"M-Move in with you, are you sure?" Rin questioned, half expecting her to add a 'Just kidding!' after it.
"M-Megurine Luka-san... of course we'll move in with you!" Miku shyly stepped closer to Luka, wanting to express her gratitude towards the idol's altruist kindness. It felt like a mystifying, yet magical dream - just like when her bestie Rin and her saved up enough money to move to Tokyo. It felt like the moment the situation felt real, white angel wings would burst from her back, reminding her she was going to awaken soon. "Thank you so much, truly," she said while lovingly looking into the eyes of her idol, Miku's heart pounding against her small rib cage. Her cheeks were still dyed the same fluttery ketchup color.
Luka shook her head side to side. "I should be the one thanking you both. Not only did I gain an astonishing pair of singers I can help flourish, I don't have to hold auditions any longer!" she smiled brightly just like a famous, charismatic and charming singer would. Not long after, she gave her executives a motion to stop the auditions. "I have already found the perfect aspiring idols right here," she stared into Miku's eyes as if they were giddy school girls pining. Like the matching body parts were the most fascinating ocean she had ever had the pleasure of indulging in. "We'll have to walk out of the back door so no one notices us. Here," Luka waved her manicured hand for them to follow her, as they made their way through multiple hallways.
Rin looked like she wanted to say something. Her cheeks puffed out, and grew to be an unusual shade of red as her gaze became shifty. She bit her tongue, as she used Miku and Luka's occupation with one another to steal an unhappy frown from time to time, while she tread behind the women making small talk.
As soon as they made it outside, a fancy, posh car appeared conveniently. There was no way an ordinary person could afford something so explicitly pricey. "Did you hear that, Rin-chan? Luka-san has a pool! You were just telling me on the plane you wanted a pool~" she cooed, acting like it was the most marvelous revelation as little stars twinkled in her orbs. A man suddenly popped out from the driver's seat and held the door open for the trio.
Rin knew Miku was only saying that because she thought it would make her happy. Normally, swimming in a luxurious pool that was bigger than that crappy motel and her old house combined would engulf her with joy. But something about it, in this particular instance, did not sit right with her... "That's wonderful," the blonde gave a corny, fake reply.
Megurine Luka sat back in the expensive, gold trimmed limousine seats, stretching her arms as if she was bathing in the sun that poured through the sky window. She was relaxed in a way completely unimaginable to an individual not in the limelight. She looked comfortable - yet, if they were to get ambushed by paparazzi, she would be able to bounce back to her supermodel demeanor in the snap of a finger. The feminine pinkette truly was the spitting image of elegant. "Are you girls thirsty? I could use some champagne," she muttered, reaching into a built-in mini fridge while Miku and Rin stared in silence as their response. Was *the* Megurine Luka a day drinker?!
She fished out three water bottles, giving two to the mortified leek and orange. Luka gently laughed, before taking the bottle to her soft, pink lips. "Just because I'm an idol doesn't mean I can't joke around now and then," she winked playfully, a teasing tone seeping through.
"I'm happy you don't day drink, Luka-san," Rin sheepishly chuckled, going to take a sip of her own water bottle. What exactly was this brand? The blonde had never heard of it before, let alone seen it in a local supermarket. It was the best tasting water she had ever had too... and the bottle itself was nice and aesthetically pleasing. She must have been holding thousands of yen.
Miku, on the over hand, thought that was the most indescribably hilarious joke she had ever heard in her life. "Luka-san, you're so funny!" she giggled with a euphoric facial expression, taking the cap off of the bottle but not drinking any. The bumpy road and Miku's happily fidgety movements made it look like the beverage would spill, but she paid it no mind. "I really thought you were going to pull out a bottle of champagne!" she continued to laugh, gripping her stomach.
Luka put a hand up to her own chest. "Sincerely, I'm happy you liked it," she uttered warmly, her presence so sweet and inviting as the giggling from both parties died down. Luka looked like she wanted to physically touch Miku, by ruffling her teal hair, holding her hand, or a simple poke the shoulder, but she refrained. "Anyway," she put the cap back on her water bottle. "I can give one of my assistants the key to your motel room to grab your bags. If you feel comfortable giving it to me, that is."
Miku immediately replied, Rin staying quiet. "That would be great, Luka-san! Thank you so much!" she bowed as much as she could sitting down with a seatbelt.
