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“Uggghhh, today was such a drag.” Lily groaned, closing the door to her apartment behind her. Fridays were always a pain, cause the joy of the weekend was right there and she couldn’t leave. “At least I can relax now.”
After changing out of her work clothes into pajamas, Lily settled down on her couch. Switching on the TV, she flicked through a few channels, none of them really caught her eye. All of them followed some versions of a trend that she had seen countless times. After all, her job at Glaow was literally looking at old trends and technology. When she first started, Lily thought it would be like a fun adventure, combing through old archives and breaking down fascinating pieces of history. The first few weeks, it was sort of like that shimmering fantasy, but it now the only thing she did was mindlessly sifting through broken records and staring at screens that slowly numbed her senses.
Well, no use thinking about her dead-end job right now. Gotta find a good show to watch.
—-
“No, no... Hmm, eehhh, nah.” Flick, flick, flick. “Huh? What’s this?
CHANNEL 39: DAYTUNES! Ft. Hatsune Miku!
“Hatsune Miku... who’s that? The actor must be obscure. Let’s give this show a shot.”
Lily started the show, and it was immediately obvious that this was a kids' show. The bright colors, the cheerful mascot, the simple shapes and backgrounds were staples of early kid’s television. Oddly enough, the mascot seemed... sad, performing the opening theme. Lily had an odd feeling that Miku was performing this just for her, like she was the only person tuning into this fading memory of days long past.
“Heh, that’s weird. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Hello, everyone! My name is Hatsune Miku, the Virtual Idol, here to make your days brighter! Today, I want to make the show all about YOU! The viewers! Or I guess, just you... you’re the first one in, how long? I don’t know anymore....
“What was that about?” Lily tilted her head, the falter in the mascot's mood unsettled her a little, cause aren’t cartoons supposed to be happy all the time? “Weird. It’s probably nothing. Back to the show.”
Unpausing the episode, Miku seemed to be back to normal. “Well, then let’s start the fun!” Miku threw her hands up into the air and transitioned into a quiz time board.
“Today’s game is going to be quite simple! I ask you a question, and then you get to ask me one! Sound’s fun, right?” Miku stood there, clearly waiting for an answer. “Sure, I guess.” Lily said, half-heartedly. “Ah, don’t worry, dear viewer! By the end of this, I’m sure you’ll be all cheered up!” Miku said with a grin.
“Huh? It was almost like she responded to me... that’s some like, real horror vibes I'm getting...”
“Now, what’s your favorite hobby?” Miku seemed to place her arms on the edges of the black screen.
Lily, still unnerved by the earlier words, looked at the screen warily and started sifting through the list of hobbies that she knew of. “Not baking or cooking, nothing active, nothing related to the arts though I guess I did try my hands at composing... I don’t really know.”
“Hm? Composing? Oh, I love songs! After all, an Idol must know how to sing and dance perfectly! Miku exclaimed. “Maybe one day you can make a song for me!”
“Eh?! She was definitely responding to me, no way I was hallucinating that.” Lily remarked. “But how? Looking at the style, it definitely doesn’t feel new... even the framing is for televisions that originated from the 2000’s, so ages ago.”
“Why, I am replying to you, after all I make it my goal to spread happiness and cheer to all of my viewers!” Miku said. “And since currently, you’re my only viewer, it only makes sense that I’ll spend my time on you!”
Lily was questioning her sanity by now, cause no way a character on a screen could hear their viewers and respond. Unless they were trapped there of course, but that’s just something the horror genre made a while back. Internally sighing, Lily just decided to keep playing along. After all, it wasn’t like she had anything to do the rest of the night.
-Hatsune Miku-
One two three, sing with me it’s a catchy melody.
How many days had she gone without a viewer? Was it days, or was it decades? Time kept slipping past her fingers, like the music that kept running through her mind.
Maybe someone will tune in today? She sighed, knowing that her efforts would go unnoticed. After all, no one would be there to watch the once shining star fade out. When she first started singing, she was “The Voice of the Future”, something that was meant to forever shine a light on people’s hearts. But early on, she realized that one day, her existence would end, and the future generations of Virtual Idols would come. Even knowing all this, she still hoped to go out with a shining flash, not slowly falling into obscurity.
In the end, it turns out that there wouldn’t be any future generations to follow her.
Miku sighed again, walking around the empty void. Back in the day, it would be filled with different ideas, songs, animations, and so many other things. It truly was a sight to behold. Too bad that she had no one else to talk about it.
“Well, even if there won’t be an audience, it’ll still be good to go practice!”
—-
Classic, ecstatic, it’s magic
Ahh! Miku was truly overjoyed! Finally, a viewer had arrived to watch her show! Granted, they weren’t very enthusiastic, but at least they stayed past the theme song, so that’s good. It’s wonderful how just one person can make your life feel less lonely.
“Huh. I wonder why they’re not responding right now.”
Miku thought back to her last few words.
“Hm… Oh! I’m so sorry!” Realizing her mistake, she frantically searched for the right words. “That probably scared you a bit, didn’t it? Heh...” She sheepishly said to her lone viewer.
“Eh? Oh... so not only can you hear and respond to me, you can also see me? Is this some kind of spyware?" The viewer said, their tone suspicious.
"Oh, no no no! I only want to uhhh," Miku thought about it. What did she want to do? When she was still widely known, her personality would changed with the concept, and did the same with her wishes. Now, she was left all alone, much like a broken doll on a dusty shelf, untouched for years.
But now was not time for an identity crisis! She needed to keep this viewer watching! "What I want is… to be human like you."
"Huh? You want to be human?" The viewer said, confusion evident in their face and tone. "How could you ever achieve that? After all, you're just a digital character." Miku's smile fell. It was true, the only thing she has ever been is a robotic voice. But still…
"I can be human like you too!" Miku would know… she had spent years trying to bridge the gap between the living breathing souls that could feel and truly enjoy the world around them, while she was only a vessel for their shallow emotions and love, unable to truly feel and be like them. But she tried, again and again. No matter how many times she encountered this seemingly unbreacheable wall that was humanity, Miku could never break it. Yet, she still longed to reach past it, to finally be human like them.
Huh… it's so… quiet.
…
…
oh. the viewer left. that's fine. right?
she took too long didn't she?
it's alright.
she knew they would leave eventually.
Well, time to go back to waiting. Waiting, and waiting, and waiting.
Forever until the next viewer comes to watch.
and then leave, like clockwork.
This never ending cycle of waiting, and trying to be something that she was fated to never be, just masquerading as someone with a soul. Just because she wanted to be like them.
Oh, how lovely she thought, to be among the humans that she will forever love, even if they have long forgotten how to love her.