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It was the middle of May, just a few days away from the sweltering summer season that always came down upon the small town of Rivera. Miku was sitting at her office desk, dressed in a loose white blouse and beige khakis, her teal hair tied up in two long pigtails as usual, once in a while fanning herself lazily. She was staring out the open window, out at the streets below, where people bustled to and fro from the streets, already dressed like it was summer.May was one of Miku's most favorite times of year. It wasn't as hot as summertime was, but it was no longer as cold as winter either. Even better, it was a time of new beginnings, the start of a new season and the beginning of the cycle of life. She looked forward to the things that might happen in May. Last year she'd earned her reputation as the town's best detective from an exceptionally difficult case. This year she was determined to keep that reputation.There was a small cough outside the door. Miku looked up in surprise. It was only seven in the morning. It couldn’t be one of her fellow detectives. They usually barged in here like they owned the place. Even so, clients didn't usually come knocking at her door at this hour, but Miku was here to help them, no matter what time they came. She picked herself off the chair and went to open the door.The door creaked open to reveal a young man, his short blonde hair tied back in a small ponytail. Miku tried to suppress her surprise. He was wearing a long black coat with a collar that almost covered his mouth even though it was too warm to wear an overcoat. His long bangs partly covered his bright blue eyes that glanced around the small office like he was nervous."Welcome to the Vocaloid Detective Agency. Is there anything I can help you with?" Miku asked in a professional voice, moving out of the way and inviting the boy to join her on the couch. He cast Miku a quick glance before hurriedly going over to sit down as Miku prepared two cups of coffee."I'd like to have you investigate a murder for me," the boy quickly added in a hurried voice after thanking Miku for the coffee."Murder?" Miku repeated, her surprise returning. Usually she looked into cases of theft and the sort. Murder was always rare. She cleared her throat, getting over her initial shock and asked, "Well, of course I'd be happy to help you. As you might know, I'm Hatsune Miku. What might your name be?""Kagamine Len," came the tart reply. The boy still seemed not to have gotten over his initial nervousness, fidgeting once in a while in his seat."So what kind of case is this?" Miku asked, sipping her coffee. She always put milk and sugar in her coffee. She liked the sweet taste. She observed that her client didn't touch his cup."Someone that I…knew died recently, and I think he might've been murdered," Len admitted hesitantly."Why not go to the police then?" Miku inquired.Len looked a little troubled. He mumbled, "Well, I don't really trust the police, and I heard you were the best detective in town, Miss Hatsune.""Please, call me Miku," Miku stressed. She was slightly honored that Len would choose her over the police, but that only made sure that she had to work even harder to make sure she solved Len's case."So you will take the case?" Len asked gingerly as if he was afraid Miku would reject it."Of course. That's what the agency's here for. When would you like us to start investigating?"Len was about to reply when a loud shout echoed through the building. Kaito was shouting, "Miku! Where the hell did you put my stash of ice cream?"Miku snapped her head towards the door out of annoyance. Out of all his days to make an outburst, he chose this day? A moment later, Kaito burst through the door, an equally annoyed expression on his face. Still dressed in sweatshirt and pants, his blue hair a mess, Miku could tell he had just gotten out of bed."Kaito!" Miku hissed, glaring at him. "Can't you see we have a client? And how do I know where you put your ice cream?"A look of confusion spread on Kaito's face as he glanced in Len's direction. He frowned and said, "Miku, I know you love talking with your imaginary friends, but that's still not an excuse for hiding my food!""Ha? What are you talking about?" Miku asked, glancing over at Len. Immediately, her eyes widened in shock.The boy had vanished without a word, leaving behind nothing but a warm, untouched cup of coffee, wisps of steam still trailing from the dark surface and out the window.
Len cursed his bad luck. He had finally managed to get a meeting alone with the famous detective Hatsune Miku, only to have it ruined by her coworker in the agency. Any person was fine, to tell the truth. Anyone could have taken his case and solved it for him, but not this time. No one could help him solve his case but Hatsune Miku, and he’d just completely botched that chance.The streets were crowded during this time of day. Of course, no one even bothered to give him a sideways glance when he jumped out the window and into the busy street. Then again, he'd gotten used to being ignored by the general public by now. He just needed someone that possessed the following two traits: the ability to solve his case and the ability to notice him. Unfortunately, Miku had been the only person he’d known to possess both.Len ducked under a grove of trees and found himself in a park. Children were running about, chasing each other while their parents watched on. It was funny how everyone seemed to crowd in such a small place on the weekends. He could almost see him and his sister as little kids, running about just as cheerfully as the children in the park were right now.He unconsciously lifted his collar up over his mouth again, lowering his head as some people passed. They couldn't see him, for sure, but he was still wary of them. Just any of those innocent looking people who were bustling about could be a killer. The killer."Boo!" someone shouted, making Len jump. It was only a kid, laughing as he found his friend hiding under a park bench. Len winced when the kid who was hiding shuddered in surprise and hit his head on the bench. That'd happened too many times to him as a kid, so much that his sister even stopped laughing when it happened as if she was truly worried about his well-being.He shuffled along the sidewalk, passing people, wandering the park. He wasn't looking for anyone in particular. He just wanted to waste some time before he attempted to start solving the murder himself. Len didn't think the detective would help him after what had happened. That didn't really matter. He wasn't letting that crime go unpunished.After what seemed like forever, he wandered back into the streets, slightly annoyed by the enormous crowd of people. Just why did people like going outside all at once on the weekends? He suddenly missed his nice lonely room with the cool air conditioning. He'd pick that a million times over this.Suddenly, his eyes caught a flash of teal. He jerked his head towards the girl who possessed that beautiful hair color. There was no doubt about it. It was the one and only Hatsune Miku, the only person who could possibly help him. But he'd already shamed himself in front of her for running away just because Kaito had intruded in. He couldn't ask for her help.Len withdrew from his thoughts and returned to reality. Something was bothering him. He glanced at Hatsune Miku again. The detective was staring at him intently, her sea blue eyes burning with a fierce passion. He gave a start and stumbled backwards, alarm flitting through his whole body.She'd seen him. She just had to see him. Len gulped as he watched her push through the crowd, waving goodbye to her friends. She was heading for him.Without another thought, Len ran for it. He suddenly didn't want to meet up with the detective. He wished he'd never disturbed her in the morning. Len regretted getting her involved.See what you've done? A voice whispered in the back of his head. You’ll just make more of a fool of yourself.Len ground his teeth together and ran faster, trying to lose the detective, who was now hot on his heels. Just why was she chasing him? He wished she'd just stop.After all, he really didn't need, much less want, anything else to lessen his chances of getting his wish granted.
Miku was glad she had put on jeans and sneakers before heading out with Kaito and Luka to get lunch. Man, her client (she vaguely remembered that his name was Kagamine Len) could run fast. What was stranger yet was that he seemed unhindered by the crowd of people blocking his way. He just seemed to run straight through them, while Miku had to push through all the people, shouting apologies along the way.She didn't really know why she was chasing Len. Maybe it was because she felt like she had to solve every case that her clients brought to her. Maybe it was just because their private meeting had been ruined by an ice cream-deprived Kaito, who had so ignorantly blamed her for stealing his breakfast even though it was right there in the fridge, and she wanted to make it up to Len.Len took a left into an alleyway, his coat trailing behind him. Miku was already panting. Just how did he manage to run so fast even with that heavy coat? She slipped into the alley behind him. He was just ahead, blending well into the darkness if it wasn't for his bright yellow hair. With the absence of people, Miku sped up for the last sprint. She hadn't been a track star for nothing.Len cast her a backwards glance. He couldn't understand how the detective not only hadn't given up, she'd even sped up so that she was just a few paces behind him. He considered suddenly stopping in his tracks but decided against it. It wouldn't help him anyways. For a split second, he realized he could just duck into the buildings beside him. Good idea actually. He should’ve done that ages ago.Just at that moment, Miku leapt forward to grab onto Len's wrist. He yelped out in surprise and tumbled backwards, landing right on the ground.Miku just stared at Len in shock, looking from Len to her hand. It hadn't been an illusion. She was a hundred percent sure that just then, her own hand had passed through Len's arm, overcoat and everything."Y-you…" Miku stammered, for once unable to organize her thoughts. She experienced this kind of stuff on a daily basis, but the shock was a bit too much for her to handle.Len sat frozen on the ground, his mouth slightly open out of shock and fear. He'd been lucky enough to find out that the great detective could see him, but his luck ended there. This definitely had not been in his agenda.Finally, Miku let out a deep breath and said, "You're a ghost, aren't you?"Len cringed at the words. They were still harsh to hear. He muttered, "That doesn't matter.""Then why were you running away from me before?" Miku asked, holding her hand out to help him up before remembering that her very action contradicted her assumption.Len slowly got up and replied, "Because I decided I don't need your help anymore.""That's not a very good reason," Miku argued. "Human or ghost, I'll always help my clients. The fact that you came to me must mean that you need something, right? That's why you couldn't go to the police."Len just stared at the ground, beginning to inch backwards into the alley. Miku noticed his retreat and added, "I'd be happy to help you. I'd just like you to tell me what you actually want to learn the truth about."Len stopped and looked at her. Her eyes were still burning brightly even in the dark alley, full of determination and everything else he didn't have. He didn't know what to do. If he let her help, something bad might happen again. If he didn't, who knew how long it'd be before he found out the truth.After a long silence, Len sighed and stuck his hands into his pocket. He looked Miku in the eye and said, "Fine then, Miss Hatsune, I'd like you to investigate the truth behind my death."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Miku awoke the next day to the beeping of her alarm clock. Still half asleep, she shut the alarm and glanced at the time.
6:00. Miku frowned, unable to remember why in the world she had wanted to awake so early in the morning yesterday. Letting out a sigh, she pulled herself rather unwillingly out of bed and headed to the closet. She grabbed the first thing she saw and put it on. A yellow T-shirt. Yellow.
Miku suddenly smacked herself in the head. Of course. She'd promised to meet up Len in the morning. It was a wonder that she could forget that she had a case on her hands. Then again, it was probably going to be the strangest case she'd ever take.
It hadn't really surprised Miku when Len said he wanted to know about his death, not after she'd gotten over the shock of having a ghost as her client. What really shocked her, though, was what Len had said after that. He'd been wandering the town for about half a month, right around the start of May. He remembered everything but the 24 hours leading to his death, and for some reason, he was convinced that he'd been murdered.
Len still hadn't seemed too convinced about letting Miku take his case. She guessed his confidence must have faltered after yesterday's encounter. He told her that he just wanted to know what had happened the day he died, whether it turned out that he'd been murdered or not. Miku, of course, felt complied to help him. She'd interacted with spirits several times before, though she didn’t understand how Len was so different from the other beings she usually saw. Normally, they at least remembered their death. So far, there was only one reason she knew of for ghosts to forget the memories of their death, but Len had seemed like a likable person, not one to suffer from a violent death. Still, Len was a client who'd asked for her help all the same. There was never a reason not to help a client, and she’d find the criminal.
Miku quickly finished dressing and slipped out of the agency as quietly as she could. Kaito had sensitive ears. If she accidently woke him, she'd never get out of the house, much less meet Len. Everyone else was almost as lazy, though not quite there. She didn't feel like directing their morning fury on her.
The streets were unusually silent in the morning. It was about 6:25 by the time Miku had left the agency. She'd never been out in the streets so early before. It was a time when not even the birds were up and about, chirping their happy songs. No. That wasn't what the morning in May felt like. It was more like a time for the silent souls of the dead.
After some ten minutes, Miku turned left into a side street and found herself in a tidy neighborhood. Up ahead, she spotted Len, still wearing his long overcoat, his hands casually in his pockets as he glanced around attentively, waiting at the place he'd asked her to go to. Miku ran up to him and patted him on his back before she could remind herself that Len was a ghost. Her hand naturally passed through his body, causing Miku to apologize in embarrassment.
"Don't worry about it," Len replied casually, gazing off into the distance. He was watching one house that sat down the street, a single whitewashed home that gave off the feeling of home that Miku just barely remembered. The front yard was adorned with simple flowerbeds of blooming flowers, casting a vibrant glow over the yard in the dull, gray morning.
"So what are you looking for?" Miku asked, following Len's gaze to the second window on the left of the second floor. The lights were already on in the room where a shadow wandered aimlessly about before the window.
"I don't know," Len replied truthfully. "I just felt like my home was the best place to start the investigation. I think that's my sister in my room."
"Your sister? What would she be doing in there?" Miku asked, immediately settling into her work mode. It was like her brain was a machine that could be turned on and off. Whenever she got to work, her mind became a robot bent on solving the case and ignoring all else.
"She always liked my room. She said it had a better view of the street," Len mumbled, sighing somewhat sadly.
Miku was suddenly reminded of the fact that Len really was dead. That meant he'd left behind his old life, whatever it might have been, and lost the ability to talk to the people he cared about. It must’ve been hard for Len to not only accept the fact that he was no longer alive, but also accept the fact that he'd never come into contact with his family and loved ones again.
"Maybe we could ask your sister what you did on the day of your…death," Miku replied, hesitating on the last word. She didn't know if Len was okay with being called dead. You could never offend a client.
"I won't be offended, don't worry. That sounds like a good idea, but I'd just like it if you withdrew if Rin gets emotional. I don't want her to be any sadder," Len replied, heading off in the direction of his home.
Once again, Miku found herself wondering how Len could act so calm in such a situation. It was like he'd already completely accepted reality. She didn't like the way seemed to keeping everything contained under his composed surface, but then again, she wasn’t one to talk.
When Miku rang the doorbell, a young girl with messy and short blonde hair answered it within seconds, her bangs getting in the way of her blue eyes that looked somewhat sleep deprived, dark bags hanging under them behind glasses. Miku guessed this was Len's sister, though they looked like twins from their resemblance to each other. She was just a bit shorter than Miku was, although that might've been because she was slightly slumped over, leaning on the door, barefoot in an oversized T-shirt and baggy pants.
"Can I help you?" the girl muttered, her eyes barely open as she stared at Miku.
"Oh, um, I'm Hatsune Miku, detective at the Vocaloid Detective Agency. Is it okay if I ask you a few questions about my case?" Miku asked tentatively, hoping that it wasn't actually a glare that she was getting from the girl.
The girl stared at her for another moment before stepping aside and letting Miku in. She let out a big yawn and said, "Sure, fine. Not that I know what you're talking about. Just go down the hall to the dining room. I'll be back in a sec."
Miku let Len lead the way through his house. He walked directly through the halls, not casting a glance at his surroundings. Miku questioned his behavior. She wanted to know why he seemed completely uninterested in seeing his home again, but she decided not to press him. Instead, she asked, "So, that was your twin sister?"
"Yep. Rin. She gets up too early for her own health, but she does it anyways. Don't be so surprised when she comes back," Len replied, settling into a corner of the dining room.
"Surprised? Is something going to happen?" Miku asked, raising her eyebrows.
Just then, the same girl burst into the room, dressed in a white and black sailor top, fit with jeans and a yellow belt looped around it. Her blonde hair brushed back and clips keeping it out of her face, the girl had on a headband with a giant white ribbon, her eyes clear and shining with no sign of the tiredness from before. Rin pulled up a chair, flopped down and smiled, "So, what do you want me to help you with?"
Miku stared at Len's sister for a good minute. She had to say Len was right in this one. She had never expected this big of an appearance change from Rin. In fact, now that she was dressed up properly, she was easily an attractive girl. Miku just hoped that the Rin who wasn't in sleepy mode would be helpful. It didn't help that Len was snickering in his corner, probably at Miku's reaction.
With a sigh, Miku finally faced Len's sister, crossed her fingers together and leaned forward. She said in a serious voice, "Well then. I'll get straight to the point. I'm investigating your brother's death. Can you tell me anything?"
Rin's eyes widened for a brief second, frozen in her seat, her smile melting away. She stammered, "You're here to do what?"
"I've taken charge of investigating the murder of your brother Kagamine Len," Miku repeated. This was the way she investigated things. She cut the crap with all the condolences and stuff. They didn't help the dead.
"Are you crazy?" Len hissed, suddenly appearing in front of Miku. "You'll scare the crap out of Rin!"
Miku just continued to stare at Rin, or where Rin would be if Len finally decided to move.
Rin took in a deep breath and said, "Well, I certainly didn't expect that coming. Why do you want to know about that? The case was closed almost half a month ago."
"Ah, well…I happened to come across a friend who asked me to help out in this case. He said it was suspicious," Miku lied, making it up along the way. She didn't even know how Len died. "Do you mind sharing with me what happened during the 24 hours before your brother's death?"
"Uh, I guess," Rin replied, settling down into a chair. "I don't know how it will help, but all I know is that he was acting perfectly fine before…that happened."
"By 'that' do you mean his death?" Miku asked.
"Yeah. He said he was going to see a friend and left in the morning. I didn't even notice him coming back. Maybe then I could've stopped him," Rin replied, taking in a deep breath.
"If you feel uncomfortable talking about it, I can wait a different day," Miku said, though really she was hoping Rin would pull through. Len was shooting daggers at Miku. She understood it was her fault his sister was suffering through this in the first place, but it didn’t make her feel much guiltier.
"No, it's fine. I somewhat got over it. Our parents are overseas, and me and Len homeschooled each other, so we don't have many friends except for Gumi and Oliver. That's why I was surprised when Len was going to see a friend."
"And Gumi and Oliver are?"
"Gumi's the really nice girl who lives down the street. She helps me with my work. Oliver's been lodging at our house for a few months now. He's still asleep, but I can get him if you want," Rin suggested.
"No, don't worry about. I'll talk to him when I get the chance," Miku replied. "Do you have any idea who this friend might be?"
Rin's brow furrowed together. After a moment’s hesitation, she mumbled, "Eh, well… Len did tell me about this one person who might be that friend. He mentioned the name Piko once. A frail kid with silver hair and strange eyes."
"Piko, huh?" Miku muttered aloud, glancing over at Len, who had finally retreated to his corner. The way his eyes suddenly darkened made Miku wonder if Piko had been something other than the friend. She continued, "Did he mention anything else?"
Rin fell silent. In a barely audible voice, she said, "There was something else. Before he left the house, he promised he'd take me to the amusement park the next day. He's never broken a promise before. Never."
"I see…" Miku said, unsure of how to reply. She could tell she was already treading dangerous waters. Any second longer and Rin might burst into tears.
"Well, I'm sure that he'll still find some way to keep it," Rin said, suddenly brightening up. "Maybe he'll become a ghost or something."
Miku couldn't help it. She let out a snicker before she could contain herself. She apologized quickly to Rin, who looked discouraged. She just thought the irony that Len actually was a ghost was too funny. Len just rolled his eyes and sat down next to her.
"Hey there! What's with the visitor?" a blonde boy in a sailor's outfit suddenly asked, appearing in the dining room. One of his eyes was covered in a bandage, though he looked pretty banged up everywhere. Rin waved him over and said, "Oliver, this is Miss Hatsune. She's looking into Len's death."
"Please, Miku is fine," Miku stressed. She rather hated formalities.
Oliver blinked a few times before his right eye opened up wide with shock. He stammered, "You don't mean… the Hatsune Miku, do you? The all great, super smart detective?"
Miku blushed red with embarrassment. She hadn't expected to hear all that from anyone. She wasn't even that good.
Rin was staring at her too. Suddenly, she shot up in her seat and let out a frustrated yell. She lamented, "Ah, I'm so stupid! How could I forget! You're the one who solved the Vanderson kidnapping case last year, right?"
"Uh, yeah," Miku replied. That case had been the key to her so called fame. Ever since then, she'd gotten a ton more clients than any of her peers. It'd been a simple case. A group had started a kidnapping operation, abducting a ton of people and collecting ransom before slipping off and starting the process all over again. They'd struck a fifth time before Miku had finally traced them to their hideout and took out two of them with the help of someone she’d met. The other two cohorts had managed to escape, but the kidnappings stopped after that, so the case was decided closed.
"I'm so sorry. I was still a bit sleepy," Rin apologized, "You saved my brother along with all the other victims. Thank you for saving him, although it might be too late for that since he's not here anymore."
"It's fine. I was just doing my job, that's all," Miku replied, shooting an inquiring glance at Len, hoping he understood what she was trying to ask him.
Len just rolled his eyes and replied, "You didn't ask. It didn't matter much anyways."
Miku raised her eyebrows but decided her question was answered.
"Well, if we could get back to topic, since you're here as well, Oliver, do you know anything else that happened before your friend's death?" Miku asked, refocusing on the case in front of her.
"Ah, right. I should've guessed. Well, I don't have much to say. I was in town for most of the day. I met him at the Garden Café at around noon. I could've sworn he was acting perfectly fine, but of course the police refused to accept that," Oliver sighed, looking somewhat frustrated.
"Both of you seem to despise the police," Miku remarked.
"Well, Len hated them more. He called them a good for nothing group of people who don't actually do their work. They didn't seem really interested in looking into his case either, so we just let it go," Rin replied.
"So did you guys speak to anyone else in the café?" Miku asked Oliver.
He thought for a while before a light bulb seemed to go off in his head. He said, "Oh, right, if I remember right..."
He suddenly froze and clammed up. Miku sent him a questioning glance. Oliver forced a smile and said, "Ne, Rin, mind getting me some breakfast? I'm starving."
"What? You're so lazy," Rin complained, getting out of her seat all the same, completely oblivious to the fact that Oliver was most definitely trying to get her out of the room.
"Is something wrong?" Miku asked once Rin was out of earshot.
"No, it's just that I remembered that Len swore he'd kill me if I told Rin about this," Oliver said, letting out a relieved sigh. Miku sent Len another disdainful look. He just shrugged. Miku then remembered he probably didn't even remember any of this.
"Anyways, as I was saying," Oliver continued in a hushed tone. "We were joined by IA. She sometimes hangs out in our neighborhood. Rin doesn't really know her but the three of us hang out a lot. Len was your ultimate fan, so I don't think he'd mind if I told you, but we're formed this detective group after you saved Len. IA's sorta our informant. Rin would've flipped if she knew Len was part of a detective mystery group thing. She's really protective of him, especially after what happened last year. She was really broken up after his death, though she's handling it pretty well nowadays."
"I see. Do you mind giving me IA and Gumi's addresses? I'd like to speak with both of them as well," Miku said. Oliver gladly wrote both of their addresses for her. Thanking him, Miku added, "Did you ever happen to hear Len mention the name Piko?"
Oliver suddenly froze again. He blinked and returned to reality, quickly replying, "Sorry, never heard that name before. Do you need anything else?"
Miku could clearly see the lie behind his smile, but she decided she’d get the information out of Len later. She thought for a sec and asked, "By the way, what did the police rule Len's death as?"
"You don't know?" Oliver asked, looking a bit shocked. He sighed and shook his head before replying, "Well, then again, it wasn't a widely known case either. I hope you'll get a different answer than the police."
He walked over to her and whispered five words into her ear.
"They said it was suicide."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
They were sitting outside at the bus stop, alone and isolated in the dull spring morning. Nothing was moving about that morning for some reason, as if they all knew not to come out and disturb the solemn investigation.
"So, suicide, huh?" Miku remarked, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"Hey, don't look at me. I don't remember anything, but if there's one thing I know, I'd never commit suicide," Len replied, sitting beside Miku.
"How are you so sure if you can't remember anything?" Miku inquired.
"Because if I really did make a promise with Rin, I'd never break it," Len stated firmly back, staring out into the empty street.
After another silent moment, Miku asked, "So…you were doing this detective group thing. What else haven't you told me that I need to know?"
"I don't know," Len shot back. "How do I know what's important in this case? Maybe I should just tell you the story of my life, should I?"
Miku dropped the topic. She didn't know why she was irritated with Len. He was her client, not to mention he was dead. There was nothing good out of arguing with him.
Miku suddenly remembered the question on her mind. She asked, "Mind telling me why you were acting like that back there?"
"Like what?"
"In your house. I thought you would've been more anxious to go back home and see your family," Miku said. That's how she would've acted at least, if she had a home other than the agency to return to.
Len fell silent, a dark shadow falling over his face as his bangs drooped over his eyes. He muttered, "You don't understand, do you?"
Before Miku could furrow her brow in confusion, Len gritted his teeth together and mumbled, "I'm dead for god's sake! My only sister was mourning for me, even though I was right there beside her. I have to live with the fact that no one I used to know, no one I even remotely cared about, will ever be able to see me again, even though I'm right there. How would you feel about that?"
Miku stared at Len's trembling lip, looking like he was about to cry. She felt a little guilty for being so apathetic towards his situation. She wasn't used to empathizing with other people, but just looking at Len made an uncomfortable feeling rise in her heart.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," Miku apologized just as the rumble of the bus echoed through the streets. It pulled into the stop and Miku bought herself a ticket. Len got to ride free.
The bus was almost empty except for a few riders. Miku headed for the back of the bus. She liked riding there, where most people wouldn't bother to look over. The back row was already occupied by a teenager sitting in one of the window seats. Miku stared at him for a good moment before remembering how impolite it probably was and quickly sat down in the other window seat.
The boy had a head of silvery white hair, his eyes bright green under the sun. He was wearing a short sleeved white jacket, buttoned all the way to his black pants. He looked so bored as he stared out the window, the morning light glinting off his hair.
Miku stared out the window for a while when she suddenly Len wasn't next to her. Alarmed, she glanced up to look for him. He was standing stock still in the pathway, his eyes glued to the white haired boy almost like he'd seen a ghost. It would've been a plausible conclusion had Len not been a ghost himself.
As indiscreetly as she could, Miku cleared her throat rather loudly, feigning a cough. Len snapped out of his trance and hurriedly moved next to Miku. Some people glanced back at Miku, but the white haired boy didn't even move a finger. If his eyes hadn't blinked once or twice, Miku might've wondered if he was dead.
Casually, Miku pulled out a notebook and pen. She made sure she had Len's attention as she wrote, "So who is that?"
"None of your business," Len snapped back, refusing to look at the boy.
"If you want me to solve your case, every piece of information is relevant," Miku wrote. She occasionally looked up once in a while, pretending to look like she was thinking about something.
She heard Len give a loud sigh. He finally complied and said, "That's the person Rin was talking about. Utatane Piko."
Miku looked up in surprise and shot a glance over at the boy. He looked completely like a normal teenager, bored out of his mind, and yet when his name had been mentioned, both Len and Oliver had looked like they'd rather avoid the topic. He was definitely someone important.
Was it a coincidence? Miku knew better. Coincidences were never coincidences when she was working a case. It had to be a work of fate.
The bus stopped and Piko rose from his seat, heading out. In one split second, Miku made her decision and followed him off the bus. She'd probably never have another chance to approach him. He could be an important suspect for all she knew.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Len hissed, flying straight through the bus walls after Miku. She ignored him and quickly caught up to Piko, who was entering a nearby café. It was crowded with early workers for some reason, striking a deep contrast with the deserted part of town that she'd just left. The fact that there was a crowd was a factor working in her favor. Miku remembered she hadn't gotten breakfast and got some light food before making her way towards Piko, who had luckily found an empty table for two.
"I wouldn't be doing this," Len muttered, glancing at the people in the café nervously.
Miku ignored him. As casually as she could, Miku pretended to look for a table before seeing him. She walked over and asked, "Hi! Do you mind if I sit here? I'll be quick."
"Sure, no problem," Piko replied, his eyes falling on her for a brief moment. Miku suddenly felt a strange chill run down her spine, as if he had analyzed her completely with that brief look.
They sat in silence for a while, only disturbed by the sound of their chewing. Suddenly, without even lifting his head, Piko asked in a hushed tone, "So, what does the great detective want from me?"
Miku almost dropped her fork. As calmly as she could, she set it back down onto the table and asked, "So you already knew?"
"Now who wouldn't recognize their role model?" Piko asked, his lips barely moving, though they were forming the faintest of grins.
"So you must know what I'm here for," Miku stated, slightly impressed by his ability to conceal his emotions.
Piko shook his head and replied, "Sorry. Can't figure that one out, but it must be important, right? Since you got off the bus with me even though you need to go somewhere else."
Miku sighed. To think a normal person had seen through her objective was her own failure as a detective. She asked, "Well then, I'm guessing you know of Kagamine Len?"
Piko looked up, startled. A slightly annoyed expression flitted through his eyes before quickly disappearing. He asked, "Yeah. What about him?"
"What's your relationship to him?"
"We…used to be friends, I'll just keep it at that. We both like detecting, but I guess our methods and interests were too different to stay friends," Piko replied, letting out a sigh. He looked up at Miku and asked, "Where is that idiot anyways? I haven't seen him for a few weeks."
Miku stared back at Piko for a while before she managed to asked, "You don't know what happened?"
Piko glanced outside at the busy street and lazily drawled out, "Of course not. We cut off all connections between each other in April. I still saw him around with his friends, but he disappeared some time ago. You're not asking me about that, are you?"
For one moment, Miku felt a hint of sympathy spring from her heart. She wondered how Piko would react when she told the truth.
"Well, it's something related to that," Miku said, deciding to choose her words more carefully this time, learning from her experience with Rin. "I'm currently investigating Kagamine Len's death. I was wondering if you knew anything."
Piko stared at Miku, his pupils constricting as he sat there, frozen in his seat. He stammered, "D-did you just say…'death?'"
When Miku nodded, her eyes still trained on Piko's horrified face, he suddenly stumbled onto his two feet and muttered, "I…I think I need some air…"
Miku watched him start to stagger through the crowds, unable to understand Piko's reaction. Before she could question him any further though, much to Miku's horror, Piko's legs collapsed underneath him as he fell forward, unconscious.
As Miku rushed over to help him, Len muttered in a dull and yet pained voice, "See? What'd I tell you?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this," Piko muttered, putting a hand to his forehead as he leaned back on the park bench."Don't worry. I shouldn't have been so blunt about…that," Miku replied, careful with her word choice. She hadn't expected Piko to faint over the news. The café had been thrown into chaos when Piko had fallen unconsciousness, but Miku had managed to take Piko outside, hoping fresh air would help him. It was a while before he'd finally woken up, but they managed to go to the park nearby to relax."It's okay now. I just didn't see that coming. I never considered the fact that Len might actually, well, you know, die," Piko sighed, looking up at the sky, his eyes shining under the sun.Len swiped at Piko's face, like he wanted to punch him, but naturally, Len's hand just went through his head. Len growled, "Of course you wouldn't, you bastard."Miku raised an eyebrow at his behavior. She clearly remembered the relief on Len's face when Piko had finally awoken again. She didn't understand how Len could care for Piko as a friend one moment and treat him like an enemy the next."So what is the real relationship between the two of you? I hate to say it this way, but rivals don't usually faint if the other dies," Miku said."Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Both of us were two of the victims of the kidnapping case you solved last year. He stood up for me against one of the kidnappers when they were threatening me. We kept in contact afterwards and it wasn't long before we were best friends, since neither of us had really interacted with other people before. We both wanted to give a shot at detecting, but I guess that's where our relationship broke apart," Piko explained, letting out another long sigh. A look at Len's serious face told Miku that Piko was telling the truth."What happened?" Miku asked. If Len refused to talk, she'd just have to hope Piko would."Eh, well, we just had different ways of getting things done. Not really important stuff, but Len was too nice to be an actual detective. I couldn't stand his methods, he couldn't stand mine, so we had a falling out," Piko muttered. Miku refrained from growling out of frustration. Why was everyone avoiding the topic? He still hadn't explained what had really caused their falling out.Reluctantly, Miku let the topic drop. She'd force it out of Len after this. She moved on and asked, "So, did you happen to see Len on May 1st?""Is that the day he was killed?" Piko asked, finally sitting up properly to look at Miku, his expression suddenly dead serious."Well, I'm still investigating his death, but it's likely that it was murder, unless you have reason to believe otherwise," Miku replied."Len was a shut-in, though I really don't have the right to say so. I can't think of any enemies he'd have, but what other kind of possibility is there?" Piko asked, raising his eyebrows."Just don't faint again, okay?" Miku said before she could stop herself. She hoped that'd prepare Piko for her next words as she said, "The police who investigated Len's death beforehand labeled it as a suicide.""Suicide?" Piko exclaimed, leaping to his feet. He drew a few questioning looks from people passing by, but he sat down again just as quickly."That's impossible. Len would never do that," Piko said firmly. "He's not that weak."Miku couldn't help thinking, "Well, you're certainly not the first to say that." Just about everyone in case seemed convinced it wasn't suicide, although looking at Len's personality, he almost seemed like the type who'd kill himself. He was just too mysterious and sullen for Miku to believe otherwise.Piko continued, "I mean, Len always had a dark cloud hanging over him, but if there was one thing he prized more than anything, it was his own life. There's literally nothing that would make him commit suicide.""Then you think it might be murder?"Piko fell silent as he stared over at the park. Today was Monday, so the kids had all disappeared back to their schools, their parents at work. The two of them were left alone again in the dull morning, even with the sun rising higher into the sky. It was a calm yet melancholy silence, a kind that made Miku uncomfortable and solemn."I don't know. Len was too good for his own good. There's always people who would hate you because you were too kind or caring. All I know is that if anyone actually dared to kill Len, they'd better be prepared to face the wrath of hell," Piko suddenly remarked, a somewhat crazed glint appearing in his eyes."Miku, let's go," Len urged, casting a worried glance at Piko. Miku agreed. His sudden change in behavior slightly unnerved her. Piko almost looked like he was ready to kill."Um, well, thanks for everything. I'll call you if I need anything else," Miku said with a smile before she remembered she hadn't even gotten Piko's contact information. Piko waved her off anyways and she left the park, Len right behind her."So what was that about?" Miku asked Len, hoping he'd have better answers."Piko, he's…not completely sane if you know what I mean," Len mumbled, sighing. "He's a great detective and everything, but the way he goes about doing things is just…unforgivable.""And by that I'm guessing you mean threatening people to get what he wants?" Miku guessed. That was basically the only thing she could think of as mean. That was how Gakupo did things at least, though his presence was formidable enough.Len shook his head and got on the bus with Miku, who was now heading back to her original destination. He said, "Piko's worse. He was always a frail person since I met him, so I think he developed his own way of protecting himself. He doesn't forgive people for their actions. He makes sure he delivers punishment to evildoers himself. When I saw what he did to those people, I…I just couldn't talk to him anymore.""But you still care about him," Miku wrote, back to her notebook now that she was on the bus. The way he had looked upset and yet worried when he looked at Piko seemed to give off that feeling."I don't know," Len replied. They continued the trip in silence for a bit before he suddenly glanced over at Miku and said, "'You realize how he changed the subject?""What subject?""When you asked him if he'd seen me on May 1st, he asked you a question back and then started talking about me. He never answered that question," Len stated, a snicker forming on his lips, almost like he was suppressing a laugh. A laugh that was making fun of Miku's detective skills.Miku's eyes widened with surprise and realization. She exclaimed, "What the… Are you serious?"Everyone on the bus turned to stare at Miku, who turned bright red and looked out the window quickly, hoping they'd turn away. She couldn't believe she'd been played by an amateur. Now that she thought back on it, Piko had avoided the topic, and she'd fallen right for his trap. Darn that kid was good.Miku flipped open a new page and, for the first time ever, she wrote down every piece of evidence she'd collected just to compile her thoughts together. She wrote about both Rin and Piko's sudden change of behavior, her conversation with Rin and Oliver, what happened with Piko, and Len's cause of death, which Oliver had also provided.She stared at her words for a while, mostly focusing her last written words.
