A/N: Been a while, hasn't it? Sorry for the delay, but the holidays ate up a lot of my personal time. Since then, I've noticed miComet gaining more and more traction on AO3 and Twitter. Best not let myself fall TOO far behind now! (Also finally found the 'hololive' category on this site while I was at it!)
Once again, I've too many ideas and no clue with what to do with them. Half a chapter became its own chapter once I wrote a line too good to NOT end on. Though this chapter is rather light on the miComet interactions, I promise the next one is where we'll really get to see them squirm!

The Renewed Coumarin

Rather than give up and wait for her inevitable death to claim her, Hoshimachi Suisei chose to live her remaining months to the fullest.

One thing she absolutely wanted off her bucket list? An official album. It'd be her first - and tragically her last - but it would also be something to remember her by long after the fact.

Instead of slogging through the numerous approvals she'd need from hololive just to get it started, the speeding star decided that it'd simply be faster to get it done herself.

Naturally, that meant personally working out the deal and paying for it out-of-pocket. Unnaturally, the gacha lover still had enough superchat money saved up to convince Bushiroad to consider her offer. Due to the nature of personally funding it, if the album sold well, a greater share of the profits would go straight to her or, in the worst case scenario, straight to her family.

Of course, what was an album if not a collection of songs? She already had the four songs on her channel, plus some mostly done tracks only in need of some polish here and there.

Suisei once debated over having music videos done for those nearly-finished songs, but now she felt that she couldn't afford to wait for them; not when she could round off and complete the album by adding four new songs and commision music videos for those instead.

She already had everything figured out. Three of those upcoming songs would have their MVs released monthly during summer, all to drum up hype towards her album release and subsequent concert. The fourth would be her magnum opus, her legacy… her memorial.

That song would be a song she'd pen herself, and though she had yet to jot down a single word, she already envisioned what she wanted to write. She wanted to write a song to inspire generations to come. She wanted to bare the deepest feelings she couldn't ever reveal. She wanted her 'Cinderella story' echoing across the furthest corners of the universe and back.

And yet, the idea of being cast as Cinderella unsettled her when it didn't before…

As the dwindling April showers heralded the incoming May flowers, Suisei checked her phone once more to see if she had the right address. After the third confirmation, she briskly entered the unfamiliar restaurant.

As she examined the scene before her, the bluenette watched folks of all walks of life and all forms enjoying all kinds of meals. Many dishes were instantly recognizable classics from across the worlds, while others were completely new to her.

With such a colorful crowd scattered about, the shooting star nearly missed the right head of pink sitting at a table for two. She maneuvered to find her (date) not-date slumped over the table, idly stirring her straw around in her half-filled glass, her eyes glued to the inactive phone laid upon the wooden surface. The pinkette dressed comfortably with an oversized sweater, but she never seemed more uncomfortable.

Given the anxious look on Miko's face, she was but a picosecond away from lunging towards her smartphone and calling the wayward comet, even if she'd knock her cola over in the process. The only thing stopping the clumsy girl was the reflection in the dark screen changing to show a very… streamlined figure standing in front of her. The numerous twinkling accessories complemented the newcomer's otherwise plain dress shirt, red bow, and skirt.

The pinkette knew who it was without even seeing her face. The bluenette flinched as the virtuan rocketed straight up and gawked at her.

"Ah! Sui-chan!" the virtuan exclaimed, so happy to see her safe and sound that she momentarily forgot she was supposed to be mad at her. A moment later, she remembered, and an adorable pout spread across her face.

The oblivious love interest scolded her, "There you are! Did you lose your way or something?! I've been waiting here for you for nearly half an hour now."

"What? Nonono, not at all. Not at all! It's the stupid app's fault for leading me down the wrong way," Suisei claimed, despite missing her instructed turns twice.

"Well, whatever," she assured her as she sank back into her seat. "I just ordered for us."

"You did? That's good to hear! All this walking's left me starved!"

As she took a second to settle in and casually take in the atmosphere, Miko glanced aside and hummed the first verse to a recently-released song very dear to the cometzen's heart.

The bluenette quickly pieced together the lyrics the elite mimicked, and she asked bewilderedly, "Is that… Ghost you're singing, Mikochi?"

The shrine maiden snapped back to her with eyes as wide as the restaurant's plates and skin as white as them. It seemed she thought her dining partner would butcher her for butchering one of her songs so messily.

"W-what? No! Not at all, it's just something I overheard while waiting for you."

Unconvinced, she crooned for Miko, "Mienai noboku ga, boku no~" She watched the pinkette's face scrunch up, as if begging her mouth to keep itself shut.

Convinced her hunch was right, Suisei continued, "Kono koe ga kikoeteru~?"

