I really hate this chapter, honestly. It feels very random. But I think it helps bring Len and Miku a bit closer. Someday, they might actually end up together (if I ever finish this story, that is...) Yes, I'm planning LenxMiku in future, but I'll take suggestions for other couples. I'm thinking PikoxRin and a tiny, little bit of ReixMiku. Suggestions, please? I'm okay with anything as long as it isn't incest (which I'm okay with if it's only hinted. I just don't feel comfortable writing incest so I don't)
Anyway, reviews and suggestions are appreciated and I hope everyone who reads enjoys the chapter!
/
Miku found herself remaining at the café well past the time she had previously imagined. She left at around noon, many hours after arriving. Rin bid her farewell with a gift of two brownies, saying her boss wouldn't miss them too much. Yet another reason Rin wasn't a good role model.
Miku decided now would be an excellent time to buy herself some lunch. Perhaps she would be lucky enough to find something cheap at the store.
The walk would be cold, but Miku was okay with that. Those long hours at the café had been more than enough to warm her up. With a new bit of confidence burning in her chest, Miku set off to the nearest grocery store. Well, she thought it was the nearest one. If it wasn't, that would be okay, too. Walking wouldn't kill her.
However, before she could get close to her destination, she found her path blocked by none other than three girls wearing her school's uniform, barely visible under stylish, dark coats. They all seemed absolutely livid, which was one confusing aspect of this whole thing. Secondly, they all seemed just about ready to pound Miku into the concrete. Thirdly, they were skipping school, and people of their sort didn't look like they'd be caught dead skipping school. And lastly, none of these girls seemed like the fighting type. One, a willowy girl with long, red hair and sparks shining in her eyes, wore a pink ribbon in her hair, holding back long strands back against her head. Another girl wore dark makeup, set heavily against golden eyes. The only thing Miku could think as she examined this girl was "gothic Lolita." The third and final girl was small, delicate, with bright eyes and hair rivaling Miku's in length. Her neat outfit and set hairstyle lead Miku to believe that she wouldn't ever risk messing with her looks by engaging in a fight unless it was serious.
"Um, hi?" Miku attempted. All three girls glared fiercely and she chose to hold her tongue.
"Hatsune Miku, correct?" the Lolita-type demanded.
"Yeah. Who's asking?" Miku shot back. Her "brain-to-mouth" filter didn't seem to be working at the moment.
"None of your business!" the girl with red eyes snapped. She was busy smoothing out a lock of silver hair, as if it would help her intimidate Miku. Heh. Nice try.
Miku felt her face harden. So, they wanted to fight? Little girls who didn't understand manners would deserve the beating she gave them.
She pushed away that thought. No. Fighting silly girls wouldn't solve anything. If anything, she'd probably end up in trouble. What a joy that would be.
"You're that girl who was with Len-sama yesterday! We saw you walking with him!" the tallest one accused with a voice of poison. Those bright eyes were narrowed angrily and Miku found her own eyes replicating that look.
"We even saw you in that picture with him!" the shortest spat. She stood between the two others, red eyes filled with malevolence.
Miku couldn't get a word in edge-wise as the tall one began speaking again, hands on her hips.
"What's the big idea, hanging out with an idol like our Len-sama? You're no one, so hang out with people of your level," she instructed coldly, flipping her red hair over her shoulder. The Lolita with golden eyes nodded in agreement.
"There's no way Kagamine Len would go for a girl like you. Those clothes and that ridiculously childish hair," the red-eyed girl told her, "It's a wonder boys don't mistake you for a ten-year-old."
Miku spoke up quickly, an edge to her voice she rarely heard around anyone, save for Len. "Kagmine-san and I are not in a relationship. Falsely accusing me of shit like that only makes you seem immature."
"Don't lie to us," the tall red-head hissed, stepping forward to grab Miku by the front of her coat, "Whatever you have to do with him, we don't like it. So stop before we have to teach you a lesson."
Miku released a deep growl, hidden below layers of clothes and skin and muscle. "How about you let go? I don't want to hurt you." And she didn't. It was the truth.
A smirk formed on her glossed lips. "Why don't you see what happens if you try to escape?"
