Warning: blood and sensitive topics ahead. I don't wanna spoil more but there will be blood.
...
Konno Junko sat up slowly on the bed. She had just woken up from a good night's sleep. She rubbed her silvery blue eyes with her lithe hands. It felt like she hadn't slept this well in years. No nightmares, no sudden awakenings in the middle of the night, nothing. She turned her droopy eyes to her side and smiled softly.
It must be because of the person beside her.
Mizuno Ai was still sleeping soundly, her chest rising up and down as she breathed. The peaceful look on her sleeping face still stood out despite the horrible scars marring her skin. The usual frown on her eyebrows was absent, and it made her look youthful.
Junko moved a few strands of her dark hair away from her sleeping face before fully getting up from the bed. She peeked one last glance at her before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
Meanwhile in another room, a certain pink mobile phone buzzed and rang loudly in the silent, cozy room. Minamoto Sakura woke up with a start, sitting up so abruptly that she almost felt dizzy. She sluggishly took her phone and turned off the alarm.
She raised her hands in the air and stretched her back. After that, her hand reached to her side and shook the sleeping figure beside her.
"Saki-chan, wake up. It's morning already."
Nikaidou Saki didn't move an inch, her soft snores indicating that she's having a good sleep. Her body was sprawled on the bed, her carefree arms and long, messy hair taking most of the bed space. Sakura didn't know how she still slept well with how rowdy her roommate was even in her sleep.
She shook her shoulder again with more vigor.
"Saki-chan, you need to get up. I still got classes this morning."
"Hmm…?"
Only then did she stir. Saki tried opening her sleepy eyes but squinted immediately when the rays of the sun assaulted her pupils. After a while, she sat up lazily while yawning loudly.
"Good morning, Saki-chan," Sakura greeted.
Saki wiped a bit of drool on the side of her mouth with her sleeves and muttered a soft "good morning".
After shaking the sleepiness away from their systems, they quietly exited the bedroom. They washed their faces and went to the kitchen to drink water, only to see Junko cooking some breakfast for them.
"Ah. Good morning, Sakura-san, Saki-san."
"Good morning, Junko-chan."
"G'mornin'."
The white haired girl greeted them as she transferred the food on the plates. They also greeted her back before moving to get some water.
"Ai-chan is still asleep?"
"Yes, she isn't really a morning person."
"I see."
Sakura sat on the chair by the table with a glass of water in hand. The smell of the freshly cooked breakfast made her salivate a bit. On the other hand, Saki's stomach growled. She sat on one of the chairs too and stared expectantly when Junko placed a plate in front of her.
"You two should eat, I'm glad I woke up early."
Junko said as she sat down on one of the chairs after keeping her apron away.
"Yer not gonna eat wit' us?" Saki said with her mouth full, her inquiring gaze directed at the white haired girl.
"Ah, no, I'll be fine. I'll eat breakfast with Ai-san instead."
Saki's lips suddenly twisted into a grin after gulping down her food.
"Ohh, is that so?" She ate another mouthful as a thought entered her mind. The playfulness in her eyes glinted.
Sakura was just eating peacefully and enjoying her food. "Junko-chan, you really can cook well!"
"Thank you, Sakura-san. I tried my best."
They finished eating their food and said their thanks. The morning was very peaceful and quiet, they just chatted a bit while they sat around the table. They just met yesterday but it suddenly felt like they knew each other for quite a long time. The conversation flowed naturally and they exchanged laughter too. Soon, Sakura noticed the time and went to fix her hair and everything.
When it was time to leave, Sakura and Saki stood by the doorway to say their goodbyes and thanks.
"Thank you for letting us stay, Junko-chan. I hope we can spend more time together soon."
"Yeah! I always come crashin' 'ere though, whenever I like." Saki said with a snicker.
Junko just chuckled softly, "You two can come here anytime."
As the two were about to leave, they saw a figure walking sluggishly while rubbing her eyes behind Junko.
"Oh, you're leaving already?"
Ai's raspy voice was heard and Junko immediately looked behind her. She just yawned a bit, a hand covering her mouth even though she was wearing a facemask.
"Yeah, Sakura 'ere still got classes so she gotta go back to 'er apartment real quick."
"Good morning, Ai-chan!"
