A/N: Written as a secret santa gift for my pal Mon (tumblr user nicotachi)!

It's the kind of cold she feels in her bones — gray and gloomy, hard to breathe, throat-burning.

Maki's ears feel like they're about to fall off (or, she figures they would if she could actually feel them) and she's pretty sure her teeth are going to end up damaged at the rate they're chattering.

How much would the dental visit cost? As though it matters — she's charging Nico for it no matter what.

A gust of wind slams into them. Nico miraculously manages to not get flung away; Maki is pretty sure her soul left her mortal body for a brief moment.

"If I die here and now, at this moment, in this place," Maki mutters through a sniffling nose and shuddering gasps, "it's your fault. My obituary will name you as my killer."

In the midst of what might as well be the arctic tundra, Nico actually dares to roll her eyes. "Don't be such a drama queen. We're almost there." She's trying to sound nonchalant. It'd be a whole lot more convincing if her eyes weren't watering so much.

Maki can't even see the block where the new sweets shop is supposed to be, but she decides not to say anything in favor of conserving heat and energy. Honestly, though, if one bite from their famed chocolate cake doesn't straight up stop her beating heart it will not have been even remotely worth the trip.

She's about to voice such opinions (conserving energy be damned) when she notices with a wild panic that Nico is no longer beside her. Her first thought is that the wind finally went and carried the smaller girl off, screams for help swept away by the gale. Christ, that would suck. Then she turns around and sees Nico stopped in her tracks staring at something off to the side.

"Are you kidding me?" Maki hisses. "Are you trying to freeze to death?"

Nico responds, in a mystified voice, "Look."

Maki returns to her side and follows her gaze. Sitting innocently by the corner of a plain brick building is a curious, rectangular clunk of an object. It shines metallic silver, and there are a few knobs and buttons along its sides.

Maki makes a face. "Is that… a Walkman?" The word feels foreign on her tongue. How archaic.

"Sure looks like it." Before Maki can stop her, Nico begins to walk towards it.

Left without much choice, Maki follows.

Upon closer inspection, the object does indeed turn out to be a Walkman. An original one, Nico says in an oddly delighted voice as she turns it in her hands. Maki would normally have a thing or two to say about picking random junk up off the street (no matter how suspiciously new and undamaged it appears to be) but Nico is obviously thrilled to find it, for whatever reason, so she holds off, at least for now.

"It's practically good as new!" Nico grins. "Not a scratch on it. Why would anyone just leave it lying here?"

"Pretty sketchy," Maki notes, but Nico either doesn't hear or chooses to ignore her.

"It still has its belt strap and everything." Nico's voice is a murmur, thoughtful, and Maki starts to get a sinking feeling.

She opens her mouth, but she isn't quick enough. Nico looks at her, and her eyes are gleaming with that familiar, bright determination, and Maki knows it's already hopeless.

But there's something strange, something sinister about that thing, and the dread pooling in Maki's gut tells her it still doesn't hurt to try.

"I'm gonna keep it," Nico says, as though they're discussing an abandoned puppy that needs shelter.

"What are you going to do with a Walkman?" Maki's voice comes out more scathing than she'd intended. She continues anyway. "Look, it only plays cassette tapes. Do you even own those? Does anyone?"

Nico just gives her a look. "Well, yeah," she says. "My dad had a ton. His Walkman broke down so we threw it out a while ago, but we still keep his cassettes at home."

Honestly, talk about unfair. How is Maki supposed to argue with that.

Looking strangely pleased for someone who had just pulled the dead dad card, Nico tucks the thing into her bag. The satisfied smile on her face kind of makes Maki want to smile, too. She shivers instead, though, and she's not entirely sure that it's from the cold this time.

"This sucks!" Nico tosses away the sixth cassette tape. It joins the others in a steadily growing pile of disappointment on the floor. Nico reaches for a seventh one, but by this point they both know it's a lost cause. "I just don't get it." Her voice is on the verge of a whine.

Maki just sighs. In the end, they'd completely foregone the sweets shop and headed straight for Nico's apartment, such was Nico's excitement over her new find. But upon getting there and digging out Nico's father's old cassette tapes, they quickly found that not a single one worked. Sure, they'd flip the switch and the tape would roll, but no sound emerged from the headphones, not even a scratch.

"Are you sure it's not just the cassettes?" Maki suggests half-heartedly.

Nico puffs out her cheeks. "The cassettes are in perfect condition! My dad made sure of it, and I do, too."

"Alright, then the Walkman is broken," Maki says, more than a hint of irritation in her voice. "That's probably why it was left out there in the first place."

"But that doesn't make sense," Nico insists. She sets the seventh tape aside to inspect the Walkman closer. "Look, it looks fine."

"That doesn't mean it is. Maybe the stuff on the inside is messed up."

