A/N: In order to gain some more back story on Luka, this chapter will feature the first and only point of view from Miku. It should become clear on how this ties in with the twins later. For now, please enjoy.

…

Chapter Nine: Truth Hurts

…

As the school day begins to pass by, and it comes around to lunch time, I find it unsurprising that I'm left alone by the other friends in our group. Kaito and Piko likely won't be returning to our group; Meiko is still unwilling to listen to me. So, since this doesn't really bother me, I find a small table by myself in the school cafeteria. It's only been about ten minutes since lunch began, but I soon find myself snapped out of my daydream-like state, hearing a voice.

"Hey, Len…"

I blink, before lifting my eyes up. Standing there is Miku, holding a tray of food and looking a bit shy. Either Rin hasn't told her about what happened, or she just feels sorry for me. Letting a light sigh pass my lips, I decide not to be rude to her. Even though she's the one who invited Luka over on my birthday. Perhaps there had been a reason. "Hey."

She sighs in a saddened tone, setting her tray down onto the table and pulling out a chair beside me. She sets herself down, averting her glance. "…what's happened to everyone, Len? We were all so happy. I think I'm responsible for ruining it."

I uncontrollably give a scoff in response, as if to say, 'no, really?'. Well, I feel like she's partly responsible. "Seems like it's just all been bad timing. I take it Rin's told you everything?"

"Mm…" Miku slowly nods, mumbling in agreement. "But I'm trying to support both of you, still. Sounds like there's faults on both sides, you know?"

"I don't need your sympathy or pity, if that's what you're getting at," I bluntly say. I'm not in the mood for that at all.

"No- It's not that…" Miku speaks up in a self-defensive tone, lifting her eyes up to meet mine. I can see a hint of seriousness reflected in those sad, dull eyes. "Even though I can't fix what Kaito and Piko have done… I still feel like I'm the one who broke the peace between us all first."

Under normal circumstances, I probably would have ignored her. But it seems like this time, she wants to give a full explanation as to why she brought Luka back into our lives. That's something I can't ignore, after how much it messed with us on that day. But that doesn't mean I still won't be pissed off at Miku and Luka after that explanation. "Well, go on." I urge her to start talking, but she appears to be hesitant.

"Um… Maybe it'd be better if I told you after school. Do you want to… meet outside the school gates, or something?" she shyly requests. I raise a brow, considering the request for a couple of moments. "I promise, I'll explain everything."

I let out a long sigh. This may be a total waste of time, but there's potential for a lot to be uncovered at last. After thinking for no longer than a few seconds, I make an impulse decision. "Alright. But only because I thought of you as a friend once." I admit, she could easily lie to me. I'm well aware of that fact. I won't be fooled by that look of innocence, not after what happened this morning. But if this explanation can help my sister find some closure after those events in the past… It's worth a shot.

…

[Miku Hatsune's P.O.V]

I've always tried my best to be a neutral party. I want to be there for anyone who needs help, as long as their circumstances explains their behaviour. Sometimes, even the cruellest of bullies needs a true friend. I believe that everyone should be a given a second chance, if they're willing to take it and change. Over the past couple of years, the one who's needed my help most is… Luka Megurine. Our friendship goes back to about a month before Luka left school for the first time.

Luka is a very sweet girl. She's so pure-hearted… and a little broken on the inside. At first, I wasn't sure if she could really change. But I was determined to help her out, after finally getting her to tell me her circumstances. At this point in time, she doesn't want to talk about her past to anyone except me. Ever since she returned to school, I've tried to convince her to open up, even if it's only to her other friends. But she's still afraid.

The first time she and I spoke, it wasn't even planned, in a way. I bumped into her, coincidentally. In the girl's bathroom at school, of all places. When I walked in to make a quick bathroom stop, I noticed her standing there; her palms pressed tightly against the sides of a sink, her head lowered and her hair covering her eyes.

