Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

EMU: GUYS!!!! I have the wonderhoyest news ever!!!!! (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

EMU: Since Rui-kun has been wondering where we should go now that we've finished our training at Morinomiya, I wanna say that big brother Shousuke just told me that we've been commissioned to put on a show in Bunkamura!!!!!

EMU: Isn't this awesome?!?!? (⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)

Nene and Tsukasa reached out for their phones at the same time, reacting the very first second when a notification from their groupchat loudly rang out.

Nene chuckled and smiled slightly when their hands accidentally met. She wouldn't react like that in any other situation, but the spot they were currently sitting in and the atmosphere surrounding them was certainly making the romantic part of her go absolutely crazy. Even though her today’s meeting with Tsukasa wasn’t supposed to have any date implications at all, it seemed like it kinda turned out like that anyways. They started the day running a dozen or so laps around the park, as Tsukasa invited her to train together, but they finally ended up sitting on a bench together and resting after their exhausting exercise. She was satisfied with her today’s work, because even though she was totally worn out and it was a bit hard to breathe, not only did she manage to keep up with Tsukasa’s pace the whole run, but she also wasn’t the one who stopped running first. To be fair, it probably wouldn't happen if not for the fact that Tsukasa at some point tripped over his untied shoelaces and fell face first on the ground, making an embarrassment out of himself in front of all the pedestrians — but at least they had a very sweet moment together, where she was somehow trying to patch up his bruised knees and he, with theatrical sighs, was constantly rambling something about “Well, it looks like I have to admit that our awesome diva has defeated me today…!”. They were supposed to rest for a bit and go to the SEKAI for their vocal training, but Emu’s message certainly changed their plans. Nene brushed her messy hair away from her forehead and focused her stare on her phone’s screen, with the corner of her eye noticing that Tsukasa’s already replying back with excitement.

TSUKASA: WE GOT AN OFFER FROM BUNKAMURA?! NO WAY!

RUI: Fufu, these are amazing news to hear. I didn't know we’d receive such an offer that soon. Do we know the details already, Emu-kun?

EMU: Just that the show choice is up to us~ Tee-hee ★ It’s been so long since we made a show from scratch!

NENE: Ah, that’s right… I don’t remember the last time we were brainstorming ideas for the performance’s theme. I missed it a lot.

TSUKASA: Me too! Acting in shows directed by others was a very valuable experience, but it’s nice to go back to those directed by Rui. Besides I’m worried that I didn’t pay enough attention to the art of writing scripts for the sake of polishing my acting skills, and since I want to be just like Seiichi Amami, I cannot allow it!

RUI: Ah, I agree to the fullest. I also cannot wait for when I get the chance to write a script alongside Tsukasa-kun and listen to all of your suggestions once more.

EMU: Right, what show should we put on?! Maybe one of our old ones? :0

NENE: Hm… I don’t think it’s a good idea. Since we got such a real deal offer, then maybe we should do something new? They know us, so they certainly have seen our old shows already.

TSUKASA: I think so too. Also, it’d be nice to check if we still can do everything on our own just like we used to.

EMU: We surely can~ We’re W×S, after all!! I believe in us all, especially since we did such a good job during our training ♥♥♥

RUI: Emu-kun is right. As long as we’re together, we can do anything.

RUI: Either way, we most likely should start thinking about the plot tomorrow. I’m not convinced that waiting until the very last moment is a sign of being well-raised. Unless you three already came up with something?

NENE: Um… Tsukasa and I are actually hanging out together right now, so we can try to think about something if that’s okay with you.

EMU: Oh, of course it’s okay!! (⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ ⁠) Have fun together, Tsukasa-kun, Nene-chan!! :DD

NENE: Not sure about Tsukasa, but I’m having a lot of fun indeed. I already got to see how he’s making an embarrassment out of himself in front of everyone.

RUI: Oya? I’ll gladly get to know more.

TSUKASA: You didn't have to tell them that at all! It’s not even on topic!

Tsukasa pouted towards her, so Nene laughed loudly and rested her head against his arm. Their group conversation finally quietened down, so she turned her phone off and looked up, staring at the clear June sky. A show at Bunkamura, huh… That’s such a huge step for them. A small smile appeared on her lips, showing how happy she really is.

“Are you happy?” Tsukasa asked loudly, as if he didn't see her expression at all. Nene snorted and gave him a disapproving look.

“Of course I am” she said, tilting her head to the side and letting her hair fall down on her shoulders. Her judging stare moved onto the boy’s hands, which seemed unable to peacefully rest in one place. His fingers constantly were clasping and changing their position, even though Tsukasa tried to do it rather secretly. Nene chuckled. Oh, he’s stimming. “And I assume you are as well. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen you stimming so intensively.”

“W-What? Uh…” the troupe leader immediately got embarrassed and put his hands on his knees, trying to look the calmest he can. “Well, I mean…! Of course I am excited! That’s a huge chance that can completely change our existences and careers, so as a Wonderlands × Showtime's troupe leader I cannot let it just slide by! Lives are on stake here, Nene!”

“Oh, come on. You don’t have to immediately try and calm down just because I noticed you stimming. It’s just me, after all” the diva said and took her best friend’s hand in hers, starting to play with his fingers herself. “I’ll even go as far as to say that I feel rather honored. I like seeing you happy, you know.”

“Nene…!” the boy got visibly moved by it, which resulted in him looking at her with his already glassy eyes. The girl winced slightly and rolled her eyes, nudging him in the side.

“Oh my God, just don’t start crying now. What a crybaby.”

“Anyways!” Tsukasa finally managed to swallow his tears of emotion, though, because then he suddenly stood up from his seat and pointed at his friend with his finger. She only looked at him with confusion, raising her eyebrow a little. “Since we both got to the conclusion of this opportunity meaning a whole awful lot to us, it means that we should get started with fulfilling our duty as soon as we can! We need to come up with a plot that’d be worthy of being called ours, so Rui and Emu could sleep well and not worry about it!”

“Tie your shoelaces first” noticed Nene, grabbing Tsukasa’s hand at the very last moment, as he was getting ready to start running again. “Unless you want me to record your top ten embarrassing moments for Rui and Emu this time.”

“...Ah, right. I forgot. Thanks, Nene.”

“Besides, I want to buy myself water in the store first” the girl said when the boy crouched down on the ground to tie his shoes. “So don’t start running yet. It won’t be fair if you’ll have an advantage just because you’re not thirsty.”

“Alright!” the actor shouted, standing up and proudly putting his hands on his sides. “Maybe we’ll come up with something in the meantime, after all.”

Nene nodded and took her bag from the bench, standing next to Tsukasa and starting to walk alongside him. They were in a rather shaded part of Nonogi Park, but the sun still somehow managed to get through the trees and illuminate Tsukasa’s freckled face and his shining blonde hair. She smiled, wondering how she herself must be looking right now, with her hair in the color of a dull green (seriously, she needs to dye them again soon enough), since her troupe leader is currently looking like the prettiest star she has ever seen in her life. Maybe it’s for the better that Tsukasa isn’t really popular with girls. This way, he’ll always belong to W×S and W×S only.

“Is there something on my face?” Tsukasa, who probably noticed how intensively she’s glaring at him, asked suddenly. “You’re staring at me a bit too much.”

“Am I not allowed to?” Nene hid her hands in her pockets and looked away, snorting quietly. “I just dozed off a bit. I started to try and somehow put together the outline of the idea I have for our show.”

“Oh, is that so?” the boy immediately smiled widely and put his hand to his chest in yet another theatrical gesture. “Then I’m hearing you out, Nene! Let me hear what you came up with!”

“Um…” the girl got a bit shy and started playing with her ponytail, sighing heavily. “I feel like that’s not the best idea ever invented, but… I thought about putting on a show that also would somewhat describe our story. You know, like the one about the traveling troupe, just— more expanded, I think. After all, a lot has changed since the last time we’ve done it.”

“Ah, I see your vision!” the actor nodded, focusing all of his attention on her words. “Although we certainly could just do a remake, paying respects to the ones who let us train alongside them during these past months with a new one is definitely the perfect way to show them our gratitude! But do you perhaps have something specific in mind already?”

“I want to warn you, it’s really stupid…” mumbled his best friend, feeling her cheeks redden. “But— Ah, whatever, you know that I like stories like these anyways. I was thinking about a story like the ones where a star falls from the sky and turns into a human, making the life of some very troubled person better. Because… It’s just like how I feel about meeting you.”

“Do you really?” Tsukasa turned towards her and gave her yet another smile, but his voice seemed to be weirdly quiet. “I have to say that I’m flattered, but… I think that we all are this kind of stars for each other. You three definitely are mine, at least.”

“That’s right” Nene nodded, but then she suddenly (once again today) took his hands in hers and looked him straight in the eyes. What was she even doing? She wasn’t at all prepared to be so touchy, so she loudly gulped and took a deep breath. “But we have to choose only one person for this role, and it has to be you. Because you’re our star actor, and also… Because you’re our precious troupe leader.”

Tsukasa blinked a few times, freezing in place. Even though the smile on his face became so much more warm and gentle now, he didn’t say anything at that — so she kept quiet as well, smiling stupidly. Their intimate scene was, however, suddenly interrupted by the sound of braking wheels, and then a lemonade cart and a man loudly shouting “Free lemonade, free lemonade! Who wants some?” stopping next to them. Tsukasa quickly pulled out of her embrace and ran up to him, leaving Nene completely stunned.

Ah, at least it wasn’t as awkward anymore. She wasn’t used to being that physically close with Tsukasa. She sighed with amusement and leaned against a nearby tree, looking at her best friend currently arguing with the lemonade seller and wanting to pay him anyways, not wanting to have his hard work go without payment.

“Forgive me, Nene!” he finally said as he came back to her with two small glass bottles of lemonade. “I thought that since there was a way for us to not leave the park, then I’ll grab a lemonade for you to ease your thirst.”

“Thanks…” Nene smiled slightly and took one of the bottles from him, starting to search for something in her pockets. “How much do I owe you? I saw that you paid him either way.”

“You don’t owe me anything!” protested Tsukasa, shaking his head and taking a sip of his drink. “Take this as a gift from me. I’ll survive without these few extra yen.”

Nene knew that she wouldn't win this discussion, so she simply nodded and started to drink as well, enjoying the fresh taste. They stood there in silence for a while, before Tsukasa finally threw his bottle into the bin and quickly stretched, clasping his hands together.

“Since we rested for a bit and quenched our thirst already, then we should get back to our training!” he shouted, spinning around his own axis. His friend winced internally, but she obediently put her not yet fully drunk lemonade in her bag and corrected her hair. “Let’s do a few more laps! We need to be in a good condition when there’s such a serious performance awaiting us. Especially me, since even you want to give such an important role to me!”

The girl felt her heart swell nicely, the corners of her lips going up once again. So it’s almost set in stone now, huh… Tsukasa really got invested in this idea, which means that he’ll be defending it now with all of his might. It made her happy. Her stupid idea got appreciated, giving her an opportunity to show her admiration for her beloved troupe this way.

“Alright” a smirk appeared on her face as she also put her hands on her sides. “Get ready to lose to me again.”

“In your dreams!” the boy immediately accepted her challenge, brushing his bangs away from his forehead and smirking back. “You might’ve won that time, but it only happened by chance! This world’s future star cannot let himself be defeated!”

Not waiting for her answer, Tsukasa started counting down to three on his fingers. When he made sure that she’s looking at him, he quickly shouted “Go!” and immediately started running. Nene smiled at that gesture, not fully believing in how silly her best friend can be at times.

But still, when she was staring at his back getting further and further away from her, she couldn't help but to adore him. His determination as always made her look at him in awe that was pushing her into doing something too. She knew very well that since their troupe leader was acting this exact way, then their performance will be an absolute success this time as well. Tsukasa’s determination was something that all three of them needed to climb up to the stars — and it was probably the thing she loved about him the most.

She noticed that when she was busy admiring Tsukasa, her legs didn’t move at all. She frowned and forced herself to also start running. Tsukasa might be an amazing person, but he was also her rival and she couldn't let it distract her.

She couldn't lose to him, after all.

Chapter Text

"Ugh, I got a paper cut again!" Tsukasa suddenly exclaimed, causing Rui to flinch and look up at his face. "Seriously, what's with the paper we've been using for our scripts lately?! It's the third time this week! There's no way I'm genuinely that clumsy.”

Rui couldn't help himself but to chuckle, staring at how his best friend is getting pissed off at a small cut on his index finger, in mind deciding that it's a really cute (and funny) sight.

It was good to hear Tsukasa's voice again. Even though they were sitting in silence just for a half of an hour, he could say in full honesty that he has already started missing it. Of course, silence was greatly appreciated, especially since they met up at his place today in order to write a good script, but looking at the shorter boy being actually quiet and fully focused on his work will never not be a weird sight to him. Once in a while (well, every two minutes, actually) he was glancing towards him, if he happened to notice that Tsukasa switched the position he was laying in on the couch in his garage and ended up with his legs on the backrest again, but it was the only thing that was left from his hyperactivity in that very moment. That's why, even though he shouldn't complain because he did manage to finish more than half of his part of the script, Tsukasa beginning to act like he always does seemed like a gift from heaven to him. He didn't have anything against hanging out together while each of them was doing their own thing, but it was still that loud, obnoxious person that he gave his heart to, after all.

He slightly tilted his head to the side and smiled at Tsukasa with his signature smile.

