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“Ah, Miku-chan. I'm sorry, I can't reach your mom's phone. Is there anyone else we can call to pick you up?”
The clock on the wall ticks on, a constant sound that grounded Miku as she spent the rest of the afternoon in a daze.
Today was Hanasakigawa's Sports Festival — a day full of youthful passion and competition. Miku has always been known in her class for her compassion and reliability, so it was inevitable for her to sign up for a couple activities to represent their team. She had taken their spot for long-distance race (because no one else in their class was willing to take it) and was also given the role as one of the runners for the relay race.
Unfortunately for her, perhaps due to various factors she'd rather not share to anyone else, she wasn't in top form today.
Make no mistake. It's not that she performed poorly — in fact, she can guarantee that their team's pride remains intact even as the day was about to end. She had given it her all, determined to not let the team spirit down even if she was indeed a bit reluctant taking the long-distance race. After all, making a fuss wasn't worth her time and effort. Nor her pride, especially. She had thought better than to complain about her event assignments to the others. Miku Mahashi isn't unreasonable, nor was she stupid enough to get into fights over something that would be over in a day.
Though, there was also the fact that as someone who was already working a part-time job and still having the energy to perform gigs with the rest of the family, she might have... Gotten a little too ahead of herself.
“It's alright, teacher. She might just be a bit busy. I'll try again later myself.”
Miku gave a small smile to her homeroom teacher.
It didn't come as a surprise for her that her Mother has no time for her. Ever since her remarriage, her new family had become her whole world — to the point that she ends up neglecting her own child in favor of her step-brother. Her absence in the event was proof of it, painful it may be. While her other classmates competed with the support of their family members behind them, she... had no one. After all, her step-father was too busy so who else could accompany her step-brother in his own school events?
Her eyes drifted to her bandaged foot, lying delicately on top of a pillow.
If she were to tell her Mother that she had sprained her ankle... Miku dismissed the thought as soon as it formed. What age is she now, to still be seeking her mother's concern like this?
She had tried many things to get her mother's affection, even just a scrap of her attention, for herself long time ago — she knew that it would not have done anything but give her mother a reason to send her a bit more pocket money instead of physically comforting her.
“Then, would you be alright if you stay here until then?” Her teacher fussed around her. Her urgency was clear but that wasn't something Miku cared about. Her teacher still had a whole class of children like her to care for — they can't be left unattended. “You're such a good girl, after all.”
'You didn't really have to say that...' Miku thought to herself, unable to make herself feel touched by such a careless and shallow praise to her character. She plastered on that same smile she knew would always reassure the adults around her. “Yes. I'll be fine on my own, teacher.”
“Good, good. Don't forget to call you mom to pick you up, alright? It'd be too difficult for you to go home like that, after all. Then, I'll be going now.”
It's half past 3 PM now and the events should be coming to a close soon. The teacher really can't afford to dawdle around now.
And then silence descends in the infirmary as Miku was left totally alone.
Somehow, the quiet only served to feed the growing gloom in Miku as she absent-mindedly pinched the bed sheets, rolling it around on her fingers. The gentle breeze of autumn caressed her as it passed, and every now often, she can hear the burst of cheers from the open fields of the school.
Had she been less distracted, less of stewing woth her feelings inside her head, perhaps she'd have noticed the notifications lighting up the phone by her side. Alas, her attention was on the warm orange rays filtering through the curtains and soon enough, she grew drowsy.
Completely missing Raika blowing up her phone.
“Here, Shizuku~ I got ourselves some nice and cool bottles of water.”
“Thank you. How did you do it?”
“Ran around tryna see if anyone still got some spare. Lo and behold! I managed to snag some. Aren't I amazing? I am, right?”
“But you seem familiar with those people. Raika, do you know them?”
“You mean Kasumi? Kinda! I know her 'cuz she's a classmate's family. That counts, right?”
“I see. So you used your connections.”
The familiar voices around her nearly convinced Miku she was still dreaming. Why else would that idiot be here, even bringing their youngest to her school? It's Sports Festival, doesn't she have her own events?
“Eh... I guess so! That's why you always have to make friends, Shizuku! Lots of it! Having friends is a lot of fun too, and you can help each other when in a pickle. Just like our family!”
“I understand. I will keep that in mind.”
And yet, the voices only grew clearer as Miku stirred awake from her nap. For a moment, she wasn't sure what she wanted to see.
