Chapter 8 - Kaiku is dead! Part 1

Disclaimer: I own none of the social media used below! All rights go to their rightful owners!

Kaito P.O.V.

It was a gift from the Ice Cream Gods. I'm sure of it. There's just no other explanation. Things like these don't just happen. It. Is. A gift.

I mean, how lucky was I to be doing a photo shoot right next to an ice cream parlor? And they were giving it out for free! Is this my lucky day? Oh, who am I to jinx it? I'm gonna enjoy this blessing!

As I enjoy my little heaven-on-earth delicacy, I look up at the mini tv kept around for a bit of entertainment. Cul really shouldn't have left me alone like this; she knows I get bored pretty easily! I'm so glad that there's a gossip show on. The things they say about Len and Rinny are hilarious! I know that sometimes people report things out of context, but this particular gossip talk show wasn't as bad as some of the more popular ones. If anything, they're more funny than informative!

"She could be feeding him drugs, for all we know!" A girl with pretty blonde hair shouted out to one of her fellow gossipers, and I almost snorted out my ice cream on the table. "And if that was the case, I hope that the world will be ready to see Len strip! Can you imagine him working a pole?"

I tried to keep my laughter in as another guy joined into the conversation. "He'd probably be really good at it. I mean, c'mon! Those girl-ish looks must come in handy for somethin'!"

Oh God...! If Len ever found out about this, he'd flip! Maybe I should show him this when I come over. Rin and I could video-tape his reaction and post it on Vine! Ah! Speaking of social media...

With a bright smile, I took out my phone and instantly went onto my Twitter account; but of course, not without a little something-something to give to my fans! After a quick selfie, I typed in a little caption and hit tweet. I looked over my post for a bit. My selfie was me smiling with a peace sign and - oh! I didn't even notice the ice-cream smear! Haha!

Of course, it didn't take long before people started re-tweeting and commenting. My fans are adorable; I love them all so much! I wish I could go on a little tour, but unfortunately, my girlfriend was having one of her own. ... I miss her so much...

No! Bad Kaito! Don't think on it too much! She'll be back in town by the end of the month. 'Till then, I must wait.

Sighing, and now a bit upset, I checked my feed to see if I had anything new from my fans. What they had to say incredibly confused me. Before I knew it, I was back to reading the comments to my recent selfie. I got a couple of haters, as usual, but I ignored them. There's no use in getting involved with haters when all they do is give you more popularity for knowing you. Anyway, I read over the small comments, some more than others because I just did not know what anyone was talking about.

"Dude, I'm so glad that what's happened hasn't bothered you!"

"Oh Kaito, you're adorable! I'm glad to see you're not too upset! #icecream"

"You're too cute! And you totally deserve better than Miku! #divasbetrouble"

Oookay... Whatever's going on, it apparently involves Miku. People have been telling me since we got together that I 'deserved better', so I didn't pay too much attention to that one. But what would I be upset about? I got free ice cream from one of the best parlors in the city! Maybe I'm missing something from Miku's feed?

I exited out of my profile and went onto Miku's. Before I even had the chance to look over any feeds, a certain tv show caught my attention...

"Speaking of shady relations, have you heard of Miku's recent outing with model Yūma Oshiro? They were apparantly seen walking out of a cafe together while holding hands."

My breath hitched. Surely it's a misunderstanding. Yes, of course! Miku is really affectionate with her friends, so this would be no different. They're just assuming this, it's not actually true.

"No, that's not what happened at all." See, I knew it! Nothing to be worried about! "I'm pretty sure they were on a date, and this picture proves it!"

Oh my... Should I dare look? But what if I don't? M-Maybe it was taken from a wrong angle, so it only looks like... Oh, why am I even hesitating? I'm her boyfriend! She would never...

With that last thought, I forced my head to turn towards the direction of the small tv. And just as I've seen it in countless romance movies, I swore my heart instantly burst and now the broken pieces were stabbing me and giving me chest pain. This old feeling I have...

I hate it.

"My heart is broken on seeing you cry. This shouldn't have happened!"

"I'm literally sobbing right now... Darling!"

"Kaito, we'll be here to support you! We love you!"

