Chapter Text
One evening, Mafuyu noticed something while she was playing. It was a red string, wrapped around her pinky and trailing away, out the door— curious, the little girl rose to her feet and went to the door, peering out the window beside it. The string seemed to be endless, wrapping around corners and going until Mafuyu couldn't see it anymore. It was weird— and gave way to several questions. Luckily, she knew where to go to get a foolproof answer!
"Mommy, what's this?"
Mafuyu's mother looked up from her laptop— or rather, looked down to her daughter. Her brows furrowed in confusion for a moment, and perhaps a bit in irritation due to getting interrupted in her work. Both emotions dissolved just as quickly as they formed, though; instead, a joyful, excited spark lit her gaze. "Oh! Are you showing mommy your string?"
"My... string?" Mafuyu's gaze furrowed in confusion (she looked just like a mini version of her mother). But like her mother, once she registered what had been said, she was quick to perk up and nod. "Y-Yeah! I'm showing you my string! It's red and, um, really, really long!"
Her mother smiled and scooped the little girl up in her lap, playful giggles filling the house as she did so, "Oh, of course it's long, dear! On the other side of that string, a wonderful, wonderful person is waiting for you to find them. The string on your pinky is tying you to them! It's called a red string of fate."
"F... fate?"
"Mhm," Mafuyu's mother stroked her daughter's hair, a smile on her lips, "Fate is like a story— and it's only a matter of time before your story comes true. Just look at me and your father— one day, this will be you. Happy and healthy, and with a lovely family by your side!"
Mafuyu smiled, a blush of pure, childish happiness accompanying the emotion. That sounded great! To get to be happy just like she was now in the future? It almost seemed too good to be true! Eagerly, she cast her gaze to the pinky with the string tied around it; it was still red, and it was still leading far, far away... but that was okay! Mafuyu could wait to follow it.
She could wait until her story came true... just like mommy said.
"Thanks for the help, Asahina-senpai!"
"You're truly an angel sent to help us out, haha!"
"See you tomorrow!"
"By, and take care!" Mafuyu waved as the trio of girls she'd been tutoring disappeared around the corner. As she waved, their voices grew fainter, and fainter, until they disappeared completely; soon, only the chirp of crickets and buzz of summer cicadas accompanied her.
Now away from the company of her classmates, Mafuyu cast her gaze down, letting the sparkle in her eyes fade to nothing. Slowly, she turned and walked the opposite direction, holding her schoolbag in front of her while focusing on the ground— any passerby probably thought she just had a bad day... that's what she had told herself in the beginning, too, when she first started acting like this— but she knew better. She knew she had lost the joy in her life— she knew she had lost herself, long, long ago. Any purpose for living had faded completely, leaving nothing but an empty husk in its wake.
Mafuyu was just waiting for something to happen. Something to change— something she could find, something that could save her... but it had been so long, even she wasn't sure if she was still able to be saved. The candle of hope that most people had was all but flickered out for her... only a tiny little ember on the wick remained. It could be snuffed out in a blink of an eye... she was this close to letting it die, too.
A beep from her phone snapped her out of the spiral she had been going down— after fishing it out from her bag, she checked the screen to see a chat notification.
K: are we still meeting up at weekend gragae?
Ah. She had completely forgotten that. In the whirl of midterm exams, it was easy to let herself get lost in the countless review packets the teachers had been handing out to them— and helping out her classmates had been a noteworthy distraction, too.
Before she could respond a quick apology, the other two participants of the chat quickly began their daily bickering— it was hard to believe they were soulmates with how consistently they were at each others' throats...
Enanan: As far as I'm aware
Enanan: You guys better not ditch! i'm already hereamiaღ: ooo now we def have to ditch her!!! lets make a new gc and leave her out lmao
Enanan: Bitch
amiaღ: ily 2
Enanan: Fuck you
amiaღ: <3<3<3
Mafuyu mused to herself as she typed her own response to the situation. Even though they were always bickering and trying to 'kill' each other, a bond was a bond... there was no denying the amounts of affection Mizuki had pouring out of her as she playfully teased Ena... it was cute, really. Mafuyu was glad fate was kind to them— not all soulmates got along with each other, after all. Mafuyu didn't even know who her soulmate was yet.
