Date: 06/15 AM 9:58
To: Rin
Subject: Sorry
Message:
I broke my promise.
Len stood still for a moment in front of the dorm room while he sent the text. I understand now what the servant went through. But my death's going to be slow and painful, compared to his quick decapitation. It sure sounds like a very enticing option at the moment.
After slipping his cell phone inside the small cross body bag Rin had left near the entrance the night before, he hurried across the hallway, down to the main entrance of the dormitory. According to Miku, he was supposed to meet up with Piko there. Or at least, he intended to hurry; his choice of attire wasn't exactly suitable for that. So, picking out a skirt? Not one of my best ideas. Gah, the girls make wearing it look so easy. The leggings help, but it still feels... unusually airy.
When the blond walked out the front door, his date was already present, waiting for him a little bit off to the side. He was dressed casually for the occasion: a pair of black jeans matched with a baby blue polo shirt. I would've made more of an effort for my sister, he remarked.
"Good morning, Rin-chan!" he called out as soon as he noticed 'her'. The late morning sunlight gleamed off his pearly-white teeth that showed through his grin. Tch, toothpaste-commercial smile. "You look very cute today. Like always."
Ugh, there he goes over-flattering me right from the start... Len grumbled internally, while retaining a bright smile on the outside as he arrived in front of him.
"Th-thanks," he replied, forcing the stutter and averting his gaze. This is how I'd expect her to react. Or rather, I hope she's not used to getting called cute so soon in the day... "Sorry for making you wait."
"Oh, not at all. But let's get going, I don't want to waste a single minute of the precious time we have together today," Piko suggested, holding out his palm for Len to accept.
Actually, he's the one in need of a beheading, he decided as he carefully placed his hand in the boy's. It took all his self-control to not punch him in the face.
"Here we are," Piko announced, coming to a halt in front of the town's movie theatre. Awesome, I get an hour and half break from his annoying prattling in that annoying voice!
The silver-haired youth had indeed spent most of the stroll talking about trivial little things. Len could easily avoid it turning into an actual conversation by feigning ultimate shyness and giving him minimal responses.
For a new guy, he sure knows his way around town already, Len remarked. No doubt he's already taken at least half the girls in our grade out on a date. Through the exact same events, even.
"Which one would you like to watch?" he courteously asked, gesturing towards the several posters on the wall. "I'm sure anything Rin-chan picks will be great."
"Uhm..." Len began to say, cutely resting his index finger on his chin in deep thought as he gazed at the options. Should I choose what she'd actually choose, or what she'd think would give the best impression of herself in choosing? The gap between the two is huge... I don't want to show him the real Rin, but I don't want him falling for a fake Rin... "Ah, I can't really decide... The one that starts the soonest will be okay."
"All right then," he agreed to the suggestion. They headed towards the cashier; luckily, there was only a short queue in front of it. The same could be said about the concession stand, where Piko bought drinks and a large order of popcorn for the both of them.
They received tickets near the back of the viewing room. The movie was set to start at 11, in roughly ten minutes. Much to Len's relief, it wasn't overly crowded, but there were enough people around to keep Piko from pulling anything weird. It also allowed them to have the popcorn on the armrest in between them and keep their drinks on their own side.
The lights mounted on the walls dimmed, the curtain rose to reveal the big screen. As the obligatory commercials showed up on screen, the viewers stopped their chatter. Finally, the main event could begin.
The clamour of swords clashing together resounded from the speakers, while vivid crimson flames burst across the screen. The movie's title, Lost Destination, materialized in elegant, gothic lettering.
Great, a movie about knights is just what I wanted to see right now, Len bitterly remarked to himself. He plunged his hand into the bag of popcorn; it was not the salty, buttery treat he grabbed a handful of, but Piko's butter soft hand instead. He immediately pulled back, scattering some kernels over the both of them in the process.
"Sorry!" the blond exclaimed in a whisper. "I-I didn't mean to, I just..."
"It's okay, don't worry about it," the silver-haired youth responded to his apology, smiling as usual. He carefully dislodged a piece that was stuck in Len's hair.
"Th-thanks..." he mumbled, turning his gaze towards the screen. I'm going to throw up before the day is over. I just know it.
Len spent the remainder of the movie improving his peripheral vision: while looking strictly at the screen, he only stole quick side-glances towards Piko whenever he moved to take some popcorn or have a sip of his drink. He had to really fight the urge not to scoot to the far edge of his seat and also to leave his hand on the armrest in the middle as he had carelessly done so after the mini popcorn fiasco.