The idea of Raika in her school made her head pound. The last time the loud girl came over, she had proudly declared that she was her family, drawing awkward glances from her classmates that Miku had to smooth over. And now, she's within the school grounds itself — not just by the gates.
Horrifying. Let this all just be a part of some nightmare.
“Oh~ Miku's up! Hey, Miku, wakey-wakey~!”
Her brow twitched in annoyance. She forgot this girl had eyes as sharp as a dog. She must've noticed the first signs of her awakening, just like the way she had first zeroed in on her lying tic and was now leveraging it over her head every single time she's caught touching her ear.
She felt a weight press on one side of her bed, an annoying hand coming to rest over her eyes.
Her lashes fluttered against that palm full of warmth.
“You're definitely awake. See? You're blinking.”
Miku is so close to giving this girl a good beating. It would be cathartic if she was allowed to do it to Raika. Much more than composing songs for herself and the band would do.
Suppressing the frustration from having to hold herself back for the sake of her image, she opened her eyes and immediately shot Raika a glare.
Raika cowered pitifully. “W-Wahhh. Miku, the way you're looking at me is a bit scary...!”
She continued glowering at the other girl, only interrupted by Shizuku also choosing to occupy the other side of her bed.
“Miku. How are you?” The thoughtful little girl asked, glancing at her bandaged foot. “Does it still hurt?”
Miku was about to lie again, her hand subconsciously reaching for her ear but the look Raika gave her told the other that it would just be a futile attempt. Lips twitching, Miku decided to be... A little honest. “It does if I'm not careful.”
Shizuku makes a sound akin to an understanding hum. “Then, do you need a wheelchair?”
'It's not like I'm actually crippled, y'know.' Miku couldn't help but feel a little helpless. Shizuku was looking at her with those pure eyes, still so naive about the world around her. “No, that's too much. I can walk it off—”
Habitually, she tried to underplay her suffering. In front of a child, the logical thing to do was not to burden them with things they can't even help with. Shizuku means well, she always means well, but there was no way for them to get a wheelchair. A crutch is doable. A wheelchair? No, thank you.
But before she could even continue her words, Raika had already opened her mouth. “Nope, nope, nuh-uh, nope. No way we're letting you on your feet, Miku. Before we got here, I actually already talked with your classmates. You can't just treat your sprained ankle like nothing! We gotta let it heal, so no walking and that's that!”
If there's one thing Miku intimately knew about Raika, it's that she's as stubborn as an ox. The moment she's decided on something — there is absolutely no going back.
She ruminated on her situation. This annoying girl is not letting her walk herself out of the school (Miku can kind of accept that it really is impossible, just the idea of suffering through the pain again made her wince internally) so what does she expect her to do?
It struck her then.
She whipped her head up, already seeing the way Raika was buzzing with anticipation. As if she couldn't wait to offer her services to Miku—
A vein popped on her head but she still managed to keep her smile on. “Raika,” she called to her and with how Raika is looking now, one could even mistake her for a well-behaved but incredibly silly dog.
“Come close to me, won't you?” Such saccharine-sounding words seemed to make Raika's metaphorical dog tail wag even more. The other girl wasted no time, immediately getting close to Miku.
'... She really is a dog.'
Raika eagerly stared at her, the distance between their faces so short that Miku could feel even the warmth of her breathing. Before the feeling of shyness can even register from within her, Miku dashed all of Raika's hope with a well-placed firm knock to the head.
“Absolutely. Not.♡” She said while finally pushing Raika off, each words weighted with her desire not to totally embarrass herself in front of other unrelated people.
Raika whined there and then, like a child, while clutching the top of her head. “Whyyyy not~? I give the best piggy-back rides, just ask Shizuku!”
Shizuku couldn't help but notice how Miku is starting to look like she's seconds away from flinging another fist towards Raika, perhaps one that would certainly knock her out this time. Thinking fast, she gave Raika that well-practiced smile she does when she's unsure how to answer something. “I don't remember the last time you carried me.”
Gasping in shock from Shizuku's decision to not support her in her endeavors of giving Miku a ride, Raika deflated with crocodile tears running down her cheeks. “Uuuuuu... But I promise to behave...”
She recovers swiftly, still not giving up. “What do I gotta do for you to agree!?”
'First, I'd love if you drop your ideas of granting me a social death for being carried out of the school by another girl who does not resemble me nor is even from here.' Miku sweetly smiled at Raika.
