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Like most others, Tsukasa was born without the ability to see color. Everything from the sky above his head to the ground below his feet was monochrome. It was normal to see shades of gray that were only colored in when the person tied to you by fate touched them. Therefore, when he turned to the door of the rooftop after recruiting Rui and distinctly saw a splash of something on it, it’s safe to say he was shocked.
His first thought after getting over said shock was that he’d need to schedule classes to actually differentiate colors. That should be easy enough. His second thought, probably the most important, was that he’d somehow accidentally discovered that Kamishiro Rui was his soulmate. Someone who he barely knew besides his dual reputations of being a weirdo at school and a performer with no stage.
On the bright side, Tsukasa could admit that Rui was attractive with warm eyes and soft-looking hair. He was also attentive and seemed nice enough, choosing to listen to Tsukasa’s request even with the initial intention of rejecting it. In the end, it wasn’t like Tsukasa was exactly opposed to Rui himself being his soulmate but rather, he didn’t know what to do now that he knew.
So, he decided to ask Saki.
His younger sister had been able to see color since very young. She and her soulmates had found each other years ago in elementary school. Although they’d drifted apart for a while due to circumstances out of their control, fate had drawn them closer again and they were working through their feelings together.
Overall, Tsukasa was incredibly happy for Saki. Being ill had taken away so many experiences for her so he was beyond grateful that her partners were working hard to give those back to her. It was what she deserved after all.
Tsukasa entered his house with a call of “I’m home!” to which he heard Saki answer “Welcome home, onii-chan!” from the kitchen. He followed the sound of her voice and found her leaning over the stove, stirring a pot with one hand and holding her phone in the other.
“Are you making something, Saki?” he asked, taking a seat at the table.
“An apple tart for my girlfriends!” she replied enthusiastically. “They’ve been working so hard. I want to give them a gift.”
A grin came to Tsukasa’s face. “Your girlfriends, huh?”
Saki blushed. “We’re still figuring things out, but…” she trailed off and smiled. “I like calling them that.”
“I’m happy for you, Saki! I know they’re honored to have someone as wonderful as you as a potential partner!”
“Thank you, onii-chan!”
Tsukasa knew he had nothing to worry about when it came to Ichika, Shiho and Honami. The three of them would never do anything to harm Saki and she felt the same about them. It wasn’t surprising that they were destined to spend their lives together. That’s why Saki was the perfect person for him to receive insight from.
“Saki?” Tsukasa started. “I’m curious about something.”
She hummed in acknowledgment but kept her attention on her task.
“What do I do if…what do I do if I found that person?” he asked.
“That person?” she echoed.
“You know… that person…”
Saki seemed to make the connection all at once. She abandoned her pot on the stove and turned to Tsukasa with a look of bewilderment. He met her gaze with uncertainty.
“Are you saying that you met your soulmate today?” his sister asked in disbelief.
“Yes…” he replied. “Today on the rooftop at school. I actually sought him out to recruit him for the troupe at my part-time job but I noticed after he left that the door leading out looked a bit different.”
“Different how?” Saki pressed.
“There was a patch of something else, something vibrant."
Her eyes lit up at his words and she clapped excitedly. “That’s it! You saw color!”
Tsukasa nodded simply. That much, he was sure of. The emotions that came along with it was what held his dilemma. After all, what was he supposed to do next? He couldn’t exactly casually approach Rui with the knowledge that they were soulmates.
“Argh!” Tsukasa exclaimed loudly, causing Saki to blink at him in confusion.
“Onii-chan?” she questioned.
“I don’t know what to do! I just met him! Is this how everybody’s experience is?” he rambled. Tsukasa felt a faint sense of anxiety coming over him and he furiously rubbed his hands in his hair in an attempt to calm himself.
His sister’s eyes softened and she gently placed a hand over his, stopping his movements.
“You don’t have to be like everybody else.” Saki said. “It’s different for everyone so you can just take it one step at a time. It’s okay to not know.”
Tsukasa sighed. She was right. There was no harm in being unsure. He just hated being so lost when it came to something so important.
“Thank you, Saki.” he said warmly. “Do you…do you think I should try to talk to him about it?”
“Hmm…” Saki hummed as she thought. “If you’re comfortable with that. Or you can just see if he sees color too. That’ll at least make sure there’s no confusion.”
He could do that. Observing Rui for any changes was a safe option. Tsukasa would just have to think about what he would say to him after he noticed anything of substance.
“I’ll try that.” Tsukasa said, nodding. He moved to make the trek up to his room but stopped halfway out of his chair and sniffed the air. “Saki, do you smell something burning?”
Tsukasa watched as Saki went pale and turned around abruptly to the stove. She’d clearly forgotten about what she’d been doing when their conversation had become more serious.
“Oh no! It’s ruined!” she exclaimed, her eyes tearing up.
“Don’t worry, Saki!” Tsukasa said. “This star will help you remake it!”
He approached the counter and surveyed the ingredients Saki had set out in preparation to make her desserts. Tsukasa took note of the fact that she had made several attempts on her mixture before finally getting to the process of cooking it. He smiled at the sight. She was trying really hard for her girlfriends.
The two siblings spent the rest of the night perfecting the treats. With Tsukasa’s issue partially solved, he resolved to hear Saki’s stories about her soulmates. She seemed animated while speaking, her tone full of the affection she held for them. Tsukasa could only hope that he’d feel even a fraction of that for his own soulmate. And that it would be strong enough to replace the apprehension that still lingered.
-
The next day after school, Tsukasa waited for Rui next to the school gate. The two of them planned to walk to Phoenix Wonderland together. Tsukasa had caught Rui in the hall earlier in the day and suggested it to create the opportunity to get to know each other a little better. Thankfully, the other boy had agreed with a smile.
“Sorry for the wait, Tsukasa-kun.” Rui said as he approached the gate. “I was speaking with the cast member I told you about.”
Tsukasa nodded quickly. “No problem, Rui!” He took a quick look around but was unable to see any other people besides the two of them. “Um…where are they?”
Rui seemed to become sheepish, holding a hand to the back of his neck. “There’s something they need to prepare so they’ll meet us there. I’ll give them general directions so it should be fine!”
“Okay…” he replied. Tsukasa was unconvinced but as long as he ended up with another new troupe member by the end of the evening, he guessed it was fine. “Well, let’s go!”
As the two of them started heading in the direction of the amusement park, Tsukasa took the opportunity to discreetly observe Rui. In their few interactions since their meeting, he hadn’t noticed much of a difference in how he acted. If it wasn’t for the dots of color Tsukasa saw on the notebooks Rui held, he would’ve thought the entire ordeal was a dream.
After all, it didn’t seem like his apparent soulmate was seeing the world in anything but the monochrome they were all born with. It was possible that Tsukasa himself just hadn’t touched enough objects for Rui to even notice a change, however, there was still a feeling of unease he couldn’t shake.
“Tsukasa-kun, you okay?”
Tsukasa pulled himself from his thoughts and turned to Rui at the question. He shook his head and directed a smile towards his companion. “I’m fine! Just thinking about the troupe.”
Rui nodded, smiling back. “Show ideas?”
“Something like that.” he replied. “Speaking of ideas, how do you come up with the things you do for your shows?”
Both he and Emu had been instantly captivated by Rui’s performances. The idea of using robots in shows never occurred to him, but the other boy pulled it off masterfully and with ease. To Tsukasa, he was already the perfect person to be the director for their troupe’s shows. With Rui, he could almost see the steps he needed to take to reach stardom.
