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Mafuyu hated getting up early in the morning. Simply keeping her eyes open was a struggle, and she dreaded having to give up the warmth of her cozy bed only to be met with the cool morning air.
At first she only felt this way the morning after her occasional meetings with Nightcord but once they increased in number, they permanently left a mark on her sleep schedule, messing it up completely.
Today was worse, though. She got up earlier than she was used to, so the temperature was lower. At least the fact that she was freezing made her all sleepiness disappear so there was no risk of her crashing the car.
They agreed it would be best for Mafuyu to drive, considering Ena and Kanade didn't have a license and Mizuki was, in Ena's words, 'a danger to anyone unfortunate enough to be on the road at the same time as them' . Mafuyu had never needed them to drive her anywhere, but considering Mizuki was Mizuki she could imagine the experience wouldn't be very pleasant. Her other two girlfriends only confirmed her theory. That's how Mafuyu become the group's assigned driver. The role did become tiring at times, but she didn't have it in her to complain. Afterall, that was Ena's job.
The artist sat cross-legged in the backseat of the car, going on a seemingly endless rant about how cold the car was, despite the fact that she was currently wrapped up in a soft blanket. She rambled on and on, saying that the trip wasn't worth it and how they should have stayed at home instead.
For a second, Mafuyu considered reminding Ena that it had been her own idea to go to the newly opened art exhibition in the neighboring city but decided against it, not wanting to face the girl's wrath.
Mizuki, however, had no such concerns. In fact, annoying Ena seemed to be one of their favorite activities. This often made Mafuyu question whether they were really brave or really stupid. Probably the latter.
"You know, Enanan, you really shouldn't be complaining. This trip was your idea!"
"Hmp! If my complaints annoy you so much, we can just stop the car and leave you here," Ena responded crossing her arms, "Oh look, we're right next to a forest. I'm sure you'd be a great meal for the wolves."
"Actually, no wolves live in this forest." Mafuyu corrected. She'd been on a trip in this very forest, all the way back in middle school. The students had been scared by the thought of meeting dangerous wildlife, but the teacher had reassured them that there were no such dangers.
"Yeah! That's exactly what I was gonna say!" Mizuki exclaimed, as Ena and Mafuyu glanced at them skeptically.
"And plus, you wouldn't abandon me on the side of the road. I'm just too adorable!"
"Mafuyu, stop the car." Ena commanded, but before Mafuyu could comply, another voice spoke up.
"Mafuyu, don't." Kanade's voice was quiet, but there was a hint of exasperation in her tone. Up until this point, she had been working on their newest song. Mafuyu had assumed that she wasn't able to hear the argument, thanks to her headphones, but clearly that assumption was wrong. Had she known they were bothering Kanade, Mafuyu would have stopped her girlfriends' fight sooner. The composer valued peace and harmony, and she wasn't really fond of Ena and Mizuki's constant banter, unlike Mafuyu, who found their childish arguments mildly entertaining.
"Oh, Kanade! I knew you'd be on my side! At least one of my girlfriends actually loves me and doesn't constantly plot my demise!"
"I just want you to be quiet so that I can keep working on this song." Kanade said calmly, a perfect contrast to Mizuki, who looked like they'd just been shot ten times. Before they could start dramatically sobbing and going on an endless rant about betrayal, Kanade thankfully spoke up again.
"But I also love you." That seemed to cheer Mizuki up, as their kicked puppy expression turns into a victorious grin.
"I love you too, Kanade! You're kind and sweet and nice and cute, unlike our other two back-stabbing girlfriends."
Mafuyu didn't comment on that. She knew Mizuki didn't mean it. Ena probably knew it too, but she was just way too stubborn to let Mizuki have the last word.
"But, Kanade," She spoke up, her voice as sweet as honey, "Mizuki's the one always starting fights and being loud. It would be way more peaceful to just leave them in the forest."
