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Aoi is perfect in every sense of the word.
She has never once gotten less than a full score on any of their tests. Her hair is vivid and smells like flowers, her face is cute and small, and she carries herself with elegance at all times. She never stumbles over her words either, always so composed, and her voice—
Oh, her voice.
The first time Nene listened to her sing was by accident. She was playing with a paper airplane, but due to her carelessness, it got stuck in a tree. So Nene climbed the trunk, crawling onto the sturdiest looking branch she could find and reaching for her toy. Just as her fingers grasped the airplane, she heard a gentle melody floating through the wind.
It was coming from the river, just a little bit away from the tree Nene was on. A young girl, who must be around Nene's height and age, stands facing the rushing stream. She's holding a sheet of paper—practicing a song, then?
For a long time, Nene just sat on that tree branch, her legs swinging off the edge as she listened to the girl's voice. It's such a soft one, silky smooth and unique. All until the end of her practice, Nene remained entranced, as if there was a magic spell placed on her.
When Aoi finished her practice, she turned around, and her eyes met Nene's from across the distance. Not expecting to be caught, Nene flinched violently, causing her to fall backwards and hit the ground with a painful thump.
That was their first meeting, and looking back at it, Nene finds that some things simply don't change.
She frets while Aoi comforts her. She stumbles where Aoi glides. Whenever Nene messes up, during vocal classes or dance lessons or pretty much in her daily life, Aoi is always there to drag her back up and show her the way.
It's no secret that Aoi is the most treasured pet here at Anakt Garden. All their teachers love her, and all the guardians of the other pets are jealous because they don't have her. Nene's own guardian, though not as terrifying as some of the other stories she's heard, has told her many times to stay friends with Aoi—the benefits of being next to perfection is that it'll rub off on you eventually, it says.
But who cares about all that, truly? Nene is friends with Aoi because she wants to be. Because Aoi is beautiful and kind and knows everything in the world, and nothing will go wrong as long as they stay best friends forever!
"Nene-chan," Aoi greets, approaching her in the garden with her hands clasped behind her back. Nene immediately shifts to make space for her—she's been hiding under this tree for shade, doodling in a sketchbook, which was a gift from her guardian. "I overheard a scary story earlier! Do you want to know?"
Nene sets her sketchbook aside, nodding quickly. She always enjoys Aoi’s scary stories, even if they make her stomach churn and make it hard to sleep at night sometimes. Plus, Aoi has many to share, always getting a little excited glint in her eye when Nene expresses fear to her stories, so Nene loves to indulge her.
"Yes!" she says. "Tell me!"
"Okay!" Aoi leans back on the tree trunk, her shoulders brushing with Nene's. "Have you heard of what happens to children who die?"
For the next few minutes, Aoi tells her about a story of death. It's sinister, in the way something unknown always feels, but Aoi isn't acting like it is. Instead, she speaks of this mysterious place called The Boundary, specifically a sector named The Far Shore. She speaks of this place as a safe haven, for the well-behaved children to rest once their time is up.
It’s all made up, of course. Children who die are supposed to return to The Great Anakt and live happily under His care. But Nene listens attentively anyway, fascinated by this alternate concept.
"And they have gods," Aoi says, holding up her fingers. "Seven wonders. They're the ones who take care of the Boundaries and oversee all the children who end up there."
"There's more than one Boundary?" Nene asks.
"Mhm!"
"How do you choose which one you go to when you die?"
"You can't." Aoi shakes her head, her smile dimming. "The wonders will choose, not you. They have all the power, because they're the perfect beings."
"Oh…" Nene can't help but be a little disappointed at this story, then. If both her and Aoi were to die one day, she would hope that they'd end up in the same place, boundary or not.
No… That's not right. Aoi is much too flawless to be given the same boring fate as Nene. Rather, Nene thinks that Aoi would become a wonder too. If they're meant to be the perfect beings, the rulers of the ideal afterlife, then Aoi would certainly be befitting for the role.
"If I die, will you let me into your Boundary?" Nene bursts out the question before she can stop herself.
Aoi's eyes widen. For a brief moment, an odd shadow crosses her face, but it disappears so quickly that Nene thinks it must be a trick of the light. Instead, she smiles sweetly, taking Nene's hands and holding it close to her chest.
"Of course!" she says. "Then we can be together forever!"
Nene beams. The story sounds much better like that.
When the inevitable comes—when Nene goes onto stage and sings her heart out, whether she wins or loses won’t matter. Death doesn’t sound so scary if it comes with the promise of Aoi by her side.
Here’s another thing about Aoi: She’s a resident heartbreaker.
Nene has watched it happen many times. A boy from their class would go up to Aoi, tripping over his own words as he passes over a gift with trembling fingers. Usually, it’d be flowers pulled from the ground, or some extra food they snuck during lunch. And each time, Aoi will stare them dead in the eye with a sweet smile and a poised rejection on the tip of her tongue.
