Pink and Teal Ch.3

Miku Hatsune was once again sitting on the train headed into the city. She had received a call from Luka’s Manager, Mr. Nagase, the day before saying that they had some urgent business to discuss. She had no idea whether it was a good or bad thing though, so she sat there wondering the whole ride.

The train car she was sitting in wasn’t packed but it also wasn’t empty. There were a few other people heading into the city as well. Miku knew she was the hot topic at the moment and, as to not bring attention to herself, had left her hair down, as opposed to its usual ‘twin-tail’ styling. She was also wearing a hat and sunglasses. The disguise hadn’t worked as well as she had hoped however, as the few others in the car had recognized the unique teal color of her hair. They were kind enough and didn’t harass her with questions; just an autograph and congratulations. She was thankful for that.

The train stopped and the ‘disguised’ tealette made her way towards the CrypTone building, avoiding as many major streets as she could. When she finally arrived, there was a huge crowd of journalists and fans out front in the plaza. Luckily Mr. Nagase had told her that they were there, and to go around to the back entrance. She walked around the building, careful not to be spotted by the press, and found herself in the staff parking lot. She looked around hoping to see it, and sure enough, there was Luka’s Camaro. This eased the teal girl’s mind a bit. Luka’s here…

The teal girl continued to walk towards the rear entrance of the towering skyscraper, and eventually spotted Luka’s Manager waiting for her by the door.

“Nagase-san.” She yelled out to him with a wave of her hand.

“Ah, Miss Hatsune. Wouldn’t have recognized you if it wasn’t for your hair color.”

Yeah, I figured...

“Thank you for coming on such short notice. Please follow me.”

Mr. Nagase slid a card through the card reader attached to the wall next to the back door. With a small beep and a green light, the door was opened and the two of them went inside.

Miku wanted to know why she had been called so suddenly. She had been given no information other than to show up as soon as possible. She had wanted to bring her mom or dad with her, but both were out working. She called her mom before she left to let her know of the situation, and make sure it was okay to go. Her mother had said it was fine as long as she wasn’t back too late. She had also wished her good luck.

“Umm...Nagase-san?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I’m curious, as to why you needed me so soon. It was my understanding that after the song came out the only contact required was for finances, and that it would be once a month.”

“Well, yes that is true. However this is a special case.”

Miku had followed Mr. Nagase though several twists and turns and were now in the lobby. Outside the windows she could see that same pack of journalists hungry for any story or piece of news they could get their hands on. She also noticed the reason that they were staying outside; two rather large, well-built gentlemen were watching over the front entrance. One of them turned and looked at Miku. He had an expressionless face, as if he were a robot. Scary… Miku was slightly afraid for a moment and then she saw a kind smile form on his face and he gestured to her with a thumbs up.

Then he spoke with a deep voice, “Love the song, kid.”

Eh?

Miku was shocked and then, remembering to be polite, “O-Oh, Thank you very much!”

She bowed quickly to the man and then proceeded to meet back up with Mr. Nagase, who was waiting for an elevator.

“So, you said, “special case”. What does that mean?”

“I don’t actually know the details, but you’ll soon find out. You’re going up to meet the president right now, and I’m sure he’ll explain it all to you.”

THE PRESIDENT!!!… “Th-th-the p-president!” Miku suddenly became extremely nervous. What would the president need to talk to me about? The song? Maybe something’s wrong with it…Please don’t let that be the reason!

The elevator arrived, the doors opening. The two of them entered it and Mr. Nagase pushed the button that held the number 57. Guess we’re going to the top.

And up they went. The speed of the elevator was fairly fast and before long they had arrived at the highest point of the tower that you could get to, without climbing the outside of the tower, which Miku didn’t care to do.

The tealette followed Luka’s Manager over to a waiting area, where Miku assumed business men would wait for their meeting with the president. And when she looked at herself, the situation was quite similar. Mr. Nagase had a quick conversation with the receptionist behind the desk before going back into the elevator and making his way down to the lower levels. Miku took a seat on one of the several comfortable chairs and couches. She began to ponder the possible reasons why she was about to meet the one in charge of everything under her feet.

“Hatsune-san?” Miku was brought out of her thoughts by the receptionist calling her name.

“Y-Yes?”

“It’ll be just a few more minutes. He’s on a phone call, so if you could just wait patiently, that would be great.” She had a genuine smile on her face.

“Yeah, okay.” Miku fell back into the cushion of the chair and went back to her thoughts, only this time they were filled with pink. All the times she had spent with Luka. Miku found them to be very precious to her, which was strange. They had only known each other about two or three weeks. And it’s not like thinking about Rin made her feel this way, in fact when Miku thought of the ‘energy ball’ that was Rin, she actual felt a little tired. She needs to cut down on sugar or whatever else she’s got, and calm down sometimes.