Cause of death: Blood loss from slit wrists.
"Hey, Len, can I see your wrists for a sec?" Miku suddenly whispered, an idea striking her. She had to confirm her idea for herself.Len gulped, his pale face suddenly turning to almost a ghastly color. He stammered, "D-do I have to?""Is there a reason you wouldn't?" Miku asked with accusing eyes. Len let out a pained sigh, a guilty look on his face like he'd just been caught committing a crime. Looking like he'd rather die than do this, he shakily unrolled the cuffs of his coat and revealed his skinny pale wrists.It was just as she thought. Several shallow and thin crisscrossing lines were carved horizontally onto his skin, their crimson color burning bright on his pale wrists."Damn those policemen," Miku muttered to herself as she furiously crossed out Len's cause of death. No wonder everyone seemed to hate those lazy bastards so much. Thanks to them, she was back at square one, without any idea about what might've killed Len.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Now maybe you'd like to explain to me about your depression?" Miku asked the moment she got off the bus, managing not to wince when the light hit her sensitive eyes.Len made a growling noise in the back of his throat like he was annoyed. He muttered, "Used to be. Not now. There's nothing more depressing than being a ghost.""True," Miku agreed, "but you're avoiding the question."Len trailed after her silently as she walked along through the streets. They were in a better part of town, stores lining the streets as far as the eye could see, starting up their morning business. Miku decided Len was trying to drop the topic, so she double-checked IA's address."I don't know," Len suddenly blurted out, causing Miku to stop mid-step to look back at him. Only until she started off again did Len continue, "Maybe I was upset my parents never came home, or maybe the stress of taking care of Rin finally got to me. It only started after I discovered Piko's true nature, so you could say I was letting out my anger on myself instead of Piko. Isn't figuring this stuff out a therapist's job?""Well, at least you found some reasons yourself," Miku mumbled so that the people passing her by wouldn't hear her. Len just gave an annoyed shrug and they continued in silence.It hadn't been that much of a shock that Len might've been depressed. The way his whole body was covered head to toe even after death just seemed to imply a gloomy atmosphere hanging over him. So much for everyone claiming Len was the least suicidal person ever, though his wounds weren't deep enough to suggest that he was actually trying to kill himself.Miku cast another backwards glance at Len. He was glancing around warily like usual, as if he was convinced everyone around him had the potential to be his killer. Miku guessed that that was reason enough to believe that she really had a murder case on her hands. If Len was so convinced it wasn't suicide, then so be it."By the way, turn right here," Len suddenly said, heading off in a different direction. Miku sighed and followed him without a word. It was his friend's house they were going to after all. Len probably knew the way better than she did.Miku kept in step right behind Len. She knew she wasn't ever going to step on him anyways, but she kept some distance. She didn't want to accidently step through Len. His body had felt like frozen water the first time her hand had gone through his wrist, almost as if it could swallow her up and drag her to her death as well.Miku let out a yawn. Her lack of sleep was finally getting to her, and it wasn't even noon. It was probably why she was having these strange thoughts."Hey, Len, after we talk to IA, mind if we stop here for today? I need my afternoon nap," Miku called out, trying to suppress another yawn.Len had been moving quicker than she'd thought, so she was surprisingly a long ways behind him. She quickened her footsteps to catch up to Len, who'd turned in midair, a look of surprise on his face.He quickly recomposed himself, his pale lips forming a sly grin. He laughed, "How old are you, Sherlock? Six?""Ha, ha, very funny, Invisible Man," Miku retorted, returning Len's laughing gaze with an unamused glare."Just kidding. It's fine if you need a break. It's your case after all," Len replied, falling back to walk alongside Miku."Oh really? I would've thought that you'd want to know the truth as fast as possible," Miku said, a little surprised. Usually when clients came to her, they were always stressed since they mostly came to her to look for lost items. Looking back on it, it was almost a miracle that she managed to retrieve everything for them, especially for their constant badgering about whether the case had been solved or not. She was almost not used to cases that gave her much leisure time."Well, I'd like it before you yourself become a ghost," Len said, his tone suddenly serious.Miku felt a grin appear on her face. She laughed, "Don't worry. I'll never leave a case unsolved as long as I'm still alive."She meant to give Len a playful punch on the arm before she remembered her hand would just go through.Too late. Her arm sunk through Len's transparent body as easily as thin air. Miku gave a startled shiver. She felt like her whole arm had been dunked into a bowl of ice water, sending shock waves to her brain. She’d accidently touched Len before, but never had it been like this.Suddenly, she felt a little lightheaded. She knew Len was right beside her, but his voice sounded distant as he shouted incomprehensible words. Miku tried to grab onto a wall to steady herself, but her legs gave out from underneath her first. Miku faintly felt herself hit the ground with a thump before the world winked out of existence.
Len was panicking by now. He didn't understand what had happened to Miku, except that it'd happened only because she'd touched him. It had to be his fault.He shot down to the ground, lying flat so that his ear was right next to Miku's mouth. His ears strained to hear something, anything that might resemble breathing. He didn't dare go any closer. If it was really his fault that Miku had collapsed, he couldn't risk touched Miku any more than he already had.Her breathing was faint and shallow, her skin looking paler by the second. Len suddenly felt a chill run through him, as if his worst fears had come true. He started racking his brains like crazy for an idea. He hadn't been an amateur detective for nothing, had he? He growled out loud, "Come on, there must be something I can think of!""What the hell is all this ruckus outside?" a voice shouted from above. Len glanced up to see a girl poking her head out of a window on the second floor, her light pink her almost white under the sun. Even in the morning, her hair had two braids in it, dangling out in front of her shoulders, one of which was uncovered by the loose black shirt she wore.That was it! Cursing himself silently for not thinking of this before, Len shouted up at the girl, "IA! It's me, Len! You can see me, right?"IA squinted out into the alley in Len's general direction. The moment her blue eyes met Len's, they widened with shock as she exclaimed, "Holy shit! Len, is that really you?""Yes, it's me! I need you to help me take Miku inside!" Len shouted back, wishing IA would hurry up and get out of her shock.IA leaned out further of the window until she saw Miku lying on the ground. Her eyes widened even further, almost wide enough for her eyeballs to fall out. Without another word, she leapt out of the window, her long hair trailing behind her, and landed right beside them. She easily picked Miku onto her back, reminding Len once again that IA was much stronger than she looked.IA shivered and said, "Oh dear, she's really cold. Follow me, Len. I'll clear up everything with you once I get her settled. But seriously! Can you believe it? I'm carrying Hatsune Miku! The amazing detective!""Ok, ok, just hurry up, please!" Len stressed, watching Miku tentatively. Even after IA brought Miku into her home and laid her on the couch, Len felt that ill feeling crawl up his spine, as if telling him to prepare for the worst.He shook his head to clear it. He clenched his fists together as he watched IA tend to Miku. He had to believe Miku would be okay. She had to be.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The room was cloaked by darkness. Looking around, it was almost impossible to tell if it was night or if the curtains were just drawn over the windows. With the feeble light above, the room was illuminated in a fuzzy yellow light, revealing its neat structure. A desk sat in the corner of the room, a single twin-sized bed leaning against the wall next to it. The other side of the wall was covered with a huge bookshelf, filled with books after books. Dust had accumulated there over time, but the section filled with mystery books remained as clean as ever. A door next to the bookshelf led to the bathroom, where everything was just as orderly.
Only one thing stood out in the room. A white card laid on the desk, decorated with a simple shining sun, a happy smile on its face. Below it read "Happy birthday, nii-chan!"
A wisp of laughter escaped into the room, reverberating through the room as the note was flipped open to be read again. It'd been read about ten times already, and it was still a comforting thing among all the other evils that had happened that day.
Suddenly, a creak at the door shut the room back into silence. Only the sound of a faint, pounding heartbeat could be heard as the silence continued, the intruder not daring to move on.
"Who's there?"
After another moment of silence, the door finally creaked open, revealing a figure shrouded in darkness. The person's face was hidden by the shadows of the room though he or she, whichever it might be, wore dark pants and a black jacket, covering the person from head to toe. Judging from how tall he stood at the door, the intruder was about 5'5'', but it was only an estimate. The person entered the room, advancing as he said, "Hi. Hope I'm not intruding."
"What are you doing here? I told you to leave didn't I?"
The furious snarl seemed to have startled the intruder. He gulped, his mouth quivering slightly almost like he was about to cry. The hood over his head pressed down on his bangs, covering his eyes. The color of them was still fuzzy in the poor light, but it was already clear who the person might be.
"Why do you hate me so much now? the person mumbled, a broken tone in his voice. "You know I was only trying to…"
"We both know very well what you were trying to do. Now please, leave. I don't want to see you in my sight again. You're a disgrace to everyone."
Silence hung low over the room, threatening to burst out into a catastrophe as the person stood there, head hung low, fists clenched.
Just as suddenly, the violence exploded as the bookshelves were hit with a shattering force, books plopping onto the ground one after another. There was a new wet and sticky feeling from behind, making the room lose its original clearness. Without warning, the person struck again, planting a left kick right in the stomach before slamming the bathroom door open with a newfound fury. There was blood on the floor, drips of it falling as the room reverberated with the sound of gushing water and hoarse, desperate coughs.
"W-why?" the voice sounded broken and almost betrayed, questioning the intruder, a person that used to be one of trust.
"You're too unforgiving!" the person snapped. "There's no gray area in your logic. Evil is evil and it can never be justice again. You won't let me prove you wrong. This is your own fault!"
Fatigue seemed to be closing its clutches around the room. Books scattered on the floor, some tainted with splashes of blood. The card had fluttered to the floor, somehow just resting atop of the fallen mountain of knowledge. Just before the sun could shine its rays, it was kicked aside and the dark room melted away into the bright bathroom, the tub filled to the rim with water. Before any protests could be made, there was splash as a hand forced the entry of a white world of water, of pain, of fear.
Every effort of struggle and escape was useless. The attacker was too strong, too powerful. Water entered his lungs, choking him as his blurred, dry eyes caught a glimpse of his own yellow hair, the water slowly turning a deep shade of red. Kicking and splashing around, his attempts grew more feeble, less determined.
"Don't struggle. It's for your own good. Your ideas aren't fit for living in this generation," the person's voice floated through his ears, turning to mesh inside his injured brain. "I don't want to do this either, but you realize it's for your own good, right? This world doesn't have use for someone with such clear goals like you. I'm sparing you from a dark future."
His vision was starting to blur, blending yellow with red as the strain intensified on his lungs, yearning for one word, one breath of air.
Suddenly he pushed out of the water, spluttering, "Wait! You're taking this…!"
His head shot under the water again, the force holding him down tripled in strength. The killer murmured, "I'm not doing anything wrong… It's your fault. You had to put your beliefs before a friend. You brought this upon yourself. You know that, right, Len?"
He'd reached his limit. There was no oxygen, no life left in his weary body. There was no response that he could give to the killer's question, just those last words ringing forever in his words. To drive a friend into the corner only to be killed as a desperate attempt for survival. There were only two words he could respond with.
The water bubbled as he tried to speak, and his apology was lost in the darkening void of blood red water.
Miku shot up into upright position, her breathing heavy as horror and shock filled her. She didn't understand what'd just happened as she clutched her arms tighter to her chest, consumed with the scene she'd just experienced.
Only then did she realize she was sitting on a soft, turquoise couch, covered in a fuzzy pink blanket. She looked around and found that she recognized nothing in her surroundings, but before alarm could take over, a familiar voice said, "So you're finally up."
Miku looked up to see Len hanging over her, floating in midair as he looked down at her. His clear blue was seemed to fill with relief, but for some reason, that didn't make Miku feel better. They reminded her of the scene she'd just witnessed. It made her wonder what those beautiful eyes must have looked like as they took in their final sight. She shook her head, clearing herself from the thought, before asking, "So where are we?"
"IA's house. She helped me when you fainted," Len replied, acting like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Wait… what?" Miku exclaimed, her eyes widening. "How can this IA person see you too?"
"You're not the only one with special abilities," Len sighed, finally lowering himself so that he stood next to Miku's makeshift bed.
"Great point, Len," a cheerful voice said. Miku looked over to see a bright girl with long pink hair, reminding her a little of Luka, but with a much lighter shade. Her hair was braided in some places while a loose shirt revealed her pale skin, almost the color of Len's. She handed Miku a cup of tea, a delicious aroma wafting from it. She smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, Hastune Miku-san! I'm IA, and don't worry, the tea's not poisoned."
Miku almost spat out the mouthful of tea that she'd just drunken, but she carefully swallowed it before thanking IA. She asked, "So what just happened?"
"You don't remember? You suddenly fainted right outside my doorstep. Thank the gods that I can see things like Len. Otherwise, I shudder to think what might've happened to you," IA replied, sitting down on the edge of the sofa.
Miku remembered it a little now. She'd suddenly collapsed after touching Len. She wondered if that was why she'd seen a memory of Len getting killed. But it was strange. How had she been able to see it when Len had no recollection of it himself? Unless he was still hiding something…like the fact that IA should've been able to see him.
"So, Len, mind explaining what other secrets you have hidden up your sleeve?" Miku asked with a smile plastered on her face. Len gave an involuntary shudder. He didn't like the ominous feeling the Miku was giving off.
"Oh, well, did Len tell you I'm a halfie? Half human half spirit," IA suddenly commented, a grin on her face.
Miku's mug almost slipped from her hand, her eyes opening so wide that they reached their limit. It didn't help that Len looked as shocked as she did as he stammered, "W-wait…WHAT?"
IA was turning out to be a very interesting character, Miku silently thought, still half in shock herself as she studied the girl. Little did she know that with this introduction, her case just turned much more complicated.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"So…let me get this straight. You and Len met in a group chat online and decided to form a detective group," Miku stated, her eyebrows raised as she stared at Len and IA. She almost couldn't believe how the two trusted the Internet so much.
"Yep!" IA cheerfully replied, completely oblivious to Miku's stare. "Best thing I never did. But Len! You still haven't explained how you became a ghost! And why didn't you come to visit me sooner?"
"I forgot you said you could see the spiritual world," Len muttered, glancing at IA once in a while as if trying to discreetly study her. He was failing terribly, Miku noted, but it was amusing to watch him try. He continued, "Besides, you never told me you were half spirit."
"I didn't?" IA asked, confused look crossing her face. She thought for a while before replying, "Ah, well, I thought I did. It wasn't that important anyways."
Miku tried her best to refrain from face palming. With the exception of Oliver, Len's trio of detectives seemed to find the most important things as something not even worth mentioning. Seems like she needed a new interrogation technique.
"Well, we were coming over to see you in the first place. Thanks again for taking care of me," Miku said, moving onto a more serious topic.
"No problem! I like getting visitors. But what can I help you with?" IA asked, tilting her head to one side as she stared at Miku with wide blue eyes.
"I'm trying to find out how I died. You wouldn't happen to know, would you?" Len asked, sinking through the chair IA had provided him with. They were seated around a rectangular table, IA on one side, Miku and Len on the other. It was almost like an actual interrogation, if they hadn't been surrounded by pink striped walls, the three windows around the room lined with stuffed animals in all sizes and colors. IA herself was fiddling with the fur of a stuffed cat, its fur a brighter blue than the sky itself.
"Sorry… I wasn't there when they discovered your body, you see," IA apologized as she forced a smile on her face. "I'm supposing you thought of coming here because Oliver told you right? I would've thought that he'd have told you the details."
"Oliver? Why him?" Miku asked, her brows furrowing in concentration. She hadn't had the chance to talk to Oliver much, though thinking back on it, she probably should've stayed to interrogate Oliver more. She blamed her sleep deprivation for that.
"Well, he and Rin were the ones who found Len, I think. That's what he told me at least. Oliver was our mini forensic specialist when we used to be a team. He should've been able to see Len's body before the police came," IA replied like it was natural for something like that to happen. It was almost strange how it was suddenly natural for everyone to talk about Len's death like he was different from his actual body.
Miku's mind fell back to the vision she'd just experienced. That person that had killed Len. Len had known the person, perhaps even trusted whoever had been in that dark attire.
"Miku, is something wrong?" Len asked, waving a hand in front of her face. He seemed slightly on edge, as if he was nervous Miku might suddenly faint again.
"No, it's nothing. I was just wondering about Oliver," Miku absentmindedly said, staring up at the ceiling. Thinking back on it, Oliver had almost seemed hurried as he ushered Miku out the door that morning. He'd hidden it well, but why had he seemed so agitated?
"Wait, you're not suspecting Oliver, are you?" IA gasped, staring at Miku with wide eyes. The blue cat had been forgotten as IA's expression slowly deepened into one of shock.
"Well, I mean, it's a possibility. I can't exclude anyone, friend or foe, from the investigation," Miku truthfully replied. That was one of the first rules she had when she investigated people. She couldn't let emotions get in the way.
"No," Len suddenly burst out. Miku glanced over at him in surprise. His voice was broken and forced, full of disbelief. Miku was about to argue when Len continued, "Oliver wouldn't do that. He's not that kind of person. He wouldn't…he wouldn't kill me…"
"I agree with Len!" IA burst in, leaping to her feet, her hands on the table. "Oliver's a nice person. He doesn't have a reason to commit murder!"
The look on both of their faces suddenly made Miku feel guilty again, something she'd been feeling a lot during her investigation. She made a mental note to not bring up the topic again in front of IA and Len. They seemed very sensitive about having their friend accused of murder, especially when the victim in question was Len.
"Ok, I get it. It was just a theory. Everyone connected to this investigation is a suspect, but that doesn't necessarily mean Oliver is the culprit," Miku tried to explain, attempting to calm down Len and IA.
"Then we just have to prove that he's not involved in the crime, right?" IA exclaimed, plopping back into her seat, a grin on her face. Miku couldn't understand how a person could go from extremely defensive to super happy. Maybe it was a special spirit quality that IA had.
Len nodded and said, "I agree. Isn't that a way for detectives to eliminate suspects?"
"Or are you two just really desperate to prove Oliver innocent?" Miku suggested.
Both looked slightly sheepish but Len managed to say, "Well Oliver's our friend. Of course we'd want to free him of suspicion."
"And if Oliver really ends up as the killer?"
"He isn't the killer."
"I'm not saying he is. I'm just suggesting a scenario. If we were to investigate and find him guilty, what would you do?" Miku calmly said, taking in Len's burning blue eyes, staring fiercely back at her, his eyes glistening even with his face in the shadows.
Finally, Len blinked and lowered his head, tugging at his sleeves in discomfort. Slowly, he replied, "Oliver is innocent, but if you were ever to find anything that suggests otherwise, I'll make sure justice is administered to the criminal, whether he is my friend or enemy."
The room fell into silence, the afternoon sunlight slowly seeping into the room until it fell on Len, making his image shimmer with a mirage of colors, almost like he'd become a glass prism reflecting the colors of the innocent white light. Miku's eyes were fixed on his sparkling body. It was the most beautiful thing Miku had ever seen, almost like a mixture of his determination and his unbreakable ideals. Len was staring right at her, his eyes sparkling like sapphires, cold in essence yet radiating a strange yet heartwarming feeling that caused her stomach to flutter.
Before Miku could feel the blood rush to her cheeks, Len suddenly broke the moment and tartly said, "But Oliver won't be guilty. I'm sure of it."
Miku took another long stare at him, his determined eyes, his clenched jaw. And for once, Miku felt herself give in, her desire to pin Oliver as a suspect slowly diminishing in front of such determination.
"Okay, okay, we can assume Oliver’s not the killer for now, but I’ll still keep him in mind as a suspect just in case. Also, since we're already at it, can you think of anyone else who might want to hurt Len?" Miku asked IA.
"Hmm…but I don't think anyone would actually want to kill Len. He's a good person and he's really nice to everyone," IA replied.
Miku let out a sigh again. That was probably the most difficult part of this investigation: looking for suspects. So far only Oliver was on her list, and even she was beginning to doubt herself about that decision.
"Then let's narrow it down to people Len might know," Miku suggested.
Len's eyes narrowed. "Why is that?"
Miku remembered that she hadn't told them about her vision yet. Slowly and carefully so she wouldn't shock them, she described the scene she'd witnessed of Len's death. She didn't go into detail to avoid most of the trauma, but the shock on both Len and IA's faces were enough.
"Drowned? Len was d-drowned?" IA gasped, her blue cat stuffie falling to the ground with a thud.
"I…I don't understand. Why would the killer want to drown me when he could kill me some other way?" Len stammered, sinking towards the ground like a huge weight had been thrown over his spiritual body, dragging him down to earth.
"I don't know. It might've been something personal. Whoever he was, he was talking about you not forgiving him for something. You think of anyone who might've fit the description?" Miku asked, watching Len closely.
"Of course not, unless…unless you're talking about Piko, of course. But we broke ties a month before I died. He wouldn't just suddenly decide to kill me, would he?" Len muttered, his chin sinking into the collar of his coat, confusion and something that looked like anger clouding his eyes.
Miku remembered her talk with Piko. As disturbed as he may have appeared, Miku didn't think Piko fit into the suspect list, but she put him there anyways. Just in case, she reminded herself. Just in case. Piko had seemed perfectly capable of having the will to kill someone, after all. He'd even had the brains to trick her.
"By the way, where are you guys going after this?" IA asked casually.
"Oh, well, I was thinking of going home to take a rest. A lot of things happened today," Miku said. She glanced over at Len and asked, "What are you going to do?"
"Hmm? Oh, maybe go back and watch over Rin, not that I'd be able to do anything to help," Len replied, recovering from his moment of depression.
"Oh, right," Miku absentmindedly said. She'd almost forgotten Len was a ghost even though she was solving his own murder case. She forgot Len probably didn't have a home to live in the ghost world. It suddenly made her feel guiltier for talking about going home.
"Don't worry about it," Len said, noticing Miku's guilty look. "I usually stand outside the house anyways. It helps to know Rin's safe."
The three of them fell silent for a while as Miku looked for something to say. For some reason, the butterflies in her stomach wouldn't go away, as if something Len had said was disturbing her. Of course he could look over his sister. There was nothing wrong with that. So why was she feeling so…jealous?
Miku shook her head. She would never feel jealous. Len was her client, albeit a strange one, and that was that.
"So, I guess we'll be going then? Unless you have something else to add, IA?" Miku asked, getting to her feet.
"Eh…well, did you guys talk to Gumi yet?" IA asked, bending over to retrieve her stuffed animal.
Miku frowned at the name when she suddenly slapped her forehead. She'd completely forgotten about Len and Rin's neighbor. She guessed she'd been too occupied with the thought that Len might've committed suicide at the time. She sighed, "I guess I'll do that tomorrow. I'm completely beat today. Is there something Gumi might know?"
"Maybe. She's pretty close to the Kagamine's after all. She might have noticed if Len was up to something on the day his death," IA replied, exchanging a glance with Len. "She remembers little details that most people might not care about. We would've invited her to join if we hadn't been afraid of her blurting it out to Rin."
"Rin, huh? Is she really that scary?" Miku asked, thinking back to the laid back, cheerful girl she'd met that morning.
"Very. She almost ran Oliver over with our roadroller the day we first met him. Rin thought he was some freak monster or something," Len shuddered at the memory. He paused for a moment before quickly adding, "Now it's just something we used to joke about, of course."
Miku felt a dry smile appear on her face. She made a mental note to self to never scare Rin.
"Oh right, here's something you might like," IA said, suddenly bouncing into the kitchen and retrieving two packets of something that looked extremely like tea. She handed one pack to Miku and said, "It helps you stay awake so if you're ever tired, chew on some of it. You know, so you don't miss anything important in the investigation. I really hope you solve Len's case!"
"Thanks," Miku replied, tucking the packet into her pocket. It was a strange surprise to her to have a stranger she'd just met not even an hour ago give her something as a gift. She could already see her needing the gift in future days, supposing that Len made her get up early again.
"And this, is for you," IA said, holding out the other packet to Len.
Len stared at her, his eyebrows raised, before asking, "And how am I supposed to use it?"
"It's something magical I created the other day. Helps you gain a material body if you hang it around your neck. Plus you can touch it. See?" IA demonstrated, setting the packet in Len's wary hand. It stayed there, even after IA let go of the packet, much to Len and Miku's shock.
"T-thanks, IA. I…I don't know what to say," Len mumbled, staring at the black pouch in his hand.
"Don't thank me. I just felt you might need it someday, maybe for a prank, I don't know. It only makes you materialize if it's around your neck, so don't forget that. Don't ask me how I know that, though," IA grinned as she walked them to the door. "Come visit again if you want! I love visitors!"
"Sure thing," Miku smiled back as they left and entered the now busy streets. Far away, a church bell tolled once, making Miku narrow her eyes in confusion. She asked Len, "How long was I out?"
"Hmm? About an hour maybe," Len replied, keeping close to Miku and yet careful not to touch her. Miku guessed that he was afraid she might faint again.
"Don't feel bad about what happened back there," Miku said. "Besides, we got a new lead too."
"Yeah, I guess," Len mumbled, unconvinced.
They reached an intersection. Miku glanced over to see a bus station that would take her home. She said, "Well, see you tomorrow?"
"Same time, same place," Len said, nodding. "Do you think you could—"
"Miku!" someone shouted, barreling into her with such a force that she tumbled back. She grumbled at the sight of Kaito's blue hair as he patted her head.
"Where were you today?" Luka asked from behind them. "You disappeared quite early."
"Yeah, well no thanks to you, I have a case on my hands," Miku sighed, wrestling herself from Kaito's grip.
"Ooh, cool. What's it about?" Kaito asked in an interested tone as the three set off for the bus station.
"A murder case. The victim was a teenager named Kagamine Len," Miku said, deciding it wouldn't hurt to reveal that much. She already had a lie prepared if they were to ask how she came across the case.
Luka and Miku kept walking when they realized Kaito had frozen in his tracks, staring back at Miku.
"Hey, something wrong?" Miku asked. Luka snickered, "Did all that ice cream finally freeze your brain, you idiot?"
Kaito snapped out of his trance and caught up with them. He muttered, "Nah, it's nothing." Before Miku could send him a questioning glance, he exclaimed, "So who's ready for some ice cream?"
Miku sighed as he dragged the two of them into the nearest ice cream parlor, their original destination forgotten. She suddenly remembered that Len had been about to say something to her. She looked for his figure but found he had disappeared.