But her story would come into fruition soon enough; that's what her mother had said all those years ago, after all.
Yuki: Don't worry, Ena, i'm set to arrive in five
Enanan: Good! at least someone is kind to me... unlike amia
amiaღ: oh noo i'm soOoOOo scared hehe
K: i'll be there too.... just let me get dressed
K: i stayed up to late finishing the song we were working onamiaღ: !! don't push urself to come if you're not up to it!
K: thanks for the concern, but i'll be ok
amiaღ changed K's nickname to "K the ok"
amiaღ: i truly commend ur okayness, kanade
K the ok: ... ok
Mafuyu entered the little bar-café, glancing around for the others— it wasn't long before she spotted Ena sitting at a bar seat with a drink... at first glance it seemed suspiciously similar to a sort of beer, but that theory was quickly disproven by Mafuyu's own mind; she remembered that the artist enjoyed apple juice, so she had probably poured a juice box of it into a glass to make it seem a bit more 'grown up'. That was something her brother would poke fun at her, for sure— it seemed he'd leapt at the chance to bother her.
"Hmm? Has even your soulmate left you alone, Ena?" Akito was sitting next to her, a water bottle and towel in hand— his group must've finished up a show recently, and come here to cool down.
Ena snorted, "You wish. They're all on their way— where's your soulmate, hm? Did his daddy call him back home?"
Akito bristled at the jab. "Why you little—"
"I'm older than you, Akito," Ena probably would've taunted him more if she hadn't caught sight of Mafuyu observing their bickering. Suddenly looking a little sheepish, she waved her over, "Yu— er, Mafuyu, hi!"
"Hello. It's good to see you again." Mafuyu greeted the siblings as she took a seat, "Have Kanade and Mizuki arrived yet?"
"Kanade's probably still getting ready," Ena scoffed at the mention of Mizuki, crossing her arms in a pout— it was very reminiscent of someone in a lover's quarrel (perhaps they were in one). "But I couldn't care less about wherever Mizuki went! They're probably going shopping on the way here..."
Though her attention was drawn back to the entrance of the store, Mafuyu didn't miss Ena's murmur of, "...they'd better pick up those markers I wanted."
"Kanade," Mafuyu greeted Kanade, who had entered a few moments ago, same as Ena. "It's good to see you again."
"Likewise," Kanade allowed a small smile, which Mafuyu returned, "It's kind of weird meeting up in person again."
Ena hummed in agreement, "Yeah. We've only met, like what, two times?"
"Seems so," Mafuyu said, "After Mizuki arrives, should we listen to the song you finished?"
Kanade perked up at the idea. "That sounds good— I'd like some input on another mix I made on a whim, too. Maybe we could use it for our next song."
"Well, I'll leave you ladies to it," Akito, who had been silent for a good while, stood up, tossing his sweaty towel onto Ena, who let out a screech of disgust. "Tell Mizuki I said hi, okay?"
Ena threw the towel into her brother's face, "Like hell I will! Get your sweaty ass away from us."
Akito only offered a snicker as he sauntered off, exiting the café to meet a group of three that had been tentatively peering through the window; they were most likely the rest of Vivid BAD SQUAD— Mizuki had told them about their street-music endeavors a while back. Speaking of, the blonde entered the café as if they had been summoned, quickly making their way over to them as they spotted the three.
"Heeey!" Mizuki waved as they came over, a smile shaping their face. "Sorry for the delay, I got caught up in sidewalk traffic."
"It's fine, let's just get down to business." Ena set her drink down, motioning for Mizuki and Kanade to join her and Mafuyu at the bar.
"By the way, Mizuki..." They had just been getting in the groove of things when Kanade, out of the blue, turned to Mizuki with total seriousness written all over her face. After a brief moment of pause for dramatic effect— which worked extremely well, given that both Ena and Mizuki were staring at her in silence— she said, "Akito says hi."
Mizuki subsequently burst out into laughter while Ena berated Kanade for doing the one thing she swore she'd never, ever do— adhere to her little brother's will.
