Archive of Our Own ^beta

It was around the age of three when Tsukasa asked his parents what it was like to see in color. Despite their valiant efforts to properly explain to their son how hues work, it all went over his head. Tsukasa remembered feeling frustrated not being able to understand what his parents were telling him. He also remembered them laughing gently and telling him how when he will truly understand when he meets his soulmate.

Ever since then, Tsukasa found an interest in who his soulmate was. He wouldn’t call himself obsessed with knowing who his soulmate was, but he was intrigued and wanted to see the world for what it truly was. He wanted to experience the world in color like both his parents.

As time passed, Tsukasa found himself increasingly transfixed on who his soulmate could be. Given his status and upbringing, he was confident how his soulmate must be a lady from a respectable family with a status similar to his own. There was no doubt in his mind how she was someone his parents would approve of as a proper member of society.

Over the years, Tsukasa devised a detailed plan on how he would go about courting his soulmate. He would be walking down the school corridor when she would suddenly catch his eye. Because she is his soulmate, he would sense it was her. Then before she could get away, he would stop her by taking a hold of her hand, and apologize for being forward before their gaze would lock upon each other and the two of them would see in color together for the first time.

The next few years Tsukasa would offer his free time to her and the two of them would go on various dates together amidst his busy schedule which would be packed to the brim between his noble training and responsibilities that came with being the heir to the Suou family. After graduating from high school and in the middle of their university years, Tsukasa would propose they move into an apartment together close to where they go to school. And once they both finally graduate from their university of choice, that is when Tsukasa would take the girl of his dreams out on a romantic holiday and ask for her hand in marriage.

With the plan set, all Tsukasa had to do now was wait.

Within the first month of his first year of high school, there was a girl who would catch his eye. Despite the fact he could only see in black and white, there was never a doubt in his mind how beautiful she truly was. Tsukasa quickly found himself enraptured by her as he began to admire her from afar.

Later he would learn her name is Anzu. She wasn’t someone from a well-off family like his own like he originally envisioned for his soulmate, but meeting all the check boxes he set out Tsukasa realized was probably too grand of an order. Otherwise, Anzu was an incredibly kind and considerate person, she always helped those around her to the best of her ability and had a smile that captivated his heart.

He wished to close the gap between the two of them, but since she was one year his senior, it proved to be a troublesome wall to overcome. There weren’t many activities that would bring a first and second year together, so finding an opportunity was proving to be difficult. They shared no friends in common nor any clubs or any other school activities.

However, as fate would have it, one day late after school, after wrapping up his club activities with the kyudo club, Tsukasa would find Anzu walking alone in the hallway with a mountain of papers stacked far above her head. Even if the person he saw in the hall was not Anzu, Tsukasa knew he would have offered to help them regardless but it was a nice bonus to finally be given an opportunity to finally speak to her.

“Excuse me,” Tsukasa said.

His voice clearly startled Anzu as she let out a squeak before dropping the stack of papers to the ground. Anzu quickly found herself scrambling to pick up all the papers she dropped and Tsukasa moved swiftly to help her as well.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Tsukasa apologized as he continued to gather up the documents. He knew he should be making eye contact with her. This was the moment he could find out if they were destined partners. However, his heart was racing like crazy, and he found himself so nervous that he couldn’t bring himself to finally look into Anzu’s eyes despite the opportune moment finally given to him. “It just seemed like a lot of papers for one person to handle on their own, so I wanted to see if you would like some assistance.”

“No, it’s fine. I just didn’t expect to hear a voice so suddenly,” Anzu replied. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t heard Anzu’s voice before, but she was rather quiet and didn’t say much to people outside of her immediate circle. So, Tsukasa would consider it a treat to hear Anzu’s voice. And even more so, since she was finally speaking directly to him. He felt his knees going weak from hearing such a sweet voice. Tsukasa found it hard to believe how a single person could set his heart ablaze as Anzu has.

Surely, no one other than his soulmate could render him so useless where he would come to distrust his own voice. If he said anything, Tsukasa was certain his voice would betray him by letting out an unbecoming noise or say something unsightly.

The two of them awkwardly worked together to gather up the documents and at some point, his hand brushed upon Anzu’s as they went to grab the same document.

“Ah! I’m sorry. To touch a lady without her permission is unbecoming of a gentleman,” Tsukasa apologized and a moment later he could only hear the hall filled with the sound of Anzu’s laughter.

“No one really cares about that kinda thing anymore,” Anzu replied. “It would be different if this was sexual harassment but I know you didn’t mean it that way so don’t worry about it.”

“Ah, is that so? Still, as a member of the Suou household, I must always ensure to conduct myself in a proper manner befitting of the Suou name.”

Anzu laughed again at his response.

Tsukasa couldn’t help but wonder how could someone’s laugh be so alluring? Her laugh was like honey, sweet and smooth. Surely the feeling he was experiencing right now was love. He couldn’t imagine it being anything else.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two of them gathered up the last of the documents which were scattered on the floor.

“Thank you for your help, Suou-kun,” Anzu said.

“Ah, yes. It was no problem at all,” Tsukasa replied shyly. His eyes darted from the floor up to Anzu, just below her eyes, a few times. He couldn’t bring himself to firmly lock his gaze with hers yet. “I assume you’re going to the faculty room. Please allow me to help you carry this stack~”

“Are you sure? I can handle it on my own,” Anzu replied. There was uncertainty in her voice and Tsukasa realized the fault lied in himself. She was clearly picking up his uneasy behavior and might even be faulting herself for it. He simply could not allow Anzu to believe she caused him any unease. However, to come out and directly say he was so nervous since he admired her from afar for so long and that he was certain he was in love with her would have been too forward. Especially for a first conversation.

“I’m sure,” Tsukasa replied confidently. Perhaps the most confident he has sounded throughout their entire conversation thus far. “I said I approached you since I wanted to help you senpai, so it would be rude of me to walk away from this now.”

He still found it hard to bring himself to look at Anzu in the eyes, but to keep going on any further in this conversation would be impertinent of him.

Gathering up all the courage he could muster, Tsukasa finally looked up at Anzu and locked his gaze with her own.

However, much to his dismay, the world remained a colorless space. Despite all the feelings he believed in up until now, Anzu was not his soulmate. And he suddenly felt stupid for riding everything he experienced on the possibility that Anzu was the one.

Tsukasa couldn’t help but feel utterly crushed. How he had hoped Anzu was his destined partner  like those in fairy tales, but it would seem he would have to wait a while longer before finally meeting the lady of his dreams.

“Shall we go senpai?” Tsukasa asked as he hid the disappointment from his tone. Even if Anzu wasn’t his soulmate that didn’t change his fondness for her. He still found himself rather attached to her regardless.

It’s been about three months since Tsukasa realized Anzu wasn’t his soulmate; however, that hadn’t stopped him from getting closer to her. A considerable portion of his free time, Tsukasa would spend it with Anzu. He can’t say for certain he’s given up the notion of dating Anzu entirely but soulmate or not, she has become someone precious to him.

“This is the last of it, Onee-sama,” Tsukasa smiled as he marked the final document before promptly handing it over to Anzu.

“Thank you for your help, Suou-kun,” Anzu replied. “I finished this a lot faster to turn it over to the student council.”

“I was more than willing to help. If ever there is such an occasion where you require any assistance, please feel free to approach me once more. It’s always my pleasure to do so,” Tsukasa replied with a bow to which Anzu couldn’t help but giggle.

“You’re always such a gentleman, Suou-kun. Whoever is your soulmate is going to be very lucky.”

“Ah... yes. I suppose she will be,” Tsukasa replied. The thought of how he still desperately wished his soulmate to be Anzu still hung over his head.

“Is something the matter, Suou-kun?” Anzu asked. Her tone was clearly concerned from Tsukasa’s apprehension.

“Everything is fine. You needn’t worry about a thing, Onee-sama,” Tsukasa smiled as he found the conviction in his heart. He would not worry Anzu over something like this. This was a personal matter dealing with his own feelings; she shouldn't be dragged into such trifling matters.

“But Onee-sama is it truly alright for you to be so lackadaisical when you need to hand these documents into the student council before it gets too late?”

“Ah! You’re right. I need to hand these in straight away or else I’ll cause problems for Mao-kun. I’m sorry, but can I leave cleaning up to you?” Anzu asked as she quickly gathered her belongings.

“Of course, please leave it to me~” Tsukasa assured.

“Thank you Suou-kun. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Anzu waved as she made her way out of the room, leaving Tsukasa alone to his own intrusive thoughts.

To stop himself from mulling over the lingering feelings he still held for Anzu, Tsukasa made sure to busy himself quickly by cleaning the room as he agreed upon. Once that was done, he also made sure the necessary textbooks he required were neatly packed away in his school bag, so he could properly head home as well.

Tsukasa spent no longer than five minutes in the room before he closed the door behind him and made his way down the hall. His driver should surely be here soon, if he wasn’t already, so he should probably make haste to not keep his driver waiting for too long.

However, despite those words, Tsukasa couldn’t help but find himself in a peculiar situation that would hold him up.

There, in the middle of the hallway, was a boy who appeared to be around the same height sprawled across the floor. He had a sharpie in hand along with what he assumed were five others in various colors scattered haphazardly around him. Upon even closer inspection, the mysterious boy he had never seen before was writing some music composition. Even if he only took a quick glance at what the stranger was writing, Tsukasa could already tell how good this song was as he quickly formed the melody in his head as he read over the notes.

It was at this moment when Tsukasa realized how the stranger was definitely composing and writing directly on the floor. He was taken so off guard by the fact that someone was in the middle of the hall and composing on the floor, he didn’t notice how the other was vandalizing school property.

Any admiration for the stranger’s work quickly evaporated as he quickly turned it into dismay for the blatant disrespect for school property and for the consideration and safety of others who also walk this hall beside him.

“You there, what do you think you’re doing writing on the floor like this?” Tsukasa asked. However, as the seconds tick by and the stranger says nothing in reply, Tsukasa finds himself growing increasingly annoyed with how he’s being ignored.

“Excuse me, do you not hear me speaking to you?” Tsukasa asked, with the annoyance in his tone becoming increasingly obvious.

