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English
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Published:
2019-11-10
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2020-01-20
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22,737
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2/2
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a promise

Chapter 2: can you hear me singing to your heart?

Summary:

at last they unite

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Are you insane? Do you realize just how impossible of a task this is? It’s like asking for a miracle,” Sayo huffs, folding her arms.

“Exactly, Sayo! You’re gonna be making a miracle!” Lisa grin is impossibly large, “I know you can do it. You’re amazing, after all!”

Sayo doesn’t know whether or not she should find the constant compliments irritating. She wraps a strand of hair around her finger and averts her eyes. Lisa’s steady gaze is overwhelming, it feels like there’s suddenly too much pressure on her.

Lisa slowly leans backwards, “Ah well, if you can’t do it then I suppose I can’t force you to…”

Sayo bristles in response, “Excuse you, who said I couldn’t talk to my own sister?”

Lisa takes a sip from her drink and raises an eyebrow.

“...Point taken.”

Lisa sighs, “You’re so hopeless…” 

Sayo flinches at this remark. Lisa, attentive as always, notices this. She reaches over and places a hand over Sayo’s, a familiar sensation. Lisa gives her hand a gentle squeeze, “Hey, come on… I didn’t mean it like that, okay? You’re awesome, Sayo. Trust me on this one.”

“I know, I suppose that I’m just being a… uh,” Sayo pauses in order to ponder, what was that expression that Lisa liked to use again?

“Stick in the mud. You’re being a stick in the mud.”

“Yes, that…” Sayo scratches her head, “Fine. I’ll… attempt to repair things with my sister.”

Lisa frowns, “Don’t force yourself to go too fast, Sayo. I know it might be hard after what you’ve gone through, but remember what I told you.”

“Right...”

“Don’t treat her admiration with hostility, Sayo. But give me a call or something if you run into trouble. I’m serious about this, okay? I’ll be here if you ever need me.”

“There is… one thing… do you know what activities Hina might enjoy?”

Lisa blinks for a few moments, “Ah. I didn’t think it was this bad.”

“Imai-san, I’m being serious!”

“I’m sorry, I was just surprised!” Lisa giggles, and Sayo’s face suddenly flares with heat. The other girl continued, “Well, for starters maybe you could… actually, Hina’s in the astronomy club!”

“You’re suggesting I take her stargazing? But I know nothing about that!”

“Well, Sayo you’re a super smart girl so I’m sure you’ll figure it out!”

“Fine… I guess I don’t have too much homework tonight. I’ll do some research on stargazing.” 

“It’s settled then! You’re gonna take Hina stargazing, and you both are gonna love it!”

“Loving it would be a bit of a stretch,” Sayo stands up while grabbing her bag and instrument, “But I do hope it will be an enjoyable experience at the very least.”

“Good luck, Sayo! I’ll be rooting for you!”

“Thank you, Imai-san.” Sayo feels her lips curve upward, “I’m truly grateful that you’re here.”

“A-Ah, of course! That’s what friends are for, right?” Lisa lets out a small laugh.

Sayo steps out of the restaurant and embraces the cool night air. She checks her phone and cringes, it’s nearly ten in the evening. That’s not good, she didn’t expect to be out for that long. There’s too many things clouding her mind at this point for her to cram in any further studying. Sayo drags a hand through her hair as she begins to make her way home, ‘Good grief…’ 

There was one main question that had been weighing on her mind the entire time. Was Imai Lisa really her soulmate, or was it just a mere coincidence? Sayo could never be too sure. She grimaced, “Surely that couldn’t be the case… the evidence is far too trivial,” the guitarist scoffed, “No, it couldn’t be. There’s no reason that Imai-san’s soulmate would be someone like me anyway.”

Compared to the brunette, Sayo was far too stiff and uptight. The girl was kind and selfless, anybody could see that much; but what did Sayo have to offer? She was a failure, and no amount of hiding could change that. Before she could go on with her doubts, the image of a rain soaked girl appeared in her head, ‘You’re a member of the band you know, Roselia’s guitarist. But even more than that… you’re someone I really care about.’

Sayo laughs, “Imai-san is really amazing… I wonder how she managed to break down my defenses so easily.”

“Ah! Onee-chan!”

Sayo jolts back to reality, and she quickly realizes that she’s standing in front of her house. Furthermore, standing right in front of her was her sister. She coughs and glances away, “Hina… what are you doing out here?”

“It’s super late! You’re never out this late, so I was worried sick!”

“Hina, you don’t have to…” Sayo stops herself before she became bitter again. Instead, she holds back a frown, “Thank you for worrying about me, however I assure you that I can take care of myself.”

“Onee-chan, are you feeling okay? You’re acting kinda weird...” Hina reaches up to feel Sayo’s forehead, and it takes everything within her to stop herself from swatting the hand away.

“I’m feeling fine, Hina. Now could we move inside? There’s… something that I would like to discuss with you.”

“Oh, yeah sure!”

Sayo steps into the house and places her possessions down next to the couch as Hina closes the door behind them. She clears her throat, “So um… Hina, I was wondering if you… knew any good places to go stargazing.”

Hina’s eyes light up, “I know a bunch of good places for stargazing, Onee-chan!”

“I see,” Sayo tenses, “Then… if you wouldn’t mind, maybe we can go stargazing together soon?”

“Really? Do you mean it?” Hina looks at her with questioning eyes, and Sayo offers a curt nod. She barely has any time to brace herself before her sister practically tackles her, “That sounds suuuper boppin’! Of course I’d go! I’ll teach you everything about astronomy!"

“Right, let’s not get carried away now…” Sayo gently reciprocates the hug, the feeling is still foreign to her. The two separated and Sayo watches as Hina bounces her way up the stairs, singing a tune about how she was going to spend time with her sister. Sayo felt a tinge of guilt. All she did was simply ask if Hina wanted to spend time with her, and the other girl literally jumped at the opportunity. Sayo shakes her head, ‘Just how long have I done this?’

Maybe it really is about time for Sayo to re-evaluate herself. 

-

Lisa bluntly lands face first on her bed, groaning as she does so. She grabs a pillow and hugged it, kicking her feet excitedly. She rolls around for a few seconds before contently laying on her back, “She’s too cute… this shouldn’t be possible.”

At first Lisa was definitely concerned that Sayo would push her away, so she was caught off guard by how open the other girl was with her. “Maybe she likes me!” Lisa thinks, before frowning, “Orr maybe I just caught her in a moment of weakness…”

That was also another issue. At this point, Lisa knows with certainty that Sayo is her soulmate. From the sharp pains during practice to the unbearable heartache while the girl was crying. The girl looked so vulnerable, it took incredible restraint on Lisa’s end not to just kiss her right there.

“What the hell am I thinking?” Lisa quickly covers her burning face. Of course, kissing Sayo would be nice, but she has no idea if the strict guitarist would ever even consider anything close to having a crush. “I could just tell her we’re soulmates but… that’d be unfair.”

Lisa can’t just… tell her, it isn’t that simple. Ever since she was young, everybody, excluding Yukina, was so eager to find their soulmate. Lisa was the same; but she began to change. She needed to give it time, her soulmate is human after all. They need to bond first before starting any kind of relationship.

Lisa groans, “God, why is love so complicated?”

The girl turns her head towards the veranda. She slowly gets up and draws back the curtains, Yukina’s light isn’t on. ‘Well, I guess she’s asleep. It is kinda late after all…’

Lisa did feel a little guilty for running out the door like that, but she doesn’t regret it. It feels a little mean though, she should definitely apologize to Yukina tomorrow. Lisa briefly wonders if Yukina would even care, maybe she’ll just go back to her usual expression and say something like “Just don’t do it again.”

The girl shakes her head, ‘Don’t be silly.’

-

Today was the weekend, a Saturday to be exact. Today is the day that she’s finally going to do it, Sayo Hikawa will finally communicate with her sister in a healthy sisterly manner.

Well, she hopes that will happen at least. The first thing she does in the morning is spend nearly an hour working on a multi-paragraph apology directed towards one Yukina Minato. There is no band practice today, so she clearly can’t approach the girl physically. She was too distracted last night to stress over the fact that she had a shameful petulant outburst during band practice. She opens up Yukina’s contact information and texts her the explanation and feels her heart rate increasing from the anticipation. After a long five minutes of Sayo staring at the screen, she finally receives a reply, ‘I understand, Sayo. Thank you for approaching me and apologizing. As I’ve stated before, personal feelings have no place in Roselia. I trust that will not happen again.’

The guitarist lets out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. The tension falls out of her shoulders as she hastily texts a reply, ‘I understand completely, Minato-san. I merely let my feelings take over in the heat of the moment, I will make sure that is the last time you see this kind of behavior from me.’

Sayo’s ears perk as a pair of footsteps thundered towards her room. The girl sighs and sets her phone down, knowing exactly what to expect. A loud, “Onee-chan!” echoes through the house as her twin sister practically slams her door open. The older twin merely shakes her head, “Hina! How many times do I have to tell you to not barge into my room?”

“Eheh, sorry about that! It’s just that I’m suuuuper excited, I just know that it’s gonna be a boppin’ day!”

“I understand your excitement, Hina, but me inviting you to go stargazing isn’t an invitation to completely disregard my personal space.”

Hina’s stance became slack, “I… I understand, onee-chan. I’m sorry…”

Sayo feels her heart twist at the sight of her sister, who suddenly seemed awfully somber as opposed to her earlier bubbly self. The girl lets out a sigh, “Though I suppose I can allow it for today.”