"You're messed up," Nico mutters. She puts the headphones back on, apparently intent on going through her father's entire collection before even considering that Maki might be right.

Maki rolls her eyes. "You forgot to put in the tape, dummy." She reaches over to hand Nico the seventh cassette, but she stops when she sees the look on her friend's face. Nico's eyes are wide and her lips parted in a classic expression of surprise. She's gone pale, too, and she's staring at Maki with what seems to be a mixture of confusion and… embarrassment?

It's a really dumb look, and it's also really dumb that Maki gets so concerned about it. She grabs Nico's shoulder to give her a shake. "Hey. What's up?" Waits for a moment. Shakes her again. "Don't be weird. Are you okay?"

Nico blinks, and just like that, apparently, she's back.

"What happened?" Maki tries not to sound too worried, or something.

It takes a few seconds, but finally Nico lifts up a hand and points at her headphones. "It's playing," she says. Her brow is furrowed.

Maki stares. "What."

"There's music." Nico scrambles to pick up the Walkman, peering at it from all angles. "I-it's playing music. I mean, it's not music I've ever heard before, but…" She puts the Walkman down again when she confirms, truly, that there is no tape in it. When she looks at Maki again, her expression is perplexed, curious, but not afraid.

Maki has a different reaction. "What do you mean it's playing music?" She scooches over and leans closer to Nico. The other girl stiffens at the sudden proximity, but Maki ignores it in favor of trying to hear what Nico claims. They stay that way for several seconds, and then Maki pulls away with a frown. "I don't hear anything," she says. Her eyes narrow. "Is this your idea of a lame joke?"

"No," Nico says hotly. "None of my jokes are lame. Anyway, I'm serious!" She takes off the headphones and thrusts them towards Maki with perhaps a little more force than necessary. "You try." The color has returned to Nico's face by now (although she looks a little redder than usual.)

Regardless, Maki accepts them and puts them on, closing her eyes as though that would help her ability to hear. She stays that way for a while, or maybe just a few moments that feel like a while, and then opens her eyes again and takes off the headphones. She fixes Nico with an unimpressed look. "Ha ha. Real funny."

"I'm not kidding!" Nico snatches the headphones back and puts them on again. Her eyebrows fly up and she starts gesturing wildly. "See! It's playing!"

There's a raw desperation in her voice, an urgent plea, that makes Maki pause. She considers taking Nico seriously, at least for a moment. No one would take a joke this far, after all, and she's rarely seen Nico so upset over something so trivial.

Besides. She doesn't like seeing Nico upset. It makes her feel kind of sick inside.

Maki thinks back to that awful dread that had pooled in her stomach when Nico first picked up the Walkman on the street, and then she shakes her head and sighs, and she says, "Okay. Let's say it is playing music."

Nico visibly perks up, but her tone is still stubborn when she asserts, "It is."

"Sure. Okay. So the Walkman you found on the side of the street only plays music when there's no tape inside of it." Maki pauses to let that sink in. Then she adds, "And only you can hear it."

One side of Nico's lips is twitching upwards in a lopsided smile. "Spooky."

"How did I know you were going to say that?" Maki pinches the bridge of her nose and thinks for a moment. She takes out her phone. "I'm calling the others."

"What?" Nico sounds wary. "Why?"

Maki explains, "We're going to approach this logically. Run tests and stuff. Experiment."

"You mean, be nerds about it?"

"I mean, on the other hand you could hand that thing over and I could just break it once and for all."

Nico hugs the Walkman to her chest protectively. "Fine, whatever. Call the others." She sounds disappointed. Maki doesn't have long to think about it before the person on the other end picks up the phone.

"You can't be serious," Maki deadpans.

Rin flashes a grin, bobbing her head up and down so quickly it's a miracle the headphones haven't fallen off yet. "Yup, definitely music!" She even starts humming, as though to prove her point.

"And I heard it, too," Hanayo says slowly. "Which means… Maki's the only one who can't hear it?"

Three pairs of eyes turn to Maki, who finds herself blushing a deep red and feeling the inexplicable urge to defend herself from a nonexistent accusation. She can't even bring herself to meet Nico's eyes and the triumphant gleam that is undoubtedly there.

"Trial success," Nico declares. She switches the Walkman off, ignoring Rin's pout at the disruption of her music. "Results: everyone but Maki can hear the music. Conclusion: Maki probably doesn't exist, or something."

"I hate you."

"Hate the game, not the player."

"Don't worry, I definitely hate your Walkman, too."

"Okay, now that's taking it a little far."

Rin blinks widely and asks, "Maki, are you a ghost?" Her question sounds so genuine that Maki almost takes it seriously for a moment. A beat later, Rin is barking with laughter as she dodges all the pillows Maki flings at her.

"It is strange, though," Hanayo says, reliably bringing the conversation back to the original topic. She taps a finger against her lips. "Why can't Maki hear what we can?" she questions.