... This is silly. I'm seeking comfort from fans on the internet rather than Piko or Len or heck, even Rin! Maybe Cul would've comforted me, but she's busy shaking off the press from me...

I should've seen this coming. Miku hasn't skyped me in weeks, nor has she e-mailed, called, tweeted, or even messaged me on my phone! That alone should've warned me that something must've been happening! But nooo! I was stupid (not to mention one-hundred percent faithful) and assumed that she was just working too hard on her tour!

Apparently she has all the time needed to cheat on me...

"Have you heard of the latest scandal? Kaiku is dead!"

"Is she even sorry? I mean, Kaito is just such a lovable guy! What a bitch!"

"This is to be expected. When hasn't world tours ruined relationships?"

"Kaito's too much of an accessory anyway. If anything, Oshira's a level-up!"

People were already picking sides over this. Ugh, this is way too much press for one day! How did this even get out so quickly?!

... Is she even sorry?

I have a huge urge to go and check out her social media profiles, but for all I know, her manager could be running them by now because of all the paparazzi. But even if he wasn't, what the heck would I tell her? 'Hey, it's me, the guy you cheated on'? As if!

My phone suddenly began to vibrate, and I slightly smiled upon recognizing the ringtone. "Piko Piko Legend of the Night" never really failed to make me happier, but in this instance, it definitely cheered me up a bit. We had so much fun shooting the music video...

Shaking my head, I tapped on the answer icon and held the smartphone up to my ear. I forced my voice to sound as if I haven't been crying my eyes out as I said, "Hey! What's up?"

"Don't 'what's up' me!" He instantly scolded, but I didn't have to be a genius like him to know I had him worried. "Are you alright? I... I heard about-"

"I'm fine," I calmly replied, even though I was anything but. Lying was the last thing I would ever do to Piko, but I just really didn't want to talk about it. The wound was too fresh. "You're lucky you're not getting as much attention as I am!"

He laughed, but it was one of those awkward laughs he does when he's upset or concerned over something. "Yeah, that's mostly 'cause I happen to be single at the moment. Doesn't stop the media from playing matchmaker though."

Now it was my turn to laugh, but genuinely. I remember when someone paired him up with a bunch of guys once, Len and I included. I brushed it off because it didn't really bug me much, but things were intensely awkward between Piko and Len for days. This wasn't the time for such memories to resurface though, so I pushed the thought aside and concentrated on my friend. "Hey... Since the, y'know...thing happened, are Miku and I... Y'know... Still..."

My speech started to falter, and I immediately placed the blame on my cowardice. I just... We should't be ending like this! I... I really, truthfully felt like Miku was my fellow teammate in this cruel game of gossip and talk shows. For her to backstab me and turn into my enemy...

It really stung.

Tears were starting to pool in my eyes yet again, but I refused to let them fall. I cried enough for one day, and I don't want my precious body water to be wasted over something like this. Dammit! Why hasn't Piko answered me back yet? He should be telling me that I'm wrong and it's all in my head! That Miku does truly love me and this was just a publicity mishap! That... That...!

"... I honestly don't know."

And that was all it took. Just like that, I felt as if my world was crumbling down yet again. This has been staring me in the face for a long time, and now, it was time for me to accept it as it is. Everyone else has come to the same conclusion, and I should too. I'm officially done thinking over this stupid thing.

"I thought they had a good relationship going! I can't believe she just threw it away!"

"Hey, at least she's getting it on with someone as hot as Yūma!"

"That's just it! I wonder how the poor lad is feeling... He must be so hurt!"

"Oh BS! He had it coming to him!"

... And I'm officially done with one Hatsune Miku.

I started off on the 'moving on' process by answering the question on everyone's mind and changing my relationship status from 'living in a creamy fairytale' to 'ice-cream-marathoning like a boss'. This process even took me as far as unfollowing her on Twitter, Instagram and Vine, but I didn't have the guts to delete her from my contacts or unfriend her on Facebook. I don't want to remove her completely from my life! She's still my first real love...

People from all types of talk shows and gossip sites suddenly started asking me even more questions than before my quote on quote 'social media break-up announcement', and it was seriously tiring me out. I didn't let this show however, seeing as I wanted to convince my worrying fans (and Miku, but I would never admit that out loud) that I was actually taking this in stride. They all thought I was currently happy and well when in reality, I was depressed and wanted to see Miku at least once.

