Diamond Rose
Chapter 29
Distance
Miku breathed in deeply as she stepped out of the door in the early morning. At five, it was still fairly dark and the air was chilly. She was wearing a double-breasted coat dress over a black turtleneck and skinny jeans. As she walked down the road, her lace-up boots hitting the pavement with sure, steady 'tap's, a smile lit up her features. She was feeling good. It was the type of good that effortlessly emerged out of nowhere. That mysterious feeling. She had a good feeling about today. She couldn't exactly pinpoint why, but she just felt it. The optimism that surrounded her was contagious.
Her canvas backpack was slung over her shoulders, her hair was suppressed by a cap. It was a long walk to the bus stop, and she didn't feel like calling up a taxi. Besides, she reasoned, it's such a good day, why waste it in a car? She breathed in the fresh air, grinning broadly. Surely things would go right today.
Eventually, she arrived, much earlier than she needed to be. Miku walked through to quiet hallways until she arrived at one of the rehearsal/dressing rooms. She opened the door of the one that had been booked for the day. Her feet took her along the clothes that hung on the hangers. They hung, suspended in the flow of time until they were required. A small smile came to Miku's face she ran her fingers across each jacket, each shirt, each dress … It reminded her of Lenalee, who had left for China only last week.
It's funny. Her absence is already being felt. Miku stopped walking as she reached the end of the row. I wonder who will remember me if I'm gone.
Miku left the conference beaming, but that joy was being contained. Contained for the sake of Lavi, who looked like he hadn't slept and was about to faint due to exhaustion any second. She didn't even need to have the slightest romantic feeling for him to feel concerned. He looked utterly dead on his feet. "Um. Lavi."
Even his responses were slow. He turned to look at her as they walked, blinking for a moment, "Yes?"
She might as well be blunt and straight to the point, it didn't look like he was going to last much longer on his feet, let alone in a conversation. "You look dead."
Lavi still appeared to have enough energy to respond in his usual cheery manner. "Don't be ridiculous, of course not-"
Until he walked into the wall as they reached a turn in the hallway. Miku had winced as he made contact with the hard surface, but also used the opportunity to make her point. "See what I mean?" She could help sighing as she gestured for her manager to keep going and reached out for Lavi, "Come on, let's find you somewhere to sleep."
The redhead leaned against the wall as he contemplated her outstretched hand. He had two options – go about it the long way and deny his exhaustion, or he could well … try something else. Obviously, taking the hand would be the way to go about the "something else". Did he want to though? Lavi just contemplated her hand a little more. He observed how smooth it was – her clean fingernails. It seemed that whenever the stylists attached fake fingernails or applied nail polish, the first thing she did was remove it.
His green gaze lingered on a little longer until he simply couldn't resist anymore and took her head. And as he did, he was smiling. Lazily, yes, but the obvious delight portrayed in that idle grin was rather difficult to miss.
As Miku was about to silently celebrate this small "victory" in her mind, she felt a heavy weight lean onto her, and arms slink around her waist and back. A few seconds later, she was sitting on the floor, Lavi draped across her. His one visible eye was close as his head leaned on her shoulder, his warm breath making contact with Miku's chin. He was sound asleep. The readers of this story shall now assume that physical contact through holding Miku's hand had overwhelmed his already tired mind, thus, leading to his sudden sleep.
Narrator's … narrating aside, Miku couldn't help the blush that fled up to her cheeks and she was highly grateful to Lavi's sleep, as such, he couldn't see this phenomena. His full weight had been too much for Miku to bear of both feet, and now, while it wouldn't be too hard to disentangle herself from his weak embrace, she couldn't bear to do so. Suddenly, in the middle of a hallway, and on the floor no less, he seemed to be at ease, dreaming.
In comparison to his former appearance, she preferred this one better. While there was no way for him to smile at her, no way for him to speak to her in his ridiculously easy-going manner, Miku liked him asleep, because he seemed to be at ease. She cared more about his sense of ease, the lack of stress, more than what contact she had with him. It made Miku happier to see him succeed in whatever it was he was doing than to see him struggle through the day, all the while hiding something from her with his charm. It was true that this negative change … she had only seen it from him for a very short time today, but it still worried her to no end.
As she thought and watched him sleep in the middle of the corridor, Miku let time tick by, until she was sure that her manager was going to come running to see what the issue was. Her legs were getting numb, but she didn't really care.
This lost paradise,
We'll slip into a deep sleep,
And meet each other there,
Escaping our nightmares,
Meeting in dreams …
"Miku."
The singer looked up from her berry milkshake and looked at Allen, she slurped unceremoniously before speaking, "Yeah?"
"I am discussing your digital single. Of course, if you don't want to treat this new project seriously, that's fine by me, I can skip work, head to a favourite restaurant of mine where the chef – Jerry – is a fabulous person and can make anything I desire –"
She was scowling now, "Okay, I get you. Sorry, I was spacing –"
Allen was still speaking, pointedly ignoring her apology, "Once, I asked for mitarashi dango and his creation was just beautiful – the dish was like a work of art exploding in my mouth –"
"Allen. Your idea of art is rather twisted and if you don't hurry up and forgive me, I'll tell Sorane that instead of ranting about your absolutely delightful girlfriend, you choose to rant about something as petty as food –"
"Oi –"
"I'm sure that Sorane would be ecstatic to hear that her boyfriend places food over her –"
"Miku. Did you make up with her?"
