It starts with a phone call.

Loud music, intermittent buzzes; a steady beat to a popular pop song.

A figure sits up slowly, dark hair a tangled mess and pajamas ruffled from sleep. She squints her eyes in the direction of the white glow, the screen on the phone the only light visible in the room.

Just as sudden, everything stops, and the jarring silence is a sharp contrast to the earlier noise.

She's about to fall back onto her futon when the phone rings once again. Her irritated sigh is drowned out by the grating ringtone.

She pushes her blankets away and stands. She finds she is too lazy to turn on the light, thoughts still clinging to sleep, and all but stomps over to offending device in the dark.

She immediately regrets her decision as sudden pain shoots up her foot: a miscalculation and a stubbed toe on the bed frame in the middle of the room.

She bites back a cry of pain and moves over to avoid anymore mishaps. Using the phone as a guide, she steps around the bed and is halfway there when it stops, suddenly falling back into silence.

She pauses, waiting to see if that's the end, when music answers that question for her.

The path now between her and the phone is straight ahead. She quickly strides over, intent on maybe throwing the thing out the window.

A few more steps and she reaches for it just as her foot catches on something that shouldn't be on the floor. She stumbles forward, slamming hard onto the wooden dresser and there's a loud crash as it hits the wall.

"Ow..."

The phone is quiet as she leans heavily on the dresser, bruised arms throbbing from her spill.

As if adding insult to her injury, it suddenly rings once more, right into her ear.

"Ugh."

She quickly reaches for it, eyes automatically squinting at the brightness and due to her own nearsightedness. A glance at the name on the screen, another sigh with just as much irritation laced in. She uses the phone like a flashlight to locate where the bed begins, and where the sleeping figure on it lies.

She walks over and grasps the figure's shoulder.

She shakes her lightly. "Madoka. Madoka, wake up."

No response.

She tries, harder this time, as the phone reminds her why she's standing here instead of sleeping.

"Madoka. Madoka, someone's calling you. Madoka."

"Nngh..."

She hears shifting as the shoulder pulls away; Madoka merely turning in her sleep.

She holds out the phone, hoping that the loud noise will wake her up instead.

No such luck.

Another quick shine on the bed and she places a knee onto the mattress. She leans in closer before she lowers her hand on Madoka's shoulder once more.

"Madoka? Madoka."

"...Hmm...?" a sleepy voice finally greets her.

"Madoka, there's a phone call. For you."

"...Homura-chan...?"

Homura refrains from sighing again. "Madoka, your phone."

"...Hmm? Did you... have another nightmare... Homura-chan...?"

"No—"

She hears rustling and the bed moves slightly. "...there... you can sleep... on that side...goodnight, Homura-chan..."

"Mado—" Homura grits her teeth at the annoying ringtone. "I'm going to pick up, okay, Madoka?"

"...mm..."

Taking that as a yes, Homura jabs the receive button on the screen and places the phone to her ear.

"Madoka? Geez, you're still a heavy sleeper, aren't you? Hey, uhm—"

"Miki Sayaka. Is this a life or death situation?"

"H-Homura? Is that—"

"If I hang up right now, will you die?"

"Uhh, where's—"

"Is that a no, Miki Sayaka? Because it is..." Homura has no idea what time it is, "...too early for you to be calling at this time."

"Where's—"

"Goodnight, Miki Sayaka."

"Wait wait wait! Yes, it's a life or death situation!"

Homura pauses, weighing her options. She decides Madoka would be upset if Sayaka died and sighs.

"You have 30 seconds. Explain."

"Uh..."

"25...24..."

"O-Okay! Geez. Long story short, I took the last train to Tokyo but I forgot to reload my credits on my phone so I don't have enough money to pay for the bus fare to get to your place."

"..."

"Homura? You there?"

"...It's only 500yen. How do you not have enough?"

"Uh... well, there was this sale earlier..."

