pacify
She leant against the table, half-listening to Rin as she told her excitedly about all the trouble her kid brother got into over the past weekend, but as she nodded and laughed at all the appropriate places, she kept her gaze fixed on the dark boy at the other side of the classroom.
"And after that Len fell into the neighbour's pool and got chased by their dog," Rin cackled. "Man, I love the kid. He's like me when I was six, but worse," Rin suddenly paused and squinted at her. "Hey, Miku, are you listening to me?" she raised an eyebrow. Miku jumped at the sound of her name, whipping around to meet Rin's gaze – the blonde was staring at her curiously, awaiting a response.
"Um, Len's awfully cute," she offered, giggling. Len was her best friend's little brother, a crazed whirlwind of energy who couldn't stay still for longer than ten seconds. He was Rin's youngest sibling – she had two siblings between her and Len, Lenka who was ten and Rinto, who was fifteen. Rin was the oldest at eighteen. The Kagamine family was pretty well-off, so they lived in a big bungalow and as a result often lost the youngest child. There was one terrifying time where Len got onto the roof.
"Yeah, I can tell you're not listening," Rin concluded. "Where are you – ah…" she raised her gaze and saw who Miku had been looking at just a short while ago. Her eyes narrowed. "You know he already has a girlfriend, right?" she checked. "I mean, I don't approve of Rei's choice, but it would be pretty bad to come between them…" she glanced up at Miku. Miku was gnawing on her lip, staring at the dark boy as well. Kagene Rei appeared to be taking a nap. "Miku, could you stop zoning out?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Miku sighed, giving her blonde friend her full attention. Rin was still looking at her with narrowed eyes. "I know he has a girlfriend, you don't need to rub that in," she muttered. "But seriously, Teto is a terrible match for him!" she lowered her voice. "She's whiny, vapid, she's obsessed with shopping and gossip, she has to be the most superficial girl I've ever seen…why the heck is Rei even with her? I know for a fact that he's not enjoying the relationship," she stated.
Rin gave her a long look. "Well, whether or not he's satisfied in his relationship isn't something we can decide. Only he knows the answer to that," she pointed out. Then her tone softened a little. "If it makes you feel any better though, I agree with that. He didn't look too well when he came over to visit my parents over the weekend," she mused. "Though that might be because he had to retrieve Len from the neighbour's backyard. Honestly, it would drain anyone to deal with that little brat."
Kagene Rei was Kagamine Rin's cousin and their classmate. Miku had been crushing on him ever since freshman year, when the dark boy first approached her and his cousin and asked if he could sit with them during lunch. It wasn't because he had no friends of his own, but rather because he knew that Rin, who really valued family and friendship, would no doubt enjoy the company of her cousin during her first week of school. Kagene Rei was surprisingly popular among their cohort – surprising because he was relatively reserved and quiet, but Miku guessed that his good looks didn't hurt.
As she thought about that, some of Rei's friends walked into the classroom and proceeded to smack Rei on the back of his head, shocking the sleeping boy awake. Rei instantly started cussing them out, his voice still a sleepy slur, and the guys all laughed it off good-naturedly before they started talking about…whatever guys talked about. "I don't think he and Teto will stay together for very long," Miku spoke, tilting her head. Rin watched her carefully. "So once something happens, that's my chance."
"Miku…" Rin sighed and shook her head, but didn't say anything else. Miku continued watching Rei and the other guys laughing, and suddenly the dark boy glanced in their direction. His gaze met hers and she didn't look away – Rei stared at her, and as they watched each other a small smile curved his lips. Right after that he turned back to face the guys, and Miku was left wondering who he had been smiling at. Was he really looking at her, or did he just happen to notice Rin beside her?
"Turn, turn!" the cameraman ordered. Miku groaned but did as instructed. Someone else came over and started pouring more petals all over her, and some tickled her nose, making her want to sneeze. She was so sick of lying here and having petals all over her body. But she needed the money.