Then as the yellow background receded in her mind, Luka returned holding something that was also yellow. As she got closer, Miku realized that it was the lemon parfait Luka ordered at the café. She was feeding it to her again; the spoon full of deliciously sour-sweet was being inched towards her mouth once again. Miku experienced the feeling of the same apprehension she had when It first happened. Her cheeks got hot, her body began to feel warmer, and it felt like her heart was trying to win a boxing match against her ribcage.

“Hatsune-san, He’s ready for you now.”

Just like that it was over. Miku opened her eyes and composed herself, reminding herself that it was just a day-dream. “Oh, Ok.” She got up and walked nervously over to the large double door next to the reception desk. She looked back at the receptionist and she nodded, before going back to filing her nails. Miku’s gaze returned to the door in front of her. Having absolutely no idea what was going to happen on the other side of it, she turned the handle...and entered.

______________________________________________________________________

The door closed behind the teal girl, startling her as it closed loudly in the otherwise silent room. Miku took a moment to check out her surroundings. The room she now found herself in was very different than the one she just left. It was darker, more elegant, and yet it had a certain…’business-y’ feel to it. It was also much larger; the distance between the two people who were in the room was easily twenty-five feet.

“Well...Miku Hatsune. Our new celebrity.” The man sitting behind the desk addressed her without looking up from his computer screens. “Please have a seat.” He then gestured to one of the leather chairs in front of the ornate desk.

Miku briskly made her way over to the chairs indicated. She wasn’t sure if it was the uncertainty of why she was here, or the aura the room gave off, but she was feeling uneasy.

“Thank you for coming in on such short notice this morning. My name is Takeru Takemoto. I’m the president of this fine company. I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here.” He was right.

“Yes...I am.” Miku was nervous. She was just a normal high school girl, and yet she was having a one-on-one meeting with the person in charge of a major organization. And she still didn’t know why. Was it good or bad? She just didn’t know...

The gentleman was now looking at the tealette sitting before him. “Well then, I’ll give you the details. Since your song came out two days ago, it has had astounding popularity; even better than what our analysts predicted. Your song has even reached the worldwide audience; the United States, as well as Europe, are also showing surprising results.”

Miku was shocked at what she was hearing. People all around the world were listening to her music, her voice. He then continued with what he was saying.

“What’s even more incredible is that in the short time it has been available to the public, ‘From Y to Y’ has made it into the ‘Top 5’.”

“Th-Th-The T-Top Five~!!” Miku almost choked on her own words. This really was incredible. The teal girl had no idea that she was so popular.

“Number two, to be exact. Right behind Luka. Although based on what I’ve seen so far, that may change.” He had an expectant, intriguing smile on his face as if he was contemplating the scenario. As for Miku...her mind was slowly being blown apart. First she was being listened to all over the world and now she was ranked in the Top 5. This is almost too much to handle!

“And now for the big news…” Wait, big news?! What was everything else he just said then? The opening act or something?! What could possibly be bigger than two of the most amazing pieces of information she had ever heard?

_________

Luka Megurine was walking through the halls of the building. Her intention was to get to her car and go have lunch… but something stopped her. There was something unusual about the air she was breathing. It had unique scent to it… peach? Maybe mango? Then it hit her, That’s what Miku’s hair smells like. It smells nice...I could inhale this scent all day… Wait, why do I smell Miku’s hair shampoo here anyway? Could she be here…? Luka thought about it and found no reason why the petite girl would be here, so she just passed it off as her mind playing tricks on her. I miss her...

________

“...The public wants more. They want to listen to you sing more songs, more styles, more...you. That being said, I have decided to take a chance with you. I’m prepared to offer you a full contract that would make you a professional singer here at CrypTone, Miku Hatsune.”

… … … WHAT~!?! A JOB! HERE!? SINGING, PROFESSIONALLY?!!

This truly was a dream come true. Miku would be singing music, the thing she loved to do more than anything else, professionally. He eyes would be sparkling if she was not in a state of total shock. She just sat there not making a sound, or moving an inch. The president noticed her reaction, or lack thereof, and continued speaking.

“This probably comes as a bit of a shock to you, and it’s a lot to take in so quickly, but let me just say… I have a feeling that you will do quite well here, Hatsune-san.”

Miku’s brain finally caught up, “R-R-R-Really?!? You want me to be a CrypTone Singer?!”

The President laughed slightly at the tealette’s sudden and rather late outburst.

“Yes, I do. But I also want you to take some time and think about your decision. Talk it over with your parents, and then come back and talk to me, alright?”

Miku thought about what he had said. He was right, it was a big decision. Life-altering even. She wanted to just say ‘Yes’ right then but it probably was a good idea to think it over. Plus she probably needed to get permission from her parents. She was still a minor after all. “...yeah...ok…”

“Alright then, please see my receptionist outside; she’ll give you a phone number you can call to reach me. And thanks again for coming in Hatsune-san.”

Miku stood up and nodded to the man, finding herself at a loss for words at the moment. Mr. Takemoto smiled and went back to work on his computers. The teal haired girl made her way back across the room to the doorway, and upon entering the room on the other side was greeted once again by the receptionist behind the desk.