That seemed to cow her even more, as the girl shrank back to her defeated posture, muttering about some “Miku doesn't love me”, and “I can't even help my family”. Miku paid no mind to her dramatics. After all, the moment she yields to those mutterings of hers, Raika will push her luck even harder.
Successfully having fended the family idiot off, Miku finally gave herself the opportunity to go through options in her head.
'A wheelchair is impossible, it would be too embarrassing. A crutch... I'll definitely have to use it but it's just for a day or two. But getting back home is the problem...'
Shizuku inched closer to Miku.
“Miku.”
“Hm?” She met eyes with the younger girl.
“There are paths in the school way less populated, especially now that everyone's still busy, isn't that right?”
“The back gate isn't that used by others...” Miku trailed off in contemplation. “Why are you asking?”
Shizuku thoughtfully looked at Miku, and then to the still crying Raika. “Is it... Really impossible?”
Seemingly sensing a chance for Miku to change her decision, Raika stopped crying and stared at her expectantly. Miku can already hear the unsaid, weeping calls of her name coming from the other without Raika even needing to open her mouth.
Hesitation caused Miku to grip the bed sheets.
“I, Raika Suga, hereby do solemnly swear to not let Miku be seen by more people than needed.” Raika seriously started. “If I break this vow, then may I—”
Before she could continue, Miku threw a water bottle at her. With fast reflexes, Raika caught the water bottle aimed at her head but still adopted a defensive posture.
“OW!” Raika cried out despite not having been hit at all. “Miku, if you wanna beat me up, atleast do it once you've recovered!”
She swallowed up the words “if you want to swear an oath, then do it, but can you not curse yourself at the same time? What if something terrible actually happens?” she was about to say to express her concern, now much more interested in what Raika had just said.
“Oh. You promise?” Miku sweetly asked.
“T-That...” Raika stammered, realizing that she just dug herself a hole. “J-Just don't... beat me up too badly...? Maybe...?”
Miku scoffed. What courage to be saying such words yet fail to have the courage to deliver on it properly.
“Are you guys done fighting yet?”
“We're not fighting.” The two responded in sync. Miku sharply looks at Raika before averting her gaze. Raika, to her credit, — no, perhaps she just didn't realize how awkward it is to be so in sync with her — remained unfazed.
Shizuku tilted her head. “Then. What to do now?”
A quick glance at the clock on the wall told Miku that if she wants to leave the school unnoticed, the best time would be now. Any later, and the events would wrap up. By then, even the back gates would be used by more people than Miku would ever want to witness her being carried off.
She steeled herself.
“Raika.”
Raika nearly stumbled while trying to position herself for Miku to comfortably be carried on her back.
Miku reluctantly held onto Raika but not before leaning close to the other girl's ear, ignoring how red her own ears are becoming.
“If you so much as drop me.” Miku hissed to Raika. “I will make sure you regret it.”
Raika paled at the threat. “Eep... Yes ma'am..”
After having communicated to her teacher that someone has come to pick her up, the three of them headed home with Miku carried securely on Raika's back.
They walked by a row of trees, the road to the back gates truly as sparsely populated as Miku had prayed it to be. Aside from a few souls (like three passing students she recognized to be from Class 1-B, two of which are quite popular in the musical space), there was no one else who Miku intimately knew that would have seen her in such a compromising situation.
It allowed her to relax entirely, lazily watching on as Raika steadily carried her while the girl engaged in a conversation with Shizuku, something about how her own day went.
That reminded Miku...
“How come you're here? With Shizuku, nonetheless?” Miku inserted herself to their conversation.
Raika beamed at her. “You didn't see my messages? My events ended early so I thought, why not go to Tsukinomori and see Shizuku?”
“... How did you even get in?”
“Told them I'm Shizuku's family and they let me in.” She seemed proud as she said it, chest puffed out and all.
Right, how could she forget that this girl would not hesitate to shout from the rooftops who her family is?
'Anyways, what kind of lousy security lets anyone in just like that?' She scrunched her nose up.
Shizuku saw Miku's confusion and added in, “I was contacted. They asked me if Raika was telling the truth. That's how she was let in.”
“Oh,” Miku deadpanned. “It's good that they confirmed it with you first.”
Shizuku kicked her foot, a behavior surely unbecoming of a little heiress like her and also something she definitely copied from Raika. “Mmhm. Raika came to cheer me on. Nanny couldn't make it.”