"You're such a princess, Hatsune," the cameraman, Hiyama Kiyoteru, had evidently heard her groan. "We're not paying you to lie around and do nothing, you know," he scolded, raising the camera and taking a few more photos. Miku rolled her eyes but didn't bother to reply, keeping herself still and staring vacantly into the lens. The bright light flashed, more assistants threw flower petals all over her, and then thankfully the shoot was done and she could get out of this ridiculous set.
Miku did part-time modelling to supplement her pocket money. Her family wasn't particularly well-off so she was always on the lookout for jobs with flexible hours. One day she got scouted on the street by a modelling agency and now, here she was. She wasn't the kind of model who did runway modelling, being too short to do that, but she was a popular choice for catalogues and television commercials, and right now the shoot she was modelling for was for some new perfume brand. Miku honestly didn't care who were the people who hired her, as long as she was paid well for her work.
"Yeah, Hatsune," another voice, female this time, simpered from the side. Miku turned towards the person and groaned again as she locked gazes with one of the few girls in the world she absolutely couldn't stand. Kasane Teto, another part-time model just like her and coincidentally managed by the same modelling agency, stood there with a hand placed on her hip as though she was trying to show off her immense sexuality. Yeah, right. Teto had all the sexuality of an ironing board.
"Teto," Miku greeted her flatly. "What are you doing here?" she was helped up from the petal-strewn floor by one of the assistants, brushing off the remaining flowers as she rose to her feet. Teto rolled her eyes and spun some of her bright magenta hair around her finger, looking exactly like what she was – a conceited, stuck-up idiot. Miku honestly wondered why she seemed to keep bumping into Kasane Teto. This girl got on her nerves in a way no one else could, not even Rin's little brother on his most annoying day. Her dislike of Teto wasn't even anything to do with who her boyfriend was.
"A shoot, of course," the redhead yawned. "A bigger client than yours, mind you. Seriously, perfume? Could you get anymore skanky?" she looked Miku up and down. Miku felt mildly offended by what Teto said, though it was true – she was dressed in little more than a gauzy sheet, wrapped haphazardly around her to conceal only the most important parts. Miku had done all kinds of catalogue modelling before, including lingerie, but for some reason when Teto pointed out her attire, she felt a little bit embarrassed.
"At least I get paid without having to whore myself out to strangers," she retorted, giving Teto a playful wink to take the edge off her words – though of course she meant everything she said. Teto gave her a careful look but didn't say anything more. They both knew she was referring to Teto's various questionable magazine covers – the only thing Miku would not do was features for publications that were obviously geared towards a male audience, Playboy being one example. Teto threw herself at those covers with great relish, and Miku figured it wouldn't be long before she went even further.
Miku was escorted off the set back to the changing room, and when she was safely inside she quickly changed back into her normal clothes, shaking her hair out of her elaborate bun and quickly taking the makeup off her face. She hated makeup. When her face felt bare and clean again, she looked at the mirror and studied her reflection, dark circles and all. She didn't think her skin was bad at all – honestly, the only thing that had to be concealed was her dark eye circles. Besides that, her skin was smooth and flawless. In fact, the makeup would probably just make her skin worse.
She grabbed her bag and walked out of the changing room, hurrying down the corridor to leave the building. She hated to stay here for any longer than what was absolutely necessary, especially with the knowledge that Kasane Teto was in the same area. There was no telling when she might bump into the redheaded monster again. At least today it was an indoor photoshoot and not outdoors – it was pretty cold today, and if she had to wear so little outside…no, she didn't even want to think about it. She'd have to do it anyway since she was bound by a contract and she needed the cash, but still.
"Hey, Miku!" she heard a voice call out, smooth like velvet – the kind of voice one might hear on late-night radio, soothing and sensuous. She froze and turned around. A familiar boy was coming over towards her, his dark fringe flopping over his face, golden eyes fixed right upon her. As he walked over he reached up to brush his hair away from his eyes, and his lips tilted up into a smile. Kagene Rei stood in front of her, and for a moment she didn't know how to react. "You had a shoot today?" he asked, speaking first. She nodded wordlessly, glancing at him then at the building that stood behind them.
