Kiyoteru: Wow, I'm gonna be narrating this time? This is a first.

Miku: You'll do great, sensei! Just go for it!

Yuki: Can I listen too, Uncle Kiyo? Pleeeeease?

Kiyoteru: I'm sorry Yuki-chan, the story's not for kids your age; it's rated "T".

Yuki: Awww! *pouts*

Miku: Oh! Maybe you can say the disclaimer!

Yuki: Yay! Elise-sensei does not own Vocaloid; she just writes stories about us. How was that, uncle?

Kiyoteru: That was very good. *bows to the readers* Enjoy! ^^

As Yuki and I gazed up at the fireworks, my mind began to wander a bit. It had been so long since I had seen Kaito; with his incredible fame, I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see him again. Well, him and one other person… Meiko Sakine.

She and I grew up together, but we fell out of contact after I had moved away and she had become a famous singer. I had managed to finish college a year early and got my teaching degree at the age of 21 before getting a job at Hikari Gakuen. My dream is to be the kind of teacher who encourages his students to follow their dreams, much like Meiko had done. But believe when I say that it's not as easy as it sounds…

"…iyo? Hey, Uncle Kiyo?"

Yuki's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Hm? Sorry Yuki-chan, did you say something?"

Giggling, Yuki joked, "Boy, for a teacher you don't pay attention very well!"

"Ha ha, yeah you caught me," I laughed patting her head. "I was just thinking about Meiko. It's hard to believe it's been 5 years since I last saw her."

"That long?!" Yuki asked in surprise, no longer focusing on the fireworks. "You should've come to me, I could've snuck you over to Crypton!"

Shaking my head, I replied, "I'm afraid it's not that simple, sweetie. Meiko's a busy woman, so even if you do get me over there it'd be a long shot."

"But I almost always get lucky! But then again, it's usually Kaito-sama that I see…" my niece muttered before something came to her mind. "…Do you not want to see her?"

"N-No, it's not that!" I tried to reassure her. "Of course I want to see her!" The real question is… does she want to see me? I thought to myself. It had been so long, I had to wonder if Meiko had forgotten all about me.

Falling back onto the grass with a sigh, Yuki muttered, "Adults are so confusing…"

"Heh, yeah we can be," I admitted. Soon the fireworks show ended, and I patted Yuki's head. "Alright kiddo, let's get you back to your mom."

"But I'm not even tired!" the girl protested with a pout. Holding up her half-finished caramel apple, she asked, "Can I finish my apple first?"

"Fine, but you're eating on the way," I answered as I helped her up to her feet and we walked back to the local inn. About halfway there, Yuki let out a yawn and I ended up carrying her the rest of the way, disposing what was left of her apple in a trash can.

Once I had dropped her off at my sister's room, I started to head back to my own when a familiar voice spoke up. "Kiyo?"

Turning to the voice, my heart stopped. Standing before me, wearing a beautiful flowery red yukata and brown hair pinned up, was my childhood friend. I was speechless for a moment, but finally I breathed, "…Meiko?"

Striding up to me as best as her clothing would allow, Meiko stared at me for a few seconds before suddenly giving me a big hug. "Hey, you! It's been way too long! How have you been?!"

I can't believe it… it's really her! I thought, stunned at first. But I smiled as I returned the embrace. "I've been pretty good. Were you at the festival tonight? I must have missed you."

"Yeah, but there was a crapton of people so it's understandable that we missed each other," she said as she pulled away, a grin plastered on her face. "Holy crap, it's really you! C'mon, we gotta catch up over a drink pronto!"

"N-Now?!" I blurted out. "It's late, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"It may be late for some, but the night's still young!" Meiko retorted as she took my hand. "Let's go, I know a place nearby with some good drinks."

As stubborn as ever, I see. "Alright, let's do it," I said, sensing that I would be unable to convince her otherwise. Besides, this was the first time I had seen her in five years; I wasn't about to let this chance get away.