Yes, that's probably the craziest thing for me to want, but I really do wanna talk to her about this. Mostly, I just wanted to know why. If people wanted me to move on from this heartbreak, I would need conclusion; and that included Miku's side of the story. Does she want to apologize to me? Is she happy with this 'Yūma' guy? And the most pitiful: does she regret what she did? Ridicule me all you want for having that type of hope, but my heart just wouldn't let go! It's like a tug of war; my conscious pulls me into thinking this is best while my subconscious pulls back and tells me I love her too much to let her become the one that got away. I'm the sorry one stuck in the middle with no knowledge on who knows best.

... Wow, being sad really brings out the thinker in me. No wonder I believe in optimism over pessimism.

Cul, luckily, noticed my change in demeanor and started booking concert halls for me to sing in. I was scheduled to sing live in every major city Japan had, and for once, I could actually breathe without thinking about Hatsune. Seeing my loyal fans brought me so much joy; every autograph, selfie, and meeting slowly encouraged my heart to bandage those shards back together. They brought me back up in such a state in my life, and for that, I couldn't be more grateful. Everything was fine and dandy, and I felt as if my sunshine-filled days were finally coming back again.

That was, until that fateful day where I would have to meet my first love for the first time in months.

"What?!" I shouted out as I gripped the arms of the chair I was using. I must've misheard her. There was just no way... Not this soon!

"Don't act so surprised! You knew about this since Miku's tour began!" Cul reasoned, and she was right, I did know. And I was so excited for this date to come.

But that was before she so easily cheated on me.

I tried to calm myself down, for I was being entirely unreasonable. I was only going to open for her. Just walk in, sing, don't make eye contact, finish off and walk out. Easy, right? Yes... I don't even have to face her if I ignore her backstage. Rehearsals won't be that big of a problem either because I'm sure our schedules don't cross. Nothing to worry about...

My phone suddenly buzzed from inside my jeans' pocket, and upon seeing the notifications, I instantly started to panic.

Len's Girlfriend(x secs. ago
Haha! Can't wait to see you face that crazy chick again! xD

Rin really isn't helping! Just when I was about to pound my head against the chair's arm, I got another text from Len.

Banana secs. ago
Haha, I'm literally laughing right now because I pity your sorry ass. xp

His 'cool' act really gets on my nerves sometimes... Despite how distressed they got me, I decided not to respond back. I don't think that any of them will be able to comfort me.

My phone buzzed one more time. Knowing that there was only one person it could've belonged to, I checked my notifications and, sure enough, Piko had texted me. Pretty rare that they all message me seconds apart. Hmm... With a shrug, I read over the message.

Shy Shota secs. ago
Are you alright?

I still don't understand why he's single when he's such a nice guy! Ah, this isn't the time. I unlocked my phone and opened up the messaging app. I typed in 'of course', followed by a cute little emoji giving a thumbs up. What's ironic here is that the emoji actually managed to make me less stressed. Maybe I should go on and use Twitter for a bit again afterwards...

Piko sent back a smiling emoticon, along with an 'I'm glad'. I wanted to vent out to him and tell him that I was having a little panic attack, but I didn't want to worry him. He told me yesterday that he was cast to be the supporting role to some type of fantasy movie (wasn't really listening at the time), and I don't want him to stress out over both me and acting out his part.

... Wait. Acting out his part...

With a quick 'you're a genius and I love you', I locked my phone and placed it back in my pocket, grinning all the while. I absolutely have to go all-out this time around... Ooh, I'm so excited!

"... Are you sick or something? One minute you're nervous and the next you're jumping up and down like a kid on Christmas morning!" I heard Cul ask, but I was much too busy announcing my 'excitement' for Miku's concert on Twitter. Let her see this on the media-sphere!

"Hello? You there kid?"

I snapped my head up to face my manager and gave her the biggest, silliest, toothiest grin I've had since that heart-crushing moment at the ice-cream parlor. "I'm here, and I'm perfectly okay, Cul!"