"Oh, please, as if she'd actually—"
"You're right. Mafuyu, you can stop the car now."
—
They did not kick Mizuki out of the car. The threat of being left alone in the middle of nowhere had scared the youngest member of their group enough to behave, at least for a little while. The next half an hour or so had been peaceful. Kanade could finally focus on composing a new song, Ena spent her time doodling in her sketch book, and Mafuyu, could finally relax. Usually she was quite tense while driving, due to the horrible traffic in the city. She often had to worry about moving too slow or two fast, thus risking getting yelled at by angry drivers, who seemed to be most of them. Now, however, the road was mostly empty, which made Mafuyu far calmer than usual. Like this, she could actually enjoy small things such as the gorgeous scenery surrounding them.
Mizuki, on the other hand, was not easily swayed by the nature's beauty. They were resting their head against the window, sadly looking at the landscape with a pout on their face, as they absent-mindedly played with the keychain on their bag, clearly bored. One thing that Mafuyu had grown to learn about the youngest member of the group, is that Mizuki thrived in chaos, especially when they were the reason of said chaos. Maybe it was a means of getting attention, maybe they simply enjoyed being a menace, or maybe it was both. Whatever the reason might be, it was obvious that Mizuki wouldn't be able to go much longer without starting trouble.
And soon enough, the perfect occasion to start trouble arose. Ena put her sketch book and pencil to the side, and grabbed her bag, taking out some makeup products and a small mirror. As soon as they noticed this, a malicious grin appeared on Mizuki's face.
"Hey, Ena, what lip gloss are you using?"
With a heavy sigh, Ena handed them the lip gloss, to give them a better look. "This one. I bought it last weekend. Airi recommended it to me."
"It's so pink and sparkly! But..."
"But what?"
"I don't think the color really suits you. I have something better that you can try!" And with that, they started searching through their own bag, as Ena and Mafuyu glanced at each other skeptically. "Here you go!" Mizuki exclaimed, taking out an item and handing it to Ena.
The brunette analyzed it for a few seconds, before grimacing. "Mizuki, this is a lip plumper, not a lip gloss."
"It is?" the other asked, feigning innocence. "Well, I still think this shade would suit you. Also, your lips are very thin and hard to kiss, so this product is perfect for you!
"I personally think Ena's lips are already quite kissable." Mafuyu said, making her girlfriend blush.
"But this thing can make them even better!" Mizuki exclaimed, looking at Ena pleadingly. "At least give it a try?"
"Fine, but I'm only trying it."
The artist quickly applied the product and started analyzing herself in the mirror. Mafuyu didn't know much about make up, but even she could tell that the color looked great on Ena. Perhaps Mizuki's intentions had been good after all.
After a few seconds of admiring herself, Ena's expression went from calm to shocked to panicked to angry, as Mizuki could barely contain their laughter.
"Mizuki, the hell is this?!"
"Just one of my favorite lip plumpers."
"Why does it burn?!"
"Oh, did I forget to mention that it's made with red chili peppers?" They asked, wearing a smile that couldn't be considered anything other than smug.
"Yes, you kind of did!"
"Sorry 'bout that. But I'm sure it doesn't hurt that bad." Just as they finished the sentence, Ena grabbed a hold of their hair, tugging them closer and crashing their lips together. At first Mizuki seemed to melt into it, then the sting from the lip plumper finally kicked in. They tried to pull away, but Ena made sure to keep them in place for a few more moments, before finally releasing them.
"Okay okay! You win! It does burn pretty bad..." they said, taking out a package of wet wipes from their bag and handing one to Ena, before grabbing another for themselves.
The artist wordlessly took it, though it was obvious from her expression that she felt a sense of pride giving Mizuki a taste of their own medicine, both practically and methaphoricaly speaking.
"Here you go. I won't be needing this anymore." Ena said, giving the lip plumper back to Mizuki and searching through her bag for a few moments, before taking out a light brown lipstick. Seeing this, a smirk returned to Mizuki's face as they spoke. "So you do agree that the pink doesn't suit you."
