Track 14: Rolling Girl

The night of the concert had finally arrived. After all the anticipation, all of the waiting, it was finally time.

Yuzuki's gift to Chi turned out to be a Yukata: pale pink with a pattern of cherries. It seemed to be hand-stitched, and was quite cute when Chi tried it on. She had asked to wear it to the concert, and Hideki had not found the heart to refuse, despite it being an odd choice. Hideki was not sure what proper concert attire was. He did not own many nice clothes of his own beside what he wore to university. Finally deciding he would probably feel under-dressed no matter what, he settled on T shirt and jeans.

They met outside of Chiroru bakery just as the others were closing up. Hideki's eyes went wide when he caught sight of Yumi. The young woman wore a green wig, with a pair of white and red goggles perched atop it. That, along with the general color scheme told him she was supposed to be dressed as Gumi. But Yumi was showing a great deal of bare skin, far more than he was used to seeing of her. The short green top seemed more like a sports bra than a shirt, barely enough to cover her ample breasts. Over top of this was a long sleeve orange jacket which covered a little more, but she had left the front open. Green shorts were held up with suspenders, and orange boots reached to above her knees.

"Umm, Yumi, what's with the outfit?" Hideki asked.

"It's my Gumi cosplay!" she replied. "I made it back when she had her V3 clothes. Haven't had time to make an updated version yet."

"I see that," he replied, "Why are you going in costume?"

"Lots of people go this way," Hiro commented as he dropped the shop keys into his pocket. "You'll see when we get there." Suddenly noticing Chi's clothing, he added. "that's a cute Yukata, Chi. Where did you get it?"

Chi twirled, showing off the garment from all angles. "Yuzuki made it for me!"

Yumi thought for a minute. "Mr. Kokubunji's persocom?"

"Yeah," Hideki replied, "Minoru says she's been acting really weird lately. Seems to be taking up a lot of random hobbies out of nowhere."

Hiro appraised the Yukata. "Well, you can't argue with the result in this case."

Yumi's watch alarm went off. "That's the first alarm," she said. "We're all set here. If you two are ready, we should get going or we'll be late for the train."

Hideki thought he would feel embarrassed on the train, sitting between a persocom in a Yukata and Yumi in her extremely revealing cosplay. As he looked around, however, he noticed the two girls were not the only ones dressed in strange clothing. He could see no fewer than three separate people dressed in brightly colored clothing and wigs, and that number only rose as they approached their destination. By the time they walked into the parking lot of the concert hall, it was Hideki who felt out of place dressed in his everyday attire. Even Chi's outfit did not seem entirely out of place.

They passed through a lavish lobby and up a red carpeted staircase. The space was crowded with hundreds of people, all pressing toward the doors to the theatre. The staff, a mix of human and persocoms both in red vests, herded this mass into a more orderly channel, ending in a line of persocoms who were taking tickets. The four of them pressed forward through the crowd, eagerly awaiting their turn.

The ticket collector persocom glanced at their passes and motioned to their right. "Section A. down the stairs, continue until you reach the bottom."

Hideki nodded to the usher. "Thanks!"

"Of course, sir," the persocom replied, "please enjoy the show."

They emerged onto the bottom floor of a large theatre and followed the gently sloping aisle downward. Above their head was a balcony and, looking back once they were clear, another two above that one. It was a model of efficiency; room to accommodate more than a thousand people in as compact of a floor plan as possible.

"Wow," Yumi exclaimed. "I've never had ground floor seating before!"

Hideki had never been to such a large concert. "Is it really that unusual?"

"Usually we're stuck up on the top balcony," Hiro explained, "it's the only place with affordable seating. Everything else is over ten thousand yen."

They continued down the aisle. The next usher they met waved them forward, even closer to the stage.

"How close are we going to be?" Yumi asked

Hideki checked the seat listed on his pass. "Row four, I think?"

She shook her head in disbelief. "Who do you know that can get you such good seating?"

"Miku said she was going to get us VIP passes," he replied shrugging. "I didn't expect them to be that VIP, though."

Yumi stopped dead in the aisle, mouth agape. "No way! You know Hatsune Miku?"

Chi tilted her head. "The persocom on the TV?"

Hideki nodded. "She's been helping me with my job."

Yumi laughed. "I'm getting more and more jealous all the time."

