#mac fics

An had never had a particular penchant for dolls. She had kept the doll not because she wanted it but more-so because it reminded her of herself—pitiful, lost, and pathetic.

The life of a kitsune was a solitary one, An had discovered from a young age. Her furry ears and fluffy tail made her an abomination, her pointed fangs and sharp claws made her untrustworthy. The villagers had said there was no place in the village for a sly, deceitful creature like her and had cast her out of the only home she had ever known.

From then on, the woods had become her home. She could slip soundlessly through the foliage by day and spend her nights in a cave. If she wasn’t hunting rabbits and fowl or feasting on berries she could easily sneak into the village and steal a loaf of bread or perhaps a pastry from the baker without being noticed. The villagers feared what lurked in the woods so she was left alone and unbothered.

An stumbled upon the doll one day abandoned upon a patch of flowers in a small clearing, mud staining her hand-sewn outfit and caking her dainty porcelain skin. With a curious tilt to her head, she knelt down upon the dirt and lifted the doll up into her arms. Nobody ever entered the woods… where had this darling little thing come from? An peered around the clearing, called out in the hopes of finding the doll’s owner, and when no reply came and the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon she adjusted her hold to cradle the doll against her chest and slinked through the woods to return to her cave.

Gently An sat the doll down on the cave floor, resting comfortably before the campfire she’d built. She swiped the dirt off of the doll’s smooth cheeks, combed her fingers through the soft blonde pigtails. From head to toe, the doll exuded an elegance that An could only dream of ever mirroring. “Who would be cruel enough to leave someone as adorable as you all alone in the woods?” She asked, her voice bouncing back and forth between the cave walls. “It’ll be okay! You have me now, so neither of us will be lonely any longer.” She tapped the doll on the tip of her dainty little nose and smoothed out the frills of her skirt before laying down beside her and drifting off to sleep, dancing through her dreamscape hand-in-hand with a beautiful pigtailed girl…

♡♡♡

An awoke to the usual chorus of birds just beyond the mouth of her cave. She stretched out from the points of her ears to the tip of her tail, breathing out a long and refreshed yawn. The campfire had long since fizzled into a pile of charcoal and ash, its warmth and light now replaced by that of the sun streaming into the cave. It was so soothing An very nearly drifted back into slumber, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks…

She was jolted back to attention by a sudden realization washing over her, her senses picking up on the presence of another, the sound of someone else breathing beside her—she wasn’t alone. Her fur standing on end and her eyelids flying open, she shot up to a sitting position, her gaze dashing left and right, surveying the cave until it fell upon the lovely pigtailed girl sleeping sweetly and soundly upon the cave floor nearby.

An jumped to her feet, one hand over her mouth to stifle the startled sounds that threatened to escape it. Surely it couldn’t be true, surely she must still be dreaming. She knew precisely what she saw and yet she could hardly wrap her head around it—where once had been a delicate porcelain doll now lay a whole living, breathing girl.

The sudden movement must’ve jostled the girl awake because she began to stir, one hand coming up to drowsily rub at her eyes. A sweet little groan slipped past her lips, soft as a melody as she sat up and blinked her eyes open. For a moment her gaze simply wandered along the floor, drinking in her surroundings, until finally she let out a frightened gasp. She stared down at her hands, her fingers trembling as she turned them over and over. She jumped up to her feet but her knees wobbled weakly beneath her and she fell back upon her frilly skirt.

An’s previous bewilderment quickly dissolved, concern settling in to take its place. She rushed to the girl’s side, taking her hands in her own to steady her. “Hey, are you alright? Deep breaths, it’s okay!”

The girl peered up at her with glistening brown eyes, her quivering fingers tightening around An’s. Brushing a thumb across the girl’s knuckles, An marveled at the sensation of her skin—soft and real and alive yet smooth as china and cold to the touch.

