Sunday afternoon lazily rolled around, the wonderful feeling of not having school the following day filling the students' minds. Even though the new school term had merely begun, the one week vacation was very much welcomed.
The trio made sure to benefit from every moment of it: naturally, by procrastinating the entire day away. On this occasion, Miku and Len were chilling in the common area of the dormitory, flicking through the channels on one of the television sets whilst Rin took it upon herself to prepare their dinner.
After a while, an unbelievably foul smell violated their noses, coming all the way from the kitchen. Miku wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Eeeeewww, something reeks," the tealette stated.
"It's as if someone threw together stinky old gym socks and rotten fish, then burnt it on the stove," Len deduced, sniffing into the air.
"Yeah, that sounds about right. It can't be Rin-chan, can it?" she wondered, raising an eyebrow.
They swiftly exchanged a worried glance, several versions of hypothetical tragedy springing up inside their overactive imaginations. Without another word, Len jumped up from the plush sofa and rushed towards the kitchen, alternating between walking and jogging. Miku followed right behind him, eventually catching up.
The boy tugged at the half-closed sliding door, throwing it wide open. The repulsive stench tripled in intensity as it was released from the confines of the kitchen, stubbornly taking their smelling organs hostage. An ominous cloud of dark grey smoke rose from a black pot simmering on the stove.
A deep sigh of relief escaped his lips when he saw that despite the obvious signs of her epic failure at endeavouring to cook, his twin sister was safe and seemingly unscathed. She was standing in front of the stove, holding her head and expressing her anguish with a string of incoherent sounds. She immediately fell silent and lowered her arms as he stepped behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He brought his face beside hers, in order to take a peek at the mysterious concoction in the pot.
"Congratulations Rin, you've managed to create a biological weapon," Len praised his sister, albeit entirely with sarcastic intent.
Guided by her curiosity, Miku also walked over to the stove to take a look at what she had brewed up. Setting sight on it, she vigorously nodded her head, confirming Len's statement.
"I wonder how much the government would pay for it?" she mused out loud, trying to keep her giggles from erupting.
Rin's cooking was truly a frightful creation, something straight out of a nightmare. It was an unidentifiable blob of jet black goo, menacingly bubbling in the container; it seemed as if it would suddenly jump out and attack you at any second, melting the skin right off your bones. If one would like to describe 'life-threatening danger' by food, that's what it would most probably look like. Just gazing at it made their stomachs ache... from holding back their laughter. Even with its foreboding aura, the substance had a fairly comical quality to it.
"What were you even trying to make, Rin?" her brother asked. Puzzlement was scrawled over his face as he tried to guess the ingredients that resulted in such a mess.
"That's for me to know and you to never find out," the blonde replied enigmatically. She grabbed the pot's handle and carried it to the garbage can so as to dispose of it; rather than sacrifice her life by attempting to wash it, she opted for sacrificing the pot instead. A new container can always be bought. New fingers? Not so much. "And we shall never speak of this again, understood?"
They replied to her intimidating tone with a single nod. A heavy silence settled between the three of them. All right Miku, it's up to you to think of something for dinner now, the tealette told herself. After a few moments of pondering, a brilliant idea came to mind.
"Clover Club?" the older girl suggested to her friends, a faint smile already sneaking onto her lips.
"Clover Club," the twins replied in unison, decisively nodding their heads.
Those two words were a magic phrase to them: Clover Club was their favourite place to hang out. It was one of the few family restaurants in Otoshima and definitely the best. Since it was almost on the other end of the island, which meant an hour long walk, and a little bit on the expensive side, they only usually went there once a month. In the light of recent events, this seemed to be a perfect occasion to do so.
"We're here!" Rin exclaimed cheerfully as the trio turned around the last street corner to reach their destination. The unsuccessful cooking experiment seemed to be nothing more than a distant memory to the girl.
A few cherry blossom petals swirled to the ground, gently blown by a faint breeze. The setting sun's rays dyed the sky with a serene shade of soft orange, tinting the puffy clouds that calmly floated by. Not just the clouds, but the buildings had also received a layer of the orange hue. Clover Club's rectangular structure appeared to be even older than it actually was, as its fittingly clover green colour was deepened to a darker shade, thus making the slight imperfections all the more visible.
They approached the restaurant and walked inside, the sound of the little bell hanging above the door signalling their arrival. The chime was overpowered by the combined chatter and laughter of the establishment's guests. Considering the time and day, it was almost entirely packed.
