Ruby has been used to having Ai around and even though the deaths and trials have made her feel almost sick on multiple occasions, to Hoshino Ruby, that was nothing compared to the years of trauma she'd experienced having to deal with her mother's own death when she was so little.
But that doesn't mean that she doesn't sympathize. It doesn't mean that she doesn't cry, or that her eyes would be puffy and red after someone she cared about passes away, their killer gets executed, and the whole thing is cleaned up and they move on as if nothing ever happened.
She should be used to this by now, the ins and outs of waking up, dealing with whatever their overseer host announced for the week, wait for a motive, an event, someone to die and the follow up trial. One might say it's almost a "normal" day to day life cycle...
Except for the fact that it isn't. There isn't a single thing normal about this.
But she manages, because Ai- mama- is still here.
It's the start of the new week and an announcement from their overseer to go and meet at the theater for their usual 'motive'.
"Good morning, ladies, gentlemen, and those who are neither! This week's motive is a very special one, you see. Go ahead, check your tablets and open up the usual app.
I can grant one person a wish. But that person must murder another and get away with it! The application gives a few more details about that and... perhaps even a hint for what you just might wish for? Now, if you have any comments, complaints, concerns, please, as always, make your way to the confession booth! Or you can just say it now. As long as it's good for the ratings, I certainly don't mind."
Ruby doesn't know what kind of wish that could possibly be on her own tablet. She's certain that she can become the top of the idol industry without it, and then mama's here, now.
Except when she sees the text on her tablet, Ruby's hands tremble. The text is so simple, and yet--
If you manage to win, you can wish for Hoshino Ai to stay alive for good. When the curtains close on the show, everyone will return to where they came from.
Her voice is stuck in her throat for a moment, but eventually, she frantically searches the room for Ai, just to double check that she's still in sight. ]
[ Ruby's grown up into the most beautiful girl Ai's ever seen.
But of course, she'd think that no matter what she looked like. She's a true doting parent - especially so here and now. Getting to be here at all is a gift and having Ruby by her side elevates it into something that she surely doesn't deserve to have. And maybe thinking that way makes her monstrously selfish, when things are so terribly dangerous, when people are being hurt and killed every week - but maybe that's the price she has to pay for this.
So she shamelessly indulges them both, sliding as easily back into doting as if nothing has changed. And of course, everything has changed - but maybe this is what both of them need. To make up for the time they would have had to do this. The complications can all come later, because the important part to Ai is reminding Ruby over and over what she'd failed to say for entirely too long.
It can't last forever. Ai knows better than anyone that idols have mercilessly short shelf lives. But even if it only lasts one extra day, it's more than enough for her.
She's... unsettlingly calm at the motive announcement. She has the tablet in her hand and her eyes flicker over it but her expression doesn't change at all. Just the same tightly restrained concern she wears every time they're herded out here. But she is still there. Still alive, still breathing.
And - when she lifts her eyes and catches Ruby's gaze - still smiling. As if nothing at all is wrong. ]
Ruby. [ Her voice is fond and composed. ] Should we go get ourselves some breakfast?
[ It's her mama's voice that pulls her back from the shaking of her hands on the tablet. That's right, she's still really here, right by her side.
The smile that Ai wears is enough to alleviate her fears, at least momentarily. She matches the smile with one of her own. It's not as composed as hers is, but Ruby's always been the more open and honest one of the two and the cracks show easily.
Regardless, she wants to cherish the moments that she has. That's the honest truth. And besides... it might be better for both parties involved to get away from the crowd. ]
Of course! Ooh, what do you think they're serving today? The cafeteria options are always so eye catching, like they belong in one of those restaurant displays.
[It's been, like a theoretical close alternative timeline that got posted before this one could, a couple weeks since everyone woke up for their red carpet entrance into the Dragon sLayer Space Mansion (the Spansion). Not long enough for the deaths to become routine, exactly, but long enough for it to be clear that Scanlan Shorthalt, Champion of the Narrative, had either been joking or entirely full of it in his day one claims that the Spansion was named for his personal exploits.]
[Long enough that it's no shock when, Tuesday morning, they're gathered together for an ultimatum - kill by Friday, or unfortunate things will happen to the person being sent to their PIPs at this very moment.]
[As the electronic devices beep and chirp throughout the room, Scanlan rolls his eyes, looking to his and clicking through screens to get their threat done with.]
