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The glow of her computer screen lit up Ena’s room, casting a soft blue light over her over-cluttered desk. It was well after midnight - late enough that her parents and Akito were already in deep slumber. Her headphones rested over her ears, listening to Mizuki’s rambling jumping from one thing to another. She has a tendency of touching on topics then quickly switching to another – it would be almost adorable, but Ena is trying to illustrate their latest album cover and every word makes her focus weaver.
"Okay, but seriously, have you seen these cute new stickers? Just imagine slapping one on Nightcord’s next album cover. Boom, instant sparkle!"
Ah, seems like she’s talking about the packs again. Mizuki’s been gushing about them for the last few days to Ena in private chats – while the stickers are fun, they’re not exactly Nightcord’s style,
"That sounds... overwhelming. But if you think it fits the aesthetic, we can add it." Kanade's response was quiet, her face partially obscured by the dim light of her room.
Ena smiled to herself, sending one of the mentioned ‘cute’ stickers into the chat and watching as Kanade visibly cringes, regretting the half-agreement. She glanced at the participant list while doing so– making sure that Yuki was still connected. The circle around her icon has been remaining stubbornly grey for at least the last 40 minutes.
It irks her, even if it wasn't anything new. Mafuyu was always the quiet, mysterious one of the group, her contributions measured and sparse in conversations. But tonight, as even K was giving an effort to include herself in the conversion, Ena feels a quiet sorrow for her.
"Mafuyu?" Ena asked, unmuting her mic and leaning closer to her webcam, like it makes her feel closer. The others paused, the sudden directness putting a stop to the chatter. "You've been super quiet tonight. Everything okay over there?"
A beat of silence stretched, then Mafuyu's voice emerged, cool and even like always. "Yes. Just listening."
Mizuki jumped in immediately, sensing Ena’s intention. "Aw, come on Yuki! Don't ignore us. What's your go-to late-night snack? Mine's strawberry pocky, obviously."
"Tea." Mafuyu replied after another pause. "Plain."
Plain.
Plain. Tea. As a favorite snack.
It fits the emptiness that Mafuyu is so perfectly at first glance – but Ena has been paying attention to her. She remembers snippets from past calls and meetings: the way Mafuyu's fingers would drum softly on her desk when a melody caught her, or how her posture shifted ever so slightly when she was deep in thought. Little things, easy to miss if you weren't looking.
Ena knows Mafuyu is more than the empty shell she herself thinks she is.
The conversation flowed on, Mizuki now steering it back to outfit ideas that has nothing to do with Niigo. But Ena's already tuned her out, mind wandered, her gaze flicking back to Mafuyu's blank screen. How would she react if she knew that someone noticed details about her?
As the call wrapped up with scattered goodnights, Ena lingered a moment longer, her cursor hovering over the private message icon. Maybe it was impulsive, but she created a new sketch file, the blank canvas waiting to be filled up.
Tomorrow. She’s sleepy now.
The next afternoon when Ena woke up, her mind was already replaying last night’s call. Mafuyu's voice, that soft admission about her tea lingered.
Ena slowly walked over to her desk, her tablet coming to life as she picked up where she'd left off. The blank canvas from last night stared back at her, expectant. Like it challenges her to draw something that Mafuyu would enjoy.
She started small, almost experimentally. A simple sketch of a cup of tea, steam curling upward in lazy spirals. At the edge of the canvas she doodled a hand holding the cup, fingers elegant and still, nails neatly trimmed. It was Mafuyu's hand.
A notification pinged from her phone: a message from Mizuki.
Good morning sleeping beauty! I see you didn’t check the gc yet. Kanade's got a new snippet - check the shared drive. Hope you’re won’t slack on those visuals ;-P
Give me a sec, I just woke up!
Ena typed back quickly, sending an angry cat stamp with it.
She saved the tea sketch and opened a new file, but instead of diving into the illustration for the new song her stylus started outlining a figure seated at a desk, head tilted in silent thought.
Mafuyu, again - her hair falling perfectly, a strand escaping to brush against her cheek, waiting to be swept aside with gentle, loving hands. Ena added the drumming fingers from her memory, drawing their shape almost perfectly. It was nothing flashy, just a quick, quiet portrait of someone lost in thought, the kind of moment that slipped by unnoticed.
By midday, Ena had three sketches: the tea, the thoughtful pose, and one more with a subtle smile, the barest upturn of lips that Mafuyu sometimes lets slip when Kanade shares a song. Ena leaned back, studying them. They were a way to say, I see you, without the weight of words.
Her phone buzzed again, this time a private message from Mafuyu. It was brief, direct, to the point. Not showing a hint of what she thought.
Thank you for checking on me last night. It was nice.
Well, other than the obvious gratitude.
Ena's heart skipped, her fingers hovering over the keyboard.
No problem. You seemed a little distant, that's all.
She hesitated, then attached the tea sketch impulsively.
The typing indicator appeared, then vanished, then reappeared. After a few agonizing minutes a reply came through finally.
Did you draw this for me?
Yeah. Just a quick doodle. Don't overthink it.