Nene doesn’t get why exactly Aoi has never accepted any of these confessions. The boys are cute, and Nene herself has certainly dreamed of such a situation happening to her one day. She’d like to be like a princess from the stories she’s heard, swept away by a charming prince to live happily ever after…
But then she really considers it, and perhaps Aoi rejects every boy that comes her way because she’s too good for them. It makes sense. Aoi is the best in the world—beautiful and clever. Nobody even comes close to her level, so logically, none of these boys deserve her heart!
Still, it doesn’t help Aoi’s reputation as an untouchable being, and unfortunately, it brews some nastier emotions in the class.
Nene is sitting alone by the garden again, writing into her diary. She hasn’t seen Aoi out yet today, though she might just be with her guardian—Aoi often gets taken out for photoshoots and to join her guardian for business meetings. Nene doesn’t know what those entail exactly, but they sound important.
Anyway, Nene has been content to spend her time alone today, but her pencil screeches to a stop on the page when she overhears the conversation going on behind her.
“—thinks she’s better than everyone. I don’t know how she’s still well-liked.”
“Well-liked? She doesn’t even have friends! Nene is the only one who talks to her!”
“Haha, I guess you’re right. Aoi isn’t really a princess when she can’t make more than one friend.”
Nene sets her diary down and whips her head around, searching for the culprits. It’s not too hard—two children she doesn’t recognise are sitting further down the garden, cross-legged and leaning into each other. Furious, Nene stomps over, and when they notice her coming, she points at them. “I can hear you! Don’t speak about Ao-chan like that!”
“Ao-chan..?” one of them repeats slowly. Realisation fills her eyes. “Ah. You’re talking about Aoi?”
“She’s my best friend!” Nene fumes. She won’t stand for anyone speaking of Aoi ill-manneredly. “Not yours! So if you don’t even know her, you can’t say all those mean things about her.”
The other kid stands up. He’s much taller than the girl and Nene, and when he stalks up to her, Nene feels her joints grow stiff. Still, she stares back resolutely—she’s not going to back down, because she knows she’s right.
“Look,” the kid sighs, “I’m not trying to start a fight. But you don’t have to hang out with Aoi just because she’s pretty. She’ll dump you aside once she finds someone else, anyway.”
Nene balls her hands up into fists. How could he insinuate such a thing? That Aoi is so cruel and disloyal, that their friendship could so easily be tossed away like it was trash under someone’s foot?
“She won’t!” Nene insists back, seething through her teeth. “Ao-chan is the nicest person ever, and you’re the bully for talking about her like that!”
Later that evening, when Aoi finally returns, she stuns at the sight of Nene crouched onto the ground, alone. Her eyes widen when they land on Nene’s face, where a bruise has bloomed over her skin.
“Nene-chan,” she gasps. Unlike her, Aoi looks to be in tiptop condition, as always. “What happened? Why are you hurt?”
Nene sniffles, but ultimately shakes her head. Aoi won’t like it if she knew that Nene got into a fight. Not that you could really call it one, since Nene was on the ground in an instant, but she did throw the first hit. So this is her fault.
“It’s okay,” Aoi shushes, and then she envelops Nene in a warm hug. Nene buries her face in her shoulder, greedily seeking for that comfort, and she’s satisfied that she’s being proven right in real time—Aoi is so nice. She wouldn’t do this for anyone else either. Only Nene receives this treatment, because they love each other the most. “Do you think a bath would make you feel better?”
“Anything with you will,” Nene replies sincerely, but she does light up at the sound of a bath.
Aoi smiles and takes her hand.
In exchange for all the scary stories that Aoi tells her, Nene comes up with fairytales.
They’re all sweet and end in a happy romance, because Nene has noticed that that’s what pleases Aoi the most. She’ll create fantasies of faraway lands, with princesses or fairies or knights, and come up with the romance tale of her dreams. Nene would share them with Aoi especially when it’s late at night, and they’re laying in the grass together, gazing at the stars.
One night, though, they’re laying by the river where they first met instead. The sound of flowing water is gentle and calming, and Nene herself has her toes dipped beneath the surface. Aoi rests beside her, and with a quieter set to her eyes, she whispers, “Do you think your fairytales will ever happen to us?”
Nene turns to her, lips parted. “Which ones?”
“Finding a lover and escaping to live happily ever after,” Aoi replies dully. She raises a hand, reaching towards the vast, empty night sky. “There has to be more than this place out there.”
Oh, what is Aoi talking about? This garden is all Nene has ever known—she can’t recall a life before it, and she doesn’t want to either. Because Aoi is here.
Perhaps Aoi does know better though. She claims she travels across the universe for some of her photoshoots, though she’s always transported in an opaque box, unable to see a thing, so she can’t recount the environment to Nene.
“I’m tired of this,” Aoi confesses, and it’s like having poison taint her ears. Nene’s eyes dart around, just in case there are other children around, listening in. “I hate singing.”
What’s going on? This isn’t Aoi. This isn’t perfect, straight As, mesmerising Aoi that has the entire class falling for her. She has never expressed dislike for any of their activities here, because why would someone so talented hate the very thing they’re good at?
