Hatsune Miku and Kagamine Rin's feet were on fresh Tokyo dirt, staring at their new house... new motel in front of them. Their eyes met the eerie building's - somehow, it felt like the motel could stare into their very souls the same way they could stare into the stained windows.
It was broken down immensely. The door appeared to be rusted shut with a possible hint of mold. It smelled funny as they got closer, so much so they could have sworn there was some residue of an illegal substance... but it was a place to stay, and a place for the girls' to rest their heads.
"Miku... what the hell is this," she hissed, checking behind her back for big, hairy spiders and weirdos. It was apparent to anyone who got a mere glance of Rin's face that she was uncomfortable, disgusted, and wanted nothing more than to leave immediately. "EEK!" she brushed off her shoulder. "MIKUUU! I SWEAR SOMETHING JUST TOUCHED ME!" she howled. "OR SOMEONE... I'M SCARED!" she jumped into Miku's arms. She held on for dear life like she was just threatened at gunpoint; an eternal look of despair and dread staining her expression.
Miku hugged back. "Don't worry, I'll protect you~!" she tried to mimic an idol's soothing, happy, carefree tone of voice, but soon corrected herself. "N-Not that I need to protect you from something!" she retracted her previous statement. Miku didn't inherently see anything wrong with it - it was a little out of date, but it was a place to live. She cared about Rin and wanted her to feel safe, but... Miku thought she was being a bit of a drama queen. "Let's go inside, okay?" she dashed to the front door, resting her hand on the knob before opening it. "They left it open for us! See, how sweet, Rin-chan!"
Rin was shuttering intensely. "Oh, they don't leave the doors locked... cockroaches are going to get it, fun..." The blonde was rubbing her shoulders as if she was cold, although it was decently warm outside. Rin desperately wanted to say there was no way she would stay there, but... she didn't have a choice. It was either this or the streets, and she was positive the streets had more creepy crawlers.
Rin walked in reluctantly, making sure Miku shut the door and locked it tight behind her. Granted, the inside wasn't the worst thing she had ever seen in her life... the strong, musty aroma still lingered. The wallpaper that looked like it was installed in 1970 was peeling, and there were questionable stains in some areas... but at least the beds appeared to be okay! Except, it wasn't hard to make them appear that way if the staff had decent looking comforters. What if there were bed bugs! "So, what do you think? We have our own beds and our own bathroom, pretty nice and cute, huh?" Miku smiled innocently, infatuated with the boxy television.
She tried to turn on the TV, but it only worked when she physically banged her fists against it. Even then, the picture came in staticky and various clashing colors. She couldn't possibly think this was okay, right? Was all Rin could think. "Miku, be honest with me. You're joking, right?" she forced out a disbelieving laugh, bluntly.
"Why would I be joking? I'm not like the comedian on this... variety show? No, wait, is this a drama?" she stared at it puzzled, her hand on her chin as she examined it closely.
Her precious pose made her look like a cute detective... it warmed Rin's heart that was completely stone cold with fear in that moment. Miku could star in any show she wanted with just her beauty alone, she thought. "I don't want to stay here," the girl's bow bounced as she shook her head in disapproval. "But... I will. Promise me we'll get some really good jobs and leave this hell hole one day, okay?" One side of her mouth cracked a smile, before she immediately stared down at her feet in embarrassment. If her dear Miku was happy, she was happy. So she could temporarily repress her own discomfort if it was all for her.
She could see the tealette's intoxicating, toothy grin.
"Rin-chan... I love you."
"Miku-chan, wh-what?"
"So, it's a drama after all! That's funny, it seems like one of the main characters shares your name! Unless I heard it wrong... huuuu..." she made an intense thinking noise, reverting back to her old moe detective pose. "But that doesn't matter right now. Rin-chan... thank you so much for everything you do for me. It... genuinely means a lot..." She looked down at her shoes like they were the most interesting thing in the world. It seemed like she was trying to stop herself from becoming choked up. "I promise... I promise that we'll become successful idols, and we'll live in a big mansion together! We'll eat all the yummy junk food we want, and play games, and of course sing, dance, have sold out concerts!" she beamed with excitement and hope for the future. "And we'll see it all side by side. Thank you so much, I won't let you live in a place you don't like this much..." she sniffed.
