Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It wasn’t that Tsukasa doesn’t consider Rui a good friend. No. Kamishiro Rui is a great friend. His best friends. They are the inseparable duo. There’s not a single day where you won’t find the two of them together.

As their partnership grew, so does their bond. He knew that Rui wouldn’t stop testing his dangerous contraptions for their plays, but Tsukasa always made up his mind to do whatever it takes to make these performances a success every time. Thus, he and Rui started to meet outside of school and on stage.  At first, it was mostly for discussion between the director and the main star or sharing workspace, but slowly it changed into a simple hang-out. Whether Rui came to his house for more discussion, Tsukasa would always make some homemade food. Can’t think with an empty stomach, am I right? And, if Rui requested some background songs for the play, Tsukasa would play the piano for him.

It was only recently that Tsukasa realized how out of character he was. He would often only play piano in his lowest moment, creating a safe space for himself. But now, he wasn’t afraid to play it. Well, Rui requested it, so he couldn’t technically refuse it. He vaguely remembered that Rui asked the first time, “are you sure? You don’t have to if you want.” But Tsukasa just shook his head in reassurance and play.

Now that he thought about it…It was rather strange.

Honestly, Rui made him feel strange.

There was one time they went go around Phoenix Wonderland when they weren’t working and Rui would let himself be pulled around by Tsukasa around. The Ferris wheel was the last ride they rode and Tsukasa remembered how strange it was.

He remembered himself letting out a sigh as he looked down at the small Wonder Stage. “Somethings never change huh?”

“What do you mean?” Rui asked.

Tsukasa shrugged, eyes still looking at the park below. “I guess our stage will forever be small.”

At this, Rui also looked down, humming in agreement. “I see no problem with that. But if you want, we can make it bigger.”

“Nah.” Tsukasa shrugged again. “I like it small.” It was nothing compared to Phoenix Stage or even the Sekai's circus tent, but it was their stage that they won with their own hard work. There was nothing from it that Tsukasa would change. It was like a second home for him. “It’s our special place after all.”

“Yeah…” Rui sighed. “A special place indeed.” There was a pause before he spoke again. “I’m glad you take me there in the first place.”

Tsukasa looked toward him. Rui wasn’t looking below again, instead, he was looking at him. He had his head and elbow leaning against the glass window. His whole body relaxed a rare peaceful gesture from him. His yellow eyes were soft like the sunset that shone at him, giving him almost a beautiful view. It was…strange. Especially coming from Rui.

“O-Of course,” Tsukasa answered. He tried to grin. “We wouldn’t have done it without our best director.”

Rui chuckled softly. “Well, we have to thank you for that, our star.”

The weird feeling was getting stronger.

And one particular afternoon, it reached its peak and left Tsukasa feeling…just…really, really curious.

Today was sunny and there was no rain that afternoon after school. Tomorrow was their day off and they had to cancel practice because Emu “didn’t feel so wonderhoi” (Tsukasa got a message from Saki who was told by Honami that Emu had a sudden stomach ache and had to go home earlier that day). Tsukasa was so ready to go home and relaxed for a bit, maybe watching some play for future reference. He met Rui in the hallway and they decided to walk out of the building together.

When they passed the gate though, an idea popped up in Tsukasa’s head. “Hey, Rui. Are you free tomorrow?”

Rui hummed at glanced up to the sky before answering. “Yes, I think so. Any problem?”

Tsukasa took out his phone and typed a name of a location in mind. “Well, Touya said there’s this café that served some tasty breakfast pancake. Do you want to go there tomorrow and grab some?”

Rui was silent which made Tsukasa look up to him. If he was paying attention more, he would see a very light blush on Rui’s cheek. But, he didn’t see how Rui smiled at him. “That would be wonderful.”

“Great! I’ll meet you at your house?”

“No. I’ll go to your house then we’ll go together.”

Tsukasa grinned. “Alright! I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Rui chuckled. “Certainly.”

And then, he did it.

Rui leaned down and pressed a light peck on Tsukasa’s cheek before whispering “See you for our date.”

Maybe Tsukasa’s brain wasn’t working well because he stopped for nearly an hour on the exact spot, blinking like a Windows XP processor, not even realizing that Rui had taken off without any further word.

That…That was really strange.

Okay. Here’s the thing.

Sharing popcorn was not strange. They’re friends. They can share food. And it wasn’t the first time, especially considering the various moments Tsukasa had to force-feed Rui to eat his vegetables (and failed many times).

Sleeping on the couch together wasn’t strange. Sleepover at a friend’s house wasn’t uncommon. There were times that Tsukasa would fall asleep on Rui’s couch in an attempt to finish some costumes and woke up with his work that had been tidied with Rui sleeping next to him.

But a kiss on the cheek was certainly strange. Rui had never kissed him on the cheek. On the hand, yes. It was part of the play. But never on the cheek.

This was really strange.

And Tsukasa actually wanted to know. He’s curious, to say the least.

But, of course, he won’t ask Rui himself. That’ll be rude to ask from his point of view. He’ll just ask the internet for the solution.

So, that was what he did after he got home. Opening his laptop and browsing through the internet, Tsukasa pushed through some academic papers because this wasn’t a big deal and didn’t need intense research. Maybe some small forum might give him some insight.