“Really?!” Hina’s eyes immediately lit up.

“...Yes, but don’t make me regret it.”

“Yay! I promise I won’t, I’ll be super careful!”

The older girl relaxes once more, “I’m sure you will. Now then, it’s quite early still. Why don’t you go do something fun for a while?”

“Hmm… Let’s go shopping then! You know, the both of us,” she points between Sayo and herself for emphasis.

Sayo raises an eyebrow, “Eh? But, I still need to study for my tests and practice guitar…”

“You can do that later! I wanna spend time with you today!”

“I… see,” Sayo bites her lip. She wasn’t expecting this, and she wasn’t quite sure if she was ready to spend this much time with Hina. Sayo has done a remarkable job of holding back her contempt so far, but she’s unsure of how long she can actually handle Hina’s presence before needing to separate herself.

“Onee-chan?” Hina waves her hand in front of Sayo’s face, “Earth to onee-chan!”

Lisa did mention to not overdo it, she should take that advice to heart. Sayo shakes her head, “I’m sorry, Hina. I don’t think I’m quite ready for that.”

“Oh… That’s okay, I get it! I can just go by myself then.”

“Have fun.”

“Thanks, I’ll see you later!”

Hina barrelled out of Sayo’s room as the older twin gave a small wave to the retreating figure. Sayo frowns as a weird sensation begins to rise, it quickly turns into a sharp pain through her chest. It feels like a has pit formed in her stomach. Somehow she can tell that it definitely did not belong to her. Her mind instantly drifts towards wondering if Lisa is okay before stopping herself short, ‘There’s no solid evidence that she’s your soulmate, Sayo. Don’t get ahead of yourself.’

Deep inside Sayo feels a small tinge of disappointment, and she doesn’t know why; she’s too scared to find out.

-

Lisa finally manages to work up the courage to walk over to Yukina’s house. They’re right next to each other, so all she had to do was take a few steps really. But each step feels as if a ton of bricks are strapped to each of her feet. The bassist had made sure to come prepared. Lisa had woken up early in the morning to prepare her ‘apology cookies’ for Yukina; they are all cat shaped, of course.

The girl finally approaches the front door. Technically, Lisa could really just leap over the veranda, but she figured that Yukina wouldn’t be very happy with her if she did. So, Lisa rings the doorbell and silently waits for an answer. She hears a click later as the door opens to reveal her childhood friend, still wearing cat pajamas.

“...Lisa.”

“Ahah, hey there Yukina! Do you mind if I come in?”

“I suppose not,” Yukina stepped aside as Lisa enters the house, taking off her shoes as she does so.

“Sorry for the intrusion~!”

“My parents aren’t home right now,” the vocalist eyes the bag of cookies in Lisa’s hand, “What are you doing here?”

Lisa gently closes the door behind her, “Well, I just wanted to properly apologize for yesterday, that’s all,” the bassist gently hands over the bag of cookies. She feels quite proud of herself as she notices Yukina’s face lighten up at the sight of them. She moves towards the living room and takes a seat. The girl silently gestures towards the couch as if to offer Lisa a seat. The taller girl gratefully sits down next to her best friend.

“That’s understandable, but could you not have done that through text? Sayo has already done so.”

“I just wanted to personally apologize! You’re my best friend after all! I owe you that much at least.”

“Ah,” Yukina lips curve downward slightly, “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that.”

“I-It’s okay, you’re busy after all. With the band and stuff. Anyway, I’m really sorry for rushing out of practice like that!”

“I do admit that I was quite surprised. Though, Sayo seems to be in a much better state fairly quickly. I’m assuming that has to do with you?”

“Ah, maybe it does!”

“Then I suppose it’s fine.”

Lisa expected this distance between her and Yukina, of course she did. It still didn’t hurt any less. She knows that she has to come to terms with it sooner or later, but she still doesn’t want to accept the fact that Yukina might not need her anymore.

“Hey, Yukina. What is Roselia to you?”

Yukina’s raises her eyebrows, “What’s with this sudden question?”

“I just want to know.”

“...Well, Roselia is clearly a band of the utmost quality. We will rise to the top and reach Future World Fes,” the vocalist pauses, as if to hesitate, before continuing, “Believe me, I will get to Future World Fes. No matter what it takes.”

Lisa lets out a laugh, but it rings hollow, “I see, so still the same as before, huh?”

“Are you surprised?” The other girl meets Lisa’s gaze with piercing eyes, “What about you, Lisa? What is Roselia to you?”

Lisa is aware that the question carried a lot of weight. The girl shrugs, “Roselia is important to me.”

“Is that all?”

“Were you expecting more?” Lisa offered a cat-like smile, “I first joined the band because it was something important to you. I wanted to stay by your side and help you. But now, Roselia has become something special for me, too.”

“Roselia is not-”

“I know, I know. I’m still taking it seriously, you know. I want to make it to Future World Fes too, with everyone!” The bassist pumps her fist, “I’m still gonna try my hardest!”

Yukina flinches so subtly that Lisa barely noticed, “I see.”

“Is something wrong, Yukina? You look worried about something…”

“It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

‘Ouch, that stings,’ Lisa folds her arms, “Hey, come on! You used to tell me what was bothering you all the time!”

“That was the past, Lisa, and I don’t want to talk about it. I’m sorry.”

“Ah~ that’s okay,” the girl slowly rises, “I guess I should get going now!”

“Oh, you’re leaving already?”

“I just needed to apologize, y’know? I got that off my chest now so… off to practice it is!”

Lisa makes an exaggerated stride towards the door and leaves the house before Yukina is even able to say anything. As the door closes behind her, she lets out a long breath.

The rift between the two has widened, but Lisa can still feel the thread.

“Alright! It’s time to work hard!"

-

Sayo taps her foot and checks her wristwatch. It was six in the evening, and Sayo is standing at the foot of the hill that Hina had specified. She didn’t know what she was expecting, but Hina is late. The girl sighs, at the very least she had nothing else planned for today.

“Oneeee-chan! I’m sorry I’m late!”

“It’s fine, you were only a few minutes… what is that?” Sayo points at the mystery item that Hina is holding. The younger girl grins at the inquiry before grabbing the item in question and showcasing it in the air.

“Look, I got this really boppin’ scarf at the mall today! I thought it’d look really good on you, so I bought it,” Hina proceeds to approach the taller girl and enthusiastically wraps the scarf around her neck. She steps backwards and admires her handiwork, “See? Perfect!”

“Thank you, Hina,” Sayo fiddles with a strand of the scarf, “It’s red… It’s a nice color, it reminds me of Imai-san.”

“Eh? Why?”

“I’m… not sure…” Sayo mulls over her memory. Why did this color remind her of Lisa specifically? The guitarist constructs a mental image of the girl and quickly notes the color of her bass, which is red. Her thoughts drift to the rainy weather a few days ago. She remembers the warmth of Lisa’s hands as the other girl grasped her hand firmly but gently with her own. She recalls the kind feline smile on the girl’s face. The guitarist briefly wonders how it would feel to relish in the warmth of those tender hands on her face. Sayo flusters and shakes herself from her rampant fantasy before it goes too far.

“Onee-chan?”

“I believe… it’s the color of her nail polish,” Sayo doesn’t believe it herself, but she desperately wants an excuse for looking at more than just the instrument.

“Huh… Anyway, are you ready?”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

The next couple hours fly by incredibly fast. Sayo wasn’t sure why, but she had become invested in Hina’s explanation of the stars and constellations. She feels no bitterness as she listens to her sister’s vivid descriptions. The two of them continue to gaze up at the night sky, blanketed in velvet dark the stars still manage to sparkle above them and gaze back. Sayo found the sight charming, beautiful even. In reality, the stars were truly just distant lights, but they felt so close at the same time, as if they were calling to her heart. The older twin watches as her sister continues to point at certain formations excitedly, all while wearing a grin on her face that reached from ear to ear.

“Look, up there! That one is called Lepus, it’s supposed to be a rabbit that was chased by Orion,” Hina carefully traces out the constellation with her finger.

“Ah, I see it… Imai-san would like this one.”

“Hm, why do you say that?”

“She has that strange rabbit earring does she not? The one that she wears upside down.”

“Huh… Onee-chan, you sure like Lisachi a lot, don’t you! Look, you’re even smiling!”

Sayo flushes, “What are you on about, Hina?”

“It’s just that you bring her up a lot! You guys must be super good friends.”

“We’re just… bandmates. Normal friends. There’s nothing more to it.”

“Hmm~ if you say so,” Hina lets out a light-hearted giggle.

Sayo folds her arms and looks away to avoid Hina noticing her red face, “What’s so funny?” 

“It’s just been a really long time since we’ve been able to talk normally like this. I missed it a lot!”

“Hina…” Sayo twirls a strand of her hair, a tinge of guilt rising, “I’m… really sorry.”

“It’s okay, I’m just really grateful that we’re talking again!”

The sentiment renders Sayo completely speechless. She has no idea how to respond to the genuine joy expressed by her sister, and begins to find herself remorseful of the way she had been acting. The girl finally takes a good look at her sister once more, “Why do you look up to me so much? After everything I’ve put you through, shouldn’t you hate me too?”

“Why would I hate you? You’re the coolest, most boppin’ person ever! I mean, I picked up the guitar just to hang out with you!”

“You… wanted to hang out with me?”

“Of course! But you always shrugged it off because of something like,” Hina pauses and puts her hands on her hips, lowering her eyebrows and her voice, “We’re not little kids anymore! You always want to do things together!”