Placed atop each of their seats was a small bag with an LED light stick poking out of its top. Glancing through, he found a collection of souvenirs, snacks, and a bottle of water.

"Complimentary gifts in VIP," Hiro commented, "If only we could afford these tickets all the time."

Light sticks flicked on all around them as they settled into their seats. The four of them followed suit, each of their light sticks glowing a bright neon green.

After almost twenty minutes of waiting the house lights dimmed, leaving the audience a sea of glowing sticks. Hideki was deafened as the crowd cheered around him, covering all other noises buried beneath the wave of sound. Music swelled from tower speakers to either side of the stage. As the volume reached full force, Hideki could feel the waves of bass pass through him like a second heartbeat.

A single spotlight snapped on, revealing a teal haired figure now very familiar to Hideki. At the same instant a screen above her activated, showing a larger view of the stage for those too far away to see. Miku's outfit was the same as it always was, but with the addition of a black and red headset.

It was strange seeing her onstage, so far away. Every time he had encountered her she had been up close, someone immediate he could talk to and who would talk directly back. It had slipped his mind that she actually was a pop idol, and that most people encountered her like this.

Miku's singing was even better in person than it had been on TV. There was still an element which was not quite human to it, but was beautiful nonetheless. Her voice had character; it somehow managed to express her personality. It did not take much imagination to believe he was listening to a real teenage girl, singing her heart out for the audience.

She seemed to trail off, and the music began to fade. The crowd hushed in anticipation.

Suddenly, six fountains of sparks erupted, almost blindingly bright. When they cleared, Miku was flanked by an ensemble of other Vocaloids. Hideki recognized each, having seen them up close during his time at Yanaha, and began to put names to faces. The blonde twins, Rin and Len, stood to one side, with Kaito next to them. The violet-haired samurai, Gack, stood opposite, with Gumi and a pink-haired girl he identified as Luka. The light onstage rose. Two more screens, flanking the first, activated, showing different views. As the music began to pulse once again, All of the performers began to sing

One Vocaloid had been impressive enough, but seven together was something else entirely. The careful interplay of different parts, one leading into another, was executed flawlessly. None of them was off by even a fraction of a second, nor were any of them off-key. The song showcased each of their voices, not relegating any of them to backup vocals. Their choreography, too, was perfect, each motion expertly timed in sync with the others'.

Hideki glanced over to Chi. She was standing, transfixed by the music, her mouth hanging ever so slightly open. Hideki placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to startle. When she turned to him, her eyes were sparkling and a wide smile crossed her face. Hideki beamed back. Here they were, together, enjoying themselves. That was the best part: that they were there together.

The atmosphere around them was thick with emotion. Hideki let himself be carried away by it. He raised both fists, light stick in one hand, and cheering at the top of his lungs. His own voice seemed somehow disconnected from him, becoming part of the living crowd. Beside him Chi followed suit, waving her light stick.

He understood now, or at least he thought he did. This was what the Vocaloids lived for, why even human musicians endured endless tedious hours of work, demands from a company which saw them as products, and who knew what else. It was this excitement they had the power to create in other people: the cheers and adoration as they did exactly what they had been brought into the world to do. Programmed to feel that way or not, it must be real to them.

The end of the first song was met with thunderous applause. As it died down, Miku stepped forward. "Is everyone having a good time tonight?" Her voice echoed through the speakers to the back of the hall.

The Audience responded with more cheers.

"We have some great songs ready for you," she continued. "We hope you like them!"

The second song began, with several of the other Vocaloids disappearing backstage. It was met with much the same reception as the first. Hideki was convinced that he would be deaf for the next week once the concert ended.

Miku was absent for the third and fourth songs, the first was sung by Luka, the next by Rin and Len. When Miku returned, her outfit was completely different: a black dress trimmed with lace, with long black gloves and thigh-length stockings. Her headset was different as well, sporting a pair of pink butterfly wings. Luka entered from the opposite side, dressed almost identically but with teal butterfly wings on her headset.

The sound of waves and a piano emerged from the speakers. The crowd screamed with excitement after three notes.

As the two performers began to sing, it took Hideki a moment to realize that it was a love song. Its lyrics were about feeling an attraction neither of them could fight against. Hideki wished he knew more about the Vocaloids' music, at least so he could put names to each of the songs. Judging from the crowd's reaction, this was a fan favorite.

