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Ichika sat at the edge of the SEKAI rooftop, hands gripping the wire fence in front of her. She stared up at the sky through it. A still sky full of stars.
The SEKAI. A place she shared with her bandmates and childhood friends. The girls most important to her for a lot of reasons she didn’t think she could ever admit.
Saki, her favorite cheerleader. Someone who pulled the group together. She smiled just thinking about her, and all the ways she knew how to make everyone smile the moment she was in their presence.
Honami. Somehow the kindest girl in the world. She couldn’t imagine her in any situation where she wasn’t doing something undeniably caring. She’d memorized how those blue eyes looked, the constant softness in them, the way you could see purity.
Shiho. It made her sick to think of how easily she could be brushed off as rude. She knew better. Shiho had a determination in her heart, a special burning flame that Ichika couldn’t help but desire to sit in the warmth of for longer.
She didn’t know how she got so lucky as to have them as bandmates and lifelong friends. And yet, this persistent ache in her heart told her she wanted more. It was a constant craving that came back any time her mind wasn’t fully occupied. She found herself staring at nothing most days, playing music at volumes she wouldn’t usually reach for and thinking of them over and over and over again.
Something made her imagine being in Saki’s arms and not letting go, leaning into her further instead to soak up the warmth. It played a vision of sitting with Shiho as she mumbled about her day and plucked absently at the strings of her bass, though she studied her face instead of her words. She thought of laying under the stars with Honami while she talked about constellations, admiring how she seemed to know every single one by heart while she held her hand tight. Just the thought of holding her hand, any of their hands - it made the ache worse, but in such a pleasant way that she couldn’t help but replay it again. The gentle squeeze of arms around her, the glances that met hers and made the world shine brighter…
She wished for more. She wished they could be more than friends, more than bandmates, more…
And a shooting star streaked across the sky, leaving a trail of bright light behind it.
“Great practice, everyone!”
Ichika packed her guitar away and looked around the SEKAI classroom. Everyone was packing up, Miku was wiping off desks, everything seemed to be where it should be.
“I felt so much more focused today!”
“I can hear the improvement, Saki.”
They all giggled and chatted idly. Ichika couldn’t wipe the smile off her face from just being in their presence, it made her feel warm in a way she couldn’t describe. It made her heart dance in a way that made her feel both nervous and excited.
Until her heart dropped at a certain offhand comment.
“Hey, guys.” Shiho called out as she let her bass fall with a heavy thud on the ground. “What do you think’s up with the meteor showers in here lately?”
Ichika looked around the room, scanning frantically to make sure nobody was looking at her. They couldn’t possibly know…
Honami tilted her head. “I noticed that, too! I was on the rooftop yesterday and saw quite a few shooting stars.” She followed it with an absentminded shrug, looking away. “I just assumed it’s something the SEKAI does. We’re connected to meteor showers as it is, I don’t think it’s anything to be worried about.”
“Ooh, well the SEKAI reflects feelings, so maybe one of us feels something! I don’t know what a meteor shower means, though…”
Ichika took another half panicked look around, and then chimed in. “W-Well… the meteor showers brought us together a lot as kids, so maybe it’s a sign to stay… closer?”
“Ichika?” Shiho approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. “You alright?”
“Yeah, sorry. Just… I noticed the meteor showers too. Glad it doesn’t seem to be anything to worry about, though.”
Shiho stared into Ichika’s eyes for a moment she both hoped would last forever and hoped would end quicker. After saying something that direct, and the fact that her face probably showed everything, she was sure they’d realize immediately.
But Shiho just turned around and finished packing up. “Alright, just makin’ sure. If something’s bothering you, feel free to tell us, alright?”
“Yeah! Besides, I don’t think the meteor showers could be anything to worry about. They’re pretty to watch, though!” Honami gave Ichika a lighthearted pat on the back.
“Ooh! Wait, I have an idea!!” Saki called. “Remember when we watched the sky that one time we couldn’t go to the observatory? We should have a sleepover in the SEKAI! We can bring sleeping bags, and watch the meteor shower…”
Honami giggled. “That’s perfect, Saki! See you all when the sun sets in the real world?”
“That’s not very much time, our practice went on pretty long… are you sure you’ll all have an opportunity to rest before then?”
Ichika shrugged. “I think we’ll be fine. It’s a great idea, Saki!”
