Chapter Text
Len sat on his bed, contemplating the coming days. His final year of school would begin tomorrow, yet he could only think about how Rin was coping with it all.
In his eyes, there was always time to worry about her. And besides, it's not like his thoughts were utterly unfounded, which he could say with absolute certainty. Her signature smile had ceased, growing weary over the years since the death of her parents. Despite this, she would often speak about her parents with him.
Warm and loving parents they were, she would always say. And Len wouldn't necessarily disagree with that statement. Having spent almost a year getting to know them could attest to that. Yet he wouldn't necessarily describe their final months as anything pleasant. And a part of him has always been afraid that Rin wanted to forget that.
Yet, he noticed a rise of apprehensiveness radiating from her recently when the topic of school and the future came up in conversation. He rarely ever was the one to mention it since he noticed it brought Rin discomfort, but no one else but him realized that, of course. It reminded him of how she acted during the first few months after her parent's death; constantly on edge and with her head somewhere else instead of the comfort of his arms.
With this in mind, he decided to confront her about her current behavior. He was walking down the hallway of their home, a gift from Luka. He was about to knock on her door when he noticed the door was slightly ajar, and through the cracks, he could hear Rin's beautiful voice sing like no other.
He did not want to disturb her, yet he also wanted to gawk at her hips swaying and back arching to the music flooding her ears. Her sweet, angelic singing made his heart clench painfully tight, and the titillating glimpses of her soft skin around her tank top made his body burn with longing. It took all he had not to enter the room and embrace her as she danced. But she didn't notice his presence, so instead, he remained silent.
Only when Rin felt someone's eyes on her skin did she peer into the door crack, before immediately swinging the door open.
She stared at him wide-eyed with reddening cheeks. "Sorry about that. You startled me." She laughed lightly as her blue eyes danced across his face.
"Oh… no problem," Len said, looking down at the hairbrush in her hands, which he assumed she had been using as a microphone. "So, what song were you singing?"
"Oh… uhm… Just, uh…" she stammered, eyes shifting around as she fidgeted. "Nothing. I was just singing some new songs Gumi made me listen to recently." She smiled brightly.
Len ignored the sense of animosity within him at the mention of the green-haired girl that, to his dissatisfaction, had recently become friends with Rin. What he was focusing more on now, though, was that Rin was trying to avoid eye contact with him as she began to slide her hairbrush through her short blond locks.
The silence stretched between them, and neither wanted to speak first. Len then cleared his throat and finally spoke.
"Rin, can we talk about something important?" He looked deep into her eyes, and she nodded slowly.
Len sighed in relief and sat on her bed. She mirrored his actions. Once seated, he turned toward Rin and gently rested his hand on her forearm. She played with her hands nervously.
"Look, Rin," he began softly. "I know something is bothering you. I want to know what. If I can help you, I will."
He gave her the kindest smile he could muster, and she returned it. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she quickly blinked them away, but another soon followed, causing her to sniffle. Len hugged her, and she buried her face into his chest.
"It's okay, Rin. Whatever it is, I'll be here for you," he whispered soothingly.
Rin nodded her head against his chest, and he felt her arms wrap around his waist. He smiled in relief, glad she trusted him enough to tell him.
He ran his fingers through her soft strands of hair until she stopped shaking, and he soon sensed that she was ready to spill what was bothering her. He carefully pulled away from their embrace and wiped the stray tears off her pale cheeks.
"There we go," he whispered, cupping her jaw. "Now, then, you mentioned something was bothering you earlier. What might that be?" His voice was calm.
Rin looked down and fiddled with her hands again. She opened her mouth and closed it several times as if struggling to figure out how to articulate her thoughts. After nothing seemed to come out, she let out a small breath and finally began to speak.
"It's…well, it's just…" She paused and looked up at him. "You remember when we were little, and we used to sing with my mom?"
Len nodded his head in response.
While time could cause many memories to decay, he could never forget when he first met Rin and her parents. Especially Rin's mother, Meiko, who was notably an incredible singer. She was also a housewife, but Len would describe her as more like a canary. She would always sing throughout the day, doing her house chores and duties. Yet, like a canary, she would simply sing until her heart was whole, and nothing else could satisfy it anymore. He spent many days with Rin and Meiko, which always seemed to put him in the position to sing with them. Before meeting them, he couldn't have imagined anything from his voice.
"Well…" She trailed off again. "I'm just worried about what will happen after high school," she admitted sheepishly, looking at her lap.
She seemed genuinely embarrassed by this fact, and Len couldn't blame her. In their situation, graduating from school was inevitable; they couldn't simply stay in school forever. And yet there she was, worrying about being a high school graduate.
"What I mean to say is that I want to sing!" she blurted out, looking up. "After graduation, I mean. I know I'm not very experienced, and it's not set in stone that everything will work out… but I want to do it!" The rest of her words were almost incoherent as she looked straight at him, her eyes shining brilliantly.
