A/N: Yet again, another free time, another update. Well, actually, I had an early break from school. And yes, even as early as the beginning of December, I had my early Christmas break. Explanations? No need for that I guess. It will take yet another story to write when I really should be focusing on this fic.

I'm extremely sorry for making you guys wait for more than an ENTIRE MONTH just for an update. I wasn't even sure if I was even giving you, guys, the thrill and whatsoever you need to be feeling when you are reading this. I feel like crying and wanted to call it quits, but the story must go on.

As usual, your reviews are highly appreciated. Enjoy this chapter, everyone! ^^

[This is a flashback chapter by the way, which explains why most of the text is in italics. I felt the need to dedicate this as a flashback for better explanation of the series, as well as to support the plans that my more naïve and younger self made months ago. If you are not a fan of flashbacks, I assure you there'll be no more flashbacks in the next chapter or so. ^^]

xxxxxx

[4: I Promise]

Xxxxxx

First of all, what is a promise?

…

I looked it up in the dictionary and it said that promise is a pledge, an oath or an undertaking to do or not to do something. It is an obligation of some sort that will affect a certain event in the future. So simply put, it is something that brings out an expectation to others. When you make a promise, you are expected to fulfill that promise by all means, since you have pledged and assured to everyone or to yourself that you would do it.

'I promise to be there on my son's birthday' or 'I promise to finish my project before the deadline' are some examples of attainable and achievable promises. But as they say, it is not always easy to keep a promise. What if you made that promise to be there for your son's birthday when you are working overseas in a faraway country or you made that promise to finish a building that is complicatedly designed when you are only just an amateur architect? It suddenly sounds almost impossible to do unless you take drastic measures, like using up a lot of cash just to buy a plane ticket back home or taking risks when building just to finish before the deadline.

This mere word only has two syllables and seven letters. It seems to be a small word compared to the other thousand words in the dictionary. But to one person, this word can mean everything.

Hope, love, and most of all, trust can be associated with a promise. When a promise is broken, there are serious consequences at hand. Everything will crumble beneath your feet, crushing hopes into mere ashes, flavoring the sweetness of love with the bitterness of hate and resentment, and breaking trust, something that takes a long time and a humungous effort to earn.

…

I know you are all thinking that I'm being a bit dramatic with that statement. But I'm just telling a fact, aren't I?

…

I, for one, have made a lot of promises in my life and I would often fulfill them despite all the odds. It is all because I didn't like to face the bad consequences when I didn't fulfill them. Never in my life have I turned back on a promise albeit how much I regretted making them in the first place.

…

So I wasn't turning back on any promise, even that naïve yet noble promise I made when I was five years old.

…

The officer stared back at me with an incredulous look.

"What did you just say young lad?" He asked me.

"I said, I want to take care of Miku-san," I repeated for him.

The officer bent down and patted me on the shoulder. "That's real sweet of you. But seriously kid, you are just a child. You don't need to worry about that kid any further. I already called for the local orphanage to take in the little girl until we could be able to find some of her relatives. They can take better care of her there," he said so heedlessly.

I stomped my feet stubbornly. "I don't want Miku to go to the orphanage! I don't like that idea one bit! The orphanage is a sad place to be in. Believe me, officer. My twin sister, Rin, and I have lived there for three years surrounded by nothing but the gray walls and the gloomy air. We had a few newspapers and crayons to play with, but that was about it. The rest of the day would be spent sticking our noses out in the cold window, gazing at the endless stretch of pine trees and the wide expanses of the cloudy skies. Every day was an agonizing one, for we would wait endlessly for that wooden door to open up and visitors would come in and play with us. If we get lucky, those visitors would be nice enough to adopt us. But it was only on rare cases. Nobody would bother to come to such a dismal place. I wouldn't want Miku to be there. She's a nice girl, and when she smiles, she brings about that bright radiance. If you just put her in that dismal place, that smile will disappear and that radiance will wither. I want to repay her, as well. She saved me from those bullies earlier. So please, let me take care of Miku instead."

"What is going on here?"

I heard a voice coming from behind me. I turned around to see a young woman with long locks of beautiful pink hair extending all the way to down her back. She was beautiful and looked vibrant all right, but her face was spoiled with the tiny frown and her forehead creased with so much worry as she looked at me and the officer beside me. Immediately, she rushed to my side and hugged me tight.