She does not reply. Instead, she raises her free hand to her forehead and tries to massage the forming headache away.

"Hello? Homura? She didn't hang up on me, did she? Hey!"

"...Take a taxi."

"There's the insurance fee. I don't have enough to cover that."

"...How do you not have a waiver for that?"

"Uh... I kind of forgot to pay for it... I don't really use taxis at home, so I kind of forgot it..."

"...Take the uninsured line."

"It's twice as expensive!"

"...Why do I get the feeling you are merely making excuses?"

"..."

"If—"

"Homura... I just—really want to see Madoka right now, alright? Can...can you get her to pick me up? ...Please. "

She sighs. "...You are still at the station?"

"Yeah."

"There's a small bar by the station entrance, it's not hard to miss. It'll be one of the only open shops there with a large yellow sign. Go there and wait."

"W-Wha—"

"It is not safe to stay at the station during this time; there has been an increase in crime in the area recently. Walk over there, now, and stay on the line with me until you get there. Are you moving, Miki Sayaka?"

"Uh...Y-Yeah, lemme get my bag..."

Homura can hear rustling in the background.

"O-Okay. By the entrance, you said?"

"Yes. It'll be on your right."

"On my right... okay."

"Mmhmm..."

"Is, uh... Madoka still sleeping?"

"...Do you even need to ask?"

Homura hears Sayaka laugh quietly. "Yeah... she's always been like that, even when we were younger. It's amazing she can wake up in the morning for classes."

Thoughts of Sayaka's earlier visits. "Hm... the same can be said of you as well."

Sayaka scoffs. "Whatev—Oh, yellow sign, right? Tetsuno?"

"Yes. You are underage, but tell them you are merely there to wait for a friend. They won't kick you out."

"Huh." Homura can hear the unasked question in her voice. "Alright."

"Have you arrived?"

"Yeah." More rustling, the sound of a bell and a low muffled voice is heard.

Sayaka's barely audible reply.

More indistinguishable words.

Her voice returns to normal volume. "Yeah, they said I can stay. Uhm. How long until you get here?"

Homura closes her eyes. "Depends on how hard it is to wake her up. 45 minutes, including travel time. Maybe."

"...alright, good luck."

"Yes."

"Uh... Homura?"

She's in the midst of hanging up and places the phone back to her ear. "Yes?"

"Uhm. Thanks."

"...You're welcome. We will be there soon."

"'Kay. Bye."

Click.

Homura turns to where she knows Madoka is sleeping and sighs once more.

Maybe she should've told her an hour... or two.

\\

As Sayaka makes herself comfortable on one of the bar stools, she can't help but look around. Tetsuno is empty, small, and above all else, old. The worn bar counter sits only five people, and makes up almost half of the room. There's two more small tables to the side, a bulky looking TV hanging on the corner of the far wall, and the peeling paint surrounding it makes Sayaka worry about its stability. There's also a large, black boxed object directly below that. Maybe a karaoke machine, considering the microphones lying on top.

"Anything to drink?"

Sayaka turns to regard the bartender, eyes already comparing him to someone else. Dress shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, black tie matching his black slacks. Dark spiky hair and dark brown eyes. A dashing smile.

He looks nothing like him and she relaxes slightly.

He winks at her.

"Like what you see?" His voice is a light and teasing.

She rolls her eyes. "Maybe. But maybe I've seen better."

He grabs his chest and winces. "Ouch, you've got a sharp tongue, eh?"

Friendly banter between two strangers.

"Water, for now, please."

"Sure." He pulls out a clean glass from under the counter and sets that down in front of her. "Ice?"

"Yes, please."

A pitcher fills her glass; the tinkling sound of water and shifting ice cubes fills the room.

"Thank you."

He slides a faded paper over. "We have a full functioning kitchen, in case you are hungry. I recommend the curry; it's today's special."

Her eyes scan the menu and she finds the item listed at the bottom. "'Day old curry?'"

