Chapter Text
“You are not supposed to be here.”
When Tsukasa opens his eyes, he’s lying on a cold, tile floor and staring at a cold, blank sky. Wasn’t he just…? Damn it, this week just keeps getting weirder and weirder.
The voice comes from a girl, seemingly not much older than him, who kneels above him. Her crooked gray ponytails slide to the side as her head tilts.
“Uh… huh?”
“This is the wrong place, you should be… you’re here. Why?”
“Look—” he props himself on his elbows. “I have no idea where I am, much less why I’m here. Last I remember, some weird file showed up on my phone.”
She stares at him, her mismatched eyes blinking slowly. “You should not have been the one to create this SEKAI. But no matter. You are here. I cannot change it.”
“SEKAI?” He rubs his eyes. “Please, enlighten me.”
“No. It is not the right time.”
“Um. Alright then. When— When do I get to go back home?”
She looks up, her hair spilling out onto the tile. “When SEKAI decides you will. Soon, it seems.”
Tsukasa’s head is starting to hurt. Maybe he really shouldn’t have accepted that weird offer. Now’s he’s getting dragged into some weird magic shit— why can’t things just be normal?
“I understand you are confused. You will understand. Sometime. For now, Tenma Tsukasa, compose. Compose until you find yourself again. Until you find your truest feelings again.”
“And what does that mean?”
The girl stays silent. Instead, she says, “I will see you again. If you are ever in need of company, press the Untitled file on your phone. You will come here, and I will stay with you until you need it no longer."
Before he can even think of a reply to this strange command (or even think to ask who this girl even is), he’s back in his room, laying in his bed. Shizuku stands at the door.
“I finished lunch. Shiho said it tastes pretty good, so hopefully that’s a good sign!”
“…Thanks, Shizu.”
“Oh, I called up to you a while ago, but you didn’t respond. Were you asleep?”
“I guess so. I had some sort of weird dream.”
She sits next to him now as he holds his head in his hands. “Mm? One of the scary ones?”
“No, no; nothing like that. Unsettling, sure, but not the nightmares. I was in this weird empty dreamscape, and a girl with gray hair was talking to me. She was so… cryptic.” A chill is sent down his spine.
“That is strange,” she agrees. “If my phone wasn’t ill right now, I’d look it up!”
“You still say your phone is ‘ill’ when your phone is dead?”
“It’s not dead! It comes right back after you charge it!”
Shizuku laughs, and Tsukasa finds himself smiling (if ever slightly). Her ineptitude with technology has always been endearing to him.
“I hope you don’t mind,” she says, “that I told Shii to bring Ichika and Honami over when she went to get the keyboard for you. I thought a little more company might help you clear your mind.”
A sad sort of smile graces his face. “You’re always thinking about how to help me and your idol group; do you ever get any time to yourself?”
“The time spent with you is more than enough,” she smiles as a stray piece of pale blue hair flops into her face. She brushes it back in a swift and elegant motion— she’s always been the type to do everything with grace… everything except navigating her way around town and using technology, it seems.
“Thanks again for cooking lunch.” At this point, Tsukasa can’t even remember the last time he cooked something for himself. If not for Shizuku and Shiho, he would probably only eat one snack a day. Together they walk from his room, down the hallway filled with family pictures, towards the stairs. “When are Ichika and Honami getting here?”
“I think they’re already here,” she gestures at the three girls sitting on the couch together.
Honami waves at him, and as usual Ichika offers a mumbled “‘sup”. Her combat boots are pulled up onto the couch, and he has half a mind to tell her to put them down. After Shizuku is done exchanging pleasantries with them, Ichika speaks up.
“Do we get to eat lunch? Or…?”
Shiho swats at her arm as Shizuku giggles. “Help yourself.”
The lunch is, admittedly, not amazing. But it’s not like Tsukasa can tell the difference. Everything tastes dull to him. He can tell by the way Ichika squints and Honami clears her throat that neither of them found it too pleasing, either. But Shizuku tried her best, and that’s what matters.
“Thanks, sis; that was great.” Shiho smiles and gives her sister a hug, despite having the same expression as everyone else.
“I enjoyed it as well,” Tsukasa adds with his most convincing smile. He can’t tell if Shizuku knows he’s faking. If she can, she chooses to ignore it.
“I’m glad! I’ll have to make it more often then!”
“Um—” Ichika interrupts, but Shiho shakes her head at her and pats her shoulder.
“As nice as this was—” he picks up his plate and stands up— “I have to go work on something. I’ll see you all later. I’ve got a lot to do.”