“Ah… I see."

“But, you’ve become nicer to me ever since you joined Roselia!”

Sayo raises her eyebrows in confusion, “I have?”

“Yeah! You seem to have fun too, Lisachi has been sending me videos of your practices. You were smiling!” Hina covers her mouth, “Ah, sorry! I wasn’t supposed to tell you that I was peeking in on your practices.”

“Hina… “

Sayo isn’t entirely sure how she should feel. All this time she had figured that Hina only copied her to be better than her. Yet here her sister was, completely unaware of all of the strife that Sayo has towards that talent. It almost seems cruel to the older twin, putting Hina through all of this just from a sheer misunderstanding. But even so, it might be even worse when she was never intentionally trying to be better and succeeding anyway.

“Onee-chan, why did you avoid me so much?”

“That’s something I’m not quite prepared to talk about, I apologize,” Sayo tucks her jacket in, “Hina, you’re right that it’s been a long time since we’ve talked like this. I’m sure that must be my fault…”

“You don’t have to apologize! I had a really good day today. I got to hang out with you, and I got to see you smile for the first time in so long!”

“Seriously, you’re so carefree, Hina,” Sayo lets out a short laugh.

“Ah! That’s amazing, you laughed!”

“What’s amazing about that? I can laugh sometimes too.”

“But it’s been forever, it’s totally zappin’!” Hina jumps to her feet, “Hey, let’s go get some food!”

“What? But I’m not even that hungry…”

“Sharing with my sister~ Let’s go, come on!” Hina grabs Sayo by the arm and tugs on it repeatedly.

Sayo slowly gets to her feet and allows herself to be dragged along by Hina, “Jeez, you’re not even listening are you…”

For the first time in a while, Sayo’s heart feels light around her sister.

-

A couple of days have passed since that incident during practice. Everything seems to have gone back to normal, with Sayo and Yukina still being uptight as usual. Still though, Lisa notices that Sayo relaxes from time to time and lets her guard down. She’s also been getting stories from Hina about how Sayo is making an effort to speak to her more. She’s glad things are like this now. The band is going along well, and it seemed like they even had a chance to make it to Future World Fes!

That’s what she thought, but Ako and Rinko seemed awfully down today. They were currently taking a thirty minute break, so Lisa decides to approach the two, “Hey, what’s wrong, you two? Is something troubling you? Ah, I bet it’s about that NFO game again!”

Ako seems hesitant before answering halfheartedly, “I’m just thinking about something, that’s all… Isn’t that right, Rin-rin?”

“Yes…” Rinko nods in affirmation.

Lisa isn’t easily convinced, but she lets it slide anyway. Instead she turns her attention towards Sayo, who was currently fervently discussing something with Yukina. The two nod to each other and separate, allowing Lisa to easily approach the teal-haired girl. Sayo notices her approaching and nods, “Greetings, Imai-san, did you need something from me?”

“Oh nothing~ I just wanted to talk to you!” 

“Talk to me…?”

“A-about Hina, ahaha!” Lisa decides to shrug off that weird look Sayo is giving her.

“Oh, well I’m sure you must know by now, but it went well,” Sayo twirls a strand of her hair and averts her eyes, “Thank you, Imai-san. For the suggestion, I mean.”

“Of course! I’m glad it went well, Hina’s been talking about you even more now!”

“Does she really talk about me that much?”

“She does, and who wouldn’t when her sister is this cool!” Lisa begins to count on her fingers, “Let’s see here, she’s super talented, really smart, awfully attractive and extremely pretty to boot!”

Lisa doesn’t realize what she said until she notices Sayo turning her head to the side, the tips of her ears tinged in red. The girl attempts to speak, though her voice is muffled by her palm that she is using to cover her lower face, “I-I appreciate the sentiment, Imai-san…”

Lisa’s face burns as she gave a nervous chuckle, trying to not show the fact that she is absolutely mortified, “Ah, yeah, of course! I’m just saying what a lot of people think, ahaha!”

Sayo nods, “I… understand.”

Desperately seeking for a way out of the situation, Lisa decides to change the topic, “So did you see the costumes Ako and Rinko made?”

“I did, however, I told them that it should be more stylish in order to fit with Roselia’s theme.”

“Ah~ that sounds like something you would say.”

“I see,” Sayo looks down at her wrist watch, “Ah, Minato-san, break is over.”

Yukina nods, “Let’s resume practice, everyone return to your positions.”

As Lisa expects, Ako and Rinko trudge at a snail’s pace. It is a little unsettling to Lisa, seeing the ever so energetic ‘Demon Princess’ be so reserved and quiet. Unfortunately she’ll need to worry about that later as the first strum of Sayo’s guitar rings through the studio. Practice begins as usual, but the rhythm is off. Lisa glances towards the young drummer and notices that she’s a little behind. Her ears attentively listens more as she notices the piano comes in late during certain phrases as well. Lisa frowns, ‘At this rate Yukina will…’

As if on cue, Yukina ceases her vocals and holds up a hand, “Stop, that’s enough.”

“Aha, what’s wrong, Yukina?”

“Please don’t act as if you are unaware, Imai-san,” Sayo folds her arms, “You of all people should have noticed. Udagawa-san’s playing is behind tempo.”

Yukina nods, “Exactly, and so is Rinko’s. You two, pick up the pace.”

“Hey, what’s going on here guys? You two have been acting strange all practice,” Yukina has too, Lisa silently notes to nobody but herself.

“Udagawa-san, I suggest you continue to give it your all, if not then maybe you should just-”

Ako interrupts hesitantly, “U-um, actually…”

“Ako-chan…!”

“I’m sorry Rin-rin, but I have to! I… saw something today. We both did.”

“What exactly did you see?” Sayo presses.

“Well,” Ako begins to fidget nervously, “We saw Yukina-san talking in a hotel… with this woman in a suit.”

Yukina visibly widens her eyes. Sayo shakes her head, “Why are you bringing this up? It’s Minato-san’s private life, you should not be concerned with it.”

Rinko gently places a hand on the shorter girl’s shoulder, “Ako-chan… Maybe we should drop it…”

“I know, I know we should! But I can’t stop thinking about it,” the drummer’s eyes brim with tears, “I’m doing everything I can to help Roselia find their own brand! I… I hate that we might not even be able to enter the contest!”

The outburst catches everyone off-guard. Lisa begins to panic, the situation has become much more tense. Sayo steps forward, her voice inked with hostility, “What do you mean?”

Ako begins to elaborate, and as the entire situation unfolds Lisa can only stand in disbelief. The fact that all this time Yukina had been talking to a scouting agent, and telling nobody about it. The fact that Yukina would’ve thrown Roselia away if it meant getting to Future World Fes. The thought sent a searing pain throughout Lisa.

Sayo closes her eyes after Ako finishes with her explanation. The girl speaks in an accusatory tone, “I understand it now, Udagawa-san. Minato-san, I’m assuming what they’re saying is true as you haven’t interjected?”

Yukina stays silent, choosing to face away from the others. Sayo nods, “I see. As long as you make it to the main stage, you have no use for us. Is that correct?”

“I just…” Yukina struggles to get any words out.

“You don’t deny it then. In that case…”

“Wait!” Lisa interjects hurriedly, “That can’t be what she means! Just let her have her say, please!”

Lisa turns to Yukina expectantly, hoping this was all a misunderstanding. She hopes that Yukina will have a reasonable explanation, as she always did. But instead, Yukina stays completely silent. Lisa desperately begs, “Please… Say something, Yukina!”

“That’s enough, Imai-san. Minato-san, you told me yourself that together we could achieve great things. You told us all these great things…” Sayo’s eyes blaze with anger, “But all along you were just saying what you needed to whoever would do. All just to get you into this festival, is that it?!”

Ako wilts in her spot, “So… Me and the others, we were all only here to help Yukina-san perform at the festival?”

“Ako-chan… no one is saying that…”

“I feel incredibly let down, Minato-san,” The girl turns her back and begins to pack up her instrument.

“Sayo, wait!” Lisa runs up to the guitarist and places a hand on her shoulder, “Please wait a second, let’s just all hear what Yukina has to-”

“Her silence speaks volumes,” Sayo retorts.

Lisa feels everything crumbling apart. The pain in her chest is oppressive, “Then… what do we do now?”

“You and Minato-san are childhood friends. Not much will change in that regard.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Whatever you meant, I’m beginning to get irritated by all of this time we’re wasting,” Sayo gazes at her, “I’m sorry, Imai-san. I think I need to go.”

The girl hoists her guitar on her shoulder and leaves the studio. The room falls eerily silent, and Lisa feels as if she is about to collapse right there. Either from the unwavering pressure in her chest or the suffocating amount of tension in the room. Lisa once again desperately clings to the hope that Yukina has a reasonable explanation. The girl turns towards her best friend, “Yukina, is it true?”“...So what if it is?”

“What if it is…?” Lisa shakes her head in disbelief, “You know what’ll happen to the band! Are you seriously okay with that? Isn’t there anything you want to tell everyone?”

“I don’t care!” Yukina snaps, her calm complexion crumbling into a mask of rage.

“Yukina…”

“I have to join the festival! I’ve always said as much, haven’t I?! I need to join for my father!” The other girl’s visceral reaction catches Lisa off guard entirely, she doesn’t have time to stop the girl as she exits the studio.

The silence is deafening.