He grins. "The best kind."

"Hmm." She is feeling a bit peckish, though thoughts of why she's even here makes her stomach churn. Not to mention she's a bit wary of their health standards. "Maybe something lighter."

"Bar snacks." His voice is knowing as he points to the top of the menu. "Or," her eyes follow as his hand flips the paper over, "desserts! A girl's best friend!"

"Not diamonds?" but his statement makes her smile for some reason.

He snaps his fingers and she looks up to see him grinning at her. "See, I knew you had a nice smile. A cute girl like you, should remain smiling like that, always."

Beyond friendly; he's downright flirting.

She doesn't mind and her self confidence repairs itself, ever so slightly; if only it was someone else telling her this.

A familiar face flashes in her mind and her smile falters.

"Ahh, there it is again." A finger is waggled in front her face. "Nope, no moping here, not while I'm working. I'll be right back."

She watches as he disappears into the opening behind him, most likely leading to the kitchen. It's quiet enough that she can hear dishes, cabinets being opened and closed and voices exchanged.

He returns and sets down a full bowl of edamame, placing an empty bowl besides that.

"Something light and refreshing for the little lady."

She stares at him and he grins.

"It's on the house." Sensing her hesitation, he leans in almost conspiratorially. "It's really to bring up your appetite. It'll make you hungry and then you'll want to order something else."

She shakes her head even as her lips twitch with amusement. She turns to the edamame and eyes it critically; it looks normal. She reaches for one and uses her fingers to press on the pod, popping three green beans into her mouth.

Lightly salted and cool against her tongue; for some reason, it makes her feel better. Maybe it's because she hasn't eaten all day.

"So." She looks up as her fingers discard the pod into the empty bowl. "I'm a pretty good listener. Wanna talk about it?"

His outright bluntness should make her annoyed, but it doesn't.

"What makes you think something's the matter?" She leans back with a raised eyebrow.

He mirrors her, raising his own. "It's 3am. Saturday. You should be out, partying with friends or cuddling with your boyfriend. Instead you're here, in this dumpy old bar that caters to lonely drunks or office workers who maybe missed their last train back home. Considering the heavy duffel I saw you lugging in, I think you voluntarily came here on your own. Maybe to run away from something."

She sighs, shoulders suddenly heavy as she remembers her situation.

"Come on." He takes an edamame and eats one. "See? We're sharing food. We're friends already."

Her eyes roll but there's a smile on her lips. "Geez, you are insufferable."

He winks.

\\

As soon as the taxi is parked and the door is opened, Madoka steps out with Homura following after her.

"I'll wait out here."

Madoka blinks, but the meter is still running and thinks nothing more of it.

"Okay."

She pulls open the glass door and as a bell rings, she's instantly reminded of a place now close to her heart.

"Welcome! Ahh, another pretty lady. Let me guess, you are her friend?"

Madoka nods as the bartender gestures to the figure sitting at the bar. Even if she didn't have that distinguishable shade of blue hair, Madoka easily recognizes the jacket she's wearing that's emblazoned with the words 'Mitakihara High' on them. Coupled with her usual jeans and brightly coloured sneakers, Sayaka looks exactly the same as when she had seen her a couple months prior.

"Yo, Madoka!" A hand held high in greeting.

"Sayaka-chan." She is glad to see her, but she knows there's a reason she's in Tokyo instead of at home. "Uhm. The taxi is waiting."

"Ahh..." Sayaka sheepishly scratches her head. "Actually, I wasn't sure how long until you'd be here, so I kind of put in an order for curry..."

"It's almost ready!" the bartender throws in helpfully.

Madoka blinks. "...Alright. Let me go tell Homura-chan. I'll be right back."

The door closes after her and Sayaka turns back to the bartender who suddenly has a serious look on his face.

"Homura?"

"Hm?" Sayaka raises a curious eyebrow.