“I’m afraid that I have to disagree, Tsukasa-kun” he said, chuckling quietly. “I’ve bought the same paper that I always do, so it’s an issue from your side. I would never buy something that would intentionally harm my beloved actors.”

“Quit laughing, will you?” Tsukasa hissed, putting his injured finger to his lips and licking it to get rid of the blood. Even though on Rui’s face there was still a stoic smile present, he had to admit that his heart seemed to speed up a bit. It was a rare occurrence for Tsukasa, with his eternal baby face, to look actually handsome, but when it did end up happening, Rui was always absolutely smitten. “Shit, it’s still bleeding. Great, it will now annoy me to hell and back for the rest of the day.”

“Ah, no, wait here” Rui, happy that he can escape Tsukasa's charms for a bit, immediately stood up from his desk and started to search through his drawers, running his hands through the sea of unnecessary trinkets and other trash that he has never bothered to take out. “I think I have a pack of band-aids somewhere in there.”

Tsukasa murmured a quiet “Thanks” and with his free hand picked up his sheets of paper once more, looking at what he had managed to write earlier. Rui brushed his hair away from his forehead and continued his search, finally reaching out with his hand to the last drawer.

He found a brand new pack at its very bottom, so he wiped the dust off of it with his shirt and threw it into Tsukasa’s hands. Tsukasa gladly opened it and took a single band-aid out of it, but that was where the easy part of it ended — because when he wanted to put it on his finger, he started struggling unreasonably way too much than he should have. It wasn’t unreasonable only from Rui’s point of view, because Tsukasa started getting visibly pissed off as well. He finally gave up, though, and just sighed heavily, shaking his head in disbelief.

“It’s so stupid” he mumbled, with frustration throwing the now wasted band-aid into the bin and pulling on his hair. “I can’t believe that I cannot put a dumb band-aid on my damn finger.”

“Do you perhaps need some help, Tsukasa-kun?” asked Rui, smiling slightly when Tsukasa replied with just a tired Yeah, would be appreciated. He quickly walked up to the boy and crouched next to him, taking his hand in his own. “Alright, then. Come here.”

He took another band-aid out of the pack — in no way was it intentional, but seeing that he picked a purple one made him chuckle under his breath — and carefully opened it, putting it on Tsukasa's injured finger. As he was doing so, he started intensively looking at the shorter boy’s hands, realizing how rarely he actually looks at them. His stare was often following them as he was observing Tsukasa’s theatrical gestures, making sure that he’s acting out his role well as his trusted director, but he never paid much attention to them itself. Something in his chest started feeling so warm as he now had the occasion to hold them and look at them as much as he wanted to, his eyes carefully analyzing every detail.

Tsukasa's hands were straying from his own so much. He never noticed it before, but they were actually smaller than his own — not much, yet enough for it to be seen when he now had their real life comparison in front of his eyes. His skin was so soft, gentle and nice to the touch, covered in freckles that seemed to form beautiful constellations even here. His fingers were slim and trained by his past of playing the piano, his nails well-kept and covered by a colorless nail polish. His hands seemed so fragile, and yet they belonged to a person who was always giving his 12000% to everything and was working so hard to fulfill his dream. No one would think that these hands are training everyday and lifting up weights that are supposed to help Tsukasa in getting his ideal body build — no one would think that one of these hands once reached out to Rui, changing his life for the better.

His gaze went to his own hands, causing him to sigh. The difference between them was now so apparent. Rui’s hands were big, unhealthily skinny and covered in scars stemming from his work as an inventor, making his harsh skin even more ugly. His fingers were long and bony, his nails gnawed. In contrast to Tsukasa’s, the sight of his own hands was in no way aesthetic, but he didn't mind it at all, since they also contained a story that mattered to him a lot. All of his imperfections were a symbol of him working hard as well, making his inventions or simply being Wonderlands × Showtime’s stage director. He wasn’t able to hate their repulsive sight, because it was a sign of his worth. He mindlessly clasped his fingers with Tsukasa’s, looking at the way the colors of their band-aids seem to match — as there were two yellow ones on his hand as well, since he accidentally cut his skin with a boxcutter yesterday.

“I really like your hands, Tsukasa-kun” he whispered, before he shrugged and chuckled in embarrassment. “Fufu, is that a weird thing for me to say? I apologize.”

“Thanks, Rui” Tsukasa smiled in reply, looking down as well. “It’s fine. I like yours too.”

“You do?” Rui raised his eyebrow up in amusement. Seriously, this conversation was terribly awkward. He wasn’t the best at being a romantic, it seems. “Well, it’s nice, I assume. Thank you.”

“Well, I should be the one thanking you!” his friend (thankfully) quickly ended the topic, shaking his head and beaming. “I have no idea how the hell did I end up struggling that much with a band-aid. Ugh, maybe I should actually go to sleep early today, if I have that much trouble functioning normally.”

“Oya?” the director tilted his head to the side, his interest piqued because of what he had just heard. “Did you not sleep well last night, Tsukasa-kun?”

“Not really” the actor sighed and rubbed his eyes with his wrist, finally realizing how tired he actually is. His gesture made his make-up smudge a bit and end up on his hand, letting Rui see how visible his eyebags are. “Got too excited in the evening, couldn’t sleep. And also I couldn't get my part of the script right, so I stayed up until late working on it.”

“Can I see?” Rui reached his hand out for Tsukasa to hand him his notes. “I’d like to see what is it that causes you so much trouble.”

“Yeah, sure” Tsukasa gave him his sheets of paper, looking at them disapprovingly. “It’s the ending that I cannot get quite right. I’m scared that I won’t be able to convey my message across.”

Rui took the script from him, starting to read through it and paying his utmost attention to every word. Tsukasa’s handwriting was neat and easy to read, but he could clearly see the spots where the boy started getting annoyed, causing his pen to smudge or pressing it harder to the paper. A lot of words were angrily crossed out, explaining why Tsukasa was wincing and squirming while writing once in a while. His sentences were a bit too long and sometimes incomprehensible (or maybe comprehensible just for their author) and they certainly needed to be corrected by Rui in order to make them more approachable later, but they immediately grabbed the director’s heart and made him get invested. It was just an ending to the play that he didn't even read the build-up to, but even so, even so, a warm feeling managed to spread throughout his body, overtaking him as a whole. Being absolutely objective, he didn’t know where Tsukasa was seeing the issue. The scene he had just read was made up from his troupe leader’s feelings that he always wanted to hear him say out loud, so to finally read it with his own two eyes — it was a blessing. His irises smiled as he squeezed one of the sheets, almost causing it to get torn apart.

Oh, this is certainly going to be such a good, satisfying show.

“I think you’re good” he spoke, staring back up at his best friend. “I see clearly what is that you want to express through this conclusion, so I’m sure that our audience will be able to understand it as well. No need to stress out about it that much, Tsukasa-kun. You did a good job.”

“You think so?” Tsukasa smiled with relief, tucking his legs up and looking at the remaining notes that were still at his side. “Well then, I’m glad! But I’m still not done, I need to—”

A yawn suddenly escaped his lips, so he grimaced with annoyance and hid his mouth behind his hands. Rui once again chuckled and sat a bit closer to him, taking the rest of the script away from him.

“You know what you need the most right now Tsukasa-kun?” he asked, putting the papers on the desk, “You need to get some rest. You can barely keep your eyes open. You’re so close to finishing, you can very well just do it tomorrow.”

“Ugh… Well, I guess you’re right…” the actor sighed heavily, giving up constantly — which Rui has read as another sign of him being way too tired. “I don’t want to overwork myself, that’d totally mess up all of our preparations. And it’s getting dark outside, too… Yeah, I probably should head home already.”

“Why don’t you stay the night at my place?” Rui suddenly suggested, surprising himself. “I don’t want you to walk all alone during the night. We live a bit far apart from each other, after all.”

“I didn’t bring a change of clothes” his friend immediately protested, yet he couldn't help but to yawn again. “And I don’t want to inconvenience your parents, either.”

“Ah, you’re not going to inconvenience anyone. Quite the contrary. I’d even go as far as to say that my mom would probably be glad to see you staying over. She’s always ecstatic whenever any of you visit” reminded him the director. “And don’t worry about the clothes, either. I can just borrow you mine. It’s not like it’ll be the first time I do so.”

“Well, borrowing me your cardigans is a much different thing than borrowing me your sleepwear! Do you really expect me to wear your awful choice of clothes, Rui?” Tsukasa rolled his eyes, but by the small smile visible on his face it was clear that he has already made up his mind and that he is, indeed, going to stay at Rui’s place. “But… Since it won’t be a problem, then I’ll stay, just give me a second to text my parents. Thanks a lot.”

“You’re welcome, Tsukasa-kun” Rui smiled back in response, standing up from the couch and with a hand gesture inviting Tsukasa to come with him to his actual room. “Anything for my dear star.”

They walked upstairs together and entered the barely touched room. Rui walked up to his closet and started searching for something that wouldn’t be (in Tsukasa’s opinion) that terrible, coming back with a plain t-shirt and some random sweatpants a few minutes later. He handed them to Tsukasa and looked at how his friend nods with gratitude and goes to the bathroom to change, before he sighed softly. He didn’t want to leave him without telling him goodnight, so, in order to pass the time when Tsukasa was getting ready to go to sleep, he started making the bed and putting away any of the things that he had accidentally left in the covers the last time he was there.

Soon enough, he could hear the tap water turn off and Tsukasa came back inside, having already washed his face and tied his hair into a small ponytail. He sat down on the bed with exhaustion and smiled warmly at Rui, as if he was waiting for something. Rui didn’t exactly know what that something was.

“You waited for me to get done with stuff?” asked the older one, crossing his legs. “That’s very nice of you.”

“I figured out it’ll be rude of me not to tell you goodnight” said Rui, doing a small bow. “And I wanted to make sure that you’re comfortable. From what I can see, though, you indeed are, so I will be going now—”

“You’re going back to your garage? Really?” Tsukasa snorted, looking at the other in disbelief. “You’re gonna wake up aching all over if you decide to fall asleep on your desk once again. You invited me to stay, so you gotta deal with the consequences. You’re staying here, I want someone to cuddle with.”

Truly, Tsukasa’s straight-forwardness was something else. But it’s not like Rui could say no to this, couldn’t he? It will not be their first time sleeping together, since they already did so during their school trip, and while he wasn’t exactly a very touchy person himself, Tsukasa’s embrace was where he felt the most comfortable. He sighed and shrugged, unable to resist the boy’s words.

“Alright, alright” he rolled his eyes playfully, sitting on the bed as well. “I will stay with you. It’s not like I can neglect my troupe leader’s needs.”

Tsukasa laughed loudly and finally lied down, covering himself with the blanket — burying himself up in it, even. Rui turned the light off and laid next to him, but before he could even whisper “Sleep well” to him, he noticed that his friend had already fallen asleep. It made a chuckle leave his lips.

It’s no wonder that it has taken such a huge toll at Tsukasa — after all, ever since they decided on the theme for their performance, he was completely restless and fully focused on it and it only. On top of co-writing the script, he has also started sewing the costumes and scribbling some of his additional ideas out instead of making notes in class. Even if he was truly happy doing so, it had to be somewhat exhausting, so seeing him finally rest for good was making Rui sigh in relief. He probably didn’t set up an alarm for the next day, but Rui is not going to wake him up early in the morning either. He deserves this good night’s sleep more than anything, as a reward for all the hard work he always does as their troupe leader.

Rui wanted to gently caress Tsukasa’s cheek, but in the end decided to go against it. Instead, he just simply stared at his best friend with love for a good while, before the exhaustion began to overtake him as well.

He cannot be a hypocrite, he needs to sleep too. They both need to do their best tomorrow as well, after all.

Chapter Text

“Oooh~!” Emu’s eyes immediately widened with excitement as soon as she could see the huge stage of the belonging to Bunkamura Theater Milano-za. “This place is so very beautiful…! I just cannot get my eyes off of it…!!”

Rui chuckled under his breath at Emu’s enthusiasm, walking onto the stage up the very decorative stairs and tightening his hand on his bag’s handle.

Even though Emu was known for reacting to things with way too much emotion (though Rui never complained about it, as it was a beautiful trait to have), this time it would be a lie to say that she’s overreacting. Throughout their work as Wonderlands × Showtime they’ve already seen many breathtaking stages, yet none of them, not even the Phoenix Wonderland’s pride that was the Phoenix Stage nor the one in Morinomiya, despite it being such a serious academy, could even compare to this one. Being associated with Bunkamura truly is a real deal, much more than any of them could imagine, and entering such an awesome place only served to make them even more sure of it. An endless amount of seats, a vault that was reaching up to the sky, a hall that seemed to be stretching all the way to the horizon — now they could become a part of it all, leave a trace of themselves and their passion there. Rui’s eyes were full of stars as well, illuminated by the lamps that were casting their light on him. He could already imagine the way this hall is getting decorated with their own props, the way he’s using its potential to the fullest. His smile widened a little when he walked backstage and sat on one of the chairs, leaning his chin on his clasped hands and looking at his friend.

Their script finally got finished, which allowed them to visit the venue they’re going to perform in. They’ve already rehearsed a bit in the SEKAI, as Miku, KAITO and the rest of Wonderland Vocaloids really wanted to see the play they intend to put on, but today was also going to be their first rehearsal on the actual stage. Rui didn’t expect to meet any of his friends, since he left his home a little earlier in order to see what he’ll be working with — because seeing it on the photos or as a part of the audience is vastly different than seeing it from the staff’s point of view — but he somehow managed to meet Emu, who immediately clung to him and didn't want to let go of him on his way there. They didn’t part ways after that and ended up talking about the technical matters afterways. Although Emu was still winning in the never announced contest of who’s going to say more words, Rui didn't hold back either — their enthusiasm and excitement were mutually contagious, so they were only hyping each other up more and more, even when each of them was expressing it differently.