The silver lining of this otherwise horribly stormy cloud was the movie itself: it turned out to be a very exciting story, right to the very last frame. Granted, it wasn't a very straightforward plotline, but it was the impression he had at the end that counted. And that... he couldn't quite put into words, it was so intensely grandiose. It would be so much better if I could have watched it with Rin and Miku-chan. Heck, at this point, I wouldn't even mind it if even Shion and Luka-senpai came along, he observed.
"Wow, that was one spectacular movie," Piko commented as they filed out of the viewing room at a leisurely pace.
"Mhm, sure was!" Len quickly agreed, with the extra enthusiasm he'd expect from the female Kagamine, although he didn't have to fake it too much. "Seriously, epic from start to finish."
"How about discussing all this epicness over an epic lunch at Clover Club?" the boy suggested, the smile not fading for a second. Is his mouth permanently stuck like that or what?
"Sounds good," he agreed to the proposal. The more money I can extort out of this freak, the better!
Since most of the entertainment establishments were clustered in one certain part of town, the distance between the cinema and the restaurant was just a short walk. It was 1 pm by the time they got there; just the end of the lunch hour rush.
As they stepped inside, Len quickly scanned the place, in search of Kaito. It was lively as usual, but there still were several empty tables they could choose from. The waiters and waitresses scurried up and down through the aisles, but the source of his school day troubles wasn't among them. Good, he's off today, he concluded.
"Let's sit over there," the blond took the initiative, pointing to a quaint little table for two in a fairly secluded corner. Piko nodded with a smile and allowed him to lead the way. Tch, and I used to think Shion smiled too much. He's nothing compared to this guy! If I had a hundred yen coin for each time he smiled today, I'd be spending my summer on the Bahamas this year. And probably the next, at this rate.
"Yo, Kagamine-chan!" a familiar voice called out to Len from a distance, completely disregarding the presence of his companion. He turned around to see Kaito come out through swinging double doors, balancing several plates. Or he was just in the kitchen. Evidently, why would the universe let me off easy today, of all days?
"Hi, Shion-san," he returned the greeting, waving to him as he took his seat. Lucky for Len, a different waitress (most likely a new part-timer, for he had never seen the girl with shoulder length, peach-pink hair before) showed up earlier than his friend to take the couple's order, once they had had a few minutes to browse through the menu.
During the wait for their meal to arrive, Piko tried starting up a conversation again. This time, Len was slightly more responsive. He had to tread lightly on the border between portraying Rin idealistically and realistically, after all.
It wasn't long before the girl returned with their food: yaki soba and orange juice for Len, a glass of Coke and tempura udon for Piko. They began eating after the habitual 'itadakimasu' exchange.
"Ack, it burns!" the silver-haired boy exclaimed after swallowing the first spoonful. The intense reddening of his complexion was accompanied by a panic-stricken expression. His face isn't stuck in a smile after all, Len observed, highly amused by his companion's misfortune. He couldn't resist letting out a few sinister chuckles before switching over to feigning worry.
Piko promptly dropped the utensil and reached for the glass. He gulped down half its contents, until his face turned as red as a well-boiled crab. He turned his head sideways, so as to avoid getting his date wet, and spluttered the drink into the aisle between the tables. He jumped up from his seat and ran towards the washroom, not without almost slipping on the puddle. By then, the scene had caught everyone's attention in the restaurant. Kaito sauntered over with a satisfied smirk, carrying a mop and bucket to clean up the mess.
"Did you...?" the blonde wondered, leaving the end of the question hanging.
"Kagamine-chan, watch out with Piko. He follows the harem route during the week and concentrates on individual flags on the weekends," he informed Len, keeping his voice low and seemingly concentrating on the task at hand. "And let's just say he's been playing the game for quite a while."
"So you do this every time?" he asked. "How are you not fired yet, treating a long-time customer like that?"
"Oh, no, I don't waste the chef's treasured chili sauce on any girl. You have to be a friend's sister to receive such special treatment. And accidents happen sometimes, nothing to be done about that," Kaito replied coolly, now looking at 'her' after finishing the clean-up, using the mop's handle for support.
"Then, thanks. For this and for being Len-nii's friend," he told him with a genuinely appreciative smile. Maybe it really isn't so bad to have a person or two that you can call a friend.
"Glad to be of service. But I gotta be on my way now. The orders won't fill themselves..." he declared with a lamenting sigh. "See you around."
Moments after Kaito left for the kitchen, Piko exited the washroom and made his way back towards their table. The waitress soon reappeared, bringing another bowl of udon as compensation for the earlier 'mistake'.
