Chapter Sixteen

-Miku-

I had just told Gumi I would be looking for jobs… and now I'm having no luck. Perfect. I have no idea how to even search for a job, let alone do one. Why must some things be so complicated? I've already been searching throughout newspapers and searched online, but nothing seemed to interest me. I shudder as I imagine myself in a plumber's suit.

Suddenly, I hear a knock on the bedroom door. "Come in," I mumble, my head falling into my arms in exhausted defeat. I listen in silence as the door opens.

"Miku? Are you okay?" asks a deep masculine voice. Who could… oh right. I lift my head up to see Piko leaning in the doorway, hands in his jean pockets.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" I murmur with a sigh.

"You sure?" he asks with a tilt of his head, "You look really tired," he says.

"Yeah," I say, trying a smile as I lift up my head out of my hands. "You're right… Piko…" I say in between yawns.

"You should probably be getting some sleep. Maybe you just need a little nap," he says. By the look on his face, I can tell he's fighting back a blush. Oh, why can't he just like Gumi… why me? "What even got you so tired anyway?" he asks.

"I was… searching for a job…" I mumble, trying to keep my eyes open.

"Oh, that can be tough," he says, walking into the room. "Mind if I sit down with you?" he asks. I scoot over.

"Go ahead," I reply as he sits down in the seat next to me. We're so close that our shoulders, arms and legs are touching… without a trace of space in between. He reaches in front of me to move the mouse so that the computer turns back on.

"You know," he says, suddenly stopping to turn to look at me. My eyes widen the slightest bit as I realize that our faces are only two dangerous inches apart. Sensing my discomfort, he backs up a little bit, his blush taking over. "Sorry," he whispers. We are still close enough that I can feel his breath on my lips… it's incredibly warm… What does warm breath mean again? Embarrassment? "I was just going to suggest that you get a job at the mall," he says.

"Oh. Why didn't I think of that?" I ask, suddenly perking up.

"I think you'd like working in the food court. Miki had a job there once. She said she really liked it, and it made her money really fast," he tells me. I nod.

"Again, Piko, thank you so much," I smile appreciatively. He smiles back.

"Really, um, it's nothing," he stammers, trying desperately to hide his uncontrollable blush. "Look, Miku… I've really gotta tell you something," he says softly, his sweet, low voice drifting into the air. Here it comes, Miku. Don't let him down too hard. "Remember the time when I gave you that heart necklace?" he asks, looking down, "When we were kids?"

"Yeah, I remember it quite well, actually," I admit. A weak smile forms on his face as I pull it out from underneath my shirt. I picked a good day to wear it.

"Look, Miku. I really, really loved you, a-and I still do," he says, finally giving into the blush. "It's just… I didn't have the courage to tell you, but now…" he smiles and looks up at me. "I do…" he says, holding my gaze as I stare back in a trance as the collection of words sink into my mind. Those eyes… He loves you… He just admitted it. Oh, how am I gonna get out of this? "I guess what I'm trying to say is," he fumbles. I hold my breath in silence as I wait for his next words. "Miku, will you go out with me?" he asks me.

Miku, will you go out with me? The words repeat themselves over and over in my head, creating a nervous chant that pulls a bead of sweat down my forehead as I am swallowed into thought. Gah… I feel guilty. And Kaito… What about Kaito? And Gumi… What about Gumi? You can't say yes… But you can't say no… Don't ask for time to think about it, either… You'll just worry him and it'll sound like you're blowing him off… don't say yes, don't say no… Kaito… Gumi…

"P-Piko…" I mumble, stumbling over the one word that manages to escape. His expression suddenly falls as I close my eyes for a moment that seems to last forever. He just got over a break-up… he needs someone… All his life, he's been rejected… called a shota… pushed around… bullied… lonely… I won't ever live this down if I say no… It'll haunt me for the rest of my life.

"P-Piko…" I try again, not able to say anything else. Gumi will hate you. You'll miss your chance to be with Kaito. I shove the thoughts away. Just this once… It doesn't have to last forever… You can leave him just like Miki did… The thoughts tangle throughout my mind. Just like his fingers that ran through my hair the day that Kaito told me about the money… the money that had been taken from me… The money that Piko had so kindly offered to replace with his own… So kind… Loving… He loves you, Miku. Give him a chance.

