Slice of Life Chapter 22: Secret Afterschool, a vocaloid fanfic

Slice of Life

Ch. 22 – Secret Afterschool

Hey everyone! (^^) Glad to see that you're still reading.

For this chapter, I'd like it if all of you were to listen to the actual song "Secret Afterschool." I promise that the second half of the chapter would make more sense if you heard the song in its entirety.
Youtube, of course.

watch?v=e43l7gx6PXY

I changed some of the lyrics around after I first heard the song, because some of the translations were a little off… x_x; Now I'm super happy that I'm learning Japanese…

And like previous chapters, lyrics will be italicized. Yay!

Anyway, enjoy the (extremely long) chapter!
(Honestly, this is the longest chapter so far.)

Disclaimer: Still don't own any Vocaloids…

Saturday Morning

Her bedroom was dark, for she had recently acquired black out curtains. It had come as a welcome addition to her room, for the sunlight that normally streamed through her blinds and curtains would irritate her in the morning. It was great to finally be able to sleep through that damned sun and it's damned light. The silence of the room was interrupted by a buzzing noise. The cell phone vibrated, and it did not go unnoticed by the occupant of the bed. Said phone was resting on her pillow, and the vibrations were enough to pull her out of her deep sleep. The girl groaned, and blindly smacked her hand around the pillow in search of the offending phone. Her fingers smacked onto the plastic green and white casing for her iPhone and they instantly wrapped around the device. She clicked the home button, and the screen lit up. Half-heartedly, she forced a single eye open in order to look at the time. "Damn it… What time is it-..."

9:30 AM.

"Oh… No big deal," she mumbled, as she closed her eye once more.

9:30 AM.

…

9:30 AM?

"EH?" She jumped out of bed and ran over to her bathroom. "SHIT, I'M LATE!" she shouted as she turned the shower on. The one exhausted girl was quick to strip herself of her clothing and jump into the shower.

Today was a big day for her. A major recording session was on her schedule, as well as a photo shoot immediately after. The bottle of shampoo was mercilessly squeezed and she lathered it into her hair immediately.

As stressed out as she was about being late, she couldn't help but relax a bit from the hot water running over her body. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Although she knew she was pressed on time, taking a hot shower always helped to put her mind at ease. After what happened lately, she supposed that taking a moment to think things over would be good. Though a war had been narrowly avoided, despite the brawl between a certain green haired girl and the resident drunk, it was somewhat good to see that tensions in the house had relaxed somewhat. Since the fight, it seemed that everyone, well, almost everyone, was trying to keep things civil within the household. From the stories that she had heard from some of the other residents, and through what she went through herself this week, it seemed that maybe everyone would be able to survive until the end of the year. She had some interesting events occur to herself, and apparently, so did a few of the other members of the mansion. Stories tended to spread like wildfire across their home.

"This week…" the girl thought to herself, as she rinsed out her hair. "Has been… interesting…"

Day 1 - Sunday

The grounds were quiet, and a single girl sat at the top of the metal jungle gym. She savored the silence, for it had seemed that the mansion itself was in a constant uproar. She adjusted the red goggles on her head, and sighed. She turned her emerald eyes up to the azure sky, and watched as the white, cotton candy like clouds floated over-head. Despite the fact that it was mid-November, she wasn't too cold. A fitted black leather jacket layered over fitted white pull-over hoodie, and dark denim skinny jeans tucked into black leather boots.

Out of force of habit, Gumi shoved her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket, a slight frown on her face. It didn't take much to irritate her, and lately all she had felt was an intense amount of irritation. This was probably due to the brawl she had had two days ago with one of her housemates.

"That drunken bitch," Gumi thought sourly, her brows creasing together. "She said all that shit about Miku-chan and Miki-chan." Within her jacket's pocket, her hands clenched into fists as the rage continued to boil within her, and began to course throughout her entire body. It was irritating to even think about, and it was obvious she was not going to get over Meiko's choice of words anytime soon.

"But you really lucked out, huh? 'Cause if Miku-chan rejected you again, you'd already have Miki-chan waiting. 'Cause everyone knows how much she likes you, so it'd be easy for you to just turn around and take Miki-chan. You thought it all out. If you can't get the head bitch, go for the bottom bitch, right?"
Wasn't that what Meiko had said?

The green haired girl wasn't entirely sure, but she knew it was to something of that effect. She closed her eyes as she recalled how she saw red that night and launched herself at Meiko. It had ended in a messy brawl, with Meiko receiving a bruised and bloodied nose. Gumi herself walked away from the fight with a black eye.
Gingerly, Gumi put two fingers up to her eye. The swelling had gone down, but it was still sensitive to the touch. She sighed, and shook her head. It was so stupid of her to allow herself to lose control so easily. The fact that she had to be restrained by her Onii-san of all people… How ridiculous. And in front of Miki…

"Damn that drunk," Gumi cursed, as she pulled the white hood up and over her head. "Damn her. Damn her…"
But the more she thought over what occurred that night, the more she had come to realize that perhaps it was a good thing that she was restrained. During that moment, she was absolutely livid, and wanted nothing more than to destroy Meiko. Yet if that glass bottle had made contact with its intended target…
She probably wouldn't be allowed out of the house. In all reality, she was positive that Gakupo would have made her stay within her room until things had calmed down.

The girl clenched her teeth together. Being put in solitary confinement for a couple of days would have been absolutely horrible. Despite the fact that Gumi did enjoy some time alone, she was sure she would have gone absolutely nuts if she were to stay trapped in her room. "Whatever… Punching her in the face a couple of times made it all worth it," she muttered to herself. "I'd do it all over if I had the chance."

"Gumi-nee, you shouldn't say things like that," a voice said from beside her. "Violence isn't always the answer."

She didn't have to look to know who was speaking to her.

"Miki-chan…"

Gumi shifted, making room for the redhead to perch beside her on the jungle gym's bars.

The redhead carefully maneuvered herself beside the green haired girl, her usual smile replaced with a worried frown. Ruby eyes carefully looked over her companion. The younger girl sighed, and rested her head onto the shoulder of the greenette.

At the touch, Gumi stiffened, and then relaxed. She didn't turn her head to look at Miki, and simply glanced at her from the corners of her eyes. "How'd you know I was going to be here?" she asked, sounding almost irritated that her personal retreat had been discovered.

Miki smiled slightly, and shrugged her shoulders. "Um… Lucky guess?"

"Miki…"

The younger girl chuckled, and rubbed her cheek against the leather clad shoulder. "Okay, well… I remembered when we went on our first, uhm…" Miki's cheeks flushed. "That non-date when we were watching Miku-nee and Luka-nee while they were on their date… I remembered that when you became angry with me, you came straight to this park."

"Oh…"

Miki nodded once. "Yeah. And I followed you here, remember?" She wrapped her arms around Gumi's, hugging the green haired girls arm.

Yes, Gumi remembered. She had stormed out on their "non-date" date in a rage due to Miki's prying into past events. And they had both ended up at the park. She blinked, and realized that during that time, she had accidentally knocked herself out…

"Oh yeah." Gumi removed her hands from her pockets. One hand was still clenched into a fist, and the other became an open palm. She patted her fist into the palm, and nodded. "Polka dots."

"…Huh?"

"Polka dot panties," Gumi repeated, as she looked down at the puzzled redhead. A blush soon enveloped both of their cheeks. "You were wearing those polka dot panties, right?"

"Ah—G-Gumi-nee!" Miki buried her face into Gumi's shoulder as she felt the heat spread from her cheeks and to her ears. Of all things for Gumi to remember, it had to be that.

The older girl shrugged a shoulder, and rubbed the back of her neck. "But you were—"

"You knocked yourself out, though!" Miki countered, her voice muffled by the jacket. "And I had to watch you for an hour, you know."

"An… Hour?" Gumi repeated, sounding very surprised. "I was unconscious for an hour?" That was surprising. She figured it must have been at least five minutes. But an hour? "You took care of me for an hour?"
She felt Miki nod into her shoulder.
"Well… Thanks, Miki-chan…"

The younger girl kept her face buried into the shoulder, and smiled slightly. "You don't have to thank me. Of course I would've taken care of you until you woke up." Miki lifted her head up and gave Gumi a warm smile.

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"'Cause… I…"

Gumi blinked and looked back down at Miki. "Hm?"

"I—I-…"

"…Huh?" Gumi frowned slightly, her brows creased together in confusion. "You what?"

"Ugh, Gumi-chaaaaan!" Miki whined, as her cheeks became an even darker shade of red.

Chan?

"You… Never call me 'Gumi-chan'…" the green haired girl said slowly. "Why'd you—"

"Because it'd be weird if I kept calling you 'Gumi-nee'!" The redhead answered, her cheeks puffed up in embarrassment and indignation. She stared at the older girl, thinking that it would have been obvious to Gumi why she was getting flustered. Was the green haired girl really as dense as Miku had told her? She stared up at the older girl, who only returned her flustered gaze with a look of utter confusion.

Megpoid Gumi was really dense.

"I don't understand what you're trying to tell me," Gumi mumbled, as she looked away from the smaller girl. Her emerald eyes looked back up at the azure sky, pondering what could have caused Miki to stutter so much.
And after a few seconds of thinking, she came with a valid confusion.

Gumi had no idea what the fuck could make Miki stutter or call her 'Gumi-chan'. If Miki was going to call her 'Gumi-chan' from now on, she supposed she'd just have to get used to it…

Miki took a deep breath, and un-wrapped her arms from around Gumi's arm. "Ano… Gumi-chan…" Her ruby eyes met emerald ones, and she gave the other girl a shy smile. She took a deep breath before she spoke once more. "It'd be weird if I kept called you 'Gumi-nee' because…"

"'Because?'"

