Archive of Our Own ^beta

The first time Saki sees Yoisaki, she’s in the lobby.

Whenever possible, Saki would step out of her hospital room for a short period of time. She and the hospital staff agreed that it wasn’t good for her to be cooped up in one room all day, every day. After receiving the approval from her doctor, Saki would roam around the hallways of the long-term patient ward.

There wasn’t much to do, admittedly. She liked to visit her favorite vending machine from time to time, as well as say hi to a few patients she’s become somewhat acquainted with. Walking around wasn’t so bad, either - it gave her an excuse to stretch her legs.

However, whenever she was allowed to wander around, she would usually hang out in the lobby. It was only reserved for fellow patients and visitors, and it stayed out of the way of the busy hospital staff hurrying about. Not too many were usually there, so the space was much more quiet compared to other areas in the hospital. The chairs and sofas there were pretty comfortable too, and there was also a big television, so that was a plus. In Saki's opinion, it was the perfect place to be.

Saki’s favorite place in the lobby, however, was the big glass window. It had a much better view of the city compared to the window in her room. The lobby for long-term patient care is situated on the fifth floor of the hospital, giving Saki the ability to see everything . The highways, the skyscrapers, shopping districts, and so much more.

Whenever Saki felt lonelier then usual, she often found herself sitting in her favorite lobby chair, staring out the window. Watching all the people go by outside made her feel a little more connected with the world. Sure, she got the occasional visitors, usually in the form of her parents and brother, but it often didn’t feel like enough. 

Her friends used to visit her, too. Nowadays, only Ichika makes the occasional visit, though it’s becoming more and more rare. Saki can’t even remember the last time she saw Shiho and Honami, much less the last time they replied to her texts. Why don’t they want to see me… Do they not want to be my friend anymore? 

Saki quickly shakes the thought away. They were probably just busy. They were getting closer to starting high school, so they must be preparing for that… 

She stares at the city lights, wondering if her childhood friends were among one of them.

At least her parents and brother tried to visit daily. When they couldn’t make the trip, they always called her instead. The visits and calls weren’t so bad, but she still felt incredibly lonely. 

Today was a phone call day. Both her parents had long days at work, and Tsukasa was busy with his studies. They talked with her earlier, but it didn’t feel like enough.

It never felt like enough. 

And so, Saki was seated by the window, watching the city life bustle outside. Without her.

Before the dark thoughts can consume her, she hears the door to the lobby slide open, signaling a visitor has arrived. Her heart jumps in her chest. Tsukasa was no stranger to surprise visits, so maybe…?!

She whirls her head around, glancing at the visitor. She’s greeted with the sight of not her brother, but a stranger. Instead of feeling disappointed, however, she felt… Intrigued. 

Beside the lobby door stood a girl wearing a junior high uniform, meaning she was around Saki’s age. She has long silver hair, with not a single strand out of place. In her arms, she holds a bouquet of carnations. 

The stranger’s pale blue eyes gaze around the lobby, eventually meeting Saki’s. The two merely stare at each other, quietly curious of the other’s presence. 

Then, a nurse calls out, “Yoisaki Kanade? Right this way, please.” 

The stranger - Yoisaki - straightens, breaking Saki’s gaze to look towards the nurse. She nods, wordlessly following after, disappearing further into the hospital. 

Saki stares at where the girl once was. Before she turns her attention back to the city outside, she thinks, Wow, that girl was pretty.

The second time they meet, it’s Yoisaki’s birthday.

It had been a few weeks since they briefly encountered each other in the lobby. Instead of it being evening like last time, it was mid-day, meaning more people were bustling about in the hospital.

Today had been a good day so far for Saki. It was a weekend, so her family visited her earlier. Tsukasa had some snazzy new performance he had been working on for her, so that cheered her up instantly. After her family left, she texted with Ichika for a bit, briefly catching up with her.