I couldn't help but quietly gasp in concern – it certainly seemed like she was crying, or had just stopped. Luka and I hadn't talked to each other much since she transferred into this school. Rin and Meiko said she 'was just like the others', but that only made me more determined to try and befriend her. I just never found the right time to approach her, since she was always hanging around with Lily and the rest of them. But now that she appeared to be in need of comfort…

"Luka?" I quietly spoke up, taking a step into the bathroom. Immediately, her head snapped up, and I was met with pained, reddened eyes. She glared at me menacingly, as though wordlessly ordering me to leave and not say a word to anyone about this sight. But I knew she was vulnerable, and being caught in tears would be rather embarrassing. Especially since the one who caught her was seen as an outcast.

She sniffled, violently wiping the back of her hand over one eye, then the other. She was trying to hurriedly get rid of the visual evidence. But her puffy red eyes and darkened cheeks remained. "Wh-What the hell are-…? Ugh, never mind. Don't you dare tell anyone I was here!" She tried to yell at me, but shook her head halfway through her sentence, and barked an order right at me.

A frown pulled at my lips. It was upsetting to see her like this. Considering I knew just how much of a bully she could be, I later figured she probably had some troubles at home. Or even troubles with relationships. No matter what it was, I knew she wasn't truly mean-hearted. I took another step forward, edging a bit closer to the female. "I didn't know you were here or anything…" I spoke up, in case she thought I had followed her, or something like that. "I just…"

"Ugh…!" She scoffed in irritation, turning to face the mirror again. She swiftly reached into her bag, and rummaged around for a few moments. I tilted my head to the side in curiosity, wondering what she could be doing.

"Did… something happen?"

Luka ignored my prying question, and began to rummage in a more frustrated manner, as though her patience was growing thin. But she wasn't annoyed at me. She let out a piercing shriek in a matter of moments, and harshly shoved her bag off the sink and onto the bathroom floor.

My eyes grew wide as I witnessed this. The contents of her open bag flew out towards me, but stopped short. The rest of her belongings, such as small personal items, slowly rolled out after. She obviously wanted to be left alone, but how could I do that, after all that? "Luka…" I didn't know how to approach her, though.

She slammed a palm back onto the side of the sink, and pressed her other palm against her forehead. Pushing her fringe upwards and out of the way of her eyes, she lowered her head once more and sobbed through heavy breathing. "Stupid… stupid make-up…! I forgot my stupid mascara, of all days!" Even though on the surface, she was throwing a tantrum over something so trivial, the issue clearly went deeper than that.

Taking in a breath, I bravely took some more steps forward, until I was standing just next to the sink beside her. I hesitantly reached my hand out, and when she looked up at me to connect our glances, she wordlessly gave me permission to finally comfort her. Lightly smiling, I gently rested my palm on her shoulder, and spoke in a low tone. "Hey… it's just make-up… I'm sure you'll still look lovely without it, after you get all cleaned up."

Luka quietly laughed, though it still sounded rather bitter. She then sighed, pulling her head back up. She gazed into the mirror, not taking her eyes off her pitiable reflection as she answered. "I don't know who to turn to, Miku. Those so-called friends out there… they wouldn't understand. None of them would."

I narrowed my eyes slightly, beginning to wonder just how severe the situation was. "You can talk to me, if you want… Nothing you say will leave this bathroom. Promise." I tried to be as sincere as possible, but wasn't sure if it'd work. Of course, I'd definitely keep my mouth shut about her personal problems. However, with her current mood… "I'd love to try and help."

She fell silent for quite some time. Her eyes were still helplessly fixed on her reflection. I respected that silence, knowing she must have been pushing herself to find the right words. After a few seconds, or maybe longer, she hesitantly spoke. "It's just… my parents, actually." She lifted her head up, pulling her expressionless eyes from the mirror.

A frown pulled at my lips as I heard these words. In that moment, I considered myself to be rather lucky – my parents always got along. We were always a happy family. And hearing this from Luka, I realised not everyone has that kind of luck. "Oh…?"

