Thanks for so many reviews! It might not seem like a lot to some people, but I used to go two or so chapters without getting a review, so it's a big deal to me.
In response to Aqua the guest reviewer: Thanks for checking out my deviantART! Yeah, I think Kara looked a bit different than I pictured her, as well. But I still like how the picture turned out. I'm surprised you knew who Kara was! Avalon isn't a very popular series...
Another guest review response: Thank you so much! Both solitaryloner and unsubunicorn are excellent writers, so I am very flattered! I know how late this update is; I had a huge project to do (and I started watching Supernatural, which is my new obsession). If it means anything, your review was very encouraging! Probably one of the reasons I finally have this chapter out... Anyway, thanks so much! I loved reading your review!
Lack of romance can be blamed on my plan for the story. Everything will end properly in due time...
I've tried to keep this author's note short, but it keeps getting longer each time I revisit this tab (I've got Netflix, YouTube, and tumblr open in the other ones. They are all distracting as hell). Just a bit of an apology for making everyone who cares wait. I fell into a bit of a depression and end-of-the-school-year work (coughgarbagecough) was really weighing me down. Plus, I've been sobbing and fangirling over Destiel and other Supernatural-related nonsense. And I got a tablet! Yay! To reiterate; sorry y'all. I tried to write more but honestly couldn't manage it. I'll try harder next time.
Blah. This chapter. Whatever. Enjoy!
/
Teto was quickly pulled away from Miku, much to the girl's relief. But she was left gaping after only a few seconds.
A boy (more of a man, really) stood next to Teto, holding the girl back by her dress. It might've even been likely that he held her an inch or two off the ground. He greatly resembled Kaito, save for his hair and eyes, both a violently bloody shade of crimson. There was an amused smirk plastered on his attractive face, giving him a cocky, confident look. He was very tall; taller than any of them. Rei, who stood at about five foot ten, only reached his nose. Maybe his chin. It was hard to tell.
"Yo, Kasane. Don't go scaring off customers," he advised, letting the girl go. She pouting, crossing her arms.
"Says you," she replied bitingly.
Ignoring the drill-haired girl, the red-haired man turned to the group of teens who had entered his establishment.
"Hey, Kagamines," the guy greeted lazily. "And Kagamine friends." He eyed Miku in a way that she found both uncomfortable and unwanted.
"Hi, Akaito-san!" Rin responded happily. "We want lunch!"
"Straight to the point, I see," the man Rin had called Akaito stated, amusement trickling lightly into his voice.
"That's the point of this place, right? To serve food?" Len grumbled quietly, as if he didn't actually expect any sort of response. His arms were crossed over the lacy blouse he wore, matching the downcast glare on his face.
Akaito raised an eyebrow. "You tell me, Lin-chan." The way he said Len's fake name clearly meant that he was trying to bother the blond boy. Len made a face.
"You'll mess up those pretty features of yours if you do that," Akaito told Len with a wink. Len's face turned red and his eyes sparked as the red-head gestured for them to follow him.
"I'll seat you," he said, leading the group over to a large booth placed in a corner. "I'm sure Teto's going to insist on serving you. Don't worry," Akaito added, noticing the look on Miku's face, "she's actually our best employee. When she doesn't bug me."
"How many other employees do you have?" Miku demanded. Akaito laughed.
"Funny," he told her. "I think we'll get along well." And he left after that.
"What is this place?" Rei asked, glancing around. There weren't many other customers, but everyone seemed very content with the surroundings. Miku couldn't imagine why; having Teto serve her would be a nightmare and it would be no different for those other people.
Rin smiled. "Oh, just some place I used to hang out at with my college friends. Len doesn't like it very much."
"You wouldn't either if you were constantly flirted with and groped by those two idiots," Len muttered, glaring at the table's surface. "Akaito does it just to piss me off."
"So he's the Len to your Miku?" Piko smirked, settling down comfortably next to Rin and Miku. The three sat across from Len and Rei.
"Excellent phrasing," Miku praised as Len rolled his eyes.
"Akaito teases you because it's funny," Rin told her sibling brightly.
"Not to me," Len replied glumly.
At that moment, Teto bounced up to them, pen and notepad in hand to jot down their orders.