"As expected of Kayo-chin!" Rin says, reliably veering the conversation off track once more. She reaches over to hug Hanayo tightly. "Always so responsible. I like this side of you, too!"

Hanayo blushes. Maki tries not to groan. Nico rolls her eyes and mutters something about gross PDA.

Maki forces the conversation back. "Isn't it stranger that you guys can hear a Walkman without a tape play music? I feel like that's the more concerning issue here."

"Jealous?" Nico asks smugly.

"You wish," Maki grumbles, because frankly she'd rather die than admit Nico is right in this situation.

Nico keeps prodding. "Guess it really grinds your gears, huh?"

"If you ever say that again, I am literally never speaking to you for the rest of my life."

Nico's grin widens. "It's just such a shame, you know?" Her voice lilts in a way that makes Maki want to punch her a little. "That you can't hear such a catchy song, I mean."

Rin pipes up, "Oh, yeah! It is catchy, I really like it. Um… how did it go?" Rin thinks for a moment, and then she starts bobbing her head again. "I like you, but do you like me? Because I like you, yeah yeah!"

It's catchy as fuck. Not that Maki would ever say so. She turns back to Nico, bracing herself for more taunts, but instead meets a baffled expression that she's really starting to feel like she should get used to whenever the Walkman is involved.

Nico argues, "That's not the song. Not even close!"

At that, Hanayo tilts her head, looking as though she's considering something. That sinking feeling (that Maki thinks she should also maybe start getting used to) is back in Maki's gut.

Rin protests, "It is, too."

"Nico," Hanayo says, "what did the song sound like to you?"

Nico is puzzled for a moment. Then, understanding dawns in her eyes. She launches into song immediately. "Are you gonna ask? That I've got no want for love? You asked! Hey, that was only a joke!" She clears her throat after that, indicating her intention to stop there. "What about you?"

Hanayo fidgets a little, but after only a moment's hesitation and an encouraging nudge from Rin, obliges. "I know you, you know me. I say, we are friends." She seems self-conscious as she works through the English words, but everyone else is focusing on one very different thing.

"Aren't those completely different songs?" Maki demands.

"Dude, wild," Rin says.

Nico looks at the Walkman with a hint of regret for the first time. "You're really not making this easy on us, huh?" she mutters. Predictably, the Walkman doesn't respond.

Maki still thinks all their problems would be solved if they just went ahead and broke it.

A couple hours pass and zero questions are answered. Rin and Hanayo leave, still curious but not looking particularly bothered by their unsolved mystery. Maki leans back and watches Nico open up the silver box for the umpteenth time.

Not finding anything she didn't see the countless other times she did it, Nico closes it and finally sets it aside with a sigh. The look of disappointment on her face is kind of gross. Maki wants to say something, but she doesn't know what, isn't even sure if it's her place to, considering she's the only one who can't hear the music, can't hear any music.

After a few minutes, it's Nico who breaks the silence.

"Are you still mad?" She's trying to sound casual, but it just comes out as small, and nervous, almost.

Maki shakes her head. "No. I was never mad."

"Just disappointed?"

Maki can hear the wry smile in her voice, and it brings a smile to her face, too. Nico looks pleased at that, and she relaxes, just a bit, for the first time since all the commotion with the Walkman began.

"I mean. I won't say it isn't cool that you guys can hear something that isn't playing." It's as honest as Maki can be about the matter.

Nico hums in acknowledgement. "I guess," she says. There's a brief pause. Then, she adds, "I wish you could hear it, too." She sounds wistful. "I wonder what kind of song would play for you."

There's a sincerity in her voice that makes Maki's chest tighten. She finds herself groping for a response. "The best one, probably," she blurts out.

"It can be second-best, after mine." Nico doesn't miss a beat.

Maki rolls her eyes and nudges her with a foot. Nico kicks back playfully, and the two fight it out for a bit, until their legs get tangled and their socks are half-off. Nico's grinning, and Maki is sure that she has something just as dumb-looking on her face.

"Maybe it's magic." It just sort of slips out, accidentally. Maki's embarrassed at first (people their age aren't supposed to believe in something that illogical) but Nico raises her eyebrows, looking as though she's actually considering it.

"Maybe," Nico finally agrees. She says it softly, as if speaking any louder would break the fragile spell in place. She waits a moment, and then she nods, more certainly. "Yeah," she murmurs. "Maybe."

"Are you seriously bringing that thing with you?" Maki doesn't even bother hiding the disgust in her voice.

Strapping the box around her waist and looking all-too-proud for someone who seemed to have just stepped out of the eighties, Nico puts her hands on her hips and sticks out her tongue. "Don't be jealous just 'cause you can't pull it off."

"Jealousy is definitely not the right word for what I'm feeling," Maki replies dryly. She doesn't argue further, though. It's been a few days since they first found the Walkman on the street, and despite their best efforts they still can't come up with a reasonable explanation why the Walkman can play without tape, or why Maki can't hear it.