Following their lunch at Clover Club, the two of them paid a visit to the nearby arcade that went by the name of *Hello, Planet. The trio frequently ended up there on rainy days when they had nothing else to do.
A myriad of sounds, ranging from piercing gunshots to annoyingly repetitive game theme songs, assaulted their ears from the second the automatic doors whooshed open to let them inside.
If he even dares suggest going into one of those tacky photo booths, I won't hesitate to break, or at least sprain, his fingers, the blonde telepathically sent the threat towards its potential recipient. Offense is the best defence, so...
"Hey, let's play with that!" Len suggested, pointing towards a game console near the back, without anyone standing in line for it. Piko nodded (and smiled) in agreement, so the two of them headed towards it.
The game was called Zombie Mash Revolution: the unlikely combination of a two-player rhythm dancing game with a zombie apocalypse plotline. With this, I can show him that Rin's a force to be reckoned with! We've been the record-holders for this game for ages.
"Don't expect me to go easy on you," he teasingly warned Piko in advance.
"I wouldn't want you to, Rin-chan. It's only fair if we both give it all we got," he stated in full confidence.
After slipping out of their shoes, they stepped onto the mats to begin their match, with Piko inserting the coins for each round. What started out as friendly competition soon turned into a serious battle. Len couldn't let his attention falter in the slightest, for that would've presented a chance for his opponent to overcome the small gap in points between them. And yet, he actually found himself... having fun.
All of a sudden, he sensed his bag vibrate from receiving a text message. Without a second thought, he stepped off the mat to check. He rummaged around for a short while among the contents of what held more resemblance to a black hole. At last, he found his cell phone and flipped it open in a hurry, paying no attention whatsoever to Piko finally gaining a win over him.
Date: 06/15 PM 3:11
From: Rin
Subject: RE: Sorry
Message:
Just a little. But I forgive you. No dying, okay? And, thanks.
His eyes skimming over the message again and again, shivers crawled across his skin as a sharp, prickly pain pierced straight through his heart to the point of stopping his breath for a transient moment. It was almost like someone stabbed a dagger into the middle of the interlinking steel chains constricting his heart, pulling them together to tighten their fatal grip on the fragile organ.
Fragmented thoughts muddled together in his head.
Rin... Rin... Rin... forgiven...
Why, why the pain...
Thanks... for what?
For what?
For saving the date?
...No, don't want it...
It hurts. So much...
But, it can't be any other way.
The million little murmurs ceased as the agony culminated. He bit down on his tongue, sensing an irony taste in his mouth. I'll bear the burden of my torturous emotions. I'll always protect her. It's the only thing I can do for my sister.
"Rin-chan, are you okay? You seem a little pale..." Piko wondered, breaking Len out of his reverie.
"Ah, yeah, I'm fine," he replied, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible while closing the cell phone and slipping it back inside the bag. With renewed determination, he stepped onto the game mat again. "That one didn't count, all right?"
I'm going crazy... there's no way that this kind of reaction to a simple text is healthy, he began to ponder while his feet moved mechanically to the rhythm. Oh yeah, because cross dressing as your own sister and going on her date is the epitome of mental sanity.
They kept playing for over an hour: they were nearing the limits of their endurance, but they used up Piko's change faster than they ran out of energy. At that point, he announced that there was one last place he wanted to take Rin: the park.
They wandered around on the cobblestone path (holding hands, to Len's utmost chagrin, but he couldn't really refuse), steadily heading towards the middle of the park, where the Ferris wheel stood.
The person supervising the attraction opened the door to the cabin and gestured for the pair to step inside. Heeding his warning to remain seated at all times while on the ride, Len plopped down in the middle of plastic-covered seat and Piko joined him on his left. The door closed and the cabin was set into motion moments later in the company of a large creak. They slowly gained altitude, the extent of Otoshima's scenery unfolding in front of them.
"Wow, it's gorgeous..." Len spoke softly, his eyes gleaming with fascination. Truth be told, the trio hadn't taken the time yet go on the ride. In undesirable company or not, the view enchanted him. I want to show this to Rin, and Miku-chan, too.
"Not as gorgeous as you," Piko complimented him, scooting closer and tilting the blonde's face towards him by the chin. The sudden contact and proximity paralyzed Len's body, while his every instinct was screaming at him to run, run far away.
The silver-haired boy's lips drew ever closer to his own. Screw my life. That's as much as his brain could come up with, in terms of coherency.