She turned on her heels, so that she could rest her back against the sink. She folded her arms over her chest, gazing in a random direction as she continued. "Well… Honestly, they've never really been close. But lately, everything's been so much worse between them. My mom always starts these huge fights with my dad, and…" Her words trailed off, and her eyes dropped to the floor. She must have been fighting some sort of harsh memory. "We have no idea what's going on with her. She always says it's just stress. But… I dunno if I can believe that."

I listened to her words carefully, nodding along when appropriate. It really was an upsetting situation. She continued, explaining a few different scenarios where her mother erupted with anger out of nowhere. How it'd all be over within a couple of days, and then how that cycle would repeat. She then went on to tell me how this time was different compared to the other fights. It had apparently been three whole days since her mother started the argument, and it seemed like she wasn't going to give in for a while.

We spent the remainder of our lunch break in the bathroom, just talking together. Not many other students came along; when one or two came in, we just acted like we were talking about something light-hearted. Apart from that, I felt like I really got to know more about Luka. She was no bully. She was just breaking on the inside. She told me whatever she could think of regarding her family, such as their situation when she was a child, and all that. Apparently, it was her father's idea to transfer into our school, so they could 'get a fresh start' and try to build a better family relationship.

Ever since that day, I suppose Luka thought she could trust me. We exchanged phone numbers as that lunch break ended, and after that, we began to meet up every other day to discuss some more things. Most days, we talked about minor things going on in our lives. But soon, Luka's life at home began to spiral way out of control.

It took a few weeks for it to get to a breaking point. Even I was shocked into silence. It was just something so unheard of. I had no idea how to react. Luka reluctantly confessed to me that her mother had been having an affair for years… with another woman. I could understand Luka's building rage at finding out the truth. She eventually opened up more and more; screamed and cried, lamenting how it wasn't fair. Her mother had thrown away her precious family and revealed she never truly loved her husband. Worst of all, she apparently had said she regretted giving birth to her own daughter, as well.

I was shocked and disgusted all at once. To think a mother could say something so awful about her own child, and to think she could just throw it all away. Naturally, she developed a strong hatred towards anyone else who came out as lesbian or gay, or even bisexual. I tried so hard to stop that hatred from growing, but she refused to listen to me. After that, she and I eventually fell out. She said she didn't want my help anymore; she felt like I was constantly nagging and judging her. In the end, she never told me she was transferring out of school.

I thought we were close. Really close. As ashamed as I was, my stupid heart… began to develop strange feelings for her. I felt the strong urge to protect her – to hold her close and reassure her that everything would turn out alright. But due to her situation, that was obviously a very bad idea. However, I couldn't stop my feelings, no matter how pathetic and shameful they were. I wanted to beg her to stay; beg her to not leave me. But, in the end… I'm glad she could never find out my true feelings.

Now that she's back… It's hard for me to look her in the eyes. Those feelings are still faintly there, but I know they're bound to return with full force soon. Aside from all that, I had been the one to invite Luka over to Rin's house on the twins' birthday. I had been really excited that she was returning – I still am overjoyed. I suggested we all try to start over, and that we all do something fun together as a group of friends. But of course, that had been foolish.

Luka is now a cold, unforgiving bully. Her gentle, friendly side may never return. But at the very least, I had to explain everything to Len.

…

[Len Kagamine's P.O.V]

Miku and I have been sitting outside the school gates for about half an hour now, underneath one of those tall trees surrounding the area. A few stray leaves gently twirled downwards while we talked. By the end of Miku's long explanation, more like a story, I'm left pretty much speechless. I'm surprised to hear Luka actually has such an upsetting life at home. But it seems like she still holds no remorse for her actions, since she's continuing to be a bitch and all. Sure, it's tragic. I'd probably lose it if something like that happened with my parents. But is that really a good enough excuse for the way she's acting? Call me a hypocrite, with my own fucked up situation… Damn it, though. I don't know how to feel about all this.

