The Ballad of Miku and Teto

Chapter 4: Bird Pecking at the Rotten Melon

  I notice right away the look of determination that says," I'll handle everything, Anon! " Then in Anon I see a look that says, "What?" It's interesting to see polar-opposite twins. Then I notice her chest. So they're different in body AND mind.

  I see in IA's eyes the stars, and I hope she hasn't been on anything. We already have Gumi for that kind of thing. Then I cringe at the lack of symmetry in her her outfit. Those socks...

  Finally, in Mayu I see a little girl. A sweet, prudish, little girl. And in that little girl is a psycho creep with a ribboned axe and a weird stuffed animal. A Yandere and a Stuffed Animal. Yep!

  "Ahem! Allow me to show you our merry home." Which has never been merry. We had to stop hissing at each other at one point to advertise for this visit in the first place. The theme was an all-girls' sleepover, and I sure had to pick a lot of feathers up. Most were on me and in my hair.

 The point of such a theme was to show all the unity... " Problematic, inconsiderate, annoying jerks...." The happy friendships.... "Go get inebriated, drunky..." The house is okay with my management.

  "So I see that you are the only one greeting us?" Kanon observes.

  "Yes. I take immense pride in my many responsibilities, so it's only natural." Laziness exists in this house.

  We pass by Teto's room, and I tell the girls that she's just getting into character for a song.

 Then Anon begins dancing, and in my confusion I clap. "She is showing off her talent, right?"

  "Anon!" Kanon begins scolding her sister. " Stop it!"

  "I needa pee!" That's...something.

  "Pay her no mind," Kanon laughs. "She's like this at times."

  "But I gotta pee!" 

  "Allow me to show you our bathroom facilities." I show her to the guest bathroom, since the girls have their own. Spotless. I cleaned all of them, of course.

  "Please ignore my sister," Kanon says, embarrassed. " She.....Has a tendency..."

  "I figured."

 She chuckles, and we leave the other newcomers to chat. Soon we make our way to the garden, idly conversing. "And so I had to sing her part!"

  "Heh, heh! Like when Teto doesn't rehearse!"I laugh.

  Kanon lights up when she sees the garden. " Wow! It's beautiful! "

 Finally! Someone else to appreciate it as well. "Thank you. This is what happens when proper care is applied."

 " Wow. So you do all the work around here, huh?"

  "Yes. Pretty much " Day in and day out. I feel a pang of patheticness. I'm the house slave. I work all day, every day, and yet they still don't like me. No one really does, once they see who I truly am.

  "Something wrong?" Kanon asks.

  I shake my head."Just enjoying the scenery."

  "Oh. Okay."

  I was like this in school, too, and the only one that  bothered me was Teto. And look how I treated her. I'm so awful. Why? I internally sigh, but smile on the outside. That's my job, after all, being top diva. I can't change or lose face in front of all my fans. The people that idolize me, or at least the idea of me, when really, I'm an unpopular personality.

 Let's go inside and I'll show you something else," I offer.

  "Sounds nice."

 We go back inside, and I almost pass Teto with Anon. "Anon! Where have you been?!" Guess we'vspent quite a bit of time in the garden. 

  I watch as Kanon embraces her sister, and I meet Teto's gaze. I can't hold it, and I look away. She does the same and walks right past me, and we both continue our paths in silence. 

  I clutch my chest. Not you, too, Teto. Never once has she acted like I don't exist. It's all just like before. No one cared before I became famous. Now no one cares now.

After the visitors leave, I sit by myself on the couch in the living room. Meiko enters the room and glares at my presence, then scoffs and ignores me, leaving when I don't respond. 

  " Look at her! " They had said.

  " She doesn't even apologize for what she said!"

  "Screw her. Let's go."

  Then they continued passing me by, ignoring me. Then Teto steps into the room. She stands there and looks over at me. She seems expectant of something, but I stay silent, and her eyes narrow in the scathingly way I'm used to seeing, but never from her. 

  I watch as she turns to leave, but I don't want her to leave. I didn't want any of them to leave. But I'll always end up paying the price for my actions. I'm constantly told that I can pay and not care, but it doesn't do anything. I can't do anything.

  I can't stop her from leaving. I can't. As her form begins to exit the room, I start to tremble. I just can't do it. I never could. I'm not strong enough to have that kind of control. I know she's sick, and I made her feel like I hate her.... Tears start rolling down the side of my face. I don't hate you, Teto. I hate myself.

  And just then, as if answering my prayer, I feel my angel wrap her wings around my pathetic form. Then her arms and legs  surround me, and she places her head on my shoulder. "You aren't alone, Miku," says my crimson angel.