Author's Note – Oh my… has it really been five years? Hehe I think many of you thought I would never come back to this little story, but alas I did return! To all my readers who waited so long, I'm truly very sorry :(. I never meant to be away for so long, but life just happens and then you get pulled away form things you used to love doing... geez that sounds so depressing, doesn't it? But I still always held hope for finishing this story since I had everything so planned out for it, and it would be such a shame to never finish something I put so much effort into!

My writing style might be very different/slightly rusty since it has been so long, but hopefully with more practice I'll soon be back into the swing of things :). Anyways, I'm very sorry again, my deariest loveliest readers. I hope you enjoy this long overdue update!

"Fall in love, huh?" Rin mused quietly as she stared out the window of her homeroom class.

That was certainly easier said than done, now that she thought about it. It wasn't like emotions were something a person could control on demand, so how was she expected to just let herself "fall in love" as Meiko had said? What did that even mean? And even if she were somehow more open to such an idea, would it really help her figure out her feelings?

For one, she couldn't even think of anyone she was even remotely interested in. Hmm… maybe Takumi-kun? He was a forward on the soccer team, and pretty popular… Ah but his interests were pretty bland. Maybe Hiroshi? No, he wasn't really her type. She wanted someone who was nice, kind, and attentive. Someone who could cheer her up when she was sad, someone who…

The image of a smiling blonde boy popped into her head.

Nope! She shook her head vigorously and willed the thoughts away.

Who else was there in her class? Akio, Ted (well he was off-limits according to Teto), Daisuke, Mikuo-

Rin suddenly fought back the urge to gag. Ugh, definitely NOT Hatsune Mikuo! Literally anyone but him. Oh god, how disgusting! That rude, smug little brat… who would ever want to date him!

She sighed and slumped forward, resting her cheek against the cold wood of her desk. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night since she had been tossing and turning, thinking of Meiko's advice.

It's true that Len was the only boy she had really interacted with for the past five years since her homeschooling began, besides Kaito. She never expected to react this way when they entered high school. She thought she would be happy for Len, since she often worried that he would become lonely or affected mentally from not being able to interact with anyone else. Yes he wasn't a normal boy, but that didn't mean he didn't deserved to have other friends too.

And yet, whenever anyone praised him or got close to him, a horrible feeling would clench at her heart. What was it? Fear? Jealousy? She didn't know, really.

… Maybe she was actually the mentally affected one.

Rin was almost disgusted with the kind of thoughts that ran through her head. Sure he was "hers" but wasn't he also a human boy (for the most part)? So wasn't it wrong of her to react negatively towards him from living his own life? But, it was hard for her to even think about him leaving one day. That alone was enough to send her into a nervous sweat. Whether she liked to admit it or not, she had grown dependent on him especially since over the years her father was around less often. Len was dependent on her too, right? Whenever she needed something, whenever she was upset, no matter what Len was there… but was it because he wanted to be?

Or because he had no free will as a Vocaloid?

A dark, cold shudder ran down her spine.

From his conception, Len had been taught one and only one purpose: to stay by Rin's side and serve her in any way possible. So then, did that mean he didn't actually care for her as a person, only as a mindless drone?

That thought unsettled her in ways she could not describe. While she knew that she wanted him to stay by her side, if it was for those reasons then it just felt wrong. It wasn't real if he was programmed to feel that way. All the times he cheered her up or made her feel special would be meaningless, then. Everything was just so confusing.

"Oi, you okay there?"

Rin's head snapped upward and met Teto's inquisitive gaze.

"What's the matter?" Teto quirked a brow, "You look really pale."

"Sorry," Rin smiled meekly, "I just didn't get too much sleep last night."

"Oh, I see. Well did you answer question 4 on the homework last night? I couldn't figure it out so I put something random. What did you put?"

There was an awkward pause where light beads of sweat began to form on Rin's forehead.

"You… didn't do the homework?"

The blonde's sheepish grin was her only reply. She was so caught up with her mental turmoil last night that the assignment had completely slipped her mind.

A vein popped on Teto's forehead.

"If you were up so late why didn't you complete the homework? Gosh, Rin! You know it's important to keep on track so you can do well and-"

"Figures you wouldn't have done it."