"Shut up."
Mafuyu prepared herself for yet another one of Ena and Mizuki's childish arguments. Perhaps she should have paid more attention to driving. With her attention split between the road and her girlfriends, she failed to see the large pit that was up ahead and drove right across it, making the car shake for a few moments.
"Is everyone alright?" She asked, looking towards her girlfriends. All her worries faded away and were replaced by amusement when she glanced at Ena. The girl had a streak of lipstick smudged across a cheek, almost looking as if she'd attempted clown makeup.
"Enanan looks like a circus clown!" Mizuki burst out laughing while Mafuyu let out a chuckle, trying to remain somewhat composed.
Ena glared at them before looking back at the mirror to see just how bad the situation was. "It looks bad, but not like a clown!"
"Circus clown! Circus clown!"
"Since you like my new look so much, how about I give you a makeover?" The artist said, tugging the other closer and trying to reach their face with the lipstick. Mizuki pulled away, trying to grab Ena's wrist and keep her at a distance. While they had an advantage due to their height and physical strength, Ena had the older sibling experience. She'd told the rest of Nightcord stories about how she used to play-fight with Akito as kids, so she was pretty much an expert. Meanwhile, Mizuki's experience was minimal, as they and their older sister got on pretty well, so they were doomed to lose from the very beginning.
Just as expected, in less than a minute, Ena had the other pinned down on the backseat, free to smudge lipstick all over their face.
"Ena, stop! It tickles!" Mizuki could barely contain their laughter as they tried (and failed) to push the other off.
The struggle seemed to finally catch Kanade's attention, who finally spoke up.
"Ena, Mizuki, are you two alright?" The other two rose to a sitting position, and the artwork that Ena had left on Mizuki's face was now visible. Their cheeks now had cat whiskers on them, paired with a cute heart shaped nose. Mafuyu found it quite fitting since Mizuki had a tendency to start trouble, much like cats often cause mischief just for the sake of annoying their owners.
"Ena's bullying me!"
"Mizuki's making fun of me!"
Kanade sighed heavily and took a moment to asses the situation.
"I think you two need some time apart from each other. One of you should switch places with me.
Mizuki and Ena stared at Kanade, then at each other, then at Kanade again.
"Okay."
"Fine by me."
"Alright. Mafuyu, can you please stop the car for a bit?"
"Of course. I just need to find a spot to park it."
Mafuyu spent the next few minutes looking for somewhere to stop while Ena and Mizuki cleaned up their faces. After a brief wait, the car was finally parked Kanade was first to get out, a gust of wind ruffling her hair and making her shiver. Ena and Mizuki soon followed, reaching out for their respective doors.
"Where do you think you're going?" The brunette asked.
"To sit in the front."
"Very funny. I'm sitting in the front."
"No, I am!"
Seeing that her girlfriends were taking so long, Kanade went back inside the car, exasperated.
"What's wrong?"
"Ena's being mean!"
"Mizuki's being a menace."
"They both want to sit in the front." Mafuyu clarified.
"I should get to sit in the front. I want to fix my makeup in the review mirror, since it's bigger than the one I have." Ena said, crossing her arms. "You want to sit there just so you can annoy me." She pointed an accusatory finger towards Mizuki, who let out an overly dramatic gasp.
"I would never do such a thing! I just want easier access to the radio, you know, I've prepared a special playlist just for this trip."
"And why do we hear about this supposed playlist just now? You could have said something before! Just admit it, you're making up reasons to—"
Mafuyu almost chuckled at their petty argument, but Kanade wasn't so pleased. "Ena, Mizuki, stop it." She said. Her voice was still as calm quiet as usual, but there was an edge to it.