Miku's sigh grew heavier. Today is going to be one painfully long day, she decided. The ice cream parlor door shut behind her just as she snuck one piece of the herb IA had given her into her mouth, waiting as Luka and Kaito finished arguing with a tired smile on her face.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The next day Miku awoke to find the sky clogged with dark clouds. It was around eight in the morning, so Miku didn't know if Len would still be waiting in the same place as yesterday, not that they'd specifically arranged a meeting time. She had that ice cream blockhead to thank for that.She recalled Kaito's reaction when she had said the name Kagamine Len. Definitely suspicious behavior, but she'd have to figure out their relationship first. Her goal right now though was to meet up with Len and figure out if she needed an umbrella or not. She ended up grabbing a clear umbrella from the front hall before she started to head out."Hey Miku! You going somewhere?"Miku glanced back to see Luka running up to catch up with her, almost tripping on the steps. She replied, "Uh, yeah. Do you need something, Luka?""Not really. You've been getting up real early. Who's this client of yours? You need your sleep!" Luka stated, putting her hands on her hips."I have the obligation to keep my client's information a secret," Miku snickered. Luka was always trying her best to take care of Miku. That was probably why they were the closest of friends. "Besides, it's not that early. You're up, aren't you?"Luka pouted. It was well known in the agency that Luka was the latest riser out of all the detectives living there. She sighed and said, "Okay, okay. Just don't come back so late. We're having the festival here tonight, so get back by four, got it?""No prob. Anything else you wanna add?""Oh, well, I was wondering, since he's not in his room, but have you seen Kaito?" Luka asked, glancing back upstairs where the dorms were."No, I haven't. That's strange. He usually never gets up without making a huge racket," Miku commented, following Luka's gaze. Luka finally let her go so Miku waved goodbye and left the agency, turning into the gray streets.She hadn't walked far from the agency when someone hissed, "Oi, Miku!"She glanced into the alleyway near the building. She caught a glimpse of dark blue hair and sighed before joining Kaito. Miku asked, "Something wrong?""What? Oh, no, just…I wanted to ask you something," Kaito hastily replied, glancing around as if nervous."Something we can't decide in front of the others?" Miku asked, raising her eyebrows. Kaito usually never kept secrets. This was definitely something new."Kinda…you'll keep this a secret, right?" Kaito asked."Depends what you say, but yeah, I will," Miku agreed, leaning back on the wall facing Kaito."It's…it's about the case you were talking about. The one with Kagamine Len. I…I have something to ask you."His reply took Miku by surprise. The mood was so serious that it almost made her uncomfortable. She asked, "You didn't do anything wrong, did you?""No, of course not," Kaito quickly said. "I just wanted to know how you came across the case?"Miku studied Kaito long and hard before replying, "Sorry, Kaito. I can't say, but a friend asked me to look into it, if it helps.""Oh, I see…" Kaito trailed off, looking back out at the street.Miku took her chance and asked, "Mind if I ask your relation to Kagamine Len?""He paid for my ice cream once," Kaito replied almost immediately. His words were so smooth that Miku couldn't tell if it was the truth or just a well-practiced lie."I see. Well, do you need me to do something for you?" Miku offered, hoping to coax anything else out of Kaito."Ice cream?" Kaito asked, his voice sounding hopeful.Miku hit him in the head with her umbrella, glowering at Kaito. She grumbled, "So is that the reason why you called me here? To somehow convince me to get you ice cream?""What? It didn't work?" Kaito whimpered, clutching his head though a grin was on his face.Miku couldn't help but smile back. Kaito was older than her and yet there were times when he acted like a five year old. She sighed let Kaito follow her into the nearest fast food restaurant. She got a sandwich to go and let Kaito mope around with his ice cream cone before setting off again to meet Len.As she rode the bus, she thought back to the scene in the alley. She'd never seen Kaito so serious before. In the end she still didn't understand just what Kaito had wanted to know back there. As much as she'd like to believe it, Miku knew it was something other than ice cream.She sighed and let her thoughts swirl around in her brain as she absentmindedly ate her breakfast. The answer was out there. If she could just find the point where they all connected, Miku was sure she could find the answer.If only her suspects and victim weren't so vague… Miku silently complained to herself, staring out the window. She was glad she'd brought her umbrella. Already, rain was starting to pour, rushing down from the dark skies like some ominous sign from above. Len had been waiting outside his house for a whole hour, and he was not happy. Just where was Hatsune Miku? He would've left a long time ago had he not been a ghost needing Miku's help.It didn't help his temper that the clouds above looked like it would rain in any moment. He'd never been in a storm as a ghost yet, so he wasn't sure what would happen. His last resort, of course, would be to duck into his home before anything bad could happen.Still bored, Len took out the small pouch IA had given him yesterday. It was a nice design on the outside, with just enough string attached to it to throw over his neck. That morning he'd even tried to use it. He'd actually managed to open the door to the café that he, IA and Oliver used to go together, where a cashier actually asked him for his order like he hadn't died at all. Luckily he'd had a little change on him, just enough so that he wouldn't have to leave empty handed. Food had never tasted so good. It was like the pouch granted him temporary reincarnation.Len didn't dare to wear it out here in the neighborhood though. He didn't think well of the idea of scaring Rin, Oliver, or Gumi with his sudden appearance, even though he was supposedly dead.The rain suddenly started to fall with a huge rush, pounding onto the pavement. As he thought, the rain just fell through him, but with every drop, he suddenly felt a strange chill run through him.Len remembered what Miku had said yesterday at IA's. She'd seen Len drown in a bathtub, killed by someone he obviously once trusted before something happened. The feeling of water running through him made Len nauseous. Afraid something wrong might happen. Len flew through the walls of his home, only to crash into Rin, who was looking out the window.Rin suddenly shivered, taking a step back into the hall. Oliver called out from the kitchen, "Hey, Rin, you okay?""Yeah, I'm fine," Rin replied. "It's just that, for a second, I thought I could feel Len standing in here, somewhere."Oliver, who had been coming out of the kitchen with a soupspoon in his hand, suddenly froze in his tracks, his right eye widening in surprise. Len watched as he quickly regained his natural smile. He herded Rin towards the kitchen as he hastily said, "Don't think too much about it. You were probably hungry, that's what."As Rin let out a cheer when she saw breakfast, Len studied Oliver, the grin still plastered on his face. It was nice to know Oliver was doing his best to help Rin get over Len's death, but there was something strange about Oliver.Miku's words rang in his head again. "And if Oliver really ends up as the killer?" she had asked. Len felt his fists clench together. He knew he could prove Oliver's innocence. Len knew Oliver would never kill him, no matter what happened.If only Len could find out just what was wrong…
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
By the time Miku finally arrived in the neighborhood, the rain had finally stopped, giving up and letting the sun emerge through the clouds. She stretched her arms and let out a yawn. The ride had been longer than she'd remembered.She looked around for Len. Not seeing him, Miku wondered if he had gone back on his word. Or maybe he got bored of waiting for her. Miku glanced at her watch. It was almost nine. Knowing Len, he'd probably been waiting here since the crack of dawn with nothing better to do.Somehow, Miku felt disappointed. She'd been almost anticipating Len to accompany her to Gumi's house. Even if Gumi couldn't see Len, his presence was somewhat reassuring, not to mention he could provide her with details.With a sigh, Miku headed towards Gumi's home. It was a small one-story house, the front yard neatly covered in flowerbeds and grass. Miku made her way among the path, avoiding the tiny statues that stood there, their eyes looking like they were following Miku's every move. Boy, she really wished Len was there with her.She knocked on the green, wooden door three times before it swung open. A green haired girl was in the doorway, a pair of goggles over her eyes, dressed in jeans and a tank top. The girl pushed her goggles back onto her forehead with gloved hands before asking, "Can I help you?""Hi, I'm Hatsune Miku. I heard you were an acquaintance of Kagamine Len?"The girl blinked twice before replying, "Oh, hello. I'm guessing you're here investigating Len's death?""Yeah. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Miku asked."Yeah, sure. Come on in," she said, stepping aside to let Miku into her home. "I'm Gumi by the way, though I'm sure you already knew that.""You have a nice home," Miku commented, looking around. It was a small cozy place, the walls painted with a forest green color that calmed Miku."Yeah. The Kagamines helped me move in a few years back. I make things for a living, you see," Gumi replied, leading Miku over to a small kitchen table. "So, you wanted to know something about Len?""Ah, well, first things first. Could you tell me what you did on the day of his death?" Miku asked."I'm a suspect too, huh?" Gumi stated, an amused smile on her face. "Okay, then. May 1st, right?"She turned around and fumbled through a bookshelf behind her. She grabbed something that looked like a diary and thumbed through it before replying, "Well, I woke up at 6:50 in the morning as usual and was working in the backyard. For proof, you can ask the neighbors. I make a racket, but since I do make lots of their utilities and stuff, they don't usually complain. Then I went out for lunch since my fridge was empty. Oh, so that's where I saw Len I guess.""Where did you see him?""Garden Café, this small place out of town. He was with Oliver and this pink haired girl I hadn't seen before. I was sitting about two tables away in a hoodie, so they probably didn't notice me.""Could you hear them?" Miku asked, hoping she wasn't pressing the issue.Gumi grinned and pointed to her ears. She said, "I have the best ears in the world. I didn't mean to eavesdrop of course, but I couldn't help it. I'm guessing you already know about Len's little detective group, right?""Yeah," Miku replied, studying the girl. She could sort of understand how IA thought talking to Gumi would be helpful. Her perceptions and senses were really good."Anyways, they were talking about boring stuff. The recent case you solved that appeared in the newspaper, their ideas of how to solve their own case. Though I have to say, Len was acting a bit quiet.""Really? What's he usually like?""Loud," Gumi said, stressing the word. "He was always bursting with ideas. I think the kidnapping sorta sobered him up a bit, but otherwise he was fine.""You've known him for a long time?" Miku asked."I guess. Rin and I are best of buddies, so I saw him and Oliver a lot too. I think Rin's had it hard with Len's death. She tries really hard not to show it, but I think something broke inside her when Len died. I wish I could help her, but I'm only good with mechanics," Gumi said with a sigh."I see… Well, did anything else happen at the café?" Miku asked. She remembered Rin's reactions during her interrogation. Maybe she ought to go check on her after leaving Gumi's house."Oh, now that you speak of it. Really bad stuff happened," Gumi said, shivering."Bad stuff?" Miku repeated.Gumi nodded and replied, "The pink haired girl left after a while, saying she had something to do. Len and Oliver stayed there was a while before the blue haired dude joined them.""Blue hair?" Miku asked, her eyebrows furrowing. A picture of Kaito's silly face appeared in her hair, but it had to be a coincidence, right?""Yep. I don't know his name, but he visits the Kagamines sometimes. They were whispering about something, and Len's face was so serious, I had to blink twice to make sure it was him.""What were they talking about?" Miku asked."Sorry. Even my ears couldn't pick that up," Gumi said apologetically, twirling a strand of green hair."Then how did you know it was bad stuff?" Miku asked."Ah, well…I was watching them, you know. Len had a really solemn look on his face. He was whispering something to the person who joined them, who had this contained but upset look on his face. I was just finishing my smoothie when the really bad stuff happened," Gumi said at her own pace. Miku waited patiently for her to continue. Gumi leaned forward on the table with her hands crossed. She said, "That's when Oliver jumped out of his seat. I hadn't been watching him really, but he had this really angry and almost horrified look on his face. He shouted something about Len being crazy and called him a stupid bastard. First time I ever saw Oliver lose his cool. Len didn't even look at Oliver when he stormed out. The other one got up after Oliver and left Len in the café."Miku stared at Gumi, trying to process it all. Oliver hadn't mentioned any of that except for the part about meeting IA and Len at the café. She asked, "What happened after that?""Nothing really," Gumi shrugged. "Len paid for the lunch, including the other guy's huge sundae. I'm guessing Len had his reasons for meeting with everyone, though he didn't look too happy when he left the café."Oliver's outburst. The mystery person with the huge sundae. A sinking feeling in heart, Miku tentatively asked, "Did this person wear a blue scarf by the way?"Gumi looked surprised. She answered, "How did you know? He was also wearing this white coat even though it was really warm. Do you know him?"Miku gave a timid smile and stood up. She said, "No, it's nothing. Thanks a lot for your time.""Oh, no problem. Come back if you ever need more help or info," Gumi replied, looking slightly confused. She accompanied Miku to the door, where Miku left the house and back outside. The air was strangely cold, as if the storm was threatening to return.Miku was walking towards Rin's house now. Just as she was halfway there, Miku suddenly muttered, "Kaito, you goddamn lying bastard."And she punched his number into her phone and waited for him to pick up. He had a question too many to answer.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Kaito had been watching a mystery drama on TV, eating straight out of a tub of ice cream, when his phone started ringing. He glanced over, slightly annoyed. The show had just been about to expose the killer. Such good timing.The caller was Miku. Kaito sighed. He knew she'd probably call him sooner or later. He let the phone ring until it fell silent. A few moments later, it started ringing again. This time, when it fell silent, he heard his phone switch to voicemail and Miku's voice furiously hissed, "Kaito you idiot! I know you're there so pick up the phone!"He sighed. He knew it had to be about Kagamine Len, but he would've loved to talk about anything but that. When the phone rang a fourth time, Kaito gave in. He picked up the phone and began the biggest scheme of his life. "Kaito!" Miku shouted the moment the call went through.There was a long pause, like Kaito was recovering from the attack on his ears. Finally, he lazily asked, "Yes, Miku?""Don't give me yes! You have a lot of explaining to do!" Miku exclaimed.Another pause. Kaito asked, "About what?""What did you do on May 1st?""Sa… who knows?" came Kaito's vague reply. Miku wanted to strangle him."Fine then. I'm asking you for the last time, but what the hell is your relationship with Len?" Miku growled, frustrated. The wind was picking up as she stood there in front of the Kagamine residence. She was going to deal with Kaito and then face Oliver. She was done with vague answers. She was going to have both Kaito and Oliver spit out everything they knew about the day of Len's death."Oh, you mean Kagamine Len, right?" Kaito asked back."Yes. And don't give me the stupid 'he bought me ice cream' crap. I know very well you met him and Oliver on the day he died. You've been to their house. So what is your relationship?" Miku demanded, hoping her directness was enough to make Kaito stop beating around the bush.Kaito was silent again, and Miku was reaching the end of her patience. Just before she could throw some other insult at Kaito, he suddenly said in a quiet voice, "So you've found out a lot, huh?""Yes, I did. So can you please tell me what you have to do with Len now?" Miku stressed, exasperated.Kaito sighed on the other end of the phone. He replied in a completely serious tone, "Okay, fine. I really didn't want to say this, but… I'm his dad."Miku froze on the sidewalk, staring straight in front of her, her eyes narrowing in shock. Her mind was racing like crazy when she caught a chuckle from Kaito's end of the phone. She shouted, "That wasn't funny, you lying bastard!"Kaito burst into a hearty laughter. Miku could already imagine him wiping tears from his eyes as he cracked up. He laughed, "You actually took that seriously!" Another burst of laughter before, "Seriously, you think I'm old enough?"Miku fell silent. It was true. She'd been stupid to take Kaito seriously, not to mention he himself was only some four, five years older than her. Definitely not old enough to be Len's dad."Well, I wasn't exactly joking," Kaito said, returning to his serious tone. "You could say I was his guardian."Somehow that didn't sound as mind-blowing now that Kaito had already shocked her. It was plausible, now that she thought about it. She remembered Kaito was twenty something already, old enough to be a legal guardian, especially since the Kagamines' parents were apparently overseas. She continued, "So you have anything to add after that?""Eh, we were family friends, so I've known the two since I was a kid I guess," Kaito replied."Then why didn't you say anything about Len's death?" Miku asked.Kaito fell silent again. Slowly, he replied, "Sorry I didn't want to talk about it much. I guess I just didn't want to bother you guys about it."Another vague response. Normally Kaito would tell the agency everything, though he was mostly complaining about a lack of ice cream. Miku sighed and decided to move to the more pressing issue. She asked, "Then what were you doing on May 1st?"Another extremely long pause. Miku wasn't sure if she should grind her teeth together out of frustration or just order Kaito to spit everything out. Neither seemed to be very helpful. Kaito eventually said, "I met with Len in a café. We talked about stuff and then I left.""And what did you talk about?" Miku led on. Kaito was being strangely difficult today. Then again, he wasn't even acting like himself."Do I really have to tell you?" Kaito whined, letting out a long sigh."Yes you should. I got you ice cream in the morning, remember?" Miku sighed."But soft serve doesn't taste great!" Kaito complained, a loud thump coming from the other end of the phone like he'd plopped onto a couch."Are you going to tell me or not?" Miku said through her teeth. She really didn't have the patience for Kaito's whining now. She glanced up at the clouds above her. They were slowly advancing towards the area, dark and stormy. She didn't want to have to finish her call inside the Kagamine's house.Kaito let out another long sigh and said, "Okay, fine… Len was in a bad mood, that's all. Not sure what happened, but he was accusing us of stuff, and I guess Oliver finally cracked. You think they managed to reconcile?"Miku let the question hang in the air. She wondered how horrible it might be for Oliver, supposing he wasn't the killer, if he had never gotten the chance to make up with his friend. Miku replied, "I hope they did.""Yeah, same. So now can I go?" Kaito asked. "I still really don't wanna talk about it.""You know how much more helpful you could've been if you had said this from the start?" Miku accused with a sigh."You know what, Miku?" Kaito suddenly said."What?""Maybe you should drop the case," Kaito suggested.Miku stared at her phone. Kaito? Telling her to drop a case? She snorted and said, "Seriously, has your brain frozen from all that ice cream you eat?""No, Miku. I'm serious. There's only bad things from here on out. It's better if you let Len rest in peace," Kaito replied, dead serious.Miku snapped, "And what if Len really didn't commit suicide? Don't you think he'd feel more at peace if his killer was exposed?""How would you know that that's what he wants? You didn't even know him!" Kaito defended. Miku had never heard him so agitated before, but that only irritated her even more."You know what, Kaito? You're sounding really suspicious to me, and I hope you know that!" Miku snarled. "You think I don't know Len? Well guess who was that imaginary friend I was talking to the other day? Len was the one who told me to solve his case, and I'll make sure I deliver justice to the murderer who killed him, even if that person is you!"With that, she snapped her phone shut and stormed over to Len's house, steam coming out of her ears. Only when she was knocking furiously on the front door did she realize her big mistake. Just how was she going to make that up with Kaito now? Kaito sighed as the buzzing reached his ears. He shut off his phone and collapsed on the couch. Miku and her hot temper. They really seemed to get the best of him most times.He reached for his ice cream when he realized it had all melted. A good half a tub of ice cream. It wasn't even that warm in the room. With a sigh, he dropped it into the trash. A familiar soundtrack drifted into his ears. Horrified, Kaito snapped his eyes towards the TV. The show had already ended, the ending song playing its usual melancholy tune. He'd been so absorbed in his conversation with Miku that he hadn't even noticed that the show had already uncovered the killer. Now he'd probably never know, though it might've been a good thing for him. The main character had been really suspicious, and Kaito really hoped he wasn't the killer. Still, after thinking about, Kaito really wished he knew who the culprit was.Letting out a dejected whine, Kaito fell back on the couch, staring up at the white ceiling. A loud boom echoed outside, signaling the return of the storm.Today was going to be just great, Kaito thought to himself as he let out a huge yawn. It was about time he got back to work.
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Rin was the one who answered the door. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Miku as she exclaimed, "Oh hi! How are you doing?""I'm great," Miku lied, putting on a smile. She would've been much better, if Kaito hadn't just ruined her day. She just hoped Oliver would do better."I was just about to make lunch," Rin said. "Wanna stay for a while? There's a storm coming this way after all."Miku thanked her and went in. The house was warm and bright compared to the stormy weather that was closing in on the house outside. In the corner of her eye, she saw Len in the corner, staring out the window. Rin went off to the kitchen to finish making lunch. Miku took the chance and ducked into the living room."How's it going?" Miku asked, startling Len out of his thoughts."Oh, I thought you were still outside," Len replied, turning to face Miku."You were watching me?" Miku asked. She was sure that if Len had been standing there the whole time, he must have seen her little outburst. Not exactly what she had planned."Yeah. You were talking to someone. Who was it?" Len asked, drifting off towards the hallway."Kaito. Is it true that he's your guardian?" Miku tartly asked Len's retreating figure.He froze, his bangs gently brushing forward from the momentum. Slowly he turned around, looking wary. He asked, "What does Kaito have to do with this?""Apparently you and Oliver met up with him on the day you died. He said you were accusing him and Oliver of things. Do you know why you would do such a thing?"Len was silent, his bangs casting a shadow over his eyes. He took a breath and said, "Kaito, he's always been nice to Rin and me. I got so much help from him, but I didn't see him at all for a month before I died. I don't know why I'd suddenly meet with him… unless…""Unless what?" Miku pressed on, her eyes trained on Len's suddenly serious expression.He met her eyes, a new fire sparkling in them. He replied, "I was investigating a case before I died. A woman named Sakine Meiko had been found dead in her home in mid April. She was in her early twenties, supporting her younger sister through a waiting job at a café. Apparently, she'd fallen from the stairs and hit her head, resulting in her death. It was labeled as an accident at first, but Meiko's cousin came to us asking to investigate. She said a man had visited Meiko and there had been a fight just as the cousin left to send Meiko's sister to school. She didn't remember anything about the man except that he smelled like vanilla, but we promised to look into it for her. IA managed to collect a ton of information for us while Oliver snuck into the police station to sneak a look at her body to check for foul play, since he is our forensic after all.""Wait, Oliver did what?" Miku hissed, her eyes widening."Um, is there something wrong?" Oliver asked, poking his head out of a different room, causing Miku to jump in surprise.She stammered, "Oh, well no, I was just thinking to myself.""I see. Rin's taking a long time, don't you think? With the food, I mean," Oliver said, glancing over at the kitchen, where the sound of clattering pots and pans still reverberated across the tiled walls."Should we go help her?" Miku asked, cringing as an especially loud crash sounded from the kitchen."No worries. Rin's usually like that. Though, I mean, normally you can't even hear such a racket with the amount of doors between here and the kitchen. Today she said she thought she felt Len's presence in the morning. I think she's sort of on edge right now," Oliver explained, though he was casting anxious glances over at the kitchen. Miku nodded silently as Len flew next to them to listen."Oh right, have you made any progress with Len's case?" Oliver asked, emerging from his thoughts."Um, yeah. Gumi told me you got into a fight with Len?" Miku replied, hoping Oliver wouldn't burst or something.Oliver looked blinked a few times, his eyes narrowing, but otherwise, his face remained composed. He said, "Oh, yeah, sorry, I, uh well, I guess I can't say I forgot to tell you about it, can I now? I wouldn't kill Len for that though, if that's what you were thinking.""Well, no, actually. I also learned that you guys were working on some murder case," Miku stated, deciding to get to the point. Since Oliver had cut into Len's explanation, he might as well finish it. "So did you actually sneak into the morgue?""Gah, IA, she told you, didn't she?" Oliver lamented, massaging his forehead. "I'm not going to get in trouble, am I?""No, not as long as I don't tell the police. IA didn't tell me the rest though. What happened?" Miku questioned, playing along.Oliver's face turned hard and serious. He sighed and said, "Well, after examining the body, I agreed with the police. It was just an accident. Only her head had been hit, no struggle or anything. I tried to reason with Len, saying that even if the man had been present at the accident, I could understand why he didn't wish to be a witness. The police would probably just end up pointing fingers at the innocent man.""And I'm guessing from your tone that Len objected?"Oliver nodded. "He said the truth still had to be known. To him, it was still a crime that the man would leave Meiko there on her own rather than report it to the police and try to get help. I had to play along, but, well, just look at how that turned out.""What do you mean?" Miku asked, confused.A sullen look appeared on Oliver's face. He muttered, "Len dragged me to the café that day. We chatted with IA before she left to catch fireflies or something for something she was making. That's when Kaito came. Len said he'd asked Kaito to come. I thought it was just for some friendly talk, you know, like "Long time no see" and stuff."The kitchen was strangely silent now, as if even Rin knew to stop making noise, dragging on the silence to a bursting point. Miku waited patiently as Oliver collected his thoughts. Len fidgeted somewhat uncomfortably in the air.Finally Oliver continued, "Len, he didn't meet with Kaito to do anything of the sort. He just sat there and asked Kaito why he left Meiko like that. Straight to the point."Miku stared at Oliver for quite a while before glancing at Len's somewhat guilty looking face. She tried to think of something to say, but her mind failed her. Kaito had been involved in a person's death. It just seemed to too unreal for her, remembering Kaito's cheerful, childlike personality. To think he would hide such a terrible accident behind all that was just unthinkable."Why did he think Kaito was involved?" Miku asked, finally collecting one sentence to ask."Len said he caught Kaito visiting her grave, apologizing for being a coward or something. I agreed that it made sense, since Kaito does smell like vanilla when he just finishes his ice cream, but I… I couldn't take how Len was being so cold, almost like he was blaming Kaito. He's a good person. He might be a detective like you, Miku, but he probably was too shocked to do anything other than run away. Wouldn't you think so too?" Oliver asked, his intense eyes questioning Miku.Miku was silent. It was still hard to digest the fact that Kaito had been involved with someone else's death, but Kaito wasn't exactly the most chivalrous detective she knew either. It was understandable that he'd run away, but shouldn't he have at least said something about the accident? It suddenly made sense, why Kaito wanted Miku to drop the case. He must've not wanted to Miku to come across his own little secret."But the accident, it really was just an accident, correct?" Miku wanted to reaffirm.Oliver firmly nodded. "Besides, don't you find the cousin more suspicious? How can you remember nothing but a scent of vanilla when someone comes to your house? She was the one who found Meiko, too.""So are you trying to say this cousin was trying to set Kaito up?" Miku asked, her brows furrowing. Lightning flashed outside, the torrent of the storm finally starting up. She sent Len a questioning look, wondering if he remembered any of this. His face was clouded with confusion. Miku knew Len must be desperately searching his mind for answers."I don't know," Oliver shrugged. "I might be overthinking things."Another long pause."You don't think Kaito would hate Len for this, would you?" Miku suddenly asked Oliver, dragging him out of his silence.Oliver looked slightly startled. He stammered, "O-of course not! Kaito would never do something like that!"The distressed tone in his voice sent alarms going off Miku's brain. She couldn't convince herself that Oliver was telling the truth. Maybe she really ought to toughen up and question Kaito about his innocence in Len's case. At least Oliver didn't look suspicious anymore. She wondered if Len was happy about that."By the way, what was Kaito's relationship with Meiko?" Miku asked. She knew her chances of getting the answer out of Kaito was slim, so she decided to test her luck with Oliver.He fell silent again before replying, "I'm sorry. I met with Kaito once after Len's death. It was in the graveyard. He was visiting both Len and Meiko, so I asked him about Meiko. He told me he'd only tell if I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone, even in the face of death. I take my promises really seriously.""Don't worry about then," Miku said, letting the issue slide. It was just something to satisfy her own curiosity for the moment. She wasn't dying to pry into Kaito's personal business, unless he was still hiding something. She added, "By the way, what was Meiko's cousin's name?""Oh, I think her name was Meg—"A bloodcurdling scream cut right through his sentence, shooting alarm right through Miku's spine, coming right from the kitchen."Rin!" Len shouted, flying straight towards the kitchen, the alarm and fear clearly visible on his face. Oliver was a step behind, swinging open doors and stumbling through the halls, Miku racing after him. Len's desperate cries were ringing in her ears even after they reached the kitchen. The sight made Miku's heart feel like stone.The glass doors that led to the porch had been shattered, the wind and rain all raging outside with a renewed fury. Rin was gone, the only sign of her was a thin trail of blood leading outside, a cracked plate lying on the floor. Len was looking around furiously, trying to find something that might help his sister. Miku, despite the horror, managed to wonder if Len was somehow unable to touch water."How could this happen?" Oliver gasped, staggering back to lean on the wall."Who would do this? Can you think of anyone?" Miku hurriedly asked, trying to assess the situation. The abductor couldn't have gone far. She cursed herself for not checking on Rin earlier."I don't know! How could I let this happen! I promised Len! I promised to keep Rin safe! What am I going to do now?" Oliver cried. He was clearly close to breaking down from all the emotions that had slowly piled up on him."Oliver, it's okay! Len won't blame you for this. I know he won't!" Miku said, clutching Oliver's thin shoulders to calm him down."How do you know?" Oliver snapped, tears starting to brim his right eye."Because I'm right here."Miku spun around to see Len standing there, his feet firmly planted on the ground. The colors of his skin and hair suddenly looked solid, no longer having the misty appearance that he used to be, the small flowered pouch hanging over his neck. Miku stepped back away from Oliver unconsciously as Len approached from the other side."L-Len…how?" Oliver stammered, words failing him."That's not important. I'm not angry with you. Just tell us everything you know. We have to find Rin, and fast!" Len said in a demanding voice that Miku had never heard before. His fierce eyes burned with a determination even stronger then when he had been nothing but a ghost, so piercing that even Miku suddenly felt obliged to listen to whatever Len had to say."I…" Oliver gulped hard and his stare refocused on Len. "There's only one person who might do this. It had to be—"A loud bang exploded in Miku's ears, devouring Oliver's sentence. She and Len watched in horror as Oliver suddenly gasped, a pool of red flowering over his stomach, staining his white shirt. He collapsed to the ground just as Miku ran to the back door, trying to see something, anything in the dark, from where the shot had been fired.She could've sworn she saw a glimpse of silvery white hair shimmer through the storm before vanishing. Miku exchanged a glance with Len, who was desperately trying to help Oliver. A desolate look in his eyes, he shouted, "Just hurry and go!"Miku nodded and leapt out of the broken glass, straight into the raging storm. A quick look around found the culprit racing through the backyard, towards the main street. Miku leapt off the porch, ignoring the pain in her legs as she chased after him, pushing through the rain.Utatane Piko was not going to escape. She swore it on her life.
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Len had already called the ambulance, almost tripping on his way to the only phone in the house. He hadn't felt this scared before, not since he'd died. They had said five minutes. Five minutes to decide Oliver's life or death.Was five minutes even enough? Len mentally banged his head on the wall. Of course it was. He had to believe it was.Oliver was slumped over next to the wall, his head hanging slightly down against his chest. Len glanced anxiously at the makeshift bandage he'd made from wrapping the blankets he'd grabbed from the couch. He'd tried using his coat, but apparently it had the same ghostlike attributes as he did once it left his body. Even the blanket, wound tightly around Oliver's stomach, was starting to show blotches of red."Hey, Oliver, can you hear me?" Len asked quietly, not wanting to jerk Oliver from wherever he was.Oliver's right eye blinked once, his fingers twitching. A groan escaped from the back of his throat as he tried to lift his head."It's okay. Don't move too much. Just stay with me, okay, Oliver?" Len said, helping Oliver position his head back so it was leaning against the wall."Rin…" Oliver muttered, his face contorting in pain. "You're not…angry?"Len stared at his best friend for a good long moment. Was Oliver really worried about his promise to him, the one Len had overheard as Oliver made that solemn oath over his grave? Len applied some more pressure on the wound, hoping it would be some help, his other hand on Oliver's shoulder to steady him. He replied, "Of course I'm not. Just focus on staying alive, okay? Then we can go catch the bastard who took Rin, together."Oliver's lips twitched upwards slightly, like he was attempting to smile. He mumbled, "You're always so nice.""I'm not. I got myself killed. I know that must've been my fault, and now I've caused all of you so much trouble. This is the least I can do," Len defended himself. He had caused enough harm to everyone. It was just a feeling, but Rin must have gotten abducted because of something involving him. Oliver had probably been shot for the same reason. He'd probably hurt Kaito by accusing him the day of his death, even though he was clearly still coping with Meiko's death. IA and Gumi, while they hadn't been the best of buds, he couldn't help wondering what they must have felt. And then there was Piko. From Miku's recent encounter with him, Len was too afraid to wonder if his death had triggered another of Piko's "killing sprees." He was anything but nice."Not true," Oliver replied, a hint of laughter in his voice. "Rin would be happy… to see you."Len didn't reply. Oliver's skin was looking really pale by now, though the blood loss had somewhat slowed. Len left momentarily to get a blanket, throwing it over Oliver's body."About Rin…" Oliver trailed off, his eyes looking ahead now, somewhat unfocused."Did something happen?" Len asked, suddenly afraid he was going to say something that revealed his worst fears."Piko…she knows…" Oliver mumbled, his voice hollow."Don't talk, Oliver. Just relax. The medics will be here soon," Len suggested, trying to keep Oliver with him, though part of him was feeling frantic. If Rin had known about Piko, why hadn't she said anything at all?"Oliver muttered something under his breath, so faint that Len almost wondered if he had misheard him. His heart sank like a stone as the words entered his brain, registering for the first and final time."I see," Len mumbled. "Well, it's Rin's decision. Not that I can do anything about it."Something resembling a chuckle escaped from Oliver. He said, "You and Miku…you work well together too.""W-what? Where's that from?" Len stammered, heat flushing to his face."You've learned so much about this case together," Oliver replied. "You guys would've made a great pair if you were alive, Len. I know it."A shadow seemed to fall over Len's eyes. His hands clenched tightly together for a moment before they relaxed. He muttered, "Maybe if I was alive, maybe, but I'm living in a different world from you guys now. I can't do anything for any of you.""You're helping me now right?" Oliver asked, slowly glancing over at Len's sullen expression."But…that's only thanks to IA," Len replied."Then she must have known this might happen. IA has lots of special powers after all," Oliver said with a smile.The house fell silent for a moment. Only the sound of pounding rain outside could be heard, like a drumroll for some nearing event. Len lowered his head and wondered how Miku was doing, if she'd caught the culprit. He hoped that Rin was safe, that Miku was safe too. He didn't know what to do if either of them got hurt."Oliver, you said you knew who took Rin, right?" Len asked in a low voice.Oliver took a while to respond. Slightly hesitant, he replied, "I...I thought I knew. But the person I thought of, he wouldn't shoot me. I know he wouldn't. The motive, it must be different, something I hadn't thought of.""Motive…" Len repeated, sinking back into his thoughts. Suddenly, he thought of the case that he'd been solving together with Oliver and IA. He asked, "Hey, Oliver, why do you think we were asked to take the case on Meiko's death?""Hmm? Because someone wanted Kaito to get blamed?" Oliver suggested, turning his head to one side, his eyes half closed.Blame. Kaito wouldn't have been in much trouble had he confessed at the start, and yet if Len had decided to expose Kaito, his reputation as a detective would most definitely have been sullied. Had that been the real motive of that woman?Oliver suddenly winced as Len absentmindedly pressed down harder on his wound. He mumbled, "That hurts you know, Len.""Sorry, but we have to try to stop the bleeding until the medics get here. Just endure it for a while, okay?" Len replied, fixing Oliver with a determined look.Oliver fell silent, a serious look settling on his face. He said, "I still can't believe you're actually here in living flesh.""Me neither, but don't talk if it hurts," Len said, noticing the trickle of blood that was starting to seep out of Oliver's mouth."I was really upset when you died," Oliver continued. "I…I felt really bad for what happened earlier that day.""Why are you talking about this now?" Len asked. "I'm not blaming you for anything. The past is the past. We should be focusing on what will happen here on out."Oliver sighed and closed his eyes, a hint of smile on his face. He said, "I'm really happy I got to see you again, Len. I never said sorry for what I did to you that day.""Then you can apologize by staying alive," Len tartly replied, biting his lip. He wanted Oliver to stop talking. He looked like he was already in so much pain that talking was probably just worsening his condition.Oliver made an attempt to shake his head, but it only made him cringe. He said, "I should've known better than to call you crazy. I was just so… upset, I guess, that you were thinking of exposing Kaito, even though he was still so hurt from Meiko's death.""I don't blame you. I just hope that I'd managed to reach a good conclusion before I died," Len replied."You should go see Kaito," Oliver said. "He doesn't show it, but he's still broken up over you and Meiko.""I'm worth as much as his girlfriend to him?" Len half heartedly joked.Oliver chuckled and said, "Yeah. He can help you find Rin. I just wish I could've been more help.""You've helped enough already, Oliver," Len reassured him.Oliver glanced over at Len, his clear blue right eye almost searching for a real answer in Len's face. He asked, "Really?""Yeah," Len replied. He couldn't say it, but his conversation with Oliver had sparked an idea in his head. If he could find Miku and Kaito, if they agreed with him, then the culprit had to be—"I'm glad I finally got be some help," Oliver mumbled, his voice raspy. "You guys were always taking care of me, you and Rin. You don't know how glad I am to have met the two of you."Len cast Oliver a curious look. He asked, "Oliver, you're acting really strange, you know that? Should I get you another blanket?""No," Oliver mumbled as his eyes started to close. "I just wanted to say thank you, for everything you guys have done for me. Tell that to Rin for me, will you?"His head tilted slightly to the side. Len felt Oliver's body relax under his grip on his shoulder. Almost afraid, Len shook Oliver's shoulder, calling out, "Oliver?"There was no response. Oliver's skin seemed to be getting paler as his mouth hung slightly open. Len's hand griped Oliver's shoulder harder as he stammered, "Oliver, this isn't funny. You wanted to say thanks to Rin, right? Then get up and tell her yourself! You're not going to give up this easily, are you, Oliver? Oliver!""Sir, we'll take it from here," a man said, pushing Len back from the scene. Len hadn't even heard the medics get here. He unconsciously stumbled back a few steps, watching as the medics set to work, treating Oliver's wound and starting CPR. His hand was shaking as he watched Oliver, his face serenely peaceful. Almost too peaceful.Len slipped out of the house without another word, slipping on his jacket and returning the pouch to his pocket. It was still pouring outside, but Len didn't care. If water could hurt him, then so be it. He took to the air and started off in the direction of Kaito's home, silently making an oath to himself.The person who harmed Oliver was going to pay, and Len was going to be sure of that.