A certain teal-haired boy interrupted their conversation with a smirk. Rin instantly felt indignant flares alight within her and made no attempts to hide the murderous aura accompanying it.

Hatsune Mikuo leaned back in his chair with an air of insufferable nonchalance. Beside him, girls were whispering excitedly at how cool he looked, how lucky they were that there were two heartthrobs in their class, blah blah blah. Rin wanted to get up and smack them all. Didn't they see how much of a prick he was?!

"Shut up!" she snapped back, "What I do or don't do is none of your business!"

A collective feminine gasp erupted in the classroom.

"How could she speak that way towards him!"

"Ugh, she is so weird. I don't know why he even bothers talking to her."

Rin swore her blood pressure was going to burst through the ceiling any minute now.

"Well it is," Mikuo replied coolly, "If you're going to slack off this bad then I worry for the outcome of our history project. I mean, I was already worried, but I didn't know it was to this extent. Pretty sure I've seen kindergartners with more academic resolve than you, Kagamine."

"YOU-!"

"I would appreciate if you didn't pick on her, Mikuo-san."

Len loomed darkly over Mikuo's desk. He spoke with every bit of politeness yet his face was serious and even borderline contemptuous towards the boy. Lately Rin had been acting so odd and distant and Len hadn't figured out why, but after observing this morning's interactions he believed he had found the culprit.

Why hadn't she told him Mikuo was causing her problems? She knew she could trust him to speak up for her, right? The fact that she hadn't relied on him hurt Len in a way, but at the same time he also was angry at himself for not recognizing it sooner. That anyone would dare to hurt or insult Rin made his blood boil. Miku did say her brother couldn't be trusted, after all. He should have been warier – next time he'd definitely keep a closer eye on the situation.

Mikuo blinked in surprise but then broke out in a snide grin.

"Why so worked up, Len-kun?"

Len brushed the casual remark off coolly, "What you said just now was hurtful and uncalled for, Mikuo. Apologize to her."

"Poor little Rin-chan needs her brother to fight her battles for her, is that it?" he sneered, "She can't take a little joke?"

"A joke?" Len's volume rose, "You clearly were insulting her! Apologize!"

"It's too early to get so worked up," Mikuo yawned dismissively, "Go sit back down, Len-kun, and let her handle herself."

Rin gulped. The air was so thick and heavy with tension that you could almost cut it with a knife. Not a soul dared to move. Both boys stared quietly at the other, yet their auras radiated nothing but contempt for the other. On the one hand, the fact that Len was defending her made her heart skip a beat, but the other she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with all the attention suddenly heaped onto her. Not to mention practically every girl in class probably wanted her dead by now.

"What's going on here?"

The door to the classroom opened with a loud bang to reveal one very expectant-looking homeroom teacher. Almost immediately the oppressive atmosphere dissipated and everyone hurriedly rushed back to their seats.

Len gave Mikuo one last sidelong glance. Though no words were exchanged, both understood its underlying meaning.

Stay away from Rin.

As soon as the blonde's back was turned, the latter smiled and leaned back in his chair. Unfortunately for Len, Mikuo was never the type to back down from a challenge.

Satisfied that her classroom was now in order, Miss Ann adjusted her glasses and began taking attendance.

"Teto Kasane?"

"Here!"

"Mikuo Hatsune?"

"Here."

"Miku Hatsune?"

"…"

"Oh?" Miss Ann looked around at the surprised classroom. That was odd, Miku was one of her star students. She was never late.

Just then, the door to the classroom cracked open timidly. A hush befell the classroom. Hatsune Miku entered with her gaze lowered, rushing hurriedly to her seat without attracting too much attention, which proved to be a fruitless effort. She looked like she had just gotten into a fight: several bruises were visible on her legs and multiple bandages were scattered about her face and limbs.

Rin's eyebrows raised in surprise at the girl's haggard appearance. What on earth had happened to her?

A round of anxious whispers began circulating through the class.

"What happened to Miku-Chan?"

"Who in Crypton would dare to attack her? She's so nice!"

"Maybe she's actually involved with some gangs… nobody's ever seen what she does after school, right?"