Emu didn't stop backstage to put down her bag even for a second. Her legs immediately made her run straight on the stage where she did a cheerful spin, laughing loudly and throwing her hands up. Her locks of hair hit her in the face, so she tucked them behind her ear and went to the center, bowing before the non-existent audience.

“It’s soooo huge!” she noticed, finally turning to Rui’s side and clasping her hands behind her back. “I feel like it could contain the whole world in itself~ Oh, it’s no wonder that Nene-chan and Tsukasa-kun were so excited to perform here!”

“Indeed, this stage is truly of impressive size” Rui nodded, slowly taking his things out of his bag to prepare for the rehearsal. “But you’re overjoyed to perform here as well, I assume, Emu-kun?”

“Obviously I am!!!” Emu jumped up, her heels loudly echoing on the stage. “I just still cannot believe it~! I mean, we’ve started on our small and cozy Wonder Stage, and look where we are now… The me from a year ago would never think that we’d made it that far.”

“That’s right. I doubt that any of our past selves would believe it if we told them” the boy’s eyes became warm at the sound of Emu’s voice softening. “I wonder if it was always our destiny, or have we perhaps shaped our fate with our own hands.”

“Does it matter, though~?” the girl chuckled innocently, tilting her head to the side. “The outcome is the same, and it’s that we are still together! It’s all that matters to me, really!”

“I cannot disagree with that” the corners of the stage director’s lips lifted up on their own when he changed his shirt to his practice one. He wasn’t afraid of showing his body to Emu, because it wasn’t even the most intimate thing he has shown to his friends. After all, he has already laid bare his soul in front of them. His living form was nothing more than a trifle compared to it. “We’re together, and we always will be. That’s the message of the ending to this play that Tsukasa-kun has written, after all.”

“Yeah!” the actress cheerfully clapped her hands, getting even more overjoyed at the mere mention of Tsukasa. “I really, really love Tsukasa-kun’s writing! I feel like I’ll have to stop myself from crying while acting this last scene out…!”

“Hm, but should you?” her friend could feel his director sense act up at these words, quickly reaching for the script that was still on the bottom of his bag. His eyes became hyperfocused as he started reading the text over and over, his brows narrowing a bit. Emu chuckled at the sight, because that was just such a Rui thing to do. “Now that you’ve mentioned it… Yes, we’ve come to a different approach to this scene during our rehearsals in SEKAI, but if that's what it makes Emu-kun feel, then I guess letting your emotions run free for this one would be even better. That's an important scene, after all. The more natural it is, the better.”

“Ah, you think so~?” Emu leaned over his shoulder and put her index finger to her cheek, staring at the page he was currently holding in his hands. “But, wouldn't it be too much of a trouble for Tsukasa-kun to change the approach now as well? Yesterday was supposed to be our last reading practice, after all…~”

“Well, that's Tsukasa-kun you’re talking about. I’m sure he’ll adapt just fine” Rui noticed, closing the notebook with a loud clap! sound. “Yet if you’re still worried, then we could read out this scene once again before we start the actual rehearsal. I don’t think it’d be too much trouble.”

“Oka~ay! It’s fine with me!!” the girl cheerfully saluted and jumped once again, before she finally threw her bag onto the chair and started getting ready as well. “But ah, this whole practice talk has already made me feel soooo fired up!!! Rui-kun, Rui-kun, can we exercise for a bit before Nene-chan and Tsukasa-kun come here as well?!”

“Exercise?” a slight surprise appeared on the boy’s face as he heard the shorter one talk, but then his lips curled up in his signature cat-like smirk. “I guess that’s fine by me as well. More exercise has never caused harm to anyone. Do you mean physical exercise, though, or is it reading that’s already on your mind?”

“Of course we have to start with physical exercise, Rui-kun!! I don’t want you to get all achey later because you didn’t stretch before our rehearsal, yeah!!” the actress pouted cutely and took her hoodie off, revealing that she has already changed into her practice clothes before arriving here. “Come on, come on~”

“Ah…” the director's features turned into a slightly tense smile, but they eased soon once again. He knew that there was no point in arguing. Not like he would want to argue with Emu, anyways; she was always way too cute for them to disagree with her, which he suspected she’s using for her own expense every so often. “Oh well… Your word is my command, Emu-kun. Just go easy on me, alright? I fear I’m not as fit as Tsukasa-kun is.”

Emu laughed once more, already managing to tie her hair into two pigtails. She took Rui by the hands and pulled him forward, back onto the stage. Rui was really glad that there was no audience today, because he was sure as hell that he’ll only embarrass himself trying to keep up with Emu’s energy. They usually exercised in pairs of two, consisting of him and Nene alongside Emu and Tsukasa, so each of them was doing their own thing at their own pace. Emu and Tsukasa were always playfully competing in the field of who’ll be more energetic first thing in the morning, while he and Nene were going way slower, calmer, were more focused on talking in the meantime. The vision of becoming Emu’s exercise partner was frightening to him, but, well, damage done, more to come. He has already said yes to her, so he might as well try to put a bit more effort into today’s stretching.

That said, he was so focused on coming to terms with his decision that he didn't even notice when Emu suddenly jumped onto him and tackled him to the ground. He let out a small gasp and had to support himself on his arms in order to not fall face first on the floor, yet the girl didn’t seem to be concerned at all. Though… He has seen Tsukasa being a victim of Emu’s tackle hugs countless of times, so maybe he should be grateful. This must be a sign of his friend’s utmost affection.

“What are you intending us to do, Emu-kun?” he asked, sitting in a more comfortable position. “I’m letting you take the lead. I’m fine with whatever we do… I think so, at least.”

“Hm~ Well, I’m fine with everything as well, you know!” Emu grinned. “But if none of us has anything particular in mind, then we could start with a plank, or something!”

Rui’s face went a bit pale when he saw Emu already preparing to do the exercise. Oh, just great. Out of all the exercises, it was probably the one he hated the most. It's not that he didn't have enough strength in his arms to keep his whole body off the ground for a whole minute, but he still wasn't a fan of it — and having to survive twenty seconds like that was sometimes close to a torture for him. He sighed and turned around to lay on his stomach, glancing at how the girl is doing in order to prepare himself.

Fine, he’ll bite. He braced himself and lifted himself up, only his elbows and his tip-toes remaining on the ground. He bit his lip and forced himself to think about anything else, just not how uncomfortable it truly is. He had absolutely no idea how Emu managed to do it flawlessly, not wavering in her position even for a second and keeping a smile on her face. Just as he suspected, at some point he fumbled miserably and fell on the floor right after, panting heavily.

“Ah…” he let out a tired breath and ran a hand through his hair, hearing how Emu shouts Rui-kun, are you okay?!. “Forgive me, Emu-kun. I don’t think this exercise is for me.”

“It’s alright, it’s alriiiight!” his friend laughed as she sat cross-legged next to him. “Tsukasa-kun is not a fan of it either, so you’re not the only one! It just looks like I’m the plank master out of us all, huhuhu~”

“You truly are” a gentle smile has formed on Rui’s lips. “I’d even go as far as to say that you’re the master of all exercises. No one does it like you. Your energy… is truly admirable.”

“Thank youuuu, Rui-kun!” Emu cheerfully smiled to the point where it looked like she’s almost sparkling, but then she got serious again. “Oh, but we need to do something that you’ll also be comfortable with…! Say, are just normal stretches okay?! I don’t want you to tire yourself out before we even start, y’know!!”

“I’m fine, I’m fine” the boy chuckled apologetically, nodding and changing his position once more. “No need to worry about me, Emu-kun. I think that putting more effort into my exercises once in a while will do me good too. I suspect I’ll need your help for a bit, though.”

He reached his hands forward, trying to reach his toes with his fingers. As he expected, even his natural advantages of being tall couldn’t help him in this matter. When they were still training at Morinomiya, Tsukasa was always wondering how the hell can he have such long arms and still be unable to stretch properly, but Rui didn’t really know the answer either. His body might just not work as it should, the result of neglecting himself during his middle school days.

Emu instantly noticed his struggle and crawled closer to him, crouching right behind. Rui closed his eyes, preparing for his back to suddenly start aching and cracking from being pushed forward, but it didn't happen. Surprised at with how much ease he can now stretch a bit forward and finally exercise successfully, he turned his head back to the girl who was currently gently holding him by the shoulders. Emu must’ve noticed his reaction, because she simply chuckled and tilted her head to the side.

“Thank… Thank you, Emu-kun” Rui ended up being able to say when they finished, moving onto doing squats and forward bends. “Fufu, don’t take it the wrong way, but, based on how Tsukasa-kun is sounding when you two exercise together, I didn’t suspect you to be so gentle. Or perhaps am I getting special treatment?”

“Hehe, maybe just a bit…” Emu smiled sheepishly. “But, but! I actually learned how to be gentle while exercising with others, too! Tsukasa-kun taught me to do so, as well as some massaging techniques to do afterwards!!.”

“I see, I see. Well, that's very nice of him, isn’t it?” the boy noticed, although he was getting slightly light-headed from the amount of squats he had to do in a split second to keep up with Emu. “You’d make a good masseur. Maybe Nene and I could make use of it sometimes.”

“I’m always eager to help!!” the girl exclaimed, ending her 100th squat with a jump. As soon as he realized it, Rui’s eyes widened. Wait, she’s at 100 already? “I’ve already tested it on Tsukasa-kun, and he said that I did a very good job because it didrelieve his chronic pain a little!! If I could help Rui-kun and Nene-chan too, it’d make me feel really happy!!”

“Ah, right… I forgot where Tsukasa-kun got his knowledge in the first place” the director chuckled, having to stop moving around for a second to catch his breath. “The three of us are just some exhausted, achy creatures, huh? We’re all in your care, lady Emu.”

He bowed theatrically to jokingly show his submission and obedience, but it only served to make his knees give up on him. He let out a small gasp and fell to the ground, his hair scattering on the floor all around him.

“Rui-kun!!” Emu cried out, crouching next to him and staring at him in great worry. “Rui-kunnn, I told you to tell me when it gets too much! I don’t want to cause you harm with my energy…!”

“No, no, I promise that it’s all alright. I just need a momentary break. It’s all quite refreshing, actually…” Rui said, sitting back up and shrugging with an apologetic smile. “And— Ah, I don’t believe that you could ever harm anyone, and especially not with your energy. This, Emu-kun, is such a wonderful trait of yours that’ll always be used just for causing smiles and goodness in this world.”

Emu’s eyes went a bit wide and her breath hitched in her throat. It was obvious that these words made her feel much better, made her feel appreciated like almost never before. Rui was happy to be the one to make her feel this way. Not being able to help himself, he took his friend’s face in his hands and pulled their foreheads close, looking right into her pink irises.

His words were absolutely true. The person who Emu Otori was couldn’t exist without her energy, without her cheerfulness and her will to live. The image of her that existed in people’s minds was always closely tied to the smiles she’s spreading, to the colors she’s painting into her friends’ lives. Her jumping, her shouting, her running, her laughing — it was always so full of this great emotion that was filling her to the brim, the one that would allow her to achieve great things in the future. And oh, it was making her just so lovable.

Rui closed his eyes and smiled, feeling warmth take over his insides.

“Wahhh, Rui-kun…!” Emu shouted with happy tears in her eyes and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him ever so tightly. “Rui-kun, you’re being so kind to me!! Uwaa… I’m so happy…!”

“Now, now” Rui patted her head with amusement. “I am merely being honest, Emu-kun. But let’s come back to our training now, shall we? I have to say, I got quite invested.”

“Okay!!” the girl didn’t have to be told twice. She jumped to her feet and grabbed Rui by the elbow, wanting to help him up as well. “Then, let’s just do some jumping jacks and we’re done!! I think Nene-chan and Tsukasa-kun will arrive here any second anyway~”

Her best friend joined her obediently, starting to do jumping jacks alongside her. Even though it was extremely exhausting now, especially after the other exercises they’ve done before, he had to admit that it was rather nice. It made him think of all the times someone of them would come up with a new Vocaloid song they’ve started looping recently, inviting the rest to make a choreography for it together. They’d end up dancing for hours in the SEKAI, sometimes even one of the virtual singers would join them, and they’d have so, so much fun. He never wanted to let go of these moments, so he wanted to do his best today — in order to be able to dance for even longer the next time.

They finished as soon as the door opened, making a loud, creaking sound.

“We’ve arrived!” Tsukasa’s booming voice echoed in the hall, letting Emu and Rui know of his and Nene’s presence. “Are you guys here? We’ve texted you, but you didn’t reply— Oh.”

Suddenly grounded back to reality, Rui once again fell down on the floor — but this time Emu at least managed to catch him in time, tightly holding him by his wrist. Nene and Tsukasa just stopped in place and blinked, trying to come to terms with what they’re actually seeing.

“What— Are you two doing?” Nene finally said out loud the question that was lingering on both of their minds, slightly squinting her eyes. “Have you already started the rehearsal without us? That’s very mean of you.”

“Nooo, we didn’t!” Emu pouted and jumped off the stage, quickly running up to Nene in order to greet her. “Me and Rui-kun were just exercising while we waited for you~!”