“I’ve always taken performances quite seriously. If I make time for anything, it’s going to be shows.” Rui answered honestly. “The time spent coming up with ideas is enjoyable to me and it’s always worth it when I pull it off successfully.”
“A fine answer!” Tsukasa exclaimed. “The kind of persistence I require in my troupe!”
Rui laughed shortly and Tsukasa silently added the sound of his laugh and his voice in general to his mental list of Rui’s good qualities. With the way he was now hyper-aware of everything, he fully expected the list to get longer. And honestly, with the knowledge of Rui being his soulmate, it was good for Tsukasa to continue finding positive things about him.
They arrived at their destination soon after with Tsukasa promptly showing Rui the way to the Wonder Stage. Emu was already there waiting for them and hopped to her feet once they stopped at the front of the stage.
“Wonderhoy!” she exclaimed, her arms moving in a circular motion. “Welcome to the Wonder Stage!”
Emu’s eyes were fixed completely on Rui so Tsukasa wasted no time in properly introducing him. “Say hello to our new stage director!”
“You’re the performer from the other day!” she said.
Her eyes practically sparkled in excitement and Tsukasa shared the sentiment. With Rui’s directing and he and Emu’s acting, they were sure to be on the road to fame. He still wasn’t keen on performing on the Wonder Stage, but as long as he continued to be the lead in their productions, they were sure to succeed.
Tsukasa observed as Rui and Emu went back and forth. They were similar in that regard; both of them were speaking quickly about topics he couldn’t even follow but he felt the ghost of a smile coming to his face while watching them.
“Are you two actually communicating?” he asked in exasperation.
They turned to him with matching grins which Tsukasa responded to with a sigh. He looked around briefly before speaking again. “More importantly, where’s our fourth member?”
Rui took that as a cue to quickly check the messages on his phone. “It seems like she’s here. However, she’s remarkably…shy. I’ll bring her.”
Emu bounced on her feet in anticipation as he left to retrieve their mystery member. However, Tsukasa was a bit puzzled by the fact of her being timid. How would she perform on stage alongside them? Maybe her confidence came from being in the presence of an audience. He shook the thoughts away. Regardless, their viewers would have their eyes fixed on him so thinking extensively about the girl’s performance served him no purpose.
“Here she is!” Rui said as he returned.
Tsukasa and Emu turned to greet the newcomer but were shocked to find she was not only vastly different from them but also not human at all.
“A robot?!” they both yelled.
-
The initial reactions to their troupe being completed with a robotic member surprisingly wore off quickly. Tsukasa had to (begrudgingly) admit after an impromptu audition that Nene was a talented vocalist and as long as she actively controlled Robo-Nene, he couldn’t find any reason to reject her from joining. It was also a testament to the extent of Rui’s talent when it came to inventing, but Tsukasa tried not to dwell too much on his soulmate’s positive qualities. The list was getting far too long.
With the addition of Nene through Robo-Nene, the newly formed Wonderlands x Showtime began to rehearse regularly. They would be reintroducing the charm of the Wonder Stage in a play that Tsukasa had written. The other members had tweaked it with their own ideas and eventually, they had settled on something to be proud of.
And Tsukasa had to admit that although his script was already perfect, it was nice to have others look over it that were as enthusiastic about putting on a wonderful show as he was. Therefore, he found himself actually appreciating their ideas. As the day of their opening approached, he felt more and more excited for the debut of his new troupe.
In contrast, Tsukasa felt less enthusiastic about the dynamics surrounding him and Rui. Overall, the four of them had become closer over the period of time they’d been rehearsing together and although he’d learned a bit more about who Rui was as a person and as an inventor, he still noticed no changes in how he acted.
It caused dread to spread in the pit of Tsukasa’s stomach every time he thought about it. While several things around him were now bathed in color, it didn’t seem that was the case for his soulmate.
The worst he’d felt about it so far had been the previous day. Before Rui and Nene had joined, Tsukasa and Emu had stumbled into “SEKAI.” Figures that suspiciously resembled virtual singers had attempted to explain the world he supposedly created from his feelings but Tsukasa, being thoroughly freaked out, had escaped as quickly as possible. Without the experience, Emu probably wouldn’t have convinced him to perform with her. Even with it turning out positively for her though, he hadn’t expected her to purposely bring them back once their troupe was complete.
Rui and Nene had had vastly different reactions to the contents of the SEKAI with Nene initially being confused as Rui ran about with excitement. Tsukasa had ended up leaving them to their own devices while he and Emu consulted with Kaito about the role he’d be playing. Eventually, they’d all met up again where they’d entered the SEKAI.
“Tsukasa-kun!” Rui exclaimed once Tsukasa had expressed the intent to return. “I’ve captured a bizarre creature made of cotton.”
He blinked in surprise as he was faced with one of the talking plushies he’d seen previously. “It’s that creepy pink bunny again!”
Rui seemed like he wanted to say something more but abruptly stopped once he heard Tsukasa’s response. “Pink…?” His brows furrowed and he went silent.
At the time, Tsukasa hadn’t thought much of it as he was generally focused on getting them home. It wasn’t until he was going over his growing knowledge of colors with Saki that night that he realized what he’d unknowingly said. The sudden awareness had sent a chill down his spine. It wasn’t because of necessarily what he’d said, but rather the reaction that Rui had given because of it. He wasn’t sure what it meant and he didn’t like it.
So, with the memory of that fresh in his mind, Tsukasa decided to create an opportunity for Rui to ask him about it.
When they’d finished for the day and Emu had enthusiastically said her goodbyes to each cast member, Tsukasa approached Rui backstage as he finished packing away various materials. Robo-Nene was nearby but seemed to be in a power-saving state. Tsukasa figured that Nene must have slipped out unnoticed once rehearsal concluded.
“Rui,” he started. “Do you have a minute?”
The other boy zipped up a bag and turned to address him. “Sure, Tsukasa-kun. Is something wrong?”
“No, I was just curious about something.”
He motioned for Rui to follow him across the stage and take a seat at the edge. From that position, side by side, Tsukasa could see out across the immediate area of the Wonder Stage. There were now several splatters of color around them from the brightly-colored green leaves of the foliage at the stage’s entrance to the bold red ropes that hung in front of their feet. These were both things that Rui had absentmindedly ran his fingers across, leaving further proof of their connection in Tsukasa’s eyes. A connection that he was seemingly unaware of.
“What’d you want to talk about?” Rui asked after they’d sat in a fairly comfortable silence for a few beats.
“Nothing major.” Tsukasa replied. “I mentioned how the visit to the SEKAI actually aided me, right? And Emu certainly enjoyed it as well so I wanted to know what you thought about it. Besides your fixation on those strange plushies that is…”
Rui chuckled at his words. “Fufu, is that what you call it?” He turned to Tsukasa with a smile. “I’ve honestly never seen a place so interesting and…vibrant.”
Tsukasa felt his heart skip a beat. Vibrant? Did that mean…?
“Ah, forgive me but maybe that isn’t the right word to use.” Rui said, oblivious to Tsukasa’s internal dilemma. “Maybe lively is a better description.”
“Why not ‘vibrant’?” Tsukasa pushed, scared of the answer but aware that he needed to know.
“Well,” he replied. “Vibrant is frequently used to describe hues of color and I can’t… see color yet.”
It was like the wind had physically been knocked out of him. After weeks of observing him, Tsukasa already knew that was the fact of the matter when it came to Rui. But, what did that mean for him? How was it that he was able to see color in everything Rui touched when the other boy still saw the world in monochrome?
Was it possible that Rui was his soulmate but he wasn’t Rui’s?
“Speaking of that,” he continued. “You can see color, can’t you, Tsukasa-kun?”
