Disclaimer: I don't own Vocaloid.

Happy New Year, everyone! I know this is 5 days late, but that's better than 6, right? I actually had a lot of fun writing this, so I hope you have just as much reading it. ^^ Reviews welcome!

"Come on, come on, come on!" urged Rin excitedly, bounding up the hill ahead of all the rest. "Can you go any slower?! We're going to miss everything!"

"Patience, Rin-chan," Luka giggled. Meiko was making a face that clearly showed how annoying she found all of this rushing; Miku was deep within her thoughts, seeming to be gathering up courage; Gakupo was smiling fondly as if reminiscing about a long-gone youth; Len was sighing at the amount of noise Rin was making; Kaito was smiling at whatever he was thinking about, which as far as anyone else was concerned, could be anything.

The group was led on by the yellow-haired, blue-eyed ball of energy, who was more than visible enough without her shouting because of the way the moonlight occasionally caught her kimono. It was bright yellow as well, of course, and it was a wonder that she could run so fast without catching on the hem. Len, for one, had predicted that she would trip over it before the New Year came, and that would be the end of her luck.

The air was cold enough that Kaito wasn't the only one wearing a scarf; everyone in their group, save Rin who kept warm via sheer energy, had on scarves, mittens, woolen hats, or some combination thereof. Even so, if Miku breathed too heavily, she would see her breath fog up. It was enough to bring a small smile to her face among her worrying. No one else seemed to have noticed her mood, but then again, they might have just been being polite.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Rin called out once more, irritation growing. "If we don't get there fast enough, there'll be no time for anything! Stupid Gaku-nii!"

Gakupo sighed, mumbling "How is this my fault?" under his breath.

"Because you were the last one to finish your soba buckwheat noodles!"

"She can hear me from all the way up there...?" the samurai wondered in disbelief. He had to remember to reevaluate Rin's abilities.

"Oh, sure," she continued, more to herself, "'It's fine, Rin-chan.' 'We'll have plenty of time to ring in the New Year, no problem, Rin-chan.' 'Just wait for me to eat this noodles one at a time, chewing each for a century, and we'll make it. Don't mind me, I'm just trying to break a world record on slowness.' 'Oh, did you want something, Rin-chan?'"

"Rin!" Luka said reproachfully. But she wasn't trying to defend the samurai - not at all. It was just that Rin needed to learn her manners, that was all. "That's not nice."

In the moonlight, Luka couldn't see that Rin had stuck out her tongue, but Len knew it without even looking. The girl could be so immature sometimes. What he wanted most this year was for her to be a little less troublesome, especially since he almost invariably got caught up in or blamed for her antics somehow.

At long last, with sore feet and considerably dwindled patiences, the 7 of them came to the entrance of the shrine. In a stroke of luck, it was almost empty, unlike most shrines around Japan at that hour. Rin was rather smug about it. "See, I told you it was worth the walk! Look, now we have the whole place to ourselves. Len, aren't I aweso-Len?"

The blond boy was currently standing in front of the bell, disregarding Rin's words completely. As she walked over, he bowed twice with great solemnity, clapped twice, and bowed once more, face the picture of concentration. Then he turned to her. "This is a sacred place, Rin. We can't go yelling and running around - it's disrespectful."

The girl pouted and crossed her arms, giving a small 'hmph,' which was the closest she would ever get to admitting defeat. To be honest, it was a little embarrassing to know that he was right, and it left her feeling - no, she would never say guilty. Never! She offered her prayers at the bell as well, with all the pride and dignity of one who is never wrong.

"Next is ringing in the New Year," Kaito reminded himself out loud. Meiko rolled her eyes.

"Of course that's next, stupid. We don't need you stating the obvious."

"Knowing Kaito-kun, he'd probably forget if he didn't remind himself," Gakupo said with a fond smile. No one, not even Meiko, ever truly meant to hurt the bluenette. "But perhaps for traditions, his mind might make an exception?"

"It's true, though. I probably would forget," Kaito admitted humbly. Meiko started to go on some half-annoyed rant about how he should pay more attention then, while Gakupo's eyes began to search for a familiar pink. He spotted Luka standing next to Miku with her arms crossed, obviously somewhat on the chilly side, in the middle of conversation. He considered offering her his coat, as a proper samurai should, but remembering how she had nearly lopped his arm off with a knife the last time he tried, he decided against it.

"What's wrong, Miku-chan?" asked Luka quietly. She had noticed the tealette's distress from when they were eating soba, but knowing Miku, hadn't mentioned it while the others were around. "Something's troubling you, right?"

Miku lowered her eyes to the ground. "It's not that...exactly. It's not anything in particular, or important, just...mm." She shook her head, trying to clear it. "No, I'm not going to give up!" She turned to Luka with the same brilliant smile that had earned her her place as the world's number one diva. "I'm just going through the moodswings of love, I guess. But thanks for worrying about me, Luka-nee." She skipped towards the bell, ready to offer her prayers as well.

After Miku went, Luka did; then Gakupo, Meiko, and Kaito. There was a tranquility that came with the silent prayer, and afterwards, even irritable Meiko felt relaxed. That is, until Kaito said something about the weather being too cold for ice cream, and she went back to yelling at him.

"Honestly! Is the only thing that's ever on your mind ice cream? Some day, some pretty girl might actually get brain damage and fall for you, Kaito, but you'll be too busy gawking at your precious ice cream to notice her carefully coy affections!" Her rant was interrupted by someone offering her a piece of paper. "What the heck is this?"

"A fortune," Gakupo explained, handing Kaito one as well. "I went to the trouble of buying ours. Did you want one, Megurine-dono?"

Luka frowned at the proferrred paper like it had a chewed piece of gum stuck to it. "I don't need one. If you bought it, it's probably cursed."

Everyone froze.

"That's...not funny," Len decided, suddenly regarding the paper with the wariness of one staring at a shady man promising candy.

Rin was laughing so hard, her stomach hurt. "You're right! If these are really contaminated by Gaku-nii, our love luck is the worst!"

"What are you trying to do, Kamui?!" Meiko scolded with a new fire in her eyes. Gakupo almost shrunk beneath their glare.