A disarming smile. "Nothing. I'll be right back, gotta check on the curry."

He leaves her alone and Sayaka rests her hands on the counter as she waits for Madoka to return.

It takes a few more minutes than expected. When there's that familiar ring, Sayaka turns and sees Madoka dragging in a reluctant looking Homura, which she finds strange.

Homura had been the one to suggest this place, after all.

The door shuts with a light jangle and they both walk to join Sayaka.

Madoka takes a seat besides her, but Homura remains standing.

"Sayaka-chan."

Sayaka hums and turns to Madoka with a smile. She notes that Madoka still looks sleepy and that her hair is down and messier than usual. Dressed in shorts, a pink hoodie, and socks slipped into a pair of sneakers, just the familiar sight of her makes Sayaka want to cry.

"...I wanted to see you. Sorry, for waking you up." Sayaka glances over to Homura who is dressed just as lightly, except with capri pants and her sweater is grey. A glance down and Sayaka can see her boot clad feet tapping on the floor impatiently. "You too, Homura. Sorry."

Homura shrugs while Madoka looks at Sayaka, eyes searching her face in worry. "...No, it's fine. Sorry I didn't pick up."

They share a smile.

Sayaka slides the menu over to Madoka. "You can order something, if you'd like? Oh. Uhm... You have enough to cover the curry too, right?"

Madoka nods. "Yes, of course."

"I'll definitely pay you back when I get home!" Sayaka promises.

"That's fine," Madoka murmurs, eyes glossing over the selection. "Homura-chan?"

Homura jumps at being addressed. "H-Hm?"

Both of them eye her strangely.

"Are you alright?" Madoka asks, finally noticing how nervous she seems.

"Yes."

A short and simple answer that Madoka is starting to recognize to mean 'No.'

"Are—"

"Here you go, one day old cur—"

They all turn as the bartender reappears with a bowl in his hands.

And watch as his head snaps towards Homura who glances at him warily.

"Uh, Satoshi-san?" Sayaka stares at him and he turns to her with a smile.

"Here you go, one day old curry." He places the curry calmly in front of her, a spoon and napkin placed besides that.

As soon as that is done, the smile slides off his face as he faces Homura.

"You. Where the hell have you been?!"

Homura flinches, immediately stepping back as he pops open the counter to reach her.

Madoka moves to stand, Sayaka following her example, but they both freeze when he merely throws his arms around Homura and hugs her tightly.

"Geez! You—no phone call, no mail! Nothing from you! For three whole months! I stopped by your place—and your roommates told me you moved out!"

Homura struggles to breath and unsuccessfully tries to push him away. She's this close to stepping on his foot when he finally pulls back and places his hands on her cheeks.

"You've lost weight. Have you been eating? Where are you living now? Is everything alright?"

She frowns and slaps his hands away. "I am fine. Stop that."

He eyes her curiously. Her face is flushed and he glances to the side. "They're your friends?"

She doesn't reply and he finally notices that the other two in the room are now staring at him like he's some kind of weirdo.

He grins and ropes his arm around Homura's thin shoulders. "No worries, ladies. This is my baby sister. Who," he glares at her, "likes to disappear for months without telling her family where she is."

Homura shrugs helplessly and Madoka can only blink at her.

Her expectations of Homura's family being... not so nice vanish as she evaluates his friendly grin.

"Ah. Uhm, nice to meet you," Madoka murmurs, eyes searching to see if there's any family resemblance; there isn't. "I'm Kaname Madoka."

"Hikaru Satoshi."

Madoka blinks at his name.

Homura pushes him away and he sighs.

"Stop being so shy, Homu-chan."

There's a cough as Sayaka tries to hide her snicker.

Homura grits her teeth. "Do not call me that."

"Homu Homu~" he repeats with a grin.

"...I will wait outside." She moves to turn away and he grabs her shoulders. He's stronger than her and merely navigates her to the seat next to Madoka.