“No you don’t,” Nene says with a shake of her head. She doesn’t know why her chest has suddenly seized up with panic.
Aoi isn’t looking at her, instead fixating her gaze to the stars above. Is she seeing something that Nene can’t?
…Is she going to leave?
If it’s one person that could figure it out, then clever, resourceful Aoi could. Nene has no doubt about it—she believes Aoi can do anything she sets her mind to. But the mere idea of living a life without Aoi by her side just terrifies Nene to her core, that she doesn’t think before she’s throwing herself over Aoi, caging her to the ground.
“You love singing!” she insists, slamming her hands around Aoi’s head. “You’re perfect at it, Ao-chan. Did someone say you weren’t good? Because they’re wrong, they’re just jealous that you’re so pretty and lovely and—”
“…Stop,” Aoi interrupts, her voice flat. “Nene-chan, you don’t know me at all.”
Nene freezes.
What does that mean? How can Nene not know her best friend? They spend every waking moment together, and they talk about everything and anything. Like—
Aoi brings a hand to Nene’s cheek, tracing her bone structure. She smiles, though it’s pulled tight around the edges, and it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. And Nene’s heart drops to her stomach the longer this silence stretches on, leaving her confused and breathless.
“I’m sorry,” Aoi finally says, turning her head until her cheek is brushing against the grass. “Forget I said anything.”
“But—”
“I’ll stay with you,” Aoi continues, interrupting her, “for as long as you want. Okay, Nene-chan?”
Nene swallows, her throat feeling like it’s on fire. She wants to ask more questions, figure out what exactly Aoi is thinking, but Aoi has already put this mask back on. No matter how hard Nene pushes, Aoi won’t open up.
It’s not the first time Nene has noticed this aspect of her best friend. When they talk, Aoi only ever listens, never sharing anything about herself unless Nene specifically asks. Still, she assumed it was just part of her personality, so she keeps it to herself and doesn’t bother pointing it out.
“Okay,” she agrees shakily, taking Aoi’s hand and giving it a tight squeeze. “I love you, Ao-chan! I always will!”
Aoi’s gaze softens. Yet, she does not meet Nene’s eye, and instead whispers back, I love you too, with a kiss to her forehead, lips trembling like it was a sin to do so.
“Senpai!”
Nene lights up at the familiar voice. She glances over, and indeed, as expected, she spots Kou running towards her, waving excitedly.
Kou is another boy in her class that she befriended not too long ago. He’s earnest and dependable, and his dream, as he says, is to win Alien Stage, just like his older brother.
Alien Stage itself is a faraway concept for Nene and many others. They’re told that if they do well in their studies and activities, they get to advance to a special place known as Alien Stage. Their voices will be heard all across the universe for everyone to admire, and if they do exceptionally well, they’ll be crowned the winner.
It’s the goal for many of them, and plenty of their classmates’ guardians are pushing for their respective pets to win. Nene’s guardian, on the other hand, hasn’t ever mentioned this—she only found out after being in the garden for a while.
Anyway, Kou is her closest informant about Alien Stage, considering his family ties, and Nene loves talking to him about it. A world stage! How exciting! Maybe she’ll meet her future lover on the stage itself, and they’ll perform a romantic duet that’ll sweep everyone off their feet.
“Kou-kun!” she greets back with her arms thrown in the air. They meet in the middle, though Kou stops just shy of crashing into her. “You’re back!”
Kou, like Aoi, has a guardian that often takes him out of the garden for important things that Nene isn’t privy to. Though, in his case, they’re often due to his brother—Teru is a famous name across the universe, with many brand deals under his belt, and Kou often goes to support his endeavours.
He’s been missing for a week by now, but it seems he’s finally returned!
Upon closer inspection, Kou is holding onto something squarish. He holds it to his chest, doing a double-check of his surroundings before he whispers, “Senpai, I got this while on a trip. It’s a DVD of one of my brother’s past rounds on Alien Stage.”
Nene gasps, her hands flying to her chest. DVDs are an extreme rarity in this garden, as are books and other forms of media. How did Kou smuggle this in without any of the guards seeing, anyway?
Not one to question a good thing, Nene gushes, “That’s amazing! Are you going to watch it?”
“I was thinking we could watch it together,” Kou offers. He rubs the back of his neck shyly. “Do you want to?”
Nene agrees easily enough. Later that evening, they hole themselves up in a room with a DVD player and projector. Once Kou slides the disc in, the screen expands, and they gather back. Nene pulls her knees to her chests, focused on the beginnings of a haunting melody.
Kou’s brother shares many resemblances with him, owning the same fluffy hair and crystal eyes. But there’s definitely a different air around Teru, from the deeper resonance of his voice to his frigid smile. He sings with passion, and the longer the video goes on, the more his voice overpowers his opponent’s.
When the song comes to an end, an explosive BANG! rips through the air. Nene flinches as the opponent’s neck is suddenly sliced by a blurry line, and bright red blood begins spurting all over the screen. The opponent’s knees give out as they drop to the ground like a doll that’s been tossed aside.
