Teto Territory: The Story of Teto

The Decision

~Teto's POV~

When I showed up the next morning at work, Don asked, "Do you have an answer for me on what I asked you?"

"Yes," I had thought long and hard about it last night, and finally I had come to a decision. After hesitating a moment, I opened my mouth. "I-"

I was interrupted by a series of gasps from everyone else, and Don and I turned to see what the commotion was about. Following Luka into the studio was Miku.

Don marched over to them. "You know you're not supposed to be here."

"Just give her a chance," Luka insisted. "She has something to say."

He sighed and crossed his arms. "Five minutes."

Miku stepped forward. "Well, I'm not really sure how to say this, because I've never apologized before, but... I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry for all those terrible things I did to all of you. Sorry for lying at cheating and hurting and destroying. I- I know none of you could ever forgive me, but I don't deserve to be forgiven anyways. What I deserve is to die, and I know that is what Teto has chosen."

Everyone turned to me. "Well? Is that what you decided?" Don questioned.

"..." I looked at Miku. For once, the look in her eyes was completely sincere. She was telling the truth. "No."

Everyone was dead silent.

"Even before that apology, I wanted to let you live, because your career was everything, you valued it even more than your own life, and I think you've suffered enough." I explained. "But that apology is just even more a reason. I can see that you've really changed, and everyone deserves a second chance."

Len stepped forward. "I forgive you."

"Me too," Meiko nodded.

"As do I," Haku added.

It just went in a circle, everyone telling Miku that she was forgiven. Miku's eyes widened and filled with tears. "You guys... that's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"Well, we need to have a conversation to find out what to do with Miku, so I suppose you all get the day off," Don said, and everyone broke out into a friendly chatter as they walked away. "Oh, and Teto, about you becoming a Vocaloid..."

"I've decided," I nodded. "And I need to go home and break the news to everyone."

Charlotte had come to pick me up, and she was absolutely dying to know what I had chosen, but I told her that she had to wait like everyone else.

Once we got home, she lassoed up all my friends in record time. "This is it, right? The part where you tell us you're moving away?" Koe asked.

Instead of answering her question directly, I started the little speech I had prepared in my head. "As you all know, I was born a Vocaloid without a voice. Even after I was taken in here, there was nothing more I wanted than to be a Vocaloid. And if there's anything I've learned, it's that while they're amazing, being one of them isn't all that it's cracked up to be. They are constantly in Miku's shadow, and while it's getting better every day, compared to my own personal life, they have hardly anything. Here I have all of you as my very best friends, and I have come to the conclusion that it would be impossible for me to leave you guys." I paused a moment because that got quite a reaction from them. I grinned. "I love the Vocaloids, and they've become wonderful friends, but my family is here."

Momo jumped forward and squished me in a hug. "I'm so glad you're staying!" She squealed. "This might sound kinda selfish, but... I didn't really want you to go away."

I hugged her back. "Neither did I. Looks like you're stuck with me."

Cries of "Hey, don't hog Teto!" and "I wanna hug her too!" came up, and there was a lot of laughter and a lot of tears.

That night, I found Tei sitting in front of her laptop, as usual. "Tei, aren't you glad I'm staying?"

"I don't know," she responded. "If you became a Vocaloid, you could hook me up with Len."

I laughed. "I still could get him to come over again. We're friends."

She whipped her head around to look at me. "Really? You can do that?"

"Of course!" I confirmed. "Maybe I'll have all the Vocaloids come over again just to hang out."

"I can hang out with Len... alone?" She cackled. "I take it back, I'm glad you're staying."

In the studio the next morning, everyone seemed so happy. Over the past few months, they had learned so much about relationships and now we were all friends.

As soon as Miku caught sight of me, she ran over and squished me in a hug, which I wasn't expecting from her. "Turns out I'm a hugger," she giggled.

I smiled. "Well, I'm glad you lived long enough to discover that."

"That's actually what I wanna thank you for," she said. "They're putting me back in the game! I'll be here every day but I'm hoping they'll give more equality. Obviously I don't have the same kind of power as before, but I realize now that there's more to life than popularity. I'll earn my spot fair and square!"

I grinned. "Sounds like a plan!"

"Oh," she started on a new subject. "I heard that you aren't becoming a Vocaloid! Why not? We could've written so many songs together!"

"Who says we can't write a song anyways?"

Miku shrieked. "Yes! Let's do it!"

"But... I feel like we need someone else..." we both looked over all of our friends. Luka was talking to Haku and Meiko, and Rin and Len were with Sakine and Kaito. Off to the side by herself was Neru, staring at her phone as usual.

We exchanged glances. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked.

"Neru!" Miku started to run. "Hey, Neru!"

I loved the Vocaloids with all my heart. They had learned how to become a family, and I wasn't part of it. But that was okay. In a way, I kinda think it was fate. Nothing could've worked out better than it did. I could've ended up a Vocaloid, but if I had, then I wouldn't get to look forward to the end of each day, when I told the wacky stories of my adventures to my family.

Because the truth is, I am a Utauloid.

And that's the best thing that could've ever happened to me.