Rei must be waiting for Teto, then. He raised an eyebrow. "If I had known you were working today, I would have come earlier," he held her gaze and, for a quick second, she forgot how to breathe. Was he flirting with her, or was he just being nice? Then Rei smiled. "It's really interesting, watching how models get ready for a shoot then go through with it. It's a lot of hard work, isn't it?" he asked. "Teto complains about it all the time, but I don't really catch her complaining when she sees herself on magazine covers," she wasn't sure if she was imagining things, but was that bitterness in his voice?
"Yeah, it's pretty tough," she agreed. "Sometimes they force you to contort yourself into all kinds of impossible positions and then expect you to hold yourself still for a minute while your muscles scream in agony," she grinned, "but oh well. I guess it's also a pretty glamorous job, if you're the kind of person who's interested in that. I'm not," she shifted her bag further up her shoulder, watching him carefully for his reaction. Rei was looking away from her, up at the towering building. She had to wonder what he was thinking about. "I only signed on with them because I needed the cash, but school is still way more important for now," she shrugged. "I don't want to model forever."
Rei's smile widened. "Teto wants to be a supermodel in the future. She isn't even studying anymore. I think she's just going to drop out of school one of these days," he sighed heavily, then looked back down, meeting her gaze. "Want to go get some coffee? It's freezing out here, and it'll be a long time before Teto comes out," he offered. Miku hesitated. Should she agree? What Rin said about it being wrong to steal someone's boyfriend came back to mind, but…well, it wasn't like this was a date, right?
"Sure," she finally gave her answer. Rei beamed and started talking about a cool new coffee shop he stumbled across the other day, and she listened absentmindedly, nodding whenever it seemed appropriate. The whole time they were chatting over their coffee, he didn't once bring up Teto.
"You're spending way too much time with my cousin nowadays," Rin squinted at Miku, who was lying on her bed, taking selfies with Rin's phone. "Hey, stop that! My phone has like a million of your photos already!" the blonde exclaimed, jumping on Miku and trying to snatch the phone away.
"No, no! Come here! Smile!" Miku made a face, trying to angle the phone so that it would capture both their faces. Rin obliged and the two of them spent the next five minutes taking photos of each other. Miku hoped that this would make Rin lose her train of thought, but unfortunately the blonde grew tired of taking selfies and put her phone away, facing Miku. Miku groaned and sat up on the bed.
"Don't just sigh and tell me – what's up with you and my cousin?" Rin asked, blue eyes narrowing in concern. "I won't judge," she added quickly, "I just want to know what's the deal with you two. Rei's been going around with this weird smile on his face lately, and my mum actually asked him if he and Teto stopped arguing with each other…he said yes, but I don't think that's the truth. So tell me about it!"
"You won't scold me or anything?" Miku checked. Rin nodded, trepidation in her eyes, and Miku looked up at the ceiling, avoiding her best friend's gaze. "Well…Rei and I are talking, that's all," she admitted. "We're not like, dating or anything since he's attached, but we talk a lot. He's funny and he has all these life ambitions and goals. He's really driven," she stressed. Rin remained quiet, still listening, and Miku continued. "Talking to him is super fun and interesting. I really don't know why someone as eligible as Rei is with someone like Kasane Teto," Miku rolled her eyes as she said the name.
"Huh," Rin muttered. She leant back against the wall, pursing her lips. "And why did Rei suddenly start talking to you? Care to explain that?" she asked. Miku frowned. She wasn't quite sure which point she ought to start with. Come to think of it, she and Rei had a pretty complicated relationship.
"Um, he first started talking to me like, two months ago? I came out of the studio after a photoshoot and he was there, waiting for his girlfriend. So we went to a café to pass the time while he waited for her to finish…" she turned her head to look at Rin. "But apparently even before that he's always been kind of interested in me," she continued, her voice hushed. "He said that during sophomore year he started seeing my catalogues for Daycie's and other brands, and he remembered that I was from his school so he just started noticing me around, and then eventually…he became infatuated," she giggled. Rin looked mildly concerned at this, but Miku barrelled on before she could interject. "I mean he's obviously not just infatuated now," she added knowingly, giving her best friend a wink.