"Sit." She resists but he manages to push her down onto the stool. "You look like you could eat something. I'll be right back with more curry." He turns to Madoka. "Make sure she stays here, okay, Madoka-chan?" He winks at her and Madoka blushes.

"U-Uhm. A-Alright..."

He points at Homura, giving her another glare before he heads off to the kitchen.

Homura sighs and places her elbows on the counter. She links her hands and rests her forehead on them, seeming real tired all of a sudden.

"...I didn't know your brother worked here, Homura-chan."

Homura moves her head slightly and a lone lavender eye peers at Madoka who looks... she's not quite sure. Hurt, maybe?

"...He's not my real brother."

Satoshi storms out from the kitchen, this time with both his hands full of curry bowls which he balances with precision.

"We are siblings," he reaffirms, almost vehemently.

Homura merely sits up and removes her arms from the bar as a hearty bowl is placed in front of her. "Half."

"Details, details," he waves her off. "Anyways, these meals are on me. Eat up!"

"Satoshi—"

"Homura."

A pause, glares, and finally her hand reaches for the spoon.

Satoshi smiles, and turns to Sayaka and Madoka. "Eat up! It tastes best when it's still hot."

"Uhm..." Madoka glances at Homura who is eating, albeit grudgingly, and nods. "A-Alright. T-Thank you, uhm. Hikaru-san..."

"Satoshi is fine!"

"Uhm... S-Satoshi-san..."

He nods and gestures for them to try the curry.

"It's pretty good, right?" He looks around for confirmation.

"Y-Yeah," Sayaka agrees; the atmosphere is weird but the curry is definitely good. "Probably one of the best I've tasted."

Satoshi's eyes seem to light up at the praise. "Thank you. I put a lot of work into developing that recipe to perfection. It's good, right, Homu-chan?"

She ignores him, eyes staring into her curry as she pushes random vegetables around; she's not really hungry and would rather go back to sleep.

"Right, Homu-chan?"

She bites back an exasperated sigh and finally looks at him. "So you are still studying culinary?"

He grins and nods. "Yeah. I wouldn't throw that away that easily."

"Mmhmm..." her eyes return to her bowl.

A hand is shoved in front of her face and she jumps in surprise.

"Give me your phone," he tells her and at the same time, starts rummaging behind the counter for something. A few seconds later, a piece of paper is on the counter, along with a pen. "And write down your new address."

"...It is no business of yours where I am living," she grumbles as she pulls out her phone from her pocket.

He accepts it and stares at her. "Are you on the streets?"

"No."

"So you have a place to live."

"Yes."

"How are you paying for it?"

"...I have a job."

He leans against the counter, eyes narrowed at her. "...You aren't selling your body, are you?"

Their bowls rattle as her hand slams down hard on his.

"Ouch!"

"Stop asking stupid questions."

Madoka and Sayaka can only stare as they see a new side of Homura.

"I just wanted to make sure." He turns to regard Sayaka and Madoka. "She's so socially awkward, you know? You two must be angels, considering how she usually treats people." He holds up his red hand as an example.

Sayaka grins but Madoka frowns.

"...if you're done with my phone, give it back."

Satoshi turns back to Homura and pulls out his own phone from his shirt pocket. She assumed he was merely going to check her phone number and immediately stands to retrieve it.

"Nope!" he steps back, away from her reach, and starts punching a few buttons on his phone. He then holds his screen to hers.

Homura is eying the bar, wondering if she's able to clear the height when there's a soft ping and she sighs in defeat.

"There. That should help cover things for a few months." He hands her back her phone and she frowns at him. "...It's your fair share, Homu-chan."

Her lips press into a thin line. She snatches back her phone and stuffs it into her sweater pocket.

Satoshi turns to Madoka and Sayaka who quickly pretend like they hadn't been watching. "So, how did you two meet Homu-chan?"