The girl took a moment to compose herself, her bottom lip trembling when she finally spoke. “I’m so sorry,” she stuttered, “I can’t seem to recall how I got here… I don’t remember… oh…”

The events of the previous night returned to the forefront of An’s mind. A sudden wave of embarrassment and perplexity washing over her, An sat back a few paces away from the girl, slipping her hands from the girl’s grasp and running them through her short locks of blue hair. “Oh, well, I found you out in the woods, but back then you were… um… anyway, I couldn’t figure out where you came from so I brought you back here.”

The glimmering fear in the girl’s eyes was slowly beginning to subside, a sparkling curiosity igniting instead. “Oh… oh, how kind of you!”

There was something in that voice that enraptured An, something in those eyes that drew her in like a moth to a flame, but the imperious voices of the villagers rang in her mind and she set aside the affection that rose within her. “Oh, no worries, it’s no problem, but surely you should be getting back home soon.”

The girl tilted her head, confusion gracing her features. “Oh, have I overstayed my welcome…?”

An gave a wry chuckle. “Well, if you haven’t noticed…” She raised a hand, pulling her lips aside with one finger to reveal the sharp fangs that hid behind. “I’m not exactly good company.”

The girl furrowed her brows. “Hm? I wouldn’t say that.”

An’s hand dropped from her mouth, her ears and tail perking up in surprise. “So you’re not… scared or anything…?”

“Why would I be?”

The words came as a surprise to An, who had only ever known a world where she was a monster, a world that was better off if she was left alone, and despite herself she could feel the walls of her heart beginning to crumble.

The girl’s soft brown eyes glimmered, sending An’s heart aflutter. “I was lost and alone in the woods and you were kind enough to take care of me. I’m endlessly grateful for your hospitality.” For a moment, her blush-painted cheeks grew just a little rosier. “My head’s rather foggy actually, so if you don’t mind… perhaps I could stay with you a little longer…?”

An clutched her chest, her heart threatening to burst right out of her ribcage. She was utterly powerless against the softness in this girl’s eyes and the sweetness in her smile. Never before had such a kindhearted assessment of her been made and she wanted nothing more than to believe her words to be true.

And so, she melted under the warmth of those brown eyes. “Yes,” she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips, “it would make me so happy if you would stay with me.”

The girl beamed, her cheeks glowing a bashful shade of pink. She timidly fidgeted with the ribbons in her pigtails as she voiced her next question. “Oh, um, may I know your name…?”

“Oh! Of course, it’s An!” An smiled, baring her fangs with a newfound pride. “I guess I should’ve said it long ago but it’s nice to meet you! And what should I call you then?”

“Oh… I’m not really sure.” The girl stretched her lacy-stockinged legs out before her, tapping the shiny toes of her elegant shoes together. She spread out her skirt, smoothing out its frills, and in doing so noticed something embroidered along its hem. With a curious tilt of her head, she bundled the hem of her skirt in her hands, bringing it to her eye level. “Oh… how about Kohane!”

Curious, An scooched closer to the girl, peering over at the fabric in her hands. Sure enough, embroidered there in simple cursive lettering was the very name she had spoken. Kohane.

“Kohane… I like it!” An nodded, her ears perking and her tail swishing cheerfully.

Kohane giggled, the sound sending fireworks launching in An’s heart and butterflies aloft in her stomach. She peered at An through intricately handcrafted eyelashes, a timid smile dancing across her lips. “An-chan, I’m very happy you were the one who found me,” she said, her crystal-smooth cheeks tickled pink. “I can’t explain it but… I’ve never felt more alive than I do now.”

“Okay stay in this lane here—”

“Are you sure this is the right way?”

“Yes, I’m sure! Stop questioning my authority, Akito. My car, my rules!”

“Your car and yet you don’t even have a driver’s license…”

An huffed as she exasperatedly folded up the map, patting it down into her lap as Akito’s eyes stayed trained on the road ahead of them. For miles now they’d passed nothing but fields upon fields with the occasional herd of grazing animals. Their careers as musicians hadn’t quite taken off yet so An understood that they had to make sacrifices for the sake of their funds but that didn’t make driving themselves between cities for gigs any more tolerable.