"Yahoo!" exclaimed Kaito, capturing their attentions before Meiko beat Gakupo to a pulp. "Oh. Did I miss something? My fortune said-"

"You read it?!" Miku asked in horror.

"You're doomed now, Kaito-nii!" Rin laughed gleefully.

"BaKaito!" Meiko scolded.

"But...but..." Kaito weakly protested. "It says...good luck."

"..." Everyone was silent once more. Luka put her palm up to her forehead, heaved a heavy sigh, and somehow broke the spell.

"Oh, if even Kaito-nii got a good fortune, then it's all okay then!" Rin laughed once more.

"Getting us all worked up like that," Meiko muttered, more than a little embarrassed, and let poor Gakupo go.

"H-How is your love luck, Kaito-nii?" asked Len warily, still skeptical.

"It's fine," Kaito assured him, glancing over the slip of paper once more as if unsure that this was really his fortune. "All fine. Good, actually." Nobody noticed Miku's sigh of relief.

"What's yours say, Len?" asked Rin, dragging him away by his arm.

"It says...what? This can't be right!" Len whined indignantly. "It says I have 'ill fortune'!"

Just when everyone thought she was done, Rin was laughing again. "Typical you, Len! That's okay, I've got 'Great luck'!"

"How does that make this okay?!" Len cried angrily, checking the paper again. "Wha-? How is the only good thing on here my love luck?!"

"Funny, that's the best thing on mine, too."

"And mine," Luka reported, though she seemed completely unenthusiastic about it. Her fortune wasn't anything spectacular.

"E-Eh? Yours, too?" Miku asked.

"That makes six of us," reported Gakupo, but by now, Rin wasn't paying enough attention to apologize for her earlier accusation.

"Meiko?" asked Kaito nervously. "What about you?"

If looks could burn holes through paper, Meiko's fortune would be a pile of ash by now. "..."

"Meiko?"

"...Ah, what the heck. These fortune-things are just for kids anyway!" She tossed the paper aside. "I've outgrown it! The luck doesn't apply to me anymore! It's a perk of adulthood."

Kaito tilted his head to one side as he watched her stomp off ("I'm going to get some sake!") and picked up the crumpled fortune. 'Bad luck,' it said. Her love luck said that the person she liked would go off with someone else. "Poor Meiko..."

"Superstitious?" asked Luka with a slight grin. She would never admit that she was as well. "How very like you, Kaito-kun."

"I-Is there something wrong with believing fortunes?" asked Miku meekly, clutching the slip of paper to her chest. "I mean, who knows, right?"

"Forget all of that, everyone!" Rin called. "They're letting people ring the bell now! We have to do that!"

"Ah, bell ringing," Gakupo said with that distant, wise-samurai look in his eyes. Luka smacked him in the back of the head for it. "Ow."

Rin grabbed the hands of Kaito and Len, the latter of whom grabbed Miku's too so that they were all being dragged along by Rin's super-human strength. Luka gave Gakupo a reproachful look before following.

Because of the small crowd, all of the kids (plus Kaito) got a turn at ringing the bell. When Miku asked if Luka wanted a try, she politely declined. "Aw, why, Luka-nee~?" Rin whined, tugging on the arm of the older female. "It's no fun if you don't join us~ Len, you have to convince her, too!"

"Ah, well, um..." Len just blushed and scratched his cheek.

"Thanks for the moral support, dear Lenny. That was sarcasm, by the way, if your unbelievably slow and empty brain couldn't pick up on it. Anyway, Kaito-nii~ help us convince onee-san to join us!"

"It couldn't hurt, Luka-san," Kaito supplied weakly, not ever being of enough backbone to really persuade anyone (Except maybe Miku into slipping him some ice cream while Meiko had put him on an ice cream probation. B-But! Miku wouldn't know about anything like that, would she?)

While the kids continued to (fruitlessly) attempt to persuade Luka to join them, Gakupo found a bench and sat down, listening to the 108 bell chimes of the new year. "May we not give into the temptation of sins this year," he prayed aloud, but quietly enough as to not disturb the tranquility of the children's yells and protests.

"Luka-nee~"

"Come on~"

"You're so mean..."

"It can't hurt..."

"Enough is enough," Luka finally decided. "Miku-chan, Rin-chan. Look, you missed all of the bell chimes.

"Whaaat?!" Rin screeched in horror as she realized that, indeed, the last chime was ringing out. "Oh no!"

"That's what you get for being a brat," Len commented unsympathetically, looking around for Meiko. "Do you know where Meiko onee-chan went, Kaito-nii?"

"Huh? O-oh. I...think she went to get something..."

"That's really specific and helpful."

"S-sorry."

"Well, now what?" asked Miku cheerfully. Rin crossed her arms and thought.

"Now...we wait for the first sunrise of the year!"

Miku smiled. "Ah, I can't believe it's next year already! Does anyone know the chinese zodiac for this one?"

"...The horse?"

"No, that was this year, Luka-nee."

"Ah...was it."

"Do none of you know, really?" Rin frowned. "I'm seriously disappointed in all of you!"

Len crossed his arms. "Well, do you know, then, Rin?"

"W-well...o-of course I do. It's the year of the...h-horse, isn't it?"

"No, that was this year." Len sighed. "I knew it."

"W-well, what do you want!? I'm just a kid; adults like Luka-nee and Gaku-nii should be ashamed!"

"Uh huh. And who's the one who's always whining that she isn't a kid anymore?"

"S-shut up! I'm the youngest here, but I'm still a teenager, so you can't complain."

"Isn't Len-kun younger than you, Rin-chan?" Miku asked innocently.

"Only by a few minutes!" Len protested. "Rin may have been thought up before I was, but we were built at almost the same time, all right?! And we're designed to be the same age, anyway!"

"My my, Len," Rin laughed haughtily, mischievous grin at its most malicious. "But as I recall, you were supposed to be the younger one."

"W-what does it matter? At least I wasn't the one who woke my roommate up because I was too afraid to go to the bathroom alone at night!"

"Th...that was when we were so much younger! Don't bring that up now!"

"You're still the same brat you were back then!"

