. The gravity of it finally sunk in when the crowd started cheering as she kept hugging Luka. Blushing a little, she let go, receiving a kiss on the forehead from the songstress.
Turning around, Gumi and Lily were next to congratulate her. "Happy Birthday from us, too. Even though we haven't known you that long," Lily took over. "especially me," The word was returned to Gumi. "but we value you as one of our best friends and hope that you'll stay our friend for many years to come." Looking to her roommate, Gumi didn't need to do anything, Lily just knew. Walking over to the table and taking one of the wrapped gifts, she returned to Miku, handing it over. It was shaped like a tube. "I'm sorry about the stupid shape. There is a second part to this but it was too big to bring in here. You'll understand why when you open it."
"Can I open it right here?" Looking at the tube, Miku had absolutely no idea what to expect. The others had spread apart, giving Miku some freedom. They all knew she would be slightly uncomfortable if they ganged up on her, waiting in line. Some started to eat snacks, others enjoyed the drinks, but they all had an eye on Miku.
"Of course." Gumi really hoped she would like it. It had been Lily's suggestion and she thought it was a great idea.
Taking off the wrapping, Miku found a cardboard tube that was plugged close with a plastic lid on one side. Taking it off, she realized what was inside. "We'll help." As Miku made the content of the tube slide out, an enormous poster came to the see the light of day, picturing Miku herself in life size, dancing over a green field, under the blue sun, a great smile on her face. It was painted entirely with water colors. "A friend of mine deals in these."
Miku was so impressed she was actually speechless. Covering her mouth with her hand, she wanted to hug both of them right away, but that would have ruined the poster. Noticing her intentions, Gumi and Lily rolled the poster up again and put it back into the tube. It was a high quality image. Before Miku could do anything, Lily raised her finger. "A friend of mine had a frame that just happened to fit the size and had it shipped over to your apartment. It'll look great above your bed, don't you think?"
Hugging first Gumi, then Lily, Miku's smile was as wide as it could be. "You two are wonderful friends. And I love the image! I'm going to treasure it!"
Feeling someone behind her, Miku let go of the two, facing Kaito and Meiko. "We didn't quite know what to get, so we went with something practical." Kaito, as blunt and honest as ever. Meiko was already holding the gift. It was roughly the size of a head, maybe a little larger.
"I picked it out. I hope I didn't miss your taste." Meiko was confident she had chosen the right thing.
Opening the package, a very unique handbag looked at Miku. It was very much the exact color of her hair. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that it was one of a kind. Trying it on, she could hold it, hang it over one shoulder or put it around the other shoulder so it dangled on her waist. "It really is practical. But it's still really amazing! Where did you find one with that exact shade?"
"By coincidence." Meiko stepped on Kaito's foot, not too hard, just enough to make him not tell her that they went through over a dozen shops to find it. "Do you like it?"
"I love it. Thank you, you two." Hugging Kaito first and then Meiko, Miku received a double smile from them.
"Happy Birthday, Miku."
Next up where friends from her school, giving her a beautiful new pen that matched her new bag, and a very cute dress that some of them had bought together. As the pile on the table got smaller and Miku received present after present, the crowd spread thorough the bar. Luka showed up in-between presents, handing her a piece of strawberry cake that was absolutely delicious.
Rin and Len, the former looking completely normal, the latter a bit nervous, showed up not much later, both of them carrying a single, very large present. "Happy Birthday, Miku. You can open it." Both of the twins looked very pleased with their choice of present. While they didn't go along too well these days, they had called an absolute truce until Miku's party was over. Even Teto, Ritsu and Ruko had agreed to that, only the first of the three actually present.
Judging by the weight and the size, Miku had a hunch but couldn't believe that it would be that. Taking off the wrapping with high anticipation, Miku gasped for air when she realized it really was one. An old acoustic guitar, in perfect shape, with a large spring onion, carved with utmost care, very shallowly into the back. Having to bend down to hug them, Miku was incredibly happy with her present. "How did you get this?"
