Shiina Taki was running a bit of insomnia.
She herself didn't know why she had insomnia; it had been a long while since she'd been like this.
The room was bereft of light, as if no sunlight had ever shone into it.
Taki kept her eyes open for a long time, staring up at the ceiling.
It was the dead of night, probably around eleven o'clock or so — she wasn't sure.
Her consciousness was spreading outward in all directions, her body too going feather-light; she didn't want to shift even a fraction.
[Looks like I'm about to fall asleep?]
Taki thought to herself, feeling herself sinking down.
"Hey — are you back?"
All around was a crowded darkness.
Is this a dream? Wonderful — I've fallen asleep.
A crisp girl's voice drifted in from far away, piercing the darkness and driving straight into Taki's heart.
Far too familiar! This is…
The lights gradually came on, and the surroundings were a place Taki would never, until her dying day, be able to forget.
This was Chiose's little apartment; the television was the only source of light in the room.
And she, at this moment, was standing right in front of the sofa——
That girl, sitting properly there, just as on their very first meeting, and just as on their very last.
"Taki, long time no see — you haven't aged a single bit, somehow."
"..."
Shiina Taki forced down a hard swallow, as though trying to make herself a little more lucid.
"Another dream, huh… haaah."
"Is this a dream? I don't really know either, you know."
The girl with the blurred features didn't turn around to look at Taki — she just kept on talking to herself.
"Being able to see Taki again right now really is so wonderful; being able to talk with Taki again is so wonderful too. Today is the happiest day I've had since I died."
"Little Chiose? You—"
Damn it — so it's this stretch of memory!?
Taki gritted her teeth, feeling her trigeminal nerve throb viciously.
Why does the dream have to make me see this! I don't want to watch this!!
Taki had already clearly realised she was dreaming, and this particular scene had also been appearing in her dreams a lot these past few days.
Whether it was Chiose and her stripping bare and holding each other to sleep, or Chiose collapsing on the stage, or her own flight from the hospital, or seeing Chiose again years later… these fragments often tormented Taki until she woke up screaming.
"I've already gone to the Valhalla that belongs to me — you should be feeling happy for me, you know."
"Stop saying that! Little Chiose! Don't… please don't…"
"Live on, Shiina Taki. May you be happy."
"I fell for you at first sight, you know… I've never once regretted getting to know Taki. Taki — Taki — I love you the most!"
"Waaah!"
The little apartment in the dream broke apart in an instant.
Shiina Taki shot bolt upright, gulping mouthful after mouthful of muddy air.
"It took me so much effort just to fall asleep… and yet I'm having a nightmare again… haaah."
Taki shifted herself backward until her back was pressed flush against the corner of the wall — only then did she secure a brief and cheap sense of security.
"Little Chiose! Little Chiose… I…"
Being able to become friends with Yoshiiro Chiose all over again — what a happy thing it was.
And in reality, no less… a reality that actually existed…
Her hair fell forward, covering the girl's exhausted face. Wrapped within layer upon layer of darkness, Shiina Taki seemed once again to feel that dreamlike girl standing at her bedside, chattering away with her.
She would recount the developmental history of Punk Moon, would chat with her about the explosive plotlines she'd recently spotted in monthly manga magazines, and would also tell her some kaleidoscopically bizarre little stories of psychotic ravings————
Pity that all of these were things that had happened in dreams; in reality, the two of them weren't yet on such close terms.
"No, no, no — I have to get my relationship with Little Chiose to be like the dreams… no, even better than in the dreams!"
The Chiose in reality was a gentle but also whimsical, impish little girl — at times playful as a little sprite, often sweet as an angel.
She combined all the loveliness of the dream-Chiose, while at the same time carrying even more loveliness of a different kind… she…
She was the light of life; she was the fire of desire; she was Taki's sin… she was also Taki's soul.
Yoshiiro Chiose.
Bare feet slipping into slippers, her toes huddled together like a clump of forlorn little orphans.
Taki walked over to the desk, switched on the lamp, and dug out paper and pen.
"I have to write down the song from the dream. Even though I don't know why I remember it this clearly… whatever! Once I've written it out, I'll give it to Little Chiose!"
After all, this was music that the Little Chiose in the dreams had really loved — the Little Chiose in reality was sure to love it too.
When the time came, if Little Chiose heard it, she'd come ask whether the song was Taki's own original composition, and then ask what the lyrics meant, and Taki could just explain it all to her… heh heh.
With that kind of back-and-forth, wouldn't their relationship naturally grow more harmonious?
Taki couldn't help humming softly to herself.
"Taki? Still not asleep?"
Shiina Maki's voice came in from outside the door; she had probably been drawn over by the light coming from inside the room.
"Sis, are you a moth? I switch on the light and you somehow already notice?"
"Haha, what are you talking about, you dummy. I've brought you a little present, you know — hurry up and open the door."
"Huh? Just come in by yourself — what a hassle!"
Only after confirming that her little sister was allowing her to enter the room did Shiina Maki push open the door.
In her hands she was holding up a small paper box; from where Taki was sitting, she couldn't quite make it out.
"It's this late and Little Taki's writing what, exactly?"
Maki blinked her eyes and made to lean in closer; Taki reacted in a split second and clapped her hand down over the paper.
"No looking! This is personal privacy!"
"Are you writing a love letter? To which young lady is it going? Is it that one you were in such a frantic rush to go out and meet last time?"
"Huh? How do you kno— I — I'm not! Sis, you're being so nosy!"
I really do have to rein you in! You inch-by-inch overreaching sister!
"Pfft. Okay, I'll stop teasing you. Here — this is for you."
Taki took the box, eyed the outer casing for a few seconds, and then opened it.
Inside was a… cup? Hm?
"This cup is really something magical, you know."
"I don't see it. Where exactly is the magic?"
"This cup has no mouth — the mouth has been sealed shut. And it has no bottom either — the bottom has been chiselled out."
"..."
Taki was silent for a moment, then turned the cup the other way up.
"Are you an idiot, sis?!"
"Ahem, ahem — just teasing you. Little Taki has absolutely no eye for taste or refinement at all."
"Haah… forget it. I'm going to sleep. Sis, you should turn in early too."
"Okay then, nighty-night."
"Nighty-night."
As the bedroom door closed, Taki stared at the black mug in her hand with utter resignation.
"Honestly, sis… as soon as she sees that I'm not happy, she goes thinking up ways to cheer me up… and yet she really doesn't need to use such a dumb method."
Taki turned her face away. There was no way she was going to admit she'd been moved.
"Hmm… oh! I can give this mug to Little Chiose, and then pass on what sis said to Little Chiose."
Pfft — Chiose would probably enjoy a cold joke she'd nicked from someone else.
Taki stared at the mug in a daze; only after a long while did she put it away.
She adjusted the brightness of her desk lamp, and while she was at it, fine-tuned the position of her chair as well.
The tip of the black ballpoint pen began to dance across the white paper, and line after line of lyrics — ones Taki was familiar with beyond familiarity — were written down.
She'd be able to finish within a day or two; she wanted to write it out several more times, then pick whichever version she was most satisfied with to give away.
The written word seals emotion away; these words would, at the critical moment, manifest their power to the absolute fullest.
And that was that.
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