Miku falls silent for a while, too. She seems to be upset just by reliving everything. That's surprising, too. I had no idea Miku even talked to Luka before this. I just assumed Luka decided to return out of nowhere, and she bullied Miku into inviting that group of minions to our house. Well, that's one problem down, I guess. But I still can't find it in my heart to forgive Luka for the way she treated Rin.

I personally don't give a shit if her mother was a closet lesbian and left after wasting her years on an unwanted family. That gives her no right to just hate every single gay or bisexual person; especially if that bisexual person is my sister. What Luka did on that day will always be unforgivable in my eyes. And I'll always put my sister's hardships over that pink-haired bitch. But just to keep the peace with Miku, I'll act like I've forgiven her along with Luka.

Not particularly keen on talking with her anymore, I wrap up our conversation rather quickly, making an excuse that I have to be home at a certain time. It's not like I want to hurry and face my sister either, though. I desperately just need some time to myself – everything has been a lot more exhausting lately. So, I stand up from the grass, say goodbye to Miku, and begin to trail myself slowly down the path to home.

I take a slow walk back home, taking in the scenery surrounding me, while trying to block out quite a few negative thoughts. Today has been hard without Rin – but I know it can't feel any worse than this. It'll take a while to adjust to her not being by my side, I know that for a fact. But it can't hurt any more than it did today. At least, I hope so. It was an extremely difficult decision to make, but it's the price I have to pay for feeling this way about her.

Soon, I find myself outside my house. I narrow my eyes, staring at the front door in an almost reluctant manner. It's almost like I can't face up to everything I've done. After a couple of moments, I let out a heavy sigh and shake my head. I push the door open, entering the house. Once inside, I kick my shoes off and head straight for my bedroom. If Rin is there, I'll just have to ignore her. I can't focus on her. I need to somehow get rid of these feelings.

I approach the bedroom door, feeling a little more nervous as I reach out to the handle. I quietly enter the room; as I step inside, my eyes are drawn towards my sister's bed. My heart begins to pound faster in my chest as I see exactly what she's doing. There's an open suitcase lying on top of her bed, and it looks like she's folding up clothes to put inside. "What… what the hell?"

I can't stop myself from saying this out-loud, in a tone of disbelief and shock. Rin immediately spins around on her heels, a cold yet broken look in her eyes. She glares right at me, and she remains silent for what feels like the longest time.

I'm so confused. Why does it seem like she's leaving? It can't be for good, can it? If it is, then… Fuck, this is all my fault. I should have comforted her last night. Not even just last night – I should have comforted her every single time she needed me. I shouldn't have pushed her away. I'm such a moron…! I clench my fists by my sides as I internally scold myself, but I immediately snap out of it to speak to my sister. "Rin, what- Geez, what the hell are you doing?"

She lowers her glance, pulling her eyes from mine. She stares down to her feet, and it's obvious she feels guilty. But I feel it the most. She draws in a breath, before answering in a shaky, low tone. "I can't handle all this stress right now, Len. I've never been able to handle it, really. But I've had enough of it. I can't stay here any longer – because of you!" Those cruel, yet painfully true words pierce right into my heart. They slam against the wall of ice surrounding my heart, and it cracks, and I feel a flood of emotions for the first time in a long time. I knew she would say something like that. But to actually hear it… makes me feel incredibly nauseous and sort of light-headed.

"R-Rin, you… you can't possibly mean it…" I stutter my words, spitting out those pathetic, desperate words. I'm a moron. A complete, utter moron. I can't believe I'm trying to play the victim, after the way I've treated my beloved sister over the years. But I have no idea what else I'm supposed to say. Do I tell her the truth? No, that could easily cause her to become even more broken. That could easily lead her to despise me even more.