"You want to go digging up the past? I have all kinds of stuff on you, then! How about that one time when you and Kaito-nii-"

"Never mind, then!" Len yelped at a pitch somewhat higher than his usual voice. "Weren't we going to wait for the first sunrise?"

"That conversation was getting off topic, anyway," Miku commented lightly. "Are we going back home to wait?"

"No way!" Rin shouted firmly. "I know the perfect spot! Come over here." She motioned for everyone to follow her. Gakupo got up from his (rather comfortable) bench, and joined the rest in their trek away from the shrine.

They stopped in a grassy area, level with the shrine but some way away, where the land was untouched by the city. It overlooked a bunch of houses, most with their lights on as families began to head to bed. There still wasn't any hint of a glow on the horizon, being only just a little past midnight. It'd be a long wait.

After a few hours or so, Kaito tapped his palm with his other fist. "Oh!" Everyone turned to look at him. "I remember! I think Meiko went off to buy some sake."

Miku lifted her head from its perch on her knees. "Meiko-nee...she doesn't know we're here. How's she going to find us?"

"One of us should go find her," Luka agreed. "I wouldn't min-"

"I'll go!" Miku blurted out. She got up. "K-Kaito-kun, will y-you accompany m-me, please?"

Kaito blinked, then smiled. "Sure." He got up, too, and the pair wandered back to the shrine.

It was still cold and getting colder, so there wasn't much room for conversation during their trek. Miku's face was warm enough, though; it was being heated by an intense blush. It said good love luck, she reminded herself, so there'll be no problem. "Are you cold?"

She snapped her head towards her concerned companion. It was kind of him to ask, and it made her warmer. On one hand, she could say she was fine because her face was warm; on the other, her hands were cold and she was standing next to Kaito, so... "A little. I-I'm fine, it's j-" She was interrupted by him wrapping his scarf around her neck. But this was Kaito's scarf. The scarf, the one he never took off. "Wait, Kaito-kun, this is-"

"Good at keeping you warm," he finished brightly. "It's warm already this way, too, right? I'll be fine." Miku snuggled into it. He's right, though... "Now, knowing Meiko, she probably went to the nearest convenience store. We better hurry."

"Why do we have to hurry?" Miku asked.

"Because she won't realize she doesn't have her wallet."

"Oh." Miku's spirits drooped. "You know... everything about her, don't you, Kaito-kun?"

"Of course," replied the bluenette easily. "I've known Meiko the longest, and we're probably the closest, too." He smiled even more brightly. "One of the things I like most about Meiko is that she's a straightforward person. She doesn't bother with tricks or lies like other people. She says what's on her mind, and even though she can be a little blunt that way, I think it's better than keeping secrets. If only more people could be that honest." Miku didn't know what to say. If I could be more honest... Kaito laughed. "Although, I suppose if everyone was really as honest as her, they'd all be trying to kill each other. Come on, Miku-chan."

They had finally made it down from the rather tall hill and were back in the city. Kaito assured Miku that it wasn't far, and she nodded. There was little traffic at that hour, especially since it was New Year's, so it took them even less time than usual to go the distance. They walked into a tiny convenience store labelled 'Teto Mart,' complete with a red-haired moe girl smiling away as the logo. A bit cutesy, so it was a jarring thought to think that there'd be alcohol in there.

"Welcome!" said a polite, brown-haired girl behind the counter. Miku gave her a smile, but Kaito was busy scanning the room for a certain different brunette. Finally, he found her in the furthest corner as she wandered out from behind some cans of UTAU Soda. Miku noted with some embarrassment that they were right next to a rack of Miku key chains. She didn't think that she was that popular!

"Meiko!" Kaito called. She didn't seem to hear him. "Meiko?" He walked over to her (Miku followed), and touched her gingerly on the arm. "Meiko?"

Finally, the brunette whirled around, but her face displayed no sign of recognition. "Who'er...yew?" Her face was pulled into a sloppy frown. "Oh, wait...yer that Kyte guy..."

"Kaito," Kaito corrected with some confusion. "Meiko, you sound like you might be..."

"Drunk?" Miku finished, her concern evident. "But how is that possible when she's still inside of the store, and doesn't have her wallet?"

"Kokone-chan!" hollered Meiko far louder than could possibly be necessary. "More sake!"

"I don't know, Meiko-sama," said another voice. The cashier had come over to join them. "You seem far too drunk already."

"'Kokono'?" Miku repeated.

"Yes, that's me. I see Meiko-sama here frequently." The girl smiled gently. "Although, she tends to forget her wallet more often than not, so we've arranged a deal where I keep a tab for her. I discussed it with the manager, and as Meiko-sama is a celebrity, we found an arrangement." She paused. "Although, I don't believe this is the best outcome. I apologize for letting her become so intoxicated." She bowed.

"It's fine," Kaito said good-naturedly, returning the gesture. "It's her fault for getting drunk, I suppose. But she certainly has had a lot of alcohol, so I'll gladly pay you for your troubles now."

"What a gentleman!" Kokone giggled. "Well, then, to settle the tab now, that'll come to..."

Some minutes later, Miku and Kaito were tasked with dragging a drunk Meiko out of the Teto Mart. Some drunks became limp when under the influence, and while they were heavy, they were at least manageable. Meiko was not. She got more combative than usual and threw a fit at any attempt to aid her. "I cn do't m'self!" she slurred, loudly enough that, had anyone been on the street, they would have given the trio some very dirty looks.

As Meiko was set on being uncooperative, Miku and Kaito had their work cut out for them. Thankfully, about halfway up the hill, Meiko seemed to sober up enough that she wasn't shouting nonsense, though she still couldn't walk on her own. At least Kaito could carry the brunette himself and leave Miku unburdened.

"Meiko-nee?" Miku asked.

"What?"

"If it's New Year's, why was that Teto Mart open? And at such a late hour..."

"Oh, that." Her head drooped, and Kaito had to tap her lightly to remind her to lift it. "That store stays open 24/7, 365 days of the year. That's why I go there. Plus, Kokone-chan won't call the police when I walk out with the sake."

"H-How often do you do that, onee-san...?"

There was a long silence, for the majority of which, Meiko's brow was furrowed as if doing complicated calculations. Then, finally, her brow sorted itself out, her head fell again, and she said, "Eh..." There was no further explanation provided, and while it unnerved Miku greatly, Kaito didn't seem to pay it a thought.