In contrast to the mediocre exterior, Clover Club boasted of an extraordinary interior. It had a unique ambiance, bestowed by the myriad of styles and themes that the furniture and decorations represented. In one corner, there was a coffee table with colourful bean bags surrounding it. In a different nook, there was an elegant oak dining table with finely carved chairs placed around it. You name it, you could probably find it somewhere in the building. Or if you couldn't and mentioned your dilemma to the staff, you'd be able to locate the item at the time of your next visit. It might sound like an awkward mash-up, but in reality, it gave the place an exceptional impression.
Scouring the restaurant, the three friends managed to find an empty spot for themselves. It was a partially secluded booth, reminiscent of those in regular restaurants, with a vivid yellow, plastic table and bright red leather seats. Rin and Len sat down beside each other, Miku across from them. They each grabbed a menu from the holder on the table and began skimming through it.
"So, Rin, why exactly did you turn the kitchen into your personal laboratory?" her brother casually asked.
"I-I just wanted to practice cooking, th-that's all," she replied, her voice a bit unstable as she intently gazed downwards at the menu in front of her. It was obvious for the other two that that explanation was far from being all.
"Uh-huh, yeah, the idea popped into your mind out of the blue, for no particular reason whatsoever," Miku commented, her tone indicating her disbelief.
"Erm, exactly!" the blonde exclaimed after a second of hesitation, looking up.
"You, who'd rather starve to death than so much as make yourself a sandwich," Len added, leaning back on the seat.
"Uhm, it was time to change that?" Rin proposed another excuse, her gaze flittering between her friends, hoping they'd accept it and drop the subject.
"Hell froze over already?" the male Kagamine wondered out loud.
"Haha, very funny," his sister retorted, followed by a sigh of defeat. "Bah, I know you two won't shut up unless I give a proper answer," she admitted, frowning. "The truth is, I want to start taking a bento to school."
"Ooohhh, for that Piko guy in your class?" Miku immediately jumped to the conclusion.
"O-of course not!" the girl flat-out denied the accusation. The intense blush that appeared on her cheeks proved just the opposite.
"Rin, you are aware of the fact that you'd need to wake up earlier in the mornings," Len reminded her, in an attempt to steer the conversation away from her motives.
She opened her mouth to speak, taking a deep breath and abruptly closed it again. A few moments passed before she replied, furrowing her brows. "Actually, no, I didn't get that far ahead in planning. It was an idea destined to be doomed right from the start, wasn't it?"
"Aaaww, Rin-chan, don't give up on it so easily," the tealette consoled her. "Remember that movie, with the mouse chef in it? Anyone can cook!"
"Mhm, I remember it. I also remember that 'anyone can, that doesn't mean that anyone should' was the continuation," she retorted with a scowl.
"But you should," Miku kept encouraging her friend. "I mean, you have the right kind of motivation for it, if I'm not mistaken."
"I honestly wonder about that sometimes..." she mumbled her answer, the pink tinge returning to her cheeks as she blankly stared down at the menu on the table. Len fixated his gaze on her face with a distant look in his eyes.
The conversation came to a halt, the background noise of the restaurant drowning out their silence. Ah, the troubles of young love are plaguing poor Rin-chan, Miku mused to herself. If only I could give her some sort of helpful advice...
"Yo, Kagamine-kun!" someone called out to their table. Len's head perked up, searching for the source. Somehow, that voice sounds familiar... the tealette noticed.
She followed Len's line of sight. Approaching their table was a Clover Club waiter, pen and notebook in hand. A deep crimson bloomed on her face as she recognized the person. She was used to bumping into him at school, but it came as a sudden shock to meet him elsewhere. That blue hair, towering above the people around him, was a sight already etched into her mind. What is he doing here, of all places? She snapped her head back, body tensing up.
"Oh, hey Shion," the boy responded indifferently. "Didn't know that you're a part-timer here."
"It's always nice to have some extra money," he said with a shrug. A warm smile crossed his face as he realized that Miku was also there. "Ah, hi Chibikko-senpai! So you were a friend of Kagamine-kun's..."
Rin shot her a questioning look upon hearing the nickname that the boy used. The words trapped in her throat, Miku merely nodded in reply.
"And you must be Kagamine-kun's twin sister. It'd be more surprising if you weren't," he noted, observing the blonde. Recalling that he was there as their waiter, he flipped open the notebook with ease and pushed the end of the pen. "Then, what can I bring you all?"
"Hmm, yaki soba and orange juice," Rin declared.
"Tonkatsu and soda for me," Len added.
"Curry-rice and soda, please," Miku gave her order. The boy swiftly scribbled them all down.