"Drinks?" she asked cheerfully.
"Oh! Orange juice!" Rin requested with a spark of excitement in her eyes.
Len sighed at his sister's behavior and gave Teto his order of plain and simple water.
"Water," Miku agreed. Piko echoed her.
"Root beer," Rei told Teto. Miku had begun to notice his liking for sweet things, an odd quality for him.
'Alrighty!" Teto beamed at those seated at the table. "Be right back!" And she too was gone.
"It's calmer than normal," Len stated. "Well, Teto and Akaito are, at least."
"This doesn't seem like a very popular restaurant," Piko said, glancing around to the few customers seated in a very scattered way around the room.
"Nah. They get super busy on weekends. This place is popular with couples, actually!" Rin informed, tapping her delicate fingers against the table's surface. Her smile was near-blinding, bright and sunny, as though not a thing had ever been wrong or ever would be. Miku envied that attitude of Rin's, even if the girl was a bit crazy.
"I'll remember that," Rei raised his eyebrows, questioning the reason Rin had told them this.
"Maybe that's why Akaito bugs you so much! He actually does like you!" Rin exclaimed. Her brain-to-mouth filter seemed constantly broken most of the time. "I bet a job like his would make a person feel lonely. I mean, seeing all those couples come and go every day? I'd hate it!"
Len made a face, wrinkling his nose as if he were disgusted at the thought. "Rin, I will not work to fulfill your yaoi fantasies."
"What's yaoi?" Miku and Piko asked together. Len turned red and glanced away, avoiding the confused gazes of the pair.
"It's-" Rin began.
"We don't need to hear about it, Rin," Rei muttered although Miku was pretty sure he was holding back a grin. "It would make us all a bit uncomfortable."
"But what's wrong with-" Rin continued.
"Shush!" Len demanded. "No talking! Everything you say is weird!"
Miku snorted in agreement. Admittedly, yes, that was true. However, her curiosity would not be stifled. She'd discover what they were discussing later.
Rin pouted. "Cruel," she told Len. "I just wanted to answer the question."
"Answer it when I'm not around," Len replied coldly. "I hear enough about yaoi whenever I go online."
"Subject dropped," Miku declared, sensing a sibling argument arising. Len sighed in relief while Rin continued to pout. Piko eyed her and quickly glanced away with a light dusting of pink on his pale cheeks. He clearly thought her expression was adorable.
Len shot her a grateful look. She gave him a fleeting smile in return despite the remaining tension between them.
They ate the food brought to them with little outside distraction. Actually, most distraction came from Rin and the sibling rivalry between the Kagamines. Eventually, everyone managed to eat their fill and paid the proper amount under the watchful eyes of both Akaito and Teto. The group split after that, Rin and Len heading home while Piko and Miku turned in the general direction of their neighborhood. Rei shot Miku a wry smile when their eyes met, both knowing what fate awaited the boy when he finally returned home.
Piko waved farewell to Miku as she split away from him, walking down her street to her own house. The dark thoughts related to her move had dismissed themselves for the past few hours, hiding in the back of her mind. As soon as her green eyes found the sleek car that belonged to her mother still parked in the driveway, her heart skipped a beat.
That's right, she realized, fists clenching in silent anger. No matter how much I try to run away, I'll always come back to this mess in the end.
Quietly, Miku approached her house as though it may go off like a bomb. She managed to get through the front door without being noticed. However, her luck ended when she reached the stairs, attempting to sneak up to her silent bedroom. Her mother, who carried a heavy look of mild annoyance, stopped her with a sharp look. Miku paused, glancing at the woman with her foot on the first step and her hand on the railing.
"Where have you been?" her mother's tone could have broken a harden soldier. In a sense, that what Miku was. A soldier fighting against the force of her parent.
"With friends," Miku replied. Her sentences around her mother were usually kept as short and concise as possible.
"For five hours?" the woman demanded. Well, as much as an uncaring person can. "Never mind. I hope you didn't expect us to pack for you."
Miku bit her lip, out of both fear and irritation. Words she would live to regret sat on her tongue like clotting blood, foul and ripening by the second.
"Yes, mother," Miku avoided her gaze; a cold, binding poison that refused to release her.
