"Magical Witch Mao at your service!"

I raked my little sister's body once and shook my head. "Nope. Nada. Not a chance."

Mao, fit in a frilly purple dress, eyepatch, witch hat and appalling jewelry could only pull a face. "Why?"

"We're talking about Chie and Dad's wedding. We agreed to lose the eyepatch and witch hat, at least for the ceremony in a few days."

"But these are Mao's sacred regalia," Mao spitballed as I inched toward her. "For if Mao removes it, her powers will go berserk, and the entire world will fall to ruin. These are for protecting Earth itself."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I wanna see you without it."

"Mao's abilities are too powerful for mere mortals to witness with the naked eye. Mao will bring calamity."

"Girls." Chie entered Mao's bedroom—or as Mao preferred to call it, her 'chamber'—which we currently dwelled within. "What's all the ruckus so late?"

"Priestess of Evil, Mao is receiving multiple attacks from a perturbing life form." Mao ducked behind her, the perfect leeway in evading my advances. "Permission to launch a full-fledged counterattack?"

"Denied," Chie said, sensing my teeming frustration.

Mao pursed her mouth. "Chie always takes Shiina's side."

"I'm on the side of justice." Chie shooed her forward. "Now disperse. Get ready for bed."

She beckoned me out of the room and begrudgingly, I dragged my feet. She shut Mao's door behind us.

"It's because you keep spoiling her she really will attend your wedding decked out in magical runes."

"I'd rather that," Chie replied. "Imagining Mao dressed casually is more terrifying."

True.

Recalling Mao pre second year of middle school was a feat. Demure. Never said much. Blended into the background. The complete opposite of the girl I interacted with now.

"Regardless," Chie added. Her goodwill was reflected in the crooked smile she bore. "Our little witch is considerably more endearing the way she is."

In no time, Chie and I were downstairs, sipping on tea she brewed whilst watching TV. It was a rom-com drama she'd been into recently—one she occasionally forced Dad to sit through. Dad made it seem like a chore at first but I caught him tearing up, undeniably invested, quite a few times since. With Dad snoring the night away upstairs and Mao presumably tinkering with mage-related objects, the house was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

"I love you," the woman on screen declared. "I want you to know that you own all my heart. Forever and always."

A heated kiss.

"I want you with me tonight."

Cut scene. A rated MA scene.

I slurped indifferently.

Opposite to that, Chie screeched. She nosedived for the remote. "Sh—Shiina, don't look! Cover your eyes! How do you fast forward— Ahh, this kind of scene is way too graphic! How long are they going to drag it on?!"

She was frazzled, wildly jabbing buttons at this point.

"Chie, you do realize I'm in high school, right?" I deadpanned. "This kinda stuff doesn't bother me."

"It should! You're way too young!" she protested. She settled for changing the channel and shutting the TV itself off. Wiping a sweat, she exhaled, "There. Gone."

I stifled a snort. Glad to know she exhibited typical motherly behaviours. Mom would watch that kind of explicit content without batting an eyelash irregardless if Mao and I were nearby or not. She'd also watch bloody horror movies without a care, which led to my numerous nightmares growing up and eventual phobia.

"You were all on Mao being prepared but the question is are you ready?" Chie voiced, airiness in her tone.

I knew she wasn't only referring to my outfit. I smiled. "Been ready for months now."

She returned the expression.

"I haven't seen Dad so happy in ages," I continued, running my fingers along the cup. "I've gotten used to our daily life. I'm. . . glad you're here, Chie."

I was brought into a sideways hug.

"I'm glad, too," she replied wholeheartedly. "Whatever's in store in the future, I'll happily take those steps with you guys."

"Forever?"

"And ever," she reassured. "And ever. And ever. I'll be with you guys, always."

My chin wobbled. "I'll hold you to that."

The pad of her thumb wiped the tears threatening to fall from my eyelids, warmly nodding. "Please do."

I gulped another amount, forcing the lump in my throat down. She gingerly tucked strands of my hair behind my ear.