“Ah, Hatsune-san. I trust your meeting went well. I’ve been told to give you Mr. Takemoto’s personal number. Here you are.” She handed the tealette a card that contained said number. “You can call any day from eight to six. Have a good day Hatsune-san.”

Miku, again finding it difficult to send words out of her mouth from the shock of what had just occurred, simply nodded at the woman. She smiled back at her, and then went back to a stack of papers in front of her. Everyone seems so busy all the time. The teal haired girl turned towards the direction of the elevator and upon reaching it pressed the button on the wall that would bring it up to her floor. While waiting for it to arrive, Miku was still deep in thought.

A singer! A professional singer! This is too good to be true. I mean seriously, I’ve only done one song. But he did say that people all over the world had been listening to it. Wow… worldwide, that’s crazy. Is it really that good? This seems like a dream, and if it is, I am going to be so mad.

The elevator arrived, and Miku stepped inside pressing the button for the lobby. The doors closed and the elevator began making the long trip down. Miku continued to remain inside her mind pondering all the information she had learned today. When the elevator arrived on the ground floor, the tealette mindlessly walked out and began making her way through the halls that would lead her back outside in the parking lot where she entered. She was passing the recording studios when she accidentally bumped into something, her face pressed between two rather large, yet pillow-like objects.

“M-Miku!?”

The teal haired girl looked up and saw the smooth, pale skin and deep blue eyes that could only belong to Luka. She seemed confused, but there was also a hint of red on her cheeks as if she was embarrassed by something. A bright colored blush immediately spread its way across Miku’s face when she realized where she was.

“Ruga!..” Miku’s voice was muffled by the soft orbs surrounding her face. She quickly pulled her face from Luka’s chest, her face turning as red as a tomato. “L-L-Luka…! S-Sorry about that.” She was extremely embarrassed, so embarrassed that she completely forgot what she had been thinking about just prior to the encounter.

“Ah… well, that’s alright.” Luka was also embarrassed, but she composed herself, realizing that seeing Miku was an odd yet happy occurrence. “You let your hair down, it looks nice. Although I think I prefer the way you usually wear it.”

“Oh, I was actually trying to disguise myself on the way over here, but it didn’t work out to well, as you can imagine.” Miku pulled up a handful of her hair indicating its bright teal color.

“Yeah, that is quite the unique feature for you. I have the same problem, so I usually wear a wig of some kind… But wait! What are you doing here?”

“I just had a meeting with Mr. Takemoto.”

“The President? Why?”

“Well, he actually… just offered me a job here…”

“What!!? He Did!?” Luka was shocked. But she was also feeling slightly overjoyed. This would mean that she and the tealette before her would be working together. And that meant that they could see each other all the time.

“Y-Yeah… he did.”

“That’s fantastic! I’m so happy for you! It’s your dream right?”

“… Yes.” Miku had a shy smile on her face. It was true after all. Singing music was her dream.

“And just think, if you worked here we could see each other all the time.” The pinkette clapped her hands together in joy.

Miku hadn’t thought of that, but she was right. They would see each other more often. An idea that Miku found quite pleasurable. “Yeah, that would be nice. He also told me I should think about my answer, though. It is a big decision after all.”

“Yes it is. I’m not gonna lie to you Miku-” And even if I tried to lie to her, she’s so cute I would cave in a heartbeat. “-It’s not the easiest job in the world. But if you love music, it’s all worth it.” Luka had a genuine smile on her face, as if she was revealing some great secret to life.

“Right… and I do love music. More than anything.”

“And it shows. When I watched you sing it was as obvious as the sun in the sky.” This comment caused Miku to smile shyly while her cheeks warmed up and showed a hint of redness. “Oh jeez, look at the time. I gotta go. Bye Miku, hopefully I’ll see you later.”

“Oh, ok. Bye… Luka.” She watched as the pink haired girl walked off in a hurry and turned a corner, leaving her sight. Miku took off in the other direction and made her way to exit out the back of the building. As she stepped outside she donned her sunglasses and hat. She then tried to stuff as a much of her long teal hair into the said hat as she could. However, she did have a lot of it, and so there was still a considerable amount hanging down her back.

She was on her way back to the train station; living in fantasy-land. She was singing on stage with Luka. Dancing together in synchronized choreography. It made her feel so happy. She wanted to be a singer. It was her dream. As soon as she got home, she was going to persuade her parents to let her do so. She couldn’t think of a reason why they wouldn’t let her do it, other than school. They were sure to make that a point of their discussion.

The tealette stepped into an empty train car, which based on the time made sense for it being vacant. No one would be leaving the city at this time; everyone would be at work. She took a seat and a few moments later the train began clacking off towards the more suburban area where she lived.

She arrived home just as her mother was parking the car in the garage. She greeted her with a hug, and then she immediately asked about what had happened at CrypTone.

“So, what’s the story dear?” They had walked in to the house and were getting seated in the living room.

“Pretty amazing actually…” Miku was still somewhat in disbelief over the whole situation.

“Oh, how so?”