Like the r/relationshipadvice on Reddit.

That might be a good place to start.

Everyone agrees that Reddit is a good place to find advice, right?

After making a new account, naming it as u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR because it was the truth, and joining the subreddit, he posted his dilemma:

u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: how do I let my best friend down without hurting his feelings too badly?
So my best friend (also a guy) and I have a really close friendship for two boys. Like, we’re in a theater troupe together but we’ll hang out with each other outside of rehearsals and play video games or watch movies or talk about the kinds of plays we want to do. He’s a really great guy- kind of weird, but smart and kind and I feel like we really understand each other in a way no one else does. I feel like he’s the first person I’ve really ever been able to talk to as myself. We’re both rather in touch with our feminine sides (I like sewing, he wears makeup) so I just assumed that when we were cuddling it was no big deal, just guys being bros you know? But then today after school when we agreed on plans to get breakfast tomorrow he kissed me on the cheek and said  “certainly see you for our date then” and that made me realize that he and I have had completely different ideas about our friendship. How do I let him down gently? (I’m not gay)

The last was mostly a reassurance for himself because he wasn’t sure just yet. Besides, these were just typical things that friends do. He didn’t know how long would it take to get some answers, so he left to do some things. Some costumes needed to be fixed and homework to be done.

Saki had come home after some time and said hello before going back to her room until dinner is served (which was Tsukasa’s turn to cook this time). Their parents weren’t joining again because of work, unfortunately. Stretching his arms after a long homework, Tsukasa was about to get up from his seat, but curiosity piqued up again. Wonder if his Reddit dilemma had some answer for him. So, he opened his browser again and went to his earlier post.

And he was quite surprised by the few comments.

|> u/glumannoyance9: sorry OP, you two CUDDLE?

Raising an eyebrow at this, Tsukasa typed for a comment:

|> u/glumannoyance9: sorry OP, you two CUDDLE?
| |> u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: yeah but it’s not a big thing really, my sister and her best friend cuddle all the time too

|> u/YouthfullyRoomy: OP it sounds like you might be gay and into your best friend

Tsukasa looked at the ceiling. Is he though? Maybe? Maybe not? He just really like hanging out with Rui, but that’s what friends do right? It was always the time when he was with Rui. But that doesn’t mean he’s gay for him, right? So, he answered:

|> u/YouthfullyRoomy: OP it sounds like you might be gay and into your best friend
| |> u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: I admit the idea of dating him isn’t unappealing… but I’m not gay, I’m sure of it

He should get started with the dinner. A healthy meal for Saki wouldn’t make itself.

Saki talked a lot during dinner, mostly about her childhood friends. Tsukasa caught some moments where Saki would blush and squeal from all the sweet moments she recalled. Honestly, Tsukasa was so happy that Saki can have fun with her friends.

“Oh, and tomorrow we’re going to go to the movie, so we’ll be coming home late,” Saki added once she finished her meal, “no need to make dinner for me.”

“As long as you don’t actually skip dinner,” Tsukasa said without any heat, “and make sure you have fun!”

“I will!” Saki sounded really happy. Ah, it’s so wonderful!

After doing the dishes, Tsukasa went back to his room and opened his post again. Oh, somebody commented on his comment with the dating mention.

| |> u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: I admit the idea of dating him isn’t unappealing… but I’m not gay, I’m sure of it
| | |> u/RaspySalvation: are you sure about it OP?

He already knew what the commenter was referring to.

| | |> u/RaspySalvation: are you sure about it OP?
| | | |> u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: Absolutely.

Tsukasa sighed. So, apparently, Reddit didn’t answer his question. Maybe next time. Right now, he had to pick clothes suited for tomorrow’s breakfast with Rui.

Chapter Text

There is not a single spot in Tsukasa that doesn't love Saki. He loves her sister. Saki is his beloved sibling. The blorbo of his life. Growing up with Saki being sick so often, Tsukasa learns how to cherish every moment they've spent together.

He never wanted to make Saki sad. Anything she wishes, he'll grant with the best he can. So, if she wishes to spend a day with her Leo/need band, Tsukasa won't stop her. She just sent a picture of Ichika and Shiho playing air hockey as Honami cheered on the side, among many others that she had sent earlier. If that wasn't an indication of her having fun, he didn't know what else.

"Tsukasa-kun?"

"Hmm?" Looking up his phone, Tsukasa saw Rui was looking at him, raising a single eyebrow in confusion. He was sitting across from him, an already empty plate in front of him compared to Tsukasa's half-eaten pancake, elbows propped up on the table and chin rested on his intertwined fingers.

"Is there something wrong?" Rui asked again. "You don't like the pancakes?"

"No, no, no." Tsukasa put down his phone on the table. "It's Saki. She has a girl's day out with her bandmates and has been sending me pictures."

Rui looked more relaxed. "Is she having fun?"

Tsukasa nodded as he smiled. "Definitely. They've been friends since kids after all. She always looks happy with them."

Rui hummed. "Well, why don't we have our own date? Where do you want to go next?"

Tsukasa blinked confusedly. What did Rui mean by 'our own date'? This was not a date. They were just having breakfast together. Just a simple hangout. But Rui also called a date yesterday after he kissed him... Maybe he should check Reddit again just in case he needs some more insight.

