Work Text:
Mizuki sat at her desk. This music video needed to be up in two days, and she couldn’t finish the last part! It’s so simple, it just needs to be a smooth finish, but she can’t. Mizuki tapped her pen across the screen— the sound filling the room.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
As the sound echoed, she found her mind wandering around. If she can’t finish this, what will everyone think? Will they try to find someone new? They can’t do that, they’ve been friends for so long, why can’t she just finish this? It’s one minute of footage, yet feels like an eternity.
A ringing noise from her phone shrilled from across the room: Saki.
Walking over, she picked it up.
“Hello?” Mizuki whispered into the phone.
“Hello, Mizuki-chan!” Saki chattered into the phone, asking Mizuki about her day, what she was doing, how Mizuki was doing, Mizuki enjoyed the simple silly questions. It gave her some calm after anything really.
“Doing great!” She replied, “How are you doing? I heard from Rui that you and the rest of Leo/Need are putting on a show soon.”
Saki nodded (Silly, Mizuki wouldn’t even know) “Yep! It’s happening in two weeks! We’ve been rehearsing everyday since we found out!”
“That’s so cool!” Mizuki put her hand on her cheek, “Tell me what day! I want to be there to see you!”
“The twenty first!” Saki exclaimed. She saw her clock and saw it only read 5:30. “I can tell you more about it. Do you want to hang out?”
Mizuki almost said yes, almost. The realized that Saki would see the unfinished music video. “Um… I don’t know Saki-chan,” She said hesitantly. She really did want Saki to come over, but what would she think? Mizuki peered over her shoulder, seeing the editing program still up.
“Please? I promise I won’t be a bother!”
“Saki-chan, you’re never a bother!” Eventually, Mizuki took a deep breath. “Yes, you can come over.”
Saki was quick, maybe only took her ten minutes to get there. There was a knock on the door.
“Mizuki-chan! I’m here!” Mizuki opened the door, seeing a very excited Saki standing in front of it. “Hi, Mizuki-chan!” Saki waved.
“Hi Saki-chan!” Mizuki waved back. “Come in!” Saki removed her shoes, and stepped inside. “Do you want to go to my room?”
Saki nodded. “Yep!” Mizuki led the way, while Saki trailed behind her. Once they got up, Mizuki realized something— she completely forgot to close the animation program! Not wanting Saki to know, she carefully took a seat in front of the screen, positioning herself just right so Saki couldn’t see from where she was sitting. Of course, Saki still saw. She had a knack for seeing things she wasn’t. “What are you working on?”
Mizuki froze, thinking of how she could respond. Be honest? No, Saki would be mad at her. Lie? No, Saki would see right through her! Mizuki didn’t know what to do. Every option in her head just went bad. So, she whispered into the ground:
“The music video…”
Saki perked her head up. “Ooh, can I see?” Mizuki froze again. She didn’t exactly tell Saki that the music video wasn’t finished. Ugh, why would she do that? She should have just lied. Now when Saki sees, she’ll be mad. Think she’s a horrible animator. “Mizuki-chan?” Saki leaned over. “Are you alright?”
This time, there were no lies. Just the truth. “No.”
Saki walked towards her, putting an arm around Mizuki’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“The music video is only halfway done and it needs to be published in two days. I don’t know what to do, and I don’t want to tell the rest of Nightcord because I know, just know they’ll be mad at me. They’ll all be mad at me!” Mizuki held her face in her hands. There were no tears, not the right moment. But there was still a cloud of sadness.
“Mizuki-chan, they won’t be mad at you!” Saki hugged Mizuki, shooing away the stormy clouds blocking her vision. “They’ll understand. I’m sure Ena will! She’s gone through art block before!”
Mizuki nodded, but she still didn’t understand. Yes, other people have gone through what she has, but it doesn’t make sense. Other people weren’t her. Other people were better than her, it made sense that they were cut some slack. But her? She wasn’t them. If she tells Nightcord, they’ll get mad. They’ll get mad. They’ll get mad. They’ll get mad—
“What if I help you? I have some experience with music videos!”
Mizuki’s thoughts slowed. Not stopped, slowed. Like how clouds go thin and the sun can shine through. She thought— thought for a long while.
“Okay.”
Saki grinned, she loved helping her out. She loved helping anyone out really. Saki kissed Mizuki on her cheek and turned around facing the screen. “Can I see what you have so far?”
“Mhm.” Mizuki rewinded to the beginning, showing Saki the beginning and some of the middle.
“Hmm…” Saki thought. “I think if you use the effects you did in the beginning…” Saki rewinded to the beginning of the music video, “And then combined that with the shapes here…” Saki fast forwarded to right before the middle, “I think that would be cool!”
Mizuki thought, trying to figure out how that would look. “That’s a good idea!” She almost immediately went to work, grabbing elements from the beginning, figuring out the best way to position them, combine them with the other effects— and making sure it was all on time of course.
After about an hour of talking, trying new things, and the occasional kiss here and there, another part of the music video was done!
Mizuki and Saki watched as it played. A tiny part, yet it seemed so big. Saki let out a happy cheer.
“Yay! We’re a step closer!” Mizuki hugged Saki, and Saki returned the hug back.
“Thank you Saki-chan!”
As the music kept playing, they eventually broke the hug. 7:00, Saki needed to be home for dinner. “Aw, can’t you stay just a little longer?” Mizuki pleaded.
“I wish.” Saki said, grabbing her bag. “But I have to go.” Mizuki sighed and kissed her one more time.
“Bye, Saki-chan!”
“Bye-bye, Mizuki-chan!”