"It's possessed," Rin had suggested. "Or haunted!"

"Someone was fiddling with it but when it seemed to end up broken beyond repair they threw it out," Hanayo had offered.

None of them are all that satisfied with their theories. Maybe it really is just something beyond logic, Maki thinks. Maybe it really is magic (and the fact that Nico had validated the idea that first night certainly doesn't hurt her confidence in thinking so.)

Whatever it is, Nico doesn't seem to care anymore. Or maybe she's just given up. They're finally going to go to that new sweets shop, and Nico is eager to show off her new device, however weird and maybe-haunted it is.

Nico puts on her headphones and almost immediately starts singing along under her breath. Even Maki knows the song almost by heart now, given how much Nico seems to love it.

"Don't worry, don't worry. You're a challenger starting now? Don't worry, don't worry. No hesitation, go go!"

Personally, it's a little too poppy for Maki's tastes. Not that it really matters, she guesses. Besides, it's kind of endearing how Nico gets so into it, practically dancing as they leave the apartment and head out down the street.

The cold isn't as biting this time, or perhaps Maki just isn't paying that much attention to it. The girl next to her is still singing without a care in the world. It's surprisingly easy to lose herself in that.

"Don't worry, don't worry. Don't lose heart, how boring! Don't worry, don't worry. No hesitation, go, go!"

Maki stuffs her hands in her pockets and carries on.

"Made it!" Once they enter the shop, Nico removes her headphones and breathes in deeply. The scents of flour and sugar and chocolate and probably heaven greet her, and she beams, eyes sparkling. "It's so cute! Ahh, I can't believe it took us this long to come here."

"I mean, there's a pretty good reason for that, I feel," Maki comments. Still, as she scans the shop for an empty table, she finds she has to agree — it's a cozy place, with pleasant colors and an inviting atmosphere. "I'll grab a seat. Order whatever, I'll pay you back later."

"Dangerous words, but you can trust me."

"Yeah, hopefully."

After a minute or two of circling, Maki manages to snag a pretty good seat. It's far enough away from the door that they won't feel like dying every time someone walks in or out, and it's directly within view of the counter so Nico will be able to see her once she places their order.

It also means Maki can see Nico, and the purple-haired lady at the cash register, and the way the purple-haired lady just lights up at the very sight of Nico.

What the heck? Did that actually just happen?

The clerk says something that makes Nico brighten and lean forward with an excited grin. Nico starts patting the Walkman at her waist, and Maki doesn't miss the way the clerk's eyes gleam at the sight. She almost throws up.

Seriously? Seriously? Is Nico honest to god getting hit on because of her freaking possessed Walkman?

It takes years— no, decades, really, for Nico to actually order their food. The clerk prints the receipt, has the nerve to write something down on it, and then hands it to Nico with a wink. Nico looks disgustingly pleased. Maki considers leaving on the spot.

Too late, though. Nico's already turned around and seen her, and now she's all but bounding over, delight clear on her face. She sits down in one smooth action, slipping the receipt in her pocket before Maki has the chance to see what's written on it. "You'll never believe what just happened."

For all the things racing through Maki's mind, the most she can manage out is a very intelligent, "Uh."

Well. That was cool.

In her defense, her mouth feels dry, which she chalks up to dehydration because yeah, duh, what else could it be.

Nico makes a face that all too obviously reads what's wrong with you, weirdo. She doesn't linger on it, though, too eager to share her news. "So I was talking to the clerk up there—."

"Yeah, I noticed."

"Don't interrupt me, that's rude." Nico says it all in one breath. She looks miffed. "Anyway, so I was talking to her, and she started bringing up the Walkman—."

"So she's a nerd."

Nico glares. Maki pointedly looks away.

"… She started bringing up the Walkman," Nico continues, "and guess what?" She doesn't wait for an answer. More accurately, she keeps going the moment Maki opens her mouth to respond. "She knows about it! Its magic!"

That keeps Maki's mouth shut. She stares at Nico blankly. Nico nods, for once too excited to gloat.

"She asked me if I can hear its music — not just any music, its music — and when I said yes, she said she can, too! She said she'd found it before and kept it for a while, and if I have more questions I can just ask her. Look, she gave me her number and everything." At this, Nico finally displays the receipt, confirming Maki's suspicions once and for all with the nine-digit number scrawled upon it.

Maki tries to hum, but it comes out kind of strangled.

"Her name's Nozomi, she's pretty cool. I bet you'd like her, Maki."

I'll take that bet, Maki thinks. Out loud, she says, "Oh?"

"Yeah." Nico smiles, and the world gets a little brighter. "You're both nice, and surprisingly helpful, even when things don't really involve you."

It's kind of good to hear, but it also kind of isn't.