My phone started to let out that cute little 'tweet' sound again, and I smiled upon seeing my fans giving me some final words of encouragement before show-time. There were also the occasional Leeks (Miku's fans) that typed out their own 'disapproval', but I reused to let them rain on my parade. My fan-base - cleverly named 'Sprinkles' - were all that mattered to me, and it will stay that way throughout this special spectacle.

"You're to go on in three minutes. Are you ready?" I looked over toward the voice's owner and smiled upon seeing the best dang manager in the world.

"I'm so ready, Cul!" I smiled and gave her a thumbs-up, because I most definitely did feel ready. "This will be an act they'll never forget!"

I knew that she knew that by 'they', I really meant Miku. However, being the awesome woman she is, Cul didn't say anything about it and instead gave me a supportive pat on the back before going out to do whatever it is she does backstage. I used those last three minutes of time left to post a selfie, captioned with 'about to go onstage, so excited' and a grinning emoji.

Miku won't even know who I am anymore after this new song of mine.

With a satisfied smile, I glanced over at my personal mirror to look over my outfit once more. I was currently rocking a skin-tight sweater that made my abs look even more fabulous than they already are. My legs - which would put any girl's own to shame, mind you - managed to somehow look longer in the black jeans I was wearing; which, by the way, hugged my butt in all the right places. Dress shoes were what adorned my feet, as classy could always be seen as sexy, and my matching belt only made the outfit all the better. And... Oh! I would never forget about my signature look! A thin, dark chocolate-brown scarf was wrapped around my neck with a light pink line running down its middle.

Now to double-check my makeup. I didn't really have a lot of the stuff on; just a small amount of mascara to make my eyes pop, really. Speaking of eyes, my makeup artist insisted I try on a more 'dark look' for this new track of mine, so my navy blue eyes were now concealed by a mysterious-like indigo. My hair was also a different shade; it had been dyed to match the dark blue of my eyes. All in all, I looked like a beast ready to feast upon whatever caught his attention. How fitting...

A knock forced me to glance away from the mirror and onto the door, where Cul stood with a hand on her hip and eyes completely stern. I knew what such a look meant, so I gave her a nod before pushing my way past her and onto the platform that would bring me up onto the stage. Alright Kaito, it's time. This performance will not only be a possible change in my career, but also a change in my heart. Miku's so wrong if she thinks she can break my heart so easily. And I'm going to prove that in just a few seconds.

"Ya all set?" called out one of the stage managers, and I gave him a grinning thumbs-up. Media will surely be disguised into the crowd, so I'm prepared for whatever opinions come my way after this. After all, what I'm about to do doesn't exactly fit in with my 'sunshine and rainbows' self that everyone is so used to seeing. I just hope that not too many of my fans are so shocked that they drop me immediately...

No, now's not the time for these kind of thoughts. Cul supports my decision, and that's the only go signal I need. Thus, I take a deep breath as the stage above me opens up, causing the squeals and excited screams from the crowd to completely overwhelm me. The instrumental of my new song starts to play, and I hold my microphone up to my lips as I begin to sing.

It's time.

"Crazily... Let's love with me?" I can immediately hear the audience go wild, so I throw a smirk into my performance. Ah, the feeling of being onstage! "Why are you shy? Come on, appetizing girl. Because I present special night to you, give me a sweet!"

The lights start to flicker, and just as I rehearsed, I smoothly moved up a little as my backup dancers began to reveal themselves behind me. "Are you ready?"

I try to incorporate the sexiest dance moves I possibly can as I sing, and the crowd (well, mainly the girls and a couple of guys) went absolutely rabid whenever I showed off my butt for a second or two. Of course, I wasn't able to sing the complete song, as I wanted this to be more of a preview to my upcoming album. And honestly, I think I did an incredible job!

With a final wink, the instrumental ends, and the thousands of people before me were all cheering as if this was a football game and their betting team had just won. I couldn't help but become excited along with them, even though I still have yet to do what I've been dreading; I have to introduce the one that inspired this change in me. But now that the crowd was chanting so loudly, my confidence level rocketed up so much that I could probably fall off stage right now and still laugh it off! Absolutely nothing could've possibly brought me down at the moment!

And with that, I grinned wildly as I tried to get my thumping heart to cool down and brought my microphone up to my mouth to deliver the news. "My next album, 'Wild Beast', should be coming out soon, so keep a look out!"

