Mina wasn't practicing today.


Instead of being at the foot of her bed, cleaning somekind of instrument to prepare for her hour-long sessions of honing a mastery centered around musical skills, she was sat on a playground swing stretching her arms and legs out to fully breathe in the seasons fresh air.


It was now spring.


Autum leaves still layed scattered from the summer before, and grass couldn't have been any greener.


Mina was smiling.


After being accustomed to the loneliness Mina brought forth to her life all those years ago, she finally managed to fit in. To include herself with a group of people. Mina had friends. She made friends.


Mina was happy.


Static became a habiency to visit Mina. It was never unwelcomed, nor was it something Mina couldn't handle. It was nice, like a little hum fizzing at the back of her head.


The creaks of metal could be heard each time Mina pushed herself off the ground with her legs, fingers clasped onto the rusty chain. It felt cold, very cold.


There were footsteps headed her way, a heel to toe rhythm, and Mina turned to see who it was.


What she saw made her smile.


It was just them. They were her friends. A boy, the one with a tall, almost lanky body and uniquely refined features - curly hair and dotted freckles, along with two girls, twins, trailing behind.


"Mina!" Akihiro yelled, stopping to catch his breath. He huffed while kneeling to weigh himself on his knees.


The twins giggled in synchronization and held out a plastic bag, offering the contents inside to Mina.


Mina felt bad that she still couldn't tell them apart. So, she gladly accepted their hospitality, because it was nice of them to think of her and she wasn't rude enough to decline. Thats what friends did all the time, it was normal.


"You're so pretty Mina, you look just like an idol!" They said in unison, sharing a secretive glance before breaking out into cheery smiles.


Mina poked a hole in the drink they had bought her, shyly nodding while tucking a loose strand of her hair back. Mina thought they were finished there, but they only continued.


"I can't believe you'd seriously befriend people like us. Right, Akihiro! she's totally out of our league."


The twins rambled on with their sentiment, bodies pressed together side-by-side, their arms wrapped around each other to conjoin as one. They were all still dressed in their uniforms, deciding to hang out after school ended. To Mina, it was new. Something she slowly became familiar with. It was honestly, quite pleasant.


Mina liked it.


Expectedly to this point, Mina wasn't really listening. Even when Akihiro responded, she wasn't paying attention in the slightest. She was more obsorbed with the fact that both twins always managed to say things in beat with each other. Much like Minas mind, always racing - they were a current, a water flow pouring hard, and pouring down in the same direction.


Mina would have been too weirded out to be around them if she wasn't so used to it by now. It was creepy how alike they were, but Mina would never voice that opinion. It was an after-thought and Mina wanted to keep it that way.


The bells clanged. A seaside town with an incoming ship holding a lone sailor suddenly pulled up. That reminder snapped Mina out of her reverie. The bells were only a metaphorical term, and what came after was just a figmented pilot, but Mina often called it that because its exactly what it sounded like. There was a ring, more like a void closing in, and then there was a bell.


Mina imagined it as her alarm.


"Ah right... Mina, are you going to audition for that company?" Akihiro chided, now sat on the swing beside Mina.


It was odd, Mina really didn't notice him move. She shook her head anyway, straw thinned between her teeth from the unconscious biting.


Akihiro furrowed his brows. He looked to be a bit confused.


"Really? but those agents... I can't remember their names, but it was those two really pretty ladies, and they said that they wanted to make you an idol!" He tried to emphasize, lightly swaying his body on the clunk of metal.


The twins squeaked, jumping up and down with excitement at the informed premise.


Mina wanted to facepalm. She wished the boy never spoke.


"No way Mina! you never told us about this..."


They both stretched a gaze to each other almost as if they were conversing, except without words, or sound. Until, they halted. Their bodies stiffened, drained from all enthusiasm.


"Hmph, unfair, are you closer to him just because he's a boy?"


The twins pointed an accusatory finger at Akihiro. They frowned.


" It's supposed to be girls before boys! plus, girls are way better..."


The twins crossed their arms and stuck their tongue out at Akihiro simultaneously. Akihiro's facial expression blanked, before pink dusted his bony cheeks, and his eyes almost rolled to the back of his skull.


"Shut up, it's nothing like that..." He muttered, sulking to himself while turning away, elsewhere from the three girls. He seemingly found the yellow tunnel on the playground far more interesting now.


Mina was confused, and undoubtedly lost. She didn't understand.


"Oh..." Mina began to think, flicking her tongue out to skim it across her bottom lip. The twins eyes followed. Akihiro started to subtly shift his focus back onto Mina. "Well, I didn't tell him anything. He was there when they tried to talk to me."


The twins had an uncanny resemblance. Sometimes, it genuinely didn't even feel like they were two seperate beings. Thick bangs that covered half their eyes, plump lips and a 'round face, an overbite jutting out through rows of white teeth.


Mina chose to just ignore her internal monologue.


The twins tilted their heads, fingers already intertwined. Mina came to the conclusion that maybe if they didn't hold somekind of physical affection they'd get sick and die. Mina didn't want to consider such a ridiculous thing. Mina pondered onto something else, anything else.


Mina was for the last bits of her drink, and the twins noticed. She slurped until they snatched the carton from her hand and flashed her a coy grin. Mina should be surprised, but she wasn't. It kind of annoyed her at first, but everyones unique in their own rights, and this was just one of her friends strange complexities. Defaults. Habits. And Mina can accept it, because they were her friends. It was okay.


They put it in their mouth. The twins took turns in alternating between sips, different mouths coming in contact with the wiry straw.


"Hm... we see... he must walk you home then. Can we all walk together, that's more of the spirit, right? the whole group!
wouldn't you say, Akihiro?"


Akihiro didn't utter a word. He just swung, back and fourth, before looking up with a wide smile.


"Yes, of course. Whatever you want, Hira-"

"We don't like it when you call us that. We have names."

Akihiro just nodded, letting the silence swallow them whole. Mina was just wandering admist it all, naive, unaware.

Not cautious anymore.