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When Maki gets the call from the space center, it's already early evening.
The message hits her like a brick, and in her panic, she doesn't know who to call to look after her daughter on such short notice.
Maki isn't really the type to have many friends. Especially not someone she could call on a random Tuesday evening to babysit their daughter.
So she ends up calling Shuichi, Kaito's best friend - and thankfully, Shuichi doesn't live too far away.
He sounds rattled when Maki tells him the reason, and she knows it's a hard hit for him too, but her tunnel vision cuts her off from caring about his feelings too much for now.
But Shuichi comes, without question, even if Maki hasn't exchanged more than a couple hasty words with him. Even if she's been cold and distant and never had a proper connection to him, even though he's such a big part of Kaito's life.
Shuichi comes without her needing to ask twice. And she knows she can trust him.
Fifteen minutes and several crossed red lights, and Maki hurries through the doors of the building. She only had time to grab one of Kaito's jackets to throw over her home clothes, her shoes click on the ground when she starts running to the control room.
Solemn looks greet her, but Maki has no mind for them. One of the staff at the control panel makes space for her to sit, and her eyes land on the screen connected to a video call.
"Look who it is!", Kaito greets with a wide grin.
Maki's heart painfully clenches in her chest and she forces herself not to cry just from looking at her husband.
"They had to call me because you've been dumb up there", Maki scoffs. She's shaking. She can't stop shaking.
The room feels too small and the walls too close.
Kaito feels too far away.
"Yeah, you're right. That's what happens when you leave a big dumb idiot like me alone up here, eh?"
Kaito looks and sounds just like every time. He's been up in space for a while now, and Maki brings Mizuki, their daughter, for the video calls at least once a week.
She loves watching Kaito at the space station, she's been thrilled to tell everyone that her father is on the moon. Maki found it mildly amusing. She wishes she treasured it more.
Going to space had been Kaito's dream since he was little, and this wasn't his first time in space either.
But Maki knows it will be his last.
"Is there... Nothing they can do?", she presses through gritted teeth. She hates crying of front of people, even though most of the staff has retreated to leave her some time alone. It gets harder not to. Her heart is pounding painfully.
"I wish", Kaito sighs, "I tried to fix it, ya know? But there's just... no way out. Gotta stay the man on the moon now."
Kaito tries to sound strong, but Maki can hear the tremble in his voice. He's never been a good liar. Maki could always tell when he put on a facade to make it easier for her.
Just that those situations were never about life and death.
The space center called to inform Maki that Kaito's space ship had been hit by a stray meteor, damaging the oxygen supply. What little Kaito could fix only prolongs what everyone present knows - Kaito will be dying out there, and he will never return back down to earth.
"Harumaki."
Kaito balls his fist at the edge of the screen, and Maki quickly pushes her own against it from her side.
She wishes she could hold his hand. She wishes she didn't feel so powerless. Kaito has to face his end all alone up there... She can't imagine what it must feel like, and yet, Kaito only thinks about her.
"You gotta tell Mizuki that... Her dad is proud of her, yeah? She gotta believe in her dreams. I'm gonna see it from up here if she's slackin'! The moon is gonna tell me!"
Maki can't stop the tears from rolling over her face anymore. There's not much time left now, she knows.
"And-- and Shuichi, he's a good man. He'll help you out."
"He's... watching her right now", Maki sniffles, "I didn't know who else to ask."
Kaito cracks a smile. "Ain't so bad that guy, huh?"
Maki never made friends with Shuichi. He is too nice for his own good and Maki found his anxieties annoying. But he's Kaito's best friend - and she sees why now.
"She likes him", Maki reflects, "It's not about me."
"Whatever you say, Harumaki."
Maki's eyes catch on her ring. They only married last year, because Maki never believed in marriages and stupid pretentious contracts to prove love to someone other than each other.
Mizuki is only five years old, and she's known Kaito since high school, but now, she regrets not marrying Kaito earlier. Not leaving her shame behind and to stop thinking she's not allowed to have those things.
Because now, it's too late to want them.
"Momo... Maki", she murmurs.
Kaito tilts his head. "Huh?"