"I don't really have any plans after this," Tsukasa said, "maybe we can go to the park? Just walking around."

"I would love that," Rui said, smiling fondly. "But finish your pancake first."

Rui picked up his fork and used it to get a single slice of strawberry with some whipped cream from his pancake. Just when he was about to protest, Rui raised it to Tsukasa's face. "Say ahh~"

Tsukasa pouted, blushing in embarrassment. "I can eat myself, Rui."

The Cheshire Cat-like smile didn't slip from Rui's face. "It's not fair if you're the only one who can do the feeding. It's my turn." He shook the fork a bit. "Come on, Tsukasa~ Open wide~"

Tsukasa could only sigh, but still opened his mouth with an 'ahh...' The strawberry was fresh, a little bit sour but also sweet. Tsukasa couldn't help but smile a little. If he hadn't focused too much on the food, he might have noticed how Rui's face softened as he watched him.

In the end, Tsukasa did finish the pancake. He needed to remind himself to thank Touya for the recommendation. While Rui went to the cashier to pay (he insisted on doing it so hard to the point Tsukasa just let him), Tsukasa looked up his phone again. Oh, Saki sent another picture. This time it was a selfie of her hugging Ichika's arm while both of them were holding boba tea. Tsukasa smiled. He's glad that Saki is having fun with her beloved friends. She really loves them.

Switching apps, he opened Reddit (yes, he decided to download it) and looked at the comments on his previous post. One actually had another reply which was actually related to the previous thing with Rui. He didn't get why they seemed surprised. This is a usual thing between friends. He has done it. Saki has done it. There's nothing strange about it. But he decided to answer it anyway.

|> u/unruly_schoolboy: out of curiosity op what other things do you do together 
| |> u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: We eat lunch together alone on the rooftops sometimes. He really hates vegetables and won’t eat them unless I feed them to him.
| | |> u/unruly_schoolboy: YOU FEED HIM?? 
| | | |> u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: Yeah but it’s with like my chopsticks so it’s not weird you know

"Hey." Tsukasa looked up as Rui walked back. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." Tsukasa pocketed his phone and together they walked out of the cafe.

They ended up spending the entire afternoon walking around without any destination really, just sightseeing and talking. At one point, Tsukasa tried to win a keychain from a crane game. He failed miserably of course. But Rui came to the rescue and got it for him. It was a little purple cartoon dinosaur keychain; though it reminded Tsukasa of some memes on the internet. In turn, Tsukasa brought them ice cream and even offered Rui a handkerchief when he had the sweet all over his mouth. He decided to let Rui keep it. Besides, he had plenty at home. Overall, it was a fun day. Being with Rui for the entire day made it even more fun.

Eventually, Tsukasa had to go home. And of course, Rui accompanied him until they reached his door. "Thanks for today, Rui," Tsukasa said.

"Anything for you, Tsukasa-kun," Rui said with a wink. "Just tell me if you want to hang out again."

"I will." 

Then an idea popped into his head. A cheeky idea. "Actually. Can you lean down a bit? There's something I need to tell you."

Rui let out a questioning hum but did it anyway. 

Gotcha.

Tsukasa stepped forward a bit and pressed a light kiss on Rui's cheek. He leaned back with a grin, laughing at Rui's widened eyes. "Payback for yesterday. Bye Rui! See you at school!"

Tsukasa went into his home and closed his door. It took a while until he could hear Rui's footsteps walking away. Huh. Maybe he was too shocked. Did he go too far? He can say sorry when they meet again.

As Saki had mentioned yesterday, she did get home after dinner. Tsukasa had a simple rice bowl egg since he was still full from his hangout with Rui and now he was just surfing the internet. That was until he heard a burst of familiar laughter from his open window. Looking down, Tsukasa could see Saki and Ichika by the front door. They were chatting but Tsukasa couldn't make up what they were saying, but he could still see that Ichika was blushing. Maybe from the cold? She wasn't wearing any scarf from where he saw them.

And then he saw Saki leaped onto Ichika and kissed her on the lips.

Tsukasa needed to hold himself back from throwing himself out of the window. Heh? HEEH?! Why did Saki do that?! 

Tsukasa stepped back and let out a whine. Calm down, calm down, Tsukasa. He could work this out. He needed to think this through.

He knows that Saki is very affectionate and can be clingy, but this is the first time he had seen her kiss anyone on the lips. But, to counter this, she does kiss him on the cheeks often. And she kisses their parents as well. And there won't be a day where Saki won't hug someone.

So! In conclusion! This can be her love language! She only kisses those who are her beloved!

HAA ha ha ha! It makes so much sense! He's a genius! 

"Onii-chan! I'm home!" Saki climbed up the stairs to his room, cheeks still red.

"Saki!" Tsukasa cheered, ran to his sister, and hugged her. He spun around, earning laughter from her. "How was your day?"

"It was amazing!" Saki said. "I love it and my girlfriends!"

"Good for you!" Tsukasa laughed and put her down. "Are you still hungry? I can get some snacks."

"Aw, I'm still full." Saki patted her stomach. "But I would like some warm milk."

"I can get it for you." Tsukasa ruffled her hair. "You can take a bath while I warm the milk."