Numbly, Tsukasa nodded. He wasn’t sure if he trusted his voice to speak at the moment so he stayed silent and chose to let Rui finish the conversation.
“That’s wonderful.” He sounded sincere. “I hope you and your other half are happy. Whoever they may be.”
Rui slid back from the edge of the stage, standing to his feet and slipping his bag onto his shoulder. Tsukasa finally lifted his head and rose too. Considering how close they were sitting, they seemed to be even closer once standing. However, neither one of them took a step back to create distance.
Being that near, Tsukasa became acutely aware of their height difference and noticed he had to look up a bit more to continue holding eye contact.
Rui brushed a strand of hair from in front of his eyes and if Tsukasa would’ve known the universe would count that as a touch, he would’ve averted his own eyes before he witnessed it. Rui blinked and his eyes changed from monochrome to gold in a split second.
Tsukasa held his breath. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen a shade of yellow since he’d learned what it was, but it was the first time he had seen it so brightly. All others were interesting to see, but the color of Rui’s eyes shone and that coupled with the easygoing smile he directed at Tsukasa had him thinking nothing but that Rui was beautiful.
“We did a lot today and you should rest. We can chat more tomorrow, Tsukasa-kun.” Rui said. “I’ll see you at school.”
With that, he raised his hand in a wave and moved away from the stage. Tsukasa stood frozen for a few minutes while his senses slowly came back to him. He raised a shaky hand to his chest and felt the steady but clearly heightened pace of his heart. That combined with the heat he felt all over was foreign.
And it was scary.
A star wasn’t supposed to be afraid of anything and normally, Tsukasa would take something like this in stride. But, it wasn’t a normal situation. For once, he felt like something was happening extremely out of his control and with each new development, it slipped further and further out of his grasp. To say he was even more confused about what to do after speaking to Rui was an understatement.
-
On the last day before the school break, Rui asked Tsukasa to eat lunch with him. They had spent some time together discussing their upcoming show before school, after school and of course, at Phoenix Wonderland but besides a few times in passing, they had yet to spend their entire lunch break together.
With his lunch in hand, Tsukasa headed up the stairs as soon as the teacher released his class. He made it to the rooftop fairly quickly and noticed Rui leaning against the barrier in one corner of the roof, tinkering with something in his hands.
“Rui.” he greeted as he took a seat next to the other boy.
“Tsukasa-kun.” Rui said in reply without looking up. “I’ve been expecting you.”
“Do you have to say it like a movie villain?” Tsukasa deadpanned.
Rui laughed at his question as he continued to screw a panel in on the drone he held. Tsukasa took a look around and noticed a multitude of tools and parts but didn’t see any food or anything that seemed even remotely edible.
“More importantly, where is your lunch?”
Tsukasa saw Rui glance at him briefly. “I didn’t bring any.”
He blinked in disbelief. “You invited me to eat lunch together, but you don’t even have lunch…”
Rui smiled sheepishly. “Honestly, I just wanted you to join me as I did some final checks on everything we’ll be using for the show. It’s always good to have a second opin-”
“Nevermind that!”
A look of surprise spread across his face as Tsukasa cut him off. Tsukasa turned away from Rui and opened the lid on his bento to quickly survey the contents. Good. He distinctly remembered Rui mentioning in passing that he had a distaste for vegetables and although it was unhealthy for him to encourage that, Tsukasa figured that as long as he ate something, it was fine.
Usually, he prided himself on making the most nutritious meals possible for himself and Saki which included vegetables, but he thankfully had a few dishes that he could offer Rui and hope that he accepted. Tsukasa used his chopsticks to pick up a slice of tonkatsu before positioning his hand underneath it as a cushion and presenting it to Rui.
“Open up.” Tsukasa said. “I’m not discussing any of your inventions until you eat something.”
Rui’s eyebrows rose even higher as he glanced between Tsukasa’s face and his hands. Tsukasa tried not to follow the movement in fear of once again being captured by golden eyes that had too much of an effect on him.
“Tsukasa-ku-”
“Eat.”
A beat of silence followed before Rui sighed quietly and leaned forward before opening his mouth slightly. Tsukasa wasted no time in feeding him the tonkatsu before retracting his hands.
“You truly don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.” Rui said once he’d chewed and swallowed the food. He sounded exasperated but was smiling nonetheless.
“It’s the job of a leader to take care of his members.” Tsukasa huffed before taking a bite of his meal. “Now, I’ll listen.”
For the rest of the lunch break, Tsukasa alternated between listening to Rui ramble about various inventions (some, he noted, were not even slated to be used in their performance) and offering him more of his lunch. He didn’t understand a majority of the terms and phrases Rui was using to describe the information but one thing did stick out to him.
The fact that Tsukasa had undeniably developed a fondness for him. He wasn’t sure if it was the influence of their bond as soulmates or if he would’ve felt like this about Rui regardless but he found himself thinking the word “cute” several times while the other boy excitedly spoke about robotics. The only times he paused were when Tsukasa asked a question or fed him more of his lunch.
Tsukasa didn’t mind listening to him though. It was endearing and in the end even if the information was difficult to follow, he enjoyed learning about Rui’s interests. He found himself feeling a bit disappointed as their lunch break wrapped up and the two of them headed downstairs together.
Rui walked with him to the door of his classroom and Tsukasa turned to give him a short wave before heading inside. “See you, Rui!”
“Ah, Tsukasa-kun, wait a moment.”
He felt the weight on Rui’s hand gripping his wrist. His heartbeat quickened slightly almost immediately at the light touch but he waited patiently. Once Rui noticed he had his attention, he removed his hand and Tsukasa was all too aware that he missed the contact.
“I just wanted to say thank you.” Rui said. “For listening and for lunch.”
And there it was again. The easygoing, softer smile that Rui had given him before. Part of Tsukasa wished he’d show it more often while a smaller part of him selfishly wanted Rui to only direct an expression like that towards him.
“No problem! What else would you expect from a star?” Tsukasa exclaimed rhetorically in an attempt to ignore his racing heart.
Rui’s smile grew larger and he chuckled quietly. “You’re certainly living up to your status.” he said. “If this is how you care for people around you, your soulmate is undoubtedly lucky to have you.”
Tsukasa sucked in a breath. For the first time, he wanted to outright tell Rui. He wanted to explain to him that for the longest, he’d subsequently been seeing him paint his world in color while also watching Rui experience none of that himself.
Maybe their bond was destined to be one-sided and while that was an answer he wasn’t sure he would be alright with, it was an answer regardless.
“Tenma!”
Pulled from his thoughts, Tsukasa turned to see his teacher poking her head out of the classroom. “Class is starting!”
“Yes ma’am!” Tsukasa called back.
The two boys finally said their goodbyes to each other and headed to their respective classrooms. Once seated back at his desk, Tsukasa took a few minutes to calm his thoughts before attempting to focus on the lecture.
He underestimated how hard it would be to do so.
-
The day of their first performance came quickly.
With all preparations done and a fairly large audience in the seats, the members of Wonderlands x Showtime gathered backstage for a final huddle. Tsukasa couldn’t help but smile when he saw the excitement on the others’ faces. They’d worked so hard and now it was finally going to pay off.
“Wonderhoy!” Emu exclaimed, her arms moving to complete her signature move.
Rui and Robo-Nene copied the motions. “Wonderhoy!” they said in unison.
Tsukasa sighed at the display, feeling some of the motivation he had physically leave his body. Still, they’d have more than enough time after the show for him to properly teach them methods to garner inspiration. For the time being, they had a performance to put on that would hopefully be his first step into stardom.
