previous chapter: here

I had uploaded this on FF and AO3 a few days ago but forgot to post it here lol So here you go~

~~~
“When I tell you what time to report here, I expect you to report here without question! You have no excuse to be absent during one of our biggest nights!”

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t in good condition to come to work-”

“Forget it! Hiring a youngster was a mistake! I’ll stick with older, responsible people, so don’t bother showing up anymore!”
The call ended abruptly, and a huge sigh escaped from Miki. She was aware that Itou Chika was impatient and very high maintenance, but she had at least expected her to be a little understanding. Unfortunately, Miki was unable to do anything except accept her fate.

“Something wrong?” Roro heard the girl’s sigh and looked up from his laptop on the table.

“Nothing, just fired,” Miki sighed again and she took a seat next to Roro. “What am I going to do?”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” Roro gave words of consolation to her.

“I know I will,” Miki told him, then turned her attention to the laptop screen. “Is that another one of your singing videos?” She asked.

“Yeah,” he answered. “I was just looking at it. It’s an older video of mine, but it reached 100k views overnight,” he informs her.

“Nice,” Miki smiled. “Congrats.”

“Thanks,” Roro’s grin grew wide, hearing her congratulate him sweetly. “Maybe you’ll like it. Want to hear it?” He offered.

“I’d like to,” she answered, and he pressed the play button. At first, Miki heard what she assumed to be a music box, and then the piano began to play, followed by the instrumentals that followed, and then Roro’s singing voice echoed.

“We were supposed to meet here two hours ago
And I'm still here alone I know that's the answer, right”

‘Somehow, this is reminding me of him again.’ Miki found herself remembering Len again, like she did yesterday when she heard Yuudachi no Ribbon. In the past, Len had always been precious to Miki, but soon, has their first year of high school rolled on, he began to cease appearing from her life.

“I turn around, turn around, turn around til I’m sick of it
I cannot breathe, cannot breathe, I can’t at all
Yes this is my sad ending
I still cannot reach you”

“Are you okay?” Roro asked out of concern. Miki didn’t realize what was happening until she felt his hands brush her cheeks lightly. That was when she felt the wet stain on her face.

“I’m sorry,” Miki began to apologize. “This song is very lovely. It just reminded me of someone I knew in the past,” she explained.

“I see,” Roro responded. “To be honest, this song reminds me of someone too,” he admitted to her. “Hey.” An idea suddenly popped in his head. “Do you sing?”

“Sing?” Miki stared at him. “I love to sing.”

“Then why don’t you sing a song you like? I’ll pull up the instrumentals if you need them.”

“Okay… there is this song I heard frequently in a show I saw with my parents when I was a child, around ten years old,” Miki began to remember a song from the past. “It’s called Konayuki.”

“Let me find it for you.” Roro started searching for the song online. It only took thirty seconds for him to find it. “Do you need the lyrics?”

“I’m fine,” Miki answered.

“Alright, are you ready?” After seeing her nod, Roro clicked the button, turning the music on. When it came the time to sing, Miki didn’t hesitate to sing the song she loved as a child.

“The season when the powder snow falls has a different intention;
We're lost in a sea of people even though we're looking at the same sky.
Even though the wind blows to the point of freezing.”
~~~
“So cruel! Her classmates are really mean!” Miki pouted heavily, watching the scene playing on the TV.

“But Asou-kun is really nice, despite all he’s been through,” Luka told her eldest daughter, silently sipping her tea. “Miki, do you like the show?”

“Yes, mom,” Miki smiled, looking up to her while remaining at her seat on the floor.

“That’s good,” Luka gave her daughter a sweet smile.

“I wish Aya could live,” Miki commented, turning her attention to the screen. Konayuki played during the show, and Miki didn’t hesitate to sing along.

“If the powder snow would cover down to our hearts in white, hey,
would we be able to share each other's loneliness?”