With a flash of movement, Miku grabbed the girl by her arm, twisting it around and yanking the arm behind the girl's back. A cry of shock and pain echoed from the girl, and Miku was surprised no one was running to her aid. Then again, the girls had chosen to corner her on a rather deserted sidewalk, so it shouldn't seem odd.
"H-hey!" the girl exclaimed, trying to escape. Miku pulled her arm farther back as she struggled, rendering her relatively motionless and whimpering.
"I told you to back off," Miku snapped, her breath hitting the back of the girl's neck, "I'm giving you one more chance before I really start getting mad."
The last thing she expected was for the small Lolita girl, who had yet to say a single word, to open her mouth and yell loudly.
"Rei!" her high-pitched voice cried, "Rei, come here! This girl is bullying us!"
Miku froze, her eyes catching on the golden-eyed girl's own vibrant pair. That moment sent her heart racing; a single point in time where she had no idea what might happen. Something quickly did, and Miku was surprised to find a boy very near identical to the dark-haired, golden-eyed girl with the unusually high pitched voice. His eyes were narrowed, flashing amber as he turned to look dead on at Miku. She couldn't move. His eyes reminded her of a cat's; cold and sharp.
"What is it, Rui?" he demanded, "Were you serious?"
"Of course," the much shorter girl scowled at the boy, "I don't kid when it involves interacting with you." The words were biting and poisonous; Miku was surprised by the lack of response the boy had. With an equally dark scowl on her face, Miku shoved her red-head captive to the side, where her girlish friends quickly went to examine her arm, as if she had been contaminated by Miku's very touch. The girl seemed close to tears as the other two glared at Miku coldly. The boy, who was around Miku's own age or maybe a bit older, didn't allow much emotion across his face. Quite frankly, he seemed bored and disconnected. Where had he come from, anyway?
"Alright, what do you want?" Miku demanded, "A fight? I thought boys had some code of honor preventing them from fighting girls? Especially short ones." He must've been a good five or six inches taller than her. Size didn't matter when Miku was involved in the equation. In any fight, Miku could tip the scales if she wanted.
"I do what is necessary for family," he replied simply, proceeding to roll off his gloves and putting them in his pocket.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I have no intention of fighting you. I don't even know you. Therefore, I have nothing against you," Miku quickly revised her statement, "Yet. Keep this up and I might."
He didn't seem to be paying her words any sort of attention, because he continued to unravel his scarf.
"Are you serious?" Miku demanded, "Do you know who I am?"
"Hatsune Miku, tenth grade, sixteen, sixth in the class, younger sister of Hatsune Mikuo," he replied, "Previously a student at Cottonwood Middle School, you haven't had any problems involving fights at your current school. I have a feeling you don't know me, asking a question like that."
Miku couldn't speak. The fact that he knew so much about her was frightening, to say the least. Who he must be, she couldn't imagine. He went to her school, she could guess, but Miku was struggling to remember his face. She just couldn't.
"That isn't impressive," Miku stated, "That's creepy." Secretly, she did find it impressive. But it was creepy above all else.
Her comment didn't even earn a smirk. The boy's face remained as impassive and bland as it had so far. Honestly, that's what made him attractive… Wait, what?
Okay, yeah, he was attractive. But he was also annoying.
"My memory serves me well when it comes to my duties. I'm surprised you haven't recognized me," the boy replied, almost coldly.
"Rei! Stop chit-chatting! She left marks on Miki-chan's arm!" the raven-haired girl with matching eyes shrieked angrily.
The boy showed no reaction to her demand, except to tilt his head slightly at Miku. "You could just apologize, Hatsune-san. We don't need to become violent."
"Rei!"
"Enough, Rui. You're hurting my ears," the boy stated plainly, "Well, Hatsune-san?"
Instantly, Miku's anger rose, turning her skin warm and painful as boiling rage gurgled below the surface. Absolutely not! She wasn't the one at fault here!
"No," Miku growled, "They started it. I've done nothing wrong."
"Liar!" the shortest girl with long, silver hair spat, "Hurting Miki-chan was cruel! You've made Rui-chan almost cry!"
