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It was, honestly, a pretty amateurish performance, Tenma thought. Not that he knew much about stage design, but the set seemed lacking. The cast wasn't much better, either. The priest had a thick accent. The supporting characters were stiff. That guy playing Julius wasn't awful, but he had a coldness to him. But the actor for Romeo... he was rough too, but something about him was special. It wasn't skill, or even really potential, and it wasn't some sort of star power charisma like you find on movie sets. He was incredibly... normal. And despite that, Tenma was hanging on his every word. Kinda pathetic, huh? He turned over the program in his hands.
“Auditions for Summer Troupe x/xx”
...well, he'd been thinking about joining a troupe.
“When you put on a group play, there's this feeling that you get, like you're in perfect harmony. You can feel it in your gut. And honestly, if the whole Spring Troupe wasn't on the same page, we never would have made it through closing night. It's hard to explain better than that.” Sakuya leaned over the back of the bench as he spoke, his voice soft with fondness for his troupe.
Tenma recalled that show well. For all the flaws in their acting, there had been a feeling of understanding between the cast that drew him in. What would it be like to feel that? And yet, he thought, he could still take or leave the whole Summer Troupe. But to stay here, to conquer his fears, to find that feeling from when he first saw Spring Troupe perform... he would have to make it happen. And somehow he knew- if Sakuya said it, it had to be true.
He should have known better by now. Especially considering he hadn't had the chance to really explore the area on his own. So there he was, fumbling with his phone, trying to get directions to the conbini, feeling like an idiot.
“Oh, Tenma-kun! I didn't expect to run into you outside.”
Crap. He did not want to be caught like this. But here's Sakuya, all sunshine like always. Play it cool. Play it cool.
“Oh! Uh, hey. Whatcha doin'?” Totally smooth there, Tenma.
“I was just on my way to the store. What are you up to?” If Sakuya had any idea what was actually going on, he wasn't showing it. And hey- perfect opportunity.
“Nothing! I was, uh. Just hanging around, bored. Mind if I join you?” Not smooth. Please don't notice.
“Sure!” That blindingly innocent smile. God, what was Sakuya? Some sort of angel? “You can help me pick snacks for the next leaders' meeting, then.”
“Fine by me. Just, uh, after you, I guess.”
Oh, Tenma was so far gone.
“...they're going to kill each other. They really will.” Tenma shivered, watching the director break up another fight between the new Autumn members.
“Huh? ...I think they'll be fine. Juza-kun wants to be here too much.” Sakuya seemed almost relaxed. He stood up from where he leaned against the mirror. “Let's get some fresh air. We're not really helping here, anyways.”
Tenma looked up at the offered hand... and stood on his own. It's not that he didn't want to take it, it's that he wouldn't want to let go.
Sakuya gripped the pulley tightly, a shadow in stagehand's black. The faint illumination of the safety lights left him barely visible, but his nervous aura practically radiated out. If articles were going to be written about this competition, this moment would be one of the photographs- representing the unified strength of Mankai, the hope of all four troupes resting on Winter, the feeling of wanting to do something, anything, to save their home. In that moment, Sakuya was Mankai itself. And at the same time, it was so... him. Passion overflowing into anxiety and determination, the moment before the curtain rises, he'll take it into his own hands.
And that's when Tenma realized what he saw that day in spring. It wasn't skill or charisma. It was simply Sakuya himself, shining through the role. And even if he never said a word, Tenma knew he couldn't help but chase it.
+1.
When they drew a matched pair, Sakuya was already excited. Being able to spend time with members of the other troupe was the best part of training camp. But it had slipped his mind a bit how Tenma could be scared of things. The point of a test of courage is to be scared and keep going, right? But being so scared you can't continue... that's why you have a partner.
And so they set off into the woods. The moonlight peeking through the branches wasn't nearly enough to see by, so Sakuya had their lantern. The quiet sounds of night surrounded them. It was almost peaceful- except for the pranks and traps along the way.
The very first one was a mannequin propped against a tree. Simple. And yet, Tenma practically jumped out of his skin. Without even realizing it, he had grabbed Sakuya's hand.
Sakuya was shocked at first, by the mannequin and the sudden grasp alike, but after the surprise wore off, it felt... strangely warm. Had it always been like this? The breeze, the cicadas, the way the moonlight and lantern lit Tenma's face... in that moment, Sakuya would have done anything to protect him from the darkness. So he just held his hand.
“It'll be okay!”