Work Text:
Soulmates.
A mysterious link between two people, sealing their lives together - practically fated for each other - through the power of music.
Two people who are soulmates will have the song they’re hearing when they meet each other for the first time tattooed on their wrist - whether it be background music, piano sonatinas, or bad rap. It was always there.
Except. What the fuck is a CPR X Misery Remix?!
-
Shuichi Saihara hears it for the first time at a crisp, ripe 14 years old.
He remembers it so clearly. As he sat down in his last class of his first day of high school, just a puny freshman against the world, a classmate turned towards him.
Shuichi had never seen this particular classmate before, but he remembers his music was so loud that Shuichi could hear the crackles of it through his headphones. His eyes were black and bold and round and things that eyes should not be.
When he turned completely towards Shuichi, he thought he was going to experience death face-on. It had been a good life. And when Shuichi didn’t die by some odd universal trick, he realized the classmate was speaking.
“-R?”
Was that his name? R?
“What?” Shuichi asked instantly, more of a habit than actually confused.
“Do you wanna listen to this CPR remix?” It was a quick question, said all at once in quick succession and even quicker growing excitement. Shuichi could’ve sworn the classmate’s eyes sparkled as soon as he finished.
The kid handed the left side of his cheap ass earbuds as soon as Shuichi silently nodded, aware that his wrist was burning, fearing the worst.
Music exploded through Shuichi’s brain and the beat was so catchy, Shuichi almost didn’t register the lyrics. Almost.
Shuichi never spoke to that classmate again after that.
-
Shuichi hears it for the second time during his senior year, where he tells a dramatic retelling of this First Day Fright to his best friend, Kaede.
She let out occasional ‘ah’s and ‘ohh’s whenever necessary, but when Shuichi finished, she pressed her mouth into a thin line as she finished listening to the remix that Shuichi had pulled up for added storytelling elements.
“I’m sorry, Shuichi, but…” Kaede paused to bite her lip, probably to decide how to word the impending question. “Why is this song special again?”
It was then that Shuichi knew he would never become an author. “Oh! It’s kinda my- uh- soulmate song and-”
Kaede’s eyes widened in response and she quickly interrupted, voice soft and incredulous with a tiny bit of humorous tone coinciding. “There’s no way.”
“Yes,” Shuichi confirmed, having seen the song everyday of his life, like a guilty conscience he can never get rid of. “There’s a way.”
“Is this why you always wear long sleeves?” Kaede asked, finally fitting puzzle pieces together. “I thought that was just an emo thing but you-”
Shuichi can’t do anything but give a small nod.
This is when Kaede laughed. Explosively. Not before with Shuichi’s sensational storytelling skills, but now, when it suddenly hits her - how ridiculous the situation is.
Shuichi laughs too, because hey! This was one of the funniest stories he had to tell. He might as well capitalize off of it. So when Kaede finally shouted “Wait!” in the middle of their laughter, Shuichi was understandably shocked.
And because Kaede was the faster thinker of the two (her connecting the dots whereas Shuichi didn’t even know there were dots to begin with), she had attempted to speak slowly just so it would all set in. “HOWDOYOUKNOWTHATWASNTYOURSOULMATETHEN?”
Her attempt failed.
However, Shuichi was used to listening to true crime podcasts at 2X speed, he picked up the words as soon as Kaede said them, even though his buffering speed was shit. “WHAT?!” He screamed back, because he still hadn’t corrected that habit.
Kaede sighed. “How do you-”
“No, I know what you said - I just meant. What?! ”
“Think about it,” Kaede finally said, realizing she had greatly overestimated her best friend’s intelligence when it came to alive people and not dead ones. “You said you could hear the music through his beat-up headphones when you two met-”
“Yeah, the crackles of it-”
“And we have to question why he was playing the song anyways-”
“It’s a popular song!”
“Not back then it wasn’t! And plus, didn’t you say your wrist burned ?”
It was that that made Shuichi back down while Kaede wore a triumphant grin. Head in hands and everything, he whispers silently. “Oh my god, I’m an idiot.”
-
The world is never quiet.
Shuichi learns this when he hears it, unfortunately, a third time as a freshman in college.
By some ungodly luck (or perhaps a visit to Nagito), Shuichi had ended up in the same college as Kaede.
Which means, by some ungodly misfortune (the visit to Nagito really starts making sense now), Shuichi was dragged along with Kaede to every party she was invited to.
And she was invited to a lot.
Or at least, Shuichi felt like he was being dragged to a lot.
“Oh, you never know!” Kaede started off, enthusiastically. “Maybe you’ll meet your soulmate there… again!”