As if on cue, the raven-haired girl hiccupped delicately, and Miku could see cold tears cling to her dark lashes. The sight made her sick, and dropped her resolve as the boy, who she now assumed to be this girl's older brother, stepped forward.
"Then I'm afraid that I won't be able to prevent this. If anyone has hurt Rui, they will pay," the boy's voice was edging towards anger now, yet remaining empty and controlled as ever. A protest about his final phrase escaped the shorter sibling, but he ignored it. Miku didn't have a chance to hear what she had said as she was ducking to avoid a punch that barely flew over her.
"Goddamn it!" she exclaimed, managing to use the same speed just demonstrated to swing her body to the side. Another punch had almost landed itself in her stomach. This was going to get old fast.
Without a moment of hesitation she turned to face the boy head on, catching his oncoming fist in her palm with a slap of skin on skin as sharp contact was made. It was painful, but the boy and the other girls were surprised as Miku managed to block an attack with one hand. She didn't release his fist, and his other came up to strake her. Somehow, in an instant that no one but Miku was able to see, she managed to catch his other fist as well, leaving the two in a contest of strength, pushing against the hands and arms of the other with as much force as they could. It was hard to tell who had the upper hand from the outside, but both Miku and the boy knew that he was naturally more powerful. Miku, however, was no weakling, and pushed against him with all her might in one final, mighty shove. It worked well, actually, causing the boy to trip backwards. Miku caught the surprise in his eyes as the two tumbled back, her weight falling on the other.
As Miku attempted to push herself off the boy, her hair got yanked by the zipper of his jacket. A hiss of pain escaped her, and she glared down at the boy, who looked equally annoyed, to her shock. Before he could react, she raised a fist and pounded it into his chest. Not his face. Wouldn't want anyone questioning a bruised eye or bloodied nose or busted lip. He choked on a breath he had taken in, and Miku sat up, letting her weight settle on his stomach. Raising another fist, she beat it down into his ribs, hoping nothing broke. She hadn't been using full strength, but a pained gasp escaped the boy under her all the same.
As she once again lifted her fist, she heard a voice exclaim loudly from somewhere off to her right.
"Mi-chan!"
And suddenly she was collapsed on the ground, her elbows used to prop her up. A blond mess of hair was gagging her, obscuring her view. Len. Of course. His head was buried in her shoulder, slung against her in a weird hug. More of a tackle, really.
"Mi-chaaan!" he exclaimed, over-playing the cute, innocent teen by a lot. He wore his school uniform, the skirt riding up his legs a bit in his current position, which included lying mostly atop Miku, arms slung around her neck. It was awkward. For one, he was dressed as a girl. For another, he happened to be male. Having a guy hang on you like that was just weird.
"Le- Lin!" Miku exclaimed, completely unable to reply. The boy she had been attacking eyed the two, and the three girls from before looked at her with expressions ranging from confusion to complete terror.
"Mi-chan! What are you doing? I thought you didn't like fighting!" Len demanded, raising the pitch of his voice. His vocals sounded close to Rin's, high pitched but far more girly than hers. Somehow. Damn, he was a talented voice actor.
"Eh? U-um…" Miku began, staring down at the top of his head. It hurt her eyes to try, as her chin was titled up so she could see over his hair. Her eyes were rolled too far downwards, and shooting pain was introduced to her face.
"What are you doing out of school, anyway?" he demanded, raising his head to look her straight in the eye. He was surprised to find her blushing and looking extremely flustered. Maybe it was being caught in the act of beating someone the way she had been. He didn't know.
Miku stared back at him, and then her eyes narrowed. Her eyebrows cut down angrily into her face. The transformation from embarrassed teen to angry teen was almost instantaneous, and had Len fearing for his life for a moment.
"What the hell, you idiot?! You don't just go tackling girls!" she shrieked, attempting to push him away without realizing her arms were the only things holding her up. Len wasn't surprised when she collapsed backwards, resulting in the two of them flattening against the sidewalk. His head was gently rested on her chest, arms still wrapped around her neck. His own cheeks grew a bit warm as he realized the four other people seemed to be watching intently.