-

A day has passed since the letdown. Sayo remains vigilant with her guitar practice as always, but now she feels off, as if something was missing. That thought is ridiculous though, Sayo concludes. Her routine has not changed significantly, save for the dull ache she constantly feels within her chest that once more does not belong to her. A grimace dons her face as she can’t help but wonder about Lisa, her fingers coming to a still. Sayo admittedly was too harsh on her yesterday, and the look of hurt that flashed on Lisa’s face almost made the guitarist embrace the shorter girl. She couldn’t though; she was far too upset for that. But the thought alone makes her wonder of how it would feel to entwine herself in the other girl’s warmth for the second time since that drizzly night. It doesn’t go far after a vibration from her phone shakes her from her thoughts. She briefly glances over and realizes that, speak of the devil, Lisa just now sent her a message.

From: Imai Lisa

‘Can I see you right now?’

Sayo’s eyes widen. Of all the things Lisa could be spending her day doing, she wants to see her? She unlocks her phone and hastily sends a reply, ‘Right now? I’m sorry, but today I planned to study after I finish my practice. I’d rather not go out anywhere.’

There, that excuse seems fine enough. At least, that’s what Sayo thought until she saw the next reply, ‘That’s fine, I can just come over. I just want to talk.’

Sayo nearly drops her phone from her trembling hands, her face feels incredibly hot. She can’t even possibly conceive why she is acting like this. Her bandmate and friend, Imai Lisa, was simply requesting to meet with her. So why is she having such a rhapsodical reaction? Her phone rings again, ‘So? Can I come over?’

Against her own judgement, Sayo responds in affirmation, ‘I guess you can. I’ll send you my address.’

‘Ah! I’m surprisingly close, I’ll be there in a few. ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡’

Sayo shakes her head and smiles. The tension in her shoulders ease as she waits for the girl to arrive. She paces around her room, feeling oddly giddy and restless. As promised, the doorbell rings after a few minutes and Sayo practically rushes to the door.

Only to find that once she was at the top of the stairs, Hina was already in the process of opening the front door.

‘God damnit.’

Sayo closes her eyes and simply curses herself in her own absentmindedness. How in the world could she get so caught up in seeing Lisa that she forgot her own sister was also in the house? The girl flinches as her sister lets out a surprised, “Lisachi!”

“Hina! I didn’t know you would be here,” Lisa walks in, the same smile on her face as always. The girl meets Sayo’s gaze and she finds herself stuck in place, “Sayo! It’s good to see you again!”

“I agree, Imai-san.”

“Whoa… so you’re here to visit onee-chan huh, Lisachi? That’s super boppin’!” Hina skips up the stairs and pats Sayo on the shoulder, lowering her voice to a mere whisper, “Good luck, onee-chan! I’ll leave you two alone!”

Sayo has no time to respond to Hina’s ridiculous notion, because the ecstatic girl bounces off into her room. The silence is unnerving, and Sayo can feel Lisa’s gaze being burned into the back of her head. With as much remaining grace she can muster, she turns around and awkwardly descends the stairs. Her gaze ambles down towards the bag in her hands, “I see you’ve brought something. What is it?”

“Geez, that’s so cold Sayo~! You don’t even greet me when I’ve come all this way just to see you?”

Sayo blinks a few times, “I’m… I’m sorry, good evening Imai-san.”

“Hey, stop being so tense around me, okay?” Lisa places her bag down. She approaches the taller girl and lightly kneads her shoulders, “Loosen up, I’m just a friend!”

“Um, I understand,” Sayo feels her rigidness melt away, her lips turning upwards ever so slightly.

“G-great! Now then,” Lisa picks up her bag and forages through it before she finally pulls out a small bag with a blue ribbon on it, “Here you go~ I made you some cookies.”

Sayo gratefully accepts the package, “Thank you, Imai-san. I wish there was something I could give you in return, but unfortunately I don’t know much about your tastes.”

Lisa taps her chin for a few moments, humming thoughtfully, “Well, I like cookies too!”

Sayo nods, “Just cookies? I suppose I can buy you some…”

“You could, but I like handmade cookies better!”

“Handmade…” Sayo knits her eyebrows, “Imai-san you are aware that I cannot cook, correct?”

“Why don’t I just teach you some time then?”

“I guess that would be acceptable, we can settle on a date later,” Sayo gestures to the couch, “Would you like to take a seat? I’ll bring my things down.”

“How about I just join you in your room?”

“Ah… well if that’s what you want, I don’t mind,” Sayo internally curses at the warmth that rushes to her face, betraying the calm character she’s trying to uphold, ‘Get a hold of yourself, there’s nothing strange about this.’

“Okay, lead the way then, Sayo!”

The two girls make their way up the stairs in silence, aside from the small humming from Lisa. Sayo notices that the girl’s voice is pleasant, soothing even. The tune by itself isn’t much, but the brunette’s voice manages to make it more colorful. After a few more brief moments of enjoying the simple melody, they arrive at Sayo’s room. She opens the door and calmly gestures for the girl to come in.

“Wow~ so this is Sayo’s room, huh? It’s pretty homey, even if a little bit simple.”

“I like to keep things modest,” Sayo sits down at her desk and places the bag of cookies down. She begins to sift through her books, “I have a bit to do, so you can make yourself at home in the meantime.”

Lisa says nothing, so Sayo assumes she’s fine with the arrangement. Moments pass with not much noise other than the scribbling of a pencil and the occasional flip of a page. It’s oddly serene despite having another person in the room with her. She simply gets lost in the pages of her assignment, and she barely notices the extra weight on the back of her chair. A pair of arms comes to rest around her torso as Lisa rests her head on Sayo’s own. She immediately freezes and her body stiffens, Lisa is standing directly behind her.

“Imai-san, what are you doing?”

“Hm, just looking at what kinda work you’re doing!” Lisa makes a noise of disapproval, “Sheesh, this is the type of stuff you’re learning Sayo? Isn’t this a bit much?”

“It’s not that difficult once you get used to it.”

“You say that, but isn’t that just because you’re smart?”

“Anybody can reach this level with enough effort, it’s nothing special…”

Lisa tightens her grip on her slightly, “I think you’re special enough, Sayo.”

“Imai-san…?”

The girl says nothing. The room falls silent save for the thundering beat in her ears. Sayo continues to work with mild struggle, more from Lisa’s close presence rather than any physical constraints.

“Hey, Sayo… what should I do?”

“Is this about Minato-san?”

“You see right through me, huh~?”

A familiar dull pain begins to rise in her chest again. She takes a moment to simply breathe. Sayo chooses her words carefully, “I can’t say I’m very fond of her right now. I believe she’s making the wrong choice entirely.”

“...What do you mean?”

“If she were to go along with this… talent agency, the semblance of her own music would be lost,” Sayo pauses momentarily to form her words, “They are a company and they will try to market and appeal to a specific large crowd. Her music will change entirely, and any previous fans of Minato-san will simply fade away. So will she.”

“That’s… like her dad…”

“I understand her desire to attend Future World Fes, but we differ in how we wish to arrive on that stage.”

“What can I do then…? I’ve just been by Yukina’s side all along, but I can’t even help her like this.”

“Imai-san… Don’t you see your mistake right now?” Sayo slowly reaches up and takes one of Lisa’s hands into her own, intertwining their fingers. She’s not even aware of her own action, “You’re being too lenient, too kind. You need to voice your concerns directly. So far, to my knowledge you’ve only been following Minato-san’s whims.”

“Sayo…”

“Imai-san, you need to be more assertive and reach out. Your opinions are important as well. That’s what it means to be a band member. That’s what it means… to be a friend. You have taught me that.”

It wasn’t a lie either. Sayo had no idea what a friend even was. Ever since joining Roselia, she steadily begins to understand. 

“...Thank you,” Sayo feels the other girl bury her head in the curve of her neck. Lisa must be crying, she decides from the dampness on her neck. The realization makes Sayo squeeze the girl’s hand, hoping that it’s reassuring. The bassist hugs her tighter, “Is it okay if I stay like this for a bit longer?”

“Of course.”

This warmth and satisfaction feels similar to what she felt on that rainy night. Any trace of embarrassment and bashfulness is gone. Sayo’s only cares about one thing at this point in time; comforting the girl who was there for her.

-

Lisa had to go to work shortly after the exchange with Sayo. It seemed like Moca had a similar problem to her. Now she stands on the veranda, looking over towards Yukina’s room. Her lights still shine through the window, and she notices the girl laying on her bed. She thinks back to the advice Sayo gave her, bracing herself for confrontation with Yukina. She gets carried away though, and thoughts of Sayo floods her mind; she feels warm in spite of the autumn weather. The girl held her hand so kindly and was so tolerant towards her. A spark of hope flares in Lisa’s heart, maybe the guitarist did feel the same way as her. Lisa shakes her head and pats her cheeks a couple times, “Okay, Lisa! You can do this. Steer her from the bad decisions, just like what you told Moca!”

Bracing herself, she sends a text, ‘Hey Yukina~! Open your window!’

A moment passes before Yukina simply replies, ‘No. I’m busy.’

‘Busy lying around on your bed, huh~? Your curtains are open silly!’

Lisa observes as Yukina slowly rises from her bed and opens the window. The brunette climbs over the balcony nimbly, “Hey~! Wow, I haven’t been to your room in ages! You do know we’re neighbors, right? You should visit more.”

“...We see each other everyday anyway. Did you want something?”