"Len? Len, my dear! Is that you? Len! I was looking all over for you. You got me so worried. Are you alright?" She was extremely worried, evident by her tone and hyperventilation.

I nodded and reassured her weakly. "I'm fine, Luka."

She stroked my ruffled hair. She wiped the dirt and soot from my face with the corner of her sleeve. She held my face with her hand and looked at it very carefully, checking if I was really alright. She looked at me sternly. "What the heck are you doing in this place? Can't you see that building that just burned down? It's not safe to be here. And you are all covered in dirt and sweat. Come with me young man, I'm going to give you a bath as soon as we get back home…"

"Actually, Luka, we can't go just yet," I stopped her in midsentence.

"Why not?"

…

I took her by the hand and pulled her to one edge of the sidewalk where the teal-haired girl was.

Luka was hysterical.

…

"Who is this girl?" She asked me, beginning to be puzzled.

"Luka, this is Miku-san."

She examined the little girl carefully before turning back to me. "What are you trying to imply?"

"You see, that is her house. It burnt down to ashes along with her parents. Now, she has no one to stay with. Can we take her in? Please?"

She placed her palm at her forehead and heaved a deep, repressed sigh.

"This is no stray dog, Len. We can't just take in a girl. It'll be too much of a hassle for me. I still have my work to attend to and I still have you and Rin to keep an eye of."

"Then I could take care of her."

"That's preposterous. You're just a kid."

I stomped my feet harder this time. "Trust me, Luka. I can do this. I do that with Rin all the time back at the orphanage. I could play with her, I could watch over her and I could be her friend. It wouldn't be that hard, right Luka?"

"Even so, what if something else happens to her? What if she gets kidnapped while you are not looking? Or what if she gets into an accident? Would you still want to take responsibility of her?"

…

"I won't," I finally said.

"Then why would you suddenly think of doing that if you can't? I told you that…"

…

"Luka!"

She paused for a moment.

"Luka. Please let me continue."

…

I took a deep breath before I continued.

"I won't take responsibility for that…"

…

"…because that will never happen. I will protect Miku-san no matter what happens. I will never let anything happen to her. That is my promise."

I said that last sentence fiercely. Then there was yet another long moment of silence. I can hear my heart thumping harder, and I think I was growing redder and paler at the moment.

…

I didn't mean to be this rude to Luka. It was just that there is this force pushing me to do this. It was pushing me to defend myself, at the very least, for something that doesn't really concern me. I was surprised at myself that I could be this altruistic at this young age. What is happening? What is this feeling? Len, what the heck are you doing?

…

With one final breath, I spoke in finality.

"Now will you let me take care of her?" I asked Luka pleadingly.

She was thoughtful for a long while. I waited for her to respond. I wanted this talk to be dealt with and done now as soon as possible. It was getting dark and I was starting to worry about me and for Miku as well.

…

After a while, Luka finally spoke. "You know, Len, for a kid, you could say such bold words. I will let you have your way. But don't go coming to me whenever you start to regret anything."

"I wouldn't," I replied shakily.

"If you say so, then so be it. Get in the car." She said in a dropped voice. She turned around and started walking towards the street, passing through the crowd and onto the pavement. And with that, the talk was over.

I stood at the edge of the sidewalk, holding open the door to Luka's car. I propped it open and extended my hand towards the young girl inside the car.

"Come on, don't be shy," I said to the girl.

She looked back at me hesitantly, but the teal-haired girl took my hand gently. I aided her as she slowly came down the car and onto the ground. Still holding tightly on her hand, I initiated on opening the beaten-down oak door. I took one step in, and she followed behind awkwardly.

"Welcome to your new home, Miku-san," I said without further adieu. "I'm sure you'll like it here as much as I do."

I motioned my hand inside to the receiving hall, a mere tatami-floored room with aged grey walls. Except for the couch, the coffee table and a small altar to the side, the hall looked pretty bare. Miku looked around at her new surroundings.

"This is the receiving hall. And over there's the kitchen. And that door leads to Luka-sama's room. That flight of stairs right next to it leads to the other rooms," I began unceremoniously, pointing towards the different places in the building. I pointed towards a door leading to the small kitchen, lined with plain linoleum white tiles and stainless steel, where Luka cooks meals for everyone. Then I pointed to another oak door, this time shut, beside it. Then I pointed to a flight of wooden steps running down a narrow pathway leading up to the second floor of the building.