"[Dancer in the dark~!]" Miko quickly squeaked out, earning a passing glance or two.

Satisfied, she spoke, "See, you have been listening to it. Was that so hard to admit?"

"...Yeah, actually. A bit," the other girl confessed, her face a shade lighter than her hair.

"What makes you say that?" She watched the shrine maiden tense up, dropping her flustered tone and stance for something more focused and sharp.

"Hoshimachi. That song, it's very personal to you, isn't it?"

The singer answered blankly, "Ah, yes. It absolutely is. How did you know?"

"I don't really know how to say it. The words, maybe. Or it's the way you sang it. But it's about how you wanted to get noticed for so long, right? To be more than a shadow?"

"That's… pretty much right." Ironic that Miko was the one to figure that out so quickly.

The virtuan grinned. "Y'know, it's pretty comforting knowing there's someone out there that knows what it's like to have to fight for every view they get. Especially since it's you."

… Oh, right. Maybe not as ironic as I made it out to be, Suisei backtracked awkwardly.

She continued eagerly, "Besides, I don't get the chance to hear you sing like that often! And how are the Hoshiyomis thinking of your 'new' voice? Do they like it, or…"

The young Hoshimachi happily responded, "Oh, they absolutely love it! You were right to be blunt with them and get it over with. My throat's been getting better since."

Truth be told, due to both the stress she'd put her voice through and the unexpected damage inflicted on her throat from constantly coughing up petals, having to switch to a more natural pitch was all but inevitable. Even then, it only lessened the strain she put on herself.

Miko simply gave her the confidence she needed to announce such a change so boldly, and it was this confidence that so easily won the vast majority over quickly.

"See? I knew your voice was perfect the way it is! No need to doll it up all cutesy-like, even if it is still nice." The elite's nonstop praises left Suisei feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

"Well, it's not like I could beat you in cuteness…" the latter murmured.

"Heh," Miko added smugly. "Even if you're cute today, there's no way you're topping this Elite cuteness right here!" She puffed her chest out and raised her head triumphantly.

Yeah, there's no way I can win against that. The faintest tingle in her chest forced the cometzen to quickly change her thoughts, so she decided to pick on her business partner again.

"Say, you've been focused on my voice a lot lately, Sakura. First suggesting I use my natural tone to save my vocal chords, and now you tried to hide the fact you've listened to me?"

"W-what are you getting at, Hoshimachi?" she sneered.

"C'mon, c'mon, Mikochi. You know you can't hide anything from me."

The comet's cocky grin shattered her resolve. "... Alright, alright, you win! I confess!"

Is this it? She hoped. Her heart started beating out of her chest. Is she finally gonna-

Sakura Miko squeaked out, "I, I love your voice!" Tables of people faced her this time.

. . .

Well, it's a start at least. The stellar idol sank back into her chair with a shred of hope in her heart. However, her target was too embarrassed at the attention she drew to even peek her way. Instead, the shrine maiden returned to the newfound enjoyment that the simple amusement of stirring her cola brought her.

After a minute of awkward silence, Miko tried to regain some of her lost dignity. "Y'know, it was hard finding a place with your favorite, but it's nothing this Elite can't do!"

Suisei perked up. "My favorite? Fantastic!" … Wait, she hesitated, I don't think I ever told her what it was. So what did she get me? She tried to ask her about it, but the other girl slammed her hands onto the dining table, her eyes tracking something behind her business partner.

"Finally, the food's here!" the shrine maiden exclaimed, a small trail of saliva forming at the corner of her mouth. Suisei had to resist the urge to wipe it off and instead turned around.

A ratfolk waiter approached, his pristine and wrinkle-free uniform contrasting the imagery associated with the infamous vermin plaguing urban areas.

In front of Miko, he placed a tray loaded with fries and a massive burger. "Your double cheeseburger deluxe." By now, the pinkette's mouth was practically cascading saliva as she lunged. Her partner stared jealously watching the glistening meat and pristine bun get devoured.

And in front of Suisei, the waiter placed pasta with white balls on it."And the fish eyeball pasta for you. You've good taste, ordering the head chef's favorite!" he reassured her before departing from the table.

Her eyes darted between him, the pasta, and a miko wolfing down her burger several times before asking herself, I-is it too late to ask for fish eyeball pasta without the fish eyeballs? When did I ever say they were my favorite?! I think the only time I even mentioned them was-

The bluenette muttered, "Sakura," as she stared at her meal blankly.

"Y-yes, Sui-chan?" The pinkette panicked, as if Suisei had a hunger only hearts could fill.

"You… remembered? I only ever talked about them on Marine's-"

Setting her burger aside, Miko quickly regained her composure. "D-duh, of course! I wanted to see what everyone thought of each other, after all.

