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“I am the restless tides in the sea
That glimmer and shine under the moon’s knees
As empty and bleak as the passage of a shipwreck
I keep these secrets hidden, sealed by a key
I cry and I scream, but do they answer to me?”
For the longest time, Mafuyu had been singing alone.
That was, until she met Kanade Yoisaki.
The memory lingered in her mind like the warmth of the sun after the day had faded away: bright, comforting, etched into the corners of your bedroom walls only to dissipate as the night lived on. Her presence was incomparable to that of anyone else’s. The sunlight shone through the window and beamed onto her long, pin-straight, pearly blue hair and hit her deep, ocean-blue eyes at the perfect angle when she first walked into the room, wearing an awkward smile, nervous to make eye contact with the class as she introduced herself before the teacher.
“Well, we have a new student joining us today!” Miss Fujiwara, the teacher for Class-3B Mathematics exclaimed, clasping her hands together and standing up, facing towards the anonymous new student.
“Tell the class a bit about yourself, won’t you? Tell us your name, hobbies, and your dream career.”
“My name is Yoisaki Kanade. I… I like to compose, and play the piano,” the new student started, in a quiet, monotone voice, offering a weak smile to her new classmates. “I’d like to be a composer in the future. Whether it be the composer of a band or a duo of me and another person, or to work solo… I want to keep composing.”
The composer’s eyes sparkled with fervor and glee. She loved to compose, more than anything— it was her way to comfort herself and escape reality, spitting out a mess of her emotions and putting them back together by weaving them into beautiful melodies that portrayed her feelings. She hoped that her songs would reach the hearts of people like her, and maybe, if she was diligent enough, they’d be enough to save someone. She had a unique type of devotion; passion.
Passion.
Passion was something Mafuyu yearned for, and admired deeply in those who clearly possessed it. To be confident in your hobbies, to understand your true destiny, to be so devoted to your work that it consumes your soul in its entirety, making room for nothing more. To have the skill, not the talent, the desire, not the obligation.
To feel something, other than hollow repetition, the same cycle that repeated over and over.
Mafuyu appeared as a normal teenage girl, like all the rest at her school; she wore her long, dark purple hair in a high ponytail that sided to her right as her curly layered bangs perfectly cupped her violet doe-eyes and dainty lips. She presented herself neatly; she had good hygiene, good skin, a good diet, and perfect grades. Not to mention, she was athletic! She certainly had a good figure and a modest taste in fashion. She was the type of girl everyone in her class and other classes looked up to— she was warm and gentle and considerate to most, and always kept a smile on her face, no matter what.
And it was simple— every day she’d complete the following tasks:
- Get out of bed.
- Shower, brush teeth, fix hair, put on uniform. Ensure that the scales on neck, arms and ankles are concealed with makeup.
- Take a quick breakfast and head to school.
- Take a quick afternoon snack and head to cram school or archery club.
- Head home and complete homework.
- Have dinner and complete more homework.
- The only few hours of ‘alone time’ you have— make a use of it to sing a song and write lyrics.
And lastly, she’d head to sleep, and the same cycle would repeat the next day.
It was almost impossible to believe that such a ‘perfect’ girl would be hiding the most grimy, felonious secret; being linked with the ‘witches’ of the city and sea, in a land where such demonic creatures are banned from most public spaces.
Kanade, on the other hand, was a small, weak girl with an awkward personality. She’d appear shy at first, but she was friendly and naive, in that she wasn’t difficult to get along with and was generally a kind person towards everyone. Sometimes, her extreme kindness, gullibility and ingenuous nature made a fool out of her; people would notice, and take advantage of it.
She made her way down the aisle and seated herself down to the only desk that was available; a desk behind Mafuyu Asahina.
Mafuyu turned around to face Kanade and smiled softly.
“Welcome,” she began, “I’m Asahina Mafuyu. If you need help with something, let me know.”
There was a look on her face that almost appeared guileful, like she recognized something Kanade didn’t; Kanade had a familiar face and a familiar voice, and although Mafuyu couldn’t put her finger on it exactly, a tingle in her heart gave her the hunch she knew this girl from somewhere.
“Nice to meet you, Asahina-san!” Kanade responded, “Ah, thank you… But I’ll be fine, I’m sure.”
Not long after, the composer tapped Mafuyu’s back gently with her index finger. “Um, Asahina-san…” Kanade said with a hesitant voice, “Can you please help me with this math problem?”
Mafuyu turned back around and offered a warm, welcoming smile. “Sure. Where are you stuck?”
