~~Disclaimer: Mew belongs to Yamaha.
I know that my brain just can't work properly after that. Happiness overload, happiness overload, it feels like getting drunk (not that I've ever gotten drunk before). I can't even describe it anymore, I don't know how to. I feel like flying somewhere, out from the cafe. Actually I catch Len staring at me with his eyebrows slightly raised and I try to keep my sanity but doesn't seem to work well, that crazy smile is still on my face.
The look on his face changes quickly after that. He smiles. "What… what is it?" he asks with a slight laughter.
"EV System-san…" I begin, still smiling uncontrollably. "CUL-san said, they're like a couple. It's…"
Len nods—he doesn't even wait for me to finish, maybe he already knows I won't finish the sentence anyway—before continuing to drink, but still looking at me at the same time. With that, I look back to the phone to see whether there's a new reply or not. This smile can't disappear just like that, though.
… Wait, I feel like I've just done something wrong, something I really shouldn't do. But nah, forget it, I'm happy and that's all that matters.
Right?
Chapter Twenty-One
School, Sleep, Hit, Okay.
"Ah Rin, looks like I need to go."
Slowly looking up again, I see Len standing up from the couch. I only see his empty glass shortly after that.
Still trying to keep my sanity and smile properly unlike somekind of lunatic, I reply, "Yeah…" I was actually thinking of leaving with him since the interview has almost ended, I'll manage to continue while walking without walking into a pole (because I'll probably be typing while walking), I'm sure of that. But I realize that we didn't really do anything together, we were just sitting, facing each other while being busied with our own activities. This is awkward, okay. "I, uh, sorry that we didn't get the chance to have a talk although we were already together, looking at each other and—"
"No, it's okay, Rin," he cuts me off, perhaps already guessing that the apology wouldn't end shortly. "What if I already feel glad to be with you?"
I blush hearing that. "U, um, thank you. But still, I'm sorry for ignoring you and well, yeah."
He chuckles after I said that. "I've said it's okay! I can understand you and your admiration."
E-eh, really? I mean, he understands me and my admiration for EV System? Uh, what am I thinking…
"W-well, I'm happy hearing that, Len," I say, at the same time looking for a random object to stare at.
So, after I found a fake, plastic plants to stare at (don't ask me why), he says, "I really need to go now, so, um, good bye."
"Oh, yeah! Good bye! See you later at school!" I say after looking away from the plants, waving my hand to him.
He raises a hand as a response. "See you later." After that he disappears from my sight. Maybe I should go as well now, but not before I look at my phone.
"Eh, is that so?!" EV System said just recently. Probably he's busied as well and didn't answer immediately. "Don't say that yet, we haven't done anything!"
And what did he mean by 'we haven't done anything'?! This… this is so awkward! "H-he's right! We haven't done anything together!" I say, really not knowing what to say.
Then, CUL says something as a conclusion, "Then maybe you will, if you do a kind of collaboration?"
"I'm home," I announce with no expression after I arrived home. The house looks empty, as if no one was here. I'm sure Mom should be somewhere, busy with the packing.
Just like what I'd thought before, I can hear her faint reply from her room. "Welcome back, Rin. You took longer than usual."
"The line was ridiculously long," I say while getting in, quickly making a way to the kitchen to put the groceries. "Then I hadn't had breakfast so I went to a cafe on the way home. And I met Len."
I hear a loud running sound coming closer to me. Then Mom appears on the door with a large smile. "That's really nice. It was by accident, right? You really must belong to each other. Now where's the shampoo?" She ends up rummaging the shopping bag wildly to look for the shampoo.
I just stare at her while twirling my blonde locks. I will never understand my mom and her apparent obsession of… washing her hair. "Well like what you've said, it's just an accident," I say, and end up thinking about what I had said. If it was an accident…
Mom puts an empty bottle of shampoo next to me while smiling. She puts it with power so it makes a small thump sound. "No one knows. Maybe that was the start of something that's even bigger."
"Eeeeh why is that?" I ask with a pout. Then Mom ruffles my hair, flattening my bow.
"Nah, don't take it seriously," she says, still with the smile. Then she stands up, using my head as a support. "I'll go now. Make sure everything is safe, okay?"
I nod, but then raise my eyebrows. "So… you were waiting for shampoo to leave?"
