empty snow, pure white melodies.

birthday, selfish.

january 27.

mafuyu never felt like asking anything more in her life than to be saved.

she always craved a way out, crawling from the darkness dragging her within. she remembered the day she was adrift into the unknown, empty sekai and met miku. ever since then she had a real company, and miku's effort in saving mafuyu brought her more and more people into her space.

kanade, whose music captivated her. a starting point of her to regain every bits of herself that she'd lost years ago. ena, the sometimes foulmouthed illustrator who tends to hide her true intentions behind her sharp tongue. and mizuki, the carefree animator whose world rotates around cute things, admirably also pretty observant for someone with trivial intents from time to time.

these ties, she won't even make it into real life and only united through screen day by day, not if a certain whitehaired entity cried for the help to the three.

「please, i beg you. please save her.」

"...mafuyu?"

the violet-haired girl shot her eyes open, slightly frowning and felt confused. her dream felt nostalgic, even it was for a short period. but in the same time she felt like plunged deep into darkness and sank in the deep, endless abyss.

"....miku."

"are you okay? you look pale? it supposed to be your birthday, why aren't you feeling better?"

birthday... right. she spent a quiet time after the party in sekai. everyone left, but mafuyu remained. she needed a quiet time with someone who found her, someone who'd stay by her side always.

"i was just thinking, now that i can feel a little bit. how is it to be selfish?"

has she ever feeling so? mafuyu never really solved anything by feelings, only heartless logic moved her until she formed bonds with the member of her circles.

"i don't know, mafuyu."

mafuyu never felt like asking anything more in her life than to be saved.

but maybe, maybe for once, she can cut herself some slack to ask something and be demanding. besides, it is her special day, right? also her ever-so-controlling mother is not present before her. she can do what she wanted.

she can do whatever she wished.

"miku... can i try to be selfish, then?"

"...?"

mafuyu soon knocked miku down with her, embracing her with mafuyu's head on miku's chest.

"spoil me."

she gently puts the side of her face onto miku's chest to try listening to her beats. it's calming, even for an entity that is not a human. she felt her chest lightly thumping on her beat as well, and quickened when miku's hand moved over mafuyu's head.

"it is your day.. so you can ask anything from me."

mafuyu never felt like being so demanding, even for once. but maybe if it is for the sake of her peace of mind, she will let her guard down. maybe only for miku, she felt so special that mafuyu cannot express it into lyrics herself, for a lyricist.

"miku, thank you for listening to my selfish request."

"it is not selfish at all. if mafuyu... mafuyu can feel anything, as long it lifted your burden, i'll do it."

"...then..."

curiosity seeping through her mind after her wish was appointed "not selfish" af all. mafuyu pressed her own fingers to her lips and nonchalantly asking.

"then, can we kiss?"

as far as she knows, kiss only exchanged with someone one would love deeply.

and maybe mafuyu felt like expressing it in a request since it is her birthday, after all.

"...sure."

miku moved her face down close, their arms coiled around each other before their lips connected.

and on that moment also, mafuyu could feel a relieving warmth inside her chest.