“That’s right, that’s right. We were” Rui nodded, getting up from the floor. When he stood up, though, it was when his exhaustion finally hit him fully. He clutched his chest and let out a heavy breath, immediately becoming the center of attention in his friends’ eyes. He gave them yet another apologetic smile and sighed, dragging himself to the nearby chair. “But, ah… Forgive me, but I think we need to do one last reading practice today. Emu-kun’s training routine was very fun, but it left me in no shape to act.”

All he could do was chuckle when three voices shouted a scolding, disapproving “Come on, Rui!” at the same time.

Chapter Text

“Emu?” before Emu managed to leave the hall they were in, Nene quickly ran up to her and took her hand, looking at her with a determined stare. “Emu, if you perhaps have a moment, could you act out one of the scenes with me once again?”

Emu turned to her in a rush, blinking in surprise a few times. As soon as she realized what her friend was asking for, though, her eyes started shining and her lips curled into a wide smile. Nene felt her heart beat a bit faster.

Their rehearsals were finally starting to come to an end. Only two weeks were left until their first performance, therefore all of them were starting to get more and more stressed out — are they going to act it out well? Aren’t they going to perhaps make a silly mistake? Are they going to waste their big chance? Nene wasn’t free from these worries either, quite the contrary; with each successful practice, she was only getting increasingly more worried, constantly wondering if her performance is good enough. She believed in her skills, yet the last play in which she didn’t manage to get the lead role, in which it was Suzu Byakkomachi who stole the spotlight with her talent, kept on playing out all over again in her mind. She has to act on her level, because wasting this huge chance that Bunkamura gave them is going to cost them losing work opportunities. That’s why when she noticed during today’s rehearsal that one of the more important scenes comes out not as well as she’d like it to, she promised herself to repeat and practice it until she’s going to grasp it perfectly. Unfortunately, she couldn’t do it all alone. Emu was also important in this scene — so she was really grateful that the younger girl will never mind having to practice just a bit more, simply because she’s not this type of person.

This damn scene consisted of Bloom and Tranqui, characters played by her and Emu, dancing together in order to convince the god of stars to give back his life to Star Boy, the main character played by Tsukasa. It was an important moment in the play not only because it was the last scene before its climax, but also because it was supposed to leave a huge impact on the audience. Star Boy died after he sacrificed himself to save Bloom and her friends from danger, so Bloom and Tranqui, actresses from a theatre troupe that was allowed to start existing only because of Star Boy’s presence in the former’s life, decided to pay their respects to the god of stars by doing the dance that was used to worship him, yet which messing up could end up in a tragedy. It served a purpose of showing just how much the bond they have with Star Boy is important to the rest of the troupe. Rui directed this scene in such a touching way, adding a lot of special effects and introducing a breathtaking atmosphere by fitting lighting and music, and Emu’s acting was even better because of what she had learned in the past few months. It was just Nene who had trouble with it, it was just Nene who couldn’t properly convey this moment, it was just Nene who was lacking in this department despite her character being closely connected to music and dance. She won’t be able to forgive herself if she messes this scene up and won’t let the audience understand its importance. That’s why she had to practice, over and over, even despite the fact that her ankles were hurting from dancing the choreography Rui did for them.

“Of course, Nene-chan!!” Emu smiled, letting her bag slide down her shoulder a bit in order to quickly get into her role at any given moment. “What scene do you want to practice? I’m all ears~”

“That scene where Bloom and Tranqui dance” said Nene, at which her friend reacted with a happy Oh, I see, I see!. “I know that Rui said my portrayal of it is fine already, but I still feel like I’m dancing as me, not in character. I’d feel bad if I didn’t fix it. Especially since I should’ve done far better after our training in Morinomiya.”

“Tee-hee~ Nene-chan is so hardworking, isn’t she?” the shorter girl laughed, coming back to backstage and reaching for her stage shoes. “It’s okay with me, I’m in the mood to dance all day anyways!! Should we get changed into our costumes?”

“I don’t think wearing full ones is necessary…” the taller one smiled slightly, really appreciating Emu’s enthusiasm and willingness to help. “I don’t want to accidentally tear them or get them dirty, Tsukasa worked very hard on these. We can just stick to our petticoats and our heels. I need to wear heels especially, so my ankles get used to the feeling… But also, you know, you can wear your headpiece if you want to. I know that you like it a lot.”

“Hehe… I can’t help it! It’s just so cute, y’know!!” Emu smiled and immediately picked her white bow up from her shelf in the closet, standing in front of the mirror to properly tie it on the back of her hair. “Just like Nene-chan is in her petticoat~”

“...Am I really?” Nene averted her gaze a little, not sure how to react to this compliment. Her hands trembled as she put her light green petticoat on, replaying the other girl’s words in her head all over again. “Um… T-Thanks, Emu. You… look very nice in your costume too.”

Emu simply hummed at this, continuing to put on the bits of her costume. When she was done, she made her way to the stage while spinning around in circles, her baby pink skirt twirling around as well.

“Then, let’s begin!” she said, reaching her hand out for her friend to take and smiling proudly. Nene had to admit, Emu was so damn handsome like that. “Oh, but we don't have the music, do we…? Umm… Is it fine if we do it in silence…? I feel like it won’t help Nene-chan in anything…”

“No, it’s fine” the diva shook her head, tightly holding her phone in her hands and wanting to get rid of the other’s clouded expression as soon as possible. “I have the music file on my phone. I asked Tsukasa to send it to me, because I wanted to practice choreography on my own as well. And… I really like this piece, I guess.”

“Oh, okay!!” the actress went back to smiling in a split second. “I’ll have to ask Tsukasa-kun to send it to me as well, I really like it too~”

She took a deep breath and stopped talking, closing her eyes in order to fully get into the role. Nene waited for her to start with her heart beating rapidly and her heart rushing. Finally, the girl opened her eyes, the spark and glimmer in them completely different, despite her pained expression being still so Emu-like. She wasn’t Emu Otori anymore — now, she was Bloom Carnivare, a member of the Solum Theatre Troupe, and Nene was absolutely all for it.

“It’s not fair… It’s not fair” Emu whispered, clenching her chest and glancing at the empty spot where, during the normal rehearsal, Tsukasa would lie down on the floor and act dead. “I don’t want it to end up like that.”

“Stupid… He’s so stupid…” Nene mumbled under her breath, getting into the role as well. “I never wanted him to die for me— For us… How am I supposed to keep on living, when it just won’t be as fun without him?”

“I knew that we’d have to part ways anyways, but still…!” the shorter girl’s voice got stained with tears as she took a few steps forward, turning back from the imaginary Tsukasa and facing the equally imaginary audience. “But still… Ah… Star Boy wouldn’t want me to cry over him, but I want to! Because… because that was what he taught me, that I am allowed to let my emotions run free! I will grieve and cry as much as I want to…!”

“Bloom…” the taller one’s voice got softer when she walked up to her friend, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t force yourself to be strong. It’s okay to be sad, as long as you will still face tomorrow with your brightest smile… for our star’s sake.”

“But—!” the actress suddenly turned back to her. The audience couldn’t see it, but her stare became much more determined. “Tranqui, aren’t you the one who’s always singing at the boundary of the worlds, the one who once danced herself to the other side just to bring Lapis Lazuli back? You surely must know what to dance to do the same with Star Boy, which song to sing to make him open his eyes again! You know, don’t you?”

“I… I do, but…” the diva hesitantly took a few steps back, fidgeting with her fingers. “I know that there’s a dance that’ll let us communicate with the god of stars, the one who’s currently holding Star Boy's soul in his kingdom. But it’s very dangerous, and I’m so scared. I don’t want to lose you too, Bloom. To lose what we have now… It would be so sad…!”

“Since when you’ve become so cowardly again, Tranqui?” Emu pressed her lips into a thin line. “Since when you don’t have the courage to do things that you really want to do deep inside? It pains me to see you like this!”

“Cowardly…” Nene repeated the word that was thrown at her character, feeling it hit personally. She blinked and shook her head, raising her voice to properly express the feelings. “No, Bloom is right… It’s scary and it makes me tremble, but I have to do it! Because what Star Boy has taught me is to have courage, and… Because I want Star Boy back as well! Let’s dance, Bloom!”

“Let’s dance, Tranqui” her friend’s mouth softened into a gentle smile as she came closer to her. “I am now in your hands.”

Nene’s heartbeat quickened, knowing that now is time for the scene she can’t get satisfied with. Even though she was wincing internally, she couldn't let it show on her face, having to remain in character. Due to the lack of Rui who was responsible for the technical stuff, she had to quickly put her phone on the floor and grab Emu by the hands before the first notes could even play out — but she managed to do it perfectly, so all it was left for her to do was to lead the dance well.

The music started quietly, with piano keys being gently pressed and the melody beginning very calmly, as if it was trying to lightly wrap them in itself. Nene took a step forward and bowed lowly, before her posture turned back to standing. Her heels clicked as she spun around herself, not letting go of Emu’s hand even for a second. Emu followed her obediently, repeating her moves as if she was looking in the mirror. Unfortunately, that was when their first try abruptly ended; just before the music turned more chaotic and intense, Nene accidentally tripped and almost fell to the floor, able to keep herself on her feet only because of Emu’s tight grip. She grimaced in frustration at that and knelt down to rewind the music back to the beginning, ultimately having to break the character for once. Her best friend noticed her upset expression and looked at her sadly.

“Nene-chan…” she said quietly, crouching next to the other girl and putting her hand on her shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. Let’s just try again! I don’t mind doing it over and over again if it’s to make Nene-chan perform well!”

“Emu…” Nene’s face softened at these words and she sighed weakly, hanging her head down. “Sorry for that. I’m just so stressed out. I don’t want us to fail because of me.”

“You’re worrying too much, Nene-chan!!” Emu shook her head and put her finger to her best friend’s lips, scolding her playfully. “We won’t fail, and definitely not because of you!! I believe in you, alriiiight~? You should believe in yourself and stop stressing out so much too!”

“Thank you so much for believing in me…” the older of them put her hand to her chest, smiling gently and feeling her eyes involuntarily tear up. “You’re right. There's no point in worrying. I am good at what I’m doing and I know it well, so I just need to get this scene right to make all of you proud of me… I got it!”

“Yaaay!!” the younger one clapped her hands and grinned widely, looking at the actress in amazement. “That’s the Nene-chan I like to see~! Then! One more time!!”

Nene nodded and pressed the play button, setting a five second timer before in order to get back to her position. They didn’t rehearse the scene before that once more, because they vaguely got into their characters without that anyways. When the music played again, they quickly managed to grasp the full perspective of their roles back, so Nene just sighed and fully focused on her task (locked in, as she’d say while gaming). She started leading Emu in the dance yet again and prayed for it to go well this time.

It took them a few tries, ones that were so embarrassing for Nene to think about. She was tripping on her feet way more often than she’d like to, sometimes she was going faster than the melody, sometimes she was going too slow, and sometimes she just freezed in place because her mind had suddenly gone blank and caused her to forget her steps. With each failed try she was just getting more desperate and upset, wondering whether she’s just too tired today and should go back to trying tomorrow. But she didn't want to give up. She couldn’t, she couldn’t, she couldn't. Because…

The music started once again, this time rewinded by Emu. When she got to hear the soft piano again, Tsukasa's face appeared (for a reason, since he composed this piece, after all) right in her thoughts. Her eyes narrowed as her knees lowered in order to get her to bow. Right, not only she couldn't lose to him, but she also knew how loudly he’d cheer for her if he learned about her insecurities. His face changed to Rui’s, with his stupid smile and his gently spoken words of reassurance, then it changed to Sakurako’s smirk and Byakkomachi’s focused face. As she spun, she got reminded of the play that made her want to be an actress in the first place — of Yuuka Kazamatsuri’s touching portrayal of The Little Mermaid, of her stunning voice and her reaching her hands to the sky while singing. At last, she remembered their first meeting, her idol praising her, helping her perform well in a performance back in Phoenix Wonderland. And then, as the melody finally got to the point that was always giving her chills, she lifted her gaze up at Emu dancing next to her, looking at her with that determined smile on her face.

Emu, her sweet Emu, her best friend, whom she loved very much and who loved her too— Emu, whose faith in her has never once wavered, who supported her from the very start. When Nene looked at her now, she knew that this time, too, she can’t allow herself to let her down. She felt all her determination come back to her, so she smiled back at the girl and tightened the grip on her hand, twirling her around.

In fact, the sight of Emu’s face was enough for her to understand how she’s supposed to perform this dance. Was that what Tranqui saw as she was dancing that risky dance, hoping to bring her friend back to life? Oh, for sure it must’ve been that. After all, Nene couldn’t imagine anyone other than Emu being able to portray Bloom as perfectly as she does, even though they also shared their fair share of behavioral differences. Just like Tranqui couldn’t let Bloom down, messing the dance up and causing a tragedy that could possibly take another of her friends away from her, Nene couldn't let Emu down either, as for her messing the dance part meant possibly causing WonderShow to have a bad reputation forever. So, just like Emu Otori has turned into Bloom Carnivare just half of an hour earlier, it was time for Nene Kusanagi to become Tranqui Fiscichella as well — and so they enveloped themselves in their dance, becoming a part of the story at last.

During the general performance, the whole hall would now turn pitch black as the lights went off, only casting a small stream of dim light at the two actresses. Rui, from behind the scenes, would turn on the holographic screen, letting a wave of butterflies twirl around alongside them. The fake sky would turn unimaginably starry as they danced their hearts out, the music getting more intense and creepier with each note. But even now, the lack of special effects didn't bother them at all; they were completely focused on each other, staring into their eyes and smiling.