"I—It'd be strange to call you 'Gumi-nee' if we—That is… Uhm…" The redhead's face became so dark, Gumi could have sworn that the shade of red on her cheeks matched her red hair.

Gumi sighed. "Miki-chan, what're you trying to say?"

"It'd be strange to call you 'Gumi-nee' if we ended up dating," Miki mumbled, before she wrapped her arms around Gumi's torso, and buried her face into the crook of the green haired girl's neck. The heat that came from Miki's cheeks burned against Gumi's neck. "So… I thought it'd be better if I started calling you something else… Maybe a special nickname for you, or something.." She sighed, and hugged the other girl a little tighter. "But I couldn't think of anything, so I'm going with 'Gumi-chan' for now."

Startled by the sudden hug, and somewhat flustered by the words of the younger girl, Gumi felt her cheeks flush as well. Her eyes avoided looking down at the innocent girl attached to her, and focused on a nearby tree. But she had to say something in reply, didn't she?

Sensing how flustered, and somewhat uncomfortable Gumi felt, Miki decided to fill the silence herself. "Unless you don't want me to call you that," she added, as she stared past the opening of the white hoodie and peered at the older girl's exposed collar bone. "I don't mind going back to 'Gumi-nee' if it's a problem for you—"

"N-no, I didn't—It's fine," Gumi stammered out. "I don't mind being called 'Gumi-chan'… It's just… You caught me off guard when you called me that, that's all…"

Miki smiled slightly, and shut her eyes. She drew herself closer to Gumi, inhaling the other girl's perfume. "Really?"

"Y-yeah… Just—You know… Er… Gimme some time to figure out a nickname for you or something…."

The redhead giggled. "Okay, Gumi-chan."

The giggle sent a shiver up Gumi's spine, and she felt her heart beat quicken. She finally looked down at the other girl, a hint of a smile strewn across her face. Gumi awkwardly wrapped an arm around Miki, and placed her chin on top of the mop of red hair. Eyes closed as she took in a deep breath, and relaxed her shoulders. Something about this younger girl put her at ease, and she was going to savor the peaceful moment as long as possible.

The pair sat in silence, enjoying one another's company. Time passed, and neither cared that the temperature was rapidly dropping. The colder it became, the closer together they sat. It wasn't long before the azure sky became painted with shades of pink and orange as the sun set over the horizon. A chilly autumn breeze rolled in, forcing the younger girl to cling to the older girl even tighter.

Gumi sighed, and rubbed at the back of her neck with her free hand. "We should get going," she said quietly, almost sounding disappointed.

Was that possible?

"Ah—Y-yes, we should," Miki agreed as she shivered. Carefully, she un-wrapped her arms from around Gumi's waist, and after a second's hesitation, planted a kiss on the green haired girl's cheek. Her small hands gripped the metal bar of the jungle gym, and she slid between one of the openings. A smile was on her face as she hung from the bars, and she looked up at the shocked greenette. Gumi was staring back at her with a scarlet face, clearly flustered by the simple gesture of affection. Miki's smile widened, and she winked up at Gumi. She was shaking a bit, and it wasn't long before she began to struggle to keep herself hanging in the air.

Not one to be outdone, Gumi herself gripped the metal bars beneath her and swung down right in front of Miki. Because of her athletic nature, she had no trouble keeping herself hoisted from the bars. Her emerald eyes gazed into the startled ruby eyes in front of her. "Hmph. Looks like you're having some problems there, Miki-chan," Gumi observed, the corners of her lips twitching into a smirk. "Do you need help?"

"Huh—No!" Miki was quick to answer, though her fingers were beginning to slide from the metal bar.. "I was just going to hop down into the sand anyway—Eep!" One of her hands had slipped from the bar, and it wasn't long before her other hand released the bar as well. "Ah, ah, oh no-?" Miki gulped, and stared into those brilliant eyes.

The green haired girl before her had snaked an arm around the waist of the blushing redhead. Gumi pressed her forehead to Miki's, and her smirk shifted into a genuine, but tiny, smile. "I'm not going to let you fall," she said quietly, her emerald eyes searching the red pair in front of her. "So you can calm down, alright?" Her cheeks began to flush as she spoke, and she did her best to ignore this. "I won't let you get hurt. Ever."

Miki blushed as well, and smiled back. A soft giggle escaped her, and she wrapped her arms around Gumi's neck. She felt the other girl shift a little, adjusting the balance so she would be able to properly support the two of them with that single arm. "Kya~ Gumi-chan! What you said was so cute!"

"Wh-wh-wh-what? No—It's—I was just—"

"It was adorable, Gumi-chan!" Miki continued, the smile on her face only widening. "I like when you say things like that. It just makes you so cool, but it's so cute at the same time."

Gumi's cheeks only darkened in color. "Sh-shut up…"

"Make me," Miki challenged. "You won't make me shut up."

"I can drop you."

"Wh-wh-No! Don't do that!"

Gumi smirked. "I could."

"I—No! That would be bad!"

Gumi was careful not to point out the fact that they were roughly two feet above the sand, so no real damage would occur if she were to release Miki. "I might."

"You wouldn't—"

Gumi unwrapped her arm from around Miki's waist.

"AH! AH! GUMI-CHAN!" Despite the fact that Miki was wearing a red skirt skirt paired black stockings and loose fitting, cloth, black boots, she was quick to keep her arms wrapped around Gumi's neck and wrap her legs around the green haired girl's waist.

Instantly, Gumi's face became scarlet. "What—What're you doing! Quit it!" she spluttered, as she tried to keep the two of them lofted in the air. "If you keep moving we're gonna fall!"

"I DON'T WANT TO FALL! I DON'T WANT TO! SAVE ME, GUMI-CHAN—EEEP!"

"AH!"

The two of them landed on the sand with a thud, a cloud of sand quickly enveloping the pair when they hit the sand. With a few coughs and some grunts of pain, the sand cloud dissipated, leaving the pair to realize their situation. Unlike the time they had fallen out of a tree, Miki was seated on Gumi's stomach, and the green haired girl was sprawled out on her back. The pair locked eyes, and both blushed.

"Ah—Ah—Ano—Th-thank you for.. For.. Uhm…" Miki stumbled over her words, her cheeks quickly darkening with each passing second. Hastily, she shifted, and went to stand up, only to find Gumi grip onto her fitted navy sweater. "Ah—Gumi…chan?" She looked down at the other girl, worried that the older girl may have been injured from the fall. "Daijoubu?"

Gumi sat up, and wrapped both arms around Miki's waist. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said quietly.

The redhead smiled a little bit, relieved to hear that Gumi was fine. She blinked several times, and then realized that she was now seated on the green haired girl's lap. "Ah-… W-well, we should probably get going if we want to make it in time for dinner."

"Eh. I'm She gave Miki a lopsided smile before she leaned in and kissed the younger girl. It was a gentle kiss, her lips gently pressed against the others. To be honest, Gumi was afraid that she would be rejected, even though she knew how much Miki liked her. And it was almost a surprise to feel the younger girl respond by slowly moving her lips. Gumi smiled slightly, and held Miki tighter, almost possessively.
Not that the redhead minded. Though her cheeks were burning, Miki gripped onto the black leather, and then slowly wrapped her arms around Gumi's neck. The pair stayed like this, completely absorbed by one another's tastes and touch, continuing to kiss without taking notice to time or the surroundings.

They only separated when a cold breeze blew up a skirt, and caused Miki to gasp, and bury her face into Gumi's neck.

The green haired girl stiffened a little, thinking that she had done something wrong. "Huh—S-sorry—I—You okay?" Gumi asked, her face completely red now. It had only hit her now that she had been kissing—no, making out, with Miki. In public. As much as she enjoyed that moment…

It was still embarrassing.

Gumi felt the smaller girl nod into her neck. "Y-yeah… Just a chill is all," Miki explained.

"Oh… I thought—nevermind."

"Huh?"

"I thought you stopped because…" Gumi began to mumble.

"Gumi-chan?"

Gumi frowned a little and then groaned. "I thought you stopped because I was a bad kisser."

There was a stretch of silence, which was only broken by a giggle from the redhead. Miki lifted her head up and gave Gumi a quick kiss on the lips. A smile was on her face as she pressed their foreheads together and stared into those flustered green eyes. "You're not a bad kisser, Gumi-chan," she stated, her voice soft and reassuring.

"Wh-wh-wh—"

"I promise! You're really good, actually!" The redhead laughed, and stood up. "But—Ah—We should get going, it's already dark." Miki gestured at the lit streetlamps and light posts that surrounded the park. Still smiling, she began to walk away, only to stumble, and clutch onto one of the metal bars over head for support. "Ow, ow…"

Instantly, Gumi jumped up and put an arm around Miki. "Hey—Hey—you okay?"

"Ah-… My ankle…" Miki looked down at her left foot and winced. "I think… I might have injured it when we fell…" She looked at Gumi helplessly. "It hurts to walk…"

The green haired girl was quiet for a second before she sighed, and shrugged her shoulders. "Guess I'll have to help you home," Gumi said, before she turned her back to Miki. "C'mon, hop on."

"…What?"

"I said hop on," Gumi repeated herself. "I'll carry you home. It'd be faster this way."

