~~So I went ahead and read some parts of Koufuku Anshin. And whoa. I like Kinami Len, he's cool. And let's not forget the HatsuLen moments... Ah, the urge to go to the bookstore and try to find a copy despite not knowing Japanese... (Note: LenKu haters are gonna hunt me down.)

Another thing. My typing-phone is dead. Like, dead. I can't charge it. I know it's the battery, but what's the point of replacing the battery of a phone without a SIM card?! So this chapter is written with two different phones... and a bit of PC. It's still kinda hard to move on.

Since it's not explained in the story, in this chapter Rin is already a second-year student. She's in the same class with Len, Yukari, Kiyo, and not Miku. Fact: I actually found an old note stating that Rin was in class 1-C.

Enjoy!

The bell rings, youth voices sounding. Chattering here and there, becoming louder. The teacher bids goodbye, quickly drowning in noises. Bright sun begins to fall down.

Hm, am I getting better at this lyric-making?

"Haa, it's finally summer break, isn't it," Yuzuki comments from her seat, which happens to be behind mine. "I actually have nothing planned… What do you think, Kagamine-chan?"

Without even looking at her, I reply. "I actually have summer class to attend…"

"Eh?! I always think your score isn't that bad, why summer class?" She gives me a questioning look—well, I can't see her face but I feel that she does.

"Actually…" I pause to turn back at her. "There are some distractions lately, I can't really really study like how I did in the first year," I admit.

"What is that? It couldn't be that bad, could it?"

I give her a crooked smile. I can't possibly tell her the reason, now. What do I have to say?!

"Erm, lately I was busy… um… trying to bake a cake."

What the hell did I just say?

Chapter Thirty-Six

Cake and Ramen

While I'm not so bad at cooking, I don't bake cakes. No reason, but for what? It's not like I'm going to open a cake shop or anything. I like sweet things but not loving it to that extent, baking a cake… And I definitely isn't neglecting my studies for a cake! That was just a stupid excuse. Really stupid, I might add.

"Oh, isn't Nakajima-kun good at baking? Maybe you can ask her for help," Yuzuki says, giggling slightly.

Right, Gumiya. I didn't think about her before though. She is good at that—why am I sounding like I really want to make a cake?!

After we are done with packing up things, we walk out from the class to the hallway. I noticed two girls with familiar faces are already waiting in front of the class; Nekomura and Sakamoto. Nekomura waves her hand excitedly at us while Sakamoto simply gives a warm smile (of excitement, nevertheless). "Summer time!" Nekomura says.

"Summer class!" I try to do the sarcasm-joke-thing but I gotta admit, I'm not good at this (more like I'm bad at jokes in general). It must sounds awkward or something…

Nekomura does give a reply to that, though. "Eh, seriously?! I thought you're pretty good at school subjects!" Wait, since when?! I bet she doesn't see how 'well' I scored on that quiz at the start of high school.

"Kagamine-chan is focusing on baking, she said," Yuzuki explains. Wait, I didn't say—I mean, I really said that but I didn't mean it! Why does she have to tell them?!

"Well, yeah, it's my own fault—nothing to worry about! Haha! I'll do just well in summer class anyways." I try to shake it off.

"But then, if cakes are taking up your time, it's a pretty serious matter. Maybe you should ask someone to help you," Sakamoto says with a rather serious face. Wait, she takes it seriously?!

There goes my image. Not doing well in class because of cooking matter is not cool, you know. But the way they give me encouragement sounds like it's a normal thing that happens to anybody once in a while. It's not something that I'm not aware of, right…?

"Well then, we'll be going ahead, Rin-chan." Nekomura waves her hand to me. "Have a nice break—don't worry, I got some classes to attend as well, you're not alone Rin-chan!"

"And well, if you needed some help with the baking, maybe I will be able to help. I'm not as good as Nakajima-kun or even close to that but I will be glad to help." Sakamoto offers, that smile is still plastered on her face.

"Good luck then!" While waving her hand, Yuzuki says before finally leaving me who is still standing in the hallway.

Now thinking about the stupid lie I just made and how they were wishing me luck on something I'm not going to do, I'm feeling bad. It's just, there's no way I can just tell them about…

"So now you're baking cakes… Rin-chan?" a too familiar voice says from behind. "Aha, sorry that I overheard your conversation, Rin-chan! Now I'm actually curious."

Ignoring her 'question', I mutter, "Can you please stop eavesdropping me?"

"I was just standing behind you, Rin-chan. You just didn't notice me, that's all," Miku says casually, twirling her teal locks with her index finger.

"If you're really standing behind me, I'm sure Nekomura-chan and the others would see and greet you," I retort.

"Maybe I'm just good at hiding my presence. Would you believe me if I told you I am actually a ninja?"

