Fourth mix: Second night

Miru's gaze scanned the scene in front of him to try to find the black building from the night before. Unfortunately, the dark sea of the night, mixed with the dim hum from the streetlights, made it practically impossible. The moon was a crescent, and its white glow shone down only on the street in front of him, so he pulled out his phone.

He unlocked it and switched on the torch; his only saving grace was catching a faint blue from one of the building's windows.

"I wish she gave me her socials; this seriously feels like a makeshift horror movie; it's giving me the creeps," he said, shivering at that thought.

Ever since he could remember, he had always been afraid of horror movies. Being in one himself was a pill he wanted to avoid. Miru gripped his phone tighter, the flash lighting up the crossing in front of him.

Then—

"Miru-san?" A familiar voice called out to him in the distance.

Yamada-san?

He looked to his left, and at the end of the street was the same sham two-story building. The same floral fragrance from the night before was swapped for a rather earthy scent, something that intrigued Miru. The night was still young, so around this time Yamada should've still been working—yet she stood under shelter.

For what it's worth, Miru hadn't bothered dressing up. His shaggy bangs covered his line of sight, and the back looked like what could only be described as a 'mess.' Compared to Yamada, who had done her hair half up, half down, his lack of presentation stood out.

"Hey, Yamada-san, you alright?"He whispered, trying to act as naturally as he could.

She caught his gaze, smiling back at him. Her cheeks crinkled at the corners as her longer-than-average eyelashes fanned outward.

"Miru-san, you have no idea how happy I am that you're here. Work so far has been an utter drag," she said, sitting on a black cornerstone.

As she said that, she rolled her eyes and leaned against the darkened wall. She waved a hand, gesturing to him to follow. Her hair fluttered in the cold breeze as he took a seat next to her.

"I can imagine, I'd hate to have a job like yours if I'm honest. Way too much publicity," Miru laughed, taking his coat off and placing it around Yamada's shoulders.

"It comes with the territory; you get used to it... Although this double life act can be draining, I'll admit." Yamada said, looking up at the crescent moon.

On nights like this, Miru liked the silent hum of the night. The birds stopped chirping, and a slow, cold breeze brushed against his pale skin. He always thought it was the world's way of comforting him.

Ever since he could remember, he'd been like that. There was just something about the peaceful nights that soothed his soul.

"This makes it all worth it, though, right?  she whispered, turning toward Miru.

For a moment, the glow from the moon lit up her face. Her blue hair had flickers of white, as her eyes sparkled in the dead of night. In that moment, she was a real sight for sore eyes.

"If you say that, a guy like me's going to get the wrong idea, you know that? " Miru said as he caught his breath, slightly annoyed. 

If she kept acting like that, then his heart wouldn't be able to take it. 

Then, he coughed. Switching the topic back to where it should have been.

For a second there, it was like she...

As Miru's thoughts trailed on, Yamada placed her hand on the ground to get herself upright. She dusted off her behind and whispered something:

"Thanks for looking out for me, Miru-san."

Miru propped himself up. He clutched his phone tightly as he gazed at her round eyes. Her irises were large and kind, almost like they beckoned him to stay.

Best to head home; I'd only be keeping her more if I stayed.

A second later, he put his hands in his pants' pockets; they were tight, yet cozy—A feeling that didn't exist when wearing his coat. He was so occupied with his own thoughts that he had forgotten one thing... From his phone, a familiar voice rang out from the speaker.

[Makes all the late nights worth it...right.]

This was bad.

He had just reached into his pocket, and now this? If anything, it must've been his lack of karma. 

For the last few days, they had been close, so he thought it was right that the world would give him penance. 

A wave of panic followed suit. Sweat trickled from his brow as He looked at Yamada, not daring to move an inch

He must've hit the playback button, or Miru was a klutz.

What came out was that soothing voice in his ears just a moment prior. He was stunned. Eyes widened in pure, unadulterated shock sent an uneasy feeling through his chest.   He had held his head low, but he looked up to gauge the situation.

Yamada gazed at him and blinked— not once, but twice — seemingly trying to figure out what she had heard. A second later, a smirk appeared on her face.

"So you like me that much? Miru-san... I'm flattered." She said, placing a hand by her mouth as she grinned.

"Lay off me, I only listen to you every night because you're the only thing that's on."

As he said that, her eyes widened.

"Every night? I knew you tuned in, but not every night. You must really like my voice, huh?" She said as she walked over and nudged him.

Being teased by her made Miru take a deep breath. He didn't mind it, but even then, her teasing didn't faze him, so he answered in the most innocent voice he could.

"...Yeah, I do. It's really soothing." He said as he smiled back at her.

The moment those words left his lips, the girl in front of him stopped. By this point, the crescent moon had hidden itself behind some clouds, so her hair darkened in the sweet silence of the night.

Miru was always one to say what he thought, and in this moment, that lack of shyness seemed to take Yamada by surprise. She pulled a strand of silky blue hair over her mouth to cover up the way her lip curled.

"Oh... thanks."

Her voice had a hint of hesitation behind it. Looking at her, he noticed her cheeks were flushed, so he pushed her bangs out of the way and placed his hand on her forehead.

"You, ok... You seem to be burning up?" Miru asked, hand still firmly placed atop it.

It was hot to the touch, and he felt what seemed to be sweat dripping from her brow. At closer inspection, her skin was soft and pale, her cheeks lit up like they had caught the sun. Yamada waved her hands in front of her and spoke with subtle desperation:

"I'm fine, really I am... I just had something good happen to me. A-anyway, are you coming in? My break ends soon, but if you want to hang out, the doors are always open."

"Well, at least you're not sick. And I might take you up on that."

So she was on break...

The red hue from the sign above lit up the entrance, like the night before. It's neon red, piercing through the night, almost like it was a lighthouse. It was a refreshing contrast to the bustling daytime—something Miru found great joy in.

He followed her up the stairs into the studio, the streaks of red bouncing off her.