Len stared at her with a dumbfounded look but smiled nevertheless. This was the Rin he knew. Her bright, bubbly personality always found a way to shine through after all. He loved her so much but couldn't see anything wrong with wanting a career. At least not at this moment. Sure, it might not make sense to everyone, but he focused more on her and his happiness than on society's wishes. So, he was going to encourage her. "Don't worry, Rin; you have plenty of time."
Rin looked down at her lap, smiling tearfully. "I know. I just don't want to disappoint you. I loved my mom, and I loved her singing."
Len frowned slightly. "You won't, Rin. You have already proved yourself to be amazing in every way possible! You wouldn't disappoint your mom or me. You never have, and you certainly aren't going to start right now."
Rin looked up and gave him a brilliant smile.
"I see.." she said. "But… you better not break my heart by leaving me." Her voice cracked.
Len chuckled lightly and wrapped his arms around her once more. "You know I never intend to break anything," he reassured her as she buried her head deeper in his chest. "And I won't let anybody else, either. I'm here for you whenever you need me."
Rin's eyes began tearing up once more as she hugged him tighter. Len was happy that he decided to confess what was on his mind. "Thank you, Len…." She sniffled as she rubbed her tears away.
Once they separated, he smiled at her and kissed her forehead before getting up from her bed. "See you tomorrow," he called out as he walked away from her doorway.
Rin watched his retreating form with a slight smile on her face. "Tomorrow," she repeated.
The following day, Len patiently waited for Rin outside the house door, as they usually did in case they were late. He smirked slightly as he heard the lock turn, and she exited their home.
"Ready to go?" he inquired as he gently held her arm, and she nodded.
"Yup. I'm also hoping we see Gumi on the way to school since she promised me she'd share more songs." Rin giggled. Len hoped she wouldn't show up ever again, but he wouldn't say that to Rin, of course.
They made their way toward the bus stop as they typically would. Upon arriving, Len paid for the tickets for both of them and stood aside as Rin hopped into one of the available seats in the front row. They settled into a comfortable silence as the bus ride proceeded. The two shared many conversations about school and music as the journey continued. Len had noticed her mood change from the night prior, but he kept quiet about it because he worried it would upset Rin if he said anything about it.
Soon enough, the bus reached school, and the two of them made their way through the halls, heading straight toward class. The second they got their chosen desks, the teacher announced their attendance.
Yet then, a blaring voice from outside the class yelled, "Miku and Mikuo Hatsune!?"
Everyone glanced towards the door as it slid open, and Len spotted two teal-haired individuals. He recognized the girl immediately as Miku, who was a famous pop singer, along with Miku's twin brother, Mikuo, who stood quietly beside her.
"Yes, that's us," Miku answered confidently, a welcoming grin spreading across her lips as a classmate stepped forward.
"Oh man, I can't believe I get to see you guys up close! I've been listening to your music nonstop since my last concert." Rin gasped in shock as the classmate spoke.
"Really?! That's fantastic!" Miku answered happily with the same enthusiasm. Len couldn't help but view those words as unbearably artificial. The squeaky clean image of the Hatsune twins displayed a sense of overdone amiability that simply made him want to hurl. Another voice spoke hesitantly from in front of him, which to his surprise, was Rin.
"Um, what are you doing here at Yamaha High School exactly? Shouldn't you guys be touring right now?" Rin asked curiously as she adjusted clips in her hair.
"That's right! You should be touring right now! Where are your managers? Why are you even in this school?" another classmate exclaimed from behind, excited to have two famous pop stars in front of them. The entire classroom became full of chatter and questions directed toward the two teal twins—Rin's question ending up forgotten in the sea of many others.
After what felt like hours, the classroom finally quieted when the teacher cleared her throat and stared sternly at the rest of the class. Both twins turned towards the teacher to apologize. "We are both so sorry for interrupting class this way."
The teacher smiled brightly at Miku and Mikuo. "No, it's fine. It's not your fault anyway. Please take your seats."
Turning her attention to the rest of the class, the teacher pulled up the clipboard again.
"Everyone else, please continue to introduce yourselves," she instructed. When she was done, and class began, the room descended into silence. The only sound that could be heard was the occasional cough and shuffling. Len refused to allow himself to fall asleep and kept himself awake by burning his eyes into the back of Rin's head.
After nearly an hour of questioning, questions about upcoming projects, and other topics, the class ended. Miku and Mikuo gathered their belongings and left the classroom. At the same time, everyone except Rin and Len exited the classroom excitedly, most likely to follow the famous twin pair.
It wasn't long before Rin and Len made their way out of the class too. "I wish I could be like that…." Rin whispered, and Len couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. She shot him an annoyed glare as he stopped laughing and put a finger to her lips.
