Archive of Our Own

Long ago, there was a pianist by the name of Tsukasa. He had a gift unlike any other, to be able to play music with so much love and warmth, it could make anyone smile from ear to ear. He had the ability to make everyone flock to him just to listen to his piano. 

With such a grand gift, came a weakness. He was too afraid to play in front of others. He became clumsy on stage, earning him the name Torpe. Tsukasa hated the nickname at first. It was nothing more than a reminder for a dream he couldn’t reach. Then, one day, he found courage to play in front of an audience because of some forest animals. 

Now, he was a part of one of the most famous orchestras in the world. One that was owned by a man named Kamishiro Rui. The day Rui asked him to join his band, Tsukasa felt his whole world changed for the better. Everyday, Tsukasa was grateful towards the man who helped him achieve his dream. It was because of him and the animals that he now finds himself playing in the most famous music halls in the world.

This performance however, was different. It all started when Tsukasa had been reading his music sheets at their last performance. The director had suddenly announced that their next performance would take place back where it all started for Tsukasa. His home town. At first, everyone including the pianist was confused but they eagerly agreed when they saw how Tsukasa’s face lit up. They would be staying a whole two months, just in time to arrive for Tsukasa’s birthday and leaving after Rui’s.

This is how Torpe the pianist found himself playing in his home town’s small but dearly loved music hall on the day after his birthday. His gift had always been warm but today, it looked as if Tsukasa and the piano were glowing. Yesterday, Rui and the orchestra had gathered his friends and family for a surprise party. As Tsukasa played the piano, he could only remember the love he felt. Today's performance was like none other. 

As he plays his last note on the piano, he snaps out of his daze and sees the huge crowd in front of him erupt into applause. He’d been so caught up in the music that he forgot he was playing for an audience. He could spot familiar faces but they weren’t enough to quell his rising anxiety. 

After months of joining Rui’s orchestra and traveling all over the world, he still wasn’t used to all the attention. Tsukasa felt dizzy at the amount of people but forced himself to slowly stand up and bow. When he rises, he notices Rui walking to the front with a microphone.

“Thank you for joining us. We hope you’ll listen to our music another time” Rui speaks into the mic. Sauve and confident, the opposite of Tsukasa. The pianist admired him, in all honesty. Sometimes, he wished he could be as confident as his director but it’s not like his anxiety will just up and disappear. Not only did Rui have a wonderful personality, but he was handsome as well. The opposite of plain old Tsukasa. The pianist sighs and begins to pick up his sheet paper, not realizing Rui making his way towards him.

“-and let's give a round of applause to our pianist, Torpe! He’s a wonderful player, isn’t he?” Rui smirks, placing his hand on Tsukasa’s back. The pianist squeaks like a tiny mouse as the crowd especially goes wild for him. Out of habit, he raised his sheets to his face, blocking out the crowd from his view. 

“…cute” Rui mumbles before taking pity on Tsukasa. He pulls away from the boy and heads back to the middle of the stage, continuing to entertain the audience. Tsukasa felt like he could finally breathe again. He knows Rui means well but Tsukasa gets the feeling he is simply doomed to never be comfortable under the spotlight. 

The crowd slowly began to make their way out. The rest of the orchestra gathered around to congratulate one another, while Tsukasa awkwardly stood to the side. He knew they didn't try to exclude him on purpose but it still stung. Once the last of the crowd leaves, Tsukasa turns around and begins to head out. 

“Torpe, wait!” Rui yells. The pianist freezes in place, holding his music sheets closer to his chest. He could feel his entire body become overwhelmingly hot while his knees shaked from under him. A low chuckle is heard before Rui blows air into Tsukasa’s ear, making the boy scream. The room goes quiet, all eyes on Tsukasa’s rosy face. 

“…wow, I didn’t know you could be so loud,” Rui teases. A couple of people laugh and then go back to their conversations, much to the relief of Tsukasa. 

“I try not to. I don’t wish to be a bother.”

“You? The kindest person in the world? I doubt anything you could do would bother anyone.”

“You’d be surprised,” Tsukasa mumbles. He still remembers how outgoing he was as a child, loud and bright. How he loved to tell everyone his dreams of being the biggest piano star in the world. How the other kids laughed at him, eventually huffing out his light. Tsukasa hadn’t noticed he began to crush his sheet paper until Rui gently undid his grip on the innocent music notes. 

“Careful. The world still needs to hear your piano playing.”

“M-My apologies!” Tsukasa yelps. Rui’s eyes softened at the pianist. 

“There’s no need for you to apologize.”