Here goes nothing. Lisa takes a breath, “Mmm, I wanted to apologize first of all. That whole agency stuff? Didn’t realize a thing at all,” the bassist takes a seat on the bed, “You must’ve been dealing with that ever since I last talked to you about Roselia… If I had realized what was happening, I maybe could’ve helped.”

Yukina stays silent, though her face betrays her calm demeanor. It’s twisted in a way that resembles pain. Lisa’s heart sinks but she continues, “I realized something though. I’ve always just stood by your side, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do… But it was all talk and no action.”

Yukina’s eyes flicker towards her. Lisa waits for any response in suspense, but when she doesn’t get any she continues, “Your dad, your fans, Roselia… You had to carry all that weight by yourself, and I’m sorry for that!” Lisa smiles and holds her hand out towards her childhood friend, “From now on, we can deal with these things together-”

Yukina stamps her foot, “Why?!”

“Eh?”

“Why do you always say that? Why are you so… so kind?! This is… this is all my fault! I’ve got no one to blame but myself!” Yukina clutches at her chest, gritting her teeth she goes on, “Everything that happened with the band, the festival… with my father! You were always there by my side… smiling… always smiling!”

“I know, Yukina… I’m sorry…”

Yukina’s eyes flood with tears, “I… I need you to stop that! As long as you’re there I can’t… focus on my music! I just can’t do it!”

“Oh, right… I’m sorry, you’re just so important to me, I guess… I’ve been coddling you,” Lisa grimaces, “I guess I can’t do anything to help you then… I know how you feel about the festival, Yukina. But when the five of us performed together the other day, the look on your face reminded me of when we used to jam with your dad. I was… incredibly happy to see it.”

Yukina scowls, her fists clenched in an iron grip. Lisa offers a sad smile, “I mean, I thought you looked happy too. I know you’re still unsure, but I just want to say… I don’t want you to quit the band. That’s just how I feel.”

“...Feelings alone won’t get you anywhere.”

“Mmm. I guess you’re right. Thanks for the chat! I feel better now that I’ve gotten it all off my chest. I’m gonna go get some dinner, see ya~!”

Lisa climbs over the balcony once more and returns to her room. After pulling over the curtains, she collapses onto her bed. Her hands are shaking, she realizes.

“I think I’ve done all I can do for now,” she quietly murmurs to herself.

For Yukina’s sake, Lisa realizes that she needs to continue clashing with her like this.

-

Sayo wasn’t expecting a meetup between the members of Roselia today, but here they all were. All five of them once again back at the studio they practiced so much in.

“Are we all here?” Yukina asks. Something about her demeanor seems different to Sayo. 

“First… I would like to apologize for before. It was rude of me, as a member of this band.”

“What do you mean, exactly?”

“I didn’t fully understand my own feelings. I didn’t fully understand the relationship we all have together. And I apologize for that.”

Ako perks up, “Ah, does that mean…?”

“I turned down the offer.”

Lisa and Rinko gasp in surprise, but Sayo remains unconvinced, “Even so, the truth remains that you gathered us here as competition entrants, not band members.”

Lisa places a hand on Sayo’s shoulder, “Come on, Sayo! Be nice!”

Sayo nearly chastises Lisa again for being too kind, but Yukina holds up her hand, “Stop, Lisa. She’s right, and she’s right to blame me, too.”

“Then I’m partly to blame too! I just stood there and watched… and I didn’t help you at all!”

“Lisa-nee… did you know about the scout?”

“I’m the only one who knew about this,” Yukina shakes her head, “She is not to blame at all. Just be quiet, Lisa.”

“I’m not just going to be quiet anymore! After all this time… I still want you to be in the band, Yukina!”

Sayo contemplates the vocalist’s intentions. She sighs, “You are still not clear, Minato-san. I don’t know what it is that you want.”

“It’s like you said, Sayo. Everything I have done, all of the music, it has all been to take part in Future World Fes.”

“Future World Fes is our goal, yes. I’m doing my best to reach it too… But Minato-san, if everything you’re doing is just to play at this festival, what exactly do you plan on doing after? I don’t mean to be rude, but it seems like you have no vision beyond that.”

“Huh? Then that would mean…” Ako frowns at the suggestion.

“Exactly. When all is said and done, we will simply be thrown away.”

“That’s not true!” Yukina cries out, “I mean… maybe it was, once, when I was looking for new members but… when I found you, Sayo… when we all came together, it became less about my father and…”

“Your father?” Sayo lifts an eyebrow.

“The truth is… I was using the band and the music for my own personal reasons. It’s a very long story, but… When my father was young, he was in a band…”

The silver haired girl explains the origins of her father’s band, and slowly everything clicks. Sayo folds her arms, “I've seen that band before, in magazines. They say they were huge back in the indie scene... I had no idea your father was a member, Minato-san…”

“I formed Roselia with a promise to find our own brand of music, all the while hiding my own personal reasons and deceiving you all… now I know that I must take responsibility and quit the band.”

“H-hold on, now…”

Ako stutters out a response, clearly alarmed, “Um, I-I think…!”

Yukina interjects, “However… I know I don’t deserve it, I know I lied about my ideals, my feelings, hiding my true beliefs… But I still want us to play together, all five of us!”

The declaration stuns the room into silence. The vocalist continues, “I want to stay with Roselia! …I don’t know how you all feel about that, and I understand that it’s incredibly selfish of me but…”

“...You told me before, Minato-san. You said that we cannot bring personal feelings into the band,” Sayo smiles, “However these feelings of yours… I can understand. Why we continue to play is one thing, but why we want to start in the first place…? Everyone has their own reasons.”

“Th-that’s right!” Ako pumps her fists excitedly, “I only started because I wanted to be just like my sister! It’s the same with you and your father, Yukina-san!”

Rinko smiles at the shorter girl, “That’s right... and I just wanted to… help myself change.”

Lisa giggles, “Well I just wanted to be with Yukina… but you all knew that~!”

Sayo acknowledges everyone’s thoughts with a nod of the head, “Everyone has their issues. The reason we hold onto them is because we can’t let go. But all we can do is keep moving on… right?”

“Sayo…”

Sayo gives Yukina an amused look, “I, too, want us to continue playing together.”

“Huh? Does that mean…” Ako taps her chin for a few seconds, mulling over a thought. Then she suddenly cheers, “Roselia is back together?!”

Sayo and Yukina respond in unison, “We never split up.”

The two look at each other, stunned. Lisa chuckles, and everything seems to be whole again. Everything seems right.

Sayo grins, “Then I guess it is settled. We will enter Future World Fes together, as Roselia.”

Her heart races, a passionate flame reignited in her heart. Yukina stares at everyone dumbfounded, but she too eventually laughs.

Roselia is back.

-

Saying that Lisa was nervous would be an overstatement. She only feels a buzz of anticipation, for the most part she was quite calm. Everyone in Roselia seem quite loosened up as well, it’s as if they’ve always been this close with each other. Though it seems she was so calm that she overlooked one important thing: her appearance.

“Oh, no, no no no! I forgot my hairspray!” 

Sayo appears beside her in a flash, a can of hairspray in her hands, “I told you not to forget anything… Here.”

“Thanks, Sayo,” Lisa beams. Sayo has softened up since they first met, and a part of her is relieved. Even when an image of Pastel Palettes flashes onto the TV and the murmurs around them talk about their talented guitarist and drummer, Sayo continues to smile serenely at Lisa. The bassist reaches up and smooths the taller girl’s hair, “You’re smiling a lot more. It looks great on you~!”

“I decided to take your advice seriously once again, Imai-san,” Sayo laughs, it rings out sweet and joyful. It’s so comforting to Lisa, finally seeing Sayo like this; unchained from her jealousy and burdens.

“Rin-riiiin!” Ako collides into Rinko with a tight hug, “Are you gonna be okay? The stage is really really big you know! You’re not gonna turn blue again right?”

“I… I think I’ll be fine, Ako-chan… as long as I’m with my keyboard, with Roselia… I feel fine…”

“I totally get what you mean! I feel invincible when I’m smashing my drums!” The twin tailed girl raises her fist eagerly, “Alright! Let’s go show them just how hard Roselia practiced!”

Yukina patiently places a hand on the girl’s shoulder, “Ako, try to calm down. There are other bands here as well.”

“Imai-san, are you finished with the hairspray? I need to use it too.”

“Oh, sorry, hold on!” Lisa quickly applies the spray and styles her hair. As she does so, she recounts all the challenges this band has come across, and she’s glad things have turned out like this. Rinko was no longer afraid of crowds, Sayo was no longer bothered by the very mention of Hina, and Ako looks as happy as ever. Even when they’re all about to start the contest, Roselia is tranquil. 

“What about you, Yukina…? Huh? Yukina?”

“Minato-san has stated she wanted some fresh air before the performance.”

“Oh, okay! Here you go, Sayo! I’m gonna go catch up with Yukina~!”

“Thank you.”

Lisa strides out the room and finds Yukina outside, staring peacefully at the night sky. The bassist approaches her friend, “Hey Yukina~! I thought you’d be preparing for the show, turns out you’re out here!”

“However much we prepare, it’ll go how it goes.”

“What’s with that? You’re the leader of Roselia right? That wasn’t very inspiring, you know~!”

“Practice is all that matters, whatever the result.”

Lisa notices the way Yukina carries herself has changed. She’s still standing straight with the aura of a leader, but her posture is no longer strained.

“What is it, Lisa? You’re staring.”

“It’s just… you look so relaxed, I’m glad.”

“...I am too. It’s feels great to not be hiding anything anymore,” Yukina’s smile is on full display, “Thank you, Lisa.”