Ena and Mizuki both stopped and glanced towards their girlfriend. When the composer finally got their attention, she spoke. "Ena, you can sit in the front. Mizuki, you'll sit in the back, but you get to choose the playlist. Is that alright?" She asked, looking at the other two expectantly. Ena and Mizuki looked at each other, then at Kanade, then back at each other again.
"Sure."
"Sounds good."
—
To probably no one's surprise, Mizuki's playlist consisted of vocaloid songs, anime and video game soundtracks, and a whole lot of More More Jump covers.
The trip had been quite peaceful after Kanade and Ena had switched places. The former sat quietly in her seat, wearing a pair of headphones, as she had been since the beginning of their trip.
Ena had managed to fix her makeup. Mafuyu had purposefully started driving slower, to keep her from making any mistakes. After she was done, Ena took her note book and pencil out of her bag and started scribbling.
And Mizuki was, well... Mizuki was being Mizuki. The younger member of their group had been strangely well-behaved ever since they got access to the radio. They were now doing a silly little dance while singing along to one of More More Jump's covers.
"I love More More Jump so much, they're just so talented!" They suddenly exclaimed, breaking the silence that had settled in the car. "Especially Minori! I love her singing so much!"
Mafuyu and Ena weren't going to answer. Ena because she was still upset, and Mafuyu because she just preferred being silent. Kanade, whose mood had seemingly improved, hummed quietly before speaking. "Her singing is quite impressive."
"I know, right?! Is she your favorite too, Kanade?"
"Hmm... I haven't listened to many of their songs, but from what I've seen Haruka has a really pleasant and powerful voice. And I like how easily she can cheer people up. Her presence is just so... bright."
"Haruka's pretty cool too." Mizuki replied, then their attention shifted to their two remaining girlfriends. "Mafuyu, Ena, who's your favorite More More Jump member?"
"That's a pretty hard question..." Ena said thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Mafuyu's reply was instant.
"Shizuku. She's cool and collected, calmer than the other members. We're in the archery club together, and from what I've seen, she always acts nice and polite. Other than her personality, I am quite fond of her singing. I find it soothing, especially the calmer and slower songs. Her voice range is very impressive as well and—"
"Okay, okay! I didn't ask for a whole argumentative essay!"
"I see..."
"What about you, Enanan? Who's your fave?"
"Hmm... I'd probably have to go with Shizuku. Same reasons as Mafuyu."
"Oh? So you're not going to pick Airi, your very best friend?" Mizuki teased. "Do you not like her?"
"Of course I do! She's my best friend! But if I had to pick a favorite idol then—"
"Poor Airi would be so sad if she found out. And so disappointed!"
"Well, Airi's not here now." Ena retorted.
"Maybe~ But I can always text her. Oh I can't wait to see her reaction!" They let out a chuckle, taking their phone out of their pocket. Did they even have Airi's number? That question remained unanswered. Before they could actually use their phone, Kanade snatched it away, keeping it out of reach.
"Wha— Kanade! Hey!" They whined, stomping their foot like a toddler.
"Do you want a biscuit?" The composer asked calmly, opening her bag and taking out a half full package of chocolate flavored biscuits. "If you stop teasing Ena and don't start any trouble, you can have it."
Ah, yes. Treats. The best trick in the book.
"Okay deal!" Mizuki beamed, eating the biscuit straight from Kanade's hand and earning gentle head-pats in return. Perhaps Mizuki really was a cat in a human body.
"Hey! What about me?" Ena complained. "I'll also be quiet and avoid trouble! I want a biscuit."
"Here you go." Kanade said, practically shoving a biscuit in the artist's mouth to keep her from complaining even more. "And this is for you." the composer continued, holding a biscuit towards Mafuyu, who just looked at her, confused.
"Why? You gave biscuits to Ena and Mizuki to stop them from arguing. Why do I get a biscuit?"
"Are you kidding? You're the one driving us to Enanan's boring art exhibition! I think you deserve it!"