She stopped dead in her tracks, taking a moment to slurp up some more milkshake. Better some type of ugly sound than a sullen silence. She blinked, blue eyes sliding over to avoid her friend's gaze. "No." There was a long pause before either one of them spoke again. "I will do that though. Sometime in the future."
And with that the pair lapsed into a unnaturally quiet and awkward situation, pierced only by the shuffling of papers, occasional slurp of a milkshake, and some tentative, work-related speech. Awkward.
And remained so until Lavi walked in, a cup of instant coffee in his hand. The first thing he did was step over to the nearest bin and proceed to pour the cheap, brown liquid into the garbage before dropping the foam cup. He appeared to relish the sound of the cheap drink being wasted. He blinked when he heard sniggering a few metres away. He looked at them, blinking in his innocent/stupid look, "What?"
It was Allen that was rude enough to mention what the sound had reminded the pair of, "You know that sounded like pi-"
Miku was laughing uncontrollably while she attempted to scold him, "That. Is. Gross."
"But you were so thinking it-"
And the trio proceeded to drown themselves with hysterical laughter.
The day had been not quite perfect, but according to Miku, it was still quite wonderful. She had witnessed many great things, and laughed in a way she hadn't been able to do in a while. She pondered her day as she strolled down the city streets. The lights illuminated the streets, making it a well-lit, relaxing place to be. She had wrapped a woollen scarf around her neck, her coat-dress was properly fastened, and her hands were stuck deep in her pockets as she walked.
The nights were getting colder, and while Miku tended to enjoy colder weather, for once, the temperature saddened her. She kept walking, dwelling on this feeling. It was very slight, but it lingered in the air around her. It was as though there was something she was forgetting, something that was bound to come. Something she had been aware of.
She couldn't remember, though.
Miku thought through it as she walked down the paved roads, thought about it as she took a break to buy a warm drink from a vending machine, she continued to contemplate it while waiting for the last bus of the day. She even skipped the light sleep she usually took on the bus to think. She just couldn't figure it out. But even though she didn't know what it was she was concerned about – that distant atmosphere around her, Miku instinctively knew that it was important. It was vital. She simply had to remember. She kept trying to remember as she found her way through the dimly lit neighbourhood of her home, kept thinking up the stairs to her bedroom, thinking.
The thinking paused for a moment as she checked her emails for tomorrow's timetable. Her blue eyes rested on the short note underneath the main schedule:
Miku! I got this invitation, you are definitely attending, I'm not sure about Lavi though, anyway, just a heads up.
2010 CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION – FLIGHT RECORDS WELCOMES YOU!
We at Flight Records are delighted to invite you to our annual Christmas celebration. Celebration details are below:
DATE: 25.12.2010
TIME: 10:00PM – 12:00AM
LOCATION: Ark Hotel, Ballroom 5
We look forward to your attendance!
Miku stared at it for a few more moments. Frowning, she left her seat in front of her laptop and dug out her phone from her canvas backpack. She scrolled through her contacts until she landed on Lavi's number. She rarely attempted communication through phone – she never had a need. As she called the number, she hoped that he would answer.
Her wish was granted – Lavi had answered only a second after it began to ring, "Miku!"
"Uh – Hi, Lavi, are you feeling better?"
"Ngaww, I'm touched, you called for the first time ever just to ask that?"
"No, not just that."
"What is it?"
"The Christmas –"
"Oh. That."
Miku did not like what she was hearing. The drop in energy of his voice was beyond obvious and she had a feeling that she really wasn't going to like what was coming next.
"I know that they never finalised it and never told you … until now that is." There was a short pause before he started speaking again. "I'm leaving on the 20th. I won't be able to make it. My manager declined for me."
It hit her then. Miku couldn't speak for the next few seconds. The news that she had been trying to recall this whole evening, now that it had been revealed to her, she simply couldn't accept it. Couldn't.
Lavi seemed to be getting worried on the other end, "Miku? Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Lavi, I need to sleep."
"Good night."
"Same to you." She ended the call immediately, dropping her cell phone onto her lap.
It wasn't a good day at all.
It was a horrible day.
On a good day, your heart didn't hurt that much.
Why is it that whatever I do,
When I realize I'm thinking of you,
I just don't know what to do …
A/N - OH MA GAAAAA. Haha, I quite like this chapter. I'd like to acknowledge Kana Nishino's latest single, Distance. I used the opening verse in the last part here -pokes above- and the song title for the chapter title. The song doesn't really match the mood of this chapter, while I find that the lyrics kind of do. Good stuff. Anyway, I'm going to spam some info here.
To be specific, regarding Lavi - he is leaving on December 20th, and returning to Europe where his agency is based. His recording contract with Miku and Flight Records is to be terminated and there are no plans on renewing that contract. Because his modelling schedules in Europe are crazy [come on, he's a total hottie and stuff XD], there isn't really any chance that Lavi can return for a holiday or somesuch. Thus, the drama regarding him leaving.
I also want to warn everyone reading about the next chapter. While it isn't the final chapter [there's around 5 or so to go, I think] it may seem a lot like it, as it contains the "happily ever after" vibe. So I just want to say, whatever comes after that chapter, may be a huge disappointment, but please do not bash me. I can guarantee a happy ending. So yes, spoiler, but I found that it was necessary.
Either way, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! And of course, leave a review :3 And before I leave, I have set up a poll on my profile regarding my next fanfiction. I have plots for all of the series, and I encourage you to vote [up to 2 options]!
Arigatou, minna!