"Thank you, onii-chan." Saki leaned forward and gave a kiss on his cheek before running out.

Tsukasa chuckled in satisfaction. There's no denying that Saki loves him as a big brother. That's why it's not strange for her to kiss him. Looks like his theory is proven right.

Now would this theory be applied to Rui? Tsukasa knows that Rui is not the affectionate type, so what's with the kiss?

Hmm... Maybe it's a trend these days?

Sitting on his laptop again, he opened Reddit and typed on the same r/relationshipadvice subreddit. He ended up writing about Saki since her kiss on Ichika was the most shocking thing today. There was a little guilt because it felt like gossiping about his sister online, but this was for research purposes, there's nothing wrong in doing it for science.

u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: update: i saw my sister kissing one of her friends on the lips, is this just what kids do these days?
my sister called her close group of friends her girlfriends and kisses them on the lips, so I'd assumed id be alright to do the same with my close friend, too.. 

Maybe it was sheer curiosity, but Tsukasa kept refreshing for any answer and he was quite surprised at how quickly the responses came in. Just when he answered one, another one popped underneath his. Honestly, do any Redditors have a life outside the internet? It seems like they're always on 24/7.

|> u/bentsiding: op, girlfriends as in…
| |>u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: friends who are girls.
| | |> u/sincere_whisky: multiple?
| | | |> u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: yeah, she used to joke about marrying them a lot lol.

|> u/battyplaza099: oh my god, this bitches are gay. good for you op
| |> u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: Idk what you’re talking about? My sister is also straight just like me
| | |> u/beefysnapshot428: press x to doubt

|> u/FrizzyHallway: obviously a troll guys. There’s no way anyone is actually this dumb. Stop feeding him 

Why does Reddit quickly assume that he and Saki are gay? This is just her language of affection. And he's definitely not trolling. How can he troll around a serious matter like this?

Tsukasa sighed. So, apparently, Reddit didn’t answer his question. Maybe next time. Right now, he had to warm some milk for himself and his beloved (and straight) sister.

Chapter Text

Tsukasa loves his house. It’s his home, his humble abode. Sure, it was quiet when Saki wasn’t home and usually, the only sound only came from Tsukasa’s piano playing, but it was still his home. And everyone is welcomed to his home. Including Wonderland x Showtime.

Emu, Nene, and Rui gathered around his room. Fabrics are scattered around a bit but the sewing kit has been placed safely on his study desk. Emu was twirling in her new gown that he just finished in front of his wall-high mirror. Nene was practicing her singing while Rui was guiding her blocking position from his armchair. Tsukasa just climbed up the stairs to his room with a tray of his self-made cookies and orange juice. They were preparing for their next play, just in a different place to shake up the mood. It was a classic: Cinderella with a twist, where Cinderella and the prince were pen pals before meeting each other. Nene is Cinderella, Tsukasa is the prince, Emu is one of the stepsisters or the stepmother, and Rui is the fairy godfather.

“Shall we take a break?” Tsukasa said, lifting the tray of cookies.

“Yay!” Emu cheered as she pushed aside the mess from the floor to make space on the green rug with Rui and Nene helping her. They enjoyed their snack as they sat in a circle with small conversations floating around mostly about the plays or school.

It was until Nene said, “Tsukasa-kun, your room is weird.”

Tsukasa swallowed. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” she gestured to the fence where you can see the living room below. “Where’s the wall?”

Tsukasa let out a groan. “Please, Nene,” He whined, face in his palms, “not you too!”

“Hue? Did someone else say your room is weird?” Emu asked.

Wait. He can’t really say that Redditors said those, right? Oh, sweet Hatsune Miku. They can’t know that he uses Reddit. It started with a simple request from u/theellipticalobscurity: op, what is your room looks like? just curious. And Tsukasa, being the attention-lover he is, posted a picture of his room. Maybe that was his mistake because now everyone seemed to have a problem with his room.

“People…” he ended up muttering. “My room is not that weird! Don’t you go room-shaming on me!”

“You sleep in a loft,” Nene said again, deadpan. For Mikudayo sake! She sounded like one of his commentators.

“I think it’s very neat!” Emu said. “Tsukasa-kun has a unique room. My room is filled with many cute toys!”

Rui chuckled. “Everyone has their own ideal design of a bedroom. I know your bedroom has a giant PC, Nene.”

“I play games, you know that, Rui,” Nene rolled her eyes. “At least my room isn’t filled with robot parts.”

“I think you confused my bedroom with my garage again,” Rui said. “My room is actually cleaner than you thought.

“You sleep in a garage?” Tsukasa asked.

“Most of the time,” Rui said. “Sometimes you just fell asleep while working.”

“That’s not good for you!” Tsukasa exclaimed. “You should have a good sleeping schedule.”

Rui chuckled again. “Aw, Tsukasa. That’s very sweet of you to worry about my health.”

“As the leader of this troop,” he puffed up his chest, “it’s my job to make sure each member is paying attention to their health. So, I want all of you to have a good sleeping schedule!”

“We can say goodnight in Nightcord before we go to bed!” Emu said. That’s right. They had Nightcord for better communication. Emu and Tsukasa were the most active with their stickers and loud exclamations. Rui often chimed in, having playful banters with Tsukasa. Nene rarely says anything, but Emu makes sure that she is pulled in by always pinging her.