With a tiny smile, she continued. "You really meant it when you said you wanted to get along with me, didn't you? I'm glad you did. To be honest, I've been feeling pretty lonely in hololive despite being a part of Gen 0."

She did see my profile card! So is that why she said 'yes' so much? Because she's lonely? Suisei suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Have I been taking advantage of her loneliness all this time?

"But really, who in their right mind would eat fish eyes?! You're a strange one, Hoshimachi," the elite streamer decided as she started popping fries in her mouth, bringing her dining partner back to the reality of her own… cuisine.

Yeah, who in their right mind, the cometzen thought as she reexamined her meal. The chef prepared it such that there was no fishy smell. Only the sauce's aromatic scent remained.

Hesitantly, the youngest Hoshimachi twirled the pasta around her fork and tried it. Waves of creamy sauce and herbs flooded her taste buds, while the al dente pasta felt satisfying to bite down on. Emboldened, she swiftly stabbed into an eyeball and popped it into her mouth.

Waves of nausea flooded her mind as the squishy yet firm optical organ split in bizarre and unnerving ways inside her mouth. Even without the fishy smell, it slide down her throat as if it oozed slime all the way down. Forget the Hanahaki, the cometzen was about to actually vomit!

Oh, the things I do for love, Suisei bemoaned, too stubborn to stop and let Miko down.

One day in early May, Suisei decided to check out the other hololive streams. Sakura Miko wasn't streaming anything at the moment, which was a shame, really.

She lamented, Too bad I can't hear her screams of panic while she's having one of her pon moments. Or sing along with her for karaoke!

The cometzen would've loved to put her voice on in the background as she worked on balancing her upcoming streams with song recordings, stage rehearsals, and getting the finer details of that album deal with Bushiroad sorted out. The virtuan's squeaky lisp did wonders to soothe her mind and make her forget her worries.

Well, when it doesn't trigger this fucking thing, the bluenette cursed as she spat more sullied foliage into the garbage bag at the foot of her desk. They kept coming up so frequently that she started to forget the taste of nothing at all.

Then, she came upon… her channel. The white-earred blue-haired hare was streaming Super Mario Party, though she couldn't find her game chip and had to rebuy and download it onstream. However, the third genner seemed dead set on playing it that day.

The spiteful girl figured, She's probably gonna ask around for anyone that's free. Which means Miko'll come running the moment she ask- Oh no, you don't! It's rabbit season, I say!

Her crush had a good track record of joining other people's streams whenever they needed a guest. She did this far too often for the jealous girl's liking, especially with Pekora.

Suisei yanked her Switch out of its dock and slammed a Joycon into each side. As soon as she could, she prepared it to boot up the aforementioned game at the press of a button. Checking Discord, all she had left to do was wait for the hare to enter one of the voice channels.

The moment Peroka entered the call, Miko popped in almost instantaneously, with Suisei joining just after. Even though the latter was prepared, it seemed Miko had a sixth sense for this.

"Nyahello~!" greeted Miko, sending a wave of relief in the hare.

"miComet's here!" declared Suisei, almost cutting the other guest off.

Pekora replied, "Hello- Ah, 'miComet'? You're here too, Sui-chan?!"

The fully-blue haired girl answered, "Yes, yes, yes. miComet's here to steal the show!"

"You got here fast. Were the two of you in a call before this?" Pekora asked smugly.

The pinkette admitted, "Eh? No, I woke up an hour ago. I'm as surprised as you."

Thus, the cometzen muttered, "It really was just a coincidence," having spontaneously planned this encounter.

The host decided, "Eh, whatever. Also, can you please raise your volume, Sui-chan?"

"It can't be helped, Usada," Miko added. "After all, Sui-chan's small today as ever!"

"And exactly what's small today, Sakura?!" Even if she was trying to get closer to her, Hoshimachi Suisei wouldn't let anyone insult her and get away with it. At least, not easily…

Pekora quickly interrupted, "Your voice! Your voice! C'mon, let's start playing already!"

Though slighted by the shrine maiden, Suisei secretly gloated, Hah! So much for your schemes, Pekora! If you want Mikochi, you're gonna have to pry her from my cold dead hands!

Pekora did not plan for any of this. With how long she waited just to get to the title screen, the bunny girl doubted if anyone was still free. She welcomed the two callers eagerly, though the host had her suspicions regarding the starry idol's true intentions...

The idol with stars in her eyes ended up falling back to her normal routine of trolling Miko whenever possible, or if not her, Pekora. Though the NPC became the Super Star by the end, the shooting star was satisfied in asserting miComet's synergy to the viewers and her supposed 'rival'. Then came the part she dreaded: explaining their antics.

