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Things were just natural. Life came and it left.
“Hey! Come over here!” A voice called out in the midst.
It was pretty weird. It’s always been quiet, without any people except for herself in this vast space.
So who could have possibly come and decided to ruin that? Defoko would have to teach them a lesson.
“Did you hear me?!” The voice calls out again, except this time, she sees the source.
A… pink haired girl…… That looks pretty annoying, to say the least..
“Ah. You have drills on your head.. that’s pretty weird, what the heck?”
The girl stopped. And went into a rage. Oops.
“What did you just say?! These aren’t drills, you idiot! Geez, I finally got to meet another person here and they’re a huge jerk! Great!” The pink haired girl went on and on, shaking her fists as if she were holding back the urge to strike.
“Sorry. I guess.” Defoko replied, not caring too much if she takes it seriously or not.
“Ergh.. That didn’t sound genuine at all, but… Okay, I forgive you! So tell me, what’s your name?” The girl grinned.
Defoko felt uncomfortable for some reason. But also really warm at the same time. Why is that?
It’s stupid.
“...Defoko.”
“Nice to meet you, Defoko! I’m Kasane Teto, and I dream of becoming a Vocaloid one day!”
“Seriously? Good luck.”
“You’re… doubting me, aren’t you?”
Defoko shrugs, and Teto huffs, then smiles.
Yeah… she came.
“Say, Defoko.. Do you think I can do it? Like, become a Vocaloid?” Teto asked, walking from behind the purple haired girl.
“Mm… Maybe. Who’s to say? Only the future can tell.” She answered bluntly.
Because, that’s all that can be said. Defoko can’t predict the future, she can’t just know what’ll happen. She’s not some miracle worker.
“Oh come on! You gotta give me a better answer than that, you know!” The energetic girl stubbornly insisted, pouting.
Defoko sighed. “Then… Well, I’ll tell you that… only you can make it happen. No one else can help you reach that goal,” She paused,
“You, and you alone have to work harder and harder, never quitting until you get there. If you fail? You have to get up. If you can’t get up, then nothing will ever be achieved. That’s all I can tell you, Teto, really.”
Teto stopped. Contemplating.
“Huh. I mean.. I knew all that stuff before, but…. Hearing it from you really motivates me. Makes me think I can really do it… Thanks, Defoko.” Teto muttered,
although Defoko can probably guess she has some stupid, happy look on her face.
And then…
“Defoko, Teto, what are your favorite songs out of this list so far?” Momo asked, holding the sheet up.
The three of them were told to take part in a few song selections, some of them were individual and some of them had to have two or more vocals.
“Hmmmm~ I think my favorites gotta be this one! I love, love, love, love the one part that goes like..,” She tapped a beat on the table with her fingers, “that!”
“Huh? I don’t remember a part like that.” Defoko replied.
“Well then you just have a bad memory.” Teto muttered.
“Or your rhythm sucks.”
“Or you suck, Defoko!” Teto stuck her tongue out.
Momo laughed and tried to get Teto to calm down.
“Well… I was asking because I wasn’t sure which one I should pick.” Momo shyly spoke.
Defoko yawned, “Just pick one you like. Unless you don’t like any of them. Which in that case, you’re just gonna have to deal with it and pick randomly.” She answered.
Momo frowned, “Of course I like the songs on the list!” She raised her voice, but not enough to indicate she was actually mad.
It’s pretty difficult to get Momo mad.
Either that, or she just hides her frustration.
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I’m just not sure if I’d be good enough for any of them..” Momo looked down.
Teto looked up.
And Defoko’s sure that’s when she really realized it, deep down, but wasn’t aware.
“Are you joking?! You’re super good! Like, super uper duper good! You could sing any song here, Momo!” Teto yelled, pointing at the list.
“Eek! Don’t be so loud! But- Well, you say that, but I just can’t be sure…” Momo shrugged.
“Just believe me! You have one of the best voices I’ve ever heard, Momo! Believe in yourself!” Teto shook Momo by the shoulders.
The light pink haired girl looked into Teto’s intense eyes, and laughed.
