NORMAL POV

By the time the trio reached Sonika and Gumi's house, the sun had finally pulled across the horizon and welcomed the dark, October sky in. They were far from the first people there-people littered the lawn of the house where several games were tossed around to be enjoyed throughout the evening.

"Looks like a mini fall festival here," Rin said, marveling at how densely the lawn was decorated with spooky ornaments. Fake webs were strewn across the trees crowding around the house, providing a sense of privacy. Multiple jack-o-lanterns sat across ten feet apart from each other along with torches illuminating the walkway and a pathway that seemed to lead to the back.

Her friends nodded, taking in the sight and standing still on the sidewalk. They stood there for a few seconds before more people, clad in costumes, began pushing their way in.

"Well, no sense standing out here," Luka began, pulling the two along by one hand each. "Let's join in on the fun!"

Having just arrived minutes before themselves, Len and Kaito were situated by the buffet table laid out on the left side of the house. Girls kept walking by the pair, twirling their hair and batting their long eyelashes at the two as they said hello and complimented their costumes.

Len seemed neutral to the attention from the girls, his eyes continuously scanning in the newcomers. This surprised Kaito. Len had told him about the incident with Rin on the car ride over and how he intended to apologize, but he was still surprised to see his friend anxiously awaiting this girl's arrival.

As the short, blonde girl entered their sights, Len's shoulders moved down and he turned away, not wanting to be seen immediately. Kaito chuckled at this.

"What are you thinking about, Zeus?" Len asked for the random laughter, turning to fill his punch cup again.

Kaito shrugged the matter off his mind and looked for his own girl in his mind. "Do you think Meiko will be around tonight? If she was, what kind of costume do you think she'd wear?"

Len brought the cup to his lips and then paused. "Probably not Hera, if that's what you're thinking."

"Ha," Kaito said, moving his hand from his robe to give him a swift jab.

Now it was Len's turn to laugh at the want of his friend. He scanned the crowd along with Kaito until they fell around a group of girls taking photos by a fall backdrop made with hay and scarecrows.

He gestured to Meiko posing with Teto. "You mean Athena over there? How cute, you two are matching."

Kaito's cheeks flushed, but he smiled at the coincidence and flicked Len's felt ears. "Shut up, cat boy. Why are you dressed as a dumb cat anyways?"

"Dumb cat to you. Sultry, mysterious black cat to the ladies," Len countered. After apologizing to Rin, he still intended to have his fair share of fun for the night. And perhaps that "fun" would include one lucky girl from the party.

"God, I can't believe that works on anyone," Kaito teased and sighed, beginning to move away from the table. "Alright, let's stop standing here and go have some fun."

Making their way to the apple bobbing section was Rin, Luka, and Aito. Luka had quickly spotted her fantastical "god" by the snack table and the group began to "casually'' make their way over, slowly so as to not seem eager.

"And so, then I asked Teto if she would rather have a boyfriend or bread, and she said-"

"Oo, let's go bob for apples! That looks like fun!" Rin exclaimed, pointing to the game several meters in front of them.

"Thanks for interrupting, Rin," Aito muttered, mocking a fake frown.

"Sorry!" Rin said. "It's just that you see this all the time in shows and books, but I've never actually been able to do something like the actual game."

"How does it even work?" Luka wondered out loud as they stood in front of the sign with instructions.

Aito sighed, pushing aside the story for later. Suddenly, he felt someone gently tapped his shoulder. It was so light he might not have realized it if the girl hadn't also cleared her throat. He turned around to see Gumi in a light green fairy costume, complete with a skirt that lit up in patterns.

"Oh, hey, Gumi," Aito said, smiling lightly. "Cute costume."

"H-Hi, Aito," Gumi said with a bigger smile than his. "Thank you, I wasn't sure if something like this was too childish."

"Nah, it suits you."

Something warm and soft bloomed in her heart as he said this and she nodded. "I just wanted to see if you had made it. I'm glad you guys came over."

"Of course! Thank you for inviting us."

Luka joined the conversation, smiling widely at Gumi. "Yes, thank you! This whole place looks decked down everywhere. It looks so good."

As her friends spoke to the host, Rin looked down to take note of the line for bobbing apples.

"Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

The sound of the familiar voice jerked Rin back to reality.

Of course. Len was here too.

She glanced briefly to the direction of the cheesy line, spotting Len and a girl in an angel costume. The girl stood in front of Kaito and Len, blushing from the compliment and giggling at his line.

She rolled her eyes and turned her back to them to face Luka and Aito who were now waving their goodbyes to Gumi. Maybe they could come back to this game at a later time-

"Alright, listen up!" A redhead in a green, glittery flapper costume yelled out enough to be heard to the group.

Crap, too late.

"This isn't your typical bobbing for apples game. The objective is still to lean down and bob for an item, but this is a couples/pair version. You will grab what is floating in the water and hand it to your partner only using your mouth, and your mouth only! If any item falls, you have to leave it there and points will be deducted. Points for each item are displayed on the boards beside me. Any questions?"