"That's just proving it even further that you were eavesdropping me." I sigh. "Shall we head home, then? Summer break, summer break." Then I walk ahead, Miku then tails behind me shortly before catching up to me.

"You haven't answered my question about the cake," Miku states.

"Oh, that." I turn to find a way to explain it to her. "I have summer classes to attend. Chemistry and maths."

"Aw, sorry to hear that. I guess that's a hello to science major," she comments lightly. She must be having no problem with those things, damn you smart person. "And how does that have anything to do with cakes?"

Ah, that's the point. "Well, Yuzuki-chan asked me about how I don't do well in class and I said it's because I was busy trying to make a cake because I can't tell her the truth!"

She raises one of her eyebrow. "And the truth?" she asks. She couldn't possibly be feigning obliviousness, right? "You know, I'm also kinda busy lately so I don't really have the time to stalk you or something like that."

… Okay.

I released my breath. "I'm making songs for the collab with EV System. We're going to release it around this winter, if nothing else happens."

"Ho." She stares at me, her mouth still forming the 'o'. "That's still a while, though."

I was about to say something to her about how she should stop asking something about me and giving an 'oh it's just like that' comment afterwards when I realized something. She probably knows EV System better than me.

"A while… So it's usually more rushed when he's with you?" I ask.

She glances at me before replying. "Yep. He's who's making me busy even right now. Actually the songs for the album are taken care by another producer but EV's still supervising me, somehow." She laughs rather forcefully. "For you… I think he would understand your situation as a school girl so actually you didn't have to go that far…"

"Is that so?" If that's really the case, then I wouldn't be so absorbed in making music to that extent. Neglecting studies and having to attend summer class… and lying to my friends about cake wouldn't happen.

"Of course, why wouldn't he?" Ugh. But what has been done is done, now to make it 'not a lie' I have to bake a cake for real. "Anyways, if you need help with your studies, I'll be glad to help in times when I'm not so busy. But you're going to ask Len for help anyways…"

"He doesn't have anything planned yet?" I ask.

"Why exactly are you asking me? Go ask him by yourself."

"Oh, right. Sorry." I glance downward, trying to find a pebble to kick. Turns out there isn't any pebble so I just look back forward. "You know, somehow I feel I can't get really really close to him. Like there's something that… I don't know, maybe it's just me who don't have the courage to find out."

"Why can't you? It's just Len. He's a human also and the kinds," she says. "I'm sure he wants to know you more as well, so just give it a try!" Whoa, Miku giving a wise advice? Not something you can see everyday.

But wait. "He… what?"

"Why doesn't he?"

"Well, I don't know, honestly." But maybe giving a try isn't bad. Hm, I'll think about this.

Suddenly she turns around and tugs on my arm while stopping in front of me. "Anyways, I have things to do, so I'll be leaving you ahead, 'kay? May you have a merry break! If you miss me, just come to my house, the door will be open especially for you, Rin-chaaan!" She announces cheerfully before quickly dashing ahead to somewhere.

Didn't she just give me kind of wise advice? At the end she reverts back to the the usual Miku. I don't know to actually trust her or not.

Well… But trying really doesn't seem bad.

It's summer. Even the weather feels a bit hotter already. I would like to do the fun summer things, like the beach or the swimming pool, but then I think I'll end up being in the house, working on things, attending the summer class...

My train of thoughts get cut off when suddenly somebody grabs my hand and yanks me to the opposite direction to which I'm heading, then drags me along. I tried to break free by planting my feet to the ground and pull back but it doesn't work for... maybe the person was stronger than me.

Of course I start to freak out, but I'm trying to stay calm in narrating this story. But then I just can't help it. "EEEEK LET ME GO!" LIKE, WHO THE HELL IT EVEN IS?! You know, screw staying calm in narrating this story! I can see the person's back, they are taller than me, wearing a dark colored hoodie, and IS THAT EVEN IMPORTANT?! I need to release the grip and run away!

"Sssh, silent. You'll make people think I'm doing something really wrong here, Rin-chan," the person says in English while looking back at me for a brief moment. From the voice, I can tell that it's a girl.

Wait, you just don't hear English often everyday. And did I just see long strands of blond hair behind the hoodie?

"Lily-san?!"

"I told you to call me 'Lily-nee'?" She switches to Japanese, yelling through the wind she herself causes by running.

"Oh, sorry I forgot. L-Lily-nee, then!" I reply shortly before realizing something. "That's not it! Where are you taking me to—?!"

She once again turns back for a moment, taking a while before replying, "Just see!"

"Eeeh?!"

That lasted for a moment before we finally slowed down our pace. The scenery had changed into taller building, crowded streets, and colorful shops. I guess she was going to take me to somewhere with her or something.