Ena ignored Mizuki's comment regarding the art exhibition, and instead supported their other point. "And you've been a great driver. You even slowed down the car to help me do my makeup more easily."
Mizuki nodded enthusiastically while Kanade just hummed in agreement. Once Mafuyu finally took the biscuit, the composer finally spoke. "And plus, I think anyone who has to deal with Ena and Mizuki deserves a reward." To emphasize her point, she took out a biscuit for herself.
—
At about halfway through their journey, driving became much easier for Mafuyu. She'd encountered far less traffic jams and now the road was for the most part empty. Another thing that helped improve her concentration was the lack of distractions.
Mizuki had grown too tired to be a menace to everyone around, so now they were resting their head against the window, dozing off. Kanade slept peacefully, laying her head in the younger's lap. The composer was curled up, covered by the soft blanket that Ena had previously used. She looked absolutely adorable like this. Kanade would often give up on sleep in favor of overworking herself, so seeing her resting so calmly and peacefully brought a small smile to Mafuyu's lips.
Unlike the other two, Ena was restless. She constantly switched between looking at Mafuyu and the window, and her hands were fidgeting with the hem of her blouse. Whenever she became aware of the behavior, she'd stop for a few seconds, only to subconsciously start again later. Something was clearly bothering the artist.
"Ena?" Mafuyu murmured, placing her hand on top of Ena's, to get her attention. "Is everything alright?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah, don't worry about it."
Mafuyu didn't move her hand away and continued to look at Ena expectantly. With an annoyed sigh, the artist continued. "Okay, fine. This morning I was in such a rush that I forgot to have breakfast. Kanade's biscuits helped, but I'm still a bit hungry."
"Biscuits aren't exactly a very consistent meal. We should stop and find a place to eat."
"We can't! The art exhibition closes at noon, and if we stop to eat, we might not have time to ses the whole thing."
"We can stop at the gas station to get something and eat in the car. It shouldn't take longer than a few minutes."
Ena scoffed. "What are the odds of finding a gas station right here and right no–"
"There's one over there."
—
In less than a minute, the car was parked right next to the gas station. Mafuyu got out of the car, soon followed by Ena. "Should we wake them up too?" The artist inquired. Mafuyu thought about it for a few questions. Seeing Kanade take naps wasn't common, so usually she didn't interfere with the composer's sleep. Even so, her and Mizuki might be hungry too...
After a moment of hesitation, Mafuyu opened the door to the back seat, startling Mizuki awake.
"H-huh? What...?" They mumbled in confusion.
"We stopped at a gas station. Do you need anything?"
"Gas station? Can I come too?" Mizuki asked, rubbing their eyes, still a bit sleepy.
Mafuyu opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by a grumble. Kanade sat up and yawned, looking at the other two curiously. "Are we at the art gallery already?"
"Nope! We're at a gas station!" Mizuki said way too enthusiastically.
"Oh..." The composer looked at her surroundings, realizing that they were, in fact, in the parking lot of a gas station. "Is it alright if I stay in the car? I'm still a bit tired, plus the sun is way too bright." She said, laying back down and covering herself with the blanket.
"Sometimes, I wonder if you're actually a vampire, Kanade. That would actually be so fun! You could—"
"We need to hurry. " Mafuyu interrupted, "Ena doesn't want to be late to the exhibition."
"Okay, okay!" Mizuki basically jumped out of the car. "Bye Kanade, we'll be back soon, love ya!"
And with that, the three of them stared walking towards the gas station, leaving the sleeping composer in the car.
—
Mafuyu and Ena were looking at different types of sandwiches, debating on which one Kanade would like more. Meanwhile, Mizuki showed absolutely no interest in any of the actual food, and instead rushed to the candy section. They came back triumphally with a package of berry flavored gummies.
"Look what I found!" They beamed, practically shoving the item in Mafuyu and Ena's faces.
"Seriously, Mizuki? You should be looking at some actual food." Ena complained.