Saki answered while Sakura greeted. Ai walked to stand beside Junko just to see them out. The two said their goodbyes and bowed politely before opening the front door. They left on an orange painted, heavily modified motorcycle that roared in the empty streets. The other two watched them until they disappeared into the horizon.
Junko finally closed the door. She looked back at the short haired girl who had just woken up.
"Good morning, Ai-san."
"Good morning, Junko."
Junko smiled softly, which Ai reciprocated behind the mask. The two walked to the kitchen in comfortable silence.
Junko knew what to do in the morning; she went to the coffee machine to make Ai's favorite blend of coffee. The younger girl seemed to like her coffee very much so she was more willing to brew it every morning.
Meanwhile, to her surprise, Ai was taking out stuff from the refrigerator. She held them all in her arms and placed it by the counter. Junko couldn't help but be curious.
"You're going to cook?"
"Yeah, it's been a while since we ate breakfast together, so I think it's my turn to cook."
Ai said while tying the pink apron to her back. She just glanced a bit at Junko and busied herself at the counter.
"Do you need my help?"
"Not really, I can handle this."
Junko sat on one of the chairs and placed two mugs of coffee on the table. She took a sip on one of them as she watched her friend's back. Soon, she could hear something sizzle on the grill pan and a delicious smell filled the air. She could feel herself getting hungry.
After a while, Ai served plates and bowls on the table; grilled salmon, miso soup, stir fried vegetables, and rice. Junko's eyes sparkled at the sight.
"This looks delicious, Ai-san."
Ai just put her apron away and sat down on one of the chairs. She served herself some food too then put her palms together.
"Let's eat." She removed her mask and grabbed her chopsticks.
It was a perfect morning for both of them. They ate their breakfast while chatting a bit. It had really been a while since they got to eat together; Junko was very busy with work lately while Ai was the same too. The house became more and more silent as the days passed by and it felt almost empty.
"How are you lately?"
Ai asked before taking a sip of her coffee.
"Oh, I've been good. I'm just glad I finished the major projects early."
"Ohh, so that's why you're slacking off now." Ai said with a small teasing smile on her face.
"I-I'm not slacking! I just thought I deserve a break today, that's all," Junko pouted. "And also, with what happened the other day, I can't really just go to work like that."
Ai just hummed in reply. She knew why she cancelled all her appointments yesterday, but she was still a bit unsure why she also did today. If Junko still thought that she's still not fine, she wouldn't let her cook today's breakfast and do the chores for her.
She just peeked at the white haired girl from the side with her light red eyes as she took another sip of her coffee. 'Junko really makes the best coffee,' she concluded.
On the other hand, Junko finally finished her meal, oblivious of the curious stare from the other girl. She took all the empty bowls and plates and brought them to the sink. As she turned on the faucet, she noticed Ai walking up to her with an empty mug in hand and helped her with doing the dishes. She just let her do what she wanted when she saw the slight smile in her friend's eyes. She was wearing the facemask again.
"Ai-san, you can quit wearing the mask when you're alone with me, it's fine."
Ai's brows furrowed. "But I want to wear it."
It was now Junko's turn to frown. She wiped her wet hand on a nearby towel and pulled the facemask down with two fingers. She was met with Ai's displeased face.
"Isn't it hard to breathe in that?"
"Not really."
"Do you also wear that when you're alone?"
"..."
Ai could feel Junko's intense glare at her silence. Her eyes turned to the side, she couldn't look at her face directly. In the end, all she could do was answer.
"...Yes."
Junko's glare turned into a worried look, her bright eyes staring at her intently. Ai could see it from her peripheral vision and it made her even more adamant on not staring at her directly.
Soon, Junko stopped staring and pulled the mask back in its place. Ai was a bit taken aback by her actions, but she didn't say anything. The only sounds that were heard were the splashing of water and the clinking of the plates as they spent doing the chore in silence.
After all the cleaning, Junko suddenly spoke as she made her way to the bath.
"I'll be going out to do some shopping later. Do you want to come with me?"
Ai jolted from the sudden invitation and turned to look at Junko. She nodded, "Sure."
Then Junko entered the bath while she waited in the living room. She turned the tv on and watched whatever was on with disinterest in her eyes. After a while, Junko finished using the bath and Ai immediately got up to take her turn.
Junko dressed up nicely like she always did. She wore a simple dress that complemented her well. She also prepared a mask and sunglasses to hide her face from the public while she's outside.