Miki hesitated, but then slowly climbed onto Gumi's back. She wrapped her arms around the green haired girl's neck. She felt the older girl shift, and cool leather wrapped themselves beneath Miki's legs. The redhead rested her head between her arm and Gumi's neck, and sighed. "Th-thanks…"

"It's not a problem," Gumi shrugged, and carefully crouched down beneath the entrance way to the jungle gym. With a grunt, she shifted Miki and began to walk home. "Besides, I should be the one thanking you. You came to check up on me, didn't you?"

"Y-yes, I did," the younger girl smiled a little bit, and shut her eyes. "You hadn't been home all day, and you didn't answer your phone… So I thought something might be wrong, and I decided to come and find you." She shifted and buried her face into Gumi's neck and hair once more. "If you were upset, I didn't want you to be alone. It's better to talk to people when you're feeling upset or stressed, you know."

"Eh… I know. But I've got Miku-chan for that… And you, too, Miki-chan," Gumi replied. "I just wanted to do some thinking was all."

"Ah… I see…."

Gumi nodded, and continued to walk. "But… Thanks for coming to check on me," she added. "I appreciate that." She paused, and glanced at the smiling redhead. "Can I say something, too?"

"Huh? What is it?"

"When you stood up," the green haired girl began. "Er… I kind of saw."

"Saw what?"

"Er… Red and white."

"Huh?"

"Red and white striped panties," Gumi mumbled, before she looked away in embarrassment.

Miki groaned, and buried her face into the white hood of Gumi's hoodie. "NOOOOOOOO!"

"They suit you better than those polka dot ones—ACK, QUIT IT! DON'T HOLD ON SO TIGHTLY—CAN'T—BREATHE-!"

The younger girl had unthinkingly tightened her grip around Gumi's neck. Frantic, she stuttered out a string of words. "You saw—Panties—NO! PERVERT!"

"MIKI!"

"S-sorry!" Miki immediately slackened her near-chokehold on Gumi.

The green haired girl coughed. She grunted, and walked up the driveway to the mansion in silence.
It seemed she would have to be careful about what she said around Miki. And avoid any accidental panty shots at all costs.

Day 3 – Tuesday

The trio sat at the low, triangular glass table, seated on top of cushion, and each wearing vastly different expressions. Though they each had a slice of cake and a cup of steaming tea set before them, none of them had so much as touched their servings. The eldest of the group seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the situation, and she wasn't sure why she had been invited to have tea with the others. She shifted in her seat, and clutched the hem of her red and white plaid skirt. Her icy blue eyes were focused on the slice of cake that had been neatly placed in front of her.

"Ah… I was wondering… Not that I'm trying to be rude," Luka stammered. "But, Iroha-chan, why did you invite me here? I do like your apartment, but—"

"Ne, ne, Luka-nee!" The hostess laughed, and waved her hand at the older pinkette. Her golden eyes reflected her good-humored nature. Those brilliant gold eyes, coupled with her infectious smile, put Luka at ease. "I just wanted to see if the two of you were okay, that's all! Since… I know things have been crazy back at the mansion, ne?"

"The two of us—"

"She means you and me, Lu-chan," the previously silent blonde sighed. Lily picked her fork up and scooped up a piece of the cake. Her deep blue eyes closed as she chomped down on the cake.

Luka looked at her best friend, and then back at their cat-like hostess. "Ah—Is that so?"

"Yuppers!" Iroha nodded and continued to grin. "I don't like seeing two best friends like this. Too much tension and all." She waved her hand once more. "It's not very nice to see. It's sad, really. A kitty and a puppy, even though they're very different, should still get along."

At this, the puppy and kitten in question exchanged looks.
Was Iroha really as sane as everyone claimed she was?

"Well… That's…" Luka struggled to find the right words.

"Stupid. We're best friends, though, Iroha. We can manage our own problems, thanks," Lily said dismissively, as she shoved another forkful of cake into her mouth. Since her run in with Iroha, she had become slightly on edge when the cat-like girl was around. It was something that she couldn't help, since the younger girl had made her question her actions and emotions. Lily swallowed the cake and looked at Iroha apprehensively. "But I wanna know how you think you can… 'Help us'."

Iroha's grin only widened. She put an elbow on the table, and rested her head in her open palm. "Nya~ I'm going to mediate, of course!" she stated, as if this should have been clear since the beginning. "You two can talk amongst yourselves, and I'll help both of you out!"

"What?"

"Oh! That's actually a good idea!" Luka smiled slightly. "A peer mediation group, like what they do for some kids in high school, right?"

The hostess nodded. "Un! Exactly, Luka-nee!"

Lily wanted to slam her head onto the table. Now there was no escaping this if Luka agreed to it.

"Now, who wants to start?" Iroha asked, as she brought her teacup to her lips. "We can be really honest here. It's a safe environment, ya know." The corners of her mouth twitched with a hint of amusement. "Just let it all out and tell the other how you feel."

"Me! I'll go first!" Luka's hand shot up. "Ah, but I can't stay for too long. I need to leave in…" She glanced at her silver wrist watch. "Maybe 20 minutes."

Iroha nodded. "Okie dokes~ That should be plenty of time for you to talk!"

"Alright, then I'll start then," Luka stated.

Lily stared at her best friend. "Oh geez—"

"Lily-chan! I don't approve of your methods!" The older pinkette said, as she gripped onto the handle of her tea cup. "You hurting Miki-chan, Gumi-chan, and Miku-chan was completely wrong, and I'm extremely disappointed with you. I don't understand why you did that… Playing with people's emotions is awful. It's a dangerous thing to do, and of course people are going to be extremely upset with you…" She sighed, and took a sip from her tea. "Miki-chan is very forgiving, and I'm sure Miku-chan will be able to forgive you soon enough, if she hasn't already. Gumi-chan…" She grimaced. "Will take some time to come around, but… I'm not so sure I can forgive you."

The blonde stiffened in her seat, and stared at her best friend. "You can't… Forgive me?" Lily repeated in disbelief, her blue eyes wide with shock. 'What—"

"That's not what I said," Luka frowned slightly. "Well.. Let me rephrase it. I'm not sure I want to forgive you so soon. It's just… I never expected something like that from you," she said quietly, her eyes downcast. "It's something I may have expected from Meiko-san, but from you?" The distraught girl shook her head. "You're my best friend, and I thought I knew everything about you. I thought you were playful, and a joker. But I also knew that you could be very serious about things, and you would protect others." She paused. "At least… I thought that's how you were. But after finding out that you would stoop so low as to pull a stunt like that? It made me wonder if you're the same girl I became friends with…"

Iroha's smile faded slightly upon hearing Luka's thoughts. Well, this isn't good…

"What—I'm the same person!" Lily exclaimed, as she tried to defend herself. "I just—It wasn't supposed to turn into this big mess."

"Then what was supposed to happen?" Luka asked, as she glared at the blonde.

Lily flinched. "Just… I don't know… I was thinking it'd distract Miku-chan from you, and then I'd be able to move in and win you over or something…" Now it was her turn to look down at the half eaten cake and tea laid before her.

Luka sighed, and shook her head.

"But… You're right," Lily said softly. "I was wrong, and you have every right to be upset with me. I was being selfish and I didn't stop to think about how badly it would hurt everyone," she continued. "So… I'm sorry. The plan's done, and I'm not going to try and do something like that ever again…"

Iroha watched the two carefully. She wanted to interrupt and lighten the mood, but she knew that these two needed to come to some sort of peace.

"I just miss being able to talk to you," Lily added. She looked up from her cake and frowned at Luka. "We're best friends. We shouldn't ignore each other… But I understand if you don't wanna talk to me or be friendly or anything." With a shrug of her shoulders, she finished up the remaining half of her cake. "It's fine. And don't worry. I'm gonna apologize to them, too. I can't just apologize to you, right? So I'm gonna let 'em know that I'm sorry for what I did and that they have every right to be pissed at me."

Luka looked at Lily, surprised that the blonde was able to agree with her. Normally, Lily would protest and claim that things were not her fault, simply because she had such a stubborn nature. But this…
Was different.
"Ah… You—"

"Look, I just don't want to fight or anything, that's all," Lily shrugged. "I just miss my best friend is all."

Both Iroha and Luka stared at Lily.

"…Are you feeling okay?" the eldest girl asked, as she leaned over across the small table. She stretched an arm out, and pressed the back of her hand against the blonde's forehead.

Lily jerked back, away from Luka's touch. "What—I said all that and you just ask if I'm okay?" she scoffed, sounding insulted. "I'm fine! Geez!"

"You must have a cold."

"What—No!" The blonde pushed Luka's hand away, and gave her friend a grin. "I'm fine, geez, Lu-chan. I'm not sick—"

"Maybe—"

"And I'm not possessed by a demon," Lily finished, knowing what her friend would say next. She laughed, and took a sip of her tea. "I can't apologize without being genuine about it or something?"

Luka laughed, and sat back down in her seat. "Oh, be quiet."

The quiet mediator grinned at Lily's cheeky comment. "Nya~ It looks like remediation was a success!" She squealed, as she clapped her hands enthusiastically. She gave the pair of friend's two thumbs up, and winked cheekily. "Everything's back to normal, right? You're both joking around again, and smiling! I bet you two haven't done that since feelings became involved, right? Right?"

Lily opened her mouth to protest with a cheeky comment, but realized that Iroha was right. Ever since they had both admitted that they had feelings for one another, their friendship had become incredibly strained. It was taxing for the two of them to keep up their friendship without wanting to delve into anything more, especially on Lily's part. The blonde mused over Iroha's words, and realized that she was primarily responsible for the strain. Several times she had found herself taking advantage of how much Luka trusted her, especially the incident where she had the pinkette half-naked. She shook her head in disgust, repulsed by her manipulative actions.
What had happened to them?