“Well, I got to the building and then was told I was going to see the president.”

“The president of the company?!” Her mother asked excitedly. “What did he want?”

“He… offered to make me a singer.” Miku looked expectantly at her mom to see what her reaction would be. She watched as her mom’s expression went from shock to excitement in the blink of an eye.

“That’s Wonderful Miku!! I’m so excited for you! What did you say?”

“Well, nothing yet. He told me I should take some time to think about it, because it’s a big decision.”

“He sounds like a very sensible man.”

“So what do you think mom?”

“… Miku. I think that you should be the one to decide this on your own. It’s your life, so it should be your decision. And whatever you decide, I will back you up on. Ok?”

“Yeah… I really want to do it. I do. But…”

“Miku-dear. If that’s really what’s in your heart then you should go for it; with everything you’ve got. ...Back when I was your age, I wanted to be a model.”

“You did?!” Miku was surprised. Not because her mother was ugly, no. Quite the contrary. But she also was incredibly shy in front of crowds. Miku figured that that was where she got it from.

“Yes I did. I was even offered a job… but I didn’t take it because I was too afraid. And I’ve always regretted it. I never got to find out what it would be like. But in the end, I’m perfectly happy with the way my life turned out. I have a good job, a loving husband, and the two best children a mother could ask for.” She pulled her daughter in for a loving hug. “I suppose my point is don’t live life with any regrets, ok? If this singing thing is something you really want to do, then you should.” It was the best motivation the teal girl could’ve wished for.

“Thanks mom… I will. And I promise I won’t regret it.”

“Good, just remember to keep up with your studies as well.”

“Yeah ok…” She feigned reluctance, and received a pat on the head from her mother.

“Gasp! You know what this means don’t you?”

“What?”

“We have to throw a party!” She suddenly became very excited and left the room, talking to herself as she already began planning it. Yukari Hatsune loved throwing parties. Miku always thought that it was because she loved to be the hostess, and receive various compliments on the house and other things. The tealette chuckled slightly at the sight of her mom returning to the soft chair with a pad of paper and a pen, scribbling notes for the party.

_________________________________________________________

Miku was once again on her way to the CrypTone building. She had called the number she had, and was asked to come in right away. She sat on the train again, only this time it was quite full; being a weekend. The tealette had no chance. She was almost instantly recognized; being swarmed by people who were asking questions, wanting an autograph, or squealing in delight. Miku was about to have a nervous breakdown when from out of nowhere, a loud and scary voice was heard.

“LEAVE HER ALONE YOU PACK OF ANIMALS!!”

Miku; slightly stunned at the sheer volume of the voice, looked around for its source. Then, appearing from in between two strangers was Rin.

“Rin?”

“Heya.”

“That was you?”

“Yeah… Now hold on a moment.” The feisty girl turned to face the other passengers on the train and gave them a glare that would’ve scared off a tiger. After seeing this look they all averted their gaze and pretended to be disinterested in anything that was going on.

“Thanks Rin.”

“Sure. So what’s up?” The blond girl took a seat next to her friend.

“I’m on my way over to CrypTone right now.”

“Really? How come?”

“Well, you can’t tell anyone but…” The teal girl leaned in to whisper in Rin’s ear. ”they offered me a job, and I’m going to take it.”

“THEY OFFERED YOU A J-” Her mouth was suddenly covered by Miku’s hand.

“Shhh! Nobody’s supposed to know yet.”

Rin, after calming down from her burst of excitement, “But that’s so cool! That means you’ll actually make songs for a living, and you’ll be famous!”

“Yeah. But you have to promise not to tell anybody until the company announces it first.”

The blond girl pouted, but then replied, “Yeah, ok… But once they do, I can go around telling everybody that I knew it first right?”

Miku laughed. “Yes, you can.”

The two teens smiled at each other and enjoyed the rest of the commute talking about this and that.

_______________________

Rin continued to stay with her best friend as she made her way towards the CrypTone office. But she was forced to leave her side when they reached a shop along the way, which was why she was in the city to begin with. They made their goodbyes and as Rin walked into the shop, the tealette continued heading for her destination. She had reached it, and while there were fewer paparazzi at the entrance, it was still more than Miku wanted to deal with.

Just then she heard a rumbling growl come up behind her. She turned around and saw that the source of the noise was Luka’s car. The pinkette rolled down the window, “Miku! Hi!”

Miku felt her heart beat increase immediately. “Oh, uh… Hi Luka.”

“What’s going on?”

“Just came by to talk to the president again.”

“Oh! So you’ve decided eh?”

“Yes… I’m going to do it.”

“Yay! I’m so happy for you. You’ll be my little kouhai!” Now Luka’s heart was beating rapidly. That sounded a little too cute I think… and now I’ll have fantasies about her being my kouhai.

Her ‘little kouhai’? Why did that sound so wonderful?

“O-Oh, is that so… Then, I guess that would make you, my…senpai.” Miku was slightly embarrassed as well as excited when she said that last word.