Teru is proclaimed the winner, and as he stands above his opponent with an empty grin, the video cuts to an end.
“…Oh,” Kou says.
What was that? Was that… death?
Nene knows that those who lose on Alien Stage end up returning to a safer haven, just like in the lessons they’re taught, but it’s always been more of a distant idea to her than something concrete. She’s never actually entertained the idea of Death hands grasping around her neck.
And she never expected it to look so gruesome.
Automatically, her hand rises to the side of her nape, brushing against the empty skin. Her nail digs into the flesh, and it’s only a mere pinprick of pain, but her stomach still churns like she was the one who was shot. What would it feel like if her neck was truly sliced open like that, she wonders?
Her old conversation with Aoi resurfaces to the forefront of her mind. Is this what she meant when she stated that she hated singing? Did she know?
“I have to go,” Nene blurts, abruptly standing up. She turns to Kou, who is still staring ahead, shellshocked, and she momentarily feels bad for leaving him here alone. But then—
“Yeah,” Kou agrees, visibly swallowing. “Go ahead.”
Nene spins on her heel and races out of the room.
She finds Aoi in her room, laying in bed and hidden under the covers.
The lump under the blanket shifts when Nene opens the door, but otherwise, Aoi gives no indication that she’s awake. Nene creeps in anyway, her footsteps echoing loudly around the room. She stops just at the edge of the bed, and with her fingers wringing together, she calls, “…Ao-chan?”
The blanket moves again. This time, the barest hints of Aoi’s hair pops out, followed by her lidded eyes. Maybe she really was sleeping? Nene shouldn’t bother her. “Nene-chan? What’s wrong?”
With trembling lips, Nene crawls into her bed. She immediately moves to make room, and Nene presses their bodies together until her head is tucked underneath Aoi’s chin and she can hear Aoi’s heartbeat thumping fiercely by her ear. It soothes her, but only temporarily, as she recalls the video she saw.
Her fingers quiver as they come up to tug on Aoi's shirt, curling into the fabric. Aoi makes another confused noise, but she otherwise remains silent, instead stroking a gentle hand through Nene's hair.
When Nene finally musters up the courage, she asks, once again, "If I die, will you let me into your Boundary?"
Aoi's hand stills.
"On that stage," Nene clarifies, even if it's not necessary. Her breaths are coming out shaky. She tightens her grip, pressing her forehead even closer. "If I— when I lose. Will you be there for me?"
Nene isn't stupid enough to think that she could truly win the whole thing. She’s not even in the top half of her class. And as long as someone like Aoi is competing, anyway, Nene won't ever be the winner. She doesn't actually mind, for it makes sense that the princess of their class would one day end up crowned, but what she does fear is meeting her end all alone.
In the video, the opponent fell to the ground with their eyes wide and lifeless, like their soul had been ripped from their body. Nene can’t imagine ever becoming such an empty shell.
"Oh, Nene-chan," Aoi whispers, and suddenly, her arms are wrapping around Nene's frame, holding her tight. Nene's cheeks warm at the loving gesture, even more so when Aoi presses a kiss to her forehead, just shy of her hairline. "I'll stay with you forever, I promise."
"Okay," Nene gasps, her heart jumping. "You promise."
She sinks into the comfort Aoi provides her, and in doing so, doesn’t notice that Aoi has her fingers crossed behind her back.
In the dead of the night, surrounded by a sea of stars and without so much as a fleeting goodbye, Aoi breaks her promise.
Aoi learns what death truly is at the age of five.
It’s a hazy memory when she tries to recall it, the details all a blur, but she remembers how it felt. When she was plunged into darkness, with water filling her lungs, clawing desperately at nothing. They had laughed, back then. They thought her struggle was cute.
Somehow, Aoi was brought back from the brink. She learns that she’s been bought last minute, wanted for the unique colour of her hair and her huge, sparkling eyes.
Her owner is a renowned businesswoman with calculating eyes and a sharp tongue. Despite this, she was always pleased with Aoi’s docile behaviour, and told her that she was going to turn her life around—make her a superstar.
That is how Aoi finds herself stepping foot into Anakt Garden.
The children in her class are all obsessed with music and terribly naive at heart. Aoi watches them fumble with themselves like she’s watching a circus show, and for a moment, understands why the segyein like to keep them in an enclosure for entertainment. Everyone is so stupid, it’s laughable.
Except…
Nene is honestly no different from the rest. She’s naive and dreams of going onto the big stage one day, and thinks that dying would bring her to the warm, loving embrace of Anakt. Aoi wants to tell her that it’s nothing like that—that death is a horrible, suffocating experience, and that there is no God waiting to welcome them with open arms.
Alas, she cannot bring herself to ruin Nene’s innocent mind.
It gets to the point where she enjoys listening to Nene’s silly, nonsensical fairytales, where everyone ends up with a happy ending and nothing goes wrong. It may not be realistic, but Aoi likes imagining a world where it is. Nene doesn’t know it, but she is Aoi’s saving grace in this world of cruelty. Nene is her favourite person in this entire universe.