Despite her gut telling her otherwise, she checked her last sent texts to Shiho and Honami. Like always, they said ‘read’ , but not replied to.

Saki frowns at her phone. She really should’ve expected that, and yet she couldn’t stop the growing cold feeling within her chest.

She sighs, pocketing her phone. She stands from her bed, stretching. Maybe she’d visit her favorite vending machine, that would cheer her up. 

Now determined, she calls for her doctor, asking for permission to make the visit down the hall. Once given the all-clear, she heads for the vending machine room.

When she arrives, she finds her favorite flavor of ice cream in stock. She excitedly drops in a few Yen (given to her by her father earlier), selecting the flavor she desired. Grabbing it from the machine, she smiles, walking out of the room.

She stares down at it, contemplating where to eat it. She could eat it in her room, making it easier to brush her teeth afterwards. Though, if she went to the lobby, she could eat while watching the snowfall outside. Maybe a fun cartoon would be on, too.

Out of the corner of her eye, she notices someone stepping out of a patient’s room. She glances up, freezing in place. A little further down the hall is Yoisaki from a few weeks before. Instead of the junior high uniform, she wears a sweater far too big for her, along with shorts.

Yoisaki doesn’t seem to be aware Saki’s presence. Saki continues to stare, noticing the other girl’s face is red. She lightly dabs at her eyes.

Saki’s brow furrows. Has she been crying…? 

A nurse suddenly steps out of an opposing room, noticing Yoisaki. She greets the younger girl with a kind smile, “Ah, Miss Yoisaki! It’s your birthday today, right? Happy birthday.” 

Yoisaki jolts, quickly composing herself. She offers the nurse a watery grin, speaking softly, “O-Oh, yes… Thank you…” 

Saki’s eyes widen at the sound of the other girl’s voice. It sounds so sweet and gentle and quiet, yet so… Sad.

The nurse politely nods before stepping into a different room. Saki hears Yoisaki sigh to herself before walking towards the exit. 

Saki isn’t sure what exactly spurs her to hurry after the stranger, but she does. Yoisaki must have heard her approaching, given how she stops and turns, surprised at the sight of Saki.

Saki stops in front of her, grinning awkwardly but kindly, “Um, e-excuse me! I couldn’t help but overhear the nurse, so, um…”

She fumbles, holding out the ice cream towards Yoisaki, “H-Happy birthday!”

The other girl looks between Saki and the frozen treat, stunned. “Huh?” is all that stumbles out.

“S-Sorry, I hope I don’t seem creepy… I’ve just seen you around before, and you seemed kind of sad earlier, and then I h-heard it was your birthday, so…!” Saki rambles on, panicked. Why did I do this?! What was I thinking?!

She gestures to the ice cream, awkwardly chuckling, “I got this from the vending machine earlier, but y-you can have it…! Uh, if you like strawberry shortcake flavor, that is…” 

Yoisaki merely stares at her, perplexed. The silence drags on, weighing on Saki. This was such a dumb idea… She probably thinks I’m weird…

Then, Yoisaki gives Saki a small, warm smile, washing all of Saki’s anxiety away. The other girl carefully takes the ice cream, still smiling. She softly replies, “I’ve never tried it, but I will now… Thank you very much.”

Saki beams back at her, relieved. “Oh, I hope you like it! It’s my favorite.” 

Yoisaki says nothing, just continues to smile appreciatively. She seems a little awkward, unsure of what to say. Saki gets the feeling the other girl likely isn’t good with social situations, so she quickly adds on, “You’re Yoisaki Kanade, right? I’m Tenma Saki. Nice to meet you!”

Yoisaki nods in acknowledgement. “Yes, it’s nice to meet you too… Tenma.” 

The two fall into a silence after that. Though, it isn’t entirely uncomfortable, just a little bit cumbersome. Yoisaki seemed to be rather socially awkward, and while Saki was more of the opposite, she didn’t exactly get a lot of human connection in the hospital. She was severely out of practice.