“Whatever, it’s a hand-me-down car anyway,” An grumbled, running her finger along the scratches in the upholstery that surely had been left behind by her dad or any of his bandmates back in the day. She then wrinkled her nose, an apprehensive furrow to her brow. “Actually, this girl’s old as hell, I’m surprised we’ve gotten so far without her breaking down—”

At that moment the car sputtered beneath them, its shudder rattling An’s bones. She and Akito shared a glance, panic in their eyes.

Frantically An tore open the map again, scanning over it with desperation. “No, no, no, there’s still gotta be a billion miles until we get there—”

“Deep breath, An—”

“We can’t get stuck here, Akito, the show is only a few days away—”

“An.” An would always marvel at how Akito could convey such certainty in his voice as if he wasn’t just as hysterical as she was. “We’ll just get off at the next exit and see what we can do.”

An stuffed the map into the glove compartment, wrapping her arms around herself as she shrank back into her seat. She stared out the window at the rolling fields reaching for the horizon.

They rolled into what appeared to be a small town perched at the end of the nearest exit, settled comfortably between rows of crops and acres of farmland. They drove until they stammered to a halt, coasting along the perimeter of a farmhouse until they finally came to a complete stop, ashy clouds of smoke just beginning to billow around the edges of their hood.

Akito promptly unbuckled his seatbelt and dashed out of the car, popping the hood open to peer at the mess that lay within. An listened as he choked against the smoke, spouting curse words in between coughs.

After giving herself a moment to collect herself with her forehead against the dashboard, An opened her door and joined Akito in front of the engine. “Any ideas?”

Akito shook his head, running a hand through his unruly ginger hair. “Nothing that I can fix, that’s for sure.”

Startled by the sound of a door shutting, the duo looked up to find two people exiting the farmhouse that sat nearby. The first was a tall man with two-toned blue hair and a steely gray gaze, wiping his hands with a dishtowel. Following close behind was a woman with the softest brown eyes that An had ever seen, her sunny blonde hair pulled into short little pigtails and one hand planted atop her sunhat to keep the breeze from whisking it away.

An caught her heart skipping a beat and she turned her back to Akito, knowing he would never let her hear the end of his teasing if he noticed the rosy pink tint spreading across her face at the sight of the woman. From the dirt-caked toes of her boots to the flowing frills of her dress to the ribbons tied in her hair, she was a rural angel and An was utterly captivated.

The blue-haired man draped the dishtowel over his shoulder as they approached, his cool eyes jumping from Akito to An to their engine and back again. “Um… need some help?”

Akito slouched under the boy’s gaze, the weight of his embarrassment quickly becoming far too heavy for him to carry. “Not sure what’s up with it,” he grumbled, “but we got a gig in the city in just a few days and gotta get there as soon as possible, so… any help would be greatly appreciated.”

The man tilted his head, curiosity sparkling in the gray of his eyes as he watched Akito’s mannerisms. He tapped a finger thoughtfully against his chin as he considered the state of the engine. “I”m not so good with mechanics,” he said before turning to the woman behind him. “How about you, Kohane?”

With all eyes suddenly on her, the pigtailed woman let out a squeak that reminded An of a startled hamster. “Um… no, neither am I,” she stuttered and An’s heart did a somersault.

The man acknowledged Akito and An once more as he seemed to come to a conclusion. “There are some people in town who are though, how about I take you to meet them?”

The immediate change in Akito’s demeanor as the relief washed over him was palpable. “That would be great, thanks.” He turned to An, dropping the car keys into her hand. “Hey, we’ve had a stressful drive. I’ll go with him so why don’t you stay here and relax till we get back?”