“That’s good! Wait,” Lisa pauses, her mind still  processing the genuine gratitude shown, “Wait, huh?!”

“It’s time. Let’s head back.”

“Hold on a second! Yukinaaa!”

As the two arrive back in the dressing room once more, Sayo awaits them. She clears her throat, “Five more minutes. You made it just in time.”

Yukina smirks, “I’m ready. Lisa?”

“Huh? Yeah! I-I’m totally fine, yep!” Lisa feels her hands shaking so she clasps them together in an attempt to veil her agitation.

A staff member calls out, “Roselia, to the stage please.”

As beckoned, the members walk single file towards the stage entry. Lisa isn’t entirely sure about this, she’s afraid that she’ll slip up. She’s afraid that one tiny mistake on her part will undermine everyone’s efforts, despite working so hard to finally get to where they are now.

“Imai-san, you’ll hit someone with your instrument if you keep looking at the floor like that,” she casts a pleasant expression towards the bassist, “Face forward.”

“Face… forward…” Lisa grins back, “Thank you, Sayo.”

-

A month has glided by since Roselia failed to pass the preliminary round. All Sayo could describe it as was bittersweet. They received many praises, most even thought they would be the group to win, but they were not able to pass because of some trivial decision making from the judges. 

Sayo can’t say she’s too mad though, even if she refused to admit it. She remembers the passion-filled performance they put on; the way her heart was lit afire, the way she was at peace the entirety of their set. She remembers the blinding brilliance of the lights on stage, the crowd holding their breaths in anticipation and bursting into cheers when the first guitar riff echoed through the venue. At the end of it all, she remembers the hazel locks that enveloped her as the scent of cookies blanketed her senses. She recalls the dazzling smile that graced her vision. It wasn’t unwelcoming in the slightest.

A ring of the doorbell carries her back to the present. Rising from the couch, she opens the door to reveal a familiar sight. There Lisa stands with that same smile on her face. The girl waves, “Heyo, Sayo~! It’s chilly outside isn’t it? I guess it’s to be expected since it’s almost Christmas!”

Sayo laughs, “Why do you seem so excited, Imai-san?”

“I get to teach Sayo how to bake cookies~! Of course I’m excited.”

“I do have to warn you, I have no experience in the kitchen at all.”

“You think that’s gonna stop me? I have to deal with Yukina all the time!”

Sayo feigns shock, “Really? Is Minato-san that bad of a cook?”

Lisa enters through the door and waves her hand dismissively, “All that girl cares about these days is her music, sheesh,” the brunette delicately taps Sayo on the nose with a finger, “Kinda like you!”

Sayo flushes and flinches backwards. Lisa didn’t seem to notice as she continues straight towards the Hikawas’ kitchen, humming that same melody that Sayo has heard dozens of times now.

“Hey Sayo, you did get the ingredients I told you to right?”

“Yes, I followed the list exactly.”

Lisa opens the fridge and begins taking out the necessary ingredients. Sayo watches curiously as the girl deftly moves around the kitchen.  

“You seem quite skilled at this, Imai-san.”

“Ahah~ well I have been doing this for a few years now.”

“I could tell from the taste of your cookies alone. They’re always delicious.”

“Really? It’s rare getting such high praise from you, Sayo~!” Lisa gestures for Sayo to come closer, “Get over here, do you want to make cookies or not?”

Sayo hesitantly makes her way to the kitchen counter and stands beside Lisa. The girl hands her a hair tie, which she gratefully accepts and uses to put up her hair in a ponytail. 

“So, what exactly do we do, Imai-san?”

“Hmm, well first,” Lisa sets two bowls side by side, “We want to mix the ingredients, of course! We’ll set the dry ones in here… and the wetter ingredients in here.”

Sayo observes as the other girl elegantly measures the components and place them in their designated bowl. Lisa explains each part of the process very carefully, and Sayo finds herself intently listening. She begins to demonstrate a specific motion, then hands Sayo a mixer and smiles, “Are you just gonna watch me? You’ve been paying attention right?”

“Right, sorry,” The guitarist, though very efficient with her hands, takes some time to get used to the movement.

“Ah, that’s enough Sayo, it’s fully mixed now,” Lisa stills her hand. Sayo momentarily stares at the girl’s hand before passing her the bowl. She continues to follow along as the brunette mixes the ingredients from the two bowls together. Lisa eventually stops mixing as the dough reaches a light brown state. 

“What now?” Sayo asks.

“Well, this is the fun part! We cut the dough and make shapes out of it!”

“Ah. I see,” Sayo picks up a knife from the holder, “Okay, how do we do it?”

“N-no, Sayo, put the knife down, we don’t need it!”

“We… don’t?” Sayo looks at the blade, perplexed. She sets it back into the holder, “How do we cut the cookies then?”

“With these, of course!” Lisa puts on a large grin and sets down multiple shaped cutters on the counter. Sayo gawks at them mistifiedly as the bassist begins placing balls of cookie dough on the wax paper applied tray. She then slides it over towards Sayo and finds her spot beside the taller girl. Sayo can feel their shoulders touching as Lisa begins to explain how to use the cutters; Sayo simply follows along absentmindedly, more focused on keeping her composure.

After a short while the dough is ready and they slide the tray into the oven. Lisa laughs, “Well, it wasn’t too bad, right Sayo?”

“Yes, but… I made you do most of the work. Next time I’ll do better.”

“It’s fine~! Baking takes some practice. You’ll be a pro before you know it!”

“I hope so. I want to be able to pay you back after all the cookies you’ve given me.”

Lisa smirks, “You know they’re gifts, right? You don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t have to, but I want to,” Sayo meets Lisa’s gaze meaningfully, “You’ve done much more than just give me cookies. I want to be able to give you something in return.”

“Sayo…”

Sayo quickly turns away and picks up a bowl, “...A-anyway, shouldn’t we wash these?”

“Ah, right. You know how to wash a bowl right?”

“Of course I do.”

The two spend the next few moments quietly cleaning up the kitchen, the only real consistent noise being the stream of water from the sink. Sayo begins stacking the leftover ingredients in her fridge, noting that it looks much more full now. As the girl closes the fridge, she hears a yelp. 

Sayo quickly turns her head towards the sound, her heart drumming as she rushes to catch the currently falling girl. Sayo seizes her arm and pulled her closer, lifting her upright. She clutches the girl firmly in her arms, the thundering beat in her ears refuses to subside. Sayo puts enough space between the two for her to examine Lisa’s face. The girl is wide-eyed, her chest heaving up and down.

“Are you alright, Imai-san?”

“Y-yeah… I’m okay… I just slipped, that’s all!”

Her grip on Lisa remains steady. Her senses finally return to her, she didn’t realize just how little the distance was between the two. Sayo takes note of the other girl’s flushed cheeks and how their faces were so close she could feel Lisa’s breath brushing across her skin. Sayo hastily pushes herself off of Lisa and turns away. She raises a trembling hand to cover her mouth, her face rapidly becoming red.

“E-excuse me, Imai-san. I need to go to the restroom,” Sayo quickly walks away from the scene, her face continuing the burn furiously red. 

She winces in pain as she begins to  feel a pounding weight in her chest.

-

Lisa buries her face in her hands, the cool surface chilling her burning cheeks. She inwardly curses herself for being careless, how could she slip over some water? They were so close to… doing what, exactly? What was she hoping for? For Sayo to somehow reciprocate her feelings?

“Lisachi?”

Lisa peeks out from her hands to a concerned Hina standing in front of her. She sighs, “Yeah, what’s up, Hina?”

“Are you alright? I saw onee-chan storming upstairs and I got worried.”

“Oh, it’s nothing! She just... went to the restroom.”

Hina seems to regard her carefully, her expression pensive. It’s the most thoughtful Lisa has ever seen the other girl. She hums, “Say, you have a crush on onee-chan don’t you?”

“H-Hina! Don’t say something so embarrassing out loud!”

“So you’re not denying it?” Hina tilts her head, oblivious as always, “Well, it was just a guess, but I got it right! Boppin’!”

“Hold on, I didn’t...” Lisa fidgets with the hem of her skirt.

“Well?”

“...Is it really that obvious?”

“I mean, yeah, kinda,” the girl begins to count on her fingers as she lists off the various hints, “You always talk about her with this smile on your face and you turn bright red, you’re coming over to our house more and more… Oh! Remember that time in class where you called onee-chan the coolest-”

Lisa waves her hands frantically and shushes her, “S-stop! Okay! I get the point!”

“Ah, see! You’re doing it again!” Hina claps joyfully, “Your face is all red!”

“That’s not something to be happy about Hina, jeez!” Lisa sets both of her hands on her face, attempting to cool them down.

“Why don’t you just tell her, Lisachi?” Hina’s brows rise, “Oh! Is it cause of the whole soulmate thing?”

“Well… yes, but no?”

“Ehhhhh? What do you mean by that?”

“I’m… Sayo’s soulmate,” Lisa exhales roughly, “I’ve known for a while now. But I don’t want to just… tell her that, you know?”

“Why not? You’d get to be with onee-chan!”

“It’s not that simple, Hina… I want Sayo to like me because of me, not because we’re soulmates. I don’t want to force things, you know?”

“Is that how it is? Hmm… that’s kinda strange though, isn’t it? I think onee-chan likes you a lot!”