However, his pleas would fall on deaf ears as the stranger continued to compose without a single care in the world. Unable to control himself any longer, Tsukasa quickly found himself shaking the other.

“When someone is speaking to you, it’s disrespectful to ignore them. Has no one taught you proper manners?” Tsukasa asked as he went to grab the stranger’s arm. This was the first time the other showed any sort of response to Tsukasa as he yanked his arm away and stubbornly resumed composing his piece.

Frustrated, Tsukasa wasn’t going to let this slide once more as he grabbed the stranger’s forearm to prevent him from composing, “Do not ignore someone when they are speaking to you!”

“Urgh!” the other suddenly exclaimed as he threw his hands up in the air and freed himself from Tsukasa’s grasp. “My inspiration, I feel it slipping away. The melody which was freely flowing through me like a geyser has evaporated into nothingness!”

Tsukasa had no idea what the boy was talking about as he rambled on about how the opera’s time has now passed and how there was nothing left.

“Well, if there’s nothing left then you can stop composing on the floor. You’re being a nuisance with your disregard for your surroundings,” Tsukasa said.

“I’m not a nuisance, you are,” the boy shot back. His eyes stayed focused on the floor as he read over the last stanza. “If I can’t capture this sweet symphony then I’ll never forgive you, Sena.”

Not only was the boy not paying attention to him, he now mixed Tsukasa up with someone he didn’t know and that alone was enough to infuriate the young heir. It showed how much the other wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying or who he was speaking to.

“I don’t know who this ‘Sena’ person is you speak of, but I am not he. My name is Tsukasa Suou. Please do remember that from now on!”

The stranger’s attention remained transfixed on his composition as he resumed to furiously scribble on the floor once more. “Mozart is a hoax and I’ll prove it with this new masterpiece. Wahahaha!”

Tsukasa’s patience was stretched thin, and he could not stand to listen to the boy blabber on any longer as he quickly grabbed the other’s wrist and held on tight. This time Tsukasa would not let him weasel out of his grasp as he had before.

“I will not repeat myself. Cease writing on the floor at once and clean up the mess you’ve created. Your inconsiderate behavior will trouble others.”

“You’re annoying. Get lost,” the boy snapped as he whipped his head around and looked at Tsukasa for the first time.

For a moment Tsukasa was pleased to finally have this scoundrel’s attention, but his appeasement would quickly shift into horror when their eyes met and the world was suddenly dyed in color.

For sixteen years, all Tsukasa has ever known was a monochromatic life. For thirteen of those years, he longed to see the world in color as it was meant to be. And for the first time in his life, Tsukasa wished his vision would have remained gray.

Tsukasa longed to meet his soulmate. It was something he dreamt of for as long as he could remember, but now that it has finally happened he wished with all his heart that he hadn’t. His soulmate couldn’t be such a funky fellow. A lunatic scribbling on the hardwood floors at school with little to no regard for his surroundings.

His soulmate was supposed to be a lovely lady. Someone both his parents would approve of. Surely there had to be some sort of mistake. There was no way his fated partner could be, for the lack of a better word, a gremlin.

The silence between the two of them was deafening and it seemed like an eternity since their eyes first locked with one another. Tsukasa knew he should be saying something here, but the lump he felt in his throat made it impossible. What was he even to say in a situation like this?

“Aaaaah! Inspiration is flowing once again,” the stranger suddenly exclaimed as he quickly redirected his attention back to the floor as he yanked his arm out of Tsukasa’s grasp. “This melody will make Mozart roll in his grave from my genius! Wahaha!”

Tsukasa knew he should be mad at how the other went back to composing on the ground, but he couldn’t bring himself to care for that any longer. His entire world was just thrown into chaos and his supposed soulmate was seemingly unbothered about what just happened.

As Tsukasa watched the other resume composing, he couldn’t stop himself from slowly backing away before turning around altogether and leaving him behind. He knew it was pointless to fight it or deny how that unrefined fellow was his soulmate, but it didn’t stop him from trying. He refused to accept that man as his soulmate.

“o-kun. Leo-kun!” Leo suddenly found himself yanked backwards by the collar, and when he turned around to see who was disrupting his genius in motion, he was met with a familiar silver-haired model.

“SENA!” Leo laughed. “You came at a good time. I just finished my latest masterpiece.”

“I don’t care about that. You’re making a mess again,” Izumi replied. “You know I’m in the same class as Hasumi so every time you go wild, I’m the one who has to hear about it from him.”

“But Sena, you’re also like a nagging mother, so wouldn’t you and Keito get along?” Leo grinned. “Ah, actually it’s great that you don’t get along. Then you guys would tag team me with your nagging. Please stay on my side until the bitter end, Sena. I can’t imagine losing you to someone like Tenshi as well!”

“What are you talking about?” Izumi asked with an incredulous tone. “I’m not going to become chummy with Tenshouin suddenly. I would rather not be friendly with anyone in my class but that Morisawa keeps pestering me. He even ropes that playboy in as well. God, he’s so annoying.”

“Wahaha, you say that Sena, but you’re the type of guy who gets super lonely. Don’t worry, I’ll always be here to take care of you, Sena!”

“Who’s taking care of who now? I do not need you to be looking after me. I’m the one looking after you. You would lose your head if it wasn’t attached to your shoulders!”

Leo only laughed once more at Izumi’s response. He was an interesting guy.

“Whoa Sena!” Leo suddenly exclaimed as he grabbed his face.

“Leo-kun, what do you think you’re doing suddenly touching me like that?!” Izumi exclaimed as he tried to wrestle Leo’s hands off his face. “I don’t know where those dirty hands have been. If my skin breaks out from your grimy hands, I’m going to be seriously pissed off.”

“But Sena. It’s amazing. I can see in color. Your eyes, they're super vibrant and light. Like the color of... actually, I’m not sure what they’re the color of. This is the first time I’m seeing color after all,” Leo laughed as he squished Izumi’s cheeks together before letting go and moving towards the window. “Whoa! Sena, your eyes are like the color of the sky! So this is what blue looks like? Wow! Amazing! I can feel another melody beginning to form in my head!”

“Hold on, don’t just go and start composing again!” Izumi said as he quickly grabbed Leo before he could grab his sharpies once more. “What do you mean you can see in color? Did- no, when did you meet your soulmate?”

“Hmmm... I’m not sure,” Leo replied. “I was busy composing this entire time, so I wasn’t paying attention, but I wasn’t seeing color before I started.”

Izumi could only let out a frustrated sigh, “Well, if you’re seeing in color, that means they are too, and they knowingly left you here. I can’t say I’m surprised. You probably scared them off.”

“I bet you would scare away your future soulmate with your nagging,” Leo joked.

“Oh shut up already,” Izumi retorted. “I already know Yuukun is my soulmate.”

“But haven’t you guys looked in the eyes a bunch of times and you still don’t see color?”

“You don’t know when to quit, do you? It’s simple, Yuukun hasn’t opened up his heart yet but once he does, he will understand how we’re meant for each other.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works.”

“Shut up, you’re the one who looked at your soulmate and still have no idea who it is, so you have no right to criticize me!”

“Oh!” Leo suddenly exclaimed. “Sena, give me your phone.”

When Leo went to reach into Izumi’s pocket for his phone, Izumi slapped his hand away. “Excuse you. Don’t just go grabbing my stuff abruptly. Use your own phone.”

“But I lost it again,” Leo whined.

“That’s not my fault. Stop losing your stuff then,” Izumi replied as he went to reach into his pocket for his phone anyway. “What do you want this for?”

“To look up colors. My soulmate, I think I vaguely remember talking to them? Yeah! They were nagging me like you, but when I saw their eyes I was suddenly hit with inspiration!”

Albeit hesitantly, Izumi did eventually hand his phone over to Leo, who quickly snatched it from him and quickly searched for colors.

“Ah yeah. It was this color: purple! He definitely had purple eyes,” Leo said excitedly as he tossed Izumi’s phone in the air without a care in the world. Izumi quickly stumbled forward and caught his phone before it could hit the ground. Once the phone was securely in his hands and after a sigh of relief, Izumi quickly shot Leo a glare; however, said glare would go unnoticed by the composer.

Izumi traced Leo’s line of sight and could see how his eyes gravitated towards the sharpies on the floor once more and quickly stepped on all six of them to stop him from composing.

“After all this, all you got is your soulmate has purple eyes? You really are an idiot,” Izumi said.

“Who told my soulmate to meet me while I’m composing? He should have come see me after I was done!” Leo huffed. It’s not his fault that his soulmate decided to come at an inconvenient moment.

“Well, good luck finding him with next to no information,” Izumi replied.

“What?! Sena, aren’t you going to help me?” Leo whined. How could his best friend just abandon him like this? “Sena, you’re so cruel!”

“And how am I supposed to do that? I can’t see in color yet, remember?” Izumi questioned, the annoyance in his tone was unmissable. 

“Then get Yuukun to love you already,” Leo said plainly.

“If it was that simple I would have done it already!” Izumi exclaimed. The constant reminder from Leo on how he and Makoto weren’t soulmates (yet) was grating on his nerves. Even more so now that Leo found his.

“C’mon, we gotta find my soulmate. He’s gonna give me limitless inspiration!” Leo declared as he grabbed onto Izumi’s arm and started dragging him along.

“Stop. Let me go right now, Leo-kun,” Izumi said, but he knew these protests would be a fruitless endeavor as he followed along with Leo’s whims.

About a month after Tsukasa had initially met his soulmate, he met him once more, this time when he entered the archery hall. He spent the past month avoiding his soulmate to the best of his ability and now he has just shown up to his club practice. Tsukasa had half the mind to ask him to leave since he was clearly not partaking in club activities, and they had no need for provisional members if they were not going to participate in actual club activities, but upon closer inspection, Tsukasa realized his soulmate was wearing the kyudo uniform, so he must be a full-fledged member of the club.

How infuriating. Tsukasa couldn’t help but think. He seriously considered skipping club practice, but what will he do when this scoundrel shows up again? Since he skipped every club practice up until today that means he probably wasn’t going to suddenly start showing up for their club activities all the time. Plus, if he ran away now, did that mean he would continuously run away from club practice whenever he sees his soulmate’s face? No. He simply could not do such a thing. This was his space, and he would ensure the other to recognize that and have him leave if he disrupts him.