So, exactly two weeks passed, and everything continued the same; Mafuyu and Kanade saw each other and spoke every day, but acted towards each other as peers and nothing more.
And on a completely normal Wednesday during class, Mafuyu found herself ripping off a piece of paper from her little notebook and clicking her blue-inked pen, then beginning to scribble a note, of which she carefully and subtly slipped into Kanade’s backpack that day she walked down the aisle of desks to return her completed homework. The note read:
Meet me on the rooftop after school today, 3:45pm sharp.
-Mafuyu
Today was going to be different.
. . . . .
3:45pm. Sharp.
The tip-tap of Kanade’s shoes echoed in the staircase hallway, and her silky hair swished as she dragged herself up the treads while panting. She wasn’t one to exercise a lot, so to her, a simple task like going up the stairs felt like pushing an enormous boulder up a sheer hill. And once she finally reached the top floor, she placed her small, soft hand on the cold inner doorknob and opened the staircase door, only to see the tall and charming Mafuyu standing before the early winter sunset admiring the view of the rooftop, with her soft, purple curls and layers and her short black skirt swaying in unison after the wind. Her figure danced with the colors of the sunset; it was almost mesmerizing to watch.
Kanade made her way towards her. The sound of her shoes clacking against the cold cement floor made Mafuyu turn around just before glancing at her watch.
“You’re on time,” Mafuyu stepped closer, “shocking, from you, Yoisaki-san.”
“W-what’s that supposed to mean…?” Kanade stuttered, smiling anxiously at Mafuyu’s statement.
“You’re very disorganized, not one to be so punctual. I figured I’d spare you fifteen minutes,” Mafuyu stated, sternly, “but don’t take that the wrong way, please.”
Kanade chuckled nervously and looked around, taking note of her surroundings; it seemed it was just the two of them up there. During the deep winter, students went home earlier than usual, due to such harsh cold weather and early nightfalls.
“Why did you call me here, Mafuyu-chan? I can’t be out too late, or my parents will start to worry.”
“I… just wanted to chat with you. I’m often busy helping classmates during lunch, and there’s always too many people around,” Mafuyu tucked her hair behind her ear, “we wouldn’t have the chance to talk properly.”
“Oh, sure. What do you need? My contact information?”
“Yes, give me yours. Or, I’ll give you mine.”
“Well, I don’t have a pen on me right now, if you could-“
Mafuyu quickly and decisively reached into her right pocket and pulled out a small folded piece of paper, handing it out to the composer. This girl seems to be extremely prepared for everything…
Kanade took the paper from her hand and stuffed it into her backpack. “Thanks, I’ll text you once I get home. See you-“
“Can you come to my house this Friday after school?” Mafuyu interrupted, abruptly.
“Friday…? Uhh…” Kanade was hesitant to answer, whether to decline the offer or take it. Mafuyu seemed trustworthy, considering the fact that she was constantly praised and gushed over by many people in school; it would be a boost in her own popularity to hang out with her, for sure. But why, why did she pick Kanade, the biggest loser, out of all people so suddenly?
“Alright, I can do that. I’ll meet you at the front of the school, okay?”
Mafuyu smiled. Something about that smile, so sinister yet serene, so desolate yet warm. It was the type of smile that left you wondering what was going through the girl’s head at that moment, whether that smile was true or not. It’s almost like whenever she smiled at Kanade, there was a pang of light that sparked in her eye, unlike when she smiled at anyone else. Kanade was simply just special. And she had no idea what she was in for.
“Hey, what were you and Asahina-san doing on the rooftop yesterday?”
The Thursday after was followed by Kanade receiving a lot of questions from her peers, for sure. Mafuyu was popular, no doubt, and spotting her hanging out in private with the dorky failure of a girl Kanade was, who couldn’t even tie her shoes correctly, was almost unfeasible. There wasn’t much interaction between the two during this time period; only simple things, like exchanging quick and awkward glances and participating in regular class activities, occasionally involving partners. Friday was the only day of the week Mafuyu had no after-school activities to worry about, so it was to no surprise she’d pick that day over anything else.
. . . . .
3:27.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Kanade watched the long, thin arrow on the clock tick as each second passed by, building on to each and every minute.
She was excited, but at the same time, irresolute of what to expect from such a mysterious and unanticipated request. She could feel her palms sweating and overheating; the arrow struck 3:29, and it felt like every minute that passed was the longest minute of her life. Yoisaki-san hadn’t really made any close friends at school either, but frequently, people would dote on her for her cute face and small body, and her long, pin-straight hair; she looked like a pale little doll. So Kanade didn’t think anything of this request— she figured, maybe Mafuyu only wanted to be friends and get to know her better, but she was terrible at approaching others in a way that didn’t come off as spooky or intimidating.