Yumi clung to Hiro as the baker wrapped his arm around her. To Hideki's side, he felt Chi squeeze his hand. She was still transfixed by the performance, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she drank in every detail.

Over the next few songs the singers continued to alternate, sometimes giving solo performances, sometimes in pairs or groups. Each time one returned to the stage, they seemed to be in a different outfit. The final song of the first set was a solo for Miku. The melody was simple, but the lyrics were a rapidfire string of words, almost too fast for him to understand. The chorus was a slower, more intelligible pace, only to return to the high-speed singing on each verse. Once again, the Vocaloid seemed to make no mistakes, never tripping over her own singing. Hideki was astonished. The song seemed to have been written to show off what she could do because of what she was; he doubted any human singer could have accomplished it. Finally, with one last chord, the song ended.

Amidst the cheers and claps, Miku spoke again. "Thank you, you've been a wonderful audience. We'll be right back with more after intermission. Hope to see you then!"

As the house lights rose once again, the feeling of energy faded, leaving Hideki feeling pleasantly numb. It took a moment before he could think clearly enough to move. With a quick stretch, he looked around at the others. Hiro was stretching as well, and Yumi seemed to still be coming out of some sort of trance.

Chi was practically radiant. "I want to hear more! Can they sing everything again?"

"They'll probably play different songs next," Hideki replied, "But if you get one of their albums, you can listen to them as many times as you want."

"There's a place in the lobby which sells T Shirts and CDs," Hiro offered.

Chi jumped up, smiling. "Chi is going to buy a CD!

Hideki called after her. "Do you need money to pay for it?" He was not sure what outrageous prices the concert hall would be selling albums for, probably too much. But if it was for Chi, he did not mind.

"Chi has money!" she called back. "Don't worry!"

Hiro stood up to follow. "I might as well go with her. I need to use the restroom, and I might pick up some more snacks."

Looking back much later, Hideki could only describe what happened next as a cosmic coincidence. As Chi and Hiro disappeared into the crowd, Hideki saw a door open at the side of the stage opened and a teal head poked out. It was less than twenty feet away, close enough to see everyone in his row. As she caught Hideki's eye, her mouth split into a smile and she eagerly beckoned him. Curious, Hideki rose and walked over.

Yumi rushed after him. "Where are you going?"

"I thought I saw someone I know over here," he replied over his shoulder.

The door was black steel, with the words "cast and crew only" emblazoned in red. Not sure what to do, Hideki knocked. It opened a small crack, then all the way as Hideki was pulled inside by the front of his shirt, Yumi following immediately after.

The hallway beyond was dark and narrow, lit in a shade of blue. Miku was alone there, once again in her normal outfit. The blue illumination seemed to play tricks, however; her hair and eyes seemed more of a cobalt shade and, strangely, the black fabric of her skirt became a shade of maroon.

"You did come to see the show!" she exclaimed. "I can't really see anything up there past the second row, so I couldn't be sure."

Hideki straightened his collar. "I said we were planning to go, didn't I?"

"Well yes, but I still couldn't see you." Miku looked at Yumi suspiciously. "Who is this?"

"This is Yumi," he replied, "she and her boyfriend are close friends of mine."

"I see." The Vocaloid seemed to relax, becoming much friendlier toward Yumi. "Well, it's nice to meet one of Hideki's friends. I hope you're enjoying the concert."

The young woman was star struck. She blurted out, "H-Hi I'm Yumi! N-Nice to meet you!"

Miku chuckled, clearly used to this reaction. "I hope the concert's to your liking."

"Y-Yes, everything is amazing!" she replied, still clearly dazzled by being so close to one of her idols.

Miku beamed, then asked. "Where are your other two friends? Hideki asked for four passes."

"They're out in the lobby right now," Hideki replied.

"I'd like to meet them at some point," she said, "But I doubt they'd get back in time. It's too bad we have to leave pretty much right away after the show."

"Shouldn't you be resting, or getting ready for after intermission?" he asked.

Miku waved dismissively. "The stage crew's getting things prepped for the next set. We've got a few minutes before they need us again."

Hideki heard the scrambling of what sounded like rats above them. He looked up to see a small catwalk running the length of the hall, with several miniature black-clad figures disappearing into the distance.

He pointed upward "What was that?"

