Miss You

~~~🌟~~~

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and let my mind carry me back home, to my childhood, to the warm voice that lulled me to sleep on stormy nights.

"Darling girl, don’t you fear the storm’s roar…"

My voice rang clear in the cold air of the station. I didn't stutter. I didn’t falter.

"The shadows near, or winds that soar, my dear…"

I opened my eyes to find Lucio staring at me, surprised, his eyes shining as if a candle flickered within his pupils.

He nodded slowly, then brought his fingers to the strings, waiting for me to continue singing. I closed my eyes again.

"Like stars guide, in the darkest night…"

But I was no longer there.

I was with her. With her embrace. With her love.

"I’ll be your flame, your steadfast light, my dear."

"That's good."

I snapped my eyes open to find a salaryman in a black suit watching us with tired yet impressed eyes, murmuring those words to a coworker who looked just as moved.

Around us, a small crowd had gathered, their gazes fixed on me. It was working. My eyes sparkled with emotion.

"Sail with me, down this lonely..."

Mom.

My throat closed up. For a moment, I had felt her there. But where?

Desperately, I searched the faces in the crowd, but I couldn't find her.

That was when I realized—the shine in my eyes wasn’t excitement. The tears fell before I could stop them. I tried to keep going, but my voice cracked into a sob, and everything crumbled.

"Mom...! Mom!"

I ran off, covering my face, as if I could somehow find her if I just kept going. I didn’t know where I was heading. I just needed to escape.

"Huh? Aurora!"

Lucio's voice reached me from behind, carried by the wind like a distant echo. But I couldn’t turn back. I could only search for her.

"You have a beautiful voice, Aurora."

"Come back!" I shouted—to no one in the physical world.

Through sobs and aching lungs, I stumbled into a narrow alleyway, untouched even before the announcement of the Amane Comet. That was as far as my legs could take me. My knees gave out, but my lungs still had air left to burn.

The cold asphalt seeped through my skin, but I barely felt it. My body trembled, not just from running, but from the crushing weight in my chest, a void that expanded with each ragged breath.

I shut my eyes tight, trying to hold onto the feeling of her presence, but all I found was the echo of my own broken voice.

Mom.

The memory struck me with full force, mercilessly.

The scent of jasmine that always surrounded her, the warmth of her hands brushing through my hair, the melody of her voice humming that song as she held me on stormy nights.

"It’s okay, my love… Don’t be afraid, everything will be alright."

But it wasn’t.

The hospital. Dad arguing desperately with a doctor. My world collapsing around me.

"Aurora, you’re so brave."

I wasn’t.

Something touched my shoulder.

The shock made me lower my hands, revealing my tear-streaked face to Lucio.

"Aurora!" he called, his voice hollow. His eyes, filled with deep concern, searched my face as he crouched beside me. "What hap—"

Instinctively, I buried my face in his chest and sobbed even harder. I was sure I had caught him completely off guard, but that didn’t stop him from wrapping his arms around me.

"I miss her… I miss her so much, Lucio."

I felt him hold me even tighter. In that moment, I realized—I had never told him what happened to my mother. In truth, I hadn’t told almost anyone.

It had been a month, yet it felt like an eternity without her.

"I’m sorry," Lucio murmured. "I didn’t know that song would—"

"It’s okay," I tried to reassure him, even as I shook. "It’s… not your fault."

I clung to his jacket, trembling. Something about him made me feel safe, warm. Maybe that’s why I had been able to sing the way I did during practice—because he didn’t feel like a stranger.

"People were looking at you, you know?"

Only then did I finally open my eyes, barely registering Lucio’s t-shirt in the darkness of his embrace.

"When you started singing, people started paying attention," he continued. "I don’t know what changed from my song, but… you really have talent, Aurora."

"Lucio..."

"After this, I doubt you’ll want to keep going. And I get it. I just want you to know—it was an honor to share music with you."

"Don’t be ridiculous."

I quickly pulled away, locking eyes with him. My own were still soaked with tears, and his seemed ready to follow suit. I never would’ve imagined seeing him like this.

"Why would you think I don’t want to try again?" I asked, frustration and sorrow intertwining in my voice.

"Well..."

"Your music did something to me, Lucio. YOU, with your arrogant attitude and your determination to shine, did something to me. You made me feel like life had meaning again before I even had the chance to die."

Lucio looked as shocked as he was moved, his emotions teetering on the edge of tears. There was so much more to him than just a rockstar teenager.

"For a moment, when I sang that song, I felt like my mom was in the crowd. That’s why I cried. But don’t you see? She came back to me, and it’s partly because of you."

Before I knew it, I was shouting, releasing all the raw emotion that had built up inside me.

"It hurts. A lot. But I won’t let her go again. I won’t just sit and do nothing. I want to remember her. And I want to make music with you, Lucio."

His lake-like eyes shimmered even brighter, like he, too, was about to cry. But he quickly summoned a smile, as if to hold back the tears.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded.

"I want to keep trying."

Lucio watched me for a moment longer, as if he were proud. He stood up before me, I think, just so he could offer me his hand.

"How about a coffee? We can come back tomorrow if you’d like."

"Yeah," I agreed, taking the hand of the person who had made me feel alive again.

~~~🎶~~~

"Will you remember?
When the night forgets our names?
Will our miracleeeeeee and all the stars still light the way?"

Two days later, we found ourselves once again on that familiar street corner in Umeda. We still carried the same mission—to bring a bit of joy to those passing by.

We had made some modest progress in that regard. A few people would stop to listen for a few seconds, some even clapped.

It probably helped that my voice had improved. Not because I had practiced endlessly, but because I had let go of a heavy burden. What did it matter if people saw me? Or if I made a mistake? Mom was by my side, even if not physically. Nothing could go wrong.

"Oh, hold on tight."

We finished the song, and a small group of ten people gave us a polite round of applause, if not an enthusiastic one. I remember exchanging a pleased glance with Lucio, excited that more and more people were starting to notice our music.

"Thank you! Thank you!" I said as we both bowed in gratitude.

"Bravo! Bravo! That was amazing! Bravo!"

And yet, one voice in particular stood out—someone who was genuinely celebrating our little concert.

The small crowd slowly dispersed, each person resuming their monotonous routine, until the one person who had been clapping and cheering so fervently was revealed.

"That was incredible! Bravo! Bravo!"

"Ah!" My excitement got the best of me, and I turned to my delighted bandmate. "See, Lucio? I knew people would support us!"

"No. That support was pathetic, to be honest."

Lucio’s face froze in a warm smile, likely in response to my initial comment. Mine must have remained the same, because we both stood there, completely stunned by that person’s words.

...

"EH?!" we both shouted at the same time.