I then led her to the flight of stairs, ever so excitedly as the child I am, and pulled her behind me. "These are the rooms," I said as I gestured towards the narrow hallway. It was dim all around, with only a single fluorescent lamp to light up the place.

"These are the rooms," I said to her as we walked. "This room belongs to Kaito-san and Meiko-san. They're living together, by the way. Over here is Gakupo-san's room. Over here is the bathroom."

I then motioned to another shut oak door at one side of the corridor. "This is my room," I said to her as I unlatched the knob. The door opened with a creek, revealing a small room with a singular window. On one side of the room, a girl with short, shoulder-length golden hair lay sound asleep under the covers of a light blanket. Miku eyed this girl with fascination.

"That is my twin sister, Rin," I told Miku in a whisper. "She's a beauty, ne? I absolutely can't wait for you to meet her. You'll become great friends, I'm sure. It's too bad she's asleep now. Maybe in the morning, we'll get to play, just you, me, and Rin. You'd like that, right?"

I closed the door gently behind me and led Miku to the end of the hallway. There, a final oak door stood. I unlatched the knob with much force this time around. The knob was rusty and cobwebs were formed around their edges. Nevertheless, I opened the door, revealing a dark room. I fumbled for the switch in this darkness. When I felt the button on one side of the wall, I flipped it open, bringing light all around.

"This is the guest room," I began. "But Luka told me on the way home that this'll be your room."

She looked around nervously. She eyed the walls, covered with cheap wallpaper and more cobwebs in the corners. She looked up to the tattered ceiling down to the cold, marble floor. She eyed the small futon covered in white linen, the only thing in this bare room besides the small mahogany cabinet and a rolled up carpet leaning against the west wall.

"I'm sorry if this may not be much. But this is all that we could give you as of the moment. We'd be doing repairs and rearranging tomorrow. If only we'd know that you would come, and then we should have fixed it earlier," I apologized to her.

…

"This is fine now, thank you," she murmured softly, speaking for the first time since the tragedy.

…

I held my breath as I watched her expression. She was still shaken, but she had softened now, looking around with much more curiosity now without hesitation.

…

"I see she's already acquainting herself to the place," a voice commented behind us.

I snapped my head around to the origin of the voice, recognizing the speaker almost immediately.

"Luka…" I whispered.

She stood at the doorstep, leaning on its wooden framework. She eyed me intently, then to Miku. She nodded in assent.

"I think we should leave her alone to rest now, Len," said Luka. "I believe she had quite a day."

"Eh? But she just got here," I moaned.

"It's getting late now and you kids need your sleep," she explained. "Now get moving.I'll give you your bath before you go to bed."

Without any more mums towards Luka, I dragged my feet slowly towards the door.

"But we'll be playing again tomorrow, right?" I asked Luka.

"Of course, Len. You have all day tomorrow," Luka replied.

"Yipee!" I shouted in glee. "Hear that, Miku? We are going to play tomorrow!"

Miku's lips curled up into a tiny smile.

I felt a strange feeling sweeping all over me.

…

I watched as Luka helped her remove her shoes and helped her onto the bed. Once Miku had settled in, Luka tucked her in under the covers.

"Is there anything else you need?" Luka asked her.

She made a motion with her head as if to say no.

"Well, just call me if you need anything," she said with a good-natured grin.

"See you tomorrow, Miku-san. Get lots of rest, alright? I'll be in the other room if you need me. Goodnight," I bid farewell to her.

...

"G-goodnight, Len," she mumbled back.

…

Luka flipped the switch and the whole room was enveloped with darkness except for the moonlight casting shadows all over the room. Miku layed there and looked up at the window, her gaze locked intently at it. Before long, she closed her eyes and fell in a deep sleep.

Slowly, Luka shut the oak door, leaving Miku all alone with her dreams for the night.

Still in the morning, the sun having yet to warm up the air around me, I started walk towards Miku's room. The sun hasn't fully risen, yet there was a tiny hint of sunshine peeping through the spaces in between the blinds.

"I wonder if she's awake now…" I whispered to myself as I walked. "I hope she had a good night's sleep."

…

"Awake now, Len?" I heard a voice coming from behind.

"G'morning Luka," I greeted her. Her eyes showed weariness that could only be brought about by a stressful night, yet her body was still as graceful as ever, her slim figure flattered by her silky night gown.

"What are you doing this early in the morning?" asked Luka.

"I wanted to check up on Miku," I simply said, pointing to the other side of the corridor where Miku's room was.