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The pouring rain made it hard to see, even in the afternoon. Miku had to squint her eyes, pushing her legs forward after Piko, who was running faster and faster by the second. They were running along the sidewalk. The lack of cars cruising through the streets just seemed to boost Piko's confidence as he suddenly changed gears, racing across the street."Hey! Get back here!" Miku shouted, quickly following Piko. Thankfully, no cars came rushing by, but Piko still didn't stop. He didn't even turn back once to glance at her, as if he wasn't scared at all.Miku felt her legs start to tire. She wanted to take a rest so badly, but she knew she couldn't stop. She had to find where Rin was. She had to know what Piko was planning to do.A light bulb went off in her head. Clumsily, she reached for her pocket and grabbed a handful of the tealeaves IA had given her before sticking it in her mouth. Almost immediately, she felt the fatigue in her legs go away, giving her a fresh burst as she chased after Piko. The gap was starting to close. Miku's pigtails were clinging to her soaked clothes by now, dragging her down, but she couldn't give up now. Not when he was so close.Just as Piko was about to turn the corner, Miku made a flying leap and successfully crushed Piko under her. He let out a cry of pain as he hit the ground with a thud, just barely catching himself with his hands."What the hell are you doing?" Piko almost screamed as he tried to struggle out of Miku's grip."I'll let you up if you promise not to run away and answer my questions," Miku said threateningly, glaring down out Piko, who was snarling at her."I don't have time for that!" Piko shouted back through the rain before suffering a coughing fit. As much as Miku didn't want to, she slowly got off Piko's back, but only after making sure she had a firm grip on his wrist. She didn't want to kill Piko. Not yet."And where were you trying to go? Trying to make amends before you go to prison for harming Oliver?" Miku demanded, careful not to say the word "killed.""I didn't shoot him! It was Rin's kidnapper! I was chasing them! They're going to get away, so let me go!" Piko hissed."And you don't care about what might happen to Oliver?" Miku shot back.Piko looked taken aback, but he quickly found his hardened glare again. He snarled, "Shouldn't you understand, Miku-san? I thought that was your style, to not care about what happened in the investigation until you caught the culprit."Miku's eyes widened for one second at the mention of her. Piko tried to twist out of her grip, but she just clenched her hand tighter around his bony wrist. It was true, what Piko had said. Before, she had been apathetic to how people felt and only concentrated on delivering justice to the criminals. But this time, she wondered why it was different. Somehow, just somehow, she'd become more attached to this case then she should have. Was it because of Kaito, who seemed to be involved in this case? Was it because it was the strangest case she'd had so far? Or was it something else?A face flashed in her mind. She could still remember the unfaltering determination in those blue eyes as he told her to go, leaving the task of saving his sister to her. He seemed so distant sometimes, and yet he was so full of energy, more than even Miku had. He still cared so much for the people he'd once loved, even leaving a place for Piko despite his stubborn retorts that he was done with him. Maybe that had been why Miku found herself more attached to all the people she'd met throughout the case. There were kind people and strange ones, including Piko, who she almost wished she didn't have to deal with. And yet Miku couldn't let Piko have his way. It was like Len had influenced her in some way, showing her how to sympathize with people, maybe even how to love.Miku gritted her teeth together and finally replied, "That was the past. I do things a new way now. But I have a question for you then, Piko. Last time we met, you swore to revenge Len, so what does Rin have to do with this then?"Miku felt Piko's wrist stiffen slightly at Rin's name. He stammered, "N-nothing! Whoever took Rin probably killed Len too, so I was chasing them!"Miku could see the relation between that. Maybe it was someone who hated the Kagamines. Maybe it was like Oliver thought, that someone had been trying to sabotage Kaito and took it out on Len instead when the plan failed. They could be trying to do the same to Miku for all she knew. Still, when those words came out from Piko's mouth, something didn't sound right."You're lying," Miku said. "If you really thought that that was the truth, you wouldn't have looked so nervous. Besides, the kidnapper might not be related to the case.""That's not true!" Piko hissed, biting his lip as he looked frantically around."How are you so sure?" Miku pressed on, knowing she had Piko caught. When he couldn't answer, she said, "Admit it, Piko. This has to do with Rin, doesn't it?""W-what would make you say that?" Piko stubbornly defended himself."If you think Rin's the one who killed Len, then you're wrong. She doesn't have motive. She's more innocent than you are right now, Piko," Miku stated. "So what is your relationship with Rin?"Piko glowered back at Miku's determined gaze, even though his whole body seemed to be trembling. Suddenly, he wrenched his wrist out of Miku's grip, but before she could catch him, he turned away from Miku, his head bowed in silent defeat. Miku waited silently. Somehow, she knew Piko wasn't going to try to run for it. The rain was still pounding down on the two of them, drowning out all other sound as the world fell still. There was no one out in the stormy weather, no one but them. Time was short, but Miku decided that she was going to hear Piko out, just to decide his position in this case.Piko's fists clenched tighter. Miku tensed, waiting, as Piko finally mumbled, "Rin is… we…"He gnashed his teeth together and burst out, "I'm her boyfriend!"Miku stared at Piko, her eyes slowly widening in shock. Never in her life would she have expected to here those three words, especially from Piko. She just opened and closed her mouth several times, unsure of what to say."Now you know why I have to hurry?" Piko snapped, his face burning red even under the dark light."Oh, uh, well, isn't it a bit too late to chase after them now?" Miku asked, suddenly feeling guilty. If she hadn't stopped Piko, he might've been able to save Rin. Then again, who knew what would happen to the kidnapper?Piko let out a growl of frustration as he collapsed on the bench outside the closed shop, a hand pressed to his forehead. His voice almost cracked as he growled, "Now what am I going to do?"Miku fell silent. She guessed she'd thought wrongly about Piko before. Not knowing what else to do, she asked, "Did Len know about…this?"Piko shook his head. He replied, "I stopped talking to him before we could say anything. Rin, she's more observant that Len thought. She caught me watching the house once when Len and the others were out on a case, since Len always asked me to make sure their house was safe. She wasn't even angry when she found out about Len's detective group. She said she was glad Len was living his own life and asked me to look out for him. I failed her once already. I won't lose Rin too, especially if the kidnapper was the one who killed Len."Miku fell silent. She was truly at loss for words now as she just stood there, looking away from Piko's depressed position. If only she had a distraction…Almost as if on cue, Miku's cellphone suddenly started ringing. She eased it out of her wet jean pocket. It was almost a miracle that it was still working. The number surprised her more. Cautiously, she answered the phone and asked, "Uh, do you need something, Kaito?""Miku, did you get Piko?"Miku blinked several times before she stammered, "Uh, yeah. He's here. How do you have Kaito's phone?""Long story. Just come over to his house with him. We know how to find Rin," Len replied, his voice brisk and hurried."Ok. See you there then," Miku replied, hanging up the phone. She felt the urgency in Len's tone, so she decided it was best to move fast. Without a moment of hesitation, she dragged Piko off the bench and started running off towards Kaito's house, which thankfully was near where they were compared to the agency, which was on the other side of town. She didn't know what Kaito had to do with this, but it didn't matter right now. There was only one thing on her mind, on Len's and Piko's, and maybe Kaito's too.
They were going to save Rin, and the bastard who caused all this was going down.
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When Kaito had answered the door, he'd been expecting a late mail delivery. Or maybe some old friend over. And by old, he meant living friends that he hadn't seen in a long time.Instead, he was faced with the little mystery-loving brat, his blue eyes still shining ever so determinedly behind his yellow bangs. Kaito blinked twice as his mind started to register the scene before him, and he slammed the door back shut immediately."Hey! Kaito! Open the door!" Len shouted, his voice muffled as he pounded on the door."If that's you, Rin, this is a sick joke! If you're not Rin, then leave and go to hell!" Kaito shouted, trying to shake the vision from his brain. He'd looked exactly like Len, so much that it might've been a ghost."It's me, Len! I'll explain everything later! Just open the door!""I'm not letting a zombie in my house either!" Kaito shouted back. It was definitely a ghost or maybe a zombie outside, the embodiment of Len's dead soul. Just what did Len have against him?The pounding finally stopped. Kaito immediately tensed, wondering just what the creep was planning. Suddenly, Len appeared before him, shaking the water out of his head as he put on some charm. It took all of Kaito's will not to scream in horror."Kaito, relax! I'm not here to haunt you or something," Len replied, a defeated sigh escaping from his lips."Then what are you? What do you want?" Kaito stammered.Len started scratching his head furiously. He hurriedly said, "We don't have much time for this, but I'm really Len. I asked Miku to help solve my murder case, but now Rin's been abducted. Oliver said you'd help. So can you?"Kaito stared back at Len trying to process everything. He suddenly remembered how Miku had shouted at him, claiming Len himself had asked her to take his case. It sorta made sense now, if Len was really a ghost. But still…"What did you promise me that day we met in the café?" Kaito suddenly asked."Why's that important?" Len asked. Kaito could hear the urgent tone in his voice, but Kaito needed reassurance first. He had to know if it was actually Len or not."Just answer the question. Your answer decides your fate," Kaito said.Len ground his teeth together. He glanced away before saying, "I don't remember."Kaito's eyes narrowed as he said, "So you're not Len.""No, I am! I just…I don't remember anything that happened that day!" Len exclaimed, exasperated. He didn't have time for this. Oliver's life was hanging on the line. Rin was missing. He didn't even know if Miku had managed to catch the kidnapper or not. He had to make Kaito believe in him.Kaito was studying Len closely now, watching as his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. He asked, "Fine then. If you're not actually Len, then you wouldn't mind if I tell Miku Len's little secret, right?"Len turned bright red. He stammered, "Y-you wouldn't! You swore to God you wouldn't tell anyone!"Kaito managed a faint chuckle. It was Len all right. As hard as it was to believe, only Len would get flustered at the mention of his little secret. Kaito sighed and said, "I got it. I'll believe you're real. You said Rin was abducted?"Len let out a sigh of relief and nodded. Kaito went into the bathroom and threw Len a towel. He said, "Well, let's figure that out first. I'll find out how you're actually here later."Len felt himself grin. It'd been a long time since Kaito had helped him with a case. They used to gather here, him, Oliver and IA, and ask Kaito's opinion for stuff. He was a good detective, Len had to admit. Almost better than Miku. It was a nostalgic feeling to solve cases with Kaito, but somehow it made him feel guiltier for leaving Kaito with a bad memory before his own death."Hey, Kaito, about that day at the café," Len started, following him into the living room that smelled of vanilla."Don't worry about it. I try not to hold grudges," Kaito said with a smile. "Besides, Rin's the priority right now, right?"Len was a bit surprised to hear Kaito say those words, but he had to smile as he nodded and said, "Yeah.""So let's brainstorm for a bit. What benefit does the kidnapper get for taking Rin?" Kaito asked.Len furrowed his brow together, muttering, "There isn't a benefit. They… shot Oliver, so they couldn't have been looking for ransom.""What? Oliver was shot?" Kaito shouted, leaping to his feet."He'll be fine. I know he'll be fine," Len determinedly replied back. "Miku ran after the shooter."Kaito sank back onto the couch. He put a hand to his forehead, massaging it. He muttered, "Oh great, this just get's better and better.""What does?""First Rin, then Oliver. The kid Miku went chasing after, he didn't have silver hair, did he?" Kaito asked."I'm not sure, but maybe," Len replied. His eyes suddenly widened as he gasped, "You're not saying Piko—""No, of course not!" Kaito cut in. "It's just Piko always visits Rin at this hour, that's all.""What? How do you know about that too?" Len snapped, shooting off the seat."I'm her big trustworthy brother," Kaito taunted, his eyes dancing with mischief. "Did Oliver end up telling you?"Len fell sullen at the mention of Oliver. He wondered just how his best friend was holding up. He really should be there with Oliver in the hospital, but he couldn't go without knowing Rin was safe."Never mind then," Kaito said, moving on. "Back to the point. Don't you think there must be some connection?""Between all of our cases?" Len asked. There was Meiko's case, his own murder, Miku taking on his case, Rin's abduction, and the shooting of Oliver. What did they all have in common?Len had been involved in some way with all of them, but Meiko's case seemed to be centered more around Kaito than himself. Miku must somehow be involved as well, but Len couldn't see the connection."Well let's put it this way. I admit I am partly guilty in Meiko's death," Kaito said, his voice cracking slightly when he said her name, "but Meiko didn't have a cousin as far as I knew. There most definitely had been no one but her sister in the house the day she died either.""So the cousin was a fake, trying to put dirt on you," Len concluded."Did Miku learn anything about your death?""Mostly just the fact that I was drowned, most likely by someone I knew," Len answered truthfully, remembering the time when Miku had suddenly collapsed."And who knew about her investigation?""Just the people we investigated. Oliver, Rin, Piko, IA, and I think Gumi," Len said. "By the way, how did you know about this?""Miku told me and Luka the other day," Kaito said, sinking into deep thought. Len furrowed his brows at the name "Luka." It sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place a finger on it. He guessed she was another detective in the agency."There must be some motive behind all this," Kaito muttered to himself, scratching his head furiously.Len stared thoughtfully out the window. It was still pouring outside, just like that day last year, when he'd been kidnapped by the pink haired duo. Suddenly a thought hit him. He wondered aloud, "What if it's for revenge?"When Kaito sent him a confused look, Len explained, "Kaito, you helped Miku when she caught the Vanderson kidnappers last year, right?""Yeah, I think it was all over the news," Kaito replied when his eyes suddenly widened. He exclaimed, "Len! You're a genius!""But I haven't said anything yet," Len said, raising an eyebrow, even though he knew Kaito had understood what he'd just been thinking."I almost forgot, but Miku claimed it was a four person operation, right? The two that weren't caught, they could be out for revenge for their partners. That's what you were thinking, right?" Kaito answered excitedly, a wild glint in his eyes.Len nodded and replied, "It'd make sense. They must've known your relationship with Meiko and used it thinking I'd expose you. I didn't, and somehow that led to my murder. Then when Miku got involved, they must've been afraid they'd be exposed and used the chance to try and sabotage the case.""But why not try to harm Miku?" Kaito voiced his thoughts out loud.Len shrugged and said, "She's a tough person. She might've been more than they could handle.""I should've known you were going to say that, knowing you," Kaito laughed. Before Len could flare up in anger and slight embarrassment, Kaito continued, "Piko might be in danger too. It couldn't have been a coincidence that they took Rin when Piko was going to visit her."Len nodded. He glanced around and asked, "Can I borrow your phone? I'll get Miku to come over here. She might've gotten Piko by now too. Four brains work better than two, right?"Kaito nodded. It was sometimes hard to remember Piko was a detective too, a good one at that. If the four of them worked together, the kidnappers' nest would be found in a second.It wouldn't be long before everything was brought to light. There was nothing stopping them from discovering the truth now.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was the middle of spring, the time when trees started to go into full bloom, when flowers started to sprout from the earth. Miku was walking along the sidewalk, staring down at a list of supplies that she had to buy for the agency."Two tubs of vanilla ice cream, leeks, curry, beef, ten pads of paper, six rolls of duck tape," she absentmindedly muttered under her breath. Luka had asked for that last part, winking at Miku as she whispered, "You know, for Kaito."Miku knew what Luka must've been thinking. There really were times when Kaito deserved to be bound with duck tape just to shut him up.She came out of the supermarket twenty minutes later, her arms sore from the weight of the ice cream. She kept her complaints to herself as she walked through the streets, passing by a park. The sound of crying met her ears. She glanced over to see a young girl kneeling on the ground, bawling like a baby as she wiped her eyes. The park was empty except for the two of them, Miku and the white haired girl who didn't seem afraid of being seen in the state she was.Miku hesitated before walking over to the girl. She looked a little older than Miku, her white hair tied back in a ponytail, dressed in a simple gray dress. Miku knelt down next to her and asked, "Hey, are you all right?"The girl's bawling stifled a bit as she glanced up at Miku. She stammered, "I…I'm sorry! I was being a nuisance, wasn't I?""No, no," Miku reassured her quickly. "It's just you don't normally see teenagers crying in public. Did something bad happen?"The girl's eyes started watering again. "I…I… Someone, he died, I saw him die!" she stammered before breaking into another wave of tears.Miku just sat there in silence, watching her. She felt like she could understand her pain, the horror of watching a person dying in front of you. Sometimes, she still had nightmares about her older brother, killed right in front of her, run over by a drunk driver. That'd been six years ago, and since then, Miku had done her best to help others after she'd been scouted by the agency, solving crimes and keeping innocent people safe."What's your name?" Miku asked quietly."Y-Yowane Haku. I'm so sorry! I must be burdening you!" Haku wailed."No, I want to help you. I'm Hatsune Miku. You can tell me everything if that'll make you feel better," Miku replied calmly, staring intently at the other's eyes.Haku's crying stifled a bit. She asked, "You're not going to hurt me?""No, I promise. I only want to help you."Haku gulped down a big breath of air and started to wipe her eyes. She looked down at her shaking hands and said, "I'm so sorry. I just…it was so cruel.""What happened?""I didn't even know the man. He was so nice, though, calming the three of us down even in the situation. He…he shouldn't have been killed like that!" Haku burst out, her hands trembling, her eyes mixed with sorrow and anger."What situation were you in?" Miku asked, a little curious.Haku fell silent before slowly replying, "I think I was kidnapped. But I don't know how I got here. I just suddenly thought of the man and it was just too terrible.""Kidnapped?" Miku exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. It had to be a coincidence, right? That they both had happened to be kidnapped?Haku nodded and said, "I was walking home like usual, past this park, and then suddenly, there, there were these two people who jumped out and threw something over me. The next thing I knew, I was tied up, and there were three other people beside me. One was that man, and there were two boys too."Miku stared at Haku, a bad feeling settling in her heart. She asked, "That man…he wouldn't happen to have brown hair and glasses, would he?"Haku looked surprised. She asked, "How did you know?"Miku felt her heart turn to stone. Two days ago, Yuki had run to the agency, crying as she clutched a ransom note demanding 100,000 dollars for her father's safe return. Kiyoteru was one of the agency's best detectives. They were flabbergasted that Kiyoteru could get caught, but they had set to work anyways, preparing to save their friend. If what Haku just said was true…Miku slowly clenched her fists together, trying to calm the wave of emotions threatening to take over her. Haku was the key to the investigation, Miku realized. If she could look into the case further, Miku knew she could find the truth. Slowly, she looked into Haku's eyes and said, "Do you know anything else about the kidnappers?""I… I'm sorry. I only know that there was one man and woman, and they both had pink hair," Haku replied, her eyes wavering under Miku's harsh stare."Then how did you escape?""I-I didn't.""What?" Miku asked, confused?"I didn't. I found myself here suddenly. I don't know how I got here," Haku replied shakily.Miku stared blankly at her. Did the kidnappers collect the ransom and bring Haku here? But then where were her parents? They should 've known about the place of the tradeoff."What's the last thing you remember then?" Miku asked."I…they h-had just k-killed him. He was trying to protect the three of us, and then two more people came. They started arguing, especially when one of them saw the brown haired man. That's when…the kidnapper, he suddenly started attacking the man and…" Haku burst into another wave of tears, her entire body trembling in terror.Miku just sat there watching, wondering what she should do. Finally, an idea hit her. Reaching into the plastic shopping bag, she took out a tub of ice cream, undid the lid and fished a plastic spoon out of the bag. Good thing I got those spoons, Miku thought as she held the ice cream out to Haku, who stopped her tears to stare at Miku."Here, have it. Ice cream makes everything seem better, right?" Miku offered."But…it's for someone, isn't it?""Don't worry. Kaito has a big heart. He won't mind," Miku replied. Inside, she knew that wasn't the whole reason though. Who asked Kaito to not get his own food?Slowly, Haku reached out for the ice cream. Miku set the tub gently in her outstretched hands and let go.The tub of ice cream fell right through her hands, landing on the ground with a thump. The two of stared blankly at the ice cream before looking up at each other."You're a ghost," Miku said absentmindedly."I'm… Am I dead?" Haku asked nervously."You didn't know?"She shook her head, tears starting to well in her eyes again. "I only remember seeing him get killed."They sat in silence for a while. Miku still didn't know how she hadn't noticed that Haku was a ghost. Ever since she was a kid, she could see the spirits of the dead. Her mother had called it a special gift, even when her classmates at school thought otherwise. Miku guessed it was a gift. Her mother had once told her that ghosts were the spirits of people who had a wish to fulfill or a promise to keep. Miku was always happy to help them.Suddenly Haku gasped, "Those two boys, they might still be in there with the four kidnappers! What, what will happen to them?""You're not worried that you're dead?" Miku asked.Haku gulped and said, "I…I'm scared. But, I can't let it get in the way. If I'm really dead, I can't change that fact, even if it's terrifying. But if those two boys get hurt or… I can't let that happen! I made a promise to myself. The man died protecting us. I want to make sure that his efforts weren't in vain."Miku stared at Haku's determined eyes, overcome with awe. Even after death, to think Haku could have such a strong will to keep her own promise, to protect two people she didn't even know, Miku couldn't help admiring her. She decided that it was only right to help Haku.Miku returned her determined gaze and said, "Then I'll help you. I was going to go after the criminals too. We'll save the others. It's a promise."Haku smiled for the first time since Miku had met her. Death had somehow made Haku a stronger person. Miku wished she could be like that, to learn to overcome one's worst fears. Miku only temporarily cast away her emotions when dealing with a case, just to escape from any emotional trauma it might cause her. Kiyoteru's death was just like that. No matter how heartbreaking the news was, she'd have to pull through just to avenge him.Miku took in a deep breath. She reached for her phone and called Kaito. He was probably the next best detective after Kiyoteru, not to mention that they were good friends. Kaito would definitely help."Miku! What's taking you so long?" Kaito whined the moment he picked up the phone.Miku didn't answer. Instead she just said, "Town park, now. It's time to start the hunt."And she hung up."So, do you remember anything about the place that you being held in?" Miku asked, glancing around the street as Haku followed her.Haku furrowed her eyebrows together and said, "It…it was a big, airy place. Tan, cracked walls, the ceiling held up by beams. There weren't a lot of things inside, but there were some taped boxes. The tape was pink.""Is that important?" Miku asked curiously. Kidnappers that used pink tape… Strange."No, I guess not. It's just that I saw the tape in your bag, so I thought of it," Haku said, glancing at the items still in Miku's shopping bag."Oh," was the reply as Miku glanced at her bag. The pink tape for Luka was still there, jangling along with the other groceries. It was heavy."Can you think of anything else about the kidnappers?" Miku asked.Haku's eyes narrowed as she thought about what might've happened. Suddenly, she gasped, "Pink hair!""What?" Miku raised her eyebrows. What else was wrong with pink?"When the kidnapper was, was…" Haku took in a deep breath to calm herself and continued, "The silver haired boy had already fainted, and the blonde one looked really scared, so I tried to move over to shield him from the view. That's when the kidnapper's hood fell off, and he had bright pink hair. One of the girls shouted, 'Nii-san, you idiot!' and I caught a glimpse of her hair color too.""Pink," Miku repeated dully, sinking into thought. And here she was thinking pink had been a nice color. "The Vanderson twins," Kaito blurted out the moment Miku told him about the pink hair."Who are they?" Miku asked, confused."Yuuma and Mizki Vanderson. They live by themselves across the street from my house," Kaito explained. "They're always snooping around the area like they're up to no good, and they have really pink hair." He paused and asked, "You don't think two college dropouts could really pull off a kidnapping operation, could they?"Miku glanced over at Haku, who looked really nervous. She replied, "Well, it's worth a try, isn't it? Besides, there were four kidnappers. They might not be the actual mastermind. You know if they have some secret hiding place or something? Maybe a garage like place?"Kaito sank into deep thought. He considered all the possible places around his house that resembled a storage place. Whether those twins were actually the kidnappers or not wasn't important, but if they were, they'd most definitely want a base close to home.He suddenly grinned like a Cheshire Cat, looking like he was really pleased with himself."What now?" Miku asked, her voice annoyed."The perfect hiding spot," Kaito said with a smirk. "I've found it." Coleman Elementary School had to be the creepiest place Miku had ever seen. It'd been abandoned for more than twenty years, closed down after the headmaster's death. Miku could almost imagine ghosts haunting the place, wandering around the site. No one in their right mind would come here, making it the perfect base for criminals. It was hard to believe no one had thought of looking here before."It's the perfect place, isn't it?" Kaito grinned, climbing through a broken window, his feet dropping onto the floor with a dull thud."You idiot!" Miku hissed, following Kaito. "Keep it down, will you? What if there's actually someone hiding in here?""Yeah, yeah," Kaito replied in a lower tone, waving her off as they moved through the halls."Um, shouldn't you get some support to back you up, in case they're actually here?" Haku whispered, close behind Miku."Don't worry," Miku whispered back. "If they're really here, I'm not going to let anything stop me from catching them. And you don't need to whisper either.""Oh, right," Haku said, though her voice was still shy and timid."Talking to your imaginary friends again?" Kaito asked, laughing to himself."Shut up," Miku muttered.A loud crash reverberated through the walls, making the three of them jump. She exchanged a worried glance with Kaito. Without a word, they slipped off their shoes and ran through the halls towards the source of the noise, their footsteps muffled by their socks.They found themselves facing double doors leading to what was labeled "Gym." Miku glanced over at Haku, who looked extremely nervous. She guessed a gym was large enough to look like a big storage garage. Miku could almost feel that this was the right place.There were muffled voices on the other side of the door. Both Miku and Kaito pressed their ears against the door, trying to catch pieces of the conversation."Damn it, Mizki! What are you doing?" someone shouted."It was heavy!" a girl whined. "Besides, Nii-san, you just had to kill that girl, huh?""She saw what I looked like! It's for our own protection!" a boy's voice hissed back.The argument was continuing, building up into a furious debate. Miku locked eyes with Kaito. They needed a way to sneak in."Hey, Haku," Miku whispered. "You think you can go in and tell us what's happening? We need to know what's going on in inside."Haku nodded bravely and headed for the door, floating right through the wall. Kaito hissed, "Just who do you keep talking to?""A friend who's helping us," Miku replied vaguely back. She was about to jab a finger into Kaito's shoulder for rolling his eyes when a shriek echoed through the room.Haku appeared a second later, her face whiter than a bed sheet."Hey, what happened?" Miku hissed just as someone inside the gym said the same.Haku stammered, "I…I think someone saw me.""She was there. I swear to God I saw her!" someone's terrified voice stammered on the other side."It's okay. Just tell us what happened, quick!" Miku hurriedly demanded, dragging Kaito up to his feet. They needed to get out and hide. Who knew what might happen now?"The four of them were moving boxes when the smallest of them saw me. I didn't see the two boys anywhere. They're still safe, right?" Haku asked worriedly, hurrying behind them."They are. You have to believe it," Miku replied, slipping into the nearest classroom, Kaito close behind her.Footsteps echoed through the halls, storming past them. An older female's voice hissed, "I thought you said she wouldn't exist after she died! What if someone who could see her found her?""I said she shouldn't remember anything about this if she suffered a violent death! She shouldn't know about this place!" a younger girl's voice defended as they raced off in a different direction.Kaito glanced at Miku and asked, "What was that about?"Miku was deep in thought. For some reason, that first voice sounded vaguely familiar. Ignoring that, it was obvious that younger girl knew about the spiritual world, though from her words, Miku couldn't imagine what torture Haku must have gone through. She cast Haku a slightly worried glance and said, "Anything come to mind?"Haku bit her lip and said, "I still don't know how I got to the park, but the last thing I remember is being dragged away from the two boys and the younger one said that if I died a violent death, I wouldn't remember anything that happened the day before my death. I'm almost glad that I don't remember.""But you do remember about the kidnapping," Miku mumbled, sinking into her thoughts. Suddenly, it hit her. She deduced, "So somehow, they must've killed you and hidden you in the park, but they hadn't known you were still alive. You must've died almost a day after they thought you were dead.""I guess," Haku mumbled back."Come on," Miku whispered. "Let's go see if the coast is clear. There should only be two people left in the gym now."Kaito nodded and went out first. He motioned for Miku to follow and they slipped back to the gym door. With a deep breath, they burst through the doors."What the—?" the boy never finished his sentence as Kaito ran into him, wrestling him to the ground. Miku aimed a kick at the second kidnapper, catching her right on the side of the neck. She gasped and collapsed onto the floor, unconscious."Mizki!" the boy shouted, trying to wrench himself from Kaito's grip."Give up," Kaito threatened as he covered Yuuma's mouth before he could scream for the others. "We know what you've done."Miku remembered the bag of grocery's she'd left in the other room. She went and retrieved it, using the duck tape to tie the kidnappers up. The boy glared at Miku and hissed, "You won't get away with this.""And neither will you," Miku replied, casting them a bored look as she taped the boy's mouth shut. She wiped her hands on her jeans and looked around. It was as Haku had said. The boys were nowhere in sight; neither was Kiyoteru. There were only piles of boxes in the corner of the room, taped shut with pink tape. She walked over and knocked on some of them. They seemed heavy."Hey, is there anyone in here?" she asked, hoping that somehow they might respond.Her ears caught a faint sound of someone struggling. Kaito threw her a box cutter and she slit the third box to her left open. A blonde boy tumbled out, his wrists and feet tied together with tape. She untied his wrists and he wrenched the tape off his mouth, wincing. He said, "The other two, they're here too."Miku nodded and dug through the pile as Kaito helped the boy up onto his feet. He'd already bolted the door shut so they'd know when the other two came back.Miku had found the other one, the silver haired boy, already. Only Kiyoteru was left. She suddenly wondered if she actually wanted to find Kiyoteru. Would he still be alive? Or could Haku be wrong? Miku gulped and slit open the last box."Oh my god," Kaito gasped, rushing up to Kiyoteru's crumpled figure. His face was badly bruised, his glasses nowhere to be found. Miku touched the side of his neck with a trembling hand, praying to God she'd find a pulse.She felt a relieved smile appear on her face when she felt the faint pulsing in his neck. It wasn't long before the police had flooded the place. The medics were there a second later, and Kaito hopped in the car to accompany Kiyoteru and the others. The police looked slightly amused to find the two kidnappers tied up in pink tape, though the boy, Yuuma, was still giving Miku death glares. His sister was still unconscious.Reporters flooded the scene as the police tried to clear the place up. The other two partners had vanished without a trace. Miku doubted anyone would be able to find them. She answered the reporters' questions with a smile plastered onto her face, wondering why it was Kaito and not her inside the ambulance with the injured victims.When the whole ordeal was finally over, Miku glanced over to find Haku still hovering near her, completely silent. She asked, "Is there something wrong?""No, it's just…thank you for saving them," Haku said, bowing her head to Miku."Don't worry about it. We wouldn't have solved this case without you," Miku replied with a smile. She was just happy the case was over and that the kidnappers would suffer their own punishment for their crimes."I wouldn't have been able to keep my promise without your help either. I'm really glad you found me there in the park, Miku," Haku replied, smiling.Miku just smiled back. Already, Haku's body seemed to be glowing, vanishing into a shower of sparkles, just as all ghosts Miku had worked with before did. It was a sign that their wish had been granted."I hope you will find the other two kidnappers," Haku managed to say as she vanished, leaving behind nothing but a shimmering shower of white dust, flying away with the wind.Miku stared after the sparkles. She smiled and said, "Yeah, I'll find them, Haku. Rest in peace." When Miku returned home to the agency that day, Luka was in her room. Miku said hi and threw Luka her tape. She apologized for using some of it."Don't worry," Luka replied with a smile. Miku caught Luka quickly flipping down a picture frame that she'd been holding. For some reason, Luka looked really tired, almost upset."Is something wrong?" Miku asked."Nah," Luka smiled back. "I'm just tired. The client was really pushy today."Miku nodded and retreated from the room. As she took the stairs up to her room, she couldn't help glancing back.She was sure Luka didn't have a client that day.