They had arrived at Luka's gigantic, princess-like mansion. Miku's electric blue eyes shined as she stared at the building in awe - her mouth agape, a blinding smile, and those signature stars appearing once more. Rin couldn't help feeling amazed herself - she gasped lightly, soon sealing her lips while her orbs widened, mesmerized by the sight. It seemed like something that was only in fairytales full of powerful Queens and Kings, or fantasy movies that took place in medieval times. It was gorgeous. It was breathtaking. It was incomprehensible a real human lived there every single day.
Luka turned to the duo with a cocky, smug smile, basking in their compliments that went unsaid. "Do you like it?" she asked. The driver approached the back door, soon opening it and allowing everyone to get out. Miku instantly darted closer to the huge house built for millionaires, needing to touch it to prove it was real.
"It's... like nothing I've ever seen before," Rin whispered, dumbfounded at the gaudy mansion staring back at her. "It's... beautiful." She could sneak one compliment in. She never thought she would see such an exquisite home in her life - let alone have the privilege of staying in it. It reminded her of every story book she read when she was a kid. It was fit for a member of a royal family... so she could fangirl, just a bit.
"You must have thousands of rooms in there~!" Miku exclaimed, raising her voice even though the others were mere centimeters away. Her peppy tone and childlike joy were contagious, even Luka starting getting giddy. Even though she lived there.
Rin and Luka caught up with the tealette (by taking a few steps); Luka softly giggling as she turned to Miku. The mature woman was completely captivating to the girl - whenever Miku stared deep into her alluring, cerulean eyes, the same heart palpitations made their dramatic return. She almost thought Luka was doing it on purpose... "You don't have to be humble with me. From this day on, this is your house too, Miku-san," she winked. Something about it seemed wanting...
"She's right, Miku-chan," Rin squeezed by her, practically shoulder to shoulder with the tealette. "Let's go in, we can look around outside at night when it isn't so hot," she huffed, making a fanning motion with her hand as she made the suggestion.
Luka opened the door with a welcoming look. Usually, one of the members on her team would rush to do the honors themselves, but she shooed them away for today. For girls who had never lived a life of luxury, she had a hunch people waiting on your every beck and call didn't seem very home-y. "Where would you like to look first?" the pinkette asked, revealing her massive interior. It didn't seem possible, but the house was even bigger inside.
"The kitchen!" Rin enthusiastically cheered, glancing over to a door that conveniently had the word 'kitchen' carved into it. She assumed it was for the many cooks she probably had. "I-I mean, i-if that's what everyone else... wants to look at..." Rin mumbled, embarrassed. She was so eager, she spit something out without even thinking about it... if she were a dog, her tail would definitely be in between her legs right now.
"Luka-san, lead the way~!" Miku gave Rin a reassuring glance, silently telling the blonde there was nothing to be ashamed about. It was like best friend telepathy, totally unknown to Luka. Rin beamed a toothy smile back, as if to tell her she felt better already.
"Alright, girls," she cutely smirked. Luka had no choice but to obey, it was two to one, after all.
As she opened the kitchen door and stepped in, she gave a devious, proud look as everyone stared at the mass amounts of food she owned. She showed off her fridge, which was chalked full of fresh vegetables and expensive, gourmet meats. She showed off her gigantic pantry, that was full of pricey, healthy celebrity snacks, and even some familiar junk food Miku and Rin recognized. It was like they waltzed into a grocery store, it was incredible.
"Ah, Luka-san~! Can I have a box of pocky, pretty please~?" Miku's voice rang like a bell as she pleaded, pointing at the chocolate covered biscuits. Her tummy instinctually grumbled at the thought of feeling the sugary goodness melt on her taste buds, which caused her to grab her stomach to try and keep it quiet.
Rin stifled a laugh, soon finding something that caught her own eye. "Would it be okay if I tried some of this dried seaweed? It looks really tasty!" She admired the packaging, assuming it was probably on the higher end; her mouth soon watering imagining the salty, savory taste.
Luka contained a laugh of her own - her evil plan worked! She wowed her new apprentices with her elaborate food collection, so much to the point they wanted to indulge in some. She could not have been more happy at their requests. "Have whatever you would like," she bowed slightly, honey-like sweetness pouring out of her every move. Suddenly, she moved her attention to the clock hanging on the wall. "Oh, time has gotten away from me!" she said, drawing Miku and Rin's eyes to her instead of the snacks. "See, before it got too late, I wanted to give you one-on-one singing lessons. You two sang together at the audition, so I didn't get to hear you both shine individually. Miku-san, would you like to come first?"
