A/N: As promised, here is the update (despite my super busy schedule, with school and other stuff). It kind of sucks, I did some changes with the supposed plot of the first chapter with this chapter, so I will not be surprised if you are going to get confused when you guys read this. Gomen. Gomen. And I'm not sure if it had met your expectations. But I hope I can still catch your interests. Yet again, I'll try to make the following chapters worthwhile reading. Please enjoy. ^^
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[2: The Little Girl at the Local Park]
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The words that Luka said haunted me. They kept repeating in my head; two words triumphantly mocking me inside and left my jaw dropping. It was just too hard to believe.
...
"She died?" I repeated her answer dumbly.
"Yes," Luka answered.
"She died?"
"For crying out loud, she died. Miku-n died."
...
"She died?"
"Do I have to say it to you again?" She frowned at me and sounded irritated this time. "And why are you overreacting? I know everyone would be as shocked as you when they find out that someone they know is dead. But you... Are you her boyfriend or something?"
...
"She died?... I mean... What the...? Of course not! Me and Miku-san? Tch. What made you bring up something as absurd as that?" I exclaimed, faking a laugh as I went on. "I mean, why would I even care? We're not even related or anything. And I'm overreacting? Boy, Luka-sama. That was some joke..."
...
My voice trailed off as she looked at me with an anxious expression, almost like she was waiting for me to say something else.
"What?" I asked her dumbly.
…
"I'm just kidding you."
"W-what did you say?"
"I said, I was just kidding you."
…
"So Miku's not yet dead?"
"Nope."
…
…
So it was all just a stupid joke?
…
"Rin woke me up so early with a megaphone just so you could talk to me. Then, it was all just a big freaking joke. Great, Luka-sama. Just great. Keep scaring the living hell out of me," I murmured sourly.
…
Luka composed herself. "But we are still going to the hospital. Miku may not be dead, but she got in an accident last night."
"Really? What kind?" I composed myself, too, trying not to sound too surprised.
"No one knows for sure. All I know is that she was found unconscious in the local park last night,"
...
I stared at her, perplexed.
…
The local park?
...
That was where I used to hang out when I was little.
...
It also brings back so many memories.
…
...
"Come on. Stop being such a crybaby," a stubby kid said arrogantly to a wee little five year older.
This is a common scene in most playgrounds, when the local park's resident bully would- you know, do stuff to poor little inferiors.
In this story, the 'bully' was a chubby kid named Haru Moruna. He was the richest kid in the block and because of that, he pretty much thought of everyone as his 'subjects' Those who disobey him will get severely punished by his annoying drones.
...
That day's victim was a little yellow-haired five year old boy who bumped into Haru and spilled apple juice all over Haru's shirt. His name's Kagamine Len.
...
Woops. That's me.
...
"I-I'm sorry. It was j-just an accident," I said with a quivering voice.
"An accident, huh? You think I'd forgive you that easily for ruining my shirt?" Haru glowered at me. "And what's this on your hand?"
I looked warily on my left hand and saw that I was carrying a bag of candies I was going to share with my sister, Rin.
"Give me that," he said as he snatched the bag from me.
"Hey! That's mine," I demanded.
"It's mine now," he snorted. "Beat it kid."
"Give that back," I demanded. I was clearly insulted by this brute.
"What if I don't want to?" Haru asked sarcastically.
"You're gonna get a piece of me," I answered back. It came out of impulse. I wasn't sure what I was doing, but it just came out.
...
And it turned out to be a big mistake.
...
"L-let go of me," I begged. He grabbed me by my shirt and held me up like some toy. I I squirmed with all my might to break free, but I couldn't escape from his grasp.
"Aww, look at him go," Haru teased. His drones laughed meniacly at my torment.
...
"Let go of him, you big jerk!"
...
A tiny voice spoke up from behind us.
I looked over Haru's shoulder to see a tiny little girl with twin-tailed sea green hair stand firm on her ground.
"I said let go of him, or else you're going to be in big trouble," the twin tailed girl repeated.
What? Is that girl trying to save me or something?
Haru's jaw flexed. "Trying to save your boyfriend, punny? Well, get lost," he crowed at the girl.
"I have a name, you idiot," the girl corrected, seemingly unafraid of the horrible person.
"Whatever, punny," he said rudely. "Now scram before I turn you and your precious little boyfriend into mini punching bags."
"I'm not afraid of you," the girl answered bravely. "I'm not afraid of people who hurt other people and has apple juice spilled all over their shirts."
...
Facepalm.
...
"You want a fight? I'll give you a fight. But I promise it'll not be much of a fight," he smirked.
Haru let go of me, dropping me to the ground. I felt a low thud as I crashed to the ground.
"L-like I said, I am n-not afraid of you," the little girl stammered.
This time, she didn't look so strong anymore. Behind her attempt to keep a brave-looking façade, she started to look like a little girl. Innocent. Fragile. Tangible. Defenseless.
...
I looked at Haru. He had a smug look on his face.
"You don't look so tough now. What's the matter?" he asked the little girl sarcastically.
He cracked his knuckles. He flexed his arms. He was really preparing to pumell that defenseless girl.
"N-nothing," the little girl insisted. Now her knees were shaking.
...
"NO!"
...
...
The next thing I knew, everything went black.
...
"Hey Len, are you still there?" Luka snapped, breaking me from my reverie.
"Huh? Oh yeah. Of course I'm still here," I told her.
"Is there something bothering you, Len?" She asked in a low and modulated voice.
I didn't respond at first, suddenly somber.
...
"No, not at all," I replied.
"Are you sure?" She asked again.
...
I wasn't sure where I was at the time. All I can recognize from my disoriented world is a faint light against the darkness, an excruciating pain and a voice whispering in my ear. Soon, I was able to recognize quite a familiar figure inches away from my face.