"That's too, but of course I'm waiting for you so I could bid goodbye to my one and only daughter," she says. "Tell your dad my goodbye as well if you got the chance to meet him, 'kay?"
"Okay, I will!" I half-yell as she has gotten further.
"Bye Rin! I love you!"
"Bye! I love you too, Mom!" And the door gets closed, leaving me alone in my house.
And this is it. I'm alone in my house, no one watching me, no one giving attention to what I do in the house, no one scolding me. It really does mean…
… I can stay up late for a week!
"—ne Rin!"
Hearing someone calling—no, yelling—my name, I lift my head up from the desk… I didn't remember doing that before, maybe I fell asleep?
I blink several times before finally getting my eyesight cleared, I can now see that pink haired teacher looking at me with raised eyebrows. "Awake now?"
Heat rushed to my face, and I begin to frantically wave my hand. "I'm so sorry!" After I said that, I hear some giggles from the girls in my front row. Uh, this is embarrassing… Why did I have to fell asleep in the class anyway…
He smiles hearing my reply. "I will forgive you only if you can solve the problem on the board." He points to the board while slowly walking forward. Meanwhile, my eyes travel to the board…
What the fuck is that?! Once again, I don't understand chemistry! Miku… Oh right, she's not here. Len then, I know you can help me! Maybe eye contact is enough for me to 'tell' him that I need his help! Come on!
… But unfortunately he has his head buried in his arms, on the desk. Perhaps he's asleep? That was rare for him… but not that! The problem is: I'm doomed.
Giving Yuuma-sensei a bright smile (he isn't looking at me, but whatever), I say, "What if I don't understand and got the answer wrong?"
"Just give it a try, Kagamine-san," he says without even looking at me.
"… Fine," I mutter under my breath and walk forward to the board. Let's see, maybe I can solve this… Hey, no, if you look at this closely, actually I… still didn't understand.
I hear a sigh from behind. "Well, well… Looks like Kagamine-san really doesn't understand, doesn't she. Maybe you shouldn't sleep in the class next time."
It's not… really my fault. I had a really great talk with EV System last night, it would be really bad if I missed that opportunity. The problem with falling asleep in the class is a different matter, though, that is completely my fault… Eh, but, but… Who to blame, actually?
Yuuma-sensei was kind enough to explain everything to me from the beginning (it was kind of awkward because everyone was watching, of course), but not kind enough because he gave us a test (not a pop quiz, a real test) after that… Maybe this is a miracle that I'm able to finish it well, perhaps it will stay this way if I keep on paying attention to the lesson.
The problem is, it's not that easy to focus on the lesson. My mind always wanders somewhere else, whether it's about EV System, or EV System's song, or just imagining his face or—okay I'm afraid my obsession is too much. Maybe I have to lower it a bit. Let's focus on studying or real life instead.
… But maybe it's impossible after all?
The last period today is PE. It's not really effective because our energy have been drained from all the lessons before, but somehow it's enjoyable because we can finally take a break from studying…
"Kagamine-san, focus on hitting the ball! You're going to get zero point if you failed on the fifth attempt, remember that!"
… No, since when did I enjoy doing PE? I'm not that good at sport anyway, it's just not my thing. But I can feel it as well that I'm not focusing on hitting the ball, but on yawning. I seriously need a sleep; a little of me regret my action of staying up late, but the other part doesn't feel the same way. It's confusing. I sigh and pick up the ball, giving it back to the teacher who's ready to throw it back to me.
"Okay, here's the ball," he says, and right after that he throws the ball to me. I swing my hand to hit it, but I miss it again. That's…
"The fourth try," the teacher shortly says, as if completing my thought as I bend down to pick up the ball again and give it back to him. "Here's the last one, keep it on your mind."
He throws it again, and I keep my eyes on the ball as it approaches me. When it feel just right, I swing my hand and feel something hit it… The ball, I managed to hit it!
"Well congratulations on that, Kagamine-san. You almost failed," he says, motioning something to someone who's holding up a board, writing scores. I approach that girl, wanting to look at my score.
"Oh, it's you, Kagamine-chan," she says after noticing my presence. This girl… is the one who's usually seen with 'Yukari' and Nekomura, the only one I still don't know the name. "Don't worry, the score's not that bad. You're really lucky to be able to hit that ball on the last try!"
"Y-yeah, I guess you're right," I say while nodding, and at the same time I'm trying to recall this person's name. I must have heard it somewhere in the class before, she's my classmate for the God's sake!