"I-I'd…" I stammer, struggling to look happy, "I'd love to, Piko," I say. Suddenly, my face breaks into a smile, matching his. The only thing about this smile, though, is that it seems so… real. Why is my smile so real? I'm not actually in love with Piko Utatane, am I? I can't possibly be… It would break the hearts of so many around me…

Suddenly, I feel Piko's strong arms wrapping around me- one behind my back, and the other around my waist. He pulls me closer to him… so close that my cheek is pressed against his chest. It's not long before I begin to lose track of where my body stops and his begins. His firm grasp… makes me feel so… safe. I close my eyes as complete peace falls over us like a blanket. The sweet scent of his snowy white hair fills the air as my worries die out. Forget Gumi… forget Kaito… this is all you need right now. I smile as I feel the rest of the world fading away…

Suddenly, he breaks away, his warm eyes gazing into mine with a look of affection. His shoulders sink suddenly. I'm not actually in love with Piko Utatane, am I? Remember Gumi? Remember Kaito?

"Miku… A-Are you okay? Y-You look…" he trails off, searching for a word. "Hesitant," he finishes quietly.

"No," I push the feelings away, putting on an assuring look, "I'm fine, Piko," I try to convince him.

"Really?" he asks, still unsure. Suddenly, his features loosen as a crestfallen look brushes across his face. "T-This isn't what you want… is it?" he asks.

"No, Piko, I'm fine," I lie, placing a hand on his shoulder. I refuse to meet his eyes. You can't do this Miku…

"Miku, if you don't want this…" he starts. I look up at him in shock that he's still continuing. "Look, I could always just… hide my feelings for you," he offers, "If that's what'll make you comfortable while you stay here." That's right. I'll only be with him for nine more days after this. Something about his words tears me… Why would he do that? Hide his feelings… just for me?

"Piko… You don't have to do that… It'll only make things harder on you," I start quietly, finally looking at him.

"Miku, I don't want things to be hard on you," he says, his eyes empty.

"Piko…" I start.

"Just tell me," he says, "How you feel, okay? I promise I'll understand." I look up. He wants to know how I feel. He'll try to understand. I should tell him about Kaito. I should tell him about Gumi. I should tell him everything…

"I would… but I don't understand anything myself," I whisper, more to myself than to him. He tilts his head.

"Then, how about I ask you?" he suggests. I look up at the idea. Of course. This way, he'll get every drop of information out of me. Gah… What do I say? "Miku, how do you feel about me?" he asks. Oh, this is awkward.

"I… I'm not sure, Piko," I answer lifelessly. His features relax upon hearing my words. They don't relax in peace… but in sadness. He closes his eyes for a second and nods his head.

"It's okay. I understand," he whispers, standing up from the table. "It's fine if you don't feel the same way."

"Piko… wait," I say worriedly. He turns around to look at me. "I-I'm… sorry," I finally say, unable to speak anything else. Suddenly, the door opens and Gumi looks at both of us in confusion.

"Miku? P-Piko?" she asks, her eyes widening as she stands in the doorway, clutching the handle.

"Gumi, you're back from babysitting already?" I ask, "It's only seven-thirty."

"Yeah, Rin had some… uh… business to take care of, so I left it to her," Gumi stumbles, playing with her fingers.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" I ask, standing up.

"She's fine, don't worry," Gumi says with a shrug. I raise my eyebrow. What was she thinking, leaving Rin alone with a poor, defenseless little kid? "I just dropped by to say that I'll be at the mall later," she says, closing the door behind her.

"What was that about?" Piko asks. I shrug, shaking my head. "Well, look, about your job… Where do you think you could get a job in the mall?" he asks.

"Piko…You don't have to do this…" I sigh limply.

"Look, Miku. You've been searching for hours already. I just want to help," he replies, pushing his bangs away from his eyes.

"Where did Miki have her job?" I ask, tilting my head.

"The bakery in the food court," he replies.

"I guess I'll see if I can get any luck there," I say, a smile starting to appear on my face at the idea.

"You haven't even seen the malls here. They're huge. I might want to show you around first. It would probably help with your work a bit more if you're not late every day looking for it," he grins.

"Like, a-as a date?" I ask timidly, twirling a strand of my twin tail.

"No… unless you want it to be," he says, although it comes out sounding more like a question. A heated blush quickly rises on his cheeks.

"Oh," I say, finding the same blush on me, "I-I'd… yeah," I stammer. Why can't I talk so suddenly? Is this how he feels around me all the time? Soon, a clumsy grin curves onto my face. Why won't it go away?

