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Walking beneath the afternoon sun is definitely a less than pleasant experience, especially if you're extraordinarily weak to the heat of the sun.
But they promised to meet up by the coastline everyday, and he's not one to break routine nor promises.
"The sun sure is bright today, huh?"
Walking to the coastline, a lonesome radio sits by the docks. The radio is faintly popping static as it plays 'Mikazuki no Veil', however distorted and out of tune it may be. It's the only song that ever plays on the radio, but you take what you can get when everyone else in the world has disappeared, right?
"Nagi~ Nagi! Can you hear me?"
Hearing the other man's voice snaps Nagi out of his thoughts as he recalls what he's here for.
Standing in front of him with a smile as bright as the midday sun, Mitsuki called out to Nagi who was staring out over the horizon, occupied by his thoughts. "I'm fine Mitsuki, just reminiscing about the old days when everyone was still around." Nagi chuckles, melancholy apparent in his tone of voice.
"Yeah... I miss everyone too. IDOLiSH7, TRIGGER, Re:Vale, ŹOOĻ... I miss those days." Mitsuki, too, stares out into the horizon this time.
Nagi and Mitsuki stand together side by side by the coastline, taking in the view of the sky with a hue so vibrant, before sitting down together. Nagi takes out the guitar he brought along with him as Mitsuki stares at him in awe. "What song will you be playing today, Nagi?"
"Hmm... it's been a while since I've played 'Monster Generation'... how about that for today?" Nagi says in a singsong tune.
"Anything is better than my solo that constantly loops on the radio...!" Mitsuki grunts, clearly annoyed by the fact that of all the songs that remain in a world with only the both of them left, it had to be his solo song. It was not bad, by any means. But having to listen to the same thing over and over again for the past 3 years really did make the song feel repetitive.
Not that Nagi really minds, but Mitsuki is clearly embarrassed by the fact that only his solo song plays in a world where the music's all gone mute, thus Nagi teases him about it from time to time.
Nagi chuckles as he looks at Mitsuki.
"Alright~! 'Monster Generation' it is then!"
Nagi starts to pluck the strings of the guitar to the tune of Monster Generation as they both sing along to a melody long forgotten by the sands of time, living on only in both of their memories. Although they both miss everyone they used to love and cherish, they're still staying strong and staying alive, for the sake of everyone else who is now gone, and for the sake of each other.
As they gently sing along to the music from Nagi's guitar for an audience that no longer exists, they stare at the open sky together, wishing that summer would last forever.
---♭---
"Hey Nagi, do you still remember what life was like before everyone, you know, perished?"
Sitting on the docks by the coastline on one sunny afternoon, Mitsuki reminisces about the times before everything in the world had faded into nothingness, leaving only the both of them behind.
"Do you remember that time where you left for Northmeir without telling anyone? I was so ready to set your passport on fire after you had returned...!" Mitsuki playfully tapped Nagi's shoulder as he laughed, and Nagi blushes slightly from the memory. Or perhaps it was from watching Mitsuki's wide grin? He wasn't really sure himself.
"Oh! It couldn't be helped when that happened! What about the time where you punched Yamat-"
"STOP, STOP, STOP! That was so long ago! I still feel so guilty about it..."
Mitsuki, hugging his knees to his chest, hides his head as he thinks about what had happened then. Nagi laughed as he casts Mitsuki a warm smile. "I'm sure Yamato knows you held no ill will. After all, everyone has gotten along so much better after that incident~!"
"Yeah... I miss everyone so much. If only they were still here within this lifeless and lonely world... if only the sky had never turned red as it took everyone along with it that day." Mitsuki sighed.
That day...
The sky turned red out of nowhere. Nobody knew what was happening, and before everyone knew it, the sky lit up a burning red with a sound that knocked the whole world dead. The next thing they knew, everyone else was gone. Both Nagi and Mitsuki were the only ones left alive in this cold and lifeless world, with an almost broken radio they own being one of the few things left that reminds them of the life they used to live before it all vanished in an instant.
Oh, how they wished that day was nothing but a nightmare that they'll soon wake up from.
"Oh Mitsuki... no need to be sad, at least we still have each other!" Nagi closes in on Mitsuki and gives him a tight hug.
"H-hey Nagi...! That tickles!" Mitsuki giggled as Nagi tightens his hands around Mitsuki, almost as if loosening his grip on Mitsuki meant losing him forever. "Yeah, I'm glad that we have each other too! I don't know if I would have the will to carry on if I were to be all alone in this world."
Nagi, still holding onto Mitsuki, gives him a soft glance.
"You won't leave me all here all alone, right Mitsuki?"
"..."
"..."
Mitsuki doesn't respond.
---♮---
"Come on Mitsuki! The sun is almost setting!"
"I know, I know! I'm coming! You know it's hard for me to climb a whole mountain with the state that I'm in now!"
