VOIDCESS

1

It is as if An doesn't exist. Like she was never really here.

"Oh, well," she whispers to herself, to nobody inside Weekend Garage, failing painfully at some semblance of a smile on the floor, "I'll try again later."

- - -

She tries to salvage their relationship - friendship, whatever

it was - what do you call it when you spend all your time off with someone and take care of here and perform with here? - but soon, slowly, she understands that there is nothing to save, because there has been nothing to begin with. There is but silence on the Kohane's end;

She is nowhere to be found, nowhere in the school she is so fond of.

A week later though, as An is walking back to the Garage to manage the electric bill, his heart jumps at the sight of a familiar silhouette at your local Pet Shop. Kohane was browsing some bedding for her father pet snake Count Pearl.

Every fibre in An's body is shaking with excitement, and he opens his mouth to call, "Kohan -"

She stops when he realises that there is someone talking to her - in An's usual place. is the Minori, and she is laughing at something Kohane has said.

Haruka comes around with big and heavy bags, and as Kohane tilts his head to look up at her, An can see that she is smiling gently.

Her chest is tight, and his throat feels choked, but he does not linger, walking away quickly, chuckling, "... what terrible timing I have."
- - -

She runs into Kohane several days later, as the girl is strolling along vivid street - alone, An notices, and tries to quell his beating heart.

"Kohane - "

"An?"

She turns around and scrunches his face in distaste. It is Haruka, and she is peering down at him with equal parts disdain.

"Why are you still here?"

"Why are /you/ still here?" she snaps back.

"Not willingly," she scoffs. "Im looking to do my projects." Her single pale eye scrutinises the street, before going wide with surprise. "Don't tell me you're still lingering around the street because of Azusawa?"

"... shut up."

They are starting to get scary looks from the locals.

"Apparently you passed as good friends," she frowns. "Don't be a fool, An. You can't truly believe that you can be friends with Azusawa, much less the likes of you."

"I told you to shut it," she growls.

"I could not care less how you choose to screw yourself over, but trust me when I say that girl only think about herself."

She ignores her and turns around, about to head back to the music shop when she runs into brown eyes.

"Kh..."

Kohane looks them over expressionlessly, before she walks away without another word.

An does not stay to hear what Haruka has to say.

- - -

The fourth time he runs into Kohane she is at Music Shop, picking up Cd's for her mother. He catches sight of a short figure coming up the stairs in his peripheral vision with the member of Wonder X Showtime. Perhaps it is the awkwardness of their previous meeting, or the fact that An is not in uniform but dressed casually and even a little carelessly, but she finds himself sneakily hid behind the shelf full of CD's, crouching at feet and making little to no noises. She peers down at him curiously, but nods several moments later.

She feels pathetic, but the low hum of Kohane's voice - something she has not heard in days - is comforting.

"Yeye, are you sure this is the CD my mother my finding?"

"Most likely. I also suggest this holographic blue CD i heard they were really popular for adults."

They check out thoughtful gifts for Kohane mother, along with various poster and binders for them. And then -

"Emu, have you seen the black hair lady with blue highlights?"

An almost forgets to breathe.

After several seconds, Emu slowly replies, "No."

"Aww - where'd he go! Akito misses him, you know."

Kohane's voice thrums through the air, "Well, it is quiet and peaceful without that her around."

"There you go again! Why are you girls so stubborn..."

An does not hear anything after. She stays very still, and even after they are long gone, he does not move from under the table.

A staff peers down at him, asking puzzledly, "Are you okay?"

She smiles reassuringly up at her, but his face feels all wrong and funny.

"Of course I am."

- - -

The next time he sees Kohane, that girl is looking at their usual pet shop at Shibuya - alone. This time he is more nervous than excited, but still she tries to pull himself together, to face the wreckage of their relationship.

But when she opens his mouth to call Kohane's name,

as she has so many times before - the words die in his throat.

Kohane. Azusawa. Huh? Hello. What. What is happening. Why. Azusawa. My voice -

His fingers close around his throat, checking for anomalies, but there is nothing wrong. He tries speaking a random "plant outside of Weekend Garage",

but there is only the whistling sound of air passing through his lips.

His own silence is deafening, the drum of his heart almost painful in his chest. His mind short-circuits. What. What. Why. How -

"An?"

Kohane is looking straight at him, his head tilted in puzzlement. An can only stare back.

When Kohane takes a step closer, An turns on his heel and runs. She can hear Kohane calling, shouting his name, but he does not stop. She cannot stop. She is panicked, sad, in despair.

Somehow, some way, there's always something wrong with her.