Vocaloid: SHADOWS IN THE SPOTLIGHT [Miku X Luka]

End of a Chapter - #74

Luka's PoV

I never would have expected the bullying to stop. I suppose I just assumed there'd always be someone at my back, firing insults at me wherever I went — it's what I'd grown so accustomed to, after all. But, over the next few days, I find myself drifting from classroom to classroom without a care in the world.

Passers by smile at me as I walk through the crowded corridors, the bell signalling the end of a crazy week. I find myself smiling back, a genuine, happy smile. I never thought I'd be able to smile — as exaggerated as it sounds, the stale reality I was so used to prevented me from expressing any kind of positivity. Yet here I am, several months later, and my world has completely changed.

Colour has returned to my monochromatic world. I can see happy greens, blood reds, resonating purples, bright yellows; but my favourite colours will always and forever be pink and teal, and that's set in stone.

I push my way through the crowd, navigating the maze of teenagers all clawing their way to freedom. It's a Friday afternoon, and the spring bring is right upon us; I can't wait to spend it with Miku and the rest of my friends.

"I never thought I'd say that," I mutter to myself, bursting out of the school building and looking up at the sky above. The clear blue stretches for miles and miles, far beyond my comprehension; the sun is shining brightly, not a cloud in sight, and I smile as I bathe in the suns rays.

I wonder how we will end up spending the break? Even despite Miku's injury, I'm sure we can still make the most of it — we can go on movie marathons, complete with overflowing bowls of buttered popcorn. We can chill at the local park, sitting under the magical tree we kissed under several weeks back, watching the world around us continue on in its own, beautiful way. We can go out to downtown restaurants, taste testing different flavours of sushi and grabbing an ice cream as we depart. Or, we can do absolutely nothing — we can sprawl across the sofa, wrapped in each other's arms. They all sound just as appealing, and this pondering is making me undoubtedly excited.

Gently, I shake my head from side to side, trying to break out of my thoughts; right now, I need to find Miku.

I wander around the campus, looking left and right for the tealette. Eventually I find her sitting primly on a brick wall under a cherry blossom tree, Len to her left, Miki to her right. I blink hard; ever since Miku's reappearance, Miki has taken back her harsh comments, and Miku has seemingly befriended the redhead once again.

A certain blonde looming in the distance catches my attention, and I look up to see Rin. Her head is down, and her hands are stuffed in her blazer pockets. It's crazy how much has changed in a matter of days; Rin seems to be undergoing serious karma, for her friends have upped and left. I guess Miku really was right — Len is Rin's true source of popularity, and that has been snatched away from her in less than a moment. I bet she never saw that one coming.

Deciding to ignore the mopey blonde, I drift over to Miku. She beams the moment she sees me, and I smile back, waving frantically. It's only been an hour or so since we last saw each other, but hell, that's more than long enough. "Luka!" She calls happily, reaching out her hand.

Our fingers interlock, and with my free hand, I pat the elated tealette on the head. "Heya," I greet her, before briefly smiling at the other two. "Wheres Yukari?" The lilac haired girl is usually the first one here; her absence is rather strange.

Len looks around, eyebrows furrowed. "I haven't seen her since lunch," he comments with a shrug of his shoulders, leaning back against the wall and staring up at the cherry blossoms above.

"Isn't that her over there?" Miki's voice pipes up, and she nods towards a nearby figure skipping in our direction. I twist around and follow her gaze; sure enough, Yukari's lilac hair looks into view, a smile on her face.

"Hey guys!" She greets us, still beaming, slightly out of breath. One by one, we return the greeting, and Yukari looks around, most likely searching for her girlfriend. "No IA?"

Miku shakes her head. "Nope," she replies, quickly glancing around as if expecting them blonde to just pop up out of nowhere. "I think she might have left."

Dissatisfied, Yukari pouts in response. "Yeah, she said she needed to leave pretty much immediately, because her family is flying to America for the week to visit close relatives! She's so lucky!" The lilac haired girl breathes out a small sigh, before looking at me and Luka in turn, flashing us half a smile. "If it's okay with you guys... we totally need to meet up as much as possible! You too, Len."

Miku's eyes sparkle like a trillion stars in a night sky. She looks up at me, as if for confirmation. "That sounds so fun! Is that okay with you, Luka?" She's giving me those puppy-dog eyes you just can't say no to — though, it's not like I'm planning on turning down the request either way.

I glance back towards Yukari, nodding my head and smiling warmly. "That sounds great," I say, to which the her smile widens, and she claps her hands together excitedly.

It's crazy how far I've come over the past few months. From having no friends and barricading any kind of emotions away daily, to being surrounded by amazing people who truly seem to love me for who I am; I have a blonde brother looking out for me, offering me a hand when I can't get up on my own; I have a dorky friend with lilac hair who's innocence and airheadedness never fails to make us all burst out laughing; I have a sarcastic, multilingual younger sister who may be missing in action right now, but her presence and snarky remarks make the group feel complete; and, of course, I have a wonderful, bubbly, loveable girlfriend, who's name is Hatsune Miku.

Finally, I don't feel weak when I cry, nor do I feel hypocritical when I laugh. I can express myself without the constant lingering fear of someone right around the nearest corner, taping me, ridiculing me. I can finally walk around freely without passers by calling me names, firing spitballs, aiming punches and belittling me. I feel happy; genuinely happy. And though life still isn't perfect, it's damn closer than it used to be.

I have the whole spring holiday to look forward to. Heck, I have my whole life to look forward to; a life hopefully full of friendship and laughter, a life where Miku is by my side day in, day out.

And though this chapter may be drawing to a close, my story is only just beginning.

♪