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Warm, yellow lights cast down on the CD displays as a silver haired figure walked across the blue tiled floor. It was a warm atmosphere, with shelves containing a multitude of disks and instruments hanging off the walls, an atmosphere Kanade had grown familiar with, and one she had built herself. The composer made her way to the front door and flipped the ‘closed’ sign over to the inside. She inserted her keys into the handle and heard it click as she unlocked the front door.
Kanade headed back to the counter and turned on the monitor to her cashier. As the desktop came into view, her eyes drifted over to the Nightcord logo, which had a small red circle in one corner. She opened the app and clicked on the source of the notification, which happened to be a message from her girlfriend.
Enanan
Hey K! Sorry for not contacting you the past few days, weve been very busy here at the exhibit, but its been going great! 2:19 am
I hope youve been taking care of yourself while im gone. You better be in one piece when i come back! 2:19 am
Kanade couldn’t help but smile as she read the words on screen. The way Ena seemed to worry about her wellbeing always sent a rushing warmth inside her chest, and this time was no different, even after all these years. The shop-owner punched her reply into the keyboard.
K.
Ill be here when you come back tomorrow Enanan, dont worry. 9:32 am
Kanade furrowed her brows. The message felt a little too bland in comparison to the one Ena had sent, so Kanade was quick to add something that would hopefully match her girlfriend's enthusiasm.
K.
Im excited to see you again. Love you. 9:32
Alright, maybe not quite, but she knew Ena would understand. She tabbed out of Nightcord and opened the register program, and a few minutes later the store was open for business.
A couple hours passed with the usual traffic in the store. A few students browsing the shelves together, some asking for recommendations for an instrument from Kanade, and other more quiet and direct customers who came for what they wanted and it left. Just another day in the store, helping other people accomplish their dreams. It was a nice feeling knowing her presence would allow someone to write a song of their own and share it to the world. And it didn’t cost her anything either, she enjoyed upkeeping the store, and she could always compose when there weren’t any customers around.
As Kanade finished with another customer, the entrance bell played its traditional jingle as the door swung open. The sound had become very familiar over the time she worked here, indicating a new customer, someone else who she could help in their needs. She made her way across the shelves to greet the new guest, passing a multitude of CDs displayed on the shelf.
As the composer was about to round the corner a tall figure came into her view, almost walking into her if they hadn’t stepped to the side.
“Ah, sorry, are you alright?” A calm, yet deep voice said. Wait. That voice-
Kanade craned her neck upward, eyes traveling over their long sleeved shirt and up to their face. She was met with a pair of gray eyes, whichwich seemed to widen just a little when she looked into them.
“Aoyagi-san?”
“Yoisaki-san?”
The pair held their gazes for a few moments before Kanade bubbled out a warm laugh, “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” She continued to look up at Toya’s eyes. She had grown a fair amount since highschool, but years of unfit nutrition had caught up to her. She didn’t mind it though, even if her stature was miniscule compared to that of her friend’s.
Toya’s lips curved into a smile. “Well, Shiraishi said I should check out this music store while I'm visiting.” He tilted his head slightly, with one hand on his hip. “I now see why.”
“Well, could I help you with something?” Kanade mused, already pacing around her friend. “Break time is close if you want to talk.”
Toya nodded. “That’d be good.”
***
“Here,” Kande handed a mug to Toya, who took it in his hands as calmly as ever. “I remember you like coffee. I learned a thing or two trying to stay awake back then.” Her attempt at humor seemed to have been successful as she noticed Toya’s eyes glimmer with amusement as he gazed into the mug.
“Thank you,. Yoisaki-san.” Toya lifted the cup to his lips, one hand in the handle and another holding the other side. Kanade watched him drink, pleased with his reaction, but then a shimmer caught her eye. Eyeing him more intensely, she noticed the shimmer was actually a ring— which wasn’t too uncommon, but its location…… Could it be-?
“You’re married, Aoyagi-san?”
Toya’s attention was taken from the drink in his hands, and he put it back down. He glanced at his hand, then back to Kanade before affirming. “Yes, actually. With Akito.”
Akito. That was Ena’s brother. It was hard to forget at times with the way she always complained about him, even if they didn’t share the same household anymore. “Congratulations Aoyagi-san.” She smiled sincerely, helping herself to a few glances at the ring fitted on his finger.
“Thank you. That reminds me, you have a partner too, right Yoisaki-san? Akito’s sister, if i remember?” he eyed her quizzically
“Ah, right, yes. Though we’re not… Quite there yet.” She said, pausing a couple times in between to choose her words, voice tinged with- embarrassment.
Toya nodded. “Take your time. But I would like to hear how the two of you got together,” he placed his hand on his chin, looking at her with intrigue- “If you don’t mind, of course.”