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Miku? Earth to Miku?"Miku blinked, startled out of her daydream. She and Piko had arrived at Kaito's house. Miku definitely hadn't expected Len to be there, much less see Kaito look comfortable with it. Piko on the other didn't take it too well. He almost fainted when he saw Len. Miku caught him just in time and Kaito dumped some more cold water over him to keep him from fainting. Not the best idea, but at least Piko was still conscious.It took all three of them to convince Piko that Len was actually real, and that he wasn't there to haunt him or something. He only snapped out of his nervous attitude when the topic of Rin was brought up, though he was still fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat, refusing to look at Len."Sorry, I thought of something in the past," Miku apologized, trying to wake herself up."No, it's fine. But as we were saying, we really need to see if we can find the base of where the kidnapper might've taken Rin," Len said."It could be more than one kidnapper too. I don't think they'd go back to their old base. They'd know that we'd probably find them there," Kaito said."Then we need to figure out who those kidnappers might be," Piko suggested, directing his words at Miku."Oh yeah, you looked like you remembered something," Kaito remarked. "Anything important?""Well, when you guys brought up the Vanderson case, I thought back to how we went about solving it," Miku said. "It's only interesting how we're back at this old case.""Well, the other two kidnappers were never found. We don't have much to go really," Kaito said. "Do the two of you remember anything about your kidnappers?"Both of them shook their heads. Piko said, "Sorry, I think I was out most of the time I was kidnapped."Len replied, "I don't know anything except that I caught a glimpse of the man's pink hair, I think, when he was beating up the detective. How is he by the way?""Fine," Kaito replied tartly. He moved on to other topics. Miku knew better. Kiyoteru had reunited with his family, but he was no longer the brilliant detective he'd once been. He remembered nothing of the kidnapping and could no longer make the clever deductions that he once had. He'd contributed too much to the agency though, so he'd been appointed as the head of the agency instead.Thinking of Kiyoteru made Miku think of Haku, the ghost she'd met that had helped her solve the case. She'd promised her to find the two remaining criminals. It was a really strange twist of fate, that one year later Miku would be involved in another case concerning the same criminals."Hey, Kaito, you said the Vanderson case must be linked with the kidnapping and Len's death, right?" Miku asked, a thought suddenly striking her."Uh, yeah. There must be a reason why Len happened to be killed the day he decided to cover for me, right?" Kaito said."So supposing that the one who took the case to Len was one of the kidnappers, then you guys must have known her pretty well, right?" Miku said."Why do you say that?" Piko asked."The vision I had. The killer was someone who knew Len pretty well," Miku replied."But…the woman who came to ask us for help wasn't someone I knew," Len said, looking confused.Kaito spoke up and said, "I was wondering, but how did that girl find you guys anyways?"Len thought for a second and said, "IA introduced us to her. Said she was a friend.""IA, huh…" Miku thought aloud. Suddenly, something hit her. She cautiously asked, "How did you meet IA again? Were you guys the one that found her?""No, actually. She friended me on a social network since we had similar detecting interests," Len replied, looking slightly confused. "What's wrong?""Nothing," Miku replied, glancing over at Kaito. She hoped he got the message. The one clue they had of one of the kidnappers that they'd gotten last year."Won't it be easier if we just found out who that woman that pretended to be Meiko's cousin was? You guys must have met her, right?" Piko said, sneaking a glance at Len."Well, yeah, but it could've been a disguise," Len said hesitantly."It's fine. It'll still be a lead," Kaito pressed on."Well, she had long brown hair, blue eyes, and she was rather tall. Maybe a little taller than Miku," Len replied, his brows furrowed in concentration. "Her name was Meguru Kane."Kaito and Miku froze in their seats as if they'd been struck by lightning. Piko and Len looked at them, their eyebrows raised as they asked, "What?""Nothing" was the reply again. Len gritted his teeth together. The two of them definitely knew something.Miku whispered something into Kaito's ear. Len couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy. He wished Miku could trust him with stuff like that, secrets that she obviously didn't want the rest of the world to know. Then again, he knew that he was probably just nothing but a client to Miku. It was his own fault getting himself into so many dangerous situations that led to his death. Still, he felt like he had the right to know anything that had to do with the case, whether it was his own murder or Rin's kidnapping."Hey, me and Miku are going to check something, you know, see if we can find some evidence. You two just stay here, okay?" Kaito said, getting off the couch and heading to the door."You can't just leave us here!" Len argued. "We should be there to help too!""No, it's too dangerous," Miku said harshly.It was the first time Len had heard such a cold tone from Miku before. He just shot back, "I'm a ghost! What could possibly harm me?"Miku just stared back at him, silent. Finally, she turned around and said, "Just don't move. We'll solve the case soon enough. You should just leave the detecting work to us."With that, she walked out the door, slamming it shut behind her. Kaito put on a fake smile and followed her, grabbing two umbrellas on his way out. Len watched silently as Kaito ran up to Miku, who was already drenched again, and handed her an umbrella. Piko was by the window too, watching the pair of them disappear into the rain. They glanced over at each other and blue eyes met green."Piko, I know we've had our share of falling outs, and not to mention I'm in this state, but you think we're on the same page here?" Len asked, his gaze hardened as he stared at Piko."That depends on what you're thinking," Piko replied, but his smirk had already betrayed his thoughts. They plopped down back on the couches and started to test the real limits of their deducting skills.Like hell they were going to just sit back and watch others solve their own cases. "I still can't believe it," Kaito remarked as they got off the bus. The agency was right before them. Miku still had her doubts as well. It had never occurred to her how difficult it was to suspect a good friend."I don't want to believe it either, but we have to make sure. I'm sure we'll find the evidence there, if it's still there that is," Miku replied, entering the empty building. Everyone had probably gone home once the pouring rain had started. Clients always had better things to do than to come to the agency on a rainy day.They left their umbrellas at the door and headed up the wooden steps. Every creak made Miku want to jump even as she switched on all the lights in the building."So, you ready?" Miku asked as Kaito came up onto the landing beside her."You know she's going to kill us if we're wrong," Kaito said, staring at the white door."We're going to die either way," Miku replied emotionlessly. She opened the door and went in.The room was nice and tidy as it usually was. The bed, though, was unmade, blankets left untended on the mattress. Miku took the closet, Kaito the desk. They went through all the hidden compartments, every place that could've been meant to hide the thing they were looking for.After a half an hour of searching, they had still found nothing. Kaito asked, "Maybe we were wrong."Miku bit her lip. She trusted her memory more than anything else. That one detail, the one that she'd suddenly remembered, it couldn't have been her imagination. She cast a quick glance around the room. Two picture frames on the bed stand. One square black frame. The other a rectangle, one of those kinds you'd find in the arts and crafts store that you'd decorate yourself. Miku thought back to those details."Jackpot," Miku whispered, picking up the picture in her hands delicately. It had a picture of her and Luka in it, smiling at the camera in silly detective uniforms. If she was right…Miku didn't really want to think about it, though Luka did have a tendency to hide things in plain sight.Miku gulped and unclasped the back of the frame. A photo fell off, but it wasn't the picture on the front.Kaito leaned over to see. The air was deadly silent as the two detectives took in the picture before them. There was no shock or horror. Both of them had expected that much by now, but to see the picture itself was still a solemn event for the two of them.There was Luka, in a casual dress, her pink hair in a low ponytail as she smiled out at them, her arms around two slightly younger people. Miku would never forget those two faces. The Vanderson twins, Yuuma and Mizki, grinning like they were having the time of their lives. And then in front of them, the young girl who was obviously holding up the camera as well. Her long hair was light pink in the picture, two braids still hanging out in front of her shoulders as she wore a big smile on her face."The spiritual expert and then the mastermind," Kaito muttered as if he was trying to digest it all.Miku nodded and tucked the picture into her back pocket in her jeans. She replied, "This is the only evidence we'll probably ever find, but it's enough. Enough to prove Luka and IA guilty of their crimes."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"So where are we going?" Kaito asked as they headed off towards the bus station. The rain was starting to stop, disappearing into a drizzle. The storm seemed to be giving up, but Miku didn't know when it might start again, so she held her umbrella tightly to her."Well, I know some places Luka likes to hang out, but I thought we should go back to your house first," Miku replied, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear."Why? Wouldn't we just be stalling time saving Rin?" Kaito asked."Yeah, but…I don't know. I have a feeling that Len and Piko won't be sitting quietly back home waiting for us," Miku said, sighing."Oh, I see. You're worried about them, aren't you?" Kaito teased. Miku jabbed her finger into his arm and got into the bus that had just arrived.She wasn't worried, she tried to convince herself. She just didn't want them to get in danger in case they tried to solve the case. She didn't doubt Len or Piko's detecting abilities. Kaito's house had plenty of pictures with him and his friends. One was bound to have Luka in it. It wouldn't be long before Len recognized her through her disguise, not to mention her fake name had been pretty self-explanatory. Meguru Kane was just switching the phonetics of her name around. Miku had seen the pseudonym before, which was how she recognized it immediately. If you replaced the "ri" in Megurine with "Luka" and split the word between "lu" and "ka", you got the name. It was so simple that Len would be sure to find out. And then he'd be scouring Kaito's place for any hints to her secret bases. If he rushed out of the house now, Miku was afraid he'd be in further danger. He didn't know IA was in the plan either. She must've had a plan when she'd given Len the little pouch that he was always using to gain a material body.Miku thought back to the day before. After the festival back at the agency, they'd all gone through the same procedures, a poison test just in case something had gone wrong with the food. They didn't do it before because it spoiled the mood. Kiyoteru was the one who made up the motto. "Enjoy life while you can." And that's what the detectives did. It was stupid, but they liked to have fun, even if it killed them.That'd been why Miku had been so surprised to find she'd tested positive. Some strange kind of poison had been floating in her body, just waiting to attack. Luckily, Gakupo had been there, so he'd created some antidote for Miku. They didn't know how the poison had gotten into Miku though. No one else had been poisoned, and Miku had eaten about everything that the other's had eaten.She stuck her hands deeper into her pockets. It was getting chilly. Her hands brushed against a small packet. Miku felt it for a bit when everything clicked. She sighed and pulled out the small packet IA had given her and tossed it into the bus's trash. So much for getting a gift from a friend.After what seemed like an hour, they got of the bus and headed for Kaito's house. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the lights on, Len and Piko clearly visible through the windows, their heads stuck together like they were planning something."See, so you were worried," Kaito remarked, heading for the door. An annoyed expression flitted across Miku's face and she stuck her foot out just in time to trip him. Kaito caught himself at the last second, sparing himself from face planting onto the asphalt and getting his clothes wet. He sighed and went into the house after Miku, her long pigtails trailing behind her. She really needed to grow up."Len, Piko, what are you guys doing?" Miku demanded the moment she got to the living room. They jumped up in surprise, hastily trying to stuff something behind their backs.Len muttered, "Nothing. You guys didn't take long. Where'd you go?""None of your business," Miku replied. Good, she thought. They were still there, safe and sound."How is it not my business? This is Rin we're talking about! And it has to do with my death, right?" Len shot back, getting onto his two feet.Miku noticed how confident Len was about the two cases being linked. She asked, "What? Have you solved the case on your own?"Len fell silent. He let his clenched fist fall to his side, letting the crumbled notes fall to the ground. He muttered, "I noticed. Your friend, her face and body structure was really like that client.""Hmm," Miku just said bluntly. She saw a picture of Luka on the mantelpiece on the fireplace. She picked it up and said, "You mean Luka? Yeah, she's probably one of the culprits. We're going to find her now.""What?""I said, we're going to find her and her accomplice now," Miku repeated, not understanding the shocked look on Len's face."But she's your friend, isn't she? Shouldn't you feel, I don't know, something about having to catch your own friend for a crime?" Len blurted out."If she's committed a crime, then she isn't my friend anymore. I'm a detective, and I catch criminals," Miku stated. "I should be asking you. If a friend of yours turned out to be behind the crime, would you have the determination to administer justice?"Len hesitated, biting his lip. Piko rolled his eyes and said, "Of course Len would, right?"When Len still didn't respond, Miku took it as "No, I can't." She remembered how unwilling Len had been to suspect Oliver. She didn't know how Len would react to know IA had been in the plan all along."See, that's what you lack, Len. If you don't have the resolve, you won't be able to see your case clearly, so just stay out of this case. You're only a client after all," Miku sighed. She wondered why she was even saying those things to Len. Sure, he was a client, but he could do what he wanted right? Why was she bent on making him stay out of the case? Still, she couldn't help thinking it was best if he stayed out.Len clenched his fists tighter together. His pale hands were shaking as if he was suddenly frustrated with something. Before Miku could ask what was wrong, he suddenly glared at Miku and shouted, "That doesn't mean you can't feel upset for knowing your friend had chosen the wrong path! Why are you always being so indifferent to people? If this Luka person was really your friend, shouldn't you at least feel somewhat guilty for having to face her?""Len, calm down," Kaito cut in, trying to put a hand on Len's shoulder. Len brushed him off as Miku watched, dazed and in shock.Len took in a deep breath and continued, "I thought you were a great detective. You saved me and Piko last year and you beat those criminals up like it was the most natural thing you'd ever done. You looked like a heroine right from a fairy tale. I looked up to you for that. I really did. That's why when I heard you could see spirits I went to ask for you help. I thought I could see that determined and valiant Hatsune Miku again. But I know now. I was wrong. All you want to do is catch criminals. You hunt crime and forget about all your relationships. You don't really care for your friends, do you, Hatsune?"Miku took a step back from Len, gulping. She didn't know why she felt so scared. Her eyes were locked with Len's, a storm of raging blue fire in his eyes, narrowed into resentment. Len's words struck her, word for word, making her tremble under fear and pain. What seemed to hurt the most, what seemed to stab her right in the heart though, was that Len hadn't called her "Miku." She was no longer his friendly acquaintance.Len broke away from Miku's eyes and turned to face the door. His back to her, he grumbled, "I don't need your help anymore then. I had better expectations for you, but I guess I was wrong. I'll solve this case myself!""Wait!" Miku shouted as Len started to move towards the door.Len cast her a glare. "Wait for what? I'm not spending any more time here when I can save Rin, so leave me alone!"With that, he ran out of the house, ripping the pouch off his neck in the process. Kaito shouted, "Hey, Len! Get back here? Where the hell did you go?"Kaito ran out of the house. Miku knew he wouldn't be able to find Len, but she couldn't think about that now. She turned to face a corner so Piko couldn't see her as she put her right hand over her heart, her left clutching her shaking wrist.Len had been right. She knew deep down she had probably never cared much for her friends, no matter how hard she tried to. It wasn't having the truth smacked right into her face that hurt though. It was that look of resentment and disappointment in Len's burning eyes that clung to Miku's vision, stabbing at her heart again and again.For once, Miku felt like she could define that feeling. Without knowing it, Len had become her first love, and he'd just successfully broken her heart.She didn't even bother to wipe away the tear that slowly trickled down her cheek and fell with a splat onto the hard wooden floor.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Len huddled in the corner of Kaito's house outside. A tree happened to shield him from the pouring rain that had started again, an occasional raindrop falling from the branches and through his transparent body. He didn't care. He was just a ghost. Why should he care?He heard Kaito shouting outside. Len lifted his head off his knees and glanced over to see Kaito in the rain, his hair drenched as it clung to his face. Len couldn't hear what Kaito was shouted, but he looked pretty angry from where he was. Len couldn't help getting up and floating closer to Kaito. He couldn't see Len anyways. It wouldn't do any of them harm, right?"Len, I know you're out here! Show yourself!" Kaito shouted through the rain, almost muffled out by the beating rain.Len just stood there behind him, silent and unmoving. He didn't want Kaito to see him, not yet. If he had something to say, Kaito could shout it to the rain."I don't know how this stupid ghost thing works, but I'm going to suppose that you can still hear me, right?" Kaito continued, trying to shake the water out of his hair with no success."Yeah, I'm listening," Len whispered to no one in particular."Well I hope you're proud of yourself for making Miku cry, cause I sure as hell am going to wring your neck once I see your stupid banana hair!"Normally, Len might've been angered by Kaito's insult, but those first words slammed into Len like they'd knocked the wind out of him.Miku cried? Sure, she looked somewhat shocked, maybe a tad upset, but she couldn't have cried. She shouldn't have cared about what he, a client, had to say. The Miku he knew would've tossed his words off into the wind. She was the center of mystery and detecting. She should have been unreachable by words from amateurs like him. She couldn't have actually cried, right?"I don't care where you are or what you might be thinking," Kaito continued to yell into the storm, "but you better take responsibility over this! You might think Miku doesn't care, but she's a fragile girl! She has emotions too!"Len dug his hands deep into his pockets and buried his chin into his coat collar. He mumbled, "Then why would she leave me out of the investigation? Why is she so willing to capture her friends?""I don't get what you're all angry about. If you're mad that Miku doesn't want you in the investigation, she's not doubting your skills. You just don't have the whole picture. Miku probably just doesn't want you to get hurt," Kaito argued. "Why can't you talk it out with her? You were getting along with her pretty well, weren't you? How hard can it be?"Len's mind was racing. Kaito, he'd always had a knack of messing with his mind. Len couldn't let himself be persuaded by Kaito. He refused to go see Miku. Maybe Miku was concerned for his safety, but he was a ghost. What could hurt him? Shouldn't Miku be more concerned about her own safety? If she got hurt, how could Len live with it? Not that he was alive in the first place, of course, but without Miku, Len had no way of achieving his wish.Len mentally smacked himself. No, he refused to think about that. Len understood now that ghosts formed from the deceased's strong desire to achieve their last wish. He knew what his was, but he didn't want to think about it. It was a wish that would never come true, no matter how much he tried."Len!" Kaito was shouting again. "Can you just show yourself? We can talk about it together, whatever you're planning. You're not alone in this! Miku's as upset as you are right now. We can solve this together, peacefully. You were the one that said four heads were better than two, right?"Len clenched his fists together. He agreed that what Kaito said was true, but he'd reached his limit. He couldn't stand working with Miku, couldn't stand watching her be so apathetic towards solving crime, couldn't stand knowing that his wish would probably never come true. His fingers curled around the small protection charm that IA had given him tighter than he thought he could, a sharp pain starting to rise in his chest. Len bit his lip as if to keep from letting his emotions surface. He muttered, "What do you know about what I want?"Kaito suddenly gave a start, glancing around urgently. He shouted, "Len? Len, was that you?"Len felt shocked, he glanced down at the charm. Slowly, he let the charm rest on his palm as he said, "No, not me."Kaito didn't seem to hear him. Len curled his fingers tightly around the charm again and replied, "Yeah, it's me.""So you were here the whole time!" Kaito said, his tone half angry, half relieved.Len nodded, even though Kaito probably couldn't see him. Len wondered if the charm could open a portal to the material world for his voice to go through if he held onto it tight enough. It was good enough. At least he could talk to Kaito without having to have him see Len himself."Now come back inside, will you? We should sort things out with Miku," Kaito said."No," Len tartly replied."Why not?""I don't want to see her."Kaito let out an exasperated sigh, casting a look in Len's general direction. He stressed, "You heard me before, didn't you? Miku's looking out for you. You should at least apologize for hurting her feelings.""I don't need anyone to look out for me. I can take care of myself. It's not like anyone can kill me anyways," Len muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets."It's not your body she's worried about. You only got half the picture. Luka has an accomplice. Miku doesn't want to hurt your feelings by telling you who that person is. She might not act it, but that must've been what she was thinking inside," Kaito argued."Oh yeah? How much more hurt could I get? I was murdered, my twin's been abducted, my best friend is dying, and my worst rival is dating my sister. How much worse can death really be?" Len shouted, his voice slicing through the rain.Kaito seemed to have determined the source of his voice, since he was staring right at him. He calmly asked, "Do you really want me to tell you?""Do whatever you want.""You remember when Miku asked you if you would be able to catch your own friend if they turned out to be a criminal?"Len fell silent. He remembered that question. That's what had annoyed Len about Miku. The fact that she could easily toss aside her emotions and pretend her friendship had never existed. If she couldn't even stay loyal to her friends, how would she ever feel any other emotions, much less love?"Well? What's your answer?"Len gulped and replied, "I…I would. They might be my friends, but criminals must pay for their crimes. But I'd try to convince them first. I'd want to have them recognize their wrongs and maybe have them turn themselves in.""And then you'd be freed from doing any dirty work," Kaito replied."What?" Len snapped.Kaito sighed and brushed his bangs to one side. He explained, "You see, you're essentially doing the same thing as Miku, only Miku skips through the emotional part. She knows the outcome will always be the same, whether she sympathizes with the criminals or not. I've known her for many years now. Consider it a fragile girl's self-preservation tactic."Len considered the thought. He guessed it did make sense. Miku must have caught many criminals throughout her career. He didn't dare guess how many must have been people she'd known. It never occurred to Len that it might be easier to ignore your emotions during a case. Still, he didn't know what this had to do with what Kaito was going to tell him. He asked, "Why are you asking me this?"Kaito fell silent, leaving the pounding of the rain the only sound Len could hear. Len said, "What's wrong? You're not saying someone I know is the accomplice, are you?"When Kaito still didn't answer, Len suddenly felt anxious. It couldn't be true, could it? No one he knew would commit a crime. They were all odd in their own ways, but they wouldn't commit such terrible crimes, would they? There was no…Len felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Oliver was in the hospital because of the criminals. Piko was definitely on their side because he seemed desperate to find Rin. That only left IA."No. You're kidding me, right?" Len asked, his voice quivering."Now you understand why Miku didn't want you in this? She can handle the stress from the case. She didn't think you could," Kaito said in a serious tone.Len was silent, stuck in shock. He mumbled, "But, why would she…""I don't know either. That's what we're going to find out, right? Now can you show yourself again? We can talk to Miku and work everything out," Kaito urged.Len slowly nodded, still trying to process everything. His brain had shut down completely. IA was the accomplice. She was a criminal. He absentmindedly slipped the pouch over his head and was immediately drenched in a wave of water. Kaito just blinked in surprise before grabbing his arm and dragging him back into the house. They didn't speak a word until the front door shut behind them."Miku? Piko? I got Len back! How are you guys doing?" Kaito shouted, slipping off his shoes and grabbing a towel hanging from the clothes rack.The house was strangely silent. Len finally snapped out of his shocked state, anxiety starting to come over him again. Why weren't they answering?"Miku? Piko? Where are you?" Kaito shouted again, a worried expression on his face. They hurried towards the living room, their every step leaving a puddle of water through the hallways. Kaito threw open the living room door."Holy shit," Kaito muttered, rushing up to Piko, who lay unconscious on the floor. Len just stood there in the doorway. Miku was nowhere in sight."Piko! Hey, get up! What happened?" Kaito shouted, shaking Piko until his eyes fluttered open."Wh-what?" Piko muttered, trying to get a good look at his surroundings."Piko, what happened?" Len asked in a monotone, staring blankly at the scene. No sign of a struggle. Just where was Miku? Piko blinked twice before suddenly leaping up onto his feet. He urgently shouted, "Miku! She, she was looking upset and then—"Piko doubled over, clutching his head in pain. Kaito ran for the first aid kit as Len supported Piko. He continued, "I asked Miku what was wrong, and then she apologized for something and started heading out the door. I tried to stop her but then she knocked me out. I should've been more careful.""No, it's fine. Do you know why she left?" Len asked.Piko shook his head. Len bit his lip. He hadn't known Miku would get so upset. He started regretting being so angry with her.His eyes fell on a sheet of paper on the floor. It hadn't been there before. As Kaito came back and started patching Piko up, he bent over and picked it up. His eyes widened as he read the letter.
To everyone:
I've decided to finish this case myself and solve it once and for all.
I'm sorry if I've hurt anyone because of my actions. I'll make sure to end this the right way, so please don't try to interfere with my work.
Len, you were right about me. I should've been more caring, but I don't want you to be hurt by the truth.
I'll definitely grant you wish and make sure your murderer is brought to justice.
Also, I'm sorry if we can't be friends anymore. It might be too late to say this, but in the end, I thought I should tell you.
Thank you for teaching me what love is.
-Hatsune Miku
Len stared at those last words. It was a mixture of happiness and dread in his heart. Miku loved him. It was supposed to be the happiest thing he could wish for, and yet he was afraid of what Miku would do, of what might happen to her"Len, are you okay?" Kaito asked, casting him a worried glance.Len ignored him. His mind was racing now, thinking of all the possible places that Miku could've gone. Suddenly, he knew. It could only be that place.And, ignoring Kaito's concerned words, Len took off the charm once again and flew out of the house. He had to find Miku before it was too late.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Miku ran through the rain, her eyes set forward, not daring to look back. She wondered if they'd seen the note by now. If they had, the time she had left was all the shorter. She knew that none of them would back out of the case. They'd come rushing after her. Kaito and Piko at least. She didn't know if Kaito had found Len or not. She didn't want to think about it. It'd taken all her courage to write down that confession. If she thought about it now, she'd only feel guiltier. Len just needed to stay away from Luka and IA. She still didn't know why he'd gotten that charm from IA, but whatever the reason, it must not have been good.How much time had passed since she'd left the house? Not far off, Miku heard the sound of church bells ringing, a total of six times. She hoped Piko was okay. She hadn't meant to hit him very hard, but she couldn't let Piko interfere with her work.A street sign was up ahead, a street intersecting with the one Miku was on. It read, "Tsumi Road."Miku clenched her teeth together and made a left, running down the sidewalk. The rain showed no sign of letting up, but Miku had more worries than her hairdo. She recognized the place now. It was near IA's house, the place Len had showed her yesterday."Come on, it's here somewhere," Miku muttered as she slowed to a walk, looking around the neighborhood. She passed the alleyway that led to IA's house, the neat and tidy teashop that she'd seen during her last visit, the tiny place that sold little lucky charms, and finally the huge, ancient building that stood out in the neighborhood."Finally," she muttered, looking up at the huge church in front of her. It was rather dreary in the dark weather as she stared up at it, thick ivy vine crawling up its cracked brick walls, rain gushing down the water pipes on either side. Miku had seen the building the first time she'd come here. It was strange to see such a beautiful structure in the midst of tiny buildings. She'd looked the place up the moment she got home. Rivera Catholic Church, once a famous church in town, it had now fallen into disuse after the kidnappings had begun last year. With crime rate rising, the people had lost faith in the church and it was closed down, though left to stand there. No one ever entered the place. It was still considered holy despite its condition. What better hiding place could there be for two kidnappers and their hostage?Miku tiptoed to the side of the church. One of the glass windows had been broken, from what she didn't know or care. She peeked through it, hoping to see something. There was nothing but a few lit candles, but that had to mean someone was in there. Hopefully the people she was looking for.She snuck around to the back of the church. There wasn't a person in sight, almost as if they were inviting Miku to come in. Miku stood in front of the backdoor and took in a deep breath. Slowly, she turned the handle and slipped inside the empty church, the door shutting silent behind her.The sound of the pounding rain immediately muted, leaving nothing but a deadly silence, disturbed occasionally by a sudden sound of dripping water, slow and clear, cutting through the air and into Miku's ears."Do you really think she will find us here?"Miku froze in her footsteps, stopping to listen to the voices. It was a young one's, which she recognized as IA's."Just calm down. We've planned this all out remember? It'll be fine," a more mature woman's voice replied. It was Luka. There was no doubt about it.Miku held her breath and headed towards the source of the voices, careful of her every step. They were coming from behind a door on her right that was just up ahead."But if the plan fails?" came IA's wary voice again."It won't fail. It can't. We've given up everything for this. We were already stuck in this life or death game a long time ago, ever since we decided to meddle with his actions. We have to try."Miku stopped in her tracks, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His actions? Who was this person that they were talking about?"But Ne-chan! We still have time to run away! We don't need to be afraid of that bastard! He's the one who committed the murder!" IA snapped, her voice suddenly rising."We can't do that. Yuuma and Mizki are depending on us. Besides, if we succeed, it's over. If we don't, I'm still taking that bastard down with us," Luka harshly replied. Miku felt genuine surprise run through her. She'd never heard Luka sound so fierce before.But that wasn't the real question. Just who was the man they were talking about? Someone that they were obeying, someone who had committed murder. By now, Miku was pretty sure that IA must have been Len's killer. If Len had found out that she and Luka were the ones who had tried to set Kaito up, he would definitely be angry with her, which fit with the reactions of the killer that Miku had seen in her vision. Plus, IA knew a lot about the spiritual world, or so Miku thought. Just like last year with Haku's incident, she must have tried to kill Len in the worst possible way, just so he might forget that day's events.However, from Luka and IA's conversation, there seemed to be a third party, someone who must have known their secret and threatened to rat them out unless they followed his orders. And yet that just got more confusing. Had Len been killed on the mystery man's orders, or had it been IA and Luka's original intent to have him killed? Even more, IA and Luka were obviously waiting for Miku to show up. Miku had a hunch that it had to do with mystery man again, who she decided to call K for killer since IA had mentioned him killing someone. But just what part did Miku have in this?Miku decided she'd get the answers later. Carefully, she slipped a voice recorder out of her pocket and checked it. It still worked. She tiptoed back the way she came and taped the recorder to the wall before hitting play. With that, she hid right up against the wall and picked up a stray rock that was near her feet. Silently counting seconds on her fingers, she mumbled to herself, "God, if you really exist out there, please forgive me for doing this."She got to six fingers. With perfect aim, she threw the rock straight at a glass window that was next to the recorder. The sound of shattering glass cut through the air, followed by the sound of Miku's voice loudly cursing, "Shit, that was loud.""She's here!" IA hissed, the sound of pounding feet following."No, IA, wait!" Luka shouted, but too late. The door flew open and IA came rushing out, an almost scared expression on her face. Miku didn't leave time to wonder if maybe she should feel sorry for IA, choosing instead to switch on the stun gun that MIku carried around with her, jabbing it right into IA's chest.As IA collapsed onto the floor, unconscious, Miku stepped carefully over her and entered the brightly lighted room. There was Luka, her best friend now turned kidnapper and criminal, fixing Miku with a hostile stare. Miku noticed Rin in the corner of the room, hands and feet bound while still unconscious.The two of them just stood there, staring at each other as the rain continued to pound on the roof. A flicker of a shadow seemed to pass over them, but Miku paid it no attention. One of the lights on the ceiling must have dimmed of a moment."So, Luka, mind to explain?" Miku asked, finally breaking the silence."What do I have to explain to my friend?" Luka asked, a glimmer of a mocking smile on her lips. "I know you, Miku. You have it all figured out, right? You even had the time to set that little trap back there.""That was child's play, of course, but that's not the point." Miku replied, still expressionless. "What I want to know is not how you committed these crimes, but why. Why did you choose this path, Luka?"Luka's eyes narrowed slightly as she replied, "It's not like you, Miku. Normally, wouldn't catching the criminal be your first goal?"Miku felt her throat clam up. She muttered, "I…I've learned. I want to know why you had to be a criminal, Luka."In the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a flicker of blonde hair, but at second look, it was just Rin, who'd stirred slightly in her spot. It was a good thing she was unconscious. Rin didn't need to know about the horrors that Miku was anticipating Luka to reveal.With another sigh, Luka said, "If this your way of showing mercy, Miku, then I'm glad I'm still enough of a friend to you to deserve this. I suppose we could talk for a while. You knocked out my cousin, who I'm sure you've met already. It's not fun without IA, so perhaps we can spend some last minutes as friends together?""Why should I wait for IA? It's just going to be a trap, isn't it?" Miku demanded in a hostile tone."Your pick," Luka said with a shrug. "I'm not saying anything until you agree. This is your one and only chance to fulfill your curiosity, Miku."Miku weighed the choices in her head. All logic told her she should just knock Luka out this very moment. She'd never been a very good fighter compared to Miku after all. However, Len had taught her something. Even though she felt a stab of pain just thinking about him, she knew that Len would've wanted to know why his friends had gone off so far into the extreme. His words had made Miku realize something: that she was upset that Luka had to be the ultimate enemy she'd face in this crime. So, for maybe the first time in her life, Miku decided to follow her heart.She suddenly sat down on the ground and crossed her arms tightly, still giving Luka a glare. Miku said, "Fine then. We'll wait. You better tell me everything, Pinky Tuna."An unexpected smile appeared on Luka's face at the sound of her old nickname. Miku had given it to her around the second time they'd met, after Miku had learned of Luka's obsession with tuna. Luka walked over and plopped down across from Miku. She grinned and said, "Don't worry, Miss Grumpy Pigtails. I'll tell you everything. After all, this is our last talk as friends, isn't it?"Miku stared solemnly into Luka's gray blue eyes. They looked sad but kind, sorta like the Luka she knew. Miku took in a deep breath, letting the thought sink in as her eyes shifted to the floor.When Miku looked back into Luka's eyes, they were filled with a new fire, burning with determination, almost like a reflection of what Miku knew must be in her own eyes as well.It was a signal, Miku knew. The interrogation had begun.
