Chapter Text
There were times when Miku enjoyed silence.
For instance, when she was home alone, and didn’t have to hear her parents fighting with each other or her brother, Mikuo.
Or when she would stay after school in the library, with the peaceful company of her favourite, dust coated novels.
Or when she would spend her weekends at the old music shop that was close to going out of business, helping the kind, elderly owner unpackage supplies or polish the antique instruments.
This however was not one of those moments.
The tension in the room was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. After Mayu’s disturbing proposal, no one had said a word.
It was understandable, however. What if someone had had enough of being contained in this arts school and decided to get their hands bloodied? Although Miku would spend hours streaming the music videos, vlogs, recitals, and documentary episodes starring the individuals in the auditorium, she didn’t know the people behind those facades.
What could they possibly be thinking right now? Were they concerned that someone would snap and stab one of them in the back, possibly quite literally? Or were these teens perhaps plotting murders of their own?
As much as her own life was boring and she never cared for it, the last thing that she wanted was to have her breath squeezed out of her body by-
“Alrighty, I’ve returned! Sorry for the wait!”
Miku turned her head to see that Gachapin had appeared on the stage holding a steaming mug in one hand and pushing a cart with the other. On top of the cart laid a sealed, cardboard box decorated with stickers of ‘warning’ and ‘fragile’ symbols.
“I promised that I will give each of you kids a gift, didn’t I?” it purred, pausing to take a sip of its drink. How it was possible that a plushie could drink a steaming liquid without staining its fabric was beyond the teallette. “Hopefully, this makes up for the long wait time!”
“What is it, a murder weapon?” Azuki muttered sarcastically as Gachapin pushed the cart around the aisles, allowing the teens to reach down and grab an item.
“Of course not!” the toy cackled, leaving Azuki stunned by the fact that it overheard her. “There are plenty of those around campus at your disposal! These babies are what I consider my Magnum Opus!”
“Whoa, it’s a phone!” Rin gaped, holding up the object she had received.
Miku snapped her head in the blond’s direction to see her holding a rectangular device, only to feel a soft tap against her leg. She looked down to see Gachapin standing in front of her, cart and mug in each of its hands. Softly apologizing, -she regretted saying sorry to the little gremlin later on - she reached down and picked up a replica of the tool that was being distributed to her peers.
Sure enough, it was a phone. In fact, it basically resembled the newest model in the market. The one feature that made it stand out was the bright green casing surrounding the screen. When Miku pushed the thin, nearly invisible button on its side, her name appeared on the dark screen in fluorescent green letters.
“Yes, I had a feeling you gadget-addicted brats would like this,” Gachapin muttered as it continued to push the cart along. “I call it the GachaPhone! It doubles as your student handbook, messaging device, cell phone-”
“Hello, is this the police?” Len snapped into his new phone. “My sister and I have been abducted by a psychotic Sesame Street reject!”
“Do not worry, we are on our way!”
“Oh my God, thank you so much- Wait a minute.”
Everyone had heard the voice too, and it hadn’t been coming from the GachaPhone. Rather, it came from the stage where Gachapin stood, decked out in a police uniform.
“Why are you kids looking at me like that?” the toy asked innocently. “Is there something on my face?”
“So, we can’t call the police with it?” Flower mumbled, somewhat disappointed.
“Of course not! Your devices can only reach out to each other and me! So, for those who were thinking about calling their parents, you won’t be seeing them for a long time.” With a quick spin, the green plush had changed out of the police uniform and into that of a waiter. “But worry not, I will accommodate all of your needs! Now then, read the rules over! Trust me, they’re very important!”
Ignoring Gachapin’s ramblings, Miku tapped the ‘rules’ application and silently began to read them in her head.
Rule #1- Students may only reside within the school. Leaving is impossible so there is no need to waste your time in any grand escape schemes.
Rule #2- Night time is from 10pm to 7am. The auditorium and cafeteria are off limits during this time period.
Rule #3- Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and will be punished accordingly.
Rule #4- Violence against Gachapin is strictly forbidden as well as the destruction of security cameras.
Rule #5- Anyone who kills their peer(s) will become the blackened and will graduate, unless they are discovered.
Rule #6- When a body is discovered, all surviving students must participate in a class trial.
Rule #7- Gachapin will never commit a murder directly.
Rule #8- Your GachaPhones are very precious items. Please do not damage or misplace them.
Rule #9- With these minimal restrictions, you are free to explore the academy.
Rule #10- Additional rules may be added if necessary.
“It’s like we’re inmates in a prison,” Luka muttered as she read the rules over.