Maki finds herself twirling a strand of hair to avoid eye contact anyway (which is weird and a little humiliating given that she hasn't done that since elementary school.) "Well," she mumbles, "someone like you needs a lot of help."

"Yup, there's the Maki I know and love." Nico sounds way too amused. She puts her elbows on the table and cups her chin in her palms. "Anyway, I'm probably gonna end up contacting Nozomi about it. It'd be good to get some answers, right?"

There's only one answer to that question. Maki offers a noncommittal grunt.

"You should come along."

At that, Maki arches an eyebrow. "Nozomi won't mind?" Her voice sounds mocking, which she only regrets a little bit.

Nico ignores it and shrugs. "I don't think so? I mean, we're in it together. I want you to be there." She sounds innocent enough, but there's a light dusting of red on her cheeks, and Maki can hear the taps of her feet kicking the floor.

Their orders arrive just then, and the conversation topic inevitably changes. Maki eats her chocolate cake with dried fruits, forking it into her mouth in an automated fashion. It's probably pretty tasty. She doesn't really register it, though.

It turns out Maki can't come along, after all.

"I dunno, she just said that since you can't hear the music you probably shouldn't be there." Nico is upset, and when she's upset, she gets defensive. "I tried to talk her out of it but she didn't wanna budge."

"You realize how sketchy this is." Maki is trying not to sound too disappointed or, god forbid, angry. She knows how quickly this can all blow up if Nico thinks she's angry with her. "You going off alone to meet with some random girl who claims she can hear a Walkman with no tape play music."

"I mean, yeah, I guess, but from a different perspective, I'm also a random girl who can hear a Walkman with no tape play music. Rin and Hanayo, too."

Maki tries, "A random girl who says it's because of magic."

"You said that, too!" Nico reminds her heatedly.

"I wasn't serious about it," Maki shoots back, even though both of them know she was, at least a little. It's a weak retort, but she stands her ground.

Nico just shakes her head. "You know I want you there. I really do. But if this is the only way to get any answers, it can't be helped, right?" Her voice sounds pleading. Maki hates it.

"You—."

"I'll be okay," Nico cuts her off, firmly. "And you know I'll tell you everything that happened as soon as it's over."

That's a little unfair, in Maki's opinion, because that means that if Maki says anything otherwise at this point it just sounds like she doesn't trust Nico. And she does trust Nico. Honest. She knows Nico is doing her best, and she knows (and this is the worst part) that really, Nico's just doing all this for her, to find out why Maki can't hear, rather than why everyone else can.

Nico had never been interested in the Walkman's mystery. She'd always just been following Maki's lead.

If Maki tells her that it doesn't matter now, it'll just sound like a slight. It'll sound like a lie.

Completely unfair.

"Call me the second you're done," Maki tells her, and it's kind of dramatic, but every conceding word feels like it's being forced kicking and screaming out of her throat. Her shoulders slump a little in defeat, and then straighten again with her next words. "I'll come over right away."

Nico doesn't call.

Maki waits. It's an hour after Nico and Nozomi's scheduled meeting time, and then it's two hours, and then two and a half, and when it's nearing three Maki is just about ready to call the police when her phone buzzes, and she picks it up, and it's a text.

To: Maki Nishikino
From: Nico Yazawa
Sorry I didn't tell you earlier. Meeting's done. No worries.

Maki stares for a moment. There's rage and exasperation building up inside, but mostly it's relief that spills out, in the way she exhales and her posture relaxes. She's just typing out her response (cool I'll be there in a bit) when she gets another message.

To: Maki Nishikino
From: Nico Yazawa
Sorry not feeling too great rn lol. Meet up some other time?

Maki's breath catches, and countless red flags pop up in her head. She tries to shake off her concern.

To: Nico Yazawa
From: Maki Nishikino
You sure?

She waits a few minutes, but Nico doesn't respond. She dials Nico's number and tries not to think about how embarrassingly desperate she must seem, when it's obvious that Nico just didn't reply yet because she was in the bathroom or talking to her mom or something.

Nico doesn't pick up. Maki hisses to the answering machine, "Answer my question. Loser." The last part comes out forced and hasty and awkward but she can't do anything about it anymore so she just hangs up abruptly and considers slamming her head against the wall.

Before she can come to a decision on that, her phone buzzes again with a new text message.

To: Maki Nishikino
From: Nico Yazawa
Lolol yeah im sure.

A few seconds later:

To: Maki Nishikino
From: Nico Yazawa
No need to be so possessive lmao

Oh.

That stings.

Maki winces and her ears start to burn, but mostly, she can't help thinking why? What happened? Nico's excuses here are flimsy at best, they both know that. So what is Nico trying to say?

There's anger — I trusted you to tell me everything once you got back! Isn't that the whole reason I let you go alone in the first place?

There's pettiness — fine, who needs you anyway? I didn't even want to get involved with that stupid Walkman to begin with!