Luka almost slammed her foot on the accelerator when she her the tealette call her ‘senpai’. It was so adorable, and she thanked the heavens that she was given the opportunity to meet the teal girl. She regained her composure, and continued the conversation.

“W-Well then, would you like me to walk you in? I don’t think you want to go through the front. I wouldn’t want you to face the press, without any experience. We can go in through the back.”

“...Yeah, thanks. Just imagining it makes me feel uneasy.”

“Then hop in.” She unlocked the car doors, and Miku took her place in the passenger seat.

The two of them took the less than a minute drive around to the back of the building and parked in Luka’s designated spot, which was very close to the door. They stepped out and walked a few steps to the rear entrance. Luka scanned her access card and they were allowed in.

They walked through the halls; an awkward silence between them. Miku was wrapped in her thoughts; a single question on her mind. She had her head down slightly looking at the floor in front of her.

“Miku… you ok?”

“What?! Oh… yeah, just umm…” Miku brought her hands up close to her chest and began twiddling with her thumbs.

“Yes?”

“Uhm, well you see… my mom’s throwing a party this weekend. Because I’m going to be a singer now. She likes to throw parties and stuff like that. I think it makes her...” Miku realized she was getting off topic and recovered “Anyway, I was sort of wondering if maybe, you know… you wanted to come?”

The blush on Miku’s face was a red as red could be. “Y-You’ve helped me out so much and so I thought you might like to celebrate with me…”

Luka stood and absorbed every word. Miku was being so adorably cute, her nervousness adding to the cuteness even more. The pinkette wanted nothing more than to accept the teal girl’s offer, but unfortunately she had to break some bad news to her.

“Oh, Miku. I would love to go to your party… but I have to work this weekend.” She was saddened that she had to say no to the small girl, but when she saw the look on her new kouhai’s face, she felt like something extremely sharp had pierced her heart.

The disappointment in Miku was obvious. Her head hung low, and she simply had the appearance of someone who had been let down. The courage that the teal girl had worked up just to ask the pinkette had combined with the sadness of her not being able to make it, into this feeling of being absolutely crushed. She tried her best not to let it show on her face, but she wasn’t convincing anybody.

“O-Oh… I completely understand…” Miku looked up at Luka; hiding the sadness she felt behind a fake smile. “You’re a very busy person after all…”

The smile that Miku was wearing may as well have been tears to Luka. She could tell, without a doubt that she had disappointed her. She tried to uplift her mood by saying something more positive.

“But you know what? Now that you’re going to work here, we’ll probably get to see each other all the time, maybe even work together.”

Luka’s attempt at cheering up her the petite girl seemed to be success. The aura of sadness slowly disappeared, leaving one of contempt.

“That’s true…”

“Good! And hey, I’ll even take you back to that café we went to sometime soon, alright?”

Memories of the first time came rushing back to the tealette, and a slight blush spread across her face.

“...I’d like that.”

Luka smiled and then looking at her watch, realized what time it was.

“Oh jeez!! I am so late! I gotta go, Miku. But it was nice seeing you, and I look forward to working together.”

“Y-Yeah, me too.”

Luka took off in a quickened pace down the hall and into one of the studio doors. Miku on the other hand stood motionless for a few moments before making her way back to the elevators and up to the president’s office. She had been here a few times now, so she felt like she wouldn’t get lost. While waiting for the elevator to reach the top, she tried to push the disappointment out of her mind and get ready for her meeting with the company’s head.

When she exited the elevator up on the top floor. She was greeted by the receptionist and told to go in to see the president immediately. Miku nodded to her and turned the big brass handle of the large wooden door.

“Ah, Hatsune-san. Welcome back. Please have a seat.” He once again motioned to the chairs in front of his ornate desk; not looking away from his computer screens once.

The teal girl sat down after greeting the man politely.

“So, You’ve decided to be a singer?”

“Yes. It’s always been my dream, and this is a wonderful opportunity that you’ve given me.”

“I’m pleased to hear that Hatsune-san.” He then pulled out one of his desk drawers and pulled out a few sheets of heavily printed paper. “Here’s your contract. Basically states that all your music and other related things are licensed through CrypTone.”

The teal girl took the contract, and in her hands now, was her future. Her ultimate dream; just a few pen strokes away. She took a quick but thorough look over the contract, just to make sure she wasn’t signing up for some crazy thing. Not that she was expecting the company to do such a thing. Satisfied, she took the pen that the president had laid out for her.

Down at the bottom of the last page was a blank line. She placed the tip of the pen at the beginning then paused for a moment.

This is it… I’m going to be a singer…

‘Hatsune Miku’

She signed her name in an elegant cursive along the line. And with that single signature, her life would never be the same.

“Thank you very much Hatsune-san.” The president took the contract and placed it off to the side. “Do you have the CD with you?”

“Yes, it’s in my bag.” Miku was asked to bring a CD with her songs on it for the company to hear. It was so they could find out what genres she was skilled in, and which ones she wasn’t. Sort of a sampling of her abilities. She fished the disk out of her bag and handed it to Mr. Takemoto.