…
"Are you okay now?"
"Where am I?" I asked the figure.
"You're on earth, silly," the figure replied with a giggle.
I shook my head and tried to make sense of everything around me. I looked around and was surprised to see that I was still in the local park.
...
The more surprising part is that I found myself on the little girl's lap.
...
I cringed away from the girl.
"W-what happened?" I demanded.
"Please remain seated," she requested, not answering my question. "I'm not yet done treating your bruises yet."
...
A bruise?
...
"You tried to save me from the monster's fatal blow then you were sent flying to the tree. You became unconscious afterwards," she explained.
"What? I did?" I felt my forehead with my palm and felt a large lump with a piece of cloth across it.
"Yes, you did. And please stop touching it," she reminded me.
"Oh," I assented. I did as told and sat at the open space next to her.
...
"How long was I unconscious?" I asked her.
"I think you were out for an hour," she mused.
"An hour?"
"Pretty much."
"It was that bad?"
"Most probably."
"..."
"Don't worry, I think you'll heal in no time."
"How can you tell?"
"I just know it."
"Oh."
"..."
"How did you learn to do this, by the way?"
"What do you mean?"
"This thing on my head... how did you learn to do it?"
"Ah. That bandage."
"So that's what you call it."
"Yes, it's a bandage."
"Where did you learn this stuff?"
"This stranger wearing white clothes taught me. The stranger called himself a bokuta."*
"What is a bokuta?"
"I don't know. But he has some sort of magical tricks up his sleeve."
"Wow. What kinds?"
"He can remove scars from your skin, or he can take away coughs and colds, or he can make the blind see."
"That's amazing."
"I know, right? Someday I want to be like that bokuta."
"Me, too. Or I want to be a singer."
"Yeah. I want to be a singer, too."
"Maybe when we grow up, we could be famous singers."
"That'd be cool."
"Yeah."
...
…
I paused for a while and reminded myself the fact that I talking to a twin-tailed stranger while I have this grotesque bruise on my head. Oddly enough, I felt comfortable talking to this stranger.
...
...
We sat in silence for a few moments.
...
"Hey, I almost forgot," she suddenly asked.
"What is it?" I said.
"What's your name?"
"Kagamine Len," I replied. "How about you? What's your name?"
"I'm Miku. Hatsune Miku."
"Miku? That's a wonderful name," I commented.
"Thanks," she said sheepishly.
...
There was another awkward silence.
...
I looked up and saw the sky suddenly turn into shades of orange and yellow. The sun was beginning to set against the crimson sky. I didn't know that it was this late already. Soon, the evening twilight studded with stars will take over the heavens. The sky looked like a big piece of tangerine candy right now.
...
"It's getting late. I have to get going," she said as she stood up and smoothed her dress. I followed after her, slowly getting up.
…
"Wait. I want to give you something before I leave." She brought out a plastic bag from her pocket and handed it to me.
I looked inside the plastic bag. Oddly enough, it was candy.
"What is this for?" I asked.
"That jerk, Haru, stole your candy right?" She prompted me.
…
"I… Uhm. I mean… You didn't have to," I told her. "I mean, I felt badly enough that you had to take care of me, and…"
"Don't worry about it," she insisted. "Take it as a little gift from me to you."
I didn't know what to say to her.
…
"Goodbye, Kagamine-san, it was nice meeting you," she bid farewell before turning around to head home.
"Goodbye," I yelled back, but it was a second too late. She was already out of sight.
…
It was getting dark out here so I decided to head home, too.
…
…
As I was walking along the road, I caught a glimmer in the corner of my eyes.
It looked like it was coming from the other side of the road.
…
I ran as fast as I could, pushing my legs faster to see what it was.
…
When I came to a screeching halt, I saw it.
…
…
...
"The reason why I wanted to especially talk to you about this is that you are the closest person to Miku-n."
"…Huh?"
Luka frowned at me. "Kagamine Len, snap out of it."
"I'm listening," I told her.
…
I met her gaze. "And I totally doubt that I'm so close to her," I mumbled.
"You've known each other since forever," she reminded me.
"I still don't see why I have to play a big part in this whole fiasco," I told her.
…
Dring. Dring.
All of a sudden, Luka's phone started ringing. She broke out from our conversation and picked up the receiver.
"Hello. This is Megurine Luka speaking," she said in a business-like tone. "Ah, I see. Yes. We are about to leave now. I just had a few things to arrange."
I watched her as she spoke to the person at the other end of the line.
…
Then suddenly, her expression changed.
"Huh? What did you say? … What! That's impossible. I… Since when…?" She shrieked through the receiver.
I looked at her wordlessly. I don't know what the heck she was saying.
"I'm hanging up now," she said, abruptly slamming the receiver to the table.
"W-what was that?" I finally asked Luka.
…
I heard a little voice cry into the heavens.
"Hatsune-san!" I yelled as I saw her drop to the floor and break out in pain.
"K-Kagamine-san," she began to say, but her voice was choked up by her tears.
She flung her arms around me and broke into tears. She was in so much pain.
I didn't know what to say to her. We were just children, after all.
The whole street was surrounded by a strange and ominous orange light.
…
Sparks flew off from every direction. I watched as it enveloped us.
"It was from the hospital where Miku was…"
I had the feeling that I didn't want to hear what Luka-sama had to say, even more so after the terrible prank. This time, I guess, she serious.
…
Her house was on fire.
"The hospital… it's on fire."
…
…
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I seem to be very redundant these days, ne? But go on ahead. You know what to do.
*BOKUTA actually means "doctor." It's just that five-year-old Len cannot pronounce it properly so it sounded like bokuta.