"Miku…but he's still with Teto, you know. Nothing can come out of you two flirting with each other now," Rin stressed, reaching out to play with her hair. Rin loved Miku's long teal hair since her own was ridiculously short – she didn't want long hair because it was a hassle to look after, especially since Rin was involved in a lot of competitive sports, but she liked how it looked on other people.
"I know," Miku lay back down on the pillow, looking back at the ceiling once more. Rin lay down with her, and the calming sounds of her breathing made the situation seem less surreal. It was still hard to believe that she was now…well, would she consider herself more than friends with Rei? The two of them had never done anything beyond simply talking, and if they ever hung out together he insisted on paying for her meal – that was about it. There was no physical contact, nothing more than burning, lingering stares – but at the same time, she was absolutely certain that he wasn't just a friend. "But I know he's not happy with Teto, Rin," she added, narrowing her eyes. "He admitted it himself. He wouldn't tell me why they're still together, apparently it's some big secret, but I know he's unhappy."
Rin remained quiet for a while. "Maybe I can ask him for you…I'm his favourite cousin," her lips tilted crookedly upwards, "so there's a chance he might tell me. No promises though," Rin added when Miku turned to give her a look of excitement. "And Miku, I still don't think it's right to be making the moves on him when he has a girlfriend, but even me nagging at you now won't dissuade you, I suppose," she sighed, shaking her head. There was a look of concern on her face, but Miku hugged her anyway.
Just then, there was a loud banging on the door, and before Rin or Miku could call out anything, the door swung open and a blond whirlwind jumped onto Rin's bed with them, screaming and crying. Kagamine Len, Rin's youngest brother, was bawling about Lenka pushing him down the stairs, holding his arms out towards Miku and Rin as he searched for a hug. Miku pulled the little boy towards her, wrapping her arms around him – between the two girls, she had always been the more indulgent one, while Rin often took on a disciplinary role for her siblings. "Again?" Rin spluttered, outraged. "Don't worry, Lenny! Big sister Rin will take care of it for you!" she kissed him on the cheek and the boy's sniffling quietened slightly. "You stay here with big sister Miku until I'm back, okay?" she added as she got off the bed, presumably to find the second youngest Kagamine kid.
Len nodded, burying his face in Miku's shirt, getting the front of it all wet, but Miku didn't mind. The kid was adorable, and she couldn't just turn him away when he was in pain like that. "But Len, if it's because you stole one of Lenka's diaries again, I'm not helping you," Rin added right before she left the room. Her gaze darted up, meeting Miku's. "You should stay away from things that aren't yours," she warned, and for some reason it felt like Rin was directing those words at Miku rather than Len.
"I didn't!" Len whined. "She pushed me!" Rin gave her kid brother a droll look and turned, walking out of the door and closing it behind her. Len stared up at her, blue eyes teary. He was a beautiful boy – he'd grow up to be a real stunner someday. Though by the time he was eighteen, she would already be thirty. Suddenly, Miku felt a little old. "Miku, you believe me, right?" he sniffled.
"Of course," she answered vaguely, stroking his hair. He leant his head against her chest and she felt his breathing eventually slow down, becoming steady and even. She continued to stroke his blond hair. Little children sure could fall asleep quickly. Rin still wasn't back yet, and she thought about the blonde's subtle warning right before she left the room. Stay away from things that aren't yours… "But was he yours if he wanted me so bad?" she asked softly. She was answered with silence.
"You need to stop spending so much time with my boyfriend," she heard a familiar, unwelcome voice ring out behind her and Miku turned around to see Kasane Teto with her hands on her hips, glaring at her. Miku just leant against her locker and looked at her. The redhead seemed worried.
"Why, afraid that I'll steal him?" she asked archly. Teto narrowed her eyes. "Isn't he your boyfriend, Teto? You should have more faith in him," she turned back to her locker, spinning the combination lock to open it. Unslinging her backpack, she kept most of her textbooks inside, slamming the locker shut and locking the door once more. The whole time Teto remained there, practically breathing down her neck. "Look, I don't know what you're so worried about. We're just friends," she said dismissively, annoyed with the redhead now. "I happen to be Rin's best friend – you know Rin, his cousin?"
