Chapter Text
NIGHT ONE
The clock striked 25:00.
2 pangs of noise went taut through Kanade’s headphones.
3 knocks were tapped against her door.
“Ah..” Kanade lifted one earphone, hearing the others voices. “Come in, Mafuyu.”
Mafuyu took her seat without saying a word. It was different somehow, the usually silent, turned into the awfully silent. Kanade kept her gaze trained on Mafuyu, until she heard Mizuki.
“Hey hey!~” It was as if Mizuki’s energy came through audio, too. The diner always was a situation with her, Kanade remarked in her head. “Hey Ena! And Kanade..and Mafuyu, in the same place eheh.”
Ever since the reveal of Mizuki’s secret, her being trans–She’s more energy these days.
“Yeah, yeah.. Hey Mizuki, Hey Kanade and Mafuyu.” Ena grumbled, but in a playful tone. Kanade couldn’t help but blush softly, always explaining Mafuyu and her as a pair, not as separate.
Everyone got to work as usual, wasting no time. Kanade shared her demos, Ena drew for Mizuki, Mizuki edited her videos.. All but one. Mafuyu, she hadn’t turned in anything. In fact, to Kanade, it looked as if she was..struggling. Kanade reached out to Mafuyu’s hand, but Mafuyu pulled back quickly. She suddenly looked panicked.
Kanade started to speak. “Woah, Mafuyu–”
“--I’m working on lyrics, Kanade.” Mafuyu said all too fast, in her usual blank tone. However, even with her tone emotionless, and even her expression– Her eyes told a different story. Kanade found fear inside, but she doubted if Mafuyu understood it well. Maybe..Maybe Mafuyu’s not trusting of Kanade anymore-
“I'm done drawing.”
“I’m done editing!!”
Mizuki and Ena exclaimed at the same time, before a silence followed. Ena sighed shakily, and Mizuki laughed nervously.
“Sorry, eheh.. We’re finished..!” Mizuki excitedly yelled, then directed their attention to Mafuyu’s lyricism. “Mafuyu, we haven’t gotten an update on your lyrics yet. How’s it going?”
Mafuyu looked at her blank page, full of nothing but unspoken words. She exhaled a quick breath of air, and then put a hand on Kanade’s shoulder, her sleeve riding up slightly. An action simple to Mafuyu, but oh so complex to how touch-starved Kanade is.
“It's going fine,” Mafuyu began, swallowing before she continued. “I’m working on the..second verse now.”
A quick glance would show Mafuyu didn’t even finish the first verse yet. Kanade checked the time.
25:58
Kanades' eyes softened at the time, and Mafuyus’ hand rubbed her shoulder mindlessly. Mizuki sighed into her mic, as if dreamily.
“Well~.. I have to go, since I’m going to school tomorrow! Ena, you proud of meeee?~~” She dragged out her words, as if teasing no one but herself.
Ena huffed into the microphone. “Very proud of you, Mizuki.”
Mizuki let out a small yay, before logging off. Ena looked at the time, and concluded it was her time to go too.
“Bye! I’ll be glad to see the lyrics, Mafuyu.”
Kanade hung up the call, and turned her chair to look at Mafuyu. She was worried, more worried than usual anyway.
“Are you okay?” Kanade questioned as gently as she could, tilting her head in the process. Her gaze landed on Mafuyu’s open wrist—Wait?--Her hair hit Mafuyu’s hand, and that's what reminded her to take it off.
“I’m fine, thank you for asking. I’m going to my room, so goodnight–”
“Wait. You’d tell me if something was going on, right Mafuyu? Even nooks and crannies of your life I didn’t know about, like school..cram school..?” Kanade quickly got this in, not wanting Mafuyu to walk off in the middle of it.
Mafuyu stood still for a moment, her other arm in her hand. The silence wasn’t for taking a thought, it was for making an excuse.
“Of course I would, K.” She responded, her voice monotonous as she then walked out.
How long had it been since I was called ‘K’ by her.. Kanade thought restlessly, as the sight of Mafuyu’s wrist flashed through her mind.
Those weren’t cuts, right?