Smirking, Rin had asked Teto for help on it. "It's actually partially a present from Teto, too. She helped me get it. Len did the carving. He's talented with his hands." It wasn't often that Rin had praise for her brother.
"Thank you so much, you two."
A good hour later, Miku had received a lot more presents. At the last minute, the barkeep had brought in a huge birthday cake that took the place of the gifts. Everyone gathered around, Luka standing next to Miku, when the birthday girl cut it, earning a loud applause.
Appropriate for the occasion, a lot of Luka's and Gumi's music was played, with the few songs that Miku had put out running several times. The mood calmed down a little after the cake cutting, small groups forming to talk, make new acquaintances and exchange stories about how they met Miku. Only then showed Neru up, taking Miku back to the back, where it was just a tiny bit less hectic, Haku enjoying a piece of chocolate cake by herself at the time.
Taking a deep breath, Miku saw a look on her cousin's face that she hadn't seen in a very, very long time. Apologetic. "You know we haven't been on the best terms as of late and I'm not really much of a fan of Megu- of Luka. I know that she loves you and you love her. My present is that I won't treat her like an outside to our small family anymore. For a long time, Haku and I only had you, and when Luka came into play, I felt like she was taking you away from your family. I was too stubborn to accept that it wasn't the case, even after seeing how much happier you were with her than at home, alone."
If the other presents had impressed her, moved her, made her happy, Neru's was the one she had expected the least. That stubborn, foulmouthed cousin of hers was apologizing and saying she would treat Luka like part of her family.
Looking to Haku, the tall girl had put away her cake and was holding a very small present, no bigger than a fist. "This is something... I held on for a long time." Handing it to Miku with a smile, Haku felt a little sad, giving it away, but she was also happy that someone so close to her would be wearing it.
Miku's mouth remained wide open after taking off the wrapping paper, discovering a ring box, with a breathing silver ring inside, dozens of notes engraved on it. She recognized it. Hearing the story from Neru, it was the ring that Haku had gotten when she was taken under contract. It was her sign of being a professional singer. "Haku, I can't take this."
"Please. I'm... I will be in your band, Miku. I will play with you. But I won't ever sing again. Your singing is beautiful. I want you to wear it, for me." Smiling with a look that expressed both happiness and sadness at the same time, Haku and Neru stood side by side. "Happy Birthday from your family, Miku."
Shedding a few tears, Miku sniffled and nodded, putting the ring on right away. It mysteriously fit her very well and Haku was very glad to see that. "I'll show Luka and the others. I love both of you so much." Acting like a little girl, Neru felt a sense of gratification. Hear fear that Miku might start her own life completely without them was an empty one, she knew that now.
Showing Luka the ring, who was impressed as well, the party went on, reaching one of it's highlights. The barkeep, after being paid extra by Luka, had enabled the karaoke box that was reserved for special occasions like this.
The crowd assembled around Miku, pushing her to sing for them. They all wanted to hear her life. Happy to oblige, if a bit embarrassed to sing in front of so many people, Miku stood in front of the monitor that was embedded into the wall. Singing Love is War for her guests, they were all fascinated by how well Miku did.
A bit exhausted from running all over the place, receiving presents, eating cake and generally having to talk to everyone, Miku looked for a spot to retreat to. The barkeep eventually waved her over, raising the side entrance to the counter and letting her through. Entering the backroom, Miku found Luka sitting on a box of wine. Miku was incredibly thankful to her, the birthday party probably being her present and all.
Not saying a word, Luka got up and led Miku a bit further in, out of their line of sight of curious people. Hidden behind a several large crates, Luka kissed Miku with such passion that the green haired girl blushed, something she hadn't done from just a kiss for a long time. "I love you, Miku. I hope that we'll be able to have a party like this every year, for many years to come."