The curtain rose and Tsukasa immediately felt like he had stepped into another world. The audience was full of individuals who were there to see a show. That were there to see him . He felt a smile grace his face as he stepped into his rightful spotlight.
However, he should’ve known that fate wouldn’t allow him to have this. After all, it had been especially cruel to him lately regarding the soulmate situation. It was only a matter of time until it decided to cause another disturbance. Tsukasa just hadn’t expected it to be in the form of something so detrimental to his dream.
The performance had started off well enough with the audience excitedly watching. He’d heard lots of praise on their acting, the costume designs and Nene’s singing as well as laughter whenever they included a joke. Overall, it was turning out to be a success until it had to be stopped abruptly.
Robo-Nene malfunctioned near the end of the show and although Tsukasa and Emu had attempted to salvage things by ad-libbing, the robot had ended up falling and subsequently trapping Tsukasa under it. Despite his attempts to continue even in that situation, Rui had seen no other option than to improvise an ending.
The frustration Tsukasa felt was monumental. Whispers of “ That’s it? ” and “ How boring .” crossed his ears as the audience members left. There was an area of disappointment and he was lost in thought for several minutes about just how wrong things had gone when it had started off so right.
The four of them gathered backstage after the audience had dwindled. This time, the Nene behind Robo-Nene joined them, a stark image of her robotic self and sporting an expression of sadness. Robo-Nene sat in a corner recharging.
“So you’re the real Nene?” Tsukasa asked quietly.
Nene didn’t respond which only fueled the anger Tsukasa felt. After everything they’d worked on, it was all ruined. His show had been ruined .
Emu comforted Nene softly. “No need to feel bad, Nene-chan…”
“I’m sorry…” Nene apologized.
“I don’t need or want your apology!” Tsukasa yelled.
And it was true. No amount of her apologizing would bring back the audience and it certainly wouldn’t bring back the atmosphere they’d had prior to the accident. Only a few hours prior, they had created excitement at the Wonder Stage but now, that was gone.
So, despite Rui’s efforts to take some of the blame and explain Nene’s actions to him, Tsukasa took his frustrations out on her. He expressed everything in words that even sounded harsh to his own ears but it wasn’t fair. He felt as if he was the only one who was taking the troupe so seriously.
And maybe he was, but how else was he supposed to achieve his dreams when fate was constantly standing in his way? Nene just happened to be the person it used this time around.
Shocked, Nene apologized again and again. Her eyes filled with tears and she promptly left the stage. Emu and Rui called after her while Tsukasa averted his eyes. He’d communicated what he felt but it didn’t help him feel any better. In fact, he felt worse.
“Don’t you think you went too far?” Tsukasa turned back as Rui addressed him.
He had an unreadable expression on his face. One Tsukasa had yet to see and he decided at that moment that it wasn’t one he liked.
Rui continued with words that matched the harshness Tsukasa had directed toward Nene, explaining his disappointment and loss of respect. Tsukasa remained frozen as he listened, dread beginning to settle in and replace the frustration he’d felt.
“I’m always just trying my best to one day achieve stardom!” Tsukasa responded despite his head beginning to swirl.
“So I’m right.” Rui said, his eyes narrowed. “Your goal is selfish.”
“How can you…?”
“I won’t be coming here anymore.”
“Huh…?” Tsukasa managed. At this point, his anger had almost completely fizzled out. His relationship with Nene had already been damaged, possibly beyond repair, and now Rui as well?
Only a few days prior, Tsukasa had come to terms with the fact that with a reciprocated soul bond or not, he had some kind of affection for Rui and he knew that the other boy at least enjoyed spending time with him. But after today, what would happen?
Rui’s eyes were cold and stayed on him as he spoke again. “By the way, you don’t have what it takes to become a star.”
A beat of silence.
How could he say that? From the beginning, Tsukasa had been tirelessly working to do whatever was needed for his dream. And although his fellow troupe members had their quirks, he’d thought he had found people who could help him with that. Emu was overly excitable at times and hard to understand but positive and genuinely a wonderful actor. Nene was sharp-tongued and hid behind a robot but was an excellent singer. And Rui…
Rui’s ideas sometimes hinged on pure insanity but he was incredibly smart and amazing at directing. He was also intuitive throughout the entire time they prepared for the show, coming up with solutions almost instantly whenever they hit a roadblock. Not to mention the long list of other qualities that had come to Tsukasa’s mind over the past several weeks.
Therefore, seeing such an impression of Rui and hearing what he was thinking of Tsukasa in that moment hurt.
“Oh, and one final thing before I go.” Rui said quietly as he turned to leave. “I take back what I said the other day.”
“What do you mean…?” Tsukasa asked.
“I feel for your soulmate.” Rui responded, taking one last look at Tsukasa. His golden eyes burned with barely concealed anger. “Being bonded to someone like you.”
With that, he descended the stairs and walked away from the area. Emu looked between the two of them but decided to stay near Tsukasa. He sensed her approach a little closer, most likely attempting to find the words.
Tsukasa made no move to address Emu and instead turned away. He was hyper-aware of his emotions as they bombarded him all at once. A mixture of irritation, regret and guilt settled within him along with something he’d never felt before. It was the strongest and made his chest ache and his eyes burn.
He blinked and briefly caught what Emu was saying in his daze. “Didn’t you like being in the show?”
He did initially.
“With how it went? No, I didn’t.”
Not only was the show ruined but their troupe was as well. There seemed to be no reconciliation in sight and even if there was, Tsukasa wasn’t sure how to go about it or even if he wanted to. If it made him feel horrible, what was the point?
He left Emu alone backstage and walked in the direction of the park’s exit. Along the way, Tsukasa attempted to ignore the colors around him. Green, orange, pink, blue…There were so many things that Rui had touched and now left behind. The other boy had indicated that he had no intention of returning to the Wonder Stage so the things that were still monochrome in the park would stay that way for Tsukasa.
If he would have known things would turn out this way, he would have never gone to the roof that day. A world with no color was better than one never to be completed.
Tsukasa walked with no destination for a while before noticing it was getting fairly late. He knew that if he went immediately home, Saki would notice something happened and he wasn’t quite ready to talk about what happened. That and he also admittedly didn’t want to be alone with his thoughts. But where could he go?
Suddenly, a bright light flashed on his phone.
That’s right. He could go to his SEKAI. Even if talking to Miku or Kaito didn’t help, he could at least gather his emotions before heading home. With his mind made up, he pressed the button to play ‘Untitled.’
-
Two hours later, Tsukasa found himself breathing a bit more easily.
Coming to the SEKAI had turned out to be useful. He’d helped the pink plushie to smile and thankfully, that had become the catalyst that reminded him of the true start to his dream. He wanted to reach stardom not only for the sake of being a star but in order to bring smiles to the faces of his audiences.
Kaito and Miku expressed excitement at him remembering and the three of them spent time talking about what he would do next. Both of them had confidence in his ability to bring a smile back to the faces of his troupe members.
“Tsukasa-kun, can I ask you something?” Kaito questioned when there was a lull in the conversation.
Tsukasa nodded, turning his attention completely to the virtual singer. They were currently sitting in the front row of the audience seats in the SEKAI’s tent. Miku sat to his right and Kaito to his left. Tsukasa appreciated the proximity as they did create a sense of comfort just being there with him.
“I wanted to ask you this earlier but it wasn’t a proper time.” Kaito said. “But, did you find your soulmate?”
Tsukasa froze and turned his gaze to his lap. “Yes, but, how did you know?”
“The SEKAI is completely in color.” Kaito said gently.
“Huh?”