“When you think about it, we are,” Fukase stated as he pocketed his device. “And I’m assuming these ‘punishments’ will be similar to what we witnessed when Rin attempted to beat up Gachapin.”
Miku shook her head as her eyes took in the words on the screen. This whole thing… it was almost being treated like a game or tournament.
“I have a question,”
Miku looked up from her GachaPhone to see that Yukari had raised her hand.
“Yes, yes, ask away!” Gachapin encouraged.
“It says that if someone is murdered, we must participate in a class trial,” she elaborated. “What exactly is that?”
At those words, the plush seemed to sparkle from excitement. “I’m so glad someone asked! It’s my favourite part of the Killing Game!”
“Killing… Game?” Matcha repeated. “This is a game to you?”
“Upon commiting murder, you don’t get to walk off scot free, no no no!” Gachapin ignored the greenette’s question and snapped its fingers. “Once a body is discovered by three or more people, a class trial will take place! After a certain amount of time, you’ll come together to determine who dunnit.
“If the blackened is exposed, they alone will be punished and everyone else will continue to live among their peers. But, if you brats guess wrong, I will punish everyone besides the blackened, and they will be allowed to leave campus!”
Mayu cleared her throat. “And what kind of punishment will the blackened receive?” she asked.
“Why, an execution of course!” Gachapin announced with delight. “Isn’t it amazing? You kids get to play the attorneys, prosecutors, and jury!”
“Called it,” Fukase muttered with irritation.
“Now then, are there any other questions? I have a life outside taking care of your spoiled butts, you know!”
Actually, Miku had one, the question that had been pestering her ever since she learned about the situation she has gotten herself in. Clearing her throat, she slowly raised her hand.
“Yes, Miku-chan?” Gachapin pointed out her.
Here we go. She was putting herself on the spot again. Better make this count…
“Why… are you doing this?”
Gachapin seemed unfazed by her question. “Hm?”
“W-what is the point of all this?” she stuttered, desperate to get her words out. “Are we being held hostage for r-r-ransom? Did we do something to you and t-this is your method of getting revenge?”
“My motive for making you participate in my favourite activity?” the toy purred. “You really want to know?”
“Just tell us!” Rin blurted out.
Gachapin was silent before looking up with an eerie gleam in its plastic eye.
“Despair. That’s all.”
Well, that answer did not help in the slightest.
“Okay, now I’ve got to go for real. Feel free to explore the academy. And don’t forget to hatch up some delicious murder plans!” Laughing, the toy skipped out of the auditorium once more.
Once again, the room was completely silent. Finally, Luka stood up from her seat and clapped her hands together.
“Well then, shall we get to work?” she asked out loud.
“Are you insane?” Wil threw her a confused look. “I am not going to commit murder and risk my life in some weird trial in an attempt to get out of here.”
The pinkette rolled her eyes. “What I was trying to say is that we should work together to find a way out of here. There must be an exit somewhere, right?”
“B-but Gachapin said that it blocked off all the exits,” Nemu pointed out. “Could he have really missed one?”
Rin stared at Luka for a brief moment before speaking up. “You know, maybe the attention hoe is on to something,” she shrugged, pretending she didn’t see the hurt look on the pinkette’s face. “It’s not impossible that the Sanrio reject has omitted every single escape route.”
Len nodded, understanding what his sister was getting at. “Who knows, the toy could be bluffing,” he added. “Maybe it doesn’t want us to know that leaving is possible so we don’t try anything.”
Could they be right? Was there an exit in plain sight? Miku didn’t want to get her hopes up, and yet…
“Looks like those escape games I used to play will finally come to use,” Flower announced, a ghost of a grin tracing their face. “I’m in.”
“Me too!” Azuki chirped, jumping up.
“I suppose there’s no use trying…” Piko nodded, hope flickering in his eyes.
“Then let’s get right to it,” Luka declared, her smile returning to her face. “We’ll split up and investigate the academy. There’s got to be some kind of clue that points to an exit, right?”
“W-we’re not searching alone, right?” Nemu asked quietly. “I don’t want to get lost or anything...”
“Of course not,” Luka shook her head. “There’s sixteen of us here, so we can form eight pairs.”
Fukase threw an arm around Piko’s shoulder, who attempted to worm out of his grasp. “Let’s go, Elevator Boi! It’s an honour to work with you!”
“I-I said that I don’t wanna be called that!”
Len watched the albino squabble with the redhead before turning his head to his twin. “So, do you wanna…?”
Rin sighed and hung her head in defeat. “It’s better than partnering with the fat tuna.” she sighed.
