Despairful Music

A Bad Feeling

"Good morning everyone! It is now 8 a.m. and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beautiful day!"

"Damn that thing gets annoying real quick. Making me get up at 8 am. There isn't even school. Not like I go anyway," I mumble to myself still half asleep. I quickly carry out my morning routine, once again with everything I need right there.

This time instead of seeing Kohane or Kanade, I see Emu waiting outside her room, to my surprise.

"Ah, Mizuki!" Emu comes running over enthusiastically.

"I see you're on your own today! Did you talk to Rui?"

"Mhm! He was super nice about it! You were right! He didn't realize he was going overboard! I'm glad! I'm still going to hang out with him today though just to keep him reassured!"

"That's really nice of you, Emu," I smile, "Are you waiting for him right now?"

"Yeah! He's not here yet though, and Nene and Tsukasa already went for breakfast."

I smile, thinking back on my memories of spending time with Rui. He always did take forever to get ready.

"I'm sure he's in there trying to make his hair look perfect for you. Have fun waiting for him! Though, it isn't like I'm much better."

"Bye, Mizuki!!!"

At breakfast I see Tsukasa and Saki sitting at a table and having a chat. They look happier than usual.

At another table sits Ichika, Nene, and Honami. 3 introverts trying to have a conversation, a recipe for awkwardness. I can feel it all the way from here.

The last pair sitting in the cafe is Minori and Haruka. They seem deep in conversation.

Neither Kanade, Kohane, nor Mafuyu can be seen. While Mafuyu being gone is a common occurrence, the disappearance of the two others is concerning. I assume Kanade is still locked up in her room composing after our fight the other day, but Kohane... I haven't seen Kohane since she asked to be alone... What's she been doing?

This morning I don't feel like eating. I grab a cup of tea and sit down at my own table, slowly sipping it. Before long the conversation dies down. The sound of chairs moving and footsteps tells me that at least one group has left, soon followed by another set of chair sounds. The unusually soft voices of Tsukasa and Saki and my sips of tea are the only sounds left.

I hear a goodbye and the sounds of chairs once again, but this time only one set of footsteps walks away, the other toward me.

"Hey, Mizuki."

A girl with golden blonde hair fading into pink stands beside me. Her sudden change in mood from when last I saw her is unsetting.

"Hi, Saki! What can I do for you?"

"Well, Tsukasa and I were going to have a karaoke today around 3 if you'd like to come. It'll be just like last time!"

"Will it just be you, me, and Tsukasa?" I ask, very skeptical. Last I saw of Saki she was kicking and screaming, yelling at Akito, at little bro, that he deserved to die. Yes, Akito did reach out to her and apologize, but with the girl's unstable mental state it's hard to imagine that was all it would take.

"Oh no, Tsukasa is going to invite Rui, Emu, and Nene, right now! I plan on asking around as well."

Can I trust that?

"Oh, also, Tsukasa said some weird thing about not showing up early, so make sure not to show up early! Last time you did that I did you with a door!"

"Okay... I'll be there," I reluctantly agree, "If Rui and Emu will be there." I trust Rui and Emu, but will they really be there just like Saki says?

"Yay! See you at 3, Mizuki!"

I have a bad feeling about this...