"Miku-chan, what did you wish for for New Year's?"

The tealette blinked. "Ah...n-nothing much. It's silly."

"I wouldn't think that, Miku-chan."

"But it really is silly!"

"No wish that a pure heart makes can be silly," Meiko said with a tone of someone delivering sage wisdom. Then she hiccuped.

"See? Meiko has faith in you, so what was your wish?"

Miku thought for a moment. "...To become even more popular than I am now," she said quietly.

"Is that all?" Kaito was beaming the classic Kaito smile again: the one that seemed to be saying the whole world was filled with pastel colors and unicorns and rainbows. It made the world seem just a little more like his vision when he smiled like that, and Miku found that her heart skipped a beat. "That's a wonderful goal to have, and I'm sure that you'll reach it no problem. You're really cute, after all."

The world's number one diva took a disappointingly long time to process that comment. Once she did, her face heated up like a fire hydrant and her heart sank with guilt. If I could be more honest... Kaito trusted her so easily, had such a straightforward outlook on life. "K-Kaito-kun..."

"Yes?" he asked, turning a little so that he could see over Meiko's sagging head again. Miku's heart clenched.

"I...actually, I...that is, w-what did you wish for, Kaito-kun?"

"More ice cream!" he confessed readily, his cheerful demeanor making it feel much less like a secret and more of a life goal - which it probably was.

"Not more popularity, or riches, or a g-girlfriend?" Miku asked curiously. Kaito shrugged, or at least did the best job he could with Meiko's full weight leaning on him.

"I guess I just don't really care too much about any of that. Before you came along, Miku-chan, it was just Meiko and me...and honestly, it was a little lonely. Now we have fun times every day, and I never get tired of finding out more about you. So I guess what I mean is, that I'm just so glad having you by my side, that I wouldn't mind if things just stayed this way forever."

Miku's eyes widened, and she forgot how to breath. That was just the most romantic thing she'd ever heard him say...

"Oh, and the Kagamines and Luka-san and Gakupo-san, too, of course. It's like we're one big, happy family!" He grinned, and with it, pulled Miku back to Earth again. Of course that's what he meant. That's what Kaito-kun always means.

"Hey!" shouted a voice. Rin was waving at them from her spot seated on the hill. "Over here!"

"Rin-chan!" Miku began when they had dragged Meiko over, "What are you and Len-kun doing here alone?"

"Well..."

(A little earlier...)

"Hey, Len," Rin whispered, scooting closer to Len on the hill. He turned to her. "You know how adults aren't supposed to leave children unattended?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's make them leave us unattended, then!"

"Rin..." Len's expression was one of skepticism. "That's stupid. Come on; by your standards of troublesome behavior, that's really tepid. If you're going to try to trick me into doing something, at least put some effort into actually tricking me."

Rin would have just strangled him right then, but she was too focused on her plan to bother with such insults. "Fine, fine. I really just wanted to get Luka-nee and Gaku-nii alone, okay?"

"...Why would you want to do that?"

"Because they like each other, stupid!" She smacked him on the head. "How dense can you be?! If we get them alone, they're bound to admit their feelings. It is New Year's, after all."

"I see where you're going with this, but what does New Year's have to do with it?"

"Because. it's. romantic," Rin said slowly, anger and impatience lacing into every syllable. She didn't think that Len was really this oblivious to love. Would explain a lot, though. "So you just need to tell Gaku-nii that you're cold, and he'll want to go to the store to get you a blanket, get it?"

"And Luka-nee?"

"I'll tell her the same thing."

"But that won't work; then she'll just tell Gaku-nii to get us both blankets. She hates to have anything to do with him."

"We'll tell them to get tons of snacks, too, so that one person can't possibly carry it all. Besides, I think Luka-nee's got a little too much pride to tell Gaku-nii to do anything for her, while Gaku-nii has his samurai's pride or something. It'll all work out, anyway."

Len frowned. "I can't say you're being very convincing, but-"

"Oh, please, please, please, pretty please?"

"-I know you'll beg until you know that it won't work and then-"

"God, Lenny, you're such a stubborn, selfish kid! Here I am trying to nurture true love, and you can't even lend me a hand, what kind of a monster would do that?"

"-you'll start trying to attack my conscience, and then as a final resort-"

"P-Please, Len...you're so mean..." Rin sniffled. "You're too busy being selfish to help me at all, even though I'm doing something really good for a change..."

"-you'll begin crying." Len sighed, moving to wipe away a tear from her face with his thumb. "And you know I can't say no then..."

"Really?! Lenny, you're the best person ever!" She skipped off towards where Luka was standing.

Len sighed again. "Even if they are crocodile tears and I know it. Well, time to be really chilly."

"Luka-nee," began Rin, rubbing her arms and putting on a half-embarrassed, half-pleading face. "I-I'm really c-cold. I-I didn't think it would be q-quite this frigid, so I didn't d-dress warmly enough."

Luka looked down at her sympathetically. "I knew that your energy would run out eventually. This is why I told you to bring a jacket, even if you didn't wear it immediately. Here, you can have my scarf-"

"No!" Rin yelled, probably a bit suddenly. "I-I mean, I couldn't take your scarf, Luka-nee, then you'd be cold... I'd never forgive myself if I left you to freeze like that."

Luka was obviously taken aback by this uncharacteristic sweetness. But, she reasoned, Rin could be kind if she wanted to (which was rarely, but an occurrence nonetheless). "Well, if you don't mind waiting, I could run down to the store and buy a blanket or something."

"Y-You'd do that?" Rin asked pleadingly, knowing not to seem too overenthusiastic. She only hoped that Len's acting skills were half as good as hers.

Luckily, they didn't need to be. Not curled up in a ball, Len actually was fairly cold. "Um...Gaku-nii?"

"What is it, Len-kun?" asked the samurai with that polite sereneness he always had.

"Well...see, I'm really cold, and I was wondering if I could have a blanket or something..."

Gakupo crossed his arms thoughtfully. "I'm afraid we did not think to bring any along."

"O-Oh. That's all right, then." Len watched his breath fog up for a moment.