Oh boy. Miku had always despised partner-based activities. Typically, when it came to forming pairs in class, there were three possible outcomes; the first being that no one would pick the teallette so the teacher would have to form a group of three, in which she would be pushed aside; the second case being that she would be paired up with the other loner weirdo in class who would annoy or pick on the tealette, or if the teacher was in charge of forming pairs, Miku’s partner would either exclude her from the assignment, or they would dump all the work on her.
And it seemed like everyone here knew each other already so…
“Well then, shall we get going?”
Caught off guard, Miku found Luka’s palm on her shoulder, her soft voice snapping the tealette out of her thoughts.
“H-huh?”
“What are you waiting for, Miku-chan?” Luka asked kindly. “We better hurry up before the Kagamine’s seize control of the mission. You don’t want to hear their chants about bananas and oranges, right?”
Was this lady saying what she thought she was? She wanted to work with Miku?
What are you doing, you idiot?! Hurry up and accept before she changes her mind!
“U-um, yes!” Miku squeaked. “Let’s get started…”
But before they could even approach the doors to the auditorium, the sound of someone smacking their hand against the wall echoed throughout the room. Miku glanced past her shoulder to see the back of Rion’s pink hair covering a portion of the east wall. The young teen was confused as to what was going on… only to spy a clump of green shielded by the mop of bubblegum locks. Taking another step forward, Miku realized that Rion had practically pinned Gumi to the wall. The shorter girl’s eyes were ablaze with rage whereas the greenette bore her eyes into the former’s with a sharp, yet cool glare.
“Please let me go, Tone-san,” Gumi requested calmly, her eyes not leaving Rion’s.
“L-like hell I will!” Rion snapped. “The moment our backs are t-t-turned, you’ll kill one of us! I s-swear!”
What was she talking about? Gumi didn’t seem like the type to hurt anyone. So why would Rion make an accusation like that? Did she say that she was planning to murder one of her peers?
Gumi kept her gaze affixed to the other girl’s before sighing and standing up to her full height. “Fine then, have it your way.”
In one swift motion, the green-eyed woman brought down the hand that had locked her in place with such force, causing the latter to cry out in pain. As Rion released her grasp to wring out her throbbing wrist, Gumi causally stepped away from the wall, cracking her neck as she walked up to Miku and Luka.
“Hey guys, what’s up?” she asked cheerfully.
Miku was too stunned to even speak a word. Instead, her eyes averted back to Rion, who was whimpering and hopping around as she clutched her poor hand.
“What happened?” Yukari demanded, striding up to them.
“Self defence,” Gumi answered at the same time Rion screeched “SHE TRIED TO KILL ME!”
Luka frowned and cleared her throat. “Can you please elaborate on that statement?” she asked. “Talking so boldly about killing someone in a situation like this isn’t a good idea.”
Once Rion managed to recover from Gumi’s, er, ninja move, she pointed at the greenette with accusation. “I asked this chick if she wanted to join me and Nemu, but she declined!” she exclaimed. “Then she goes on to say that she prefers to investigate alone! But I know that she’s plotting to murder one of us! Watch, the second we turn our backs, she’ll-”
Gumi rolled her eyes and slid her sunglasses over her face. “That’s called being an introvert, Rion,” she said nonchalantly. “I just don’t want anyone following me around or getting in my way when I’m looking at something. Besides, wouldn’t we cover more ground that way?”
Oh. That made sense.
So… was Gumi like herself? Thing was, Miku never wanted to be alone. She’s just been by herself for so long that she was used to it.
“I get that, but it might be dangerous,” Matcha pointed out. “What if Gachapin suddenly decides to ambush you?”
Gumi opened her mouth to answer, only to change her mind and quickly close it. Although her expression remained relaxed, Miku could see the gears turning in her head. Would she agree to work with someone? Although she knew the idea was probably frustrating to the greenette, it seemed like the safer option, did it not?
“I can team up with you, Yamane-san.”
Standing behind the group was Moke, his hands clasped behind his back. He offered an easy smile before continuing. “Don’t worry, I promise I won’t bug you while you work. I too prefer to fly solo, so I understand how you feel.”
Gumi stared at him, her expression unreadable. Finally, as if she knew it was her only way out of this situation, she exhaled and nodded.
“Very well then. But if you start to get annoying, we’re going our separate ways.” As she said those words, Gumi brushed past him and jay-walked towards the door. The blue haired teen nodded and whipped out his MonoPhone, his eyes glued to it as he followed the former. Yukari watched the newly-formed duo leave before shaking her head and returning to her own partner, Mayu.
“So then, where to first?” Luka asked, turning her attention back to the tealette.
She was asking Miku where she wanted to start? Wow, this was the first time someone had asked her own opinion.