Pekora asked them, "So I heard you two talking about 'the bonds of miComet' and all that. What's that about?" An innocent question that nevertheless stung the unrequited lover.

Miko revealed, "miComet's the bond between people who keep getting put together by management. We're business partners!"

"Pekome again? Business partners?!" The girl sounded genuinely shocked, as if she was expecting something more between them. Sadly, as much as Suisei wanted to prove the bunny right, she couldn't just lie when her partner was right there to expose her.

The girl in plaid reluctantly continued, "Yes, yes. Business partners. After all, we're always getting put together, so it'd be best to have our status reflect that. Isn't that right, Miko?"

"Yeah! Management's always going 'you two should do this, do that together', so it just kinda happened that we've gotten closer recently."

Suisei secretly supposed, Though I wouldn't mind if they did that a bit more often.

She soon felt the need to cough up flower petals, but before she made up an excuse to leave, the hare quickly hopped on the chance to ask her for some help in singing practice. Wanting to flex her talent and gauge the risk the rabbitfolk posed to her endeavors, she agreed.

"I think I gotta go. Onee-chan's calling. See you," the cometzen said abruptly.

Miko quickly replied cheerfully, "See ya, Sui-chan!"

"Later, Hoshimachi," Pekora quietly added, as if still unsure about something.

In truth, Anemachi was still at work. Suisei just needed an excuse to leave and clear her throat of more vegetation. Somehow, the soft rejection of being 'business-zoned' made it worse!

The elder sibling would've loved nothing more but to drop everything and help her sister out in any way she could, but alas, she already had her own life to manage.

. . . . .

A few days later, as Suisei stepped out of her apartment and went to lock the door, the one opposite hers cracked open as the sound of footsteps and idle chitchat approached her. She took a deep breath and prepared for the worst: nosy neighbors.

Looking up and behind her, she locked eyes with the Dragon of hololive, Kiryu Coco. Tilting her head down, she found the angelic Amane Kanata tailing the Yakusa's tail.

"Oh? Didn't know you were heading out too, Sui-chan." Kanata stated.

Coco happily suggested, "Wanna come with us too? We're going out for karaoke!"

The bluenette waved them off. "Ah, sorry, maybe next time. Just gonna visit someone today." The answer placated the angel, but the horned woman saw her chance to charge headon.

"Just a visit, huh? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have something special planned with this 'someone' of yours," she suggested, bearing the cheekiest smirk she could muster.

The cometzen asked warily, "... Just what are you getting at, Coco?"

"Don't play dumb, Sui-chan. We all know you've been dying to go to her house."

"Wha- I, that's not- what?!" She might've been able to play off her stammering as utter confusion, were it not for her face burning so brightly she swore she brushed past the sun.

Kanata quickly caught on, adding, "You two have been going out together a lot. And you keep bringing her up whenever we hang out." She clearly enjoyed this as much as Coco.

The dragon stepped forward and threw her arm around her neighbor's shoulders as she proclaimed, "If you need anything, just say the word, and we'll help. Hell, we'll keep Anemachi busy for a night so you lovebirds can have the apartment alone to get bus-ay! What'd you say?"

"What I'd say is that you're both WRONG!" Suisei shouted as she shook the invasive limb away. "I'm gonna go help Pekora practice her singing today! At her house!"

The two neighbors stopped their teasing and looked at each other worryingly. Clearly, they had thought of the worst-case scenario, which also seemed like the most likely one.

The shortest of the three spoke up, "Sui-chan, it's not that we don't trust you, but…"

"We won't be held responsible for whatever you're gonna try," the tallest continued.

The unnerving girl barked, "I already told you, I'm just helping my kouhai because she asked for my help. That's all." She quickly added, "And I don't even think of Sakura like that."

As quick as the duo's grins were to vanish, their smug smirks returned faster than light.

"... What's with those looks on your faces?" Suisei asked suspiciously.

"We never said it was Miko. I mean, we had a hunch," the PP Tenshi explained.

Coco finished, "But now we know for sure. Don't worry, your secret's safe with us."

Suisei did her best to hide her shame behind a gloved hand and waved them off with the other. "... Just go already."

. . . . .

"I'm back!" Suisei announced as she entered her apartment once more.

Sitting on the couch and watching TV, Anemachi responded, "Welcome home. How'd it go with Pekora?" Her eyes stayed glued to the screen even as her sister plopped down beside her.

"Still alive, if you're wondering. But she's too clever, that rabbit. The moment I mentioned Miko, she pounced, trying to get me to spill the beans."

"Well, did you?" the elder sibling asked, lazily turning her head to face her sister.