Ena hit send, cheeks flushing. Just a doodle, like she didn’t spend her entire morning (early afternoon) perfecting Mafuyu’s hand on the cup. What was she even doing?
This time the response came swiftly.
It's nice. Thank you, Ena.
Energized, Ena gathered the drawings into a folder, labeling it ‘Mafuyu Things', already starting a new one. Maybe she'd share more, bit by bit.
The afternoon slipped by in a haze of half-finished drawings and sporadic group chat pings. Mizuki flooded the thread with memes about creative blocks. Kanade chimed in with four different revisions about the instrumental she sent in earlier. But her thoughts kept drifting back to that private chat.
By evening, as the sun dipped low and painted her walls in golden hues, Ena's phone lit up with another message from Mafuyu.
Do you draw a lot for people like that?
Sometimes. Helps me remember the little things about people.
She hit send before she could second-guess it, her pulse quickening. Was that too personal? But the reply came almost immediately.
I didn't realize you cared that much.
Well, I do.
Ena responded, adding a simple winking emoji to make it feel lighter. Not as a way to flirt. Absolutely not.
As she set her phone down, she pulled up her tablet again, this time finally starting on the illustration for Niigo.
Later that night, during their usual group call, everyone was buzzing with ideas for the next song. Mizuki dominated her screen with wild gestures, pitching new MV ideas about hidden emotions, while Kanade nodded along, keyboard clicking faintly in the background, obviously only half-listening.
If she keeps that up, they’ll end up with an MV full of glitter. But, it’s not Ena’s problem so she lets Kanade be.
Mafuyu was there too, her camera on for once, tense. Ena caught herself staring a little too long, noticing the way Mafuyu's fingers drummed lightly on her desk. Tap-tap, like a secret rhythm.
"Earth to Ena!" Mizuki's voice jolted her back. Maybe she should stop focusing on Mafuyu’s hand so much, it’s getting weird. "You've been zoning out. Got any visual concepts for this one?"
Ena blinked, heat creeping up her neck. "Uh, yeah. Something subtle, maybe. Like... shadows and light, highlighting the parts we overlook." She glanced at Mafuyu, who met her eyes through the screen, a moment of understanding passing between them.
Kanade smiled softly. "That sounds perfect. It fits the melody I'm hearing. Gentle, but with depth."
As the call wound down, Ena lingered in the chat window, her cursor hovering over Mafuyu's name. Before logging off, she sent one last private message.
That drumming you do... it's very rhythmic. Ever thought of making that beat into a song?
Mafuyu's respone is immediate.
Maybe. With the right inspiration, I could. Goodnight, Ena.
The days that followed blurred into a rhythm of sketches and stolen glances at her phone, each notification from Mafuyu feeling like a small victory. Ena found herself paying closer attention to the group chats, not just skimming past the usual banter, instead lingering on the details. Mizuki's endless stream of outfit ideas, taking note of which ones she’s the most enthusiastic about. Kanade's cryptic song snippets that she sends in every fifteen minutes, always adding something to them.
But it was Mafuyu's quiet contributions that pulled her in deepest. A single emoji here, a thoughtful question there. It was like discovering hidden meanings in a painting she'd looked at a hundred times. It moved her.
One morning, as Ena nursed a cup of tea at her desk, her tablet open to a new Mafuyu inspired drawing, a package arrived at her door. She wasn't expecting anything - her family was out, parents at work and Akito at school - so the ringing startled her. Outside was a small, neatly wrapped box with no return address, just her name scrawled in precise handwriting.
Her heart skipped as she untied the ribbon, revealing a set of high-quality colored pencils, the kind she'd mentioned offhand once during a call, complaining about her own worn-out set. There was a note stuck on the packaging.
For capturing those little things. -M.
Ena traced the initial with her fingertip, a warmth spreading through her chest. Mafuyu had listened back. She grabbed her phone and snapped a photo of the pencils fanned out on her desk, making sure they were arranged in a heart shape before sending it to their private thread.
These are perfect, thank you.
I pay attention too, sometimes.
Ena grinned, already testing the pencils with quick strikes. A soft blueish purple for the sky outside her window, a gentle lavender for the way Mafuyu's voice had sounded during their last call. She spent the afternoon doodling idle portraits of their group, but the one of Mafuyu took center – her profile against a window, eyes distant yet soft, that damned hand captured mid-motion. It wasn't perfect, but it felt honest, an idea striking her.
That evening, the call connected with the familiar chorus of greetings. Mizuki waving dramatically from what looked like a pile of fabric swatches, Kanade from her dimly lit room with headphones on, and Mafuyu also from her room, some of her earlier tension finally melted out.
Ena sent in four files, each representing a member of their group, finally getting her part of the production done.
"Look what I whipped up." she said, her voice lighter than she felt. "Inspired by your talk about hidden stuff, Mizuki. Everyone's got their quirks that aren’t visible at first glance - your wild energy Amia, that focused vibe you have K, and... well, your everything Yuki."
Mizuki leaned in, eyes widening. "Enanan, that's adorable! You nailed my pose!”