The blonde turned her deep blue eyes to look at her best friend, and she grimaced when she saw the expression on Luka's face. The pinkette had always been easy to read; the girl wore her heart on her sleeve and was an open book. Like Lily, Luka had also had an epiphany at the mention of their strained friendship. It was clear from the expression painted on her face that Luka had not been happy at the sudden change in their relationship.
And that bothered Lily to the core.

Suddenly, Luka shook her head, smiled, and stood up. "Ah, well, I believe you're right, Iroha-chan," she agreed. "Things feel a lot better now. I feel… Like I have my best friend again." The busty woman gave her childhood friend a warm smile, and Lily found herself reciprocating it. The atmosphere within the apartment had drastically softened. "But I do need to get going. Thank you for having me over." A pause as she bowed at the youngest member of their group. "And thank you so much for… Helping us. You're quiet an amazing person for finding a way to get us to sort through the tension."

Iroha laughed, and rubbed the back of her head in mock embarrassment, and stuck her tongue out. "Ehehehe, I didn't really do anthing," she feigned being humble. "But if you want to keep praising me, I don't mind it at all."

"Oi… Iroha… What kinda response is that?" Lily asked, as she facepalmed.

The cat-like girl continued to grin, and simply shrugged her shoulders in response. "A good one?"

The blonde reached over and put the laughing Iroha into a headlock. She mercilessly ground her fist into the cat-like girl's head. "Learn to be humble, kid!" she reprimanded, unable to hide the grin on her face.

"Ack! Lily-chan! Quit it! What'd I do wrong?"

"Oi! Who said you could call me 'Lily-chan'! It should be 'Lily-senpai' or something!"

"Gomen, gomen!" A giggle. "But 'Lily-chan' is cuter than 'Lily-senpai'—AH!"

"'Lily-sama' would be best! Call me 'Lily-sama!'"

"EH!"

Luka watched the pair, and her smile widened. It was good to see Lily become so friendly with someone else. It had been a while since she had seen the blonde pick on someone besides herself. In fact…
She blinked several times and continued to observe Lily and Iroha's bantering, her blue eyes dissecting the scene before her.
Lily seemed to be genuinely happy as she picked on the cat-like Vocaloid. Her old, cheeky grin was back as she continued to grind her fist into Iroha's already messy hair. Ocean blue eyes were void of the pain that had been present for the past few months, and its place were the emotions of content and something else. Something Luka couldn't quite put her finger on.
Iroha was always playful, but the look in those golden eyes seemed different. They were full of the young Vocaloids normal joy and confidence, as well as that omnipresent hint of mischief. But there was another emotion displayed in those eyes.

Oh.

The smile on Luka's face only softened at this realization. Well, wasn't this an interesting development?
She picked up her purse from the floor, and slung it over her shoulder. "Right then. I'll be leaving now," she informed the pair as she began to head in the directions of the door.

"Eh—You gotta go now, Lu-chan?" Lily looked up from her assault on the younger pinkette. Her blue eyes looked a little puzzled, but she shrugged. She released Iroha from her grasp. "Do you need someone to walk with you? I don't mind walkin' to the station—"

"Ah, no, no!" Luka shook her head, and laughed. "It's alright. I'll be fine on my own." She waved, and continued to walk towards the exit. She rounded the corner, and stopped, staying hidden from the others view. There were still a few minutes until she had to actually leave the apartment building to catch her train.
How could she possibly leave when there was something incredibly interesting going on here.

From her seat, Iroha had simply waved a hand at the departing girl. "Bye-bye—NYEH!" she yowled, and rubbed her head, golden eyes glaring at the fist that had knocked her on the head. "Nyaaaa… Lily-chaaaan, what was that for—ARAI!"

Lily smacked her on the head once more. "What did I tell you to call me?"

"…Baka inu?"

The blonde stared at Iroha. "…Did you just call me a 'stupid dog'?" she asked, unsure if she should facepalm, or smack Iroha once more.

The younger girl grinned cheekily and stuck her tongue out. "Maybe?"

"…Go die." Lily set the empty plates and tea cups onto the serving dish. She snorted, picked the tray up, and made way to the kitchen.

"Eeeeeeh! It was a joke!" Iroha whined. She stood up and followed the tall blonde into the kitchen. "Come baaaack!"

Lily set the dishes into the sink and picked up the sponge. While working on the dishes, she shook her head at the whines of the younger girl. "Seriously, is there a time where you're not annoying? Can't you be normal and call me 'Lily-san' or something?"

Iroha hopped up onto the counter area beside the sink, and swung her legs out. "Eh? That's not as fun, though," she explained. "Besides, 'sama' is way more respectful!"

"You don't call anyone else 'sama'," Lily pointed out.

"Because I don't respect them as much as I respect you." The young Vocaloid blinked. "Isn't that obvious?" She leaned forward and wrapped an arm around Lily's shoulders. "Ne?"

Lily jerked back, and felt her cheeks flush. "Oi! What're you doing?" she snapped. "Why're you so clingy?"

Iroha answered with a straight face ."'Clingy'? I'm not being clingy. I just want to be as close to you as possible."

"Oi…" Her already red face darkened as she turned her ocean blue eyes away from Iroha. "Don't say things like that with such a straight face. People might take that the wrong way," Lily muttered, as she lightly smacked the sponge against Iroha's cheek.

"Does that bother you?"

"No."

"So if it's okay if I want to get closer to you?"

"…Sure."

"We should go on a date, then!"

"What?"

"Please?"

"Ugh… Just… stop being annoying so I can wash the dishes…"

"I'm going to take that as a 'yes', then."

Lily smacked Iroha with the sponge once more, and grinned as the cat unhappily wiped away the foamy suds from her face.
Ever since that damned conversation she had with Iroha about whether or not her wretched plan was morally correct, Lily had found herself unable to rid herself of thoughts involving the cat-like girl. And it troubled her that even Iroha's Cheshire grin plagued her dreams. To make matters worse, these thoughts and dreams only intensified after that kiss. The grin on her face faded slightly.
Dreams about Iroha?
Gross…

Iroha hopped off of the counter, but kept her arm slung around Lily's slender shoulders. Golden orbs looked over the blonde, a thoughtful glint within them. Without another word, she giggled, and kissed Lily on the cheek. "Nya~ Baka inu-sama, you look like you have a lot on your mind!" she sang, before she skipped off to the couch.

"Wha—I told you to quit it!" Lily shot back, annoyed that she could feel her cheeks begin to burn. "Hey, you! Wash your own dishes! Don't let a guest do all of the house work!" She threw the soapy sponge into the sick and chased after the fleeing Iroha. "GET BACK HERE!"

Laughter filled the apartment as the two through taunts and hollow threats at one another. Megurine Luka stood by the apartment door, and smiled to herself as she twisted the doorknob open. Although several emotions played across her face, and several thoughts rain through her mind, she set them aside and stepped out into the hallway.
She had a train to catch, and it was time for her to go.

Day 6 – Friday

"Oi, Miku."

Knock, knock.

Gumi stared at the sign hanging on the door, her emerald eyes re-reading "Hatsune Miku" over and over again. From behind the door, she could hear the melody played out by the piano contained within the room. Teeth clenched together as her patience thinned. Once more, she rapped on the door with her knuckles. "Miku! Don't ignore me!"

No answer.

"You texted me to come over and talk to you, so open the door up before I kick it down!"

Silence.

"FINE. GUESS I'LL JUST KICK THE DOOR DOWN!" Gumi shouted at the door, as she drew her foot back in preparation for the kick.

Before her foot could make contact with the wood, the door swung open. The tealette stood before her, a smile plastered onto her face. "Sorry, sorry! I just needed to finish practicing," she explained, as she stepped aside to allow her best friend to enter the room. "I didn't think you would come over right away, actually. I sort of figured you would be studying for the entrance exams for the universities. We are 18 now… I was kind of surprised that you decided to take a year off like I did instead of going to a university." She followed the greenette to the couch, and plopped down on one end.

Gumi shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the other end of the couch. "Eh. I just wanted to save up some more money before I go to school," she replied.

"But you could always go to school, and then schedule all of your recording sessions for the weekend," Miku pointed out. "And commuting wouldn't be much of a problem since we have private cars, and you could take a train, too."

"Look, I have my reasons for wanting to be home during the day, okay?" Gumi snapped, as she frowned at the grinning tealette.

"'Reasons'?" Miku repeated, as her smile morphed into a grin. "Like?"

"None of your damned business, that's what," the green haired girl said, as she tugged on the drawstrings to her favorite orange hoodie.

"It's Miki-chan, isn't it?"

Gumi's face became red in an instant. "NO!"

"I knew it!" Miku giggled as she shifted and sat on her legs. "I knew you liked her more than you let on!"

Gumi tried to give the over excited tealette her most intimidating glare.
And then she realized that Miku had never been affected by said glare.

Damn it.

"She told me about the playground incident," Miku interrupted Gumi's thoughts.

"Huh?"

The tealette's grin became that of a knowing smirk. "You know! What happened the other day when you two were at the playground… She told me all about it~"

The muscles in Gumi's shoulders tensed as she stared at Miku with a scarlet face and expression of embarrassment. Did Miki actually tell Miku…?
"Wh-wh—"

"Tongues, hm? I didn't know your relationship with her had developed so quickly! Kyaaa~ The two of you are so cute!" Miku hugged herself at the thought of how close her two best friends were to dating.

"T-tongues?"