"I know I'm not officially your step-mom, but anything you want to lay on me while we're here? I'm a great listener. Some tell me I even give semi-decent advice."

"Semi?" I laughed. "If you pitch it like that, why would I say yes?"

She properly reclined next to me. "I'm new to these motherly things. I don't want to make promises I can't keep."

Yet you made one right now. I held my tongue before I could say it. Albeit impossible, I wanted to believe in it all the same. A future where we'd live together, without ever having to say goodbye.

"Then," I caved, "how do you know you love someone?"

Her response was delayed. "That's a random question. Is my dear princess being plagued by a love dilemma?"

"You have no idea."

She tittered at my exasperation.

"How do you know, huh?" she mused. "Are you sure you aren't aware? You had a crush of your own last year. When you were bubbling about going on a date, remember?"

Kamakiri flashed through my mind.

"Looking back at that, I think I was more infatuated with the idea of a boy giving me attention than the actual boy himself. I reflected a bunch of unfair expectations onto him and ended up disappointed when he didn't live up to them. Now, though, it's not so easy to say 'I'm in love.'"

"Hmm. Are you possibly stuck in a love triangle between multiple guys and can't make up your mind?"

I flinched. I mean, at this point it'd be more like a love pentagon? 'Cause those apparently existed.

"What would you do in my situation?"

"Well, first, I'd start by thinking if it's a matter of not being able to make up my mind or choosing not to."

My eyebrows creased together. "Huh?"

"Subconsciously, you may be avoiding to face your feelings because you don't want to hurt the other party involved. You care for them deeply so you're refraining from making the decision that'll cause them heartbreak. I know it's tough being the one in the middle, having to make that choice, but you need to put yourself first. How do you feel, not them. Once you organize that, your course of action will become clear." Chie ruffled my hair. "It's perfectly all right if you don't like any of them, too. Do what makes you happy."

I mimicked her smile. "That sounded philosophical."

"I'm a university professor for a reason," she joked.

Rising to her feet, she gathered her cup and after swallowing the rest of mine, she collected it also.

"Love is beautiful, right?" she mused. "Time flies when you're together. Even mundane things are fun with them. You can rely on them and talk to them about anything. Although some argue you don't need to share hobbies, I'm of the mind you need to have some common interests if you want the relationship to last, even if it means putting them on it yourself. Looking forward to their calls or texts is a major telltale—"

My phone beeped. One glimpse at my screen and my jaw plummeted.

"Igarashi?" I practically exclaimed. Lurching off the couch, I had my cell against my ear, awaiting the rings to connect a call. "Chie, I'll talk to you later. Thank you!"

I dashed right up to my room, ignorant to the suggestive smiling that played at her lips prior to my departure.

"Igarashi? What's up? You never call."

"I'm getting last minute nerves," he said. "If mine are bad I thought yours would be worse."

"D-don't remind me," I complained, collapsing onto my bed. "I finally cleared my mind of all thoughts of tomorrow."

"Good. Suffer with me."

"I will not." I rolled my eyes. "If you wanna drag someone down with you so badly, call Sena."

"I did. Then the jerk hung up and blocked my number."

I sneered, "Maybe I should do that."

"Hey!"

"Hi."

"Is your sarcasm that basic?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

Igarashi sighed but his merriment was prevalent. "I'm glad I picked the right clown to hit up, then."

Cracking up, I tapped around my screen. "During times like this, we should look at funny posts. I sent you some earlier. Did you get them?"

I could basically hear the exasperation in his voice when he responded. "I'm drowning in dark thoughts about our concert and all you want to do is tell jokes?"

"Laughter is the best form of medicine, right?"

"Fine," he caved. "But since you found them, I doubt they're good."

"Oh, c'mon! The last one I sent was hilarious! Comedic gold!"

"Debatable."

Against the headboard of my bed, I was a hysteric mess.

"Stop laughing so hard," he said. "At a memory? You're pathetic."

It was but simply recalling it had me snickering harder than when I saw the post. I guess my incessant laughter was contagious, or those posts I sent were truly rib-tickling because before long even Igarashi couldn't stay completely quiet.