Nene led Emu into many ballet-like positions, going at an extremely fast pace, but not losing her breath at all. She danced like never before, doing pirouettes, jumping up on her tip-toes and holding Emu by her waist, lifting her from the ground and gently, yet firmly at the same time carrying her in her arms. The melody ended abruptly just as Emu bent backwards, resting in Nene’s embrace just like a prey waiting for itself to be sacrificed — because in the show it must’ve been exactly how Bloom felt, blindly following her friend in the dance, not even knowing if they’ll succeed or not. Nene blinked and felt her eyes get glassy as she let go of Emu, since that also must’ve been how Tranqui reacted knowing that they’re safe now, that she did it. She took a deep breath and fell down on her knees, breathing heavily, completely filled with this sense of accomplishment.

“Nene-chan!!” it didn’t take Emu long to break her character as she kneeled down on the floor right beside Nene, hugging her tightly. “Nene-chan, you were so amazing…!! Waa…”

“I… I did it” Nene smiled with relief when she looked down at her hands, her smile soon turning into an exhausted laugh. “I did it, Emu…! I finally pulled this scene off…”

“I felt my heart go thump-thump-wa-badump so very fast and loud when Nene-chan was leading me!!” the shorter girl shouted happily, seeming to be even more overjoyed than her friend was. “This really was so much better than during our group rehearsals! Rui-kun will be so proud of Nene-chan for performing even better than he wanted her to, I just know it!!”

“Yeah… I want to see Rui and Tsukasa’s faces after they see my new interpretation of this scene” the taller one chuckled, pulling on her hair a bit so she could calm herself down. “Though, now I’m afraid that today was my peak and I’ll never perform that well again.”

“Eh, I’m sure it’s not true!” the actress shook her head, clenching her hands in a cute way. “I mean, since Nene-chan finally got it, then it just means that next time will be even better!! If you don’t believe me, then we can dance one more time so you’ll see for yourself!”

“Oh, no, no, no. No way” the diva laid down on the floor in exhaustion, as if to confirm her words. “I appreciate your energy, but I’m totally worn out. Enough dancing for today.”

“Aww… Well, okay! Since Nene-chan says so!” Emu chuckled with fake disappointment, laying next to her best friend. “But if you ever feel like changing your mind, I’m at your every call~!”

“Thanks, Emu. And…” Nene sighed and smiled back, searching with her fingers for Emu’s hand. “Thank you for being so patient with me today, too. You’re a great friend.”

“Of course, Nene-chan!!” the other girl grinned even wider, revealing her teeth and her colorful braces. Her hand tightly squeezed Nene’s. “Friends are supposed to support each other, after all! I, too, want to see Nene-chan all kirakiradokidoki on stage!!”

Nene didn’t reply with anything, just lifted her gaze up at the ceiling and squinted a bit when the light from the lamp hit her eyes. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just holding hands, enjoying each other’s presence and letting themselves rest after all their hard work. And even though Nene would really like to stay like this forever, she knew that they’re not the only ones performing in Theatre Milano — and so she finally forced herself to stand up again and started taking her costume off, feeling her exhaustion hit with double the power.

“Anyways, we should probably get going now…” she voiced her thoughts out loud, letting her hair down and feeling much more refreshed now that she has done it. “The other troupe is going to arrive soon, I think. We’ve taken enough extra time either way, no point in staying for longer.”

“Ah, you’re right!!” noticed Emu, putting her hand to her lips in surprise and running up to the closet to put her clothes back there. Nene wondered how she’s still able to do it at such a quick pace, as if she wasn’t tired at all. This girl truly is operating on a cartoony logic. “But since we’ve stayed up later, do you want to walk back home together, Nene-chan? Oh, we could go shopping as well, if you’re up to it!!”

“I’d really like to, but my feet hurt so much…” Nene sighed, taking her heels off and wincing. “I think I’ll pass this time. Thanks for the offer, though. I’ll make up for it tomorrow, I promise.”

“And what if I carry you, Nene-chan~??” the smirk on the other girl’s face could mean only one thing. Her friend let out an amused breath, rolling her eyes. Of course, she could’ve suspected that Emu is not going to back down so easily. “That way you’d be able to rest for a bit!!”

“That’d be embarrassing, you know… I don’t even want to imagine how much commotion it’d cause if someone from my class saw me like that.”

“Please, Nene-chan, please, pleaseee!! I’ll be very very sneaky, just let me carry youuu~!!”

“...So that was the real reason for why you’re insisting that much, huh?” another entertained sigh escaped Nene’s lips at that. “You don’t want me to rest more, you just want to brag about your super strength and act like my knight.”

“Nope nope, not necessarily true at all!!” Emu chuckled, clinging to her troupemate’s waist and looking at her with puppy eyes. “Those two things aren’t excluding each other!! But I do have to admit that I want Nene-chan to get the princess treatment after all that she did today…”

“Fine, fine… You know that I can’t say no to you, don’t you, Emu?” the diva finally agreed, taking her bag into her arms and standing in a pose that would let the other girl pick her up easily. “Just this once.”

“Yaaaay!!! You are truly the best, Nene-chan!!!”

Overjoyed, Emu lifted her friend off the ground and embraced her tightly, beginning to bridal carry her. They left the hall in the same exact moment as the other troupe walked in, wanting to start their practice. When Nene saw their confused stares, she freaked out for a bit and wanted to hide her face in her hands just not to be perceived, but, in the end, she couldn’t find it in herself to do so. Emu’s happy smile was making her happy too, so she just had to swallow her embarrassment down this once and bear with it. Fine, whatever.

Emu deserves her silly reward after being so patient with her today, after all.

Chapter Text

“My God” Nene had to take a few deep breaths, so she could in any way calm down her trembling hands in order to apply her eyeliner “I know that I should already be in character, but it’ll kill me if I don’t say it out loud. I’m so nervous.”

Rui looked towards her and smiled slightly, completely able to resonate with what she’s feeling.

The two weeks that were left until their show passed by so quickly — so quickly that before they could even notice, there was just a few mere hours left before their performance in front of such a huge audience, on such a grand stage (not even to mention that most of it they need to spend for their dress rehearsal anyways). Emu, who decided to take care of all the organization matters to improve her business skills, excitedly whispered to them in the morning that their audience is going to be way bigger than they anticipated. The tickets were bought not only by Bunkamura’s regulars and other theatre fanatics that were curious about how their opening night will go, but also those who were supporting them even back in Phoenix Wonderland, as they missed their shows a lot. Obviously, it all made Rui overjoyed, but it’d be a lie to say that it wasn’t putting an awful amount of pressure on all of them. Everyone was waiting for Wonderlands × Showtime’s grand comeback, so to let down all of these people that were here to see their faces again would mean that they’re not worth to stand on this stage — and that was why Tsukasa was walking in a much faster pace, so fast that it was hard to keep up with him when they were going to the venue together, why Emu was even more clingy today that it was imaginable, why Nene had to press a pillow to her face in order to somehow fall asleep the last night and why Rui felt like scratching his face off, even though he knew very well that nothing could go wrong. They were now a real deal, so they also had to act like a real deal — and that's why he couldn't blame Nene for still acting like herself and not her character during correcting her stage make-up, even though any other director would surely scold her for that by now.

“Fufu, I’m not surprised at all” he finally said, taking off his embroidered face mask for a moment so he could speak more clearly. “I, too, feel shivers all over my body when I think about how big of a step towards our future we’re going to take in just a few hours. This, and it has been so long since the last time only the four of us have put on a show. I’ve already forgotten how much fun it is.”

“You forgot? No way…” his words managed to ease Nene’s anxiety a little as she nudged him in the side, to which he replied with a playful I’m just joking, I’m just joking! I would never!. “But… Yeah, I missed this too. I’m never against improving my skills alongside professionals, but I’ve missed our coziness and silliness. No matter the venue, it feels like home.”

“It truly does…” Rui sighed as he leaned his back against his chair, staring at the ceiling with melancholy in his yellow eyes. “Our script feels just oh-so-familiar as well. It truly is the perfect essence of us.”

“You’re acting just like you didn't literally co-write it.”

“Ah, but let me feel proud of my work, will you, Nene?” her childhood friend snorted with amusement when she gave him a judging stare. “I’m just more happy with the end result that one could imagine.”

“Yeah, I can’t blame you…” Nene finally smiled back, putting blush on her cheeks and completely focusing on her reflection in the mirror. “When I first suggested this idea, I didn’t expect it to evolve like… that. But it’s very fun and I’m sure the audience will like it, especially those that’ll bring children along with them. Hehe, I wonder if it has the potential to become a classic children's story that’d get picked by some big studio to make a movie of in the future…”

“Would you like it to happen?” the boy asked, and it was what made his friend realize that she said it out loud. She dropped her make-up sponge on the table and covered her mouth with her gloved hand, which also took an amused reaction out of Rui. “Hey, don’t react like that. I think it’s an admirable wish. To have mine and Tsukasa-kun’s work honored like that… I’d sure feel accomplished if it were to happen.”

“I just think it’d be nice” the girl whispered and started to fidget with her fingers, a sheepish smile on her face. “To leave a trace of ourselves like that… It’d be straight out of a fairytale, something that the little me dreamed of so badly.”

“There’s still plenty of time to become history” reassured her the director, walking up to her from behind and putting his hands on her shoulders. “We’re not even out of high school yet. We have a whole lot of years before us still, so I’m sure that our beloved WonderShow will leave a trace of itself one way or another.”

“I’m sure of it too…” the diva’s face softened even further as she put her hands to her chest. “And I just can’t wait for it to happen one day. To become a classic troupe that everyone knows of… It’s so unbelievable.”

“Now, now, though” Rui clapped above her head to shake her out of her dreamlike state, causing her to flinch. “Leave the dreams of the future for tomorrow, Nene. It’s great to have them, but even though Emu-kun and Tsukasa-kun’s opening scene is rather long, it’s not long enough for us to keep dreaming here for the rest of the day. We can’t afford to be carried away during our actual performance.”

“Ah, shit, right… Sorry, Rui. My bad” Nene took a deep breath to brace herself and stood up from the chair, gripping the edges of her dress. Rui noticed that she must be really, really stressed out since she has already resorted to swearing. “I don't know why I’m feeling so sentimental and nostalgic today. It’s the stress getting to me, I guess…”

“It’s not a bad trait, though. Never said it was” noticed her friend, putting his mask back on and correcting his costume. “It’s good, very good. It’s what I value in people the most. I just don’t want you to make a slip-up because you won’t manage to get in your character quick enough.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m good” Nene confidently tossed her hair back, giving Rui a determined stare. “I’m not the person I used to be. I’m not making slip-ups anymore, not on stage.”

“I’m glad, then” Rui smiled gently, closing his eyes and following after her. “I suspect that I truly have no reason to worry now, my dear diva.”

Emu and Tsukasa’s voices died down that very moment and the two of their friends walked backstage, signaling them that it’s time for their first lines to resound. Nene nodded and took one last deep breath, leading her steps towards the stage and standing in an awaiting position, already acting according to the script.

“It’s so dark and quiet, and the moonlight doesn’t even shine” she said, melancholily reaching her hand up. “It’s as if today's night also knew that today is our last day as Solum Theatre Troupe. So pitiful, huh… Well, I guess it had to happen at some point. We keep on messing up and arguing, and we can’t even make anyone smile like that. To keep this thing going, it’d be a waste of time…”

She sighed and sat on the stairs leading to the upper part of the stage, tucking her legs up. She kept on doing some small gestures with her hand for a moment, pretending not to care about the fate of her troupe at all, before she spoke again.

“But I guess it’s sad to part ways like that” she noticed, going up the stairs in a flowy motion, her dress illuminated by the green light. “I am insecure and cowardly, and no one believes in my voice being able to do wonders, or in my dance being able to cross the invisible boundaries. No one would want to get associated with an actress like me. And even though Bloom and Lapis are so annoying sometimes, they truly are all I have! So when Lapis goes back to time traveling and putting himself in danger, when Bloom gives up on her dreams… Ah… It truly will be sad, won’t it?

Just as she was supposed to hide her head in her arms, wallowing in her despair and inability to do anything, Rui walked on stage from the darkness at his very own cue. His steps echoed loudly when he went straight to Nene, standing in front of her and tossing up a pocket watch used to time travel in his hand. The girl flinched and looked up at him with a miserable stare.

“Never thought that's what Tranqui thinks. I am surprised” he said, while his troupemate tensed up and got off the ground in a defensive position. “Now, now, don’t look at me like that, my friend. I share these feelings with you.”

“Were you eavesdropping on me, Lapis Lazuli?” Nene winced and crossed her arms. “It’s not what your time travel abilities are for.”

“Well, of course they aren’t. As you said, they’re used for time travel. Not for teleportation, silly” Rui chuckled, which resulted in the actress giving him another dead glare. “But don’t avoid the topic I’ve brought up, dear. If that's what you truly want, then why didn’t you do anything to keep us together? Just a mere question, obviously. No accusing.”

“...Don’t ask me that. You have much more power to do things than I do” the girl whispered and tightly squeezed her arm, hanging her head down. “My voice can cause people to change their minds, but what does it matter? It wouldn’t be a true friendship, just one fixed by a false magic. Yet you can travel back in time, change things in our favor… We would be…”

“When I travel back in time, I can only observe. You knew very well that if I changed something, I’d face divine punishment” the boy sighed, closing his eyes with a sad smile. “I can’t believe you forgot, Tranqui. After all, you were the one who brought me back when I went too far with trying to fix humanity.”