As the couples around them looked at the boards, Rin looked around frantically for an out.

'Who could I be partners with?'

Before she could grab Luka, her friend had shyly offered to partner up with Kaito for the game. Kaito, being as friendly as he was with anyone and everyone, agreed in a second. This left Aito, but with the history between the two… no. Besides, a girl who had been standing by approached him already, no doubt asking if he'd be okay with being her partner. No Luka, Aito, Kaito, random girl to the side, heck, even the angel girl would be okay for now-

Before Rin could sulk back to the snack table, a stranger with a golden mask ran up and pulled her arm and a random arm together, announcing the pair.

"Last pair!" the oddly familiar voice yelled, pushing the two towards the other pairs before running off, her red twintails bouncing.

"One last rule," flapper girl continued as the pairs began to stand by a set of buckets. "To make things even more difficult, you two must also be holding hands throughout the game. Letting go results in immediate disqualification."

At the new, intimate rules, Rin began to blush, quickly turning to see who this random partner was.

The blush deepened as the two stared into their blue eyes.

"Rin."

"Len."

Her mouth dried up at seeing him up close again. What should she have felt? Any angry words floated away from her as she noticed his sympathetic eyes.

"Listen, Rin, I actually wanted to apologize-"

"Okay couples, listen up!" the flapper girl spoke up, strutting in front of the buckets of water and gesturing to the two buckets in front of each pair. "Like I said before, there are a variety of items in those buckets, but they all float. There are five items in total, down to the smallest piece. One partner must grab one with their mouth and hand it to the other by their mouth. The opposite partner must then drop it into the bucket on the other end. The game ends when a pair drops all five items into the bucket or in the case of dropped items, when all players have finished and whomever has the highest point tally."

Len cursed at the continuing of the rules and as the couples began to hold hands to await the start of the game. He had wished he could settle things with Rin first, but now here he was in this awkward position where they would seemingly have to recreate what happened just the other day.

He looked up at Rin, noticing her nervous demeanor and hesitance. His eyes were met with hers and took in the apologetic look in them. The ice in her shifted.

Len reached out his hand and gave her a small smile, trying to make the best of the situation.

"Are you okay with this?" he asked. Surprisingly, she offered her own hand out for him to take. He did. It was soft and small. Something he felt like giving a small squeeze to.

"The couple that wins the game wins whatever is in this envelope," she said, shaking an orange envelope with a fake spider glued onto the side. "Blah, blah, don't cheat, blah. Everyone, get ready!"

Suddenly feeling all sorts of new eyes on her, Rin started to feel self-conscious about her participation in the game, even though she knew most of the stares came from girls watching who were glaring daggers at her for pairing with Rin. Due to the nervousness, she accidentally gives Len's a soft squeeze.

"A-Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to," Rin stuttered out, almost pulling away until Len gave her a small squeeze back.

"Hey, no sweat," he replied. His casualness calmed her. "Let's just try to have fun, okay?"

Rin nodded, confused by just how calm and collected he seemed. Was it just her who had been thinking of what happened after school? Did she really overreact?

"How about this," Len offered, pulling her attention. "If we win, can I have a few minutes of your night to talk about what happened the other day?"

Rin's lips opened and paused, correcting her thoughts. "And if we lose?"

Len laughed and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. "Um… I don't know, you're free to hit me as much as you'd like since I made a fool of myself before?"

To this, Rin eased into laughter. "Okay, that's something I can agree to."

"Everyone ready?"

In a collective voice, the groups all yelled out, "Yes!"

"Ready,

Set,

Go!"

The first of the pairs began to squat down, pushing their faces into the cold water. Rin gasped, surprised at how cold the water had gotten sitting out and worried if her makeup would run if she wasn't careful enough. She wiped the water with her free hand and dove her face back down to the first easy item-the apple.

She sprung back up and turned to Len, who struggled to angle his face correctly to grab a bite of the red apple.

The game continued on with minimum effort, the pairs running together back and forth across the buckets. The small audience that gathered cheered for their favorites and gasped whenever the first team dropped an item.

Len was the next to grab an item. It was a small dog tag with no chain. There was little room to lean in and bite onto the metal-keeping her eyes closed the entire time-and softly brushing against his lips milliseconds before he let go after she had a solid hold.

As they continued, the nervousness in Rin's body was replaced with a bubbly energy. The night had finally fallen around them and the lights strewn around shined down on their heads. Music from Sonika's playlist blasted inside the house and outside with speakers, something similar to what would be playing on the radio. Everyone was having a good time, the focus was off of her, and something in Rin realized she could have fun just like everybody else.