“Great idea, Emu!” Tsukasa said, a hand on her shoulder. “Now, we can make sure everyone is asleep at the right time.” He ended with a laugh and Emu joined in. Rui and Nene just stared at them, whether from adoration or exasperation. Nene in particular patted Rui on the shoulder as if giving a consolation. Maybe they had their own secret gesture, they are childhood friends after all.

Practice rolled quickly as they tried a few rounds. Nene was amazing as usual and Emu had so much fun with her role. There was something funny about Rui using a ruler as a magic wand. Tsukasa was at the top of his form as usual, though he could hear Saki sometimes asking to lower his volume from downstairs (“How can Saki sleep with you screaming about?” Nene commented. “Why are you still going on with mocking my room?” Tsukasa whined.)

Eventually, it has to end. They had dinner with Saki and Tsukasa was cooking again of course. They enjoyed it as he thought they would. Rui even commented “You should cook for me more often, Tsukasa,” to which Tsukasa replied, “If you want, I can make the best bento you can ever have tomorrow.” Rui didn’t answer that strangely. Heck, he just sipped on his tea with a red face even though there was nothing spicy about today’s dinner. Saki just laughed, Nene shook her head, and Emu said that she also wanted a bento made by him.

After their goodbye, Tsukasa threw himself onto his bed with a sigh of relief. Today was a fun day. It was always fun with his friends. As he was thinking of just spending the rest of the evening looking for bento recipes where he could hide the vegetables for Rui, his eyes drifted to the lamp on the ceiling.

Didn’t Reddit comment something about that as well?

Seriously, why does everyone have a problem with his room these days?

Taking his phone, he opened the app and looked through the comments underneath the picture of his room. As he thought, there were new comments, also having beef with his room.

|> u/uselessly_annoyed_foyer: why does Op have a candle,,
| |> u/respectful_dialect: Lmao
| | |> u/SteadyAardvark: for the drama of it all

\> u/SmarmyDawning: Also his room is so .w i d e Like get a beanbag or smth AND WHY IS HIS BED THERE

|> u/GuiltyBodyguard: the worst detail is op's room is the single blue drawer.

\> u/UnbecomingReformer: i'm not getting over how one of his walls is literally a giant mirror and also he sleeps next to a live plant.
| |> u/BonyNoodle: I believe most plants are live
| | |> u/CloudySalamander: Yea don't they like Inhale the carbon dioxide So they give u fresh air they exhale co2 during the night
| | | |> u/UnbecomingReformer: oh yeah night time would be bad
| |> u/BonyNoodle: you shouldn't sleep in the same room with a live plant jdsfhdf.
| |> u/bag_of_turkeys: Op gets no oxygen in his sleep ig

|>u/queasily_spiky_scenery: Honestly the plant may be fine his room isnt closed off or anything becAUSE HE IS MISSING A WALL-
| |> u/hopeful_driver: Why is there a hole What- Whh- What-

|> u/hourlymundaneinnovation: WHY IS THERE A HOLE THERE??
| |> u/hopeful_driver: IDK
| |> u/indeliblebuilding604: he sneaks snacks for the monsters in the walls in there
| |> u/bag_of_turkeys: it's s cubby hole he goes and hides in,, it's a little tiny bed
| | |> u/hourlymundaneinnovation: ???
| | | |> u/hopeful_driver: wtf- WHY- WHY

|> u/hopeful_driver: IS IT A MIRROR AS WELL??

|> u/hopeful_driver: WHO DESIGNED THIS HOUSE
| |> u/PM_ME_YOUR_PARLIAMENTS: THE OP HOUSE DESIGNER NEEDS TO GET FIRED /J
| |> u/hourlymundaneinnovation: HELP LITERALLY
| |> u/LivelyBright: op has the interior design skill of a child lost in IKEA.

|> u/callousdemonstration_87: man has a cupboard, 3 mirrors, a live plant, and also his bed is situated right next to a giant window.

|> u/frilly_outage: I bet he has a ladder to climb hole
| |> u/practicalhammock5: And then his neighbors just look at him weirdly ksjshrgfhjd
| | |> u/BitterFooting: but only a very specific part of the roof?
| | | |> u/practicalhammock5: Atleast op saves energy by using the sun
| | | | |> u/bag_of_turkeys: i told you op photosynthesise.

|> u/hateful_ignition: GOD IS HIS LIGHT OFF CENTER.

|> u/free_racism: I just Noticed his room is a loft That probably overlooks the living room
| |> u/hopeful_driver: It is!

|> u/velvetyheadset8: Is that how his sister AMA can hear him screaming from the living room? OP, baby, walls are important too
| |> u/rightfullyoptimisticaccommodation: Even if he wasn't missing a wall he'd still be loud enough to hear
| |> u/hourlymundaneinnovation: Siiighh, the op room. Oh how I despise it
| |> u/queasily_spiky_scenery: i hate it with my whole being.

|> u/hourlymundaneinnovation: OP HAS NO WALLS, A WINDOW WALL, HOLE IN ROOM
| |> u/hopeful_driver: HELP. WHY. WHAT'S WRONG EITH HIM

|> u/heard_it_through_the_grapevine: Everything about this room makes me want to stab someone

|> u/capablefascism375: op why is you room like that?

|> u/bizarre_validity: op has a hole in his ceiling
| |> u/indeliblebuilding604: also apparently one in his head where his brain should be

At this point, Tsukasa felt like Reddit had torn his room apart for every inch. Does it really matter? It wasn’t like he can ask his parents for a full renovation or at least add a wall. Plus, no matter what, he still likes his room. It had been his room since he was a kid and it’ll still be in his room today and forever.