Gee, who could this POSSIBLY BE, I wonder if it will be one of the most dangerous, badass people in Taldoreoh frick.
[There's a brief moment, less than a second, where he pales. But then he clicks away from the image, tugging his sleeve back over the PIP, taking on a rehearsedly-casual tone and expression.]
Anywho, much as I'd love to stick around and watch people lose it and try to threaten Frankie as usual, I'm gonna go relieve some tension, if you know what I mean. If anyone really needs me, knock loud and gimme a minute.
[And he excuses himself towards the bedrooms, at a perfectly casual and definitely unhurried pace.]
[ The moment Ai Hoshino, Champion Idol hears they're on TV, she starts to do what she does best: perform. Putting on a show at the risk of her life isn't any different from what she does as 'Ai of B-Komachi' at the end of the day so even if the stakes are a little more literal than they usually are. So she does her best to be agreeable and kind, warm and gentle - delicate enough that you wouldn't touch her for fear of breaking her and enchanting enough that you want her to stay in one piece for as long as possible.
And of course, part of that involves reaching out to the others. She's done a good job of making friends with most of them, she thinks, even if they're all so different from her she can barely make any sense of them. But even a girl like her knows the scripts for Tuesday. ]
Helloooo, anyone home?
[ She's given him a good fifteen minutes before coming to check on him but here she is, knocking away. ]
[ B-Komachi is not nearly as close-knit as they lead everyone to believe, and Kanade isn't so naive as to think otherwise when the facts are so clearly in her face. The gossip was typical of what you can expect from a group of young girls who are only hanging out because of obligations, and Kanade isn't immune to being the subject of it either. Confidence goes far, but not all the way.
Honestly as far as working environments go, it was one of the worst, though she'll hand it to the producer... he was doing his damn best regardless. There's not much you can really do, it's a struggle universal to any underground idol group.
Still, that should never mean one should just sit back and let it happen, right? For better or worse, Kanade has done her best to try and keep tensions low among the group like some sort of team mom. It didn't always work, she occasionally felt the urge to shake them violently whenever she heard a particularly selfish and/or unsympathetic point of view, but it was a necessary role to play.
Especially for the girl who played the role of their center... Hoshino Ai. When she first arrived, Kanade could tell what was going to happen right from the get-go. For better or worse, Ai was practically born to take the spotlight. She's attractive, she draws others in, she has a charisma to her that even had Kanade stunned.
Anyone with a brain could see the resulting jealousy. Hell, Kanade would be lying if she said she didn't feel it herself... but feeling jealous doesn't justify being a bitch, Kanade thinks.
Besides, call it a hunch, but... she never felt like Ai was as flawless as the image they give to the public. Her smile was practiced, Kanade even caught her practicing in front of a mirror once. She was a liar, and a really good one at that... so it's no wonder why she was such an incredible idol.
So... Kanade continued to do her best. Lord was it hard, though. The rest of the group was so fiercely jealous of Ai that Kanade herself started to face some backlash within the group from what they perceived as "defending" her. Not that they were wrong, but Kanade is pretty sure she was very justified in blowing her top at the girl who she caught cutting up Ai's old hoodie with a pair of scissors, among other things.
That girl got unceremoniously kicked off the group, and the complaints of favoritism intensified... but Kanade remembers grabbing Ai by the hand and dragging her off to get a replacement for her now-ruined hoodie, no ifs or buts... so at least one good thing could come out of this whole mess.
And well... a lot of things happened from there. To this day, Kanade still isn't quite sure if Ai has actually opened up to her, but in an environment rife with jealousy and teenage girls trying constantly to drag each other down... she tried to be a trustworthy presence in Ai's life, or at the very least one that she didn't have to worry about.
...what can Kanade say? When she looked at Ai, it just felt... necessary and right. Like some kind of maternal instinct kicking in when she looked at those eyes so blindingly bright she could barely see what was past them.
...so imagine her worry when she began to notice Ai seeming nauseous, or getting tired faster, and at one point even vomiting.
Imagine her distress when she stopped showing up entirely, was informed that she was taking a leave of absence due to health issues, and contact was dropped altogether. It was even more annoying when she was able to get in contact with the producer, only for him to skillfully dodge every question and swiftly retreat.
Still, until she got an answer, Kanade simply kept blowing up Ai's number on a daily basis. Sometimes it was demanding to know if she was okay, asking to see her, wishing her good health, and so on and so forth. She was committed, and she was stubborn, keeping it up for over twenty weeks without fail.