“Um, I’m not so sure,” she managed to say. She toyed with her pigtail as she tried to come up with a response. “I… only saw that one classroom I woke up in and a few hallways.”
“That’s quite alright. It appears that new phones are equipped with a map,” Luka tapped the green icon on the screen and swiped her finger to see the full thing. Miku followed suit, zooming in to see the different rooms.
“There’s something called the ‘Instrument Library,’ she read out loud.
“A library dedicated to instruments?” Lukas joked. “Well, that’s something new. Looks like it’s only down the corner…”
“D-do you want to check it out?”
Luka looked up, her expression akin to that of a gentle and caring parent. “Is that what you want?” she asked softly.
Miku blinked, unsure how to respond. The location sounded interesting enough, but what if Luka disliked it or they didn’t find anything useful? She really didn’t want to upset her new friend-
Wait, friend? Did Luka consider her an acquaintance, or was that just Miku’s fantasy? A pop idol like the older girl wouldn’t want to waste her time with a random wallflower. But her kindness seemed so genuine…
“Okay,” Miku whispered.
Nodding, Luka took Miku’s hand in her own - which most definitely did not make Miku’s blood rush to her face - and led her out the door. They walked down the cheerful, yet unsettling hallway in silence until they approached a large white door with a pink name plate that read Instrument Library. Turning the knob, Luka pulled the door open to reveal…
“Wow…”
Compared to the clean, modern atmosphere of the rest of the building, this place was… cluttered to say the least. There were dusty shelves stacked with cases containing every instrument you could think of; string instruments such as violins, cellos, and basses; woodlands including flutes, clarinates, and at least thirty piccolos; as well as brass instruments that consisted of trumpets, baratons, saxophones, and tubas. Guitars were haphazardly placed on the wooden tiles, hiding a series of drum sets from view. The back left corner had been occupied by a grand piano.
But the room did not appear to be limited to instruments alone. Rusted metal music stands were neatly organized in an open closet under a bookshelf consisting of binders with music sheets spilling out of them. Unmarked boxes were stacked on top of one another while reeds were scattered across the wooden tiles. Luka walked up to a small, open package and pulled up a brand new metronome.
Or Miku thought it was new until the pinkette slid the lever in an attempt to turn it on, causing the whole device to fall apart. The shorter girl yelped as the individual pieces hit the ground one by one, throwing nervous glances at the open doors. Luka stared at the mess she had created before shrugging and crouching down to pick up to chunks and shards.
“Huh, seems like we’ve really got to be careful here. This stuff is sharper than it looks,” she remarked as she dumped the broken pieces back into the box.
“H-hurry up!” Miku whispered. “What if s-s-someone heard you? Like Gachapin?”
What if it decided to “punish” Luka for damaging school property?
“Well, it was already broken when I picked it up,” Luka said dismissively. “And why should I care if anyone hears me? If anything, I bet Rin would be the one to create a catastrophe. I’m surprised she hasn’t thrown a fit yet.”
Oh. That reminds her, should she ask Luka the one thing that has been on her mind, or was it none of her business?
“You seem to be deep in thought, Miku-chan,”
Miku looked up to see Luka lifting the cover of the piano, scrunching her face up at the dust that flew everywhere.
Oh God, she really had to stop spacing out, didn’t she?
“I- Well it’s just-” Miku bit her lip and toyed with the hem of her skirt.
“It’s okay, I won’t judge,” the pinkette smiled as she sat down and gently tapped the musty white keys. “You can be as open as you want with me.”
Well, that was a genuine sounding tone. How could Luka be so nice to a weirdo like her? Did she want something from Miku? Or was she always this caring?
“I-I just noticed that y-y-you and…” Miku took a deep breath before continuing. “You and Rin don’t really get along. D-d-do you-”
“Do we have beef?” Luka finished, her smile slightly falling.
“S-sorry! I shouldn’t have-”
“No, it’s fine,” Luka sighed, looking down at the piano. “Yes, my relationship with Rin isn’t exactly the best. I have tried to improve it, but she just won’t listen to me.”
“Oh…”
“You see, we were originally from the same talent agency,” the idol continued as she lazily flipped through some sheets of music that had been left on the stool. “We used to be really close actually. Rin said that considered me an older sister and would call me ‘Luka-neechan’. But as we progressed in our training, Rin became more and more competitive. She started acting a little bratty and entitled, but I brushed it off because she was probably used to getting her own way as she and her twin came from a rich family of TV stars.