“Yaay!” Saki cheered, dancing around in a circle. “I’ll bring you all some sleeping bags.”
Honami nodded. “I’ve got some new movies downloaded on my tablet we can watch.”
Shiho raised her hand. “I’ll bring some snacks, and my bass. I have a song I wanna play for you guys.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet Shiho!”
“This is going to be so much fun! See you all!!!”
Ichika stood back and watched as they all disappeared one by one. She found Miku was watching her closely.
“Ichika?”
“I’ll leave in a moment, I just want to… check a few things with my guitar first.”
She put her head down until she heard Miku leave and the door close, and then swung her guitar case over her shoulder. She grabbed her phone with her thumb hovering over the screen. She couldn’t get herself to return yet.
“Ichika?”
Ichika looked back. Miku was standing there, leaning on the doorway from the rooftop entrance.
“Hey, Miku. Sorry, I’ll leave soon, I just wanted to-”
“Is something bothering you?”
She watched as Miku walked up and crouched over where she sat. Their eyes met in a way that told her everything.
“You always have a sixth sense for that, I’m not sure how.” Ichika chuckled nervously while Miku sat down next to her.
“I just felt something was off during practice. I knew you came up here, but I could sense you didn’t leave the SEKAI and you’d been up here for a while.”
“Yeah, it’s… complicated.”
Ichika looked back up at the sky.
“It’s about my bandmates. Nothing bad, I just… care about them a lot.”
She could see Miku nod out of the corner of her eye.
“Saki always knows how to make me smile, I feel like the world’s brighter just in her presence. Honami is the kindest, sweetest person ever, I don’t know how someone can be so perfect. Shiho has all the focus and determination I wish I had, she’s loyal beyond belief, and caring, and really wants the best for us…”
Ichika looked up at Miku with a soft, deeply emotional look in her eyes.
“I’m so glad to have them as bandmates and best friends, but…”
“But… you want more?”
“You always know me… I know it’s stupid, we’re friends and I should be grateful…”
Miku sighed. “I know these are really personal feelings, Ichika. If you want, I can help you write some things down. I’ll go get some paper from the classroom.”
She just nodded, halfway absorbed in her daydreams as Miku left.
She almost felt guilty, wanting so much. She already had the band she dreamed of, the best friends in the world, she even had a SEKAI where she could hang out with them and Miku. And yet, the ache persisted. It was oddly comfortable for being a physical sensation she’d most closely associate with hurt. Something in her wished she could live in that feeling forever, being able to feel ten times better by just thinking of the bandmates she loved more than they could ever know.
However, she also wished she could have those daydreams become real. She wished they’d be more in real life, and that it didn’t have to be confined to the space of her brain.
Finally, she heard footsteps, and then the door creaking open. She didn’t look back, resting her forehead on the wire fence.
“Thanks for that, Miku. As I was saying, Saki, Shiho, and Honami mean so much to me. I know we’re already friends, but they make my heart jump and ache at the same time… I wish we could be more than that.”
Miku didn’t answer.
The only answer Ichika got was a sound.
A sound suspiciously similar to a sleeping bag being dropped on the ground.
She whipped around in a heartbeat - actually, she wasn’t sure how many heartbeats that was, because she was sure her heart just stopped beating.
Miku wasn’t there. And, unfortunately in this case, she was right about what caused that sound.
Saki stood in front, jaw nearly on the floor. Honami’s sleeping bag, still rolled up and tied neatly, was dropped haphazardly on the ground while she kept looking between Ichika and the other girls. Shiho had at least managed to put her sleeping bag on the ground peacefully before covering her crimson red face with her hands.
“Oh- Uh- Sorry, I thought you were Miku, she said she’d be right ba- Sorry!”
Just as she thought it couldn’t get any worse, Miku came walking up the stairs.
“I’m back, Ichika. I thought I’d help you map out how you feel about your crushes and…” She trailed off quickly as she got to the doorway and spotted the other three girls.
“Oh, hey, Saki, Shiho, Honami! Are you all ready for the sleepover?”
Considering the way all three girls turned their heads slowly with the shock still painted on them, it was no surprise that Miku started backing up immediately.
“I’ll… leave you all alone.”
Ichika backed up against the fence. They shared a long, tense silence, until…
Shiho started laughing. Her body was shaking with how hard she was laughing, in fact.
“Ichika, I can’t believe you stole my idea by complete accident?”
“WHAT?!”