He whipped his head up at the words but still saw a heavy amount of monochrome. There were a few things in color but they were all sections that he was sure Rui had personally been near. Tsukasa furrowed his eyebrows.
“I still see some things in black and white though?” he said in disbelief.
“Well, everything here is affected by your feelings. So, it’s possible that we can see everything in color because you’re feeling something for your soulmate.” Kaito replied. “But, perhaps you’re seeing things differently because of something on your soulmate’s end.”
That was probable. “My soulmate, uh…” Tsukasa said. “Is my soulmate but I’m not his, I think.”
“What?!” Miku exclaimed in surprise. “Is that possible?”
Tsukasa shrugged. “Apparently it is. I know for a fact that he sees completely in monochrome even after we met and grew closer.” He brought his knees up and folded his arms over them. “And after today, I’m sure he wouldn’t even want to be my soulmate. He basically said as much.”
He saw Miku and Kaito exchange a look. The two of them probably put the pieces together and knew who he was referring to but Tsukasa found he wasn’t concerned with them knowing. For one, he knew he could trust the two virtual singers. For another, he noticed the return of that unknown emotion when he remembered Rui’s earlier words. The emotion that came with an ache that was too painful to ignore.
“Are you okay, Tsukasa-kun?” Miku asked worriedly.
He nodded. “I’ll be fine. It just hurts.”
Kaito empathetically placed a hand on Tsukasa’s back. “You look heartbroken.”
Heartbreak. So that’s what it was.
The movies he’d watched and books he’d read in the past hadn’t properly described the feeling. With their definitions, he had likened it to a form of sadness when in reality, it was much different. There was nothing quite like this. It wasn’t exactly all-consuming but it was highly concentrated. A dull tightness that felt like a strange pressure on his heart. At times, it felt difficult to breathe around.
“I suppose I am.” Tsukasa said simply.
-
Tsukasa found Emu next to the ferris wheel the next day. He’d arrived at the park with the intention of speaking to everyone but seen none of his troupe at the stage. It was honestly still disappointing despite being something he expected. So, it’s safe to say he was a little surprised to see Emu nearby.
Her usually energetic face looked a bit forlorn which only fueled the guilt Tsukasa felt. He approached her carefully and she understandably looked shocked at his presence.
“Emu…” Tsukasa started. “About yesterday…”
“Tsukasa-kun, do you want to ride the ferris wheel with me?” she asked, cutting him off.
Taken aback, Tsukasa couldn’t do much but agree. After all, he came with the intention of apologizing to Emu for what had happened. It was only right to grant her request. The two of them entered the ride fairly quickly and sat across from each other in one of the ferris wheel’s cars. Once above the park, Emu pointed out the Wonder Stage.
Tsukasa was amazed by the scene. The greenery that he once thought would hide their stage from the public framed the area nicely. From that height, he could make out the major details from the stage all at once. The splashes of color he could see from that distance made it look like a work of art.
Emu explained gently that her dream of making people smile was due in part to her grandfather who adored the Wonder Stage. Her attachment to it ended up being because she wanted to save the stage. “It’s time to give up though.” she continued. “Smiling is the most important thing, but everyone ended up unhappy.”
Tsukasa’s eyes widened. Emu’s goal was wholly unselfish and it mirrored his own. They both ultimately wanted to make their audience happy so why stop? He couldn’t allow Emu to give up on the stage and certainly not her dream.
“Emu, don’t you get it?” Tsukasa asked. “Wouldn’t your grandpa want you to be happy too?”
“Huh?” Emu blinked.
“I was wrong, Emu. I’m sorry.” he apologized. “Can we still do shows together?”
Emu immediately brightened. Her eyes sparkled and her lips spread into the widest smile Tsukasa had seen from her yet. She nodded several times. “Yes, let’s make everyone smile together!”
After the ride, the two of them headed back to the Wonder Stage to brainstorm about how they’d get Nene and Rui to return to the troupe. Although they didn’t really have a plan, Tsukasa intended on apologizing to both now that he’d rediscovered his dream. His actions up to that point had been selfish and he was determined to convey that to both Nene and Rui.
“Tsukasa-kun, do you hear that?” Emu stopped suddenly at the stage’s entrance.
He listened closely and heard someone faintly singing. It was warm, melodic and incredibly familiar. It sounded like…
“Is that Nene?” Tsukasa whispered.
They rushed through to the front of the stage and confirmed their suspicions. Nene stood with Robo-Nene next to her, singing. Her voice sounded as beautiful as it did during the performance but held a sense of sadness this time. Tsukasa’s heart clenched when he realized that was partly his fault.
Nene gently placed a hand on her chest as she belted out the final high note. Tsukasa distinctly heard Emu gasp quietly beside him and he glanced in her direction. Her eyes were fixed on Nene’s fingers.
“Nene-chan…” Emu said.
She hadn’t said it too loudly but with Nene no longer focused on singing, she heard her name clearly. Nene turned to them in shock and took a step back, already poised to escape once she noticed they’d been watching her.
“I’m sorry!” she called out before hopping on Robo-Nene and speeding away.
Emu seemed to be pulled from her trance at that moment and ran with Tsukasa as they both chased after Nene. Eventually, Emu used the main gate to ambush Nene and hold her in place. Tsukasa stopped abruptly and praised her for the quick thinking.
“Good job, Emu!” he said as he approached the girls.
Emu’s hand was tightly gripping onto the sleeve of Nene’s blazer. Tsukasa watched as Nene slowly looked down at the hand on her blazer and then back up at the other girl’s face. They stared at each other for several seconds before Nene broke the silence.
“Y-you’re…” she said.
“Are you okay, Nene-chan?” Emu asked, smiling gently.
Nene didn’t reply and instead averted her eyes, turning away from Emu and shaking her sleeve from the other girl’s grasp. Tsukasa noted that while she still seemed fairly reserved and anxious at their presence, she also seemed flustered. Her face was tinted and she was obviously avoiding Emu’s touch.
“Nene, listen!” Tsukasa said, getting her attention. “You don’t have to say anything but just know that I’m sorry about yesterday.”
Her eyes widened at his words, obviously not expecting to hear that. Tsukasa continued by explaining to her his actual dream and his desire to still have her be a member of the troupe. He truly believed he could eventually reach his goal if he had the three other members of Wonderlands x Showtime by his side.
“I…I want to keep acting!” Nene said once Tsukasa had finished. He could see by the determination in her eyes that it was true. Despite everything, she wanted to continue.
Nene told Tsukasa and Emu about her previous theater troupe, one that had recognized her talents and propelled her to the position of being a lead. However, forgetting her lines ended up throwing her into a spiral that ended with a fear of performing on stage.
“Each mistake from challenging yourself gets you closer to the perfect performance.” Tsukasa said, smiling warmly. “Let’s keep doing shows and find those performances together!”
Nene matched his smile gratefully. “Yes, let’s!”
Tsukasa felt a large amount of tension release from his shoulders. He had successfully conveyed his emotions to Emu and Nene and now he had to speak to Rui to make their troupe whole again. For a bit, a wave of uncertainty washed over him. Tsukasa shook his head to clear the nerves. He had no time to be hesitant if he truly wanted Rui to return.
After the three of them decided to go search for Rui together, Nene briefly went backstage to gather the materials she’d dropped when she left abruptly after their confrontation. Tsukasa took the time to sit out in the audience seats while waiting. A few minutes passed and then Emu joined him.
“Tsukasa-kun, I need to talk to you about something.” she said in a whisper.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, turning to her. “You seem pretty serious.”
Emu fiddled with her fingers in her lap and seemed to be keeping a careful eye out for Nene’s return. It must’ve been something she didn’t want her to hear. “I discovered something earlier and I don’t know what to do.”
