Chapter Text
The cool mid-October wind gently ruffled Akito's orange hair. As usual, he was on the roof of Kamiyama School, his personal sanctuary during lunchtime. However, that usual peace was tinged with an unusual loneliness. Next to him, the space where Toya always sat was empty. A common cold had left his classmate and best friend bedridden at home, forcing Akito to eat his bento in complete solitude.
Focused on a piece of tamagoyaki, the redhead barely noticed the soft squeak of the metal roof door as it opened. He looked up, expecting to see a student looking for a quiet place to relax, but instead he found a tall, peculiar figure.
Rui Kamishiro, with his enigmatic smile and cardigan over his uniform, looked like a cat who had found a new toy. His golden eyes rested on Akito and his smile widened.
“Well, well... How rare to find Akito enjoying the city view on his own,” said the taller boy in his melodious, slightly teasing tone.
Akito frowned, returning to his bento. “It's none of your business, Kamishiro-senpai. I'm just eating.”
“How rude!” Rui approached uninvited, leaning on the railing beside him. “Where's your bright and cheerful other half, Aoyagi-kun?”
“He’s sick,” replied the redhead laconically, hoping that would make the other guy leave and stop interrupting his peace and quiet.
But Rui was not someone who would be deterred by tacit hostility. “Too bad. Days of solitude can be very boring...” He looked at Akito's bento with curiosity. “Although that rolled egg looks quite competent.”
Akito sighed, resigned to the fact that his peace was over. “What do you want?”
"Oh, nothing in particular... Just enjoying the air and some interesting company.“ The purple-haired boy looked up at the sky, seeming to think about something. An awkward silence spread for a moment, broken only by the noise of the city in the distance. Suddenly, Rui turned to Akito, his expression one of genuine interest, with a spark of theatricality. ”By the way, Shinonome-kun, I have a question for you."
Akito looked at him suspiciously. “What is it?”
“This weekend,” Rui began, crossing his arms. "There's a new exhibition of luminescent jellyfish at the bay aquarium. They're fascinating, almost alien creatures, floating in the darkness with hypnotic choreography. I thought it would be a sight worth seeing.“ He paused dramatically, fixing his eyes on Akito's. ”Would you like to accompany me?"
Akito froze for a second, the piece of food halfway to his mouth. Was Kamishiro asking him out? To an aquarium? The idea was so absurd that he almost burst out laughing. He and Rui weren't friends. They were, at most, acquaintances through their respective classmates and school events. Besides, an aquarium? It sounded like a date.
His rational, practical mind processed the offer at lightning speed. What would he gain by going with the weirdo? What would people say? Why him? Isn't this too... strange?
Finally, he put down his chopsticks and shook his head, his voice firm but not entirely rude. “No.”
Rui blinked, but his smile didn't fade completely; it transformed into something more... expectant. “No? Wow, a direct answer. May I know why?”
“Just no,” Akito replied, avoiding his gaze. “It's not my kind of plan. And I have... practice.” It wasn't entirely a lie; they always had practice with their group, but they could reschedule. The real reason was pure discomfort.
“That's a shame,” said Rui, straightening up. He didn't seem offended, but rather as if he had noted a curious fact in an experiment. “Jellyfish are true engineers of nature, you know? Capable of lethal beauty. Well, I won't take up any more of your time. Enjoy your solitude and your bento, Shinonome-kun.”
And with the same elegance with which he arrived, Rui Kamishiro turned and walked away, leaving Akito alone again on the rooftop, but now with an echo of an absurd invitation and the lingering feeling that, somehow, he had been the test subject of something he didn't quite understand.
The first attempt had ended, as expected, in rejection. But in Rui's eyes, instead of defeat, there was only the gleam of someone planning their next move.
Chapter Text
The next day, classes had ended and the usual bustle filled the hallways of Kamiyama High. Akito slammed his locker shut, ready to head to practice with Vivid BAD SQUAD. However, as he approached the large main entrance, he stopped dead in his tracks.