"No, I managed to excuse myself as always. But I can't help but feel that she knows more than she's letting on. Like there's a deeper reason for her inviting me over…"

The bluenette searched her mind for any explanations, only to remember a suggestion.

She continued, "Say, Onee-chan. How well do you think a blue rose fits me?"

The elder sister lightly tapped her jaw as she contemplated, "Blue rose, blue rose… Ah! The one that symbolizes reaching your goals! Fits like a glove, I'd say."

The younger sister snarked, "You too, huh. They're not real, y'know. What taught you? Lemme guess, one of your BL manga?" Am I the only one who never heard of it? she thought.

"..."

"..."

(...)

Anemachi started, "I-"

"So that's a yes, then," Suisei interrupted, not giving her any room to lie. I thought so.

"Wha-hey! Don't just go making assumptions like that!"

"But am I wrong, though?" the little sister remarked, glaring all the while.

"... No," the elder sister admitted, looking away bashfully.

"Exactly. Anyway, I still don't see why it has to be me. Other people fit it as well," the younger Hoshimachi decided defiantly.

"What do you mean? It's blue like your idol outfits!"

"And Sora's. hololive was all her idea, after all. I told Pekora that Nene and Ollie also work, since they've always dreamed of joining the group. And then-"

"Miko fit too?" Anemachi finished, accurately predicting her sister's train of thought.

"Well, yeah. Can you believe she also almost quit Vtubing too?" Actually, isn't Akirose the most fitting? She's got the name and everything, now that I think about it.

"Not until you told me… Wait, you told Pekora this? What did she think?"

"Like I said, Pekora jumped at the chance to learn more about what's going on between us, even though we're 'business partners'. She must know something I don't."

The older Hoshimachi winced upon hearing the duo's 'relationship'. "That bit again, huh? Why not tell Miko you don't like it? I'm sure she'd understand."

The idol sternly stared at her. "And I'm sure she'd get hung up over continuing something I didn't enjoy doing. It's still a fun bit, not gonna lie. It's just that-"

"Just that you'd like to make her your 'business'?" the lesser-known sister joked.

She sighed, looking distraught. "Yeah, that's one way to put it."

The pinkette gave a concerned glance at her moping sister, quickly finding a way to change the conversation. "Hey, didn't one of your songs have to do with blue flowers? Why not 'Blue Rose'? It works well enough."

"Oh yeah, nearly forgot about that. I've been thinking of forget-me-nots for that one."

"Today must be a sign to make it about blue roses! Just think! A whole dress of `em!"

Suisei imagined it in her head and thought, It's too extra to adorn the whole thing in flowers, and it'd take away from me. What if we could make the ruffles look like rose petals?

She replied, "I guess that'd make for a breathtaking outfit. Yeah, sure! 'Bluerose' it is!"

The older sibling cheered for another breakthrough in song-making. As her sister headed towards her room to forward the suggestion, the bluenette mentioned one more thing of note.

"By the way, Coco and Kanata found out about my crush today."

Anemachi quickly screamed. "Eh?! First Inui, and now them? Do they also know about-"

"No, it doesn't seem like they know about the Hanahaki, thank Matsuri."

As she closed the door to her room, Suisei brooded angrily, Honestly, of all the rotten luck. Of course it had to be Hanahaki. If not some cancer, shows and manga always love passing it out to the love interests, just to add some unneeded drama. Tch, what a cheap cop-out.

(Oh irony, thy name is Hoshimachi…)

"Excellent work, you two! Killing it as always, ah. *ahem* Metaphorically, of course," the senior producer praised. In the recording booth, two idols, blue and pink, smiled warmly. The former wore her sleeveless dress with orange leggings, while the latter chose her rapping apparel.

Suisei turned to her co-singer and said, "Finally. Never thought we'd get done. Seemed like we'd find a better way to sing every time! Isn't that right, Calli?"

The taller pink-haired girl, Calliope Mori, responded, "I know! But I like where we ended up. Feels just right, don't you think?"

"Yesyesyes! Absolutely, Calli. The Deadbeats and Hoshiyomis are gonna love our cover."

"We're really gonna 'knock `em dead', right, Suisei-senpai?"

"Yep! Hey, Mr. Producer! Mind muting us? We're just gonna stay here a while longer."

As the two continued chatting in the booth, the people outside quickly began leaving. Once the room was empty besides the duo, the grim reaper's apprentice sighed and turned to her senpai, asking, "Do you ever plan on telling her?" The veteran Vtuber stared back at her blankly.

"I don't know what you mean, Calli. What's there to confess? Is this about my-"

The shinigami interrupted, "Your Hanahaki. I've seen how it kills. It's never pretty.

"Your time's running out, Hoshimachi. I promised Death-sensei I'd be the one to deliver all of you to the Underworld, but… please. Not so soon," Calli begged through glistening eyes.

