Fairytale Lovers Through the Lens - Vocaloid 神威x巡音

💜💗💜💗💜 Story 💗💜💗💜💗 A faint floral fragrance lingered throughout the theater. The stage lights had not yet completely dimmed, and several staff members were taking advantage of the intermission to adjust the scenery. Golden curtains hung on either side of the stage, while white pillars designed to resemble a castle stood in neat rows. In the distance, sunlight streamed through the tall windows, illuminating the entire stage as though it had stepped straight out of a fairy tale. Today, Kamui Gakupo and Megurine Luka were performing in a romantic stage play. Luka played a princess who had been confined to a castle, waiting for fate to determine her future, while Gakupo portrayed a prince who had embarked on a journey in search of true happiness. Their characters originally came from different worlds, but an unexpected encounter gradually brought them closer. As they came to understand each other's feelings, they eventually decided to walk toward a shared future together. It was not a particularly complicated story, but thanks to the two actors' delicate performances, every exchanged glance and every spoken line carried a heart-stirring sense of emotion. Especially when it came to Gakupo and Luka. Whenever they stood together, even before the performance began, they always seemed as though they had stepped right out of a fairy tale. “Intermission for fifteen minutes! Everyone can take a break. Please return to your positions before the next scene begins!” The director's voice came from below the stage. Hearing this, Luka let out a small sigh of relief. She gathered the hem of her skirt and carefully stepped down from the edge of the stage, making her way toward the rest area where everyone's personal belongings had been placed. Her princess costume had been carefully designed, its soft colors and delicate decorations complementing her gentle demeanor. The skirt swayed lightly with every step she took. She picked up her phone and checked the photographs taken before the performance. One of them was a group photo that a staff member had taken of the two of them. In the picture, Gakupo stood beside her in his prince's costume, looking calm and composed, while she held up her skirt slightly and smiled. Luka gazed at the photograph for a while, an involuntary smile appearing on her lips. “What are you looking at?” A familiar voice sounded beside her. She raised her head and saw Gakupo standing next to her. He had just finished a brief conversation with the director and was holding a bottle of water. His long purple hair had been tied back to suit his character, with a few strands falling over his shoulders. The tailored prince's costume made him look even more distinguished, while his familiar violet eyes retained their usual calmness. Luka turned her phone toward him. “I'm looking at the photos we took earlier.” Gakupo glanced down at the screen. “They turned out well.” “Is that all you're going to say?” “What else should I say?” “At least you could say something like, ‘The princess looks beautiful today,’ couldn't you?” She deliberately lifted her chin, her eyes filled with playful anticipation. Gakupo looked at her. He did not answer immediately. Instead, he shifted his gaze from the phone to her face, as though he were truly a prince carefully admiring the princess standing before him. “You look beautiful today.” His tone was so natural that it sounded like he was simply stating an undeniable fact. Luka had only intended to tease him, but when he answered so directly, she suddenly found herself at a loss for words. “...I was talking about the costume.” “I was talking about you today, too.” He smiled faintly. Luka stared at him before hurriedly raising her phone to cover half of her face. “Why do you always do this...?” “Do what?” “You don't usually say things like that on purpose, but you always say them when I'm not prepared!” “Then I'll give you advance notice next time.” “I don't want that!” She immediately protested, laughing at her own response. Gakupo let out a quiet laugh before sitting down beside her. They had chosen a spot near the window of the rest area, where they could see the busy staff members working backstage and hear the other actors discussing their upcoming scenes. However, none of those things seemed to interest Luka as much as the person sitting beside her. She glanced at her phone, then at Gakupo. Suddenly, an idea came to mind. “Gakupo.” “Hmm?” “Let's take a selfie!” He turned toward her. “Now?” “Of course! We're wearing such lovely costumes. We should take some pictures to remember today.” Luka raised her phone, opened the front-facing camera, and moved a little closer to him. Gakupo obediently straightened his posture, maintaining the dignified bearing expected of a prince attending an official occasion. Luka noticed that there was still a small gap between them on the screen, so she immediately tugged at his sleeve. “Come a little closer.” He moved closer as requested. “Like this?” “A little more.” Gakupo shifted toward her again. This time, their shoulders finally touched. Luka looked at the screen and nodded with satisfaction. “Perfect! Now the prince and princess are finally standing together.” “Haven't we already been standing together all morning?” “That was acting. This is a personal keepsake.” “I see.” He answered with a perfectly straight face, although amusement was hidden in his eyes. Luka raised the phone slightly higher so that both their faces would fit into the frame. She smiled brightly at the camera, while Gakupo turned his face slightly toward it. “Three, two, one!” The shutter clicked. Their first selfie was complete. Luka immediately lowered her gaze to examine it. “Hmm... It looks good!” She enlarged the photograph and studied it carefully before turning toward him again. “But you look like you're taking an official promotional photo.” “How should I pose, then?” “Just relax! Be yourself, like you usually are.” “This is how I usually am.” “Not at all.” Luka burst out laughing. After thinking for a moment, she suddenly linked her arm through his and rested her cheek against his shoulder. Gakupo froze for a brief moment. That gesture was not part of their stage play. Of course, they had plenty of intimate interactions during the performance. The prince would offer his hand to the princess, invite her to dance at a ball, and gently take her hand during the story's most important moments. But right now, there