"Of course..." Gakupo began, getting the blond's attention once more, "The store isn't very far away..."

"I really shouldn't trouble you that much." And Len believed it. Rin's schemes always inconvenienced people unnecessarily.

"Nonsense. It is a samurai's duty to do whatever he can to aid those around him. I will be back momentarily."

"And...ah, Gaku-nii?" Rin had always said a smile was more convincing, so he gave it a shot. "Could you get some snacks for all of us, too? We'll probably be up here for a while..."

"Ha ha! Okay, Len-kun." He gave a nod. "You won't even notice I was gone."

The blond watched as Gakupo went over to Luka, presumably to tell her that he would be leaving the Kagamines in her care. Luka's cold detachment turned to astonishment and creeping dread. Len could clearly see her attempt to make Gakupo stay and let her go alone. Gakupo must have told her about the snacks for 7 people, because Luka's face turned pale like she was going to faint, then crimson like she was a red balloon about to pop. She angrily pointed at Gakupo, yelling something, obviously, before grabbing his sleeve and dragging him behind her.

"Success!" Rin cheered as she sat back down on the grassy ground. "It's too bad we won't be able to see what happens."

Len sat down next to her. "Why aren't I saving up any points by doing this...? I should get a day off once I have 100."

"What are you mumbling about? You're Len, so whatever points you get would go through your character multiplier."

"..." Len had to admit he was the one who started this nonsense, so he kind of had an obligation to play along. "And what is my character multiplier?"

"Times 0!"

"But that means I never get any points!"

"That's right." Rin grinned. "But I'm Rin, so my points are multiplied by 100. You have to do my bidding for a whole day, Len!"

"Okay, okay, I see why we don't do points." He buried his head in his hands. "You told me this was for Luka-nee, but I have a feeling we really just sentenced Gaku-nii to death..."

"Eh. He's got the superhuman immortality guaranteed by being a samurai; if he dies, he'll just pop up again." They paused. "Aw, I really didn't think this though. Now that Luka-nee and Gaku-nii are gone, it's so quiet here..."

"It's not like they were saying anything when they were here. And this was your idea, so don't complain."

"I just said I didn't think this through, all right?!" she snapped, fists clenched. Why was Len always so mean? Well, she supposed it was because she was, too, but when he did it, it was different! "Well, there's not much to talk about..."

"Eh? This is coming from the Rin who used to keep me up all night talking?"

"Maybe you just got more boring!"

"Or your head got emptier."

"Grr..." Rin's nails were almost digging into her hand. "I can find something to talk about! I was just going to bring up a topic when you interrupted me."

"Do go on, then, oh all-knowing Rin. I am already a sinner for having stalled your holy words."

"You're a real pain, you know that, Len? I was going to ask what you wished for for New Year's."

"Oh, that? I wished that Rin would stop causing so much trouble, that Rin would kill less civilians with the roadroller, and that Rin would stop eating so many oranges - and I can't forget the wish that Rin would learn not to be tone-deaf, or that Rin would be cuter, or that Rin would stop snoring so loudly when I'm trying to sleep. And then there's my number one wish: that Rin would stop dragging me into her idiotic plans."

Immediately after saying this, Len was left to nurse numerous growing bruises on his head. "You can be so insensitive! ...Erm, w-wait, does that mean that every one of your ridiculously many New Year's wishes were about me?"

"Well, yeah. You are the most prominent person in my life." Rin blushed. "Oh, did I say 'person'? I meant 'nuisance.'"

Another pummelling. If this kept up, Len would actually get brain damage. "If I factor so heavily into your life, you'd think you'd learn not to get on my nerves."

"Perhaps, but then I wouldn't get to see your annoyed face, would I?" commented Len idly. He wasn't watching Rin's very startled reaction. "So, what'd you wish for then?"

"O-oh. I just...f-for a lot of oranges, you know?" She rested her head on her knees. "And when I get them, I'll leave all of the peels in front of the door, so that when you wake up super late, you'll trip on them. Then I'll finally have the spotlight to myself." Rin listlessly plucked a few strands of grass from the ground next to her.

Len was unnerved by this sudden change in attitude. Before he could voice his concern, Rin shouted in the direction of the shrine. She seemed to be in good spirits again, suddenly, but Len could see the subtle hints in her eyes. Something was bothering her.

"Rin-chan!" Miku greeted. "What are you and Len-kun doing here alone?"

"Well..." began the blonde brightly. "We sent Luka-nee and Gaku-nii on Operation: True Love! so we were left to hold down the fort."

Miku blushed. "O-Operation: True Love?"

"Mmm!" Rin grinned and nodded her head. "It's about time they resolved the UST between them, right?"

"It would be nice having less holes in the house..." Miku conceded.

"What's up with onee-chan?" Len asked, pointing at Meiko's lowered head.

"She got drunk," Kaito explained simply. "But she's back now."

"No, I'm not!" yelled Meiko, raising her head to glare at Len, then dropping it again.

"O...kay?" The boy was very confused. "Well, since onee-chan is 'not here,' we can-"

"Draw pictures on her face, right?" Rin interrupted, laughing brightly.

"You better not!" snapped Meiko, raising her head again for those three words, then rag-dolling once more. Kaito let out a nervous laugh before continuing.

"If Gakupo and Luka-san aren't here, then we'll just have to watch the sunrise ourselves."

"What do you mean?" asked Miku, before turning towards the east. There was a definite glow by now, indicating the sun would be peeking out any moment. "Ah! Let's get good seats."

So they sat down in a row;. From left to right, it was Len, Rin, Miku, Kaito, and then Meiko sort of hunched over. Miku began to softly hum a tune they all knew, filling the silence. It was Last Night, Good Night. After a moment or two, Rin joined in, and before long, all but Meiko were at least humming along.

The sky was getting lighter and lighter; some of the orange was dissolving into a bright blue. Untainted, just like the New Year, and bright with opportunities. "Hey, Rin-chan," Gakupo began, but Luka slammed her elbow into his side, silencing him. The singers were nearing the end, each long, heartfelt "Last night, good night," sung with emotions that filled the air with a bitter-sweet nostalgia. Rin's voice was soft, like she was singing a lullaby; Kaito's voice provided the younger ones a deeper backup. Len's impressively high voice matched Miku's in octave, but Miku's stood out from them all. She was the original singer, after all, and thus the most familiar. It was a magical moment for those four (ignoring Meiko, who was asleep), a bonding moment that Luka could only blame on the effect of the new year.

