My First PJSK Fanfic! Sour Droplets!

My first PJSK fanfic! Sour Droplets!

This is my 1st fanfic of Pjsk, which means it’s also my first time writing about VBS! This event story is supposed to happen after the Kohane focus story, “On Your Feet”. If you haven’t read a bit before that, there may be some spoilers for previous events, or things won’t make sense.

As events do, I’ll be making my own Pjsk cards and event titles! Note that the fanfic and event are called something completely different so I can distinguish between the two (the event is called Melody of Infinite Horizons.) But in fact, this event has a song too! It’s a j-pop song called Lemon by Kenshi Yonezu, and I would definitely recommend giving it a listen.

And with all that stuff said, I hope you enjoy the story!

Ps: Orange is the closest thing I could get to yellow. 😭

[Chapter 1 - Time Takes its Course]

An stood there, eyes wide as she was frozen in place. She clutched her shirt tightly and her eyes welled up with tears. 

Laying in front of her was Aunt Nagis grave, a mound of unmarked dirt. The city had been so determined to not let An know about Nagis death that they didn’t do the bare courtesy of marking her grave. However everyone had know about Nagis death. Everyone, except An.

The single lily An had brought slipped out of her hand, falling on to the ground.

And with that, came the tears.

Sitting in front of the grave, An let her tears roll down her face as she let out a wail of despair. Aunt Nagi was gone - never to come back. 

As the grass poked at her legs, An’s vision became blurry. She knew she’d never forget Nagi, but it was still hard to live life without her. To go through her day to day routines without her aunt there to guide her.

Sometimes An still thought about her too. Her gentle smile, her flowing hair…

As if on cue, memories of her and Nagi began flashing through her head. For Nagi had been there during An’s lowest lows and her highest highs. The thought that she wouldn’t be there for her and by her side anymore…

All of a sudden An’s heart started to race, and she felt immense pressure everywhere on her skin, alike to the sensation of walls closing in. She felt lightheaded and began to hyperventilate as she gripped at her chest. An couldn’t take it anymore, she knew she had to get out of here.

So with her blurry vision, she began to run away from the grave, leaving the lily at the base of it. The grief was to suffocating to stay there, so An ran. She ran even though she didn’t know where she was going, she just needed to escape. But there would be no running from the desperation that clawed at her heart. The pure, raw feeling that demanded to be unleashed.

The night didn’t help An’s vision, instead helping the colors in her vision blend smoothly, as if they were melting into each other. She ran and ran and ran and ran and ran until she couldn’t even tell what was around her. She’s topped and put her hands on her knees, gasping for breath. Sure, she practiced staying in shape with Kohane and the others, but the training she had done couldn’t hold a candle to running around aimlessly.

A feeling of hopelessness gripped An again and she knew she had to keep running. Not only to get away from this place, but to head home. If she wasn’t home soon, her father would likely worry. I mean, she couldn’t have been running for less than a hour, but under the blanket of stars telling time was like trying to do open heart surgery with a hammer - impossible. Nevertheless, she  had to get home, and maybe calm down with a cup of hot tea after her arrival.

So An stood up and began to spur her legs forward, intending to run home even though she was still suffering from the remnants of her panic attack. But no matter how screwed her vision was, An could see the ground getting rapidly closer to her face. And the pure, pitch black color of darkness as it enveloped her vision, snuffing out the light of the moonlight above her.

Chapter 8 of Sour Droplets!

[Chapter 8 - Reconcile]

“Haha, you should’ve seen how worried these three were for you.” An’s dad laughed as Akito’s face smirked.

“Yeah, you should’ve seen Kohane.” Akito said with a laugh. “She wouldn’t stop calling you, even though Toya and I told her that you weren’t picking up calls.” 

In response to Akito’s usual teasing, Kohane’s face flushed from embarrassment, but all An could do was laugh, the mug of hot tea she was holding warming her hands.

“And when we heard that Ken had gotten a text from a random number promising you were alright, we could hardly believe it.” Toya said as the plate of warm biscuits and gravy infront of An continued steaming. “We rushed here to wait with our nerves fried, and we’ve been here ever since.” 

An felt a sense of Deja-vu as she stared in the brown reflective liquid contained in her white mug. Her disappearance was just like when she ran and hid in the construction site. Her dad was so worried then too… but Nagi…

“I’m sorry I made you all worry so much.” An said, her face reflected in the mint tea. “But thank you all for looking for me.”