She shook her head. “No, not at all! I think it’s a little funny actually. Well…”
Slurping noises managed to break through Kanade’s mic as she took another bite of her instant noodles, her third cup for the night. It fit the bill for what she needed.
“Honestly K, do you ever eat anything other than those noodles?” Ena said through the composer’s headphones with a hint of exasperation.
“Mochizuki-san leaves some food whenever she does housekeeping,” Kanade replied in her typical soft tone as she fiddled with the noodles in her cup with her chopsticks.
“And that's all?” Ena replied in disbelief, trying to see the logic in what she had said.
There was a small delay before Kanade answered, as she was currently taking another bite. “It works.” She finally said, muffled by her food, which only prompted a sigh from the other’s mic.
“You said she does housekeeping weekly right?” Ena asked.
Kanade answered with an affirmative sound. “Mhm. Well, she might actually be gone for a week or two.” She added.
“Eh?” That seemed to surprise Ena. “So like, you’ll be by yourself for the next couple of weeks?” Ena asked. Was that worry she could hear in her voice? She didn’t exactly know why Ena would sound so worried, it wasn’t like she was in danger or anything.
“Yeah. But Mochizuki-san made sure to leave some longer lasting foods for me. I think I’ll be fine.” Kanade replied in an attempt to reassure her group mate.
“If you say so, K.”
***
Kanade snapped back to reality, her focus broken as laughter emanated from her speakers.
“Enanan, what was that?~” Mizuki commented with a tease, their smile audible in her voice. Ena, on the other hand, sounded as heated and moody as always when it came to Mizuki’s shenanigans.
“Sh-shut up! I told you I haven't touched this thing since middle school,” Kanade couldn’t help but smile slightly at their banter, it was a tradition at this point during their late nights on call. “I’d like to see you try Amia.” Ena challenged in an attempt to push against her opponent.
“Sorry Enanan, but I don't own a recorder. Hehe.” Mizuki cheekily replied. Owning a recorder huh?
“Ah, that reminds me, I think I have one somewhere,” Kanade mused. “Give me a minute.” The rest of the call hummed in acknowledgement as Kanade stood up from her chair. Moving it aside, the short girl searched around the dark room with her gaze. She soon realized that there was almost no chance she would find the instrument in the darkness just by looking around. She’ll most likely have to search for it a bit more thoroughly to find it.
I’ll try the pile near my bed .
Kanade started walking, carefully stepping in the gaps between the multitude of boxes scattered out on the floor. Everything was going fine until Kanade felt a tug on her foot, causing her trip and fall with a startled yelp, knocking a box over on the way and spilling its contents.
“K?!” Mizuki and Ena called out from the monitor in unison. Mafuyu followed behind, albeit a lot more calmly.
“K are you alright?!” Ena added, her voice just as loud as when she called her name just now.
With a grunt, Kanade pushed herself off the ground, trying to ignore the sting in her arms and stumbled back to her chair. “Yeah, I'm fine.” She said, winded. The fall hadn’t hurt that much, but her arms ached from the impact, and her already breathy voice came out as if she had taken her first gulp of air in days.
“What happened?” Mafuyu inquired.
“Urgh,” Kanade’s displeasure was evident in her small groan. “I think I tripped on a cable. My room is a bit messier due to Mochizuki-san being absent this week.” It was definitely not ‘a bit’. The room was a disaster due to the number of instant noodle cups she brought up from downstairs. She felt a pang of guilt as she realized that Honami would be the one who had to clean all of this when she arrived, and made a mental note to clear out the room a little. If she even remembered to on time.
“I see.” Mafuyu’s icon lit up for the brief moment she spoke.
“K, can’t you clear up your room yourself?” Ena brought up.
Kanade stayed silent for a moment before replying, caught off guard by the question. “Ah, I-I mean... I could, but...” For some reason her cheeks flushed a smidge as she responded, shyer than usual. Why was she embarrassed? It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Maybe it was the guilt she felt a moment ago, that was probably it. People blushed when guilty right?
Her response prompted a click from Ena’s remarkably sharp tongue. “Seriously, K, somebody’s going to have to do something about that mess if you’re going to get hurt like this.” Ena’s voice felt like it was sending mixed signals towards the composer. On one hand, they carried Ena’s typical sharpness and short temper, which she greatly admired of the brunette. On the other hand, Kanade could feel a sense of warmth and sincerity behind her words. It almost reminded her of Honami in a way. It also made her chest swell similarly to when Honami came and prepared food for her. Come to think of it, she’s had similar feelings a few times in the past with Ena. Strange.
Mizuki’s subsequent giggle was audible enough to get Ena’s attention.
“Amia, are you laughing?”
“No.” The editor lied in a playful tone.
Ena sighed and cursed under her breath as the conversation died down and everyone went back to work, their little tangent about recorders and Kanade’s accident beginning to fade away over the next few minutes.