Panting and wheezing upon arriving at the top of the mountain, Mitsuki walks over to stand beside Nagi, who had already reached the mountaintop a while before Mitsuki did. Staring over the horizon, they could see the small shack that they resided in which was somewhat near to the coastline that they met up at every day.
"Man... Looking at it all from up above really reminds you of how small our home is huh..." Mitsuki looks in awe. "Sigh, I remember when we were desperately travelling the world to search for signs of life. Looking back on it now, your decision to just settle down in a shack by the coastline was a great idea, but it all just feels so... small."
"Oh... but it feels very homely! Anywhere feels like home as long as I'm with you, Mitsuki!"
"W-what's with the cheesiness!? A-anyways, let's just look at the sunset!" A shade of pink becomes apparent on Mitsuki's face, both from the tint of the setting sun and the embarrassment of Nagi's flirtatious comment.
Nagi chuckles as they both look towards the setting sun beyond the horizon.
The sunset dyed the sky a vibrant hue of orange and yellow, and the sun seemed to shine so brightly despite it being time to set already. Both Nagi and Mitsuki were so mesmerized by the setting of the sun that they only stared at it in wonder without a exchanging single word.
How they wish that the world would stop in it's tracks in that instant so that this sunset could last forever.
The vibrant hue of orange and yellow slowly changed into a gradient of purples and blues, indicating that the sun was about to fully set beyond the horizon.
"Watching the sunset always feels so calming and mystical...! There's something about it that always makes me feel emotional..." Mitsuki, mesmerized by the setting of the sun, blurts out subconsciously. Turning his back towards the sunset to face Nagi, Mitsuki flashes him a grin.
Nagi takes in the view of both the sunset and Mitsuki, wishing that this moment could last forever.
"How about we do this more often then, Mitsuki? Let's watch the sunset together all the time!" Nagi exclaimed enthusiastically, with a tiny hint of desperation evident within his tone of voice. Although, whether or not Mitsuki caught onto his minuscule sense of desperation remains a mystery.
Taken aback by Nagi's words, Mitsuki looks at Nagi, and glances away with a sorrowful smile on his face, not wanting to look at Nagi in fear of the disappointment on his face.
"...You know I can't, Nagi. This might be my last sunset too, for all we know."
---♭ ♮---
The half-broken radio silently plays an out of tune 'Mikazuki no Veil' as Nagi and Mitsuki sit by the docks at the coastline again. With not much to do, they decided to sit around and do nothing, simply basking in the midday sun while enjoying each other's company without exchanging a single word.
Nagi was strumming on his guitar again, playing and humming to the tune 'June is Natural', whereas Mitsuki; with an ever worsening complexion, was lying down on the docks, resting his eyes as he listens to the gentle music from Nagi's guitar.
"...you are in my heart,
you are shining star,
I'm singing with you,
I'm here anytime..."
Occupied by the thoughts within head, Nagi stops strumming his guitar abruptly as he looks at Mitsuki, who seems confused as to why the music had stopped, but still letting his eyes remain closed.
"Mitsuki." Nagi called out.
Mitsuki's eyelashes flutter.
Gently opening his eyes, Mitsuki stares as Nagi, confused.
"What is it Nagi? Is everything okay?" Sitting upright, Mitsuki stares at Nagi with a face full of worry and concern, wondering if something had happened for him to abruptly stop strumming his guitar.
"Summer is almost ending, isn't it...?"
"..."
"Yeah... I guess it is." Mitsuki, suddenly reminded of their predicament, looks away slightly in fear of watching the usual, cheerful, smile from Nagi's face fade away and disappear all because of him.
"...How much time left until summer ends...?"
"Judging by the state of things, I'd say about a week, give or take..."
...
Silence falls between them as Nagi stares into Mitsuki's eyes, desperately searching for a hint of humour, as if he was waiting for Mitsuki to say "Gotcha!" and let his words be nothing but a joke.
But Mitsuki doesn't say a word.
He simply gazes into Nagi's eyes with an apologetic and despondent look, indicating that his words were no joke. Mitsuki tries to give Nagi a comforting smile, but it's apparent from Nagi's sombre and worried expression that it was to no avail.
"Mitsuki... do you really have to leave once summer ends...?" Nagi asks melancholically.
"...You know that I have no control over it Nagi. I'm sorry..." Mitsuki leans in to give Nagi a hug, meaning to comfort the person dearest to him in the world, while silently apologizing in his heart for his inability to change the outcome.
"..."
Nagi silently embraces Mitsuki within his arms, taking his time to process the fact that they will soon have to part ways.
*Sniffle...*
Before Mitsuki knew it, he could feel the back of his shirt being wet with Nagi's falling tears. Nagi, unable to hold in his tears any longer, tightens his hug on Mitsuki, as if Mitsuki will fade away into nothingness right before his eyes the moment he lets him go.