“Then when they selected the final group for Fresh Off The Hook…” Luka paused and put the sheet music on top of the piano lid. “Rin didn’t make the final cut. And when she saw that I did, she threw a fit right in front of the judges. She went on about how hard she worked for this and that she deserves to be up there, not me. She thought she was the experienced one and called me the simple girl next door,”
“And the stuff she had said about me, her words… I had no idea that was how she perceived me all this time.” Luka looked up once more with a forced smile plastered across her face. “So yeah, that’s my history with Kagamine Rin.”
Miku was left speechless once again. What was she supposed to say? Since she had never had any friends to begin with, Miku had no clue how to deal with this. Does she comfort Luka or…?
“Sorry, I shouldn’t be dumping this stuff onto you,” Luka muttered. “Just don’t tell Rin or anyone else about this, I don’t want anyone thinking I’m spreading false information about her.”
“I won’t! And you said nothing wrong!” Miku blurted out. “I mean… you have the right to be upset. How she treated you wasn’t okay. All you did was ever be nice to her and…” Miku frowned and stared at the floor. Where was all this coming from? Was she relating her own experiences to what Luka had told her? But now she felt like she was making this whole thing about herself…
A soft giggle interrupted her thoughts. Miku opened her eyes to see Luka covering her mouth with her palm in an attempt to suppress her laughter. Shit, did she sound weird saying that stuff? Luka thinks she’s weird now, doesn’t she?
“Sorry for laughing. Don’t worry, I’m not laughing at you, I’m just amazed that someone understands how I feel,” she giggled. “All this time everyone would jump the gun and blindly support Rin when I would talk about this, but to see that someone isn’t being biased and genuinely cares…”
“W-w-well, I don’t know Rin’s s-side of the story,” Miku elaborated. “A-and even if I did, I doubt i-it would change my opinion on h-h-how I feel about this whole thing.”
“Is that so?” Luka asked, raising a clean eyebrow.
“Um…”
As if she had sensed the tealette’s discomfort, Luka pulled herself up from the stool and cracked her knuckles. “Okay, I think we’ve been here long enough and found nothing of importance. Shall we get going?”
“Oh s-sure!” Miku quickly pulled her Monophone out again, struggling to launch the map app properly. “Y-you can pick the next location, there’s n-nowhere in particular I w-w-want to check out.”
“Then how about the bathroom?” the older woman suggested. “I need to use the toilet anyway, and the restrooms happen to be right next door, so it’s perfect.”
Come to think of it, Miku realized that she really had to go pee too. “That sounds like a good plan,” she nodded, shoving her hand into her skirt pocket.
So they left the instrument library in silence, the only sounds to accompany them being their footprints tapping against the linoleum floor. As Miku followed the pinkette, she couldn’t help but wonder if she had ventured too far. Luka seemed quick to get out of the previous room, so maybe she struck a nerve?
But poor Luka, having to deal with Rin’s bullshit like that! Miku never imagined Rin to be so disrespectful to her elders. Sure, maybe it was just the competition, but you can’t just treat people like that when you don’t get what you want!
Miku turned around the corner after Luka, only to be met with an odd sight. Moke was leaning against the wall between the two doors leading to both bathrooms with his hands clasped behind his back, as if he were keeping guard. When he noticed the girls, he stood up and offered a brief wave.
“Nice to see you two again,” he greeted politely.
“Hey, Moke. What are you doing here by yourself?” Luka questioned. “Were you not with Gumi?”
The young man jerked his thumb towards the women's restroom. “She’s in there. Yamane-san asked me to investigate the boy’s bathroom while she checked out the girl’s. So I did,” he explained. “I found nothing out of the ordinary, so I came out, but Yamane-san doesn’t seem to be done yet. I don’t want to stay inside the men’s toilet as it reeks of urine, so here I am.”
Luka glanced past Moke, her eyes narrowed. “I don’t mean to be rude, but something tells me that Gumi sent you into the boy’s bathroom as a way of getting rid of you,” she said, accusation in her voice. “She didn’t seem very keen on the idea of working with anyone after all. Hell, Gumi might not even be in there anymore. Maybe while you were busy, she escaped.”
“Are you implying that I should investigate the girl’s toilet?” Moke frowned. “I’m not a creep, and I trust Yamane-san’s word.”
“You poor, innocent soul,” Luka sighed. “Come on, Miku, let’s see what’s going on in there.”
Luka pushed the door open and gestured for Miku to enter. Muttering a quick thanks, Miku carefully stepped in before quickly ducking into the first stall. Exhaling, Miku sat down and quickly did her business, before standing up and flushing. Hey, when a girl’s got to go, she has to go.