Miku bit her lip and tried to ignore the rumors. She was, however, very conscious of a pair of teal eyes boring heavily into the back of her neck.

"Are you alright?"

She looked up to see Len peering worriedly at her.

"I'm fine," Miku reassured him with a soft smile, "I was just very clumsy on my way home last night, heh!"

Clumsy? No way, Len didn't believe it. He had seen Miku during their PE classes and she always consistently completed every activity with the utmost grace and elegance, so there was no way she would be so clumsy as to get that beat up. Heck, even Rin for all her absentmindedness never got so injured.

Out the corner of his eye, he spied Mikuo looking at her with a smug expression. Smug? What the heck was that all about? Wasn't Miku his sister? Why would he look smug about the situation – she was obviously very hurt!

Unless… he had something to do with it…?

Len's eyes narrowed dangerously. How could someone so close to her act in such a way? Especially when his sister was someone who was as kind as Miku, he couldn't understand it. It sickened him. He would never, EVER think that way towards Rin, no matter what she did. Even just the hypothetical thought of her getting hurt was enough to send his stomach into turmoil.

Elsewhere, Rin spied the situation with a disheartened expression. Len looked so serious and concerned for Miku.

Well, didn't she say he was allowed to do what he wished? And it was natural for him to worry about a friend.

Yes, that's right, she needed to stop these stupid jealous thoughts. Whatever happens will happen, and she would have to accept things as they come.

Class started uneventfully after that, and Miss Ann began reading out the daily announcements. Most of them weren't very interesting, just daily administrative things like who had cleaning duty today or whatnot.

"Oh yes," Miss Ann chirped, "One last thing! In about a month's time we will have our annual school fundraising festival. It's an important event that's open to the public and helps bring in more money for the school year, so we can do things like purchase more texts for you all to read! More assignments and more opportunities to learn! Isn't that lovely?"

The class groaned collectively, but Ann hid her irritation and continued.

"This year our class has been selected to hold the haunted house. I'll be passing around a sign-up sheet for the list of duties, and everyone must at least sign up for one thing. If you choose not to then I expect you to instead complete a 20 page report detailing your reasons for refusing."

Well, that certainly silenced all opposition.

A haunted house? Rin's ears perked up. That sounded so fun! She had no idea their school held such an exciting festival! What should she sign up for?

"You seem very eager," Mikuo sneered, "Is it because you've finally found a setting where your scary face finally fits in?"

Ohh, that does it!

"RIN KAGAMINE! Let go of Mikuo's collar! To the office with you, young lady!"

"Can't you go a single day without punching that kid in the face?" Meiko sighed and shook her head.

Rin's cheeks puffed up indignantly as she took another bite of her bento. Luckily she had just been let off with a warning since it was so early in the day and the principal didn't want to deal with it, but she still wasn't satisfied. If only she could have gotten a few more punches in, or a kick to the crotch even! What she wouldn't give to see that smug look wiped off Mikuo Hatsune's face.

"He started it," Rin said flippantly, "He said my face would fit right in at a haunted house! Can you believe that? I don't even know what the heck I even did to him!"

"Has he been bullying you, Rin?" Kaito asked, "If he is, we should report it."

"Don't bother," she huffed and stuffed her mouth angrily.

"Why?" Len frowned.

"Because it's too much of a hassle. He's also like every teacher's favorite student, you think they'd believe me?"

Len's frowned deepened, "So you want to let him continue acting this way towards you?"

"No, but I can handle it myself. There's no need for you to get involved."

"But-"

"I said it's fine, Len!"

The air grew very quiet. Rin gulped. Had she been too harsh? Meiko and Kaito looked nervously at each other, while Len kept his gaze downcast.

"Len… I-"

"Why?!" he suddenly shouted, "Why don't you want me to help?"

All three were taken aback at the desperation in his voice.

"Did I do something wrong?" Len bit his lip, "I just want to help you Rin! If you're getting hurt, do you think it's easy for me to just sit back and let it happen? What's going on? It seems like you're trusting me less and less these days… "

The confusion in his tone clenched at her chest anxiously. No, that wasn't it at all. Well, yes in a way she was trying to be more independent, but that was because she wanted to give him space too.