Still, the fact Reddit can just talk all and about in his post is pretty…honestly, Tsukasa didn’t have the best word to describe it. It wasn’t annoying, a little bit amusing, but also is this what internet interaction is actually like? Just…very chaotic. Unpredictable. Like Rui perhaps.

Wonder what Rui’s internet agenda is like?

|> u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: guys why are you talking about me like I’m not here and can’t read what you’re commenting :(
| |> u/hopeful_driver: shh ur not here
| | |> u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: this is literally my post???
| | | |> u/hopeful_driver: ssssshhhhhhhhhh
| | | |> u/hourlymundaneinnovation: just pretend we're not here

Tsukasa sighed. Reddit just makes him question things again. Maybe next time it’ll give him a clearer answer. Right now, it’s time for bed. Opening Nightcord, he posted a message to the general chat as he promised earlier that day.

Tsukasa
guys!
it’s 10 pm!
it’s time to go to bed!

Nene
you’re sleeping at 10?

Tsukasa
yes
it’s the best time to sleep
metabolism works the best at this time

Rui
Well, I still have work, but I’ll go to sleep soon after this

Tsukasa
don’t sleep in the garage Rui! 

Emu
GOOD NIGHT TSUKASA-KUN!
HAVE A WONDERHOI DREAM!

Tsukasa
yes good night Emu
good night Rui
good night Nene
good night Rui

Nene
you said good night Rui twice 

Tsukasa
just making sure he actually sleep properly

Tsukasa turned off his phone, not bothering to open it until morning. He went a sleep just like that.

Rui
Good night, dear star, Tsukasa-kun

Chapter Text

After a few days on Reddit, Tsukasa would’ve thought that he’s used to his commenters’ weird comments. There are times when they would tear off his room (and no, he has no plan to change it, his room is perfect for a future star no matter what Reddit would say), but most of the time they’re more interested in his relationship with Rui.

Honestly, Tsukasa is still in confusion.

So, that Nightcord group chat - the one where Tsukasa insisted on sleeping at 10 pm -  is slowly shifting to Tsukasa and Rui chat, to the point that Nene suggested making their own room from their constant ‘flirting’. Which Nene was completely wrong about! They are not flirting. This is just a normal conversation between friends.

Rui
So about that shopping cart

Tsukasa
for the last time we’re not bringing a shopping cart to school hour!
shiraishi will definitely kill us!

Rui
Then I’ll just bring it once school is over
The hallway is probably empty at this point so it’s a perfect time to test it

Tsukasa
can you even bring a shopping cart to the second floor?!

Rui
Anything is possible if you believe in my Tsukasa

Tsukasa
ugh!
it’s for the show!
fine!
bring it tomorrow!

Rui
Yay~
I love you so much, dear future star~

Nene
really?
you fell just like that?
you two are like an old married couple

Tsukasa
I’m not 90!

Rui
Thanks for the compliment, Nene~

Tsukasa
rui, she’s calling you old!

See? Perfectly normal.

So, what is the shopping cart for? Well, in the Cinderella story, you have the pumpkin carriage, right? So, it’s only fair if they have their own self-made carriage. And a shopping cart sounds like a good idea, at least from what Rui said. Even ignoring the part where there might be some rocket on the wheels. But, it’s Rui’s creation. And Tsukasa believes in Rui.

But Tsukasa still couldn’t help but be surprised when Rui did show up with a shopping cart once school was over and they agreed to meet up on the empty top floor. “Ta-daa! Meet Truck-kun!”

Tsukasa looked at Rui then down at the shopping cart. “Did you just name it?”

“Aw, you don’t like the name?” Rui pouted. “Isn’t Cinderella going to the ball while riding a supersonic truck?”

“That was your suggestion!” Tsukasa screamed in turn. “My suggestion was the pink flamingo limo.”

“This is not your conventional Cinderella after all,” Rui giggled.

Tsukasa let out a sigh. “Are you sure we want this? Nene is going to be the one riding the cart.”

“I know. But we have to test it with extreme situations,” Rui said, his hand slightly tightened around the handle. “If it works here, then it’ll work during the performance.”

Extreme situation. Like sudden malfunctioning zombies or children messing with Nenerobo's circuit board. Rui had always been the careful one, even his wildest inventions had some sort of safety net, which is strange because he was the dangerous one of the group. The duality of a purple guy. But Tsukasa always thought that what made Rui special: the mad scientist who still worries about others' well-being. And Tsukasa admired him for that.

“Hey.” Tsukasa reached to put a hand on Rui's. “I said I trust you. So give me all the trial tests!” He grinned widely. What kind of star who just ignores their director's brilliant idea? Not him, obviously!

Whether he noticed or chose to ignore the obvious blush on Rui's cheeks it didn't matter. The moment Rui's eyes widened slightly and twinkled just like those many times in the past, followed by the gentle beautiful smile that Tsukasa loves.