"Sweet! First round's on me!" she said as she started dragging me down the hall.

…

Once we reached the bar that Meiko had found, we ordered a bottle of sake to split. "Well, here's to our reunion, Kiyo!" she said, holding up her sake cup.

"Kampai!" we both cheered, tapping our cups together before taking our first sips. As we were underage when I had moved, this was our first time drinking with each other; I wasn't sure what to expect, but I tried to drive any negative scenarios out of my head.

I was the first to speak up. "So, Meiko… how are things going?"

"Pretty busy for the most part," she answered. "You have no idea how glad I am to take this vacation. Showbiz can be brutal! Recording, touring, interviews, dealing with the paparazzi… a lot of shit going on all at once."

"Yeah, sounds tough," I commented, wishing I could even comprehend what she was going through. "Well you always said this was what you wanted."

Smiling, Meiko said, "Yep, and I wouldn't trade this life for anything else! I've met some really nice people, and to be perfectly honest I do my best not to read any tabloids. The stuff in those things is only about 10% true, anyway. Maybe even only 5%!"

I couldn't help laughing at that remark. "I believe you! And don't worry, I didn't believe for a second that you and Kaito were dating, no matter how many magazines thought so."

"Thank you!" she told me as she finished off her drink. "That's probably the one question that people have asked me the most, and it drives me nuts! Kaito and I are just friends, and that's it. Seriously, can't a woman be friends with a man without dating him?"

"Of course, I don't see why not," I replied, secretly glad to finally confirm that. To be honest, ever since Kaito started hanging out with us back in our school days, I wondered if Meiko had a thing for him, but neither one of them ever made a move.

"Damn right she can!" As she started on her second cup, Meiko questioned, "But enough about me; what have you been up to?"

"Oh, I started teaching math at Hikari Gakuen," I told her just before taking another sip. "In fact, Miku Hatsune is in my homeroom class."

"Get out!" my friend exclaimed, smacking me on the back and almost making me spill my drink. "Congrats! I knew you'd follow that dream of yours! So should I call you sensei now?"

"Please don't," I answered immediately, resulting in her chuckling. "The kids are great for the most part, but you know teenagers; some can be tough to work with. I'd like to say I'm satisfied with my job, but…"

"But…?" Meiko pressed.

Pouring myself a second drink, I drank a bit before letting out a sigh. "It's not just math I want to teach. I believe a good education is important, but I also believe in the importance of following one's dreams. I want my students to realize that they have what it takes to accomplish their dream, whatever it may be, and overall they can lead a happier life that way… but most of the faculty doesn't see things the same way."

"Uh-oh," Meiko muttered. "You haven't gotten in trouble, have you?"

"I have had a few talks with the head teacher," I admitted, the grip on my cup tightening a bit. "He believes my ideals are foolish, the crazy thoughts of a young teacher, and that the most important thing is getting as many of these kids into university as possible. He's even threatened to have me fired once, but it never happened." Gazing down at my reflection in the sake, I continued, "You were able to accomplish your dream Meiko, but the truth is… I'm far from accomplishing mine."

Not saying anything at first, Meiko placed one hand on my shoulder and the other on my free hand. "Some things take time, Kiyo. You think differently than a lot of teachers, and they're probably just scared of change. But your way of teaching is sincere, so know that I'll be supporting you the whole way."

My heart began to beat faster at her touch; her hand felt soft and warm, and I couldn't help but take hold of it. "… Do… Do you really believe that?"

"Baka!" she said, ruffling my hair. "Of course I mean it! You know I'm not the lying type." It was then that she seemed to notice our joined hands. "Ooh, your hand's cold."

"Oh! Sorry," I apologized, about to let go if she hadn't tightened her grip.

"Nah, it's okay; I'll warm it up for you," she said as our fingers intertwined. The two of us just looked at each other for a few moments, our cheeks flushed from alcohol and, in my case, slight embarrassment. "Out of curiosity, how come you decided to teach kids to follow their dreams?"