"Last night, good night!" Miku sung, eyes closed, tears beginning to form. She didn't notice the hand that laid itself over hers. "Last night! Good night!" She also didn't notice that everyone was quiet, letting her finish it on her own. "Itsuka wa~ mukaeru! Saigo wo~ omou yo! Yozora ni~ Negau noooo! Tokiwa no... egao wo...

"...O-ya-su-mi."

As Miku let her lids rise, she was greeted with a light brighter than she had ever seen. She saw the sun rise above the horizon, bathing everything in a rich, golden glow, so strong and pure that she felt she ought to be able to reach out her arm and dip her fingers in it. Even the half-grass, half-dirt hill, not particularly stunning in its own right, seemed to her to be the pinnacle of natural beauty. There was something about the whole experience that made words catch in her throat and the tears slip down her cheeks.

"...Snow?" Len held out his palm and watched a fragile snowflake settle there. He held his breath; regardless, it melted.

"It's snowing," Rin muttered absently, also holding out her palms. "It's snowing!" Grins spread over all of their faces.

Miku now noticed the large, warm hand placed over her own, and blushed. Kaito just smiled at her and caught a snowflake that had threatened to land on her eyelash. "Isn't it pretty?" he asked. She could only nod.

"Ah! Luka-nee and Gaku-nii are back!"

"We brought blankets and snacks," said Luka calmly. She wouldn't admit that she had almost been brought to tears. And no, she hadn't actually had to wipe them away! Why'd you think that? "What about Meiko-san?"

"She's drunk," Rin explained.

"And asleep," Kaito added, taking one of the blankets from Luka's hands and gently draping it over the dozing brunette's shoulders. "This is probably for the best."

"Ne, ne, Luka-nee!" Rin chirped brightly. "How did the shopping go?"

"Well, of course," Gakupo answered, handing a pack of pocky to the bouncy blonde, "And it seems things went well here as well."

"Just well?" Rin pouted. "But you were supposed to kiss and fall in love!"

"R-Rin-chan!" Luka spluttered, aghast. "You shouldn't say things like that!"

"So you didn't," Rin muttered coldly, turning away. "Figures."

(Operation: True Love)

"Why am I stuck with you?" Luka muttered under her breath, watching it fog up. Her head was obstinately turned away from her companion.

"I am deeply injured, Megurine-dono. Whatever could I have done to incur such displeasure?"

"Be a shady pervert."

"But I want nothing but your respect!" Gakupo protested calmly. "I would hope I have not done anything to tarnish my reputation with such a fine young lady-"

"Just stop it with the flattery."

"...Perhaps you misunderstood me," Gakupo ventured once more. "The incident which you use to judge my character was simply taken out of context. She was a good friend, Megurine-dono, and she was seeking advice-"

"Don't try to justify things with excuses," Luka snapped shortly, walking just a little bit faster. Gakupo matched her pace - if only getting her to forgive him could be done with as much ease.

"I must protest that I do not actually know what aspect of that incident provided you with such a negative view of me. I had done nothing wrong, and the situation you found us in was nothing of note. So please humbly explain what I could have done to be a 'shady pervert' in your eyes."

Luka stopped suddenly, gazing straight ahead. Gakupo stopped a few paces on. "'Why'...?" she repeated quietly. She turned her head slightly to look at him, as if in a new light - a horrifying one, guessing from the fear in her eyes. "I..." She looked at the ground, clenched her fists, and walked on. Gakupo had no idea what to do.

"Megurine-dono! Megurine-dono!" he called after her, but to no avail. Luka was deep within her own thoughts.

Why am I mad at him...? As he just said, it's not as if he was actually doing anything perverted after all... And she began to recall that all of those times that she thought he was hitting on some girl, he was just being polite: not breaching their personal space, not prying into their lives, not flattering them too much, just being his respectful self.

"Megurine-dono?"

And those times she got mad at him for invading her space, it was usually just him trying to look after her, like that time when he put the blanket over her shoulders... could it be that Luka had been completely wrong about him?

"Megurine-dono?"

And anyway, he and Megpoid-san were just friends after all. It's not like there was anything romantic between them, so it's okay... Luka flushed. What was she thinking?! What would it matter if Gakupo were involved with Gumi anyway? It wasn't like he was anyone's boyfriend... There must be something wrong with me.

"Megurine-dono!" Gakupo called particularly forcefully, pulling Luka out of her thoughts. She shrugged his hand off of her shoulder. "I apologize for interrupting your internal reflection, but we were about to pass the store."

"What?"

"If we are to return to Len-kun and Rin-chan by the quickest methods possible, then we should enter here, as this is the closest store."

Luka frowned. "Yeah, but...do we really want to walk into any place named 'Teto Mart'?" She pointed at the overly bright sign.

"I agree that it is undeniably shady in appearance, but Teto Marts are a respectable chain of convenience stores, and likely the only ones that are open on New Year's, especially at this time of night."

"..." Luka was sure that he had good logic, but she was loath to admit it. "I thought you were a gentleman, yet you would bring a lady into a shady store?"

"My apologies, but for Len-kun and Rin-chan..."

"We're going to go home instead. It's not too far from here."

"..." It was clear Gakupo was struggling with his two oaths: one, to look after those in his care and the other, to never disagree with a lady. In the end, he had to admit that Luka was closer and more dangerous. "Very well. Arguing would waste precious time."

They continued past the bright, fluorescent store,returning to dark and silent streets. The tension was thick. "Eto...Gakupo..."

"Yes?"

"About what you said...what you asked...I'm sorry. It has come to my attention that perhaps I was wrong to treat you so all these years."

Gakupo blinked. "It is fine, Megurine-dono. I am glad this small misunderstanding has been sorted out." He continued walking.