"That's not it, it's just that I… I…"

I'm scared of letting my real feelings show? I'm scared of realizing how lonely and dependent I've become on you? I'm scared of losing you?

"I… I'm not little anymore, Len! Didn't I tell you before I don't need you to be babysitting me all the time? Give me some space, will you?"

The outburst caused everyone to freeze up. Rin instantly felt deep regret wash over her. She didn't mean… well, she was just trying to… Oh gosh, why had she said that? Nobody knew what to do next. After what seemed like an eternity, Len finally spoke.

"I see…" his voice was soft, timid, "Sorry I asked."

He gathered up his things and stood, again not meeting any of their gazes.

"Len?" Kaito asked.

"I just remembered I promised to go help Miku with something," he turned and began walking back towards the hall, "I'll be going now. Sorry, Rin. I won't bother you so much anymore."

As his figure retreated further and further from their sight, Rin struggled to say something but all her words became lost on her tongue. She bit her lip and gathered her things also, before storming down the hall in the other direction.

"Rin!" Meiko and Kaito called after her, but to no avail.

Both teens sighed heavily and slumped back against the wall. Well, this certainly suddenly became very complicated.

"You're more absentminded than usual today, Kagamine."

That annoying voice again. She did not need to be hearing that right now. Miss Ann had separated them into groups to work on their history projects, and Rin had hoped against hope that he would keep his snide comments to a minimum.

"Is that supposed to be shocking to you?" she snapped back dryly.

Mikuo Hatsune blinked in surprise at the sudden fiery assertion. She was always hot-tempered around him, but this time he could tell it came from genuine state of frustration rather than annoyance.

"If you're not going to work hard then it's certainly upsetting," he poked back.

"So deal with it!"

The conversation fell into silence again, but this time he was studying Rin carefully. Luckily the girl was easier to read than a children's book. Ever since she had entered the classroom, it was like a dark cloud manifested itself over her desk. The usually talkative girl wouldn't even answer Teto's inquiries, and though the redhead couldn't get her friend to tell her what was wrong, Mikuo knew the answer. He had been in that situation many times before.

"Did you and Len have a fight?"

The dark atmosphere was briefly broken by surprise. Rin blinked in confusion, wondering how he could have guessed that so easily. And for some reason the fact that he did made her angrier.

"How did you…? No, it wasn't really…" her gaze narrowed, "Well, in any case that's none of your business."

"Do you fight often?" he continued, unperturbed by the resistance.

"Why do you care?"

"I fought all the time with my sisters, back when we lived together," he said with a soft smile, an act that definitely caught Rin off-guard. What was this… gentleness? From Mikuo Hatsune? Was she dreaming?

"Not all siblings can get along perfectly, right? Especially if they're stuck with someone like you."

Ah, nope. Definitely still real life.

"Ha ha," Rin stuck her tongue out at him, "You have more than one sister?"

"Just one other," Mikuo sighed and stopped to look out the window, "Shes about ten years older than Miku and me. But she and Miku get along much better than I do with either of them."

"Why is that?"

"Well, that's not very fair Kagamine. I've offered you some personal information, now it's your turn to tell me why you and Len were fighting."

"I don't know why you care so much," Rin muttered. Truth be told it was weird how oddly familiar and comforting this conversation felt, and with Mikuo nonetheless. But in a way, it was sort of nice. "It was just for something stupid. Len and I used to be homeschooled so we were together a lot, but now that we're in high school I thought maybe we should try doing things separately. I wanted to try handling things myself and wanted him to give me space, but… I guess I just said it too harshly and it came out wrong."

"I see," Mikuo nodded.

"What about you, then?"

"Funny enough, I don't get along with my sisters for sort of similar reasons. They were always very interested in my business and constantly tried to get involved or advise me on a certain path. Always around me trying to tell me how to think, what to do, what to believe. I eventually grew tired of it and just left."

"Do you miss them?"

"Sometimes, but they were always around me constantly. I think in the end distancing myself from them was the better choice. I had more space to understand myself that way."

Rin twirled her pen absentmindedly as she listened to his story. Mikuo had a surprisingly candid side, after all. Now if only he could be this way all the time.