Outside, the sky had turned leaden gray, and a curtain of heavy, steady rain pounded against the windowpanes and the pavement of the courtyard. A sigh of frustration escaped his lips. In his morning rush, he had completely forgotten his umbrella.
Several students huddled under the doorframe, waiting for the rain to stop or for someone to pick them up. The redhead leaned against the wall, resigned. He had no choice but to wait.
The minutes passed and the rain showed no sign of letting up. The crowd under the roof gradually dispersed as the lucky ones with umbrellas ventured out or their friends or family arrived to rescue them. Akito felt a growing sense of envy for the others, soaked to the skin from just watching the downpour.
Just as he was considering making a reckless dash to the station and arriving soaked to the skin, a familiar voice, as soft and theatrical as before, sounded beside him.
“It seems that nature has decided to stage its own aquatic drama today, and you, Shinonome-kun, seem to have been caught on stage without your props.”
The shorter boy looked up. Rui was there, with his characteristic smile and, most importantly, a long, elegant black umbrella with a curved handle in his hand.
“Kamishiro-senpai,” Akito murmured, unable to completely hide his relief.
“The same,” said the purple-haired boy with a small bow. “I see the weather has not been kind to your plans. Are you lacking an umbrella?”
“I forgot it…” Akito admitted reluctantly. He looked at the rain and then at Rui's umbrella. It was large, definitely for two people.
Rui followed his gaze and his smile widened. “How fortuitous. My inventiveness drives me to create, but also to anticipate. Fortunately, I did anticipate.” He paused dramatically, opening the umbrella with a soft whoosh. “It would be ungentlemanly of me to leave you here alone. I can accompany you to the station. It's the same way.”
Akito hesitated for a second. Accepting meant walking alongside him, in a closed and personal space. But the alternative was to get soaked to the bone or stay there indefinitely. Practicality won out.
“...All right. Thank you,” he said, his tone a little stiff.
He stepped under the umbrella, careful to keep a respectful distance. They walked in silence for a moment, the sound of rain hitting the black fabric the only accompaniment to their footsteps. The proximity was uncomfortable, but Akito couldn't deny that it was preferable to being soaked.
Halfway there, just as they passed a small, cozy, retro-style coffee shop whose warmth and light filtered through the curtain of rain, Rui broke the silence.
“Rain has a certain... romantic quality, don't you think?” he began, glancing sideways at Akito. “It isolates you from the world, creates an intimate bubble. Perfect for a quiet conversation.”
Akito only grunted in response, quickening his pace.
Rui was not discouraged. “Speaking of bubbles... the aroma of freshly brewed coffee coming from that place is quite tempting.” He nodded toward the coffee shop. “It would be a shame to let this atmosphere go to waste... How about taking a break? We can take shelter from the downpour with a hot cup of coffee. I'll treat you. My treat.”
There it was again. The invitation. This time, it was more subtle, taking advantage of the circumstances to sound natural, almost logical.
But for Akito, it was just as uncomfortable as the one at the aquarium. Go to a cafe with Rui Kamishiro? Just the two of them? It sounded too much like a date, again. His practical mind immediately rebelled. He had practice, it was raining, and all he wanted was to get there quickly.
“No,” he said, his voice firm above the sound of the rain. “I'm in a hurry. I have to go practice.”
Rui looked at him, and for a moment, Akito thought he saw a flash of genuine disappointment in his golden eyes, so quick that it could have been his imagination. But in an instant, it was replaced by his usual expression of intrigued amusement.
“Practice? Ah, yes, your dedication is admirable. A true, all-consuming passion.” He nodded, as if he understood deeply. “Well, I can't stand in the way of art. That would be a crime.”
The rest of the walk to the station passed in a silence a little thicker than before. When they reached the covered entrance, Akito quickly stepped away from the umbrella.
“Well, thank you,” he said with a quick nod, avoiding direct eye contact.
“The pleasure was all mine, Shinonome-kun,” Rui replied, his enigmatic smile back in place. “Take care not to catch a cold. The world needs to hear your voice.”
Before Akito could respond, Rui had turned and disappeared into the rain again, his tall, elegant figure vanishing behind the gray curtain.
