Chapter Text
Door. A hinged, sliding, or revolving barrier at the entrance to a building, room, or vehicle, or in the framework of a cupboard.
Example? The one right in front of you.
It opens.
A blood-red staircase ahead, ascending. A familiar journey, but no visible destination. Paint against canvas. Light against dark.
She calls for you.
Over and over again.
You wake up.
Well, that was a dream alright. What time is it? 7 in the morning? You can deal with that.
Your regular morning schedule follows.
What is that striking beauty you see in the mirror? It’s you, of course. Can’t be someone else, can you? Don’t know why you would, either.
You check your phone. Sayo has sent you a few texts. Interesting. Does she need something? Does she perhaps need… You?
You giggle to yourself.
“OUR DATE-!”
You grab your coat in a hurry, and start sprinting out the door.
“Running late, Seta-san?” And yet she stands there, smirking at you.
“I’m so sorry, Sayo,” you barely say, losing your breath, “I hope I didn’t take too long.”
“You’re 10 minutes early. I was just telling you I got here before the time.”
“Oh.” You check her texts again. She’s right.
“So… What should we do now?”
“Oh, yes, of course!” You gently take hold of her hand. “Come with me. We’re going for a stroll.”
“I-I see.”
And so you do. It’s a beautiful day. Though with someone like her at your side, how could it not be? You point this out to her. She gets embarrassed.
An hour or two later, you get to her house.
“I’m afraid I should get going, Seta-san, I have certain tasks I need to do…”
You notice her hesitating. “But?”
“But… If you’d like to stay and perhaps help me with some of them,”
“May I?”
“I wouldn’t complain.”
So you spend a bit more time together.
It’s the afternoon. The two of you pass a bit of time drinking tea and sitting together on the couch.
“Uh, ahem,” Sayo tries breaking the silence. “Thank you for helping me today. It is very much appreciated.”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” you tell her, flattered as you always are when someone like her compliments you. “Besides, you were doing all the work anyway. Mostly, I just kissed you on the lips.”
She sips from her tea, but you can tell she’s smirking behind the cup.
“Which I am in no position to complain about, of course. Offering a fleeting kiss to my kitten whenever possible is the least I can do for her…”
“Seta-san…”
You get closer to her. “Speaking of,”
“No kisses now. It’s time to drink our tea. You should focus on finishing it first.”
“Aah, so difficult…” You raise one of your hands with elegance and no real purpose in mind. “To resist not kissing someone as beautiful as yourself is a harder task than you’d think.”
BOOM!!!!!!! WHOOOOSHHHHH
She does not react to your improv drama show.
“That sound…” You manage to say, startled as you are.
Sayo rests her cup on the nearest flat surface she can find and gets up. “Hina.” She runs up the stairs, and so do you after her.
At Hina’s closed door, she shouts, “Hina! I’m coming in!” and breaks in.
But the girl is nowhere to be seen.
The window is closed from the inside, and no signs of destruction catch your attention.
“The TV.”
You both enter and turn to it, noticing the screen filled with nothing but static.
“Can that even happen to modern ones?”
Sayo doesn’t respond, and moves her hand towards the screen.
It goes through.
“S-Sayo?”
“I’m sorry, Seta-san. I must go. Hina might be in danger.”
You can’t even begin to form a response while she gets almost fully through the screen. In an instant of thoughtless action, you grab onto her leg, dragging yourself into the TV with her.
The door closes.