"I thought it was against your 'reaper code' to look into people's deaths."

"Well, no. I personally prefer not to, but exceptions can be made, especially when a certain name keeps showing up at my desk," the older and slightly annoyed woman retorted.

The cometzen joked, "Aw~, I'm exceptional to you!"

The reaper rebutted angrily, "Hey, I'm being serious here!"

"Hah. Thanks for cleaning up, Calli. I'll try to space them out a bit more in the future."

"Thanks, but that's not what this is about. Are you ever gonna tell her or not?"

"... Not unless she tells me first," Suisei admitted, twiddling her thumbs as she gazed past her oshi. "If I can't convince her to make the first move, I'll accept that it was never meant to be. And if I'm gonna die anyway, why should I care about what happens to me in the long run?"

"Then these songs are-" Calli knew something was up when the bluenette showed her her packed-to-the-brim schedule. "But, aren't you afraid of burning yourself out too early?"

"That's the thing. If my flame's gonna be blown out, I might as well go out burning up like the star I've always wanted to be! And by the time it's too far gone, I'll have already said my goodbyes. They'll cry, sure, but it's better to disappear on my own terms than to suddenly not wake up one day."

"I- But there are other ways to go about this. Ones that don't have to end like this!" Souls that were accepting of death usually made for an easier reaping. Not this time; not with a friend.

"I'll keep doing it my way, even if it kills me. And Death himself won't change my mind, so don't bother." The starry-eyed idol remained as stubborn as ever. And yet the context for her hardheadedness bothered the harvester of souls to no end.

"... That doesn't sound like the Sui-chan I know," she muttered in disbelief.

"Is it? What would the Sui-chan you know do? Because it sure isn't what I'm doing."

The taller woman explained, "The Sui-chan I know wouldn't need to hide like this. The moment she sets her eyes on something, she'd carve herself a path to seize it with both hands. You're not someone who'll just wait around for something to happen!"

As Calli dissected her rationales and justifications for her passivity, the real deal trembled, her face completely unreadable to the one that faced so many over so many decades.

"The Sui-chan I know would've made her feelings known the moment she realized she had them. So what changed?! Why can't you tell Miko what she means to you?"

"BECAUSE I CAN'T RISK LOSING HER!" the lovesick idol screeched, her voice reaching a rarely-used pitch as her emotions reached a fever pitch.

The Underworlder stood in stunned silence as the cometzen stopped to regain her composure. After clearing her throat to make sure there was no blockage, Suisei continued.

"Miko, miComet… They're some of the most precious things I have. Everyone else, they end up putting me on a pedestal of some kind: the 'real-life Cinderella', 'hexagon warrior', 'Psychopath Suisei'. Flattering, sure, but it always makes me feel like there's a gap between us. Like I'm only ever this or that, anything but a normal girl. It's not everyday I meet someone so willing to look past my stardom.

"Miko sees that, and then she sees me. Just another girl to tease because she feels like it. Toko's the only other person that's acted that way to me, but, what I have for Miko's different.

"It's not just about love. I…" Suisei started to fidget and twist back and forth, now a picturesque definition of a high school girl crushing hard. "It's that Miko's…

The blushing bluenette took a deep breath and then continued. "Miko understands everything I've gone through to make it this far. Y'know what I mean, right? And to have failed as much as her and still get back up every time, I look up to her. She gives me courage."

"Suisei…" Due to her line of work, Calliope Mori once couldn't understand how other people could light up a fire in one's heart. The mortal whose body she borrowed ended up teaching her just how valuable such a warm and radiant light could be. That said, she witnessed others face the chilling abyss felt from their beloved's absence countless times. The shinigami couldn't fault her for not wanting to take that risk.

A failed audition could be replaced with five more in hopes of success, but a single person, with all of their fantasies and all of their flaws, could never be replaced so easily. To mend a tattered relationship would take time, something Calli knew they wouldn't have.

"There! I said it! She's inspirational, and she's always been precious to me, ever since we first met! And I don't care if you tell her anymore; tell the world if you wanna, `cause I-" She stopped to cough, a tiny trail of blood dribbling from the side of her lips.

"I'm gonna need an idol meeting, Calli. A long one."

Calli offered, "Need a lookout? Or maybe a distractor?"

The corners of the blunette's lips curved upward ever so slightly. "Thanks for looking out for me."

She nodded. "Always. It's the least I can do for now."

They scurried to the nearest private restroom, which was thankfully vacant. As Calli leaned against the wall and guarded the entrance, Suisei rushed inside, locked the door behind her, and stomped towards the improvised 'evidence remover'.