Not too long after she's done with her preparations, Ai exited the bath. She wore a simple pair of trousers and a white shirt. She was holding a blue hoodie in her left hand and a few rolls of bandages on her right. She quickly went to her room and Junko followed suit.
Ai just glanced at her a bit but didn't say anything and just let her in. She sat on the bed and put the hoodie and the other rolls of bandages down. While Junko watched her every movement, she opened one roll and started trying to cover her arms with it. Soon, she heard footsteps nearing her and the roll of bandages was snatched away from her burnt hands.
"Let me do it for you."
Junko said with a mix of gentleness and authority that Ai couldn't refuse. She just let her cover her scar-riddled arms while staring at every fold she did with her able hands. Soon, Junko finished with her right arm and immediately went to her left.
But Junko's hands stopped for a few seconds, hesitating. Ai noticed it and stared at the other girl.
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing, it's just…"
Her nimble fingers glided over the mosaic of scars on her left arm. Junko was used to seeing the tree-like patterns on her warped skin, but what really stopped her was a different set of scars.
Across her left arm, reddish, vertical scars stood out on top of the burn scars she had back then during the lightning strike. Those unnatural scars had closed for a very long time already, but the slight touch to it still made Ai flinch.
She didn't know what was more painful to look at, the long, dragged scars or the sad expression on Junko's face.
Junko lifted her gaze away from the stitched up scars and turned to look at the dark haired girl's eyes directly instead. Ai couldn't look away from her gaze as her light red irises were met with her deep, silvery blue ones.
"Don't do this again, please."
Her voice was both pleading and hurt. In her mind, she could still remember herself from years ago; kneeling down in a pool of crimson, holding her dear friend who just kept staring at her with her unfocused eyes. The memory almost brought tears to her eyes as she stared at the same pair of eyes from back then.
Ai sucked in a breath. Her eyes dimmed while her right hand fiddled with the bandages wrapped around it. After a few seconds, her lips curved into a sad smile.
"I promise."
It had been years since then. She didn't want to see that white ceiling again, nor to smell the strong odor of antiseptics that pricked her nose. But most importantly, she didn't want Junko to make that face ever again.
Just remembering it made her feel a sharp pain in her chest.
She was brought out of her stupor when she noticed Junko covering her arm with bandages. Her gaze watched her friend's form with a certain glint in her eyes. She breathed out a short huff and smiled softly.
After Junko finished wrapping up her arms, she asked, "Shall I do the one on your face and neck?"
"Mhmm, I don't mind."
As Junko's hands reached to cover her neck, she felt a bit ticklish when her fingers touched her skin. But even with the sensation, she just maintained her composure and let the other girl do her task.
Junko was so good with doing her bandages that Ai always grabbed the chance when she could do it for her. She would just sit there, waiting patiently for the girl to finish her craft. She would always find herself staring at her focused blue eyes, and it would always make her forget the passage of time.
On the other hand, Junko was always willing to help her do her bandages for her. It might be a demanding task, but since Ai had reasons why she preferred covering herself in bandages, she made it her personal duty to do her bandages whenever she can.
"It's done."
Junko fixed Ai's fringes before pulling her hands away. She always aimed to perfect the way the bandages wrapped around her face, ensuring that she could still cover the burnt parts while also thinking about other factors, like breathing and speaking.
"Yeah, now I feel comfortable."
The reason Ai wore bandages wasn't just to hide the scars, it gave her a certain kind of comfort. She could just hide the scars by wearing a mask and long sleeves, but she still felt that wearing bandages underneath was needed. It was more of a psychological thing for her.
After everything was done, she wore the blue hoodie over her white shirt and put on a mask to cover half of her face which was already covered by bandages. She also put on a black cap to further hide her face from the judging stares of the public.
"Let's go."
"Yeah."
A few years ago.
Konno Junko stood in front of the gate of her friend's house. It had been a while since she last visited, due to her work being too demanding. Even though she really wanted to visit before, she couldn't really do it because she was thinking about the fans and everyone involved. She couldn't just leave them hanging.
She enjoyed being an idol, the heat of the spotlight, the cheers of the fans, the efforts of the staff, everything. Especially after everything that happened, this was already her second and last chance to shine on the stage she loved. She wouldn't let the opportunity pass anymore. Her luck wouldn't stay forever, so she decided to bring luck to her side by working as hard as ever, that even bad luck wouldn't be able to stop her.