Akito remained under the station roof, dry but with a strange feeling of having once again been the subject of a failed social experiment. The second attempt had been more cunning, more organic, but the result was the same: a resounding rejection. However, a small part of him, deeply buried, wondered what that coffee would have tasted like.
Chapter Text
The clock in his room read 2:17 AM. Akito ran a hand over his face, trying to rub the tiredness from his eyes. Open textbooks, notebooks with hastily scribbled notes, and headphones playing the instrumental track of Vivid BAD SQUAD's new song were the only witnesses to his vigil. An important literature exam and a choreography that just wouldn't come together kept him awake, fueled by sips of cold coffee and sheer stubbornness.
The silence of the early morning was absolute, broken only by the whisper of his own fingers turning pages and the steady beat in his ears. Until, suddenly, a violent buzzing and the vibration of his phone against the desk made him jump.
Who the hell...? It couldn't be Toya, he never called at this hour... Frowning, he picked up the phone. The screen lit up with a name he never expected to see at this hour: “Kamishiro.”
Was he dreaming? Kamishiro-senpai? At 2 a.m.?
Doubt assailed him. He could ignore it. He should ignore it. But curiosity was winning out, mixed with the irritation of someone whose study rhythm had been interrupted, forcing him to slide his finger to accept the call before it cut off.
“What?” he said curtly, not bothering to hide his annoyance.
There was no immediate response on the other end, just a slight static sound and... a deep, slow breath, as if the person on the other end was trying to gather energy.
“Shinonome... kun...?” The purple-haired's voice sounded, but it was unrecognizable. It wasn't tinged with its usual theatrical melody or that soft mockery. It sounded rough, slurred, laden with palpable exhaustion that came through the receiver. “Sorry... for the... inappropriate hour...”
The redhead stood still, his initial irritation giving way to genuine confusion. “Kamishiro-senpai? Are you okay? You sound... awful.”
A weak laugh, more of a sigh than anything else, was the response. “Terrible is... a very kind adjective. Today has been a day of... failed experiments, extensive rehearsals, and... lots and lots of studying.” He paused, and Akito could almost picture him rubbing his eyes. “It seems my body... has decided to go on strike... at the most inopportune moment.”
Akito didn't know what to say. He was used to the eccentric, in-control Rui, not this one who sounded vulnerable and exhausted. “And that's why you're calling me at 2 AM?” he asked, though his tone had lost its edge.
“Because... despite the strike... the mind continues to wander,” the purple-haired man murmured, his voice fading a little. “And I was thinking... about the persistence of ideas... and the fleeting nature of opportunities.”
Here it comes, Akito thought. Even exhausted, he never tired.
“Shinonome-kun...” Rui's voice sounded a little clearer, as if he had made a final effort. “Tomorrow... no, today... there's a market in Shibuya Park. I heard they sell... old vinyl records. And rare components for inventions. It could be... interesting. Would you... like to... go?”
The invitation, for the third time. But this time it didn't sound like an elaborate or cunning proposal. It sounded genuine, tired, almost a whisper thrown into the air without much hope.
Akito felt the automatic refusal on the tip of his tongue. He had to study, he had to practice, he couldn't, he didn't want to. “Kamishiro-senpai, no...” he began to say, more softly than he intended. “I have the exam and practice. I can't.”
There was no immediate response on the other end. Only a deep silence. Then, a breath so slow and steady that it was impossible to mistake it for anything else.
“Kamishiro-senpai?” Akito asked.
Silence.
“Oi. Rui.”
Nothing. Just the sound of deep, steady, almost hoarse breathing through the earpiece.
He had fallen asleep. In the middle of the call, after asking him out and being rejected for the third time, Rui Kamishiro had lost the battle against exhaustion and fallen asleep.
Akito put down the phone and looked at the screen, where the call timer was still running. A mixture of disbelief and something akin to concern washed over him. Was he that tired?
He didn't hang up. He sat in his chair, listening to the deep, steady breathing on the other end. And for the first time, the question that had always been in the back of his mind came rushing to the forefront: Why? Why me?