And so, the two were at a standstill, unsure of what to say. They could only smile politely at each other.

Suddenly, Yoisaki’s phone dings, causing the two to jump. 

“Sorry,” Yoisaki murmurs, using her free hand to glance at her phone. She looks to Saki, brows furrowed. She speaks slowly, as if she were carefully considering her words, “I, um… I have to go, or I’ll miss the train…”

Saki nods in understanding, not allowing her smile to falter - despite feeling slightly disappointed her new acquaintance had to leave so soon. “Oh, okay! Have a safe trip.” 

Yoisaki nods, pocketing her phone. She hesitates for a second before shyly mumbling, “And… Thank you, for the ice cream.”

Saki’s smile widens. Aw, Yoisaki is so cute!

“Of course! See you around!” she cheerfully says. Yoisaki nods once more before turning and walking to the exit.

Saki watches her go, still smiling. Even though it was just a little bit… She didn’t feel as lonely anymore.

A few weeks later, Saki gets her favorite ice cream back. 

She’s sitting in the lobby, gazing out the window. Situated against the windowsill, she rests her head on her crossed arms. Her eyes are glued to the sky above. The sun is just beginning to set, painting the sky in a vivid pink, purple, and gold. 

She watches the sun dip beneath the horizon with a smile. Soon, she would get to see the stars.

“Tenma,” a familiar, quiet voice calls behind her. Saki turns her head, seeing Yoisaki standing above her. In her hands, she holds two strawberry shortcake-flavored ice creams.

Saki’s jaw drops in surprise, “Yoisaki?!” 

“Yes,” the other girl answers. She gestures to the empty chair beside Saki, “May I sit?”

Saki’s face flushes. She’s so to-the-point! 

“O-Of course!” she blurts out, flustered.

Yoisaki sits beside her wordlessly. Saki turns in her seat, now properly facing the other girl. After a beat, Yoisaki hands her one of the ice creams.

“This is for you,” is all she says, staring at Saki expectantly.

Saki’s smile grows wide, taking the ice cream from the girl’s hands. 

“T-Thank you!” she gratefully says, starting to peel at the wrapper.

Yoisaki nods, a small smile appearing on her face. “You’re welcome. I wanted to pay you back after you gave me yours.”

“Aw, you didn’t have to do that! ...But thank you regardless,” Saki replies, freeing the frozen treat from its wrapper. She then eyes the other ice cream in Yoisaki’s hand, smirking, “It was your first time trying it, wasn’t it? I assume that you liked it...?” 

Yoisaki looks at the ice cream, a slight frown on her face. Saki momentarily panics. Ack, oh no! Did I say the wrong thing?!

“I did,” Yoisaki confirms, calming Saki. She then meets the other girl’s gaze. She hesitates, as if contemplating something, then quietly admits, “This was… For my father. I wanted him to try it too... But he’s not awake today.” 

Saki pauses, carefully thinking of what to say. She feared if she prodded Yoisaki too much, she would just scare her away. She didn’t want that. She wanted to get to know Yoisaki more… But at her own pace. 

“Maybe you could ask one of the nurse’s to give it to him when he wakes up?” Saki suggests, “Sometimes my family brings me food, so the staff will just refrigerate it for me. I think they’ll do the same for you.”

Yoisaki’s eyes widen in surprise. She then softly smiles in appreciation, “I didn’t think about that… I’ll do that. Thank you, Tenma.” 

“No problem!” Saki chimes, feeling more comfortable. The tension between the two seems to have slightly lifted, much to Saki’s relief.

Saki then begins to eat her ice cream, smiling wider at the familiar taste. “Ah, delicious!”

She hears Yoisaki lightly giggle beside her, causing Saki’s cheeks to flush. In an attempt to cover-up her embarrassment, she turns to look back out the window, noticing the sky growing darker. Distant, white, shimmering dots shine further above. 