What can she say? She'll never feel at ease until she can confirm Ai's health with her own eyes. ]
[ Twenty weeks is a really long time. Ai's pretty sure she knows that better than anyone by now.
It's not like she's hated being in Miyazaki or anything. It's nostalgic - it reminds her of her hometown and her first tour with B-Komachi all at once and the result is something that stirs bittersweetly in her chest. The doctors are all kind, even the one who recognized her and even though Prez Saitou can't be here, Ai's not exactly alone.
Of course, that doesn't mean she's not lonely.
She's read every single one of Kanade's messages. She never answers any calls, but she can't help but read all the messages she sends through. She has more half-finished text drafts than she's ever had in her life but she can't bring herself to send any of them. What Kanade wants, after all, is the truth. She wants to know why Ai has vanished. But that's the one thing Ai can't give her.
It isn't until twenty-two weeks on the dot - the evening of the night before she's due to return to Tokyo with Aqua and Ruby - that Ai finally figures out what to do. She sneaks her cell phone out of her luggage and fibs to Saitou that she wants a bit of air up on the roof and to enjoy the view one last time before she leaves. He's so frazzled he doesn't even question it and off she goes. It's quiet enough up there that Ai has enough space to breathe and think and really stew in what a bad idea this is.
And then she decides to do it anyway. Before she can lose her nerve again, she scrolls down to Kanade's name in her contacts and hits call. ]
[ If only Ai could see the way Kanade reacted to Ai's call. At this point, while she was still stubbornly trying to get in contact, the idea that Ai would finally call her was the last possibility on Kanade's mind.
So when she casually pulled her phone out to see "Ai-chan" as the caller...
"WH—"
She was caught so off-guard that she practically dropped her phone and spent a good few seconds fumbling with it while it rang. Fortunately, she does manage to catch it, and after a few rings of the phone... ]
Click
A-AI!!! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!? ARE YOU OKAY!????
[ She's in for a noise complaint if she keeps this up, but she doesn't particularly care at the moment. ]
[ Good thing she pre-emptively held the phone away from her ear.......... ]
Whoa, Kanade-chan! You've really been working on your projection while I was away!
[ Satisfied she's not going to get her eardrums blown out, Ai risks returning the phone to her ear and - laughs. Laughs like this is a totally normal talk and she hasn't been completely off the grid for months and months.
She needs this to be normal. If she pretends everything is A-OK the maybe she won't ask too many questions. ]
I'm doing good! The Prez let you all know I was fine, right? How's everything back in B-Komachi? Any juicy gossip I missed out on?
"Fine" my ass! How am I supposed to not worry when he doesn't tell us anything! It's been months, girl! I tried pressuring him, but he just ran!
[ Ugh... still, she does understand that she should stop yelling, so she stops to take a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. She's letting out all of her bottled-up stress, sure, but the feeling of relief at hearing Ai's voice after all this time is there too. ]
Ugh... don't even get me started on the gossip. Seriously, can those girls please get a hobby outside of that? I am begging them to stop giving me shit to deal with when we're not even doing anything huge.
[ Kanade is notably more foul-mouthed when in her own privacy, huh? Wait, is Ai trying to change the subject? Shit, she almost fell for it... ]
Seriously, where the hell have you been? I was starting to think you might've been kidnapped! Or maybe you ditched us completely and Prez was on some kind of secret manhunt for you... seriously, what kind of health concerns gets you to go completely radio silent for months!?
[ Her imagination also might've gone a little wild, but can you really blame her? She was worried and that didn't really dissipate over time, so. ]
Oh, come on. You know it'd be all over the news everywhere if I got kidnapped. As if the Prez would pass up the chance for some free advertisement like that!
[ She has the gall to laugh. In general, her energy is all off and she knows it - she's acting like she unexpected skipped out on practice over a single weekend instead of disappearing for almost half a year. But if she acknowledges that, it'll be a lot less easy to keep Kanade off her scent. ]
But the thing is... well, I can't tell you just yet since I'm not back in Tokyo until tomorrow. Security, you know? But I've been in the countryside for a while.
[ A pause. Deep breath. The oily guilt of a lie bubbles in her stomach in anticipation. ]
[ She can't imagine he'd be thinking of publicity in a scenario that serious. Still, this still begs the question as to why she was off the grid for this long... ]
The countryside...? What, does he not trust big city hospitals or... something...