Still, the intimacy of the game did call for girls like Rin and Luka to blush knowing who their partners were. Rin smiled to herself as Len dropped another piece into the bucket, looking over at her friend who shared an ecstatic look with her. Even Aito seemed to be having fun with the girl he paired with, even though Gumi had been staring from the sidelines with her friends.

"Looks like many couples are reaching the final, smallest item! Who will get it across?"

It was Rin's turn to dive in. For a moment, she didn't see anything floating in the water until it bobbed to the middle. It was a tiny piece of candy, wrapped in orange. She dove in and tried to grasp just the edge, but it was too small. The only thing she could do was really place it all in her mouth.

Other couples began to stand in confusion, trying to figure out how they were to pass the small candy without it dropping. Instantly, one bold guy leaned in and kissed his pair, confusing the rest of us until we noticed her mouth open from shock and the candy fell over to her.

Rin rose from the bucket and turned to Len with wide eyes.

'Okay, this game was fun while it lasted.' Len noted and shrugged, hoping that would let Rin know that it was okay for them to stop there. It was fine if they didn't win. He intended to keep his part of the deal up, and if after beating him to a pulp, she was okay with hearing his apology, then-

Just as he was thinking how to phrase such a request, Len felt Rin pull his arm towards her, wrapping another arm around his side. Their faces swung inches close to each other. Rin jutted her chin up and within seconds, their lips smashed together into a clumsy kiss.

Before Len could register what was going on, Rin was pushing the candy through his lips and once it plopped safely on his tongue, pulled away with a red face, breathing hard. What she didn't expect to see was Len, just as red, lips still gaped open in shock, nearly breathless himself.


RIN'S POV

There I was, staring point blank at Len Kagamine's face holding an expression I had never seen him with. Heck, perhaps an expression no one else had seen on him before.

But as much as I wanted to admire the way I had shocked him, there was still a game to win.

I gave Len's arm a wiggle and pointed to the bucket. "Come on, Len! We can still win this!"

It was as if my voice physically shook him back to reality. Visibly shaking his head, Len closed his lips and ran over to the bucket on the opposite side without a second to waste. My arm was pulled along as he ran and I silently thanked the cold autumn wind for cooling the heat on my cheeks. There's the sound of a soft plunk and then the now medium group cheering.

"And looks like we've got our winners!"

But my eyes are only on Len Kagamine. My back was to the light, so my face was covered in shadows. His face, in contrast, was lit up by the artificial lighting around us and there it was again, that look of vulnerability. Coming from him.

Len Kagamine. The guy I had only met a week ago.

Len Kagamine. My first kiss in over a year.

Len. Freaking. Kagamine.

"Aaaand here's your prize," the girl said, gingerly placing the envelope in Len's hands and walking away to leave us staring at each other.

DID I JUST KISS LEN KAGAMINE?!

I ducked my head away as Luka and Kaito walked up to us with chatter.

"Sorry that I almost kissed you at the end there," Kaito said. "Your boyfriend will probably be mad when he hears about that."

"Boyfriend? Oh, no, I'm actually single," Luka said, twirling a strand of pink hair in her fingers and flaunting her availability.

The two were so distracted with themselves that they didn't notice the tension between Len and I.

What were we supposed to say now?

"Um," I awkwardly began, pointing to the envelope, but still not daring to meet his eyes. "So what's in the envelope anyways?"

"Oh, right."

Len pulled the fake spider off and slipped the light orange letter out.

"Dear winners,

Congratulations! At the end of the night, you may come up on stage with the others who have won and grab a "Trick-or-Treat" bag. Beware, for not all prizes are good. Will you pull a trick, or a treat?"

Of course we couldn't have just gotten a simple prize like candy.

"Sounds like Sonika to have a twist ending," Len sighed, replacing the letter and offering it to me to read.

"Sonika, the girl with the saliva problem?" Kaito chimed in.

Oh, right, Sonika was the girl Len was messing around with that day. The reminder of the day made my stomach lurch forward. Len quickly glanced at my face before shaking his head at Kaito, maybe to drop the topic. Too bad the image was already in my head.

"Well, we did come in second place," Kaito said, addressing Luka again. "So that means we are a lucky pair! And so are you two, Len!"

As the blush from Kaito's statement settled in, Aito walked up to our group again.

"And so, I, Zeus, declare that we will compete in the other games!" Kaito announced, swinging his arm and nearly missing Aito's head. Aito reared back just in time and Kaito turned around. "Oh, sorry dude, didn't see you there."

"Nah, it's all good," Aito muttered, raising an eyebrow at his friends. There was a drip of annoyance in his voice, but he switched it instantly before anyone else could notice. Maybe he had been wishing to have Luka to himself tonight.

"So, how about we keep playing as a group?" I proposed, looking at everyone. That way, everybody would win. We wouldn't have to leave Luka alone with Kaito to possibly embarrass herself, Aito would still get time with her, and maybe Len and I could find some alone time so he could finally tell me what he wanted to say earlier.