“Ah, excellent. I’ll pass this along to your manager.”

“I’m going to have a manager?!”

“Well, of course. I’m going to have Takashi Nagase work with you.”

“Isn’t that Luka’s manager?”

“Yes, but he asked to work with you. And he can handle it.”

“Oh… well ok then.” Did it matter that they would be sharing a manager? Did it mean that the two of them would see each other more often?

“So on that note, do you have any further questions about working here?”

The tealette thought for a moment, but nothing was coming to mind. “Not really…”

“Alright then. We shall see you back here in two weeks, and then we will get started. I look forward to seeing what you can do Hatsune-san.” The president offered a genuine smile at Miku, who smiled in return. She got up from her chair, shook his hand, and then turned to leave. She had just opened the door when she was interrupted.

“Oh, and Hatsune-san…”

She turned back toward the man “Yes?

“Welcome to CrypTone Incorporated.”

“Thank you, Mr. President.”

And with those last words, she left.

________________________________________

The weekend had arrived. All of Miku’s friends had shown up at her house for her party, along with their parents. This get-together was probably best described as a ‘Double Party.’ Miku’s mother had really gone all out. First there was Miku’s party. She and her friends would play video games, swim in the pool, and other things that teenagers do. It was going to end with a sleepover.

Then there was the adult party. All of the parents would have a more calm festivity. The moms all chatting while drinking cocktails, the dads watching the game on the TV outside with beers. Everyone was certainly having a good time, and Yukari was darn proud of it.

All of Miku’s friends had shown up: Rin, Len, Gumi, Miki, and Neru. They had each congratulated the tealette upon their arrival, and were now all eating some snacks while sharing a conversation about what she was going to do.

“So, what kind of songs are you going to sing?” asked Miki.

“I’m not sure. I would love to sing some of the songs I’ve already written. But the president said that people wanted all kinds of styles.”

That’s so cool! You already have fans!” Gumi exclaimed excitedly.

“Yeah… but I need to figure out a disguise of some sort. It’s sure to be even crazier now that it’s official and everything.”

“Good point, have you seen it when Luka goes somewhere, like at the music awards. It’s INSANE!”

The mention of the pinkette’s name and how she wasn’t here made the teal girl a little upset. But she was soon called over by her father to where all the adults were gathered.

“Congratulations Miku.” said the twin’s mother.

“Yes, congrats kiddo.” added their dad.

“Thank you!”

“Must be pretty cool to be famous, eh?

“I’m actually not too sure about that yet…” The adults all laughed along with Miku.

It was a bit strange to them. Here Miku was just sixteen, and she already had a career.

Then Miki’s mother picked up the conversation, “So, what’s it like down at that huge building? I see it on my way to work, but how is it like inside?”

“It’s pretty crazy. It seems like everybody has five different things to do in different places, all at the same time. But the last time I went is was pretty quiet. And I could see it being very easy to get lost in there. There are like, thousands of doors, and they all look the same.”

“Seems like it will be a very lively pace to work then.”

“True.”

“Do you know any details about how often you have to be there and what you’ll do?”

“Not really. They said that it would all be explained later on. As for what I’ll be doing; besides singing I’m not sure.”

“Well you have a wonderful voice Miku. I’m sure you’ll do great.”

“Thanks!” She smiled happily at all of them.

The parents continued to question the tealette for a few more minutes before she was ‘saved’ by her friends.

“Hey Miku! You wanna play Super Smash Bros.?”

“Definitely! You guys are going down!” She made a confident fist gesture and ran back to her friends.

As they were preparing the game; getting out the controllers, moving the table out from in front of the couch, a new addition to the group made its way out of her room, eager to join in the fun.

“I wanna play too~!!”

Miku turned to look at her younger sister, dashing out from the hall. “Hikari! How was your nap?” She said while lifting her up onto her lap.

“Good…” She now sat happily on her older sister’s thighs.

Hikari Hatsune: Miku’s little sister. She’s four years old, and smart as can be. She wants to be exactly like her sister in every way. They have a similar hairstyle; although Hikari’s is shorter in comparison. And both adored leeks more than any other food.

Now, by playing, Hikari didn’t actually mean that she would use a controller herself. She would pretend to be a part of the game by throwing punches at the television screen. Usually along with whenever Miku was doing well.

The game started, and they were choosing their characters: Miku was Fox, Rin was Pikachu, Len was Link, and Gumi was Samus. Neru was busy texting on her phone, and Miki was waiting to play against the winners, as only four could play at a time.

They chose their battle stage, and started the fight. Miku was able to use the speed of her character to do quite a bit of damage; choosing to go after Len first. An intense battle sequence up on screen matched the one going on inside the tiny tealette’s imagination.

Throwing fists in rapid succession, Hikari was moving around so much that she was falling off of her sister’s lap. She decided it would be better for the both of them if she stayed off. She climbed down from the couch and picked up her ‘fight’ on the floor. Throwing punches and attempting karate kicks while grunting with “Hai!”s and “Ya!”s.