She snaps her eyes up to me again, and I can see her grit her teeth together in frustration. She's trying not to lose control of her anger, I can see that. She breathes in deeply, hissing her words instead. "You must be fucking joking. If you must know, I spoke to Mother about everything. I told her how you've been treating me. She's pissed at you, but not as much as I am. That's why she suggested I should take a break."

I don't even care that I'm in trouble with my parents, after they saw me as the 'perfect' son. That's the least of my worries. I'm just struggling to wrap my head around all this. I'm left speechless, having no clue what to say. I can't beg for forgiveness. I can't tell her I'm in love with her. I can't do anything. Is this really the end…? God, this fucking hurt. My chest is so tight. I'm even fighting back the stinging sensation in my eyes. "Rin, if you just… let me explain…"

"Fuck you," she snarls in response. "I'm not listening to you anymore. I'm not giving you any more chances. I need to be away from you, for good. I can't bear to be in the same house as you. I can't bear to walk the same halls as that bitch Luka; the same halls as that… that sick, evil bastard Kaito! I can't do it anymore!" Her words eventually grow louder as she lashes out at me, and by now, I can see tears streaming down her cheeks. I desperately want to pull her into a tight embrace and calm her down. But I can't.

"Rin, please…" I whisper, defeated. If I hadn't been broken before, this is definitely my breaking point now. I was okay with not being able to spend time with Rin every day – she'd still physically be around, at home and at school. But now she's not going to be around at all. I'm not sure if I can handle that.

"I'm going to be staying with one of Mother's sisters, in a different part of the country. I'll be getting a new phone, but even so, don't you dare try to contact me while I'm there. As far as I'm concerned… I have no brother."

Those last words cut even deeper, and the guilt I feel inside grows stronger. It's unbearable. I bite down onto my lower lip, though since I'm trying not to shed any tears, I almost end up making my lip start to bleed from the force of the bite. Rin turns back to face the suitcase on her bed, and she says nothing else to me. I stand there, trembling on the spot like an idiot. There's so much I want to say, but I'm terrified. I'm speechless; it's like I'm paralysed. I physically can't speak.

I'm left with the heart-breaking reality that I have to let Rin go. There's no way I can stop her now. This is what I deserve, isn't it? This is my punishment. I've always accepted the mental torture as punishment for being in love with my sister, but now a physical punishment has arrived. I knew it would come sooner or later, just not like this. If only I was normal… If only I didn't love my sister.

…

I'm sitting at the dinner table with Mother and Father. They haven't said a word to me about Rin just yet. They're probably waiting until we've finished dinner, then they're most likely going to give me a long lecture, before demanding an explanation. I don't know what to tell them at this point. It might be less shocking if I just told the truth. No, of course there's no way I can really tell my parents the truth. I'll have to come up with another bullshit reason. Story of my life.

Dinner is painfully silent. We all eat our food without a single word being uttered. Rin is the first to finish, and understandably, she dismisses herself as fast as possible. I let out a sigh, knowing my parents have been waiting for Rin to leave, so they can begin to lecture me. Once my sister can be heard heading up the stairs, I quietly place my fork down onto my plate, leaving a bit less than half of my meal. I'm not too hungry, after all the stress and shock, so I leave it.

It's as if that's the cue my parents have been waiting for. I glance up, to see the two of them exchange glances. Then, they place their forks down at the same time, and their glares dig right into me. I understand they're pissed off and all, but do they really have to be this serious? I let out a heavy sigh and prepare myself to endure their endless shouting and such.

They ask the usual. They want to know why I've done such horrible things to Rin; why I've said so many hurtful things when they're not around. How I could be such a terrible brother, etc. They go on about how Rin doesn't deserve all this, and how they're extremely angry at me; saying they don't know how to forgive me. I already know all of this. I already know how true this all is. But I suppose I'm far too fucked up and broken at this point, so I silently nod and agree where necessary with them, taking the blame.