LUKA'S POV

Oh. My. Goodness!

I had not expected the night to go as well as it did. And when Kaito said we could stay paired up for a few more games, I could hardly contain the squeal building up inside me. On the outside, I may have been cooly following Kaito as we all walked to another game, but on the inside my heart was bursting and jumping around.

We had lined up for another game and were waiting for our turn. None of us could read the sign properly yet, but so many other people were joining in, so we didn't doubt it was most likely something we could all enjoy. Aito and Kaito were sharing a conversation about Greek mythology (Kaito actually didn't realize how many mortal women Zeus had hooked up with besides Hera). Len and Rin had excused themselves for a moment a few minutes ago and were standing to the side by a tree. Len and Kaito had shared a look before they walked off, which I thought was strange. Aito and I gave a look to Rin, checking if she wanted us to intervene, but it looked like she was okay with it. Maybe something happened in the middle of the previous game?

As I glanced back and forth from the guys to the two, I noticed Len's apologetic face and Rin playing with the bottom frills of her dress, a nervous habit she's always had. From my spot, I couldn't hear anything of what was shared. Suddenly, Rin broke into a smile and laughed, nodding. And was that… possibly embarrassment on both of their faces?

Rin gave Len a soft punch on the shoulder for something he said and then the two began laughing together, now walking back to the group.

Could he have asked her out? Maybe that's why he tried to kiss her earlier this week? But as far as I had known him, Len wasn't the type to actually date anybody. Was my friend the first to break this trend?

Whatever it was, the two didn't speak about it once they came back.

"Hey, Len, did you know that apparently Zeus could take the form of an animal too?" Kaito piped up as he saw his friend walk back. "Like a bull!"

"Yeah, of course. What did you think Zeus could do?" Aito answered, wondering how Kaito had missed the mythology course in their English classes.

Kaito shrugged. "I dunno. Thought the guy was just god of all gods and could shoot lightning bolts and stuff."

"There's honestly too much in Greek mythology to even remember," I agreed, almost wanting to swat at Aito to use this moment to flex his few literature skills. If anything, I expected Rin to geek out on us about this.

The line in front of us moved up and Kaito turned around to begin walking. Once his eyes were out of view I gave Aito a slap on the back.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Oo, what's the game?" I asked, the sign now in our view.

Rin and I read it in unison. "Fear Factor!?"

Much to our dismay, the boys cheered and pushed us along forward as someone began reading the directions out loud.

"Groups will be given five bowls of unidentifiable, bloody treats that must be 100% completed, no crumbs or pieces left aside. If you can't keep it in, you're disqualified. First group to finish the meals wins!"

"Sounds simple enough," the boys agreed, all nodding to themselves. Before I could protest, Kaito walked on up and let the person in charge of the group know we were joining as one unit. Aito pulled me along to the tables on the side where our doom waited for us.


MIKI'S POV

I didn't know how we got to this. Oh, nevermind, now I remember. It was all because of Teto. She insisted the three of us could finish off FIVE meals by ourselves. Gumi even insisted the bowls weren't that bad, that they just appeared disgusting.

Well excuse me, they weren't the ones stuck with the green bowl of jell-o and cooked sausage fingers.

"Stop being a baby," Teto said, her face covered in red tomato sauce from her "Spaghetti and Brains" bowl.

I slammed my hand down on the table as the table beside us turned into an uproar. Something about Rin yelling at Len to force it down for the team.

"I don't even want to win!" I said. "Gumi told me some of the prizes you get at the end, and I don't think I want any of that to begin with!"

Gumi smiled sheepishly at me as she ate the deviled eggs decorated to look like eyes. Teto just rolled her eyes and shrugged, taking out her small notebook and scribbling a few lines down.

I dropped my silverware, deciding to give up at the win and try to sneak a glance at Teto's book. She dodged the tilt of my head and swiftly closed the book.

I began to poke at the green jell-o again as Teto asked, "Gumi, do you remember where I put that creepy white dress with the red blood stains?"

Of course she was up to mischief tonight as well. I pulled out my phone under the tablecloth and glanced at the newest text message notification.


NORMAL POV

As the night progressed, the group wandered around to different games, winning and losing some. Aito brought in a surprising win singing the Titanic theme song. Kaito and Luka, being pretty good actors themselves, brought them to a lead in charades, but their unenthusiastic team members couldn't guess correctly in time.

There's a flush on their cheeks as they approach what they silently agreed would be the last game of the night, seeing as the night sky had settled in and the bright moon was shining above them.

Standing on top of a small stage made of pallets, Sonika stood center with a green microphone. "The stars have finally come out and so has the darkness! We'll be having a Halloween Treasure Hunt as our last game of the night! If you'd like to join, go over to the left side of the trees and wait for the other contestants. Everyone else, please enjoy the new snacks brought over on the refreshment table."