“Right, sorry.”

“Tsukasa” Rui fondly smiles. As gently as he could, without spooking the other, Rui takes off Tsukasa’s hat and ruffles his hair. The director was pleasantly surprised by how soft Tsukasa’s hair was, content to leave his fingers there forever. Unfortunately for him, Tsukasa was quick to push his hand away. 

“You do realize I’m older than you, right?” Tsukasa pouts. 

“Right, sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable” Rui awkwardly smiles. 

“It’s alright. I…I should go. I’ll see you at practice” Tsukasa mutters and runs away. Rui yelled out for him to come back but his calls were ignored. Tsukasa didn’t look back as he ran to the nearest exit leading outside. Once he shut the door, the pianist leaned against the door and quietly slid down, hiding his face under his hat. 

“Why must I always make a fool of myself…”

“I don’t think you’re a fool” a high pitched voice spoke. Tsukasa jumps in shock, as he spots a pink sheep slowly making its way towards him. The sheep yawns before snuggling but to the boy, softly smiling. 

“You’re warm…it’s making me sleepy.”

“Thank you? Hold on, why is a SHEEP here?!” Tsukasa yelps. The sheep giggles before biting at the pianist's cape. 

“Follow me. I want to share my napping spot with you.”

“I don’t have a great feeling about this” Tsukasa mutters but reluctantly follows after the sheep. He was very suspicious but unfortunately, he was also too curious to think of any consequences. The sheep continues to pull until Tsukasa politely tells her to let go and that he was willing to follow. Though cautious, the sheep agreed and the two walked through a nearby forest until they reached a beautiful flower meadow near a lake. Tsukasa was in complete awe. The place was like something out of a fairytale. 

“Cozy, yes? My napping spot is right over here” the sheep says, leading Tsukasa near a huge tree. 

“This place is gorgeous. I never would have imagined a place like this was so close to where I live.”

“Lovey, right? Come join me for a nap. I can tell you’re in desperate need for one” the sheep yawns, as they settle on the ground. She motions with her head for Tsukasa to lay on her. The pianist seemed hesitant, using the cute animal as a pillow but the sheep was insistent. Once he laid down, he felt like all his worries had vanished. She was incredibly soft and warm. The sheep giggled, closing her eyes as she felt the urge to sleep grow stronger. That was until another animal showed up. 

“Luka! What is the meaning of this!” 

“Meiko! Welcome back! Look, I brought a friend” the sheep mutters. Tsukasa shyly waves at the bird, growing uncomfortable under her gaze. 

“I can see that. Human! What is your name!”

“Uh, hello? My name is Tsukasa. I’m a pianist under the stage name Torpe. I apologize for being here, I’ll just go-“

“Well you’re already here so I might as well give you a tour!” The bird happily chirps. Tsukasa was taken back by the quick change in mood as the cute animal happily sat on top of his head. 

“I don’t wish to be a bother.”

“Nonsense! You’re our guest now! It’s not often we have humans here! In fact, you’re the first!”

“I am? I’m sorry…” Tsukasa frowns. Both Luka and Meiko tilt their heads in confusion. As far as they knew, the human did nothing wrong so why was he apologizing? 

“Mmm, don’t apologize. Just sleep with Meiko and I” Luka says, already snuggling against the tree. She was already halfway asleep and seemed to be waiting for the human and her bird friend to join her. Meiko however, had no plans to join her. 

“Luka, it’s too early to sleep! Besides, you’re a sheep! Shouldn’t you be helping others sleep instead of constantly sleeping yourself!” Meiko yells. To Tsukasa’s surprise, the small bird dug her claws on Luka’s fluffy coat and began to lift her midair. 

“MEIKO’S LIFTING LUKA AGAIN!”

“OH, ME NEXT! ME NEXT!” Two new voices yell. Tsukasa squeaks until he sees two rabbits pass by him. They hop over to the other animals with stars in their eyes. 

“Rin! Len! Hi there!”

“Hi Meiko!” The two rabbits cheerfully wave. They jump around until they notice Tsukasa sitting a couple feet away. They happily gasp and rush to the human. 

“HI THERE!”

“WHAT’RE YOU DOING HERE!” 

“Woah!” Tsukasa backs up as the rabbits jump onto his lap. Both of them curiously look over his clothes and jump in the opposite direction of each other. Rin tried to fit in his pocket while Len decided to hide under his cape. Tsukasa shrieks, attempting to grab the rabbits but they were too fast for him to catch. 

“Hehe, you can’t catch us!”

“We’re too fast haha!”