She didn’t know exactly what Mafuyu expected from her, but she most definitely didn’t want to show up late. So, when the bell finally rang and the school day concluded, Kanade hastily made her way down the hallways and staircases to the front of the school, getting ahead of all the students before they flooded the hallways, completely forgetting to offload some of her books into her locker. Once she finally arrived to her destination, in a crowd of students, she looked around desperately for the lyricist. And to her surprise, she was nowhere in sight.
Oh, right… She must’ve stopped by at her locker after the bell went off. I could’ve just gone with her, she didn’t even specify a time. I’m so stupid…
Kanade took her schoolbag off her shoulder to disburden the weight on her back and placed it on the ground next to her. She waited for her classmate as the minutes passed, seeming like a lost puppy waiting for its owner.
“Yoisaki-san, you’re early again,” a familiar high-pitched, peppy voice spoke abruptly behind Kanade, making her jolt and turn around in surprise.
“W-well, you didn’t specify a time for me to meet you here, so-“
“It’s fine. Let’s walk to my house together.”
Kanade stopped and nodded, then picked up her bag and began to tread behind Mafuyu’s lead. It was only a few minutes into their voyage when Kanade began to trudge, panting and taking deep breaths, slipping the school bag off her shoulder.
“Need some help?” Mafuyu turned around and shaped her usual warm, cheerful smile.
“Yes… Sorry, I was in a hurry. I forgot to put my books away,”
“It’s alright. Hehe, you’re terrible at making a good first impression,” Mafuyu uttered cheerfully, as she walked behind Kanade and unzipped her bag to take out a few books to carry for her.
Kanade looked down at her feet and sighed at Mafuyu’s statement, despondently. “I’m not used to walking like this, either. My mom normally drives me to school by car…”
“Physical activity is good for the body, so, take this as a change,” Mafuyu replied, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear and walking in a confident, upright manner as she held the books to her chest with her arms wrapped around them, as if the textbooks were as light as sand.
“You make it look so easy, Asahina-san…”
The rest of their walk was followed by silence. Was it awkward? Was it comfortable? You couldn’t tell. The two of them were generally lenient to being introverts, so it only came naturally for both of them to not be very sociable, but Mafuyu most definitely had things to hide, and she was wary of the words that went out of her mouth and her actions towards Kanade.
The sound of the cars and their tires rubbing against the concrete road collided with the sound of Mafuyu and Kanade’s shoes tapping on the pavement sidewalk of the streets.
“K, you’re an incredibly talented composer,” Mafuyu remarked suddenly, interrupting the loud silence as the two walked side-by-side, “I want to hear more of your music.”
“Eh?!” Kanade jolted and her eyes widened in embarrassment, “You know about my internet profile? How?”
Mafuyu stayed silent for a few moments, almost as if trying to find the right words to muster up a reply with. ‘K’ was Kanade’s famous online nickname, the name she went by on social media where she uploaded her works. Mafuyu knew she couldn’t just blatantly state the fact that she had been stalking her on the internet and various social media platforms while also eavesdropping on her conversations and interactions with others at school, all to find out more about her, to lay bare her alternate identity, to figure out what was so familiar in her tone and her personality and mannerisms. For the two weeks that passed by since Kanade transferred, Mafuyu hadn’t been free at all, because this was all she granted her free time to; stalking.
“Hehe, I’m a follower of yours,” Mafuyu replied finally, “I recognized your voice, so it didn’t take me a while to connect the dots and find out who you were. That’s all.”
Mafuyu reached into the mini pocket of her school bag for her front door keys as the two began approaching the front porch of her house. She jabbed the keys into the lock and twisted it open, then placed her hand on the doorknob and opened the door, making a gesture of her hand to let Kanade inside before her.
“I’m home, Mom!” Mafuyu called out, stumbling inside after Kanade while taking off her shoes and placing them carefully next to the door. Kanade glanced at her, and immediately took off and placed her own shoes next to hers.
“Mafuyu-chan! Welcome home,” a warm, feminine, mature voice replied, echoing across the living room from the kitchen. Mafuyu’s mother turned around and glanced at the petite, blue-haired girl standing next to Mafuyu.
“And who would this be?” She questioned, with a shift in her tone and her eyes slightly widened and the sighting of such an unexpected visitor.