Aito eyed the employees setting down large plates of appetizers on the tables to the side. "Rich people things," he silently whispered to Rin, jabbing her side to get her to see.

Rin giggled, but shortly turned her attention back to everyone else who began whispering and wondering who would join the game.

"Sounds like fun!"

"But it's really dark now…"

"What if there's something in the forest?"

"This is a gated property, right?"

She turned over to the group again, wanting to see how they felt about the last challenge.

"I'm down," Kaito announced with a grin, shoving his chest out (much to Luka's pleasure). "Nothing in that forest could scare me."

"Same here!" Luka agreed.

"Yeah…" Rin repeated, much less enthusiastically. Len noticed her eyes continuously looking into the dark forest. Her hands returned back to her sides, twiddling with the fabric of her dress.

Gumi began to walk through the crowd with a pumpkin sign to distinguish herself. "Everyone who wants to participate, follow me!" Sonika trailed with a box of flashlights.

"Now, before you go off to the forest to look for the pumpkin trick or treat bag, I must warn you of–"

Gumi cut her sister off. "Sonika! We're skipping that part, remember?"

"What?" Sonika continued, starting to hand out flashlights. "The fact that we've heard strange noises coming from the forest ever since we moved in? That sometimes you can see a woman wandering around in a white dress, enchanting people to–"

"Sonika! Quit!" Gumi hushed through her teeth. "Ignore her. She's just lying."

As more people walked over to get a flashlight for themselves, they began whispering about what Sonika had just said. Could she have been lying? Gumi was the more level-headed sister. But it wasn't like Sonika to make up a lie like that. And after all, Gumi was in advanced Theatre at their school–you couldn't tell if she was just really good at acting.

The two began to announce the rules in tandem.

"Your goal is to wander around the forest in pairs with a flashlight, looking for a glow in the dark pumpkin trick or treat bag. It's really big, you won't miss it."

"But beware! There are lots of tricks and cobwebs!"

"Remember to stay with partners for safety."

"Or else!"

"Aaand all of you should have my number or Sonika's if something happens."

"Like catching a glimpse of the–"

Gumi began to drag her sister away before she could divulge more to the crowd.

"Ready, Set, Go!"


LEN'S POV

In the beginning of the search, everyone seemed to stick together, as if afraid to break off to deeper parts of the forest. I noticed Miku wandering alone with seemingly no pair, but staying close enough to our group.

Most of my attention was on Rin, however. She kept jumping at every little thing we came upon.

"Relax, Rin, it's just a fake spider," Aito said, plucking a glittery spider off a tree and letting it fall on the ground.

"I-I knew that," Rin muttered, shining her flashlight on the spider as if to see if it would move.

Miku, who I didn't realize was beside me, shined her flashlight on the tree where a tape player lay against the roots. Kaito leaned forward and pressed the play button.

"Hello teenagers, I want to play a game."

Aito began snickering, saying something about the voice sounding like Sonika's but altered to be lower. I felt Rin immediately get closer to the group, her flashlight and hand bumping against mine. I felt my throat tighten up a bit.

"Greetings… and welcome. You all came to this Halloween party looking for a fun and nice evening, but you might get more than what you signed up for. Ever since you stepped into this forest you've been looking for a pumpkin trick-or-treat bag. I'll give you one hint about the hiding spot: You won't find me amongst the stars, nor in the cold, dead ground. If you can realize what I'm talking about, your chances of finding the bag are doubled."

"That's all?" Aito commented before Luka hushed him."

"One last warning: Make sure to stay in pairs or groups, for others are seeking the same prize. And beware of the woman wandering around for a treasure of her own. Live or die, make your choice."

I shivered at the last sentence. In the back of my head I could rationalize that this was all a game, that the tape player was set by Sonika and Gumi, and that there were little lights on the ground guiding us back to their house just in case we actually got lost, but there was something about the atmosphere that still made it creepy.

"This. Is. Awesome!" Kaito yelled, laughing with his "dude bro" laugh and starting to walk along the path again. Luka quickly followed along, laughing and starting to speak with him about the Saw movies. Aito muttered something under his breath and began to follow the trio, with Miku silently following them but sweeping her flashlight against the trees for clues.

I began to slowly walk over with them, but then noticed Rin standing in the same spot.

"Are you okay?" I asked, kind of worried. I thought it was the moonlight earlier, but I realized now that her face had slowly been turning pale.

"Of course I am," Rin snapped almost immediately. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Despite her hard exterior, I could see her hands trembling.

"Well," I started, hoping to lighten the mood. "We are in the dark… in a forest, all alone… with this mysterious lady walking around–"

"I don't need to be reminded!" she yelled, prompting me to drop the jokes. In the silence, she cleared her throat and let out a soft "sorry."

I merely nodded as she walked up to me. Her hands trembled even more than before. They kept bumping into mine, and maybe that's what made me do what I did next. Maybe it was the face that the group was several feet ahead of us. That there was the cover of darkness. Or maybe it was to calm my own nerves.