Tsukasa blinked in confusion. “What did you discover?”
“I think Nene-chan is my soulmate.”
“What?!” Tsukasa exclaimed. “How do you k-” He caught himself and lowered his voice, realizing the other girl could hear them if he continued. “ Are you sure? ”
Emu nodded. “When she was singing earlier, she touched her outfit and it…bloomed. I saw color for the first time.”
So that’s why he’d heard her gasp previously. Tsukasa noted that although it seemed like Emu was pretty certain that Nene was bonded to her, she didn’t seem happy. In fact, she seemed concerned about the entire situation. Was it possible that her situation was like his? Did her soulmate not see what she saw?
“You don’t seem happy.” Tsukasa voiced his thoughts.
“I am! Really, I am.” she replied. “It’s just…Nene-chan avoided me earlier. I think she also might’ve seen color when I grabbed her sleeve, but maybe she isn’t happy with having me as a soulmate.”
That was impossible in Tsukasa’s eyes. Not only was Emu herself someone who anyone would be lucky to have but he’d seen the way the two girls had interacted when Nene was still actively operating Robo-Nene. Emu was always seeking out Nene’s attention and Nene happily spent time with her even during breaks at rehearsal. They matched each other well and he would’ve been surprised if they weren’t soulmates.
Tsukasa opened his mouth to reply but another voice beat him to it.
“T-that’s not…true.”
Both of them looked up to see Nene had returned from backstage. She wasn’t looking directly at them but Tsukasa could tell that even if she hadn’t heard their entire conversation, she’d at least heard Emu’s words. She was blushing furiously but also held an air of resolve.
“I-I…” Nene stammered. “I was just overwhelmed.”
She wrapped her arms around herself tightly and continued. “You’re so bright, Emu. Someone who I didn’t even think would be interested in me, soul bond or not. I hadn’t even let you meet me as me for so long. But…”
Nene turned to Emu finally and held her gaze. “I’m glad it’s you.”
Emu stayed frozen for a few seconds, processing her words. A gentle smile spread across her face and she rushed forward, enveloping Nene in her arms. Nene let out a sound of surprise, her blush coming back full force but she tentatively placed her arms around Emu as well. Tsukasa took that as a cue to step back to the Wonder Stage’s entrance and give them some space.
Once he was a fair distance away, he stood and waited. He was sure the two of them would need the time to sort out their feelings and figure out how to take the next step together. In the end, he was undeniably happy for them.
Nevertheless, it did cause him to be a bit envious. Was this how it was normally for soulmates? Even though it took a little while for Emu and Nene to “find” each other, they both had a sign almost immediately. It confirmed for Tsukasa that most soulmates would know from witnessing the first touch.
Then, what was wrong with him?
“Tsukasa-kun!”
Tsukasa left his thoughts as Emu and Nene approached. Nene seemed much calmer (although still a bit flustered) and the two of them were walking quite close. Tsukasa decided he would tease them about the shy nature of their relationship once this ordeal was over.
Together, they left the park and headed into the city. Nene had explained to them on the way that she and Rui were childhood friends and if they were unable to find him, they could always go to his house as a last resort. Though, they didn’t need to look long as Emu spotted him fairly quickly performing a show. The three of them stayed at a close distance to watch but far enough that Rui didn’t notice their presence.
Rui spun a tale about an alchemist who had seen a traveling troupe’s show. It inspired the alchemist to perform his own show for the townsfolk which caused them to finally accept him. The townsfolk ended up aiding the alchemist in his shows but found his ideas to be too odd to continue with. In the end, the people began to avoid the alchemist and he was left with no one.
Tsukasa took a look at Nene and Emu’s faces and found they mirrored his own emotions. His heart ached at the implication that Rui was lonely. And he undeniably had something to do with it.
“Rui-kun!” Emu called out, getting his attention.
“Nene and Emu-kun?” Rui said, smiling sadly. He locked eyes with Tsukasa and the smile immediately disappeared. “Ah, it’s you.”
“I came to talk to you.” Tsukasa said in response.
“There’s no need.”
There was. Even if Rui never forgave him, even if he hated him, even if he never knew what he’d done to Tsukasa’s world, he at least owed him an explanation.
“Rui, I’m sorry.” Tsukasa began. “I forgot what was really important. I’m not expecting you to forgive me, but I’d like for you to come ba-”
“No offense but I don’t care.” Rui cut him off. “We are simply not compatible.”
He could feel the dull ache of heartbreak coming back at his words. A rejection of this magnitude was something he expected but certainly wasn’t prepared for. If his own soulmate thought they weren’t compatible then…?
“What do you mean?” Tsukasa asked quietly.
“You are motivated solely by being popular while I want to create shows for all audiences to enjoy.”
“That’s no longer-”
“I’m not staging shows with you again.”
Tsukasa kept his eyes on Rui as the other boy turned and began to walk away. What else could he say to convey how he felt? He’d tried to explain to Rui that they had the same general goal to no avail. What was the next step?
“Tsukasa-kun! Are you okay with just letting him walk away?” Emu asked desperately.
“Of course I’m not!” he yelled. “But what can I say?”
Emu went silent at his words. They all seemed to be at a loss on how to approach Rui further and even though Tsukasa knew he didn’t want to leave things on a sour note, it seemed like it’d be near impossible to get Rui to understand him.
“You can’t give up!”
Tsukasa jumped at Emu’s exclamation. “W-what?”
“Rui obviously still wants to make amazing shows.” Nene said. “There must be a way.”
“Yes!” Emu agreed. “As a future star, Tsukasa-kun, you can make Rui-kun smile again!”
Her eyes shone with determination and Tsukasa slowly began to believe what Emu was saying. It was his job as a star and even more as Rui’s (possible) soulmate to bring a smile to his face again. It almost seemed like it’d been ages since he’d seen Rui truly smile again. The same smile that caused his heart to jump rather than ache.
“You’re right!” Tsukasa said. “Let’s think of an idea!”
Together, they were going to get Rui back.
-
Kamishiro Rui was someone who didn’t ponder much on the topic of soulmates unless it was from a scientific standpoint. He was interested in the fact that everyone seemed to have someone and the ability of being able to see in color when they met that someone. However, when it came to himself, he lost the desire to find his soulmate long ago.
When Rui was in middle school, he noticed that a handful of his classmates had discovered their soulmates. The kids who did seemed happy and excited about a world now in color. Rui had been briefly intrigued as it was the first time he’d seen so many individuals discuss color and actually be able to differentiate between them. His own monochrome world had seemed less interesting.
It’d been after a particularly hard day when Rui decided to no longer entertain the notion that he had a soulmate somewhere in the world.
One of his classmates had approached his desk while he was working on the circuitry for one of his drones. He’d noticed from the corner of his eye that she had been watching him for some time so he wasn’t exactly surprised when she decided to walk up.
“Why are you always working on robots, Kamishiro-kun?” she asked curiously.
“Fufu, I enjoy seeing how they work.” he replied. “And if I make ones that are useful, I can use them in shows.”
Rui’s passion for robotics had probably been influenced by the fact that his father was an engineer so their house frequently had machinery for him to tinker with. It became even more of a fascination once he’d developed a love of theater and realized that he could use robots as performers in his shows. He no longer had to rely on other people.
“Shows?” the classmate inquired. “Oh, like theater?”
Rui nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly! Do you also have an interest in it?”
“Not exactly! It’s cool to see every once in a while though.” she replied as she stepped back a bit and placed her hand under her chin in thought. “Come to think of it. I think I remember people mentioning you’d talk about shows a lot in elementary school.”