Before leaving the stall, Miku decided to check her surroundings for anything strange or of use. Obviously, you wouldn’t find much in a bathroom stall, but who knows? For all she knew, Gachapin could have hidden an exit behind a toilet.
But alas, save for the toilet paper rack, spare rolls, coat hooks, and La Grande Toilette, the stall was practically vacant. Giving up, Miku unlocked the door to see a familiar emerald blob standing in front of the hand dryer.
“Gumi…?”
Upon hearing her name, the teen turned around and grinned. “Hello, Miku. How’s it going?” she asked calmly.
“O-oh, we haven’t really found anything,” Miku murmured awkwardly.
“That’s cool, I haven’t find anything that could potentially get us out of here except-”
Click!
The stall next to her opened to reveal Luka, who stumbled in surprise upon seeing Gumi. She grabbed the door for support, only to throw the greenette a harsh glare.
“Careful, the bathroom floors are pretty wet. You wouldn’t want to slip and break something now, would ya?”
“So you didn’t vanish after all,” Luka sighed. “Why’d you leave poor Moke out there? He’s only trying to help.”
“For starters, I didn’t want him to assist me,” Gumi frowned. “But since that would make me seem suspicious, I have no choice but to let him tag along like a lost puppy. At least the kid’s quiet. And why would I invite the opposite sex in here? That’s basically a taboo!”
“That… is true,” Luka breathed, walking past her to wash her hands. Realizing that she hadn’t cleaned up, Miku swiped her hands in front of the automatic sink before her and allowed her dry hands to be submerged in the cool water.
“Well, did you find anything of interest?” Luka inquired as she pumped soap onto her palms.
“Perhaps, but I’m not so sure.”
Huh?
Luka frowned and paused mid-handwash. “So, does that mean that you found something?”
“Maybe. Like I said, I’m not sure.”
The taller girl clenched her jaw before shaking her head. “Well then, once you are sure, could you please notify us?”
“Duh. I’m not selfish,” Gumi rolled her neck back, popping her joints. “I just don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up before I am one hundred percent positive.”
That made sense. Though Miku was extremely confused as to what she meant. Gumi turned back around and tilted her head up to the ceiling. Huh, that’s weird. Miku looked up too, only to find nothing out of the ordinary. Was Gumi just spacing out?
Once her hands were washed, Luka pushed her palms in the hand dryer for about half a minute before pulling her hands out and rubbing them together. “In that case, it looks like we’re done here,” she declared. “What do you say, Miku? Shall we get going?”
Miku nodded and quickly dried her hands before following Luka out of the bathroom. Before she left however, she looked back to see Gumi pacing, muttering something under her breath.
What exactly had she found? Was it really something that could free them from this nightmare? If so, why didn’t Gumi want to disclose that information with them?
“Is she okay?”
Miku blinked to find Moke watching her with utmost curiosity. “Um, yeah, but I think she’s still investigating.”
Moke stared at the door to the boy’s bathroom, completely perplexed. “What could there possibly be in a restroom?”
“Who knows, but keep an eye on her,” Luka advised. “She’s… acting really weird.”
Moke nodded in agreement and pushed the door open, muttering something about overlooking something important.
“Okay, instead of following the map, why don’t we have some fun?” Luka mused, a sly smirk dancing across her face. “Let’s get lost!”
“L-lost?!” Miku squeaked.
Why would someone want to get lost here?! What if no one hears them call for help? Then they’ll be all alone and Gachapin might-
“Relax, I don’t mean to actually get lost here. I thought we could just wander around freely,” she reassured. “If we do get lost, we can always refer to the map. It could be like an adventure!”
Oh. That was comforting to hear. Miku couldn’t help but feel intrigued. Maybe they would “accidentally” find an exit!
“Okay, let’s do this!” she beamed.
And so, they strolled down the hallways, talking about the most random things that came to mind. Like debating if the Giga Burger mascot had a tail or not. Although this whole scheme seemed silly, Miku was surprised by how much fun she was actually having.
Was this what it was like to actually have friends?
“Hey, Mickey Mouse and Fish Mommy! Over here!”
Miku jumped upon hearing that sudden voice. Who were those names directed at? Was she Mickey Mouse? How was she that animated rat?
It took Miku a second to realize that she was standing in front of a room surrounded by glass walls. The words “Cafeteria” were plastered above the ajar doors. Hm, it shouldn’t take a genius to figure out where they were, huh?
“The person who called me “Mommy” isn’t going to have a fun time!” Luka shouted back, storming instead.
