“It’s that pushy personality of yours, Chihaya. You should fix that or you’ll never get anywhere in life. Just like how quickly you quit school overseas!”
“Ano-chan…” Tomori suddenly looked behind her after the lunch time bell rang.
“Wah! Tomorin!” Anon almost fell backwards as Tomori only blinked at her. “Sorry about that, I was just a bit preoccupied.”
“Are you buying from the cafeteria today?” Tomori asked.
“Ahhh… I didn’t sleep much last night so I think I’ll go and rest in the library for a bit.” Anon gave her a wry smile.
“How did your meeting with your middle school friends go?” Tomori tilted her head to one side.
“Surprised you came today, Chihaya. I thought you were overseas?” was the cocky greeting of one person in their old circle.
“Stop that! Don’t mind her, Anon-chan.” One of the classmates quickly smacked the other girl.
“Haha. It’s all right.” Anon responded dryly. It wasn’t like she was wrong anyway.
“It went well, don’t worry, Tomorin.” Anon gave her a small smile and stood up from her chair. “I’ll be back before next class.”
~*
There aren’t many weird things to Soyo’s mornings, but today there was one.
To a normal person, it might not be of concern, but for this band, it definitely is. One might think, that for someone who always treated Chihaya Anon unfairly, it was odd of Soyo to be concerned, of all people.
However, she can’t help but wonder why Anon still hasn’t sent a chat to the MyGO group chat. Even if it’ll end up with only her and Tomori talking in it, Anon had never missed a greeting since they’ve become an official band.
Soyo stared at their group chat, whose last message was from Anon, from 2 days ago. She tapped onto Anon’s profile picture with the intention to send her a message, but the mere imagination of her smug face and annoying response immediately warned her to not send this message.
She was probably just worried about nothing.
And nothing… it wasn’t.
“Oi, Anon. You just missed that phrase right there again.” Taki stopped playing the drums and rudely pointed her stick at the pink haired guitarist.
“Sorry. I just didn’t get enough sleep.” Anon smiled, her fang showing as she played the part she’d repeatedly been making mistakes at the past hour, properly. “See? I can play it!”
“Then play it during the song!” Taki clicked her tongue. “I heard from Tomori you slept during your lunch break. That’s not a reason anymore. One more–“
“I’m bored.” Rana suddenly spoke. She quickly packed her guitar and left the studio.
“Oi, stray cat–“
“A- Ahhh! Rana-chan, don’t leave!” Anon immediately removed her guitar, missing the guitar stand twice before finally being able to put it on its stand and chased the wandering stray cat outside the closed door.
The two of them immediately came back as Rana munched on a pack of green tea candies and Anon just sighed, her face a little flushed as she grinned at everybody.
“Got her back!” She made a bad attempt at being cheerful and immediately went to her guitar.
“Ano-chan…” Tomori quietly walked towards Anon who was putting on her guitar. “Are you really okay? Your face is kinda red…”
“Hm? I feel more awake now after all that running with Rana-chan. I’m fine!” Anon gave her her signature fang smile and strummed a few guitar chords as it played back on her amplifier. “Let’s go!”
Rana nodded.
Taki only motioned to Anon the ‘I’m watching you’ sign and Anon only stuck her tongue out at her… while Soyo only watched all this unfold.
Normally, Chihaya Anon would be noisier. She also wouldn’t apologize right away, nor was she going to just clumsily almost drop her guitar on the floor. There was definitely something weird going on.
Thankfully, Anon stopped messing up on the same part, and band practice ended on a good note. Everyone walked out of RiNG and towards the road.
“I’ll take Tomori home.” Taki nodded at Soyo, then looked at Anon sharply before turning around and walking ahead of Tomori.
“See you tomorrow, Ano-chan.” Tomori waved at Anon and Soyo then followed Taki.
“See you tomorrow, Tomorin!” Anon waved at Tomori, then stuck her tongue out at Taki with a ‘blehhh’.
She and Soyo started walking towards the crossing as the blinking green man turned to red… then there was silence.
“Heyhey, Soyorin.”
“What?”
“…Can I walk home with you today?” Anon asked with a voice lower than her usual.
Anyone would know that there was something going on, but as a test of sorts, Soyo opted to look past it.