After grabbing his bow and a handful of arrows, Tsukasa slowly walked towards the edge of the wooden floor, he noticed how his soulmate was once again composing, but at least this time he wasn’t scribbling directly on the floor. As long as he was writing on paper then Tsukasa couldn’t have much to complain about. He could quietly shoot his arrows in peace and if he is usually as absorbed into composing as he was the last time they met, that meant he would be so hyper-focused on his music, writing that he won’t even notice Tsukasa.

When he was an appropriate distance from the target, Tsukasa took the proper stance and readied himself. After taking a deep breath, Tsukasa held his bow in front of him as he raised and held his arrow. Patiently, Tsukasa adjusted his body slightly to center himself as he aimed for the target across the lawn. He didn’t feel a draft so his bow should shoot straight. With his mind clear and focused, Tsukasa readied himself to release the hold hr had on his arrow.

“WAHAHAHA! I’m a genius!” a voice suddenly yelled in the hall.

Taken off guard by the abrupt noise, Tsukasa lost focus for a split-second and accidentally released his hold on his arrow as it missed the target by a long shot.

Tsukasa quickly whipped his head around to see his soulmate, the only other person currently in the room suddenly scribbling like a madman as he continued to laugh. Tsukasa began to question his own judgment as to why did he ever think for even a moment the two of them could coexist in the same room without him wanting to strangle the other?

Tsukasa Suou, you’re truly a fool.

However, since his soulmate was never a provisional member with him at the start of the school year, that means he is his senior, so he should regard him with some amount of respect, even if he has done nothing to prove he deserves it. As a gentleman, he would do his best to act in a way befitting of the Suou household. He is well-mannered and polite, with years of noble training under his belt, Tsukasa should be capable of handling one rowdy teenager.

Or so he thought because he found himself aggravated a moment later when he went to line up his shot again, to only be thrown off by the other making so much noise.

“Haha, you suck at this,” Tsukasa heard from behind him.

“Excuse me?” Tsukasa said indignantly. Of course, the one commenting on his poor performance was none other than his soulmate.

“Both your shots are so far from the target. Are you sure you’re aiming properly?” the other asked.

“I am aiming fine. There is an outside force here disrupting me from focusing,” Tsukasa said as he narrowed his eyes. “Normally I perform much better than this.”

“If you can’t hit the mark under any circumstances then you’re not as good as you think,” the other said. “Oh, you’re giving me a really nasty look right now. I suppose I stuck a nerve or something. Wahahaha!”

“Of course you have. What right do you have to criticize my skills when you’re not even participating in club activities? Not once have I seen you here before today and now you come here out of the blue and think it’s proper to tell me how I ‘suck.’ If you aren’t going to actually participate in club activities then I am kindly asking you to keep your unsolicited criticisms to yourself. I do not need advice from a slacker who probably doesn’t even know how to draw a bow.”

Without a word, Tsukasa’s soulmate got up from the floor and grabbed a bow and a couple of arrows from the back of the hall, and made his way over to Tsukasa, taking the spot directly next to him. Without much thought or effort put into his form, the other quickly shot off both his arrows and hit the center of the target both times.

“You’re a hundred years too early to be challenging me, newbie~”

“Newbie? I have a proper name,” Tsukasa said.

“Huh? Should I know it? You do look a little familiar...” he said as he eyed Tsukasa carefully. Did he seriously forget they met in the hall a month ago? Tsukasa couldn’t help but wonder if he was the fool here for being the only one who cared so much about meeting his soulmate for the past month since the other seemed to have wiped their encounter from his memory.

Just as Tsukasa was about to say something (that something being telling his soulmate off for various reasons) the other already put his hand out in front of him, “Wait. Don’t answer that question. Lemme guess.”

Tsukasa stood there stunned. It’s not as if he wanted this scoundrel to acknowledge him as his soulmate, but the fact that he was apparently so forgettable or insignificant to the other made him livid. Most people would care about this sort of thing.

“Oh! I remember now, you must have been one of the aliens I met during my travels. I’m sorry little alien friend for forgetting you. I’ll burn your face to memory, so I don’t forget you again.”

Just as Tsukasa was about to give him a piece of his mind, he heard another voice from behind him.

“I thought I heard a ruckus in here, so you’re the one responsible for it, Tsukinaga,” the kyudo club president, Keito said as he approached the both of them. 

“Oh! Keito! Uchuu~ ☆ ” Leo grinned.

“Suou, don’t mind this idiot,” Keito said as he ignored the greeting. “He has an incredible knack to say whatever will annoy you most.”

“I will try to do as you say Hasumi-senpai, but that may prove to be a tad difficult,” Tsukasa replied. The total amount of time Tsukasa had spent with Leo between their first encounter and today was probably about fifteen minutes, but this was also probably the most excruciating fifteen minutes of his life.

“Hey, why are you guys talking as if I’m not right here. And you’re saying I’m rude?” his soulmate laughed. “Well, it’s the fate of a genius to go misunderstood for all eternity.”

“How incorrigible,” Keito sighed as he pushed the frame of his glasses. “I can only assume Tsukinaga hasn’t properly introduced himself to you. Suou, this is Leo Tsukinaga, he’s a third-year like myself.” Unfortunately. Keito added beneath his breath. “Tsukinaga, this is Tsukasa Suou, please don’t trouble him too much.”

“Yeah, sure thing. Nice to meet’cha, Newbie~” Leo smiled.

“I do believe I told you before how I have a name and Hasumi-senpai just iterated it for you, or did you somehow forget it already in the span of five seconds?”

“Huh? Well, it wasn’t interesting, so I wasn’t paying attention,” Leo laughed.

Just as Tsukasa was about to tell Leo off once more, he felt a hand on his shoulder, which immediately brought him down from his anger. “I understand Tsukinaga can be infuriating but try to not let it get to you too much, Suou. Otherwise, you will truly never know peace when you’re with him.

“Tsukinaga, you know I don’t care if you skip out on practice; however, since you’re here, I fully expect you to participate today.”

“Yeah, alright. It would be inconvenient being kicked out since this club gives me more freedom than most,” Leo replied.

Even though Keito had just told him to not let Leo get under his skin too much, Tsukasa couldn’t stop himself from feeling frustrated as he clenched his fists tight. Leo Tsukinaga was his soulmate. And it was at this moment Tsukasa made a silent vow to himself. He would never accept Leo as his soulmate, and he would never resign himself to this fate.

And thus this began Tsukasa's long and turbulent relationship with Leo Tsukinaga.

Despite Tsukasa’s best efforts to not involve himself with Leo too much, he still found himself gravitating to him and after about a month of this, he simply accepted his fate that he and Leo were going to be involved in each other’s lives. Tsukasa couldn’t help but wonder if this was fate at work since they were soulmates. But it seemed like Leo still hadn’t noticed the true depth of their relationship, since he never brought it up to him.

However, now that Tsukasa has become more accustomed to Leo’s behavior, it became a lot easier to manage and deal with him.

It was strange, at the start of the school year, Tsukasa didn’t have the intention of becoming friends with any of his classmates. To Tsukasa, school was an institution for learning, so there was no need to make any friends. That’s how he’s always gotten by in school up until now. He was pleasant with his classmates and would always work with them cooperatively, but they were always acquaintances at best. The one exception being Tori, who was an unfortunate acquaintance with their families coming from the same social circle, but Tsukasa would classify Tori something more akin to a rival.

But here he was now, quietly, sitting in an empty classroom as he worked on some homework his teachers assigned in class earlier that day while Leo worked on some more compositions. Tsukasa would occasionally glance over to see how close to the end of the page Leo was, and when he had three staves left on the page, Tsukasa would fish out another music sheet and hand it over to Leo to prevent him from writing on the actual desk.

Having friends wasn’t something Tsukasa ever imagined for himself, but since Leo has entered his life, it would seem people were slowly starting to gather. First it was Leo, then he introduced him to his friend, Izumi, which somehow eventually led to an unlikely friendship with his classmate, Sora.

While cultivating bonds among his peers wasn’t part of his initial plan for his high school career, Tsukasa couldn’t say he hated the fact that he had them. It was unexpectedly pleasant to have people he knew he could rely on.

“Hey Suo,” Tsukasa looked up from his homework when he heard the familiar nickname.

“Yes Leo-san?”

“Have you met your soulmate yet?” Leo asked.

The question caught Tsukasa completely off guard. He already knew that Leo had no idea it was him through their first real conversation together at the archery hall, but he didn’t expect Leo to be interested in the whole soulmate system. Not once has Leo ever indicated to him how he wanted to find out who his soulmate was or said anything, good or bad, regarding soulmates.

“What has you curious about my soulmate all of a sudden?” Tsukasa asked. He hadn’t said anything or hinted to Leo about the two of them being soulmates, did he? He really hoped not. Even if the two of them were on friendlier terms now compared to when they first met, that didn’t mean Tsukasa was any happier with Leo being his fated partner.

It was a fact he would like to forget, but the constant reminder of being able to see in color was due to the composer before him made it impossible.

“Just curious,” Leo hummed as he twirled his pencil between his fingertips. It wasn’t often that Leo gave him his (almost) full undivided attention, so it made him question the true intent behind his curiosity. But there was nothing in Leo’s expression which would betray or contradict what he had told Tsukasa.

“My romantic life isn’t here to satiate your idle curiosity,” Tsukasa huffed.

A calculated answer on his part. He didn’t outright say yes or no, so it wasn’t as if he was lying, which he knew he was bad at. And if Leo had no interest in finding out who his soulmate is, then Tsukasa had no need to privy Leo to such information.

After a few seconds of silence, Leo let out a laugh as he began patting Tsukasa on the back, “Wahaha. Suo, there’s no need to be ashamed of not finding your soulmate yet. There’s plenty of people here who haven’t yet either. Look at Sena, he says Yuukun is his soulmate, but I think even Sena isn’t that delusional enough to believe that’s actually the case.

“So, it’s okay Suo. You’re still super young, and you have your entire life ahead of you to find that pretty lady of your dreams.”

