"It's so good to see you two again," she says, and she means it. It's been years since the three of them met up just to talk and catch up. So long, in fact, that someone had pulled her into a tight group hug slightly prior, prompting someone else to protest, tripping over her words. Eventually they'd all settled down at one of the tables outside a cafe. The sun isn't too bright, there's a slight breeze, and there's the quiet bustle of people in the background. It's comfortable.

Yurika sips her tea. "When did we last...?"

Kaede hums in thought, and then springs up visibly. "I think it was Christmas."

"Yes, that was when Kaede stuck mistletoe over the door." Mizuki cuts a piece of crumb cake with her fork.

"So I could give kisses to everyone who came!"

"Hey! I thought you said those were a greeting?"

"Yurika, you're too naive. Didn't you hear they only do that in Europe?"

Now she's fuming, or blushing. Probably both, as one can only imagine she's remembering the greeting she received. Of course they've already started to bicker... "Now now, that's enough." Her tone is firm, but her fondness comes through most of all. Even after all these years, their dynamic is still the same.

Kaede sits up in her chair suddenly. "Yurika, what's that?" Peppering in some of the usual English, Kaede points at her hand. Her gaze follows and she looks briefly, and then raises it with a small smile, fangs included.

"I finally found a servant to follow me into all eternity. Me, the several hundred year old descendant of Dracula..." She stops, and giggles. There's something foreign in her expression. "I got married last year."

"Wow!"

"Congratulations."

Yurika runs a hand through her hair, now let loose long and wavy, a far cry from her old pair of drills. "I would have let you meet him, but something came up with work."

"What kinda guy is he?" She's never known Kaede to talk about men. There's a first for everything, apparently.

The former vampire describes him in no short words, and from the way she talks anyone could tell she loves him more than anything. It's fairly obvious. After her little speech, she looks at the other two in a mixture of curiosity and concern. "Don't you two have anyone?"

"Yes! I'm dating someone," Kaede responds, not missing a beat, "in America."

"I'm focusing on my work right now."

Kaede looks at her briefly, and then changes the topic. Does she know? But she couldn't possibly, right? The three chat for a while longer before all the tea is drunk and cake eaten, and Yurika gets a text and apologizes, but she must be on her way. It's down to two then, and she looks at her with the same concern Yurika had shown earlier.

"You said that back then too, didn't you? When we were idols."

She knows. It's clear she knows; she saw right through her. She takes her bag from her chair and stands. "I don't know what you're talking about."

It's a poor phrase for cover, but she needs to get out of there. She's reminisced enough; it's time to get back to her current life, and leave the past in the past. So she bids farewell, not unkindly, and leaves. She doesn't see, but Kaede watches her as she walks away.

–

Later, she looks them up. All her former fellow idols, the then-girls who she'd worked beside and shared memories with, from Starlight and elsewhere.

They're all married.

Aoi, Sakura, even Otome, and that's just within Star Anis. There are the Dream Academy girls, and Shion and Hikari, and all the younger idols, including Akari and her own kouhai, Risa. Every single one of them.

Ichigo she saves for last, unable to look, but when she does she can't tear herself away. She looks so different now, her choice of clothing, and her hair now pulled into a bun in most shots, and yet so much like herself. She can see it in her smile, ear to ear and bright as the sun. This almost makes her smile herself until she comes upon a picture of her, her husband, and their two kids. They appear to be having a picnic.

She knew it wouldn't last forever, that she would graduate and move on with her life, as with all the others. She knew that, and knows that now, so why does it still sting, acutely? As if the cut is fresh as opposed to long scarred over and forgotten about. This shouldn't be such a shock. They're all adults, of course they'd have moved on. So why can't she? Why is she still stuck here? It isn't like no one had ever approached her, but she'd never been interested in the least. It was always too inconvenient or cut into her work without seeming to have any real benefit. So what she said to Kaede wasn't a lie exactly. It wasn't a cover-up. She just hasn't felt anything for anyone since… Since Ichigo, now that she thinks about it.

She closes the browser tab and turns off the display. That's enough for one night.

More importantly, she has to come up with some new designs. Lately she's been in a bit of a slump, and can't come up with anything fresh and, more importantly, good. Designing for other people is a lot different from just designing for herself. There are more factors to think about, and need of diversity in cuts and styles. She's not top idol anymore. This is the world after that, reality, and thus far she's managed. So why is she only having trouble now?

Turning off the light, she slips into bed, now much shorter hair spilling out behind her. She isn't feeling too well after all that, but maybe some sleep will help. Rest is all too important, as she learned firsthand the days leading up to her last Starlight Queen Cup. How far away that feels now… It's as if she's an entirely different person.

Eventually, gradually, she drifts off to sleep, and the moon weaves its light through the curtains.