Sugar-Coated Accident
Chapter Thirty-Six

"Don't Underestimate Me

"Okay, you guys," said Len. Through sheer obstinacy, he had managed to will his voice to stop suttering, and his cheeks to stop flushing. With his arms folded, he looked quite the impressive figure (more impressive than Kaito, anyway, who had been bowled over by Teto and now had a headache. Headaches and pains were commonplace whenever the red-head was around; disaster befell all who met her, slowly but surely, like a curse).

The young blond glanced levelly at the four intrusive females.

There was Miku, looking guilty. Her head hung low, her hands behind her back, as she nervously kicked the ground.

There was Teto, who was prodding Kaito in the side of the head- maybe she thought it would drive the headache away, somehow, but instead it only served to make the problem several times worse.

There was Neru, who seemed glacial and uncaring as always. One hand on her hip, the other holding her phone, it was obvious she only things she cared about had flashing screens and were able to send text messages.

Finally, at the last side of the square, there was Rin. She was grinning to herself. It looked she were enjoying some private joke. Her teasing face resembled a young child's, cheerfully holding some unknown threat above the head of a peer; it was an 'I know something you don'tttt~' kind of look.

And it was driving Len crazy.

He wanted to know. Considering it was about him, he felt like he had to know.

"I think something's been going on," Len continued, his glare not faltering. Really, Len could be creepy when he wanted to be; and not the loud, 'I'm-going-to-smash-your-head-in-with-a-bottle' creepy that Meiko was. Len's 'creepiness' was quieter, more subtle; a kind of creepy that said 'I'm going to sneak into your house in the middle of the night and murder you.'

Miku gulped.

At least she had the decency to look just a little upset.

None of the others cared.

"Len-kun…" said the twin-tailed girl, fidgeting about on the spot as though she was stood, barefoot, in a sea of shimmering thumbtacks. She began coiling a strand of turquoise hard around her index finger.

"It's okay, Miku. I'm going to hurt you." said Len. He gave her a small smile. She always seemed so concerned about people's feelings; it was cute. "But as for the others…" Len's eyes hardened. "I'm not too sure about that."

"You? Hurt me?" Rin asked. "Why would you want to do such a terrible thing?"

"Because you're being irritating."

"But that's what I do best! I wouldn't be RinRin-chan if I wasn't just a little bit annoying, huhhh~?"

Len scowled.

"Len-kun, please don't be mad at Rin," said Miku. "She wasn't doing anything spiteful; we were all trying to help you."

"Help me?" the blond Vocaloid blinked. His voice was suspicious. "How would filming me and Kaito… er…" At his, his steely tones faltered. "Together possibly help me?"

"There are lots of fujiyoshi in this world~" Teto sang. "You shouldn't underestimate the power of a fangirl! And one day we will rise to take over the universe! Kyhahaha!"

"You see, Len-kun. Kaito-nii…" said Miku hurriedly, cutting over Teto's insane laughter. "We knew. We knew all along. Everyone did."

Len blinked.

The phrase 'we knew' was very vague. There were any number of things in this universe that Miku, Neru, Teto and Rin may have known all along.

Like that the sky was blue.

Or the grass was green.

Or cats sleep for 17 hours a day.

Or maybe, even, that Len had always been in love with Kaito?

Len shuddered.

"Len-kun," said Miku softly, "we all knew. That Kaito-nii-san is ill. Really ill. And…" She breathed in heavily. "That he might be uninstalled."

Kaito's eyes widened. He stared up at the green-headed girl, then glanced around at the others; Neru, Rin, Teto.

Teto nodded solemnly. "Teto-chan knew," she clarified. "And Miku-chan. And everyone else; even Mei-chan and Luka. They all did."

"But… how?"

"You couldn't really keep it from us," said Rin. "What, did you think we were all stupid?"

"The thing is, we began to notice, when you went to visit Master more and more. And you began to look so sick, Kaito-nii; like you were on the verge of death." Miku's voice trembled. "I was so worried… But Mei-chan said we should act like we don't know, because you wouldn't want our pity. It would make you feel so bad. And so I didn't say anything. But I was frightened, Kaito-nii. I was so frightened…"

Miku began to sniffle.

She clenched her fists, and wiped the back of her hands against her eyelids; pressed shut, leaking tears.

Kaito felt his heart constrict in his chest. He had thought nobody would find out, but that really been insulting to their intelligence? Had keeping it a secret made the problem worse, somehow?

And he had hoped he could forget…

At least, until he was forced to remember.

When he would go to see the Master, and never come back.

The weight of Miku's feelings, which had been hidden for so long until now, crushed down on Kaito's shoulders like a tidal wave. He was drowning in pity and fright; he hoped Miku would not cry so much, for fear he would suffocate in a sea of salty tears.

"A-and then we thought," Miku continued, her eyes red and puffy and so very unbecoming for a popular idol – but she couldn't care less – "that we should make sure you were at least a little bit happy before… before 'it' happened. And we knew how much you liked Len-kun. A-and he liked you. M-maybe you were made for each other; heheh…" She giggled softly. "We asked Haku to spend more time with you, Len… In the hopes Kaito would realise how much he cared about you. A-and I guess it worked, huh?"

"M-miku-chan, I--" Kaito blinked up at her.

"Hey, don't worry!"

Kaito turned to look at Teto, blinking in confusion. He always thought he was bad at reading the mood, but this was just ridiculous.

"I mean…" Teto smiled, and she began patting Kaito's head. "There's still a chance it won't happen, huh, huh? You guys don't have to be so negative! You didn't think Teto-chan and Mii-chan and the rest of us would just let you die, and completely accept it like it was all A-OK? Of course not~ We're your friends."

"Yeah," said Rin confidently, lips pulled upwards in a sly smirk. "Miku-chan's just being all silly and emotional, making you worry~ You see, the thing is. That recording-" She pointed towards Neru's cell phone, "-is going to be so popular with fangirls everywhere."

"Uh huh, uh huh!" Teto nodded enthusiastically, her twin drills bouncing. "And if you get popular, then Master can't shut you down, right? Because you'll be making money again, Kaito-nii!"

Len quirked an eyebrow at this bizarre scheme. "Would that really work?" he asked cautiously.

"Len-kun," said Teto seriously. "Lenn~kunn~ You underestimate the power of a fan girl! Kyahahaha!"

…Yeah.

The insane laughter was getting quite creepy.

a.n: Quick update, written quickly. I go revise now. Ciao :3