What did someone like Rui see in him? They were opposite poles. Was it just a whim? A social experiment to see how much rejection he could take? The idea should have bothered him, but instead, he felt a familiar warmth rising up his neck and coloring the tips of his ears. He was giving too much thought to someone who wasn't even his friend, he thought.
He looked at the screen again. The call was still active. It was ridiculous.
With a sigh, he brought the phone to his mouth one last time. His voice was a whisper so low that almost no one could hear it.
“Hey, idiot... get some rest.” The softness in his own voice surprised him. He would never speak like this to an awake Rui. It would be a sign of weakness that the theater director would instantly exploit. “And... I'll hang up now, okay?”
He waited a second, as if the sleeping director on the other end of the line might respond. Obviously, he didn't.
“Good night, Kamishiro-senpai,” he whispered, and finally, with a finger that felt strangely heavy, he pressed the button to end the call.
The room was once again enveloped in the silence of the early morning, but the peace to study had vanished. Akito stared at the literature book, but the words mingled with the echo of tired breathing and a question that now resonated more strongly: Why me?
The third rejection was complete. But this time, it didn't feel like a victory. It felt like the first step into unknown and alarmingly intriguing territory.
Chapter Text
The afternoon sun began to paint the sky orange over the Shibuya intersection. Akito walked alongside Toya, calmly discussing the details of their upcoming practice session. It was a moment of normality, of complicity, which Akito always deeply appreciated after the strange events of the last few days.
“So, if we polish the tempo change in the second verse, I think the impact will be greater,” said Touya with his usual serenity.
“Exactly. Kohane and An can adjust the harmony there to give it more strength,” agreed Akito, feeling that things were returning to normal.
They reached the corner where their paths diverged. Toya stopped. “Sorry to say goodbye here, Akito. I agreed to meet Tsukasa-senpai. We'll go to his house together, and I'll have dinner with him and Saki.”
The shorter boy nodded, not giving it much thought. “Sure, no problem. See you tomorrow for practice.”
“Of course. Take care, Akito.” Toya gave him a small, rare smile before turning and walking away with his elegant stride.
Akito watched him go, feeling a momentary peace. Normality was good. It was simple. There were no absurd invitations to aquariums or cafes in the rain, no midnight calls from exhausted voices that left him with unanswered questions.
That peace lasted exactly fifteen seconds.
“What a lucky encounter! It seems that fate had a scene written for the two of us today, my dear kouhai.”
Akito closed his eyes for a second, grimacing inwardly. It couldn't be. He turned slowly, and there he was, as if out of nowhere: Rui Kamishiro, with a broad, playful smile, as if the last three rejections had never happened.
“Kamishiro-senpai,” Akito said, his tone meant to be indifferent but sounding resigned.
“I was just passing by and couldn't help but notice your warm farewell to Aoyagi-kun,” Rui said, approaching them. “I'm glad to see that Aoyagi-kun has recovered from his cold.”
“Yes, he's fine,” Akito replied curtly, waiting for the inevitable barrage to pass.
Rui did not disappoint. He crossed his arms and looked at him with intense, carefree curiosity. “Now that you've regained your free time and your routine partner, maybe you have room for something... out of the ordinary.” His smile became a little more mischievous, a little more intriguing. “I have a proposal that I'm sure will pique your interest.”
Akito tensed. What would it be this time? A modern art museum? A hot air balloon ride?
“My humble workshop,” the taller man declared proudly, as if announcing a palace. "I know you have a curious mind beneath that rough exterior. How about a guided tour? I could show you some of my more... interesting inventions. The prototypes, the mechanisms, the places where magic comes to life. It could be quite enlightening."
The redhead felt all the blood in his body rush to his face in an instant. GO TO HIS HOUSE? See his “inventions”? The mere thought caused such an intense and burning wave of embarrassment that it almost made him dizzy. He imagined himself in Rui's room, surrounded by bizarre artifacts, listening to him explain each one with that theatrical enthusiasm that drove him crazy... just the two of them. Was this an invitation or torture?
It was too intimate. Too personal. Too... much.