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"So, what would you like to know first?" Luka asked, twirling a strand of her pink hair."Why did you start kidnapping people?" Miku immediately asked, her question prepared long ago.Luka sighed and said, "I should've guess that you'd ask that. Is it really that unobvious?""Who knows? People commit crimes for plenty of reasons," Miku replied dully."Well, I'm no one special," Luka replied with a shrug. "It was all for money, of course. Did you really think supporting a family of four was easy?""But don't you get paid enough from work?" Miku demanded. "The kidnappings, they started long after you'd been a detective. I know you're not a greedy person, Luka. You're careful and calculating. There's no way you'd start a kidnapping operation just for money. There's something else you're not telling me, isn't there?"Miku thought she saw a faint smile appear on Luka's face. She replied, "You really are sharp, Miku. I really love that part of you.""Can you get to the point?" Miku asked, glancing away from Luka. She didn't know whether to take Luka's words as a compliment or not. It was almost like Miku was afraid that if she opened up to Luka any more than she already had, Miku might end up being afraid of capturing Luka altogether."Still impatient as usual," Luka laughed. Before Miku could make a grumpy retort, Luka suddenly became solemn and said, "You're only partly right, Miku. The agency really pays well, but it wasn't enough. I'm not saying I wanted to be a millionaire. Mizki and Yuuma, the twins that you arrested last year, they're my cousins too. Mizki was always a bit frail since she was born. She fell sick one time and the doctor told us she needed a liver transplant. We didn't have enough money for that, not nearly enough. Mizki was dying. I couldn't just abandon her. Don't you know that feeling, Miku? If someone you loved was dying, wouldn't you do anything to save them?""My brother," Miku said slowly, trying to control her breathing. It was funny how Luka should bring up the topic. Miku hadn't even had a chance to save her brother. The car had just come rushing by, and bam, he'd gone flying, dead before he even hit the ground. Miku took in a deep breath and said, "My brother, he's gone. The only thing I can do for him is to solve crimes and make sure there aren't any more innocent victims who never get to see the criminals who harmed them brought to justice. Saving your sister isn't a justified reason to start kidnapping people and harming them. You had other options, Luka. You could've asked us for help. We're friends, aren't we?""You know me," Luka sighed. "I don't like asking people to help me.""So much that you even resorted to breaking the law?" Miku demanded.Luka fell silent. She let out a dejected sigh and said, "Yeah, you're right, Miku. I really don't know what made me do that. It's just, I was really desperate and Mizki, she was our everything. Yuuma has some anger issues, you see. He was really upset about the news, and it was all I could do to keep him out of trouble. Every day, Mizki was getting worse and all I did was worry more and more and more. I stopped thinking properly. I was failing my detective duties, and I just couldn't bring myself to ask anyone for help. It was like if I did, I'd be admitting how useless I was, and I couldn't do that. I had to be a person my cousins could rely on. IA was trying to help the situation too, but it wasn't doing much. I was getting desperate, and that's when I saw the news about how a kidnapper had collected a ransom of 100,000 dollars and had gotten away with it. Can you imagine what that did for me? I was ready to do anything for Mizki by then. Even IA and Yuuma were in on the idea, so that's how we decided to begin our kidnapping operation."Miku had been listening in silence to Luka's words. It was almost shocking, listening to how just the sickness of one family member could cause such despair and madness. Luka was looking guilty too, as if she regretted her actions, but both of them knew it was too late. The past was the past, and nothing could be done to change the fact that Luka was now the criminal.Finally, Luka put on a smile on her face and said, "Enough sad stuff. Let's talk about more important things, shall we? You probably have more questions, right, Miku?"Miku stared solemnly at her friend. Luka was always a person to turn keep everyone's spirits up. Miku decided to play along. She asked a question that had been on her mind the moment Luka had started telling her tale. "So if Mizki was that sick, how was she taking part of the kidnapping operation?"Luka's face fell again. She took in a deep breath and said, "That, that was the worst mistake of my life.""What do you mean?""Mizki, she's healthy now. We got the money and the transplant was a success. We thought that would be the end of those dangerous days, but we were wrong. I don't know how, but someone found out about what we'd done, and he threatened to expose us unless we did what he wanted.""Which was?""Kidnap Kiyoteru," Luka said with a straight face, staring right back at Miku.Miku felt a tingle of shock run through her. Kiyoteru was the nicest person Miku had probably ever known. He had been raising Yuki on his own after his wife's death, and he had been by far the most well known detective before the accident. Miku knew plenty of criminals might've been afraid of Kiyoteru, but if they'd really wanted him gone, they'd probably have done it themselves. The one who threatened Luka must have hated Kiyoteru and yet not wanted the crime of harming him stained on his or her own hands. But just what reason did they have for harming Kiyoteru? Even more, why had Luka even allowed such a thing to happen."Then why did you let him get hurt? Isn't Kiyoteru a good friend of yours? And what did the others have to do with the order?" Miku demanded, remembering how kind Luka always was to their boss."Kidnapping the albino girl was a complete accident. It's just another thing I wish had never happened, seeing what happened later. Len and Piko just happened to see Yuuma and Mizki jump Kiyoteru. I didn't mean to have him hurt. It's just, Yuuma was getting annoyed with Kiyoteru. You know how he is. He's always trying to calm others and protect them. Yuuma lost it before I could restrain him, and well, you know what happened next."Miku didn't need Luka to remind her about Haku, the girl she'd found in the park, or Kiyoteru, whose brilliant detective skills would never be seen again. It was almost hard to remember how many people Luka and her family must have harmed and killed. Then again, Kiyoteru and Haku would never have been harmed if the mystery person hadn't had Kiyoteru kidnapped."Do you know who this person is, the one who threatened you?" Miku asked. Luka wasn't a detective for nothing. She must've found out the mystery person's identity."I'm sorry, Miku. I can't tell you. If he found out, I don't know what will happen to us," Luka replied with a sad smile."So this mystery man, he's the same as the one you guys were talking about earlier?" Miku asked, having determined that the person in question was male. "What does he want with me?""It's not just him," Luka sighed. "You do know you're an obstacle in me and IA's future, right?""Yeah," Miku mumbled, reminded of the fact that this casual conversation would probably end soon. She glanced over at Rin again before asking, "Is that why you kidnapped Rin? To get me here?"Miku took Luka's silence as a yes. She continued, "Then why'd you shoot Oliver?""W-what?" Luka stammered, suddenly confused. "We didn't shoot anyone. We just grabbed Rin and ran for it."Miku stared hard into Luka's eyes. It was real alarm, not an act. Miku bit her lip, feeling more confused than ever. Could it be that Piko really had been the shooter? Or had it been someone else?"Fine then. I'll believe you. But you admit IA was the one who killed Len?"Luka bit her lip and said, "As much as I regret to say, yes. We were stuck in the trouble we'd gotten into ourselves, so we became desperate. We couldn't afford to have anyone else know our secret, so…"Miku could tell it was an uncomfortable topic. At least Len's wish had probably been fulfilled. Once she told him who'd killed him, Len would probably be able to move on into the next world.A second later, what Luka had actually meant struck her. Miku stammered, "Wait, Len knew you were the kidnappers?"Luka raised her eyebrows. She said, "You didn't know that? I thought you'd have figured that out by now.""But…" Miku's mind was racing. Had Len been lying to her all this time? But he would've told her about this, Miku was sure of it. Len definitely wouldn't have been so trusting of IA back then if he'd known she'd been his kidnapper a year ago. So just why…?"I don't know who told him, but he confronted us that day about it," Luka explained. "I was at IA's house, and Len just stormed in there, demanding an explanation. He said someone had just told him that we had been part of the kidnapping operation and he wanted to know why we'd done all that. IA was frantic. She tried to explain, but it was just like me with you. You didn't think the reason justified anything. Neither did Len. He said he wouldn't tell anyone, but he broke off all ties with IA altogether. IA went to ask for Len's forgiveness, not to mention she was afraid Len might change his mind and report us to the police. I…I'm really sorry that she had to kill Len."Miku wasn't listening. Her mind was too caught up in the fact that Len had known about Luka and IA's identity. From what she'd said, Len obviously had just discovered the truth the day he died, which might explain why Len hadn't said anything about it. He probably didn't remember it, much less the fact that someone had told him. Miku was almost frustrated by how this "traumatic death leads to memory loss of that day" concept worked.Who could have told Len? He'd only met up with a few people that day. IA was out of the question. Gumi hadn't even talked to Len that day, and Rin had been pretty much oblivious of everything that had happened. Piko hadn't even known about Len's death. That left Oliver and Kaito, but Oliver probably had never met Kiyoteru while Kaito and Kiyoteru were the best of friends. Neither of them had motive, but it had to be one of them. Just which one?Before Miku could decide though, Rin suddenly got up and started barreling towards her. Before she could shout, second glance revealed it to be Len, his face looking desperate and alarmed as he shouted, "Get down!"By instinct, Miku listened, though her mind was thinking, "Sheesh, what was he doing, hiding in Rin?"Then she remembered that he probably hated her, though it didn't matter at the moment as a dagger whooshed right past her. Luka caught it like an expert.Miku picked herself up and tried not to look Len. Instead she focused on IA, who had picked herself up slowly, glaring at the two of them, another knife in hand. Behind her, Miku heard Luka say, "Sorry, Miku. Friendly conversation time is over."Miku felt Len materialize beside her, his back now pressed to hers. No reaction from Luka. She'd probably expected it. It was ironic how Len was using a device IA had given him to fight her, but Miku didn't think much about it. Len whispered, "Apologies later?""Yeah," Miku breathed back, eyeing IA, who was in front of her. "For now, it's hunting time."And with that, she charged at the enemy.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
IA leapt forward at Miku, slashing her knife right at Miku's chest. Miku blocked the blow just in time with her stun gun, her eyes narrowed with concentration. From just that first attack, IA had made it clear. She was going to give it her all to defeat Miku this time.She was out to kill.Clenching her teeth together, Miku struggled to hold off IA, whose knife was pushing down on her stun gun like it was trying to slice through it. Without another thought, Miku switched on her stun gun The knife was metal so it would conduct the electricity to IA, who'd most definitely be knocked unconscious again. It was poor planning on IA's part.Or so she thought. When IA didn't budge, her glare only hardening as Miku tried to stun her, Miku realized she was wearing dark rubber gloves, which she hadn't noticed before due to the urgent situation. Rubber didn't conduct electricity.Damn, Miku thought as she leapt out of IA's way just her defensive stance gave way to IA's surprising strength. They're more prepared then I thought.On Len's end of the fight, he'd charged at Luka without a second thought. Just as it looked like she was going to stab him in the chest, he slipped the charm off over his head just in time to become transparent. Luka tumbled through him in shock. The charm went back on and Len slammed into Luka, deciding today really wasn't the day to be a gentleman. He grabbed onto the arm that was holding the knife and hissed, "Please stop fighting us.""Since when did detectives say 'please' to criminals?" Luka snarled, pushing off the ground with tremendous force and sending Len tumbling onto the ground. He rolled sideways just as Luka lunged at him again, staggering onto his feet. He took a wary step back, his eyes glued to Luka's ferocious look. His back hit someone else's and he gasped in surprise."It's just me," Miku hissed before Len could try and attack her too. Len gulped, though relief washed through him. He'd thought it'd been IA, who probably could've killed him on the spot.The two pinkettes started to circle Len and Miku just as a predator might do its prey. Len bit his lip and whispered, "What now?""I need a better weapon," Miku muttered, her eyes fixed on her opponents, "but since that's unlikely, how well do you know IA's fighting style?""Well enough," Len tartly replied before they broke apart, each dodging their own opponent's attack."Cool," came the reply as they found themselves pressed against each other again. "Switch?""Switch," Len agreed and they spun around to face their new enemies.IA's glare deepened into one of pure hate. Len felt a tingle of shock to see his old friend filled with so much spite, but he was left with no time to ponder it. IA lunged for him, the tip of her knife ripped the front of his coat as he shot sideways just in time. IA attacked again but missed by inches as Len ducked and snapped off the charm. He hastily took a few steps back and said, "You probably shouldn't have given me this gift.""You think so?" IA sneered, advancing on him.Suddenly, a searing pain shot through Len's left arm. He cried out in pain as IA ripped the knife out of his flesh. Clutching his wound, he stammered, "H-how did you…""I was hoping you'd use that charm, maybe completely depend on it," IA said with a mocking grin. "The more you use it, the more your body materializes. IT becomes more and more difficult to go back to your ghost body until you're stuck with a material body forever. You know what happens when a ghost gets his body back?"Len didn't respond as he winced. It was true. He really wasn't turning back into a ghost. The pain in his arm was as real as ever, and blood was slowly dripping onto the ground, mixing with the sound of the rain."A ghost that's gained back its body has defied the laws of nature. Once that body dies, the ghost will be sent directly down to hell, never to come back," IA snarled as she leapt at him again.Len barely dodged as he shouted, "Why do you want me to disappear so much? You already took away my life and my memories of that day! I don't know who told me about your secret. Why do you hate me so much?"IA froze, her arm poised to attack. Slowly, she replied, "Len, I don't hate you. You're my good friend, but I don't have a choice. We're being threatened. If you don't disappear for good, we have no chances surviving. Your memory isn't gone for good. There's still a great chance of you remembering everything again. Your testament already got my cousins in jail. They're depending on me to get them out. I can't be crushed here, not when I'm so close, and unfortunately, Len, you're a threat to our plan."IA struck out at Len again. He dropped the charm onto the floor as he slipped sideways. He clenched his teeth together and growled, "So maybe that's your case, but you've found yourself the wrong opponent. You might not be the bastard who harmed Oliver, but you'll pay for getting Rin into this mess!"He ducked and slammed his body into IA's, catching her by surprise. Her knife skittered out of her reach as she grabbed onto Len's bad arm, trying to wrench him off her. Len knew better. IA wasn't built for fist fights and wrestling. She was better with a weapon and agility. One arm made it harder, but he spun around and sent a punch flying at IA's face. She just barely blocked it and kicked Len in the shin. He gritted his teeth together and managed to kick the back of her knees, causing IA to gasp in pain as she fell onto the ground. Len immediately grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her, succeeding in immobilizing her."IA!" Luka shouted."Your focus should be here!" Miku cut in, taking the chance to dash over to the knife that IA had dropped. She'd been continuously blocking Luka's attacks with her now badly scarred stun gun, which probably no longer worked. It was about time she had a better weapon.In the corner of her eye, she saw Len tie IA up with a torn piece of his coat. He made the move to come and help Miku. Her eyes still on Luka, she shouted, "Just stay there and make sure she doesn't get away. I have my own business with Luka.""Oh, so we're no longer friends now?" Luka asked, though her tone was mocking. It was still so hard to process the fact that Luka could act like this too, cold and mean at heart."I thought you were the one who said friendly time was over," Miku calmly replied, sidestepping Luka's attack and jabbing at her with the handle of the knife. Miku refused to kill anyone. She held the knife's handle backwards so that the blunt end of the handle was facing Luka instead of the sharp end."Not good Miku, not good at all," Luka taunted, recovering from the attack as the tip of her blade grazed Miku's cheek. Miku winced in pain but she just pounced again, striking Luka's shoulder as hard as she could. Luka didn't seem to feel the pain as she stabbed at Miku again. Miku grabbed Luka's arm just in time and jerked sideways, aiming a punch at Luka's face and sending her flying backwards.Luka slowly picked herself up as she gave a dry laugh and said, "I keep forgetting how strong you are.""Then surrender now," Miku demanded."You know I can't," Luka replied, rubbing her nose, where Miku had punched her.Miku's eyes narrowed as she growled, "When who's this person who's threatening you? Why are you so scared of him?""He knows our secret," Luka said as if it was obvious."Then can't you get rid of him?" Miku shouted. "That's what you did to Len, didn't you?""That's because we knew that Len knew our secret!" Luka hissed back, her temper clearly reaching its limit.Miku froze. She cautiously asked, "Wait… You don't know who's threatening you?""This person is good at hiding his tracks, though he admitted to killing someone so we would know that he wouldn't betray us so easily," Luka admitted after a slight pause, looking regretful. "What can we do to someone who could be anyone?"Miku fell silent. She'd overestimated Luka's abilities. Or maybe she had underestimated the true mastermind. This mystery person K, just what was he?She shook her head. Now wasn't the time to think about that. She had to think of a way to beat Luka first.Miku glanced around the church. She found nothing useful. She guessed it was just up to her and her knife. She charged at Luka again, who prepared to return the blow. Her mind racing, Miku suddenly spun around, her long hair whipping Luka right in the face. As Luka stumbled back in surprise, Miku forcefully jabbed the knife right into her chest, succeeding in knocking the wind out of her. With a loud thud, Luka fell to the ground, dazed, her breathing heavy."It's my win," Miku declared as she kicked Luka's knife out of her hand.Luka blinked several times before letting out a long sigh, a smile appearing on her face. She mumbled, "I underestimated you, Miku. Looks like justice always prevails, doesn't it?""Does that mean you're surrendering?"Luka nodded, glancing over at IA, who was staring down at the ground. She asked, "You know what to do, right?"IA gave a reluctant nod. Suddenly tense, Len demanded, "What are you trying to do?""Relax," Luka sighed, not even bothering to run for it even though Miku hadn't restrained her yet. "You've already defeated us. If we're going to jail or wherever, threats can't harm us anymore than they have already.""That's why I'm going to unlock your memories," IA replied calmly. "Len, you're a pretty good detective, and Miku, you go without saying. The person who told Len our secret must've had something to do with this mess, and if you guys can find him, we knew you would be able to find the truth. So in a sense, we're just asking you to do what we tried and failed to do.""Not to mention I hope it can lead you to Meiko's murderer," Luka suddenly added."Meiko?" Miku asked, surprised the name had been suddenly brought up. "What about her?""She was my good friend. I know neither Meiko nor I will be able to rest easily until her killer is caught," Luka said in a determined tone."It was an accident," Len bluntly replied.Luka sat up and glared at him. She hissed, "Meiko doesn't fall down stairs. Even if she did, she wouldn't die from it."The church fell silent again. Finally IA broke the tension and said in a mildly cheerful tone, "Well, let's get to work, shall we?"Len and Miku exchanged a glance. They seemed to have forgiven each other for whatever had happened before at Kaito's house. When Miku nodded, Len turned to IA and said, "Sure. Whenever you're ready."IA suddenly broke in a wide grin that surprised them all. Her eyes were glowing red, her pupils outlined with a strange white light. All she said was four words."Your time is due."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Miku watched in horror as Len suddenly collapsed onto the floor, his blue eyes glazed over like he was in a trance."What did you do?" she shouted at IA, about to leap at her.Luka just grabbed her by the arm and said, "Don't worry. He'll be fine. Right, IA?"IA glanced back at them, her eyes now back to their normal color. She replied, "Yep. When he gets up, he should be able to remember everything. I just had to activate it in my spirit form, that's all."Miku still didn't feel satisfied. Afraid that the two of them might suddenly attempt to take over the situation, she only let out a sigh of relief when Len started to stir. He picked himself up, clutching his head. He muttered, "What just happened?""Len, are you feeling okay?" Miku asked, rushing over to help him sit up."Yeah, yeah, I'm just feeling a bit light-headed. I can't really think clearly right now," Len replied as he massaged his forehead."Don't worry. It'll clear up in a few moments," IA reassured him.Suddenly, a shriek pierced the air. Miku spun around, startled, only to find Rin staring at her brother, her eyes open so wide they could've fallen out of their sockets. She stammered, "W-what, what's this? What's Len doing here? A-am I dead?""Rin, don't worry. It's fine, just let us explain," Miku said, walking over and putting a hand on her shoulder. She started to untie Rin's bonds while explaining to her about the situation. She told her about how ghosts could form if they desperately had a wish they wanted to fulfill before their death, and how Len had found Miku and asked her to find the culprit who killed him. Additionally, she explained how IA, whom she introduced as Len's former friend, had somehow allowed Len to regain a material body. Rin started to massage her wrists, though she still looked warily at Len."So that's really Len?" she finally muttered, standing right behind Miku as if she still thought Len was some evil reincarnation.Miku nodded."Then back there, at the house today, that was you?" Rin asked, directing the question towards Len.Len glanced away before nodding tartly in response."And who else knew about this?" Rin demanded."Uh…" Miku hesitated before she replied, "Well…no one found out until you were kidnapped, so…"Without warning, Rin stormed over to Len and wrenched him up onto his feet. Even Len looked surprised to see how much Rin had despite her skinny figure. She shouted, "Len you idiot! What pathetic excuse is that? I'm your sister, right? Why didn't you ask for my help first?"Len stammered, "Ah, well, you couldn't see me, so—""You stupid banana head!" Rin said, suddenly pulling her brother into a hug. Len stood there, shocked, as Rin burst into tears and cried, "Do you think I can be angry at you now? I don't care about those stupid excuses! I don't care if it was suicide or murder! Those things never mattered! I…I just wanted to see you. That's all."Slowly, Len put his arms around his sister, a sad smile appearing on his face. He said, "Well now I'm here, so don't cry, Rin. It's going to be all right."As Len continued to comfort Rin, Miku watched the scene from the shadows. Inside, she felt a warm feeling inside her. Time and time again, she'd helped solve missing person cases, and whenever the missing person was reunited with his or her family, the scene was somewhat similar to the one before her. However, this had to be one of the first times Miku truly felt glad that the two siblings could meet again. Was it because she'd come to know both Kagamine twins, or was it because she was happy to see Len looking so peaceful?A thought suddenly struck her. Surely Len knew his murderer had been IA. She'd even confessed right before him. Then, if that'd been his dying wish, then why wasn't he disappearing? Not that Miku wanted him to disappear. For the first time, she didn't want a ghost to move on to the next world, not to mention IA had said something about Len falling to hell."So everything turned out okay?" Kaito's voice suddenly said from the door.Miku frowned and said, "That took you long enough.""Hey, don't blame me. Piko got off at the wrong station, so I had to follow him, right?" Kaito defended himself just as Piko entered the room. Miku felt a faint stab of guilt at the sight of his bandaged head, but it didn't seem important as Piko's eyes fell on the scene before him."Piko! What happened to you?" Rin exclaimed, running over to Piko, her tears forgotten.Just as she reached him, she seemed to remember Len. Sheepishly, she turned and said, "Uh, Len, I…""It's okay. I know," Len replied, sighing."You're not mad?" Rin asked tentatively."How can I get angry at my sister?" Len said, a smile appearing on his face.Piko's cold voice suddenly ran through the air. "IA was the murderer?"The church fell silent again. The storm seemed to be lifting, the sound of rain no longer that clear. Miku suddenly remembered how Len had talked about Piko's violent tendencies. It was quite easy to forget, especially when Piko acted so normal most of the time."Yes, I killed him," IA replied, her voice strangely calm.A shadow seemed to fall over Piko's eyes. Len immediately stepped forward between Piko and IA. He said, "Piko, calm down.""Calm down?" Piko asked back, his lips almost forming a sneer. "Oh, I'm calm. Calm enough to kill this evil bastard!"Miku immediately leapt forward to stop Piko, but he just barreled right past Miku and Len, grabbing IA by her shirt collar in one swift motion. His hostile green eyes were glaring down at IA, who still looked solemnly composed. Piko sucked in a deep breath, his arm drawn back as if to hit her, when he suddenly shoved IA roughly back onto the floor and massaged his wrist. He snarled, "Or so I'd like to do, but Len caught you first, so it's up to him to decide you fate, not me."A wry smile seemed to appear on IA's face, as if she'd known this would happen all along. She taunted, "So even you've caught the Len virus.""What?" Piko snapped, but Rin immediately grabbed him before he could change his mind about not hurting IA. Miku almost smiled at the name of the Len virus. It was true though. Len seemed to have that power of infecting people with his optimism and kindness. Miku knew she was probably one of the few who were "infected," and somehow, she was glad of that."Well, I called the police and the ambulance just in case. Shall we get going?" Kaito asked, his eyes shifting from IA and Luka and back."Just give me one sec," Luka said, sliding over next to Miku. "I just want to say my goodbyes, and properly."Kaito shrugged and got IA onto her feet, herding her out of the door, Rin following with Piko supporting her. Luka met IA's and gave her a reassuring glance before turning to Miku. Len held back, sitting back onto the floor as if he was still trying to clear his mind."So, this is goodbye?" Miku said hesitantly. The reality of this was starting to sink in now that it was all over."For now. Who knows, we might see each other sooner than we think," Luka smiled back."Did you want to tell me something?" Miku asked. She knew that look in Luka's eyes well enough to know she had something to say."You're still as smart as always," Luka said with a sheepish smile. A more serious expression appeared just a moment later as Luka bent over to whisper in to Miku's ear, "I'm trusting you to find the person who blackmailed us."Miku nodded before asking a question that'd been on her mind. "What if that person had betrayed you already?""Then it's all the more reason to catch him," Luka replied, her tone cold. "Though it would make sense if he was the one who spilled the beans to Len."Miku glanced over at Len. His eyes were shut tight like it was difficult for him to grab onto the specific memories he wanted."And also, find out the truth about what happened to Meiko, please?" Luka asked. "I still find it suspicious that Meiko would be killed right after Kiyoteru had, you know."Miku nodded, seeing how the subject was still painful to talk about. Then she realized what Luka had just said. "By that, do you mean Kiyoteru has some relationship with Meiko?""They were just good friends, that's all. Meiko had some secret boyfriend she wouldn't tell me about after all. We never talked about it at the agency since it was a pretty painful subject to talk about," Luka explained, sighing."Yeah, I know," Miku said, remembering how hard it'd been to talk about her brother when she'd first joined the agency. She cheered up and said, "But don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of it.""Hey, are you guys done?" Kaito suddenly called from the door. "The police are getting impatient."Luka met Miku's eyes once before patting her shoulder with a smile. "Take care, Miku. And good luck."With that, Luka followed Kaito out of the room. Miku stared solemnly at the retreating figures before moving over next to Len. She was almost glad she didn't have to see Luka taken in by the police. It might've made Miku regret coming here to this church to catch her.Instead, she leaned over and asked, "So, remember anything?"Len sighed, "I'm getting things slowly. I remember leaving the house and wandering town before going to meet up with IA and Oliver. We talked about the case before IA left and Kaito came, and I flat out accused him of running away from Meiko's house. I think that's probably when Oliver started shouting at me, but I just can't remember the details…""Well, we have plenty of time, I suppose," Miku said, sitting down next to him.Len gave a start. He glanced over at Miku before suddenly saying, "Um, about what happened a few hours ago…""Hmm?" Miku asked. It was somewhat strange to think that just a few hours ago, she hadn't even known that IA and Luka were criminals. Then she remembered the time Len had shouted at her. She mumbled, "Oh, that time.""Uh, yeah, about that," Len stammered, unsure of how to say it. "I…I didn't mean to say it like that.""No, it's fine," Miku mumbled back, not looking over at Len. "You made me realize all the faults I have. I haven't thanked you for that.""No, you shouldn't be thanking me. I apologize for being so harsh," Len muttered, scratching his head as he glanced in the other direction.There was a long awkward silence after that, one that neither of them really knew how to break. After what seemed like a millennia, Len's crisp voice rang through the church as he asked, "Um, about that letter, was it true?"It took Miku a full minute before she nervously mumbled, "Yeah.""I see," was Len's only reply. Miku stole a glance at him. He was smiling.Immediately she demanded, "What's so funny?"Len was still smiling, but he hastily replied, "No, nothing, it's just…"Suddenly, he winced, his hand shooting up to his forehead. Miku worriedly asked, "What's wrong?"Len's eyebrows furrowed together as he mumbled, "I remembered.""What?""The person who told me about IA and Luka, he made me promise to never confront them about it, but I…I broke that promise and went looking for them immediately," Len stammered as he held his head, looking like he was in lots of pain."And who was that?" Miku asked, forgetting about the awkwardness from before and grabbing Len's shoulders to keep him upright. He looked like he was going to faint.Len's cerulean blue eyes met Miku's as he slowly turned his face to look at her. Miku once again felt herself enraptured by those clear, shining blue orbs, but she forced herself out of it. She held her breath as Len slowly replied, "The one who told me was—"A screeching bang tore through Miku's ears, her eyes widening in shock as her breath caught in her throat. She watched as Len's eyes constricted before slowly looking down at his own body.The bright red splotch that was starting to flower over his stomach was unmistakable. Len let out a shaky gasp as he turned to look at Miku again. Her hands were shaking like crazy as Len breathed, "Miku."And he collapsed in her arms.