And anyways, I'm still panting hard, hands on hips, looking down at the pavement, when she asks, "Good restaurant you know, Rin-chan?" I don't even prepare myself to run and she dragged me along for about ten minutes or so... and I'm not athletic to begin with.

"What kind of..." I pause, taking a breath, letting it go, back to speaking, "restaurant?" I ask back, talking between gasps of breath.

She seems to be thinking for a while before answering. "Japanese?"

"Would... Would ramen be fine for you?" I ask, still panting.

"Oh, nice!" she says with what I think is a happy face. How she can even do that after running for a full ten minutes is something I probably won't figure out. "Let's go, Rin-chan!"

"W-wait for a moment, let me... take a break for a while." I wave my hand on defeat, face still looking down to the pavement. "Why did we have to run, anyways..."

To my surprise, she bends down to look at my face. She has pulled the dark-colored hoodie down by now, making her long golden blonde hair falls down when she does that. Then she locks her blue eyes into my own. "It's better if Len doesn't know," she says in a more serious tone.

"Huh?" I pull away, confused with the sudden change of atmosphere.

"This is... two of us moment, just you and I, and I have something I want to tell you."

I gulp. What would it be?

I ordered a simple tonkotsu ramen. Actually it's the restaurant's specialty, so it would be a waste not to order that. Lily actually asked for my recommendation about what to eat, but once again, since the specialty is tonkotsu...

"This is delicious~" she comments after slurping the noodle. "Rin-chan's recommendation, good!"

I stare at her, stopping in the middle of slurping the noodle from my own bowl. Something nags me, but I have to finish what I leave hanging on my mouth first. I did so, then casually speak, "Your Japanese is sure improving, Lily-nee..."

She looks at me with the same fashion. "Hm? Really? Thank you," she replies after swallowing what was in her mouth. "If I don't learn it, I'll get lost. And anyways, I can't have Len around forever as my translator, can I?"

I don't know if she used that word literally or metaphorically, but what she said is kinda true. You sure will get lost. Kind of. Nobody speaks English here, I mean, why should we? And ignoring the fact that I don't get the rest of what she said... "Len teaches you?"

She shakes her head. "Nah, he doesn't have time for me. Usually he's either disappearing somewhere and doesn't get home until late or simply locking himself inside of the studio. Not that I'm complaining about it, though. I'm actually glad that he has become his own person by doing... things I don't even know."

... Huh? Eh?

"I just can't help worrying, you know. Although I'm the sister and..." She suddenly catches my confused face and quickly stops herself from saying more of those English things. "Uwa, I'm sorry, that... just came out."

"It's... It's okay, though—"

"Let me, um, how to say it, Len is busy so I learn with... someone else," she says in a choppy Japanese. At least it's understandable for me that way. She looks like she wants to say something else, but then she turns to the person behind the counter, saying, "Second please!"

That... I didn't see that coming. To be able to say that, sure her Japanese had improved...

I didn't realize I'm giving her a weird look until she smiles at me. "Let's forget about diet! Eat real Japanese food while I'm here."

"But without diet..." I trail off. She's already perfect without diet, darn it. Those legs and those chests and talking about this only made me feel inferior ahaha... But I say it anyway, "It's fine even if you don't do diet."

"I've heard that, but eating, not thinking about health is not good, right?" she says as she receives her bowl of noodle, saying a quick thank you to the man behind the counter. Well, she got a point there. "Anyways, I'm returning to America soon."

"Oh?" I look at her, only to find her chewing on the noodle. "When are you gonna go?"

"One week."

"So soon! That's only a week left! With that you won't be able to see the summer festival, too bad." Then again, I'm not the one who regularly go to festivals myself.

"I think so, too. I want to go to many places here, but I've been here for some months already... I still have to continue my studies," she explains. "My purpose of going here was just to see Len, but then I see Rin-chan too, and it's enjoyable so far... Coming here again later isn't impossible, right?"

"I understand... I'm glad to hear that you enjoy being here."

"Yeah, I still have Japanese blood running through my veins, it'd be bad not to!" she says. "I hope Rin-chan will be here again at that time. It's fun hanging out with you so far."

I blush at her flattering words. "Ah, I hope so. And thank you, Lily-nee..."

She nods. "Now, I want to tell you something." She stirs the soup with her chopsticks, catching the noodles. Without eating them first, she continues. What, what, the serious moment has started? "You... Len's girlfriend."

I gulp my saliva down my throat. This has something to do with me as Len's girlfriend—if, only if you can call it that. Thinking back to it, yes, I asked him to be my boyfriend, went to some dates with him, talking to each other, girlfriend and boyfriend. But when his sister wanted to talk to me personally because I'm his girlfriend like this, I don't know, it's getting too serious? Like...