"Un. Miki-chan said you were getting a little aggressive towards the end," the tealette said nonchalantly. "Not that she minded, of course." A pause as she started giggling once more. "You should have seen her, Gumi-chan! Miki-chan's face became all red and she started stuttering when I kept asking her to give me details—What?"

Gumi stretched across the couch and gripped onto the collar of Miku's white button down. "You harassed her!"

"Did not! I just kept asking her what happened until she finally told me!"

"What the hell, Miku? !" The green haired girl began to shake the tealette back and forth. "You know she gets flustered pretty easily!" The blush that started at her cheeks quickly enveloped her entire face, even reaching as far as her ears. "None of it's your business, anyway!"

Miku gave her panicked friend a suggestive grin, and wiggled her brows. "Apparently you were pretty forward, ne? Forcing your tongue in, and your hands—"

"JUST SHUT UP!"

The tealette was mercilessly shaken.

And this act of aggression did nothing to silence those giggles. "Ne, ne! Have you asked her out yet?"

The shaking ceased, and Gumi stared at Miku, her expression blank. "…Huh?"

Miku's smile faded slightly. She knew Gumi could be dense when it came to the dating world, but…
"You know… To be your girlfriend?"

"…Uh…"

"You haven't."

"L-look, you," the green haired girl spluttered, as she turned her head and looked away from Miku. She released one hand from the shirt, and scratched at her cheek awkwardly. "I was gonna get around to it…"

"Seriously?"

"…Eventually."

"'Eventually'?"

"…Maybe…"

Miku sighed, and shook her head. Carefully, she pried Gumi's hand from her shirt, and sat up. "Mou, Gumi-chan," she pouted. "If you like Miki-chan so much, you two should just make it official."

Uneasiness flashed across the normally snarky girl's face. It was rare to see Gumi so uncomfortable, but it couldn't be help given what had happened the last time Gumi was in a relationship. When Gumi and Miku's relationship began, the media exploded, and so did the green haired girls parents. And when the relationship ended, the media exploded once more, but nothing had been heard from the green haired girl's parents…

"I… No, I can't do that," Gumi mumbled, as she sank back onto the couch cushion, arms shoved into the kangaroo pouch of her hoodie.

"Why's that?" Miku asked, as she looked at her friend patiently. "Are you scared that the media'll say bad things about you and Miki-chan?"

Gumi snorted, and rolled her eyes. "Fuck the media," she spat out, her tone bitter. "I could care less what they have to say. But Miki-chan... I don't want them to talk trash about her. "Emerald eyes narrowed as she glared at a spot on the floor.

The tealette rubbed at the back of her neck, and sighed. "But, Gumi-chan, I don't think Miki-chan would care what they have to say, since she'd have you," she said gently. After a moment's hesitation, she placed one hand on her friend's shoulder, and smiled slightly. "I don't think you realize how happy you make her. And…" Another short pause. "I know that's not the only thing that's holding you back."

The muscles beneath Miku's hand tensed, and the shoulder jerked away, as if the contact was burning the green haired girl. "Shut up. You don't know what you're saying," Gumi snapped, her emerald eyes blazing as they turned to glare into Miku's teal ones.

"But, Gumi-chan—"

"No. Stop." Gumi stood up and continued to glower at Miku. "Don't even go there."

Miku frowned up at her friend. "I know you're worried about what your parents will think if the two of you date," she said, carefully choosing her words. "But you can't let that hold you back—"

"I told you to shut up!"

"Gumi-chan… You can't let that hold you down for the rest of your life," Miku said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know how hurt you were after that, but…It's all in the past. You have to put that behind you and move on." When she saw that Gumi had opened her mouth to protest, Miku raised a hand and quickly spoke. "Look, I'm your best friend. I remember what happened—"

"And you remember how horrible things were after that, right?"

"Yes," Miku nodded once. "But things will be different this time around. They don't talk to you, and you even said that you don't consider them family anymore. What they said to you was awful, and they had no right to say those things or treat you that way. And they can't say the same thing twice because they already know what you're like. And besides…"

Gumi snorted, and glowered at the tealette, wondering what Miku could possibly say now.

The smile on Miku's face was genuine, and she raised her shoulders in a lazy shrug. "We're your family now. Everyone here in the mansion. We love you for you, and we won't let anyone talk about you or Miki-chan in a negative way. Heck, I bet everyone would fight the media if we had to. Especially Gakupo-nii," she added. "And you know I'd go and give your parents my opinion if it came down to it. There's no way I'd let them treat you like that again. And, plus, I bet Miki-chan would want to say something to them, too."

The green haired girl blinked several times, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Erk-… Y-yeah?" she muttered, as she looked away from her best friend. "Well… Thanks for that…"

"Yuppers! So does that mean you'll ask Miki-chan out soon?"

"…Probably…"

"Yay!" Miku grinned, and gave her best friend two thumbs up. "And after Miki-chan and I yell at your parents—that is, if we have to yell at them and stuff—then you can take Miki-chan back and do all sorts of—"

"YEAH, OKAY, I GET IT!" Gumi shouted, as she began to rush towards the door. There was no way in hell she would stick around to hear anymore of Miku's comments. "THANKS FOR THAT."

At this, Miku couldn't help but giggle. "Don't forget to ask out Miki-chan, soon~" she sang, as the door slammed shut behind Gumi. "Kyaaa~ Young love."

Present Day – Saturday Morning

"Hmph… An even after all that, I still haven't gotten around to talking to Miki-chan," Gumi mumbled, as she leaned back into the black leather seats of the stretch limousine. She pushed up the sleeve to her leather jacket, and looked at her bright orange wrist watch.

10:00.

Even after her speed shower, and donning the first decent outfit she could find, she was pushing it. The girl sighed, and ran her fingers through her hair.

Whatever.

She still had to pick up another Vocaloid anyway. And she was beyond the point of caring about keeping to her schedule now.

The limousine slowed to a halt outside of an apartment complex. Outside of the tall building stood a scared looking girl, who was clutching onto the hand of a tall, suited man. When the limo came to a halt before the pair, the young girl let out a sigh of relief. Gumi reached over and opened the door to the limo, allowing the girl to climb inside. Immediately, the younger girl launched herself at Gumi, arms wrapping themselves around the greenette in a tight hug.

"Thanks for watching Yu-chii, Kiyoteru-san," the greenette said, as she waved at the man.

Kiyoteru smiled, and nodded his head. "Not a problem, Gumi-chan. Little Yuki-chan here was about to have a nervous breakdown from waiting for you for so long."

"I didn't wake up late!"

"I never said you did."

"Er—Whatever. See ya, Kiyoteru-san," Gumi muttered, as she turned her attention to the girl attached to her torso.

The elder Vocaloid grinned. "Have fun at the studio today," he said, before he closed the door to the limo.

Once the door was shut, the limo began to move once more.

"Oi, Yu-chii," Gumi gave the smaller girl a lopsided smile. "You need to calm down, okay?"

Kaai Yuki peered up at the older girl with her large, brown eyes. "Nn… But, but, Onee-chan, I thought something bad happened to you!" she admitted, her voice somewhat muffled by the leather jacket worn by the greenette. "I got scared…"

The elder girl shook her head, and sat the pig-tailed brunette down beside her. "Aw, c'mon," Gumi made a face. "You really think something would have happened to me?"

"W-well…"

"Look, I'm fine, see?" As if to reassure the smaller girl, Gumi patted herself down. "No injuries or anything. So quit worrying. It's not like I'm going to drop dead or something—"

"D-drop dead?" Yuki squeaked. Her eyes widened, and she threw her arms around Gumi's torso once more. "DON'T DIE, ONEE-CHAN!"

Gumi stiffened at the sudden contact. She groaned, and looked out the window.
Great.

The group stood in the recording booth, each focused on the sheet music that had been placed on the music stands before them. An arch had been formed around the two microphones before them. Originally they had been planning on standing in a certain order, mainly by their solo lines, but that had not worked out. Instead, they merely stepped into line, sticking close to their friends. After they were lined up, they became silent, occasionally speaking to one another when a question came up about their entrance within the song. But the somewhat tense atmosphere was not broken until someone finally decided to voice their worries.

"Ano… Does anyone know where Gumi-chan is?" Furukawa Miki asked, as she flipped back to the first page of the music. She stood at one end of the arch, with no one to her left. Her ruby eyes looked at the other members of the room, hoping someone would know where Gumi was.

To Miki's right, Rin stood, arms folded across her chest and a scowl on her face. "Nope."

"I think she slept in," Miku offered from Rin's other side, as she playfully patted the shorter girl on the head. Of course she knew Rin was jealous that Miki was thinking about Gumi; everyone in the house had noticed Rin carefully watching Gumi for any sign of hostility towards her Onee-sama. "Right, Luka-senpai?"

The pinkette and icy blue eyed girl nodded. "Probably. Gumi-chan does like to sleep—"

"Who cares?" Meiko scoffed, from the other end of the arch. "We don't need her."

Iroha laughed, and shook her head. She looked up at the tall brunette. "Nya~ Meiko-nee, we do need Gumi-san, actually. She has some solo lines, you know."

Lily nodded from Iroha's other side. "Yup. Can't sing the song if we're missing a soloist. Two, actually… Yuki-chan isn't here, either…"

At this, everyone within the arch had to nod in agreement.

"I'M HERE!" The door to the booth had been thrown open, and a slightly breathless Gumi stood in the doorway. Hands were on her kneecaps as she stood there while she caught her breath. "I'm here… We can start now."

The entire group stared at the green haired girl.

