manifestations

Mafuyu’s eyes widened as her grip on Ena loosened. Ena finally got away from her, as she disappeared from the SEKAI with a click on her phone.

Mafuyu wanted to scream. But nothing could come out.

Little Mafuyu, who had been watching everything unfold at the side, scrambled across the SEKAI back to Miku and the rest.

She tugged on Miku’s leg to get her attention, and though confused, she followed Little Mafuyu to where Mafuyu was.

“Mafuyu?” Miku timidly said.

“… I have to go.” Mafuyu left the SEKAI as well without another word.

Miku picked up Little Mafuyu and observed her. Miku may have an idea on what she was. Even though there was sadness in her eyes, there was also some sort of determination.

She hopped off Miku’s hands and ventured into the unknown parts of the Empty SEKAI.

Ena woke up feeling dead. Yesterday’s events flashed through her mind again, and it felt like a fever dream. But it was all very much real. She had broken up with Mafuyu.

She got off her bed and bumped into Akito on the way out to the bathroom.

“Watch where you’re going.” Akito grumbled.

Ena was too exhausted to argue with him. Wordlessly, she walked past him.

“Hoi, you good? You look like shit today. I mean, you always look like shit but even more so today.”

Ena balled her fists.

“Can you just for one day, not piss me off?”

“That’s more like it. What? Argued with your girlfriend?”

Ena almost pounced on him to shut his mouth. How the fuck did he know about her having (or had) a girlfriend? Ena never disclosed her relationship to anybody else outside of Nightcord and Airi. Thankfully, it seemed like Akito and Ena were the only ones at home at the moment.

“What girlfriend? I don’t know what you mean.” Ena folded her arms.

“What? Was that purple hair girl the other day not your girlfriend? Asahina-san was it?”

“I didn’t tell you that she was my girlfriend.”

“Oh cmon, when you look at her you look like a lovesick puppy. It’s disgusting.”

“Huh, you of all people, dare call me being disgustingly in love? I could say the same about you and Aoyagi-kun!”

“What the fuck. Me and Toya aren’t dating!”

“Oh really? Why are you blushing now huh?”

“That’s because you accuse me of- never mind. I asked first about YOUR relationship with Asahina-san. Now answer my question, gayass.”

“You’re gay too!!”

“So you do admit that you’re gay.”

“Shut the fuck up, brat. And since you’re so nosy, she was my girlfriend. Okay? There, happy?”

Before Akito could say anything else, the doorbell rang. Akito went to get the door.

“Hello Akito.”

“Toya???”

“I bought this for you…”

A bouquet of sunflowers.

“They reminded me of you.”

Akito closed the door swiftly but gently. His face felt so hot, he thought he was going to explode. He completely forgot that Toya sent him a message this morning to ask if he could stop by for a while, and curse his sister for waking up earlier than usual!

“Eh? ‘Me and Toya aren’t dating!’ Someone said.” Ena cackled behind her brother.

Akito turned his back against the door and pointed at Ena.

“Not a single word to anyone else about this.” He demanded.

“Yeah yeah. “ Ena giggled before she finally left her poor brother alone.

For just a while, Ena’s shoulders felt lighter.

Mafuyu couldn’t bring herself out of the house and to school in the morning. She informed her mother that she wasn’t feeling well and that she'd like to stay at home.

“Oh dear, your eyes look so swollen. Are you sure you’re just not feeling well physically?” Mafuyu’s mother cupped her face to take a better look at her eyes.

She must not know that Mafuyu has cried the whole night.

“Yeah, I should be fine after today…”

“Do you want me to take a day off work to take care of you?”

“That won’t be necessary.”

“But I’ll be worried if I don’t. You’re my precious child after all.”

If not going to school means that Mafuyu has to be with her mother for the whole day, Mafuyu would very much rather go to school.

“Oh wait. Could it be… that you’re going through a break up?”

Huh?

“Oh my poor, poor Mafuyu. It must be tough, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean by break up, mom?” Mafuyu’s tone was shaky.

“Ah… I forgot to ask you, but you were dating Shinonome Ena, weren’t you?”

Mafuyu’s blood ran cold.

“Ahah… Mom, it’s awkward to make a joke like that about my friend.”

“Oh? But I heard from Ena-san herself that you two were ‘more than friends’.”

She heard from Ena herself? What did that mean? Did she meet Ena before somewhere?

“Mafuyu… you know I don’t like it when you hide things behind my back, right? Because I will feel hurt, and I will feel that you don’t trust me enough.”

“No! I- I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hide it from you, mom.”

“So it’s true that you dated Ena-san?”

“Yes… but we… already broke up. So Mom, please don’t worry. I’m sorry that I did something secretly behind your back. I will now focus all my attention on studying…”

“I’m glad Mafuyu is aware of what’s best for herself. Mom understands that at this stage of your life, it’s normal to want to have new experiences like that. Mom doesn’t mind that at all, as long as you can manage your studies as well, but I would prefer it if it was with a boy. Will Mafuyu want me to find a more suitable guy-”

Stop. Mafuyu didn’t want anyone else other than Ena.

“No. I… don’t want anyone else.”

“Oh my, it seems that Mafuyu has taken quite a liking to Ena-san.”

Mafuyu likes Ena?

“Mafuyu, do you like me?” Ena asked, as she played with Mafuyu’s hair strands from behind.

“I don’t know. Do I?”

Ena puffed her cheeks and made Mafuyu turn around on the bed to face her. She squished Mafuyu’s face with her hands like some sort of soft mochi. Ena giggled as she enjoyed morphing that usually expressionless face into funny expressions.

Mafuyu tried to stop Ena from giving her face a free massage (which she didn’t even ask for, mind you), so she grumbled something inaudibly. Ena did stop, but it was because she wanted to give Mafuyu a kiss. And another. And another.

“I’m sure you’ll know eventually.” Ena whispered against Mafuyu’s lips.