But they grow older, and the looming threat of Alien Stage starts to become a chilling shadow that follows Aoi’s every step. She can’t help the fear gripping at her heart, peeling it back layer and layer until she’s shaking at the mere prospect of a microphone in her hand.
She hates it so much. She hates it like she hates the stupid children here and the meaningless praises she receives and the hungry gazes of her teachers when she performs another song. It’s like there are parasites growing underneath her skin, eating away at her soul for every second she remains in the garden.
(It makes her wonder what ugly thing would reveal itself if she bleeds.)
Even Nene, whose smile usually brightens up Aoi’s world, becomes a noose around her neck, chaining her to this wretched place. Her love, ever pure and gentle, starts to feel like a curse.
So when presented with the opportunity to escape, Aoi’s selfish, rotting heart snatches it.
"You came here alone?" the boy in front of her asks, resting a cheek on his hand, his eyes wide and imploring. There's a smirk on his face, like he knows something she doesn't want to show. "You're certainly brave."
"Don't be rude," an older man chides, hitting the boy's head. The boy yelps, clutching the attacked area with an indignant squawk. "Aoi, correct?"
Aoi tenses, gritting her teeth before she nods.
"I'm Tsuchigomori. This is Hanako." He gestures as he speaks, then adjusts his glasses. "How did you find out about us?"
"...I was told by someone named Akane," she admits, glancing down. It was on one of her 'business trips', so as to speak. She was accompanying her guardian to have her photos taken—some sort of collaboration to promote Anakt Garden. On the way, she ran into another boy with red hair, who introduced her to a group of rebels. It was only spoken of in hushed words, and Aoi didn't even believe him at first, but when he offered to help her escape, it was too difficult to resist.
The only issue is that she couldn't bring anyone else with her. Akane didn't have the capacity for more than one rider on his already small hover bike. He said he only gave her the offer because she was smart and could likely fend for herself, so he need not coddle her during their escape. And that even if she did bring someone, he wouldn’t take them.
Well, it was an ironic statement, all things considered. Aoi is far from capable. She's just really good at pretending.
"Akane!" Hanako cheers, spinning around on his chair. "He should've said he was bringing someone in! Well, we always accept new recruits, right, Tsuchigomori-sensei?"
"You know our supplies are limited," Tsuchigomori mutters darkly. He drags a hand down his face with a sigh. "Then again, you're right. We don't turn any human away."
Hanako grins, holding his hand out to Aoi, who takes it with hesitance. "Welcome to the rebellion, Aoi!"
The rebellion is full of enigmas and people Aoi can't quite imagine getting along with, but it's not the worst place in the world.
At the very least, she's free.
It's like the shackles around her ankle have broken, allowing her to run with the wind. She learns various survival skills and has warm meals at night, and even though they're scarce, they always leave her belly full. The grass outside tickles her feet and the air is clearer than ever, and she can breathe without feeling like she’s being suffocated.
This is better than anything she can imagine. She should be grateful. She is grateful. It's what she's always wanted, to run far away from the garden and never look back.
But—
"You don't seem very happy here," Mitsuba points out one day, when he and Aoi are in the kitchen together, watching over a boiling pot of soup.
Aoi curves her fingers around the wooden ladle, giving the soup a useless stir. She plasters on a smile, though it feels like her face is going to crack. "What? I love being here!"
Mitsuba's lips tick downwards in annoyance. He's pretty loud about his distaste with things, to the point where he comes across as bratty, but he's also an extremely talented sniper, making him a vital member of the rebellion. Or so Aoi has heard.
"Well," Mitsuba continues, scoffing around his words, "if you were still back there, you'd be competing next year, right?"
She doesn't appreciate the reminder, but she tries not to show it, and nods anyway. Her eyes remain trained on the cooking soup. It smells good. Wonder what Yako put in this?
Mitsuba laughs. It sounds like he's mocking her. Or is Aoi just overthinking it? "What, do you want to compete? There's no way anyone actually misses that place."
"Were you a member of the garden?" Aoi shoots back.
"Hah, only for a trial period. They kicked me out because I became a defect." He gestures to the large scar marring his eye, only barely hidden by the lock of hair he has over it. "It was a total blessing to be tossed to the streets, I'll tell you."
Aoi bites her tongue. There's no way Mitsuba knows how she feels, then, the guilt of leaving people behind.
It’s weird, because it’s not like there’s much to miss. Her classmates either fawn over or mock her, and they never once tried to see her as someone other than the most treasured pet, and the prospected winner of their generation's Alien Stage.
Even Nene, her best friend—
"H-Hey! The soup's gonna spill!" Mitsuba snatches the ladle from her hold, pushing her aside. Aoi stumbles a few steps back in surprise. "Seriously! What are you dreaming about?"
"Sorry," Aoi gasps, rubbing her eyes. "I didn't— I don't know what I'm—"
"If you've got something on your mind, just say it!" Mitsuba snaps. "Don't ruin dinner over it."
Oh, but how can she put it into words? Does Mitsuba understand the heavy weight of a broken promise that's currently blanketing her shoulders?