She pressed the doorbell gingerly and waited for a response. A minute had passed, nothing. She waited a bit more, but still nothing.
She pressed it again, thinking that the person inside didn't hear the ringing sound of the doorbell. But all she received was silence. Nothing. She tried pushing it again, but to no avail. Nobody was answering. But judging from the warm light seen from the window in the living room, there should be someone inside.
For some reason, she felt her sweat turn cold.
She felt nervous and confused at the same time.
'What is this feeling…?'
Junko gulped. She felt too scared to touch the doorbell. Her heartbeat was racing, she didn't know what was up with herself. It was the first time she felt this kind of fear, it was just too much.
Her blue eyes landed on the gate. It didn't seem to be locked. With a gulp, she gently pushed it open.
'I'm so sorry for entering without permission…' Junko apologized to no one as she thought that to herself.
A sudden breeze of cold air crashed against her body and she flinched. Despite the loud drumming of her heartbeat ringing loudly in her ears, she still took a step inside with her shaky legs.
She got to the main door. She tried knocking at first, but no one still answered. Her mouth suddenly felt dry. A shaky hand reached the shiny metal doorknob and twisted it, it was surprisingly not locked. She didn't know if she should feel relieved that the door opened or feel something else entirely with the way her chest almost ached with the unrelenting beat of her heart.
She silently pushed the door open. The house's interior didn't seem to change, it was still the same as when she visited a month ago. She removed her shoes and placed them on the rack beside the door. She still mumbled a "sorry for intruding" even though no one was there to greet her.
The deeper she went inside the house, the stronger the chill ran down her back. She didn't like this feeling.
The house was too quiet. Well, it had always been quiet even in her previous visits, but this time, the silence was so eerie that she almost felt her insides tie into knots.
She checked the living room and the kitchen, still no one was there. With the usual places empty, she decided to check the bedroom next. The hallway seemed to stretch as she walked, baiting her breath in every shaky step. The anxiety and the eerie feeling didn't disappear; instead, it just got stronger and stronger the nearer she got to the door.
At last, she finally reached the bedroom. Her heart was still beating so hard in her ribcage, it almost felt like it wanted to escape. Steeling her remaining courage, she held the doorknob with her hand covered in cold sweat. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
What welcomed her first was a strong, metallic smell. It was familiar and yet unfamiliar.
Then when the door finally opened wide, she felt herself stop breathing.
Her heart also ceased its loud drumming. It stopped entirely like it forgot to function for a few seconds.
Her blue eyes could only see red.
At first, she couldn't understand what she was seeing. There was just too much red that it burned in her vision.
But the longer she stared, her shocked brain finally understood it all.
Her dearest friend, Mizuno Ai, was sitting against the wall. Blood dripped down her pale, thin wrist. Her warped skin was ripped open, and the kitchen knife that glinted on her other hand seemed to be the cause. She was bathing in crimson.
Junko finally remembered to breathe as she gasped. Her previously frozen legs dashed as quick as she could, and she almost slipped down when she stepped on the warm wetness on the floor. But she still maintained her footing and reached the figure sitting limply on the floor.
She knelt down and held the girl's body. The crimson seeped into her clothes, but she didn't mind it one bit. She shook the girl's shoulders before she could find her voice.
"Ai!"
She called out her name.
Her thoughts were racing, she didn't know what to do. She tried putting pressure on the wound, but judging from the amount of blood on the floor, she didn't know if it would still make a difference.
Soon, she saw Ai's eyes open a bit. She could see her light red eyes try to focus but it was useless. She was staring, but also not.
Her pale lips opened, and she whispered with a hoarse voice.
"Junko… You look horrible."
Junko finally noticed the tears falling nonstop from her eyes. Some of the warm droplets even landed on Ai's pale face.
She felt her heart ache more. It was suffocating.
Soon, Ai's light red orbs completely lost focus. Junko started to panic.
She didn't want to lose her.
She didn't want to lose her again…!
As they both swam in the warm, crimson liquid, Junko hugged Ai's cold body. She wanted to keep her warm. She wanted to be with her as much as possible. She didn't want her presence to disappear.
She wouldn't be able to take it, she was the only one she had left.
Junko finally dug into her pockets and grabbed her phone to call an ambulance.
"Junko, are you okay? You're spacing out."
Junko jolted at the sudden mention of her name. When she looked at her side, she was greeted with Ai's inquiring gaze.