Heavy silence fell between them, here so the audience could feel the gravity of his words. The tragedy of Solum Theatre Troupe was supposed to be apparent, make the viewer have chills from understanding that even though they have means to do so, the doomed actors can’t do anything. Bloom has her endless optimism, Tranqui has her persuading voice, Lapis has his time travel device and even Star Boy later on has his otherworldly powers, but this alone can’t make them happy — they need their group effort to stay together, they need each other to fulfill their dreams. When he was writing the part of the story that focused on their growing bond, he was fondly smiling to himself. The thought of Wonderlands × Showtime facing the same issue and managing to push forward even so was making him glad that he could see their development with his very own eyes, and nothing was making him more ecstatic than the thought of their beloved audience experiencing the same journey they did.

The other thing he has poured his heart into, though, was Tranqui and Lapis Lazuli’s relationship. No wonder — he was the one responsible for their characters, as Bloom and Star Boy’s characteristics were Tsukasa’s part of the work. He knew both himself and Nene (though he was leaning more towards knowing Nene, because he sometimes has very conflicting thoughts about himself that always leave him confused) better than anyone else, so writing this awkward, shy girl inseparably tied to art of music and the lonely time traveler who has troubles with connecting with others was piece of cake for him. Before he realized, he projected his and Nene’s entire story into his show darlings, making their anguish feel even more real.

It’s mentioned and foreshadowed in the very beginning of the play, but it’s also explained later, when Star Boy asks Tranqui what’s the deal between her and Lapis Lazuli. The girl then explains that they used to be childhood friends, but due to the magical pocket watch Lapis has received as a recompensation from the gods for him being unable to connect with the other villagers, the boy started completely focusing on his time travels, which resulted in them slowly falling out. They were supposed to never meet again, as Tranqui became more isolated due to people calling her a witch because of her abilities, but then Lapis took his tries to fix their timeline too far; he ended up erasing a war that was the catalyst for their world to start developing, in return drowning it in absolute chaos. Even though the gods managed to turn back to how they were, they still had to punish the time traveler that caused them so much distress. They trapped Lapis in a timeline where humanity has completely died out, putting him to eternal sleep and strapping him of his identity. It was only thanks to Tranqui, who has heard about it and decided that she has to save her former friend, that he can be there today. Her dance managed to open the door to that forsaken timeline and she brought him back to reality, with her voice forcing him to wake up from his slumber. The only thing she didn’t manage to do was to restore his already forgotten identity, and that’s why he took the nickname of Lapis Lazuli, a gemstone his watch is made of. They’d part ways again afterwards, if not for Tranqui having to restore her awakening spell on Lapis once a month — and it was during one of their meetings that Bloom had met them and coerced them into her dysfunctional troupe.

Of course, this story was a fantasy one. If they faithfully conveyed their own story as Wonderlands × Showtime, that would be boring — and it’s something they can’t afford to do when their role as performers is to entertain the audience. Neither did he have a time traveling watch nor Nene had magical powers in her voice (though she could as well have), but other than that… Everything matched. They, too, were childhood friends that lost contact at some point of their lives and recovered it later by joining their dear troupe. Just like Lapis wanted to erase bad things from world history, Rui wanted to make his inventions and write his scripts to make others smile, but both of their efforts ended in vain. They did something wrong, they misunderstood their purpose, they ended up in something akin to eternal isolation. And while Tranqui succeeded in giving Lapis one last chance to live his life again, it was Rui who made it harder for Nene to reach out to him during their middle school days. Still, the need to make him better was there, even though she was so helpless and weak back then, she still wanted to pull him out of his own entrapment — so maybe just the thought of her presence lingering just the next door was doing wonders to his fragmented mind, letting him push forward towards the better tomorrow. It was all the parallels and similarities that was making the play’s happy ending even more satisfying, and he just could hope that Nene thinks so as well.

Nene put her hands to her chest, pain visible on her face. Rui noticed that her acting is even better than yesterday. She was getting closer to perfection with each rehearsal, so the thought of how good her performance will be during the actual show was thrilling, making his heart pump blood with more excitement.

“It’s so painful” she whispered, looking away. “The thought that I could do a thing as huge as bringing you back from the dead, but I can’t simply save our falling relationship. Why am I like that?”

“We just need something that’ll connect our pitiful lives together, don’t we?” Rui noticed, clasping his hands behind his back and turning to the other side, representing the distance they still feel. “Something that’ll show us the way, just like Bloom tried to do…”

“Guys!!!” Emu’s voice was faster than her steps, appearing on the stage way before her own body. She came up running to them while tightly holding Tsukasa by his hand, signaling that their scene alone is over. Now, there rarely will be any scenes where it’s not the four of them together — and even though they’d start with hanging out on separate corners of the stage, they’ll begin to come closer and closer to the center, finally reaching it at the very end. “Look, look who I brought!”

The dialogue that has happened after that was not at all that important — not for him, who knows the entire story, at least. The topic of their conversation switched to the nameless Star Boy, having to explain how he met Bloom, it being him falling down from the sky while on his way to grant wishes and getting badly injured in the head, which caused him to get stuck in his human form for prolonged time, but getting nursed back to health by Bloom, in whose backyard he has ended up. As a way of showing his gratitude to the girl, he decided to join their troupe for the time being and take them for an adventure that’ll make them learn new ways to act and possibly want to stay together. That’s where the actual story begins, where they recall their adventures they’ve gone through in Shunmei-za, Mikazuki-gumi and Morinomiya. He knew these lines like the back of his hand, so he decided to pay all of his attention to Nene standing next to him, wanting to see how it’ll go for her.

The conversation she was a part of felt so natural from her side, just like it was a regular talk they sometimes have on their days off. It was a really good ability for an actress to have, so he was really proud of her for blossoming in this aspect. Nene became so good at her craft, it was making him feel accomplished. Ever since he was a child… Yeah, he always wished to one day lead her on stage like that, making up a duo consisting of a genius director and a stunning diva they’ve both dreamed of. He was happy. To see his dear friend living her dream and unleashing her full potential, that was enough for him to be satisfied with his work.

He closed his eyes and exhaled happily. Only four hours remain. Oh, he’s so sure that today’s performance will be a success.

Chapter Text

Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. The lights went off, giving her a second to prepare for probably the most important scene of the story. Emu bit her lip and tightened her grip on Tsukasa's shoulder, bracing herself for what’s to come.

Their performance has already been going on for an hour and a half — and it’s been going absolutely flawless. She didn’t really focus on it, not wanting to fall out of her role in the worst possible moment, but the little moments of the extremely well played out acting from her friends’ side was causing her great joy. Tsukasa got absolutely immersed in his role, becoming a huge entertainment for the gathered audience, but Nene and Rui weren’t falling flat to him at all. Star Boy was, just as his species intended, the star of the show, Tranqui was so alive and easy to relate to, Lapis Lazuli was an awesome comic relief despite his tragic backstory. Emu could only hope that her portrayal of Bloom was equally good — but since she was next to her friends and could feel herself get illuminated by their shine, she was sure that she could pull off this hopeless optimism really well. After all, Bloom was also someone that was easy for her to like and understand— Especially in the scene that was yet to come in a split second, the one that was scaring her so much.

There was one reason why Tsukasa was now lying down on her lap, and it was a painfully obvious one — the scene they’re now at is the one with Star Boy’s resurrection. They’ve already faced the cruel king that attacked them so he could get rid of all arts as a whole, Star Boy has already used all of his powers on saving them and passed away from exhaustion, Bloom and Tranqui have already danced their ritual dance. The only obstacle left in the way of their happy ending is giving the boy his life back — something that Bloom had to do alone, because it was now her time for being selfish and taking turns in negotiating with death. And even though this scene was hurting her so badly, oh, she had to act it out the best she can.

When she was handed the script and got to the ending for the first time, she had to go to the bathroom for a few minutes in order to calm down her unprocessed feelings. She leaned against the sink and blankly stared at the mirror, listening to her erratic breathing and trying to swallow down her tears. At first, she didn't know why she reacted this way. It was not the first time when Tsukasa had to act out a dead person — they’ve already done it before, during their night show. But maybe back then she was simply too focused on saving Phoenix Wonderland, or maybe Tsukasa’s acting skills weren’t good enough for her to get hit with her emotions fully. This time was different, this time she had all the time in the world to focus on how Tsukasa’s performance was making her feel. Even though she’s much better now, the trauma of losing her grandpa was still lingering in the back of her mind. Sometimes, on her worse days, when it was raining outside and there was no sunlight to gently caress her cheeks, she was lying in her bed and wondering — what would she do if all her happiness suddenly ended? What would she do if Nene died? If Rui? Or if Tsukasa was the one gone forever? That was a question she didn’t want to know the answer to, so to act as Bloom, the girl who decided to defy death and give her friend’s story the best ending possible, was so cathartic for her. That was what she always wanted to do, yet something that will never happen.

And so, when Tsukasa lay down on the floor during their first costume rehearsal and closed his eyes, she couldn't help but start sobbing right here and there. That felt way too real, especially with the context provided. She never wanted to lose Tsukasa ever, but it felt like such a silly thing to say — so she simply explained her tears by saying that seeing how Tsukasa’s acting skills evolved simply made her emotional.

The lights turned on again, pushing her to act. She quickly gasped and narrowed her eyes, fully focusing on her role again.

“I see. So you’ve managed to summon me, you lowly and pitiful girl, is that so?” Rui’s voice sounded from behind the curtain, his tone way deeper and lower so he could speak as the god of stars, not as Lapis Lazuli. “I’m amazed. It’s been so long… since someone did this dance. What do you want from me, pathetic one?”

“I have only one simple request!” Emu shouted with determination in her voice, staring at the place where the voice was coming from and putting her hands to her chest. “Please, give my friend his life back!”

“Give your friend his life back?” the boy repeated, snorting in both disbelief and amusement. “You’re so silly, little girl. You did all that risk just to pray to a wrong god. I possess no abilities of resurrecting the dead.”

“I know very well that's not true!” the girl shook her head vigorously, raising her voice so her words could fully resonate with the audience. “Please, listen to me and take a good look at the person I’m cradling in my arms! I don't want you to resurrect just anyone, I want you… to give Star Boy his soul back! I know that it’s in your kingdom, he has told me about dead stars’ destination! Please… Please!”

A momentary silence tensed in the air as the god of stars was considering her response.

“You fool, you know that I simply cannot do that” he said ultimately, causing the other’s heart to break. “That would be against the rules. You cannot just defy death, because everyone’s destined to disappear someday. Even gods. Even stars. And stars especially, because it’s just in their cycle of life that once they dim out, they end up in my crown and wait for themselves to get reborn.”

“You’re so unfair…” the actress said pitifully as she hung her head down, gently caressing Tsukasa's cheek with her hand. “Who even set up these rules in the first place? You, out of everyone, should know that better than anyone else… After all, no one worshiped you for so long! It was me who danced your stupid dance after who knows how many years…”

During another moment of impactful silence, she could feel her eyes suddenly get glassy, and then tears falling down her cheeks. Thankfully, the audience barely could see her face now, which allowed her to widen her eyes in surprise. Why is she crying now? They’ve rehearsed this scene millions of times and this has never happened before. She was confused, but she also didn't intend to stop and suppress her feelings. After all, Rui has told her not to fight back her sadness, to use it to fuel her acting further — so she took a deep breath and continued, choking in between sobs once in a while.

“If even you can’t give him his life back, then what should I do?” her voice turned to whisper as she hid her face in her hands, not wanting her tears to fall down on her friend’s face. That surely would’ve made him very confused as well. “Why can’t I do anything? I thought that not having any powers and not being treated seriously didn’t bother me at all, but now… I wish there was just something I could do, even just one small thing, even if it was by selfish means! I-I would even give up my life if it meant that he’ll come back! Because I had so much fun with him…”

“Ah” Rui sighed heavily, causing her to look back up and stop her gut-wrenching sobs. “You’re a really stupid girl… But I guess you’ve convinced me. You’re right, your dance saved me from disappearing from people’s minds just for a bit longer, and it’s also what matters a lot to me… Fine, fine. Just to reward you for your stupid resolve, I’ll let him choose whether he wants to be a star in my kingdom or to stay with you.”

“R-Really?” Emu exclaimed with newly regained hope, straightening her back and smiling with relief. “I’m glad… I’m really glad…! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much…!”

“Don’t interrupt me. It comes with a price” the boy cut her off in the middle of her sentence. “I can give him his soul back, but if he chooses to stay by your side, he won’t be reborn and lose his powers. He won’t be your fantastical friend from space anymore. He will be just an ordinary boy, like you. Are you really fine with that?”

“It’s alright. It’s his choice to make anyways” the girl said quietly, her smile getting a hue that’s more filled with acceptance. “I don’t care about his powers. I care about him being my friend. If he himself is fine with being just an ordinary human, then I’ll accept him in any form he’ll end up as. I just want him back…”

“Then…” Rui exhaled loudly “I guess I have no other choice… But I’ll be damned if I get punished by the higher gods for that.”

The stage got illuminated by a bright light, so bright that Emu winced and covered her eyes with her hand. It stopped being so overwhelming after a while, instead focusing its small, yellow stream on the boy laying down on the floor. As other special effects came to life, only strengthening the otherworldly atmosphere of the scene, Tsukasa finally opened his eyes. His lips parted and his golden irises looked around in confusion, trying to get used to the living again. When Emu saw it, she couldn’t help herself but burst into tears again. She tightly gripped her friend’s hand and gave him a wide smile, feeling so relieved all of a sudden — as if Tsukasa truly was dead for good just a few minutes ago.