"Good," and with that, the Hatsune mother turned away, back to her task. Even if Miku didn't finish packing, it wouldn't hurt her. They'd end up leaving the things Miku didn't manage to collect.
With a snap of her teeth, an attempt to hold back the floodgate of insults and angry words, Miku climbed the stairs to her room. She didn't notice the boxes in the corner, labeled neatly and packed with clothes and other unneeded artifacts (this was Mikuo's doing, of course) and simply flopped onto her bed in defeat. Even though she had been snapped out of her emotionless state (thanks to Rei), it didn't mean she felt any better. Reality was catching up to her. It made no difference who liked her and who she liked if she wouldn't see them ever again. Two weeks and she'd be gone. Not even, with her mother involved. She gave herself a week at most. Maybe it would be easier just to ignore everybody until she moved. Forget everyone she was leaving behind. It would hurt too much to remember them afterwards.
Not much of a plan, but Miku could try, couldn't she?
/
On Sunday, Miku avoided all calls and texts. Together, she and Mikuo worked to pack up everything they wouldn't be using in the next week. Her brother became steadily more worried as she turned down meal after meal, waking at four in the morning and finally turning in at one in the morning. School the next day was hell for her; running on three hours of sleep and doing her best to simply get through the day whilst ignoring anyone who attempted to bug her. More and more people were recognizing her as "Kagamine Len's girlfriend" and she just didn't have the energy to correct them or get angry. Who cared, anyway? She'd be gone soon enough, after all.
Teto and Neru bugged her, but Gumi seemed to recognize her distress and called them off more forcefully than usual. Had Rei said something to her? He mentioned the green-haired girl in passing once or twice, giving Miku the idea that they were actually pretty good friends.
She didn't put much thought into it. Settling into her steady routine, she ran between classes and from anyone who tried to bug her.
At the end of the day, Miku was surprised to spot Len at the gate. She hated to do this to him, but avoiding everyone included him. As she approached him, she swore a light appeared in his eyes, and despite the fact that he was dressed as Lin, she felt her heart skip a beat. But she could be imagining things. Of course she was.
His face fell when she walked passed without acknowledging him. Quickly, he turned to follow her, school uniform spinning against his body.
"Yo, Mi-chan. What's up with the face?" he asked teasingly.
"Please bug off, Len," Miku replied.
"Not a chance," he grinned. "Teasing you is far too much fun."
She whipped around to face him, eyes cold. "Listen, Len. I don't think you understand my situation. I'm moving to freaking Germany. As in not coming back, never see you again. So it would really be best for both of us if we just pretended we never met."
Len smirked. "Sure," he agreed sarcastically. "That's exactly what we should do."
Her face hardened; she could feel her eyebrows freeze in their downward slope, a scowl framed on pale features. "Don't you get it? Leaving everyone will be painful. I'd rather get it over with as soon as possible." Like tearing away a band aid, she added internally.
Len's face lost the smirk instantaneously. "So that's your solution? Ignoring your friends? Miku, we can help you through this. Rin and Piko and maybe even Rei. Just because you're leaving doesn't mean we won't still be friends."
"Listen, cross-dressing freak," she spat, letting anger get the better of her, "I've never relied on anyone else but myself before. No one's ever been able to help me before and that's not going to change now."
Len looked a bit hurt, a look Miku wasn't accustom to. "Yeah, and you've done brilliantly on your own," he retaliated. "Beating the shit out of people really seems to work for you."
Miku felt surprise creep its way onto her face.
"An eye for an eye," Len scowled. "If I'm such a freak, why'd you even put up with me at all?"
"I don't know," Miku growled. "I don't know what I was thinking."
"Neither do I," Len replied.
Both turned away simultaneously, walking quickly from a fight that came and went with destructive results. Miku couldn't even follow her own words as they filtered into her mind from her recent memories.
She and Len should never have tried to be friends.
/
Finishing this chapter was my birthday gift to myself, in a way. I'll be turning ** tomorrow (I don't feel like revealing that to the Internet, although it would amuse my to see what people guess my age at).
So happy early birthday, Imaginary! Enjoy slacking off and ignoring your other stories!
Why, yes, I just wished myself happy birthday. I can if I want.
Next chapter will be out before June 10th. I hope. Maybe even tomorrow.