“Kaede,” Shuichi softly scolded, rolling his eyes.
“What ever do you mean?” Kaede asked innocently, borderline sarcastically. “How could I not cheer for two lovers, torn so desperately and dangerously apart by your utter dumbassery?”
“It’s not my fault he moved away!”
“I never said it was,” Kaede responded, teasing still prevalent in her voice. “By the way, you should play some music! What do you think about this little remix I found, it’s from two songs-”
“Get out of my room!”
So, no, it wasn’t Shuichi’s fault that he was out so late on a Saturday night with nothing but a bottle of Dasani water and his phone.
Kaede had stopped replying to his messages an hour ago, even though she had seemed particularly interested in Shuichi attending this one, going as far as to promise to buy him the expensive eyeliner as a gift.
The music is shit loud and Shuichi can’t see Kaede anymore and honestly Dasani sucks ass, so he’s not even drinking the water anymore, he doesn’t even know why he’s holding it-!
His phone vibrates and stops his dramatic mourning of water.
Kaede, the TRAITOR , texts Shuichi to meet her outside. He doesn’t want to go outside. Shuichi’s petty arc begins as of now. Outside air is disgustingly fresh and doesn’t smell like thirty sweaty football players in a sardine can. There’s a childish tire swing outside and it’s dumb, Shuichi doesn’t want to swing on it at all.
There’s no one outside. Good! Shuichi hates being alone!
There’s no music outside.
…
Shuichi can see the stars from outside.
At least that’s something that doesn’t get ruined by the obnoxious amount of party-goers in the house behind him.
It’s only when Shuichi makes it to the edge of the sidewalk facing the street does he realize he was wrong about two things.
- He was definitely not alone.
And 2. He could still hear music.
Someone ominously sat on the tire swing, rocking it back and forth, like a scene straight out of a horror movie. Shuichi is ready to be eaten alive.
When he isn’t (miraculously), he finally recognizes the tune.
By then, it’s too late. The ‘someone’ stands up and… waves…? Shuichi begrudgingly waves back after looking behind him to see if there was anyone else.
The creature hops off the tire swing and walks towards Shuichi excitedly, with much bounce in his step to make up for the lost height.
Shuichi has no chance to run before the damned words are upon him again. “Do you want to listen to the CPR Misery remix?”
Everything in Shuichi’s brain is telling him to run, everything in his heart is jumping out with emotions he doesn’t even want to bother to understand, and his nerves are practically screaming, but it just all boils down to one thought.
HE’S–
“Y-you’re-!” Shuichi tries to stammer out, but accidentally bites his tongue in the process, hissing at the pain.
“Woah, you okay?” the ex-classmate says, not fazed by the weird reaction. Either that, or Shuichi just got mega ignored.
“Yeah,” he won’t go down so easily though. “But y-”
“Say,” the other guy raises an eyebrow, suddenly looking really deep at Shuichi’s face. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”
Shuichi decides he’s going to kick this guy, soulmate or not.
He quickly snaps his fingers once he gets it, sparkles back in his eyes, and Shuichi is starting to realize he’s glad to see it. “We were in the same English class, weren’t we!” It comes out as an exclamation more than a question.
“Yes, actually-”
“Let’s fucking gooo! Shumai, my best man!”
“My name is Shuichi.”
“Shu! Great man, I tell ya!”
Shuichi scratches the back of his neck, getting increasingly nervous about his decision to come out. Where is Kaede anyway? “Great man,” he snorts. “When did we ever even talk past the first day? Do you even know me?”
Shuichi meant it to come out as teasing, but of course, it came out a tad aggressive. Good thing his classmate Ko- Koi- Kok- Koichi? Kokomi? Koitchy? Whatever. He didn’t notice.
The guy slaps Shuichi on the back in response, letting out a laugh. “Enough to know you’re still wearing that Hot Topic hat of yours.”
Like clockwork, Shuichi immediately reaches for his hat just to realize he forgot to wear it that night.
“Fooled ya!” Shuichi realizes how punchable his very possible soulmate is. “Rule Number 1 of hanging out with me! Never trust anyone.”
Shuichi grumbles a little before muttering back something. “And you’re still asking me to listen to that dumb remix, so I guess some things never change.”
In hindsight, Shuichi supposes that it was likely for his ex-classmate to have sensitive hearing to avenge his unfortunate height, but Shuichi also supposed he should know a lot of things in hindsight.
He hears it. “Hey! This song happens to have sentimental value to me, so you can’t make fun of me for it! Point blank periodt.”