His attempt at speaking over all his wheezing laughs succeeded in making me die of laughter all over again. No words; we were merely cackling back and forth for a good while like some nonverbal animal call. And every time I opened my mouth to speak his laugh made me gasp for air yet again.

It must've been a good five minutes of my side blaring with pain and my lungs begging for air that we managed to regain our composures.

"All right, they were funny," Igarashi said, feebly suppressing another chuckle.

Knowing he kept it short for both our sakes—anymore words and we'd surely double over like maniacs once more—I sputtered, "Told you so."

"Hurry and check what I sent back."

"What?" I was already backing out from the call for the second time. I scrolled to my newest notification.

Promptly after viewing the post, I flopped face-first in my pillow, trying to withhold my rain of snickers to no avail. Soon as he heard the tiniest noise from me, Igarashi exploded in hysterics. We were laughing so hard we could no longer even hear the other. It'd even gotten to the point where we were quiet; the only sounds being our pathetic attempts of gasping for air to regain precious oxygen.

After what felt like centuries, I calmed down. Eventually, he inhaled and exhaled heavily to settle also.

"Gosh, I love your sense of humour," I breathed. "It's exactly mine."

"Not only sense of humour," Igarashi stated. "Our hobbies and taste in music. Movie and show preferences. Favourite things to eat and drink. How we can get stupidly excited over the dumbest things then angry the next. Of course, we have countless differences, but we complement each other all the same. Conversations are so easy. Almost like you're my other half, as corny as that sounds."

My eyelids flung apart.

"What?"

"I. . . thought the same thing once."

"We share identical thought processes too, huh?"

"Our unified brain cell works wonders," I quipped.

He snorted.

A silence brewed.

"I ran into Upperclassman Hanai today."

My breathing hitched. "You did?"

"She stopped by the ramen place I work at," he elaborated offhandedly. "I know we had that huge fiasco with her way back when, but we've technically known each other a long time. Our parents are close. All throughout elementary and middle school, we'd work on songs together. I'd compose and write lyrics. Then, she'd sing them. In the beginning, it was out of pure entertainment and nothing more. The songs were stupid; about childish things like ladybugs or playgrounds. Nevertheless, it was fun. Keiko was overprotective every step of the way but the three of us got along well. Sena would hang out with us from time to time too which was enjoyable in and of itself."

I'd heard fragments of this story in the past, albeit not in depth. I hung to his every word.

"I never planned my songs to go far; it was a hobby and nothing more. Then, one day, Upperclassman Hanai got recognized for it, and she skyrocketed to popularity. I ended up being her ghost writer while she took all the credit. I didn't mind. The fact that people actually liked my songs was mind-blowing enough. Though, the higher Upperclassman Hanai climbed, the less she talked to us. Eventually, she cut contact with us altogether; only came to request new songs like I was nothing short of a machine. Years passed like that. When she was offered that award, I seriously was going to let her live my dream myself."

"I slapped that notion right out of you," I pointed out.

He barked out a laugh. "Then you bawled like an idiot, insisting I be happy."

Cheeks warming, I said, "That never happened."

"Did so," he teased. "Well, because you're a jerk, it cleared my head right up. The only reason we're here now, what reignited me to follow my ambition anew, is you. I'm glad it was you, Kisaragi."

The inside of my stomach tickled.

"Me, too." I grinned.

"Say," he continued. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

My shoulders perked. It was uncharacteristically serious. "What is it?"

"You're. . . not dating anyone, right?"

An involuntary skip in my heartbeat. Why did he care? Hold on. This was Igarashi. It didn't mean anything. He was doing nothing but quelling his curiosity. What happened with Rin-Rin was fresh in his mind and he desired answers. It was nothing abnormal.

Despite trying to rationalize my thoughts, my pulse had quickened, and I'd grown uncomfortably hot. Unless. . .

"No," I mumbled after what felt like centuries.

I waited, rather pathetically, for him to voice a response.