“What makes you so sure that my soulmate is a lady?” Tsukasa asked. Only moments later he would regret those words leaving his mouth. What was he thinking? It was much better for him that Leo assumed such a thing. That would mean he would be less likely to figure out they were soulmates then.

“Huh? I mean, you always came across as someone who wants to be with a proper lady to meet that high class life of yours, am I wrong?”

“No, of course not!” Tsukasa replied quickly. Perhaps a bit too quickly. If he didn't sound suspicious before, he certainly did now. He truly was digging his own grave. “I have always envisioned myself with a proper lady. That has not changed.”

“Uh-huh,” Leo said with an indifferent tone. Now that Leo was acting disengaged, Tsukasa couldn’t help but wonder what that meant. Did he truly not care after all? Or did he figure out there was something deeper behind Tsukasa’s words? Leo truly was an enigma. Against his better judgment, Tsukasa did try his best to understand him, but every time he managed to find an answer, five more questions would take its place.

“Do you not believe me?” Tsukasa asked. He just needed to make sure that Leo wasn’t suspicious of anything between the two of them.

“Why wouldn’t I? You have no reason to lie to me, right Suo?” Leo replied. Tsukasa felt a twinge of guilt in his chest. Of course, nothing he has said to Leo thus far was a lie, but he was obviously withholding crucial information at the same time. This could be considered lying by omission, couldn’t it?

“Suo, you’re definitely thinking about this too hard,” Leo said. “I get it, this is probably a heavy topic for you since you’re some big shot heir, right? It’s different for people like me. Us middle-class got it pretty easy. I can be with whoever I want, and my parents won’t say a thing. I don’t need to meet a certain standard, and neither does my partner.”

“Ah yes. I mean, it’s not that I think my struggles are any more difficult than yours. They’re just different,” Tsukasa replied. He knew this type of engagement with Leo was against his best interests. Letting Leo believe he had all sorts of concerns that outweighed his own was a soundproof way for assuring Leo never discovered the fact that they are soulmates, but that train of thought didn’t sit well with him. “Certainly there are things even you struggle with Leo-san.”

Tsukasa couldn’t explain why he cared so much. Was it because Leo was his friend? Or was it something else? Was this fate at work trying to bring the two of them together? He mentally shook his head. He was simply concerned as his friend, nothing more. But if this was maybe a greater power at work than he needed to stay on guard. He would not allow himself to be caught up in these emotions and sway him from who he is. He would remain strong and hold true to his beliefs. Beliefs that would also not allow for Leo to suffer on his own.

“It wasn’t idly curiosity, you know,” Leo finally said to break the silence between them.

“Excuse me?”

“Earlier, you said you didn’t want to tell me ‘cause you thought I was randomly curious on a whim. I guess I get that, you don’t exactly have the best impression of me after all. I’m not even sure why you’re hanging out with me half the time,” Leo laughed. “Earlier this year, I think I met my soulmate. Well, I mean, I know I did since I can see in color now.”

As Leo continued to talk, Tsukasa felt as if something lodged in his throat. Why was Leo suddenly sharing this information with him? Was this merely a matter of trust? Or was fate at work once more? There was a part of him that wanted to run away. Just as he did the very first day the two of them met.

However, despite everything his brain was telling him how he should run away, Tsukasa’s feet stood firmly planted in the ground. He couldn’t bring himself to run away.

“Inspiration was overflowing within me that day. I remember thinking how this will be my greatest masterpiece yet but I’m a blockhead, you know. My soulmate was there and I pushed them away.”

“Do you remember what they look like?” Tsukasa asked. He knew he was treading an incredibly fine line. If he didn’t remember, Tsukasa could end up jogging Leo’s memories, and he could then potentially remember the soulmate he was looking for was standing before him. But at the same time, Tsukasa knew he needed to know how much Leo remembered. It was risky to ask Leo these questions, but it was a calculated risk he needed to take. In order to devise a plan for the future which keeps the secret of the two of them being soulmates from Leo, this was information Tsukasa needed to know.

With high risks comes high rewards. Tsukasa thought to himself.

Yes, for the sake of keeping this secret buried, this is what Tsukasa had to do. There was no deeper meaning behind his actions.

“If it was that simple, I would have found them long ago,” Leo replied. “I know they go to our school, but I was so focused on composing I don’t remember anything besides how much they nagged me like Sena and the color purple.”

Tsukasa decided to say nothing about being compared to Izumi. If he allowed himself to get worked up about a comment like that here, he would likely end up giving himself away as his soulmate when he is supposed to know nothing. Leo called himself a blockhead, but he was by no means stupid. He was strangely observant when he wanted to be. Something Tsukasa found both troubling and frustrating.

Before Tsukasa could come up with what to say next, he heard the door swing up abruptly. And there stood none other than Izumi Sena himself. Judging by his aggressive entrance and the scary expression on his face, something happened, and that something wasn’t anything good.

“Wahahaha! What has you so mad, Sena?” Leo laughed.

“Leo-san, don’t agitate Sena-senpai anymore than he already is,” Tsukasa chided. “However, no matter how frustrated you are, that doesn’t mean you should take it out on the door, Sena-senpai. This is school property after all, and we should be treating it with the upmost respect.”

Izumi’s frown morphed into something more of a smile before he started waving at Tsukasa, “Kasa-kun come here for a second.”

“Ah, yes. How can I help you, Sena-senpai?” Tsukasa asked as he approached his senior. Before he had a moment to suspect anything, Izumi’s eyes went dark as he suddenly started pulling on both of Tsukasa’s cheeks.

“You have some nerve to talk to your senpai like that, Kasa-kun,” Izumi said as he pinched Tsukasa’s cheeks a little harder.

“Ow, ow. Sena-senpai that hurts,” Tsukasa said as he struggled to get Izumi to get Izumi to release his hold on him. However, the more force Tsukasa used to get Izumi to let go, the tighter the grip Izumi had on his cheeks. “This is abuse, both physically and in power. Please unhand me at once.”

Izumi didn’t seem to care much for what Tsukasa had to say as he continued to stretch his cheeks out. Thankfully, he didn’t torture Tsukasa for too much longer, so when he finally let go, Tsukasa quickly stepped back and closer to Leo once more to stay out of Izumi’s immediate reach.

It wasn’t that Tsukasa expected special treatment as the Suou heir, but his seniors didn’t have to treat him in such a brutish manner. While he kept a close eye on Izumi, Tsukasa rubbed his cheeks to help alleviate the pain of being stretched out so far.

“Wahaha, Sena, this is why so many of our juniors are so scared of you. You should learn to express your love in a more positive way,” Leo laughed as he approached Izumi and aggressively patted him on the back. All the while, Tsukasa gave Leo the craziest expression for continuing to egg Izumi on while he was in such a foul mood. “What’s got your panties in a twist, Sena?”

“That doesn’t concern you, Leo-kun,” Izumi said as he shoved Leo off his shoulder and took a seat at the table.

“Eeeeh? But you just bullied our cute Suo. I think you owe him an explanation. C’mon, tell us Sena. I promise I won’t make fun of you~”

“Please do not use me as an excuse to get Sena-senpai to open up to us about what troubles him,” Tsukasa said as he took a seat at the table as well. Though, he made sure to take one that was out of reach from Izumi if he decided to resort to physical means of torment once more.

“Buuuuuh,” Leo whined as he took a seat at the table as well.

“Don’t be like that, Leo-san,” Tsukasa said. “We shouldn’t force Sena-senpai to talk about his troubles if he doesn’t wish to talk about them.”

“Fiiiiine,” Leo said as he let out an exasperated sigh.

Although he agreed he wouldn’t press Izumi for answers, that didn’t stop him from pestering him as he kept egging him on in other ways.

“Then lemme imagine it. What has Sena so mad?” Leo closed his eyes as he started waving his pencil around in the air. “Ah! It’s coming to me. Yuukun told Sena how he hates him, so he’s super grumpy now for heartbreak. Aaaaah. Sena, I’m sorry. I have no idea who my soulmate is as well. We’re in this together. Even if the world turns against you, I will always remain by your side. Suo too! Together we’re like the three musketeers!”

“Please don’t lump me into your narrative as you see fit without discussing it with me first,” Tsukasa said.

“You would leave Sena hanging to dry, Suo? Wow, you’re so cruel. What kinda gentleman are you?”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“We are not the same, you idiot. The only reason you don’t know your soulmate is because you’re an idiot who couldn’t stop composing for five seconds to get a proper look at them,” Izumi yelled as he pushed Leo, who was now hugging him tight.

“Hey! That’s mean. I just said we’re here for you and you call me an idiot? You’re the idiot!” Leo yelled back. “Stupid. Stuuuupid Sena.”

“Leo-san, are you trying to help Sena-senpai or not?” Tsukasa asked.

“He’s trying to aggravate me, of course,” Izumi replied. “And it’s working. I’m pissed. Suuuper pissed. You’re so annoying, Leo-kun.”

“Sena is the one who came storming in here clearly upset. You were practically begging us to ask what’s wrong,” Leo said with a haughty tone. “You’re the one being stubborn and taking out your anger on us. Sena is so dumb. A big dummy.”

“You—!” Izumi yelled as he gripped Leo’s hoodie and yanked him close. For a moment Tsukasa was genuinely concerned with what Izumi was about to do next, but he somehow managed to at least keep his hands to himself and not punch Leo in the face. All things considered, Tsukasa knew he wouldn’t have blamed Izumi if he did.

“Leo-san, Sena-senpai, please. This is no time to be fighting among ourselves,” Tsukasa said as he stood up from his seat, ready to physically intervene between the two of them if necessary. Izumi (aside from pinching he’s fond of) generally didn’t resort to violence, and Tsukasa can’t recall a moment where Leo ever raised his fists at anyone either. Despite how combative both of them may get with their words, neither of them would physically engage with another person. However, with emotions running as high as they were, Tsukasa knew he couldn’t be too safe.

Thankfully, all that ended up happening was Izumi grunting and releasing his grip on Leo’s hoodie as he took a seat back down. Leo attempted to make some faces at Izumi at first, but Tsukasa quickly shot Leo a glare to get him to stop.