"Okay, I'll be right back with your meals," he announced, taking his leave.
When he was out of hearing distance, the tealette relaxed her shoulders and let out a deep breath.
"How do you know Se Takai-kun, I mean, that guy?" she immediately posed the question to Len.
"Better question: how do you know him?" Rin interjected. A sly grin made its way onto her lips. "Chibikko-senpai, was it?"
"Hey, I asked first," she retorted. "So I get an answer first."
"Shion Kaito's just a classmate," the boy replied without a single word in excess. She smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand.
"Of course he's your classmate..." she noted out loud. Now that I think about it, he did come out of 1-B's classroom when I bumped into him on Friday, she continued the thought. And now I know that his name is Kaito. "Is he a new friend of yours?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," he stated in an unsure tone. "He's a persistent guy that smiles too much."
"What about you, Miku-chan? Spill it already," Rin demanded impatiently.
"This is going to sound a bit stupid..." she began to explain. "I've been bumping into him at school. Like, literally."
"Seriously?" the blonde asked.
"Seriously," she confirmed, her complexion turning to rose. On cue, the twins burst out in mocking laughter.
"Sorry, Miku-chan, but that's just... wow..." Len apologized between chuckles.
"He's just... always there... in my way," she went into further detail. "There's hardly a day when I don't see him."
"Have you even already fallen for him?" Rin wondered. "And yes, pun totally intended. I admit, he's definitely a cute catch."
"Don't be stupid, Rin-chan. Being a total klutz doesn't automatically result in liking someone. Neither does cuteness. It's the same as passing someone on the street, except it's on a daily basis," she clarified the situation.
"Then why'd you camouflage with the very seat you're sitting on when you laid eyes on him, huh?" the blonde pursued the inquisition.
Miku had no idea what to reply all of a sudden. Her instincts kicked in, urging her to avoid answering at all cost. "Be right back, going to the toilet." She stood up from the table and scurried in its direction.
Inside the women's facilities, the tealette stared at her reflection in the mirror, many thoughts zipping through her mind.
What I am doing in here, unnecessarily overreacting? Why did I run away, if I said the truth? There's no way Rin-chan'll believe me now. Even though her theory is completely preposterous. I'm not the kind of fickle-minded girl who'd fall for the first cute boy that comes her way, am I? Of course I'm not. Because then I'd be in an entirely different situation now, if that were the case. Then why am I handling the current one so badly? Ugh, whatever. Here's hoping she's smart enough to drop the topic now.
She stayed for another minute or two before leaving the restroom. Though it would've been more fortunate if she had waited three or four instead.
The moment she chose to open the door and step out was when Kaito happened to be passing by. Their orders in hand, to be precise. The head-on collision was inevitable; in Miku's case, it was more like head to chest.
The next instant, she found herself lying on the floor and the boy kneeling above her. His elbows were right beside her head, pinning her down. His arms trembled as he was precariously balancing the plates in his hands. Her face got a little bit warmer and her heart started beating a little bit faster.
"I'm really, really sorry for causing you trouble again!" Miku got straight to apologizing. Great, now I'm even getting in his way when he's working...
"Well, the food survived, so it's fine," he reassured her. Even though she couldn't directly see his face, she could hear the gentle smile in his voice.
"Oh, so now you've fallen for him!" Rin interrupted them with her teasing remark about their position. From where they were sitting, the twins saw the entire scene and headed over to them.
"How about shutting up and making yourself useful?" Miku snapped back at her, the irritation easily audible in her tone. As if I wasn't embarrassed enough, she just had to go and say something idiotic... The reaction earned a chuckle from the boy above her.
The Kagamines took the plates from Kaito, thus allowing him to get to his feet. He offered his hand to Miku, who had now sat up. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to accept his help. He firmly gripped her hand in order to pull her up. Her heart threatened to jump out from its place due to the sensation of his skin touching her skin.
"Th-Thanks," she managed to mutter as she quickly drew her hand back, once she was stable on her feet again. "I really should start paying attention to where I'm going, shouldn't I?"
"It's fine, Chibikko-senpai," he said with his signature smile. "As long as nothing breaks, I don't really mind bumping into you."
"Shion! Stop slacking off and get back to work!" The scolding from another waitress passing by disrupted their moment.
"Right away!" he answered. He took the plates from the twins and the little group returned to their table.
Thankfully, the rest of their time at Clover Club passed without any major incidents.
Author's Note: Uhm, better late than never xD? I have exams coming up, so it'll probably be a month or two again until the next update.
A huge thank you to everyone who takes the time to read & review my story ^w^