Kanade tilted her head, her smile soft. "It’s amazing, Ena. I really like the indigo colors."
Mafuyu didn't say much at first, her gaze fixed on the screen. Then, softly "The details on them... they're nice. Thank you for you work."
Ena's cheeks flushed, but she played it cool. "No big deal."
As the discussion shifted to line distribution Ena caught Mafuyu glancing her way more than once, their eyes meeting in silent acknowledgment. It was subtle, nothing overt, but something is undeniably there.
A few days later Ena woke to a new message in their private chat. A photo of Mafuyu's desk, a small potted plant sitting beside her keyboard.
You mentioned liking green things once.
The plant was simple, a succulent with plump leaves, but the gesture made Ena swoon. She replied with a heart emoji and a quick doodle of the plant, adding a chibi version of Mafuyu tending to it.
That's me?
Yeah. You look cute with it.
Their exchanges grew like that. Small seeds of attention sprouting into something more tangible.
That weekend the group decided on an in-person meetup at their usual diner – a celebration of releasing their new single. Ena arrived, fidgeting with the strap of her bag, her sketchbook tucked inside like a life-line she couldn’t live without. She whipped it out onto the table as she waited, slowly killing time.
The bell above the door jingled as Mafuyu soon arrived after her, her coat draped over one arm. She spotted Ena immediately and offered a small wave with a very soft smile, sliding into the seat across from her.
"You brought the pencils?" Mafuyu asked, her tone flustered.
“Yup. Want to add something?" Ena pushed them and the book towards Mafuyu, tilting her head with a smile.
She hesitated, then carefully took one of the pencils - a nice shade of mocha - and drew a cleft next to Ena's half-formed violet colored ivy. Their hands brushed as she handed it back, and Ena felt a spark rush through her veins, getting ears getting red. Hopefully only her ears.
Soon Mizuki burst through the door, announcing her loud presence, followed suspiciously closely by Kanade behind her, like they arrived together. When questioned they both laughed it off. Ena didn’t believe them.
The afternoon went by in easy chatter. Mizuki telling them about a disastrous shopping trip, Ena gushing about this new café opening near the school, Kanade talking about the new friend she met while browsing music.
As they packed up, Mafuyu stuck close by Ena's side. "This was nice. Seeing each other for real, not just through the screen."
Ena nodded, her voice soft. "Yeah. It makes the little things stand out more. Like how you stir your plain tea exactly three times before sipping. Every time."
Mafuyu's lips curved into a brief but gentle smile. "Noticed that, huh?"
"Couldn't help it. It’s very specific!" And weird, but she’s not going to mention that.
It was nearly four in the morning when Ena’s phone lit up with a single notification. Tonight’s Nightcord meeting didn’t run very late – with Mizuki wanting to catch up on some anime and Kanade being forced into bed by Honami-chan – Ena and Mafuyu agreed to skip the rest of it. Unlike Ena, Mafuyu had school in the morning, no matter how much time she’s like to spend with her.
Can you listen to something?
No greeting. No explanation. Nothing. Just that.
Ena rubbed her eyes, blinking blearily at the screen. She was halfway through shading a new sketch, this time actually for Niigo when the message arrived, her stylus hovering above the tablet.
You still awake???
Couldn’t sleep.
A beat.
I wanted to finish something.
A link followed, not to the shared drive – but a private one. Something just for her ears. It makes her blood rush as she clicked on it.
Then a track began quietly. A soft tap-tap-tap, one that’s rhythm Ena could recognize everywhere. One that she drew more times than she’d like to admit. Mafuyu’s own rhythm.
Then came the simple, gentle melody, built around that heartbeat-like percussion. The kind of sound that made you want to hold your breath. And beneath it, Mafuyu’s voice. It wasn’t her usual tone. Not the distant, practiced calm Ena knew so well. This voice was raw, a little uneven, like she was trying to find her footing, making sure to get across what she was feeling.
She didn’t realize she was on the verge of crying until a tear slid down her cheek.
The song continued, a faint swell of synth echoing around that steady tapping. No dramatic crescendo, no sudden drop. The track faded into silence. No flashy outro. Just quiet.
I didn’t want to send it to the others.
I wrote it because of what you said.
About the drumming
It’s beautiful.
I want to tell you something before I lose my confidence and back out.
When I write, or sing… All I can think about is you.
Ena’s heart thudded painfully, her throat thick with something too heavy to name. This is not happening. It’s just a dream and when she wakes up, she’ll have to whine about it to Amia.
Yuki. Are you confessing to me rn????
Mafuyu never replied so fast before.
Yes.
Ena stared at the screen, private chat still open. A small smile on her lips. as she closed the sketch she worked on and opens an illustration she did finished not long ago. A drawing of them together, sitting in the diner, hands intertwined together, a smile on both of their faces.
She attached it, as an answer. The chat fell silent, but it wasn’t heavy.
Ena picked up her stylus, the faint glow of the screen reflecting in her eyes, and replayed the song this time, listening not as a friend, but as someone being loved.