was no audience, no dialogue, and no director instructing them to perform any particular action. Luka simply wanted to take a photograph with him. The way she leaned against him was so natural that he found himself unwilling to disturb their closeness. Gakupo's expression gradually softened. He did not deliberately maintain his princely demeanor. Instead, he lowered his head slightly, bringing his face closer to hers. Luka noticed the change on the screen, and her eyes immediately lit up. “That's it!” She pressed the shutter again. The second photograph captured them leaning comfortably against each other. In the picture, Luka was smiling happily, while Gakupo looked much gentler than he had in the first shot. Their shoulders were pressed together, and their purple and pink hair overlapped within the frame, as though even their colors had become more harmonious. Luka liked it more and more the longer she looked at it. “I'm definitely saving this one.” “Was the first one not good enough?” “The first one is nice, too, but this one looks more like us.” As soon as she said it, she realized that her words sounded a little too affectionate. She pressed her lips together and pretended to be occupied with browsing through the photographs. Gakupo, however, had not overlooked what she said. “More like us?” “Just... more natural.” “Hmm.” He did not press her for an explanation. He simply watched her with a quiet expression. For some reason, that soft response made Luka even more conscious of herself. She decided to show him the photograph instead. “Look! Isn't this one really nice?” Gakupo took the phone and examined the picture for a while. “It is.” “Right?” “However, I think we could take one more.” Luka blinked in surprise. “You're actually asking to take another selfie?” “Since we're taking commemorative pictures, we should take more than one.” “Weren't you acting as though you didn't really care just a moment ago?” “I've changed my mind.” He said it with such confidence that Luka could not help laughing. She took back her phone and pointed the camera toward them again. “All right! This time, you get to decide how we pose.” Gakupo considered the suggestion for a moment before reaching out and gently resting one hand on her shoulder. Luka froze. “Gakupo?” “Your Highness, please look this way.” He lowered his head, his voice carrying the elegant tone he often used during their stage performances. Luka quickly understood what he meant and turned her face toward him, meeting his gaze. They were close enough to see the amusement reflected in each other's eyes. On the phone screen, the princess was not looking at the camera. Instead, she was gazing up at her prince. The prince, in turn, was not looking at the camera either. His entire attention was focused on her. The shutter clicked again. This time, neither of them had deliberately tried to smile. Yet the photograph somehow felt even more heartwarming than the previous two. Luka looked down at the picture and remained silent for a long moment. “What's wrong?” Gakupo asked. “Nothing... I just think this one looks like the final scene of the story.” “The moment when the prince and princess finally end up together?” “Mm-hmm.” Her voice softened without her realizing it. “If the audience saw this photograph, they might think we're really in love.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized what she had just said. Luka hurriedly raised her head. “I mean the characters! The prince and princess in the story! Don't misunderstand!” Gakupo watched her struggle to explain herself, the smile on his lips gradually deepening. “I know.” “Really?” “Of course.” After a brief pause, he added, “Besides, we still have another scene to perform.” Luka finally breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, for some reason, when she looked at the photograph on her phone again, a small, inexplicable feeling of disappointment arose in her heart. It was as though there could have been another answer after those words. She did not ask any further questions. Gakupo, too, kept the feelings he was not yet ready to express to himself. In the rest area, the staff members began reminding the actors to prepare to return to the stage. Luka put her phone away and straightened her skirt. Just as she was about to stand up, Gakupo rose first and extended his hand toward her. It was a gesture the prince often made in their play. However, this time, he did not recite any lines or wait for instructions. He simply looked at her and said calmly, “Your Highness, it is time to return to the stage.” Luka looked at the hand extended toward her and smiled tenderly. “Then, Your Highness, please hold my hand properly.” She placed her hand in his palm. Gakupo gently closed his fingers around hers and led her toward the stage entrance. Their costumes reflected soft colors beneath the lights, making them look as though they were truly returning to the fairy-tale castle to continue their unfinished story. Meanwhile, the three photographs they had just taken were safely stored on Luka's phone. The first showed a dignified prince and princess. The second captured two people leaning against each other, smiling happily. The third preserved the moment when they gazed into each other's eyes. It was a scene that had never been written into the script. It was also a secret that, for that afternoon, belonged only to the two of them. When the stage lights brightened again, Gakupo and Luka returned to the audience's view as the prince and princess. The prince extended his hand toward the princess. The princess placed her hand in his. They exchanged smiles according to the script and continued performing their story of meeting, trust, and love. No one knew that, just before the next line was spoken, Luka had thought of the selfie they had taken. And no one knew that when Gakupo held her hand, his thoughts extended beyond the prince's scripted lines. He simply hoped that when the play finally ended, when their magnificent costumes were put away and the lights gradually went out, he could still walk over to her as naturally as he had earlier. Without needing to be a prince. Without anyone arranging it for him. As long as she was willing, he would remain by her side. For now, the story continued. The fairy tale of the prince and princess had yet to reach its ending. And the feelings quietly taking root between the two actors, still unspoken and unnoticed by anyone else, were only just beginning.