"But this is food! And isn't it just adorable? The gummies are shaped like little colorful rabbits, oh, and the one of the packaging kinda looks like you Mafuyu!"
Mafuyu carefully analyzed the drawing of the fluffy and purple cartoon rabbit before replying. "I don't really see the resemblance."
"What? But you look identical! Right, Ena?"
"As much as this hurts to say, I actually agree with Mizuki for once."
"See? Even Enanan's agreeing!"
Kanade would be happy to see them getting along. Speaking of which, they should probably get back to the composer.
"We got everything we need. Let's head back." Mafuyu said, picking up the sweets that Mizuki had picked, as well as the other products that they were going to buy. She hurried to the cash register, the other two close behind.
Fortunately, the queue hadn't been very long, and in a few minutes they were already back in the car.
Mafuyu and Ena were eating their sandwiches, while Mizuki was giving the gummy rabbits names and personalities. Mafuyu questioned the purpose of this activity, since Mizuki would end up eating the gummies anyway. Even so, she didn't voice her thoughts, and instead just carefully listened to Mizuki's rambles. Ena seemed to be doing the same, occasionally laughing at the story Mizuki was gradually coming up with. In all honesty, it wasn't too bad. Perhaps Wonderlands x Showtime should use some of Mizuki's ideas for their next play.
"Now, Prince Bon Bon, you shall be sentenced to death for conspiring against the king!" They declared, addressing a red gummy rabbit, who could only accept its fate, as Mizuki bit its head off. "Oh, it's strawberry flavored! Do you all want some too?"
Mafuyu shook her head and Ena considered the offer for a moment, before doing the same. Meanwhile Kanade didn't move at all. Actually, she hadn't moved since they got back in the car, not even to greet them. It was strange, considering the composer was usually a very light sleeper. Surely she had heard them, right?
"Kanade? What about you?" Mizuki asked, only to be met with silence. "Kanade?" They reached out, pulling on the blanket that was covering the composer from head to toe. Confusion and panic appeared when the blanket was moved and they all realized that there was no Kanade underneath.
Shit.
"Where the fuck is she!?" Ena screamed.
"I-I don't know...! She was right here when we went to the gas station!"
"Fuck, what do we do?" Ena asked, but her question remained unanswered.
Mafuyu made sure there were no other cars around when she suddenly moved the steering wheel, turning the car around and onto the other lane of the road.
The force of the movement made Ena bang her head against the window. Still, she was much more fortunate than Mizuki, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt and ended up on the floor of the car, desperately trying to find something to hold onto.
"The hell, Mafuyu!? That was illegal!" Ena screamed, grabbing Mafuyu by the shoulder and shaking her.
The girl didn't respond. The only thing on her mind was currently finding Kanade, so she sped up, trying to make it to the gas station as soon as possible. If something had happened to Kanade, every moment mattered.
"Hah... Mafuyu, your driving is even worse than mine~" Mizuki joked, trying—and failing—to climb back to the backseat. At least one person was staying calm, despite the fact that one of their girlfriends was missing, another was driving recklessly and breaking multiple laws, and the third was having a meltdown.
"Mafuyu slow down! You're driving past the speed limit!" Ena shrieked, gripping the girl's shoulder even tighter. "What if there's police around here!? What if we have an accident!? What if—" Ena's question was cut off when Mafuyu suddenly stopped the car right in front of the gas station. She practically jumped outside, frantically looking around for Kanade. Ena and Mizuki soon followed. The artist was trying to regain her composure and to catch her breath after screaming so much. Mizuki tried to look unaffected, despite the fact that their knees were woobly, and they had to hold onto the car door for support when standing up.
"I can't believe you just did that! Do you know how dangerous that was!?" Ena shouted, but her comment was completely ignored.
"She's not out here. Do we go inside?" The youngest asked, earning a determined nod from Mafuyu. The purple haired girl quickly ran past a furious Ena and straight to the gas station.