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"LEN!" Miku screamed, her shrill voice quivering in the empty church room. Her mind was cast into full disarray as her hands gripped onto Len's black coat tighter until the cloth was near tearing. Len's blue eyes seemed frozen in their shocked state, the only sight Miku could process. Somehow, amidst all the chaos in her brain, Miku could only think of one thing."I have to stop the blood, "she muttered aimlessly, starting to apply pressure to the gun shot wound. It wasn't helping. Her hands were trembling too much. They lacked the strength to do much help.As if she was reaching the end of her ability to stay calm and sane, Miku shouted out the door, "Kaito! Luka! Somebody, please, help Len! Where are the medics? Someone, get the ambulance!"Almost immediately, the sound of footsteps met her ears. Miku held her breath, listening in silence as she heard a clear echo resounding through the church, slow and heavy with every step. With a start, she realized it wasn't getting closer to them. Instead, it was slowly vanishing, growing fainter and fainter.Was it the shooter? As if by instinct, Miku made a move to get up and find out who had been the shooter, but the weight in her arms brought her back to reality. Staring down at Len's dazed eyes and his fragile body, she felt a conflict rising again. If she chased after the shooter now, Miku was sure that with her speed, she'd definitely be able to see him. But if she left Len now, all hope of keeping Len alive, as alive an already dead person could be, would be gone.The decision had never seemed clearer. Miku had never been so sure, so confident, that she'd made the right choice as she took in a deep breath to steady herself. Clutching Len closer to her body as her hand pressed firmly on his wound, Miku whispered into Len's ear, "Don't worry, Len. I'll be right here with you." Len felt like he was drifting through midair, like he was in a daze between life and death. Above him, he made out the glass stained windows, the faint sunlight that seemed to be appearing through the storm, but his mind was elsewhere.He was at the café again in his memories, sitting there with some anger boiling inside him. All around him, faces were blurred and hidden in the shadows, voices all a fuzz in his ears. He could only make out one voice, cutting clear and sharp through all the chaos. It said, "You really shouldn't be hanging out with that girl.""Why not?" Len heard himself angrily retort. "IA's a really nice person, more than you'll ever be.""It was an accident, all right? Besides, if you even knew half the things that that girl is hiding, you'd definitely agree with me," the person in front of him shot back. Len felt himself twisting with anxiety. He could've sworn just a second ago, before he'd been shot, he'd had a clear idea of who that person was. The impact of the wound seemed to have blown the details of his memories out."Oh yeah? What are you trying to say?" the Len in the memory demanded, leaning back in his chair.The speaker's head turned left and right, like it was making sure no one could hear them. Leaning forward, the voice said, "I'll tell you only if you promise you won't tell anyone I told you this. And that means not a word of this gets out."Len shrugged and said, "Sure, I promise.""Really?"Len was annoyed by the suspicion that was obvious in the voice, but he sighed and repeated, "Yes, I promise. Now what did you want to tell me?"A quick pause, and then, "IA and her partner Megurine Luka were part of the kidnapping group that kidnapped you."Len couldn't clearly remember what happened next. Perhaps he'd been too shocked, or too dumbfounded. The next thing he knew, after the speaker had left, he was going to IA's house to confront her. To think that one of his most trusted friends was such a terrifying criminal; Len didn't want to believe it. But IA's reactions just confirmed the knowledge he'd learned. He went home dejected and lost. His murder had struck the final blow. Never had he ever seen IA so ferocious and bloodthirsty. The word "terror" had never meant more as IA drowned him in his own room, but he'd never felt so much regret in his life either.If only he hadn't broken his promise. If only he'd kept his word. Then maybe, just maybe, could they have all managed to live happily ever after?He felt something gripping him, so much that it almost hurt. Someone was out there, screaming his name and shouting for help, holding him so sound and tight that he felt strangely safe and at peace. He recognized her voice, her pale skin and her gray blue eyes. It was Miku.Suddenly, he realized how wrong he'd been to think that everything could have been solved if he'd kept that promise. How would he have been able to continue to trust IA, to not hate her for harming so many people? If he hadn't died, would he have ever had this rare chance to come into contact with Miku, much less have her fall in love with him?Len knew what he had to do now. He wouldn't let it go like this. Even if this might end up being his second time dying, or even if he might end up going to hell like IA had said, Len was going to survive for as long as he could. He was not going to leave any regrets behind. Not this time. Miku almost burst into tears when Len slowly blinked, the daze in his eyes clearing. In a hoarse voice, Len muttered, "Miku, is that you?""Len, you're okay!" Miku exclaimed, struggling to resist the urge to just hug him to make sure he actually was okay.Len let out a faint groan as he blinked again, his eyebrows knitted together. He mumbled, "I'm not so sure about that."He started staring at his feet like he was in pain. Miku followed his gaze and froze. Slowly but surely, his feet seemed to be fading away, crumbling into ash, one grain at a time. The ash seemed to be swirling in the air from some unknown force before landing back down onto the ground and almost seemingly vanishing."What's happening?" Miku asked, worried.Len managed a dry smile and said, "I think I'm going to hell."Miku stared at Len and snapped, "Don't say that."Len just let out a painful chuckle. He slowly asked, "Hey, I have a question.""What to you want?" Miku asked, hoping she didn't sound too bossy."I know I asked you already, but do you really love me?" Len whispered in his now hoarse voice.Miku tried not to blush, but it failed. It was no use to lie now, not when Len was staring so intently at her, like he could read every thought in her head. Slowly, in a shaky voice, Miku replied, "Yes, Len, I do. I know you might not feel the same, but it's true. You taught me so many things that I'd never bothered to learn. You taught me to treasure my friends, and you showed me what it was like to enjoy a person's company, so much that I wished I'd gotten to know you sooner. I really enjoyed working with you, and I'm sorry if it's because of me that we couldn't be something more."Miku realized she was sniffling by now, tears already spilling out of her eyes and onto Len's dark coat. She tried to stop crying by thinking, "Get a hold of yourself, Miku. Len's not going to go to hell. He's going to be fine. He has to be fine."It didn't work; instead, it just made her want to cry harder.Len lifted his arm with a wince and softly brushed away the tears in her eyes. His hand was surprisingly warm against her face as she stared at him in surprise. He gave her a kind smile and said, "Thank you, Miku. Thank you, so please don't worry. I'll be fine.""But how?" Miku cried, glancing over at his feet. They had just about disappeared, the crumbling ash beginning to work its way up Len's legs. "It's all my fault. If I had just been just a little more attentive, you wouldn't be suffering like this.""Do I look like I'm in pain?" Len asked, raising his eyebrows before wincing as Miku pressed harder on his wound.She dully shot back, "Yes, very.""Okay, okay, I'm hurt, none of us can help it. But what's happened has happened. There's better things to do than just dwelling in the past and regretting every bad thing that happens, right?" Len remarked, not once shifting his gaze away from Miku. It somehow made her feel calmer inside, as if she'd caught sight of a lighthouse while lost at sea.Miku took in a deep breath and nodded. They sat there in silence for a while, their slow breathing the only sound to be heard. Just as a ray of sunshine seemed to peak through the stained glass windows, Len suddenly said, "Miku, you know about my wish? I lied to you. I didn't really care if you discovered who killed me or not."Miku stared at Len like he was crazy. He just bit his lip and said, "Well, I'm not sure how I feel about knowing the truth, but I'm sure it's a good thing. It's just it's not what I really wanted.""Then what did you want?" Miku asked. "There had to be a reason for getting me to accept your case."Miku thought she saw a glimmer of a smile on Len's lips. Slowly, he turned his eyes to look up at the window. The sunlight was shining now, a glimmer of colors as it drifted through the stained glass windows of the church. Finally, Len opened his lips and whispered his wish. "I wanted you to fall in love with me."Time itself seemed to freeze as those words swayed in the air, flitting their way into Miku's heart. She tried to say something, but nothing would come out. She was too shocked, too overjoyed, too everything to do anything.Len was smiling warmly now, maybe at her reaction, as he continued, "But that's not just it. A year ago, I first met you. You probably didn't notice me, but it was love at first sight. You were so brave and strong, yet so kind and beautiful at the same time. You were like a goddess straight out of mythology to me, and I just had to try and meet you, to get to know you better. I thought it had to be fate that we'd met that day, in such a situation. It's thanks to you I learned to love helping people and solving their problems. And now, I have the first part of my wish fulfilled, so thank you, Miku."Tears were starting to form in Len's eyes by now, not sad ones, but happy ones. Almost half his legs were gone by now, and yet Len still looked so happy and peaceful. Her heart caught in her throat, Miku breathed, "And the last part?"Len gulped and looked away. He mumbled, "That was just…a bizarre wish formed from a moment of madness on the verge of death.""Nothing is crazy, Len," Miku replied, clasping Len's hand in hers as she let Len lie down on the floor in a relaxed position, his head resting on her lap. "What's there to fear now? Anything is possible, as long as you believe in it.""Even flying?" Len joked."Ah, well, we have planes for that," Miku quickly added. "Besides, who knows? Maybe IA can in her spirit form. You were flying around too, weren't you?"Len smiled and they exchanged a laugh, the tension breaking between the two. Len took in a deep breath, having regained his confidence. Gripping Miku's hand tighter, he met her eyes again and whispered, "Then will you go out with me? Even though I'm…"Miku pressed a finger to Len's lips before he could complete his sentence. She shook her head and softly replied, "Don't say it."Len looked surprised, almost hurt. He'd expected it, but had Miku really just rejected him?Miku seemed to understand what he was thinking. Len looked confused as a bright smile appeared on Miku's face, another wave of tears, joyful ones, threatened to bubble out of her eyes again. Leaning over until her face was an inch from his, Miku whispered in a melodic voice that washed warmth over Len's lips, "You'll be fine, Len. I'd love to be your girlfriend."Closing her eyes, Miku took one last breath and sealed the distance between their lips with a kiss. How long it lasted, Miku knew not, but she didn't care. All she could feel was the warmth of Len's soft lips on hers and a lingering taste of bananas, sweet and fresh. Time seemed endless to her at that moment, the first time she cared about nothing but the boy in her arms, the boy she loved.When they finally broke apart, even a smile didn't seem needed as they gazed into each other's eyes, feelings and words all exchanged with a single glance. Miku hugged Len tighter to her chest and whispered, "Please don't die."Len gulped and bit back his emotions. He replied, "I'm sorry, Miku. I can't promise you anything, not when I'm fighting my own body and nature itself.""Then at least till the medics get here," Miku replied, but it seemed more like a lie to herself. Just where were those people when you needed them most?Len painfully shook his heads, glancing down at what was left of his legs. He struggled to whisper, "Miku, even you know the medics will never make it. I'm happy already. You granted my dying wish, the only thing I really ever wanted, so thank you, Miku. I could never have asked for more."Suddenly, Miku let out a gasp. She watched in shock as Len's body started to glow in a white light, the familiar light of ghosts that moved on to next world in peace. She stammered, "Len, you're…"Len looked around at himself, unable to process anything. He couldn't understand what was happening to him. Was this a sign that he was going to move on into the next world, where he would finally be at peace? Or was he still going to fall down to hell?"L-Len, what's going to happen?" Miku asked, her voice quivering. Len had never heard her sound so afraid before. It reminded him of how little Miku must actually know about the spiritual word.He took in a deep breath. He had to act strong, for the both of them. Slowly, he rasped, "I'm not sure Miku, but I'll be fine. I'm so sorry I have to leave like this just after…everything that happened, but please, let me go.""How can you be so sure you'll be fine?" Miku demanded, tears trickling down her cheeks.Len just smiled and wiped away her tears again. He replied, "Because if I ever feel down or unsafe, I'll just remember you and feel better. This is my vow to you, Miku. No matter what, no matter where I go or what happens, I'll never forget about you. I've never loved anyone more in my life, and I plan to continue loving you, Hatsune Miku, even beyond death. So please, don't forget about me."Miku felt her hand trembled as she clutched Len's fading hand tighter than she ever though she could. She swallowed her sobs and pressed Len's hand to her forehead as she whispered, "I promise."The last thing Miku saw was Len's bright smile, his cerulean eyes shining with as much joy and happiness they could contain, before Len's body burst into a bright white light, shattering into millions of fragments, sparking in the sunlight that had fallen upon Miku and where Len had once been. Miku watched as they drifted up into the heavens. She took a shaky breath before she let a brilliant smile light up her face as she silently sent Len off on his journey.Just as the last of the shimmering sparkles vanished in the sunset, for the first time ever, Miku clasped her hands together and began a prayer, to pray that she would find the mastermind behind the cause of all this pain, and that Len would finally be able to find a happiness that would forever be his.
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Miku was sitting at the bus stop, patiently waiting for the next bus to come. Twenty minutes, she mentally thought, once again checking the time for the next bus. Twenty minutes to sit there, alone, silent, thinking.It was eight in the morning last time she checked, a full night away from when Len had disappeared. To heaven or hell, she didn't know which way he'd gone, but she really hoped Len had managed to get to heaven, or whatever good there was in the afterlife. It was no use to dwell on his death. Just thinking about it made Miku sadder, and Len himself had told her to stay focused on the present, not the past.So when Miku had woken up in the morning in the empty church, she washed her tear stained face in a nearby café and decided to think about the case instead.In the end, she'd completely forgotten to ask Len about the mystery man K. All she had been able to learn was that K was definitely a male, and he'd met with Len before Len had confronted IA and Luka. Most likely, Miku guessed, K was the one who shot Len, probably someone who'd slipped past the police. Was it someone from the police, or was it someone she knew? It was too late to ask Luka or IA what time Len had met with them, but it was probably not long before Len's death. She flipped open her phone and searched for Rin's number. His sister must know something about it.The ringtone rang twice before Rin finally picked up. "Hello?" Rin asked."Hi, Rin. It's me, Miku. Can I ask you a few questions?" Miku asked in a monotone.Rin replied, "Yeah, sure. I just got let out of the hospital. I was going to check on Oliver, but I think I have some time."Oliver. Miku blinked, remembering how he'd been shot too. With all the drama, she'd completely forgotten about him. Luka had said they hadn't shot him. Was that perhaps K's work as well? Miku hastily asked, "How is he?""Piko talked to the surgeon. Oliver still hasn't woken yet, but he's in a stable condition. They said he was lucky the bullet hadn't hit any vital organs, but it was mostly because someone had helped stop the bleeding before the medics arrived too," Rin replied. There was a long pause after she was finished, almost like she wanted to say something, but was afraid to say it.Before Miku could ask what was wrong, Rin suddenly asked, "It was Len, wasn't it? The one who saved Oliver."Miku gave a small smile and said, "Yeah. I'm really sorry we couldn't have told you earlier about Len.""Is he with you?"Miku froze. What was she supposed to tell Rin? Pretend Len was still here? But then Rin would probably ask to talk to Len. Miku gripped her phone tighter and slowly replied, "I'm sorry, he…he left."The other side of the phone was silent for a while. Miku was afraid she'd hurt Rin again, but she finally heard Rin's voice say, "I see. Do you think he's happy?"Miku felt inside her pocket for the charm Len had dropped, the one that'd given him a material body. She remembered their last moments together and smiled. She replied, "Yes, I'm sure of it.""Then I'm happy for him," Rin said, the sound of her sighing reaching Miku's ears. She added, "So what did you want to ask about?""Oh, right," Miku hastily replied, remembering the original intent of her calling Rin. "Um, I'm sorry to ask this at a time like this, but do you know the time of Len's death?""Oh, you mean in his case last year?" Rin replied after a moment's pause. "I think it was around seven at night. Isn't the case closed though?""Ah, well, this is…sorta of something related," Miku replied, not ready to divulge everything. She didn't want her promise to Luka to unravel into something as complicated as Len's case."I see. Well, is there anything else you need?"Miku thought for a moment before asking, "Back at the church last night, did you see anyone go back in the building after you guys got out?""Hmm, well I remembered that the police were driving away with the culprits, and the medics team was there with me and Piko. I heard it was you who hit him?" Rin asked, though her tone was light."Ah, yeah, sorry," Miku sheepishly replied. The bus was just pulling into the station. She got up and waited for the bus to open its doors."Don't worry. Other than that though, I think Kaito went back saying he'd go get you guys, but then he came back saying the door was locked. I asked if we should go get you guys out, but he said you'd be fine."Miku froze just as she dropped a coin into the ticket box. Kaito? It was an obvious lie about the door. Well, it had been locked, Miku could attest to that, but he could have gone in through the window that Miku had broken earlier. Kaito, he couldn't have been…Suddenly, something clicked. The last person Len saw at the café, the person who'd blackmailed Luka, Meiko's case, Kiyoteru's kidnapping, finally, she thought she saw the string of truth that connected them together.Hastily, she said into the phone, "Thanks for everything, Rin! I'll call you later.""Wait, miss, your ticket!" the bus driver called out, but Miku had already slipped through the closing bus doors and broken into a run down the sidewalk. Without another second to waste, she flipped open her cell and dialed a number. She quickly said, "It's me, Hatsune. Go to the park at once. I have something to show you."She hung up and turned the corner, her pigtails trailing behind her, not breaking a sweat as she charged straight ahead towards her destination. The moment Miku reached the park, she glanced around. It was empty, seeing as it was still early, except for the one person she'd expected to be there, the person she was looking for."Hey, Miku," Kaito waved from the swings. Miku just nodded her head in acknowledgment as she went over and sat down on the swing next to him."There something you wanted?" Kaito asked, swinging back and forth lazily, his feet never leaving the ground.Miku stared down at her feet, wondering how to start the conversation. She knew Kaito would be able to lie his way through if she got straight to the point, so she started with small talk. She said, "You don't seem surprised to see me.""Why should I be? Everyone knows I come here in the mornings. The fact that you didn't wait till I went home just means you have something urgent to say, don't you?" Kaito deduced, kicking the woodchips at his feet.Strange, Miku thought. Usually Kaito liked to beat around the bush unless he was in an investigation. It was strange to see Kaito go straight to the topic on his own. Miku decided she'd play along with Kaito, seeing how it was such a rare occasion. She continued, "I wanted you to help me find Len's attacker.""His attacker? Wasn't that IA?" Kaito asked.Miku shook her head and said, "IA killed him the first time, but back there, someone attacked Len.""What?" Kaito exclaimed.Miku suddenly felt another wave of sadness wash over her. It wasn't fake; the emotions, they were real. Just remembering Len's final words and that last brilliant smile seemed to cause tears to appear in her eyes. She tried hard to bite them back as she nodded and sniffled, "Yeah, I was right there with him. I shouldn't have let my guard down like that. I bet it was the mystery person Luka was talking about who did it.""Did Len say who it might be?" Kaito immediately asked. It was unusual for Kaito to care more about the mastermind than his friend, but Miku pretended not to notice. She shook her head and said, "No, he didn't, but when he wakes up, I'll ask him.""Wait, he's alive?" Kaito blurted out before he regained his normal composure. Miku could've sworn a hint of horror had just momentarily flitted through his eyes. He hastily replied, "I mean, wasn't he shot?"Miku feigned surprise and asked, "How did you know?""Oh, well, it was just you two in the church right? If someone had attacked Len, it had to be a long range weapon, and a gun was the most obvious choice," Kaito quickly explained.Miku didn't bother to add that she and Len could've easily been attacked outside the church as well. If she did, Kaito might notice she was just playing with him."Well, you're right, but the doctor said he was lucky," Miku replied, fixing her mind on Oliver instead. She wasn't the best of liars, so she pretended they were talking about Oliver now, who just happened to have suffered from the same wound as Len. "They don't know when he'll wake up yet, so that's why I wanted your help. I thought it'd be better if we solve the case before he woke up.""Ah, yeah, of course. That way this case can finally be closed, right?" Kaito said with a smile. "By the way, what hospital is Len in?""Oh, the Central Hospital," Miku replied. It was actually Oliver's hospital, but she would fix things up later. "Are you going to visit him later?""Yeah. You know, make sure he's all right and all," Kaito replied, getting up off the swing. "I'll be going back to the agency. I wonder what Kiyoteru will say when he hears of this.""Yeah," Miku replied, her mood falling again. She wondered what the agency would now be like without Luka's presence. And they might just lose another brilliant detective if Miku's calculations proved correct, Miku mentally reminded herself."I'm sure he'll find a way to work it out. He doesn't seem affected by bad news much," Kaito sighed, his eyes slightly narrowed like it annoyed him."Are you talking about Meiko's death?"Kaito gave a start. He held Miku in a questioning gaze before asking, "What are you talking about?""I heard from Luka. He and Meiko were good friends, apparently," Miku replied calmly, analyzing Kaito's reaction. "You knew of course, right? Since she was your girlfriend.""Ah, right, yeah, sorry, you just took me by surprise there," Kaito chuckled, scratching his head. "Well, I'll be going now. See you around."He waved and hastily left the park, the morning sun to his back. Miku stared after him. The moment she was sure he was out of earshot, she suddenly asked, "You saw that, didn't you?"The brushes on the other side of the park rustled as Gakupo stepped out, picking branches out of his hair. He sighed and said, "As much as I don't want to believe it, Kaito's acting suspicious. Too much for my taste."Miku nodded. She'd called Gakupo back then, hoping he'd help her after her talk with Kaito. Gakupo used to be the head of the police force before he quit because of the lack of freedom he had to solve cases. Even now though, he still had connections in the police, and as much as Miku disliked it, the police was a necessary component in her plan."So, I'm guessing you called me because you have a plan," Gakupo said, sitting down on a bench and lighting a cigarette.Miku nodded and replied, "We don't have actual evidence that Kaito is the mastermind, but if he really is the culprit, there's no doubt that he'll try to kill Len in the hospital tonight to make sure his secret stays safe.""So you're endangering a wounded person just to catch him?" Gakupo asked.Miku felt her throat clog up again. She didn't usually talk to Gakupo, so it was normal that he wouldn't know much about the case. Slowly, she pressed herself to say, "Len, is dead.""What? Then… that was just to set a trap for Kaito?" Gakupo demanded."If he is the killer," Miku reminded Gakupo, happy for a distraction. "We only have today to get ready for the plan. I know we don't usually talk, but this is urgent, and I really have no one else to turn to, so can I ask you for some help here?"Gakupo sighed and said, "I don't know much about this case you're on yet, but if Kaito really has done something terrible, I'll give you all the help I can.""Great," Miku smiled. "Just let me call someone and I'll go over the plan."With that, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. The moment the other end picked up, Miku asked, "Hi, Rin, it's me, Miku again. Can I ask you a favor?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was a still and silent spring night in the town of Rivera today. Even the wind seemed to have fallen silent, save for the muffled footsteps that treaded across the road. The Central Hospital had most of its lights turned off. Even with the huge amount of action in the past few days, there weren't many people who were hurt or sick in the past weeks.The footsteps stopped right before the hospital. Kaito looked up and counted the windows. He'd gone there that morning to look for Len's room. 309 had been the room number. He found it on the third floor, the fifth room to the left. The lights were off, the curtains drawn. As if by instinct, Kaito burrowed his hands in his pockets, his right hand wrapping around his pocketknife.He would not fail this time. He'd made enough mistakes so far. This time, it was success or nothing.Carefully, he lifted his black hood over his head, tugging at it so it covered his eyes. He flashed a smile at the nurse sitting at the front desk. She had brown hair, her dark eyes slightly narrowed like she was annoyed as she tapped her pen on the desk. Just as Kaito was about to pass the nurse, he froze, a disturbing thought striking him.That nurse, she looked almost like Meiko.A shiver involuntarily ran through him. Could it be a sign? What if he was wrong? What if this was a trap? What if Miku had figured everything out already and was trying to catch him here? The nurse could easily be Miku in disguise, but he ruled that out, since Kaito knew better than anyone that Miku loved her long teal hair more than anything else. She hated disguises too, not that her long hair could've fit in a wig in the first place, but still, the nurse could be anyone out to get him in a trap.Kaito took in a deep breath and continued forward. He was hyperventilating. He needed to relax. Even if Miku had her suspicions, without evidence she could prove nothing. Finishing off Len would be easy. Even if she was waiting to ambush him somewhere in the hospital, Kaito had the athletic advantage. He'd already arranged everything to get away from this wretched town anyways.He entered the elevator and patiently waited for it to get to level three. Another unsettling thought struck him. What if Miku had lied about Len still being alive? Kaito was sure he'd shot Len right through the stomach. It was difficult for people to survive such a wound, though Kaito wasn't sure if the same logic applied to dead people.Kaito mentally flicked himself. Oliver had survived, hadn't he? Of course it'd be normal for Len to survive too. Besides, Miku hadn't looked like she'd been lying either. Kaito hadn't meant to attack Oliver, but Len's sudden appearance back then had surprised Kaito, causing his hand to slip as he pulled the trigger. He'd been meaning to hit Luka, who'd been helping her accomplice escape with an unconscious Rin. He'd never actually believed that ghosts could exist, so Len completely ruined his perfect plan to end that tangled case once and for all.The hall was eerily silent as Kaito moved down the hall, his footsteps echoing through the white corridor. He paused outside of Len's room. The room was dark, the only sound to be heard being the steady beating of the heart monitor machine. Deducing from the slow steady beat, there was no doubt that Len was still unconscious, or at least asleep.Without a sound, Kaito slipped next to the patient's bed. Just in case, he studied Len's face. It would be difficult for a person to be lying here with such a slow heart rate, especially if someone had really been waiting to ambush Kaito. They could've substituted Len with Oliver too, in the case that Len had actually died. Kaito had to make sure first, so he wouldn't end up making another mistake.The machine looked like it was working properly. Len's breathing was steady as well, and he had a small black dot on his eyelid that Kaito had discovered once when they were kids. Kaito felt more confident now. Even if someone had tried to pretend to be Len, no one would have been able to remember such a tiny detail.He flipped his pocketknife open and held it above Len's throat for one brief moment. He whispered, "For the last time, good-bye, Len.""Freeze!"Kaito spun around in surprise, almost tumbling over the bed in the process. At the same time, there was a loud clang. Kaito watched, the horror of his miscalculations dawning on him, as "Len" leapt out of the bed and stumbled off to the side, blue eyes darting around looking scared."Rin," Kaito drawled out in a hiss, glaring at her."You should be looking over here," the nurse from the front desk threatened, her gun aimed right at Kaito's head.Kaito hesitated for a moment before slowly letting his hands fall to his sides. He put on a bitter smile and asked, "So this was a trap after all, wasn't it?""That's your fatal flaw, Kaito. You trust your knowledge too much," the nurse said, using her spare had to rip off the wig to reveal her teal hair."M-Miku? You, your hair…" Kaito muttered, unable to recover from his shock."Oh, this?" Miku asked, brushing a strand of her shoulder length hair. "It got in the way of my disguise, so I cut it. I saw how indecisive you were when you saw me. You should've listened to your instincts."Kaito scoffed, his fist curling around his knife. Instincts, she said. For someone like Kaito, a detective who always trusted data and knowledge more than instincts, this was the first time he regretted not listening to his supposed sixth sense. The fact that Miku just happened to choose a disguise that resembled Meiko should have said it all. He should've known there'd be nothing but mistakes and ill luck waiting for him.As if to taunt him further, Miku asked, "So what scared you the most back when you entered? The fact that I looked like your girlfriend, Meiko?"Kaito's eyes narrowed with spite. He snarled, "So that was on purpose? What are you playing at, Miku?""I'm sure you know that better than me, right?" Miku said, looking equally furious. "There's no better proof than this, Kaito. You were the one who killed Len, weren't you?""Kill? Well, sure, if you consider killing a dead person murder," Kaito replied with a mocking tone. "But you can't charge me for that, can you, since no one would believe you.""How could you do this? Len looked up to you so much!" Rin said, her voice wavering. Only the sound of the heart monitor could be heard. A fake. Kaito snorted. He should've guessed."Len broke my trust first. If he'd just kept his mouth shut like he'd promised, none of this would have happened," Kaito shot back."So you admit to blackmailing Luka," Miku just continued, her eyes betraying her dead tone. They looked like lightning could shoot out of them."Yeah, yeah, so what?" Kaito spat with distaste. "How many years are you trying to get me in prison with that?""A whole lifetime if we're lucky," Miku calmly shot back. "I don't know about you, but I'd say your luck just about ran out here, Kaito.""Your point?" he hissed.Gakupo suddenly appeared from behind Miku. As Kaito's eyes narrowed, Gakupo pulled out a notepad and said, "Hatsune had me ask Kiyoteru and a few other people some questions. I got a lot of surprising answers if you'll believe it.""Kiyoteru? What does he have to do with this?" Kaito asked.Miku didn't buy his act of surprise. She managed to keep her temper down and replied in a calm and collected voice, "Since you admitted to blackmailing Luka, you obviously ordered the kidnapping of Kiyoteru as well, but you know what troubled me? Why did you do that? No matter what angle you look at if from, you two were the best of friends."Miku purposely let a long silence follow her words, waiting for the tension to filled every cell of Kaito's body until even he looked uneasy. She finally continued, "That's when I realized something in common between most of these cases. Everything pointed to one person. Sakine Meiko."Kaito's gulp didn't go unnoticed. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Why are you bringing up Meiko again?""Scared, aren't you?" Miku remarked. "Now that you know that ghosts really exist, are you afraid she's going to come after you for killing her?""I didn't kill her!" Kaito snapped, his hand gripping his knife tighter until the whites of his knuckled could be seen."We'll see about that," Miku calmly said. "But there's no doubt both cases revolved mostly around her. Gakupo, could you tell us what you found out?"Gakupo nodded and flipped open his notebook. He skimmed through it and asked Kaito, "You were Meiko's secret boyfriend, weren't you? Even though Kiyoteru was one of Meiko's closest childhood friends, even he didn't know of your relationship,""I…we didn't want anyone to know," Kaito managed to reply."Then that's really your own fault for being jealous," Gakupo bluntly replied. Before Kaito could defend himself, Gakupo continued, "Kiyoteru was always extremely friendly with Meiko, especially since his wife passed away. You were usually there when they hung out together, right, Kaito? I'm betting you thought Kiyoteru wanted to be more than just friends with Meiko.""But she was your girlfriend, so of course you couldn't stand how Kiyoteru was acting. Afraid Meiko would have a change of heart, you decided to get rid of Kiyoteru," Miku continued, closely watching Kaito's trembling hands. Jackpot."I also looked into Luka a bit. The Vanderson twins who you caught last year lived across the street, you said?" Gakupo said, flipping to the next page. "I asked the neighbors a few questions about the twins. No one talked to them much, but they all knew that Mizki had some serious illness, and that Yuuma had anger issues. He got mad if anyone stared too long at him or his sister, and he always rejected any act of kindness that anyone offered. I'm sure you knew about this too, Kaito, seeing how you lived across from them.""Plus you must have seen Luka go into the house sometimes. It was probably easy to put two and two together. You knew of Luka and the twins' relationship and of Yuuma's anger problems and Mizki's illness. Detectives don't get paid enough to afford expensive health bills, so connect that to the kidnappings that must have been the work of a cunning mastermind, you took a guess at the truth behind the kidnappings," Miku completed. "But you didn't hand them over the police. You had better uses for them. You had them kidnap Kiyoteru, and knowing of Kiyoteru's personality, Yuuma was bound to get mad at him. You probably were hoping to get him killed, but as luck would have it, I interfered and you settled with Kiyoteru becoming a person who would no longer be able to outshine you.""That's all just your guessing though," Kaito defiantly shot back. "Do you have any proof?"The ceiling let out a long groan from above him, but Kaito paid it no intention. His eyes were filled with fury as he glared down at Miku, who still hadn't put down her gun. Her eyes briefly flitted upwards before she focused back on Kaito and said, "Like you said, its just my speculation. All I could get you charged for is not reporting a criminal organization and another penalty for ordering the harm of Kiyoteru."A glimmer of grin appeared on Kaito's face. He started, "Then—""But if we focus on Meiko's case, I think I can get you charged with life in prison," Miku cut in, watching all hope vanish from Kaito's eyes."Why do you have to keep bringing up Meiko?" Kaito asked, his voice wavering.Miku replied, "You can stop with the innocent boyfriend act, Kaito. Luka had a good reason to investigate Meiko's death. Some people might be happy to settle with 'Accident' as the cause of her death, but that's not true, is it, Kaito?"Kaito's hand had relaxed again, his fingers loosely holding onto his knife that was on the verge of falling to the ground. His bangs falling over his eyes, Kaito asked in a small, almost broken voice, "Why are you asking me?""If you tell the truth now, the judge could lighten your sentence," Gakupo said. "You've been cornered, Kaito. No one likes accusing a good friend, so surrender and make this less painful for all of else. What do you say?"Kaito snorted. "Less painful?" he snapped, glaring at the two of them. "You think everything will be better if I just give up and tell you everything? It was an accident! An accident! There's nothing else to know!""Evidence says otherwise," Gakupo tartly replied."What?""Meiko's sister. She moved to another town shortly after Meiko's death. You threatened her into silence, but I managed to coax some key information from her," Gakupo exclaimed, as Kaito's eyes slowly widened in shock. "On the day Meiko died, you visited and apparently you two had a big fight. She didn't hear what it was about, but you threatened her to not mention anything about you before running."Kaito was visibly trembling by now. He stammered, "No, that's not true…""Just admit it already, Kaito," Miku said. As much as she didn't like seeing Kaito in such an unstable state, she was done with waiting. "You pushed Meiko down the stairs, didn't you?"Kaito didn't respond. He just stood there, his bottom lip trembling as he stared at Miku like a cornered prey.Miku took a deep breath and continued, "After she found out you were the one behind Kiyoteru's kidnapping, she must've wanted to report you to the police, right? And since you couldn't have that, you killed her.""NO! I didn't mean to do any of that! It was just an accident, a terrible, terrible accident!" Kaito shouted, gripping his knife tighter. He suddenly dashed and grabbed Rin who'd been standing there in shock, his wavering hand holding the knife to his neck. "If anyone comes any closer, I'll kill her."Miku mentally cursed. The sensible Kaito she'd known had vanished completely. She shouldn't have trusted Kaito so much to keep him with the knife, but it was her own fault for still wanting to believe that Kaito was a friend like Luka had been. Miku said, "Let her go, Kaito. You won't gain anything from doing this.""I don't care," Kaito shot back, trying to control his breathing. "I've lost everything already. I'm capable of anything, so don't move."Just as he took a step backward towards the window, something dropped down from the ceiling and crushed Kaito onto bed. By instinct, he let go of Rin, who tumbled forward and out of his reach. Struggling, he started fighting back against the thing that'd fallen on him, something that turned out to be a person. Sheets tangling with arms and feet, Kaito felt his strength draining as he attempted to throw off Piko, who was fighting with some newfound ferocity. In the end, he gave up completely. It was like Miku said. Luck really wasn't with him. His own body was fighting against him, telling him to give up, that it was over."Oi, Piko, that's enough," Rin said, grabbing her boyfriend and restraining him from beating the brains out of Kaito. Kaito almost wished she hadn't done so. He welcomed death now, after all the things life had put him through. Even now it was mocking him, laughing at his bad luck for taking Piko's girlfriend as a hostage and setting the tiny acrobat on a rampage.The taste of defeat was bitter on his tongue. Suddenly, the tears were unstoppable as Kaito lay there on the bed. He'd lost everything, from the people he trusted to his own will to keep fighting for his life and freedom. What did he have now? Nothing, nothing but the heart-wrenching truth that it'd been him who'd caused all this, and him who'd killed Meiko with his bare hands.A mocking snort managed to emerge from his throat amidst his shaky gasps and whimpers. He'd said he could do anything. Now he knew the truth. He had no power over anything. Ever since he'd been blinded by that one moment of madness that made him kill Meiko, his fate had been sealed. No matter how much he tried to ignore it, it'd slowly torn him to pieces, the pain of Meiko's death and everything that had happened because of it.Kaito could hear footsteps nearing the room, but he no longer cared. Gakupo was saying something as Piko and Rin left the room. Only Miku was left, silent. She was probably watching him, a pitiful criminal who'd never be able to function properly again. Kaito couldn't see the expression on her face as he covered his own face with his two hands. He wondered if she hated him for indirectly causing Len's first and fatal death. Not that it mattered. Len was nothing compared to what Meiko had been to him.He heard a click as something cold clasped over his wrists. Gakupo's emotionless voice said, "Shion Kaito, you are under arrest for murder."Kaito let out a joyless laugh as a tear escaped his hands and trailed down his cheek. He mumbled, "Meiko, just why couldn't you have stopped me from getting into all this?