"Great," he smiles with a tilt of his head. "How about we go now?" he asks.

"S-Sure," I reply, walking up to him. He opens the door for me and follows me downstairs. I put on my leather boots that Luka had told me to pack. "Wait, since we're going to the mall, let me bring money," I say mindlessly. Suddenly, I stop in my tracks. "Oh, wait…" I trail off, "That was really silly of me, wasn't it?"

Piko chuckles awkwardly. "Don't worry. I'll pay for everything. Since we'll be at the food court, just order whatever you want," he offers. I smile.

"Y-You don't have to… honestly," I stammer, blushing. Why is this happening to me still? I thought I didn't-

"Well, this is a date, isn't it?" he asks, winking at me. Those eyes…

"I guess you're right," I smile, looking down. He chuckles again. Why? Why? Why?! WHY?! Whywhywhywhywhywhywhy?!

By the time we get to the mall, the place is so crowded that I can hardly see anything but eager faces and shopping bags. As we walk across the shiny wooden floor, making our way through the dense crowd, I find Piko's hand slipping into mine. I look around at the high domed glass ceiling. This place is so nice! Why can't we have malls like this one where I live?

"Food court is this way," Piko says, nudging his head to the left as we turn. His steady hand still secures mine as we continue walking. As we make our way into the food court, I am surprised to see the enormous selection. It seems to be equally as crowded. Over all the people, I spot the bakery sign to the far left.

"Is that it?" I ask, pointing with my free hand. He nods.

"Yeah. We can go get something there if you want," he smiles. "You can get used to the menu. Miki and I went there all the time after she quit working there. Gah, I seriously wish he would stop bringing up Miki. I nod uncomfortably.

He walks with me over to the bakery, where I wait in the long line behind the counter. I squint at the menu. Everything from coffee to… carrot cake. Aw, man. Gumi would love this. Suddenly, the word macaron catches my eye. I've heard of these… but I've never gotten to try one!

When the line cycles around and we are brought to the front of it, I tug lightly on Piko's sleeve. "Can I get a macaron?" I ask him, looking up.

"Just one?" he chuckles. "Usually they come in little pastry bags of three," he explains. I shrug and listen as he orders confidently. We wait a couple seconds for the cookies to come back. The woman behind the counter hands us a semi-transparent white bag with. I watch as Piko pays. Oh gosh, now I feel so guilty… I just took his house and his money… And in return I won't even tell him the truth?

"Can I carry the bag?" I ask as we walk back to the tables.

"Sure," he smiles, passing it to me. I carry it until we sit down at a small table made for two people. I place the bag on the table and open it up, taking out the first macaron.

"Oh my gosh!" I say, holding the pastry out in front of me, "They look just like cute little sandwich-cookies!" Piko chuckles and shakes his head.

"And look what color yours is," he laughs. Sure enough, it's teal- and it matches my hair perfectly. He takes out one of his own.

"But look at which color yours is," I say, pointing to his white one. He widens his eyes and laughs.

"That's… weird," he says. "Well, are you going to eat yours?" I take a bite of my teal macaron. Oh, my gosh… it's so good. The vanilla cream inside of the cookie melts onto my tongue as it dissolves into my mouth.

"Piko…" I sigh, "They're so good," I laugh, finishing off the last of it in one big bite.

"Are you enjoying your time in Paris?" he asks, smiling. Suddenly, I pause. It was my friends who decided to bring me here. I should be spending time with them, not with Piko. Gah, but this is only for tonight. I'll be home in time for Gumi later. We might even visit Rin and Luka. Right now, Piko is what matters.

"Yes," I reply simply with a smile, looking into his eyes... "Look, Piko… I have to tell you something."

Ahh~, our little Miku is finally falling for Piko... maybe? Apparently, she can't really sort out her thoughts right now, and well, I'm still in my pajamas, so... Here you are with another cliffy!

Quote Time! "Just tell me how you feel, okay? I promise I'll understand." - Piko

So kawaii, I know. ;) Next up is Gumi's chapter. I realize I haven't really gotten to Luka yet, but don't worry. My main focus here is to drop parts of the story without the extra long breaks, unless it's something big like Rin's chapter. That's why I'm saving Rin and Luka's next chapters until a while. For those of you waiting for Gakupo to come in, sit tight! :)