Luka had a hard time not stumbling, despite her eyes being fixed on the ground. Her mind felt dull, her teeth bit into her lower lip, her fingernails left marks on her palms. "Don't...don't say that." Her head was racing with memories of all of the nice things that Gakupo had done for her until now. How many times had she punched him, told him off, scoffed and trampled on his kindness? How many times had he simply smiled and apologized? A simple 'sorry' from her - she had never offered it, and now it wouldn't cut it. And here was Gakupo, forgiving her once again, doing that one more favor. "Don't let me off like that."

"Megurine-dono?"

What had she been thinking? She had always called him 'Gakupo,' so rudely and familiarly, while he maintained a respectful distance. How could she have missed all of this just because of her anger about this one time seeing him with a girl she didn't even know? "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I-I don't even know how to properly apologize."

The samurai seemed confused. "I forgave you already, Megurine-dono. Do not worr-"

"Don't forgive me!" snapped the pink-haired girl, shaking her fists. She stared him in the eyes, her own filled with desperation. "How can you just say 'It's fine' like that? I was such a jerk, and over something so stupid, too! You deserved none of it, and I just k-kept... why are you like this? If you had gotten mad at me, maybe I would have woken up sooner and stopped..." And she knew she was blaming him again, shoving her problems on him again.

"I see. I am sorry that I didn't bring up my concerns sooner."

"Would you just cut it out?!" Luka snapped. The entire neighborhood probably heard her. "Stop taking responsibility for everything! Stop pretending that it's okay for me to treat you terribly! Stop...treating me like a child! I'm strong enough, so just... g-get mad or something. B-Because if you keep this up..." I'll always feel guilty.

"Megurine-dono, are you crying?"

"Mind your own business!"

"You're crying for me. Thank you."

"I-I'm not! And it isn't for you! Don't be so self-centered."

"Ah. My apologies."

"No, that's not what I..." But Gakupo was smiling, a warmer smile than she had ever seen on his face. She blushed. "Yes, I'm crying for you. About how you can be so darn frustrating."

"Do feel free to say what I could improve."

"Really?"

"Of course. Every samurai strives for perfection."

She thought for a moment. "In that case, stop calling me 'Megurine-dono.'"

"Wouldn't that be disrespectful?"

"Well, I call you 'Gakupo,' so it only seems fair that you may call me 'Luka.'"

"Isn't that a bit familiar?"

"Not at all. And if it is, then we'll have to become closer, that's all." She had a skip in her step now, and for some reason, she couldn't hold back a smile.

"Very well. Thank you for the advice... Luka."

(Back in the present)

"You were supposed to kiss and fall in love!" Rin lamented.

"R-Rin-chan!" Luka couldn't keep her face from heating up. "You shouldn't say things like that!" She couldn't help casting a glance at Gakupo to see what his reaction was. Rather disappointingly, he was busy advising Len on how to best preserve heat using a blanket, and wasn't really paying any attention. Rin mumbled something to herself, which Luka decided was better left that way, and turned to do something else.

"I'm not satisfied with this!" Rin declared, loud enough to arrest everyone's attention. She was standing with her hands on her hips, eyes ablaze. "It's New Year's! It's a time of romance and confessions! And yet, you-" She pointed around at everyone, "-have been nothing but disappointments! Therefore!" She pointed her finger at the sky. "I declare that there will be at least one couple by the end of the day! Rin-sama guarantees it!"

"W-What?" Miku squeaked.

"By the end of the day?" Kaito repeated.

"What nonsense are you talking about now?" Len sighed.

Meiko went on snoring.

"Rin-chan, that's a little rash," Luka began, but Rin pointed her finger at her instead.

"And you, Luka-nee, shall be my first victim!"

"W-What?" Miku squeaked.

"Luka-san will?" Kaito repeated.

"You're only guaranteeing one couple, so why do you have a 'first victim'?" Len sighed.

Meiko sneezed, then went back to snoring.

"Rin-chan, that's going a bit far, don't you think?" Gakupo reasoned lightly, but she wasn't really listening.

"As for my second victim!" The blonde whirled around, pointing her finger at the sacrifice. "It shall be you, Miku-nee!"

"W-What?" Miku squeaked.

"Miku-chan will?" Kaito repeated.

"Am I the only one who realizes that this whole thing is ridiculous?" Len sighed with more exasperation.

You can guess what Meiko did.

"Furthermore!" Rin continued. "For questioning me and being, in general, a pain, my third victim shall be-"

"Len, yeah, you don't even need to say it." Len buried his face in his hands. "Why does it feel like the further she continues this absurdity, the more it goes unquestioned?"

"What harm can it do?" asked Meiko, who had actually woken up at her last cue. "It's just a bit of innocent fun."

And they all knew that she must be drunk, because a sober Meiko would know better than to say anything Rin did would be 'innocent fun.'

"Now, with onee-chan's approval, I will begin my operation!" There was a dramatic pause. "My torture weapon of choice shall be a game of 20 questions, named 'Rin-sama's 100 question answer-or-die!' So, Luka-nee, which man has caught your interest? Remember you have to answer truthfully or you will have to do the penalty: bowing down to Rin-sama-"

"Rin." Len laid a hand on her shoulder. "That's enough."

Rin glared. "You can't tell the mighty Rin-sama what to... do..." but she could see the look in his eyes, and she quieted. "Someone has to do something about New Year's," came the rather lame final protest.

"Rin, love is something that someone finds when he's ready for it. You can't push it on people suddenly like that just because you feel like it." His tone softened. "Whatever has been bothering you, don't take it out on everyone else. Talk about it."

She felt anger boiling inside of her. "Why? So that you can laugh at me again?"

"Rin, I never-"

"Oh, sure!" She let out a sharp 'hah!' "You're always mean to me, Len! Even when I'm trying to be nice, or spend some time with you, or really tell you how important you are to me, you're still such a jerk."

Len was taken aback. "You're the one that never gets it. I go and tell you that I think about you all of the time, and you just yell at me. I spend all of my time looking out for you and helping you out, not because I find you annoying, but because I care about you, Rin! Why else would I put up with your crazy mood swings and troublemaking?"

"I do not have crazy mood swings!"

"Oh, what do you call this, then?!"

"Justified frustration!"

"Of course, because it's totally justified to be yelling at someone who is stopping you from getting in trouble due to another one of your immature schemes!"