"Where's Yuki-chan?" Miki asked, as she gave the tardy girl a warm smile. "You said you would pick her up—"

Gumi rolled her eyes, and reached behind her. She strode across the room, her hand held by the 9 year-old brunette who stumbled after her. "Right here." Gumi stopped beside Miki, and likewise, Yuki stood on Gumi's free side.

Yuki looked up at everyone and gave them a nervous smile. It wasn't that she didn't like the rest of the girls, she was simply shy. "S-sorry we're late," she apologized, as she tiny hands released Gumi's, and opted to clutch onto the orange hoodie. "Gumi-chan stopped the limo and bought me a crepe for breakfast…"

At this everyone stared at Gumi once more.

Gumi never bought anyone anything for breakfast when they all had to go to the studio together.

The greenette scowled at the rest of the group. "What?" she snapped. "Yu-chii was freaking out 'cause she thought I was going to die, and she said she was hungry, and I needed to calm her down—"

"Ne, ne! Gumi-chan's such a good big sister!" Miku giggled, as she grinned at her best friend, who was beginning to blush from embarrassment.

Miki continued to smile up at Gumi. "Aw, Gumi-chan! That's so cute! I didn't know you and Yuki-chan were that close!"

"L-Look you," Gumi stuttered. "She's just a little kid—I just—Look, just shut up!"

The others giggled, save for Meiko. The eldest girl snorted, and looked at the window where their producers and mixers were standing. "Whatever. Can we just start the song now?"

And for once, Gumi was glad to hear Meiko talk, for the rest of the group quieted down and put their headphones on.

The beat to the song began to play, and Miku closed her teal eyes as she prepared herself to sing the opening lines.
"Monday morning is different than usual."

Next came Rin.
"I wonder if you can tell from my hair style?"

And then Meiko took over the melody with her powerful voice.
"I shortened my skirt by 10 centimeters…"

Gumi had to stifle a snort at this line. It sounded like something Meiko would do to capture Kaito's attention. But her thoughts were interrupted by the soprano voice that came from the redhead beside her.

"It's a girl's heart to want to make your heart beat faster." Miki

"From outside the window," both Yuki and Iroha sang.

Luka gained the melody, and then traded it off to Lily.
"I can hear your laughing voice."

"Even just by that, the inside of my chest hurts…"

Gumi blinked a few times as she listened to the lyrics. She shook her head, and sang the last solo line before the rest joined in with the chorus.
"Don't talk."

"I know the truth
That this feeling that I fell for you is 'the start'
I'm no longer a child, so I want everything
I'm a selfish kid
I want all of your attention
Look only at me
Can I ask you for a great favor?
It's the secret after-school."

The beat took over, with some background "rapping". The bass carried through, and the Vocaloids found themselves nodding along to the beat of the song. Once the bass line vanished and the only a solo guitar line and clicking sang out, Meiko sang the opening line to the second verse.

"What is it that you do on Saturday night?"

Miki blushed, and stared at her sheet music. "My thoughts increase whenever we can't meet."
And her thoughts instantly jumped to a certain goggled girl.

"Even girls are interesting."
Miku grinned and glanced up at Luka. To her amusement, the pink haired girl blushed, and looked away from her.

Rin followed with her line,
"It's the age when we want to do a lot of things."

Luka, whose blush had somewhat settled down, and Lily sang their shared line.
"Avoiding other's stares."
Funny how that line perfectly described the strain on their friendship that had been present only a few days ago.

"That day's events in the classroom…"
Iroha's line.

Little Yuki sang next. She took a small step towards the microphone, and lifted her head up, hoping that it would pick up her small voice.
"I can't tell it to anyone… But I'm about to explode;
I want to tell it so badly."

Gumi wanted to smack her head against the wall when she heard Yuki's lines. Whoever wrote this song wanted a little girl to sing that?
"I'm selfish."
Boy, was she going to have to kick someone's ass for making Yuki sing with them in such a provocative song.

The beat became fuller as the chorus came around once more.
"I abuse you with my stares
My emotions are shy but happy
Signs that only you know, so that we can't be found out
Hug my tightly
Whenever we get closer to each other
I feel like I become an adult
It seems like this taste I know is becoming a habit
The secret after-school."

The beat changed, and went into half time as an electric organ played in the background, followed by small snaps. It felt like the entire song had slowed down.

Miku's high soprano voice sang through as she began to sing.
"The invisible line."

Rin took over next.
"The missing button."

"The loud beat."
As the song progressed, Luka found herself blushing from the implied meaning of the song.

And Meiko merely grinned as the song continued.
"The touching hand."

"The shaking lips."
Gumi gulped at the end of the line when she realized that Miki had held onto her hand at some point during the song.

The bass line kicked back in, and Miki followed after with her line.
"The dripping sweat"

"The faint scent"
Little Yuki sang her line, and then looked at the older girls. Her brown eyes looked confused, and she couldn't understand why some of the girls were blushing.

Lily's raspy voice stood out when it came to her line.
"The waving hair"

"Close your eyes,"
Iroha sang, as she began to grin in anticipation.
The duet lines were up, and she was eager to see how everyone would react to the lyrics. Her golden eyes glanced over at the first pair.

Rin and Luka stepped forward for their duet line.
"Lower your voice…"

Iroha was slightly disappointed. Based on the grin on Rin's face, she assumed that the young blonde had no idea what the song was about. And all Luka did was close her eyes and blush.
Both Rin and Luka stepped back, allowing the next pair to sing.
And the cat-like girl had to stifle a giggle.

"Sweet words…"
Gumi glared at Meiko while she sang her line, one hand on Yuki's head, the other laced with Miki's slender fingers. Emerald eyes were shooting daggers at the oldest Vocaloid present.
And Meiko only grinned back at Gumi while she sang. The sober girl stepped back from the microphone once their duet line was finished, and Gumi did likewise.

The beat stopped.

Yuki and Miki stepped forward to sing their line.
"Don't talk…"
Ruby eyes glanced back to meet emerald ones. The owners of those eyes both blushed, and were quick to break the gaze.

Next came Lily and Iroha.
"Embrace me…"
Immediately after singing their line, Iroha latched herself onto Lily. She gave the older girl a smile as she rubbed her cheek into Lily's shoulder and let out a small 'mew' of content. The blonde felt her cheeks flush, and she tried to shove the other girl off of her.

Miku had to contain her giggle at the sight of the protesting Lily and the affectionate Iroha.
"Kiss me."
She looked up at Luka, and saw that the pinkette was smiling down at her. The tealette winked, and blew a kiss at her senpai, who's face immediately became scarlet.

After a short pause, the beat kicked back in, coming in strong and at full power for the final chorus.

"Our secrets increase again
Is this okay?
I unknowingly fall deeper and become disoriented
I love you
Am I weird because my chest doesn't stop burning?
My face heats up just thinking about it…
Our secret after-school."

Once the red "RECORDING" sign above the door turned off, the girls removed their headphones. A voice shot through the room's speakers.

"Good job, girls! I don't think we'll need to re-record any parts of the song. What you all did was absolutely brilliant," their producer gushed. "You all can take a break before we have the photoshoot for the single's cover art. Just make sure you go to your private dressing rooms and get changed into the outfit for it. I've had some of the workers set out the clothes for you. See you all in thirty minutes!"

"Okay," the girls chorused.

"Oh, and Gumi-san," the producer said.

Gumi frowned at the glass window. "What?"

"We figured Yuki-chan would want to stick with you, so we put her outfit in your room," he said. "Alright, see you all later!"

Gumi looked down at the nine year-old that was still gripping onto her hoodie. She sighed, and shook her head. "Of all the people for her to get attached to, it had to be me," she thought to herself, as she made her way out of the recording booth.
Yuki grabbed onto the back of the orange hoodie and followed her pseudo-sister out.

The green haired girl ignored the looks of amusement that she had been receiving from the others, and made a beeline to her private room. The door was thrown open, and Gumi quickly strode inside. As soon as Yuki was in the room, she shut the door. Emerald eyes scanned the room in search of the outfits they were to wear for the photo shoot. The two sets of outfits were neatly folded on the table, and lay side by side. She crossed the room, dimly aware that Yuki was still clinging to her hoodie. On top of one of the outfits was a pair of white and red goggles, clearly intended for Gumi. On the other outfit were two red plaid ribbons, for Yuki.

"Huh… New goggles," she mumbled to herself, as she picked up the pair to look them over. Gumi reached up and removed her standard pair of dark gray and red goggles from her head. She was quick to don the new white goggles, and she looked herself over in the mirror. "Not bad, not bad."

Yuki looked up at Gumi, and smiled slightly. "They look good on you, Onee-chan!" she complimented.

"Thanks, Yu-chii," Gumi replied. Her old goggles were set down on the table, and she handed over the smaller set of clothes to Yuki. "Here. Go ahead and change."

The younger girl took the clothes, nodded, and hurried off to the bathroom. When the door clicked shut behind the small brunette, Gumi began to strip down to her underwear. She picked up the white outfit that had been set on the table, allowing it to unfurl. The corner of her eye twitched as she stared at the one piece outfit.

What she saw before her was a white one piece sailor uniform with red plaid trip and tie.

"What the fuck…"

Gumi undid the buttons to the outfit, and hurriedly put it on. She glanced at the mirror, and shook her head at the sight that was reflected back at her. The white and red outfit contrasted sharply with her green hair, but it was not an unpleasant sight. In fact, Gumi hated to admit it, it seemed like the designer of the outfit was careful when selecting the color scheme for the one piece. None of the colors would make any of the other girls look bad. The outfit's colors would only make the girls look more attractive.