"Hey, don't cry, I don't want my adorable Miku-chan to feel sad!" Rin came closer to the now sobbing girl, and tenderly wiped a tear off with her soft, delicate hand.
"I thought... me crying embarrassed you... that's why... I tried to hide it, 'cause I didn't want you to see and get embarrassed," she hiccuped, Miku's face growing red as blood rushed to it for a billion reasons.
Rin shook her head. "We're in private, so it's okay for us to be like this... right? It's normal for girls to be affectionate," she spoke softly and gently, wanting nothing more than Miku to feel relaxed by her warmth. The orange held the leek's chin up, their cerulean orbs locking in a tense gaze. "I'm not embarrassed by you, ever Miku. So don't say that."
Miku shook her head up and down shyly. "Rin-chan... thank you... for everything..." Her tears began to dry up, slowly but surely. There was something so comforting about her kind words, and caring stare... she felt like everything would be alright if her best friend was there by her side.
"You don't have to thank me, Miku-chan... I'll always be here for you."
There was a brief moment of silence, while Miku recollected herself.
The orange chimed in. "Do you want to get some sleep? It was a long trip, I'm sure we're just riled up because we've had a tiring day," Rin suggested, releasing the leek from her loving grasp and carefully examining her facial expressions.
Miku nodded once more. "I do. I'm sleepy," she said, closing her eyes as she mumbled it childishly.
"I thought so. I'll go brush my teeth, so you put on your pajamas, okay?" Rin smiled, tapping Miku's shoulder to make sure she understood.
The blonde made her way to the bathroom safely, and Miku did as told. After Rin finished (who looked like she had seen the underworld and a million demons while she was in the bathroom, but was told to keep it a secret by the Devil himself), the tealette did her own signature, idol-inspired nighttime routine. Soon after, they both cuddled up in their own respective bed.
"Goodnight, Rin-chan."
"Goodnight, Miku-chan."
There was a pause as dead as night. Miku thought nothing of it. She was really tired from the day's excitement, therefore she assumed Rin just fell asleep quickly. "Miku, something just touched my leg."
"Mm, Rin-chan?" the tealette yawned, already super groggy.
"MIKU-CHAN, SOMETHING JUST TOUCHED MY LEG, I AM NOT SLEEPING ALONE IN THIS BED!" Rin screeched like a banshee, springing out of her sheets like she was a bunny aiming for the moon.
"R-Rin-chan~!" Miku yelped, suddenly feeling a frantic, distressed Rin climb on top of her like she was a jungle gym. "Don't panic! You can sleep with me, but I'm sure it was just a dream! There's no creepy crawlies," her tone of voice was warm and inviting, but Rin was not having it. Not today.
"DON'T EVEN UTTER THEIR NAME, THEY'LL THINK WE'RE SUMMONING THEM!" she cried while leaning on Miku's rose scented hair, pulling it in the haphazard life or death process of trying to find the covers. "I'M SORRY FOR PULLING YOUR HAIR! AH, WHAT'S THAT?! Oh, it's just my hand..." Rin was panicking. A lot. No matter what Miku told her.
Miku lifted the comforter up, hoping Rin could see it in the pitch black darkness. "It's okay! Here it is," she smiled, then soon realized Rin most likely couldn't see that either. What a shame, a smile makes everyone feel more at peace...
Finally, after a couple seconds of frantic hand grabbing, Rin found her way under the blanket and relaxed a smidge. "Phew, I got pretty worried back there... sorry for waking you up, Miku-chan..." she sighed, her sanity coming back piece by piece.
"It's fine! I'm here for you, Rin-chan. I'm so happy you feel better, you'll be safe with me! I'll fight the creep- I mean! The things that will go unnamed!" Miku playfully fought the air, balling her hands in delicate, totally not intimidating fists.
Rin's breathing was still ragged. "Thank you, Miku-chan. Now let's get some sleep, okay? I'm sure you're sleepy," she uttered as she laid by the tealette's side.
She didn't have to tell Miku twice - as soon as Rin said that, she was out like a light.