Miku's eyes widened in surprise and shock. One-on-one singing lessons with THE Megurine Luka? She would get the best tips from the best singer ever, and maybe even get to hear Luka sing herself... this had to be a dream! Miku started to pinch herself, much to Luka and Rin's surprise. "O-Of course, Luka-san! I'm so honored!" she replied so ecstatically, Rin really thought she was going to faint for real. "I'm so happy, waaaah~!" she gushed, holding her hands together as if she were praying.
"We can tell, Miku-chan," Rin playfully retorted.
"Mm, if that's settled, I'll call one of my finest chefs to prepare you a meal while you wait, Rin-san. They can make anything, so don't go easy on them," Luka joked, soon turning her full attention to the tealette with a mischievous look in her eyes. She hurried Miku out of the room with her, omitting a goodbye.
It hurt Rin. Not because Miku was getting picked first by Luka, but because Miku was picking Luka first... she stared at the wall blankly, waiting for the pinkette's chef to appear. She would make them prepare a feast built for a Queen.
Meanwhile, Luka was escorting Miku to a private room. On the outside, it looked like any plain old white door - but on the inside, it was an entire intricate recording room. Miku had only ever seen them in music videos... she couldn't believe how glamorous and vast it was. "Do we... really have this room all to ourselves?" Miku asked in disbelief, practically pinging off the walls staring at all the awards, trophies, platinum albums etc.
Luka nodded. "Mhm, we do~" she purred, taking a seat on a black leather couch. It made sense for it to be there, as the actual recording room was standing only, and Luka would get tired eventually. Miku was so ecstatic she didn't get the memo to sit and waltzed into the room with all the microphones. "Honey, sit out here with me, okay?" she called Miku a pet name, making her freeze in her tracks and blush intensely. "It's not like we have a song to record at the moment, I just want to hear you," she laughed elegantly, seemingly charmed by the girl's ditziness and cuteness.
Miku soon took a seat by Luka, as instructed. "A-Ah, yes ma'am! I'm sorry, I guess I got a little ahead of myself..." she awkwardly giggled, scratching the back of her head. "What did you have in mind, Luka-san?" Miku looked up at her with hopeful, trusting eyes. Her heart was pounding due to how close they were, and what magical things awaited them just a few minutes away...
Luka placed a hand on the sofa's armrest. "Well, I'm sure it's not too hard to figure out that I'm putting a new album out soon." Miku's muscle started to run like a treadmill set on the highest setting. A new album? Her favorite singer was putting out new music! "And I want you to be my backup singer for the entirety of it," she revealed, smiling and waiting for an already excited Miku's reaction. She knew she was going to be a backup singer, sure, but to be on Megurine Luka's new album? And the entirety, at that? It felt like the tealette was going to pass away!
"I-I'm honored you would choose me for such an important job!" she bowed, Miku's bangs getting in her eyes as her face continued to heat up. She wanted to gush about how excited she was for the new album, and what theories she had on what the songs would be like, but... would it be appropriate to act like a fan in this situation? She wanted to be as professional and grown up as possible with Luka.
"You don't have to be so formal with me," she uttered, something about the statement and tone of voice oozing passion. "We are partners from today on, right?" the pinkette playfully nudged Miku's shoulder. An act such as that shouldn't have been surprising, but... it was the first time Luka touched her. It felt... intimate, even. There goes Miku's bothersome cheeks again...
"Partners..." Miku pondered the choice of words. It was a word that could also mean coworkers, but she couldn't help but think of it in the romantic sense as that was more of a common definition. At least, for her. "O-Okay!" she spat out, not wanting to leave Luka in pure silence for too long.
"Glad we're on the same page," she grinned at the girl, a seductive aura surrounding Luka as she walked to an unknown location. Miku... she had to be seeing things, she had to! Before the tealette had time to have a crisis, Luka was back in a snap to hand Miku the book. "Here," she held the object out, which Miku kindly took. "This is a book with my hand written song lyrics in it. Pick a random song, and sing how you would authentically. I want to hear the real you." She was kind and genuine, but Miku still couldn't help being nervous. She was about sing in front of her idol for the second time, and she couldn't get out of it by using a petty excuse, like she was too embarrassed. She didn't even have time to freak out about Luka's lyric book! The one she talked about in every interview, the one where all of her greatest hits were birthed!
