The Giraffe in the Room

Saki jumped back and screamed, diving headlong into her bed and covering herself with sheets in one swift motion. By the time that her fear subsided enough to peek out again, all that awaited her was a normal computer screen, the news article still displayed.

“W-What was that?!”

Slowly, she crawled out of her linen cocoon, half-expecting Hanako to jump scare her again. But nothing happened even after she walked up to her computer and turned it off.

Maybe, Saki had zoned out and imagined it all, but regardless, it was enough screen time for the day. She went to grab her schoolbooks, thankful that her parents usually returned late from work and that the walls in her room were soundproof enough that the neighbors wouldn’t think a murder had happened.

Anything was good to keep her mind off the strange vision and the disappearance of her favorite idol…

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day at school, Saki, Yuito, and Kasane met up in the courtyard for lunch, as usual.

“Here you go! Homemade onigiri for everyone!”

Kasane passed out multi-colored rice balls to Yuito and Saki, who stared at them for a moment. The first time that they had been blessed with such a sight, they both wondered if Kasane was a bit strange in the head. After all, who had the patience to make animal-shaped ones? In particular, Saki had a hard time forgiving herself at the thought of biting into her kitty face one. And especially after Yuito bit the eye off his and showed her the filling, which looked distinctly like…

“I wonder if brains taste like salmon teriyaki to zombies?”

That earned Yuito a punch in the arm from Kasane.

“Thanks, but I would rather you not pervert my creations into some horror concept.”

After that, Saki gave in and ate. And just like every other day, Yuito and Kasane were merrily eating their food while throwing jabs at each other.

“Is something wrong, Saki? You haven’t touched your onigiri.”

Saki responded by quickly taking a bite, not wanting to give any more hints to her current mood. There was no way that she could say that she felt jealous of her two friends, who acted so naturally with each other. All the while, she remained awkward, hoping for them to extend a hand to join them.

“Say, I imagine that you’ve heard the news also, since you’re a big fan. But did Hanako-chan really disappear?” Kasane suddenly asked.

“She’s one of those virtual, amateur idols or whatnot, right? I imagine that she probably had some in-real-life troubles or something to take care of,” Yuito commented.

“That would be fine if that were the case. What do you think, Saki?”

“I, uh…, I’m not really sure.”

The two of them stared at her for a moment before moving on.

“Well, how about we cheer up and watch some anime after school at Saki’s house?”

“I will have to be your chaperone, of course. Who knows what you two ladies would be doing behind closed doors?”

“I don’t think it’s ‘us’ that is the problem here.”

Even as the two of them joked around as close as could be, Saki wondered if that was truly the case. To her, there was the presence of a bubble around people, and it took every bit of care to enter it without causing a big ‘pop’. All she could do was hang back and watch.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Seriously, I’m in awe at your setup every time I come here,” Kasane commented, throwing herself onto a stack of cushions on the ground.

“Surround sound home theater, just for the sake of watching anime… not to mention the fancy camera stuff that allows you to play stuff with a wave of the hand. That’s some sugar daddy parents you have.”

“I didn’t make them pay for all of this, Yuito! I’m not that spoiled!” Saki said, annoyed.

She threw a pillow at him, which he caught and returned fire. As Saki batted it aside, Yuito popped up right in front of her and swept her off her feet.

“See! Carried off just like a spoiled princess! I’ve always wanted to do this!”

Embarrassed, but more so just in a panic as she was being spun in the air, Saki held onto dear life before being plopped onto the bed, with Yuito on top. The two stared at each other for a moment before they were interrupted.

“Hey, I’m still here, you know. But if you two want to go for the classic ‘I fall on top of you’ scene, then at least let me grab some popcorn first. Or would you prefer a Yuito sandwich?”

“I’m not a fan of ‘hard, flat’ bread.”

Kasane smashed Yuito with more pillows, which made Saki burst into giggles. That was the nature of their relationship. Saki was swept up in it, riding the waves. But never would she paddle out in a boat on her own. They would have to reach her on the shore each time.

“Alright, let’s turn this baby on.” Yuito reached for the remote and clicked it.

Suddenly, the room went dark, unnaturally so. It was supposed to be early evening, but time had seemingly skipped to midnight like the lights had gone off everywhere. The only glow in the room came from the TV which buzzed with a dim, ominous hum.

Saki had a sinking feeling of déjà vu. She wanted to back away, but her friends had latched onto her.

In the next moment, the TV went black before lighting up with the face of Hanako Nakajima. Petrified that it was happening again, Saki couldn’t look away. She watched as Hanako reached out to her, literally.

A glowing hand came out of the TV and bridged the distance between them. And as soon as that hand gripped the three trembling friends, Saki’s vision warped.

It took several moments for the blur of her vision to regain clarity. But by the time it did, she was staring at a large expanse of empty seating around her. She was on an empty stage, with no idea how she got there.

One look at herself made her leap in surprise. She was decked out in a colorful outfit, like the ones she always favored seeing. But it seemed wasted on her, ill-suited and too garish for a plain girl such as her. She almost wished for a mirror to prove the ridiculousness of her appearance.

“Though I am a spectator, it is now I who is the host of the stage of fate!”

Spotlights suddenly shined upon one seat in the audience, making Saki double take as she saw the head of a giraffe. But then, the figure turned around; Saki’s eyebrows twitched as she realized who it was.

“Why the hell do you have a giraffe head on, Kasane?!”