"You're the one who's yelling!"

"That's rich, seeing as you've always been the louder one!"

"At least I don't have this high, squeaky voice despite being a boy!"

"Nah, you've got a high squeaky voice and you're a girl, so it's just annoying!"

"I am not squeaky!"

"And you can't drive the roadroller straight either! You know how many times I've had to explain to the officers the damage you did?!"

"Well, I never asked you to do any of that for me!"

"No, it was more like demanded, being the spoiled brat you are!"

The others (save Meiko) watched in dumbstruck awe as the Kagamines exchanged barbs, wondering if they should intervene or hide. The snow and sun were forgotten, and if any birds were singing, they were drowned out by the yelling.

"And you were going on about bringing the New Year spirit! If any god was going to grant our wishes, it ran away because of you!"

"At least I understand what the New Year's spirit is! You wouldn't know romance if it jumped up and bit you in the face!"

"You think I'm oblivious?! You're the one who somehow manages to misinterpret everything I've ever done to tell you that I like you! You've got to be the most oblivious person on the planet!"

"What?!" Rin wasn't yelling, but in fact squeaking. "B-b-but...you never hinted at anything like that! I never heard you say it!"

Len rolled his eyes. "It wouldn't be hinting if I said it straight. This is why I said you're dense. I've been trying to get you to notice for about a year. In the end, I just assumed you weren't interested, and gave up."

Rin still couldn't process this. "No, you have to be getting this all wrong; see, I've been trying to tell you for ages that I like you, and you've been the one who's disinterested! Why else would I put up with all of your snarky comments and spend my New Year's wish praying that you'd notice me?"

"You didn't tell me that was what you prayed for! I can't read your mind!"

Rin crossed her arms. "It wouldn't be hinting if I told you that. That was the reason I sent Luka-nee and Gaku-nii away; I wanted us to be alone so that maybe you'd realize how I felt...but every time you said something nice, you turned it into something mean, so I just thought you still liked Luka-nee, and couldn't say anything."

"Wait, what?" Luka turned to Gakupo. "Len-kun liked me? Did you know about that?" The samurai shrugged vaguely.

"If you like me as much as I like you, then why were you always being so insanely annoying?" Len asked.

"B-because you got on my nerves a lot...and I liked that you stayed with me even though I was annoying. And h-hey! I'm not that bad!"

"You're right; I was exercising self-restraint. You're actually so much worse."

"G-Guys!" Miku finally decided she had enough courage to intervene. "If you both feel that way, then why are you still arguing? You should be happy: Rin-chan was right! She said that by the end of the day there'd be a couple, and here we have ours!" Miku shoved them together in what was supposed to be a hug, but ended up being more of a 'squish.' "Hooray for the Kagamines!"

"Congratulations, Rin-chan," Kaito praised.

"You have our blessing," Gakupo said.

"Yes, congra-wait, what do you mean 'our'?" Luka protested.

Len flushed. "It's not like we're getting married, guys..."

"Yet," Rin added, much to Len's chagrin.

"You have to have a steady job first," Meiko said from amidst her drunken stupor. "A guy shouldn't lead a girl on if he's good for nothing; a man has to be able to pull his own weight, and have enough extra cash to rain presents on her."

"Don't worry, onee-chan!" Rin yelled enthusiastically. "I've got a great job, so I'll be sure to take good care of him!"

"Good, Rin-channnn...we'll leave Len-kun in yer...care...then...zzz," and she was asleep again.

"We have New Year's food to eat at home now, don't we?" Miku confirmed. Luka, the family chef, gave a nod. "Well, let's go then!"

So they headed out; Rin talking eagerly and cheerfully to Len about a billion different 5-star restaurants she expected him to take her to; Miku and Kaito hand-in-hand (though Meiko was taking up most of his attention, occasionally making seemingly random comments from her place on his shoulder); Gakupo and Luka were staring fondly at each other, Luka listing all of the food they were looking forward to eating, and Gakupo adding little comments here and there about the origins of certain dishes.

All in all, it had been a very successful New Year's, to be remembered long after. So from everyone in the family (except for Meiko because she's drunk and Rin because she's stubborn), have a happy new year.

Epilogue

"Ano...Meiko-sama?" Kokone shifted uncomfortably from her place behind the counter. "I'm not sure you should be buying alcohol again so soon... I mean, you were in here for a half-dozen bottles this morning..."

"Ran out," Meiko said shortly, writing down the value on her tab as she had (once again) left her wallet at home. She took a swig from one of the bottles, seeming to be drunk already. "BaKaito...going out on a date again..."

"Kaito? You mean the nice-looking gentleman who came in here for you at New Year's? I thought he was your boyfrie-eek!" The brunette backed up, trying to put distance between the high-velocity bottle and her head. "O-or not, you know." The muffled beginning of 'Change me' began playing, and Meiko cursed a colorful set of profanities as she fished out her phone.

"What?"

"Ah, onee-chan!" came the cheerful voice from the other end - loud enough for Kokone to make out. "Len and I wanted to go to that expensive theatre again-"

"Rin!" came a similar, more boyish voice. "Quit it! We're going to the recording studio!"

"Right, right, well, after that we're going to the theatre and-"

"No, we're not!"

"-and we wanted to ask if you could give us a ride there."

Meiko seemed to think about this - or maybe she just hadn't been listening and wanted to find a way to cover it up. Then she put her phone back up her ear and said, "Why not make Luka or Kamui do it?"

"We can't~ They're off on a date..."

"It's not a date, Rin; they're also at the recording studio doing Go Google It."

"But you saw the lyrics to that song, Len! It might as well be a date."

Meiko sighed, picking up the bottle of sake she had placed on the counter. "Fine, I'll be there, just give me a while."

"Eto...Meiko-sama?" Kokone felt it was probably unwise to involve herself in the woman's affairs, and perhaps even more unwise to be asking this question, but curiosity won out. "Aren't you drunk? Isn't driving a bad idea?"

Meiko regarded her with the sluggishness of one who is very drunk. Then, she answered, "Eh..." and stumbled out. Kokone felt that she would very much like to change her shift.

By the way, 2015 is the year of the sheep, if anyone really wanted to know.