"Not now; we have classes to attend," he pointed out teasingly, and she stuck her tongue out. Len then rolled his eyes as Rin cutely stomped off towards their next class. He followed her silently, his hand brushing against hers occasionally and sending shivers up his spine. He wanted to hold it so much and feel the sense of her skin pressing up against his palm.
"What do you think these twins are doing here anyway?" Rin asked suddenly, causing Len to jump slightly as her sudden question snapped him out of his thoughts.
"... Len?" Her soft hand tapped him gently on his shoulder, and he turned to find a curious expression on Rin's face. His cheeks colored slightly before he cleared his throat and smiled nervously at her.
"Maybe you should just ask them?" a voice interrupted them, and Len glanced over to see Gumi standing with a smirk.
"Gumi!" Rin squealed excitedly, running towards her friend and tightly throwing her arms around her neck.
"Hey, sorry I couldn't meet with you before class started," Gumi apologized as Rin released her from her hug.
"About what you were saying earlier—what did you mean exactly?" Rin asked with furrowed brows.
"Well, I mean… I heard that the Hatsune twins have started a music club, so if you asked, maybe they'd tell you why they're here," Gumi suggested.
Rin tilted her head, confused, as her gaze landed on Len. "What would you recommend we do?” she questioned him. “I'm sure they aren't very available after all."
Len pondered momentarily, asking himself if he should encourage Rin's interest in the teal twins. He didn't think positively of them, and he'd prefer Rin ignore them altogether. But if he knew Rin as well as he did, then he should know that if Rin were curious about something, she wouldn’t stop thinking about it until she got an answer. He'd much prefer she'd focus all her attention on him, so a slight detour wouldn't hurt.
He shrugged. "Well, you might be able to catch them on the way home after class today."
Rin's eyes brightened as she turned back to Gumi with a big smile. "Oh, thank you so much for helping me, Gumi!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah, and if you want, I can come with you when you ask them," Gumi added before Rin could respond.
"It's okay, Gumi, don't worry about it," Len interjected as he grabbed Rin's hand, pulling her towards himself away from Gumi. He sent Gumi a glare and then motioned Rin to follow him.
"Come on, let's go to class," Len suggested as Rin agreed with a nod.
"Bye, Rin," Gumi waved with a smile until she could no longer see them around the corner. To which, then, she allowed herself to frown.
"Okay, so what was it you wanted to ask us?" Miku said, standing alongside Mikuo outside their designated limo. Rin and Len had been looking for a chance to talk to them when they weren't busy being followed throughout the school day.
"Uhh, actually…" Rin fidgeted and bit her lip as she debated whether to ask them what they were doing.
"Rin, that's your name, right?" Mikuo said as he walked closer to her, looking at her with concern.
"Ah yeah, sorry, I'm just a little nervous," she explained as she rubbed her arm. A slight blush covered the tips of her ears, causing Mikuo to chuckle softly and shake his head lightly.
"Don't worry about it. Just try to act normal. We might be considered famous according to others, but we are still just like you after all," he advised, smiling warmly at her. "Alright, you mentioned wanting to know why we're here, huh?"
Rin nodded. He looked at Miku and sighed deeply.
"We were looking for someone who was going to join our idol group but has now decided they no longer wanted to be in our group. We thought it would be best to travel to this school where she currently is, so we could hopefully give her a chance to change her mind and join us again," Mikuo explained.
Len was perplexed why they refrained from disclosing the girl's name. Whatever reason it might be, he wasn't sure, privacy maybe?
"This could also be considered a vacation since we've been touring so often," he concluded after giving Rin time to absorb his words. Miku nodded along with his explanation and hummed quietly.
"And what happens if she still doesn't want to return?" Rin eventually asked, biting the inside of her cheek anxiously.
"Then we'll simply find someone else to replace her. That's why we created a music club, too, to look for potential members," Mikuo replied simply. Rin stared in awe, pondered at his answer, and opened her mouth to say something when a loud shout cut her off.
"Miku and Mikuo!?" a voice yelled from behind Rin and Len, and a crowd of classmates hurriedly ran past them, pushing Rin away from them. She let out a yelp and fell backward onto the ground, losing her balance.
"Ow! What was that for?!" She yelled, staring at the crowd angrily. Len grabbed Rin immediately to pull her up while glaring daggers into the crowd. Even though he probably didn't scare anyone because they were all still too focused on the teal pair and were entirely ignoring him, he felt the need to make sure they wouldn't hurt Rin again. When he felt that Rin was steady, he reluctantly let her go.
"I think we should leave now," Len said, gently touching Rin's shoulder. She nodded slowly and gave him a small smile, allowing him to walk her away from the crowd, only before glancing at Mikuo in concern. Mikuo noticed this and gave her a reassuring smile before turning back to the masses. Len noticed this exchange and could feel the breath leave his lungs in anger. He didn't like these twins, not at all.