“What…” Tsukasa spoke up in his gentle voice, touching his forehead with his free hand. “How… What happened? I don’t…”

“Listen to me, my dear morning star” Rui’s voice boomed, getting even louder and louder, making chills run down Emu’s spine. She had to chuckle internally, though. The audience won’t recognize it, but there was this unmistakable fondness present in the words my dear star that Rui wasn’t able to hide. “Your friend here was silly enough to try and break the cycle that you and I were used to for centuries, and I decided to play along and try to fulfill her wishes. Tell me then, what do you choose? Do you choose your comfortable life here, in the sky, doing something that’ll never surprise you, or would you rather stay on Earth forever, eventually growing wrinkly and old?”

“You’re so mean…” Emu chuckled through her tears and wiped them with her hand. “You’re trying to make it sound like staying with me is the worst option possible.”

“Bloom…” the boy resting his head on her lap finally fully came back to his consciousness and looked towards her, but she quickly shushed him.

“But please, don’t worry about me” she smiled warmly, putting a finger on his lips. “Whatever you choose, I’ll be fine with it. I just wanted to see you once more and tell you how glad I am that you were in my life, even if it was just a few weeks. You’ve already granted my biggest wish, because you made our troupe get back together and made me truly happy!”

“Seriously, you’ve put the entire universe in danger by doing that risky dance just to tell him that and eventually leave?” Rui mumbled in the background, which prompted a few members of the audience to quietly laugh. “You’re such a weird girl.”

“I…” Tsukasa weakly got up on his knees, still too weak to stand up fully due to being in between life and death. He shook his head and grabbed Emu’s hands, staring at her with an endless amount of love in his eyes. This love was truly overwhelming and it was clear that it wasn’t just an acted out one. The girl could feel it fill her as a whole. “No… No, I can’t just go back to who I was before I met you, Bloom. I thought that you’d know it already.”

“What…?” Emu let a surprised gasp out of herself, her lips twisting up in disbelief. “You cannot just say that without hesitation! You know that you’re gonna throw your whole life away and lose all your powers, are you really 100% sure that you don’t need to think it over…?”

“I don’t. If I wanted to simply go back to being a star, I wouldn’t try and sacrifice myself, isn’t that right?” her friend laughed and tilted his head to the side, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Before I met you, I was really happy with my life… And I thought that granting wishes is all that I can do and that’ll bring me joy, because I value the smiles on people’s faces so much. But then I met Bloom, Tranqui and Lapis, who showed me how much fun it is to be a human, and I…!”

The screen behind them burst out with soft, golden light, fully enveloping the two actors kneeling on the stage. Equally warm, quiet music could be heard in the background when Tsukasa tightly hugged Emu to himself, their shadows becoming one on the illuminated floor. The whole scene felt so cozy and positive, and it was hard for Emu not to start sobbing once again. Truly, she’ll use up all her tears for the next month just for this one performance. It was hard to say that it won’t be worth it, however.

“Maybe I’m betraying the very values that I started existing for” Tsukasa continued, his voice also getting stained with tears “But if I go back to being a star, nothing will await me there. I guess that’s a reason why we’re not allowed to turn into humans for too long… Now that I know how warm it is to belong somewhere, I’d just spend the rest of my existence, until my very rebirth, in suffering and longing…!”

Now it was also his cheeks that got wet, his flowing tears smudging the glowing make-up that was earlier put on his freckles to give him a more otherworldly look. One could argue that it was intentional, that he was now losing the starry aura he had due to becoming a human, but Emu knew that it wasn't even included in the script in the first place. It seemed that what was happening moved Tsukasa to tears as well, allowing them to cry together. Even though they were only acting as characters in the show, it was probably the most intimate scene they’ve had together.

Emu squeezed Tsukasa’s hand, with a smile tucking his hair behind his ear. Well, the fact that it was just a show didn't matter, did it? She hoped her best friend knew that if she had a chance to do the same, she’d bring him back from the dead as well.

She really loved Tsukasa, after all.

“I assume it’s decided, then…” Rui’s voice could be heard again, this time having a tune of disappointment in it. “I won’t force you to stay if it’ll only serve to cause pain to you both. Well then, I shall be the one to grant your wish this time, my bright, nameless star. This is officially your first day as a human.”

The stage went dark, and then another wave of blinding light came. It was the screen behind them that had just turned white, letting their silhouettes be reflected on it. Tsukasa stood up and reached his hands to the sky, looking at the ceiling for a long while as if awaiting something, before the stage lights turned on again. He put his hand to his chest and smiled softly, turning back to Emu.

That was when Rui and Nene entered the stage once again, as Tranqui went to search for Lapis due to his long absence a few moments earlier. Their expressions immediately got surprised and they hesitantly came closer to the other two. Emu forced herself to hold in her laughter. That was a serious scene, but the sight of Rui holding a shovel will never not be funny.

“What…?” Nene finally asked, but Emu had to ignore her question. “How…”

“You’re back!” the other girl shouted and quickly got up from her knees, tightly clinging to her friend. “You’re really back! Oh God, Star Boy, I’m so happy…!”

“Ah, but I don’t think you can still call me that, huh?” noticed Tsukasa, chuckling and patting her on the head. “After all, I’m not a star anymore. I suppose all that's left from what you called me now is just a Boy. But that's such a silly name.”

“Right, right… Then, how about we get you a new name?” Emu said excitedly. “What would you like to be called?”

“I don’t know. I don't really know much about human names” the boy started wondering, putting his finger on his lips in a thinking gesture. “Besides, it was you who gave me a chance to become human… So I believe it’s Bloom’s choice to make.”

“Mine? Ah, hm…” the girl began to think as well, but soon enough she got an idea that made her smile all bright. “If it’s up to me, then I guess Ori would fit you just fine! Because it comes from origin, since you were the origin of our happiness!”

“Ori, huh…” the troupe leader let it linger on his tongue for a moment, before he nodded and smiled. “I guess that's how I’m called now, in that case.”

“Yay!!!” the actress jumped up from joy, going back to embracing him to the point where it was hard for him to breathe. “I’m glad you like it! Hehe… See, now it’s us both who are very ordinary and don’t have any special powers! That way Tranqui and Lapis can’t tease me about it anymore!”

“Ahaha…!” Tsukasa laughed and turned towards the audience, looking forward with sparkling eyes. “I just realized how much fun we’re going to have together, without having to worry about parting… I’m so glad I have a chance to become human…!”

Emu felt her heart flutter as she looked at his face, having to smile as well. There were only a few minutes left until the end of the performance by now, and it was easily visible by Tsukasa's expression how happy he was about this fact. He has already said all of his lines in the play; all that was left for them to conclude the story was for Nene to come to the front and describe what happened after, just like she was ending a ballad. Tsukasa knew that he had done an extremely good job and that he won’t mess up anything anymore, so he could allow himself to smile widely and let his eyes glow. His golden irises’ hue became even more intense, as if his eyes were reflecting pretty much everything — the lights, the colors, the audience, the stage, his fellow actors and his overwhelming happiness. Emu couldn't help but to stare at him with admiration.

His passion was visible in his every move. He has really done everything to make this performance their best one yet, and he has definitely succeeded. It was only for his passion that he could now stand here, looking so happy and accomplished. Tsukasa had so many traits about him that Emu loved dearly, but his passion certainly qualified in the top three of things she adored so much about him (the other two being all the kindness he had shown her and his cute smile). She barely could focus on Nene reciting the rest of the script, her eyes still following after Tsukasa’s every gesture. With all the passion he possesses, with all the love for his craft that he has to give… She was so sure that he’ll achieve much. She has never doubted it, and she was happy to be the one that will witness it in the future.

She didn’t even realize that time had passed so quickly and the sound of the audience clapping furiously has caught her off guard. Oh, right. It is already the time for their curtain call tonight. Seeing the positive reaction from everyone who watched their little comeback show, she smiled and bowed, taking hold of Tsukasa’s hand and feeling him squeeze it equally tightly.

Chapter Text

“We did it” as soon as Tsukasa had a chance to go backstage after a finished performance, he immediately fell down on the couch standing nearby and laughed loudly, reaching his hands up. “We really did it.”

His heart was beating so awfully fast and there were still stains of tears on his cheeks, and he had no idea why his body reacted so strongly this time. Was it really the atmosphere of performing at Bunkamura that made his heartrate rise and caused his insides to laugh from all the giddy happiness he now has in himself, even though the feeling of performing a show should be a daily occurence for him by now? He had no idea. All he knew was that the sound of audience cheering so loudly made his excitement explode in his heart, stomach and lungs, making him unable to stand on his own two legs. Though maybe it was just his tiredness, because all his unprocessed feelings have suddenly hit him all at once after two long hours of dissociation. He felt just like a child, being so overjoyed instead of appearing as a proud, composed leader, but oh, whatever. They’re now existing in the same plane of existence as the stars that have once stood on that stage, so maybe he has a permission to be extra silly this time.

He looked around, staring at the rest of his troupe. Emu was crying from joy and running around in circles, not knowing who to cling to first. Nene was tightly squeezing her water bottle, breathing heavily, but with a wide smile on her face. Rui was fondly staring at the now closed curtain with his hands clasped behind his back, as if he was trying to relive the moments they’ve just had. It appeared that all of them were having troubles with containing the post show excitement, so he felt a bit better about himself. He took a relieved breath and wiped his eyes with his hand, noticing his make-up fully coming off alongside his tears.

“We did…” Nene finally said in response to his words, deciding to chug all of the water at once. “Geez, I don't understand why it’s coming off as such a surprise to me. It’s not like it was our first time.”

“It’s probably the awareness of various theatre critics being present in the audience” noticed Rui, walking closer to the couch. Tsukasa tucked his legs up to give him some space to sit down. “We didn't get to perform in Morinomiya, so we hadn’t tasted the feeling of it yet. That's why it feels so nice to be actually appreciated by them. It feels like we’ve really gone pro by now, and it’ll open so many work opportunities for us in the future.”

“I was so excited to see everyone clapping when we finished!!” shouted Emu, her hands clapping as well. “Not a single complaint, not a single frown!! Even all these serious men in suits in the first row cheered up at the end!!”

“Yeah… No complaints from such experienced group of people truly is an achievment” Tsukasa finally managed to calm his emotions down, taking a deep breath and reaching for his own drink. “They’ve surely seen a lot of wonderful, breathtaking plays in their lives, and they somehow decided that ours is still good enough for us not to be booed and thrown tomatoes at.”

“Eh, I mean, there was no way that we’d perform that badly in the first place…” Nene rolled her eyes, but then a smirk appeared on her face. “It’d be funny if they threw tomatoes at you, though.”

“What?! How cruel of you, Nene!”

“Just kidding, just kidding” she chuckled and sat on the floor next to her friend, flicking his forehead. “They wouldn't do it solely because you were so amazing today. Truly, I could see that our training really has paid off. It really is a wonderful feeling.”

“Yeah!! I was really surprised when Tsukasa-kun started crying as well, but it only made this scene more authentic!!!” Emu joined their group meeting at the couch, leaning over the backrest. “And Nene-chan and Rui-kun did such a good job too! Hehe, it's not a surprise that we got appreciated, since we’re just that great~”

“I just got invested, okay? You also were acting really well. I couldn't help but feel like you truly are saying these words to me. And it really tugged on my heartstrings, y’know…” Tsukasa smiled and reached his hand out to start playing with her strands of hair that were hanging just in front of his face. “But yeah, you’re right! I’ve always had faith in us, but after this show it has only increased tenfold. We really can do pretty much everything now, and nothing will be able to take us down.”

“I wonder if someone took a recording of our performance…” Nene laid her head down on Rui’s lap, reaching for her phone to check the hour. “I’d like to see how I did from the audience’s perspective. Does Bunkamura even allow recordings of their stage plays?”

“I’m not sure. I remember that I did check it before, but it’s in the back of my mind right now…” Rui wondered, tapping his chin with his index finger. “Well, we can always ask. And if it wasn’t recorded, we’ll probably be granted permission for someone to do it during the show tomorrow if we ask nicely.”

“My parents said that they’ll be able to attend it in time tomorrow, so I’m sure that even if he won’t get permission to do so, my dad will try to record it anyways…” Tsukasa playfully rolled his eyes, softly smiling at the thought of his parents finally seeing him live during a performance that is so important for him. “So I might get you covered, Nene. Though I don’t promise that there won’t be any unnecessary close-ups on me.”

“Unnecessary? Don’t make a fool out of me. I know very well that you enjoy them greatly” Nene snorted, at which her friend replied with a sheepish Okay, maybe, maybe…!. “But, ah, I didn't think of asking my mom to record us today. That's a great idea, but I doubt she’d come up with it on her own. Neither did Rui’s mom, probably… They most likely think that we’re too old to be recorded like little children anymore.”

“Ah, but don’t worry! If I ask big bro Keisuke, then he’ll surely record us too!” Emu exclaimed, leaning forward so much that she almost lost her balance and fell face down onto Tsukasa’s stomach. “After all, it would be very unfair for our supporters in Phenniland that couldn’t afford to see us perform here to not be able to see it, because we wouldn't be able to stand here if not for their support! We should publish the video on Phenniland’s site at least for a limited time.”

“Is that legal, though? I’m afraid that there might be some procedures that don’t exactly allow reprints like these…” the other girl wondered. “I mean, won’t it go against Bunkamura’s business?”