'Sometimes, Raika can be surprisingly thoughtful.' Miku quietly stared at Raika who failed to notice her gaze.
“Then, when Shizuku finished up, I thought 'Why not pick Miku up too?'. Were you surprised?” Raika grinned from where she couldn't clearly see.
“You could say that,” Miku said mildly.
“Hehe~” Pleased with her answer (even if it was a simple, half-hearted one), Raika laughed cheekily. “I mean, we were really going to surprise you but then we heard from your classmates that you hurt yourself and you were at the infirmary. We asked around and there you have it! Raika Suga and Shizuku at your service!”
“You've worked hard.” Shizuku commented. “Your team won the relay, they said. All because you gave it your all. Miku is amazing.”
“Mhm mhm!” Raika nodded her head in quick succession. “Miku is rea~lly amazing!”
Heat creeping up to her face at their sincere praises, Miku buried herself on Raika's back. “I-It was nothing. It's what I should do.”
It was quiet for a moment, another eruption of cheers coming from somewhere far away.
And then she felt Raika shift below her, back straightening.
“But, Miku...”
“...?”
“Could you... Be a little kinder to yourself?”
From where she was at, it was impossible for Miku to see the expression on Raika's face but her tone carried with it an untold grievance that stirred Miku's heart.
Shizuku glanced at the two of them and only she was able to see the shadows cast over Raika's face, hiding away a face she's never seen on the older girl before.
Miku stayed silent. After all, she does understand more than anyone else that she had indeed pushed herself too far.
This situation could have been avoided entirely.
Yet here she was, facing its consequences.
“Those kind of things... No, I can't say those things don't matter. It's just, if possible, I don't want to see you hurt like this anymore.”
She knew where Raika was coming from. This silly idiot, who places so much importance to their family — the very same girl who used to frantically start thinking of going to hospital just from the lightest of scratches on any of them. She had heard from Yomogi that Raika once nearly forced her to go out all because she told her that the pads of her fingers ached.
It would have been humorous, except now the recipient of this concern was her.
It made her feel a little guilty.
'Maybe it's better that I can't look at your face right now.' Miku tightened her grip on Raika's back. 'Just your voice alone... What a terrible ache it does in my chest.'
Back then, Raika adopted the same tone when she talked about her father — that defeated and resigned tone, a forced smile on her face.
'So this is how it's like to have someone else feel pain in your place.'
When she thinks back to her Mother, she could only ever remember her imposing her emotions and demands on her. All about her, never about the daughter she was meant to protect yet forced to grow up too early. As a child, she never thought to blame her. She grew up with the mindset that she has to make concessions for her mother's happiness.
But all of that (alongside the lies she kept telling herself) fell apart when she realized that her mother had never appreciated her love — because she sought the kind of stability her hard-working daughter could never bring her. A stability that could only come from building a new and complete family.
And once again, it's Raika who showed her something she had once yearned for from her Mother. Expressing the pain on her behalf, burdening herself with Miku's matters the same way Miku wished to be treated growing up. A love that came straight from the heart, full of sincerity and care.
“So. Please don't do something like this again, Miku.” Raika's voice finally stabilizes again, no longer with that pitiful sounding tone that had crushed the breath out of Miku's lungs. “I mean. There's times when you can't avoid it but you don't have to hide it from us either, y'know? We're family, after all.”
“Raika is right.” Having sensed that the heavy atmosphere has passed, Shizuku also spoke up. “If we didn't come today, how would you have gone home?”
“It's my bad, alright?” Miku's voice came out muffled, her face totally buried on Raika's back now. “It was just an accident anyways. I promise, I'll... I'll do better so...”
'It's a little embarrassing.'
Getting lectured by these two, when they were usually the ones giving her a headache. How the tables have turned...
Somehow, she found it a little funny too — an unreasonable giggle (tainted with the unmistakable sound of a sob) escaping her lips.
Raika looked at her from the corner of her eyes, a fang peeking out as she grinned when she realized that Miku didn't take offense in them saying so much. It was a weight off her own shoulders.
She said nothing more to add to the topic, fully knowing now where Miku's boundaries lie. Having spent a considerably amount of time trying time and again to see how far she can push her luck, Raika understood that this much is enough for Miku to keep this incident in mind.
“Raika.” Shizuku pulled on the other girl's sleeves. “Can we get ice cream before we go home?”
“Huh? Ah, sure! Would ya' mind if we make a stop over, Miku?”