All of her panic faded when she entered the place and saw Kanade, calmly looking at some old CD's from one of the shelves. Mafuyu sighed in relief, a smile making its way to her lips.
Ena was next to enter, still grumbling angrily. Though all of her negative emotions were forgotten when her eyes landed on the composer. She smiled fondly, seeing that her beloved girlfriend was safe and sound.
"Kanade!" Mizuki beamed, rushing to the composer and pulling her into a tight hug. The smaller girl would have probably fallen to the ground if Ena and Mafuyu hadn't joined the hug, supporting her and holding her upright.
"I-I'm glad to see you too..." The composer barely managed to murmur. "But can you all let go? I can't breathe."
Reluctantly they all let go, stepping back and giving the composer more room to breathe. When she spoke, Mafuyu expected her to be upset that they'd left her there, but that didn't happen. Instead, she calmly asked. "So, did you get snacks for the rest of the trip?"
Mafuyu, Ena and Mizuki just stared. They stared at her, then at each other, than back at her again. Was she not even going to mention the fact that they left without her?
"Is... everything okay...?" Kanade asked, confused by how the others were acting.
Ena was the first to somewhat regain her composure. She completely ignored the composer's question, and instead asked "Kanade, when did you leave the car?"
"After you went to get snacks, I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn't. So I came here instead." The girl explained. "I was supposed to look for you, but then I got distracted by these CD's..." She said, a sheepish smile on her face.
Mafuyu refrained herself from sighing in relief. Kanade didn't know that they'd left without her. She hadn't been scared at finding herself alone at the gas station. She wasn't angry at any of them. She had just spent her time peacefully looking at CD's, assuming that her lovers were close by getting food. It was better this way. Kanade didn't need to know that her girlfriends had been worried sick, or that Mafuyu had broken multiple laws looking for her.
"We were so worried," Mizuki began. "While you were here we—" The next words were muffled by Ena, who quickly covered the younger's mouth.
"We, uh... We were worried that you wouldn't like the snacks we picked out!"
"Right. We were about to go to the car and ask you what kind of snacks to get."
"Yeah, yeah! Exactly!" Ena carefully moved her hand away from Mizuki's mouth. "Isn't that right, Mizuki?"
"Huh? Uh, yeah! Totally!"
Kanade stared at the three of them for a few moments. She clearly realized that something was wrong, bit thankfully, she didn't comment on it.
"Anyway... I was thinking of getting this CD..." Kanade said, changing the subject. "But I think I forgot my wallet at home... So, uhm, if it's not too much to ask for..." The girl's cheeks were turning a rosy red color. She looked absolutely adorable like this.
"We can pay for you!" Ena offered, pulling Kanade closer and kissing her cheek.
"Yeah! Anything for our beautiful, smart, amazing, cute, talented, kind and pretty girlfriend!" Mizuki added, as they wrapped their arms around the smaller girl's neck and kissed the top of her head.
Mafuyu stepped closer too, cupping the composer's cheek and gently kissing her lips. When she finally pulled away, she added. "We love you."
Kanade chuckled. "Why are you all being so affectionate all of a sudden?"
"No reason~" Mizuki answered with a wink.
"We just love spoiling our girlfriend. Now how about we go buy that CD and the snacks?" Ena said, grabbing Kanade's hand and slowly beginning to walk towards the cash register.
Mafuyu quickly grabbed onto the composer's other hand. Her touch felt warm and comforting. It made Mafuyu want to never let go. And after everything that had happened today, she probably won't be letting go of Kanade for a very long time. Mizuki and Ena seemed to share the sentiment.
Despite all the panic and confusion from earlier, Mafuyu felt happy. Happy that Kanade was alright. Happy that they were all reunited. Happy that she had three amazing lovers, who she treasured more than anything else in the world. As long as she was with them, nothing else mattered.