After all that had just unfolded, the notion of simply taking a breather was rather tempting as An gazed out across the vast fields and farmland. She voiced her agreement to Akito and didn’t complain when he ruffled the starry navy waves of her hair before stepping away with the blue-haired man.

But the subtle rustling of timid toe-tapping and awkward fidgeting brought An’s attention back to the cute girl she’d been left with and all of her energy came rushing back. She nearly pounced on her, excitement and curiosity coursing through her veins. “Your name’s Kohane, was it?”

Startled, the woman took a miniscule step backward, her eyes going wide before quickly recomposing herself. “Oh… yeah! Um, what was your name?”

“I’m An! Oh, and my friend over there is Akito!” An could hardly keep the eagerness out of her voice. There was something about this girl that piqued her interest and she hoped the warmth in her demeanor might crack open that shell. “We’re musicians, we’re supposed to be performing in the city in a few days so that’s where we’re heading.”

“Oh, cool!” Though she continued to fidget with the fabric of her dress, Kohane’s eyes lit up in fascination. “I’ve never been to the city before… Toya and I—oh, um, Toya’s his name—we work on the farm here in town. Toya’s good with the crops and I help out with the livestock.” Then her gaze wandered off bashfully, though that shine in it didn’t fade. “Um… if it turns out your car needs a few days to be fixed then I guess you’ll have to stay here for a bit… so… would you like me to show you around…?”

Her excitement bubbling, An nodded earnestly. “Please!”

“Okay! Um, follow me then!”

And as Kohane began to guide her down the road, An slipped her arm through the crook of Kohane’s elbow, the touch sending electricity zipping through her veins and fireworks launching in her heart. She listened intently to the rhythm of Kohane’s voice, entranced by its soft and gentle melody. She was enamored by the dimples on Kohane’s cheeks when she giggled at An’s comments and the sparkles in her eyes that almost hid beneath the brim of her sunhat. She basked in the light of the setting sun and marveled at how Kohane seemed to glow beneath it.

Every note took the strength of a thousand suns, every lyric like climbing a mountain. An’s throat burned and her heart throbbed with each passing word yet still she pushed herself. She knew that she’d have to sing with everything she had and beyond if she would ever break through that ceiling and stand on top of the world.

All her life An had strived toward this goal. All her life An had trained for this, pouring her heart and her soul into her voice.

But her biggest obstacle stood right beside her, so close yet so far it was like reaching for the stars. Kohane glowed on the stage, shining so bright she set the galaxy ablaze. No matter how hard An tried, no matter how loud she sang, she wondered if she would ever rival Kohane’s light.

She needed to do better. She needed to be better. If An couldn’t reach Kohane’s level then she didn’t deserve to stand on this stage beside her. She didn’t deserve her—

As the song reached its climax, a burning sensation ignited in An’s chest, flames licking at her lungs and needles scratching at her throat. She gasped and sputtered, erupting in a fit of coughs that racked her entire frame. She curled in on herself, dizzy as waves of nausea washed over her.

“An-chan…?” The music pouring from the speakers had disappeared, replaced by the concerned lilt of Kohane’s voice. When An straightened herself against the tightness in her chest, she found Kohane standing before her with terror in her eyes, Akito rushing to grab a glass of water from behind the bar, and Toya with one finger still hovering over the pause button on the speaker.

An wiped the saliva from her mouth with the back of her hand, the other clutching her aching chest. She couldn’t meet their eyes, couldn’t handle the weight of the worry in their gazes. “I’m fine,” she wheezed, “I just… give me a minute.” With that, she rushed off to the bathroom tucked in the back of the café.

The moment the door shut and locked behind her, her knees buckled beneath her and she collapsed to the floor, choking into the toilet, her entire body convulsing with each agonizing cough. When she finally managed to catch her breath, she blinked her eyes open and peered down into the toilet bowl to find a pile of stems and petals floating upon the surface of the water.