After that amusing little mishap, plans had gone smoothly. They each provided their own input regarding the mix Kanade had made, and reviewed each others works— Mafuyu determined that Ena's color palette wasn't the feel they were going for, whilst Ena got to double-check the lyrics for possible mishaps. Mizuki got a second opinion on the transitions for the MV they were putting together, Kanade being sure to assure them that it was shaping up towhat the group was going for— of course, they rubbed the compliments right into Ena's face afterward. 'Oh? Your illustrations aren't the vibe of what we're going for? Well, my MV is what we're going for, so ha!'
They then began to disengage conversation in order to resume their individual works, constructive critiques fresh in their minds— they ended up ordering some food, too, and moved to a window high-top table for a better workspace. It was quiet as the clicked, drew and wrote away, but with a certain social butterfly present, the quiet, however comfortable, was only temporary...
"So, Mafuyuki..."
Mafuyu glanced up from her lyric sheets when she heard Mizuki address her by her signature nickname— Mizuki liked giving out nicknames, apparently. Kanade was always Kana-kana, while Mafuyu was Mafuyuki (sometimes Mafu-mafu). Ena, however, got some special treatment; while her default nickname was just Enanan, Mizuki would also refer to her as Ena-nana or Nana-na. As retaliation for the butchering of her nickname, Ena called Mizuki Mizuzu or Miki— it didn't really have the desired effect of being annoying, though... Mizuki liked it whenevr they got called by a nickname, actually.
"How's the soulmate endeavor going?" Mizuki grinned at her, twirling their drink's straw around while they waited for an answer. "Find them yet?"
"No," Mafuyu shook her head, "I prefer to let it happen naturally."
"Haaah?" Mizuki's grin gave way to an exasperated frown, "But that's so boring! You should seek them out, and go on an adventure! Not just sit around and wait forever..."
Mafuyu only offered a smile in response. She was used to Mizuki's inquiries about her soulmate business, after all— this was what all their conversations revolved back to. She supposed it was acceptable, given that she was the only one in the group that hadn't found her soulmate yet— Mizuki and Ena had found their soulmates in each other when they met each other in person for the first time, while Kanade had found her own partner through a housecleaning business. That left only Mafuyu— the others asked her a lot of questions about finding her soulmate, probably out of goodwill. She couldn't offer any answer other than no, unfortunately— if she could feel, she'd feel bad about constantly shooting their goodwill out of the sky, that was for sure.
"But surely," Ena leaned forward as she addressed Mafuyu— while most others would back away in the face of such a sensitive topic, she marched forward to face it head on. "Surely you're getting antsy by now, Aren't you even the least bit curious about who they are, or what they look like?
"Not really," Mafuyu shook her head once again. "My mother told me once that fate is like a story. You can't skip chapters or grow impatient halfway through the book— you have to let it happen naturally. That's what she and Dad did."
Everyone at the table visibly stiffened at the mention of Mafuyu's mother— not that she could blame them. She knew the woman had her daughter's best interests at heart, but at the same time, her treatment of Mafuyu had been unbearable. Yet, to be a good daughter, Mafuyu had taken it all in stride— until she just couldn't anymore. Her coping mechanism was that of making songs— while at first posting her own songs under the pseudonym OWN, she soon found herself wanting different tunes to sing to.
So, she became collaboration partners with K, Amia and Enanan— together, they formed the group 25-ji, Nightcord de. They had been through a lot together, sharing each other's darkest secrets and finding solace in the feelings they all shared— the feeling of wanting to disappear. While they had only met a couple times in person, they had become close enough over the months to be the only people who knew of her condition. They knew of the source of her condition, too, which lead to them forming quarrels with her mother. Mafuyu was certain that if the chance ever arose, Mizuki would slap the woman right across the face— Ena and Kanade would probably yell at her, too... not to say Mafuyu disliked the idea.
"Mafuyu..." Kanade started, but then paused, probably thinking over what she was about to say. She continued on, nonetheless. "Your mother can't force how you live your life... you know that, right?"
"Yeah," Mizuki was wearing an uncharacteristic scowl, "She can't control every aspect of your life. Not forever."
Ena nodded in agreement, her scowl matching that of Mizuki's.
