The stage lights blurred as they spun. Seina's hand on Lightweaver's shoulder tightened slightly. Taking advantage of another spin, she glanced toward a certain direction in the audience and suddenly let out a soft chuckle.
Lightweaver followed her gaze. Shizuru was sitting up straight, holding Nuomi in her arms, with an indescribable expression on her face.
Her eyes were fixed unblinkingly on their clasped hands on stage, her lips pressed into a tight line. She didn't even react when Nuomi nudged her wrist with its tail.
“Lightweaver, what's your relationship with Mingyue?” Seina leaned in close to her ear, her voice so soft it tickled Lightweaver's ear. “During the battle on the mountaintop last time, I thought it was a bit strange. The way she looks at you is completely different from how she looks at anyone else.”
“F-Friends.”
“Then why does she look so unhappy?” Seina asked again, her voice nearly drowned out by the music. “The way she's looking at me right now makes it feel like I've stolen something precious from her.”
Tsk. Qiluo couldn't answer.
They were just friends anyway.
“...What kind of relationship do you think it is?” Lightweaver threw the question back, her steps not missing a beat.
Seina clearly hadn't expected to be asked back. She fell silent for several seconds, simply following Lightweaver's steps.
“I think it's more than just friends~”
“But it's fine. If it really is some special relationship, you don't have to tell me.” Seina's eyes crinkled. “After all, I'm the one dancing with you right now, and an opportunity like this doesn't come around every day.”
Since when did Kizuna get so mischievous? Meruru must have corrupted my innocent contractor!
As the music entered its final movement, neither of them spoke.
Seina gripped Lightweaver's hand a little tighter, guiding her to a steady halt in the center of the stage just as the final note drifted away.
Golden specks of light burst above their heads, and applause washed over them from the audience like a tidal wave.
Seina released Lightweaver's hand, took half a step back, and gave her a textbook curtsy. Her pale violet eyes shimmered with the stage lights and a lingering smile.
“Thank you for dancing with me, Lightweaver-senpai. I hope we'll have another chance next time.” She straightened up, turning to walk toward her sister before Lightweaver could reply. After a few steps, she turned back to throw Lightweaver a wink, then lightly made her way back to Meruru's side.
Lightweaver stood in place, her chest still rising and falling slightly.
The tempo of the duet hadn't been fast, but an indescribable weight pressed on her heart, making it more suffocating than any battle.
She tucked a stray, sweat-dampened lock of hair behind her ear and was about to retreat backstage when Meruru's voice caught up to her.
“Wait, Miss Lightweaver, it's not over yet.”
Meruru grabbed Lightweaver's wrist and raised the microphone to the audience. “That dance just now was a little treat for the audience, but I have a personal gift for you as well—thank you for agreeing to come on stage today, and thank you for everything you've done in the shadows all this time.”
The commotion in the crowd flared up to another level. Amidst the applause, Meruru unpinned a small music note emblem from her waist and pinned it onto Lightweaver's collar.
She studied it for a moment and nodded with satisfaction. “I knew this color would suit you. Unlike a certain someone who complains every time that it's too bright and doesn't want to wear it, yet still ends up pinning it to her stage costume every single day.”
Beside them, Seina puffed out her cheeks. “That's because you always choose neon pink, Sister!”
Lightweaver looked down at the emblem, which was still glowing faintly on her collar, then looked up to meet Meruru's sly smile.
“I'm just returning the favor,” Meruru said, standing shoulder to shoulder with Seina.
...
While the curtain call at the end of the performance was still underway behind her, Lightweaver took advantage of the stage lights dimming to slip away into the wings.
Night Sakura tried to chase after her with a camera for an interview, but a single glare from Lightweaver pinned her to the spot.
The window of the nurse's office was unlocked. She slipped inside with practiced ease, landing on the edge of the bed almost soundlessly.
Star-trail was curled up next to the pillow. Hearing the noise, it merely twitched its ears and lightly tapped its tail twice against the quilt as a greeting.
Qiluo pulled the quilt up to her shoulders and curled onto her side in the bed.
The door to the nurse's office was gently pushed open. Qiluo Tian Gong had the blanket pulled up to her chest, leaning against the headboard as she flipped through an old magazine.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up. Yuki, Rei, and Shizuru filed in one after another, making the already small nurse's office feel even tighter.
Rei walked at the front, holding some freshly bought snacks, the edges of the paper bag stained with dark oil marks from the steam.
Shizuru followed behind with Nuomi draped over her shoulder, its tail hanging down. The moment it saw Qiluo, its ears twitched.
“Tian Gong-san—we're back!” Rei set the snacks on the nightstand and plonked down on the edge of the bed, making the mattress creak under her weight. “It's such a shame you didn't go! Wings of Freedom sang so well, Meruru herself showed up, and Lightweaver—Lightweaver actually went on stage!”
“Really?” Qiluo closed the magazine, resting it on her lap as she took the thermos Yuki handed her.
“It's true! That Lightweaver, the mysterious Magical Girl we saw online last time. She was chosen to go on stage, and then Meruru made her dance, and she actually did! She danced a duet with Seina, and they even hugged at the end—well, actually, Seina hugged her.”
Rei counted them off on her fingers, getting more and more excited as she spoke, nearly knocking over the water cup on the nightstand.
“Tian Gong-san, are you feeling any better?” Rei suddenly leaned in, pressing the back of her hand against Qiluo's forehead.
Qiluo set down the thermos and nodded, saying she felt much better.
Only then did Rei lean back against the foot of the bed with relief, continuing to animatedly describe the performance. But when she reached the part about Lightweaver and Meruru's duet, Shizuru suddenly cleared her throat.
Rei shut her mouth instantly, only now realizing she had been hogging the conversation. Turning around, she noticed Shizuru had been standing at the foot of the bed without sitting down, her finger absentmindedly twirling the end of her hair while her gaze lingered on the mound of the blanket on the bed.
“Kirishima-senpai, why aren't you sitting?” Rei nudged herself over, patting the space she had just cleared.
Shizuru shook her head and sat down on the folding chair beside the bed, her gaze instinctively drifting toward Qiluo.
From the moment she entered the room until now, Tian Gong-san had only looked at her once.
Rei noticed her subtle movement and tilted her head. “Why have you been acting a bit off since earlier? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
Shizuru froze for a moment, reflexively raising a hand to touch her face, only to realize her cheeks still held the heat from their walk all the way back from the gymnasium.
“...No,” she said, pulling Nuomi closer into her arms. “The AC in the gymnasium was just too strong, so my face is a bit stiff.”
“Oh,” Rei didn't press further, turning back to gesture animatedly to Qiluo. “That Lightweaver used her threads of light to weave two little dolls, one of Meruru and one of Seina. The details were incredibly accurate! But honestly, I think the most amazing thing wasn't even that—it's that she was actually dancing! I mean, that's Lightweaver we're talking about!”
“How did she dance?” Qiluo Tian Gong asked casually, turning the magazine to the next page.
Rate on N.U.
