As Long as You Have Enough to Eat, It's a Miracle
Boom.
Columns of air blasted up on both sides of the stage, and dry ice swallowed Flying Snow Velvet from view. The drums slammed down, she cartwheeled out of the white mist, and the crowd erupted.
"Ahhh, Lady Snow Velvet, slay me!"
Linnai's scream was completely distorted, and her glow stick left afterimages as she swung it.
Linnai: (☆∀☆*)
Zhou Yu leaned back a little.
The screen of the digital watch on his wrist was dark. The pixelated skull had flashed for less than a second, but it was etched firmly into his vision.
The fire exit.
Someone was in the shadows.
"Zhou Yu, what do you keep staring at?"
Linnai followed his gaze and looked around, but saw only illuminated signs and the crowd.
"Checking the fire exit for safety hazards. Occupational habit from working in logistics."
He screwed the lid of his thermos tight.
"Zhou Yu, don't you think it's loud?"
Sigelica shouted at the top of her lungs, her cheeks flushed and the glow stick in her hand waving almost in sync with Linnai's.
Sigelica: (눈_눈)!!
"It's all right. Not loud."
Zhou Yu unscrewed his thermos and took a sip, the goji berries swirling on the surface.
Onstage, she sang three fast songs in a row, her breathing frighteningly steady. Every pose brought a deafening roar from the crowd.
"Amazing. Her core strength and cardiovascular fitness are definitely on par with a top-tier Resonator's."
Chisaki had her eyes closed, her fingers tapping rapidly on her knee.
Chisaki: (─.─|||)
"She could get full marks on the Sunspeakers reserve physical fitness test."
"Don't measure my goddess by a test!"
Linnai protested.
"You were shouting louder than she was singing just now, Sigelica."
Chisaki didn't even look up.
Sigelica hid her glow stick behind her back.
"Linnai got me caught up in it!"
"You're blaming me? You were waving yours harder than I was."
Linnai laughed.
"That's enough, you two!"
Sigelica's face went from red to purplish crimson.
The music stopped.
The stage lights dimmed, turning a deep blue.
Flying Snow Velvet sat on a tall stool, her breathing carrying across the venue through the microphone.
"Thank you, everyone."
The electronic effects fell away from her voice, revealing a hint of its natural softness.
"This next song is for all my friends who are still lost, but still looking up at the sky."
A guitar sounded softly.
"'Paper Plane.'"
The melody flowed out, the clear guitar accompanying her clean voice as the lyrics slowly appeared on the big screen.
It's magic when snowflakes could cling
The moment snowflakes settle is so magical, like stardust falling on your skin, sparkling
Their time is as brief as paper is thin, yet they'll sail far with you, singing all the way
The glow stick in Dania's hand slowly drooped.
Dania: (o.o)
When life unfolds a frozen chapter, spring will kiss the places where paper planes have flown
The plane trees beside the rugged road do not dream; they only breathe, only stand, catching the light you cast
"Zhou Yu."
Her voice was very soft.
"Hm?"
"What's a plane tree?"
"A kind of tree. It grows by the roadside, lives a long time, and isn't picky about where it grows."
Dania asked no more, her fingers tightening around the bottom of her glow stick.
There were no trees in the culture dish, and no roads beside the nutrient solution tank.
I'll fold a thousand paper planes to cut through the frost
If the stars weep a deafening silence, you'll know
I'll fold a thousand paper planes to cut through the frost
The song ended.
The whole venue was silent for three seconds before applause surged up.
Chisaki opened her eyes.
"Perfect hertz amplitude. Just what I'd expect from her."
"Chisaki, you were moved too, weren't you?"
Linnai leaned toward her.
The glare on Chisaki's lenses hid her eyes.
"I was analyzing the acoustic data."
"Your eyes are red."
"I'm allergic to the lights."
Above the stage, a holographic projection sent sparkling snowflakes falling through the air. Flying Snow Velvet stood and spread her arms.
"This next song is also my favorite."
She blinked.
"'Little Miracle.'"
The intro rang out, bright and warm, a melody almost every student at Flamebearers' Academy could hum.
Linnai grabbed Sigelica's arm and shook it from side to side.
"It's a classic! Sway with me!"
"Let go!"
Sigelica tried twice to pull free, then gave up. She pressed the corners of her mouth down, but her eyes lit up.
Isn't it so incredible, we're here sharing the same time and space
Isn't it incredible that we're here, sharing the same time and space?
You built a world of miracles, so ordinary, yet so precious
Those sparkling little moments of everyday life gave my soul weight again
Dania tugged at Zhou Yu's sleeve.
"What are little moments of everyday life?"
Zhou Yu screwed the lid back onto his thermos.
"Eating, sleeping, going to class, and occasionally getting treated by Sigelica."
"When have I ever treated you?!"
Sigelica's protest was swallowed up by the waves of sound.
May all your sweet dreams spread their wings and soar, and may your curiosity set your soul free
If lonely nights are the price of seeing dreams shine, then every second is worth it
Sigelica's eyes reddened, and she fought hard to keep the tears from falling.
Sigelica: (눈‸눈)
Flying Snow Velvet spun around onstage, her skirt flying.
I was a shadow until you looked my way
Before you looked my way, I was only a shadow
The rainbow I hid in my heart can fly through a flower-filled sky once it's kissed by sunlight
Dania's eyes grew hot.
The things that had never existed in the nutrient solution tank were gently held out before her by this song.
"As long as I'm alive and have enough to eat every day, that's the most wonderful little miracle."
Her voice was very soft, and she was talking to herself.
A hand reached over.
The bag bore large, gold-stamped letters: rock-roasted seaweed-flavored potato chips, specially supplied by the Black Gold Chamber of Commerce.
Zhou Yu pressed the bag of chips into her arms.
"Just opened them. They're crisp."
Dania looked down at the chips, then up at him.
Zhou Yu was staring at the stage, as though he'd simply passed her a bag of snacks without thinking.
She picked up a chip and put it in her mouth.
Crunch.
The salty aroma of seaweed and the toasted fragrance of potato spread across her taste buds. The heat welling up in her eyes could no longer be held back, and tears slid down her cheeks.
Still crying, she picked up another chip.
Crunch, crunch.
The tears were salty, and so were the chips. Mixed together, they tasted a little strange.
But she smiled.
She could sit here, eat the chips Zhou Yu had given her, and listen to this song.
This was her first ordinary miracle.
Zhou Yu pulled a tissue from his pocket. Instead of handing it to her, he placed it directly on top of her head.
"Your snot's about to drip into the chip bag."
"It is not!"
Dania yanked the tissue off and wiped her face, smearing chip crumbs across one cheek.
"All right, eat slowly. No one's going to steal them from you."
Onstage, Flying Snow Velvet reached the most exhilarating part of the song, running and leaping across the stage, her skirt flying.
She casually spun on the spot, miming a twist of a motorcycle throttle with both hands. Her body dipped slightly, and her toes traced a graceful arc across the floor.
A motorcycle drift.
Her signature move.
Zhou Yu sprayed the goji berry tea out of his mouth.
Zhou Yu: (°Д°)!?
He turned to look at Chisaki and Linnai.
Linnai was still screaming.
Chisaki pushed up her glasses, their lenses reflecting his face.
"What's wrong?"
"That move."
Zhou Yu pointed at the energetic figure onstage, then pointed in the direction of the place where she was supposed to be repairing her motorcycle in the dorm.
"Don't you think it looks a little familiar?"