"I mean, well, you might be Len's girlfriend, but I'm kinda thinking of you as my actual sister. You have the same shade of hair, maybe eyes too, and your name is Kagamine as well... And I always wanted a little sister, especially a cute one, you met the requirements more than enough, Rin-chan!" she rambles on, though she has clearly seen my clueless face. I guess it's something that she needs to get out from her head... "Well, actually, seeing that Len is getting comfortable with you, I hope you can do this one favor for me."

Okay, I don't get what she's trying to say, but I can guess it's something rather difficult because she would have used Japanese if it's simpler.

"I hope I can leave my brother in your care."

I almost choke on my noodle when she suddenly says that. In Japanese, and with stern voice. That totally sounds like I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him or something! "S-sorry?" I managed to speak out.

"Well, you see. Worrying him, I can't help it. I'm the older sister, I know he's not a child anymore, but I'm afraid bad thing will happen." She stares down at her bowl. "Somehow," she adds quietly.

"... What's wrong?" I ask in the middle of the sudden sullen atmosphere.

She looks up to me, staying that way for a few moment (and making me feel much uncomfortable) before coming up with something. "Nah, not a real big deal, actually; just me and my worries. Just having said that to someone makes me feel a bit relieved, though I'll be glad if you really can do it for me."

I guess that's what she wanted to tell me. To... take care of Len. Still, this is sure, a heavy task, I think.

Eh? Eh?

She smiles at my confused (if it actually looked confused) face. "Hm, what's with that face?"

"N-nothing! I'm just... not seeing that coming." I wave my hands frantically. "That you actually trust me, thank you. I hope I can do so as well."

"No problem! After all, this is all for him," she says. "He sometimes talks about you. From the way he do it, there's something with his eyes, and I can tell that he actually feels comfortable with you. He wasn't like that at all when he was still going out with Miku-chan."

I know that there are still a lot of things I don't know yet. There must be something that makes her went through all of this, waiting for me to come out from the school, dragging me by running so that Len wouldn't see us, asking to eat together, just to tell me something important.

To be honest, I don't know Len that much, or the reason why Lily thinks having her brother in someone else's care is important. I don't know, I just don't know, and I'm too afraid to ask. I feel there's something that I shouldn't know that I need to know to understand, but...

I can't help it, after hearing what Lily has said to me, I feel a bit guilty. I mean, do I really deserve getting that task in the first place? Lily and Len seem to be in a real good term, so much that she cares about him that much, although it seems that all siblings are like that to each other? I have no idea.

Anyways, she said that Len had gotten comfortable with me. And that supposed to mean... What? He wasn't like that when he was still with Miku? I mean, I thought their relationship back then was more serious than this.

Then again, I don't know anything. I mean, really, anything.

Lily said she was going to leave exactly a week after our meeting. "Hoping to see you at that time!" She waves her hand before parting from me.

"Be careful on your way back, Lily-nee!" I wave back.

She gives me a final bye before turning away, walking to the opposite direction from my way home. To mark my calendar, then, "Lily-nee's going away." A good thing that I don't have anything planned at that time.

It has gotten a bit late when I look up to the clear sky. The sun has started to set, yet the heat still remains.

Summer break, huh...

~~I'm back to the old chapter length, around 3k words. Don't have that much time to type anymore (I use my free time for LLSIF I'm sorry). And I actually noticed this from the beginning that I'm confusing the past and present tense. Whoops. Actually Rin is telling from the future so it should be in past, but I kinda mixed it with present. What should I do?

Don't know that much about Japanese schools, but in second year students have to choose either science or literature major.

Let's reply, let's reply~

BloodyPuppet: Even my high school still use paper this year... I'm actually curious how CBT works. The result is out, right? Now to strive for the university! Which university I enter? Hm, let's say a state university located not so far away from my house. Studying advice from me is... just study as long as you study at school, don't overdo it. I'm bad at this kind of advice since I don't follow my own advice, but... It should be easier if you don't cross major like I did (science student applying for social here *raises hand*). Don't worry, I've promised to someone else as well to make them kiss, so it's guaranteed! Thank you for reviewing~

Umbrella: Glad you like it! Thank you for the review!

MoNoChRoMaDdIcT: I'm glad~ Yeah, and almost 3 years in real life, that's already too long for my taste! Well, but mashing songs makes it nonsensical and hard to be understood, like what you said. I'm sorry. I originally planned to write an even more vague story, but ended giving a bit too much details there ww Thank you for the greeting and for the review as well! (Note: I still haven't come back as a reviewer, so I'm so sorry that you've heard nothing from me ahaha~)

Thank you for the kind support, everyone! I hope you'll look forward for the next chapter!