“... No.” Miku hid a sniffle. “We might as well treat ourselves and then bring home some more for Cherie and Yomogi-san.”
And then a skip appeared in Raika's steps, forgetting the weight on her back and nearly losing her balance. “Let's go! An outing with the family—Oop—”
“Raika, settle down!” Miku pounded her fist on the stupid girl's back.
“Oh crap! Sorry!”
When they got home, Chieri immediately fussed over Miku. Yomogi was a little spooked by the sight of the girl's bandaged foot, her hands shaking when she received the packet of ice cream popsicle from Shizuku. It took awhile for Miku to convince the two that she's fine and that she'll be up and running again in a day or two.
However, Miku did enjoy the rare sight of the family all working her chores for her with Chieri even vehemently shutting down her offers of help. So instead, Miku focused her attention on Shizuku — the girl having approached her for some help with her homework.
It was clear that Shizuku was only doing it to distract Miku. A ploy definitely thought up by the others together. Their consideration of her desire to feel helpful certainly warmed Miku up.
“Miku?” Shizuku began, head tilted as she placed her pen down.
“What is it?” Miku absent-mindedly said, a little preoccupied with her phone as she responded to concerned classmates' messages.
“Were you crying earlier?”
Her head snapped towards the girl, blinking. And then warily taking a look around, she saw that Raika wasn't anywhere close to the living room.
“... A little bit.” Miku answers honestly, finding no issue with telling the truth to Shizuku. After all, the girl was much more mature in some ways than the rest of the family despite being their youngest. Heh. The things she would do for Raika to have even a sliver of Shizuku's steadiness.
“Should we get Raika to apologize after all?”
“No, she doesn't—”
“Wait, why should I apologize?”
—need to know that I cried at all.
Miku felt her patience thin in real time. Very good. She shouldn't have tempted the gods by having this honest conversation with Shizuku in the living room. That rowdy animal has too sharp of a pair of ears to safely have secret conversations in this house.
“I wonder.” Miku turns to look at Raika with that sickly sweet smile. “Guess?”
Raika immediately broke into nervous sweating. “Er! Um! Was it 'cuz we went to your school without you knowing about it? But I messaged you, you just missed it!”
“Three.” Miku started to count.
It successfully made Raika panic even more.
“W-Was it because I let you be seen by too many people while carrying you? I'm sorry, okay!”
“Two.”
“H-H-Hold on a second— Can't we talk about this?”
“One.”
“D-Did you hear that? I think Yomogi needs my help. Gotta go now, for my family!” Raika bolts out of the living room, her flimsy excuse not at all holding up as Yomogi entered just as she ran off, confusing the older girl.
“W-Why is Raika-san in a rush? Why did I just hear my name?”
Miku sneered internally. 'Obviously, so she doesn't have to answer for her idiocy.'
Outwardly, however, she adopted that pleasant expression she always kept on. “She's having one of her episodes, don't mind it.”
Yomogi shuddered. “Raika-san is sick!?”
'Sick in the head, that's what.'
“S-Should we get her to the hospital?”
Miku's brow twitched. “Are you offering, Yomogi-san?”
“Maybe n-not, then...!?”
Just like Raika, a paper tiger when it mattered. This house is truly full of character.
Miku doesn't even know what kind of expression she must've been wearing but one look at her face had Yomogi running away weeping, with tail tucked in between her legs.
“..???” Baffled, Miku just stared at where the older girl exited from with her mouth gaping open.
Shizuku picked her pen back up, having decided that it wasn't worth it interfering with matters between the adults.
“... How did I even scare her?” Muttered Miku, unlocking her phone again.
“Mm... You make this face when you look like you're about to make Raika regret having done something.” Shizuku answered, wisely omitting the “Miku can look quite scary then.” that nearly slipped out of her lips.
“Do I?” She paused and then thought about it.
She clicked her tongue, coming to the realization that it must be because she had become too comfortable with expressing her real thoughts with that fool with how easy it was to bully her into submission.
'Oh well.'
Miku shrugged, picking up where she left of with the messages on her phone.
It's good for these people to learn when not to try her bottom line. After all, they've been having too much courage recently with how frequent they've become with breaking into her room. A couple scares here and there should do the trick.
'What a troublesome family I've become a part of.' Miku thought to herself, a soft, exasperated smile forming on her face. 'Ah, but I guess it's not like I dislike it either.'
“... Fufu~”