Sana lays sprawled out on her queen size bed, arms and fingers splayed out liberally to her sides, legs stretched as far as possible. Her body sinks deep into her fluffy mattress. The temperature in her room is perfect, with the ceiling fan slowly rotating above, providing just the right amount of cool air to settle in around her figure. The curtains are open just a smidge, enough to let in a thin but striking beam of moonlight through, bathing the room in the comforting, pale aura of the full moon on a clear night.

Everything is just right. Homework finished, dishes done, cat fed, her friend and roommate Tzuyu snoring peacefully in the next room over. Sana is tired, tired after a long day of school and chores, exhausted and yearning for the peaceful release of a good night’s rest.

So why does sleep elude her?

It dances at the edges of her tired vision, drawing her in with the caresses of cool air and the soft promise of a comfortable night, teasing her, pulling at her heart, at her mind, but never going far enough to grant her the fulfillment of falling into the world of dreams. Her eyes refuse to stay closed, her mind refuses to shut down, her heart refuses to slow its rhythmic beat.

With an annoyed huff she pushes herself up into a sitting position, crossing her legs. Her head droops down with irremovable fatigue, hair cascading over her forehead and reaching down to her legs, tickling her ankles and feet.

A sudden wave of melancholy washes through her, similar to the way the cool air stirred by the fan washes over her skin, except this wave of sadness spreads through her insides, gnawing at her heart.

Sana wraps her arms around herself and falls to her side, curling herself into a ball. Suddenly the fan is too cold, the moonlight shining through her drapes is too bright, and the mattress feels hard and uncomfortable. Her sense of peace shattered, Sana rolls off the bed, giving up on sleep for the moment and instead gets up to go get a glass of water.

Why was she feeling so… depressed? The emotion had snuck up on her in the dark of the night, latching onto her from behind, refusing to let go - and no matter how much she tried, she could not catch a glimpse of it. Where had it come from? It made no sense. She was supposed to be cheery and bright - she had always been the smiley and happy one among her group of friends, taking it onto herself to console anyone when they were feeling down. To give them a big hug, a wide smile, and maybe a warm cup of hot chocolate.

...Now that she thought of it, when was the last time someone had done that for her?

It didn’t surprise her that no one really gave her that treatment, after all she never really gave off the impression that she needed it. Why show her worries and sadness to her friends? That would only make them worried, and in the end that made more sad people. It was better to hide it inside, so her friends could stay happy. That way she’d be happy too, and everything would be fine. Right?

Right?

Sana reaches up to the cabinet, grabbing a large glass before filling it to the brim with cool water. She plops herself down onto a chair and takes a large gulp of water, so large that she chokes on a bit, and has to forcefully cough it up.

After an extended fit of coughing (coughs that she - unsuccessfully - tried to muffle so she wouldn’t wake Tzuyu up), she finally clears of the offending water, then proceeds to chug the rest, emptying the glass. Finally finished with that, she places the glass on the counter, a little too close to the edge.

The wave of melancholy returns, but this time in full force. It floods her body, washing away her satisfaction from finishing all her work the day before, washing away the love she felt for her friends, washi