"I'm taking your last name, idiot", Maki presses out with a scoff, and the pressure down her throat tightens, "It's Momomaki, if anything."
Kaito's eyes sparkle. It's ridiculous. None of this matters right now.
Maki didn't take his last name, because she didn't want to bother having all her documents changed for appearances.
Now she regrets it. She wishes they married sooner. She wishes they took that vacation. She wishes they had another child. A dog. Built that tree house Kaito wanted, no matter how childish that was for a grown man.
"You're going to finish that model rocket for me?", Kaito asks. He's been building that stupid toy for ages now. It's only missing the paint.
"I'll paint it with green neon paint and put ghost stickers on it", Maki returns. Her lips twitch with a sad smile. It doesn't win.
Kaito gives himself exasperated. "Don't you dare!"
They get interrupted when one of the staff members kindly asks Maki to end the call. Kaito doesn't want her to watch when he dies, but she would. She'd stay by his side, until his breath turns stale and his eyes turn wide with nothing.
"I love you, Kaito", she whispers, and it's so hard to say those words for the last time. It was easy, knowing she's got another day to tell him. She wishes she could kiss him.
There will be no funeral for him, and Maki will remain with an empty casket.
"I love you too, Maki. Never forget that."
It's the last time she's ever going to hear his voice.
When the screen goes dark and Kaito looks out of the window, stuck in this chamber that will be his death bed, he allows himself to cry.
Mutters I love you's for his family, even though Maki won't hear them.
She knows.
He hopes she can forgive him for letting her down and leaving so soon.
When the time comes and his last breath rattles in his chest, his thoughts are with her and their daughter, and last but no least, Shuichi.
Maki returns home when it's dark outside already. Shuichi is still there, and he doesn't ask any questions.
Maki collapses into his arms and cries. Cries harder than she ever has in her life, until she feels dizzy and drained and the pain is only a dull thud in her chest.
If feels unreal. Her brain refuses to believe their home will never welcome Kaito back inside.
She sways when she makes her way to Mizuki's room, even though she should be asleep. Like she has to make sure she's still there, not gone, like Kaito.
Mizuki is still awake when Maki peeks through the door. She looks so much like Kaito - her bright magenta eyes and her nose, especially. Her hair will probably grow long like Maki's, but it's dark violet like Kaito's.
She doesn't speak much. Kaito always knew how to read her, and Maki feels at a loss.
What is she supposed to do without him? How is she supposed to fill this empty space? Is she even a good mother for a child?
She enters the room and sits down at the edge of the bed, turning the night lamp on. Mizuki points out of the window, and Maki can hardly look. It's as if the moon has turned into a killer, taking her husband from her.
"Uncle Shuichi said Papa is lost on the moon", Mizuki whispers.
Maki doesn't move and has to strain to listen. Hearing her speak is so rare, and new tears are already streaking her face.
"He is", she tries to say and her voice wavers, "He needs you to be strong for him."
Mizuki doesn't say anything else. Eventually, she shuffles back into her bed, and Maki doesn't know how to sleep tonight. At least Mizuki can. She will have to tell her the truth, eventually, but not today.
She sighs and rises back to her feet, but when she tries to turn off the lamp, Mizuki's eyes are fixed on her.
"Let me leave the light on for Papa", she asks sleepily, "Maybe he'll find home faster if he sees it."
"I'm..." Maki takes a deep, shaky breath. "I'm sure he will."
The moment the door clicks shut behind her, Maki sinks to the ground. Shuichi must have waited. He still hasn't left.
Maki was never really nice to him, but he sits down wordlessly next to her on the ground and wraps his arms around her. She can see the red rings around his eyes. But he's trying to be strong for her, just like Kaito has always been for him, and for her too.
"Thanks, Saihara...", Maki whispers through muffled sobs and buries her face against his shoulder.
Shuichi runs his hand up and down her back. He's warm. Maki is so glad Kaito had a friend like him. She's so glad she's not alone.
"Don't mention it. I won't leave you alone."
His voice is choked, and Maki lets her tears flow freely until she feels too hollow to cry.
The reality sinks in like a knife into her heart.
Kaito is gone... And they'll have to live with it.