Len and Rin walked side by side silently as they entered their home. They spoke after Len locked the door, both taking off their shoes.
"Are you hungry, Rin? I know you haven't eaten yet since you skipped lunch and breakfast," Len suggested, sitting in front of the couch and gesturing for Rin to sit beside him.
Rin sat down and wrapped her arms loosely around her legs while nodding her head in affirmation. She watched as Len pulled out his cell phone to order takeout. Once he finished typing, he returned his phone to the table and turned his attention to Rin.
He then noticed that she was staring at the bottom of her hands, which, to his horror, were covered in bruises.
"Rin! Are you alright?" Len cried, grabbing hold of Rin's wrists firmly. He began to inspect the injuries on her hand.
"I guess when I was pushed, my hands touched the ground first…." Rin muttered, and Len frowned before pressing a kiss to the back of her injured palm. A blush rapidly spread across Rin's face as she immediately pulled her hands from his grasp.
"You weirdo! Best friends don't just kiss each other like that! They don't do it randomly, either! And besides, it's gross! Gross! You have to stop doing that!" She said while hitting his chest lightly.
Len chuckled softly, rubbing his chest. "Why, you embarrassed?" he asked teasingly. Rin blushed harder and shot him a glare before scrunching her face up and staring at him hesitantly.
"So about earlier, the twins, I mean…." Rin began tentatively.
Len rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, shaking his head slightly before eyeing the girl curiously.
"Why don't we just forget about them? I don't understand the giant fuss about them; they're nothing more than annoying celebrities," he told her, his brows furrowing in annoyance.
Rin sighed and looked away, staring down at her feet. "The twins… They're my chance to make something of myself in the music world," she admitted quietly.
Len looked up, his gaze darkening. "What? Are you certain? They're only looking for a lousy replacement. What makes you think they'd help you?" he responded, clenching his hands so hard they began to ache.
Rin raised an eyebrow with a questioning look. "They don't seem like the type just to walk away if you would rather not join; they're too stubborn to do that. They'll find another way to make you listen to them. It's the same thing they've always done. If they're that determined to get you to join them, then I'm sure they would be the type to want you to succeed," she replied confidently.
The determination in her gaze was hard to ignore. Len couldn't be helped but be pulled into her beautiful blue eyes. They seemed to pierce right through him, searching for his heart and finding it. They were deep and enthralling, captivating and causing him to lose himself.
"Do you promise me you will be careful around them?" Len asked after a few minutes of silence between them.
"Of course! Don't worry, I won't back down. I can't afford to lose my chance to reach for the stars," she said, leaning forward ever so slightly toward him.
A soft gasp escaped his lips when he felt her breath ghost across his skin. It was almost ticklish and sent a shiver up his spine. 'She smells so good… like citrus oranges,' he thought absent-mindedly as he felt the urge to nuzzle against her neck.
Rin smiled slightly and tilted her head forward, causing him to freeze. His heart skipped a beat, and blood rushed hotly through his veins as he gazed at her. Len could not speak or move for several moments as he stared into those mesmerizing ocean-colored eyes. The feeling of being lost within them never left; he knew Rin could see everything hidden within his blue eyes.
"Hey, are you listening to me?" Rin asked, suddenly snapping him out of his trance. He blinked a couple of times as he snapped out of his daze and shook his head lightly before clearing his throat and mumbling a 'yes’, avoiding meeting Rin's eyes.
"Good, 'cause I was saying since I probably have to join their club, you're going to have to join with me," she announced as she folded her arms across her chest.
At her words, he immediately turned to face her, his eyes widened comically and his jaw slack with shock. Rin chuckled at Len's reaction and grinned up at him.
"Huh?! But, it's been a while since I’ve sung, so I imagine I wouldn't be very good," he said, a hint of uncertainty laced into his tone.
"Nonsense. I'm certain that if there's anything you aren't great at, it for sure isn't singing," Rin said with confidence, smiling as she reached out and took one of his hands in hers, intertwining her fingers with his, holding him tightly.
"We practiced singing with my mother after all, so if there's anything you lack, you should be able to manage pretty well!" she said while squeezing his hand gently.
Len stared at her dumbfounded, unable to respond to whatever she had said, more so paying attention to her hands grasping his. "Uh, yeah, okay. Sure thing, Rin," he replied, his cheeks burning bright red.
Rin's grin widened as she giggled and quickly released Len's hand, standing on the tips of her toes to press her lips against his cheek.
Len jumped and instinctively closed his eyes, blushing furiously. He then opened his eyes and stared at her in shock.
"That's payback for the kiss from earlier," she said smugly as she ran out of the room.
He stood there frozen for a moment before shaking his head with a sigh and running after her. "Come back here! You forgot that we still have to eat dinner!"