“I brought a friend with me, she’s going to help me study tonight. I hope that’s okay, Mom,” Mafuyu smiled, and spoke in her usual positive, reassuring tone; that is, whenever she masked around her family and others.
“To study, you say?” Mafuyu’s mom’s voice softened, and she nodded. “As long as she knows her parents are fine with it, too,”
Mafuyu turned to face Kanade, standing with her hands clasped behind her back and her head slightly tilted. “Introduce yourself,” she said, pointing her head towards her mother.
“H-huh? Oh… I’m Yoisaki Kanade. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Asahina,” Kanade stuttered nervously, cautious to make a decent first impression— extra cautious, that is, after Mafuyu had ridiculed her just moments ago for her ability to leave a good first impression.
Mafuyu’s mother wore a cunning, sinister look on her face all the time— similar to that of her daughter. There was certainly a lot going on in her mind, but only a select few of words that came out of her mouth. She had a distinctive aura and tone in her voice that felt like someone was reaching their hand into your head, separating the wires of your brain and seeping their words through whenever you’d speak to her; and Mafuyu’s house unveiled a similar feeling, as if the Asahina residence had a secret to hide.
Mafuyu started to take Kanade by the hand, causing her to get slightly flustered, and led her to her room. Kanade observed the walls and the Asahina family’s unusual taste in decor with wide eyes as Mafuyu tugged on her arm— what’s the deal with all the real-life body parts sealed away in beakers on the shelves?
It awakened a sense of dread and discomfort in Kanade, but she was unsure of what words to utilize when bringing the concern to light with Mafuyu.
“Here’s my room. You can take a seat on the chabudai over there,” Mafuyu exclaimed, indicating her hand towards the short-legged table accompanied by a floor cushion seat. Kanade approached the cushion and sat down cross-legged while shuffling around to get comfortable, and Mafuyu took some of her own cushions to sit on across from Kanade on the table as well as placing down a few study books and the books Kanade brought along with them on accident.
Kanade opened her bag and pulled out a white pencil case covered in Pusheen cat stickers and unzipped it, scattering a variety of pens and colored highlighters.
“I love your pencil case! It’s so cute,” Mafuyu beamed, eyes twinkling at the sighting of Kanade’s stationery.
“Hehe, thanks. The stickers were a birthday gift, actually,” Kanade replied proudly, clicking a pen suggesting she was ready to begin with their homework. “So, where should we start?”
“My usual routine is to start with English homework first. Do you have your English study packet with you?” Mafuyu looked up at Kanade and tilted her head.
“Sure do!” Kanade reached for her bag and began to pull out a packet of papers stapled together, of which Mafuyu already had set before her.
“Hmmm… This assignment regards poetry, does it?” Kanade questioned as she examined the contents of the packet, going through the rubric.
“Yup, I went over it beforehand at lunch,” Mafuyu remarked as she turned the pages, “I write poetry and lyrics myself, so this’ll be a slice of cake for me.”
Kanade’s head jolted to face Mafuyu in surprise. “You write lyrics?” she questioned, with amazement in her tone.
“I do,” Mafuyu admitted, “I’ve written lyrics inspired by your music a few times, too. Your music has inspired me to write, a lot more than you know.”
Kanade looked away in embarrassment, her face as flustered as a tomato. “Ah, I’m grateful. But it’s unexpected that anyone would look up to me like that,” Kanade’s voice quavered slightly, “may I see some of your writing? I mean, I guess it’s relevant to our studying.”
“Yeah, I have the file saved on my computer. Let me bring it up for you,” Mafuyu agreed as she pulled her laptop out of her school bag and typed her login into the keyboard, then proceeding to locate the file once the laptop was unlocked. The file was seemingly attached to an audio file; 2 minutes and 19 seconds. She turned the computer over to Kanade’s direction, making a gesture for her to read the file.
Kanade laid her eyes on the laptop and skimmed through the name of the opened file; ‘Reika no Taigan / Petals on the Other Shore.’ Her eyes shifted to the contents of the file, and she started to read the words:
“Like a desolate flame,
Your salvation calls my name
In your song, my soul will weep
These secrets that I’m forced to keep
Petals on the other shore
These feelings that I can’t explore
I drown in seas of black and white
My love for you that I’ll ignite
I reach for you, so far away
And I say
Even if I cry,
Even if I run,
My heart that you can’t pry
I’ve found that I’ve grown numb
A wound that bleeds an ocean of regret
My worries will fade as the sun sets
Petals on the other shore
These feelings that I can’t explore
I drown in seas of black and white
My love for you that I’ll ignite
I reach for you, so far away
And still I say
Even if I cry,
Even if I run,
My heart that you can’t pry
I’ve found that I’ve grown numb
Like a desolate flame,
Your salvation calls my name
In your hands, my heart will sleep
My love once bleak is yours to keep.”