I took a moment to get some much needed air into my lungs before I continued in my little speech. "Now, I know you guys didn't pay money to see me, so ladies and gentlemen! Please put your hands up for the one and only; Hatsune Miku!"

... Is it weird for me to feel a pang in my heart upon speaking her name for the first time since the scandal? Should I really be feeling this after five months of no contact whatsoever?

As I make my way backstage, Cul greeted me with a quiet congratulations, but I ignored her and made my way towards my dressing room. Now that it's over, I'm starting to have second thoughts about my performance. That was completely unexpected of me; what was I even thinking making such a daring move?! Some of my fans will surely leave me for walking down the 'naughty' road, and the press would be bugging me about it for months to come! Not to mention...

Miku probably doesn't even care.

With a bad feeling coursing through my gut, I take out my phone to see most of the teens in the crowd had already started tweeting, even through my performance. I was hoping to find some comfort through their words, but honestly, all it did was make me feel indifferent.

"I was expecting to see that cute Kaito, but got sexy Kai instead! #Idonteven"

"That moment when you realize your little baby has grown up..."

"Is it bad that I feel like I appreciated Kai's performance more than Miku's? lol"

"SEXINESS OVERLOAD. HE'S TOO MUCH."

"Ugh, so now Kaito's turning into a whore, too? Is nothing sacred?"

"I kinda expected this, to be honest. #sorrynotsorry"

Miku's now bittersweet voice rang throughout the room, causing me to clutch my head to rid it of an incoming headache. I can't bear to hear her sing! Her voice... Oh, how it makes my heart throb! Please... Just make it stop... I don't really need to be here anymore anyway, right? I can go home...

"Asa me ga samete / Massaki ni omoiukabu kimi no koto..."

My eyes widen when I recognize the lyrics pouring out of her vocal chords, but I refuse to acknowledge it. How could she? Was this her final blow? Was this some kind of cruel joke to remind me that I now meant nothing in her heart?

Does this mean she no longer melts in my presence as she used to have?

That thought caused me to feel as if my insides were being mushed and stirred together in uncomfortable ways. I absolutely can't be here anymore. But I'll have to stick to my act as I go outside towards Cul's car...

I took in a deep breath to calm my running nerves. Is this how Len feels everyday? Is this what he thinks about whenever he faces a snapping camera? Now I feel for the kid a bit more. Well, Miku may have dealt the last blow, but I refuse to appear weak because of her. And I refuse to let her win.

With that, I jump up from the chair I was sinking on with newfound rigor. I won't go down like this. I'll move on and keep my head held high. Besides, Miku's only one girl, and, as they say, there are plenty of other fish in the sea. I'll be fine. I'll be just fine...

I repeat that short sentence in my head as I walk up to the door and stride out, causing the paparazzi outside to snap up and begin flashing pictures of me as they rapidly asked me questions. Their noise was nothing but a hum in the back of my mind, for all my frenzied state could think about was that slightly mournful tone in Miku's usually bright singing voice.

A.N./ Sorry for my long absence! I've been getting WAY too into K-Pop, Hetalia, Tokyo Ghoul, TV shows, music and art. I've suddenly taken up all these interests, and I've also started my first year of high school a week ago. It isn't too different from middle school, which I'm happy with because it takes a while for me to adapt to change. Anyway, I'm also sorry for the lack of Rin/Len in this chapter! I wanted a scandal to hit this fic hard, but I also didn't want Rin/Len to be part of it because that'd be way too obvious, so... This was born! :D I hope you like it, and I'll try to update as frequently as I can without getting too distracted! orz Next chapter will have more Rin and Len, I promise!

Songs featured: Sweet's Beast by Menday-P feat. Kaito and Melt by ryo feat. Hatsune Miku.

Amazon Huntress: Usually stories just come to me, and if I feel enough confidence in them, I publish them. Not very professional, but then again I'm no pro anyway. cx Oliver is a bit of a complicated mess with Rin, which will be revealed later on in the story. Len's mom isn't too crucial to the plot I have laid out, but she's mainly important for Len's backstory.

Kagamine Lerin: Cool! I always wondered what Rin/Len would look like together... Thanks so much, and I must say, it was nice meeting you too! c:

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