Her eyes were focused. They look full of life.
Junko unknowingly breathed out a sigh of relief.
"N-nothing. I was just thinking of something, sorry."
The conversation ended. They continued walking around the store and picking up the stuff they needed.
They were in the nearest supermarket. Ai was the one pushing the cart while Junko picked the stuff they were going to buy. In the cart were various items, including food and house supplies. They were lucky the place didn't have many people at this hour for some reason.
It had been a while since the two of them shopped together. Lately, they had been buying the stuff they needed by themselves whenever they had the time. Their free time wouldn't match up so they always ended up going alone.
The chore made their minds wander that they didn't realize they had completely cleared their list. They slowly made their way to the cashier and paid up.
So far, nothing special happened. They walked home with bags in hand under the warm light of the sun. As they reached the familiar gates of the place they called home, the both of them instinctively stopped in their steps.
Ai was the one who unlocked the gate and opened it, same with the front door as they entered in sync.
The house was quiet as always.
The two of them placed the groceries in their proper places in the kitchen. After that, they found themselves walking into the living room and sitting down side by side on the long couch.
Ai breathed out a tired sigh.
"That was more than I expected."
She was talking about the stuff they bought earlier. Junko glanced at her from the side and smiled apologetically.
"Sorry, I forgot to tell you about it."
"No, it's fine."
Ai removed her long sleeved hoodie and hung it on the side of the couch. She leaned into the couch as she could finally feel her body getting tired. Her bandaged hand reached to her face and pulled the mask down gently.
Junko watched her intently.
She was breathing, she was moving, she was alive.
She wasn't swimming in her own blood.
Ever since that day, she felt like her fame and profession didn't matter.
At work, she would always wonder if the girl was doing okay, if she was resting well, if she stayed home and didn't wander off. She would always end up worrying, especially in the first few months. But the good thing was after that incident, Ai didn't do anything of that sort anymore. Or so she hoped. It made her loosen up her worries as the day went by and she could work again the way she used to.
But sometimes, the chilling feeling from that day would peek from the back of her mind and she couldn't help but feel anxious.
She vowed to herself that she would do anything to keep her friend safe.
Even if she would lose the job she worked hard for her entire life. Even if she would look like she was pampering her too much. Even if the girl would end up hating her.
She didn't want to lose her again.
She was the only one she had left.
Junko instinctively took one of Ai's bandaged hands. It was warm. She could feel it resist a bit at first, but soon it squeezed back tenderly.
She breathed out a relieved sigh, the warmth of her hand reassuring her and pulling her back to reality. In her own weakness, she ended up leaning her body on the other girl's shoulder, taking in more of the warmth she gave off.
She wasn't cold.
She was warm and full of life.
Junko finally relaxed, tension and anxiety leaving her body.
On the other hand, Mizuno Ai just sat there frozen.
She was a bit startled when Junko held her hand, but she was completely taken aback when she felt the older girl lean her body on her shoulder that she ended up freezing stiff.
'What do you do in this kind of situation again?'
She took a peek at Junko's face and she was greeted by her blue eyes also staring at her. She instinctively looked away the second their eyes met.
Her heart was beating weirdly.
She knew Junko always had these random moments where she would get too close to her but she still couldn't get used to it. Even last night before they slept, she still felt herself flinch a bit at first. But for some reason, the warmth Junko gave off would always make her melt without fail that she ended up giving in everytime.
It was the same this time.
She leaned her head on top of those fluffy white locks and relaxed as well. Junko might cause her to have mini heart attacks at times, but most of the time, she was a soothing existence for her.
She could almost feel herself fall asleep in her scent.
"Junko."
She called out to her softly. Junko just hummed in reply, she seemed to be looking far away just like her.
"Nothing."
She shook her head a bit as she spoke.
"Are you feeling tired?"
"A bit, yeah."
She could hear Junko chuckle a bit before a comfortable silence stretched between them.
Ai was too much of a hardworking person. She would always keep herself busy with the jobs she could get. She didn't want to waste her time.
But this time, she let herself relax more.
The two of them could say that this was the best day off they ever had in a while.
Author's note:
After this chapter, what's the rating gonna turn into. I don't know anymore LMAO. Anyway, I hope this turned out good. I updated this first on ao3 cus work was too busy I ran out of time to post it here. See you soon.