But most of all, she's just hurt. She's confused. And it's horrifying, terrifying, but all of a sudden, in just a few short moments, her world has disappeared, and she finds herself feeling completely and utterly lost.

Why don't you want to see me?

Days pass, and then a week, and there's no word from Nico.

Not that Maki's tried all that hard to reach out to her.

No need to be so possessive.

The words cut deeper than she ever would have expected, and they ring out every time she finds herself reaching for her phone.

There's an emptiness inside her, she can feel it gnawing, and it feels gross, it feels wrong, but there's something else too, growing more and more with each passing day, and she wakes up one morning and lies in her bed and thinks about it for all of two minutes before she steels her resolve and decides what to do about it.

She's on her own, she's pissed, and she's gonna get the answers she deserves.

"Welcome, what can I get for you today?" Purple hair and green eyes. As though that wasn't enough proof, the pin on the lady's shirt reads Nozomi clear as day. There's a knowing look on the clerk's face. It makes Maki uncomfortable, but at the same time it also kind of ticks her off.

Maki says bluntly, "Let's have a chat."

"Oh my, how forward," Nozomi teases. "I don't believe we've been acquainted? Although I do love the energy." She leans forward a bit. Her shirt seems a little tight. Maki can't believe she's even in this situation right now.

"I want to know about the Walkman," Maki says through gritted teeth.

That certainly catches Nozomi's attention. She blinks, and then her eyes widen, as though all the pieces have come together for her.

By God does Maki hate always being the only one left out of the loop.

Still, Nozomi's smile is a lot more sincere when she speaks again. "Okay. My break's in half an hour. Wanna grab a table and we can talk then?"

Maki nods stiffly, still unwilling to let her guard down around the woman. She turns on her heel and is about to walk away when Nozomi adds, "You'll still need to buy something, though. Tables are for customers only."

Nozomi winks when Maki turns back. It's absolutely infuriating.

Maki is drinking a subpar hot chocolate (to be completely honest, it's actually amazing, except that the thought of Nozomi leaves a terrible taste in her mouth) when lo and behold the woman herself appears and sits herself down on the other side of the table.

"So," Nozomi says conversationally, as though the two of them are old friends, "I'm guessing you're the girl that Nicocchi was talking about?"

Nicocchi. The mug almost shatters in Maki's hands. "I guess," she grounds out.

"Aw, that's so cute!" It's said so patronizingly Maki almost wants to die. Then Nozomi adds, "I'm really cheering for you guys, you know."

At Maki's bewildered look, Nozomi giggles. "Yeah, that's what I thought, more or less. It's why I told Nicocchi not to let you come along."

Maki frowns and opens her mouth to respond. Nozomi starts humming, though, and it's a song Maki's never heard before, one that, she figures, only the woman sitting across from her had been able to hear.

"I'm sure that I would have been better off ignorant. Holding such pain in my chest," Nozomi sings softly. It's a soothing tune. Nozomi explains, "That's the song the Walkman first played for me. It was all I could hear whenever I put on my headphones."

"So you were the same as Nico," Maki concludes.

"That's right," Nozomi says in a cheerful voice. "Although, truth be told, most people can hear a song when they hit the switch."

"Just that I'm not one of them." Maki doesn't bother keeping the bitterness out of her voice.

Unexpectedly, Nozomi doesn't agree. Instead, she makes a noise of careful consideration, head tilted and eyes peering down at Maki. "Well, I'm not sure about that," she says. "It's possible, definitely, but… well, yeah, just going from this, I think that you just need to put a little more time and effort into it, and you'll probably be able to hear your song, too."

It's said so casually, so positively, that Maki is sure she misheard for a few seconds. She gapes like an idiot, and across from her, Nozomi is still grinning.

Maki slams her hands on the table. "How? What do I have to do to hear it? And what does this have to do with you not wanting me to be there when you and Nico talked?" She pauses. Then, willing her voice not to break, she asks, "Why has Nico been avoiding me since she met you?"

Nozomi gives a dismissive wave. "Hey now, one question at a time. Also, my breaks aren't that long, you know." Maki scowls, but Nozomi doesn't seem to mind. She taps a finger to her chin. "Well, all I can say is, you just have to be honest with yourself. Think things over a little, but maybe not too much. The rest will work itself out on its own." She smiles, as though what she'd said had actually been good advice.

Maybe it was. Maki wouldn't know. In all honesty, she's too tired and too confused to really know anything, at this point.

"So," Nozomi clasps her hands together pleasantly, "any other questions?" The gleam in her eyes is unnerving as ever.

You barely answered my first ones. Maki bites back her retort. She tries to think of something, anything that can net her a concrete answer, a path to walk on, a direction to follow.

Then, Nozomi checks her watch. "Oops, time's up." She pushes back her chair and gets to her feet. "I guess that's that. And hey, good luck, yeah? I really am rooting for you." She's just walking away when Maki realizes, with a jolt, what she wants to ask.

