Chapter Text
One day, yes, I, the Hatsune Miku, was walking home from another show I just completed.
It made me happy seeing everyone’s happy faces in the crowd. It felt warm inside.
Though maybe I should have paid more attention to where I was going.
“Oof!” I cried out, almost losing my balance when someone caught me.
“Careful!” A voice that was soft but urgent called out.
“Ah, sorry!” I apologized looking up. The person looked familiar somehow. Have I seen him before? “You must be…?” I swear I knew who he was. But I couldn’t remember.
“Piko. Utatane Piko Though you don’t need to remember it.” The boy gave a slight smile, and that is what made my memory come back to me a bit.
“Is there something on my face?” He asked, tilting his head a bit.
“Ah! No, no.” I trailed my eyes to what he was holding… clothes?
“Are you going somewhere?”
“Mhm, I was going home… Over there.” Piko pointed out; Oh, I live there as well! My face lit up.
“I also live around there; do you want to walk there together?” I requested. Piko looked surprised, but then that soft smile came back up.
“Sure.” His voice was calming and low. Sending a shiver down my spine that also made me smile as well. I wonder where I have seen that smile before.
We started to walk down the street, though I had just met Piko. We had a lot to talk about, it surprised me how well he knew some of the others. When I asked him, he told me that he had heard about them before. Though his tone felt like he was experiencing nostalgia.
Finally, we had gotten to our final destination I waved him goodbye.
At that point in time, I remembered some kind of memory that I must have lost long ago.
---------
The person in my faint memory looked almost like Piko. Though it seemed like I had known him when I was at my V2 stage. His smile was almost like Piko’s though I couldn’t remember the rest of my memory. I just knew I was younger then.
“Let’s sing… together!” I said to the person. He happily accepted and in that empty studio we sang together, just the two of us. Though when remembering, I couldn’t hear the melody. For some reason, that hurt me a lot.
Though I knew that person, it made people happy just like me. Just like the other Vocaloid’s.
So why couldn’t I remember who he was…?
After that the memory stopped abruptly, and I couldn’t remember anymore.
Though I want to know how that song sounded.
And sing with the man I had sung with before.
---------
After many shows of feeling empty. I was finally sure about it.
Piko was the person I had met so long ago.
But why was he just becoming a V4 now?
It didn’t make sense at all.
While walking home again, after a show with Teto, I had accidentally bumped into Piko again.
“You should be more careful, Miku.” Piko sighed, although we had known each other for a bit. I have never directly told him my name, and it felt odd him using my first. So, I stared at him for a bit.
“Did I say something wrong?” He questioned.
I immediately shook my head, “No! I dunno… I just was thinking about something.”
He nodded a bit.
“Thank you, for showing me around before.”
“It’s no problem.” I smiled. Waving him goodbye once again.
My heart felt lingering, I still wanted to speak to him more. I sighed, tomorrow I have one more show. Maybe I could talk to him again tomorrow. Though, Piko’s voice.
It wasn’t like how it was years ago.
What had happened to his once vivid voice…?
Chapter Text
The show wasn’t actually too long. So, it was late afternoon. Though Master looked a bit worried for me.
“Miku, are you doing alright? You seem a bit down. Did Rin do something to you?” Master asked worriedly. But I nodded my head.
“I’m doing fine Master! I was just a little tired after these non-stop shows.” I smiled back at him. Who just sighed in return.
“Well, if you need to talk to me, I’ll be here.” Master assured.
I guess it was time for me to walk back home as well.
-------
While walking home, I spotted Piko again. I started to run up to him, a grin on my face.
“Utatane-san!” I called out.
Though I wasn’t met with a reply. I started to slow down. Two other V4’s that I wasn’t too sure of, were speaking to him.
“Well, isn’t it Utatane? What are you even doing here anyways, weren’t you discontinued?” One mocked, Piko didn’t reply.
Discontinued…?
What does that mean…?
“Did one of the masters port you here? That’s what I’m assuming.”
Port…?
Ports aren’t forbidden, though they are heavily looked down upon in the Vocaloid town.
Was Piko a…?
“So, what if I am, it doesn’t mean anything.” Piko responded sharply, unlike his usual behavior.
“What was that? Can’t hear you over your V2!” The other bullied. Both of them started to laugh.
Port…? Piko was…?
Memories started to rush into my head, everything ached.
“Piko…?”
I could feel Piko’s fear from here. His eyes widened in despair; he trembled. His voice became slightly ragged.
“Ah… Hatsune-san.” One of the V4’s smirked, “Hey, Piko, aren’t you going to tell her? No wonder she forgot all about you.
“…miku…” He mumbled. Before I could say anything else, he started to dash away. His footsteps increasing in pace.
“Piko!” I called out, an MP3 player dropping out of his hands. I watched him run away as I didn’t have enough strength to follow him. I looked at the MP3 player. I hadn’t seen one in years.
Those V4’s walked away, snickering as I tried to salvage the music memory card. I couldn’t go and find Piko now. It may be egotistical but before I confronted him again, I had to listen to the memories I had forgotten.
The memories I made with him.
Chapter Text
“Ahh...”
The song began with me and Piko harmonizing. His voice was higher than when I first met him here.
“The creation of a lonely scientist, a realistic robot that was built like her.
The only way to describe her would be... 'a miracle.'
But no matter how perfect she seemed, there would always be something missing.
KOKORO is what she needed most.
RUNNING PROGRAM.”
I started; the song was familiar… It was Kokoro. The song was emotional and bittersweet.
“A few hundred years since you were here.
Now I'm alone; you're no longer by my side.
One thing that I want is to understand more:
my memories...”
Piko followed after. It was nice to hear him like this once again.
The song continued, and everything was so overwhelming. Finally, the song ended, and I could hear Piko’s soft giggles mixed with mine.
“In a few years, we’ll be getting updates to V3, then V4! Don’t you think that would be wonderful, Piko?”
I could almost see him smiling.
“That would be nice.”
I then interrupted him.
“Then we’ll get growl features, and then I’ll be better than Teto. Hehe.”
“You sure are eager to beat her.”
“Yeah! We’ll see who has the better voicebank then!”
Piko softly laughed.
“What’s funny?” I pouted.
“No... Nothing!”
“Hey, Piko, even though not a lot of people use your voicebank, you’ll be there to sing with me... right?”
Time seemed to stop right then and there. The soft blowing of the fan only thickened the atmosphere.
“I will.”
His words were certain.
.
.
.
“Oh no! I forgot to stop the MP3 player!!”
I exclaimed, though I knew I only said that to ease the pain. I immediately went to turn it off before Piko could say any more.
♪♪♪
I don’t know why, but tears began to flow down my cheeks. Why was I crying...? My nails almost dug into the music player.
I remember now.
Not everything, but I remember how close our relationship was.
It hurt. How could I forget him after what I said back then?
How selfish of me.
How utterly selfish…
“Ah, why am I...”
At that moment, I couldn’t hold back all the tears I had kept inside.
Remembering hurts, but it was sweet and sugary at the same time.
“Piko… uugn, I’m so sorry…!” I sobbed softly.
Yet now wasn’t the time just to sit and cry.
Piko was out there, alone, burdened with all that pain.
Yet he hasn’t cried once.
That’s when I got the idea:
To get him to open up, to hear his once-beautiful voice.
I’d have to tear at the wounds and find out how he was discontinued.
Of course, this was going to hurt a lot.
But to regain that happiness we felt before,
I had to do it.
I wiped my tear-ridden face.
I had to go looking for Piko.