Several weeks had passed since her betrayal, and the video had been published. Miku was absolutely sure Ray wouldn't have done it. Dave was in the hospital, and his father wouldn't have done it either. The only person who could have done it was her own father. The realization that her father was behind it nearly broke Miku. It led her to start drinking and neglect her career.
After several months of living like that, she received an invitation to a popular show that often featured stars. At first, Miku wanted to refuse, but an idea came to her, and she agreed, taking some time to pull herself together.
"Hello, everyone! My name is Rebecca Cruise, and this is 'Conversation with a Star.' Today, our guest is young star Hatsune Miku—a musical talent who won everyone over. She's been with us before, but her life has changed dramatically. Honestly, we didn't think she would agree to this conversation."
Deya, who had moved in with Frank and Jill a few months ago, was watching the show with her friends. Tommy's kids loved the show. Ray was afraid it would be too much for Frank and Jill, but they were happy to have so many children in their house. Yuno, despite her reluctance, had gone with them at Ray's request and helped them out.
Deya was very intelligent for her age, and Ray had put a lot of effort into helping her keep her childhood innocence as long as possible. She didn't yet know that her brother and Miku had broken up, so she was very excited to see Miku.
Yuno, who was with the children now, knew very well the main topic of this conversation. Part of her wanted to avoid watching the show, but she hoped this conversation would make Deya want to come back home to her brother. For Yuno, Ray was everything, so being so far away from him was pure torment. If, even after hearing what she was about to hear, Deya didn't want to go back home to her brother, Yuno would stay silent no longer.
Over these months, Deya had become an ordinary girl again. Yuno loved seeing her like that, but she had experienced the cruelty of this world firsthand, so she understood perfectly why Ray was so strict with his sister regarding discipline and training.
"Though the reason for this meeting isn't a very good one, I'm still glad to see you here. I assume you're here because you have something to say," Rebecca said. During their first meeting, Miku had seemed like a very nice girl to her. And although she and Ray had never appeared together publicly, the way this girl talked about him made it clear she really loved him. Even the public disapproval of their relationship hadn't stopped her.
"Yes, I'm glad to see you too. I'm sorry we're meeting under these circumstances, but in our previous meetings, you gave me some important advice," Miku replied.
"As far as I know, you canceled your tour. Is that because you and Ray broke up?"
"Yes, that's the main reason. My manager refunded all the ticket money, but I still owe everyone an apology. I'm very sorry, but I won't be performing anymore. I didn't come on this show to make excuses. All I want to do is apologize."
"I see a ring on your hand. Did your new chosen one give you that?"
"No. This is the ring Ray was going to give me on the day we broke up. I know I don't deserve it. I also know he'll never forgive me. But I will wear this ring as a reminder of what I lost, and as a sign that I belong to him."
"Honestly, when I heard you'd broken up, I was baffled. And when I saw that video, I was very angry at you. You were such a good couple, and from your tone, it's clear you regret it. What made you destroy what you had? Do you have any suspicions about who might have released the video?"
"I'm not going to make excuses for myself, but to help you understand the situation, I'll have to start from afar. The man you see in the video is my first love and childhood friend; we grew up together. Our parents always pushed us toward marriage. I loved him, so I had no problem with that. But at some point, he started living a wild life: sex, drugs, alcohol. I tried to pull him out of it, but at some point, I gave up. That's when I met Ray."
"Over time, Dave changed and went back to the way he was. I was afraid Ray would be jealous if we continued being friends, but he accepted it calmly. Now I'm so ashamed that I trampled on his trust."
"At some point, Dave broke up with his girlfriend, and I was there to support him. That brought us even closer. The first time happened at a mutual friend's birthday party. I was so ashamed, and I intended to confess immediately, but looking into Ray's eyes, I couldn't do it. Instead, I promised myself it wouldn't happen again. But it did. Dave had become again the image of the person I had loved with all my heart, and that illusion clouded my eyes."
"Only afterward did I learn that Dave's girlfriend and their breakup were all just a show for my benefit. And the person who published the video was my father."
"He never liked that I chose Ray, but I didn't think he would go that far. They got what they wanted, but I will never forgive him. As I said, I'm not making excuses, but I always thought a parent's job was to guide their child and protect them from serious mistakes. Instead of saving me from a mistake, my old man pushed me into the biggest mistake of my life. Even if he crawls on his knees, I will never forgive him."
"Thank you for being with us. I hope someday you can forgive yourself. Not everyone deserves a second chance, but I think you do."
"What would you like to say to our viewers?"
"My life has been full of disappointments: in my father, in the person I loved… But the worst is disappointing yourself and becoming a disappointment to the person you truly love. I know you can never forgive me, but I'm sorry."