“Pay me no mind, as I am the spectator! And as long as the spectator wishes for you to be here, you will remain!”

“Okay, now I’m really confused what is going on!”

None of this made sense. One moment, they were in her room at home, and the next one, she was standing before a stage with her friend in the audience wearing a dumb giraffe prop. It was like that one scene from a theater-based anime they had all watched.

“It means that we cannot leave this place until you deliver a satisfactory performance.”

Saki spun around and immediately broke into a fit of laughter.

After all, who wouldn’t if they saw a friend suddenly wearing ancient Chinese robes and carrying a comically large fan?

“Please don’t laugh. I was given the role as your ‘tactician’ for some reason. Whatever dragged us into this place has the intention of seeing what you are made of, Saki.”

“I’m supposed to ‘sing’ in this getup? For what reason? And for who?”

“Does it matter? Whether it’s in the karaoke box or on this mysterious stage, we’re the only ones here to see it. So let loose, Saki. Roll with it and give it your all. We’ll be right here, supporting you all the way.”

Saki looked back and forth between Yuito and Kasane, who were dressed even more ridiculously than her. She sighed as they were right. If she had already shown enough courage before the two of them before, then why would it matter if this was all a dream anyways? A dream this all it had to be.

Saki got into position and looked out at the stage, which seemed so wide with only one person upon it. But as the entirety of the stage threatened to swallow her up, the beat of a melody echoed across it. Saki turned around to see Yuito rocking out in front of a large DJ setup. The song being played tickled her memories, to a time when friends shared a connection that couldn’t be broken, when one thing led to another, and soon enough, Saki wanted to protect it. With her entire being.

“Now what can you see with your eyes? Sono shisen no saki ni~~”

Even though she had never heard this song before, it was like time and space didn’t matter. Her lips moved on their own. Once upon a time, it was in her heart. And she was listening to it, right beside another girl who she loved dearly.

“Donna unmei ga egakareteiru no~~”

The seemingly endless days of blissful school life, not knowing what the future held. It didn’t matter if they would come to an end at some point, she wanted to enjoy it, to cherish it, to hold onto as much of it as possible.

But somewhere along the way, Saki knew that it wasn’t enough. Nothing ever stayed the same. And if she wanted to take another step, there would be a time in which she would need the courage to reach for it.

She would take that step that she never could before.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hanako Nakajima, you’re up next!”

The girl stared at herself in the mirror, face full of makeup. The clothing she had on was gaudy and seductive. She hated it. It called attention to all of the wrong places, attracting admirers that appreciated things aside from her music.

For what reason? The sake of being popular.

She had always wanted others to look at her, to feel some sense of pride as measured by attention. But at some point, things went out of hand. Contracts that forced brow-raising jobs, meetings with unsavory clients, and promises that went beyond typical work practices – Hanako was a tool of the business, a face that was made to sell.

But that was the nature of idols. They rose and fell like the tide, the slightest ripple creating waves or causing careers to crash. She should have felt fortunate that her manager knew the ropes to navigate through it.

But in the end, it all felt empty. Like she had no idea why she was doing this anymore. It all came down to money. Money, money, money. If she couldn’t sell, then she had no purpose. That was what her manager had drilled into her.

And she had no courage to say otherwise. Not back then. Not now. Hanako simply followed the instructions given to her. Even when the one giving them changed hands. Even when the voice was so full of disregard for her well-being. Onto her next gig, placed at the whims of her next audience.

She walked out of the dressing room with eyes that didn’t match the shine of her outfit. The curtains drew back, and she was greeted with a dark and musky setting – not at all like the ventures of proper idols.

Hanako held back a bitter chuckle. It was her fault for not having the courage to stop, to make her point clear, and focus on what she wanted.

The leering eyes of the crowd were not here for her songs. They were here to see the twirl of the gaudy outfit and the sexy poses of her limbs. All that dance practice had ingrained a certain charisma, as she gyrated her hips toward the audience. They were waiting for the fabric to fall. For the moment when the stage became a free for all.

Hanako held back a tear as she looked away. From the venue where the only remaining purpose for an unloved idol was to be sold underground.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The desire to be oneself – it often conflicted with the pressures of society. There were many times when little respect was given for the goal one strove for.

It was a common story. Losing oneself in the pursuit. Forgetting why it mattered in the first place. A downward spiral that drowned the victim in its vortex.

But Saki looked back and forth between Yuito and Kasane as she sung. And to the memories that pricked at her. A vague collection of faces that she felt a connection to, despite not knowing them at all.

“Across the sky, across the world. You’re like a shooting star~~”

As long as she had people that trusted her by her side, then she wouldn’t have to go down that path alone. If she went too far, then they would be there to stop her. To pull her out of that trap and make sure that her courage was in the right place.

A purple glow surrounded Saki as she sang, lighting up the stage. The entire arena began to reverberate with her song, shaking more and more until finally, its existence shattered like glass.

The deafening crack caused Saki to shut her eyes, unsure of what had happened. But when she opened them again, she was before her computer. A virtual avatar was in a small window on the bottom right of her screen.

Saki reached up and felt headphones on her head, which she stripped off. The avatar followed her every move, which made her reach over and shut the camera off. Turning around, she nearly jumped when she saw Yuito and Kasane, sitting in the background with grins on their faces.

They immediately clapped, like one would after a performance.

“Heck yeah! It’s not every day that we get to see a live performance!”

“I felt like you had been keeping it a secret from us all along!”