Third mix: Seperate

The bullet trains were going off on their morning routines, and the roads were jam-packed with cars. The sun leaked through the window of his modern-day Japanese rental. It was your average lower-income apartment block in the heart of the city, the rent...? 90000 yen p/m. Miru lay in his bed and stared up at the ceiling, eyes half open.

It wasn't unusual for him to be slow getting out of bed, but today he was even worse. He sat up and vigorously rubbed his eyes. On mornings like today, he was sluggish, and he moved at a snail's pace. He looked to his side and grabbed his phone, which was on his bedside table. Swiping it open, he checked the time.

The screen flashed and covered his vision; it read:

9 AM

He slowly awoke and broke free from the sheets that hugged his body tightly before standing up. Morning life in the city wasn't anything to scoff at. From below, he could see all the early risers in their work attire, some holding briefcases, others not.

Glad I'm a student, that's for sure. He thought to himself as he stood in front of the large mirror in the bathroom.

 Looking back at him, he was a person of similar structure. This person had heavy dark circles forming under his eyelashes.

"This is what I get for being a night owl?" He said as he pulled on where the circles had formed. Compared to Yamada, his were undoubtedly tamer, mainly from the 'free' life of a student.

He turned on the faucet to try to shock his system.

The chill from the sudden water made him remember the rain from last night.

"So she's really the same girl from the radio...," He said, recounting the

Despite how much he looked back on last night, he couldn't wrap his head around it. The girl on Heart Mix radio was Yamada Suki. He struggled to believe it himself, but in the short time he had known her, he quickly figured out she wasn't one to lie.

If that was truly the case, how should he act? He didn't want her thinking he only wanted to hang out because she was well known; it wasn't in Miru's nature.

Guess I should keep my distance for now... that'd be better.

Now that he knew her secret, it made him conflicted. While he dried off his face, he walked back to his bed and sighed. He grabbed his phone and unlocked it. He swiped for a moment, thinking of what app to use. He wanted to support her, yet did he have the right? That was something he couldn't fathom.

I guess I could let her know via the app, right? I mean, she did want her fans to text in messages. He thought to himself as he stared at the Purple Heart app on his screen.

He gazed at it for a moment. In white writing underneath, it read:

[Heart Mix Radio]

Opening the app, the first thing he saw was a white log-in screen, so he logged into his account and clicked on the 'message in' tab.

"Name: Nakonaoya Ruri"

As he typed that alias in, he felt a sign of relief.

I can support her like this... or I hope... Before he had time to finish that thought, he opened the text box and started to type. Before that, he opened the window—slightly ajar. The fresh air came in waves, and Miru decided to enjoy it whilst it lasted. He smelled the fresh scent of flowers as he typed away on the phone's keyboard.

Finally looking outside after having his head glued to the screen for a while, he remembered the torrential rain from the night before.

There was much he wanted to say, with too little time. Looking up at the bright sun, it seemed to be around noon. The good weather didn't do his wooden-floored apartment much of a favour. At 90000 yen p/m, he was paying the premium, not the luxury. But even with the building insulated, the heat became trapped in the floor and walls.

"Crap, I gotta get to class!"

As soon as he said that, he bolted out of bed and made a beeline for his front door. Miru scanned his kitchen for the door keys, but he couldn't find them. The modern Japanese style was a blessing and a curse in the truest sense of the word.

Then under the counter, in a hole-in-the-wall, he found them. The pair of twin silver keys sat idly in the place he left them.

I guess they call this being a klutz... right?

-He walked down the bustling Tokyo streets. Its shades of purples and blues had been swapped for blues and whites. The street lights were turned off, replaced by the sun's natural glow. Like the night before, he reached into his pockets and pulled out the same white earpods.

Miru made it to college a little behind schedule and ran as fast as he could towards his class.

Animation class on the upper floors.

"Tayonaka-kun, are you ok?" A voice called out to him in the busy college hallway.

The hallway was filled with hundreds of students, yet this student in particular stood out to him. Her voice was soothing and high-pitched in nature, almost like it sounded like...

"Fuyusuki-san! You startled me."

Am I really hearing her voice everywhere now? I think this might be early signs of me going insane. He chuckled to himself at that half-joke, unsure if what he thought might've had a hint of truth behind it.

He rubbed his eyes and blamed it on being severely sleep-deprived.

Miru turned to her. He traced her gaze. On closer look, she was nothing like Yamada. She was on the shorter end and had pink twin tails draping out to the side. Her irises were noticeably smaller, too, swapping out brown for a lighter blue.

"Ah, no need to apologise really, it's fine. I was just making sure you were alright because you seemed..." She put her finger to her chin, lost in thought. "How do I put this... flustered?" She waved her hands in front of her like she were a worried grandma.

He hunched over, placing his hand on his knees. His breathing was worse, coming out in mere second intervals.

He knew he'd have an early start today, so why was he out so late? That thought haunted him, like a ghost that wouldn't be put to rest. Putting that aside, she knelt down to his eye level.

"If you needed anything, you should have called. I swear I'm always having to look out for you," Fuyusuki sighed as she tapped numbers on the nearby vending machine.

A second later, Miru felt a slight chill on his neck. It was a wet sensation, a nice contrast to how hot he felt.

"Catch you by surprise, Tayonaka-kun?" She asked with an open smile. The whites of her teeth almost blinded him.

"It was nice... You can't shake me that easily, Fuyusuki-san. Thanks for the drink, though." Miru smiled at Fyukusuki's kind gesture.

She was always like that; whenever he was in a bind, he could rely on Fuyusuki to lend a helping hand. The two walked through the busy hallway and entered the class.

I wonder if I'll see her again tonight?

***

12 AM

The breeze swayed as faint drops of white fell down onto the now silent Tokyo street. Walking—Miru checked his phone. The shine from the screen lit up the surrounding darkness in flashes of rainbow. With his earpods still in, he tuned in for another night of Heart Mix Radio.

"To whoever's listening right now, the tired office workers or the students studying for exams, I welcome you to Heart Mix Radio. A station that's free from the daily grind."

Yamada's soothing voice spoke to him; it spoke in a soft tone—a far cry from what she showed the other day. The steps he took were slow and comforting. He matched the pace of the faint backing track that complemented her voice.

He heard a click of what he presumed to be a mouse. The next second, she spoke again.

"So last time I told you all to text in, right? Well, I'll let you all in on a little secret, not really, but someone texted in. Nakonaoya Ruri."

As soon as Muri heard those words, the pit in his stomach fell a bit deeper. Or to put it simply, his heart skipped a beat.

I didn't expect to be the first one to read on air!... I wonder what she thinks.

Then, Yamada continued:

"Hey, you... I had a pretty stressful night last night, and well, I'm glad you talked to me. Keep doing your thing; you're doing great. Nakonaoya Ruri."

So cringe... He thought to himself as he shuddered.

When she finished reading his text, he noticed her breathe a heavy sigh.

"I'm glad you talked to me? Well, thanks a lot. Just knowing my voice helps people out makes all the late nights worth it...right? " She said as she let out another sigh. Miru stopped and looked up at the sky; the moon was a crescent. The soft white glow lit up the path slightly, lighting up the empty street in front of him.

"Maybe I'll stop by... Sorry in advance, Yamada-san," He said as he pulled the hood over his head.

The blinding streetlights flickered and hummed. Despite everything, those little pockets in time were their shared space... and Miru didn't seem to hate that.