“You already know they lyrics?” Luka asked in amazement. “What a good girl,” she said, her smile growing wider. Luka stood up, and lowered her body, patting her daughter’s head. “Miki, can you do your mother and father a favor?”

“What is it, mom?”

“Even when life goes rough, always keep singing.”

“Keep singing?” Miki tilted her head, her eyes gazing at her mother with wide curiosity.

“When your father and I met, I was crying,” Luka began her story of her past to Miki. “To cheer me up, he sang a song, and in a way, he saved me.”

“Really?” Miki grew more interested in her parents’ past.

“I’m home!”

“Oh, dad is home!” Miki cheered, leaving her spot on the floor and heading towards the doorway. “Welcome home!” Miki greeted her dad.

“Hello, Miki,” Kiyoteru smiled while taking off his coat.

“Dad, Mom told me when you first met her, you sang a song to her.”

“Yes I did,” Kiyoteru confirmed the facts to her. “Did your mother asked you to do something.

“Yep!” She nodded. “Always keep singing no matter what.”

“Oh, that’s right. I taught her that,” Kiyoteru recalled. “Of course, Miki, I would like you and your sisters to do be whatever you want to be when you grow up, but music is always a go-to for comfort. Miki, don’t you always feel a little relieved when you sing?”

“Yes!” Miki smiled happily. Once again, Kiyoteru pat her head.

“Even when life gets tough, just think of your favorite music,” he told her.
~~~
“If the powder snow would cover down to our hearts in white, hey,
would we be able to share each other's loneliness?”

Miki finished singing, having poured all of her emotion out in the song. When it had finally ended, Miki was met with a small applause from the man in front of her.

“Why don’t you cover it and upload it on NND?” Roro asked.

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you,” he told her.

The following hour had went as followed: Roro pulled out audacity. Miki sang again. Roro recorded it. Roro created a video.

“You don’t have an NND account, do you?” Roro asked, and he was answered by seeing Miki shake her head. “We’ll make one, but you have to fill out your personal info,” he told her before handing his laptop to her, allowing her to continue. “Now, we need an utaite name for you.”

“What?” Miki stared at him in curiosity. “Utaite name?”

“Yeah. Do you want to use your real name?”

“... Roro isn’t your real name?”

“Technically, no,” he answered, only to chuckle upon seeing her reaction. “It’s best not to use your real name anyways, so stalkers won’t have an easier time finding you.”

“I see,” Miki sighed in realization, still surprised to learn that Roro isn’t his actual name. Despite her curiosity, Miki refrained from asking.

“Is there a name you have in mind?” Roro asked. “If there’s none, I kind of have an idea of what you could go by.”

“Really?” Miki grew curious. “What is it?”

“I was thinking you should go by ‘Aika,’” He answered.

“Aika?” Miki repeated the name. “Love song?”

“Exactly, because your singing felt like a sincere love song to me,” Roro answered honestly.

“I see,” Miki smiled. “I like it.”

“Good! Let’s upload your first cover and then make a twitter account for you.”

“Twitter account? Why?”

“So you can advertise your video there as well as advertise other people’s covers,” Roro informed her. “I do that all the time, for myself and for other users on NND. Besides, it’s also a great way to communicate to other utaites, and you can always contact me there.”

“I see,” Miki nodded, and a small smile grew on her face. “Thank you, Roro,” she said sincerely, feeling ever more grateful for having met the man who nursed her back to health.

I just now found this (bear in mind I was away most of last month). It made me so happy and so sad at the same time.
Happy because you're my favorite fanfic writer :V plus this is your best work yet imo. :V So sweet and such expertly handled emotions. :V Some of the best I've seen. I have to wonder if Miki and Roro will end up together, or as good friends.

Sad because I see that the last date is from a month ago so I'm afraid that it's dead in the water. (u_u) -1 :V

Overall rating: :V :V I'll bump it up to three :V if you continue it.