They then go on to ask me why I did it all. They demand to know what's been going on inside my head. Since I have no idea what to say, I just make something up. Something convincing enough. I tell them that I've just grown up and drifted apart from Rin – that I don't particularly like her anymore, and just felt the need to let her know. Naturally, that answer doesn't please my parents at all. It makes them even more pissed off at me, and so, the shouting begins again. Eventually, after around half an hour, my parents ultimately decide I'm a lost cause and punish me the harshest they can. That only ends up being restrictions on my time outside of school, though. So, not a big deal. No punishment can be worse than losing Rin.

They inform me that Rin is being taken to the train station tomorrow. That part shocks me the most out of the whole conversation. I don't even have time to try and convince her to change her mind. She's being driven to the station by Father early in the morning, so, I most likely won't even see her leave. I won't get to say goodbye. She's going to refuse to speak to me if I try anymore tonight. I think it's time for me to just accept that this is truly the end. They tell me she's going to be gone for at least three years; they'll be taking many occasional visits to see her. But I won't be allowed that privilege. Of course not. I don't know what I'll do without her.

…

When I make my way back up to my room later that night, I enter quietly, knowing Rin might already be asleep. I can't bring myself to be angry at her. It's my own fault, after all. I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that she's going to be out of my life for a long time. But I have to endure those three years, holding onto the faint hope that she'll come back to me.

Just as I expected – Rin is tucked peacefully into bed, sound asleep. Her suitcase is leaning against the wardrobe, and I assume she's all done with packing. As hard as this is going to be, I'm starting to think this might be the best thing for both of us. She won't have to deal with the burden of my sinful feelings, and I'll very slowly be able to move on. Maybe I can finally become normal when Rin isn't around. It's just upsetting that the only way for us to be happy… is for us to be apart.

I let out a soft sigh, flicking the light switch off. The only light source that remains is Rin's small bedside lamp. I can't help but smile, moving towards my bed and then setting myself down. I can't stop myself from gaze admiringly at my beautiful sister. God, I love her so much. It's going to be so hard, even though it's the best thing for us. She looks so peaceful and even happy when in the land of dreams. I should have been better to her. There's so much I could have done for her.

Knowing she's usually a heavy sleeper, I begin to whisper words of confession to my sister. Even though she's not awake, she deserves to hear. Maybe there's a chance she hears me… And she'll take the truth with her when she leaves tomorrow. "I'm so sorry, Rin. For everything. The Len you knew was not who I wanted to be at all… I wanted to comfort you, hug you, help you through your hardest days. Not just flip-flop between those personalities."

I lower my glance, unable to even look at her precious face, despite her being asleep. I don't deserve to take in her beauty. She needs someone who'll truly appreciate her. "I was just… scared. I couldn't bear the thought of you hating me, but… I had to make sure you'd never get too close to me. I'm in love with you, Rin. In so many more ways than a brother should be. It's so wrong… But to me, you're so perfect. Your bright blue eyes are breath-taking and beautiful. Your smile melts my heart every time. But I understand you'd never be able to look at me the same way again if I told you the truth."

I can feel that stinging sensation in my eyes again. Don't cry. Be strong for her. I take in a deep breath, regaining my composure. "I want to hold you in my arms… run my fingers through your soft hair, stroke your cheek… I want to be able to kiss your lips, and to tell you everything will be okay someday. But it's so, so wrong. So forbidden. So, I tried to get you to hate me… and I finally succeeded. This is finally it, Rin. You won't have to think about me again. I love you so much… that I can finally feel confident in letting you go."

I stop myself from giving her a kiss goodnight on the cheek. I used to do that sometimes. But right now, it wouldn't be right. It's best if I cut back on all physical contact for our final night together. Three years is a long time. I let out a quiet sigh, deciding to slide myself under the covers of my bed, having no energy to change clothes. My eyes slowly begin to slip shut. I don't want to sleep yet, but… I'm so tired…

With my sister on my mind, I drift off to sleep almost straight away. There's no point in resisting anymore. I have to let her go.

…