Miku gripped it tightly. "O-Of course, Luka-san," she gulped, quickly skimming the pages and landing on a song she knew by heart. It was by Luka, and even if she was still unsure of herself, she calmed down bit by bit knowing there were plenty of songs she was familiar with. It seemed like a lot of the content contained songs that had been released for years. It was vintage, like Luka always said in her interviews.
"Sing whenever you are ready, alright? Like I said, I want to hear the real you," Luka encouraged her.
"Y-Yes!" she took a deep breath, and paused before finally starting. "Luka Luka night fever, watashi wa koko ni iru kara, sukoshi demo shisen o sorashicha dame dame yo!" she sung a short snippet of the song in question, feeling drained by just a few sentences. She really hoped Luka would like it, she wanted to impress her so bad she even tried to hit notes out of her comfort zone.
Luka gave her a light clap. "Good job, Miku-san. Your voice is very beautiful," Luka cooed, looking like she thoroughly enjoyed her mini concert. Miku poked her own cheek as nonchalantly as she could - the crimson fats were hotter to the touch than she could have ever imagined. She was in disbelief the woman with the most beautiful voice in the entire multiverse gave her such a high compliment. "But I do have to say, your voice gets slightly nasally at times, and you do not have that great of breath control. We can work on it, I'm your mentor after all!"
Miku hung her head down. She pouted as she had only ever sung in front of Rin, who was foreign to those terms as an amateur, thus having no knowledge on giving out criticism like that. But if she was going to be in show business, she had to take it positively and use it to improve her singing. If she slowly reworked her brain, it wouldn't sting anymore and actually help her. "Thank you so much for your advice, Luka-san."
"I didn't mean to make you sad, I'm sorry, Miku-san!" she replied in a quite hurried and apologetic tone, going to bow. "I shouldn't have been so blunt. Once you have been singing professionally for years like I have, criticism seems more like a compliment than a personal attack," she explained, as Miku diligently listened. "I care about you and your career, so I want your voice to be the very best it can be," she smiled, as Miku started to perk up once more as she internalized her words.
"Mm, don't worry about it, Luka-san," she shook her head, flashing her a genuine grin back. "I'm really, really happy you told me that. I'm going to get better, I promise!" She stuck her fist out, in a determined 'fighting!' motion. "Do you... have anything else to say, by any chance? Don't go easy on me!" She hoped asking such a thing wasn't greedy, but Luka was her mentor, after all.
"I do, actually," she began, looking pensive. "I think you should sing songs out of your comfort occasionally. You are amazing at the poppy songs like 'Just be Friends' and 'Luka Luka Night Fever,' but I'd like to see a little more from you," she looked Miku deep into her orbs. Not that intoxicating, captivating stare again... "How about you try something a bit... sexier?"
"S-S-Sexy?" Miku repeated, her whole body turning the color of a strawberry. "I know I'm an adult... a young one at that, but... I never thought about singing something so blush-inducing like that..." she touched her pointer fingers together, becoming flustered. She wasn't opposed to it, more so embarrassed at her inexperience of the foreign world. It went without saying she had heard Luka's more risqué songs and even liked them, but... someone like the tealette performing them? She would really, really have to get used to it...
"It's fine if you're not okay with it. I can tell you don't have experience regarding those types of things," she bluntly said, looking a bit bashful herself. It was blatant Miku's main focus wasn't on being a 'sex sells' singer, after all. "But, well... do you promise you will not tell anyone what I'm about to say next? It's a secret, and my executives don't want the song to get out before it's done," she childishly stuck her pinky finger out, putting it down before Miku had the chance to lock hers with it. "I'm working on a romantic song that was originally supposed to be a solo. Although, the more I work on it, the more I feel it would be better as a duet..." she paused briefly, placing a hand on her chin as she thought. "What I'm trying to say is: would you be interested in singing it with me? Not only is your voice perfect for it, but it would be a fantastic break for your budding career."