“If I say no?” Soyo turned to Anon whose eyes only widened. “By this time, she should start being pushy, and call me a cheapskate or something of the sort…”
“Haha… Sorry. It’s okay! I remembered I had something else to pass by today, anyway. See you tomorrow, Soyorin!” Anon smiled at her and immediately jogged back the way they came.
“Hey! Wait–” Soyo called towards her as the crossing’s stop light turned to green, and people started crossing leaving her trapped in between an influx of people, and a slowly disappearing pink hair into the crowd. “Anon-chan… You idiot.”
Anon panted as she suddenly found herself back at RiNG. Her body felt incredibly hot, as she caught her breath. She rested both her hands on her knees as she almost fell to the floor, trying to regulate her breathing.
Suddenly an open bottle of green tea was offered in front of her.
“Huh…? Rana-chan…?” Anon looked up in front of her and saw a lot of lights… until everything was black.
~*
“You always just run away.”
“You’re all talk and no bite.”
“How could you say all that when you can’t even prove your hard work?”
There were bits and pieces of memories, muddled in with reality. The loud beeping noise of a heart monitor. Voices talking.
“What happened during your study overseas?”
“…Understood. Nagasaki-san–“
“I bet you she couldn’t mingle well with the people. She just thinks she’s so smart.”
The sound of wheels rolling. Multiple beeping noises, followed by footsteps, then a door closing. Everything was muffled, and only the memories were clear.
“She was a student council president who thought she knew it all.”
“…bably be shocked…. if… her home.”
Everything was cold, but her body was on fire. Was she sweating? All this time all she could feel was that everything was in motion. The car engine drowned the loud memories, and suddenly she felt a warm voice call to her.
“…-chan. Anon–…”
A familiar voice. Then there was warmth on her hand. It was tight, and reassuring.
~*
“Anon-chan!” Soyo quickly put her bag and bass down on the sidewalk and ran up towards Rana, who was carrying Anon in her arms. “Rana-chan, what happened?”
“She came back, I offered her a drink but she passed out.” Soyo quickly took over and cradled Anon in her arms as Rana explained.
“Her temperature’s so high! Rana-chan, could you remove her guitar from her back?” Rana nodded. The front doors of RiNG opened and Ririko came outside. “Ririko-san! Could you please call an ambulance?”
“On it!” She immediately went back in and called an ambulance.
Rana finished removing Anon’s stuff and set it aside. Soyo slowly sat down on the pavement as she gently let Anon lay down on her thighs. She was passed out, but her breathing was heavy.
In about ten minutes, an ambulance arrived and quickly carried Anon on a stretcher. Ririko offered to keep the bass, and Anon’s guitar in the studio overnight so they could go without baggage. Soyo thanked her, as she told Rana to go home that she would take everything from there.
“Get well soon, Anon.” Rana spoke softly as Soyo nodded at her.
Soyo picked up her’s and Anon’s school bag and rode the ambulance.
Thankfully, it was a weekday, and it was easy to find a hospital. They quickly wheeled her into the emergency room, the nurses attended to her as another nurse talked to Soyo.
“I’m her… friend.” Soyo answered as the nurse wrote her name down. “I can call her parents so you could talk to them?”
“Please do. I’ll fetch a few more needed forms and be back soon.” The nurse quickly left, then Soyo started dialing numbers.
The nurse quickly came back, and Soyo nodded and handed her phone to the nurse.
“All right. Understood. Nagasaki-san will then be making the decisions.” The nurse nodded, and Soyo looked over curiously as she heard her last name. “They wanted to talk to you again.”
“Ah. Thank you. Hello? Yes. I think she’d be shocked if she wakes up in a hospital. It’s probably for the best if we bring her home.” Soyo looked at the nurse who understood that Chihaya Anon isn’t going to be staying overnight at the hospital. “I’ll stay over until you can come home tomorrow evening. Yes. Please take care. Thank you.”
“I’ll bring over the medicine, and the discharge papers.” The nurse told Soyo, who only nodded at her.
Soyo looked at Anon who was on a bed, an IV drip on her left arm. “Anon-chan…” She gently took her hand into her own and squeezed it. “It’ll be fine, Anon-chan.”