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was supposed to be like any other day. Kaito always visited Meiko on Fridays. They'd go out for ice cream, or maybe to a nice and quiet Japanese restaurant where Kaito would eat mochi ice cream while Meiko had a bottle of sake. Today should've been like that, but Kaito knew it couldn't. Kiyoteru wouldn't be joining them like he usually did. The weight of what Kaito had done was too heavy on his shoulders. Meiko would surely see through it. The question was how she would react.It took less than two seconds for Meiko to open the door after Kaito rang the doorbell. She greeted him with a smile as always, but Kaito wondered how much was sincere. Surely she couldn't be truly happy, not when she knew of Kiyoteru's condition."Hey, how you doing," Meiko said, ushering Kaito into the house."I'm fine," Kaito replied blandly. "Did you hear about Kiyoteru?""Yeah, isn't that terrible?" Meiko sighed. "How's he doing in the hospital? They wouldn't let me visit him.""Fine. He's still unconscious, so we don't know how he'll be when he comes to, but the doctors said he should be fine," Kaito replied with a half lie as he took for his shoes and followed Meiko into the living room. It was true that Kiyoteru no longer was in danger of dying, but even the doctors weren't sure Kiyoteru would ever be the same. And it was his fault."That's a relief to hear," Meiko said with a smile. "Did you find any more clues to the kidnappers who escaped?""Nope," Kaito lied, letting out a long sigh as he pretended to be tired. "Miku's been working nonstop for a few days now. It's really worrying, to tell the truth."Meiko let out a chuckle. "Cheating with me on Miku, are you?" Meiko joked as she set down a glass of ice tea.Normally, Kaito would laugh and they'd play out an entire dramatic scene before making up and going out for a date. Today though, Kaito just sat there glumly. He couldn't joke around, not when Kiyoteru could be suffering severe brain damage because of him."Hey, you're not actually cheating on me, right?" Meiko asked, unsettled by Kaito's strange silence.Kaito hesitated for a moment before asking, "Meiko, what do you think about Kiyoteru?""Hmm? Why are you asking? You know we're good friends, right?" Meiko replied almost immediately."Yeah, but…""You silly. Kiyoteru wouldn't like me like what I know you're thinking," Meiko laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear."I know that!" Kaito stubbornly defended himself. Of course he knew that. Kiyoteru had loved his wife too much to ever love another. But then… Kaito furrowed his brows together as Meiko went to get some snacks. Just what had made him decide to harm Kiyoteru? Was it jealousy then, that Kiyoteru had such a great position in the agency, being so smart and so nice, even after his wife had died? There was always that hint of a strange feeling whenever they hung out together that Kaito never could get rid of.Meiko called from the kitchen. "There's only strawberry and vanilla here!""Vanilla," Kaito immediately replied, twirling his hair in thought.Meiko came back with two bowls of ice cream. They started to eat in silence for a while before Meiko suddenly asked, "Hey, Kaito. Do you think it's about time we told someone about our relationship?""I don't wanna," Kaito complained like a little kid."Why not?""Because…" Kaito trailed off."Because?" Meiko asked, her eyebrows raised."Well, now's not the time right? We don't even know how Kiyoteru's going to be," Kaito replied with a plausible reason."And?"Kaito silently cursed. Of course Meiko would know there was a real reason, since he'd been insisting on keeping their relationship a secret even before the crime. Not that he'd ever told Meiko why he wanted that.Finally, he relented and said, "Because I don't want to be made fun of.""For having a girlfriend like me?" Meiko replied, pretending to be offended though she was laughing."No, it's just," Kaito started before pausing. He gulped and continued, "It's just, I don't know what everyone will think.""I'm sure they'd accept us.""Yeah, but…""Worried about what Kiyoteru will think?" Meiko offered, studying Kaito with an intelligent gaze."Well, he's the one who introduced me to my job, and the three of us are always hanging out together, and I don't want the fact that we're dating to change that," Kaito finally muttered.Meiko let out a long sigh. She mumbled to herself, "So I was right.""About what?""Nothing," Meiko replied, flicking Kaito in the forehead. As he clutched his head in pain, she said, "I'm going to go change, so wait for me.""Okay," Kaito replied and Meiko left the room. After about five minutes of staring into midair, Kaito go bored, so he climbed up the stairs and reached the landing. He leaned over the railing, waiting for Meiko. As he started daydreaming again, he remembered how Kiyoteru would sometimes barge into the house, make some small talk and then take them all out to ice cream. It made Kaito feel guiltier. He could've just ruined the fun that the three of them had always had together. Really, just how could he have been so stupid to want to do that to his best friend?"Hey, ready to get ice cream?" Meiko asked, causing Kaito to jump.He stammered, "Uh, yeah, sure.""Well, come on then," Meiko said, heading for the stairs. "After that, maybe you can convince those stupid doctors to finally let me pay him a visit. I have something I want him to know."And then she'll realize just how injured Kiyoteru really is, though he'll probably be fine, Kaito thought to himself as he stood there. If Kiyoteru ended up unscathed, Kaito knew he'd feel a lot less guilty, but Kiyoteru would hunt down those kidnappers and then surely find out it'd been him, Kiyoteru's best friend, who'd harmed him. He didn't want to lose Kiyoteru as a friend like that. Meiko would hate him too. Kaito didn't know if he had the strength to live so long in fear and guilt. She had to know now, while he could still be forgiven, if just a little.Just as Meiko reached the edge of the stairs, Kaito blurted out, "I did it.""Sorry?" Meiko asked, turning around, looking confused."I said, I'm the one that ordered them to kidnap Kiyoteru," Kaito repeated in a serious tone, his eyes staring right into Meiko's. "He'll never be the same again because of me."Meiko just stared back at him blankly. Kaito couldn't stand the silence. He glanced down and mumbled, "If you want to turn me in, you can do it. I…I just thought your should—""I knew that.""What?" Kaito asked, his head snapping up."I knew from the start," Meiko replied, her voice as serious as Kaito's. "You might've thought I was asleep that day, but I saw you write the letter to the kidnappers."Kaito's mind was racing? What? Meiko had known? But then… why hadn't she stopped him? Wasn't Kiyoteru her friend?Meiko just continued, "I didn't actually think that you'd send it, so when Kiyoteru actually got hurt, I sorta guessed you were behind it. I did think about going to the police, but you must have had a reason for doing that. Besides, you said Kiyoteru will be fine, right?""B-but, don't you hate criminals?" Kaito stammered, completely taken aback.Meiko hesitated for a moment before leaning back against the wall. She replied, "Kaito, you know that I love you right? So no matter what, I will continue to put your interests first, even if there really isn't benefit in it for me. So I promise, I won't tell anyone. This secret is safe with me.""But…" Kaito trailed off. What did he want to say? But Kiyoteru won't be fine. But I don't want you to keep it a secret. But I want to receive punishment for what I've done. Why couldn't Meiko just be herself, angry that a crime was committed against her best friend? Even Kaito could feel a hint of anger boiling inside him in Meiko's stead. He shouldn't be getting angry. It should be Meiko.Meiko didn't seem to understand. She just continued, "Do you know why you did it?""…No," Kaito truthfully replied, biting his lip.Meiko was studying him again. It was almost like she knew the answer to the question that had been bothering Kaito. He almost wanted to demand, "If you know the answer, then just tell me already!" but Meiko cut in and said, "I'm sure you'll understand some day. Let's forget about this and go enjoy our day instead, how about it?"A sudden wave of fury surged over Kaito. He didn't know where it came from, but he suddenly couldn't stand Meiko's presence. He hated her, hated how she could so easily abandon a friend in the name of love, how she was always trying to make him learn everything himself. Where was the justice that was supposed to be dealt to him? Why had Kaito even wanted to harm Kiyoteru in the first place? It was obvious there was nothing between Meiko and Kiyoteru. Had he wanted to test his relationship with Meiko? He'd expected Meiko to be horrified by the truth, to break up with him in the name of justice. He hadn't wanted this, to be pitied just because she "loved" him. She should be angry. Kiyoteru almost died because of him. He couldn't stand how she wasn't angry. Even worse, he hated how she seemed to know the key to solving all this, and yet still she refused to tell him.She took a step down. Meiko glanced back at Kaito, her short brown hair rippling through the air as she gave Kaito an encouraging smile. She said, "Relax, Kaito. There's nothing to worry about.""Right," Kaito muttered back, his clenched fists shaking. Meiko had been such a righteous person once, with justice as her guide. That'd been the Meiko that Kaito loved, not one that would easily toss aside those beliefs for someone as foolish as himself. If it'd been Meiko who Kaito had harmed, he was sure Kiyoteru wouldn't be like this. Friend or not, crimes led to punishment. That was how life worked, the sole principle he'd learned from Kiyoteru. The two of them, Kiyoteru and Meiko, were always so alike, growing up with the same principles, and yet somewhere down the path, Meiko had gotten lost. The Meiko that stood for the justice that Kaito loved, whether it was being dealt to someone else, or even himself, no longer existed."Should we go get ice cream? I heard there's a new ice cream shop in town," Meiko continued.Kaito could see through it. Pretending like nothing happened. He couldn't trust this woman anymore.Without thinking, he suddenly went up to her and said, "I don't need you to take care of me anymore."It didn't take a hard shove. With just one light push, she was suddenly falling through thin air, her eyes slightly wide with surprise, but nothing else. No desperate flailing or shocked screams. Meiko just sailed through the air, almost gracefully, before hitting the steps with a thud as she tumbled down the stairs until her body came to a rest at the bottom.Kaito stood there at the top, breathing heavily for no reason as his narrowed eyes looked down at her broken body.And he suddenly realized just what he'd actually done."NO!" Kaito screamed, flying down the stairs in a split second. He picked Meiko up into his arms and shouted, "Meiko? Meiko! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do this! Please, just open your eyes. Just open you eyes!"Nothing was working. She just lay there, limply in his arms as Kaito's tears splattered onto the floor like sacrifices on an altar to a god who'd never grant his wish. All the screaming and begging in the world wouldn't bring her back. The cruel reality of it all filled Kaito with terror as the screams subsided into whimpers.No matter how much he regretted it, no matter how much he didn't want to believe it, just that split second of madness that had made Meiko look despicable had killed her. There was nothing he could do to reverse that fact. His mind was screaming "NO! No, I didn't do it! I didn't mean to!" but inside, Kaito knew perfectly well who was at fault here.Even if he regretted now, even if he felt broken over Meiko, there was no doubting that back then, for that split second, he'd wanted to kill her. And now, he was paying the price.As if stuck in a trance, Kaito let Meiko's body fall to the carpeted floor. Slowly, he rose to his two feet, looking but not seeing as he stared down at his dead girlfriend, who lay there, against the red carpet, lifeless with her chin tilted slightly upwards, her eyes closed in an eternal slumber.And suddenly he was running, racing as far as he could from the place where he'd committed the ultimate sin, where he'd lost Meiko forever. He never looked back. He could only run from the horrifying truth until he was back in the safety of his own home, the door slammed shut behind him.Panting for breath, Kaito collapsed onto the sofa, his two hands clutching his face as they trembled. What had he done? Just what had he done?A loud crash interrupted him. He flipped over on the sofa and stared out the window, just barely peaking out from behind it like a boy hiding because he'd done something wrong.They were tearing down the Vanderson's house, probably under the neighbors' request. After all, who would like to live next to the house that had once been occupied by a pair of violent criminals?Yet now that Kaito thought about it, the twins hadn't been so bad. They were young, and yet they'd been forced to choose a path of crime. If Kaito had never helped Miku by exposing them, would they still be living across from him? It had been a beautiful house as well, not big and yet cozy looking with the feeling of home.His fingers clenched the edge of the sofa. It wasn't just Meiko's life he'd taken away. Yuuma and Mizki, he'd ruined their lives as well. And Kiyoteru could be suffering severe brain damage because of his stupid whim. Not only that, there was the death of the innocent albino girl and the trauma Len and the other boy must've gone through. It was all his fault, all of it. The more he thought about all the suffering he'd brought upon all the people around him, the more guilt and pain he felt.No one, no one could find out about this. Just what would everyone think once they exposed the truth? Kaito's mind flooded with memories from when he was a kid. Even in lower school, people would bully him for being smart, and he'd lashed back, fighting back for his pride. "It's because they're jealous," he would always think. "It's because I have brains and they're just stupid pigs." But when Kaito nearly beat a kid to death one day for calling him a monster, Kaito suddenly realized that maybe that kid had been right. Whispers followed him in the halls, the same word, monster, echoing in their every sentence. Surely, the same would happen at the agency. Meiko's death would hit Kiyoteru the hardest, maybe even harder than it was affecting Kaito now."Damn it," he muttered, clenching his fists together. Kiyoteru, Kiyoteru, Kiyoteru. Why was he always popping up in Kaito's head? Sure, Kaito had indirectly harmed him, but Meiko was dead! Was this normal, to keep thinking of another person when you'd just killed your girlfriend?He hated being like this. Whenever he used to hang out with Kiyoteru, there was always this jittery feeling. It'd been there since Kiyoteru had helped him off the streets after Kaito had run away and given him his job. He hated it, the tingling in his stomach whenever they made eye contact, the bitterness on the tip of his tongue whenever Kaito caught Kiyoteru looking lovingly at a picture of his deceased wife. Had that been what Meiko had been talking about? Had he wanted to get rid of Kiyoteru because of that strange feeling? But then what was it? He had to find something, anything to justify his actions.Just as he flopped back on the couch, he suddenly remembered. It'd been similar to when he'd first met Meiko. Her similar ideals to Kiyoteru, her tomboyish attitude, her forever smiling face. Kaito remembered feeling uneasy whenever she talked to other men, and when she'd asked him to go out with her, he'd never imagined he could feel so happy. Yet, he'd never once actually told her "I love you."And now, remembering Meiko's knowing expression whenever Kiyoteru's name appeared in their conversation, Kaito knew why."Love…what a stupid thing it is," Kaito mumbled as he buried his head back into the arms, a fresh wave of tears escaping his eyes.At that moment, Kaito made a vow to himself. He was going to break all ties with everyone he knew. They could know nothing of this, nothing of the real Kaito that was hiding inside his cheerful shell, nothing of the crimes he'd committed. And for the sake of others, and maybe for himself, he swore to never fall in love with anyone else, not woman, not man. No one, so that no one would ever suffer like Meiko or Kiyoteru had.His life as a criminal mastermind had begun, and Kaito knew he could never return to the life he'd once led. "So this is finally over," Miku sighed, watching solemnly from the hospital entrance as Kaito was escorted into the police car."Yeah, this has been one long night," Gakupo agreed, scratching his head, "but don't you think we went a bit overboard?"Miku hesitated before shrugging. She could guess what Gakupo was talking about, but it didn't really seem to matter her and now as she watched a friend she once trusted get arrested. She hadn't had the courage back then to watch Luka and IA get taken away, but this time, it was the least she could do for Kaito."Though really, I wonder why she wrote that note," Gakupo remarked."Love is a pretty powerful thing, I guess," Miku replied. Gakupo seemed really interested about the note that Meiko's sister had mentioned. Sure, they'd accused Kaito of threatening the girl just to get on his nerves even more, which didn't seem like such a great idea now that Miku thought about it, but in reality, it'd been Meiko who'd kept her sister quiet. All it took was a note that said "If something happens to me, don't say anything about Kaito. He's not at fault" and Meiko's sister quietly obeyed. For whatever reason had caused this bloodbath, Meiko's love for Kaito had ousted everything in the end, with her sister obeying due to sisterly love, no matter how much Miku couldn't understand that logic.Someone came over to talk to Gakupo. With Gakupo's back turned, Miku slipped out a tiny note that Kaito had dropped on the ground as the police took him away. He'd made eye contact once with Miku, his heartbroken look almost cracking the emotionless mask on Miku's face. He knew she'd noticed the note, and she knew he was asking her to take it.It was a white sheet of paper, neatly folded into two and addressed to Kiyoteru. Miku knew she shouldn't look, but she couldn't help read silently:
Kiyoteru,
I don't know when you'll read this, but when you do, my life as a detective will probably be over, so I'll keep this just in case today's the day when I make my fatal mistake.
This is a letter of my crimes. I'll admit this to only you. Planning your kidnapping, killing Meiko, I did it, I did it all in a moment of madness. I won't ask for forgiveness. That's too much to ask for. Just understand that I regret it all, but regret can't change life.
I don't know about you, but I think Meiko would make a terrible teacher. Even that day, even when she knew the answer to what was driving me crazy, she wouldn't tell me. Maybe she had good reason not to. I just wish she had told me from the start.
I wish I could have realized that I'd fallen in love with you sooner.
But that was back then. I don't know what to feel now, so as parting words, I can only tell you this.
Thank you, for saving me when I was lost in life, and sorry, for letting you down in every way possible and ruining your happy life.
-Shion Kaito
Miku stared blankly at the letter before folding it and tucking it carefully into her pocket. The police car was still in sight. Whatever Kaito was thinking right now, she hoped he knew that she would follow Kaito's wish to the end. No matter what he'd done, Miku still couldn't help but think of Kaito as a friend."What were you looking at?" Gakupo asked, coming up behind Miku."Nothing," Miku replied. "It didn't involve me, so I think I should forget about it."Gakupo raised an eyebrow. Miku just shrugged. Some things were better to forget. She never should have looked into Kaito's private emotions, so she would forget them. It was all up to Kiyoteru now."Well, I guess we'll never actually get to know why Kaito did all that he did," Gakupo remarked regretfully as they watched the police car drive away.Miku didn't immediately respond. She could still see Kaito's figure, his head hung low as bitter tears continued to flow down his cheeks. Or maybe those weren't bitter tears. Kaito's last words were still fresh in her ears. He hadn't sounded bitter back then. There had been only regret and sorrow beneath those words, revealing only a broken soul that could no longer be healed.The police car turned the corner and out of sight. Miku stared up at the starry sky just as a shooting star shot across the skies, almost like a glimmering ray of hope. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she replied, "Perhaps some things are never supposed to be learned. Why don't we keep it that way this once?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The sun was shining brighter than it ever could in the small town of Rivera. People were bustling about on the streets as usual, moving along to work or school. However, in contrast to the commotion outside, the Vocaloid Detective Agency was relatively quiet for a workday.Miku let out a sigh, leaning back in her big spinning chair. While it was sometimes annoying getting a lot of requests to solve a variety of cases, that was her source of income, though she guessed it was good that there weren't a lot of cases happening in town that were in need of solving. It meant that for once, today was going to be a nice and peaceful day.She yawned and got up. Miku walked out the door and glanced into Kiyoteru's office. He wasn't there again, but she had expected it. Ever since Kaito had been arrested a year ago, Kiyoteru was constantly visiting the prison where Kaito currently was. Miku didn't know how, but Kiyoteru had somehow even managed to lighten Kaito's sentence, even if just by a little bit. Kaito still refused to talk to anyone though. It was as if he'd retreated into from the world altogether, leaving behind nothing but an empty shell of himself. Everyone noticed how guilty Kiytoeru sometimes looked whenever he came back to the agency, listing out all his failure one by one, especially when he complained about still not being able to reach out to Kaito. Perhaps only Miku knew the real question that was troubling Kiyoteru, but she decided not to meddle with their business. She didn't have a right to butt into their privacy."Hey, you going out, Miku?"Miku glanced up to see Oliver up on the stairs. He made his way done the stairs slowly, like he was still hurt from the bullet wound from a year ago, but he was wearing a smile."Yeah, I thought I'd get some lunch. You wanna come?" Miku asked. After the incident last year, Kiyoteru had invited Oliver to join the agency. He wasn't that great at solving cases himself, but he made a good forensic specialist. Together, he, Piko, and Rin made a good trio. Rin seemed to be trying to learn how to be a good detective to finally make a living herself, while Piko patiently taught his girlfriend through the basics. Even Oliver had to say that Piko seemed to be a better person with Rin around.Oliver shook his head. "I have a little work that I need to finish. Maybe next time.""Oh, that's too bad," Miku replied. "Want me to get you something then?""Nah, I'm fine really. Piko promised to get me something, so he should be back soon," Oliver replied, sighing."You have anything else to say?" Miku asked. Oliver didn't usually just stop her to say hi. He usually had something else to talk about, or so Miku had learned from this past year.Oliver gave her a weak smile. He said, "You're sharp as always, Miku.""I have to be. I'm haven't been a detective this long for nothing," Miku replied back, smiling."Well," Oliver continued, his voice turning serious. "I heard Luka-san is getting out of prison today."Miku froze. She stammered, "W-what?""Yeah. Some special condition or something, I think," Oliver said. "I'm not quite sure, but that's what Gakupo-san said. He couldn't get through to your phone though, so he asked me to pass on the message.""Thanks for telling me," Miku replied. Inside, she couldn't believe Luka was free so soon. Not that she hated it. Miku was actually really happy that Luka could be let out so early, but considering her crimes, a year was way too early. Had something happened?"He also said Luka-san wanted to meet you. She said she'd be waiting at the Garden Café before noon," Oliver completed, fixing his hat."Really?" Miku said, eager to go see Luka. "Then tell any clients that I'll be out for the day, will you?""No prob," Oliver replied before he ducked into the kitchen, probably to get some coffee. For a tiny kid like him, he really seemed to like that drink.Miku slipped into the bathroom. She was wearing a white blouse and jean shorts, so her attire was fine. Miku made a sloppy attempt to brush her hair, which was now long past her shoulders again. She'd actually enjoyed short hair. Maybe she would get a hair cut soon.She loosely tied her hair into pigtails and grabbed her sneakers. She slipped them onto her feet and burst through the agency door. Miku raced down the streets, narrowly avoiding people and speeding through traffic. It was only ten in the morning, but Miku couldn't wait to see her friend again. She'd exchanged letters with Luka several times when she was in prison, but Luka had specifically asked not to come and see her. Miku could only listen to her friend back then, but now that she was free, Miku was eager to catch up the times with her. Even more, though, Miku had to know just what had happened to allow Luka to get let out early.By the time Miku reached the Garden Café, she was panting for breath. Miku silently chided herself for getting so out of shape, but she grinned with she saw Luka in a seat outside, waving to her. She walked over and sat in the seat across from her. A long silence followed as both of them just sat there, not saying anything."It's nice to see you again," Miku finally said, smiling."And it's nice to see you in such high sprits," Luka smiled back, waving the waiter over to order some food."Well, a lot of things happened after you were taken away," Miku replied truthfully."So I heard. Was Kaito really the one behind it all?" Luka asked, her tone turning solemn.Miku gave a slight nod. She replied, "He won't tell anyone the real reason he did it though, so unfortunately, there's nothing we can do for him.""I see," Luka mumbled, pulling the iced tea that the waiter had just set down before her nearer to drink it.There was another long silence before Miku asked, "So what did you want to talk about?""I was getting there," Luka replied slowly. She hadn't changed much in appearance since Miku had last seen her. She looked more mature, and her long pink hair was lighter in color like she hadn't seen the sun in a long time. She twirled the straw around in her drink, looking reluctant to bring up whatever topic she had wanted to talk about. Instead, she started off with small talk. "I see Gakupo gave you my message.""Actually, Oliver did, but that's only because my phone died. Not sure why though," Miku complained, biting into her leek sandwich. She hadn't eaten breakfast, and she was starving."You still like leeks, huh," Luka commented, watching her eat."As if you're one to talk," Miku taunted back, taking note of the tuna melt that the waiter just brought to the table.Luka let out a laugh. It was still the same laugh that Miku was used to hearing. She dismissed Miku's comment and said, "Though I'm surprised. I thought you didn't like fruit smoothies."Miku blinked and stared at her banana smoothie. She felt her pulse quicken as her heart clogged up in her throat. Even after a year, Miku still found it hard to talk about Len. Just as they'd promised, Miku never forgot about him. She even remembered the faint taste of bananas on Len's lips when they'd kissed back then. Maybe that was why she started liking banana smoothies.Miku gulped and forced a smile. She said, "A year can change you a lot I guess.""Well, I'm glad you're no longer such a poker face," Luka remarked, causing a scowl to appear on Miku's face. She laughed and said, "Kidding, of course, though I like this new you, Miku.""I think it's nice you're still the Luka I knew," Miku complimented back, grinning."I wouldn't say that," Luka replied, her voice suddenly serious. Miku saw the slight turmoil in Luka's eyes. Something terrible really must have happened."Hey, Luka, how'd you get out so early?" Miku asked. "I mean, it's a good thing, but…""Don't worry. I know what you're saying," Luka replied. "Kiyoteru helped a lot. He managed to get us a retrial. He couldn't do much for IA, because she'd killed so many people, but he managed to get Mizki and me out early. Yuuma has a few years left, but Kiyoteru told us it's likely he'll get out early under probation.""That must be nice for all of you," Miku said. She didn't remember the Vanderson twins that well, but Mizki had been the least involved with the kidnappings, and it was only right that Yuuma could be reunited with his family soon as well. She felt sorry for IA though. She asked, "Is Mizki with you?""Nah, I sent her home first. She…she's not quite over the shock," Luka replied in a sad voice."Shock?" Miku asked, confused. "Did something happen?"Luka was silent, a shadow falling over her eyes. Miku was afraid for the worst. She couldn't imagine just what had happened in prison that had made Luka so upset."IA is dead."Miku felt herself freeze in her seat. She stuttered, "What?""She's…gone, dead," Luka said, her voice pained."But how?" Miku asked, unable to believe Luka's words.Luka took a deep breath. She said, "Well, it's hard to explain. I can't really explain it myself, but IA, she seemed to know that she wasn't going to get out of prison anytime soon, if she was going to get out at all. She seemed to be acting strange these past days too, but I couldn't understand what was wrong. IA's half spirit too, so I thought maybe it had to do with the spiritual world and you and IA know a lot about, so I didn't really mind it. But then, yesterday, when our release was finalized, IA suddenly came up to us and hugged all three of us, me, Mizki, and Yuuma. She told us to take care and ran off before we could figure out what was going on. The officers ran after her of course, and we all followed."She was in this empty room with strange markings all over the floor. It sorta looked like a summoning circle or those things you see in fantasy books and stuff. Her eyes were glowing red and somehow, no one cold get into the room."Miku shivered. She remembered the one time IA had gone into her spirit form, her eyes glowing like some monster from another world. It'd sent shivers down her spine.Luka gulped and continued, "We were shouting at IA to come back, but she wouldn't listen. She started chanting in some strange language, and the room burst into this bright light. The last thing I heard from IA was 'Don't worry about me, guys. You've all paid for you sins already. It's time I paid mine.'"When the light vanished, IA had too. It was too much of a shock for Mizki, who fainted right there, but I still don't understand what IA had wanted. I thought maybe you could help," Luka finished, looking over at Miku with a sad look in her eyes.Miku bit her lip and said, "I'm sorry Luka. I'm not an expert about the spiritual world. I don't know if IA's still alive or not, or where she might've gone. I wish I could help.""I thought so," she sighed. "I just hope IA knew what she was doing.""Aren't you upset?" Miku asked."I am," Luka said with a sad smile. "But whatever IA did, she did it of her own choice. Even if I'm sad about it, I can only hope IA is at peace now and continue life, right?"Miku guessed she was right. IA had made her own choice to do whatever she had done. It sounded like some ritual or something, but what it was for, Miku wasn't quite sure. It probably had to do something with a crime IA had committed.Then it hit her. Out of all four of them, IA had been the only one to kill someone. First was that girl, Haku, from the botched up kidnapping. The second time was Len. Had she known of some ritual to resurrect the dead?Miku struggled to suppress the hope that started to rise in her heart. It was too early to assume that IA had been trying to resurrect Len. It could've been Haku for all Miku knew. Even more, she couldn't act like this, not when Luka was clearly still somewhat upset over IA's disappearance and when IA had vanished without a trace."Hey, you seem like you have an idea," Luka remarked. "Did you think of something that IA might have been trying to do?"Miku gave Luka a weak smile. Of course Luka would be able to see through Miku and know whether she had an idea or not. She wasn't a former detective for nothing."Well," Miku started. "I was wondering if by sin, IA was thinking of the people that... had passed away, and maybe she would want to resurrect them?""Hmm," Luka thought aloud. "That sounds plausible. I wouldn't be thrilled, of course, if I knew my cousin's life had been traded for someone else's, but if that's really what IA wanted, I should only be supporting her choice."Suddenly, Rin appeared out of nowhere and wrenched Miku off her chair."W-what? What do you want?" Miku stammered, surprised by Rin's actions."Just come with me!" Rin shouted, seemingly oblivious to the stares they were drawing.Miku cast a glance back at Luka. She just waved and said, "Don't worry about me. We'll have plenty of chances to see each other. I'll pay for this meal.""Thanks!" Miku just barely managed to say before Rin raced off, dragging Miku behind her, bumping into people and getting annoyed stares."Hey, where are we going?" Miku shouted, trying to keep up with Rin's speed. "Did something happen?""I don't know either, but Piko was the one who found him!" Rin shouted back, her voice quivering. She looked like she was about to burst into tears. Miku saw the Central Hospital looming up ahead of them. When Rin made a sharp turn and entered, Miku felt more confused as ever. Had Oliver suddenly collapsed from his wound? Or had someone else gotten sick?Panting for breath, Rin pushed Miku into the elevator with her and hit the button for the third floor. Between her gasp, Rin said, "Piko said he happened to be walking past that church from last year's case. They were going to tear it down, so he thought he'd go inside to remember the moment and stuff. That's where he found him.""What was Oliver doing there?" Miku asked, ruling out all possibilities and deciding Oliver's wound must have reopened or something."What? Who said anything about Oliver?" Rin asked, now confused. She had brought Miku outside a room. Miku knew this number. It was the same room where they'd trapped Kaito last year."Then who's hurt?" Miku demanded in a loud voice. She was getting tired of all the fishy business."Who's there?For the third time that day, Miku found herself rooted to the ground. She knew that voice. As if in a trance, Miku slowly walked inside the room, her eyes glued to the floor, not daring to look up.Seconds ticked by. Finally, Miku took the chance. Slowly, she lifted her eyes off the ground and stared at the person in front of her. In a striped blue patient's outfit, he was sitting there on the hard bed, the sunlight coming in from the window and caressing his pale skin. His long blonde hair was down to his shoulders, his bangs just short enough for his bright cerulean eyes to shine behind them.Miku's lips opened as if to say something, but it took her a full minute before she mumbled, "L-Len?"Len blinked. He tilted his head the side and asked with inquiring eyes, "Have we met before, miss?"Miku felt her heart fall to the ground. She should've have expected it. No, she hadn't even thought it was possible to see Len again. She should've been happy, to even be granted this chance to see the love of her life again, but just hearing that one sentence seemed to break her heart again.He'd forgotten their vow. Their vow to never forget each other, to always love each other. Miku couldn't help it. It was feasible to think Len would forget everything, but still… she…Len suddenly burst into laughter, his voice soft and yet so wonderful to hear. Miku looked at him in surprised. Had Len not only lost his memory, but his mind too?"What are you looking so down for? Don't you have any faith in me?" Len asked, his sparkling blue eyes meeting Miku's.It took another second for everything to register in Miku's mind. She stammered in disbelief, "Y-you, you didn't…"Len just grinned, wider, but Miku could see the boundless happiness behind his eyes. He said in a soft whisper, "We made a vow together, didn't we? Didn't I promise that I'd always remember you, even after death? I still love you, Miku."Miku had reached her limit. She burst into tears and tackled Len into a bear hug. He was there, it was him, living flesh and all of it. She could even hear a heartbeat resounding within his chest, clear and sound in her ears. Len seemed surprised, but he petted her head all the same, whispering in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Miku. I'm sorry, so please don't cry."Miku was still crying, but she looked up into Len's eyes. They still had so much hope inside them, maybe even more than they had when he'd been just a ghost.Rin and Piko had silently left the room, almost as if to give the two of them some time together. Miku slowly sat up and wiped her tears. She wasn't sad, she couldn't be sad. She'd never thought it possible, but she through her tears of joy, she gave Len the brightest smile ever."I still love you too, Len," Miku whispered, pressing her forehead to Len's, whose smile was just as happy as hers. Their eyes slowly closed shut and Miku leaned in for a kiss as she felt the sunlight against her skin, like a blessing from the heaven's above.Miku had never felt so happy before in her life, and this time, she was never letting Len go.