“Sena-senpai, while you’re not obligated to discuss with us what is bothering you, but if it bothers you enough, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to open us about what happened,” Tsukasa suggested. It seemed rather hypocritical of him to tell Izumi to speak up and discuss his feelings with the two of them since neither he nor Leo ever discussed their feelings either.

When it came down to it, the three of them had strong personalities and kept their thoughts and troubles to themselves. It’s why Tsukasa didn’t want to press Izumi in the first place to discuss how he felt. He was the type to want to resolve his issues quietly with himself, but since Leo had to go out of his way to instigate with Izumi, it made it hard to allow Izumi to process and sort out his struggles on his own.

Tsukasa couldn’t say for sure that Izumi would be more willing to discuss his troubles with them now compared to five minutes ago when Leo pestered him, but at least he did it in a more diplomatic way and left the door open if he so desired to. Izumi knew he could confide in either of them.

Izumi kept quiet in his seat for a few seconds. The pensive expression on his face was unmistakable as he mulled over his thoughts.

However, what surprised Tsukasa most was the sudden, frustrated grunt Izumi let out as he scratched his head. The model looked up at both Leo and Tsukasa, then back down on the table before finally saying something. “I met them.”

“Huh? You met who?” Leo asked, suddenly, super close to Izumi once more as he leaned on him while he poked his side. “Who? Who? Who?”

Izumi quickly shoved Leo off him and barked at him. “My soulmate, you idiot! I met my soulmate!”

Ah. Tsukasa thought. That would explain Izumi’s poor mood. He was rather smitten with Makoto, so it made sense he would be upset to meet his soulmate and have to accept the fact he tried so hard to fiercely deny. Makoto Yuuki was not his soulmate and his actual soulmate was now before him, and he needed to accept that reality.

Tsukasa could honestly say he felt bad. While he knew the chances of Makoto being Izumi’s soulmate were nil, he still found himself hoping it would work out for him.

While part of it was because he wanted Izumi to be happy. The other part was that he wanted proof that fate could be changed. That if he worked hard enough, then your soulmate didn’t have to be your destined partner to spend the rest of your life with.

Tsukasa desperately wished to escape the grasp of his fate to Leo.

“Is that really bad though?” Leo asked. “You met your soulmate. You should be happy! I mean, you should have known Yuukun wasn’t your actual soulmate. That’s not how things work, you know.”

“What would you know, Leo-san?” Tsukasa said abruptly, much to the surprise of both Leo and Izumi. The two of them suddenly looked over to the younger male and saw the fury in his eyes. “You don’t understand what it’s like to be disappointed in who your soulmate is! Maybe it’s foolish to want to defy the fate of who your soulmate is, but I don’t see the problem in trying. Not when you’re trying so hard to protect the ideals and beliefs you hold dear.”

After his outburst, silence hung over the room as Tsukasa tightly gripped the table below himself. The thoughts that plagued his mind for months finally bubbled over and came shooting out like a geyser. Izumi and Leo continued to say nothing as they stared at each other and then Tsukasa in silence. Both of them were clearly surprised to see Tsukasa so worked up. It wasn’t the first time either had listened to Tsukasa speaking passionately, but this was the first time they had seen him this furious.

Normally, Tsukasa would steer clear of the topic of 'soulmates' and the two of them were beginning to see why after that little outburst of his.

Once Tsukasa’s nerves calmed down some, the reality of the situation began to sink in, and Tsukasa’s face flushed from embarrassment as he quickly looked down at the table. He did it now. He hadn’t meant to take out his frustrations on Leo. He lectured Izumi for the very act he just committed. What a fool he was. He was supposed to be helping Izumi but in the end he aired out his troubles instead.

“Forgive me for my sudden outburst,” Tsukasa apologized. Once he looked up at Leo and Izumi once more, he could see the concern in both their expressions. Especially in Izumi’s as the two of them locked gazes with one another. And after looking both of them in the eyes, Tsukasa was fairly certain they were going to ask him questions he didn’t necessarily want to answer. “I’m sorry, but I just remembered there are some urgent matters I need to take care of at home. I will see you both tomorrow.”

Before either Leo or Izumi could get a word in, Tsukasa quickly grabbed his belongings and hurried out the door. It was cowardly for him to be running away like he was. He knew that, but he didn’t know how to navigate whatever the conversation sure to follow if he had stayed.

“Um… Sena, do you know what just happened?” Leo asked.

“I’m not sure,” Izumi replied. His eyes remained transfixed on the door that Tsukasa abruptly dashed out of. He wasn’t sure, but he might have a vague suspicion.

A few days have passed since Tsukasa has last seen either Leo or Izumi. After that embarrassing display from their last encounter, Tsukasa found it difficult to face them. He even went as far as to skip kyudo practice to avoid Leo. While Leo never regularly attended their practices, Tsukasa had a pretty good feeling Leo was bound to show up this time, so he decided to avoid the archery hall altogether. He even tried to keep his time on the main floor of the school brief as possible too to minimize his chances to see Izumi.

Unlike Leo, Izumi was diligent about coming to school. Tsukasa also knew how Izumi was definitely the type to want to track him down. He was sure Izumi was already trying to. There were times he left his classroom and came back to his classmates saying how a silver-haired senpai was looking for him. And the one time he spotted Izumi in the hall, the other immediately beelined for him and Tsukasa was honesty surprised he was able to shake him.

Ever since then, Tsukasa has been extra cautious while walking around the school campus. Izumi was surely going to chew him out for running away when he finally caught him, but for now he was going to do his best to avoid the both of them.

Tsukasa knew he was going to have to face the both of them properly again at some point (probably sooner rather than later) but for at least a little while longer, he didn’t want to think about the mess he potentially made as well as give himself more time to mull over his thoughts and how he should approach them next.

“Tsuka-chan, that’s the third time you spaced out.”

Upon hearing the nickname, Tsukasa snapped out of his thoughts and focused his attention back on the TV. He couldn’t help but notice how on Sora’s side of the screen it said how he was first place while the top right of his he was solidly at twelfth and on lap two of three. Not to mention, judging by the location of his character and the fact that he wasn’t moving, he definitely fell off the course at some point while his own thoughts distracted him.

“I apologize Harukawa-kun,” Tsukasa replied solemnly. Sora was another person he became unlikely friends with. However, unlike Leo and Izumi, Sora was his classmate, so it was easier for him to get along with Sora at times for that reason.

“Is something the matter, Tsuka-chan?” Sora asked.

“No, everything is fine,” Tsukasa lied. “I promise, I’ll focus on the game this time so how about we start it over?”

The way Sora stared at Tsukasa, he knew that Sora didn’t like the answer he gave him, “If something is bothering Tsuka-chan, you can tell Sora, you know. Tsuka-chan’s colors has been weird for a few days...”

Ah, yes. Tsukasa forgot how Sora was surprisingly observant as well. He didn’t necessarily understand what the ‘colors’ Sora referred to as meant, but he was sure it was beyond merely seeing the world in color after meeting your soulmate by the way he talked about it.

“Sorry, Sora didn’t know how else to get you to talk, so he asked Tsuka-chan to play games as a way to create an opening but if you don’t wanna talk that’s also fine. Sora will happily play games with Tsuka-chan as well.”

“No, thank you for your concern, Harukawa-kun. I truly do appreciate it,” Tsukasa replied. He’s never had a friend like Sora before. Having someone his age that he could confide too was a rather pleasant feeling. “Harukawa-kun, you talk about seeing people’s colors all the time, did you happen to meet your soulmate to see these colors?”

Sora gave Tsukasa a pensive look at first, and he was beginning to wonder if maybe he shouldn’t have asked that question. It was normally a rather personal question to ask someone and it might even be more so with Sora since seeing colors was something even deeper for him than the average person.

“Sora isn’t sure actually. Sora has always been able to see in color since a young age,” he admitted. “But is Tsuka-chan curious about the colors Sora sees?”

“Yes, I understand your ability to see colors is ‘synesthesia’ correct? But I guess I’m just curious to how exactly it works,” Tsukasa replied.

“Hmmmm... Well, when Sora looks at someone depending on how they feel it takes the form of colors Sora can see,” Sora tried to explain. “Sora isn’t sure how to explain it. It’s like a translucent blob surrounding a person and Sora sees it perfectly. He can tell how people feel based on the color they are emitting. Like when a person is happy, Sora sees light colors surrounding them. Colors that leave a warm feeling inside.”

“Ah, I see,” Tsukasa said, so there was no correlation between his synesthesia and soulmates then most likely. It just helped Sora become more in tuned with people’s emotions. Though, it seemed like the other seemed to struggle with how to do go about that. “Thank you Harukawa-kun. I think that clears up some of my questions a little bit.”

“Is Tsuka-chan worried about his soulmate?”

Once Tsukasa heard Sora’s question, he debated with how much he wanted to divulge to Sora regarding his struggles. Talking to someone how he was feeling was a new experience for him, and it was a little overwhelming if he was to be frank with himself. However, it was rather liberating to talk to someone like this. Not to mention, he has spent days trying to process and figure out his emotions that hearing another opinion from a third unaffiliated party might be good for him.

“I am,” Tsukasa replied. “Though, I suppose, not in the typical way people would find themselves concerned over their soulmate.

“There was a time I held this soulmate system in a high regard. I can see now that my ideal soulmate and what I expected was a rather lofty dream. Earlier this year I finally met my soulmate. It should have been a joyous occasion, but instead I was crushed with the weight of the reality of the situation and the utter disappointment I experienced that day with who my soulmate was.

“However, my soulmate is not a terrible person. He just... wasn’t what I was expecting. I don’t think I can confidently say I’m over the feeling of disappointment in him like I felt the day we met, but everything I’m feeling is now is far more complicated compared to back then.

“So, really, I'm just unsure of what to do going forward. My soulmate is not a bad person and I actually do rather enjoy his company for a reason I cannot explain, but there’s also this feeling of how I shouldn’t enjoy my time with him lingering in the back of my mind. Does that make sense?”

Sora stayed quiet for a bit as he thought about what Tsukasa just told him. It was a fairly deep topic and there was a lot to unpack from what he said, so he didn’t mind if Sora didn’t have anything to say in return. It was kind enough of him to listen to him ramble about the uncertain feelings of his heart.