An intense wave of fear bubbled in An’s stomach to join the burning sensation in her chest. Gazing at her quivering hands, she found her sleeve stained with blood from when she’d wiped her mouth and when she spat into the toilet bowl the flowers floating there became speckled an eerie crimson.

Her body moved on its own as if a mere puppet to her fear. In one swift, erratic motion An flushed the toilet, watching as the amalgamation of petals and stems slithered and writhed their way down the drain. She stood up, staggering her way across the floor to clutch the sink. She wanted to scream, let her despair pour out of her but her voice was caught in her throat, constricting like a thorny vine around her neck.

And as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, her shuddering form stared down on her with pity and disdain. This torturous fear had taken root in her stomach and sprouted up into her lungs and she could no longer ignore it as its branches and petals tore through her chest.

If An couldn’t catch up to Kohane then she would never be strong enough to break through that ceiling. If she wasn’t even worthy of standing on top of the world with her team then how could she ever be worthy of Kohane’s affection?

The notion was far more terrifying than the coiling stems pressing at the walls of her lungs.

And so, An swallowed down the petals that tickled her tongue. She washed her hands and wiped her mouth. She would sing through the pain, force her voice through the stems and thorns that caged her.

With her face pressed against the cold glass of the space station window, the infinite nothingness of outer space was all that Kohane could see. Its darkness engulfed her, the stars glittering much too far for her to reach. She counted them until she could count no longer and started anew.

And as she stared into the vast glittering emptiness, in her mind danced a girl of glowing light and starry blue—

“Hey.” Kohane startled at the sound of Shiho’s voice, her head jerking to find the silver-haired girl standing right beside her. “The reports on today’s research are all finished and submitted,” she informed, “so Minori’s suggesting a karaoke night. Care to join?”

Kohane shook off her woes, directing a wobbly smile at her friend. “Oh… sure!”

Shiho tilted her head, a question in her eye, and there was a hint of concern in the tenor of her voice when she spoke again. “Are you all good? You’ve seemed a little, hmm… discouraged lately.”

Kohane sighed, dropping her smile. Day after day Shiho shared the empty weight of the galaxy that they carried together, it was only fair that she be honest with her friend. She turned her gaze back to the endless darkness outside, resting her temple against the glass. “I’ve just… I’ve been wondering if I’ll ever see her again,” she admitted. “Actually, I’ve kinda been wondering if I even saw her at all. Maybe it was just my imagination…”

Shiho gave a subtle noise of understanding, a small nod of her head. “Well… I, for one, believe you saw what you saw,” she encouraged. “But I guess only time will tell.”

Kohane let out a wry chuckle in response. Shiho’s words were brief but just the simple support of a friend was invaluable to Kohane.

Shiho wrapped a comforting arm around Kohane’s shoulders, giving her a squeeze. “I’ll let Minori know you’re open to karaoke so take your time and come around whenever you’d like, okay?”

A weak smile tugged at the corners of Kohane’s lips. “Okay… thanks, Shiho.” With a final nod, Shiho left Kohane alone with the stars.

Kohane turned her gaze back to the abyss that lay outside. Without a horizon, would there ever be an end to this melancholy that plagued her?

As an astronaut, Kohane spent her days venturing out into the deep galaxy collecting samples of extraterrestrial material to study with her colleagues aboard the space station. It was a dream come true to spend her life among the stars and Kohane’s fascination for this ever-growing universe was just as vast and endless as the universe itself, but sometimes even she fell victim to the monotony of the same perpetual darkness outside her window to greet her at every waking moment. When facing every day against something as immense as the universe one sees how truly small they are and sometimes the impending weight of loneliness could become too much for Kohane to bear.

But one day Kohane had floated out as far as her spacesuit tether would allow her to examine an asteroid and realized she may not be quite as alone in this universe as she’d believed she was. The girl had appeared like a supernova right before Kohane’s eyes, her skin glowing with a warm light and her eyes sparkling a bright orange, her hair floating around her head in starry navy waves. She stepped along the surface of the asteroid upon dainty bare feet, floating up to Kohane’s level, an infinitesimal distance between them as she peered through the visor of Kohane’s helmet.

