I'm only two chapters in now and I already feel overwhelmed with emotion from this. The previous chapter may've been the first one, but this is the one that's about to introduce the most important character in all of Vocaloid, which sort of makes this chapter just as important I guess. Oh well, here goes nothing.
Eight years... it's been eight years since they escaped their abusive orphange, that's how old Kokone was when they gave her the boot. Thinking about how long it's been rightfully makes Kaito and Meiko paranoid whenever they think. They've been traveling through Japan for eight years, tirelessly finding temporary jobs for wherever they stay, so they could find places to eat and sleep. Usually it works and they get to purchase food and shelter for their temporary homes, other times, it doesn't and they don't eat for days. Hey, at least they live in an RV, so bare minimum they could always sleep in that, even if they don't find it very comfortable. While Kaito still doesn't like Meiko's driving, he has gotten used to it enough, besides, he'd rather not mention it than to be beaten up by her for insulting her driving.
It felt like any other day for them, they were about to enter just another village nobody talks about. They wanted to just be anywhere where they could find people who could help Meiko achieve her dreams. Unfortunately, they've found not single person yet in the last eight years. The two of them didn't knew it yet, but that was about to change today. They were about to find someone who was gonna be an ally for life. But for now, as they entered the village, they were hungry and there were a couple food vendors at the village's border.
"Kaito, get out of the RV and bring some yakimeshi for me, take some for yourself too." Meiko said.
"Yeah, I think eating now would be the correct idea." Kaito got out of the car went to the vendor.
It looked like a relatively middle-class village when all things considered.
"Yakimeshi for two." Kaito ordered.
"On your way sir." The guy started cooking, he looked like an expert of his cooking craft, and he was.
The guy eventually prepared the yakimeshi and gave it to Kaito.
"Here's your meal sir." The guy handed the food to Kaito.
"Here's your payment," Kaito handed him the money "but... before I leave can I have some advice."
"Advice?" The man was confused.
"There's this girl I love, I've known her since childhood, and I'm having trouble confessing, how do I do it?" Kaito asked.
"Why are you asking me specificly?" The guy didn't understood.
"Well, you're clearly in your late 40s to early 50s, I thought you'd have some experience with women." Kaito said.
"I mean... I'd love to give advice but..." the guy sounded nervous.
"But what?" Kaito asked curiously.
"I'm aroace... sorry, I have no experience with women." He revealed.
"Oh... that's alright I guess." Kaito said disappointed.
"Don't worry kid, I'm sure you'll win her one day." The man said trying to motivate Kaito.
"Thanks, for whatever it's worth." Kaito told him and went back to the RV.
Kaito was back in the RV now, he handed Meiko her yakimeshi and sat on his chair as he opened his.
"This looks incredible Kaito." Meiko praised the food.
"It surely does." Kaito replied "eat comfortably Meiko, I assure you one day we'll be a couple."
Kaito has had romantic feelings for Meiko for years now. When they first met as children he never imagined how important she was gonna be in his life. They're both in their mid 20s now and they're still as close as ever, but Kaito wants it to be more. Meiko thinks Kaito is her closest friend in life, but she has never even thought about the idea of him as a romantic partner. He just has been with her for so long that Meiko just can't imagine it, how could she? It'd be like having romantic feelings for a family member, she just didn't felt it and she couldn't even had imagine that Kaito would feel that way... but he does. He does, and he'll not give up.
"Man, that was some good ass rice." Meiko said as she finished her yakimeshi.
"You have to give it to that guy, he cooked well." Kaito said.
"Let's hang out in this village for a while!" Meiko said enthusiasticly.
"B-but why?" Kaito was nervous now.
"I mean, it looks so lively from here, I'm sure we could have some bit of fun if we do." Meiko said smiling.
"Fun?" Kaito said.
"Yeah, I mean don't get me wrong, our primary goal is still trying to launch a music career for me, but it doesn't hurt to enjoy a day every once in a while." Meiko said still smiling.
"S-sure." Kaito said "we're about to be seen in public together again, this is always awkward for me."
The two were now walking down the street. Meiko was feeling great, she was in good spirits and optimistic about her future. Kaito on the other hand was feeling shy because they were walking together. He usually never feels shy on his own, but with Meiko he does. He just can't help but notice every single pedestrian on the streets watching them. Are they interpreting them as a couple? That would be mentally overwhelming for him. He just hopes this doesn't last too long. Eventually, the two of them found an arcade place.
"Look Kaito! An arcade place, so cool!" Meiko was blown away.
"Yeah it looks nice." Kaito was still feeling awkward.
"We haven't been to an arcade since that one trip the fostercare took us to, let's go inside." Meiko was excited.
"You look hyped up." Kaito said.
"Don't you know how fast arcades are dying? They'll be gone one day, of course I'm hyped up." Meiko answered.