~*
Chihaya Anon opened her eyes slowly as she looked up at the familiar ceiling of her room. It wasn’t entirely dark as her desk lamp was open and facing away, but she was sure she was in her own room.
“…Huh? How did I…” She tried to sit up, but her body was heavy, and her throat was dry, as her words were followed by coughing.
She hadn’t expected to be with someone, so it surprised her when she heard footsteps coming towards her. Finally noticing that her bed’s partition had been removed and set on a wall near her door.
“Huh?” She thought as she tried to make out who it was in front of her.
“Can you sit up?”
Anon shook her head.
“I’ll help you up. You need to take your contacts off.”
“Soyo…rin…” Anon croaked up her words as she coughed.
“Don’t talk. Just obey for now so you’ll feel better.” Soyo told her firmly. She wrapped her arms around Anon’s shoulders and gently helped her up. She left a bit to pick up a small basin of water with a towel. “Wash your hands here. Where’s your eye contact solution?”
Anon blinked her eyes and pointed at the computer table. Soyo nodded and fetched it for her. She took the basin and set it on the floor before she opened the contacts case and put it in front of Anon.
“I’ll hold it, so just focus on trying to get them out.” Soyo sat on the side of her bed.
Anon struggled a lot with her painful left arm, and her sheer lack of energy. After a lot of struggle, she finally was able to remove both, and flopped back to her bed.
Soyo moved quickly by stashing away the girl’s contacts, and then quickly wetting and wringing a towel and gently putting it on Anon’s forehead.
“Soyo…rin…” Anon spoke weakly as Soyo finished setting the basin on to the floor table in Anon’s room.
“Hm?” Soyo hummed a response, but didn’t get one back. She looked at Anon and noticed a raised hand grabbing at air. “Okay, okay.”
She quickly walked back towards Anon’s bed and held onto that outstretched hand. She sat on her bed and held onto it tightly without saying anything.
“I’m sorry…” Anon spoke weakly. “…Thank you…”
“Mm.” Soyo hummed as she squeezed Anon’s hand.
~*
The next time Anon woke up, her desk lamp was dimly lit. It didn’t feel like she was asleep for a long time, but it also felt like it was already the next day. Her body was extremely heavy, but it didn’t feel as bad as it did the last time.
“Soyo…rin…?” Anon tried to call out without opening her eyes. Upon not receiving a response, she calmed down and focused her hearing as she heard a voice outside her room’s door.
“…Okay, it’s not much. Yes, …I will. …care.”
The conversation immediately ended, and the door to her room opened, and Anon immediately felt a sense of relief. She raised her hand to grab at air hoping that the person who had just entered her room would notice.
“Anon-chan…!” Soyo softly jog walked towards her. “Can you sit up?”
“M- Maybe…” Anon tried to sit up, but before she could react, there were already arms around her body helping her up. “Th- Thanks…”
“I made some porridge. Eat up a little, drink your medicine, and go back to sleep, okay?” She briefly left her side to pick up the tray of porridge and brought it over.
“Yes, mom…” Anon mumbled quietly, then she looked up and was met with a glare. “Hehe…”
“You seem to be doing well, maybe I should just go home–” Soyo gently set the tray on Anon’s lap and raised an eyebrow at her.
“A-Ah… I’ll be goo–” Anon spoke suddenly, and ended up in a coughing fit. “Gwarh…. Sorry…”
“Now, be good, and eat.” Soyo sighed and was about to leave but she noticed Anon not moving. “What?”
Anon suddenly gave her a full smile, then she started blinking her eyes beautifully at her.
“Haaaahhh…” Soyo let out a big sigh, took a seat on the bed, then held the spoon in her hand. “Open your mouth.”
“You say ‘say ahh’ there…” Anon let her intrusive thoughts in, then quickly covered her mouth with her hand. “I’ll be good…” She then opened her mouth.
Soyo blew at the porridge, then realized it had already cooled down, then fed Anon.
Anon nodded and gave her a brief thumbs up, signaling that it was good. They shared this silent moment until Anon had completely eaten everything in her bowl.
Soyo took the tray with her and immediately came back with a capsule tablet and a glass of water. “Drink this.”
