Luka-

If the city was breathtaking at night, then in the morning it was simply overwhelming. Miku treated the scenery around us as we stepped out of the apartment like there was nothing special to look at, but I had my head craned upward and all around the second we stepped through the sliding, glass doors of the apartment building. Every building reflected the clear-blue skies and the gleam of the sun in their windows. Energy seemed to buzz around us among the din of people shouting over one another on their phones and the honking of car horns. I felt a rush of adrenaline just being in the presence of the city now illuminated by daylight, and I was unable to stop my jaw from dropping like the amazed, country girl I was.

I didn't get to see much of what was just outside, though, as Miku, who was being ushered into a Crypton company car, called out for me to follow her in a snappy-sounding voice. We hadn't actually been outside waiting for our ride, and only walked out as soon as it arrived. I had hoped to take a look outside earlier, but as soon as we arrived at the lobby, Miku immediately sat herself on a cushioned bench nearest the elevators and farthest away from the front of the lobby. From there I could barely just see the street, but I grudgingly sat beside her until we got the call that her chauffeur had arrived. And now, she was hurrying me along, only allowing me to catch the quickest glimpses of everything around me before I, too, crawled into the car, catching a confused glimpse from the driver.

"Sorry for rushing you." Miku sighed as she sank into her seat. Her head was lowered slightly, as if in shame, and her hands were placed neatly in her lap. She's situated herself on the seat furthest from me. "I just… I'm sure there would be a riot it I showed my face in public too long." She chuckled nervously, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"A riot?" I questioned, cocking an eyebrow. In the brief moments we'd stepped outside, she'd seemed so tense among the amazing city scenery, and now that we were in the car, she was finally starting to relax. Heaving a sigh, she shook her head.

"You saw what happened yesterday: how they relentlessly followed us… followed me." She looked out the window as the outside world whizzed past us. You'd think I would be on pins and needles about heading towards the Crypton headquarters, but my focus was on Miku, who's demeanor had changed completely. Maybe it was her lack of sleep, but she didn't seem so much like an idol than she did frightened. On stage, when I would watch her, she seemed to inviting and accepting, but now, she seemed so withdrawn. "…It's just best I don't make a commotion."

"Miku… did something-?" I began to ask before Miku piped up, back to seeming peppy once again in a manner that seemed almost bipolar.

"So, are you excited?" She asked, leaning towards me eagerly. In such close quarters, I could smell her sweet, intoxicating scent wafting off of her. "Kaito's going to love you- he's always going on about how we need a mature face for the company." I wanted desperately to pry, because I knew very well she was trying to change the subject, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bring myself to force out my question. I went with the other question on my mind instead and allowed our conversation to move away from Miku's strange anxiety.

"Who's Kaito?" I questioned, eliciting a chuckle from Miku as she covered her mouth and enthusiastically stamped her feet a few times. "What?"

"Poor Kaito, the world really has forgotten about him." Miku laughed to herself before turning back to me. "Kaito's one of the higher-ups in Crypton, but he used to be a really big idol himself back in the day with the same company. The only people who would actually know who he is would be our parents." She exhaled, a chuckle under her breath, before her phone interrupted her laughter.

"Speak of the devil, here's the old fossil now." She happily mocked as she answered and held the phone up to her ear. The man known as Kaito, who she spoke of with an air of disrespect, was quick to answer in a loud, commanding voice that caused even Miku herself to straighten up. I couldn't quite tell what he was saying, but he seemed angry with her. Miku was quick to speak her soft, careful apologies, and even though he was there she even made sure to slightly bow each time she spoke. Talk about him as she might, it seemed Miku hardly had the authority to tell him to his face her own, personal thoughts about him.

The phone conversation lasted the rest of the car ride, much to my dismay, though the entire time I waited patiently for Miku and her senior to finish. Kaito's mood didn't appear to improve in the slightest, seeing as Miku slipped in nervous apologies throughout the entire call. I didn't want to say anything, but she looked a bit adorable trying to appease one of her bosses with countless sorry after sorry over the phone.

Of course, the question of why Miku seemed so nervous stepping outside still nagged at me in the very back of my mind, but she seemed to have enough on her plate with the scolding her senior was giving her. He wasn't even there, but even his voice caused her to flinch.

"I'm sorry, I promise, it won't happen again!" Miku apologized for the umpteenth time. "But I have something to make up to you- a little surprise." She paused, the confused voice of her senior emanating from the phone. "You'll see, you'll see. I promise, you'll love it."

As if on cue, the car stopped. I'd been closely paying attention to Miku, so it was much to my own surprise that I came to find the city scenery had transformed into a cold, darkened parking garage. Miku hung up, cutting off the probably confused Kaito who was still in the middle to saying something to her and turned to smile at me.

"He'll love you, don't worry. You have an idol's seal of approval, after all." She gave me a snappy, thumbs-up gesture, and I couldn't help but make a goofy one right back, smitten by her upbeat attitude towards my apparent success. "I mean, look at you, you're not even that nervous!"

