Sapphire String

I was hiding out in my room, typically avoiding everyone in the house. It was quiet, and I like quiet days the most. I thought back to the strings tied on my finger. 11. It shouldn't have been possible to begin with, since 11 strings were way more than what I've ever woven before. But now it was showing its effects. I wondered what would happen if I simply cut the strings now. Would they wonder why there was a girl in their dorm?

Someone knocked on the door, and I walked over to it and opened it. The door wasn't actually locked, but sadly, I couldn't call out, 'come in,' and hence the extra effort to actually get up and open the door was needed. They were far too well mannered to randomly barge into a girl's room.

Aoi stood outside the door. He waved at me and asked, "Can we come in?"

At his 'we,' I opened the door a little wider. Hajime, Shun, Kai, Haru, Yoru and Rui were there as well. That was a combination I hadn't expected to see.

I nodded and Aoi and the rest walked in. I took a seat on the edge of the bed, Kai and Shun joined me there. Yoru and Aoi took a seat on the chairs, while Haru, Hajime and Rui leaned against the wall. I noticed Yoru holding a small box from the corner of my eyes.

I gestured to them, and then to my room, attempting to communicate without words, 'What are you all doing here?'

"We got you something when we went out earlier," said Hajime, nodding to Yoru. Yoru handed me the box and I opened it. It was cake, and the one I had been eyeing when I was rushing to work a week or so ago.

My eyes widened of their own accord.

"You haven't been talking much to anyone, I mean you can't, but it also felt like you were avoiding us, so we thought we'd get you something, hoping it would cheer you up..." Haru trailed off.

I stared down at the floor, as water fell from my eyes. I wiped them, as Kai ruffled my hair. "Doesn't take much to make you cry, huh?"

I smiled, my heart swelling with sorrow, gratitude, and guilt.

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I made my decision. I didn't want to lose them–the family I had gained through a set of lies and strings. But these memories had stemmed from a lie, they weren't honest. I needed my voice, because at least my voice was genuine. I just wanted to have both, was that really, truly too much to ask for?

I walked up to Shun, who was sitting on the couch with a cup of tea. He looked up as I approached, and placed his cup on the table.

"What's wrong?"

I pointed to his hand, and he held it out for me.

'Ask everyone to come to the park tonight, please.' He watched as I traced on his palm.

"I see you've made a decision."

I nodded, and he smiled softly. "I'll ask them to come."

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I sat on the park bench, looking up at the stars, wondering if they would look the same after this was over. I was still second-guessing my decision, but it was far too late for cold feet now.

"Mayim?" Kai asked, approaching. I averted my eyes from the stars and instead looked into his sea-blue eyes. "Did something happen?"

Everyone else was standing around us, but Shun hung in the back, an incomprehensible look in his eyes. I wondered how to tell Kai without words how grateful I was, how much I had loved the few months I had spent with them, how glad I was to have had him as a brother for even a short while and how to tell him how sorry I was for having lied that one night, when the stars looked exactly as they did now. I wondered how and if I could ever convey these feelings without speaking. I knew I couldn't, so instead I took his hand. I traced in his palm, 'Thank you.'

Kai looked at me, confusion etched across his face. Shun's changed to one of pity. I took my hand back and raised my left one, bringing my right to the strings. 11 strings. 11 ties to cut, and 1 heart to break. I passed my nail through the strings. The strings started to fall before they disappeared. Kai and the rest couldn't see them, but Shun watched them as they disappeared. Everyone stared at nothing for a while.

"Thank you, Mayim," said Shun. He ruffled my hair gently. I smiled as tears fell from my eyes again; it really doesn't take much to make me cry. I nodded, as light entered Kai's eyes again.

"Shun? What are we doing here?" Kai asked. Everyone else looked visibly confused as well. Hajime rubbed his forehead.

Ah, so he doesn't remember. And that right there, that was the sound of a shattering heart. Even Shun looked like the question physically pained him.

"We came to the park after the photo shoot, remember?" Shun said, his voice lacking its mystical quality.

Kai turned to me. His eyes held none of the warmth and kindness they used to. I don't think my heart can break anymore than this.

"And who are you?"

"Mayim... Iona," I said, coming up with a last name on the whim. It took me a second to realize my voice was back, but the price I had to pay was heavy. Shun smiled softly, sadness reflected in his green eyes. "I'm a voice actor."

"Perhaps we'll work together someday then. I'm an idol." He looked so proud of himself. Yeah, I know. I know you're an idol. Why, I spent so many days watching your photo shoots and recordings as well.

Kai looked up as Hajime looked at Haru, who shrugged. Haru looked at me in confusion. "I've heard your voice somewhere before..."

"I wonder, perhaps you've heard it on TV." I smiled; a smile that didn't exactly reach my eyes.

Haru nodded, slightly unconvinced. "You have a nice voice."

"Thank you, Haru."

"You know my name?"

"I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure you're all famous," I said, looking around at everyone. Most of them smiled back at me.

"It's getting late, so you should be getting home," Kai said, looking up. "If your home is nearby, I'll drop you off."

"That's kind of you, but I can go alone. It's not too late yet." I gave them one last smile. "Thank you."

I turned and attempted to walk to the gates at a normal pace, but I ran as soon as I was outside the park, sadness swirling in my broken heart. Where once it was crushed by guilt, now it was crushed by sorrow. I sat below a tree, a place where no one would see me, and just cried it all out. I wonder, how long did I sit there? Perhaps an hour or so. And then I got up. That's what we do after all; we cry for a night, we get up and keep walking. There's no way for me to head back to the dorm, so I headed to the café. Scarlet was closing up the shop when she saw me.

"Mayim!" She ran to me and stopped. I suppose she realized I'd been crying.

"Scarlet." I smiled, another tear falling.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me in for a hug. "I don't know what happened, but your voice is back."

"At least my voice is back," I whispered. She held me like that for a while, before I pulled back.

"Could I ask you for a favor?"

She nodded.

"Could I stay at your house for a while?"

"Of course." She looked at me like I had asked a stupid question.

At least I wouldn't have to sleep out on the streets. We walked together, her in the lead, before we ended up at her house. I knew she wasn't living with family. Instead, a little kitten greeted me at the door. I stared at the golden tabby who was walking around my legs as Scarlet smiled.

"Estelle likes you."

I bent down and picked her up, staring into her sea-blue eyes. Estelle licked my nose and I smiled–a smile that wasn't stained with sorrow. "Yeah, I like her too."

11 strings and 1 broken heart. But perhaps the broken heart can be repaired, even if the strings cannot.

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Could've ended it here and broken everyone's hearts hehe~