Just as he was about to lose his first kiss to the person he despised, things took a turn for the better as he felt the sensation of the other's lips on his cheek instead. Alas, the immense relief was very short-lived.
"Sorry to break it to you, but I don't swing that way. I'm 100% a ladies' man," Piko murmured into Len's ear. He instinctively slid back on the seat, until he bumped into the wall of the cabin. Even though he'd be such a 2-in-1 deal for players on both teams, the thought unintentionally slipped into his mind.
"Wh-what do you mean?" the blond asked, his expression paling rapidly. No, it can't be. "Aren't I lady-like enough?"
"Cut the crap, Kagamine. I know you're not Rin-chan," he exposed the truth, sneering evilly. The mask of a perfect Prince Charming that he wore all day long shattered in an instant. I think I'm actually starting to miss his smile.
"D-don't be so m-mean... Who else would I b-be?" Len whimpered, attempting to look at him with puppy dog eyes and pouty lips. It's impossible for him to have figured it out...
"There's no point in denying it. I admit, you played your role perfectly. But you messed up two things," Piko told him, his lips curling into a smirk as he approached him, blocking off all means of escape by pressing one hand against the cabin wall and the other against the seat. "For a 'girl' who supposedly wears a skirt every day as a part of the uniform, you sure walked around awkwardly enough. And it wasn't Rin-chan's cell phone you used at the arcade. There's an orange-shaped charm dangling from hers, not a banana."
I can still save myself. Think, think, think... he strained his brain cells. What would a girl blame these things on?
"Geez, my phone broke so I'm borrowing his for the day. The other thing, well, th-that's because..." he paused for a moment for added effect, before continuing in a much quieter voice. "It's that time of the month..."
"Do you really want to make this so hard on yourself?" Piko asked, rolling his eyes and jeering down at him.
"Please, this isn't funny at all..." Len tried softening him up, bowing his head and turning away from the boy.
"Oh, quite the opposite, actually," he stated with a chuckle. Giving no warning at all, he reached into his shirt and pulled out a wad of tissues. Len snapped his head up, the colour draining from his complexion. "Be grateful I didn't expose you in public."
Well, crap. I can't talk my way out of this, the futility of the situation finally dawned upon him. But if talking won't help, then...
"Pervert!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, all the while managing to retain its feminine aspect. Piko just laughed.
"Really now? No one's going to help you up here, idiot," he informed him. An immediate reply eluded Len. All he could think of doing was to seize the tissues and hurriedly fix his padding.
At the same time, he heard the 'click' of a snapshot being taken. He raised his head to see Piko holding his cell phone, with the camera aimed towards him. The blonde gritted his teeth to keep the inner terror he experienced from showing on his expression.
"You scumbag... What do I need to do for you to delete that photo?" he spat the words with a resentful edge to them.
"Done with the denial, huh. Wise decision," Piko remarked haughtily. "If you keep your mouth shut about me, I'll keep my mouth shut about you. I'm a gentleman, after all. And hand over Rin-chan to me."
"That's the one thing I won't do. What do you need my sister for anyways, when you've got a dozen others to choose from? Leave her out of your petty little game," Len snapped back at him, boiling with anger.
"No, that's not how it works. I'm the one holding the blackmail material, which means that you have no choice but to do whatever I demand," he lectured him to establish his superiority. "Unless you want her reputation ruined, that is."
I'm sorry Rin, I failed at protecting you. For real, this time, he admitted regretfully after quickly analyzing the possible outcomes of his options. He could feel the grip of the chains contorting his heart again.
"Fine, you win. But if you're as much of a gentleman as you pretend to be, promise me one thing: that you'll leave her for last," Len made a final attempt at bringing the best out of the awful situation.
"That's a reasonable request I can comply to," Piko agreed to his terms. He finally slid away, putting some much needed space in between them.
Without the boys noticing, the Ferris wheel had made a full rotation. It shortly came to a grinding halt and the ride supervisor opened the cabin's door. Len jumped out of his seat and stormed out, not once looking back at Piko.
He walked back to the dormitory at a fastened pace, all the while mumbling creative torture methods under his breath.
Disclaimer: Lost Destination belongs to 150P, NND code is sm15271378.
Author's Note: I-i-it's not like I'm specially posting this chapter on Valentine's Day for my dear readers or anything! /lame tsundere impression
Anyways, with this chapter, the Kagamine-subplot is halfway done now. To those waiting for the Kaito x Miku stuff to happen, it's coming soon. It just needs proper build-up in advance.
A big thank you to everyone who's still following the story ^^