Lisa lets out a brief, bitter laugh, “It’s not like that. Sayo only sees me as a friend and as a bandmate. Sometimes I even wonder if I could ever have a chance to be with her…”

“Lisachi…”

“Just… forget about all of this, okay, Hina?” Lisa begins to put on a pair of mittens and extracts the tray from the oven, “Don’t tell Sayo about it, either.”

“But…”

“No,” Lisa bites back tears, “It’s not right.”

Sayo comes back downstairs eventually, her expression deadpan. Of course, the brunette greets the other girl with the same cheerful smile as always. The older twin smiles back and turns to Hina, who was currently sneaking a cookie into her mouth, and the two bicker for a short while before laughing it off. Lisa feels a twinge of pain within her heart, ‘See? She doesn’t feel the same way as you, Lisa.’

As the trio enjoy their cookies, Lisa can’t help but remain quiet for the rest of the day.

-

Sayo started practice extremely uneasy. It felt as if everyone suddenly has their gaze on her. Everyone except for Lisa, that is. The girl has become much more reserved lately, and Sayo would’ve been glad if it were a month before. Now however, she feels agitation. It doesn’t feel right. So when break arrives, Sayo attempts to talk to the bassist. She never gets a chance as apparently, Lisa always wanted to move around today.

Sayo blankly stares at her from across the studio, ‘Is she… avoiding me…?’

Sayo frowns, a feeling of disappointment crawling up from her heart. She decides she’ll spend the rest of her time with her guitar instead of socializing. That’s what she decided to do, until Roselia’s drummer approaches her.

“A-Ako-chan, calm down…”

“No!” Ako stomps her foot and points at Sayo, as menacingly as someone her stature could muster, “Sayo-san! You big meanie! You big dumb meanie!”

“I beg your pardon?” Sayo remains wide-eyed, absolutely perplexed.

“How could you do that?!”

“I… what did I do?”

“Dummy!” Ako points once more before turning away and returning to her drums. Rinko quickly apologizes in her stead and returns to the shorter girl’s side.

Sayo turns to Yukina, “Do you have any idea what she’s talking about?”

Yukina nods, “As a matter of fact, I do. I must agree, you’re quite the ‘dummy’, Sayo.”

“What…?”

The vocalist strides away from her, instead approaching Lisa. The two have a conversation too quiet for her to hear. Sayo can only describe herself as unconditionally baffled. The feeling follows her through the rest of practice, as well as on her way home.

She enters through her front door and shuts it wearily, letting out a breath. Taking her shoes off, she notices her sister standing in front of her, patiently waiting. Sayo lets out a sigh, “Yes, Hina? Did you need something?”

“You seem tired, onee-chan. Did something happen today?”

“The strangest things did. For some reason, everyone was somewhat… hostile to me, during practice,” Sayo frowns, “Except for Imai-san… Hina, do you know something?”

“Mmm, I might know a teensy bit.”

“I must’ve done something wrong… should I apologize? What could I possibly have done…?”

“I think you’re thinking too much, onee-chan!”

Sayo tightens her fists, “Thinking too much? If I did something to upset Imai-san then I…”

“Then you what, onee-chan?” Hina looks at her expectantly. What was she expecting?

“...Nothing. I’m going to my room, I’ll see you later, Hina.”

“...Okay, good luck.”

Sayo nearly stomps up the stairs. Why is she being so irritable? Why is it so important to make sure Lisa is okay? Sayo shakes her head, ‘That’s a normal thing to worry about if you’re friends, isn’t it?’

This is ridiculous, she’s simply blowing this out of proportion. Sayo enters her room and quickly sets everything down, with the exception of her guitar. She delicately takes it out from the case and places the instrument on its stand. The girl hastily sits down and sends a message, ‘Imai-san, are you well? You didn’t seem to be fine during practice today, and everyone’s attitudes towards me makes it seem like it was something that I did. If I did anything to upset you, please tell me right away. I apologize deeply.’

Sayo taps her foot, waiting for a response. Her phone finally rings after a few minutes, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry about that, Sayo! It’s not your fault, okay~? Don’t worry about it! I’ll be fine, you’ll see! (^ω^)’

The teal haired girl smiles and lets out a relieved breath. 

‘Are you absolutely sure? If you need help with anything at all, please notify me immediately. I will be here for you.’

Another delay occurs before she receives a reply, ‘That’s really sweet of you, Sayo. I’ll keep that in mind~!”

Finally satisfied, Sayo moves towards her desk to begin working on her assignments for the day. However, she feels a jolt of pain in her chest when she sits down, followed by an ache that is so familiar to her.

Sayo cannot for the life of her understand why her heart is aching despite her all of her relief for Lisa’s wellbeing. 

-

“Yukina, what did you say to her?”

The girl in question takes a sip from her cup, “I did what I had to.”

“Sayo thinks it’s her fault that I’m upset!”

Yukina raises an eyebrow, “What would you say is the source of your sorrow then, if not Sayo?”

“...Yukina, that’s not fair.”

“I know it isn’t, but what also isn’t fair is how you’re treating yourself,” Yukina sets her cup down, “After all you’ve done for me, for the band, for Sayo, why do you continue to feel as if you aren’t worthy of happiness?”

Lisa shakes her head solemnly, “You wouldn’t understand…”

“But I do. Do you think I’m incapable of feeling powerless? Have you forgotten that I was not able to confront Roselia until you managed to convince me to?” Yukina folds her arms, “Lisa, you are a valuable asset to the band as well as an agreeable and reliable friend. As your band leader I cannot allow you to sell yourself short like this. It’s getting in the way of practice as well.”

“Yukina…”

“I will not say this again,” Yukina smiles lightly, “You are worthy of happiness, Lisa. Besides, you’re Sayo’s soulmate, are you not?”

“How did you-”

“I noticed during Sayo’s outburst about her sister. Your pain, I mean. Even through my surprise I noticed.”

“Even then, being her soulmate means nothing if she doesn’t have feelings for me…”

“Oh for the love of…” Yukina quickly takes a breath, “How do you know she doesn’t have feelings for you?”

“How do you know if she does?” Lisa shoots back.

“I don’t, you’re right. How about you just find out if she likes you or not, then?”

Lisa chuckles, “What? You just want me to ask her how she feels about me?”

“Yes, precisely.”

“Wait, what?” Lisa blinks a few times, “Wait, Yukina… What?! Are you crazy?!”

“That would be the most efficient way to find out, would it not?”

“And the most horrifying!” 

Yukina shrugs, “I don’t see what’s so horrifying about it. After all, weren’t you the one who attempted to get me to communicate more? Why can you not do the same?”

“It’s different! Communicating with your band is different than basically just… confessing to your crush!”

“Ahah! I knew it, Lisa-nee has a crush on Sayo-san!” Ako rises from the booth behind her and Lisa nearly jumps from fear.

“How long have you been there?!”

Yukina smirks, “I asked her and Rinko to come along.”

“A-Ako-chan, get down from the booth… people are staring…”

“Oh, right, thanks Rin-Rin!” The girl hops down from the booth behind Lisa and instead stands next to her.

“...Yukina, what’s going on?”

“Don’t worry! We’re calling this plan…” Ako flourishes her hand and places two fingers to her forehead, “The passionate strategy of… um...”

“It was twilight, Ako-chan.”

“Yeah! That! The passionate strategy of twilight!”

“What does that even mean?” Lisa looks between the three girls quizzically.

“Just leave it to us, Lisa,” Yukina nods determined, “This plan is necessary in order for Roselia to reach even greater heights.”

“What?” Lisa looks around frantically, “I mean, seriously, what the heck?!”

“Imai-san… you’re aware of the… New Years Festival at the shrine, right…?”

“I am… wait, no no no no! I know what you guys are getting at, no!”

“Instead of celebrating Christmas, we have decided that Roselia will go to the shrine together on New Year’s Eve. With Hina,” Yukina explains the plan casually, with Ako furiously nodding along.

“That’s right! That’s where Lisa-nee will confess her feelings for Sayo-san!”

“There’s no way I’m doing that! No!”

“Lisa,” Yukina glares at her meaningfully, “This is for Roselia. How will we bloom wildly to the top otherwise?”

“...You’re being one hundred percent serious about this, aren’t you?”

“The future of Roselia is a serious matter.”

Lisa tosses her hands up in defeat, “Fine! Fine, I’ll do it. What do you need me to do?”

Ako cheers loudly as Rinko attempts to calm the girl down. Yukina smirks, “The festival is in a week. You need only come, leave the rest to us.”

Lisa has no idea what’s in store for her, and she’s honestly quite terrified to see what plan her bandmates have come up with.

-

Sayo reluctantly lumbers along behind Hina, who was currently skipping all over the place. The older twin can’t help but smile. As the two approach the festival, many lanterns pass by as people began to flood in. They decided to leave their house fairly early, and it seems that it was the right call. Sayo’s ears attentively pick up the sound of Hina’s humming, as well as the familiar melody she keeps hearing over and over. The girl decides to question it, “Hina, what is that song that you’re humming?”

“Hm? Oh! Lisachi sings it all the time, I think it was called, uh… ‘Distance’, that seems about right?”

“Distance… I see. What is it about?”

“I dunno, I think it’s like, some girl who’s in love and wants to be noticed by her crush. It has a pretty zappin’ tune, even if I can’t understand what it really means!”

“I-I see,” Sayo clears her throat, though nothing leaves her mouth. She shakes her head, ‘Why am I getting embarrassed over a simple love song?’

Sayo frowns at the mention of it. Lisa has been distant towards her ever since their baking lesson, and she could not for the life of her figure out why. Sayo reckons it could be her imagination, if it were not for the missing warmth of the girl clinging onto her. She feels a pang of disappointment sting her; the girl suddenly scowls even deeper than before.