She crossed her arms over her chest and gave a knowing look. "I see, excited to go play with our newcomer, eh?"

I nodded profusely.

"Why don't you have some breakfast downstairs first? She might still be asleep right now," she commented.

…

I rushed downstairs to the kitchen and found a plate of pancakes waiting for me on the counter.

"Wow! Pancakes, my absolute favorite! Thanks, Luka-sama!" I cried as I pulled a stool and took my place on the table.

Luka watched as I picked up my fork and started gobbling down the food she had prepared.

"You like it?" She asked me as she placed a mug beside my plate, filling it three-forths of the way with water.

"Mm-hm! I wike ich bewy much!" I murmured with a mouth full of pancakes.

She grabbed a napkin from the shelf and wiped the corners of my mouth with it. "Sheesh, I told you not to talk with your mouth full," she lectured me.

I took in one big gulp. "Sorry," I murmured.

…

I looked at Luka, who was staring back at me intently in the eyes. It made me quite conscious.

"What's the matter?" I asked. "Are there more pieces of food in my face?"

I seemed to have breaked her reverie. She turned back to me in surprise.

"Oh, what? Nah, it's nothing," Luka replied. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" I asked curiously.

She looked away wistfully. I followed her gaze out the window. Very gradually, beacons of color started painting the sky like some tangerine color.

"You know, Len, I don't understand you," she finally said.

I was taken aback by her statement.

"Well, first of all, you are just five years old and nothing but a young boy with too many choices to make in the near future. Still, at this young age, you made decisions far beyond your capacities. I wonder how at an age where one who spends days frolicking around without a care in the world were you able to think of doing something like that, taking care of another one more fragile than you are. When I was your age, I could think of nothing but myself. But you… how in the world should I say this? It's just… strange, the way you think. It's so sincere, so selfless, so… Gah! I really don't understand you!"

She let out a repressed scream of frustration, took a deep breath and composed herself before she continued.

"When you confronted me last night about wanting to take care of Miku, I didn't believe what I was hearing. You said such bold words there, Kagamine. I was completely floored, trust me. Though I was touched by your intentions, I just had the urge to refuse it. You were too young. I have told you that last night, right?"

I nodded in response.

"I'm not saying that you can't do it, okay? All I'm trying to imply is that you should not stress yourself out too much. You're just a little kid. You don't want to develop wrinkles at a young age like your old woman over here," her serious tone immediately changed as she joked.

…

I bit my last piece heartily. Luka smiled at the now empty plate.

"Gocchiosama!" I said as I picked up the napkin and wiped the corners of my mouth with it. I stood up and gulped down the remainder of the water from my mug. Just as I was about to dash off to Miku, Luka called out to me.

"Ne, Len," she called out. "Mind watching over the building for me while I'm gone?"

I stopped at my tracks. "Why? Where are you going?" I inquired.

"I'm going over to the police station today," she said as she cleared my dish and placed it on the sink. "I'm going to arrange some papers."

"What for?" I inquired again.

"Duh! What else is it for?" She laughed as if to cue me.

"You mean…"

"…I'm going to take temporary custody of Miku," she finished my sentence. "I wouldn't like it, to be honest. But I'm sure it'll not be that bad."

I stared at her wordlessly.

"What are you staring at me for? Do I also have pieces of food on my face?" She laughed at her own joke.

"I-It's nothing," I replied. "I'm just really thankful."

She came towards me and ruffled my golden hair. "Sure you are," she said casually.

…

I looked down on the floor, suddenly lost in thought.

"What's the matter now, Len?" Luka asked, slightly worried.

…

"Even if you'd take custody of Miku, could I still take care of her?" I asked.

"You could rest now and relax. You don't have to worry about Miku-san anymore. That's pretty much the reason why I chose this," she explained.

"Then I'll help you in taking care of Miku," I chimed in.

"Huh? It's alright, really. I don't need your help. You can just…"

…

"I made a promise, and promises are not made to be broken. They are made to be kept. And there's no way I'm not pulling back on a promise I made," I said.

…

…

"I feel that my purpose in life is not to just act like a child all the time…" I turned my head towards the window, seeing the empty sky that was but a few months ago dark and grey, now beaming with the bright blue hues of the morning sky. I turned my head back to Luka, and finished with a few words: "I want to take care of Miku."

After a few moments, Luka had already left for the police station. She left Miku and Rin's breakfast on the counter and left me with a few chores to do.