"Crew laptops," Miku replied. "Great for getting into tiny places, fixing things on the fly, and carrying small props from place to place. Modern theaters couldn't work without them."

Two figures approached behind her.

The shorter of the two said, "So this is where you've gone off to, Miku."

Hideki finally recognized them in the bluish light. "Kaito. It's good to see you again."

The blue-haired persocom gave a friendly wave. "Mr. Motosuwa, right? It's been a while."

Kaito's companion, Gack, noticed the third member of their group. "Might I ask who your charming companion is?"

Yumi blushed a dark color indistinguishable in the blue lighting. "Oh, I, buh…" she looked like she was on the verge of fainting.

"Her name is Yumi," Hideki said for her.

The purple-haired Vocaloid had an almost hypnotic smile. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Yumi."

Yumi had regressed into a starstruck tween, unable to make an intelligible sound.

Kaito continued to Hideki. "How is your investigation going?"

"Slow, but moving forward," Hideki replied.

Kaito glanced over to Yumi, clearly calculating how much he should say. "That's good. I appreciate you putting forth such an effort for one of us."

"It's no trouble," Hideki replied, "Honestly, I'm sorry I haven't made more progress."

"Well, it's more than most would do for us, he reassured. "I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually." He turned to Yumi. "So, Ms. Yumi. What do you do?"

"I-I work at Chororu," she sputtered, "It's a bakery."

"A baker," Gack commented, "a most artistic profession, though one we are, unfortunately, ill-equipped to appreciate."

Through the door, Hideki could hear them playing music during the intermission. Hideki heard Yumi humming along beside him, apparently thinking none of them could hear her.

"Hey, that's pretty good," Kaito said.

Yumi immediately stopped humming. "oh, no, not really. I'm barely good enough for when Hiro and I do a karaoke night. Yous see, it's...I...um..." She was rapidly falling back into incoherence.

Gack smiled and bowed to her. "This 'Hiro' is a lucky man to have the heart of such a lady."

Yumi blushed even more furiously.

From somewhere within the darkened corners of the hallway, a speaker came to life. "Five minutes to places."

"That's our cue to head out," Kaito announced.

"Already?" Miku's voice was almost a whine.

"We don't want to keep everyone waiting," Kaito pointed out. "They can't start without all of us, and the concert has to go on."

she sighed. "Okay." there was great reluctance in her voice.

"We should also get back to our seats," Hideki added.

Miku smiled. "Enjoy the rest of the show. I hope I'll see you soon!"

Hideki and Yumi reached to their seats just as Chi and Hiro returned.

Chi held up a small bag. "Chi made a mistake. She bought four CDs, not one."

Hideki patted her on the head. "You were just excited by the concert. Don't worry about it!"

He tried to remember if he had a CD player, and decided to check when he returned home.

"You'll never guess who we just met!" Yumi exclaimed. "Miku, Kaito, and Gack!"

Hiro glanced incredulously to the two of them. "How?"

"They called me over," Hideki explained, "I've met them all before, they're very nice."

"One of these days, you're going to have to introduce us all," he said.

"I would like to meet them too," Chi added, "They seems so nice and happy!"

"I'm not sure when I'll get the chance, but sure!" Hideki replied.

A few minutes later, the lights dimmed again as intermission ended. The second set was, if possible, even better than the first. Hideki let himself be carried away by the excitement once again, most of the evening passing in a blur. Next to him, Chi alternated between gripping his arm, cheering, and staring transfixed at the stage. Several songs in, Hideki glanced over to see tears running down Yumi's face.

Over the noise of the crowd and music, he managed to shout, "Yumi, are you crying?"

She wiped her eyes, looking down in surprise at the wet streaks which were left on her hand. "I guess. I-I was just so caught up in everything," she sobbed, "being here so close, meeting them in person."

Hideki could not help but smile. Yumi might have reached her twenties, she might act mature and responsible, but at heart she was a fangirl.

The rest of the night wore on much the same. By the time the concert ended, all of them were drained and numb. On the train ride back, Yumi fell asleep on Hiro's shoulder, her wig slipping to the side and revealing her own black locks. Hiro smiled over to Hideki but said nothing, not wanting to disturb her.

Hideki looked down as Chi rested her head against his shoulder. Her eyes were closed, and she was smiling. "Hideki…I'm so happy!"