Glancing off to the side, I replied, "Because a dear friend was always determined to follow her dream, and she encouraged me to do the same."

"Ooh Kiyo, you smooth-talker!" Meiko teased. "Careful there, I might get a swelled head."

"It's true, I don't want you getting the wrong impression," I said, going along with her jab. In truth, though… I hadn't felt this happy in a very long time.

…

A few drinks later, we had finished the bottle and Meiko was barely able to stand as we walked back to the inn. "Honestly, just how much did you drink?"

"Enough that I can stand a coupla more," she replied, clutching my shoulder to support herself. "You had a few drinks yerself, y'know!"

"Yes, well apparently my tolerance is higher than yours," I teased, poking her cheek before she playfully tried to bite my fingertip. "Now c'mon, let's get you back to your room."

"Spoilsport," Meiko pouted. "But yer right, I gotta get outta this thing. Why'd I wear a yukata again?"

"Because of the festival tonight, Meiko," I answered, shaking my head. How she was still mostly upright was beyond me.

It took a little navigating, but we eventually made it to Meiko's room. "Wanna come in? I'm sure I gotta 'nother bottle somewhere," she asked with a wink.

Snickering, I replied, "I'm not so sure you should have anymore, but yes I will come in. Even if just to keep an eye on you."

"Har har," she replied, sticking her tongue out. As we entered her room, Meiko told me, "Ima gonna go change, so don ya dare peek!"

She began to stumble over to the other half of the room when I blurted out, "Meiko!" She turned to face me, and taking a deep breath I said what I had been meaning to say. "You look beautiful."

Her eyes widened for a second, but then she smiled sweetly at me. "Thanks, Kiyo. You look pretty hot yourself!" Then she slid the door separating the two halves of the room closed.

Her last comment caused me to blush, and I was already feeling warm from the sake. This whole time I had been trying to deny old feelings, but even after five years of being apart, I couldn't forget my beautiful childhood friend. And now we were alone: no Kaito, no students, no one else was in the room except us.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a crash on the other side of the door. "Ow! Son of a bitch!" Meiko cursed.

Instinctively I stood up and slid open the door to check on her. "Meiko, are you okay?!" I realized too late that she had apparently tripped getting out of her yukata, and as a result she was only in her underwear. "Ah! Sorry!" I exclaimed, covering my eyes.

"S'no big deal," I heard the woman say. As she spoke, I could hear the rustling of fabric. "I was hot in that thing, anyway. I know I said not ta peek, but s'not like ya haven't seen a woman in her underwear b'fore, right? …Oi, Kiyo?"

I can't… if I look now, I don't know if I can control myself! I thought, still keeping my hand over my eyes.

"KI-YO-TE-RU!" Meiko said more firmly, moving my hand away. There she was, standing in front of me in a bathrobe, and her hair was now loose.

Oh thank goodness… "Oh good, you're dressed… sort of," I muttered with a nervous laugh. "I mean, you're covered up at least and that's a good thing…" Meiko suddenly started giggling. "What's so funny?"

"You!" she answered, poking me in the chest. "I've never heard ya trip over yerself like that!"

Crossing my arms, I retorted, "Well it's not every day I see my childhood friend in her underwear!"

Shrugging, Meiko said, "Fair 'nough. Now where's that bottle…?"

"I still think you've had enough," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder before she could start looking.

"Aww c'mon, loosen up Kiyoooo!" the woman whined, brushing my hand off before suddenly tripping again.

Reacting quickly, I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against me. "Whoa! Easy there," I said even as my face turned red from the intimate contact. "Uh, t-tell you what: since you keep insisting on this, why don't you sit down and I'll look for the bottle, okay?"

"Fine," she said with a nod as I carefully set her down on the floor.

The extra bottle of sake turned out to be inside a cooler that Meiko apparently brought with her. "Well the ice is melted, but the bottle still feels cool," I said as I brought it over. "Have any glasses?"