“Oh, the stars are starting to come out!” Saki excitedly states, fully turning her body to gaze out the window. Yoisaki hesitates before slowly following suit. She tilts her head up, staring at the sky.

“The stars?” she inquires. 

Saki nods. “Yeah, the view from this window is pretty nice. I like to come here a lot.” 

“Oh yeah,” Yoisaki hums, “I remember seeing you sitting here before.” 

Saki feels her face heat up. She remembered…

“Yeah, I love stargazing, so this is the perfect spot,” Saki grins. She licks at her ice cream before asking, “Do you like stargazing, Yoisaki?”

The other girl stares out the window in silence. Then, she softly responds, “I don’t really know. They look pretty, but I don’t see the stars very often.”

Saki perks up that. The more she slowly learns about Yoisaki, the more curious she gets. Even though, she doesn’t want to pester the other girl with questions.

At her own pace, she reminds herself.

“...Well, you’re welcome to watch with me as long as you like,” Saki shyly murmurs. 

Yoisaki turns to her, eyes wide and mouth hung agape in surprise. Then, a warm smile spreads across her face.

Without a word, Yoisaki turns back to the window, joining Saki in watching the stars twinkle above. 

“Welcome to my room!” Saki declares, throwing her arms out for emphasis. Yoisaki stands in the doorway, glancing around.

After watching the stars together, Yoisaki visits Saki whenever she makes a trip to the hospital. After checking in with her father, Yoisaki seeks out Saki, spending some time with her. 

It makes Saki happy more than the other girl will ever know. While she enjoyed the visits from her family, Saki couldn’t help but crave the connection of someone not related to her and close to her age.

Especially since Ichika, Shiho, and Honami haven’t visited in a long while…

She pushes the thought away. Now wasn’t the time to worry about that. Right now, it was time to hang out with Yoisaki!

Saki walks further into the room, plopping onto her bed. She grins at Yoisaki, who still stands in the doorway, “What do you think?”

Yoisaki spends a few more moments glancing around the space. Then, she turns to Saki, blankly stating, “It doesn’t look any different than my father’s room.” 

Saki can’t help but laugh, because that’s such a Yoisaki thing to say. “Yeah… I want to put some cute stickers up on the wall, but the staff won’t let me.” 

Yoisaki only hums in acknowledgment. She continues to stand in the doorway rather awkwardly.

Saki giggles. “You can come in, you know.” She pats the empty spot on the bed beside her.

Yoisaki blinks. “Oh, right.”

She walks into the room, sitting beside Saki on the bed. Saki grins warmly at her, causing Yoisaki to smile back.

“I’m really glad you come to visit me, Yoisaki. It makes me feel a lot less lonely,” Saki suddenly says, surprising them both. Yoisaki’s jaw drops, shocked at the other girl’s words.

“Really?” she softly murmurs.

“Yeah!” Saki nods, “Aside from you, only my parents and brother visit me whenever they can. I love when they come to see me, of course, but… I always wished I had more visitors.” 

Her gaze falls to her lap, where she wrings her hands. She quietly sighs, getting lost in the memories of her childhood friends. God , how she missed them.

“I used to have other visitors, but… I haven’t seen them in a long time,” Saki sadly confesses. She turns to Yoisaki, who gives her a sympathetic look.

“...Do you want to talk about it?” Yoisaki gently asks. Saki pauses, considering.

“Yes… If you want to hear about it.”

Yoisaki nods at her, signaling her to continue. Saki draws in a breath.

“You see… I was born with a weak body, so I was sick a lot. When I was younger, it wasn’t as bad. I even got to make friends, and we all grew really close,” Saki begins. Yoisaki says nothing, only listening patiently and intently.

“But as I got older, my illness got worse. I had to start living at this hospital,” Saki continues, “My friends… They used to visit me a lot, but not anymore. They don’t even respond to my texts or phone calls.” 