Madoka blushes as she remembers how they first met. She lowers her spoon and wipes her mouth with the napkin. "Uhm. Homura-chan and I ran into each other at a local coffee shop..."

Literally.

His eyes widen. "She spoke to you, voluntarily?"

"Uhm..." Madoka fidgets with the spoon. "W-Well... I kind of... literally ran into her. And spilled my coffee all over her..."

He bursts out laughing. "I wish I could've seen that!"

"Me too," Sayaka chimes in from the side.

"And she didn't bite your head off?" Satoshi looks at Madoka curiously.

She shakes her head. "N-No. She... offered me some hot cocoa. And uhm, offered to help me do my laundry..."

He turns to Homura and she can already imagine what's running through his head.

The counter rattles, he screams in pain, and her own hand throbs from her actions.

She ignores it.

"Stop bothering her."

"You!" He rubs his hand and steps back. "What happened to the cute little Homu-chan that used to stick so close to me?"

Her eyes narrow. "I never did that. Stop making up lies."

"Alright, already. Sheesh. Anyways," he turns back to Madoka and Sayaka. "I'm glad it seems that Homu-chan finally found some friends. And such cute ones, at that!" He winks at them and Madoka colours as expected.

"...I see you are still a flirt," Homura comments dryly.

"Aw, don't be jealous, Homu-chan. I love you too."

"...why don't you come closer and say that."

"Youch! Scary!"

\\

Arms now laden with leftovers, Homura follows after Madoka and Sayaka as they exit the bar. A hand clasps her shoulder and she stiffens.

"Don't disappear on me again."

She glances back at him. "...I'm doing fine on my own."

He smiles almost bitterly. "Yeah. I guess you are, Homu-chan. Come visit—I work the daytime shift midweek. There's different specials everyday."

She remains quiet and he knows that's her way of rejection.

It makes him annoyed, more at his family than at her. He places his hand on her head, absently noting she hasn't grown much and he's a good head taller than her now. Lack of nutrients, perhaps?

"Please."

The plead in his voice makes her look back at him; he wonders when those lavender eyes stopped shining so brightly.

Then again, if he thinks about it, he's never really seen anything but pain, and then later on, anger, in them either.

"...Maybe."

It's more than expected and he grins.

"I'm glad you finally found someone who understands you, Homu-chan."

"You... have too much free time. You need a girlfriend."

"Hm." He sounds almost thoughtful and she turns around to see him watching Madoka and Sayaka. "Madoka-chan is pretty cute. Think she'd like someone like me?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe you should ask her." She moves to join them and he grabs her wrist.

"Seriously. She's totally my type."

Homura sighs. "From what I remember, any girl is your type." She shakes off his hand. "She's still here, you can ask her yourself."

He eyes her curiously. "You won't mind?"

"...What?"

"...I might end up taking her away from you."

Homura turns to him, eyebrow quirked. "Madoka isn't mine."

"...You still have much to learn, baby sister." He reaches up and ruffles her hair.

Hands full, Homura kicks him in the shin and he winces. "Ouch! Are you regressing back to your high school days?"

"Words do not work on idiots," she merely tells him.

She somehow manages to fix her hair and once that is done, walks away.

He shakes his head, eyes watching as Madoka all but lights up when Homura approaches.

"Well, she'll eventually understand." He stretches before yawning loudly.

The sound of a car approaching, and he waits for them to enter the taxi before he heads back to his job.

\\

Madoka enters first, door held for Sayaka and Homura who follow in after her.

Homura immediately heads to the kitchen, leftovers still in her hands. Sayaka remains in the living room, looking around the apartment as Madoka closes and locks the door.

She finds it's still the same since her last visit. There's a white, three seater couch in the middle, and a low, glass coffee table in front of that. The creme coloured walls are decorated with random pictures of the Kaname family, and there's a simple 3 tier bookshelf against the far wall, filled with more trinkets than of books.

"I'll make some tea."