“An-Chan…” Kohane trailed off, her face full of worry. An was confused at her concern until she realized she had her fingers tightened around her teacup. Knowing their relationships, it likely wouldn’t be long before they found out everything that happened.

“Speaking of, who was that unknown contact that your dad mentioned?” Toya asked, changing the topic after sensing An’s discomfort.

“Yeah… was it like, a friend of yours or something?” Akito asked, following up.

And just like the crescendo moment of a concert, An ended up telling them everything that happened, bring the suspense that had somehow built up crashing down. By the time she finished, her hot tea had cooled enough for her to drink it, so she took a sip and began eating her breakfast.

“So that’s where you were…” Akito said, gritting his teeth. He likely was angry at himself that he wasn’t there for her in her pain, but he couldn’t blame himself. No one could. After all, An hadn’t told anyone but her dad that she was going to visit Nagi-san’s grave.

“You know you can rely on us, right Shirashi?” Toya asked, his left hand over his chest.

An took a bite of her food, the leftover warmth flooding her mouth. “I know, but I was hoping if I could hide all of me feelings, I wouldn’t feel that hurt anymore. That sadness.” She stared down at the black plate, holding her silver fork in her right hand. “I know that pain and growth are part of human growth, but.. I can’t stop thinking about her. She was everything I wanted to be and more. But now she’s gone yet this pain in my heart resides.” As An talked she felt her heart start to throb with pain slowly, and she knew that likely the more she talked about what she went through, the more suffocating the pain would feel. But she still pressed onwards.

“But I don’t want to keep hurting and I especially don’t want you guys to have to pick up the excess I leave behind.” An admitted, taking a sip of her tea and feeling the liquid sliding down her throat. “If I bring down the team because my lack of progress…” She trailed off, not exactly knowing what to say. 

“What are you talking about?” Ken asked, drawing An’s attention. “You were the one who made your group right? There’s a reason everyone here has pretty much nominated you as the leader. It’s your fiery determination and aspirations that spur you guys onward, paving a brand new world ahead for you.”

Talking about her goal to surpass RAD WEEKEND made An think about Kanade’s words again. Go beyond… She silently repeated to herself. But could she really? It was a night based on such an intense feeling… and it felt like surpassing that night would just be disrespecting Nagi. 

“Mhm!” Kohane continued, her bright eyes sparkling with determination. “I know that sometimes you’re worried about falling behind me, but honestly, you’re my idol!” An’s eyes widened in surprise, caught off guard by the words that came from Kohane’s mouth. “You give me a thing to aspire to be. A goal for me. And for me, it’s more about my growth and not beating you. Without you here, I’d never be the person I am today!” 

Kohane grabbed An’s hand and her heart started to race. Despite it being just a touch, she could feel the intense passion and feeling that Kohane was passing on to her. It was an expression of desperation, as she tried to link their shared feelings.

“And it was you that helped me break out of my dad’s expectations.” Toya mentioned, his eyes filled with a warmth alike to Kanade’s. “Without you I’d be spending much more sleepless nights next to the piano.”

“And for you, you’ve touched more hearts than you could imagine.” Akito vocalized, his voice firm. “I don’t think I share another bond with someone else that’s as strong as yours, and that’s helped me through so many moments. Overall, none of us could be here without you. You’re just as important as every single one of us.”

An smiled, her eyes watering as happy tears pricked at the base of her eyes. “You guys…” She murmured quietly, the words softly rumbling her throat.

“Sorry to interrupt,” An’s dad spoke up, handing her his phone. “But you’ve got a message.”

She took the phone from him, wondering who had texted her. Though as soon as she looked at the screen, a smile quickly broke out against her face.

“I think I know what we’re doing for our next event.”

~

A/N:

Sorry for not posting for a while! I’m still here, don’t worry just really busy in life! (There’s one more chapter left after this.)

Chapter 6 of Sour Droplets!

[Chapter 6 - Coming To Terms]

“Huh?” An asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Kanade just smiled softly in reply, however this time with a twinge of pain on her face. “My mom died from an illness when I was young, and my dad is still in care at the hospital, slowly recovering from his memory problems.” 