Saki feels tears prick at the corner of her eyes. She tries to blink them away. “Sometimes I wonder… If maybe I’m just an inconvenience to them now, so they don’t want to be my friend anymore.”

Saki’s gaze falls to her hands in her lap. She bites her bottom lip, desperately trying to not start crying. It hurt , though - Having her childhood friends no longer speak to her with no explanation. 

Yoisaki remains silent, thinking over Saki’s words. Then, Yoisaki gently takes one of Saki’s hands in hers. Saki turns to the other girl in surprise, meeting Yoisaki’s determined gaze.

“I can’t speak for your friends, but… If that is the case… Please know it isn’t true,” Yoisaki sincerely states, “You’re not an inconvenience. You’re… A kind, considerate person. I’m glad I get to visit you… And that I met you.”

Saki's eyes sting once more, but this time for an entirely different reason. She starts to lightly laugh, wiping at the tears that threatened to fall. 

“Oh, Yoisaki, thank you… That makes me happy,” Saki murmurs appreciatively. 

Yoisaki smiles warmly. Then, to Saki’s further shock, she says, “Kanade.”

Saki blinks. “Huh?”

“Call me Kanade,” the other girl simply states.

Saki’s mouth drops into an ‘o’ shape. She then brightly beams, “Okay, but only if you call me Saki!” 

Kanade nods. “Okay… Saki.”

“Kanade,” Saki replies.

The other girl tilts her head to the side. “Yes?”

Saki giggles. She’s too cute. “Nothing. Just wanted to say your name.”

“Oh,” Kanade’s face flushes in embarrassment, though her smile doesn’t falter.

(In that moment, the two girl’s loneliness slightly lifted.)

A knock at Saki’s door tears her from her phone.

“Come in,” Saki calls out. The door slowly opens, revealing Kanade.

Saki immediately grins, setting her phone aside. “Kanade! How’ve you been?” 

“...Same as always,” Kanade easily replies as she steps into the room. She sits in the chair beside Saki’s bed, inquiring, “How about you?”

Saki giggles. “...Same as always.”

Kanade turns to face her, and it’s then Saki notices a fiery determination in the other girl’s eyes, catching her off-guard. She’s never seen Kanade with such an expression before.

“I actually have something I want to show you today,” Kanade announces. Saki blinks in surprise.

“You do?”

Kanade nods, getting straight to the point. “I don’t think I’ve ever told you before, but… I’m a music composer.” 

Saki gasps, eyes blown wide in awe. She clasps her hands together in excitement, “Really?! That’s awesome!”

A small smile spreads across Kanade’s face. “Thank you. I told you because… I want to share my music with you. I want… To help you feel less lonely.” 

Saki’s stunned. She’s so overcome with shock and amazement and appreciation that… She really doesn’t know what to say or do. She might cry again, honestly.

“T-Thank you,” she manages to choke out. 

Kanade nods once more. She pulls out her phone and a pair of headphones from her pocket, handing them to Saki. 

Saki puts the headphones in, and presses play. A soft melody flows into Saki’s ears, relaxing her immediately. The first thing she thinks about the song is how warm it is. It’s comforting and gentle, yet so powerful and emotional at the same time. 

She closes her eyes as she listens, allowing herself to get lost in the music. It gives her the same feeling she gets when she eats her mother’s home-cooked meals; when she watches one of Tsukasa’s special performances; when her father brings her a gift. 

The song is so… Full of hope. Full of love. 

The music then ends, and Saki slowly opens her eyes. Kanade stares at her, carefully gauging the other girl’s reaction. 

Saki looks back at her, eyes full of awe and joy. She slowly removes the headphones from her ears, gently placing them in her lap.

“...Wow,” she breathes out. She can’t remember the last time music made her feel like that.

Kanade leans forward anxiously. “...What did you think? You can be completely honest with me.” 

Saki’s smile reaches her eyes, warm and bright. “It’s very you.”