My hand gently cupped hers, and as she stepped forward, she gently tightened her fingers against my palm. To my surprise, she didn't revolt or say anything. Now standing closer to her, I could feel her costume sway against my pants every now and then. It was like as soon as her skin touched mine, my senses flamed up and I could feel and see every little thing. The smell of the distant scent of cooked goods back at Gumi's house. The trees swaying from the slight breeze coming every few minutes. And most prominent of all, the moonlight on Rin's face, the small bead of a tear hanging onto her lower lashes, her lower lip slightly tucked under her top lip in a worried expression. The same lips that–

Rin immediately stopped as the soft music we were hearing began to blast even louder, as if something was coming rapidly at us.

Just then, a pale white figure appeared from behind one of the trees. She wasn't speeding towards us, but the stifled screams from the group made her face turn. As she paused, I got a closer look at her. She had red hair and a mask covering her face, covered with streaks of what looked like blood flowing down to her dress.

"L-Let's run!" Rin yelled as the woman began to walk over to us. The group immediately ran different directions, abandoning all safety rules.

"What about the prize?" I asked, already knowing the answer as Rin pulled my arm away.

"Screw the fucking prize! Hurry up!" Rin ordered, running the opposite way of Luka, Kaito, and Miku and pulling me along. Good thing I was pretty athletic as well because this girl was sprinting through the grass like there was no tomorrow. I turned my head back before we lost full sight of her, seeing that she was now just standing still.

What seemed like ten minutes later, we stopped against an area lit brightly enough by the string lights nearby but still private enough where we could only hear the music from the party lightly.

"I don't think she was following us," I breathed out in between pants, placing my hands on my knees. Rin began to shake her head as she sank to the ground, trying to steady her breaths and pulling her knees to her chest to hold onto them tightly. "Rin?"

I began to hear her silently cry, her small frame shaking with the sobs coming every now and then. I stood there dumbly, not knowing what to do. I had never been in a situation like this. Usually, I was the one putting girls in this kind of spot and I was never present when I broke their heart. I knelt down and tried to place my hand on Rin's shoulder to see if she would look up. She continued crying, shaking her head and saying a mix of "I'm sorry", "I'm okay", and "You can leave me alone."

"Like hell I'm going to leave you alone," I whispered, bringing my other arm around her and leaning in to hug her. At first, her body is stiff and her sobs stop from shock. But slowly, her legs lower down and her arms reach over to hold onto me, pulling me in closer. I can feel her tears making my shoulder wet and her breath starting to become even more steady.

We stay like this for a few more minutes until her sobbing stops, her breath resumes back to normal, and her hold on me loosens.

"Are you feeling better now?" I ask, feeling her warm breath against my neck. I can feel her nod, but start to let go of my shirt. "Should I let go?"

"Yeah," she manages out from her dry mouth, now scooting back to rest her back against the tree. I watch as she rubs her eyes and fixes her dress, taking in a deep breath and then catching my eyes on her. She offers up a small smile.

"I bet I look a mess, huh?" she laughs, starting to stand back up. "Geez, and all the work Luka put to helping me get ready."

I don't respond, instead standing up as well and looking away. Even though she looked like she just experienced the worst night of her life, it took every bit of me to fight back the urge to kiss her right then and there.

But. I promised her I wouldn't make her uncomfortable again. When I finally got the chance to apologize to her while we were separated from the group, I fixed it all up and here I go again trying to mess things up again just because of physical attraction.

Rin's hand on mine snapped me back to reality. "Let's go back to the party."


KAITO'S POV

Somewhere along the way of all the running, Luka, Aito, and I were separated. The whole memory was chaotic, with all of us running in opposite directions.

I stopped at a clearing and did a 360 around me, making sure there was no one nearby. When I heard a rustling in the bushes to the right of me, I let out a scream and shut my eyes in terror, throwing my hands in front of me.

"Stop screaming. It's just me."

The familiar voice opened my eyes back up quickly. In front of me was an angel.

Well, Miku Hatsune in an angel costume.

I shook my head, turning around and embarrassed that she of all people had just heard me squeal.

"Where's your partner?" I asked, trying to draw the attention to her.

"Didn't have one to start with," she said, kicking a rock beside her. "I just stuck by you guys by coincidence, and then all this happened. I don't even feel like playing this dumb game anymore."

"Yeah, same here," I muttered and laughed. "All this for a bag of candy or something? I hope the prize is something big."

Miku chuckled. "Seeing it's Sonika, it could be anything, honestly. I don't know where that girl gets her ideas. I think the badly dressed woman was her plan too."

I laughed in turn and nodded my head. "Yeah, it does."

For a second, it felt like the past. All the times Miku and I would stay up late at night talking to each other about the most random of things, laughing and sending messages to make sure we were both still awake. Me, lying in bed trying to whisper to not wake up anyone at home, and her having to duck her phone down when someone came to check on her.