Of course, the second she mentioned that, I realized the gravity of the situation. I had nothing with me, nor was I prepared to audition or do anything at all. Miku had made it sound so easy, like she would just present me to her managers and I'd magically become an idol, and I'd managed to get swept up in her fantasy. But now, as the door to the car was opened for us, I was starting to look at things realistically, and reality suddenly was making it hard to breath, and made me want to find a bathroom stall or something to hide out in. The look the driver gave me, once again, like I seemed out of place in all this, didn't help me at all.

"Miku, I-" I began to say as I followed after her to the elevators. She paused and twirled around in a fluid motion that seemed like she was dancing. "…D-Do you think this is going to work?"

"Of course, don't worry! You've got idol written all over you." She assured me, giving me an assuring nod and grin. "Just leave everything to me."

Miku-

"Absolutely not!"

The speed at which Kaito gave his answer almost gave me whiplash. I was terrified to look back at Luka who, no doubt, had a look of utter devastation on her face, and I didn't want to feel guilty on top of feeling denied. Instead, I looked at Kaito, a look of surprise on my face as he shook his head and heaved the heaviest of sighs. He palmed his face with one hand while his other still clutched today's tabloid that featured a blurry shot of me, what appeared to be Luka's guitar in my clutches.

I really should have figured my apparently knocking out someone on the street, regardless of who they were, was going to get attention. I could only imagine the smug grin Iroha would be wearing, no doubt treasuring the filthy tabloid like it was a precious treasure.

"But why?" I dared to ask, only managing to make Kaito seem even more bothered with me. My question had been strong, echoing in the grand lobby of the Crypton building, but my stance quickly faltered in the face of Kaito, looking like he was suffering a horrible migraine from my simply asking him.

"The board already has a long list of other idols they want to sing that song with you, Miku. You can't just pick someone up from off the streets and have their hard work go to waste. You were hired to preform, not to make decisions." He scolded me. "If we let you do whatever you wanted, I'm sure we'd get more news like this." He motioned to the tabloid, giving me an almost annoyed glance.

"Hey, it isn't what you think! He was stealing Luka's guitar! I was doing a lot more good than what those tabloid writers think!" I defended. "And please, just listen to her! There's no way you don't have a minute to spare, it's not like you're an idol anymore."

The look Kaito gave me made my blood run cold- and honestly, it was a total accident, a simple slip of the tongue. But his look was set to kill, and I'm pretty sure all of my major bodily functions stopped for a second out of fear and compliance. If there had been a scrap of hope, it withered and died on the spot.

"You can't just bring people in here and expect us to just let them audition, Miku." He practically snarled. "Talent or no, we can't just sign on a total nobody just because you say she's good. I'm sure that's how it works on TV and in comics these days, but it's a much bigger process than just walking in and singing for people- you of all people should know that."

Part of me felt guilty for bringing Luka along only to be harshly shot down. Part of me felt sorry for even trying. Part of me wanted to slug Kaito in the face for calling Luka a "nobody".

"But-"

"No buts, Miku." Kaito cut me off. "You have work to do, so this childish argument of yours is going to have to wait. You're wanted in the studio- apparently you've been selected as a headliner for a new act AHS just signed." I momentarily forgot my frustration over having been shot down and wrinkled my nose in distaste.

"God, don't give me that look." Kaito groaned exhaustedly. " Your and Iroha's idiotic tiff has caused a giant riff between our companies, and we've been doing everything we can to branch out and merge with them. Their company has been thriving, if you haven't noticed. A merger would be a smart move for both Crypton and their company, and it's going to start with you swallowing your pride and headlining for one of their talents."

"I refuse to work with that fake cat girl!" I groaned. I didn't care how childish it made me seem- if it's one thing I'm dedicated to, it's my dislike of Iroha. The very thought of having to see her on a daily basis made me want to vomit.

"Again, something that really isn't your decision. Now say goodbye to your little playmate and get to the studio." Kaito commanded before he turned his back to me, busying himself with his cellphone before I could object. Hunched shoulders and balled fists, I groaned loudly behind tightly closed lips. How a pushy guy like Kaito ever became an idol was beyond me.

All of my frustration and anger was quickly demolished the moment I turned around, heaving a defeated groan. I immediately felt I wanted to take it back as I looked on at the devastation on Luka's face. She looked down at the floor, biting at her lip, her entire body stiff as she shuffled from side to side. It was clear she was keeping herself composed as she could, and every second her walls she was trying to erect were crumbling. I felt myself holding back tears of my own as she looked up from the tiles on the ground and gave me a wavering glance that was painful to look right at. Her smile she gave me was weak and already faltering the moment she put it on, and her chuckle sounded like it was just there to mask a sob.

"I…I guess I should probably get out of your hair, huh?" She asked, her voice cracking just a bit. She caught herself too late, and nervously went back to gnawing at her bottom lip as her gaze wavered from side to side. Her eyes were watery, as if they were just barely holding back tears.

"I'm sorry, Luka, I shouldn't have gotten your hopes up!" I sincerely apologized. "I… I'm really sorry…" What else was there for me to say besides sorry? How could I make up such a letdown, after telling her so many times I was sure she'd be given the part? I felt like the villain, so it felt like I had no right to apologize and expect her to be alright with it.