An’s eyes dilated in surprise as she listened, not quite believing what she was hearing. How could a girl that looked like she was 17 go through so much pain? An couldn’t imagine being in her shoes and going through all that pain, even if she had all of her supports she did now.

“But what matters is the fact you can go beyond.”

“Go.. beyond?” An echoed, confused.

“Even though they’re not here right now, you can still carry on their dream.” Kanade stated, smiling softly even though the pain in her eyes were more visible now. “To carry on their will and go to places that would make them proud.”

Despite the darkness in the room, the feelings being conveyed were crisp and clear. Slicing into An’s feelings like a sharp knife. And before she knew, tears were falling from here eyes once again.

“Sometimes when I think about my parents, I feel a sharp pain stabbing my heart. Like someone’s ringing out a soggy cloth.” Kanade continued as An’s tears continued to make trails down her cheek as one after the other continued to fall. “And it makes me want to break down and cry. To hide under the covers and never climb out again, but that’s ok. It’s ok to feel these emotions and to express them to people you know. For the only way to grow with pain is to experience it, or to go through it, growing with it as it grows with you.”

This advice was none like An had ever heard before. Sure if you googled “how to come to terms with death” you’d get something like “Accept it and live knowing that it's coming and there is absolutely NOTHING you can do to stop it.” Which was a piece of advice that could help some people, but wasn’t what An wanted to hear. Yet the maturity reflected in Kanade’s voice… the honesty… It seemed to envelop An’s heart in a warm blanket, despite the aching topic they were talking about.

Despite the subtle throb of An’s heart, she managed a weak smile as she let her tears drip down her face. “Thank you Kanade.”

“No there’s no need to thank me Mrs. An.” Kanade responded, making An laugh inside at how quickly she returned to formalities. “You’ve braved through the pain and came to a decision yourself, I played no part in that.”

An just continued to smile, knowing that if she continued to be kind that Kanade would just deflect somehow, and give An more credit than due. So instead, An tried a different approach.

“Hey Kanade.”

“Hm?”

“What’s your phone number?”

Chapter 3 of Sour Droplets!

[Chapter 3 - A cold glass of water]

“Kanade huh? That’s a nice name.” An replied, her lips pursing into a smile.

“Thank you, my parents chose that name for me before I was born.” Kanade responded, giving her name a bit more context. “What’s yours?”

An realized that her name meant to “play music” or “preform”. It rose several more questions in her head, but she just settled on giving Kanade her name.

“I’m An. An Shirashi.” She replied, putting her cup on top of a canned cup of ramen sitting in an open cardboard box. “Thank you for bringing me here, I’m sorry you have to take care of me like this.”

Kanade shook her head, her hair swaying to both sides. “Please don’t apologize Mrs. An.” She replied, acting formal. “You were unconscious and injured on the ground, anyone would’ve done the same.”

An smiled faintly at her kindness, feeling her heart soothe from the warmth. However she couldn’t help but think about Kanade’s words. Would anyone else really have done the same?

“Well thank you anyway Mrs. Kanade.” An replied as the air conditioner buzzed in the background, chilling the room. It was obvious Kanade had it on constantly so she’d be at the right temperature, since she was also wearing sweats to counteract the chill.

“It’s my pleasure.” Kanade’s calm voice responded as if it was covered in silk. “But there’s no need to you such formalities with me, you can just call me Kanade.”

An felt it was interesting that Kanade was warming up to her so fast, but maybe she didn’t interact with others much, so she was just eager to make friends. However even though An had likely been awake and resting in this room for around 5 minutes, she knew nothing about it aside from the boxes of ramen in front of the bed. So feeling curious An let her eyes drift, observing the room. And it wasn’t long before her eyes landed in the keyboard set up infront of the closed curtains.

“…Hey Kanade, do you make music?” An couldn’t help but ask, catching Kanade off guard.

Soon though Kanade regained her composure and responded in that usual tranquil voice of hers. “Yes I do.” Kanade answered, even though An wouldn’t have believed her if she had said no. “However I’m stuck on the melody of one of my songs. Would you mind listening to it?”

An couldn’t help but feel her curiosity grow at the idea of one of Kanade’s tracks. She seemed so inexpressive and introverted that it gave off an aura that she worked under an alias.