That is, until something woke her up. This time, it was Rin again, but... it was far different from the past fiasco. Rin started to snuggle up to Miku like they were lovers, much to her confused surprise. Her best friend had never been an affectionate person, and to suddenly become touchy-feely was nothing like she had ever seen the girl do. She was mildly shocked when she hugged her when they first got to the motel. She brushed it off since it was probably out of fear and meant nothing, but... then she wiped her tears so tenderly, and it made her head spin. She wouldn't inherently have a problem with the blonde doing something like this, but... Rin had never cuddled her, or practically spooned her at that. She felt the girl's warm, soft body, and the curves of her womanhood pressed up against her back. She couldn't help but think it felt intimate... what had gotten into Rin? Miku just hoped this wouldn't keep her up all night...
And she forgot to tell Rin they had an audition tomorrow too.
"Miku-chan, wake up! It's morning... at least, I think, we don't have an alarm clock and my phone is too far away..." Rin shook the tealette, whispering in her ear for a 'peaceful' wake up. The blonde didn't have a problem getting up in the morning, and even though she had just awoken, her voice sounded as if she had been up for hours.
"Mm~" Miku yawned, stretching her arms as she made strange, cat-like noises. A lightbulb immediately cleared the fog of her head, as she perked up. "Rin-chan, I forgot to tell you, I booked us an audition at 10am! We can't be late!" she revealed cheerfully, popping up from the twin bed and darting straight for her phone to check the time.
"Miku-chan~! You could have told me that, you know, when it wasn't the day of!" she barked like she was the dog to Miku's cat, scolding the tealette for her ditziness. "We still have to take showers, and do our makeup! We can't go to an audition without makeup!" She soon began ripping apart her suitcase for cosmetics.
"It's okay, Rin-chan! It's only 8am, we'll be there on time!" she smiled warmly, completely oblivious of her forgetfulness that was bound to get them in trouble some day.
She soon made her way to her own suitcase, picking out a black dress. It wasn't her usual style (as Miku preferred more colorful, ultra-girly looks), but she hoped it would make her appear more mature and fit for the job. Every girl needed an LBD (little black dress), after all! She missed the vibrant, eye catching clothes she normally put on, but it was all worth it if it made her seem professional and put together.
Rin, on the other hand, wore something closer to a suit - not a traditional tuxedo, but a gray blazer and matching pants. A little more casual than what would pop into one's head when the word suit was spoken, but still very elegant, coordinated and adult-like. She was dashingly handsome and oozed responsibility; Miku almost couldn't believe she was staring at someone she knew since middle school.
They were both in the small, cramped bathroom trying to get ready when Rin gave the new goth girl a compliment. "That dress looks good on you, Miku. I've never seen you wear it before." She patted on some nude eyeshadow.
Miku looked down at her appearance, flustered. It seemed like, for a brief second, she forgot she was not in her usual attire. "O-Oh! Thank you so much, Rin-chan," she slightly bowed, applying glittery, baby pink lip gloss. "You look really nice in your outfit too," she said with a smile.
Even though it was normal for best friends to give each other compliments on things like clothes and the beauty products they wear, something about this exchange felt... awkward. To Rin, at least. Like she was putting a secret feeling into words she knew Miku would never reciprocate. Although, it's not like she exactly said everything she thought to the girl... saying she looked nice in her dress wasn't as revealing and invasive as Rin imagined it in her head. She thought the fragile, small tealette looked utterly beautiful. Even though it would be impossible for Miku to know Rin's true feelings... just thinking about it felt dangerous.
The orange turned to the leek, shaking her head discreetly and brushing it off like she was trying to give her hair volume with the mousse in her hand. "How do you plan to get there? I had to leave my car back home, after all. Hopefully Tohoku Zunko-chan didn't procrastinate picking it up from the airport, like I told her to do..." she trailed off to an off topic conversation, reminiscing to the time she had a vehicle of her own and briefly bringing up her acquaintance.
"A taxi, of course!" Miku instantly replied, beaming with brightness. Rin gave her a serious look. "I know we can't rely on them forever, but we have the money for a few. It'll be fun, plus, we can't go to our first audition sweaty from walking!" Rin hated to admit Miku had a good point.
"Alright, Miku-chan, I trust you. Let's call one right now and get a move on."
"Right!"
Miku and Rin approached the tall building - their eyes shaking, and nerves boiling. As much as they wanted to admire the architecture (or quiver in fear over it), they had to make the final, fate sealing step inside. Rin bravely opened the door for Miku, in which she then sheepishly followed. It was all for their dreams! They cheered in their heads, but it was hard not to be intimidated. Even if they put on their brightest idol grin, a smidge of it would be a lie.