The cometzen soon found an even denser mass of flowers than before. She wheezed and she hacked with all of her might, and eventually, she forced out the entire blockage into the bowl.

Fighting to catch her breath, she gazed into the now blood-red water to see the damage done. But the moment she looked, the fight left in her vanished while she choked on air.

She spotted several clumps of petals at the top of the floating foliage. With a quivering hand, she plucked one such clump out. It stayed together, regardless of her shaking. She stumbled to the sink, and after washing her own blood off it, her worst fears came to light.

She was holding an entire cherry blossom, with stamens and a bit of green on the other side where it would connect to the branch. That painful mass was likely all full flowers…

Her legs gave out as she unceremoniously crashed against the tile flooring. She did everything she could, tried distracting herself with any random fact or memory she remembered, but it was all useless.

The young girl felt water drip down her face, and then the dams dissolved faster than salt. The ensuing tears splattered onto the floor, collecting in small but growing puddles.

"Damn it," she uttered. "Damn it, dammit, dammit! Why now? Why me? There's still so much I want done, that I need done. I thought I had a bit more time. I need more time.

"Calli's right. I've not long left. Fuck, will I even make it to the concert? I- I gotta, even… even if it kills me." Toyosu Pit wasn't the Bodokan she dreamed of, but it'd have to do for the idol whose dreams were being crushed under the weight of cherry blossoms.

Dreams of all sorts flooded her mind, but most led her back to the shrine maiden she was so fond of. Celebrating another hard-earned milestone together, staying up until the morning just talking their heads off, watching the stars twinkle and shine with Miko at her side, waking up to the pinkette still snoozing like the baby many joked she was…

The urge to vomit swelled once more, and the cometzen unceremoniously scrambled for the toilet once more.

Calli pressed her ear to the door, heard the intense sobbing, and sighed deeply. In clear English, she muttered to herself, "[Shit, is there really nothing else I can do to help her?]"

Finally, after nearly half an hour, Suisei feebly shambled out of the bathroom. Though she cleaned herself up, her face was in shambles. Her once fair face lost much of its color, and bloodshot eyes peeked out above the forming eyebags. Whatever makeup she used to obscure her declining health had been smeared onto her arms from hastily wiping her tears away.

"H-how much did you hear?" the grieving idol shakedly asked.

"Enough to get the gist. And this still won't convince you?" the pinkette asked worriedly.

"Of course not. I've already got everything set up. I want you to be there for me, Calli,"

"Of course I'll be there. You can trust me to deliver you safe and sound."

"Oh yeah. Of course that," Suisei noted, digging into her pocket. She retrieved a lanyard attached to a card printed in many shades of blue and white."But I also want you to be there at my next 3D live, so please keep that day cleared up. Think you can host a special quiz for me?"

The rapper carefully examined the present: A VIP backstage pass dated for August 21st. Her eyes shifted between it and her senpai marching towards her sensei's door.

Stroking her sidetail sheepishly, the bluenette asked, "So? Are you coming?" Waiting a solid forty-or-so seconds did little to calm her nerves, but the apprentice finally made her choice. She snatched the lanyard from her and stuffed it into her open jacket pocket, zipping it up like the other, which had remained closed since before she arrived at the recording studio.

For someone dealing in something as cold as death, Calli bore such a warm expression. "Don't worry," she reassured, "I won't let your gift go to waste."

. . . . .

Two hours later, a reluctant Pekora stormed into the hololive headquarters to ask about the status of her and Moona's upcoming cover. Moona would've done it on her behalf, but just because another world was a portal away didn't mean that another island was a step away.

Five floors up, she found an unlikely sight: Calliope Mori stumbling about the place, trying to and failing to stop one of the busybody employees for assistance. Her street clothes made for an interesting contrast with the dress shirt and pants & blouses everyone else wore.

The rabbit girl thought, Mori's here? What could she possibly need? Doesn't she have her own manager? Ah, well. Now's a good time to get some things cleared up, for Miko's sake.

The pigtailed girl forced herself to march on over to her kouhai, who quickly noticed.

The scythe-wielder waved. "Oh, hello, Pekora-senpai! What brings you here?"

The senpai replied boldly, "Just wanna know how a song of mine's pekoing along. And you? You don't really have to come to the office often, peko."

"Oh, I was just at the studio recording something. Just wanted to stop by, ask for Miko's manager while I'm here. Say, if you could tell me Miko's address, that'd be much easi-"

"Huh? You wanna see Sakura all of a sudden? What for, peko?" she inquired warily.

"W-well, I just, I just had something to deliver to her. Because someone else asked me to!" Calli's eyes zipped around anxiously, looking everywhere but the bunnies of Pekora's eyes.

"Fine, peko. I'll tell you what you need to know after you tell me what I wanna know. You willing to pekorroborate?"

