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Oshi-san was a woman capable of incredible feats, but today, her greatest achievement was getting out of bed.
Ever since her brutal execution, the once great Shu Itsuki was but a mere shadow of her previous self. Rose ringlets and flawless skin became tangled bouquets and pale flesh, much to the dismay of a certain Mika Kagehira.
Mika woke every morning to a silent house and her idol half-dead, collapsed in bed and smothered in her sheets. Her cooking skills definitely weren't the best, but she used what was in the kitchen to make the best breakfast she could, though it was a pale imitation of Oshi-san's regular meals. Tip-toeing her way back up the stairs, she quietly knocked on the door; once, twice, before hearing a strained response. They would eat- Mika would take only a couple bites, Shu barely touched what was in front of her-, before bringing the half-finished breakfast downstairs to wash the dishes.
The walk back to the kitchen was usually quiet, merely the sound of Mika's light footsteps as she tapped across the floor, but today they were joined by another set.
"Kagehira?" a voice strained. Mika's head whipped around, almost tripping over her own feet on the stairs. Before her was her goddess, pallid and shaking like her legs were jelly. Shu's hair was a bird's nest on her head, the product of tossing and turning for days. Her knees shook as if uncertain, she shivered as if freezing, and looked at her doll with an unreadable expression.
Mika stopped forward, setting the dishes on the floor, and reached for her Oshi-san's hand. The other girl remained still, staring forward as if nothing was really there. She didn't protest, didn't uphold her dignity, almost leaning into the soft touch on dead hands. Mika leaned her down, the two sitting on the steep stairs, untouched food scattered before them.
Mika could not be more proud of her lady. Her hands absent-mindedly reached into the pink bouquet, gently picking apart tangles and combing knots. Shu made no move to stop her. The silence hung heavy in the room, the morning birds chirping outside the dark hallway, a beautiful day contrasted starkly with the dismal scene inside. Mika knew deep down that her Oshi-san would return to her triumphant position, a figure to be revered and respected by all others. Someday, the two of them would leave this cage and enter the bright world of morning birds, but that day would not come soon.
Today, Shu Itsuki began to pick the lock.