"Whatever, Hatsune," Teto hissed. "Let's pretend that I totally didn't notice you making those weird googly eyes at him whenever he looks in your direction. Get it into your head that he's mine and nothing you do will ever change that fact!" she exclaimed, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. Miku would quite like to wipe that smile off her face. "Nothing, by the way. Absolutely nothing," she added, as if she was afraid Miku didn't hear her the first time. Miku sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, sure, whatever you say," she glanced at her non-existent watch, tapping on her bare wrist. "Now, why don't you let poor little Miku go now? Unlike someone who intends to drop out from school to pursue her dead-end modelling career, some people actually have to get to class on time," she simpered. Teto looked like she wanted to slap her, but luckily for her she didn't – if she had, Miku was pretty good at fighting back and Teto would definitely have ended up on the losing end. The vapid airhead could barely lift a grocery bag without falling over and crying for help.
"Whatever, you bitch," Teto spat, turning on her heel and stalking off. Miku shook her head and let out a quiet laugh. It was really fun, getting the last word in. She turned her head to see if anyone had caught the exchange in the hallway – a door suddenly swung open and she saw a familiar pair of golden eyes, the boy smiling and laughing as he walked out with a group of his friends. Kagene Rei saw her and paused, meeting her gaze, before he said something to the others and started walking in her direction. The guys left without him, and then Rei was standing before her, looking serious.
"I hope that Teto isn't giving you any trouble?" he searched her gaze, expression filled with concern. "This morning she called me up and started screeching at me over the phone like a complete madwoman," he shook his head. "I wish I could just break up with her," he muttered. Miku tilted her head. Honestly, she still didn't know why Rei was together with Kasane Teto. Rin had yet to ask him anything about his situation. Anyone else would have broken up with the little brat by now. Rei was really patient.
"She cornered me a few seconds ago. You just missed her," she admitted. His head shot up, the concern on his face obvious, but she quickly reassured him. "She didn't do anything, just warned me to stay away from you," she shrugged. "I told her we're just friends," she gave him a quick smile. It wasn't a lie, technically. Rei relaxed slightly and nodded, looking relieved. "What is Teto's problem, though?" she asked, curious now. "Don't tell me she's not even just a little bit unhinged. She's crazy!"
Rei shook his head despondently. "It's better if you didn't know," he muttered. "The girl really is batshit crazy, that's right. I seriously regret ever getting involved with her," he held her gaze. "Things would be different if we had started talking in freshmen year, huh?" he grinned, giving her a playful wink before he told her he had to rush off to another class, leaving her standing there outside her locker. She blinked after him, her heart racing in her chest. Kagene Rei was definitely flirting with her.
Were they really just friends, or was it something more? Whatever it was, she knew that with Teto in the way, there was no way their relationship could ever reach its full potential. Teto was such a pain.
"She's just getting on my nerves," Miku groaned as Rin sped through traffic, honking at every car unfortunate enough to block her way. The blonde was a speed freak, and Miku knew that one day they would either get a ticket or worse, into an accident – but Rin was not to be dissuaded.
"You should hear what Rei has to say about her," Rin answered, her gaze focused firmly on the cars in front of her. The light was red, and the car was purring beneath them, just waiting to speed into action. Rin's fingers tapped lightly against the steering wheel. "God, I just had to bring up her name and it unleashed a flood. I don't want to know how long he's been carrying around all that pent-up angst!" the light turned green, and Rin slammed her foot down. The car sped off, so quickly that Miku's head slammed back into the headrest. Rin was a truly reckless driver.
"Years, I bet. They got together in sophomore year. I remember," she snorted, looking out of the window. The scenery was almost blurring together. Luckily for Rin they were turning into the highway now, where she could drive as fast as she wanted. "Did he say why they're still together?" she asked, curious. It was really a great mystery. Rei was focused, determined and driven, while Teto barely seemed to know what she wanted out of life. Rei was funny and charming, Teto was a brat. And it wasn't like Rei wasn't well-off or popular or anything. So why were they even together?
Rin made a face. "He did," she answered carefully. "But honestly it's because of Teto. He made me promise not to tell anyone anything, but well, I can say that she's kind of blackmailing him. That's all," she turned, and Miku almost screamed when she slid across her seat. Luckily she was wearing her seatbelt. "I don't know how I feel about you and Rei, really. I mean on one hand, he and Teto have a toxic relationship, but you're still going to be the third party, you know," she added pointedly.