"Miku…" I began.

"We–" she cut off, almost yelling, like she knew what I was about to ask. She turned her back to me. "We should go back over to the party."

Just like always, never wanting to talk about what happened. Well, something in me that night gave me courage. "What happened, Miku?"

Miku stopped and looked back at me.

"I'm just… so tired. So tired of not understanding what happened between us, where we stand, or what I even did wrong. Would it kill you to tell me what I needed to change?"

She held my gaze and sighed. And what did I see in her eyes? Sympathy? Annoyance?

There was a point where I thought I could read Miku's every thought before we broke up. Now, I had no idea. Or maybe I had no idea to start with.

I drop my voice to a whisper. Maybe this would be the perfect time to work things out. I could never get a moment alone with her, and my number was blocked on her phone.

"Was it something I did?"

She opened her mouth, as if to answer. "No, it wasn't–"

"Was it because of Len?" I asked, knowing I would hit a sore spot. "I heard the rumors. Was all of that really just to get close to Len–"

"And that's how I know you'd never understand, even if I tried to explain it to you."

Just as quick as she opened up, it's like the walls came back down and Miku began walking off, clenching her hands into fists.

I wanted to follow her. I wanted to pull her back and yell, rip her one open and let her know how much pain she had caused me. I wanted to let her know that, to that day, there wasn't a day that passed by where I didn't think of her. And most of all, I just wanted to know why.

Why did Miku break up with me and ghost me out of seemingly nowhere?


NORMAL POV

Everyone began to slowly walk back over to the party, coming in pairs and in groups, most people empty-handed. Rin and Len spotted Luka and Aito to the side and led over, dropping their hands along the way.

"Worst treasure hunt ever," Luka said, shaking off the leaves on her dress and glaring at Aito. Rin noted that they were both red and panting.

"What happened?" she asked and Aito looked away.

"I'll tell you later," Luka sighed and looked around for her Greek God. "Where's Kaito?"

Len shrugged as Aito muttered something else under his breath. Miku shortly stepped out of the forest, calm and collected, although her eye makeup now seemed to be ruined. A minute or two after, Kaito walked out alone with a stoic expression. Luka rushed on over to apologize, bringing Kaito over to our group as we wandered back over to the stage for the prize ceremony.

Gumi and Sonika stood on the same stage with eight bags and one big bag for the treasure hunt game.

"Everyone, please gather around!" Gumi announced, drawing people from the tables and inside the house.

"Get your damn butts over here!" Sonika yelled, the more rough of the two.

Gumi dropped her mic to scold her sister and then lifted it back up to be heard. "For all those who won the games, please come up to retrieve your prizes. Bring your envelope as proof."

"First up, the Couple Bobbing for Apples Challenge," Gumi read from her list. Len and Rin awkwardly stepped on up with the other winners, Rin shifting in her spot from Sonika's glare. Sonika fixed her stare on Rin, but swept her hands over the bags beside them.

"You may pick any bag, but be careful, because although they are 'prizes,' not all of the demands are sweet."

"Demands?" Rin asked, letting Len step forward and choose a bag. He lightly lifted each bag for the weight, but after realizing they were all the same, grabbed the third from the right and handed it to Gumi.

"I hope you didn't choose anything embarrassing," Rin whispered as Gumi opened the bag and read the tag.

"I'm a pretty lucky person," Len whispered back, laughing along with her.

"You two must share the final dance together," Gumi read out loud, placing the tag back inside and setting the bag down. Sonika called over the next couple and Len and Rin breathed out a sigh of relief. The other pairs were forced to say something romantic in front of others, do a weird stunt, or even to confess something about each other out loud.

At last came the final prize, and much to Rin and Len's surprise, Aito and Luka stepped up onstage.

"I guess we didn't think to ask if they ever found it," Rin mused.

Sonika stepped forward with the big bag, holding the tag up for everyone to see. "For the last prize, you can choose either what is read on the tag, or the prize inside."

"And i-it's a pretty big prize inside," Gumi chimed in, looking at Aito eagerly.

"Huh. Why doesn't she want him to take the tag?" Len asked Rin, noticing Gumi's nervousness as well.

Rin decided to let him in on it as well. "Gumi's had the biggest crush on Aito since he moved here. He doesn't know, though."

"Damn. Doesn't he like Luka, though?"

Rin almost let out a noise at his remark. How did he know? Was it that obvious to everyone else but Luka?

"M-Maybe you'd like to read the tag before deciding first!" Gumi's voice brought Rin back to the present.

"Gumi, that's not allowed–"

"It says, 'The couple must kiss.'" she read out loud before her sister could interrupt.

Hoots and hollers rose out of the crowd, chanting for Aito and Luka to lock lips.

"How embarrassing," Len remarked, not paying attention to how Rin's eyes were locked on her two best friends on stage who were now the color of tomatoes.