“This is beautiful, Asahina-san,” Kanade murmured in awe as she turned to face the lyricist, “the word choice is slightly unsettling, but unique. It fits the melody.”
Mafuyu smiled at Kanade’s remark. “Hehe, thank you. When I’m not busy studying, I write lyrics to be productive in my free time. I wrote this based off of the feel your songs give me,” Mafuyu placed her hand in a clutch on her chest.
Kanade’s eyes sparkled, as she prepared herself to propose an unusual request. “Hey, Mafuyu, what do you think of writing lyrics for me more often like this?”
“You mean, making songs together?” Mafuyu leaned in and tilted her head, “Well, I’d consider myself good at singing.”
“Good at singing?” Kanade lifted her eyebrows in shock at Mafuyu’s suggestion, “Can you sing the lyrics you wrote? We could try together after.”
There was a short pause. Mafuyu nodded, and accepted the request, then stood up and turned to the computer and positioned her hand on the mouse. She then moved the cursor to press the ‘Play’ button on the attached audio file.
And Mafuyu sang the lyrics she wrote to Kanade’s music, hitting every note in perfect harmony with the music that played from the laptop. Her singing voice was deep and brooding, but at the same time, pure and in vain. When you heard Mafuyu’s voice, you’d think of a curvy line, the color purple, and leather; that’s what Mafuyu Asahina sounded like.
“That was amazing, Asahina-san!” Kanade clapped for Mafuyu’s performance, eyes twinkling with enthusiasm. “I think I’ve got an idea of how to sing this with you, but I’ll have to read off of the lyrics. Wanna try?” Kanade stood up next to Mafuyu, wearing a look of eagerness and confidence.
“Yes, let’s,” Mafuyu replied, as her lips formed a smile at Kanade—but there was something about this smile, a glimmer in her eye, a hint of joy in her pale rosy cheeks—the closest you’d get to Mafuyu’s genuine smile.
“But we have to keep it down. My mom will be concerned that we’re getting sidetracked,” she added.
“Right, sorry…” Kanade furrowed her brows and lowered her tone before clearing her throat and preparing to replay the file.
At first, Kanade and Mafuyu’s voices were slightly unaligned and off-beat, but within a few lines, their voices merged into sync. Their voices blended together like the way the ocean waves danced in harmony, knit together like threads of the moon and sun. Mafuyu’s voice, rich and melancholic, and Kanade’s voice, high-pitched and calm, formed the perfect unison that filled every corner of Mafuyu’s bedroom as if the walls of the room were shaped just to fit their harmony. Mafuyu’s eyes sparkled with bliss as she reached out for Kanade’s hand, soft and warm, while her own had a scaly and cold touch— of which caused Kanade to flinch in slight fear when she felt it.
Kanade was enjoying this moment, too; once the melody died down and their voices faded to a stop, they exchanged looks and kept quiet, but their silence spoke more than their words. It was an instant click; they felt like they were meant to be for each other.
The euphoric moment was interrupted with Mafuyu’s mother knocking on the door and peeking her head inside the room.
“What’s with all this noise, girls? Is Mafuyu-chan participating in choir club now?” Mafuyu’s mother questioned dismissively, with a demanding, serious tone.
“It’s for an English assignment, Mom,” Mafuyu replied nervously, with a slightly shaky voice, “We have to write a poem. We figured singing would help us gain inspiration.”
Mafuyu’s mother scowled. “Well, dinner’s going to be ready soon. Since Kanade-chan has been working so hard with you all afternoon, would she like to have dinner with us?” She asked as her tone slightly came to ease, folding her arms and resting her face.
“Sure!” Kanade exclaimed, “I’ll text my mom first to make sure she’s okay with it.” Kanade reached into her bag and pulled out her phone, immediately typing in the pin and writing a text message.
“Make sure she’s okay with it first, then,” Mafuyu’s mother nodded and turned away, “Let me know if she responds.”
Just before Mafuyu’s mother walked back to the kitchen, she exchanged a look of concern and wariness towards Mafuyu. Mafuyu knew her mother too well to be able to read her eyes; Mafuyu had brought Kanade to her house while her parents were unprepared, and the scales that covered their skin weren’t concealed, and she was aware of that.