It was down to just two of them; Miku and Rin. Hikari had stopped her imaginary battle and was watching with great interest. They were both very close to being defeated. Miku grinned inwardly. She had a strategy for just this type of situation. Sh ran towards Rin’s Pikachu, jumped and then, just as she was about to land on top of it she double jumped.

Rin Took the bait and tried to attack her when she came close but missed. And in that split second when Pikachu was recovering from its attack, Miku’s Fox kicked it; sending it flying across the battleground giving her the win.

“YAAAAAY~!!” Hikari was ecstatic. She ran over to her sister, and jumped up on top of her hugging her tightly. “Miku-Nee, Miku-Nee!”

The group of friends laughed at her excitement. It was a close game, and the adrenaline was pumping.

“So who’s next?” asked the tealette.

“Well you won so…” replied Len.

“Yeah, but I’m gonna take a break and get some food for myself and Hikari.”

“Food, Food!”

“Ok so, Miki I guess you can take her spot. Neru… did you want to play?”

“...No thanks…” she said without looking up from her cell.

The friends got the next game set up while Miku took her sister out to the snack table out in the backyard. There was quite an extensive collection of party foods. Various chips and vegetables with their own various dips, crackers and cheeses, you name it.

She was setting up a plate with the snacks that she knew Hikari would like, while she recounted her sisters fight; motions and all.

“That was so cool when you flew up over that guy and then came down and POW! And then BLAM! Sends him flying across the ground and then you bounced off the wall and…” Miku simply smiled at hearing her younger sisters re-telling of the match.

She was in the middle of gathering her own snacks when the doorbell rang. Who else could be coming? Everybody was here…

Then she heard her mom’s voice calling from inside, “I’ll get it!”

Ten seconds later, there was a sound that no one expected to hear.

“KYAAAAAA~!!!”

The shriek startled everyone. Miku almost dropped her plate, and Hikari was frightened and hid behind her sister’s legs. The room was motionless; frozen with fear. But Miku started moving quickly towards the front door, where the scream had come from. She met her father halfway, who was also running to check on his wife

What Miku saw was something so surprising she just stared; blank faced.

“Hi Miku…”

Standing in the doorway, with Miku’s mother holding her hand, was Luka.

“L-L-Luka?! Wha...What are you doing here?”

“I’m here for your party of course! Sorry I’m a little late.”

“But I-I thought you had work to do…”

“Ah, I blew it off. I’d much rather be here with you. But I gotta say, this,” She gestured towards the woman grasping her arm, “…wasn’t what I was expecting.” she laughed slightly.

“Oh right.” Miku took the hint and, with a bit of difficulty, was able to pry her mother off of the pinkette. Her dad took his wife in his own arms, happy that nothing dangerous had occurred. “But won’t you get in trouble?”

“A little, but it’s worth it.” she answered with a smile on her face. This also caused Miku to blush.

She was still trying to work her brain around the fact that she was here. It made her so happy just to see her, but she pushed aside her job for her; that was over the top in Miku’s mind.

“Well… I’m happy you could make it.” she said softly.

“May I come in?” The pink haired songstress asked politely.

“Oh, of course. Please do.”

She placed her foot inside the house; that’s when Yukari Hatsune exploded.

“OH MY GOD!! LUKA MEGURINE IS IN MY HOUSE!!!!”

This outburst alerted the rest of the house to the current situation. And just seeing a world famous pop star would be enough to make some people go fan crazy, let alone having one in the same room.

Most of Miku’s friends had ditched their seats and came running toward the hall where the front doors just to see if it was true; Neru stayed behind, on her phone as usual. What they had heard was indeed the truth. Luka Megurine was here.

They all stared, not making a sound. Miku was leading in the songstress while her father was keeping Yukari at bay, who was still fawning over the pink haired girl.

When Luka finally made it towards the main part of the house where everybody could see her, a million questions suddenly launched out at once. The one that was asked the most however was ‘What are you doing here?’ It was quite an ordeal for the tealette; Luka on the other hand, who was used to the attention, handled it quite well.

She knew that everybody wanted to ask their questions immediately, hoping to be the first one to get an answer. So she waited in silence, with a small smile on her face, for the noise to die down a bit. She then very calmly opened her mouth to speak; the room going quiet.

“Hello everyone. You all seem to know who I am it seems. Please don’t think of me as any different than any of you, at least for today. I am just here to celebrate with my new co-worker. I’ll answer your questions, but let’s remain calm, alright?”

Miku was amazed. With her short speech she had gained control of the entire room. No one was going crazy…well, except for her mother. The pinkette decided to appease the adults for a short while, that way she could spend the rest of the time with Miku. She explained this to the teal haired girl, who understood and agreed that it was a good idea.

The two of them split; Miku went back to her shocked friends, while Luka, with an extremely excited Yukari, went to join the adults. Miku would join her after a few minutes of dealing with her friends.

When the tealette returned to her circle of friends they started redirecting their questions for Luka at her.