“Is Leo-san Tsuka-chan’s soulmate?” Sora asked from out of the blue. It caught the red head so off guard that Tsukasa could feel his mouth go agape before he quickly closed his mouth properly once more. Was it that obvious how his soulmate was Leo? No, it couldn’t be. Even Izumi didn’t notice. Or was he simply keeping silent this entire time?

“How did you know?” Tsukasa finally asked.

“Because of Tsuka-chan’s colors,” Sora replied. “It normally never changes, but it would whenever you were around Leo-san.”

A wave a relief washed over Tsukasa once he heard Sora’s response. If it was only Sora’s synesthesia that tipped him off then that meant there was still a decent chance no one else outside of this room knew.

“Does Tsuka-chan hate Leo-san?” Sora asked.

“Leo-san is an incredibly vexing person who always manages to find a way to annoy me. He has caused me countless headaches since the very moment we met. Leo-san creates a mess where ever he goes, there isn’t a single elegant bone in his body, and least we forget how both chaos and mischief tends to follow him.

“There are honestly countless reasons to why I should hate Leo-san. However, for whatever reason, I cannot bring myself to do so. My colors might be weird, and I’m facing a lot of inner turmoil right now too, but if I’m certain about one thing, it’s that I do not hate Leo-san.”

“Tsuka-chan, your color becomes light whenever he talks about Leo-san,” Sora smiled. “Your color has been really murky, but the moment Tsuka-chan started talking about Leo-san, it definitely became a lot brighter.”

“I see…” Tsukasa replied. He wasn’t really sure what to make of what Sora was telling him. Though he supposed, it reaffirmed what he already knew, but that didn’t necessarily help him with what he should do next.

Before Tsukasa could contemplate about what it was that he wanted to do next regarding Leo, he felt his phone start to vibrate in his pocket. After taking the phone out of his pocket, he recognized his driver’s name on the caller ID.

“I’m sorry Harukawa-kun, it would appear my ride is here, so it looks like we’ll have to cut our game short as well,” Tsukasa apologized.

“Oh, it’s no problem Tsuka-chan. We can always play more next time,” Sora smiles.

Tsukasa offered a smile in return as he gathered up his belongings as well, “Well then, I’ll see you on Monday then.”

“Yep, have a good weekend Tsuka-chan,” Sora said as he waved goodbye.

For the first time in months, Tsukasa had dinner with his parents and normally this would be something he would be ecstatic about. His parents were away for a considerable portion of the year, and he was often left home alone with the family staff, so Tsukasa always found himself in good spirits whenever his parents were able to spend time with him.

When the three of them can have dinner together, he would talk to them quite a lot in order to catch them up on what was going on at home while they were away. However, at dinner today, his mind kept drifting, and he hardly said a word to either of them. His mother took notice of his odd behavior and even asked if he was feeling unwell since he wasn’t his normal talkative self.

Of course, he assured the both of them how he was fine. Tsukasa didn’t want them to worry about him, especially when he was still trying to sort out all his emotions still as well. 

If possible, Tsukasa would rather keep them in the dark about his soulmate situation a little while longer as well. Aside from wanting to figure out his own feelings and how to go about handling his relationship with Leo, Tsukasa couldn’t find the willpower to inform his parents how he met his soulmate and how he was probably a menace to society.

The thought of bringing Leo home with him one day to meet his parents and imaging the expressions of disgust they would have not only towards Leo, but their own son as well, for having such a person as his soulmate terrified him. Tsukasa was fairly confident how it was an irrational fear for him to have that his parents would disown him over his soulmate since it wasn’t as if he had a choice in the matter of who his soulmate was, (if it was up to him, he would have chosen Anzu) but that didn’t stop his mind from coming up with such inane scenarios anyway.

Tsukasa could only hope his parents would give him a bit more time before opening up to them about what troubles plague his mind. He was certain they saw through his lie about being fine and wanted to respect his wishes to overcome what was troubling him on his own as a way to respect his independence. However, that didn’t mean that stopped either of them from worrying about him.

For the sake of his parents, Leo and himself, Tsukasa knew he needed to figure out how to approach Leo next they meet. He couldn’t avoid him the rest of his life. It wasn’t fair to Leo in the slightest. Especially after finding out Leo had been searching for him this entire time. Even if Leo didn’t realize it was him he was looking for.

Tsukasa sighed as he stared down at his textbook before ultimately deciding to close it. He finished his homework already, so he was just reading up on what they would be covering on Monday’s lesson, but he wasn’t able to focus on anything his textbook said beyond four sentences. He has probably read the same passage at least five times and nothing was stuck in his head. It was a fruitless effort to try and continue his studies with his current mindset. Plus he still had all weekend to read, so there was no pressing need to get this done tonight.

For now, a change of pace was probably necessary, so Tsukasa decided going out to take a stroll would probably help clear his mind. After he made sure to inform his parents and family staff of his departure, as well as assure them he did not need anyone to accompany him, Tsukasa made his way out the door.

Tsukasa felt the crisp evening air on his cheeks as he walked through the nearby park to his house. Given the hour, Tsukasa expected the park to be deserted, so he was surprised to see another figure in the distance sitting on one of the swings. Judging by their posture and the way they listlessly pushed themselves back and forth on the swing, the stranger didn’t appear to be someone he needed to be wary of, so Tsukasa slowly approached the other. His curiosity got the better of him as he tried to figure out who else would come to the park this late at night.

However, to Tsukasa’s surprise once he was closer to the stranger, he realized he recognized the figure.

“Leo-san?” Tsukasa called out accidentally before he immediately clamped his mouth shut. He never figured out what he would say next to Leo, so now he was incredibly unprepared for how to carry out this conversation. If he hadn’t said anything and continued walking through the park, pretending not to see Leo, he could have had more time to think.

There was a part of Tsukasa that hoped maybe Leo didn’t hear him call his name, but with how silent the park was, it was impossible for Leo to not have heard him.

Moments later, Leo raised his head from looking at the ground and looked over to where Tsukasa was standing. “Oh! Suo uchuu~ ☆ ”

Tsukasa was taken aback by how normal Leo was acting with him. As if nothing and happened, and he hadn’t just spent the past few days avoiding him for his outburst. But if Leo wasn’t going to make a big deal of it right now, then he could pretend for a little while longer there was nothing the two of them needed to address.

“Leo-san, what on earth are you doing here?” Tsukasa asked, as far as he knew Leo didn’t live anywhere near his neighborhood, so there was no good reason for him to be here. Though, knowing Leo, he was probably wandering around listlessly and going where ever his feet took him in search of inspiration. It wouldn’t be the first time Leo got himself lost from not paying attention from where he was going.

“Hmmm... that’s a good question,” Leo laughed. “Give me a moment. The answer is coming to me, I feel it!”

Tsukasa rolled his eyes at Leo’s response. He wasn’t expecting anything different from Leo, but he still had hoped maybe the other wouldn’t put him through the hoops he normally does.

However, Tsukasa had to admit, it was rather nice that things were pretty normal between the two of them. Maybe he has been overthinking things the past few days. He didn’t know for sure that Leo suspected anything was the matter between the two of them. For all Tsukasa knew, Leo could have taken his apology at face value and disregarded everything he said.

Was he the idiot here who was worked up over nothing? That was certainly a possibility.

“Ah ha!” Leo abruptly yelled, which caused Tsukasa jump a bit from the sudden outburst. “I came to talk to you, Suo. Yeah, that was definitely it. I remember asking that blockhead emperor for your address, so I could see you.”

So much for the theory on Leo not suspecting anything. Tsukasa thought to himself. And the fact that Leo went to Eichi for his address was not a point he could overlook either. He wasn’t exactly sure what happened in the past between Leo and Eichi but from what he could tell they were decent friends before and something happened to put them at odds with one another currently. So the fact that Leo went as far as to ask Eichi for information showed how serious Leo probably took his outburst the other day. The only question was if it was simply out of concern or if he began to suspect something. Tsukasa could only pray, it was the former.

“So what is it that you wish to talk about Leo-san?” Tsukasa asked. “I don’t know what you could find so pressing that you would want to come visit at such a late hour when you could ask me at school on Monday.”

“Could I really though?” Leo asked, which caught Tsukasa off guard. “You’re avoiding me, right?”

Tsukasa’s eyes quickly darted to Leo and then the ground once he realized Leo called him out point-blank. It’s true that he was avoiding Leo, but he didn’t think Leo would seek him out in response, and he especially didn’t expect Leo to directly ask why he was avoiding him. If anything, this was a fierce reminder how when it comes to Leo Tsukinaga, you need to expect the unexpected.

“I- um…” Tsukasa made an attempt to find the appropriate words, but he failed at it miserably. There was no good excuse he could offer to Leo, which would justify his actions. He was especially aware of that now, with Leo confronting him.

“It’s fine Suo.” It’s not, Tsukasa thought. “I’m kinda used to people distancing themselves from me, so it’s not that big of a deal to me.”

“It’s obviously not fine,” Tsukasa replied curtly. He wasn’t sure where this anger came from, but hearing Leo just accepting someone who was obviously in the wrong mistreating him like it was nothing aggravated Tsukasa. “How can you tell me how the fact that I was avoiding you isn’t a big deal? You came here seeking me out because of it, correct? So why would you lie to the both of us about that?”

This time it was Leo’s turn to stand there stunned, unsure of what to say next.

“Leo-san, you have every right to be angry with me. For days, I avoided both you and Sena-senpai because I didn’t know how to face either of you after such an unsightly display. The proper thing would have been to discuss what happened the next day, but instead I opted to run away like a coward as I lamented on what I did wrong rather than trying to correct it.

“Even now, you’re here for my sake rather than your own. Why do you insist on putting yourself second to the needs of others?”

There was silence between the two of them. Neither of them were sure of what they wanted to say next to the other. Leo was taken off guard and seemed visibly confused, which Tsukasa supposed should be expected. He went from avoiding Leo for days to suddenly angry at him on his behalf for not putting himself first more often. And if Tsukasa were to be honest, he wasn’t completely sure what came over him either, but seeing Leo belittle himself incited anger within him.

“Well, you know, just a selfish guy like me trying to not be selfish for once,” Leo laughed.