Kanade finished typing up the message and tapped the ‘send’ button, then turned her phone off and placed it down on the floor next to the cushion. The two sat in silence for a moment as they waited for a message back.
Mafuyu cleared her throat and looked towards Kanade. Cheery and oblivious, she was seated back on the cushion seat, hands on her lap as she waited for the text notification.
“Hey, Kanade, what do you think of sirens?” She began suddenly, keeping a low, cautious tone in her voice.
“Uh… Sirens?” Kanade was shocked to hear a question so uncalled for, but she figured that maybe Mafuyu was trying to fill the awkward silence, so after a moment of consideration, she answered the question truthfully. “I don’t have anything against them. I believe they deserve to have equal rights like all of us,” Kanade’s answer sounded genuine and pure. You could tell she wasn’t the hateful type and she stood by strong morals.
Mafuyu’s face relaxed. She took the sleeve of her school uniform and rubbed the concealer off her neck, revealing it to Kanade.
“I have scales, you know. I’m one of them,” her voice sounded unusual to the sweet, cheerful tone she used whenever she masked at school, almost as if Kanade got a glimpse of her without the fake persona. Her color was blunt and monotone, and her facial expression laid flat.
Kanade’s eyes widened. She noticed the signs from the start, but strangely enough, she hadn’t suspected a thing like this. It appeared Mafuyu had profound trust in her, more trust than she had in most people, simply because Kanade was someone she knew online for a long time, longer than Kanade would have figured herself.
“Promise you won’t tell anyone?” Mafuyu pleaded, although deep down, she knew her secret was safe with Kanade. She was a kind and trustworthy person, and Mafuyu stalked her enough to observe her attributes, so admitting her biggest secret wasn’t much of a fuss.
“…I won’t, Mafuyu,” Kanade finally replied, “I’m a bit shocked, that’s all. You seem so liked by everyone at school and no one suspects a thing, how was your family able to get away with that?”
“I’m not supposed to be here by law. But my parents were concerned for my education and they wanted me to study here. So, for years, we filled people up with lies and my parents bought a house here,” Mafuyu explained, in that same low-tone, speaking genuinely.
“I see… That must be tiring, and scary,” Kanade remarked, relaxing her eyes.
“The ocean isn’t safe like it used to be anymore. It’s not like we could live there, anyway. There’s constant violence and mistreatment of innocent civilians by our new ruler,” the lyricist sounded dejected and despondent in her elaboration, but Kanade remained empathetic and understanding. That was her nature; to understand others, to listen to others, to hear everyone’s side of the story before quickly jumping to conclusions. She wanted to understand people better so she could find a way to touch their hearts; to be able to clasp their soul in the palm of her hands.
“Sirens like you are pretty misunderstood, huh?” Kanade murmured, “But what about the rumors? Are they true?”
Their conversation was interrupted by a buzz coming from Kanade’s phone.
“O-Oh… That’s my mom,” Kanade muttered as she held her phone and stared at the notification, “she’s okay with me staying for an hour or two. But she’s going to pick me up after dinner.”
Mafuyu stood up. “Alright. Let’s go eat.”
. . . . .
“Raw… Crayfish?” There was a slight look of unease and nausea on Kanade’s face, as she glared at the silver-lined tray Mafuyu’s mother held with both hands in front of her.
Mafuyu’s mother nodded in delight. “We’ve got some seal liver stew served with rice if you can’t eat raw meat, too.”
“U-Uhh…” The composer’s lips started to tremble and her mind went entirely blank, unsure of what to say. Is this what the sirens usually eat?
“Not that hungry? We’ve got some seaweed over here, too,” Mafuyu’s mother finally said taking note of Kanade’s hesitation and unusual facial expressions, as she placed the tray in the center of the table and picked up a plate containing a stack of seaweed, cooked and lightly seasoned into a salad.
“I… think I’ll take the seaweed, thank you for the offer…” Kanade formed an awkward smile and picked up the kitchen tong, serving a moderate portion of the salad on her plate.
Mafuyu was sitting next to Kanade on the table, and had a balanced variety of food on her plate; she had a portion of seal liver stew, rice, and seaweed salad on the side. Of course, an athletic girl like her prioritized her nutrition and protein to stay fit and strong— it was something her mother taught her. At school, she was always mindful of the lunch she’d bring with her, too, so that people wouldn’t question her un-humanlike diet; she always brought something simple, like rice and vegetables, and whenever she brought meat with her she’d hoodwink her peers into believing it was chicken, beef or lamb.