Anon brought the medicine nearer her eyes and squinted as she read the medicine name. “Influenza, huh…”
“Mm. And you even dare to run around with a guitar. What were you thinking?” Soyo sighed as she touched Anon’s forehead. “Seems like your fever has gone down a bit.”
“I thought it was just a slight fever…” Anon laughed lightly then ended up into a coughing fit. Soyo rubbed her back as she coughed. “…Thanks…”
“Go lie down and sleep.” Soyo helped her lie down and clicked the desk lamp off.
Anon made an indistinguishable sound and pulled the covers to her shoulders. Soyo took the towel from the basin and folded it over Anon’s forehead. Anon raised her hand again and Soyo sighed but took her hand once again.
~*
The next time Anon woke up, the sun was already shining through her windows, and the birds were chirping. Her headache was still there, but she felt so much better than she did the previous night. She immediately sat up and the partition on her bed was partially back so she wouldn’t see through to her couch.
Remembering the events of last night, Soyo taking care of her, and even borrowing some of her clothes, cooking her food… Maybe she was just being delirious, but at least she felt like she has a better grasp of reality now.
“…I caused them so much trouble…” Anon mumbled, her voice partially back as well. She turned to the clock that was on her desk and noticed it was already past nine in the morning.
“Really, you did.” Soyo’s voice came from behind the partition. She slowly walked towards Anon’s bed side, now back in her uniform. “How are you feeling?”
“Sooo much better. I felt like I was dreaming for so long.” Anon stretched her arms above her head. “Ugh… I’m covered in so much sweat…”
“You shouldn’t stress yourself out now. Do you want to take a shower?” Soyo put her hands on her waist.
“…If I say no, are you going to help me wipe it down?” Anon looked at her like a lost puppy.
Soyo only stared at her dryly before answering. “…I will.”
“…I think I’ll just take the shower.” Anon quickly moved to put her legs onto the floor. She tried standing up and found her feet unstable as Soyo quickly caught her into a hug. “Sowwie…”
Soyo breathed out and made sure Anon could lean her weight on her as she helped her up. “I’ll accompany you, in case you don’t make it.”
“…That’s mean.” Anon answered weakly as they slowly walked together towards the bathroom.
“Sounds to me that you’re all better now.” Soyo smiled as Anon only looked at her with narrowed eyes. “What?”
“Nothing… Thank you.”
Anon quickly finished her shower, managing to partially dry her hair before she started feeling very dizzy. The moment she wobbled into her room, Soyo was fixing her bed.
“Eh…?” Anon blinked as she watched Soyo quickly walk towards her. “Did you change my bed sheets?”
“I did. It’ll be pointless if you took a shower and you’ll just lie back down on a sweaty bed, isn’t it?” Soyo only looked at her tiredly. “Also, if you don’t dry your hair properly, you’re just gonna get sick again. Sit down.” She made Anon sit down in front of her study table, and soon she was drying her hair.
Soon, Anon was back and tucked into her bed.
“Do you want to eat?” Soyo asked as Anon opened her mouth to answer but her stomach answered for her, with a gurgle. “Stay there.”
It was as if she had been awake the whole night, or that she had lived her whole life in her home; Soyo acted like she had everything memorized inside the Chihaya household.
Anon wasn’t even able to properly form some thoughts and Soyo was already back with a bowl of porridge. It had a few pieces of some smoked salmon on top of it.
“Eh…” Anon blinked. Soyo couldn’t have made one, surely she bought it but it was definitely from that store that she loved.
“Don’t say anything, and just eat it.” Soyo sat down on the study table chair and crossed her legs as she watched Anon eat. “Just so we’re clear, I am incredibly angry at you right now.”
Anon gulped at the clear declaration and quietly ate her porridge with a warm heart, washed down by a tepid glass of water, together with her medicine.
Soyo soon came back after returning the utensils she had used to eat. She sat down on the chair she was using, legs crossed once again.
“Well?” Soyo leaned her elbow on her leg, and rested her head on top of her palm. “It’s about time you explained to me your behavior yesterday.”
“Th- That’s…” Nothing… was what Anon wanted to say, but she knew that Soyo was incredibly angry, and that of all the people, she shouldn’t be the one she’s keeping secrets with.