"Oh... Mitsuki... Why... Why do you have to leave me all alone in this cold and lonely world....?" Nagi starts to sob uncontrollably at the thought of having to continue living on once summer ends, but this time without Mitsuki. He tightens his grip on Mitsuki again, never wanting to let him go, wishing that they could stay as they were beneath the summer sky by the coastline forever.
"We've been through so much together in this empty world... yet you still have to leave me by the end of summer... it's not fair.... it's so unfair..."
"I can't stand being alone in a world without you... please... don't leave me all alone in this world, Mitsuki...!"
Mitsuki's heart clenches.
He holds onto Nagi tighter as tears start to fall from his face too. They both held onto each other with all their might as they wept, one wishing for the other to stay, and the other wishing to never disappear. Before they both knew it, they were wailing in each other's warm embrace, unwilling to let go of one another.
"Nagi... I'm so sorry... * hic * I'm so sorry..." Mitsuki bawls as most of his words involuntary gets stuck within his throat, coming out as nothing but a choked sob.
"I want to stay here with you forever... but we both know this day was bound to arrive... I'm... * hic * sorry... Nagi..."
"You've seen how I get weaker by the day and constantly grow more and more sickly... I'm... * sniffle * sorry you had to see me like this..."
"NO! Mitsuki, don't apologize...! It's not your fault that the world is against you! It's the world's fault for granting you this stupid terminal illness...!"
"I know but... still... * hic * ...I'm sorry for having to leave you all alone here..."
They continued to hold onto each other as they lament and wept over the fact that Nagi will be all alone in this world once the summer ends.
Watching the world go by beneath the soon-to-be-gone summer sun with their fingers intertwined, a drop of tear or two still running down their faces, they wordlessly enjoy each other's company, for this may be the last time they could ever do so.
"Hey Nagi."
"Yes Mitsuki?"
"...Can you bring me flowers once I leave when the summer ends?"
"...I will bring you any flowers you ask for, Mitsuki."
"...Please, bring me Petunias and some Climbing Rose."
"Oh? Why so specifically Petunias and some Climbing Rose?" He chuckled.
"I think they're pretty, you know? They remind me of both me and you."
"Then I will travel the world in search of these flowers for you," Nagi says without an ounce of hesitation as he squeezes Mitsuki's hand, which makes Mitsuki tighten his grip on Nagi's hand as well.
"Thank you, Nagi."
A warm and comforting smile on Mitsuki's face, almost as if it's enough to melt away all the worries in the world.
"...Mitsuki."
"Hm? Yes Nagi?"
"...Just supposing that we could rewind this whole thing back again, what should we do differently before the summer ends?"
"..."
They both stare at the cobalt sky as memories and echoes of their laughter plays back within their mind and this wide, empty world.
"I'd still spend the entire summer together with you, Nagi."
---♮---
Walking beneath the afternoon sun is definitely a less than pleasant experience, especially if you're extraordinarily weak to the heat of the sun.
But they promised to meet up by the coastline everyday, and he's not one to break routine nor promises.
"The sun isn't as bright as it used to be during the summer, huh?"
Walking to the coastline with Petunias and Climbing Roses in hand, a lonesome radio sits by the docks. The radio is faintly popping static as it plays 'Mikazuki no Veil' once again, however distorted and out of tune it may be.
Nagi stands on the docks by the coastline, taking in the view of the sky with a hue so vibrant, before sitting down at their usual place. Looking at the flowers within his hands, he reminds himself to deliver the flowers that Mitsuki had asked for before he left along with the summer.
Looking at the scorching sun, it reminded Nagi of the times when Mitsuki was still around. His scent, his laughter, his voice; everything remained crystal clear within his memory, almost as if he and Mitsuki had just met up by the coastline again yesterday.
Nagi wishes he could've given these flowers to Mitsuki while he was still alive, but Mitsuki refused them, insisting that he only gift them to him while visiting his grave.
He sets aside the flowers within his hands and takes out the guitar he brought along with him. "What song will I be playing today...?" he hums to himself.
Listening to the radio, which is one of the few things left that reminds Nagi of the life he used to live with Mitsuki, he is suddenly reminded of Mitsuki's solo song. Despite Mitsuki's voice being muffled and jumbled with static noises on the radio, Nagi is still glad nonetheless that he still gets to hear his voice for more days to come, perhaps until the radio breaks someday.
Holding his guitar, Nagi starts to strum along to 'Mikazuki no Veil' on the radio and sings for an audience that no longer exists, imagining that he's having a duet with Mitsuki, however raspy Mitsuki's voice may be.
"Let’s go see the crescent moon,
I’ll go with you, on this special day.
In the sky, the waning moon’s glowing,
Don’t forget, but remember..."
The radio will definitely break someday, leaving Nagi alone in a world where there music's all gone mute. But for now, Nagi silently sings along with Mitsuki's voice on the radio, their cobalt memories living on within his memories until he too, leaves with the summer someday.