Aoi is fully aware that she did this to herself, and that leaving was a conscious decision, but what choice did she have? She hated that place. The idea of being dangled like a doll for all the segyein to laugh and cheer at was too much to bear. And listening to her classmates dream about the afterlife, about being sent to the Great Anakt like it was some sort of bliss to die—
They don’t know better. Nene didn’t, at least she thinks. How is she feeling now, cold and alone, without Aoi to help her?
"I need to go back," Aoi whispers, her voice quivering with every syllable. "I don't want to, but I need to. I-I left someone behind, and I promised her I wouldn't, but—"
She chokes back on a sob, rubbing at her eyes again. Oh, she shouldn't cry. She doesn't deserve to, not when she's the one with the privilege to leave.
"Then just tell Hanako that!" Mitsuba huffs. He's managed to bring the soup's boil down to a simmer, and it thankfully no longer looks like it's at risk of flooding the kitchen. "He's the leader. He'll figure something out if you tell him your wish."
"...Really?"
"Well…" Mitsuba hesitates. "I don't know for sure. But he's like you—he escaped from the garden after being raised there. It wouldn't hurt to ask, at least."
Huh. Aoi didn't know that, but when she thinks about it, Hanako does look to be around her age.
"Okay," she agrees, sniffling. This is pathetic. "...Thank you, Mitsuba-kun."
"Don't thank me," Mitsuba huffs, but he waves her off. "Go. I'll finish the soup."
When Aoi brings her wish up to Hanako, she’s surprised to find that it’s not as infeasible as she thought. In fact, the rebellion itself was formed in order to save children from Anakt Garden.
But Hanako's plan, unfortunately, can only take place next year, when Nene and the other contestants have stepped onto the stage.
It's much harder to infiltrate the garden than to leave, according to Hanako, because the security measures are made to keep outside forces from influencing the brainwashed children. He points out that the only reason Aoi could even think of escaping was because she met Akane, for example. It'd be better to invade the stage itself, where security in the garden will be lowered, and the humans are mostly gathered in one place.
It's a plan that's been drawn up since the start of the rebellion, but never enacted because they didn't have enough manpower. When Aoi asks Hanako why he's even hellbent on saving the children in the garden, he only hesitates for a moment before admitting—
"I left someone behind too." He shrugs, and his eyes are almost lifeless. "He's the reason I'm able to see the stars now. The real ones."
Aoi wonders if they're, perhaps, a little bit kindred.
She spends the following year with the rebellion, working towards Hanako's master plan. To her surprise, she actually manages to form decent friendships here—Akane is a little overbearing, but ultimately takes good care of her. Mei is a sweetheart, even if a little eccentric. And Mitsuba is pretty easy to talk to when he isn't putting up a snotty front. The adults are all reliable too, and Aoi doesn’t ever feel like she’s being looked down upon.
Despite this, Aoi doesn't feel fulfilled. She knows she won't be until she makes it up to her best friend.
The months have given Aoi a lot of time to reflect on her decisions. Sometimes, gets so anxious about seeing Nene again that she hides in her room for days, refusing to come out until someone drags her. She misses Nene so terribly it gnaws away at her heart.
Eventually, the day of the plan arrives, and Aoi finds herself on a hoverbike of her own, gripping the handles like it's her lifeline. Akane taught her how to ride these, but she's still not the greatest at it, so she really hopes she doesn’t fall. They make their way down to where this year's Alien Stage is hosted, and despite the wind whipping in her face or the fresh scent of grass lingering in her nose, Aoi finds herself holding her breath.
What will Nene say, when she sees her again? When she learns that Aoi has been alive and living good, despite a broken promise? Aoi knows it’s visibly evident—she’s put on weight and has scabs on her knees, ‘ruining’ her pristine image. She’s different now.
Will Nene forgive her, in the way she is always too forgiving for her own good, or will she be unable to stand looking at the new Aoi? Either way, the idea of a reunion sickens Aoi to her core, having to face the consequences of her self-serving decisions a little too much to bear.
It's just another reason why Aoi doesn't deserve Nene's forgiveness.
Selfishly, she hopes she'll receive it anyway.
Aoi's hoverbike comes to a screeching stop as Akane yanks at her arm, dragging her back. A gasp lodges itself in the back of her throat when she looks ahead and notices an army of Anakt guards sprinting towards them, weapons at the ready.
"What's going on?" she chokes out. "There weren't supposed to be any guards here!"
"Maybe they changed their security measures after you escaped," Akane replies dryly, grabbing for the sword he keeps behind his back. Aoi, on the other hand, doesn't have any weapons on her other than a small knife. "I'll get you a gun. Mitsuba's taught you, right?"
He's zooming forward before Aoi can reply, kicking up a duststorm in his wake. Aoi's heart threatens to beat out of her chest as she looks at the time. They can't afford to spend too long here, or the first round of Alien Stage will begin. Is Nene in the first round? She didn’t have time to check, but she hopes not—
"Catch!" Akane roars, and from the distance, chucks a stolen gun from one of the guards in her direction.