He instantly felt cold at her words. Rui’s classmates in elementary school didn’t exactly appreciate his shows due to finding his ideas weird or dangerous. They’d told him as much after one particular stunt he’d suggested doing. In the end, he had shown them it was safe but his classmates still reacted poorly. It wasn’t exactly a memory he liked to come back to.
“A few kids said they were kinda risky.” his classmate continued after Rui kept silent. “Is that true?”
Rui shrugged in response. He hoped she dropped the topic soon once she realized how uncomfortable he was. “I can only speak for myself. I’m not sure of the opinions of others.”
“Well, maybe it was just a rumor!” she said with a smile. “I should hope so. Your future soulmate probably wouldn’t like you having a dangerous hobby.”
“What do you mean?” he asked in confusion.
“Think about it, Kamishiro-kun. They’d probably think you’re strange and not wanna be around you.”
Rui let go of a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. If that was all, there was an easy solution. Everything he’d read about soulmates pointed to his fated person accepting him no matter what. Even if others deemed him as odd, someone who was literally bonded to him wouldn’t feel the same, right?
“If they’re meant to be with me, they should be fine with it.” Rui said simply, turning back to his tools.
“That’s true but there’s the possibility your soulmate could get hurt with a hobby like that.” she mused. “And then they could leave even if they’re fine with it. Who would want to be with someone who puts their safety at risk?”
He’d wanted to reply, to deny the thought that he’d ever put his soulmate in danger. His ideas weren’t meant to be dangerous. They were just meant to be entertaining for those involved and those watching.
But…it’d happened before, didn’t it? Even with all of his preparations and showing that they wouldn’t be harmed, his classmates still left him alone. They had likened his love of theater as an obsession with stunts. So, what would stop his soulmate from making the same conclusion? They would share a bond but that bond didn’t account for any feelings they had regarding his actions.
The teacher returning saved him answering and his classmate had returned to her desk by the time Rui lifted his head up. For the remainder of the day, he had felt a dread like no other and resolved himself to no longer look forward to the day that he encountered his soulmate. If that day ever came at all.
And that’s how he felt throughout the rest of middle school and his first year of high school. People around him continued to find their fated person and he moved through the years with a focus on the things he was sure about: his inventions, his theater work, his relationships with the few friends he had, etc. Having a soulmate was an afterthought.
That was until he met Tenma Tsukasa.
Tsukasa, while rather prideful at times, was like a ray of sunshine. Incredibly bright and always shining. He had specifically sought out Rui for a job that he enjoyed, declared he’d embrace even the most intricate of Rui’s ideas and gave Nene a place to perform once again. The amount of times he’d been impressed by Tsukasa had easily surpassed his initial expectations.
It didn’t just lie within his willingness to work together, however. Tsukasa also had a kind personality, a penchant for taking care of others and an enthusiasm that was unmatched. He not only threw himself completely into improving his performance for their first show but also into their interactions outside of practice. They’d gotten closer in their own right as a result.
It was why Rui had ended up holding Tsukasa in such high regard. And it was also probably why he’d felt the dullest ache when Tsukasa confirmed that he no longer saw in monochrome. Of course, he knew that it was impossible for him to be Tsukasa’s soulmate as Rui’s world hadn’t changed from their first meeting. That didn’t stop him from theorizing on why he felt so connected to Tsukasa regardless of any interference from fate.
His first thought had been that it was simply a brief infatuation that would eventually fade away. But, that didn’t explain why Tsukasa’s smiles, his praise towards Rui, his laughter and the mere sound of his voice caused a stronger reaction each time. It was scary and exciting at the same time. Tsukasa’s soulmate was truly fortunate. He could only imagine how they felt being around him if he could have such an effect on someone like Rui who he wasn’t bonded to.
Basically single-handedly, Tsukasa had unknowingly brought back Rui’s interest in soulmates and he’d begun once again looking forward to the day he met his own fated person.
Still, fate is cruel and although Rui knew that from the past, he allowed himself to forget. Tsukasa was like the sun and unfortunately, the sun has the ability to shine too brightly and burn those caught in its rays.
To say that Rui was disappointed in Tsukasa’s behavior towards Nene was an understatement. He could understand frustration. After all, they had worked so hard on perfecting everything and a simple mistake had altered the ending of their performance. He could understand Tsukasa being upset over a missed opportunity. What he couldn’t understand was the blatant heartlessness of Tsukasa’s words.
Nene was his best friend from childhood and seeing her run from the stage, hurt by the person that Rui had brought her to, made him fill to the brim with guilt. He’d said his piece to Tsukasa, apologized to Nene and made his way home.
Once again, Rui was alone. He’d had his fair share of loneliness so it was a familiar feeling but somehow, it felt worse this time around. Since the day Tsukasa had found him on the roof, he’d had fun. Rehearsing with the troupe and spending time with Tsukasa at school had truly been substantial for him and losing it now hurt.
Standing his ground was difficult but Rui did it. Tsukasa had turned out to not be the person he thought he was and as much as it ached, he had to accept that. Maybe it was even a blessing in disguise. Fate was not only warning him about being Tsukasa’s friend but also about his renewed excitement about soulmates. It just wasn’t for him.
Ultimately, Rui did a lot of mental preparation after Tsukasa, Emu and Nene spoke to him after his street show. If there was anything Rui could still admire about Tsukasa, it was his determination. Despite the multiple rejections, he kept returning.
That’s why Rui wasn’t surprised when once again, the other three members of what was Wonderlands x Showtime showed up in front of him with Tsukasa at the helm. A part of Rui deep inside still held the smallest bit of affection for him and it wanted nothing more than to go back to the times they had before where Rui would suggest an idea and Tsukasa would match his enthusiasm.
“An ambush?” Rui asked rhetorically. “I’m not changing my mind.”
The light in Tsukasa’s eyes dimmed slightly and if Rui wasn’t still so upset with his actions, he might’ve regretted making him feel sad.
“I got him!” Emu suddenly called as she grabbed onto Rui’s left arm. Nene jumped forward with her to secure his right. “Now, Tsukasa-kun!”
Rui looked up, alarmed, as Tsukasa grinned. “Rui, I’m going to show you my true feelings!”
A bright light flashed and Rui instinctively shut his eyes. Once it subsided, he slowly opened them and recognized the familiar setting. The SEKAI. The only difference from their previous visit was that now, they were inside of the large tent.
“You brought me here?” Rui asked in disbelief.
He looked around and noticed everyone was no longer around. Miku was standing in the middle of the stage while Rui had been deposited into the front row of the audience seats. What exactly was Tsukasa going to show him here ?
“Hello, everyone! We have a special performance tonight!” Miku called out from the stage with the spotlight aimed on her. “It’s sure to put a smile on your face!”
The curtain rose on a show that sounded vastly familiar. As narrator, Miku introduced a theater troupe that consisted of a showman, a clown and a songstress. The troupe recruited an alchemist to aid them in their shows but a disappointing accident caused the showman to spin the blame on the other members. After a period of reflection, the showman remembered his entire purpose of performing and regretted his words.
He explained himself to the troupe members but the alchemist refused to return as he was convinced the showman only cared about fame. The showman, however, didn’t want to give up on the alchemist and resolved to make a show to explain how he felt.
Rui watched the performance closely. It was obvious that it was meant to mirror the current disagreement their troupe had. It was true that Rui hadn’t been willing to believe Tsukasa before when he tried to approach him, but what about now? Tsukasa had put together an entire show for him. A show that held his feelings.