"Not that we need that after singing a song like that…" She muttered, as she walked away from the mirror.

A knock came from the door, and Gumi went to open it.

"Aah! You look so cute!" was the only warning she received before she was pulled into a tight hug. Her cheeks became faint pink as she stared down at a mop of red hair.

"Ah—Miki-chan?"

The redhead smiled up at her, and pulled away from the green haired girl. "Miku-chan told me to come here," Miki explained. "She said you wanted to talk to me or something like that?"

Gumi blinked several times.
Talk to Miki?

Oh.
That's right.
She was supposed to ask Miki to be her… her…

"Ano… Gumi-chan?" Miki looked a little confused at the sudden blush that had spread across Gumi's cheeks. "Are you okay?"

"Er—Yeah, I'm fine," Gumi said quickly. "Don't worry about it." She ruffled up Miki's hair, and looked down at the younger girl. When she realized that Miki was dressed in the sailor uniform as well, she had to look away.
Miki was already cute to begin with.
But damn.

Worried that something may have happened, Miki took half a step forward and grasped onto one of the greenette's hands. "Gumi-chan—"

"Miki-chan, I'm fine…" Gumi gave Miki a sidelong glance. A finger from her free hand was raised, and she scratched at her cheek awkwardly. "Er… So… I have something to ask you."

"Hm?"

"Well—You see—Don't get too excited or whatever—" Gumi struggled to find the easiest way to put it. "But, uh, would you—"

"Onee-sama! I was lookin' for ya!"

"Onee-chan! I need help putting the ribbons in my hair!"

Yuki stopped behind Gumi, and gripped onto the white cloth of the older girl's sailor uniform. She peered around Gumi to stare at Rin and Miki with curious chocolate eyes.

Rin wrapped her arms around Miki's arm, and she gave Gumi a loaded look. Her sapphire eyes shot daggers at Gumi before she turned them to meet Miki's wide ruby ones. "Onee-sama, we need to start heading over to the room where they're doing the photo session," she whined, as she began to tug Miki away from the greenette.

Gumi scowled and tugged on Miki's hand. "I was talking to her," she growled at the blonde.

"But we have to go now."

"The photo studio is only a floor above us!"

"…So?"

"So let me talk to Miki-chan before I kick your a—"

"Gumi-chan!" Miki interrupted, slightly exasperated. The redhead slipped her hand away from Gumi, and shook her head. "Watch your mouth. Did you forget Yuki-chan was here?"

Gumi blinked several times, and then looked down at the brunette behind her. "Oh."

With a sigh, and another shake of the head, Miki pouted up at Gumi. "Is it okay if we finish this conversation later?" she asked, her tone apologetic.

NO.

"Yeah, that's fine," Gumi mumbled, her rational mind squashing down any sort of impulse that was almost followed. "We could walk home, if that's okay? 'Cause… Yu-chii lives only a few blocks away, so I figured I'd walk her home." She glanced down at Yuki. "Is that okay with you?"

Yuki looked at Miki, then Gumi, then Miki, and back at Gumi. "Uh-huh! If that's what Onee-chan wants, then that's okay with me!" she smiled.

Miki laughed, and then nodded. "Okay, we can do that—"

"Ahem." Rin began to fake cough into her fist. "If Onee-sama's walking home with you guys, then I'm going to!" She declared, as she gave Gumi a triumphant grin.

Gumi twitched. "Wha—"

"Ah, okay, Rin-chan!" The redhead smiled, completely unaware of the loaded looks that Gumi and Rin were exchanging with one another. "Gumi-chan, we'll see the you and Yuki-chan upstairs in a couple of minutes," Miki said, before she allowed Rin to pull her towards the elevator.

When she was sure that the elevator doors closed behind Miki and Rin, Gumi slammed a fist against the door frame. "Stupid cockblock Rin!" she hissed under her breath.

"What's a cockblock?" Yuki asked, as she stared at Gumi, unphased by the older girl's actions. It was Gumi, after all. After tagging after the green haired girl for a year or so, she had grown used to some of Gumi's more… Violent actions.

Gumi stiffened at the question. "Uh… So how about those ribbons? You said you needed help putting them in your hair?" She took the ribbons from Yuki's hand and squatted down to the smaller girl's eye level.

"Oh, yeah! Thanks Onee-chan!"

She knocked on the door a few times, and smiled to herself when a faint "It's open!" was called out from behind the door. The tealette opened the door, and waved at her favorite pinkette. "Luka-senpai! We need to hurry or we're going to be late for the photo session!" She said, as she leaned against the doorframe. Teal eyes looked over the shapely pinkette, and a slightly perverse smirk tugged at the corners of Miku's lips. The pair of red glasses that were perched on the bridge of her nose were pushed up by a teal-polished finger.

Unaware that she was eye candy for the younger girl, Luka was busily staring down as she tied the red ribbon to her sailor uniform. "Ah, right, right," she nodded. "I'm almost ready." Her slender fingers tugged on the ends of the ribbon, and she hurried over to Miku's side.

Miku grinned, and looked Luka over once more. "You look really good, Luka-senpai," she said, as she winked and stuck her tongue out cheekily. "Really, really good."

The pinkette felt her cheeks flush and she looked away in embarrassment. "Ah, well, th-thank you," she stammered, before she strode past the younger girl. "The outfit looks good on you, too…"

"Really?"

"R-really…" Luka nodded once, and glanced at Miku, who had fallen into step with her. She pushed the up button for the elevator. The pair waited for the elevator doors to slide open for what seemed like ages now that a silence had come over them.

After waiting for another second or so, Miku spoke. "You know… When we were singing, I really meant what I sang," she said nonchalantly, teal eyes focused on the stainless steel doors before her.

Puzzled, Luka looked down at her companion, a single pink brow raised. "What do you mean?"

"Kiss me," Miku sang once more, as the doors slid open. The younger girl stepped into the elevator, and spun on her heels to face the elder girl. Plastered onto her face was a smile that was both mischievous and… seductive?

Luka gulped, and stepped into the elevator. Her cool blue eyes looked back down at the teal haired girl who was looking up at her. "Ah—W-well—Th-that—We—I—Kiss, you say?" she stuttered, fumbling over her words. "We—I don't—Ah—M-maybe?"

Miku giggled, and put her hands behind her back. "Ne, Luka-senpai, I'm not going to force you into a kiss or anything," she stated. "Every other time I've been the one to go for it, right? Well, I'm leaving it all up to you." With another wink, she looked away from Luka and pressed the appropriate button for their intended floor.

The pinkette could only stare at the younger girl, her thoughts now racing. What was she going to do? Miku had left her with an open ended offer. And Luka knew that there were hundreds, if not thousands, of people in the world who would kill for an opportunity like this. Her blue eyes watched the teal haired girl sway back and forth, shifting her weight from the balls of her feet, to her heels, and back again.

Overhead, a chime-like sound played through the elevator speaker, notifying the pair that they had arrived at their destination. Silver doors slid open, and Miku began to step forward.

"Ch-chotto matte, kudasai!" Luka stammered, as she frantically grabbed onto one of Miku's hands.

Miku gazed at Luka from over her shoulder, a smile back on her face. "Yes?"

The pinkette pulled Miku close, and quickly pressed her lips against the younger girls. After a few seconds, Luka pulled away, and darted out of the elevator.
The tealette simply giggled, and followed after Luka, surprised that the older girl had decided to take up her offer.

"Luka-senpai!" Miku called out, as she fell into step with Luka once more. She slid her hand into the blushing pinkette's, and gave it a light tug. "Calm down, Luka-senpai… That wasn't that bad, you know."

"I—I know," Luka stuttered. "But—Stil—I've never actually…" She stopped, and bit down on her tongue to prevent herself from admitting something embarrassing to the younger girl.

Not one to miss such things, Miku raised a brow. "Ne? You've never what?" she asked, curiosity thick in her voice.

"N-nothing!" The pinkette mentally slapped herself. Rather than stick around to answer the question, she pulled her hand away from Miku and quickened her pace. She was hoping to reach the door to the photo studio before Miku could stop her.

But the tealette was quick, and sprinted past Luka. Miku stood in front of the door, and pouted at the wide-eyed pinkette. "Tell me!" she whined, as she folded her arms across her chest.

"But—It's—That is—It's embarrassing…"

"Embarrassing?"

Luka nodded once, and felt her cheeks burn. "I…"

Miku was quiet for a moment. She rubbed the back of her head, and looked up at Luka. "You can tell me," she said quietly. "I won't laugh… I told you that you could talk to me about anything, remember?"

"R-right…"

"So… Go on, then."

"I've never been to the one to initiate a kiss," Luka admitted sheepishly, her blue eyes avoiding teal.

There was a seemingly long stretch of silence before Miku spoke.
"That's it? That's…" She paused. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about! That's actually kinda cute, Luka-senpai!" Miku smiled, and removed the glasses from her face. "You were able to kiss me back in the elevator without a problem, right?"

"R-Right."

"See! Then there's nothing to worry about!" Miku's smile faded slightly. "Unless… You're worried about what Lily-nee might think if she found out…?"

Luka blinked, and finally met Miku's gaze. "What—No, no," she shook her head. "Actually… I don't know… I'm not worried about that," she admitted. The taller girl toyed with the ribbon to her white and red plaid uniform. "It's strange, but ever since the other day, I've felt a little more at ease. And I don't feel stressed out as much, either." Her light blue eyes had a thoughtful glint to them as she tried to put her thoughts into words.

"Eh?" Miku stared at Luka, looking completely lost.

"Well, that is to say…" Luka smiled a little bit. "I think that maybe things between Lily and I may have changed again?"