"I'm not sure if you're thinking intently about what I said or if you weren't paying attention at all."

"I was listening, idiot," Rin stuck her tongue out at him, "I was just thinking about it. I guess that's what I'm trying to do with Len, but it's not working out so well."

Mikuo frowned slightly.

"Separating myself from my sisters wasn't a decision that came very lightly. It stemmed from other personal circumstances that I didn't mention here. So you shouldn't suggest something like that unless the situation between you and Len is very serious."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way," Rin looked down guiltily.

"It's fine," Mikuo said. He wasn't actually annoyed at the comment, since he knew how Rin was feeling. She was confused and unsure of what to do next, which was alright. She was at that age where most people were trying to figure themselves out. But really she was making a mountain out of a molehill, he thought with slight amusement. She must not fight often with Len if a little fight like this could send her into such turmoil.

"Tell him what you're feeling and why you need the space. I think Len will understand. From what I can tell he just cares very much about your wellbeing, and if that's the case then he'll respect your wishes."

Again, she was caught completely off-guard at the gentleness exhibited by the teal-haired boy. She never in a million years thought she would be having a heart to heart with someone like him, but in a way she was actually grateful for it since he seemed to understand where she was coming from. But he also did raise a good point, she guiltily admitted.

In her confusion over her feelings, she had brushed Len aside without giving him a proper explanation. He probably thought she was starting to hate him or something. She just didn't know how to convey it without making things worse, but she had to at least try.

"Thanks," she smiled meekly.

Perhaps Mikuo Hatsune was better than she thought.

Miku couldn't help but glance worriedly at Len several times during the assignment. Their math teacher had just finished lecturing and given them time to work on their homework, but Miku noticed that Len had barely written anything on his paper. Usually he was one of the first done.

"Are you alright, Len?" she whispered, "You seem troubled."

The blonde looked up and met her inquisitive gaze. He blushed, slightly embarrassed that his emotions were so noticeable, but offered her a comforting smile.

"I'm alright, just tired I guess," he laughed, "But I should be asking you that. How are your injuries?"

"Well, not much different than they were a few hours ago," she smiled back.

Satisfied that he seemed a bit more cheered up at least, she turned back to her assignment. Len, however, began thinking of other things now that she had talked to him. He wanted to ask her more about Mikuo, but wondered if it was appropriate given how she felt about him. But… if Mikuo really was someone he needed to be wary of, then wasn't it necessary for him to know? Especially since it involved Rin.

He remembered how she had yelled at him not to interfere, but it couldn't be helped, he thought sadly. Rin was his most important person, so if someone was doing something to harm her then it was his business to help.

"Ne, Miku," Len tapped her lightly on the shoulder, "If you don't mind me asking… what did you mean when you said Mikuo couldn't be trusted?"

At this, Miku tensed and turned back with apprehension.

"Why do you ask?" she whispered.

"Lately I think something has been happening between Rin and him," Len explained, "I'm not quite sure what, but I'm afraid he might be harassing her."

Miku's expression grew more uncomfortable.

"You should tell Rin to be careful," she warned, "I'm not sure what he wants, but all I can say is that he's manipulative and deceitful. Maybe he just wants to be a bully, but I think if he's doing anything strange or she becomes uncomfortable, she should definitely report him right away."

Len felt a pit of worry forming in his stomach.

"He's always been that way…" Miku continued, gripping her pencil so tightly her knuckles turned white, "Wanting to torment people for no other reason than his own satisfaction. When he wants something he'll do whatever it takes to obtain that thing – even if it includes abusing or using others. My sister and I tried our best to help him, but it only pushed him away."

Her tone fell very quiet after that, and Len noticed her lip quivering slightly. A deep sadness shadowed her expression.

"Hey, it's alright," Len placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "You don't have to talk about it anymore if you don't want."

Miku offered him a slight smile, "Thank you, Len. But I think it helps if I'm honest about these things…"

"Well, at least you don't have to interact with him anymore since he left, ne?"

"I wish it were that simple…"

There was a brief pause in the conversation as Miku struggled to regain her composure. Len rubbed her back reassuringly and decided not to discuss the topic any further, given how distressed she became.

Perhaps Mikuo Hatsune was worse than he thought.