“You’ve been like this since you met your middle school friends over the weekend. You didn’t even say good night, or good morning.” Soyo sighed as she looked at her hands, resting her back on the chair. She started playing with her fingers. “They probably said something to you, didn’t they?”
“Urk…” Anon grasped the blanket on her lap as she turned away.
“Come on. Out with it. Anon-chan.” Soyo made sure to say her name extra slow with an extra stress on the last ‘n’.
“Um…” Anon blinked as she turned to look at her hands. “With everyone’s encouragement, I went and met with most of my middle school classmates. Just as you, and Tomorin thought, most of them were accepting. Except for one.”
Soyo’s gaze softened as Anon stared at the blanket on her lap, clutching it, then letting go of it, then clutching it again.
“…Like how my stubbornness never changes, and that it’s annoying as ever.”
“Agreed.” Soyo thought but didn’t say it, she couldn’t say it. She won’t say it, in this situation.
“And that my pushy personality was annoying, and that it’s the reason I just keep on running away from everything. That even now, I’m still running away from everything.” Anon clutched onto the blankets as her fists turned white. “…That I’ve not changed, and that I’m still running away. That all this time, all I think about is just myself. So… I thought about it too much, and ended up thinking about it a lot. Didn’t get enough sleep, and maaaaybe stayed out too long in the park and got cold–“
“Okay. Stop.” Without noticing, Soyo was already on Anon’s bed. One knee on it as she wrapped her arms around Anon’s head, resting it on her stomach. “I’m in the wrong for asking, and making you relieve all those again.”
Anon grabbed onto Soyo’s uniform and slowly shook her head left and right.
“I’ll only say this once, so make sure you listen, okay?” Soyo gently patted Anon’s head. Anon nodded onto her stomach so she started stroking that pink hair from the top of her head, down to her shoulders. “You’ve changed a lot since the first time I met you. The you who only wanted to do a band to uplift your own image. The you that always tried to make it seem like you’re self-centered, when in reality, you’re like this, sensitive, and carrying everything on your own.”
Anon sniffed as her shoulders relaxed.
“I also know how hard you work. How much you practice even after rehearsals. How much you study to continue having good grades, and not let it affect how you play your music. Someone who you haven’t met in more than a year can’t discredit any of them.” Soyo continued to stroke her hair as Anon wrapped her arms around Soyo’s waist. “Yesterday… I knew you weren’t doing well, but still decided to play a stupid joke on you. For that, I’m sorry.”
Anon shook her head.
“Someone who is just out there to hurt you shouldn’t be given the time of the day. Especially when you have people who are concerned for you, right here.” Soyo gently parted from the hug and lifted Anon’s face, gently squishing her cheeks together as she looked at her. “…I won’t tell you to not think of it anymore, but when you start feeling like this again, talk to me, talk to us. Okay?”
The face Anon saw that day was one she would never forget. She’d never seen Soyo look so soft. She’d never seen Soyo smile so gently. She’d never seen her look at someone with so much love.
“Shoyowin, kish plsh.” Anon tried to speak while her cheeks were being squished.
“Well, look at that. Aren’t you all better?” Soyo gave her one of her signature ‘smiles’ and immediately left her bedside. “I’ll be going to school at noon. Get some sleep. When you wake up, your mom should be here to take care of you.”
“Okaaaay.” Anon sulked, as she rubbed her previously squished cheeks. She then turned to the clock and noticed that it was almost lunch break, and today was a school day.
“Also… If I ever see this person from your middle school, not even you can stop the words that’s going to come out of my mouth, got it?” Soyo responded to her sternly, a hint of black aura surrounding her as she gathered her things.
Anon smiled as she watched her move about her room. “The black’s coming out, Soyorin.” Soyo stopped to give her a glare, then continued to gather her things into her school bag.
A comforting silence engulfed the two of them, only occasionally interrupted by soft walking of socked feet, and ruffling of blankets.
Anon pouted, her lips puckered out as she stared at her blanket. “Why won’t you kiss me?”
“I don’t want to catch your influenza, because we’re doing this band our whole lives, aren’t we?” Soyo double checked her things and then neatly closed her school bag. “Now, stay put, and rest up.” She picked up her school bag and walked towards Anon.
