~Miku's POV~
"Stop getting orange peels all over me," I smacked Rin's leg and she winced. "Oh, don't be such a baby. I didn't even hit you that hard." I turned away and sighed, watching the world go by. The trees were just blooming, little pink blossoms coming from each one. It must be nice to be a tree, I thought. At least they don't have to deal with two annoying brats.
Rin sighed next to me, sticking an orange slice in her mouth. Len, who was sitting on the other side of her, suddenly jumped in his seat. "We're here!" He excitedly unbuckled his seatbelt and began to open the door.
"Wait," Meiko finished parking the car and then unbuckled her own seatbelt so she could turn back to look at us. "I want you to all be nice to Teto today," she turned her head, making sure to look each of us in the eye. "She's going to work with us from now on, and you don't want to make a bad impression." She looked at me. "Especially you, Miku."
I sighed and leaned back in my seat. "Whatever," I mumbled.
Kaito, who was sitting next to Meiko, piped up. "Oh, and don't forget that there will be cameras watching us. This is a very important day in Vocaloid history."
As I unbuckled my own seatbelt, I put on my best "Hey, I love everyone" smile. The cameras were my best friend. They adored me, and as long as I acted like I adored them, too, then I could get whatever I wanted, when I wanted it. This was the true key to being famous.
The paparazzi was everywhere, their yells overlapping, each trying to be louder than the last. All so I would hear them.
The five of us made our way into the large building, which was called Vocaloid Production Services. Teto was inside, eagerly awaiting our arrival.
I walked a bit slower until I had fallen into step with the Kagamines, who had been behind me. "Stay close," I hissed. The last thing I needed was the gullible twins getting too attached to the new girl.
We waited down in the main lobby, cameras recording our every move. Eventually, the elevator opened and two scientists walked out. One walked in front, and the other was behind, holding the hand of a red-haired girl.
Teto.
"Good afternoon, everyone!" The front scientist said. "So glad you could make it. I know someone else is too." She smiled at Teto before sitting in a chair nearby, a clipboard in her hand.
Meiko stood up first. "Hi, Teto," she said. Teto immediately let go of the scientist's hand and then she hugged Meiko. She looked surprised at first, but then she hugged back. "Nice to meet you, I'm Meiko." She was so much taller than Teto that it was funny. Teto looked up at her and smiled, and I didn't know why she didn't respond.
She then proceeded to hug Kaito too, and then she took his hand and then dragged him over to Meiko, where she put their hands together and smiled up at them. They both blushed then laughed.
Rin and Len were next, she hugged each of them too. Rin was excited, blabbering on about how great it was to be a Vocaloid and all the things they would do together. When she hugged Len, his whole face turned red. I rolled my eyes at that. But the whole time, Teto didn't say a word.
"Ahem." Everyone turned to look at me. I stood up and walked over to Teto. When I smiled, her eyes shined with adoration. She reached out to hug me, and I blocked her, shaking her hand instead. "Welcome to the Vocaloid family," I said, looking down at her. "Just a warning, the competition gets pretty intense around here, so watch your back." She still didn't say anything. "Um, why aren't you talking?"
She grinned, like it was all a funny joke, and pointed to her throat and she shook her head. "She doesn't have a voicebank yet," one of the scientists spoke up. My answer was merely "Oh."
That was definitely fishy. Are far I as knew, every other Vocaloid already had their voice when they were revealed to the public. Why would they release her if she didn't have a voice? That was the most important part of a Vocaloid! They should've put her back in development until her voice was ready. The only reason I could see why they would release a soundless Teto was because today was the day they were planning on releasing her, no matter how far along in development she was.
But today was April Fool's Day.
So maybe she really was just a joke.
Not competition.
The reason she didn't have a voice is because they weren't going to waste time making something so precious for a worthless prank.
Teto's whole existence is a lie.
I couldn't help but smile to myself.
~Teto's POV~
After I met the Vocaloids (best thing that ever happened in my entire 5 hours) they went upstairs to "rest." I think the scientists just wanted to see how they were doing, though.
I was disappointed to see them go, but the scientists told me I'd see them in a couple hours at the party. They're having a party in my honor! I was sure it would be the best thing that had ever happened in my entire 8 hours.
The waiting was unbearable, but finally the scientists said we could go down to the room where the party was happening. I could hear the music before I even opened the door. It was a song by Miku, and hearing music again was so refreshing. There were plenty of scientists roaming around, along with tons of other people. I could see Kaito sitting in a chair surrounded by several people, with Meiko standing behind him. He had his arm resting on his leg as if he was telling a really good story, and suddenly everyone burst out laughing.
Meanwhile, the twins were doing a difficult-looking dance on stage. The crowd cheered wildly as Len did a backflip, and then threw his hairtie into the crowd. I heard several squeals throughout the audience. I couldn't help but giggle. With his hair down, he really did look like Rin.
Before I could look for Miku, she appeared right in my face and startled me. "Sorry," she laughed. "I'm supposed to come find you and bring you to the stage." As I let her grab my wrist and pull me through the crowd, I blush. I have to go on stage?! Well, this party is about you, my conscience said. I couldn't help but agree.
Rin and Len's song ended, and they passed us with a "Hi, Teto!" Then the scientists came around and took my hands, as if I was a small child. Then they led me onto the stage.
Before they even said anything, the crowd cheered. "Thank you, thank you," said the scientist on my right. "I'm sure by now you're all familiar with Kasane Teto." The crowd cheered again, louder this time.
I couldn't help but smile at them all. A single word hasn't come out of my mouth yet, but they already love me. "We have surpassed the limits of science to bring her here, especially without a voicebank. That's never been done before." She looked over to the other scientist and nodded.
The scientist on my left smiled at the crowd. "We assume you'd all like to hear a bit of Teto's voice, right?" The crowd cheers the loudest they have all night. This question takes me by surprise, though. I haven't done any singing, and from what I've heard all day, they haven't even started on my voicebank yet.
What are they doing?
They let go of both my hands, grinning madly. I frantically looked between them, trying to figure out what was going on. "Too bad," said the scientists on my left. The crowd murmured, clearly as confused as Iwas.
The scientists then leaned in to whisper into my ears, "Bye, Teto." And before I realized what was happening, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach, as if I had been punched, and I fell backwards. The last thing I heard before I went under was "April Fools."
I was alive. I couldn't see anything, and I had immense pain in my back from where I fell and my stomach from where I was pushed, but at least I was still alive. I found I could hear everything that was going on in the room I was in. I must be either backstage or under the stage. The crowd was gasping in terror, whispering among themselves.
And then somebody had the nerve to laugh.
I knew exactly who that laugh belonged to. I'd been hearing that laughing voice all day.
Hatsune Miku was laughing at me.
Then the scientists joined in, laughing as if I was a joke. I mean, I was, but that didn't stop the fact that I was alive now.
As more and more joined voices the laughter, all of my dreams went down the drain.
I won't get to sing with the Vocaloids.
I'm not a Vocaloid at all. I'm a fake.
I'm never, ever going to sing.
Silent tears ran down my cheeks.
This was definitely the worst thing to happen in all of my 12 hours.