Kanade tilts her head to the side curiously. “It’s... Very me?”

“The song is a lot like you,” Saki affirms, “Warm. Comforting. Hopeful… It’s beautiful. It… Almost kind of…” She trails off, struggling to find the words.

Kanade only watches her patiently. Then, Saki finds the best description. 

“It kind of… Saved me, in a way,” she finishes. 

Kanade gasps, eyes growing wide. Saki stares at her, surprised at the other girl’s reaction. It’s as if that’s exactly what Kanade wanted to hear.

“I’m glad,” Kanade shakily breathes out, so quiet Saki almost didn’t catch it. She then pulls herself together, “If you want… I can send you the music file, so you can listen to it whenever you please.”

Saki eagerly nods, hands clasped together gratefully. “Yes, I would love that!” 

Kanade beams brightly, and Saki matches her. 

(Later that night, Saki stargazes from the window in the lobby. As she watches the stars shine above, she listens to Kanade’s song on repeat, imagining she’s there with her.) 

The weeks turn to months, which eventually turn into years. As time goes on, Saki and Kanade slowly learn a little more about each other. 

Kanade discovers Saki was once in a band with some childhood friends, and she played the keyboard. She also learns that Saki has an older brother named Tsukasa who’s obsessed with theater and performing. Saki reveals that she likes to keep up with the latest trends, even if she can’t always actively participate in them.

In turn, Saki learns Kanade wants to compose music that can ‘save’ people (which explains her rather intense reaction from before). She works alone, but is interested in forming a group at some point. Kanade says she spends most of her time composing music, and loves to mainly eat cup noodles. In addition, Saki discovers Kanade lives by herself, but is considering hiring a part-time housekeeper to cook and clean.

Whenever Kanade composes a new song, she lets Saki listen to it. Every song Kanade makes is different from the rest, yet it still evokes the same feelings within Saki: Hope.

(That, and whenever she listens to Kanade's music, it makes her feel less lonely.)

Despite the two getting closer over time, there’s still a lot Saki doesn’t know about Kanade; particularly her family. She knows Kanade’s father resides in the same hospital ward as her, but she doesn’t know why . Not that she would pry Kanade to find out, nor would she go searching for Kanade’s father on her own accord. She wanted Kanade to share that information when she felt ready - if she ever felt ready.

Saki didn’t mind either way. She was perfectly happy being Kanade’s friend.

But one day, it all comes to light.

Saki’s lounging on her bed, reading a book her father bought her. It’s actually pretty intriguing, and Saki finds herself getting absorbed in the story. 

She gets so into it, in fact, she jumps at the light knock at her door. She quickly calms her heartbeat, setting the book aside. 

Once she’s composed herself, she calls out, “Come in.”

The door slowly opens, with Kanade standing on the other side. Her head is downcast, with her hair covering her face. She says nothing as she steps into the room, closing the door behind her.

“Oh, Kanade! Hi!” Saki greets her with a warm smile. When Kanade doesn’t respond, the smile turns to a frown. Something is wrong. 

The silence uncomfortably stretches on. Gently, Saki calls out once more, “Kanade?”

The reply she gets is a small sniffle. Saki’s eyes grow wide with concern. Before she can say anything, Kanade finally looks up, meeting Saki’s gaze. Her face is red and wet with tears. 

And her eyes… There’s no light in them.

The sight is enough to cause Saki’s eyes to sting. She clutches her chest, wanting to reach out to her friend but not wanting to risk Kanade running away. Her mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water, desperately attempting to figure out what to say.

Kanade, however, beats her to it.

“Hey, Saki…,” Kanade murmurs, and she sounds so broken , “...Do you think I should disappear?”

That breaks Saki.

She rushes forward, pulling Kanade into a hug. Her own tears start to flow as she pulls the other girl close. Kanade remains motionless, yet she doesn’t push Saki away.