“What about you is selfish, Leo-san?” Tsukasa asked in a demanding tone. He could not figure out for the life of him why Leo insisted on looking down on himself.

When they first met, Tsukasa had a poor opinion of Leo. If this was months ago, then Tsukasa would have agreed with Leo on him being selfish, along with ignorant, and inconsiderate of those around him. However, things were different now. Tsukasa couldn’t claim to be an expert on Leo by any means, but he has been with him long enough to know there was more to him than meets the eye.

“How can you still speak so ill of yourself, Leo-san?”

“And how can I not when you’re avoiding me?” Leo shot back. “Suo, you’re someone I never would have imagined running away from a conflict. You were always confronting me about every little thing and listed out all the grievances you had. What am I supposed to think when you suddenly start running from me?”

Tsukasa found himself unsure of what to say next. Leo was right, what else was he supposed to think if someone who never had a history of running away suddenly started running? But this is exactly what Tsukasa meant when he said Leo wasn’t as selfish as he made himself out to be.

“Suo, are you disappointed in your soulmate?” Leo suddenly asked.

“Where did that come from all of a sudden?” Tsukasa asked. “I’m fairly confident I told you the last time when you started asking about my soulmate that I’m not here to satiate your idle curiosity with my private affairs.”

“But it’s not private between the two of us, now is it?” Leo replied, his tone came off closer to a statement rather than a question.

“I’m afraid I don’t follow,” Tsukasa said. He knew full well what Leo was alluding to. How could he be so obtuse to not know what Leo meant? But even with almost everything laid out on the table in front of them and all the words they have exchanged, Tsukasa wasn’t sure if he was ready to have this conversation yet.

“Suo, we both know you’re not that stupid,” Leo replied firmly. Whether he was ready or not, Tsukasa knew Leo wasn’t going to let him avoid this topic any longer.

“... how long have you known?” Tsukasa asked, figuring a way to ease himself into the conversation rather than diving straight in.

“Um... since the other day. After you stormed out of the room, Sena pointed out how your eyes were purple and it clicked then,” Leo replied. “But I guess deep down I knew for months. Like, whenever I looked at you I would feel a rush of inspiration well up inside of me and I knew I had to write every one of those melodies down ‘cause I knew each of them would be a masterpiece.

“And since you never said anything about it, I would pretend not to see it. I told myself things like ‘If the most honest guy I knew wasn't saying, then there’s no reason to think otherwise’, but in reality, I guess I just didn’t want to ruin what we had.

“Suo, no matter how annoyed or frustrated you were with me, you never once left my side. You were always there and looked out for me. You were like my little beacon guiding me to the right path. So, when you suddenly stopped showing up, I guess I panicked thinking you were gonna vanish on me.”

“You really are an idiot if you think I was just going to walk out of your life like that,” Tsukasa finally said. “I just needed time to gather my thoughts.”

“And...?”

“And what?”

“There’s gotta be more to it than just needing some thinking time to yourself. Otherwise, you could have easily told me or Sena that without the need to run away,” Leo pointed out. Tsukasa stayed silent a moment longer once again. He knew Leo offered a fair point. If it was nothing deeper than wanting some time to think, he could have easily told the both of them that without causing so much chaos while still getting the space he needed to mull over said thoughts.

There was weight and value in Leo’s words and Tsukasa began to question the true reason he decided to run away in the first place. What had him so scared he felt he couldn’t face Leo afterwards? Somewhere in his heart, Tsukasa knew the answer, even if he didn’t want to admit it out loud.

“Suo, are you disappointed in who your soulmate is?” Leo asked once more. If Leo had asked him this question yesterday, the answer would have been a resounding yes. However, after his conversation with Sora, Tsukasa began to doubt the sincerity of that conviction. For months, Tsukasa told himself he was disappointed in who fate chose to be his soulmate. But here he stood now, before his soulmate, the person he wanted to renounce since the moment they met, and despite he was now given the perfect opportunity to do so, Tsukasa could not give Leo a solid answer.

“I’m not sure,” Tsukasa replied honestly. “When we first met, when my vision started to clear and I could see color for the first time, I didn’t know how to feel. It should have been a joyous occasion to finally meet my fated partner, but you were nothing what I imagined my soulmate to be like. Granted, I recognize I had some rather lofty expectations, but it was a lot for me to accept at once.

“The Suou heir should have a soulmate that equals to their stature. That’s what I always thought. However, my soulmate turned out to be some crazed musical genius who loved composing his works on the floor with a marker. Knowing the expectations that both myself and what society has for me, I didn’t want to accept the reality of who my soulmate was, so I decided the feeling of disappointment was what I had to be experiencing.

“Despite how I attempted to defy fate, I still found myself tethered to you as we naturally became friends. Throughout the course of our friendship I would remind myself the true nature of our relationship to not forget. It’s fine to be friends, but to be soulmates is unthinkable. I felt as if I would lose a piece of myself if I ever accepted that fate, and that’s why for so long I tried to deny it.

“And now we come to this, you stand before me asking if I’m disappointed in the fact that you’re my soulmate and try as I might to not give in to my fate, I am now uncertain of my feelings for you exactly are. There is no doubt the times I find myself exasperated most is when I am with you, but I also have the most fun when I’m with you as well.

“If there is something I am certain of now, it’s how I wish to cast aside my pride and try to fully understand what these feelings are. I cannot say for sure what this will develop into. I don’t wish to give you any false hope or pretenses like how we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together and live happily ever after. But right now, I can at least acknowledge how you, Leo Tsukinaga, are my soulmate. Regardless of whether I like it or not, that is a fact which cannot be denied. And it’s for that reason, I should be willing to at least try. To give up before even making an attempt is a disservice to the both of us. That is the conclusion I have come to.”

Once Tsukasa finished saying his piece, he hesitantly looked over to Leo, who was surprisingly silent the entire time. Had he said too much? Possibly. Tsukasa was honestly surprised, he said, as much as he did too, considering he was so uncertain of what he wanted to say right up until he started talking as well. He never expected the words to flow out of his mouth so naturally since he had struggled so much with his feelings the past few days.

The silence between the two of them seemed like an eternity to Tsukasa. It almost felt torturous as he waited for Leo’s reply, but he probably deserved it after how he treated Leo the past few days.

Right before Tsukasa was about to say something to break the silence, Leo suddenly started laughing.

“Leo-san, I’m being serious here,” Tsukasa could hear the tone in his voice shift into something that sounded borderline whining. Something not befit of a gentleman in the slightest.

“I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you, Suo. I swear,” Leo replied as he patted Tsukasa on the back. “It was just a very Suo kinda response. I really love that about you.”

“L-love!?” Tsukasa repeated as his face flushed. It wasn’t as if this was the first time Leo has said those words to him. He said it plenty of times to him and countless times to Izumi along with other acquaintances, but the word seemed to carry a different weight on Tsukasa's heart, this time with the knowledge of them being soulmates out in the open now.

“Yep~” Leo grinned as he leaned in a bit closer. A little too close for Tsukasa’s preference, but luckily for him, Leo backed off not that long after and ruffled with Tsukasa’s hair instead.

“Leo-san, please stop this at once. You’re going to mess up my hair,” Tsukasa said as he goes to pry Leo’s hands off of him, but Leo removes his hand of his own accord soon after.

“Hey Suo, since you said you’re gonna make an honest effort then maybe we should go on a proper date together,” Leo suggested.

“I didn’t agree to a date,” Tsukasa replied hastily.

“Then how are you supposed to give this a try?” Leo asked with a grin still on his face. No doubt he was certainly having his fun. Probably to make up for the past few days of not being able to annoy Tsukasa as much as he would have liked.

“Um...” Tsukasa stood there as he tried to figure out what they could do together to make the earnest effort he mentioned. A date was the easiest answer, but he wasn’t sure if he was mentally ready for something as monumental as a date. Not to mention, he didn’t want to make it a spectacle either.

“How about you come back home with me,” Tsukasa suggested. “It’s getting late. I’m sure your parents are concerned to where you’ve wandered off to, so we can properly inform them how you’re safe.”

“You won’t go on a date, but you’ll take me back to your place? Suo, I’m not sure if you move too fast or too slow,” Leo laughed.

“Don’t make it sound like anything indecent is going to happen,” Tsukasa replied with an appalled tone. “My parents are home, so please mind your manners too.”

“Oh, and I get to meet your parents? Maybe this is you moving fast.”

“Don’t make me un-invite you Leo-san.”

“C’mon Suo, lighten up. It’s just a joke,” Leo smiled as he gave Tsukasa a slight nudge in the arm. “Let’s go. Let’s go. It’s getting cold out here. I wanna warm up my little toesies.”

“And whose fault is it that you’re cold? You came here with barely a jacket in the middle of winter,” Tsukasa lectured.

“No nagging Suo. Only walking,” Leo laughed as he grabbed Tsukasa by the hand and started dragging him along.

“Wait, Leo-san, slow down,” Tsukasa said as he attempted to keep up with Leo’s pace. “You don’t even know how to get to my house from here.”

“Then pick up the pace and lead the way,” Leo smiled with his hand still firmly holding onto Tsukasa’s.

Even on Leo’s final day of school, he would still somehow still manage to find a way to drag Tsukasa around on his whims. And that’s how Tsukasa found himself along in the music room with Leo despite the fact the two of them should be celebrating with the rest of their friends for both Leo and Izumi’s graduation.

“We ought to head back to everyone, Leo-san,” Tsukasa said as Leo started to play with a few keys on the piano. “The three of them will worry if we’re nowhere to be found.”

“You’re the one worrying too much, Suo,” Leo replied. “No one is gonna care if we’re missing for a little bit. Besides, there’s something I wanna do here first since it’s my last day.”

Tsukasa knew how graduation was an inevitable event, part of the high school experience, but he could still hardly believe the day had finally arrived for Leo. After today, he was no longer a high school student with Tsukasa. In a month’s time, school would resume once more, but this time Tsukasa would be a second year student and Leo would no longer be attending school with him. Despite how many absences Leo had originally had in the beginning of the year, he managed to not only safely graduate high school, but also was accepted into a reputable university on a scholarship for his compositions.

“What business could you possibly have here in the music room on your final day?” Tsukasa asked. “It’s not as if you were a member of the light music club.”