"I-I think it's best just to take the prize," Luka said quietly, but then looked up at Aito for his approval.

"Kiss the girl! Kiss the girl!"

The people began chanting even louder and louder, drowning out Luka's voice from Aito. He looked over at the crowd, over at Rin, and lastly, over at Kaito who stood there, his mind somewhere else.

Before she could acknowledge it, Aito leaned in to grab Luka's shoulders and bring her in, lifting up her chin with one hand and kissing her softly. Rin stood there, numb, as she watched her best girl friend and her ex boyfriend kiss right in front of her with a roaring crowd behind her ears.

The kiss was over as soon as it happened. Aito let go of her chin and shoulder and turned around, covering his red face with a hand as the crowd cheered him on for his boldness.

'I can't let them see me like this. I'm not his girlfriend anymore, I haven't been for a while, so I don't deserve to feel pity right now.'

And most pressing in her mind,

'He looked so happy. I don't think he was ever that happy with me.'

Rin steadied her breath again, wiping away the few tears that fell. She couldn't let herself go back down that rabbit hole again. Hadn't she gotten better?

"Hey. You good?"

It was Len's concerned voice that brought Rin back to the surface.

"Yeah, just uh, still a little woozy," she quickly recovered, nodding and watching as Aito and Luka made their way over to Kaito back in the crowd. She could already hear Luka playing off the kiss to Kaito and pointing to the couples beginning to dance after the crowd had dispersed.

Rin excused herself to grab some food from the set up tables, hoping the substance in her stomach would be enough to calm her down. Maybe she had been so emotional because she had barely eaten since lunch?

After Luka convinced Kaito into a dance with an easy going song, Len stood back against a tree and watched the crowd from afar. Normally he was somewhere in the middle with a girl grinding up against him, or a girl in his hand and another girl glaring from the sidelines. But for now, he felt fine with a cup of fruit punch in his hand instead.

After a few pop songs came and went, a guy in a Phantom of the Opera mask and costume walked up to the stage after Sonika announced the opportunity for karaoke.

Miki glanced down at her phone, rereading the message on her phone and looking back up at the man standing in front of her, as if she was seeing something wrong.

"That's got to be him," she whispered, closing out of the messenger app.

''I'll be dressed in a Phantom of the Opera costume, but with a full mask on. I hope to see you there~'

Her smile spread as his deep voice began to ring out through the crowd. Just seeing him in person was enough for the night. She couldn't even consider walking up to him and talking to him, demystifying their entire relationship.

And so the night ended on a good note, no more tricks or treats up anyone's sleeves. And as promised, just before leaving a few minutes before their curfew, Rin walked up and tapped on Len's shoulder.

Rin spoke as he turned around. "I know it's not final dance time, but my dad will probably freak out if I'm not back home at least by midnight so I was wondering… did you still want to fulfill that dance request?"

Len looked up to see Aito and Luka waiting by the side, chatting and getting their things together. He looked back down at his phone and noticed already how tired he was as well. For a second, Rin worried that the hesitation was a rejection and she was foolish for bringing it back up.

"Of course," he answered, shoving his phone in his pocket and offering his hand with a grin. "I was thinking this party was coming to a close soon anyways."

A fluttering came to Rin's chest as she took his hand. The party song playing loudly in the background suddenly lulled and a softer song began to play. She could feel some people whispering, but she pretended she couldn't hear. She wasn't doing anything wrong. They were just completing the dare, right?

After gathering her things back into her bag and switching her shoes, Luka looked up to see if Rin was ready to go. Instead, she jabbed Aito's elbow to get his attention.

"Ow! I'm trying to hurry, what–"

She jutted her chin out at the pair, shushing him to see. Rin and Len stood just a foot apart, laughing and talking to each other as they danced, clearly not paying attention to the rhythm. Rin let out a loud laugh, squeezing hold of Len for a moment and exclaiming how bad the joke he told was. There was a sparkle in Len's eyes as he watched her laugh, and a feeling that he wanted to continue to make her laugh even more.

Rin stumbled as she realized the song had begun to change beat, coming to a stop and nearly bumping into Len.

"Whoa, calm it there, Alice," he joked. "Leaning in for another kiss?"

Rin grabbed a hold of Len's cheek with a pinch before playfully laughing and pulling away. "In your dreams."

Luka raised an eyebrow at her friend which was returned. Something was clearly forming and they were excited to see where this would lead.


I haven't written this much in years, honestly. When I stopped to check my word count, I was surprised to see 8k+ and 20 pages in the Google doc. This is incredibly fun though, and fun I haven't had in quite a while with other adult responsibilities pushing for my attention. So I hope whoever reads this enjoys!

Like always, I will be posting the original chapter as well if you'd like to compare or take a walk down memory lane. Thank you so much for reading and feel free to leave a comment! Until next time!