Aoi fumbles to grab it, newfound determination coursing through her veins. Right. She needs to focus.
"I hear noise," Sakura says, her voice as flat and disinterested as always.
Nene flinches from beside her. Sakura hasn’t spoken a word to her other than a brief greeting, so she didn’t expect her to strike up a conversation. They're waiting to compete against each other, and although this has been something Nene practiced for her whole life, it doesn't quell her nerves in the slightest to actually stand in the waiting room.
The frills of Nene's dress brush irritatingly against her ankles. She got ready alone, and she couldn't help but imagine what it’d be like if Aoi was here with her. She'd soothe all of Nene's nerves, maybe help her get dressed, all while talking with a sweet smile. She'd assure Nene that she'd do her best, and that Nene should too, so that at least one of them can end up the winner.
Well, not that Nene wants Aoi to be here. She should stop dreaming of childhood fantasies again. Wherever Aoi is, she hopes she's doing okay.
The day Nene discovered that Aoi disappeared wasn't a fun one. She had rushed around the garden for hours, distressed and calling for Aoi's name over and over. Even after looking in all of Aoi's favourite spots, none brought her best friend to light.
The week after that, Aoi's missing poster went up, and Nene had lost all hope.
She couldn't help but wonder what it was that she did. Was it because Nene crawled into her bed that night, begging for comfort again? She did always depend on Aoi to be her emotional safe space. Perhaps Aoi got sick of her and decided to leave. Is leaving even possible?
Another crash bursts through the air. Nene glances over her shoulder, but there aren't any windows in this waiting room. The noise sounds like it's coming from downstairs, though, where the audience would be gathered.
Before they can think too much about it, an alarm blares and the gates open, signalling that it's time to go on stage. Nene and Sakura stand up before facing each other, and Nene reaches forward, taking Sakura's hands.
"Good luck," she wishes. To both of them.
Sakura tilts her head and gives her hands a little squeeze. Nene can't tell if she's nervous or not, though it’s not like there'd be any use in that anymore. "May the best of us win."
When Aoi rushes into the audience, the first thing she hears is Nene's sweet voice blasting through the speakers.
No, she thinks, her breaths growing short as she squeezes between the crowd frantically, trying to get nearer to the front. Is she too late?
Another voice joins Nene's, this one slightly lower-pitched, but with a ton more stability. It overtakes Nene's in an instant, and the drums of the song grow louder. Aoi feels hot tears spring to her eyes, nearly tripping in her haste. She bumps into someone and their drink spills all over the ground, staining her shoes, but she can’t even be bothered to stop and apologise.
Earlier, she left Akane behind to deal with the remaining guards while she broke her way into the audience. By the end of this round, the rest of the rebellion members should have arrived to take over the stage, but who knows if that would actually happen? The plan was for Aoi and Akane to get the contestants in the waiting room out before any sort of performance could even begin, but they were held back. If luck isn't on their side, then Hanako and the others might've faced the same issue.
Aoi finally makes it to the front. The music is almost assaulting her ears from this point, but Nene's voice is lovely and drowns out the sounds of the crowd's roaring approval. She's in a sleeveless black dress that bounces with every step she takes, along with mismatched stockings and black gloves.
Despite the looming threat of Death over her head, Nene seems to shine under the spotlight. She smiles when she sings, even as her opponent's score climbs higher and higher, and dances like there's nothing holding her back. But Aoi can still tell that she's nervous—hears it in the slight tremble of her voice and sees it in the tight grip she has on her microphone.
Midway through, the stage lights begin to flicker. Aoi assumes it to be a part of the effects at first, but Nene and her opponent both look up in sync, confusion swirling in their eyes. Someone's microphone cuts off, and screeching feedback noise floods the stadium—
CRASH!
As the audience starts to break out into a screaming mess, the stage shakes violently. Nene stumbles over her own feet, spinning around as she tries to search for a safe exit. Her opponent has already disappeared from sight.
Another explosion comes, and this time, a part of the stage erupts into flames. That's Hanako's team—they're meant to take the stage down from the inside and burn it all down. But Nene is still up there!
Aoi’s heart seizes with panic.
"Nene-chan!" she screams, but her voice gets lost amidst all the chaos. She scrambles over the barricades, tears spilling hot and fast.
And somehow, against all odds, Nene meets her eye.
She can't hear her, but Aoi sees the way Nene's mouth moves around the syllable of her name. Her eyes grow wide, and her joints lock up as she freezes up. The microphone slips from her hands, landing with a heavy thump and rolling off the stage.
Aoi can't help it anymore—sobs wrack her frame as the stage continues to crumble. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She thrusts a desperate hand out, and it's not even close to the stage, certainly not enough to reach Nene. Yet, she grasps at the air uselessly, begging for Nene to take the leap.
There's so much she has to tell Nene. Apologies for escaping, for breaking a promise, for leaving so many feelings unsaid. Never mind the consequences, for Aoi will take them all with her head bowed if it means Nene will live past this moment.