"Thank you, Tsukasa-kun," Rui said, almost in a whisper but filled with affection that made Tsukasa warm inside.

"So," Tsukasa looked down at Truck-kun again, "what should I do?"

“Just sit inside the cart and I’ll push it as fast as I can.” Rui patted the inside of the cart. “Just testing the durability of the cart. If it can handle you, it’ll handle Nene.”

“Alright then” Tsukasa climbed into the cart. It was big enough to fit him. He pulled his knees closed to his chest and grabbed the side of the cart since Rui hadn’t installed a seatbelt. “Let’s go then!”

“Here we go!”

Rui pushed the cart and ran as fast as he could. The sound of the *roll* *roll* *roooooll!!!* from the wheels echoed down the empty hallways. Both of them screamed and laughed. It was fun, so fun. The feeling of speed made Tsukasa’s heart beat faster than it already has. He turned toward Rui, a big grin *on his face. Rui is so awesome to think of this. Everyone should try to race inside a shopping cart at least once.

But he didn’t realize Rui let out a gasp, nor did he realize the puddle ahead. Rui slipped because of the wet spot, falling flatly on his face and letting go of the cart. Tsukasa was so worried about Rui that he didn’t even try to jump off the rolling cart before colliding with the wall ahead of him.

"TSUKASA-KUN!"

"Onii-chan!" Saki's voice came closer and Tsukasa tucked his phone under his pillow. "Touya-kun is here."

Saki climbed up with a familiar dual-colored-haired boy who was carrying a bouquet of colorful flowers. "Hello, Tsukasa-senpai."

"Touya!" Tsukasa carefully swung his feet off the bed and rested them on the floor, revealing his bandaged right foot. "How do you know that I twisted my ankle?"

"Ah, it's from-"

"From me!" Saki threw herself onto Touya, grabbing his upper arm as she nervously laughed. "I told him that and he came here."

Touya's brain lagged like Internet Explorer before it clicked. He nodded quickly and wore the most serious face he could muster. "Yes. Saki-san was the one who told me."

"Aw, you two," Tsukasa laughed, "There's no need to worry. I'll be fine in a few days."

Touya nodded. "I'm just glad you're okay. You stirred the community a bit."

"Eh? Community?"

"He means our friends!" Saki laughed nervously again. "We are one big community!"

Tsukasa just nodded. That's a strange way to refer to a group of friends. Well, he would have guessed that they are a community of teens who have a connection with Miku and other virtual singers. Or maybe the community at Phoenix Wonderland? But even if Wonderland x Showtime is the ambassador and gained respect from the rest of the PXL's troupe, he doubts they would worry too much about one actor lightly twisting his ankle. Or maybe the Kamiyama High community? He might be the number one star but that doesn't mean the whole school would mourn for him. Such a dilemma.

"I have to go after this. Vivid Bad Squad is performing after this," Touya said as he gave the bouquet to Tsukasa. "Hope you get better, Tsukasa-senpai."

"Thank you, Touya. I wish I can see your performance," Tsukasa said. "Will you be watching our Cinderella performance soon?"

Touya nodded. "Of course. I'll invite the others as well."

Tsukasa laughed. "Go on! The more the merrier!"

Touya left and Saki went down to put the flowers into a glass of water. Tsukasa took out his phone again and opened Reddit as he had posted his status earlier. He had been using it more than he anticipated. It was almost addicting. At least his followers were curious about his relationship with Rui and kept on asking whether he is gay or not. 

Speaking of Rui, he hadn't responded to his Nightcord messages. He had been spamming it by calling his name. But he was offline. The only reason he hadn't spammed the WxS server was Nene threatening to mute him. Rui was the one who bandaged his foot. Ignoring the questioning matter of how the heck Rui could pick the infirmary lock, he was almost panicky when he gathered bandages and disinfectant. He cleaned his ankle and warped it with the gentleness Tsukasa never realized his director had. It was only when Tsukasa held the purplenette's cheek and whispered reassurance that Rui stopped fretting over him. Rui was also the one who gave him a piggyback ride to his house. But then, it was radio silence.

Reddit, as he expected, had given him some comments under his newest status. It was still amusing how Reddit seemed to never sleep.

u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: sorry guys no update this week because I fell out of truck-kun
|> u/hauntingprorogation: did you get isekaid op?
|> u/adjoiningannouncement_13: you have signal in the afterlife?
|> u/TheExasperatedLine-up: didn’t this happen to u/droneattacks? they also use truck-kun
|> u/elegantlyomniscientbarrier: plot twist u/droneattacks is actually crushing on u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR

Oh, so that's why the name 'Truck-kun' was familiar. He forgot about that classic isekai plot point.