Miku tried not to act immature about the subject matter and proposal. No matter how hot her face felt, or how rapid her heartbeat was, she had to be a professional musician about it. She wasn't going to jeopardize her chance at singing a duet with Megurine Luka due to a petty, juvenile attitude. Plus... maybe this would be good for her. "I'm interested in it," she ended up saying something mildly indifferent, soon going to change her words. "I mean, I'm REALLY interested in it! I... would like that a lot. If we could sing a song like that together..." a bashful, reluctant smile appeared on her lips. It was still so, so embarrassing... but she could overcome anything if she put her naïve mind to it.
Luka completely absorbed Miku in the mature woman's sparkling, mesmerizing, endearing smile upon hearing the news. She felt like as long as Luka kept showing such a sacred thing to her, she would do almost anything to keep seeing it. "I'm happy to hear that, Miku-san," her voice dripped with charm. "The lyrics I have so far are in the back of the book you're holding," she pointed, much to Miku's shock. She must not have gotten to that page yet, or overlooked it. "It's titled 'magnet.'"
It didn't take long for Miku to discover it. She met eyes with a passionate love song about two women madly in love with each other. Deep down, she wanted to blush a little (especially at the lines that explicitly talked about kissing - would Luka or her take those parts?), but she could not deny the song was beautiful. It portrayed a raw, intense, pure love a couple had, even during times that seemed uncertain. She couldn't help but feel like... it was really romantic. "This is it, right?" she asked, while Luka leaned over her and nodded. "It's... so pretty," Miku took her direction from the book, and gave it back to the pinkette. "You're really talented, I already know this song is going to be a hit!" she cheered, while Luka gave a 'Oh, you're flattering me too much!' motion.
"I think it will be a hit if you sing it with me," she got closer to Miku, their faces inches away from touching. Suddenly, the tealette's mind started to flood with images of the passionate lesbian couple in the song. It wasn't like Luka and Miku were anything resembling deeply in love significant others, but... after reading something so intimate, feeling a stunning woman she admired so much almost grazing her cheek was too much to handle. It made her feel youthful and fluttery, imaging herself in the same situation with the pinkette. Like she was thinking about her first ever middle school crush. Soon, she realized Luka was only reading her own lyrics over. But something about that had to be intentional... right? "Do you, perhaps, want to practice it right now? I was looking over which parts I thought should go to you, and I have a pretty good idea of it."
Miku was still desperately trying to recover from the excitement of her own imagination, but there was no way she would refuse. Even... if it meant she would start to see Luka in a different light. Maybe a more sensual one... "Y-Yeah! I think that would be a good learning experience!" she exclaimed, wringing her hands together as she awaited the singing to properly start. She was really going to do it...
"You take the first line, okay? I will keep directing you as time goes on so it doesn't get confusing," Luka instructed, looking over Miku's shoulder once more as she mustered up all of her courage to get any kind of voice out.
It seemed like hours had passed since they began. Miku was getting tired, having to conceal yawns every now and then. Of course, they were never from boredom. A front row ticket to hearing Megurine Luka's goddess voice singing so angelically, and on top of that, getting to sing with her?! It was a dream come true!
Miku had to be honest, and say she had trouble at first. Her voice would crack from thinking too hard about the lyrics, or she would sing off key if she visualized the story too hard. But with her determination and Luka's encouragement, slowly but surely, the tight feeling released itself, making her relax as the minutes passed. Soon enough, Luka didn't need to praise her with nice, assuring words - she was improving at a rapid rate, and only got better every time they would start from the top. As Miku's mentor, the pinkette couldn't help but feel proud, and even impressed by the rookie's primal skill.
"Kabosoi hi ga kokoro-" Miku started once more, getting interrupted by Luka.
"You have done a great job today. I think we should stop for the night, it has to be late by now. We've been singing for hours, and we wouldn't want that pretty voice of yours getting corrupted, would we?" Luka purred, while Miku cutely nodded to her statement. She was getting sleepy, and caught herself dreaming about a soft bed to rest her head on... "Let's check on Rin-san, and I can let you girls pick out some rooms, okay?" she softly said, watching Miku's heavy eyes resist the intense urge of shutting. Luka found it immensely adorable, of course - oh, how she wished Miku could sleep in her bed tonight...
"Rin-chan... I hope Rin-chan is alright..." she mumbled, mainly to herself. Rin had been all alone in a foreign house for hours on end, after all - she hoped she wasn't scared, or ran into a creepy ghost from the 1800s in the big house... her thoughts were all over the place, as her sleepiness began to control her brain.
But over anything, Miku hoped Rin wasn't upset at her for leaving her until nightfall.