Chapter 1: Regret

…I can’t draw.

(The theme this time is “tranquility”, but…)

(I…can’t get it out on paper)

(…Ever since that day, she’s been leaving my messages on read…)

(Even when I asked Akito, all he had to say was “She’s been absent from school, so I dunno”…)

Mizuki…

Are you a crossdresser too?

… ..

(It seems like those guys from school knew…)

(But…)

I can’t tell you about what’s bothering me right now…But if I can work up the courage to tell you, I’d like you to hear me out.

There are times when talking can lead to unfortunate outcomes.

(Mizuki must have been so scared…all this time…)

(Even then, she put on a brave face and tried to tell me…)

(…If only…)

(I was more straightforward with her then…)

(…Tch… Thinking won’t get me anywhere…)

(I’m sure Mizuki is feeling cornered, too…)

[Ena, are you online?]

Ah… It’s already 25 o’ clock?!

[Sorry, I’m online. Are you working already?]

[Yup.]

[I just uploaded the updated lyrics. I’m not sure it’ll go well with the illustration, though…]

[Got it. I’ll take a look at it soon.]

[Oh, I just finished coloring. You can take a look at what I have too. I’m uploading it now.]

[Thanks, I’ll look over it.]

[…Mm, these are great. Thanks Enanan and Yuki.]

[Oh? Ah… That’s good to hear.]

[I’ll just make some minor adjustments and draw them in.]

[Sounds good. Do your best.]

[…At the rate we’re going, I wonder if we can upload this by the end of the week?]

[I’d really like Amia to make a music video for this, but…she seems kind of busy, so we’ll just upload it with a still image.]

[Okay.]

[Though…it’s not like her to disappear for so long like this. I’m used to hearing Amia’s voice every day while I work, so it’s kind of lonely without her…]

[…Mm…]

(…I can’t say it)

(…I can’t tell them about what happened to Mizuki…)

[Enanan, is something wrong?]

[Eh?]

[It seemed like you had something to say…]

[Ah… Sorry! It’s nothing, really.]

[At any rate, we’d better get to work. It looks like we don’t have much left, anyway.]

[…? Well, alright…]

[If there aren’t any issues with the lyrics, I’ll include them in the video.]

[That works for me, so go ahead.]]

[Got it.]

[K, is there anything else you want me to draw? I have a bit of spare time, so I can make whatever you need.]

[Oh, really? Let me think…]

[…Kanade and Mafuyu would have just accepted it without another thought…]

[…and just as Mizuki hoped, nothing would change…]

[If they were there that day instead of me…]

[I wonder…if Mizuki would still be here with us…]