"Nozomi!" She leaps to her feet. Her voice had carried through the small space of the shop, and more than a few heads turn to look at her. It doesn't matter, though. Maki sets her jaw, waits for Nozomi to stop and look at her before she asks. "The Walkman… why don't you have it anymore? What is it, really?"

This turns the other customers away almost immediately. Nozomi stays, though, watching her, studying her, for a few seconds, for several seconds.

Then she smiles, and it's the most condescending look Maki has ever seen in her life. "Aw, Maki. I really do wanna help you, but you gotta stop asking such obvious questions, you know?"

Nozomi disappears back behind the counter. Maki is left with the worst hot chocolate in the world.

To: Nico Yazawa
From: Maki Nishikino
Ur friend sucks. Anyway, I'm coming over so you'd better be home.

Maki bangs on the door and doesn't stop until Nico opens it with a yank and snaps at her to shut up.

"Good to see you, too," Maki gives Nico a once-over, taking in her unusually disheveled appearance (messy hair, pajamas, and all), "… I guess." Despite all that has happened, the Walkman is still strapped around Nico's waist, Maki notes.

"Funny," Nico says dully. She doesn't move from the door, so neither does Maki. After a few moments of silence on both ends, Nico says, more than a little impatiently, "Do you need something?"

Maki quashes down her own frustration. "Well. No. Just thought we could… talk."

"Mm," Nico says.

Maki waits a beat, and then says, "I talked to Nozomi just now."

"Mm," Nico says again, in the same disinterested tone, but Maki doesn't miss the slight twitch of her brow.

Maki continues, "She told me a little more about the Walkman." Sort of. In retrospect, she's not actually sure Nozomi told her much of anything.

To her surprise, Nico just scoffs. "The Walkman," she mutters. Her hand drops to tap it, at her side. "Stupid," she hisses. "It's stupid."

"What's stupid?" Maki prompts, trying to take a step forward.

Nico recoils though, and it hurts more than Maki would care to admit. Maybe Nico sees the pain in her eyes, though, because her face suddenly scrunches up, like she's trying not to cry, and Maki's stomach twists and god if that isn't the ugliest feeling in the entire universe.

"Nico—," Maki tries, but suddenly Nico is shoving her away, pushing something — the Walkman? — into her hands.

"You can have it, if you're that interested in it," Nico says, and her voice sounds so low, so… cold, in a way. "I don't want it anymore."

Before Maki can say anything else, Nico slams the door shut. The resounding noise has a terrible kind of finality to it.

She's left standing outside with a Walkman she can't even listen to.

She goes home after that.

Maki is lying in bed and she's pretty sure she's dying.

It's hard to breathe. Her chest hurts, and her throat burns, and there's this churning in her gut that just feels so bad, and for the first time that she can remember, she stops to wonder why.

Why she feels so upset whenever Nico is.

Why she feels so rotten whenever Nozomi comes up.

Why it seems like everyone in the world can hear the Walkman's music but her.

Why Nico would avoid her after learning that truth.

Maki thinks, and thinks some more.

Why it feels so easy to smile whenever Nico is there.

Why it feels so empty when she's not.

Magic, magic, a voice in her head sings. Was it that obvious all along?

Be honest with yourself. Think things over, but not too much. The rest will work itself out.

Maki groans and covers her eyes with an arm.

God, she's so stupid.

Maki puts on the headphones and flips the Walkman's switch, and she closes her eyes and lets the song wash over her.

It's a little clumsy, but it's warm, and bright, and filled with a kind of earnestness she's never heard from anyone else in the world. The kind of earnestness, she knows, that can only come from one person.

Sending you magic, the magic of a smile to make everyone happy. A smiley magic, the magic of a smile. Say good-bye to all your tears.

Here's a nico-nico smile! Come on, have fun!

It sounds like her, which is the weirdest part, and Maki thinks back to the first time Nico heard her own song, weeks ago, and that horrified, embarrassed look on her face, and Maki thinks now, of course. Of course.

No wonder Nozomi was always laughing at her.

"Persistent, aren't you." Nico hasn't even bothered to open the door this time. She speaks stubbornly through it, which is just like her — steadfast and childish all at once.

Maki isn't sure if it's okay to smile. "Or maybe just dumb, I guess," she returns. She drums her fingers against the box at her waist, a little uncertainly. "I brought the Walkman."

"So?" Nico's response is immediate, and her voice sour. "I told you. I don't want it anymore."

"You don't want to hear your song again?"

"It's a dumb song."

Maki hesitates. Then she calls, "Come on, you're gonna hurt my feelings if you keep talking like that."

Nico is silent for several moments. When it becomes clear that she's not going to respond, Maki continues. "It was my voice, right? Singing that song? You never told me that. It's kind of embarrassing, now that I think about all the times you listened to it."