“WHAT!? NO!” The refusal came out suddenly, much stronger and more vehement than he intended, laden with panic and embarrassment. His cheeks were literally on fire. “Why would I go to your house?! To see your weird inventions?! NO!! No way!”
Rui blinked, slightly surprised by the intensity of the reaction. But, as always, he knew how to take advantage of it. He tilted his head, feigning innocence. “Wow, does the idea embarrass you, Shinonome-kun? Or maybe... it makes you nervous.”
“Shut up! It's not like that!” lied the shorter boy, wishing the ground would swallow him up. “It's just a stupid idea! I don't have time for your nonsense!”
“Nonsense...” repeated Rui, and for the first time, Akito thought he detected a tiny glimmer of something other than amusement or intrigue in his eyes. Something slight, almost imperceptible. But it vanished instantly. “Too bad. I had a modified drone that I thought might impress you. It flies in patterns that almost look like dancing.” He made a dramatic gesture of disappointment. “But if you think it's nonsense, I won't insist.”
Akito said nothing. He just breathed heavily, trying to make the blush on his face subside. He wanted to yell at him that yes, it was all stupid, but the image of Rui proudly showing him his creations remained etched in his mind, increasing his confusion.
“Well, I won't keep you any longer,” said Rui, straightening up and completely regaining his mask of amusement. “I see you're... busy. See you next time, Shinonome-kun. Have a productive practice.”
And with the same ease with which he had appeared, Rui turned and blended into the crowd, leaving Akito alone in the corner, his heart still racing and his face tomato red.
The fourth rejection had been the most explosive, the most embarrassing. Akito leaned against the wall of a building, running a hand over his face. “What the hell...” he muttered to himself.
Each invitation was bolder, more personal. And each rejection, rather than deterring Rui, seemed only to fuel his curiosity. But this time, Akito didn't just feel embarrassed; he felt the echo of a small wound that perhaps, just perhaps, he had caused by calling the things Rui clearly loved “nonsense.” It was an uncomfortable thought that settled in his chest, much more persistent than any blush.
Normality had been short-lived. And the unknown terrain was becoming increasingly difficult to navigate.
Chapter Text
The soft ticking of the classroom clock was the only sound accompanying Rui's thoughts. He was leaning on his desk, his cheek resting on the cold wooden surface as he twirled a pencil between his long, dexterous fingers. For the first time in a long time, the director behind the curtain had no plan, only a knot of doubts.
Four attempts. Four rejections. The aquarium, the coffee in the rain, the midnight phone call, the invitation to his workshop... each had been meticulously (or not so meticulously) devised, and each had been knocked down by Akito Shinonome's wall of pragmatism and embarrassment.
Why did he keep trying? The question echoed in his mind with every turn of the pencil. It wasn't a social experiment. It wasn't a passing whim. At some point, between Akito's intensity, his fierce stubbornness, and the raw passion he exuded, Rui had fallen in love. He really wanted to go on a date with him. He wanted to get to know him beyond shared practices and casual encounters.
But four consecutive “no's” were starting to take their toll. Maybe Akito really did find him annoying, irritating, too much. Maybe he was being... stalkerish. The thought made him frown and set the pencil down on the desk. The last rejection, the one in his workshop, had been particularly hard. Akito's explosive embarrassment had hurt more than Rui was willing to admit.
The recess bell rang like a thunderclap, snapping him out of his thoughts. The students around him rose with animated chatter, but Rui did so slowly, dragging his feet. He didn't have the energy for his usual theatrics.
He stepped out into the hallway, lost in thought, letting the tide of students flow around him. And then he saw him.
There, leaning against the lockers, was Akito. He was talking to a classmate, with that slight frown he always had when he was concentrating. The hallway light illuminated his hair like a flame.
Rui stopped dead in his tracks. His heart skipped a beat. The plan was to let it go. To end the failed experiment. But his feet, as if they had a will of their own, began to move toward him.
Each step was a battle between hope and realism. When Akito's classmate said goodbye and left, Rui was already in front of him.