“Sure I don’t mind, I work with music all the time. I’m sure I can help you figure something out.” An responded, feeling Deja-vue from when Toya wrote Hollow.

In response Kanade just softly smiled. “Oh you do? That’s great.” She said, moving over to her computer set-up pressed against her left bedroom wall. “I’ve been working on this song for a while now, but the melody always seems a bit off. I’ve tried refining the guitar and heightening the pitch but it always seems like something’s missing…” Kanade trailed off as if she didn’t know what to say, then clicked the play button with her mouse.

And as the graceful song flowed through Kanade’s attached speakers, An’s eyes widened.

This song!!!

Sour Droplets event logo!

Chapter 5 of Sour Droplets!

[Chapter 5 - Unamed Melody X]

An wasn’t sure if she could classify her dream as a “dream”, or an unpleasant nightmare. She was awake enough to remember part of it, and even though it wasn’t Kanade’s song, her was still as emotion-stirring as the heart-gripping melody that made her cry. For An had dreamt of being hugged by Nagi in her sleep, something she really missed her doing.

And when An woke up she felt more rested than before, but her heart was throbbing with pain that seemed to be vying for her attention. However she ignored it, instead pulling out her phone to text her dad that she was alright, while the faint clicking of a mouse could be heard in the background. 

Yet as she glanced at the screen in her hand, she could see that it was riddled with cracks, making her inwardly curse at herself. It had probably gotten damaged when she fell, meaning that not only could she not text anyone, but that her dad would have to buy her a new phone. She felt her frustration boil inside of her. Why did she have to continue causing trouble for other people? 

An exhaled a deep breath out of her nose, her anger feeling like it was gripping her heart. 

However, this attracted Kanade’s attention, which was evident when she turned her head to look at An.

“Oh you’re awake again? How do you feel?” Kanade asked, the ends of her hair resting in the seat of her chair.

“Mmgh.. how long have I slept?” An asked, putting her phone away and rubbing her eyes.

“Well its August 27 2024…” Kanade started, her hands in her lap now.

“…!” An sucked in a breath. 

She had visited Aunt Nagis grave on the 25th before passing out, which likely means when she woke up again that it was the 26th. Then, she fell asleep again and woke up on the 27th, which meant she had been away from home for three days!

An opened her mouth, about to apologize and head home when her stomach spoke for her, letting out a growl that demanded sustenance. 

“I apologize An. I was so concerned about how you felt I didn’t get an opportunity to grab something for you to eat.” Kanade apologized, her gaze softening. “I don’t have much, but would you like to eat some minute ramen? I apologize I don’t have something else to offer you, but that’s all I have.”

An didn’t have ramen a lot, but the idea of eating something warm was too tempting to resist, even though she’d been sleeping on a warm bed for all this time.

“Yes please…” Was all An could manage and Kanade just grabbed one of her many unopened cups of ramen around the room and left, closing the door behind her as she went to heat up the ramen.

As bad as An felt for making Kanade do all of this, her heart warmed at the girls kindness. She knew that after this, she was definitely indebted to Kanade now, especially since An had cried infront of her. She new she had been a bother it Kanade, but she couldn’t help but find a part of her wanting to be friends with the introverted girl. She didn’t just want to leave someone who had done this much for her behind and forget about her, she wanted to keep in touch and somehow repay Kanade with the same generosity she showed her.

It didn’t take long for Kanade to come back in with the ramen, containing a shiny silver fork. She handed it to An who accepted it with a grateful smile before she sat down at her desk chair again, continuing to work on her song.

An was surprised that Kanade hadn’t asked about her mental breakdown, or why she seemed so mopey. But at the same time she was glad that Kanade hadn’t pushed it, as that would likely only have made things worse. Still, a part of An felt compelled to tell her. Even though she was basically a complete stranger An met barely three days ago. 

An wrapped her hands around the cup and stared into the murky water as it warmed her hands. Finally, after a moment, she had gained enough courage and broke the silence.

“Hey Kanade… can I tell you something?”

“Hm?”

And that was all it took for An to start confessing. She was surprised that a part of her had stirred her onwards to this moment. After all she had Kohane and everyone to support her right? So why did she feel so… so… so hopeless and alone?

But Kanade listened to her story quietly, managing eye contact with An the whole time to show that she was listening. 

“I think I understand the pain you’re going through.” Kanade said after An finished, surprising her.