“And who might this young girl be?” An older, gravelly, masculine voice interrogated; it was Mafuyu’s father, seated across from Kanade on the table.
“Ah! I’m Yoisaki Kanade. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Asahina,” Kanade faced Mafuyu’s father and bowed in her seat.
Mafuyu’s father smiled. “You two were having a lot of fun this afternoon, weren’t you?”
Mafuyu’s mother chuckled nervously and made swift eye contact with her daughter. “They sure did. This will be the last time for a while, though,” she asserted sternly, “Mafuyu-chan can’t get too sidetracked from her studies, or she’ll fall behind.”
A tight, discomforting feeling arose in Mafuyu’s chest when she heard those words; she lifted her hand to her chest and clutched her shirt. Whenever Mafuyu’s mother mentioned how her future and being the ‘top student’ should be prioritized over anything else, going as far as her abandoning her own dreams and interests, every corner of the room turned cold and ghastly, with the murk of her mother’s words clouding her thoughts and feelings. The side of her family that no one at school who only perceived her as ‘the best in the class’ saw; she was being forced to put on a facade and create a warped idealized version of herself by her mother.
But Mrs. Asahina was a complex character on her own; she was constantly perturbed by the need to ‘protect’ Mafuyu from harm in the outside world, to avoid Mafuyu enduring the pain and trauma that she suffered herself, and constantly insisted that she knew what was best for her daughter, more than anyone. Including Mafuyu herself.
“Good night! Thank you for the food, and for having me over,” Kanade called waving her hand at the frame of the front door, gripping the strap of her school bag on her shoulder with the other hand.
Mafuyu smiled and waved back. “Good night, I’ll see you at school on Monday,” Mafuyu replied holding the doorknob from behind.
“Thanks for taking care of my daughter, Mrs. Asahina,” Kanade’s mother smiled warmly, putting her hand on Kanade’s back to guide her to their car. The night was cold and pitch-black, so Kanade had made an agreement over text with her mother for her to pick her up, and help her take her books home.
“It was a pleasure having her. It seems our daughters get along well,” Mafuyu’s mother exclaimed, nodding them off before watching them head to their car after they bid their final farewells.
. . . . .
“Yoisaki-san spending the evening at Asahina-san’s house? No way!”
It was the topic of the week. Apparently, people remarked Kanade and Mafuyu walking to Mafuyu’s house together that day after school; such an unexpected yet intriguing occurrence, from Mafuyu, the girl who kept her private life hidden away constantly and never invited just anyone over to visit. She’d always have some excuse like, “sorry, I have studying to do,” or, “sorry, my mother is very strict about who visits,” which was, in a way, true, but it was never something she couldn’t make happen if she truly desired to. And especially after their mysterious gathering on the rooftop earlier that week, Kanade’s popularity grew drastically, and she was pestered and interrogated by Asahina-san’s classmates for a few long days.
“Kanade, what do you think about walking to the beach with me after school?” Mafuyu questioned during their lunch period, as she bit on a few seaweed crackers while seated in her favorite lunch spot under a tree on one of the school benches.
“The beach? Around the block from our school?” Kanade looked surprised by her request; but who was she to be surprised, anyway? The purple-haired girl was full of unforeseen invitations, that was just Mafuyu for you.
Mafuyu nodded. “Yeah, just to hang out again. I don’t think my mom wants you coming over again like that, so…”
Kanade’s face softened. “Oh… you’re right. But why the beach, Mafuyu?”
“I like the beach, it’s nice. I come from the ocean, so I resonate with it,” Mafuyu’s tone sounded true and pure, like the words she spoke came from her heart and her genuine feelings, “and I’d like to introduce you to my ocean form.”
“…Okay. But I’ll meet you at the lockers this time so we can walk back together, because, you know…” Kanade looked away in embarrassment, hoping Mafuyu could recollect last week’s experience.
“Alright, sounds like a deal.”
And after a few more extensive lectures, and two more inquiries about Kanade’s visit to Mafuyu, the bell made a deafening ring, startling Kanade from her catnap on her desk. She looked around in alarm, quickly stood up from her seat, and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands before picking up her bag.
She followed after Mafuyu, each making their way towards their lockers. And after they’d both get their things and made themselves ready to leave, they set off on their ‘walk.’
It hadn’t gone dark by the time they were near approaching the beach; it was light out, and the sun was still setting, yet the moon laid bare in the sky as clear as day, shining brightly above Kanade and Mafuyu’s heads as if guiding them towards the sea.