"I see," he said at last. "Well, talking to you has helped calm me down. Sorry for keeping you. Sleep soon. Bye."

The call ended at that, much too quickly for me to process it.

I gazed dumbly at my lock screen.

I was already aware the inquiry was due to plain interest on his end. That it wouldn't amount to anything.

What was I expecting it to amount to anyway? Him. . . to confess?

I buried my blazing face into my kneecaps.

These past few weeks were making me go crazy.

✧༝┉┉┉┉┉˚*❋ ❋ ❋*˚┉┉┉┉┉༝✧

"Surprise!"

Kiharu and Tsumugi flaunted a banner before my eyelids, decked out in bandanas and matching t-shirts with our band name scribbled across it. Upon arriving at the venue and running into them, I was completely taken aback.

"What is. . . How did. . ."

"This is your first gig," Kiharu declared. "We got to go all out. It took a while to get this all ready, though. Rin was a great help."

I was at a complete loss for words. "Don't tell me. . . The reason you three kept ditching me to hang out. . ."

"Shiina's our number one, remember?" Tsumugi insisted.

"Hangin' out with Rin is fun and all, but to all three of us, you're the one with our hearts," Kiharu added. "I admit, this is a lil' embarrassin' but we love ya' and want to make this a success. Casting aside our dignity for a day is a tiny price to pay."

Dramatic tears swelled in my eyes. I tackled them into hugs. "You guys. . . !"

Giggling, my two best friends returned equally crushing embraces.

"Is Rin-Rin here too?" I asked.

"He didn't want to accidentally get discovered and ruin the show so he's in disguise, loiterin' in some inconspicuous place." Kiharu smiled. "The others are inside, too. All decked out in custom Infinite Creation fan-wear."

"Possibly because people know yours and Rin's connection, it's also crowded with tons of people from school," Tsumugi added.

I locked up. "T-tons?"

Kiharu smacked my back. "Go out there and give them a proper reason to stan our one and only queen."

"Don't put more pressure on me," I complained.

"You asked for this pressure the moment you decided to pursue this." The individual that rounded into view caused my stomach to flip. Upperclassman Motoko Hanai had her lips curled smugly, her streamline of lackeys, including Bristly Brows, behind her. "You and Iga need to own up to it, and go far."

Kiharu snarled for Tsumugi to grab salt to throw at her all the while her last words rang in my ears.

"Did Iga not tell you?" Upperclassman Hanai continued. "He personally invited me."

He didn't mention that at all! Was this why he brought up Upperclassman Hanai in the first place? Why would he invite her? To brag?

Bristly Brows clicked her tongue and snubbed her chin at me.

"Mahiru," Upperclassman Hanai chastised. "I understand you're still sour. However, I lost fair and square. I've had no choice but to move on from then. Allow them the chance as well."

She stepped closer to me.

"Shiina." As always, her voice was a purr. "Our paths crossing was fate's way of shoving me off my high horse. When you loft too high on the clouds, you begin to lose sight of the ground you once inhabited as well as the people who were there for you from the beginning. I'm frustrated I lost to you, that my reputation was tarnished, but I'm glad all the same. For if not for my loss, I would have regretted wronging Iga. I'd not have had the chance to reevaluate what kind of musician I want to be in the future, and plan appropriate strides to achieve it."

My eyes widened to the point of saucers. Tittering, Upperclassman Hanai twisted on her heels, long hair fluttering after her.

"I won't lose to Iga or you. I'll pave my way to the top with my own skill." She ambled forward. "Today, though, put on a good show for me, all right? I wish to be entertained thoroughly."

She disappeared inside. Bristly Brows—Mahiru—tossed one last withering look in my direction then chased after her. The other subordinates dogged in suit.

"Shiina will do whatever she pleases, thank you very much!" Kiharu hollered after her.

"There's no way Shiina'd ever lose to you!" Tsumugi stuck out her tongue.

Grinning, I tugged them close on either side of myself. "I love you guys so much."

They returned brilliant smiles.

"We love you more," they chorused, squeezing me right back.

__________

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