"I don't mind," Miku studied her reflection in the rear view mirror. Bright green eyes looked back at her, sharp and determined. "I get Rei, and at the same time I get rid of an annoying pest. Why not?" she grinned. "Might as well crush all hopes of her ever becoming a supermodel while I'm at it."
"You don't love her, do you?" Miku asked, sitting cross-legged on her bed, her phone pressed against her ear. There was a dry cough, and then she heard his sensuous voice in her ear, chuckling.
"I don't know. Depends on how you define love," he answered. Miku flopped down onto her bed, looking at the ceiling. Phone calls with Rei were becoming more and more common nowadays. It was almost a daily thing by now. "If love is just staying around with the person and supporting them, I guess that means I do love her?" he mused. "But if you mean attraction…then no. I don't love her at all."
It was reassuring to hear him say that. "Are you attracted to me, then?" she whispered, her heart thudding in her chest. She wanted to hear his response. There was another laugh, this time slower and smoother. His voice was like melted chocolate. If he had been single no doubt half the school would be crowding around him. But Teto's presence basically chased all the other girls off. Well, except for her, because clearly Miku was stupid. But Teto's rage was something she was willing to risk. There was nothing Teto could do to her, after all. Teto may be a known model, but so was Miku, and there was nothing Teto could say to the media about her without Miku countering it right back.
"You already know the answer," Rei's murmur was husky. "But if you want to hear me say it again, then yes, I am. Far more than I am to Teto," his tone abruptly soured, and Miku stifled a laugh. "If only she wasn't there, watching my every move – oh. Pretend I didn't say that," he said quickly, sounding almost nervous. Miku raised an eyebrow. This, coupled with Rin's comment about Teto basically blackmailing her boyfriend, made her feel really suspicious. There was definitely something up with their situation. "Anyway, do you want to go out again tomorrow? There's someplace special I'd like to show you," he still sounded nervous. It was cute. Rei rarely ever sounded unsure of himself.
"Why don't you invite Teto too?" she suggested. "To let her know that we're really just friends. We don't want her having any misconceptions about our relationship now, do we?" she giggled. Rei seemed hesitant, saying no at first, but she continued pushing until he finally agreed, albeit reluctantly. So they arranged to meet in front of the central park gates tomorrow at ten in the morning. Miku put the phone down, her lips curving upwards. It would be an exciting day tomorrow. She couldn't wait.
She was so excited, in fact, that for once she didn't need an alarm clock to wake her up. Rin had sent her a long string of texts about her meeting today, and Miku just told her that she would be fine – she wouldn't have to worry about Teto at all. Grabbing some toast for breakfast, she left the house.
Teto was waiting in front of the gates, wrapped in a fur coat and a knitted scarf. Miku slowed as she approached the gates, looking distastefully at the coat – well, she hoped that wasn't made out of real fur. She hated to think of how many rabbits died making that thing. "Hatsune," Teto called out, her pink eyes narrowing. She had seen Miku. Miku brisk walked over, tucking her hands into her coat pockets. It was nearing winter, and the weather was getting pleasantly cool. "I don't know what you're up to, Hatsune," Teto began threateningly, "but if you try to come between me and Rei –"
"Blah, blah, blah," Miku cut in dismissively. The redhead stiffened. "Stop thinking that the universe revolves around you, Teto. Rei and I are just friends. We even invited you along, didn't we? So that you would stop bitching all the time about how we're sneaking around behind your back," she tossed her teal hair behind her shoulders, watching out for the dark boy. Both she and Teto were earlier than expected, so Rei had not showed up yet. Teto fumed quietly, but didn't say anything more.
