Red string of death. Mafuyu x Kanade

Sad little girl

Dad... I really tried my best. But my music still wasn't able to save anyone. I hurt you, and I couldn't save Yuki. Am I supposed to keep making music even after all this?

"You all want to disappear more than anyone."

"Yuki... So that's why Yuki was there. Alone in that cold, quiet world. I belong there too. It's okay to give up now, right?" Kanade said.

....

There's nothing here. The ground is hard, but it's not cold. If I just close my eyes and stay here...

Will it make the pain go away?

Kanade gasped, I can hear music. Is that Miku singing? And this song... It's the one I wrote back then. Where's it coming from?

"Kanade?" Miku was infront of Kanade, "Miku..." "You've come back. Did you come to find her?" Miku asked, "Not exactly..." Kanade replied. "I... see." Miku seemed disappointed.. "How do you know my song?" Kanade wondered, "You mean... the one I was singing just now? That song has existed in this world from the beginning. I was simply singing what I know." Miku's reply shocked Kanade slightly. "My song was here from the beginning?" "Yes. It has always been here. I did not realize you had written it." This response left Kanade silent and speechless. "This white, empty world was created from her feelings. The only thing here was that song. Perhaps... that means your song reached her somehow." "It reached her? But... But..."

"But it wasn't enough. I wasn't able to find anything"

"But I wasn't able to save Yuki!" Kanade remembered what 'Yuki' had said. "My song... wasn't enough! Even if it did reach her, it didn't change anything!" "Kanade... You are in just as much pain as she is... aren't you?" Miku's question had left Kanade speechless once again. "Perhaps that is the reason." Kanade was confused, "Perhaps the reason your song is the only thing in this empty world is because you feel the same way she does. Maybe those shared feelings are why your song was the only thing able to get through. Even if it wasn't enough... it still reached her." "Miku..." Kanade was truly hit by Miku's words. "I want her to discover her true feelings. She continued to write songs in order to find the real her. No matter how much she suffered or how much she cried, she continued to write. Her true feelings... are that she doesn't want to disappear." Miku's statement left Kanade not only speechless and shocked too. "So please.. help her find herself. Kanade, you are the only one who can." Miku said. She knows why, not just because of her music. It's because..

"But... Can my music help save Yuki?" Kanade, asked but Miku just replied with an I do not know. "However, I am sure that if anything is able to her her ...it will be your music and..--" "My music..." Kanade chose to ignore, Miku when she said and, "If that's true... Then I have to make it. This time, I have to save Yuki for real."

....

Mafuyu was left alone, sitting in her dark room. 

"OWN really is amazing. They must be a genius. Either that, or they're a professional using an alias."  

"Wouldn't it be funny if it was just some gloomy, middle-aged guy shut up in his room all the time?"

"This is so stupid... I knew I wouldn't find anything here. Where... is the real me..." 'Yuki' was silent.. "When exactly did I lose sight of her...?"

....

"Mom, Dad, look! I got full marks on my test!" Another young child, said, her voice having happiness in them. A genuine smile. "That's great, Mafuyu. Looks like all that hard work paid off." Mafuyu's mother said. "I hear you've been studying hard every day. I'm proud of you, Mafuyu." and her father said too. The little girl, laughed and said thanks "I'll work even harder to make sure I do good on the next one too!"

"I'm home." A junior high school student said. "Welcome back, Mafuyu. Dinner's ready, so come sit down." Mafuyu's mother said. "Wow, it looks delicious! Thanks." Mafuyu smiled. "What does your homework look like today, Mafuyu?" Mafuyu's father asked. "I've got some math and an essay to write about what I want to be in the future. "Oh? And what is it you'd like to be in the future?" "I want to become a nurse so I can help people who are sick." Mafuyu said. "Is that so... But if you really want to help those who are sick, there are even better jobs than that, you know." Mafuyu's mother's words made Mafuyu question it a little.

"Being a nurse is wonderful, but if you're going to get into medicine, why not become a doctor instead?" "But I..." Mafuyu tried to talk but got interrupted , "That's right. You'd make a great doctor. And you're more than capable of handling the amount of study required." Mafuyu's father joined the conversation. "If you become a doctor, you can take care of us when we're old and gray." Mafuyu's mother laughed slightly at her own statement. Mafuyu was silent, "Don't worry about tuition, either. You just focus on getting into the best school you can." "Mafuyu's father said. "I'll be supporting you as well, so good luck!" Mafuyu's parent's words made her say a quick okay. "Thanks for always thinking about me, Mom, Dad. I'll do my best." Mafuyu put up a smile.

"If Mom and Dad are both going to support me, maybe this is the better option.  This... will make them happy, right?"

....

"Hey, Mafuyu. Are you free tomorrow?" "A bunch of us from class are planning on going to that new arcade. You wanna come?" Two classmates asked, "Oh, sure. I'd-" Mafuyu was about to respond until she got interrupted "Of course she doesn't want to go! She's the top student in our grade! She's too busy with club and all those tournaments, not to mention studying. She never has time to go have any fun." "Oh, I guess you're right. Sorry for bothering you, Mafuyu." One of the classmates who asked took their invitation back. "Oh... It's okay. Maybe next time." Mafuyu smiled.

"Ms. Asahina, I read your essay. So you'd like to be a doctor?" The teacher asked, inside the classroom. "Yes, that's right." Mafuyu replied. "That's a wonderful goal. I think you'll make a great doctor." The teacher praised her, "Thank you. I'll be sure to study harder." "Good luck. Make sure to let me know if there's anything you need help with." Mafuyu smiled. "Okay, thank you." "What?  You're going to be a doctor! That's so cool!" "That's perfect for you! You're always so nice, looking out for everyone else!" Mafuyu's friends praised her. "It's not like I even know if I'll be able to yet, I appreciate the vote of confidence, though."

Everyone's so excited for me. If they're happy for me, that must mean this is the right decision. If Mom, Dad, my classmates, and even my teachers are happy, then I suppose this is right.

"Mafuyu, I bought you some cake since you've been studying so hard lately. The shop is really popular, so I'm sure it's delicious." "Thanks, Mom." ... "Maybe I should take a break." Mafuyu said, This cake doesn't taste like much to me. Mom said it was good, though, so it must be. But it's not just the cake. Everything tastes a little bland lately, even restaurant food and Mom's cooking. "I wonder if I'm just overthinking this. Maybe I should do something I like to get my mind off things for a while." ... "What things DO I like?" Mafuyu laughed, "How strange. I must be tired from studying so much. Oh, that reminds me. I still need to listen to that song everyone was telling me about yesterday. They said it's really bright and cheerful... What exactly is a cheerful song? I'm not sure... What was it I liked? What did I want to do again? Where... is the real me..."

"I searched and I search, I made song after song." Mafuyu had a blank expression on her face. The light gone from her eyes. "But I still couldn't find it. It's alright to give up now, right Miku?"

"This.. This string doesn't matter. I don't care. I don't care about it. My mother wouldn't allow it. I won't allow it."