I scrambled across the corridor and made my way to the guest room. I unlatched the knob and made my way in.

"Miku-san, are you up yet? Rise and shine! Breakfast is ready," I said in a cheerful voice.

I opened the windows to let in the morning sun. As I did, the rays came shining down and the warm gold light filtered into the room.

From under the covers, Miku sat up straight; her long, teal hair all messed up.

She was in a particularly sober mood.

"I didn't sleep well last night," she finally said.

"Why so? Is the place not to your liking?" I asked her, quite alarmed.

"No, it's not that," she corrected me. "I like this place, though it's not like my room back at home. But this is definitely better than anywhere else. And I have you to thank for it, Kagamine-san. You are so kind. I am glad to have made a friend like you."

I blushed at her compliment.

…

"I just had a lot on my mind, that's all," she continued. She stroked her hair slowly and looked wistfully out the window. 'Poor girl,' I thought to myself. 'She must have been going through so much trouble…'

"Well, would you like to have breakfast now?" I finally said. "Luka-sama makes the best chocolate pancakes. You'll love it."

Her lips curled into a tiny smile.

"I would love that," she said.

…

But just as I was about to help her down the bed…

…

"Ah!" Miku cried. She stopped moving for a moment and faltered.

"What happened? Are you alright?" I asked her worriedly.

"My head… It hurts… Ah!" She cried again. Her face pulled back into a whimper. She was clearly in pain.

…

What do I do? What do I do?

I aided her back to the bed again. "This is bad. Are you feeling anything strange now?" I asked her again.

I placed the back of my palm at her forehead. "Ah! Your head feels hot. You must have a fever," I exclaimed. "I will go down and get a cold compress for you. Wait here."

I dashed down the stairs and located a face towel in the kitchen. I drowsed it in water and ran back immediately to Miku. I rolled the wet face towel, just like what Luka does when I get a fever, and placed it on her forehead.

"Thank you so much, Kagamine-san," she murmured weakly. "But this isn't a cold compress. You must have used tap water."

"Ah!" I exclaimed as soon as I realized my mistake. "I'll go replace it."

I immediately retrieved the face towel from her forehead and rushed back downstairs. I pulled a stool to the cupboards and located a bowl. I got down and pulled the stool towards the refrigerator and hoisted myself up to open the freezer. I placed a couple of ice cubes on the bowl and shut the freezer door before I headed to the sink and filled it with water. After that, I plunked in the face towel, waited for a couple of moments before picking up the cold towel and rushing back upstairs.

I replaced the face towel on her forehead.

"Is that better?" I told her breathlessly, tired from the work I just did.

"Yes," she replied weakly. "Thank you."

"Thank goodness," I sighed.

…

…

I sat in silence for a few minutes, watching over Miku. I checked up on her a few times just to see if she was still warm. I replaced her cold compress a couple of times. The whole day I was just there by her side, taking care of her.

"You know," she said to me one time, "you don't have to do take care of me if you don't want to. I think I can handle myself."

"You're sick," I protested. "It's only right for me to take care of you."

…

"Thank you, Kagamine-san," she whispered again. "I am in debt to you, Kagamine-san. I am sorry for causing so much trouble for you. Thank you. Did I already tell you that? Thank you. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for being there during that time. Thank you for letting me in. Thank you, for even though you had to face against Megurine-san, you still defended me. Thank you for letting me in, and to Megurine-san, too. Thank you for taking care of me."

…

Despite the bad condition she was in now, Miku was smiling ever so radiantly now.

…

This must be why I chose to make that promise.

Like I said earlier, when a promise is broken, there are serious consequences at hand.

…

But when you keep a promise, you will be loved, you will be trusted, and you will feel joy and fulfillment. Having made a promise gives your life a purpose and meaning. It gives you a reason to get up from bed every morning. You will feel important. Doesn't that sound great?

…

So I wasn't turning back on any promise, even that naïve yet noble promise I made when I was five years old.

…

"Kagamine-san."

Miku said weakly.

"Please stay by my side," she whispered.

…

"I will," I said as I stroked her hair, ever so gently.

…

"I promise."

12/12/11

GAH! That was so fun to write. I have written an unexpectedly long one. Hmm. Oh well. It's to make up for that long absence.

Next chapter's going to be a big one! Hope I'd have the time to update it before next week. I've got a lot of things I need to do.

Till then.