Rei popped up at the end of the street a short while later, hurrying over to her and Teto. "Hey, sorry," he exhaled when he reached them. "Were you waiting for long?" he smiled at them, but his gaze lingered noticeably on Miku. Miku smiled back, but Teto practically threw herself at her boyfriend, giving her another glare, and Miku rolled her eyes and sighed. Rei's smile dimmed a little, becoming something more like a grimace, but he didn't try to push his girlfriend away or anything. "There's a gazebo hidden deep in the central park. Most people have forgotten it even exists, and it does look kind of rundown, but it's really pretty. It's the place I mentioned yesterday," he held Miku's gaze again, golden eyes unreadable. "Let's go in?" he suggested. The two girls nodded, and they walked into the park, Miku strolling behind the two of them as Teto glued herself to Rei's side.
The walk through the park was peaceful save for Teto's incessant chatter. Miku tuned her out after a while – the only things she ever brought up were her popularity, celebrity gossip and her magazine covers. Poor Rei. He looked bored to death, but he continued nodding and pretending that he was listening to Teto's jabbering. Miku caught his eye when he glanced back to look at her, and he gave her a small smile, but Teto yanked on his arm and forced him to look back at her. Miku tilted her head. Well, she'd see to it that Rei would be freed from Teto in a while. It shouldn't take long.
They went off the beaten path in the park, into one of the woodsier areas. Rei led the way forward, Teto complaining about the fallen leaves and branches messing up her outfit, until finally they got to the gazebo Rei had mentioned. Teto squealed at the sight of it and ran up the steps, while Miku hung back for a while, regarding the structure – the gazebo was made of wood and some of it was rotting in places, but there was an eerie beauty in how empty it was, how it stood lonely out here in the middle of the woods, untouched and unseen by most. The ceiling was still largely intact. "I came across this place while playing fetch with my dog," Rei explained. "It ran all the way here and I found the gazebo. It's been a secret of mine ever since," he grinned. "I wanted to show it to you."
"To me?" Miku raised an eyebrow, and both of them looked at Teto, who was still in the gazebo, tapping critically on the wooden pillars. Some of the white paint was flaking off in patches, which seemed to greatly concern the redhead. The stairs leading up to the wooden platform had partially disintegrated too – it seemed like the gazebo might collapse at any moment, but it was still valiantly holding itself up for now. "Not to your girlfriend?" she added pointedly. Rei grimaced at that.
"Don't refer to her as that," he whispered, lowering his voice so that Teto wouldn't be able to hear him. "I'm just waiting for her to let go of me – it's bound to happen when we graduate and she finds someone better. At least I hope she does," Rei sighed heavily, watching as Teto drew her fur coat around herself, thankfully still distracted by the gazebo. "Honestly, Teto is a little…crazy, yeah. And the only reason why I'm still with her is because if we ever broke up she'd go insane and probably hurt herself, or maybe my friends, which I'm more afraid of," he gave her a sour smile.
"That's all?" she asked, genuinely startled. She hadn't expected to find out the reason why they were still together just like that, in this deserted area of the park. Rei blinked, as though surprised, and she giggled. "I thought it would be something more…" she stepped closer to him, holding his stare. "You don't have to worry about Teto," she promised, before grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him down to her. Their lips met, and she sighed – for a moment, everything was still. Then two things happened.
The first thing was that Rei wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back, his lips moving hungrily against hers. The second was that Teto let out an almost inhuman scream and dashed out from the gazebo, trying to pull Miku away from Rei. But Miku latched tightly on to him, ignoring the redhead until she really started hitting Miku. Rei was the one who let go first, anger on his face, but Miku stepped in front of him and shoved the redhead away from her, her green eyes narrowing. Teto panted, her eyes wild, but Miku wasn't afraid. She met the redhead's gaze and smiled sweetly.
"Teto, Rei doesn't love you. He loves me. You lost, so stop deluding yourself otherwise," she looped her hair behind her ear, tilting her head to one side. Then her smile became almost cruel. "And if you try to harass him again," she raised the handgun she had concealed in her coat, stolen from her father last night, and placed one finger on the trigger, "then I'm afraid I'll just have to kill you."
A/N: The title kind of gives it away, but bonus points if you can guess the inspiration song for this story. Also, this might have done better as a two or three-shot, but again I didn't want to write that much. I guess some of these stories I might eventually convert into multi-chapter stories, but for now they'll stay as one-shots so I don't forget about the idea.