The room revealed a plethora of girls who were in the same predicament as them. Some were older, some were younger, and some were the same age as the heroines. Miku's rapid heartbeat started to mend, as it was comforting to know how many other people shared the same situation. She was sure they were all a concoction of stress and excitement - which she bonded with them over, feeling the same emotions. Rin, on the other hand, while not inherently jealous, viewed the girls as competition due to her competitive nature.
Miku and Rin took two seats next to each other, their legs both getting antsy in unison. It was a normal room, with normal humans and normal decorations. Although, what was behind that door to the actual audition room was anything but ordinary. "Pst, Miku-chan," Rin leaned into Miku's ear and whispered. Understandably, the room was pretty tense and she didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention. "What's this audition for, anyway?"
Miku followed Rin, whispering back. "Backup singers, basically. That's all I know, they were pretty secret about the details," she replied, pulling away to start theorizing about it. "Maybe it's someone really famous! Ah, that makes me so nervous~ fu~" Miku let out a sweet sigh. "Well, there's no way we'll know until it's our turn. Let's practice a bit, shall we?"
"Yeah!" Rin cheerfully sang. "We'll crush the competition!" she paused momentarily to look around. "I hope no one heard that..." Miku and Rin stared at each other with bugged out eyes, before bursting into stifled laughter. Even if they totally bombed the audition, they were going to make today a very special memory between two best friends.
It was only a few practice songs later that a man in suit and tie called their names. It was it... it was their turn. Their minds were racing with every possible emotion, but if there was one that was triumphant - it was determination. They bowed, following the man with a serious business look plastered across their childish faces.
Rin's blood ran cold. Miku's heart stopped. The second they entered the room, they locked orbs with a mature, attractive, silky pink haired woman. She had gorgeous, breathtaking eyes the color of the most intoxicating sea. A curvy, yet slim body that was perfect for modeling. A deep, husky voice as she exchanged a few words with the executives sitting next to her. There was no doubt in Rin and Miku's minds. This wasn't a fantasy, nor delusion.
Megurine Luka herself was sitting right in front of them. Making eye contact with the girls, and about to listen to them sing. Miku completely froze up with a starstruck, buzzing gaze as she looked her favorite idol - no, favorite person ever up and down in bewilderment. She couldn't believe it, the only contact she ever thought she would get with her favorite singer was in the nosebleed section at a concert. Never intimate, like this! Not only did she have the privilege of being in the same room and breathing the same air as someone so perfect, Miku was going to receive professional advice on her singing? It was all too exciting! Miku's heart rate had to be so high she was at risk of a stroke; it was beating as fast as a cheetah running away from a predator. Her world was spinning at a million light years. She knew if she didn't calm down, she would embarrass herself in front of her special pink haired someone. Although, no matter how much she tried to relax, it was apparent she was going to faint at any given moment.
Rin noticed, and gave her a discreet, friendly nod, saying: "You can do this, Miku-chan!" she smiled warmly, the tealette's heart racing even more because of the sweet gesture. You can do it, you can do it, you can do it... was both of their mantras.
A raspy, perhaps seductive voice spoke up, interrupting their thoughts. Of course, they had no other choice than to listen diligently. "Hello, ladies," Megurine Luka uttered, her feminine voice oozing a honey-like sweetness and thickness. She glanced down at some neatly arranged papers and looked back up to shoot them a shining, knee buckling worthy grin. "Hatsune Miku-san and Kagamine Rin-san, what will you be singing for me today?" she asked as she traced her slender finger across their names, her blue eyes entrancing and captivating them.
Megurine Luka was even more beautiful in real life...
Rin replied, knowing her best friend was over stimulated with happiness and unable to give a proper answer. She nervously laughed. "It's kinda funny, w-we chose one of your songs, a-actually." Beads of cold sweat were forming on her forehead. The mature woman appeared so benevolent, but... damn, was her very presence more intimidating than any teacher, doctor, or even monster.
She giggled back quietly, brushing a piece of her soft, luxurious blush colored hair behind her ear. "Well, then, I look forward to seeing what you have in store for me," she purred, turning her arousing gaze to Miku and taking complete control over her once she did so. "Good luck, girls," she winked at the tealette, sending her heart out of her chest so it could run a marathon, come back, and run another in her chest. If Luka gave her any more special, personal attention, she really thought her muscle was going to explode~! "You may start when you are both ready," she commanded.