And as Kohane’s vision was set ablaze by the girl’s light and their eyes met through the dark tint of Kohane’s visor, her heart exploded into a flurry of stardust.

The girl had disappeared just as quickly as she had appeared but the curiosity that sparkled in the dazzling orange of her eyes and the melody of her giggle were forever etched into the back of Kohane’s mind. Day after day her expeditions were the slightest bit brighter, illuminated by the hope that she might see the celestial girl again.

But even the brightest star’s light will eventually die and now Kohane stood upon the space station floor, her hope dwindling and her wonder beginning to wane.

And just like that, the stars sparkling on the other side of the glass began to burn brighter and brighter until Kohane had to squint her eyes against their light. When she finally opened them again, there floating before her was that extraterrestrial angel that had graced her dreams night after night.

Kohane bounced away from the window, unable to stifle the startled squeak that escaped her lips. The celestial girl giggled at this reaction, the sound muffled through the glass but its echo just barely reached Kohane’s ears and sent her heart aflutter.

With those dazzling orange eyes focused solely on her, Kohane could feel her timidity growing, cowering under the weight of such undivided attention. She willed herself to push through it, stepping back toward the window upon wobbly knees. “It’s… it’s you.”

The girl nodded eagerly, seemingly just as excited to see Kohane as Kohane was to see her.

Kohane was nearly breathless as she spoke, overcome by a mixture of shyness and elation. “I… I’ve been looking for you… ever since I first saw you I’ve hoped to see you again…”

The girl seemed pleased by this notion, a brilliant smile spreading across her lips. She tapped an ethereal finger against the glass right before Kohane’s eyes as if poking her nose.

Kohane gulped, her heart throbbing with emotion. “I just… I was worried you may never appear again… I started to wonder if you were even real or if I’d just dreamed it…”

The girl watched her as she spoke, seemingly hanging onto her every word. She had her face pressed against the window and Kohane couldn’t deny it was rather adorable how her cheeks and nose were squished against the glass.

And yet, at this distance with nothing but the glass between them, Kohane caught sight of that spark in the girl’s eyes, a pain hiding behind her curiosity. A longing, a desire, a heartache that mirrored Kohane’s own.

Kohane’s breath caught in her throat and she was speaking before she even knew it. “An eternity floating along in the universe’s embrace with only the stars to keep you company… it must be so lonely, isn’t it?”

Something glistened in those starry orange eyes. That smile faltered and with a trembling lip the girl gave a small nod.

Something twinged in Kohane’s heart and she stepped closer to the window, her palms pressing against the glass. “I… I feel that way too sometimes,” she stuttered. “Like… like you’re so far away from home… and the weight of the universe is pressing down on you… and you can’t carry it alone…” She searched the celestial girl’s eyes, counting the stars that glimmered within them. “But… I’ll be your company, if you’d like… we can carry the weight together.”

Those bright orange eyes glittered and stardust gathered upon the girl’s lashes like tears. She wiped them away before they could slip down her cheeks, her head bobbing in an eager nod. Her fingers trembled as she raised her hands to the window, pressing her palms to the glass right up against Kohane’s own.

And in that moment, Kohane’s heart radiated just like a nebula. She let her breath out as the weight of her loneliness finally began to dissolve. “I’m so happy,” she smiled through the rosy blush painting her cheeks. She held the girl’s gaze, refusing to succumb to her timidity. “Um… if you can,” she stammered, “could you tell me your name?”

The girl tilted her head as if deep in thought. Finally a lightbulb seemed to flicker on in her mind, the warm glow that encompassed her even burning brighter for a moment when the idea occurred. She brought her face close to the window once more and let out a breath, watching it cloud against the glass. She then traced a finger through it, spelling out two mere letters. An.