***
“Maybe if I change the pitch here…” Kanade muttered to herself, eyes dead set on the curves and bars on screen. Her mouse drifted with purpose across the desk, continuing to do its work. This was her zone, she could immerse herself in this, ignoring everything around her, including her own body as music ran through her ears.
Despite that though, it seemed she hadn’t focused hard enough to completely enter that zone, and a beeping noise brought her back to reality.
She blinked and turned towards her second monitor.
A message from Ena? She clicked on their chat.
Enanan
Im outside, open the door 3:48pm
Eh? Kanade looked at the screen in confusion. Ena? Here?
Well, no point in not checking, so Kanade got up her chair and headed downstairs, being extra careful on her way out of her room.
The door opened, a small gap forming between it and the door frame, and Kanade peeked her head out. Ena was indeed outside, so she opened the door further.
“Hi Kanade!” the artist greeted her.
“Hi,” Kanade lazily raised her hand to greet her friend. What was she doing here? Actually, how is she here? “How did you find my house?” She muttered in confusion, trying to squint through the sunlight. She noticed a bag in the other’s hands, but decided not to ask about it. One thing at a time.
“I asked Mafuyu. Now can I come in?” Ena responded, less cheerfully than before but keeping the friendly beat she had with Kanade.
“Oh- um, sure. I can take you to my room.” Ena nodded, surprisingly enthusiastic at the idea, and Kanade took Ena’s hand as she guided her to her room, walking through the kitchen. Kanade could've sworn she saw Ena blush when she grabbed her hand, but she didn’t pay much mind to it.
Once they had climbed the stairs Kanade slowed down a little, her breath a bit faster than normal. They continued down the hall until they reached a door. “It’s a little messy so bear with me.” Kanade said with a small smile and opened the door, stepping inside with Ena following behind.
“Kanade, what the fuck?!” The shorter girl turned to look behind her, and saw Ena standing in the door frame, staring at the horrid state of Kanade’s room. Nothing had really improved since last night: there were still piles of boxes situated everywhere across the room, sheets of paper scattered in the few visible segments of floor, and empty noodle cups littered throughout.
“How do you live like this?” Ena sounded almost offended on Kanade’s behalf.
Kanade shrugged her shoulders, unsure how to answer. “It doesn’t really bother me.” she muttered nonchalantly. She didn’t move that much anyway, so there weren't really any problems, ignoring what happened last night of course.
That didn’t seem to sit well with Ena.
“Of course it bothers you! Even if you don't realize it, it’s just going to keep affecting you.” The brunette put her hands on her hips disapprovingly, then approached one of the boxes and leaned down by one of them. “I was just going to check on you and drop some stuff by, but clearly more needs to be done.”
She then grabbed the box and began hauling it out of the room. “Where do you usually keep these?” She asked before disappearing behind the door frame.
“Ah- They mostly go in the kitchen,” she stuttered out, and Ena made her way downstairs, leaving Kanade alone for a bit.
Ena was being very caring. That in itself wasn’t weird. What was weird was the flutter in her stomach at seeing how serious the artist was about her well being. She was sure she could feel the blood rushing to her face, giving her pale features a taste of life. All from the way Ena was treating her. Weird.
She let those thoughts linger as Ena came back into the room and continued to slowly clear up the cluttered mess in her room, a couple boxes at a time until the room was a lot more maneuverable than it previously was.
Ena let out a breath of relief, wiping her forehead as she came back into the room one final time. “That should be everything. I left the ones you asked me to.”
Kanade looked at her, now sitting in her chair with her knees to her chest. “Thanks Ena.” she said, glancing down at the three boxes at her side, which she had requested to remain.
“What even is in here?” Ena approached the long haired girl, also glancing at the boxes next to her and kneeling down.
“Instant noodles.” Kanade replied as Ena crouched down and opened the boxes’ lids, “It’s easier and faster than going downstairs for one every time”
“Of course…” Ena heaved a sigh, lowering her head in fond disappointment. “Kanade, seriously, I love you, but you can’t just be living like this all the time.”
Silence.
Then, Ena shot her gaze back up, staring at Kanade’s silver pools as she realized what she had said. Kanade couldn’t look away either, leaving the two of them in an awkward stare down.
If she wasn’t blushing earlier, Kanade certainly was now as the artist’s words began to sink in. Love? Was that why Ena had been worried sick lately? Ena was in love with her? Was that the reason why her stomach always seemed to tingle like a motor when she and Ena talked, or why her chest warmed at the thought of Ena’s kindness? Was she in love with Ena as well?
That was something she had never thought of, but it made sense. And she might be correct. She just, didn’t see what Ena saw in her; but regardless, her feelings towards the brown haired girl in front of her remained the same.