"Say Luka..." Miku was so tremendously in love with her, that the question came out without her meaning to. "If, for some reason, we can't be together anymore, what will you do?"
"Everything in my might to get you back. If you were gone, I could certainly never love anyone else again. It might sound weird for me to say this now, when we haven't been together for even a year, but... you're the love of my life, Miku. If you were gone, it would be like someone cut all the fun and happiness out of my life."
Her face was now fiercely red. Due to Luka's heels, she must have switched shoes after work, Miku had to tiptoe to reach her lips, returning the full passion of the kiss from earlier. "I love you the same way, Luka."
"The birthday girl shouldn't stay away from the party for too long. There is something I want to give you after everyone has gone home. Wait until then. I'll be out in a minute." Pushing Miku gently towards the exit, Luka kissed her nape. "I'm happy you're enjoying this."
Returning to the party, Miku witnessed how Lily rescued Gumi from the girls that went to the same school as Miku, shooing them away while hissing, laughing a few seconds after. She really had a lot of great friends. Looking around, she even saw Meiko and Haku together, enjoying a drink in the back. Kaito was with the barkeep, talking to them about something. Rin and Len talked to friends from Miku's school, showcasing that they were going to a school for the musically gifted.
As the party went on, the first to excuse themselves were the school girls from Miku's high school, leaving at 8 PM. The next to go were the twins and Teto, leaving shortly afterward. Meiko, Kaito, Haku and Neru remained until 10 PM, talking a lot to each other and to Miku.
After that, it was just the four of them, Miku, Luka, Gumi and Lily. Giving an obvious excuse, Lily took Gumi home for the night, leaving Miku with just Luka. As if he had waited for it, the barkeep flicked a switch and the lights became dimmed. Expecting to go home, Miku was surprised when instead a soft, romantic melody came on. She recognized it almost instantly. Roses and Wine.
"Were you happy today?" Hugging Miku from behind, Luka heard the door that connected the backroom to the main room fall shut. They were all alone.
"You know the answer to that." Snuggling up against Luka, enjoying the touch of her skin, the embrace, the way her arms fit nearly around her shoulders, Miku couldn't put into words how happy she was. "I won't ever forget tonight."
"Tonight isn't over yet. You still haven't gotten my present." Luka kept her lover close, talking softly into Miku's ear.
"Wasn't the birthday party your present?" Miku did remember what Luka had said in the backroom, but she didn't think Luka meant an actual present.
"Hold still. And close your eyes." Smiling, Luka took something out of her pocket, a small box, resembling a ring box, and opened it, taking it's contents. Reaching over Miku's shoulders, Luka put a beautiful locket of real silver around Miku's neck. "You can open them now."
Looking down on herself, Miku could feel the cold touch of the silver on her skin and the locket dangle above her breasts. There was a small decoration oh the front lid, and upon closer inspection, Miku found that it was a heart over a spring onion. "That's beautiful. What's inside?" Curiously holding it, Miku waited for Luka to tell her to open it.
"I know this would've been better suited to our anniversary. Just open it."
Excited, her heart beating like crazy, Miku carefully opened the lid. There was no surprise in her expression, only happiness. She was looking at an image of herself and Luka. Her love was wearing a purple sweater, while she was wearing a sky blue hoodie, black leggings and a deep blue mini skirt. But what was special about the image was that they didn't just stand together. It depicted Luka carrying Miku like a princess, with Miku laughing happily, her eyes closed, her hands put together behind Luka's neck. The loving gaze of her partner showed just how much she cared, even in that image. It was from one of their first dates.
And the image was only part of it. Carved in the inside was a short message that drove tears of happiness to her eyes. Turning around and hugging her partner, Miku kept crying and smiling at the same time, unwilling to move at all.
Keeping Miku in her arms, Luka kissed her, time and time again.
"Eternally in Love, Luka."
~~~ End of Concert XIV ~~~