"C-come on, Rui-chan, Miki-chan. W-we should leave before things get weirder," the silver-haired one stated, and turned hurriedly away. Her friends followed quickly, breath fogging the air in front of them.
"Eh? What's weird?" Len asked, innocently, snuggling closer to Miku just to spite her. A growl rose in her chest, vibrating inside his ears.
"My God. Just get off of me," Miku snapped and decided it was a lost cause as Len snorted. She almost forgotten completely about the other boy who she had been in the process of hitting, until he decided to stand up.
"Well, Hatsune-san. This has been interesting, above all else. And to you," he seemed to be speaking to Len now, "thanks for interrupting when you did."
"No problem," Len chirped happily, "Have a nice day!"
Miku turned her head to watch as the boy walked away, in the same direction as his sister and their friends. His shoulders were slumped a bit and his movements were sluggish. She hoped he hadn't been hurt too badly. Then again, the more it hurt, the less likely he'd want to come back for more.
For a moment, the two teens lay silently. Then Miku remembered they happened to be in public. Yes, the street was fairly quiet and deserted, but no doubt someone would come along soon. Besides, the concrete was freezing. The cold was slipping through the fabric of her skirt, chilling her legs to the bone. In general, she was pretty uncomfortable.
"Len? Can you just… Get up?" Miku asked quietly, "This is awkward."
"Aw. Aren't you comfortable? You're so warm," Len teased, "I want to snuggle more."
Miku resisted the urge to gag. "You're weird. Get off."
Pouting in an absurdly fake way, Len decided it would best to give Miku what she wanted. Rolling aside, he sat momentarily, and then stood, offering a hand to Miku. She grudgingly took it, casting him a glare.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
He grinned. "At my school, we're allowed off-campus for lunch. I wanted to go visit Rinny. Besides, I'll get free muffins."
"No, you'll get hit with free muffins," Miku corrected, rolling her eyes, "For an idol with tons of money, you're really cheap."
Len couldn't deny that. "So, why are you here, then?"
Miku shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She knew Len didn't miss the look she had put on her face, and her eyes drifted away from his.
"It's not important," she replied, "I didn't go to school today, that's all."
Len resisted the urge to snort and roll his eyes. "I'm sorry, what? So, the 'perfect girl' Hatsune Miku just didn't go to school? That doesn't sound like something you would do?"
"And you know me so well?" she snapped, glaring at him coldly. This comment did annoy him a bit. More than anything, it stung. Len thought they had actually made some progress as friends. Clearly, Miku wouldn't refrain from shooting him hurtful comebacks, friends or not.
"I know you well enough," Len told her, letting his own voice turn cold as well, "You can tell me what's wrong, you know."
Miku eyed him quietly, surprised he had used such a tone. Was he really irritated? Nothing she or anyone else (save for Rin) had done so far had annoyed him. He was the one who supplied the main source of irritation. But maybe she had been a bit mean. Kind of. Well, she didn't think so, but Len probably did.
"I don't want to. I've never told anyone before and I've done fine," Miku stated angrily.
"Yeah, you're super happy. Your life is just perfect," Len's delicate voice oozed sarcasm that clung to Miku like poisoned honey, "If you had just told someone you were being bullied, you never would've had to do anything about it yourself!"
Len seemed to realize what he had said, falling silent quickly as Miku stared at him. Her eyes were filled with hurt and – he wasn't sure – betrayal. The fact that he knew something she seemed to work so hard to forget and cover up was rendering her both speechless and unable to show any other emotions besides the ones she already had.
"I told you I'd find your secrets. I just wanted to wait for you to tell me," Len spoke gently, trying to avoid whatever explosion of anger he might witness from Miku.
Miku's face was flat and expressionless. She and Len spent a moment standing and staring at each other. When she finally spoke up, her voice was as empty as her face.
"You don't know the half of it," she stated, and Len flinched at the lack of anger, "I put those girls who were bullying me in the hospital. Five of them in all. Three broken bones, two black eyes, one with internal bleeding, four lost teeth, and two dislocated fingers. Those numbers have been stuck in my head for years. And you want to know the worst part?" Finally, a shiver of anger broke across her features, lighting her green eyes with bright fire, "The leader of all the bullying was put in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She can't even walk anymore. I did all that just because I couldn't control myself anymore. They said that if I told, they would make everything worse. They said no one would believe me, the pathetically quiet girl at the back of the room who had no friends at school. They were right. Nothing I could've told anyone would have helped."