“I… love you too Ena.” Her lips let the words fly out, as light and soft as a feather in the wind. A feather strong enough to knock Ena back, both literally and mentally as Kanade witnessed Ena almost fall on her butt, staring wide eyed with red cheeks.
“W-wait you do?!” Ena shouted in a high pitched voice, quickly rushing up to the silver haired girl. “I never thought you’d actually…” She trailed off and looked to the side for a moment, prompting Kanade to tilt her head, a concerned expression on her face.
“Did I say something wrong?” She asked, causing Ena to snap back to the silver haired girl
“No, that’s great! That's great! Really,” Ena sounded like she was grasping for words to say in response, ending her attempt in a laugh that just screamed nervousness. “Kanade likes me.” she whispered off to the side, not really intended for the girl in question to hear, her lips spreading across her rose tinted cheeks in a smile.
“S-so, wait,” Ena stuttered. “Is it okay if I call you my girlfriend then?” She leaned in closer. Despite the nervousness in her voice, Ena’s eyes glimmered with a sense of excitement. Kanade couldn’t help but share it as well.
“I think so.” She mumbled, losing herself in the glowing dark color of Ena’s eyes, her own heart going haywire.
Suddenly, Kanade remembered something that girlfriends did. Something that seemed very important. She’d heard it often in songs and in the things Mizuki shared with the group, so she felt she had a good idea on what to do to reassure Ena’s uncertainty.
“Hey Ena, can you close your eyes? Please?” She asked. The others eyes slightly widened at the request, but she complied, her face tense. Just lean in . She reassured herself before moving her head closer to Ena’s, placing her hands on her armrests for support.
A mere noselength away from Ena’s face, Kanade stopped. She could feel Ena’s notably heavy breath on her face, turning it red. One more look at the brunette’s face showed how tensely shut her eyes were. Her mouth was also tightly sealed in a line. It wasn’t how she had seen it with Mizuki, but it’d have to do. Kanade closed her own eyes, trusting her sense of depth as she navigated the darkness towards her target, inching slowly.
After one more inch and almost bumping her nose, she felt contact on her lips, a soft and warm texture that carried a particular fragrance. A startled sound followed her touch, but it was quickly followed by another sound. The planting of a kiss.
Kanade backed up, retreating back to her fetal position in her chair. “You can open them now.” She said. Ena did, and once her now girlfriend came into view she immediately asked in disbelief.
“Did you just kiss me?”
Kanade nodded, bashfully smiling at the girl in front of her. Ena lit up, brighter than any monitor Kanade had seen.
“Gosh I wasn’t expecting it so soon and you just went for it and you’re super cute and-“ Ena cut herself off before she gushed even further about the situation, giving herself a light punch in the chest and coughing. Not that Kanade minded, she always loved hearing Ena happily recall things that happened to her.
“A-anyway,” Ena started more composed, attempting to salvage whatever pride she had left. “As your very concerned girlfriend, and as thank you for that wonderful kiss you just gave me, I’m going to prepare you some food.”
“Ah that's not-“ Kanade started, but a stern glare from Ena made her stop. She exhaled in defeat, but it was a defeat she would’ve immediately surrendered to any time, and smiled. “Okay, thank you Ena.”
That seemed to have satisfied the brunette, and she walked out.
If Ena was pushing her into accepting her help, then maybe that was a sign she wasn’t so beyond saving herself, after all.
“She’s coming back soon though, maybe you’ll get to meet her again.” Kanade smiled.
“Hopefully. Shinonome-san is very similar to Akito, it’s rather endearing to see,” he said with an amused glint in his eyes, smiling slightly.
“That makes sense,” Kanade replied humorously. “They are siblings, after all”
Toya nodded in agreement as he took another sip of his coffee mug, before glancing at the clock. “I think it’s about time I leave,” he said.“Ii wouldn’t want to interrupt your work here.”
“Yes, of course, I’ll walk you out.” Kanade stood up as Toya did, taking him to the front door. “Thanks for visiting, Aoyagi-kun. And,” Kanade smiled. “Congratulations again on your marriage.”
Toya smiled back. “Thank you. It was a pleasure.”
***
Kanade slowly opened her eyes, the morning sunlight setting in through her window blinds, casting the golden rays of early morning on the room. Fighting back against her sleepiness, she noticed a figure sitting next to her, peering down. As more of her vision came back, the figure became clear to her.
“Ena…” She huskily said, still overtaken by her slumber. It was quickly responded to by a kiss on her cheek.
“Miss me?” Ena said, looking down at her lover with affection.
Kanade replied with an affirmative hum. She moved her hand to one of Ena’s and gave it a squeeze, meeting her partner’s gaze with still sleepy, but nonetheless adoring blue eyes. “It's good to have you back Ena.”