“It’s my dream to become a star who brings joy to everyone! A star is someone who delights his audience and his fellow performers.” Tsukasa declared. “Believe me this time! Will you join my troupe again?”
“What do you think the alchemist answered?” Kaito asked Rui gently.
“What do you mean?” Rui mused. “This is your role…”
“I’m just a stand-in.” Kaito clarified. “The next scene hasn’t been decided.”
Rui was silent for a bit. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to answer Tsukasa. He did . That didn’t make the future seem any less frightening. If Tsukasa had actually turned out to be everything he’d previously thought he was, what did that mean for him? He could be his friend and fellow performer in good conscience but what about the other emotions he’d been feeling?
“Did you think you could express your feelings better by performing?” Rui asked Tsukasa.
“Yes!” Tsukasa called out confidently. “Theater has given me so much. Shows have the power to stir feelings and I hoped to convey mine through this.”
He extended a hand out to Rui and placed the other on his chest. “Rui! Let’s make shows together again!”
Oh.
Rui felt it before he saw it, his eyes struggling to catch up with his emotions. It was a powerful mix of wonder, excitement and affection. The force of it was overwhelming and he was briefly out of breath. Regardless, that wasn’t the most shocking part.
Tsukasa, with a bright smile on his face and looking directly into Rui’s eyes, was in color. In fact, everything around him was in color. The stage, the rest of the troupe, the virtual singers, the entire SEKAI…Everything was bathed in sights Rui had never seen before. His whole world was no longer in monochrome.
Tsukasa was his soulmate.
“Heh.” Rui said. He felt a little giddy at the realization. “I like the sound of shows that delight everyone. Let’s work together to make your performances as impressive as possible, Tsukasa-kun.”
“Rui…” Tsukasa said shakily.
“I’m not Rui.” he replied. He finally tore his eyes away from Tsukasa to briefly glance at Emu and Nene who had matching smiles on their faces. “I’m the alchemist.”
-
The four members of Wonderlands x Showtime left the SEKAI in high spirits. They were finally complete again and they’d agreed as a group to try their performance once more. Together, they headed back to their stage.
On the way, Rui took in everything anew. Places that he’d walked past several times now looked completely different in color. The buildings, the trees and the people around him were now all being seen in a way even more substantially distinct. And the sky… The sun was beginning to set and it painted the sky in warm tones. It was wonderful to look at.
“Rui, are you okay?” Tsukasa asked as the two of them took a seat at the edge of the stage.
Rui nodded. His eyes wandered to Emu and Nene who were sitting closely together on the back row of the audience seats. “Yes, I’m fine. Just thi-”
He trailed off as he watched Emu grab Nene’s hand as they spoke quietly to each other. Nene immediately became flustered if the tint to her cheeks was any indication but she made no move to separate from Emu. That was new. He wouldn’t have been surprised if Nene would’ve simply seemed bashful around Emu but the whole scene looked fairly intimate. Tsukasa noticed his silence and looked their way as well.
“Oh, yeah, they discovered they were soulmates earlier.” Tsukasa explained with a gentle smile. “It seemed like it’d be a little rocky at first but I think they’ll be fine.”
Rui blinked in surprise. Huh. A lot had happened in the time he’d been separated from the group. He was happy for Nene though. Her and Emu had clicked early on and without even witnessing it, Rui could tell that Emu would appreciate and care for Nene dearly. Fate had got it right. They were truly meant for each other.
He wished he could say the same for himself. From an analytic perspective, he was interested in the fact that a soulmate bond could be one-sided but personally, he was envious. After all, he knew that Tsukasa had been seeing color for a while. It was impossible for him to be Tsukasa’s soulmate. Along with that, all the sources Rui had read prior suggested that soulmates would only see splashes of color in places touched by their soulmate initially. It took an act of true devotion to see completely. So, why was monochrome completely gone from Rui’s world?
Maybe Tsukasa would know.
“Tsukasa-kun,” Rui spoke up. “Can you indulge me for a moment?”
Tsukasa had his eyes trained on the sunset but nodded. “Sure.”
“Out of curiosity, do you only see patches of color or complete color?”
“From the first day, I was only able to see things that my soulmate touched in color. Everything else was in monochrome.”
That was expected. His answer was proof that the two of them weren’t connected mutually. It was just on Rui’s side. The confirmation hurt admittedly.
“However, it changed when I was in the SEKAI.” Tsukasa continued. “I…can see everything in color now.”
A beat of silence. Rui felt his heart immediately begin to speed up. Did that mean…?
“It’s so beautiful.” Tsukasa said, eyes still up to the sky. “I’m happy to see this. Even though…my soulmate…he…”
Tsukasa trailed off into silence but Rui could already fill in the blanks for what he was going to say. If he was right, then Tsukasa had known this entire time. He’d been aware that the two of them were soulmates but he hesitated in outright mentioning it to Rui because they weren’t seeing the same thing. Their previous conversation where Rui had mentioned it to him in passing came to the front of his mind.
“So beautiful.” Rui agreed but his eyes remained on Tsukasa. Despite his entire world now being in colors that he couldn’t even match to a name, there was still one thing, one person who was the prettiest no matter how Rui saw him.
At Rui’s response, Tsukasa turned to him. They held each other’s gaze momentarily until the other boy’s cheeks darkened and he stammered. “R-rui, what do yo-”
“Maybe your soulmate hadn’t met all of you yet.” Rui cut in. “But, I’m sure he’s happy he has now.”
Tsukasa’s eyes widened and he seemed to be searching for the words to say. Rui waited patiently. It gave him the chance to try to get his own emotions under control. His heartbeat wasn’t showing any signs of slowing down and he felt like he was burning.
“Are you saying that you also can see this?” Tsukasa gestured wildly to the area around them as he spoke. “I’m your soulmate? I’m yours?”
Rui smiled at him gently and nodded. “Yes, it’s you. You’re mine. And I’m assuming that I’m yours?”
Tsukasa went silent. Rui felt a bit of anxiety rising within him. He wasn’t wrong, was he?
Thankfully, he didn’t have to ponder long as Tsukasa surged forward and threw his arms around him tightly. Rui became even more flustered as he hesitantly placed his arms around Tsukasa. The hug was warm and although everywhere Tsukasa touched him felt like it was on fire, he was sure he wouldn’t mind holding onto the other boy forever.
“I’ve known since we met on the roof but I didn’t think it was appropriate to tell you since everything was still monochrome for you.” Tsukasa said. “I thought I had a one-sided bond.”
Rui nodded his understanding to the best of his ability with Tsukasa’s head now settled into the crook of his neck. “And yet, you still stayed. You found me.”
It was true. Tsukasa had not only found him once, but twice. The first time on the roof and again on the streets of the city. Both times he had been alone and both times, Tsukasa had sought him out nevertheless. The Rui in middle school that spent a majority of his school days solitary would’ve never imagined that instead of him finding his soulmate, his soulmate would have been the one making the effort to be in his company.
“How could I not?” Tsukasa whispered. “Even if we weren’t soulmates, I still would have done the same thing.”
The two of them fell into a comfortable silence. Rui settled his arm loosely around Tsukasa’s waist as he shifted to lean against Rui’s shoulder. In this position, both of them once again had a view of the sunset.
“Where do we go from here?” Tsukasa asked.
“We’re in no rush, right?” Rui answered. “We can take things at our own pace.”
He turned to Tsukasa with a reassuring smile. Feelings were confusing and a bond like theirs didn’t make that any less true. But, they had the rest of forever to figure out the direction they wanted to go in together.
“You’re right.” Tsukasa said with a smile of his own. One that filled Rui with the same warmth he felt from the rays of the sun. “For now, we have shows to put on.”