"No… it's fine… I sort of expected something like this would happen…" She muttered, her gaze back down on the ground. "I mean, that Kaito guy is right, I really am a nobody."

My body acted on its' own at that point- though I don't have any problem at all with what it ended up deciding to do for me. Rushing forward, I wrapped my arms around Luka, burying my face into her shoulder and holding her now noticeably shivering body tight. There were no words I could say for what had just happened, so all that there was left to do was embrace her. Back when I was looking for a studio who would sign me, my mother would always hold me tight like this when I was turned down. Of course, I'm no mother figure, but…

"Here!" I exclaimed a bit too loudly as I pulled away from the embrace to rummage through my pocket to pull out the key to my apartment. "We can make a copy later, but you can use this until then."

"What-?"

"Let's make a deal." I told her, pressing the tiny, jagged piece of metal into her hands. "You can stay in my apartment until you become a famous idol."

"Miku, this is really-"

"This is the least I can do…" I cut her off, feeling a lump grow in my throat. "Until we can look back on this day and laugh, consider yourself my roommate."

"Th… thank you…" Luka spoke, her voice still sounding like she was close to tears, but a smile on her face- a real, genuine smile that wasn't meant to cover a devastated frown. It warmed my heart to see… my heart that was beating strangely fast.

"Y-You're welcome." I stammered. Luka's smile… it was brilliant in a way I couldn't describe. It dug up the same feelings that had kept me up the night before, and I feared I was acting strangely because of it. My thoughts were racing, my cheeks were growing warm, and my heart pounding overpowered all other sounds in the lobby.

"It's the Crystal Apartments, if you end up taking a taxi back." I quickly informed her as I began to stumble backwards. "I should probably head back… Kaito will have a total cow if I don't…"

"O-okay!" Luka nodded, holding the key close to her chest, like it was much more precious than it actually was. "I'll see you later, then?"

"Yeah, later!" I called as I twisted around and practically sprinted for the elevators. Even when I was far away from Luka, headed to the studio several floors up, I couldn't get a hold of myself. My reflection looking back at me from the mirrored walls of the elevator revealed I was still blushing, looking like some love-struck schoolgirl. I leaned my head against the wall behind me, trying to calm myself down.

"Jeeze, what in the world am I doing?" I thought aloud to myself.

I shouldn't feel this way about a girl… right?

Luka-

I had no idea whether to feel overwhelmingly upset or absolutely elated. Should I cry, or should I be jumping for joy? I had absolutely no idea, and it left me feeling exhausted just trying to wrestle with my conflicting emotions. One moment I felt absolutely crushed over been having my hopes dashed over possibly getting to sing with my goddess, and the next I'd look down at the key she had given me and be overcome with emotions of a completely different kind. I wanted to press my lips against the key, as if they were Miku's lips.

I sat at a fountain near the Crypton building, eyes fixated on the key that reflected the clear sky above me. I didn't feel so much like Miku's new roommate as I did a newlywed housewife. Oh, what would I do before Miku got back from work? Should I go back to the apartment and clean up? Maybe I should buy some leeks before I get back, I'm sure she would like that. I blushed at the thought of Miku coming home and me welcoming her home and presenting her with a nice, warm meal.

Welcome home, darling! Will you have your meal, your bath, or…

I almost fell over where I sat, overwhelming myself with my own, twisted fantasies. Not even an hour after having been given the key to her home, I'd forgotten the initial premise of my stay- she wanted me to become a brilliant idol, not her wife. I should have been thinking about what I would do next to acquire me dream, and not what sort of meal I should make for Miku.

My dream is to become an idol. My dream is to become an idol, like Miku. My dream is to become an idol so I can get closer to Miku. My dream is to get closer to-

"Ugh!" I groaned quietly to myself as I got up from the ledge I was sitting on and pocketed the key. Becoming an idol was a lofty dream, but at least it had a slight percentage of possibility. To be able to love Miku, and to have my feelings returned, would be impossible to say the least. Considering those odds made me feel just as devastated as when I'd been outright rejected before to sing a duet with Miku.

"I'll just head back to the apartment and do some research…" I muttered to myself, adding in my head that I could possibly make a quick stop to get some leeks. And, as I lost myself in the fantasy of the face Miku would wear when I presented her with her favorite snack, I ran headlong into someone, knocking the both of us back. They grunted in a way that revealed I might have actually hurt them, and even though a rather heavy chain they had been wearing had collided with my cheek, I felt the need to be the one to apologize.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going!" I apologized, going through the basic motions as I politely bowed to the stranger.

"Oh, it's… Luka, is that you?" It seemed this certain stranger knew my name, and I was compelled to straighten myself up to see who it was. Someone in the big city knowing me was a little more than just odd.

Before me stood a young man decked out like a total rock star. But he couldn't fool me, not even with the edgy clothes, styled hair and lack of glasses to hide behind. When you know someone like I did him, you never forget their face, no matter how much they change it.

"K-Kiyoteru… is that you?"