“No,” Saki chokes, “No, you shouldn’t.”

“But… All I do is make others disappear,” Kanade says, her voice so monotone it sends a chill down Saki’s spine. “I… I made my own father disappear.” 

Saki thinks for a moment, contemplating what the best way to approach this would be. 

Then, it hits her.

She pulls away from the hug, her hands gently resting on Kanade’s shoulders instead. She gives the other girl a wobbly, reassuring smile, “Do you… Want to talk about it?”

Kanade stares at her blankly, unresponsive. Saki worries she’s only pushed her friend away, but then Kanade courtly nods, squashing her fears.

The two sit on the bed. Kanade wipes at her face in silence. Saki merely sits beside her, patiently waiting. 

Kanade draws in a breath as she begins, “My father… He used to compose music like me. He made a lot of songs for my mother. The songs… They saved a lot of people. We were… Happy.”

A fresh stream of tears roll down Kanade’s cheeks, who quickly dabs them away. “But then my mom got sick, and my dad couldn’t make the same music anymore. When my mom died… It only made things worse. My dad wasn’t as happy anymore.

“I wanted… To save my dad. So I started composing, but… I only made things worse,” Kanade shakes her head, fists clenching at her sides.

“I’m the reason… He’s here. I’m the reason he’s sick,” Kanade murmurs between tears, “Instead of saving him, I made him disappear… I’ve always wanted to tell him I’m sorry… So I visited him again today, and he was awake this time… But…”

Kanade’s lip trembles as she chokes out, “He called me my mother’s name… He thought I was her…”

Saki’s brows furrow, yet she says nothing. She patiently waits for her friend to continue.

“When I told him it was me… He didn’t look as happy… His eyes… Didn’t shine as much. He disappeared again,” Kanade mumbles. She clenches her fists harder as she says, “I realized something, then… The people around me… They all disappear… Because of me .

“So, I thought… Why don’t I just disappear instead?” Kanade finishes, staring at the floor. She remains motionless, yet tears stream down her cheeks all the same. 

Saki’s bottom lip trembles, her own tears starting to fall. It hurt her to see her friend like this, she can feel Kanade’s pain. 

She gently wraps her arms around Kanade’s shoulders in a hug, attempting to comfort her, “Kanade… You don’t make people disappear. You want your music to save people, don’t you? Your music… It helped save me. But more importantly…”

Her grip tightens on the other girl as she pleads, “I want to see you be saved, too. So please don’t disappear.” 

She can feel Kanade stiffen beneath her touch, yet Saki doesn’t let go. A long moment of silence passes between them, and then…

Kanade reaches her hand up to gently grasp one of Saki’s. She says nothing, but Saki still gets the message, causing a watery smile to spread across her face. 

Saki contemplates her next choice of words carefully, cautiously suggesting, “Kanade… Sometimes I feel similar to you, wanting to disappear… But there’s counselors at the hospital that talk to me, help me feel better. Maybe… You can look into that?”

Kanade remains silent, and Saki almost wonders if the other girl cried herself to sleep.

“...I’ll think about it,” Kanade then murmurs.

Saki breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

The two remain on the bed, simply holding each other. 

Months pass. Kanade still visits, though Saki isn’t sure if the other girl took up her counseling suggestion. She doesn’t want to pry, especially since it seems like a sensitive subject for Kanade.

Fortunately, Kanade doesn’t talk about ‘disappearing’ again, which causes Saki a great sense of relief.

In addition, Saki’s physical health has greatly improved. So, when she gets the news that she’s well enough to no longer live at the hospital, she can’t wait to tell Kanade. 

“I’m so happy for you,” Kanade smiles warmly. The two sit in the lobby by the window, simultaneously chatting while watching the stars.

“Thanks! I’m so excited,” Saki sighs. She rests her head on her arms, gazing at the sky with a longing expression, “I can finally be a normal teenage girl… And see my old friends again.” 