“Why is she here!?”

“Wow, she came all the way to see you!”

“I can’t believe Luka Megurine is actually in the same room as me!”

The teal haired girl calmed her friend’s excitement after a few minutes, then turned around to see how Luka was faring. She was actually doing quite well. If you didn’t know who Luka was, she would have easily fit in with the other adults, without even thinking about it. They all seemed to be having a pleasant conversation; sipping their drinks and whatnot. The only thing that was off was that Luka was still being held onto by Miku’s mom.

Miku felt a little something deep inside her, and she went over to where the adults were.

“Oh, Miku! You have a wonderful co-worker here.” Said her father.

“Yes!! I COMPLETELY Agree~!!” Yukari added excitedly.

“Mom! Stop, you’re embarrassing me…” The tealette pleaded.

“Oh it’s quite alright Miku. I’ve dealt with,” Luka paused to carefully choose her words. She didn’t want to offend anyone. “Star-struck fans many times.”

“But still~!” Miku then forcibly pulled her mother off of the pink haired girl and took her off to talk with her alone. Luka watched as the two of them disappeared into another room of the house. It was then that she felt something poking her in the leg. She looked down and was surprised to see a much smaller version of Miku.

“Oh, hello there. And who might you be?”

“Hikari…”

“Nice to meet you Hikari-chan, I’m Luka.” she said with a smile. Hikari seemed to be a little shy, but Luka was great with kids. A few of her cousins were about the same age. She squatted down so that she was now at the little one’s height; this way she would be less intimidating. “You must be Miku’s little sister.”

Hikari nodded; still a little shy.

“She’s told me a lot about you, you know.”

“…like what?”

“Well, she says that you’re super smart, and really funny. But I never expected you to be so cute.” Luka lightly poked the young tealette in the stomach, which brought out a smile on her both their faces.

“Miku-Nee talks about you a lot too.”

“Oh really? And what does she say?”

“She says that you-”

“AH! HIKARI~!!” Just then, Miku had walked out of the other room and heard what Hikari was saying, quickly jumping in to stop her.

“Miku-Nee!” The younger acknowledging the return of her sister; unaware of why she had her sudden outburst, as any kid her age would.

“Were you introducing yourself to Luka?”

“Uh-huh. Lu-Nee is really nice!”

“Aww, you really think so? That makes me so happy.” The pinkette lifted Hikari into her arms. She was also a little happy because Hikari had already given her a nickname.

“Hikari, you know that song you really like? Japanese Ninja #1?” Miku asked.

“Yeah~!” The young tealette became very excited at the memory of the song. The quick tempo always got her riled up, pretending to be a ninja; one of the reasons why her mother never let her listen to it when it was close to her bed time. Not anymore at least.

“Well, Luka is the one that sang that song.” She gestured to the pinkette indicating that the Luka who sang the song and the one holding her sister were the same person. Upon hearing this, Hikari became overjoyed; happiness gleamed off her face, as she hugged Luka around her neck.

Luka became very happy herself. This connection she had with Miku’s little sister was also a connection to Miku herself. And that was, in the end, what she wanted most of all.

“You’ve got quite a bit of friends Miku.” the pinkette said motioning over to where said friends were waiting.

“Oh, yeah. They’re all dying to meet you.” She chuckled.

“Then let’s not keep them waiting.”

Luka excused herself from the group of adults. They understood that she was here to celebrate with Miku after all. She then followed the teal haired girl over to the younger group; Hikari still happily in her arms.

She leaned in close and whispered, “You tell me what Miku says about me later, OK?”

Hikari nodded with a bright smile on her face.

When the three of them arrived at Miku’s circles of friends, they welcomed the pink haired singer with much excitement. More compliments and questions, which Luka was more than happy to answer.

“What’s it like being famous?”

“What songs are you working on?”

“How do you keep your hair so silky smooth?”

Hikari was even able to ask one herself when she got the chance.

“Lu-Nee… Do you have any plushies?”

Luka smiled at the question, and while a little embarrassed to admit it, she did have a few.

“Well, actually…” Luka blushed slightly at revealing this truth. “I do have a few…”

“Really?! What kinds?”

“Let’s see… I have a bunny, a big bear, and my favorite, a tuna.” Luka was still blushing from embarrassment.

“A tuna? That’s an interesting choice.”

“Well, it’s my favorite food so…”

Hikari then added, “I have one too! I have a Tako!”

“Oh really, what color?”

Hikari then grabbed a handful of Luka’s long silky hair and said, “Pink!! Like this!”

Luka smiled at the tiny tealette in her arms.

Miku grabbed her attention and then proceeded to introduce her friends; saying their names as she gestured to each of them. Luka happily offered a handshake to each of them as they went along.

Inside the pinkette’s head, she felt she was crossing a hurdle. She was slowly being involved into Miku’s life. Here she was, in her house, meeting her family and friends. All of whom can have a huge impact on someone’s life. And if she was able to fit in with them… well that would just be great.

“It’s nice to meet you all.”