Madoka's voice wakes her from her daze and Sayaka nods.

"Okay," she agrees quietly, slipping off her duffel bag and leaving it besides the couch.

She follows Madoka to the kitchen and takes a seat at one of the stools by the breakfast counter. Her eyes watch as Madoka moves around the kitchen with ease, eventually stopping at one of the cabinets by the refrigerator. She stands on her tiptoes to reach something, and wordlessly, Homura glides in besides her and pulls down the teapot for her.

"T-Thank you, Homura-chan." There's a shy smile on Madoka's face while Homura nods.

"You're welcome, Madoka. I keep telling you we should reorganize the kitchen to make it easier for you to reach certain things. Especially considering how often you drink tea..."

"Mm, but..." Madoka glances at her briefly, "I can always get you to help me get them down."

Homura nods slowly. "Yes... that is true, but I am not always home to help you."

Madoka smiles at her. "Then I just have to wait until you are."

Homura says something but Sayaka is no longer listening. Instead, she sighs softly, trying to picture herself and someone else in their place.

It sends a jolt of pain to her heart and she quickly turns away.

A soft clank as the teakettle is placed on the stove, and two cups and a teapot are set in front of Sayaka.

"It'll be done in a little bit, Sayaka-chan."

Sayaka turns back to find Madoka staring at her in worry.

"Y-Yeah. Uhm. Thanks, Madoka."

Madoka quietly takes a seat across from her and Sayaka finally notices there are only two cups.

"I am going to head to bed first," Homura answers her unasked question. "Good night."

"Okay, Homura-chan. Good night." Madoka's face softens as she watches Homura head to their shared room. Once she's out of view, she turns back to Sayaka who's grinning at her. "...Shush."

The humor slowly disappears and Sayaka sighs once more. "I guess... you're wondering why I'm here?"

Madoka reaches out and her hands fidget with her empty cup. "If I had to guess... Kamijou-kun?"

Sayaka closes her eyes. "Yeah..."

Madoka nods and merely waits for her to gain her bearings. Waits until the kettle starts whistling and quickly stands to retrieve the water. Waits as the tea steeps until it's finally done and the cups are filled with hot tea.

Sayaka sighs, shoulders sagging as her hands surround her cup.

"I think... I'm going to break up with him."

Sayaka waits for Madoka's cry of surprise. For some type of protest.

Nothing.

She looks up to find Madoka merely staring at her.

"...If you think that's best."

"Madoka...?"

Madoka gives her a sad smile. "You know... you haven't really been that happy lately, Sayaka-chan. Ever since Kamijou-kun went to study abroad... maybe even before that..."

The weight on Sayaka's heart twists and she sighs. "I... was really happy, though, when he agreed to be my boyfriend."

Her words stir up memories of the huge mess that had occurred in middle school. And when that had settled, more memories from high school, when Sayaka had finally confessed and Kyousuke had accepted.

A dream come true: if he had bothered to actually pay attention to her.

Madoka nods. "But..."

"But... sometimes it's like, I wished he had chose me, instead of the violin, you know?" she whispers.

Madoka stands and moves over to her. She slips her arm around Sayaka's waist and leans her head against hers.

"Does that make me a bad person?" Sayaka chokes out.

"No," Madoka tells her firmly. "It doesn't." A pause. "...You know, Mama told me, that relationships only work if both parties can compromise. She said that... that Kamijou-kun is being too selfish."

Sayaka sniffles, laughing softly. "Of course, why am I not surprised you'd talk to your mom about this?"

"Uhm... I-It kind of came up, when she was asking about you..."

Sayaka shakes her head before she wipes her eyes. "N-No. It's fine. What did your Mama say?"

Madoka glances at her briefly. "...She said that Kamijou-kun wants too much. To him, his violin is everything. Yet at the same time, he cares about you, as well."

Sayaka breathes in a trembling breath. "Y-Yeah, could've fooled me on that part."