Len was surprised at the burst of emotion in her face. He had done his research, digging up as much information on Hatsune Miku as he could. Throughout her school life, she had been a diligent student, smart and active in school clubs and classes. But the only information on her during her life as a middle schooler revolved around her last year, when she was reported to have lost complete control of herself. It wasn't hard to found. She went unnamed in the three newspaper articles he had found, but it was doubtless who the culprit behind the attacks of the five girls could be. He knew she had gone to that middle school, and that something had happened there and she didn't want to talk about it. So it had been settled. Hatsune Miku had been the one to put those girls in the hospital.
"So? Are you scared of me yet?" Miku demanded coldly, "I've been telling you this whole time not to mess with me. Do you regret being anywhere near me?"
Len blinked in confusion. Did she honestly think that's what he felt?
"You're ridiculous," Len replied, to her shock, "I couldn't be scared of you. It's like being scared of a cat. Cats attack things that threaten them; they fight to protect themselves. It's the same with other animals, too. I haven't done anything to harm you. Besides, you've grown strong enough over the years to control yourself. You've never thrown a punch at something that annoys you. That's all I do. Annoy you."
Miku couldn't think of how to reply. Len had it right, she decided. But how could he place so much trust in her self-control? She got angry so often, spitting words and phrases filled with poison. Being trusted not to hurt someone was weird. She knew Mikuo always expected her to lose it soon, and it seemed to be the same with Piko as well. They both loved her in their own ways, but past experiences had rendered them both doubtful of her abilities. Even Gumi, who had been in her school for some time and seemed to remember Miku from days when they were both younger, flinched away from her at times. Maybe that's why Gumi always made Teto leave her alone; fear that Miku would grow so annoyed that she would hurt Teto and anyone else who happened to be near them.
"I don't understand why you would put up with someone like me," Miku replied, depression slipping into her tones. Her eyes dulled just enough for Len to notice.
"Well, for one, you're friends with Kaito-san, so you can't be all that bad. For another, I've always found you interesting, Miku. I guess now I understand that everything you do is just to protect yourself, and sometimes even others. Maybe it's not the people around you who are scared of you. I think you're scared of yourself more than anyone else is," Len told her, letting a calm smile slip onto his features. She looked almost on the verge of tears, swallowing her own feelings as his smile attempted to reassure her.
"I was about to lose control. If you hadn't shown up, I think I would've hurt that boy if I was pushed to," Miku told him, dully.
"And I'm sure you had a reason," Len replied.
Miku shook her head. "He was protecting his sister, I think. I made the first move. I hurt the red-haired girl."
"What did she do?"
Miku eyed Len, waiting for a reaction. Probably a laugh at the absurdity of the accusations. "They were fans of yours. They saw the magazine article about us and got mad. They didn't like the idea of you dating someone like me." She laughed cruelly as she paused, which surprised Len a bit, "They shouldn't believe everything they read."
Len looked at her. He himself had been forced to read that article after his angry agent called him up. It had been the reason for his weird mood all morning. Did people really see his relationship with Miku that way? Of course, the reporters who wrote that garbage didn't really know him or her, so whatever thoughts he had on the subject were dumb. He and Miku were friends. Fans expected him to have girlfriend, but what if he didn't want one? Did they think of that?
Admittedly, though, Miku was the only person he would consider dating. He could never be sure what other girls wanted. He had money, looks, and immense popularity. Any girl he dated could only be after the things he had instead of him as a person. Miku wasn't like that. She disliked him for being him, he knew, and maybe a part of her appreciated him for the same reason. If he dated Miku, she would be genuine. She'd enjoy him for being him, even if she didn't admit it.
No, he shouldn't be thinking those things. Miku didn't like him. She clearly liked Piko. And Len didn't like Miku, even if he found her interesting and amusing.
"I don't think it matters," Len replied, "They can believe what they want. As long as we know the truth, they don't matter."
Miku had to agree with him on that.