"You misunderstand," Mafuyu shook her head, "My mother... she told me this when I was really little. It wasn't recent."
Kanade relaxed a little, but still wore a frown; she was willing to trust Mafuyu's judgement, but couldn't shake her suspicion entirely. "Okay. If that's what you think... I trust you."
Mizuki and Ena followed suit in their acceptance of the situation, soon returning to their playful bickering as if this never happened. The tension at the table had formed like a cloud, then dissipated just as quickly... it was nice, knowing that people were so willing to let Mafuyu take things at her own pace; if only the same could be said for the teachers at school, and her parents at home... and the clouds forming outside.
The rain came surprisingly fast; Mafuyu thought they had more time to continue working, but it seems the sky had other plans... she herself didn't have any quarrels about waiting out the rain, but it seemed the others had different plans...
"I have to go!" Mizuki scrambled to tuck their tablet into their bag, "I can't get caught in this downpour— my hair would never recover!"
Ena, while at first concerned, let out a scoff, "Your hair not being perfectly curled for a day isn't the end of the world."
"Says you! Your hair is short and cute and always perfect— I wish a bob like that suited me!"
"Oh you— shut up!"
"Only if you can catch me, Enanan!"
The jingling of the café's bells confirmed that the two girls were racing back home; Mafuyu faintly hoped they wouldn't get sick. The rain was really coming down now— perhaps she should've said something sooner... everyone had been working so hard, though, it would've been a huge shame to break the momentum they had been on.
"It's nice seeing them get along," Mafuyu's attention was drawn from sealing her papers away to Kanade's absentminded comment. "They're really suited for each other."
Mafuyu hummed in agreement, "Mmm. I hope I get along with whoever is on the other side of the string..."
"I had the same worries," Kanade said, offering a reassuring smile as she packed away her laptop and phone. "But when I met Honami for the first time, I found they were based on needless worries. Try not to let your thoughts get the better of you."
Mafuyu nodded, standing up to exit the café— she was fairly certain her pages were secured. "Thank you for the advice, Kanade. I'll be sure to keep it in mind."
"Try not to get a cold." Kanade smiled as she prepared to brave the weather.
"Ah, wait!" a girl with long black hair, thoroughly soaked to the bone, caught the two right as they were preparing to leave. Mafuyu recognized her as a member of Vivid BAD SQUAD, and as the daughter of the café's owner— Shiraishi An. "There're umbrellas right by the door. Don't make my mistake and leave without one!"
Sure enough, there was a little umbrella holder filled with cheap, see-through umbrellas— likely the type that could be found in corner convenience stores. Kanade and Mafuyu both took one, each offering some yen as payment— however, An insisted they were on the house, since they were friends of Mizuki (the two were friends through school). They walked out together, chatting about plans for their next songs and ignoring how their socks got soaked through within minutes— it wasn't long before they had to go their separate ways at Scramble Crossing.
"See you later, Yuki," Kanade offered a smile as she bid farewell. "Have a good night."
"You too, K," Mafuyu returned the smile, waving as Kanade disappeared behind a wall of pedestrians.
She looked up to the sky, closing her eyes as she let her umbrella lower and rain fall onto her face. The rain was calm and peaceful most days, but right now it was like the sky was crying, sweeping away its emotions with a torrential downpour. She oddly felt an urge to burst out into tears, but refrained from doing so— what if one of her juniors saw their precious Asahina-senpai crying like a heathen in the middle of a crosswalk? She'd never hear the end of it, not at school or at home. As she let the moment end, she covered herself with the umbrella again, stealing a glance at the red string tied around her pinky.
It was the same as ever, red and leading to god-knows-where... Mizuki's words came to mind as Mafuyu stared at it.
"...You should seek them out, and go on an adventure! Not just sit around and wait forever..."
Perhaps I will, then, Mafuyu mused, bringing her pinky closer to smile at the string. Perhaps the time for waiting was over... perhaps she should seek her soulmate out. The prospect of going on an 'adventure' to find them was getting more and more intriguing, now that Mafuyu was thinking of it. Yeah— she'd do it tomorrow.
Time to go on an adventure.