Miku and Rin looked at each other, a shared look of determination and courage painted on their nervous faces. They nodded in unison, balling their fists and saying "I'll do my best~!" to the other, practically telepathically.
Miku started a countdown. "3... 2... 1..."
Rin joined in.
They both harmonized.
"Just be friends. All we gotta do, just be friends. It's time to say goodbye, just be friends. All we gotta do, just be friends, just be friends, just be friends~"
Whenever they sang together, their worries melted away. Even though they were polar opposites - with Miku being optimistic and grounded in fantasy, while Rin was on the side of realism, they felt as if they were one in that moment. Like their souls molded together; like it was the highest form of friendship one could receive. As every vibrato and high note passed, even if they did horrible in front of a celebrity and were laughed out of the audition room, it seemed to matter less and less. They had each other, and that was all that mattered.
The song ended.
Luka put her hand up, drawing the girls' attention and making their nerves boil once more as it drew them back to reality. "You both are very talented," she complimented them, driving a (semi-quiet) squeal from Miku. "But your voices need a lot of work." The leek and the orange knew better than to take this as an insult. It went without saying a professional singer would find errors in a rookie's voice, so they were not hurt by it. They just hoped they could get a tip or two from *the* Megurine Luka. "Say, how long have you been living in Tokyo? Is this your first time auditioning?"
It was impossible for her to know, but somehow she read the duo like a book. Was their singing really that revealing to a real life idol? Miku chimed in. "Yes. A-Actually, we just moved her yesterday," Miku gathered every last bit of courage to squeak out a simple sentence.
"Really?" the pinkette questioned. "Moving in and coming to an audition the next day is immensely impressive. Did you have time to unload all of your furniture?" she added, concerned like an older woman would be. Her voice was so alluring, even having a basic conversation with her was intoxicating.
"We don't have a proper house yet, we're living in a motel right now," Rin said, completely unknown to the reaction it would cause.
"A motel? A motel~?" Luka raised her voice, making it come out like a soothing coo. Her voice was too ladylike to scream, after all. "How could two young ladies so beautiful and talented be living in a motel?" she stared at Miku for about 5 seconds longer than Rin when she muttered 'beautiful,' as she asked no one in particular. It was too simple for Rin to notice, but nothing went ignored for the tealette.
Rin laughed awkwardly, unsure of how she intended to reply to that. Of course, she hated that nasty, seedy motel with her very being, but it wasn't like she could say something conceited to Megurine Luka. Miku, on the other hand, while confused as to why she was receiving special treatment, blushed redder than the dot on the Japanese flag. Her face was dyed entirely crimson - if she didn't have hair, she was sure she would get mistaken as a living, breathing tomato. Her heart desperately wanted to pounce on the opportunity to say something back, but before she could muster up the courage, Luka started mumbling to her executives.
The pinkette's long, dreamy hair flowed down her back as she gave a simple, dominant nod. "Megurine Luka-san will be back," the same man from earlier stated, whisking the woman away and leaving Miku and Rin alone with their thoughts about the situation.
"Did we bomb that? What the hell happened?" Rin cursed, getting fidgety as she locked her eyes on the door, anxiously awaiting Luka's arrival.
"I-I don't know! I have no idea!" Miku responded, wringing her hands together. It was the first time in her life she had no clue what she would do, nor what would happen.
They both stood up straight, their whole bodies going stagnant as they heard a door creak open slowly. It was probably only seconds, if not milliseconds, but time was running like a turtle in their minds from stress. "Girls, I have a proposal to make to you," Megurine Luka began, standing mere inches away from them. "I can't have two impressionable young ladies living alone in a motel. Not only is that exponentially dangerous, but it is a life you both are not deserving of," she stated, before a slight pause. "To get to my main reason... I want to mentor you both," Luka took complete control of the conversation, a compassionate smile manipulating both of her lips to curve up. That statement alone would have made the girls' jaws dislocate themselves and drop to the ground, if there wasn't so, so much more to the sentence.
"I... I...!" Miku squeaked out in excitement and utter disbelief. Her body was almost incapable of registering her dreams coming true so suddenly before her very eyes.
"Are... you serious?" Rin asked, covering her mouth as she fought back tears of happiness.
"I also want you both to move into my mansion with me."