“Okay, okay-” Shiho tried to catch her breath. “Okay, so you know the song I was going to perform for you guys?” She had to pause again to regain her composure, unable to speak through laughter. “Okay- it was kind of a confession.”
Ichika stared, absolutely dumbfounded.
“So you- You feel the same? About me, or one of the others?”
“All of you.” Shiho giggled, just barely calming down. “I-I mean, I don’t expect that you’re all going to share my feelings, but I feel that way for all of you.”
Honami buried her face in her hands even harder than Shiho had. “Oh my goodness! I didn’t even plan on telling you all how I felt, I didn’t know if you’d all want to, so I was going to keep it to myself…”
Saki looked away, then rolled her eyes in fake annoyance.
“Oh, come on!” She threw a piece of paper on the ground. “I had a whole speech and everything!”
Ichika was still watching with increasing levels of shock on her face. Shiho approached her, reaching out a hand to help her up.
“Well, Ichika… does that answer that?”
Ichika accepted and pulled herself up with Shiho’s help, giving a silent nod.
Honami giggled.
“Well, what do we do now? Now that we seem to be… on the same page.”
Saki picked up Honami’s sleeping bag and handed it back, then looked at everyone with a determined smile on her face.
“What do you think of having this sleepover as girlfriends?”
Ichika lay in her sleeping bag, staring up at the stars. They’d all placed their sleeping bags close - closer than normal, but after the events of that night, it was all but expected.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many meteors this quickly in the real world.” Honami observed, flipping through the pages of a book so quickly Ichika was sure she didn’t read a word on any of them.
Shiho shrugged beside her, their sleeping bags so close Ichika could feel her movement.
“I mean, makes sense since we’ve basically short circuited Ichika’s feelings.”
Saki gasped. “Wait, Ichika’s feelings are what caused the meteor shower?”
“It makes sense. She was acting weird when we talked about them earlier, and the timeline matches up.”
Ichika nodded. “I was so sure my face was going to give it away the moment you looked at me!”
Honami sighed, dropping the book next to her.
“I’m sorry, I should have noticed something was wrong! I could have saved you all the trouble.”
Shiho shook her head. “No, Honami. It’s fine. You didn’t do anything wro-”
“I’ll forgive you for a kiss!” Saki shouted out, bursting into giggles.
Shiho checked an invisible watch. “We’ve been in this… thing for a total of a few hours, are we supposed to kiss this soon, or-”
She stopped mid sentence as Honami leaned over and gave Saki a kiss on the forehead, causing them both to break out in giggles.
Ichika giggled along.
“Thank you all for being my girlfriends .” The word still felt foreign on her tongue, like something she wasn’t supposed to say. She half expected the whole confession thing to have been a daydream of hers, and for them all to stare at her wide-eyed in shock again.
However, they all just nodded.
“Good night!”
“Honaaa, can I get a goodnight kiss?” Saki whined. Honami just smiled and kissed her again.
“Best girlfriends stargazing sleepover EVER!!!” she cheered, leaning over to kiss Honami back.
Ichika giggled, looking away just long enough to be caught off guard when Saki’s lips met her cheek.
“Everyone gets a goodnight kiss!!
Shiho already saw where this was going, evident by her putting her hands up in front of her.
“Woah, woah-”
She was cut off as Saki kissed her too. Ichika watched in amusement as her face turned every possible shade of red, and she dove face first into her sleeping bag.
“Goodnight!” squeaked Saki as she flopped back down. Ichika giggled and leaned over, kissing her on the forehead.
“Goodnight, Saki.”
“Goodnight!”
“Goodnight.”
Ichika turned over in her sleeping bag and saw Shiho’s face staring back at her like she wanted something.
“Shiho?”
“Don’t you dare.”
Ichika laughed and planted a kiss on her cheek, watching the color on her face change all over again.
The world quieted down as they all lay silently in their sleeping bags. They were in the perfect place to watch the stars as they drifted off to sleep.
Truth be told, Ichika didn’t get that much sleep that night. Her heart pounded too fast, her mind racing in a way she had to be awake to process.
But something told her the other girls didn’t, either. Maybe it was the way she could hear them turn around every once in a while, catching them stealing glances at each other when they thought the others were asleep or not looking.
Ichika turned back to look at the sky, letting the chorus of rustles and stifled giggles be her background noise. Once again, the meteor showers had brought them closer.