“The moon is pretty,” Kanade started, as her and her companion made a trail of their footsteps along the sandy sidewalk that started from the streets in the beach village, leading all the way to the beach itself. “What do you think about the moon, Mafuyu?”
Mafuyu paused, before reflecting upon an answer to Kanade’s question. “It’s beautiful and radiant, like you,” she said, with a hint of tenderness and adoration in her voice; it was a coy statement, one that suggested Mafuyu’s feelings for Kanade.
Kanade looked away in embarrassment. “M-Me? N-No…” Her breath was shaky and hesitant.
“I think it is. You’re like the moon, Kanade,” Mafuyu glanced up at the bright, silver orb in the sky, shining among billions of stars before them, “you shine so vividly yet you’re reserved, you have unique qualities.”
Kanade looked shocked, and confused.
“You’re my light in the darkness. Your music… it saved me,” Mafuyu was speaking through the heart, and it was notable. She sounded sincere and amiable as she spoke.
“Saved… you…?” Kanade was stunned to hear such words— she never imagined herself being a ‘savior’ of any sort.
“Whenever my mother and I had a fight, whenever I felt like I had no one who understood how I felt, and whenever I felt lost and alone, your music brought me solace, Kanade. I feel warm in your presence alone.”
The two had already reached the beach, but Kanade was too much of a flustered mess by now to even pay attention to the scenery. She relaxed her shoulders but was unable to make any eye contact with Mafuyu. This was a rare occurrence, to hear Mafuyu get so sentimental and expressive like this.
“Mafuyu, that makes me relieved, really,” she finally spoke, inhaling and exhaling deeply, “I’m sorry about the things going on with your mother, though. I noticed something was off,” Mafuyu paused and then swiftly grabbed Kanade’s hand, and led her in the direction of the rocky side of
the shore that almost appeared to be a path leading from the land to the depths of the ocean. Mafuyu let go and pulled her left sleeve up, exposing a bracelet made of the most elegant gems, jeweled with dazzling sapphire stones. She wrapped the palm of her hand around the largest gemstone in the center of the bracelet, and glanced at Kanade, who was standing before her, wearing an utterly perplexed look on her face.
“Let me sing to you, K,” she insisted, ultimately, “the song we sang together in my room that night.”
Kanade gulped, and briefly examined her surroundings with a mix of fear and confusion. “O-okay, Mafuyu…”
In a quick moment, Mafuyu dived into the ocean hands-first, her body transforming into the anatomy of an ocean siren the moment before the tip of her fingers hit the waters. She made a loud splash with her tail and darted back out, grabbing Kanade by the hand once again, and she began to sing.
She was mesmerizing— her voice stirred within the misty beach wind and made fusion with the waves of the ocean as her tail shimmered under the gleaming moonlight, fins reflecting colors of radiant indigo, blue and black, like the way the dark night sky pierced the waters of the sea and formed puddles of murky ink. The pale moonlight warped her feminine figure and her shiny seashell bra, embellished with exquisite diamonds and pearls from the sea as her soft, open curls danced in the wind, and the waves moved and clashed within one another as she sang her song. Her voice was alluring, her tone was hypnotizing, her words were enchanting.
And Kanade Yoisaki found herself mesmerized; in a way that was matchless to the previous week, when she paid a visit to Mafuyu and made a request to hear her sing. And God, what a mistake that was, to ever fall into Mafuyu’s trap in the first place, because from that moment on, her fate was to be wrapped around her finger for an eternity.
Kanade’s eyes, half-lidded, lovesick and oblivious, glared into Mafuyu’s once her performance concluded. Mafuyu cupped Kanade’s jawline into her hands and pulled her closer, touching their noses together, and tilted her head then pressed her crimson-red lips onto the soft and frail lips of the delirious composer. She felt every inch of Kanade’s soul in every moment of that kiss, and now, their bond was inseparable; a love spell that can’t be undone.
. . . . .
“How did you sleep last night, my love?” Mafuyu asked while Kanade caressed her hand with her small thumb, as the couple sat next to each other on the bench in the school’s courtyard hand-in-hand.
“I slept… well,” Kanade began, “I had a dream about you last night, you know…”
“You did?” Mafuyu leaned in, intrigued, “Tell me more.”
Your song is etched into my soul like the way I carve your name into the wet sand on the bay with my cold fingertips. You’re the answer I’ve sought and searched for in all of my lifetimes including this one. I’ll keep you caged inside my poisonous paradise for as long as an eternity could last.
…You’re so cute, Kanade.