I arrived at my spot against the wall at a train station ten minutes late. Only six coins fell from my hand to the jar that night.
"Did you get the groceries?" I asked with a sigh, sinking into one of the metal chairs.
Gakupo was lying on our single, bare mattress which we rotated sleeping on every night. He looked up from the newspaper he nicked from a trashcan somewhere upstate. "Yep. The price for apples were down, so I bought two. Better eat them by tomorrow."
I hummed, then dropped back silent.
"What's the word for today?"
"Finagle."
"Oh, I know this one! My ex-clients sometimes yelled that at me. Let me think. Agh, I can't remember."
"Hey, have you ever seen the Kagamines in person?"
"The Duke's family? No. Why, does it turn out the old man swings my direction?"
"No, no, probably not."
"You alright? You seem distant," Gakupo observed.
"I'm fine, I think. Something really strange happened to me today."
"Was it that gang again? Have they been bothering you?" Whenever he mentioned the gangs, his voice would always grow deeper and darker, greatly contrasting his everyday cheerful persona.
"No, not them. Rin Kagamine."
"Huh? The Duke's daughter? You met her?"
"I know, it's so weird, but I was rushing to my collecting spot—"
"Begging spot."
"And she dropped her handbag, so I did what anyone would do and returned it."
"You returned it?" he gaped. "Any normal beggar would keep it. She has enough money to buy a thousand flats if she wanted."
"Are you suggesting I should have stolen it?" My eyes flashed dangerously at the languid man.
"No, Miss! I would never even entertain the thought."
"Mm hm. Moving on, I returned the handbag, and she started talking really unusually. Something about inviting me to some party they're having tomorrow and it being fun to dress up a commoner like I'm some kind of doll."
"Wait, you were invited to a party by a Kagamine! Who cares what her intentions are. You have to go!"
"I would make a complete fool of myself."
"Who cares?! There might be good food. Make sure you pocket as much as you can."
"That's stealing."
"No, that's helping yourself to free food. Those rich people don't need any help getting fatter. Look at you, you're thin as a twig!"
"Do you think she's deceiving me?" I asked.
"Why would she waste her time deceiving someone like you? Come on, you have to go. For me and for you. I've always wanted to go to one of those fancy balls, you know. Maybe meet some handsome prince to whisk me away."
"I'm not looking for a prince."
"Everyone is looking for a prince."
"Something just doesn't feel right! Why risk it when we're so close to getting enough money for a flat?"
"Mayu Hidari, on your parents' graves you'll go. I will kick you out if you don't. I'm serious."
I pouted and sank further into my seat. This whole thing was just so peculiar, but what really twisted my insides was the foreboding that hung over my head like a cloud. Something about that Rin, something familiar and painful, something compelling me to not let this go.
"Fine, I'll go, but if I don't come back it's your fault."
"That's my Mayu, never missing an opportunity to find true love."
"Keep telling yourself that; it won't make it true."
He smiled a reptile smile and curled up on the mattress. In five minutes his breathing relaxed as he fell into sleep.
The morning was blistering and the butterflies in my stomach only increased the heat. I removed a layer from my dress of rags and slipped out of our garden like any other day. I passed by the sane gray buildings on the same gray street in the same gray district under the same gray sky, and the normalcy calmed my nerves for the time being.
Yuka held some sort of astonishing ability that told her whenever I was hiding something from her. As soon as I walked into the Yuzuki kitchen and looked at her, bells were ringing inside her head and her eyes grew grave.
"Did something happen?" she asked.
"Whatever do you mean?" I replied dryly.
"You have a secret."
"Where is your evidence of this?"
"Your face."
"You say it like you have watched my every expression for a thousand years."
"Not quite a thousand, but close enough."
"What do you know of the Kagamines?"
"And you are not lacking ominous questions, hm? I won't say until you tell me what happened."
A sigh, a shifting of stance, a persistent gaze downward. "I met Rin Kagamine yesterday, and she has invited me to their soiree or whatever they call it tonight."
"HOW—"
"That's all I'm saying for now. What do you know about them?"
Yuka clenched her hands into fists and let out an exasperated huff. "God help me, woman. If you spare one single detail—"
"I won't! Come on, before I have to leave."
"Okay, okay. What don't I know about the Kagamines. Rich, powerful, most likely pompous. The Duke has two children. Twins, a boy and a girl. Their names are Rin and Len. Len was recently engaged to Luka Megurine of the neighboring dukedom, and their wedding is going to be kind of a big deal. Len doesn't really come out much, but Rin loves social events and traveling. Anything else you need to know?"
"That's good enough. I hope I don't make a total fool out of yourself," I said.
"No, not a total one at least. You are the best spoken person I know, and I know that you'll look stunning with a little cleaning up."
"You seem oddly confident."
"Trust my instincts, young one. Now, tell me what's actually going on or I'm going to be sent to the nuthouse."
Once I finished my relatively quick story of the strange girl with the golden hair, Yuka firmly nodded and handed me the basket of goods to sell.
"I'm not sure how tonight will go for you," she said, "But as a piece of advice, stay away from Len Kagamine and his parents."
"Why?" I asked.
"Becoming involved with any more of that family will only usher you into something crazier. Be careful."
"Thank you. I will tell you everything tomorrow."
"You better!"
I left the bakery half an hour later than usual. Half an hour nearer to the party. Half an hour nearer to what would change my fate.