“...I’m also excited for you,” Kanade softly says beside her.

Saki grins. Then, her brows slightly furrow, “But… I’m also kinda sad.” 

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Kanade look to her, perplexed. “Why’s that?”

Saki turns to meet Kanade’s gaze, simply stating, “I won’t be able to see you as much anymore.”

Kanade’s eyes widen in shock. Her cheeks turn a light pink, flustered. It’s a cute, rare sight.

After a moment, Kanade murmurs, “Well… We can meet up from time to time, if you want.” 

Saki brightly beams, winking, “Of course I want that! I wouldn’t want you cooped up in your room all day.” 

“...Yeah,” Kanade softly chuckles. Her face burns bright as she breaks her gaze to shyly look out the window. 

Saki giggles, turning her attention back to the stars.

A beat of comfortable silence passes, then Saki gently speaks.

“Kanade?” 

“Hmm?”

“Thank you… For being my friend.” 

“...Thank you, too.” 

“I want to compose a song.”

Everyone turns to Saki at that, surprised. Miku and Luka are the first to smile at her, looking supportive and almost... Knowing. The other members of Leo/need stare on, intrigued.

“Sure, but what brought this on?” Shiho inquires. 

Saki’s cheeks flush at the question. Ever since being discharged from the hospital, she and Kanade didn’t see each other as much. Even so, they still kept in contact, and met up on the rare occasion both had free schedules. 

Ever since listening to Kanade’s music and learning more about the girl, Saki’s always wanted to make a song for her in return. Not to exactly ‘save’ Kanade (because Saki knew that wasn’t really possible with a single song), but… More of a way to say ‘thank you for everything you’ve done for me’ and encourage Kanade to keep moving forward. 

It was in large part due to Kanade that Saki felt less lonely during her stay at the hospital, so she wanted to return the favor in some way. 

“You guys know about my friend Yoisaki Kanade, right? I’ve told you about her,” Saki says. Then, the Leo/need members instantly understand. Honami in particular gives Saki a big grin.

The bandmates gather around a notebook, looking to Saki.

“What kind of song do you want to compose?” Ichika kindly asks. 

Saki grins, already knowing the answer.

“C’mon, Kanade! Oh - Watch your step!” Saki says, holding the other girl’s hand as she gently leads her through Shiho’s house. Kanade follows after, quickly growing more and more curious.

Saki had a ‘surprise’ for her, asking her to meet at her friend Shiho’s place. Kanade had no idea what Saki could have in store for her, but she was certainly… Intrigued. 

The two stop outside a door. Saki turns to Kanade, bashfully grinning, “Um… Can you close your eyes?”

Kanade tilts her head to the side, but does as asked. She hears the door open, and Saki carefully helps her inside the mystery room. They walk for a bit before Saki places her hands on Kanade’s shoulders, seemingly positioning her.

“Okay, you can sit, but keep your eyes closed!” Saki instructs, and Kanade does just that. She hears Saki scurry off somewhere, along with the hushed whispers of… Others? And… The tampering of music equipment?

“Alright, you can open them now,” Saki finally declares. Kanade slowly opens her eyes, gasping at what she sees.

A few feet in front of her stands Saki with three other girls, all with different musical instruments. Saki stands at a keyboard, brightly beaming at Kanade. The other girls give her a friendly smile.

“S-Saki?” Kanade breathes out in disbelief. 

“Kanade,” the girl in question warmly says, “Leo/need helped me compose a song for you… As a way for me to say ‘thank you’ for all you’ve done for me.” 

Kanade’s eyes grow wider. She can only stare at Saki in awe.

“So, please…,” Saki clasps her hands together, pleading, “Please listen to our song!”

Kanade remains silent for a moment. Then, she merely nods, a small smile on her face.

Saki looks to her bandmates, and they start to play.

By the end of the song - and for the first time - Kanade’s smile finally reaches her eyes.