Whoa. This was one hell of a cafeteria. There were plenty of round blue tables surrounded by curved benches, each with at least four sets of cutlery and a tablet set up in the middle. There was a soup and salad bar displaying steaming soup, fresh greens, and buns a few steps down, and a make-your-own sandwich station. A drink dispenser sat in the corner, right next to a long rack loaded with all kinds of desserts. Other stations were lined up against the walls, like the type you would see in most high school cafeterias. And in the center of it all was an island counter with tubs of food and menu boards.
Sitting at a table near the front were Flower, Fukase, Piko and Wil. Fukase grinned and waved a silver spoon at the two newcomers.
“Calm yourself, Luka. It’s just a nickname.” he laughed.
“Well, please don’t refer to me that way if you want your kneecaps to stay where they are,” Luka snapped, sitting down with the others. Gulping, Miku smiled awkwardly and sat down next to her.
“What’s going on here? I thought you guys were investigating?” the pinkette interrogated.
“We are. We’re inspecting the quality of these burrito bowls,” Flower chuckled.
“They’ve been stuffing their faces with food since we came here,” Piko groaned in embarrassment. “Pasta bowls, soup, sushi, steaks- I’ve lost count of what they wolfed down!”
“Hey, you only live once, Piko,” Fukase counted. “Enjoy yourself, it's an all you can eat buffet!”
“There’s a really big kitchen,” Wil said, pointing at a door with the words “Staff Only” stamped on it. “They have state of the art appliances and devices. There’s tons of cookware too, not to mention a pantry and walk-in fridge with enough food to feed the entire Japanese military.”
“Is that all?” Luka quizzed.
“No exits or weapons that can be used to burst a hole in here,” Flower stated as they put their spoon down.
“As if I would allow you sex-driven morons to do such a thing!” a squeaky, aggravated voice snapped.
Miku whirled around in her seat to find Gachapin decked out in a chef’s uniform, complete with the white hat, its arms crossed. It stood inside the island counter with two trays balanced on its shoulders. Why didn’t it just use its hands?
“Ah, Gachapin, perfect timing,” Fukase announced. “I was going to order another plate of buffalo tempura.”
“Gah! I can’t believe how much you kids can fill your stomachs with! Do they not feed you at home?!” Gachapin complained. “And I don’t even get paid!”
“Wait… this food was prepared by Gachapin?” Luka slowly asked, horror flashing in her eyes.
“Of course! There’s no one else here who can whip up such Gordon Ramsay level dishes!” the toy piped up.
“You guys… have been eating this stuff?” she whispered.
“Yeah, what’s the issue?” Wil frowned. “I was starving so it made me a hamburger.”
“And did it not dawn on you that it could have slid something in?” she hissed. “Like a laxative, drug or… poison?”
That was enough to stunned everyone into silence. Shook, Fukase and Flower’s spoons fell from their hands with a clang.
“Shit,” Fukase cursed. “We walked right into its trap!”
At that moment, all kinds of negative thoughts swam through Miku’s head. The image of the four students lying on the table top motionless wouldn’t leave her alone. Was Luka’s proposal true? Did Gachapin lace the dishes with some kind of lethal substance?
“Ahem. Lady Hatsune and Madame Megurine, do I have permission to take your orders? I can hook you ladies up with whatever you wish!”
Gachapin was standing next to them holding a tablet akin to the ones on the table. Miku assumed they’re for browsing the menu and sending orders.
“Be honest, did you put something in our food?” Piko demanded, glaring down at the toy.
“Of course not! Piko-chan, how could you?” Gachapin whimpered. “I would never hurt any of you for no good reason! Read your handbooks!”
Wil lazily swiped through the screen of his phone, only to pause and let out a sigh of relief. “Rule seven states that Gachapin will never commit a murder directly,” he declared.
“There you have it! You brats are fine!” the hellspawn scoffed. “The worst that can happen is a stomachache or long shit from overeating!”
“Did you hear that, theatre kid?” Piko asked, crossing his arms.
“Hey, it’s not likely I’ll get constipation!” Fukase protested.
Then if the food really hadn’t been laced…
Upon being surrounded by exquisite dishes, Miku realized how hungry she truly was. How long had it been since she had eaten? And the alluring scent didn’t make things better…
“M-may I please have some Onomichi r-ramen?” she asked meekly.
“My, what rustic taste you’ve got!” Gachapin exclaimed, inputting something into his tablet. “As for you, Luka?”
“…I’ll just have some coffee. No milk, cream, or sugar please.”
“Dark roast?! That’s the most generic drink option you could’ve picked other than water! Ugh, fine, your funeral!”
The moment Gachapin slammed the kitchen door shut, Luka rapidly glanced around the dining hall before leaning forward. “So, aside from the cafeteria, did you go anywhere else?” she pressed.