The teal haired girl continued to stare. "Wh… What?"
Changed?
"How—Why—What do you mean—"

When Luka saw panic flash across Miku's face, she shook her head quickly. "Not like that!" she exclaimed. "I mean… There isn't any tension between the two of us. It's like something sort of changed, and we're close again—But as friends," she clarified. "At least, I think that's how things are now."

"I don't understand…"

"It's hard to explain, but I think that Lily-chan won't be giving you, Gumi-chan, and Miki-chan any more problems," Luka continued on. "Iroha-chan's done a very good job of calming Lily-chan down."

"…Iroha?"

"Ah, yes," Luka nodded once. "I visited Iroha-chan the other day with Lily-chan. And , surprisingly, Iroha-chan was very helpful. She helped me and Lily-chan out with, uhm, peer mediation. After Lily-chan and I worked things out, I had to leave to meet my parents for dinner—"

"Wait, wha—"

"But I sort of stuck around and eavesdropped on them. And it seems like they're a lot closer now," Luka concluded.

Miku struggled to piece things together. She was quiet, and stared at Luka while her brain was put to work. "… So Lily-nee…?"

Luka smiled a little bit, and simply shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? Lily-chan can be a complicated person, you know. She doesn't like when I try to figure things out about her," she explained. "Now… Can we go inside and get this photo shoot done and over with?"

"What—Oh, right, photo shoot," Miku nodded, still preoccupied with what Luka had tried to explain to her. "Ah—Luka-senpai!"

"Yes?"

"Here." The red glasses that she had been holding were thrust towards the pinkette. Although her thoughts were still revolving around Luka's tale, Miku gave the older girl a smile. "I think these would look better on you than they would on me."

Luka took the glasses, and carefully set them onto the bridge of her nose. "Thank you, Miku-chan." She reciprocated the younger girl's smile.

Miku nodded, and allowed Luka to open the door to the studio, only to reach out and quickly shut it. Before Luka could open her mouth to speak, Miku stood up on the tips of her toes, and pressed her lips against Luka's. It only took a second before she felt the older girl's lips press back just as feverently. The corners of Miku's lips curved into a smile as the pair kept the kiss going. Feeling more than a little daring, Miku gently bit down on Luka's lower lip, earning a gasp from the older girl. And that was all it took before their tongues began an intricate dance, primarily led by Miku. After a few more seconds, the tealette reluctantly stepped back, and smiled up at the scarlet faced pinkette. The younger girl winked, opened the door, and stepped into the studio.
Luka followed in a stunned silence. She hoped that her cheeks would return to their natural color before any of the others noticed that she and Miku had just arrived. Her light blue eyes looked up, and she was ready to make up a pathetic explanation for her red cheeks... only to see that they were the last to arrive. Even Meiko had managed to beat them to the photo set.
Their house mates were scattered throughout the room, all of them engrossed within their own conversations.

"Onee-sama! Help me with the ribbon for my hair!"

"Okay, Rin-chan, but you need to stop moving."

"Onee-chan! Onee-chan, where did you go—Oh! Cookies!"

"Wha—Yu-chii! Wait! Quit pulling on my clothes or I swear, I'll drop these cookies!"

"Oi! Tanaguchi! Can I drink some beer after this?"

"M-Meiko-san… I think it's still a little early to start drinking…"

"Damn it!"

Teal eyes met light blue, and the owners gave each other weary smiles. Only their house mates would act like this.

SMACK.

The room became silent, and all eyes focused on two of the Vocaloids. The taller, and older, of the two had one hand extended before her, deep blue eyes blazing with fury, and cheeks scarlet. The younger rubbed her own cheek with a smile on her face, golden eyes having a playful glint to them.

"DAMN IT, IROHA! I TOLD YOU TO QUIT TRYING TO KISS ME!" Lily shouted, as she pointed a finger accusingly at the golden eyed girl. "JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

Iroha pursed her lips together, and held her arms out to Lily. She took a step forward, attempting for a hug. "But I know you can't stop thinking about me—Ah!" The dark pink haired girl ducked, narrowly avoiding another slap to the face. "Baka inu-sama! You can really hurt someone if you do that!" A Cheshire grin was on her face as she "reprimanded" the blonde.

Lily twitched, and lunged at the cat-like girl.

But Iroha was quick to dart away. "Nya, nya, nya! You can't catch me—OH WOW!" She began to sprint around the room when she realized that Lily began to chase after her.

At the sight, Miku and Luka exchanged glances once more.
"Are you sure Lily-nee and Iroha-chan are closer now…?" Miku asked, thinking that Luka may have been ill when she had visited Iroha earlier in the week.

Luka laughed, and nodded her head. "Oh, yes, I do think so."

"QUIT SCREWING AROUND!" A man in a suit shouted at the running Vocaloids. "Everyone get over here and stand still for five seconds so we can take a picture!"
To his dismay, no one moved. All eyes were focused on the laughing Iroha and the fuming Lily.

The head producer sighed, and shook his head. He should have expected as much.
After all, the entire Vocaloid group was slightly-

"AAAAHH! BAKA INU-SAMA! OW! LET GO! MY PONYTAIL ISN'T MENT TO BE GRABBED!"

"GIVE ME BACK MY KISS! I WANT IT BACK! GIVE ME MY PRIDE BACK!"

"NYAAA! I CAN'T DO THAT! THAT'S NOT EVEN POSSIBLE-"

"THEN I'LL MAKE A FUR COAT OUT OF YOU, YOU DAMNED CAT!"

"Onee-chan..." a high soprano voice of a very young girl stood out.

"Yu-chii, don't you dare use those words that they're saying. Lily's got a potty mouth, got it?"

"O-okay..."

-Insane.
That was the word he was looking for.

Author's Note: x_x
Dude. That was a long chapter… Nyaaaah. Not that I mind writing it. I had a lot of fun with it. xD;; For once it wasn't intense amounts of drama, since things are finally beginning to settle down between the house mates. P:
As far as chapter lengths go, this will probably be the longest one. It was only so long because I couldn't figure out where a good place to stop would be. ^^; I really didn't want to separate the chapter into two separate chapters because all of this occurs in one day for the characters (except for the flashbacks, of course). So I really wanted to keep the feel of time together… Just for this chapter, anyway. Now that I think about it, I remember splitting up Chapter 10 into Chapters 10 and 11 (Secret Police and White Lily Basket).

I'm really sorry about the delay. Ever since I made my Tumblr account I became addicted with it… That, and photo editing. XD; If anyone's curious:
Yes. I made my tumblr while I was writing this chapter. OTL I'm unoriginal and used a song title as my username. And let me warn you ahead of time, I post a lot of picture edits that I do, and reblog a lot of Vocaloid, K-ON!, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica. And then some really random things… XDDD

Reviewer Replies:

LukaFan: Ah, yeah, things in the story are beginning to wrap themselves up. ^^; But I watched the Sapporo concert on YouTube. LOL. It was really amazing in my opinion! :D Also, that song that you linked me to was great. I ended up getting it right after listening to it.
As for Project Diva Extend… *-* I get that in the mail soon. Very, very, soon…
And. I think you should make an account! :D Do it, do it, do it. We could PM that way, too! XD

PaperCutVictim: Man, I don't think I can ever tell you this enough, but I really appreciate everything you've done for me. From the reviews, to helping me sort out my ideas, and reading over some of my stuff… You're the best! (^o^) You sir, are a sucker for Gumi/Miki bits. But anyway.. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING! :D

Jak656: You must be psychic if you knew I was going to update the story then! XD Were you able to predict when I updated it this time around? And I'm sorry to hear about your writers block! D: I really hate when that happens, so I definitely know how you feel. X_x Insomnia… Sucks… It hits hard, and has no mercy. I hope you're able to get some sleep, though!

Lovecakes98: Thanks a ton! :D I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

Major Mike Powell III: Whoa. That was a long review! XD But I really appreciate it! And I kinda enjoy our random conversations. xD They're pretty interesting. Yes, I'm a little sad to see SoL come to an end, but I still have the prequel (and possibly the sequel) to work on next!

Asphell's Advocate: ;w; Thank you so much for your kind words! Your use of profanity is excused. After all, I have the characters of SoL swear every now and again! I hope I can continue to keep you entertained until the end!

Rocketman182: Thank you so much! Ah, self-teaching? XD; That sounds kinda tough… Especially with a language that's so different from English. As for Google translate… I'd be really careful with that, but I'm sure you know that already. XD; I recommend getting an English-Japanese dictionary. And if you have an iPhone, iTouch, or iPad, definitely check out the Kotoba! App. I have it on my phone and iTouch. It really helps, especially when I communicate with my Japanese friends. Particles are definitely a toughy, but I'm sure with some studying you'll be alright! :D がんばってね！Give it your best shot!

IlluvianMelody: ;w; … ;w; …. That was one of the nicest things I have ever read in my entire life. Thank you so much for making my day! I really appreciate your support! Thank you so much!

Meislovely: SHIRO. I definitely know what you mean! X_x My little brothers fight a LOT, and it drives me insane! OTL I usually end up being the peacemaker between the two of them, though.
Kuro… Please continue to watch over Shiro. I'm willing to pay you in cookies. (^^)b deal?

Ah man. Thank you all so much for reading this chapter until the end! XD; I know it was long, and I'm sorry if that bothered anyone. But please, join me in the next chapter!

And if there are any questions or anything, don't be afraid to leave a review, shoot me a PM, or even ask me something through my Tumblr. I'll reply to you as soon as I can!

See you later!