"He's..." Madoka frowns and forces down the irritation she feels at Kyousuke for all the pain he has caused Sayaka. "He's... too used to having you there. Even... even with what had happened with Hitomi-chan, you still stuck by him no matter how much it hurt you. And then in high school, you were always there for him. Front and center at all his recitals, even though he never bothered to make the effort to watch any of your softball games."

The memories draw a bitter smile from Sayaka.

"Even now, I'm sure he has no idea that he's hurting you. He's far off, in a different country, worrying about his own things. Being selfish and thinking you'll always be there. I think, Sayaka-chan... you should be the selfish one for once."

Sayaka closes her eyes. It's a scary thought, throwing away something she had waited for, for so long; something she had almost ruined an important friendship for.

But...

"Yeah," she breathes out with an air of finality. "I think... I'm done with being pushed aside. He... missed our anniversary again," she admits. "I thought he would've at least called... but... nothing."

It isn't anything new, but Sayaka finds she is tired of it.

Madoka continues to hug her for a few minutes before Sayaka pulls away and gives her a smile. "Thanks, Madoka."

"Of course, Sayaka-chan."

She returns to her seat.

Their conversation veers towards lighter topics, catching up on various things about school and the like. And it suddenly curves, much to Madoka's embarrassment.

"So. Any improvement with you and the Akemi front?"

Madoka blushes, choosing to take a sip of her tea instead of answering.

Sayaka grins. "Come on, seriously, Madoka. The girl is so thick headed... you need to do something so obvious even she'll finally understand how you feel about her."

Madoka places her cup down with a sigh. "You know I can't do that, Sayaka-chan. Homura-chan..." She shakes her head. "If you push her too fast, she'll run away." She remembers how Homura had reacted to meeting her parents: she had been a nervous wreck that whole week, only relaxing once their departure date for Tokyo drew closer. If that could even be called relaxed. "And... she's... a really complicated person."

Very complicated.

Sayaka sighs. "Seriously, Madoka. Why did you have to fall in love with someone with so much emotional baggage?"

"Shhh! Sayaka-chan! Not so loud!"

"She's sleeping!"

"She's not. It takes her a while to fall asleep."

Sayaka smirks at her. "You would know."

Madoka flushes. "W-We share a room. So yes, I would know."

"Uh huh."

Their conversation lulls as they both drink their tea.

"...Her brother is really nothing like her, huh?" Sayaka comments absently.

"Y-Yeah." Madoka's brows furrow.

"...She never mentioned him to you?"

"N-No. She... doesn't like talking about her family, much. If at all... but uhm. When she was... kicked out of her apartment, she mentioned maybe staying with them if she needed to."

"Huh. Think she meant him?"

"...I don't know."

"Hey." Sayaka reaches over and places her hand on Madoka's. "Don't feel bad, alright? Maybe... Maybe you gotta be selfish too, Madoka."

"Huh?" She blinks in confusion.

"You always avoid talking to her about certain things. Asking her about stuff." Sayaka shrugs. "Maybe you have to be selfish for once. I mean, she knows so much about you. She met your parents. She's living with you. Isn't it about time that maybe, you ask her for something in return?"

Madoka fidgets with her cup. "But... what... what if she runs away...?"

Sayaka smirks. "You know, I thiiiink at this point, she couldn't, even if she wanted to."

"Huh?"

"You never notice this, because you're always with her. But, she's the nicest to you and treats you differently than everyone else."

Madoka blinks and flushes once more. "R-Really?" There's a shy smile on her lips.

"Yes. I don't think she smiles at anyone else but you."

Madoka almost glows with happiness.

"So, be selfish, Madoka," Sayaka nods at her.

She glances up. "You too, Sayaka-chan," she tells her softly.

Sayaka holds out her cup. "To being selfish."

Madoka grins. "To being selfish."

A soft clink and a drink to their new resolutions.