"And oh, maybe I need a little help," she suddenly says, snapping me out from my thought. "It's going to be my turn soon, I want you to hold on this for a moment…" And she hands me the board. She said her turn is going to be soon, but what's her name?! Well, this is in alphabetical order, so I'll eventually find it out when it's her turn. Hm, so the next person is Len, I wonder how he'll do…
"Next, Kagamine-san!"
"He's not here!" the previous girl called back to him. Eh, what… Wait, he really isn't here after I looked around. In fact, I didn't even see him in lunch break. Where is he, then?
"He's not here?" the teacher asks back.
The girl smiles rather strangely, like pulling the end of her lips… Okay, that's 'smiling' all right, but a smile people make when they 'don't understand'. "The infirmary?"
"The infirmary… He's sick?" the teacher mutters to himself before proceeding to call the next person. "The next person, then."
… Len's sick? Maybe that's why he was asleep in the class, and why I didn't see him in the lunch break. But he didn't say anything to me… I wonder how he's doing right now, I hope it's nothing too serious.
"So the next person is me, I guess," the unknown girl says as she turned her head towards me. "I'll leave it to you then, Kagamine-chan."
I slowly nod and look at the board. The name under Len's is… Sakamoto Mew. Well, now I've found it that she's Sakamoto, but I don't think it's a huge matter for now. How about Len? I can say that I am… a bit worried after knowing that he's sick, but…
"Kagamine-san, the ball is coming your way!" the teacher suddenly shouts, and I can see it as well, a ball is flying towards me. Perhaps Sakamoto has missed it as well, but why is it flying to me…?
I quickly dodge the ball by stepping aside. The ball is dodged, but somehow I step on something that isn't supposed to be stepped. I can't manage to see what it is, but I'm focusing on keeping my balance because stepping on that unknown thing has caught me off balance.
I've failed; I know as I feel myself falling down and hit something cold and hard. I mean, I hit my head. Of course it hurts like hell, but somehow it feels strange… like, strange. It makes me want to close my eyes and just stay like that, sleeping.
… Yeah, sleeping. That really sounds like a good idea.
~~As you can see, Mew is the 'mature-looking girl with long, dark hair' mentioned in chapter 16 (Rin had just learnt her name in this chapter). Other than that, people seem to do the 'guess who EV System is' but I will not say who EV System really is. I've said it's obvious, and if it's obvious then you can forget the 'look down' thing. There's already someone who had got it pretty close. Or some people. Let's say it's on the reviews already.
And another announcement, now I'm not holding this story anymore but I will hold my other story. I bet you don't read that fanfic anyway, so... yes. I hope I'll be able to update faster and publish another story later, haha~
I can't think.
OrangeTsundere-san: Kagami Sound as Rin, EV System as someone and Mirai as someone.
Lynn 'Ne'-chan: It's okay, everyone makes mistake. Your stories aren't bad anyway... Why Len is so calm? Maybe it's just what Rin sees, or maybe he's not EV System after all.
RPR-san: Ahaha, it's screwing your mind as well? Maybe you just want to go with the flow? Peace!
Mayu-chan: Yay, I'm happy! I will keep on updating!
Pandapper-san: ...No wonder I couldn't understand some words there, haha! I know it's the auto correct, it's not your fault! Moment of discovery, isn't it... Let's see...
Potatoes And Len Otaku-san: I've said it, I was bored... No problem! Yeah, both couple were dating before, but hey, there are many, many people in the world, you know. So, how about the exam? I hope it goes well!
12domba-san: I'm planning on making that scene, well, just see... About the favorite, which one is it? Everything is in English, I think. You don't mistake me as anyone else, right?
Kagami Star-san: ...Did you read that when you're not supposed to browse internet or something? Hahaha, that's nice! Eh, those 'plain' stories must have something interesting in it... then it's not plain. Eh, forget what I've said. Thank you!
ownitlikeaboss-san: *nods* It's obvious. You have someone in mind already, I think. But haha, cliche. I don't really like them too.
MoNoChRoMaDdIcT-san: Forget about the look down. You can see what EV stands for if you 'look down'. Yes, Len-Miku and EV-Mirai were dating, but there are million of humans there. So, who do you think he is? Ahahaha, you know me really well, MonoAddict-san!
Thank you for the reviews! Thank you for the favorites! Thank you for reading!