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“But drenched in vanilla twilight
I'll sit on the front porch all night
Waist deep in thought because when
I think of you, I don't feel so alone”
-Vanilla Twilight (Owl City)
Ring ring….ring ring…ring ring…
“Hello! You have reached Aya Oosawa, I'm sorry I can't get to you right now, please leave a voicemail and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!”
Beep
“Good morning, love. Well, it's about 3:13 am but I couldn't fall asleep. Uhm…I know you're usually asleep by now but I couldn't help picking up the phone. The stars are really out tonight, it'd have been nice for you to see it. Anyway, hope you're sleeping well, good night, my love.”
Mitsuki sighs as she ends the call. She has barely slept for two days now. Although the exhaustion is getting to her, she's glad she didn't miss the night sky tonight.
The stars really look like they're touching the ground, blanketed in the darkness, they almost look like little fireflies.
If Aya were here to see it now, she would have been attempting to chase and catch them. With loud laughter that is sure to wake up their neighbors. And she would of course come to hide behind her when the lights come on in the house across.
Mitsuki would chide her but it'll go in one ear and out the other as always. With low giggles Aya would pull her back inside the house to dance away under the starlight on their balcony.
Oh, what a wonderful night that would have been.
—
Ring ring….ring ring…ring ring…
“Hello! You have reached Aya Oosawa, I'm sorry I can't get to you right now, please leave a voicemail and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!”
Beep
“Good morning, babe. Pfft, it's about 6:15 and I know you're probably not even close to waking up. I was just sitting on the porch watching the sunrise, I took a picture! I think you'd really love the mash of colors today. My phone cam is shit though, sorry about that. Anyway, hope you're sleeping well. I'll see you, love.”
She tried to sleep but managed to only catch a few hours of it. The early sun rays peeking through the tinted glass woke her. It was Aya's idea, as is most of the buys around the house, to put up the rainbow prism films on the windows.
“It just adds more color! And looks hella cool” she had said.
She was right, of course. But she would not have witnessed the splash of colors on the wall. She would have slept right through, as she does most days.
Mitsuki had taken to waking up early and catching the sunrise ever since. She would snap a photo so she can share it with Aya later. The pink haired girl would pout and whine about Mitsuki never waking her up so she could catch it. Not knowing any such attempts usually ended with Aya pulling her back into bed to cuddle and groaning “five more minutes.”
—
Ring ring….ring ring…ring ring…
“Hello! You have reached Aya Oosawa, I'm sorry I can't get to you right now, please leave a voicemail and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!”
Beep
“Hey, love. I took a shift at the shop, just for the evening. I know I usually join you for dinner around 8:00 but today would be one of those days I'd miss it. But I'm hungry” she laughs.
“I do wonder what you would have cooked for dinner tonight”
She hadn't missed many dinners since she graduated college. But she's also rarely picked up any shifts at the shop since then. Between working on her albums at the studio and Aya's frequent business trips during the early days in their career, she would not help out at the shop for weeks at a time. Not that her uncle couldn't handle the shop alone, they did have part time workers to help out anyway. But she would often miss the times when she could find new records to listen to and relax while manning the counter.
Aya would notice it, of course. The little shifts in her mood, when there was pressure from the label. Wary of an oncoming lack of motivation, her mood would sour as days passed. And so under Aya's command they would play hooky, call in sick and spend the day simply relaxing. And by evening they would somehow end up at the shop, with Aya and her helping arrange the shelfs and helping eager customers.
Narita and the girls would also join them later into the night. Once Joe closes the shop they would order take outs and sit in a circle on the floor, blasting their favorite songs, laughing and singing along to old classics.
Days like that would reduce in number as years passed by, but they were without a doubt one of the best memories she's made.
—
Ring ring….ring ring…ring ring…
“Hello! You have reached Aya Oosawa, I'm sorry I can't get to you right now, please leave a voicemail and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!”
Beep
“...”
Ring ring….ring ring…ring ring…
“Hello! You have reached Aya Oosawa, I'm sorry I can't get to you right now, please leave a voicemail and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!”
Beep
“...”
Ring ring….ring ring…ring ring…
“Hello! You have reached Aya Oosawa, I'm sorry I can't get to you right now, please leave a voicemail and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!”
Beep
“I miss you, Aya.”
Some days it was harder than others. And although it's been almost a year, the grief still consumes her wholly on days like today.
She passed out on the couch sometime around sunset. The tv was still playing some show she hadn't been paying attention to. The lights are off in the apartment and only the moonlight shines through the windows.
She grabs a glass of water and walks out to the balcony.
She takes a seat in one of the chairs. The same one she had sat beside Aya for nearly a decade. It had become a habit of theirs, to sit out and wash away the stress of their day. Sometimes they would sip on Aya’s choice of drinks and Mitsuki's choice of breakfast for dinner. Sharing bites of blueberry pancakes between ranting about their bosses and laughing about the small pranks they pull on coworkers.
Somedays Aya would lean her head against Mitsuki's shoulder. Wishing for their busy days to end so they can just be. Especially when they've had little time to spend together in the days or weeks prior.
Somedays Mitsuki would put on their favorite jazz record, bowing all gentlewomanly and asking for Aya’s hand for a dance. They would sway to the beat, her arms wrapped around Aya’s waist. Aya would always have one hand on the back of her neck and the other hooked around her shoulder. When the song ends, they would sway still, simply holding each other in a gentle embrace. She would always be the first one to press her lips on Aya's forehead. Who will smile and place a lingering kiss under her chin. And before they know it, their lips would be moving slowly against each other. Warming her eyes and melting her thoughts.
And well, if they shared another kiss, none would be the wiser but perhaps the moon.
—
Ring ring….ring ring…ring ring…
“Hello! You have reached Aya Oosawa, I'm sorry I can't get to you right now, please leave a voicemail and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!”
Beep
“My love, do you remember all the times you said you wanted to see the aurora? Well, I might have taken a trip. It is breathtaking as you said it would be. Heh. I can vouch for it now when I say you are more beautiful. And no, I'm not lying. I couldn't do so with a straight face to you anyway. Sleep well, my light.”
Joe had bought the tickets and Kanna had tagged along for the mini trip. But the latter remained mostly within the warm haven of their tent. But not before spam clicking as many photos of the sky she can. All of which were shared in their little group chat with Joe, Narita, Mao and Chizuru. She can feel her phone buzzing endlessly at the onslaught of messages, probably admiring the sight shared by Kanna.
It is most definitely ethereal and if she were with another company, she might have even written a song about it. But as it is, she doesn't think any of the words coming to her mind would capture the beauty of the scene in front of her.
It was the number one item on Aya's wishlist. To watch the aurora someday.
Of the two, Aya had always been more accustomed to the cold. Whereas Mitsuki preferred warmer temperatures. Although their sleeping arrangements might say otherwise. With Aya wearing a hoodie (her hoodie) to bed and Mitsuki simply donning a tank top. The former would also ensure she's snuggled right up against Mitsuki so that there was no gap between them.
That even in her sleep, Aya would pull her arm tighter around herself.
But out here, she would be jumping about the snowy ground. Attempting to make snowballs, surely to use Mitsuki as her personal target.
She could envision it, hiding behind the trees and taunting each other. Sharp laughter between each failed attempt, gasping for breath still at the weak throws.
They would somehow both end up on the ground, laughing away till their stomachs hurt.
Aya would rest her head on her chest while her eyes trace the dancing light in the sky.
Her eyes would find coral ones, the most breathtaking sight of all. Pink hair glistening under the glow of the night sky. And she would be helpless to lean in and whisper in her ear-
“Oh darling, I wish you were here”