“We found a bathhouse,” Flower said.
Luka blinked in surprise, clearly taken back by this discovery. “A bathhouse in a school?”
“Well since a ripoff Squid Game is being hosted here, I’m not surprised,” they sighed. “There was a divider that separated the dudes from the chicks, as well as multiple types of baths on each side of the room. There was also a sauna and a massage room.”
“Well, I certainly know where I’ll be spending most of my time here,” the pinkette said, a trace of a smile flickering across her face.
“Y-you like baths Luka?” Miku asked, intrigued.
“Yes, I believe a spa or bath session is exactly what someone needs after a long, stressful day,” she elaborated. “Imagine, just sitting in a tub with warm, Himalayan salts infused water while wearing a detoxifying face mask in complete peace with nothing more than traditional music to accompany you- ah!” She swifty looked up, suddenly looking guilty. “S-sorry, I sound like a spoiled brat, don't I?”
“Nah, you’re fine,” Fukase shrugged. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with getting pampered or glammed up. Hell, I have a habit of doing my nails whenever I can… without spilling polish or tearing out a fingernail.”
“You what?!” Piko grabbed the idiot ex-showman’s hand and inspected it. “That’s just red nail polish, right?”
“Relax, Elevator Boi. My older brother did them for me last week,” he reassured.
“Whatever you say,” the albino muttered, letting go of Fukase’s fingers.
“What about you, Mickey?” Fukase chirped, swirling to meet his next target. “Are you a material gorl too?”
“M-Mickey?” God please tell her, what part of Miku was associated with a ninety year old cartoon mouse? She looked nothing like him!
“Her name is Miku,” Luka spoke up with a tone of warning in her voice. “Please refrain from using any absurd nicknames for us.”
“I-it’s okay, Luka,” Miku managed to express. “I actually don’t mind.” Again, she felt so comforted by the warmth being emitted from her peers. How did she feel so at home around them? She literally met them a few hours ago. And yet…
“I’m… not the best at making myself look pretty,” she finally said. “But I would like to learn. Then… maybe people would be nicer to me…”
Flower clicked their tongue and shook their head. “Those people can go fuck themselves in that case. If they don’t like you for your appearance, they’re not worth spending time with,” they ranted. “But if you still want to learn some beauty tips, I don’t mind teaching you a thing or two.”
“Teach what exactly?” Fukase choked, covering his mouth with the very hand Piko had grabbed so he wouldn’t burst out laughing.
“I’m amazed no one has thrown you down a well yet, Fuckass.”
“Aw, is that the most creative nickname you can come up with?”
“Would you prefer one that rhymes with-”
“Food’s ready!”
And of course, their peace was disrupted by the tiny gremlin itself. Despite its height, Gachapin had managed to slide a bowl of steaming ramen noodles in front of Miku. For Luka, he had provided a mug full of a piping black liquid along with pots of sugar, milk, and cream because seriously, who drinks pure black coffee?
“Enjoy your meals! And you didn’t hear this from me, but…” Gachapin’s eyes darkened as they had in the auditorium as they spoke. “I won’t spike your meals, but that won’t stop your classmates. Ta ta!”
The gang watched the toy scurry away in absolute silence, unsure what to say in response. Then, to everyone’s horror, Wil raised his hand up and flipped the toy off.
“Wil, no!” Flower gaped, flicking his shoulder. “You’re supposed to be innocent!”
“Who ever said that?” he mumbled.
“Hey, at least he doesn’t know what- Holy shit, Flower, I was joking!” Fukase squealed as the latter stood up, their eyes murderous.
Amused, Miku found herself giggling before looking down at her bowl. Wow, that really did smell good. She split apart her chopsticks, picked some noodles up with them, and slurped them up. Holy shit, that’s actually good. The noodles were soft and warm, and the broth was full of flavour.
She looked back up to find Flower pulling Fukase into a headlock, who was struggling to get out of their grasp. Piko was trying to get them to break it up while Wil and Luka watched them with pure amusement.
These people she met today… they weren’t that bad. Sure, they’re all celebrities and influencers, but at least they acknowledged her and actually wanted to hear her opinion. And yeah, they’re being ordered to commit murder, but based on what she has seen today, she had a feeling that wasn’t going to happen.
Smiling, Miku reached over to help pull Flower’s arm from Fukase’s neck, who tackled her bawling as a way of thanks. Laughing, Miku moved out of the way so she wouldn’t get trampled as the redhead lept out of her lap and ran around the cafeteria in an attempt to escape his purser.
Yeah, things were looking up. Maybe they’ll be fine after all.