Like she's reading her mind, Nene's own eyes well up with tears. A final explosion bursts through the ground, and as furious flames engulf the stage and fill the air with smoke, Nene jumps.
"You're awake."
Nene's throat is so dry she can't even get a sound out when her eyes snap open. Someone helps her sit up, though their hands are unfamiliar. Shock seeps through her system as something cold is pressed to her lips, forcing some water down, and she nearly chokes.
When her vision clears, she notices a boy with choppy bangs and moon-like eyes peering at her, an amused smile on his face.
"You sure messed yourself up!" he laughs, gesturing to her body. Nene automatically glances down, and she flinches at the sight of a large cast wrapped around her right leg. When she tries to lift it up, it doesn't budge. "We almost couldn't save you! We don't really have designated medics here, you see, so I'm honestly surprised you pulled through!"
He stands up, raising his hands above his head to stretch. As he twirls around, Nene takes in the environment she's in.
She's in some sort of room she doesn't recognise, the walls dark with what seems to be a poorly-done paint job, peeling at the edges. Though it’s subtle, she can hear noises from outside, like a group of people chatting and laughing. The mattress she's laying on is a bit scratchy, kind of like her bed back in the garden.
Nene gasps. The garden. What happened to it? She was just performing, wasn't she? Where is—
"Welcome to the rebellion, Yashiro," the boy interrupts her thought process with a cheerful wave. "I'll let your girlfriend explain the rest."
Girlfriend..?
As the boy leaves the room, someone else steps in, and Nene's breath is snatched from her lungs.
"Ao-chan…" she whispers, her fingers digging into the bed. "What… How are you here?"
Aoi looks up at her with a deep-set regret shadowed over her face. Her lips are pulled thin as she shuts the door, reaching Nene's bedside, but before she can say anything, Nene feels a rush of emotion and immediately wraps her up in a hug, clinging onto her neck.
She hasn’t seen Aoi in forever. Honestly, she thought she never will again.
"When you went missing," she chokes out, tears dripping from her tired eyes, "I thought you died. I couldn't find you, even though I searched for weeks."
"I know," Aoi whispers back. She doesn't return Nene's hug.
"I thought I did something to make you hate me. I couldn't sleep because I was so worried, and then you just showed up out of nowhere—"
"I know," Aoi repeats. She draws back, ripping herself from Nene's hold, and Nene can't help but chase her, not wanting to let go just yet. Aoi looks at her outstretched hands like it was poison, a frown etched between her eyebrows. "I betrayed you. I escaped."
"To this place?" Nene asks.
Hesitantly, Aoi nods. She keeps her eyes trained on the ground, like she just can't bear to look at Nene, and Nene hates it. They're best friends, aren't they? They love each other!
Why won't Aoi just be honest with her?
“They call themselves rebels. They’re a human-only group that fights for freedom.” Aoi fidgets with her clothes. “I was… invited. So I’ve been spending my time here.”
"I'm really happy you're alive," Nene assures her, letting her hands drop back down to her sides. "You've always… You did mention that you wanted to leave the garden, once."
And it was Nene that convinced her not to, wasn't it? Because she couldn't bear to live a life without Aoi by her side. Maybe Nene was the selfish one all along, trying to keep Aoi chained to a place she didn't belong.
But still, Aoi came back for her. And it seems like she's managed to create a place for Nene to live here, too.
"Thank you, Ao-chan," Nene says sincerely.
Aoi looks up at her in shock. Her shoulders tense up to her ears, and she shakes her head, something like fury in her eyes. "Why are you thanking me? I left you! I left you even though I promised you I wouldn't!"
"But you came back," Nene argues, and she doesn't even know why they're arguing. Is Aoi hellbent on punishing herself for escaping? Because that isn’t fair. Even if Nene was hurt and confused for months, even if she couldn't understand why Aoi would leave without warning, she can't blame her for doing so.
It's like the fairytales they'd fantasise about together—one day, they'll escape, maybe with a lover by their side, and live a life happily ever after. How could Nene ever blame someone for chasing their dream?
She voices out as much, but Aoi just shakes her head again, "It wasn't a dream," she denies valiantly. "Not when you weren't with me."
This time, when Nene drags her into a hug, her shoulders are shaking with unshed tears. Nene runs a hand through her hair, just like how Aoi always used to soothe her, and presses a kiss to her cheek.
"You saved me," Nene mumbles, closing her eyes. "Don't be so angry at yourself, Ao-chan. I love you."
Aoi chokes on her sobs and finally, finally, hugs her back.
“I love you too,” she gasps. Her hands grasp for Nene, digging into her back. “I’ll make it up to you. I’m sorry—”
Nene shushes her, burying her face in her shoulder to hide her shaky smile. She’s been putting on a brave face for so long, but now that Aoi is back, she can finally crumble again.
When they’ve both cried until their eyes dried and they had no more tears left to give, Nene asks, “Will you tell me about this place?”
Will you start from scratch tell me about yourself again, so I can learn what it’s like to love you once more?
Aoi’s eyes shine as she takes Nene’s hands, pressing a reverent kiss to her fingers. “Okay.”