He stood there, silently, for a few seconds that felt like an eternity. He just stared at him, lost in those beautiful olive-colored eyes that always avoided hers.
Akito, noticing the silent presence, looked up. When he saw Rui, his expression immediately turned to one of cautious expectation. “Kamishiro-senpai... what do you want?” he asked, with less hostility than usual, almost as if he had been expecting this scenario.
Rui took a deep breath. There was no room for theatrical beating around the bush or elaborate invitations. The exhaustion of doubt and the desire for a clear answer drove him on. He dropped his shoulders, which was unusual for him: his carefree posture had disappeared.
“Shinonome-kun,” he began, his voice softer, more direct, lacking its usual melody. “This is the last time I'll ask you. I promise.”
Akito stared at him, saying nothing.
“I want to go out with you,” Rui said, and the words sounded so simple and sincere that even he was surprised. "Seriously. Not to the aquarium, not to a café, not to my house... unless you want to. We can go wherever you want. To a driving range, to a fast food restaurant, to wander around aimlessly. I don't care where.“ He paused, searching for the right words. ”I just... want to spend more time with you. Away from here."
The hallway seemed to grow quieter. Akito watched him, his cautious expression slowly transforming into genuine amazement. This wasn't the usual elaborate, cocky invitation. This one was... vulnerable. It was real.
He saw the exhaustion in the taller man's eyes, the absence of his usual mocking smile. He saw genuine hope mixed with fear of rejection. And he remembered the phone call where he had fallen asleep exhausted, the shared umbrella, the shame he had felt when rejecting his world of inventions.
A familiar warmth began to rise up his neck, but this time it wasn't just embarrassment. It was something else. Something that had been buried under layers of denial and pragmatism.
Rui saw the blush spread across the shorter man's cheeks and prepared his heart for the fifth and final “no.” He forced a sad smile. "It's okay. I understand. I won't ever—"
“Yes.”
The word came from the redhead's lips more softly than he had ever used with Rui. It was a quick whisper, almost drowned out by the noise in the hallway, but clear as water.
Rui was completely paralyzed. His golden eyes widened, all the false resignation and exhaustion vanishing, replaced by utter disbelief. “...What?”
Akito looked away, the blush intensifying, and crossed his arms in his characteristic defensive gesture. "I said yes. Are you deaf or something? But... you choose the place. I can't think of anything right now."
For a second, Rui didn't react. Then, as if a sun had exploded inside him, a smile so wide and genuine that it lit up his entire face spread across his lips. A laugh of pure joy and relief escaped him. He almost jumped up and down on the spot, but restrained himself, opting instead to lean forward slightly, his eyes sparkling.
“Shinonome-kun! You accepted! Really! Seriously? Seriously, seriously?” His voice regained all its theatrical energy, but this time it was genuine, not calculated.
“Lower your voice, idiot!” Akito muttered, looking around to make sure no one was watching them too closely. But he couldn't help a small, rare smile appearing at the corner of his lips. “Yes, I said yes. Don't make me regret it.”
"Never! I promise it will be perfect! Well, perfectly interesting. Or interestingly perfect. I'll think about it!" Rui was elated. The turn of events had been so abrupt and wonderful that he felt he could make up anything at that moment.
Akito snorted, feigning annoyance, but the blush on his cheeks betrayed his own confused excitement. “Well, whatever. I'm leaving. See you later.”
“Yeah! See you! I'll text you the details!” said Rui, still wearing that smile that lit up his face.
Akito nodded quickly and turned to leave, needing to escape the intensity of Rui's happiness before his own heart leapt out of his chest.
Rui watched him leave, and for the first time after four failed attempts, it wasn't rejection he saw behind him, but the promise of a future plan. The fifth and final attempt had not been the most elaborate, but it had been the most honest. And it worked.
Finally, after four rejections, he had gotten his “yes.”
shizukasatron3000 on Chapter 5 Thu 04 Sep 2025 03:57AM UTC
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rurisito on Chapter 5 Thu 04 Sep 2025 04:40AM UTC
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Dirizia (Loraria) on Chapter 5 Fri 05 Sep 2025 04:30PM UTC
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