“No worries! If I talk with their representatives, I’m sure that we’ll be able to compromise!” her friend chuckled sweetly, supporting her head on her hands. “Leave all the business matters to me~”

Tsukasa zoned out of their conversation for a moment, mindlessly sipping on his water. It was unbelievable how warm and familiar it felt to talk with them like that after a finished performance, not having to worry about cleaning up quickly so they won’t inconvenience their fellow classmates. They had all the time in the world now, and he wanted to stay like that forever. He never was much of a romantic, but if he could interlock his fingers with the rest of his friends, if he could make sure that nights like these will happen again and again, for the rest of their lives, he’d do that in a heartbeat. He let out a long sigh and smiled, nuzzling his face into a pillow.

“I really love you guys, do you know that?” he asked suddenly, making the rest of WonderShow look towards him. “You probably do. Sorry. It’s just so late already and it’s so hot out here, it makes me feel all sappy.”

“I love you guys too!! More than you can imagine!!” Emu made a happy double-spin, waving her arms around and jumping at the end of it. “I think we should kiss, actually!!! To celebrate that our opening night was a great success!!!”

“What?”

“What…?”

“What?!”

The moment her words hung in the air, three very confused voices spoke up. As if she didn’t find it any weird, though, Emu just chuckled and put her index finger to her cheek, tilting her head to the side. Oh. She’s totally serious. Tsukasa felt his breath hitch in his chest at that realization, his eyes widening.

He knew that Emu was very clingy and she was usually showing her affection this way, and he didn't mind it at all. After all, he was just like her in that aspect, the only difference being hin not being a huge fan of PDA and it taking him much longer to start being physically affectionate with someone. He loved her hugs, he loved holding hands with her and he loved her little forehead kisses, but to actually kiss with her? To actually — kiss all of his friends? It was a thought he has never considered before, and it made him sit up in surprise.

It looked like he wasn’t the only one who suddenly considered it, stealing a glance at Nene and Rui’s faces. Nene seemed to completely freeze up in place, barely blinking as she kept on staring at Emu with parted lips. Rui looked much more composed, his eyes only slightly squinted as a way to express his surprise, but he most likely also got caught off guard with Emu’s suggestion. The heavy silence that fell between them continued, forcing Tsukasa to face his thoughts about getting on a deeper relationship level with the rest of W×S for the first time.

He didn’t like love, not at all. It was boring and made him roll his eyes in exasperation, and he never felt the romantic version of this feeling once in his life. But as he thinks about it, oh— He never realized it before, but he did think of his best friends in a different way than he would of, well, regular friends. He had his fair share of people he got along with, and while he appreciated their company greatly, they never made his heart beat as fast as W×S’ presence sometimes did. It was only when he was with Emu, Nene and Rui that he felt like he’s with someone he’s destined to always be with, someone who fully gets him and will never leave him alone. This feeling was so special and precious to him, and he figured out that’s pretty much what this so-called love is supposed to be. It’s probably not as intense as other people feel it and it may be a bit silly and naive, but it’s still there, right? It should already grant him permission to try and kiss his friends, right?

Ah, what the hell, sure. The worst that could happen is that he won’t like it and that he’ll cringe at the sensation of their lips touching. It’s not like it’ll change something in their relationship, because they’re too much of weirdos to let a stupid thing like that destroy what they’ve once built together.

“Wait, Emu, are you really serious?!” Nene seemed to finally get the hint, her cheeks fully reddening. Her face now looked so flushed that Tsukasa wouldn’t be surprised if her temperature had suddenly gone up. “Y-You wanna… eh?!”

“What’s wrong with it? I don’t get why you’re all so surprised!” Emu laughed and shrugged, spreading her arms just like she was now uncovering the most vulnerable side of herself right before them. “When you love someone so much, it’s only natural that you wanna kiss them! And, ah, I feel so much sugar high from the fact our show went well that I don’t want to pretend this feeling doesn’t exist deep in me anymore!”

“Well, I’m not sure if that’s exactly a sugar high...” mumbled the other girl, as if it was in any way important at this very moment.

“Fufu, that was not the confession I expected to hear today, Emu-kun” Rui chuckled and put his hand on his cheek. “But I do have to agree that there must be something in the air, because I, too, suddenly feel more exuberant. In fact, Emu-kun has just stolen words out of my mouth. I wanted to smother you with good job kisses as well.”

“Geez, you two really are something…” Nene smiled sheepishly, tightly gripping the loose ends of her hair in her hands as a way to fidget. “Though, it’d probably feel nice to kiss with you… Yeah, it must be the air.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Tsukasa suddenly asked, putting his hands on his hips. It’s now or never. He won’t get any other chance to check if he’ll like it or not. “If we all want to experience it, then let’s do it!”

“What?! Since when you’re so eager to do all this lovey-dovey stuff?” the older girl looked at him with confusion, her eyebrow raised. “I thought that you’re gonna roll your eyes and tell us not to be stupid.”

“It’s different when it’s with you, okay?” he huffed, crossing his arms. “I can’t quite explain it, but I’m not actually that opposed to and repulsed by the idea of loving you. Quite the contrary. In my head, it actually feels… rather nice.”

“Aww, Tsukasa-kun!! You’re so sweet like that!!!” Emu shouted happily and jumped on him, causing them both to fall down on the floor (and Tsukasa to scream in surprise). “Let’s kiss, then!!! I don’t know how kissing works when it’s four of us, but we gotta try~!”

Before he could even say something, Tsukasa’s head suddenly got forcibly turned to face Emu by her own hands, and then his lips got kissed by hers. He squirmed a bit, internally wincing at the taste of her lipstick. The act of kissing, though, wasn’t even half as bad as he imagined it to be — and it was definitely way less boring than it was always described in the books. But since his affection was still really awkward and tense, he didn’t do anything to come up with an initiative and didn’t reciprocate it at all, only sitting here and receiving instead of giving. God, he must be a really bad person to kiss with, right? He managed to take a deep breath in between Emu’s kisses and closed his eyes, tightening his hands on his shirt. The girl laughed at that and caressed the corner of his lips with her thumb, smearing the lipstick stain further on his face.

“Okay, Nene-chan’s next!!!” without announcing it first, she then suddenly stood up and beamed, pointing at the other girl with a smile. “Aw, why didn’t Rui-kun and Nene-chan kiss in the meantime too?! I thought we’re making a queue and a mutual exchange!”

“Well, no one has said it before. You just jumped straight to kissing Tsukasa…” Nene smiled amusedly, but she didn't complain longer and came closer to Emu. Their fingers intertwined as they stared into each other’s eyes, starting to gently kiss their lips.

Tsukasa stared at them with blank expression, trying to analyze them and somehow improve his skills for the next time he’ll get kissed. He didn’t get a chance to do it for long, however, because just after a few seconds Rui poked his shoulder and looked at him with a soft smile.

“I’m assuming this is our time to kiss now, isn’t it, Tsukasa-kun?” he asked, brushing his friend’s bangs out of his eyes. “Fufu, I’m a bit anxious. Please forgive me for how awkward I will possibly be.”

“Acting as if I’m any better…” Tsukasa smiled and rolled his eyes as he stood up, since Rui ordered him to do so.

Despite Rui’s words, the way he was kissing was completely different from Emu’s. Tsukasa even started suspecting that he might’ve had prior experience, even if he didn't know from where. The director’s hands lightly caressed his cheeks as he made his star actor lean a bit backward, placing a kiss on his lips from above. It made Tsukasa shiver, since Rui’s mouth was very cold and dry, but he didn't break away from his embrace, completely entrusting him with his body. He didn't give the kiss back this time either, though. Even if he wanted to, he had a feeling that if he leaned any more back, his spine would either crack or break in half — and it’s not exactly what he’d like to happen. After a few more seconds of this gentle kiss, Rui finally opened his eyes and smiled, his longer hair strands hitting Tsukasa in the face. But that was when they had to stop, because Emu’s Rui-kunnn, you’re out of time! It’s my turn to kiss with you now! sounded right behind them. As soon as Rui let go of him, Tsukasa fell down to his knees, losing his balance and feeling like he’s surely going to get overstimulated due to all the new sensations he’s experiencing.

Nene wasn’t very helpful either, because she didn't even warn him before she suddenly kneeled next to him and wrapped her arms around him. Her eyes sparkled and glimmered as she looked at him, wanting to ingrain his image in her mind before she starts to kiss him. Tsukasa stupidly blushed at her intense gaze and finally forced himself to put effort into giving back all the affection he’s receiving, realizing that he can’t lose to his rival even in this competition. Their whole kiss was awkward as hell, because they both had no idea what they’re even doing and were awfully bad at their job, but, well, they were at least trying. They deserve a gold star for effort, or something.

When it finally ended, he felt himself falling even further on the floor, laying down on it and hearing how fast his heart was beating, just like it wanted to jump out of his chest. That was… really a ride, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. He smiled and covered his eyes with his hand, his body overflowing with this very nice love he just got showered with.

It’s crazy. He never suspected that this day would end like that. He just wanted to perform a show, do well and go home, but… Maybe it really is for the better. Maybe it just served to strengthen their bond even more.

“O~Okay!! It looks like we’re do— Wait, no!” Emu jumped out of the blue, the glare she just gave Rui and Nene awfully disapproving. “Rui-kun, Nene-chan, you two still haven't kissed yet!! Come on, come on! The fact that you’re childhood friends is not an excuse to skip your turn at all!”

“You sound just like a bit too overjoyed wingman, Emu…” Nene sighed, but the corners of her lips still went slightly up. “But… Fine, fine. Just to make you happy.”

“Thenn~!” Emu quickly ran forward and almost catapulted herself into Tsukasa’s embrace, pulling him closer to her chest. “Since Rui-kun and Nene-chan are busy, then I get to smother Tsukasa-kun with kisses once more~!! Hahaha!”

“Wasn’t that a little too enthusiastic…?” Tsukasa doubted her joy just slightly, but he didn’t have the heart to complain. After all, it felt nice and warm, and he was desperately starving for affection at this very moment. Because of the weird air that’s present in the room, obviously.

Emu shook her head and forcefully sat Tsukasa down on her lap (oh God, this was so embarrassing to be held like that. Count on Emu to make him a mess that has lost all of his pride…), kissing him all over his face. Somehow, even though she was making out with Nene and Rui just a moment before, her lipstick didn’t seem to disappear at all — or maybe she has just quickly applied it back on before she got to him, because he wouldn’t be slightly surprised if it was the case. He didn't even try to keep up with her quick pace, he just let himself be completely overtaken by her love and lied motionlessly in her arms, smiling at her softly.

“Okay, but let’s hold on for a second” Nene and Rui seemed to be done with their thing at some point, so the girl spoke up, tying her hair in a ponytail and trying to wipe blush off of her face. “We kissed, and now what?’

“Eh?” Emu finally let go of Tsukasa’s cheeks and stared at her friend, blinking a few times before she replied “And now we’re happy, of course!! Aren’t we?!”

“I mean yeah, we are, but…” since it was just about time for them to change from their stage costumes and start putting things back on their place, the other girl took her dress off in the meantime of her speaking. It was both so weird and so like them. They were now talking about the future of their relationship, and yet they were doing something so ordinary simultaneously. “What I wanted to say is, are we now dating or what?”

“Dating?” Rui asked in surprise, as if it was the first time this realization has occurred to him. Not long after, though, he smiled widely — way wider than he usually does — and tilted his head to the side. “Oh. I guess we are.”

“Yeah, I think so too! We’re dating!” exclaimed Emu, happily clapping her hands. She turned her head back to Tsukasa, waiting for his conclusion. “Do you think so too, Tsukasa-kun?”

“Well, I don’t see a reason to think otherwise” the boy replied, taking his phone in his hand so he could look at his face in the camera. “We’re dating, yeah. And it feels nice, I guess.”

He took his contacts off, since his eyes started getting itchy and hurt and squinted, trying to see his reflection better. He could feel the lipstick stains on his skin before, since it’d be hard not to sense their texture, but seeing them for real made him recoil a bit. His face now seemed to be even paler, since the reddish-pinkish marks were contrasting with it a lot and bringing out the most white hues of his skin. He absolutely wasn’t proud of how he looked now, but he couldn't just possibly wipe these off. After all, he loved Emu a lot. Just like he loved Nene and Rui.

It felt so nicely weird to think so. His smile became just a bit brighter.

He didn’t have time to reach any other conclusion, though — as that was when Shousuke walked through the door, not even bothering to knock. In fact, Tsukasa didn’t even know that he’s there in the first place. Well, the sight that Emu’s older brother saw surely must’ve been… a bit shocking — because not only his eyes could see his youngest sister sit on Tsukasa’s lap and pin him to the ground with her legs, as well as the boy’s kiss-marked face in its whole glory, but also how Rui and Nene are cradling each other on the couch (when did they even manage to go back to that, anyways?), the director’s hair messy and the diva’s cheeks flushed from all the kissing. Shousuke blinked and unsurely looked at the clipboard in his hand, before he sighed.

It’s amazing how he seemed almost completely unfazed. Maybe he has just seen a lot of things in his life.

“Am I interrupting something?” he asked with a deadpan face, going back to business. “If so, forgive me. I just wanted to check on you guys. It was taking you really long to change from your costumes, but now I think I know why. Well, congratulations. Wish you the utmost happiness, or whatever.”

Emu laughed loudly, tossing her hair back. Yeah, it sure felt refreshing not to hear any complaints or accusations about what they’re even doing. Truly, Shousuke Otori might be the #1 supporter of their dreadful little polycule.

…Damn, they’re really an official polycule now that they've been spotted, huh?