[ Her overactive imagination aside, what she just said... now that she said it out loud, it sounds a lot more feasible than anything else she's thought of. Was it really something that needed to be kept a secret so badly? You'd expect at least some online presence to assure the fans that you're okay, but...
...the gears are turning in Kanade's head, but the answer still isn't occurring to her. She's sharper than her brusque demeanor implies, how else was she able to survive in this group? ]
...Well, as long as you're okay, I guess. I'm taking you out to eat once you're back, though, got it!? You and me, incognito, none of the other girl's bullshit.
[ A pause... ]
...I was seriously worried, y'know? Leaving because of health issues and then never hearing from you again, I...
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
✉ tfln overflow
✉ → koroshiaidoru
Nuh uh. Did not. You can't prove a thing.
[ if she technically never puts it into words, she can never get called out on it...!!! ]
surprise, murdergame au... let me know if this works!
Ruby has been used to having Ai around and even though the deaths and trials have made her feel almost sick on multiple occasions, to Hoshino Ruby, that was nothing compared to the years of trauma she'd experienced having to deal with her mother's own death when she was so little.
But that doesn't mean that she doesn't sympathize. It doesn't mean that she doesn't cry, or that her eyes would be puffy and red after someone she cared about passes away, their killer gets executed, and the whole thing is cleaned up and they move on as if nothing ever happened.
She should be used to this by now, the ins and outs of waking up, dealing with whatever their overseer host announced for the week, wait for a motive, an event, someone to die and the follow up trial. One might say it's almost a "normal" day to day life cycle...
Except for the fact that it isn't. There isn't a single thing normal about this.
But she manages, because Ai- mama- is still here.
It's the start of the new week and an announcement from their overseer to go and meet at the theater for their usual 'motive'.
"Good morning, ladies, gentlemen, and those who are neither! This week's motive is a very special one, you see. Go ahead, check your tablets and open up the usual app.
I can grant one person a wish. But that person must murder another and get away with it! The application gives a few more details about that and... perhaps even a hint for what you just might wish for? Now, if you have any comments, complaints, concerns, please, as always, make your way to the confession booth! Or you can just say it now. As long as it's good for the ratings, I certainly don't mind."
Ruby doesn't know what kind of wish that could possibly be on her own tablet. She's certain that she can become the top of the idol industry without it, and then mama's here, now.
Except when she sees the text on her tablet, Ruby's hands tremble. The text is so simple, and yet--
When the curtains close on the show, everyone will return to where they came from.
Her voice is stuck in her throat for a moment, but eventually, she frantically searches the room for Ai, just to double check that she's still in sight. ]
no subject
But of course, she'd think that no matter what she looked like. She's a true doting parent - especially so here and now. Getting to be here at all is a gift and having Ruby by her side elevates it into something that she surely doesn't deserve to have. And maybe thinking that way makes her monstrously selfish, when things are so terribly dangerous, when people are being hurt and killed every week - but maybe that's the price she has to pay for this.
So she shamelessly indulges them both, sliding as easily back into doting as if nothing has changed. And of course, everything has changed - but maybe this is what both of them need. To make up for the time they would have had to do this. The complications can all come later, because the important part to Ai is reminding Ruby over and over what she'd failed to say for entirely too long.
It can't last forever. Ai knows better than anyone that idols have mercilessly short shelf lives. But even if it only lasts one extra day, it's more than enough for her.
She's... unsettlingly calm at the motive announcement. She has the tablet in her hand and her eyes flicker over it but her expression doesn't change at all. Just the same tightly restrained concern she wears every time they're herded out here. But she is still there. Still alive, still breathing.
And - when she lifts her eyes and catches Ruby's gaze - still smiling. As if nothing at all is wrong. ]
Ruby. [ Her voice is fond and composed. ] Should we go get ourselves some breakfast?
[ And talk. is the unspoken subtext. ]
no subject
[ It's her mama's voice that pulls her back from the shaking of her hands on the tablet. That's right, she's still really here, right by her side.
The smile that Ai wears is enough to alleviate her fears, at least momentarily. She matches the smile with one of her own. It's not as composed as hers is, but Ruby's always been the more open and honest one of the two and the cracks show easily.