"Did Nozomi tell you?" Nico asks sharply.

Maki shakes her head, even though the door between them is still closed. "Nozomi didn't say anything. She was barely any help, to be honest." She pauses, then adds, "Although then again, maybe that's not really all that fair to her."

"What are you getting at?" Nico is clearly getting exasperated, and now, at last, Maki allows herself a smile, a small one, for the moment.

"I heard it, Nico. A song playing through a Walkman without a tape. My song, I guess, but it's really more yours, in a way." Maki waits for a second. Her heart's thumping and thumping, and her face feels so warm, but for the first time in a long time, her words are coming out naturally. "It's a great song, you know. I can't stop listening to it. I guess I understand now why you always wanted to have this thing close by." She taps at the box again, and this time, the door opens, just a crack.

Maki waits. It takes a second, an agonizing one, but finally, Nico pokes her head out, eyeing her with caution, and suspicion, and beneath it all, hope.

Maki lets out a slow breath. At last, relief, a load off her shoulders, a feeling that maybe happy endings do exist, a small piece of magic in this everyday world. "You know," she says, and the grin on her face feels absolutely ridiculous, but she's looking at Nico and she just can't stop.

It's the lamest thing ever.

The truth is the truth, though.

"My song's the best one."

She says it with every confidence. To her, there's nothing she's ever been more sure of.

Two seconds later, Nico is in her arms, hugging her with a strength she'd never known the other girl to have.

And mere seconds after that, Nico has released her, looking embarrassed at her forwardness but happy, so happy, and it makes Maki happy, too.

"Second best," Nico corrects her through a cracking voice, and everything feels right again. "After mine."

Her smile is magical, Maki thinks. Magic does exist, at least a little, at least here, in the most mundane lives, in the most mundane things.

"So it plays the song of the person you're in love with?" Hanayo repeats.

Rin looks confused. "What does that even mean?"

It's a good question, and Maki can only shrug because honestly, she barely gets it herself. From their seats on the floor, Rin and Hanayo look unimpressed, which she can't really blame them for. Days have passed, and their answers regarding the Walkman's mystery are still minimal.

"Magic," Nico says, as though that's all the answer they need. Maybe it is. At least, it's the only one they have.

She doesn't say anything after that, so Maki adds, "You have to know you're in love with the person, though. Kind of." She waves a hand. "I dunno, feelings are weird."

Rin and Hanayo exchange a look. Nico and Maki wear matching expectant smirks.

"Well, it goes without saying that I love Kayo-chin." Rin says it like it's the easiest thing in the world.

Hanayo nods, although she has the grace to look a little more flustered. "A-and I love Rin, too." She fiddles with her fingers as she speaks.

Rin beams, launching herself at Hanayo for one of their usual full-body hugs. "I guess that does make sense, then! Why we could hear the Walkman, too. Kayo-chin, I love your song! It's the best song I've ever heard ever in my entire life ever!"

Hanayo squeaks in embarrassment, but she's smiling, and she reaches over to stroke Rin's hair as she whispers, "I love your song, too, Rin. It's very lovely."

This time, it's Nico and Maki who exchange a look. Their expressions are mirrored in each other's, similarly distasteful and a little unimpressed with the anticlimactic scene.

"These kids," Nico grumbles. "Too honest for their own good."

"I'm a little jealous of how much trouble they saved, though," Maki comments with a small sigh.

They share a knowing grin. Nico bumps their shoulders together, and Maki retaliates with a gentle shove. Then, Maki lets out an oof when Nico all but tackles her, knocking her down against the couch.

"My win," Nico boasts.

Maki rolls her eyes. "Get off, you're heavy." Her voice is light. She pushes at Nico's face. Nico bats her hand away but obliges all the same.

Then, Rin jumps to her feet. "Okay, let's go now! The sweets place, right? It better be as good as you guys say it is."

"Of course it is," Nico chides, also standing up. "If I say so, it must be true."

Hanayo follows suit. "You guys said you know someone who works there, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Maki says dismissively. She stretches her arms as she gets up. "Might as well update her on stuff."

They walk out the door, and the sky is gray, and the air cold as ever. Maki zips up her coat unhappily. Her friends are by her side, though, Rin and Hanayo chattering as usual, as though their confessions just a few minutes earlier hadn't even happened (or maybe they always happened, every day, to the point where their love was just second nature, a normal thing, a simple thing.)

Nico's by her side, too. It's comfortable, being next to her. It doesn't save her from the wind or the frost, but there's a certain warmth to it, one that Maki wouldn't give for the world.

She hums under her breath as she walks, a song about wishes and smiles. A song about magic.

She hasn't heard it for a while. The Walkman disappeared only a day after she first listened to it, vanishing like a mirage, an illusion in the clouds.

It's still her favorite song, though.

After all, it's their song.