No matter how much the shorter guy does a good job of tearing up and acting dramatic, Shuichi can’t help but grimace and unintentionally judge. “You have sentimental value and attachment to a cupcakke song remix…?”
He stops sobbing immediately. “Hmph! I thought this was a no judgement zone, but clearly my superior music taste is being judged.”
Suddenly curious, Shuichi raised an eyebrow, deciding to humor him at least. “Well, why does it have sentimental value? Go on, no judgement zone, remember?”
And, for once, Shuichi sees a hesitant look behind his eyes before they slowly meet his own. The shit stained grape-colored hair very oddly framed his whole face when he smiled. “Well, if you simply must know, it’s…” he leans his head in as if he’s going to whisper before yelling it out. “It’s my soulmate song!!!”
Shuichi’s blood freezes. Ironic, since it was almost hot enough to cook an egg on the sidewalk. He tries to speak, but can’t and he’s almost sure that if his wrist keeps burning like this, it’ll slide right off. His eyes tear to the guy’s wrist as if desperate for some kind of godly confirmation, but it’s covered by an obnoxious bracelet.
He was in misery.
The other guy just laughs his ass off, throwing his head back while pretending to wipe tears from his face. Shuichi has never heard laughter so fake in his life. “I can’t believe you fell for that!” He snickers more before continuing. “Seriously, my worst lie yet, and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker! Wow, I-”
He finally looks over and realizes Shuichi’s state. He looks around, eyes frantic, before softly patting Shuichi on the back. “Hey, you’re looking kinda pale.”
Shuichi can’t believe words are failing him as of this moment. The small, insignificant words are searing on his skin and it feels cowardly to scratch it. Finally, he finds himself laughing. Snorts that turn into giggles and then a big laugh that even scares the other guy. “Well, that’s good,” and just like his very real soulmate, Shuichi is lying. “Since it’s my soulmate song and everything.”
BAM! FIREWORKS! EXPLOSIONS! AND THE CROWD GOES WILD WITH APPLAUSE as none of that happens outside of Shuichi’s mind. In reality, the both of them are quiet as Shuichi backtracks to figure out what the fuck led him to saying that.
The other boy isn’t saying anything. Just staring with his eyes that were once so black, bold and round, but now sharp and purple. He squints for a second and lets out a breath, posture collapsing. “So it’s you.”
And Shuichi thinks that could mean a number of things, but by the way his lips curl into the smallest of smiles, he thinks the unspoken “ I’m glad ” is practically screeching.
“You know,” he continues. “You’re not exactly what I had in mind when that Kae-Kae girl told me there was someone who liked CPR here.”
“Wait- Kaede?! ”
“Oh, yeah,” he says casually as if this wasn’t an absolute bombshell . “She’s the one that invited me here tonight. We got along when I asked if she wanted to listen to CPR.”
“You asked her too?”
If onions could glare, then Shuichi would feel personally victimized by this one in particular. “I ask everyone, you’re not special.”
“What?” Shuichi has got to stop doing that. “I mean- why?”
With a roll of the eyes, the boy responds. “Well, it was the easiest and most casual way I could think of to find my soulmate.”
“With increasingly concerning sexual innuendos through a song?”
“Well, when they’re extra dumb like YOU-”
Soulmates, Shuichi thinks. It finally sets in that they're actually soulmates. “Oh my god, we’re soulmates,” he repeats.
Shuichi’s soulmate (!!!) looks disgusted, albeit humored. “This is exactly what I mean-”
“I mean- we are, aren’t we?”
With a huff, the shorter boy climbs onto a small brick wall to really emphasize a point and pulls off his bracelet to reveal the small print letters that hold so much. There, Shuichi clearly reads CPR X Misery Remix and nearly has a heart attack from the sudden fluttering. He nervously grabs at his own sleeves, pulling them up with haste. The words match his.
“Have I, the great Kokichi Ouma, ever told a lie in my life?”
Shuichi is about to rebut when it hits him. “Oh. Kokichi.”
“Are you kidding me ?! You find out I’m your soulmate before you find out my name?” Kokichi laughs. “I’m totally telling this story at our wedding. Speaking of, we should totally play the remix during it!”
At this point, Shuichi is ready to never hear it for the rest of his life. “No thanks.”
“Awww, come on! You’re telling me my soulmate is the same cute classmate I met during my freshman English class while blasting the CPR X Misery remix and he isn’t even the least bit curious about our wedding?”
“Well, actually,” Shuichi muttered, trailing off. “I am curious about one thing.”
“Shoot.”
“Can you really save dick by giving it CPR?”