Regardless, she wants to cherish the moments that she has. That's the honest truth. And besides... it might be better for both parties involved to get away from the crowd. ]
Of course! Ooh, what do you think they're serving today? The cafeteria options are always so eye catching, like they belong in one of those restaurant displays.
murdergame au, airlocked style because I can
[Long enough that it's no shock when, Tuesday morning, they're gathered together for an ultimatum - kill by Friday, or unfortunate things will happen to the person being sent to their PIPs at this very moment.]
[As the electronic devices beep and chirp throughout the room, Scanlan rolls his eyes, looking to his and clicking through screens to get their threat done with.]
Gee, who could this POSSIBLY BE, I wonder if it will be one of the most dangerous, badass people in Taldoreoh frick.
[There's a brief moment, less than a second, where he pales. But then he clicks away from the image, tugging his sleeve back over the PIP, taking on a rehearsedly-casual tone and expression.]
Anywho, much as I'd love to stick around and watch people lose it and try to threaten Frankie as usual, I'm gonna go relieve some tension, if you know what I mean. If anyone really needs me, knock loud and gimme a minute.
[And he excuses himself towards the bedrooms, at a perfectly casual and definitely unhurried pace.]
no subject
And of course, part of that involves reaching out to the others. She's done a good job of making friends with most of them, she thinks, even if they're all so different from her she can barely make any sense of them. But even a girl like her knows the scripts for Tuesday. ]
Helloooo, anyone home?
[ She's given him a good fifteen minutes before coming to check on him but here she is, knocking away. ]
I brought snacks, if it'll sweeten the deal.
B-Komachi AU
Honestly as far as working environments go, it was one of the worst, though she'll hand it to the producer... he was doing his damn best regardless. There's not much you can really do, it's a struggle universal to any underground idol group.
Still, that should never mean one should just sit back and let it happen, right? For better or worse, Kanade has done her best to try and keep tensions low among the group like some sort of team mom. It didn't always work, she occasionally felt the urge to shake them violently whenever she heard a particularly selfish and/or unsympathetic point of view, but it was a necessary role to play.
Especially for the girl who played the role of their center... Hoshino Ai. When she first arrived, Kanade could tell what was going to happen right from the get-go. For better or worse, Ai was practically born to take the spotlight. She's attractive, she draws others in, she has a charisma to her that even had Kanade stunned.
Anyone with a brain could see the resulting jealousy. Hell, Kanade would be lying if she said she didn't feel it herself... but feeling jealous doesn't justify being a bitch, Kanade thinks.
Besides, call it a hunch, but... she never felt like Ai was as flawless as the image they give to the public. Her smile was practiced, Kanade even caught her practicing in front of a mirror once. She was a liar, and a really good one at that... so it's no wonder why she was such an incredible idol.
So... Kanade continued to do her best. Lord was it hard, though. The rest of the group was so fiercely jealous of Ai that Kanade herself started to face some backlash within the group from what they perceived as "defending" her. Not that they were wrong, but Kanade is pretty sure she was very justified in blowing her top at the girl who she caught cutting up Ai's old hoodie with a pair of scissors, among other things.
That girl got unceremoniously kicked off the group, and the complaints of favoritism intensified... but Kanade remembers grabbing Ai by the hand and dragging her off to get a replacement for her now-ruined hoodie, no ifs or buts... so at least one good thing could come out of this whole mess.
And well... a lot of things happened from there. To this day, Kanade still isn't quite sure if Ai has actually opened up to her, but in an environment rife with jealousy and teenage girls trying constantly to drag each other down... she tried to be a trustworthy presence in Ai's life, or at the very least one that she didn't have to worry about.
...what can Kanade say? When she looked at Ai, it just felt... necessary and right. Like some kind of maternal instinct kicking in when she looked at those eyes so blindingly bright she could barely see what was past them.
...so imagine her worry when she began to notice Ai seeming nauseous, or getting tired faster, and at one point even vomiting.
Imagine her distress when she stopped showing up entirely, was informed that she was taking a leave of absence due to health issues, and contact was dropped altogether. It was even more annoying when she was able to get in contact with the producer, only for him to skillfully dodge every question and swiftly retreat.
Still, until she got an answer, Kanade simply kept blowing up Ai's number on a daily basis. Sometimes it was demanding to know if she was okay, asking to see her, wishing her good health, and so on and so forth. She was committed, and she was stubborn, keeping it up for over twenty weeks without fail.
