Work Text:
“HAHAHA! One more thing, Shinomiya.”
Natsuki raised his eyebrows. “Yes, Principal?”
“Did you know that you have a split personality?”
“A... what?”
“Well...”
He listened to the principal, although in shock. The so-called “Shinomiya glasses incident” had been four months before, and, although things had gone back to normal with his friends, some of Natsuki's classmates still couldn't look him in the eye. He himself couldn't remember a bit of the incident, although he had heard things. Clouds obscuring the sky. An ungodly scream. A foul black aura radiating off him. Now, thanks to the school physical exam, he had an answer... or, at least, something to hold the place of an answer. He was as baffled as before, just in a different way than before the exam. How could he have no idea when there was another person inside him, anyway?
Maybe tonight was a good night for stargazing.
At eleven that night, Natsuki crept out of the dorm and lied down on the cool grass. Dew was starting to form, but it wouldn't get his shirt terribly wet. Besides, it would dry. If it rained, he could go in.
The Aurigid meteor shower was active. He had never seen them before; it was only periodic, showing up once every few decades. He watched for a few minutes. Something was calming about seeing chunks of a comet flying off into space; maybe it was because it reminded him how small he really was.
Syo-chan and Haru-chan had done their best when he had asked them about the other personality and what, exactly, triggered the other personality to come out. Something in his gut told him it was his glasses. However, both Syo-chan and Haru-chan had tried to deflect attention from his glasses. So, what was it?
Not to mention, no one had told him about this before. Why? The whole school had found out due to the “Idol Strength Training from Hell,” and no one had told him what had happened. His friends had reassured him multiple times over the past few months, although never giving a clear answer as to what, exactly, happened.
He continued to watch the meteors, hoping for the sky to give him some peace.
“Well, I guess I can't just hide anymore, can I?”
That voice... where did it come from? As far as Natsuki knew, he was alone. “Hello?”
Someone stepped from the shadows. The man looked just like him, with one exception: he wasn't wearing glasses. The man had an irritated look on his face. “Hi.”
“Oh, hi! I don't think we've met before.”
“We have, but you haven't been aware of it. Rather, I'm a part of you.”
“Oh, so you're...”
“Who Shining was talking about. The split personality. Satsuki.”
Something about the name gave him a shiver down his spine, but he couldn't place why. “Well, it's nice to meet you for real.”
Satsuki nodded. “Had to happen eventually.” After a moment he said, “You've said that you've felt like someone's been protecting you for a long time.”
“Yes.”
“That's me. You deserve better than to get hurt again.”
“Hurt... again?” Something played at the edges of Natsuki's memories, but he couldn't quite tell what it was.
“It's nothing. Know this though: I can't exist forever. One day, you'll have to protect yourself.”
“Mm.” He paused. “Why didn't you say anything sooner?”
“You weren't ready, and you didn't need to know. It's better that no one told you.”
“I... see.” Satsuki seemed to see him as if he was weak. And... well, he kind of was. Always described as a sensitive child, he had thought he had grown stronger as he had grown up... but Satsuki's presence didn't imply as much. Could one develop another personality if they were strong? He didn't know, but he doubted it.
“As I said. I'll protect you. Become a stronger man and one day, maybe we'll become one again.”
He nodded. “Then again, you're already a part of me, aren't you, Sacchan?”
Satsuki's brows furrowed. “Oh hell no. Sacchan? Are you shitting me?”
“Well, Sacchan is Sacchan, right? And really, does anyone know me as well as you do? We're about as close as we can possibly be, aren't we?”
He was silent.
“It only makes sense that I would call you Sacchan and you would call me Nacchan, right?”
Again, he didn't answer. Instead, he crossed his arms.
“No? Well, one day.”
“Yeah, right.”
Natsuki couldn't help but laugh a little. “So, you know me better than anyone. I want to know you. Can we talk?”
Satsuki gave him a flat expression. “Not sure how much there is to know; I'm just the dark side of you. Besides, it's not like you need to know much of anything about me.”
“But I want to know you.”
“Tch... I forgot: it's hard to stop you when you want something.”
He laughed. “Syo-chan's said the same thing.”
“Hmph. Well, I might as well give you something, anyway. So...” He paused, tweaking his mouth off to the side and uncrossing his arms as he thought. “Fine. I can compose.”
“Aaaah, really? So can I!”
“That makes sense. I generally don't though.”
“Aw, really? Well... I guess I don't really either. Something never seems quite right when I try.”
“You'll find out why one day.”
“Wha—you mean you know why?”
He nodded. “I'm here to bear your pain and protect you until you're strong enough to do it for yourself. We'll talk about it then.”
“Mm. I look forward to it.”
“You probably shouldn't, but alright.” He sighed. “Well, I'd better let you go. I'm always here though.”
He nodded. “Thank you for protecting me. I'll do my best to become stronger.”
Satsuki looked a bit confused. “Thank you? Well, alright. I'll be waiting 'til I'm needed. Now, go back to bed; if the runt wakes up, he's going to wonder where you went.” With that, he turned and started toward the shadows again.
“Wait! Sacchan, one more thing!”
He turned back. “You're really going to call me that?” He grumbled. “Guess it can't be helped. What?”
“The trigger. What makes you come out?”
“It's your glasses, like you thought. They get knocked off, I come out. I generally go back inside once you have glasses on again.”
He nodded. “Syo-chan and Haru-chan wouldn't tell me for some reason.”
“Probably scared you'd try taking them off just to find out. It's fine; I'll protect you. Just keep your glasses on and you can keep control.”
“Mm. I'll do my best.”
“Good. Now, wake up and go inside, before it starts raining like the forecast said it would.” With that, he walked away, back into the shadows he had come from.
Natsuki jerked awake, finding himself lying on the grass on the school's green, his glasses on his face. A dream. His conversation with Satsuki had been... a dream. And yet, nothing had felt so real in his life. It couldn't have been just a dream. It might have happened inside him, but he knew for sure that this was real.
A thick cloud was starting to pass over the moon, and the meteor shower was no longer visible. Drops of dew from the grass had beaded on his skin. Maybe it was time to go in.
He got to his feet and took one more look at the sky. The brightest stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux, were still visible to the south of Auriga. Words slipped from his mouth. “I promise... for both of us.” With that, he started back toward the dorm.