“To play something,” Leo replied. “Will you listen to it?”

Of course Leo would drag him out for something music related, but at least he was playing an instrument rather than composing on the floor. He could at least enjoy whatever Leo had planned on playing.

“Well, it would be impolite to turn you down at this point. Especially since it appears you made preparations beforehand to play,” Tsukasa replied when he took notice to the music sheets already placed neatly on the music rack of the piano.

“How observant of you, Suo,” Leo grinned. “Yeah, I finally finished this and want your opinion on it.”

“My opinion? I suppose I do play the violin, but I’m not sure how much insight I can offer which you will find helpful,” Tsukasa replied.

“It’s fine. It doesn’t need to be insightful or anything. Just listen first, ‘kay?”

“Of course, since it’s written by you, I’m sure it’s wonderful, Leo-san.”

Leo nodded at the response as he took a seat on the piano bench while Tsukasa took a seat on the chair not that far from the piano, which seemed to be prearranged by Leo as well. The young heir couldn’t help but think Leo was being oddly thoughtful since he normally acted upon his whims rather than precognitive thought.

As soon as Leo started playing, Tsukasa forgot any train of thought he once had as he listened to the melody Leo arranged.

It started off like a whirlwind. Leo’s fingers moved across the keys at a rapid speed as he quickly launched into a crescendo. There was the slightest decrescendo that only lasted a moment, which allowed Tsukasa a moment’s breath, only for the piece to ramp back up once more. He could feel the turbulent intent behind what Leo was playing.

As Leo continued to play, the piece shifted into something a slightly more soothing. There was still tension in the notes Leo played, but it was distinctively less aggressive than before. Tsukasa took advantage of the relaxed pace to admire Leo’s skill. Since Leo was a composer, Tsukasa knew Leo likely had some talent with the piano, and he was confident Leo mentioned it off hand at some point too, but he didn’t expect Leo to be this good. Among their group of friends, Ritsu was the one who was known for being a pianist, and there was no doubt, Ritsu far exceeded Leo in technical skills, but Leo was still pretty good in his own right.

The pace of the piece started to pick up once more and it somehow felt more turbulent than before. With each key Leo hit, Tsukasa could hear the confusion and uncertainty. The feeling of being lost and dread seemed to be the intent of this part of Leo’s song.

However, it didn’t last long as the piece began to shift gears into another crescendo. This time it far less aggressive in nature. There was still the feeling of a clash between opposing forces; however, it made Tsukasa’s heart race from excitement as the sounds came together harmoniously for a thrilling conclusion.

“So what’d you think?” Leo asked as he stared at Tsukasa curiously. It was then Tsukasa realized how tightly he was gripping his pants and how he had stayed silent longer than he should have. Leo did ask him to give his opinion beforehand, so he had been waiting in anticipation this entire time.

“It was wonderful, Leo-san,” Tsukasa hastily replied. Even though Tsukasa had an expansive vocabulary in both Japanese and English, he could not find the words to describe the experience of listening to Leo’s work. “Truly, I was captivated from beginning to end.”

Not only did Leo’s piece far exceed any expectations Tsukasa could have ever had, he could feel a part of himself that desired to pick up the violin once more. He hadn’t touched his old instrument for some time now, so he was bound to be rusty, but there was no doubt that Tsukasa would like to play in accompaniment with Leo one day.

“I’m glad,” Leo replied as he gathered the sheet music into one pile before he made his way over to Tsukasa and handed it to him. “This is for you.”

“Me? Wait, I can’t possibly take this,” Tsukasa replied as he attempted to offer the sheets back. “You’re the one graduating here. I should be giving you a gift in commemoration.”

“Nope, this is yours Suo,” Leo said as he made sure Tsukasa properly took hold of the papers. “Honestly, this is long overdue. I had this melody in my head since the moment we met, and I was finally able to finish it the other day, so I wanted to make sure I gave it to you before I graduated.”

“I see...” Tsukasa blushed as he looked down at the papers in his hand and pulled it closer to his chest before looking up at Leo once more. “Then it would be rude of me not to accept this gift. Truly, I am not worthy of it, but I will treasure it for the coming days ahead. In return, please allow me to get you a proper gift as well.”

“Suo, you suck at just accepting gifts, don’t you?” Leo laughed. Tsukasa wanted to argue with Leo how that wasn’t the case. It is perfectly normal to want to repay a person back when they give you something, especially something as wonderful as this. But maybe that was Leo’s point. When Tsukasa gave someone a gift, he didn’t expect anything in return. Maybe this was what Leo wanted to do as well.

“Well, now that we’re done here, let's head back to everyone else,” Leo said as he made his way to the door, but before he could get too far, Tsukasa found himself reaching out to Leo and stopped him in his tracks.

“Uh... is something wrong, Suo?” Leo asked. “Didn’t you wanna get back to everyone else?”

He did, that was true. It would be rude to keep everyone else waiting when they had made plans to all do something together after school, but for a reason Tsukasa couldn’t explain he didn’t want to go back to everyone else quite just yet.

“About repaying you for your gift...”

“I told you I didn’t want anything, Suo,” Leo let out an exasperated sigh. It wasn’t often Tsukasa heard that from Leo. Usually it was the reverse when it came to the two of them.

“Yes, but there’s something I wish to say before you graduate as well,” Tsukasa replied, his eyes casted downwards to see his hand visibly shaking while he held onto Leo’s sleeve. What he wanted to say and what he was so nervous about was a complete mystery to Tsukasa, but both his body and mouth were moving before his brain could match it. Despite his insecurities, Tsukasa steeled himself, as he firmly looked up and locked his gaze with Leo’s, much like when they first met. However, this time he would ensure Leo paid attention to him.

“Sure, what is it?” Leo asked as he smiled at Tsukasa. His hand reached out to Tsukasa at first, but he quickly withdrew it away. “Oh, are you coming forward to finally recognize my greatness which far exceeds Mozart, that quack!

“No, of course not. Don’t be a fool,” Tsukasa replied. Being with Leo, he almost felt like his head was splitting in two at points, but even so, Tsukasa couldn’t deny how much pleasant thrum in his chest when he was with him.

“I wish to give you my answer,” Tsukasa said resolutely.

“Your answer? For what?” Leo asked curiously.

“A few months ago, you asked me if I was disappointed in my soulmate,” Tsukasa replied.

“Ah... yeah... I guess I did,” Leo said sheepishly.

“I have come to a resolve and I would wish to share it with you,” Tsukasa said resolutely. Leo said nothing as he gave Tsukasa a curious look. His emerald eyes locked onto Tsukasa’s lavender ones. Originally, Tsukasa had no intention of giving Leo his answer just yet, especially since he was still uncertain of his feelings up until a few minutes ago, but something was nagging inside of Tsukasa, telling him that the right moment was now.

“There are times when you drive me absolutely mad and sometimes I can’t believe I continue to willingly stand by your side,” Tsukasa started, unable to stop himself from voicing some of his grievances. “You can be wild and hard to predict. I don’t think there is even a single reality where you would have ever been my first pick as a romantic partner.

“And yet, despite that, I can’t bring myself to say I’m disappointed in the fact that you are my soulmate. Not anymore.”

Tsukasa remembered the day he firmly swore to himself how he would never give himself to Leo. He cursed the fate that bound them together and wanted nothing to do with Leo, but like a moth to a flame, Tsukasa couldn’t look away from Leo. There was something about him that captured him and made it impossible to stay away. He wanted to know more about Leo Tsukinaga. Tsukasa knew there was something to Leo that went beyond a musical genius or the smiling and carefree front he puts on to protect himself. Tsukasa wanted to know about the struggles Leo went through and how to help him.

From the moment they met, Tsukasa was never able to take his eyes off of Leo.

Before Tsukasa could manage to say another word, Leo quickly closed the gap between the two of them as he placed his lips on Tsukasa’s. Tsukasa stood there motionless as he tried to process what had just happened. And when Leo pulled away and saw the deer in headlights look in Tsukasa’s eyes, he could see the panic rise within Leo.

“Wait, did I misread the signs or something,” Leo asked. “I thought for sure that this is what you wer-”

“Leo-san, stop. It’s fine,” Tsukasa assured. “You did not misread anything. You’re right. I was just a little surprised. That was my first kiss after all.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Leo sighed in relief. “Wait, your first? Really? I guess that makes sense with the type of guy you are. You really are a romantic at heart, aren’t you?”

Leo’s laugh filled the room, and Tsukasa could feel his chest swell up inside from the warmth, so much, so he couldn’t stop himself from what he said next.

“I love you, Leo-san,” Tsukasa said, his tone was filled with conviction. His feelings regarding Leo had been wishy-washy up until now, but he is no longer confused. The tightness in his chest, Leo’s infectious smile, and the desire to ensure and protect Leo’s happiness as well, the only thing Tsukasa could attribute all these feelings to be love. He was truly head over heels in love with Leo as shameful as it was to admit how long it took him to realize the budding feelings he had for the composer, he at least recognized it now.

“I love you too, Suo,” Leo replied with what Tsukasa figured was the biggest smile he has ever seen on Leo’s face. Leo quickly took Tsukasa’s hands and intertwined their fingers together before he yanked Tsukasa close again.

“C’mon, let’s go to the others and boldly declare our love for each other in front of them!” Leo laughed. “I wanna show them the fruits of my labor for the past several months.”

“You only started your courting attempts a couple months ago,” Tsukasa replied, embarrassed by both what Leo was saying and how close the two of them were.

“I definitely was ‘courting’ you for months, we both just didn’t know it yet,” Leo grinned, which earned him a playful nudge from Tsukasa in response.

“You’re an idiot,” Tsukasa replied.

“Yeah, and I’m your idiot.”

“That you are.”

Leo said nothing in reply this time as he held tightly onto Tsukasa’s hand. He didn’t say a word, but Tsukasa could tell by the look in his eyes what it was that he was thinking. And he knew he was thinking the same thing. Grateful for how, after all this time, the two of them could finally be together.

From now and until forever, Tsukasa knew he would love Leo for all of eternity and stand by his side. And of course, he knew Leo felt the same.

After all, that’s what it meant to be soulmates.