But that one user mentioned caught his interest. u/droneattacks? Tsukasa may not remember every user that commented on his page, but he couldn't recall anyone by the name u/droneattacks. Curiosity caught him again and decided to look up in another tab. There were a lot of users with 'drone' and 'attacks' in the name, but he finally found it. And their latest update status made him go "oh".

u/droneattacks: guys he fell off from truck kun
|> u/thetwoidiom: LMAOOOOOOOO
|> u/PM_ME_YOUR_BRIGHTNESSES: rip
|> u/UtterHabitation: Ayo doesn't this sound like u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR story????? probably looking for karma or smth

Someone else fell out of Truck-kun? Wait. How many Truck-kun are there? At first glance, it did sound the same as what happened to him, but it could be just a coincidence. He looked through the user's page and he couldn't help but feel sorry about them. 

u/droneattacks: how do I let my best friend know that I love him romantically.
stupid question yes I know. But I’ve straight up told him that I want to be in a romantic relationship with him and he just laughed and said “yeah that’s exactly what you should say to someone when you want to confess to them

|> u/ScreechingTendon: OP I think you just need to move on

Most of his posts were about his complicated love life. About a pancake date which ended with a probably platonic surprising kiss, of bento boxes and unrecognized flirting, and various things. But the user's crush didn't seem to understand the gestures. Poor guy.

|> u/PM_ME_YOUR_STILLNESSES: guys is this an arg?

|> u/velvetyheadset8: I'm actually screaming. I mean wasn't there that ama awhile ago from like?? u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR sister?????? That seemed pretty real. Like the guy did a full house tour. even if that house had a floor plan from hell

What the- what is an ARG and who is this sister? How did they know about Saki?!

A quick surf on the internet, he found out that ARG or alternate reality game is "an interactive networked narrative that uses the real world as a platform and employs transmedia storytelling to deliver a story that may be altered by players' ideas or actions". Bunch of gibberish but he concluded it was some sort of an interactive roleplay…? It was a dilemma for him.

So, someone was roleplaying as his sister? Is it even a correct portrayal? He looked up again in another tab and it took him forever. But eventually, he found it.

u/stellarpianistovertherainbow: hey lol!! im the sister of u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR ama :) I have pictures for proof! :D
|> u/cheerfully_ahead_shaving: i saw the picture does u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR room have a pride flag in it???
| |> u/stellarpianistovertherainbow: he said he rlly likes rainbow dash from hit show my little pony friendship is magic.
| | |> u/grieving_owner: God save us all.

They even sound like Saki! How did they do this? He looked back and forth between u/stellarpianistovertherainbow, u/droneattacks, and his own. And he did find some matches here and there, corresponding with some stories in his life. But how is this possible?! Even roleplay couldn't be this accurate! Is he being stalked?! Are they stalking Saki?!

u/PM_ME_YOUR_STILLNESSES: THIS CAN'T BE AN ARG,,, CAN IT??? 

u/VERYWANDAHOI: AWAWAE HIIII REDDIT!! I'M u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR CASTMATE!! WONDERHOI!!!!

There are more?! Why does this one sound like Emu?!

u/PM_ME_YOUR_STILLNESSES: HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THIS ARG??
|> u/vial_of_bows: I think this is just roleplaying
| |> u/Aoyagi_Touya: No. I don't think it's an arg. My senpai fell off a shopping cart and twist his ankle.
| | |> u/draftycarrier: this is part of the arg i think.

That couldn’t be Touya, could it?! Is everyone he knows being stalked by these Redditors?

u/AlarmedAllegiance: THERE'S MORE?????

u/quaintlyfriendlysesame: guys. there's no way this is an arg. I refuse to believe it. nobody would put this much effort into something so dumb.
|> u/GlibNarration: counter there’s no way people this dumb actually exist 
| |> u/lions_share: have you ever met anyone of course people this dumb exist

Tsukasa pulled his window almost in a panic. He could let anyone stalk him or Saki even more. He had to warn this to Touya and Emu and well.

"Onii-chan?" Tsukasa squeaked as he turned toward Saki who just placed the flowers on his table next to the candle. "Are you okay?"

"Saki!" Tsukasa limped toward Saki, ignoring his sister's cries, and hugged her. "You're not being stalked, are you?"

"Stalked?" Saki frowned. "I don't think so. Why would you ask that?"

Tsukasa gripped her shoulder. "Don't freak out, okay?" He whispered. "But I think someone is roleplaying as you."

"Roleplay?"

"Their posts sound like you and they know a lot about us! They even know my Rainbow Dash flag!"

"Rainbow- OH!" Saki gasped but followed by a laugh. "Onii-chan, you scared me."

"But…"

Saki patted his head and he felt a little bit better. "Nobody is stalking me, onii-chan. I can assure you that. And it's the internet, coincidence happens all the time."

Tsukasa sighed. "Are you sure?"

Saki smiled. "I'm very sure! It's peak entertainment."

Tsukasa chuckled. "Maybe you're right. I'm just still new to this thing."

"You think about it too much. Now go back to bed. Don't put pressure on your foot."

Saki guided Tsukasa to his bed and went downstairs to pick up some food. Tsukasa sighed. Yeah, he trusts Saki. He doesn't have to worry much. It is still strange how Reddit can make up this ARG theory though.

He opened his phone again and revealed the tab with the u/droneattacks' page. The user just updated his status again. He should cheer him up. Hopefully, the user wouldn't feel too sad after this, but Tsukasa would keep an eye on them.

u/droneattacks: guys this is all real I swear to god this is my life my life is just this miserable
|> u/NUMBER1BESTAMAZINGSTAR: :( hope it gets better for you soon king!!
| |> u/droneattacks: O_O?!