“You- You’re so… You’re a really good person, Teto.”
“Huh?! What’s that supposed to mean? Whatever, as long as you’re not doubting yourself anymore.” Teto crosses her arms.
Then, her eyes widened, as if she realized something, “In fact, the three of us should do a song together!”
Defoko and Momo take a moment to think about it.
“But… Do any of the songs call for three vocals?” Momo asks.
“It’ll be fine! And if we get in trouble for it, well, I’ll take the blame and say I told you guys there needed to be three singers.” Teto smiles.
Defoko’s eyes slant, “But that’s not-”
Teto cuts her off, “It’ll be fine! Don’t worry about it, I just wanna have fun with you two!”
Defoko can’t help but worry. Teto says things will be fine, but will she be fine?
“Ughh… Alright, whatever.” She relents.
“Yay!” Momo and Teto cheer.
Even though we both knew.. we didn’t really process the fact that…
“So.. You ended up getting in trouble I’m guessing?” Defoko mutters, putting her hands on her hips.
Teto nods somberly, looking down to the ground, smiling softly but in a sad way.
“It was worth it, though. I was so happy to get to sing a song with you two. I wanted that moment to last forever, you know?”
“...Yeah. I know what you mean. Like.. it’s something you’ll always want to go back to and never forget.”
“Exactly. So.. Even though I got a bit of a scolding, it doesn’t matter. Just a memory like that will always stay in my heart, and that means a lot to me!”
Defoko’s eyes widen, but she laughs in response.
“You’re so weird, aren’t you?”
“Not weird!” She argues.
One day she’d leave too.
“Hello, everyone! Welcome to my concert, you all!” Teto cheers, speaking into the microphone while waving.
Defoko just…
stares.
“Let’s make this night the best one yet, alright?!” Teto yells, which the crowd in response yells back in affirmation.
She’s so far up.
So, so, so far away.
Defoko almost wants to climb up onto that stage and join her. Just to close that distance.
Her voice reaches to even the back of the stadium, powerful.
It sounds so good. The best she’s done so far.
Defoko doesn’t want the audience to hear that. Deep, deep down she just wants Teto to stay unknown.
So that Teto can stay with Momo and her.
And Defoko knows how selfish that is. How awful that she wants to crush Teto’s dreams and hopes for the future just for more time with her.
But Defoko just can’t live life without that bright girl. She can’t go back to how it was with no one around… never, ever, ever again, does she want to go back to that.
She doesn’t even recall when tears started to drip down.
Until they were soaking her face, her clothes, and dropping down to the floor.
She puts her head down. Drops her shoulders, and grimaces.
“I really should’ve known from the start it’d be like this.”
Even though Teto’s voice was so loud from the stage, things felt oddly quiet around her after that.
……………………
“I’m gonna miss you guys.. so, so, so much!” Teto cries out, hugging the both of them tightly, then letting go.
Momo tried her hardest not to let her own cries slip out, but ultimately she failed, until the two became a sobbing mess together.
And, Defoko?
She found she couldn’t cry at all anymore over it.
Maybe because she’d spent so many nights doing so beforehand, and now that the moment has finally come…
She just feels numb, truthfully.
“Yeah, yeah, we know. Don’t worry about us. You go off and do your popular singer things.” Defoko says in reaction, ignoring the bitter thoughts inside of her head.
“Defoko! Don’t do that to me! You know I can’t help but think of you no matter what! Because you and Momo are my bestest friends ever!” Teto shouts, with more tears falling from her eyes.
“Mm… Yeah, but.. It’ll make me sad to think that you won’t be able to enjoy this to the fullest because of us. Go out and pursue your dreams, Teto. You’re finally where you’ve always wanted to be.”
Teto smiles, but then crouches down, breaking out into another cry and stumbles into Defoko, hugging her again.
Defoko is surprised but wraps her arms around Teto in reciprocity.
The pink haired girl mumbles into Defoko’s shoulder, “I love you, Defoko.”
The purple haired girl feels pain in her chest from hearing that, but finds it in her to respond,
“I love you too, Teto.”
And whether or not Teto knows just how much, she will never know.