“Are you sure?” Shizuku tilts her head. “We could keep you company.”
“It’s alright, really.” He sets his plate in the sink. “Thanks.”
Without another word (nor protest from Shizuku), he makes his way upstairs.
Places not familiar to her are not Kanade’s forte. So when they find themself in a strange, colorful place, they can’t help but be a bit worried.
I mean, when you’re surrounded by every color of the rainbow, flowers with smiley faces, and some kind of floating rollercoaster that cuts across the sky, why wouldn’t you be?
Xe balls xer hands inside xer hoodie. Don’t freak out. Don’t freak out. Do not freak—
“Uuuuuuuuuuu…WONDERHOY!”
Someone tackles her from behind, making her scream and fall to the floor. Maybe it’s a little late for that don’t freak out mantra.
When they finally break free from the grip of their assailant, they notice that this strange character isn’t much taller or older than them. Xe scrambles away as the person sits up, her blue ponytails tilting and her cat ears (?!) twitching.
“Wh— who the hell are you?” She can’t hide the tremble in her voice. Should she really be this terrified right now?
The blue haired girl seems confused for a moment. “Uh… I could ask you the same question! You weren’t the person I was expecting, necessarily… But that’s okay! If you made it here, that means you own this place.”
A charming young man with swoopy hair a much darker shade than the girl’s approaches behind her. “Miku, what have we said about tackling SEKAI visitors?”
“That we’re not supposed to— but look, KAITO! It’s our new friend!”
“Miku? KAITO? Like the virtual singers?”
“A pleasure meeting you, Yoisaki Kanade,” KAITO smiles, offering a hand. “Many apologies. Miku tends to get excited when we get visitors. Which… doesn’t happen often.”
Xe brushes xemself off. “How do you know my name?”
“Because this SEKAI belongs to you!” Miku smiles, making some sort of off jazz hand gesture.
“SE—SEKAI?”
“Indeedy-doo!” Miku skips off towards the flower bed. “These flowers are so cute! You did a great job.”
“I don’t understand.” They shake their head, looking at the ground. “How did I get here? Where even is here? How did I make this place? What’s even going on?”
“You’ll find out in due time.” KAITO rests a hand on her shoulder as Miku plays with the flowers. “As time goes on, this world will grow with you, and you will find your true feelings. If you press the Untitled file on your phone, you’ll find yourself here.”
Kanade forms some sort of response— or at least, she tries. Before another word can escape her, KAITO and Miku are gone, and instead of the colors of that fantastic wonderland, her face is tinted by the blue light of her computer and phone.
“Kanade?” A gentle knock on xer door nearly makes xer jump out of xer seat.
“Mom, you’re home early.” They push themself out of their chair and meet her in the middle of the room with a hug.
“I know! It’s only eleven p.m., and I’m home already!” She plants a kiss on the top of her child’s head. No person alive could ever mistake them for anything but related— their faces were almost identical, and their silky snow-white hair certainly aided in their similarities. She hugs Kanade tighter. “I missed you.”
“Me too.” She rests her head on her mom’s shoulder. “Um, do you want some noodles?”
“No thank you, sweetie. You really should be in bed, you know. You have a pretty big day tomorrow, right?”
“I still don’t have any confirmation that I actually made it into the program,” they sigh dejectedly. “Mizuki got one almost immediately. I don’t doubt Ena will get hers soon.”
“You might not know yet, but I do,” xer mother smirks. “Your director e-mailed me earlier. You, Mizuki and Ena’s auditions were so well done, you’ll be starting your own troupe at Phoenix Wonderland!”
“R—really? Like, an actual troupe?”
“Of course,” her mom says as they both sit down on her bed. “You’ll have to write scripts, find costumes, and make props. But you’ll get paid for a full time job instead of a part time.”She rests a hand on top of Kanade’s head. “The minimum requirement of actors in a troupe there is four, so your director picked another girl from Miyamasuzaka to perform with you.”
A chill is sent down Kanade’s spine. She hasn’t been required to meet new people in forever— her school’s only so big, after all. But any sense of fear or doubt is put off when their mom hugs them tight again.
“I know your dad would be proud of you, Kanade. As am I.”
Kanade melts into xer mother’s hug. Her father had always loved the art of theatre… hopefully, one day, they can make him proud.
“Oh, by the way. Ena’s mother called and asked if you wanted to stay over tomorrow night to celebrate your acceptance. I told her you were coming. Figured I didn’t need to ask anymore.”
Kanade smiles, still resting xer head on her mother’s shoulder. “Thank you, Mom.”