What can she say? She'll never feel at ease until she can confirm Ai's health with her own eyes. ]
no subject
It's not like she's hated being in Miyazaki or anything. It's nostalgic - it reminds her of her hometown and her first tour with B-Komachi all at once and the result is something that stirs bittersweetly in her chest. The doctors are all kind, even the one who recognized her and even though Prez Saitou can't be here, Ai's not exactly alone.
Of course, that doesn't mean she's not lonely.
She's read every single one of Kanade's messages. She never answers any calls, but she can't help but read all the messages she sends through. She has more half-finished text drafts than she's ever had in her life but she can't bring herself to send any of them. What Kanade wants, after all, is the truth. She wants to know why Ai has vanished. But that's the one thing Ai can't give her.
It isn't until twenty-two weeks on the dot - the evening of the night before she's due to return to Tokyo with Aqua and Ruby - that Ai finally figures out what to do. She sneaks her cell phone out of her luggage and fibs to Saitou that she wants a bit of air up on the roof and to enjoy the view one last time before she leaves. He's so frazzled he doesn't even question it and off she goes. It's quiet enough up there that Ai has enough space to breathe and think and really stew in what a bad idea this is.
And then she decides to do it anyway. Before she can lose her nerve again, she scrolls down to Kanade's name in her contacts and hits call. ]
no subject
So when she casually pulled her phone out to see "Ai-chan" as the caller...
"WH—"
She was caught so off-guard that she practically dropped her phone and spent a good few seconds fumbling with it while it rang. Fortunately, she does manage to catch it, and after a few rings of the phone... ]
Click
A-AI!!! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!? ARE YOU OKAY!????
[ She's in for a noise complaint if she keeps this up, but she doesn't particularly care at the moment. ]
no subject
Whoa, Kanade-chan! You've really been working on your projection while I was away!
[ Satisfied she's not going to get her eardrums blown out, Ai risks returning the phone to her ear and - laughs. Laughs like this is a totally normal talk and she hasn't been completely off the grid for months and months.
She needs this to be normal. If she pretends everything is A-OK the maybe she won't ask too many questions. ]
I'm doing good! The Prez let you all know I was fine, right? How's everything back in B-Komachi? Any juicy gossip I missed out on?
no subject
[ Ugh... still, she does understand that she should stop yelling, so she stops to take a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. She's letting out all of her bottled-up stress, sure, but the feeling of relief at hearing Ai's voice after all this time is there too. ]
Ugh... don't even get me started on the gossip. Seriously, can those girls please get a hobby outside of that? I am begging them to stop giving me shit to deal with when we're not even doing anything huge.
[
Kanade is notably more foul-mouthed when in her own privacy, huh?Wait, is Ai trying to change the subject? Shit, she almost fell for it... ]Seriously, where the hell have you been? I was starting to think you might've been kidnapped! Or maybe you ditched us completely and Prez was on some kind of secret manhunt for you... seriously, what kind of health concerns gets you to go completely radio silent for months!?
[ Her imagination also might've gone a little wild, but can you really blame her? She was worried and that didn't really dissipate over time, so. ]
no subject
[ She has the gall to laugh. In general, her energy is all off and she knows it - she's acting like she unexpected skipped out on practice over a single weekend instead of disappearing for almost half a year. But if she acknowledges that, it'll be a lot less easy to keep Kanade off her scent. ]
But the thing is... well, I can't tell you just yet since I'm not back in Tokyo until tomorrow. Security, you know? But I've been in the countryside for a while.
[ A pause. Deep breath. The oily guilt of a lie bubbles in her stomach in anticipation. ]
At a hospital the President recommended.
no subject
[ She can't imagine he'd be thinking of publicity in a scenario that serious. Still, this still begs the question as to why she was off the grid for this long... ]
The countryside...? What, does he not trust big city hospitals or... something...
[ Her overactive imagination aside, what she just said... now that she said it out loud, it sounds a lot more feasible than anything else she's thought of. Was it really something that needed to be kept a secret so badly? You'd expect at least some online presence to assure the fans that you're okay, but...
...the gears are turning in Kanade's head, but the answer still isn't occurring to her. She's sharper than her brusque demeanor implies, how else was she able to survive in this group? ]
...Well, as long as you're okay, I guess. I'm taking you out to eat once you're back, though, got it!? You and me, incognito, none of the other girl's bullshit.
[ A pause... ]
...I was seriously worried, y'know? Leaving because of health issues and then never hearing from you again, I...
[ She sniffs. ]
...I was fearin' the worst, y'know?