"Nope," Meiko shook her head. "We're gonna havta drink from the bottle. You got it, so you get the first swig!"

Sighing as I got the bottle open, I muttered, "You're crazy, Meiko."

"Yeah, but you like it," she teased once again, leaning on my shoulder.

Once I finished taking my first drink, I handed the bottle over to Meiko. As I watched her, I had to admit that she was right: I actually did like it. Her spontaneous decisions, her cheerful personality, and her happy-go-lucky attitude… so many things I liked about her. It made me realize just how much I had missed her during the last five years.

"Hey, Kiyo?"

"Yes?"

Looking up at me, Meiko asked, "How come we didn' talk after ya moved?"

My smile vanished and I let out a sigh. "We did for a while, but once you signed on with Crypton… You stopped answering my calls. I guess I thought you had forgotten about me." I was ashamed to admit it, but at some point it had to be said. I couldn't hide anything from this woman if I tried.

Suddenly, Meiko slapped me upside the head. "Kiyoteru Hiyama, you should know by now that I never forget my friends!" she scolded as she pounded my chest, trying to put up a stern face in her drunkenness and failing. "Th' company gave me a new phone cuz mine broke when fans chased me an' I lost yer number so I… I couldn't reach you…" Then something unexpected happened; tears started falling from her eyes. Leaning on my chest, Meiko began to cry as she clung to my yukata. "I missed you…"

I had never seen this side of her. When I knew her, she always gave off the image of a strong, optimistic girl, and now here she was crying her eyes out. Whatever bad feelings she had been hiding seemed to be overwhelming her at that moment. Feeling terrible for doubting her, I wrapped my arms around her and held her close. "I'm sorry… I missed you too… so much that it hurts."

Sniffling, Meiko wiped her eyes and we gazed at each other. There it was… that undeniable tension between us that made it impossible to deny it any longer. I loved Meiko Sakine. Meiko Sakine loved me. And there was nothing either of us could do about it.

We still don't know who moved first, but before we knew it our lips were locked in a sweet but drunken kiss. Meiko raked her hands through my jet black hair while I pulled her closer by her waist. I allowed myself to be pushed backward, landing on the futon already laid out and we were forced to break the kiss for air.

Meiko stared down at me, her chocolate brown eyes now dark with desire. "Whatcha thinking bout?" she asked, her ample chest pressed against mine.

"Same thing you are, I'll bet," I answered cheekily. In response, she removed my glasses and tossed them off to the side. "Hey, I need those…" I protested weakly.

"Oh, they're alright," she reassured before stroking my cheek. "B'sides… you look good without 'em."

"Oh Meiko… I love you so much," I whispered before we resumed our make-out session. My mind seemed to shut down as my hands moved seemingly on their own, caressing this gorgeous woman I had known since my childhood. We were too far gone to think of the consequences… but neither of us truly cared as we were swept away by each other for the first time.

Next time…

Lily: Guys, Meiko and Hiyama-sensei are on the front page!

Miku/Luka: EHHHH?! You're kidding!

Kaito: What's gonna happen to Kiyoteru?

Kiyoteru: Where do we go from here?

Meiko: I'll figure this out… Don't you worry!

Next time: Track 22 – Cry for the Moon

EliseArainai: I know, I know! The song "True Education" only had to do with a small part of this chapter, but seeing as it's Kiyoteru's best-known song (or one of them, anyway) and this was his first time narrating, I couldn't think of anything else to use for the title. Hope you enjoyed anyway! ^^;

Miku: Oh, and one more thing… Happy Valentine's Day!

Rin and Len: We hope you all enjoyed this special day!

Meiko: Oh yeah, and if you guys are interested in an *ahem* explicit version of this chapter, feel free to say so in the reviews!

Kiyoteru: M-Meiko! Are you crazy?!

Kaito: I'm wondering if she's still under the influence… Anyway, have a good night everyone!