"I-... Fine. As long as it's not about what I have to give her. That's gotta remain a secret."

"No worries. I just needed to ask you something only you pekould know. Follow me."

Pekora led her to one of the soundproof rooms used for hologras and events that couldn't be done at home, like the WACCA stream she and Miko did in the past year.

After locking the door, Pekora demanded, "So how long does Hoshimachi have left?"

"E-excuse me? What do you mean by that? And which-"

"What you think it means, Reaper! How much sand's at the top of Suisei's hourglass?!"

"How would you-" As Calli blanched and her eyes contracted, Pekora knew that her hunch was correct and that she was onto something big.

"Know? C'mon, all of these songs back-to-back, her countless recording sessions. That girl's gotta be pushing up daisies soon if she's making herself run on fumes like this!"

The taller lady explained, "I… can't say. It's against our code to tell a mortal when or how someone else is most likely to die next. Your's would be fair game-"

The rabbit shook her head angrily. "Bah! We've got no time for this. Useless-"

"But! There's nothing in the rules that says I can't show you this," Calli pointed out as she unzipped her left jacket pocket and dug inside. She quickly pulled out a sandwich bag, filled with fresh flowers coated in equally fresh blood. Were it not for the small split at the end of each petal, it'd be hard to tell they were sakuras.

Y'knew I'd need this, didn't you, Watson. Guess I own you one, or do you own me one? … I don't even know where to start with you. Calli looked back, watching her senpai examine the bag closely, an incredibly baffled expression on her face.

Finally, the rabbitfolk made a disappointed look as she pinched her nasal bridge and muttered in stilted English, "[Gawd FAQing dammit…]"

Calli instinctively replied, "[S-sorry, dude. Wait, what?]"

"I knew it had to be something terminal, but this?! Idiots! The both of you!"

"Pekora-senpai, what are you talking about?"

"Sakura, Hoshimachi, they BOTHhave it! For each other!"

"They both have whaaa…" The reaper living a mortal's life slowly put two plus two together, equaling for an answer neither of them ever dreamed of. "[Shit.]"

"[Shet] indeed, Calli. Now how did you plan to fix this? That's why you wanted to see Miko, right?"
"Look, nobody's supposed to know this, but," the pinkette fished the VIP pass from her other pocket before continuing, "Suisei wanted me as a special guest for her next LIVE."

Pekora snapped her fingers in realization. "And you were hoping to pass it off to Sakura behind her back! Good thinking so far… And then what?"

Calli sheepishly replied, "Uh, after that, they could maybe, I don't know, talk things out?"

The hare gave her a deadpan stare. "That's it? That's not gonna work, y'know."

"Wh-why not? Look, I know I'm kinda betraying her trust like this, but-"

"Sakura'll know it's from you. And since she doesn't know she loves Hoshimachi, there's a chance she'll think she's crushing on you instead." The shinigami gasped in shock.

"Wait, she doesn't know?! What, does she think she's afraid of her or something? Who would ever-" Pekora shot her a look that immediately told her everything she needed to know.

"Oh, so that's what happened…"

"She's been coughing up blue roses for months, Calli. What's she supposed to think? Hopefully, it'll be Hoshimachi soon, with all of the songs she's releasing."

"Wait, blue roses? No wonder she went with that for her next song!"

"The next song's about blue roses? Oh man, now that's great news. The sooner we can get these idiots together, the sooner I can stop sprouting gray hairs."

"Oh yeah, she mentioned it to me right around the time we started recording our cover. Ah, please don't say this to anyone else! Only I'm supposed to know this."

"Trust me, peko. I pek-t my life just suggesting it to her. I'm not about to do something with a 100-pekcent chance of killing me," Pekora half-heartedly half-joked.

"So we got ourselves a starting point. That's good. But now what? Once she releases that song, Miko'll know. But then she's gotta corner Suisei to make her confess… Which is where this'll come in," Calli quickly realized, gripping the strap even tighter.

Pekora briefly nodded and elaborated, "Exactly. Take it up to A-Chan; her office is right next to YAGOO's. Have her wait until after the song about blue roses is released to pass it on, and then I'll goad Sakura to go."

Calli followed Pekora's orders to the letter, telling A-chan she'd call when it was time to hand the VIP pass over to Miko, giving the latter time to prepare herself. Though she wanted to help her senpais more, the Reaper's apprentice was relieved she could do something to help.

As a shinigami, Calli normally wouldn't be able to alter one's fate, no matter how much she wanted to. Changing fate was but the power of mortals - those imbued with the breath of life - but this time was different. This time, the shinigami shared a body with a mortal woman.

And that woman so vehemently desired making a shooting star's wish come true.