“Ehhh… Don’t leave me~” Anon whined as she stretched both of her hands in front of her.
“I’ll be back after school, so don’t be difficult.” Soyo placed Anon’s phone onto the bed side table then leaned over towards Anon. She picked up those black rimmed glasses and put them over Anon’s face. “If you stay put, and be a good girl, you’ll find yourself with a treat once you’re better later.” She leaned in and kissed her cheeks before quickly walking away as she tucked her hair behind her ears.
Anon felt her cheeks heat up as she stared at Soyo’s disappearing back. It may have been because of her slight fever, and her eyes getting used to her clearer vision but she may have seen Soyo’s ears get tinged in pink. She brought a hand up to her cheek, that Soyo just kissed as she let gravity take its course and laid back down on bed.
“Soyorin… Love.” She brought her hand to her lips as she closed her eyes and let the warmth in her heart to lull her to sleep.
Her phone suddenly vibrated as its screen brightened to show a few notifications and messages from MyGO members, and some from her mom and dad.
(By Little Things/END)
Extra
Anon sat at the dining table as she helped her mother separate bean sprouts. Their doorbell rang, and her mother ran from the kitchen sink towards the intercom.
“Yes?”
“This is Nagasaki.” Soyorin’s voice rang from it.
“Ah~ Soyo-chan! Come on in!” Anon’s mom joyfully answered and answered the door.
“Soyorin!” Anon’s face lit up as she looked at the door, and her mother’s back. “Wait. ‘Soyo-chan’???” In her memories, her mom and Soyo have not met yet, because the few times she invited MyGO over were when neither of her parents were at home.
The door opened, and Anon’s mother answered it.
“Good evening. I brought over some pudding for everyone.” Soyo greeted with her unusually high voice.
“Oh my~ You didn’t have to bother. You’ve been up almost all day taking care of Anon. Thank you so much for last night.” Anon’s mom let Soyo inside their house as she took the box of pudding in her hands.
“Soyorin!” Anon waved her hand at her with a big smile that showed off her fang.
Soyo only looked at her then turned to Anon’s mother. “It was my pleasure. My mother was also busy at work, so it was not like there was someone waiting for me at home. Um…”
Anon blinked as she watched her mother, then Soyo.
“Hm?” Anon’s mom looked at Soyo.
“…Mom.” Soyo said shyly as her ears turned pink.
Anon’s mom smiled brightly as Anon looked at them with her mouth open.
“MOM!?!??!” She shouted and immediately stood up from the dining table, hitting her knee under the wooden table by accident. “Ouch! Ow, ow, ow! Wait! When did that happen!?”
“…Did you really think I’d be able to stay over at your house and care for you without telling them?” Soyo glared at her, her voice a few pitches lower than what she was using earlier.
“My, my, Anon-chan. Did you not know? She had to call an ambulance because you passed out. She was extremely panicked, and had no idea what to do. She had to unlock your phone and search for my number, saved it to her phone, and then had to briefly explain to me why you were the one with her at that time. We had a loooong talk over the phone.” Anon’s mom started to recall the events of last night. “Ah~ I’ve not met someone who loved my daughter so much.”
“Ah, y- you don’t have to tell her that–” Soyo panicked as she tried to stop Anon’s mom from talking.
“Soyorin. Sit down.” Anon limped towards their living room and grabbed Soyo’s arms, then guided her to one of the couches. “Mom, tell me more.” She then turned to her mother, and guided her towards the dining table.
“Of course! So, last night–“
Soyo suddenly stood up from the couch. “Maybe I should go home–“
“Stay for dinner!” Anon’s mom called her over as she sat back down. “It’s the only way I could thank you for taking care of my daughter. Thank you for loving her so much.”
Anon gave Soyo a teasing smile. “…Stay for dinner, Soyoriiiin~”
“Ugh.” Soyo covered her ears as she tried to ignore Anon’s mom recounting all the events of last night. “This is the worst.”
Soyo turned to look behind her and caught Anon’s gaze. She leered at her, but Anon only smiled at her.
Anon teasing Soyo (and regretting it) about last night, is a story for another day.
(END)