With that, the two of them. For three hours, Meiko found as many fighting games and side-scroller beat 'em ups as possible, and absolutely crushed it with her natural skills. Kaito on the other hand, just spent the entirety of those three hours on a bubble shooter. It was clear that Meiko's gaming taste was mostly masculine, while Kaito's was mostly feminine. Though unlike Meiko, Kaito was pretty average.
After they were done, Meiko left with a stuffed teddy bear as a gift for her crazy accomplishments.
"How lame, why couldn't they give me a stuffed fire-breathing T-Rex instead." Meiko was disappointed.
"C'mon Meiko, it looks adorable." Kaito on the other hand loved Meiko's gift
After that, they were about to return to the RV.
"Still, it's a shame we still haven't found anyone who could help in my music career, I don't think the two us are enough." Meiko said.
"But who? Everyone we've asked over the past eight years either didn't wanted to join us, or wanted to but couldn't due to obligations." Kaito wasn't left with much hope by this point.
"If I knew who I would've been on my knees begging that person to join us." Meiko's mood was getting worse now.
As frustrated as Kaito and Meiko were, there was someone a bit further away walking down the streets who was way happier than them. It was a teenage girl with teal coloured twin pigtails with a plastic shopping bag in her hands full of spring onions as she sang.
"Okaimono
Okaimono
Okaimono
Okaimono
Okaimono
Okaimono
Okaimono
Okaimono"
She had obviously gotten lost in the streets and just following wherever the wind took her for now as she sang about shopping. She then saw an old man who was known in the village for sewing clothes.
"Hello Mr. Sewer, do you remember where my house was?" The girl cheerfully asked.
"Oh sure, I've known your family for decades." The man smiled.
"Thank you." The girl was grateful.
"But on one condition." The old man said.
"Condition?" The girl was taken aback.
"Your singing's amazing, but that's not a song, you're just repeating the word 'shopping' over and over again, instead... why not that song?"
"Y-you mean that one." She knew what song he wanted her to sing.
"Yup, that one." The man confirmed.
"Sure." The girl was more than happy to sing it.
"Sekai de ichiban ohimesama sou iu atsukai kokoroete yo ne
sono ichi itsumo to chigau kamigata ni ki ga tsuku koto
sono ni chanto kutsu made miru koto ii ne?
sono san watashi no hitokoto ni wa mittsu no kotoba de henji suru koto"
It was a song the girl wrote in her childhood, it's the song closest to the girl's heart, and it's the one that the man wanted to hear in order give directions. Needless to say, he's satisfied.
The girl was now walking back to her house as she sang the song. It was a song which was precious to her heart. The whole village knew her for writing it and they all thought of it whenever the girl was on their mind. As she was walking, she thought it was gonna be like any other day where she just returns home and goes on with her ordinary life. But no, the stars had aligned that day and the girl's life was about to change. Because as she walked, Kaito and Meiko crossed paths with her, and Meiko heard the girl sing.
"That voice, she sings like an angel." Meiko thought "Hey you teal-haired girl!"
"M-me?" The girl stopped, intimidated by Meiko's loud voice.
"Yes you." Meiko confirmed.
"Meiko, what are you doing?" Kaito was confused.
"You sing well, is it a hobby... or is it something more than that?" Meiko asked.
"I love music passionately, music is the most beautiful thing in existence." The girl answered.
"Alright then, did you wrote the song you were just singing?" Meiko wanted to know.
"I wrote it when I was five years old, I've sung it in the village all the time, it's what everyone knows me for." The girl was starting to feel very uncomfortable now.
"You seem to have loved music your whole life." Meiko assumed.
"For longer than I can even remember, music has always been my everything." The girl said in an uncomfortable voice.
"Meiko, don't tell me you're thinking about-" before Kaito could finish his sentence, Meiko cut him off.
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm thinking about." Meiko confirmed his suspicions.
"But she looks so young, if we do what you want then we'll have to take care of her, we have no experience." Kaito argued.
"What are these two talking about." The girl whispered to herself.
"Look Kaito, we've been searching for eight years and we haven't heard anyone who've sung anywhere near as good." Meiko said.
"But Meiko, if something bad happens to her then it'll be our fault!" Kaito was very worried.
"Nothing will happen, I will make sure of it, she isn't just a teenage girl, she's a musical prodigy! And the world needs to know her." Meiko was extremely serious about this.
Kaito sighed "Listen, I'm not opposed to the idea, I'm just very concerned, we have no experience, she deseves better than us."
"She deserves to have her voice heard on a big stage and become a musical megastar." Meiko said
"WHAT ARE YOU TWO TALKING ABOUT!?" The girl screamed.
"I wanna form a band, and I want you to be our lead singer... will you please join our journey?" Meiko requested.
"...You know... I always wanted the world to hear me sing." The girl admitted.
"Another thing." Meiko said.
"Huh?" This made the girl curious.
"I wanna know your name." Meiko demanded.
"Miku Hatsune." The girl told her.
"Well then Miku, I suppose I should introduce myself and my friend too." Meiko smiled.
Well, it's time for the #1 princess in the whole wide world to join the journey. Let's see if she's ready for the wild life.