Kohane smiled to herself. It was the perfect name for someone whose eyes shone such a brilliant apricot orange. “I’m Kohane,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “An-chan, for as long as this universe holds us both you’ll never be alone.” She willed it with every ounce of her being, wishing upon all the stars that the passion in her words would seep through the glass and reach An’s heart. “So please, please come visit me again.”

The smile that graced An’s features was bright enough to put the sun to shame. She nodded, her forehead against the glass as if resting against Kohane’s own. She then pulled away and Kohane could swear that the soft glow of her skin seemed just a little bit pinker as she rose up just slightly, pressing her lips to the glass against Kohane’s forehead in a quick little kiss.

An giggled as Kohane’s entire face burned red as a tomato, the sound echoing in Kohane’s ears and lulling her like a melody. Kohane was unsure if minutes or hours had passed since An first appeared but the stars were beginning to pulse brighter once more and An pushed herself away from the window, drifting off into the igniting darkness surrounding them, the starry blue waves of her hair floating around her head like a halo.

“Okay, so!” An exclaimed as she hopped from foot to foot. “I’m a princess and I’ve been locked up in a tower by an evil witch and… and… and I have a magical singing voice!”

“Oh, is that why the witch locked you up?”

“Yes! She wanted to keep my magical voice all to herself!”

“Okay!” Kohane stuttered. “Um… what should I be then?”

An thought for a moment with a finger to her chin, her toe tapping on the dirt below them. “You can be… oh! You can be a traveling chocolatier! And you’re out searching for your secret ingredient!”

“Okay!” Kohane nodded. The life of a traveling chocolatier did fascinate her but truly she would’ve been satisfied by any role that An had given her.

“Now then,” An announced as she opted to climb up the slide rather than the ladder right next to it, “the top of the playground will be my tower. Remember, you’re searching for your secret ingredient!”

“Got it!” With that, Kohane dropped to her knees, rustling through the grass with her hands as if inspecting each blade for whatever it might contain.

Truthfully, Kohane felt a little embarrassed playing pretend. Surely she must look silly where she was on her hands and knees beneath the play structure and she worried about drawing too much attention to herself or what the other children running around the park might think if they saw her. The very thought of it made her cheeks burn a rosy pink and her legs wobble beneath her.

But it was worth it to see An shine. She was the star of the show with the playground as her stage. Despite the scrapes on her elbows and the dirt caking her sneakers, she fluffed up her hoodie like it was an elegant gown and posed dramatically at the top of the playground.

“Oh, how lonely it is up in this tower!” She cried. “There’s nothing to eat up here but stale bread and icky vegetables… I can’t even remember the last time I had a sweet treat!” She peered down at Kohane with a spark in her eye. That’s your cue!

Though she trembled with anxiety, Kohane willed herself to speak. “Um… ah, it’s gotta be around here somewhere! I know my… uh… secret ingredient usually grows around here! But where can it be?”

The lively melody of An’s laughter floated down upon Kohane, soothing her nerves. She took a deep breath, shaking off her jitters, her voice projecting more confidently. “Oh, and I have so much chocolate with me… I can’t sell any of this without my secret ingredient! This is far too much chocolate for myself alone! If I can’t find my secret ingredient then whoever will I share all this with?”

An draped herself elegantly over the bars of the play structure, her dirty sneakers hanging off over the edge. “Oh, how lonely I am… perhaps if I sing then my magical voice will attract a friend to me!” She stood up straight now, clearing her throat, and with her gaze turned up to the sky she began to sing.

Perhaps this was the true reason why Kohane continued to give in to An’s whims—An enamored her. Nobody could rival An when she shone, not even the sun itself or all the stars in the vast galaxy. Her voice pierced Kohane’s heart, caressing her very soul, gathering her up in a tender embrace. Under the warmth of An’s light, there was nowhere else that Kohane would rather be.

Kohane was utterly and completely enthralled by all that An was.