As the twins near the shrine, they hear a whistle from within the crowd. Sayo turns her head and notices that the rest of Roselia is walking right towards them. She’s relieved and she feels the tension in her shoulders uncoil. Something else, however, catches her eye even more than Roselia; Lisa. Sayo nearly forgets how to breathe as she gawks at the brunette. Her hair is put up in a bun, covered by a beautiful red flower accompanied by a smaller black one. The yukata she wears is light red and matches her nicely, Sayo notes. White and pink flowers were scattered over the cloth, it gives the impression of Lisa’s elegance and charm. The guitarist eyes finally landed on Lisa, meeting her gaze for the first time in days. The girl smiles timidly, and all the warmth that had been missing rushes back to Sayo all at once. 

“Heeeyyy! Sayo-san, Hina-chin!” Ako waves enthusiastically at the two.

“It’s good to see you again, Ako,” Sayo smiles and instinctively raises a hand to pat the younger girl on the head.

Everyone around them freezes, including Ako. Hina breaks the silence loudly, “Awww! No fair, how come you don’t do that to me?”

“What are you on about? I do it sometimes,” she removes her hand from Ako’s head, which causes Ako to shake herself out of her stupor.

Lisa snickers, “Sayo~, that was so unlike you! You even called her by her first name!”

“Imai-san…” Sayo laughs, relieved that the girl was talking to her again, “I suppose you’re right.”

“Sayo-san is so cooool!” Ako stares at the older girl in amazement before turning to her best friend, “Isn’t that right, Rin-Rin?”

“Yes, Ako-chan… Hikawa-san is very cool…”

“Now hold on, I didn’t even do that much…”

Yukina claps twice, “Alright everyone, no more wasting time. We only have a set amount of time before the festival closes after all.”

“Roger that, Yukina-chan!” Hina salutes, “Let’s head to the food stalls everyone!”

Ako pumps her fist, “Yeah!”

The group moves towards the food stalls as mentioned by Hina. Time passes by fairly quickly as Hina and Ako continue their antics, only being stopped by Sayo and Rinko respectively. Yukina follows calmly alongside Lisa, who cheerfully laughs at the lighthearted chaos that ensues in front of them. The familiar sound comforts Sayo, and she finally manages to relax after worrying about what she could’ve done wrong for the last few days. The cluster of girls explore the festival and the rest of the shrine, picking up paper lanterns on the way. It’s the most fun that Sayo has had.

“Maaan, I am stuffed!” Hina pats her stomach to emphasize her point.

“Yeah, me too!” Ako chuckles darkly, “However, the power of the Dark God allows me to expand my capacity even further!”

“Wow~! That’s pretty impressive, Ako!”

“Right, I’m sure that’s the case, “ Sayo drones dubiously.

“It’s true, I’m telling you!” Ako pouts, flailing her arms.

“Alright, alright, settle down, Udagawa-san,” Sayo casts a smile at the younger girl, who immediately composes herself. 

“...Well,” Lisa looks at her phone, “It’s almost midnight! I’m gonna head to the gardens.”

Sayo nods, “Stay safe, Imai-san.”

“Um, yeah,” The brunette turns away, pausing for a moment, as if she were expecting something. Then, she quickly strides away.

A sense of pain rises through Sayo’s chest once more and she grimaces. The rest of the group turn towards her, and Sayo swears she notices resentment in their gazes. Ako is the first to speak up, “Sayo-san, what the heck was that?!”

“Yeah, I agree with Ako-chan!” Hina folds her arms and nods accordingly, “Your romance game is totally not boppin’, at all!”

“Romance…? What are you two talking about?”

“Sayo, you just made Lisa storm away in anger,” Yukina shakes her head in disappointment, “I expected better.”

“What... “ Sayo’s temperance quickly goes from utterly puzzled to absolutely furious, “What are you all even talking about?! I have no idea what any of you expect from me, what is it that I’m constantly doing wrong? I know it’s my fault that Imai-san is feeling terrible, you don’t have to tell me that! What you do have to tell me is what in the hell am I doing wrong?!”

Luckily, they’re in a fairly secluded place, so Sayo only gets a few weird stares from people passing by. She pays them no mind, too fixated on the pressing matter at hand. The group looks at each other, none of them saying a word. Sayo waves her arms impatiently, “Well?!”

“Onee-chan,” Hina’s tone reeks of caution, “How do you feel about Lisachi?”

“How do I feel about her?” Sayo shakes her head, “She’s a reliable friend, an integral part of Roselia as well as my life, and-”

Sayo quickly halts her train of thought. Hina seems to be aware of her sudden epiphany, as does everyone else. They patiently wait in silence as Sayo attempts to get her bearings together. Lisa is an integral part of her life? What does that even mean? Sayo’s chest quickly begins to heave as she struggles to grasp her thoughts. Yukina gently places a hand on her shoulder, “Sayo. Are you aware of how Lisa feels about you?”

The girl in question shakes her head silently. Rinko steps forward, “Hikawa-san… Imai-san cares about you… a lot…”

“I… I understand that,” Sayo nearly chokes on the suffocating pressure in her chest. It’s coming from two sources, she can tell.

“Sayo, you need to relax.”

“I…”

“Onee-chan?”

“I’m her soulmate… but I… I can’t...”

“Sayo,” Yukina grabs her shoulders and forcefully turns the girl towards her, “Listen to me. We all know how you feel about Lisa, so why can you not see it for yourself?”

“It’s… Someone like me can’t be her soulmate, her partner… She deserves better…”

“That’s not true at all!” Hina frowns disapprovingly, “Lisachi trusts you a lot, I can tell! I was really happy when she kept coming over, because you were always happier with her around! The same thing goes for her, I’ve seen it myself! It was super zappin’!”

“Sayo-san… Lisa-nee really cares about you…” Ako pouts, tapping her fingers together anxiously, “It’s okay to feel the same way about her too, y’know? You guys are soulmates!”

“Sayo,” Yukina closes her eyes, “Lisa told me about a promise, a long time ago. She made a promise to help her soulmate, and to always be there for them. She’s kept that promise.”

“Her promise…” Sayo echoes earnestly, her heart beating in her ears.

“Please… Hikawa-san…”

“...I need to go.”

Yukina’s eyes light up in hope, “Does that mean…?”

“I need to repay my soulmate, for all she’s done for me,” Sayo turns towards the gardens, “Thank you, everyone. Truly. I’m sorry for the mess I’ve caused.”

Sayo registers a unified chant of ‘good luck’ behind her as she broke into a sprint, trying her best to ignore the aching in her chest. She mutters a series of apologies on the way, hoping that the girl could somehow hear her. Breaking through the crowd, she rapidly approaches an open hedge gateway. She catches a glimpse of red moving towards the gazebo and bolts towards it, her lungs burning. The exhausted girl finally comes to a halt, doubling over to catch her breath. After a few moments, she slowly approaches the target of her desperation.

Lisa hastily wipes her eyes and sniffs. She turns around, shooting a weary smile towards the taller girl. She laughs, “Sayo… you’re out of breath, are you okay?”

The teal haired girl says nothing and continues on until she stands before Lisa, offering a trembling hand towards her. The brunette accepts it and allows herself to be pulled upwards and embraced. Sayo tightens the grip exponentially, “I am so sorry, Imai-san…”

“Hey, what’s all this? Come on,” Lisa delicately rubs a circle repeatedly on Sayo’s back, “I’ve said it many times before, haven’t I? Loosen up a little.”

“Yes… you’re right,” Sayo separates from the girl and laughs gleefully, gently grasping both of her hands, “Imai-san… I would like to apologize for my foolishness.”

“Mm?”

“I… I am your soulmate. I’m sorry it took so long for me to finally accept it.”

Lisa giggles, “It’s okay. I was pretty stubborn in not telling you.”

“Imai-san, I… I love you.”

“I…” Lisa’s eyes fill with tears, “I love you too, Sayo, with all my heart.”

Sayo reaches up with one of her hands and gently wipes the tears away, “I’m sorry for causing you so much pain. I was a fool... but even so, will you stay with me?”

Lisa nods, her smile still as bright as ever, “Of course… I promise.”

Sayo wraps her arms around the shorter girl’s waist, pulling her in. Lisa moves along with no resistance. The brunette rises onto her toes and closes the gap between the two, connecting their lips clumsily. Their teeth clash once or twice, but Sayo doesn’t mind as she laces their fingers together. They separate for a moment, grinning at each other. Sayo lowers her head once more, planting her lips onto the other girl’s gently. The sound of fireworks thunder on in the background, but the noise is drowned out by their mingling breaths and the beating drum of Sayo’s heart.

The two separate once more, touching their heads together. A familiar smile once again graces Lisa’s face, “Happy New Year, Sayo.”

Sayo cherishes every second of this, so she pulls Lisa in again, kissing her with fervor. Sayo laughs, her lips brushing against the other girl’s, “Happy New Year, Imai-san.”

The new year awaits calmly as the silver moon hangs low, shining upon them approvingly while they embrace one another.

Notes:

Hello! I'm so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I originally planned to release this somewhere on January 1 - 5, but I just kept getting carried away. Here it is though, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Happy New Year everyone!

Notes:

This was a project I started literally at the beginning of summer, all the way back in May. I uh, completely abandoned it for a while, but I'm now back on my grind and hopefully it won't take me that long to finish it this time oop