“Rin, Len! Leave Tsukasa alone” Meiko scolds the twin rabbits but she is ultimately ignored. The pianist continues to fight on his own, unable to catch either rabbit. He grew more and more annoyed until the two suddenly stopped. 

“Miku!”

“Kaito!”

“Welcome back!” The rabbits announce. Tsukasa audibly groans at the thought of more forest animals coming to bother him but to his surprise, he only saw a dog and cat. 

“Rin, Len. Who’s that?” The dog frowns, eyeing up Tsukasa with suspicion. The cat however, grew excited at the human. She happily squeals and decides to run circles around the confused pianist.

“A human! A human is here! A human is really REALLY here! Welcome, welcome! What’s your name, oh chosen one!” The cat excitedly speaks. 

“M-My name? I’m Tsukasa Tenma and I think I should get going-“

“NOPE! You’re here for a reason and we’re going to help you!” The cat suddenly announces. 

“Miku, don’t overwhelm him. He looks scared enough” the dog scolds the cat. He slowly walks up to the human and lays next to him. Soon, the rest of the animals surround him, all of them sitting down. 

“…am I dreaming?” Tsukasa says without thinking. 

“Nope! Okay now we’ll ask a question! Do you often talk to animals?” Rin asks. The boy was surprised but shyly nodded, much to the surprise of the rest of the animals. 

“I’ve always had the ability to understand animals since I was young. I even had a different group of animals help me overcome my fear of performing on stage. Now I can spread my music with my orchestra and with…the director” Tsukasa mumbles, his cheeks turning red. Something clicked in everyone’s mind. All the animals giggle amongst themself, much to the confusion of Tsukasa. 

“This director of yours? He must be very special” Luka says with a calm smile. The boy’s eyes widen before he shyly looks toward the ground. 

“He is. He’s the only person who never gave up on me. Even when no one believed I could play piano in front of an audience, he did. He never gave up on me.”

“It sounds like he cares a lot for you,” Meiko giggles. Tsukasa timidly bites down on his lip, forcing himself not to squeak. 

“I guess he does? Even though I’m older, he always makes sure I’m comfortable. He looks out for me and I couldn’t be more grateful towards him.”

“The feeling that you two share-“

“-is a special one! You two have a special bound!” Rin and Len say, completely invested in the two humans. 

“A special bound? Are you referring to us being coworkers?” Tsukasa frowns. 

“I think what everyone is trying to say is that this director of yours means a lot to you” Kaito sweetly smiles. Tsukasa bashfully hides his red face behind his hat, nodding along with the dog’s words. 

“He does. I couldn’t be more grateful to have him in my life.” 

“You’re in love with him!” Miku announces. Tsukasa continues to nod until he processes what the cat said. His nodding comes to halt, as he looks at the cat in horror. 

“In love?! I’m not in love with him!”

“You are! You totally are! Tsukasa likes his director, everyone! He really likes his director!”

“I do not! Even if I did love him, why would he ever fall for a coward like me?” Tsukasa yells. The animals grow somber. All of them slowly near closer to the human. They share an uncertain look until Kaito places his head on Tsukasa’s leg. The pianist was surprised but eventually pats his head, making Kaito’s tail happily swing from side to side. 

“Tsukasa? Is there a reason you think your director wouldn’t love you?” Meiko asks. 

“I have more than one reason. Rui is…amazing. His orchestra is unique and unlike anything I’d ever seen. He is incredibly handsome and I’m just some boy from a random town. I get incredibly agitated and I’m unpleasant. I’m not even good enough to be in his shadow.”

“Tsukasa…” Rin and Len mutter, their eyes tearing up as the human speaks ill of themselves. They nuzzle against his waist in hopes that they could cheer him up. 

“See? This is what I mean. All I do is make everyone depressed around me. Who could ever love someone like me?”

“Hmph! This is no good! A human like Tsukasa shouldn’t be so down in the dumps! We’ve only known each other for a few minutes but I know deep down, you’re a good human! I refuse to let you continue being so hard on yourself! Mark my words Tsukasa Tenma! I’ll build your confidence and get you together with your director!” Miku puffs off her cheek. 

“You’ll…what?!” 

“You heard me! I, Hatsune Miku, will help you with your happiness ever after! So will everyone else, right?!”

“Yeah! We’re in!” Meiko, Rin, and Len quickly agree. Luka dozed off while Kaito tried to calm everyone. Tsukasa could do nothing but watch in fear as the animals talked about the most cliche ideas for him and Rui to fall in love. 

He couldn’t let this happen. So, he ran away. He didn’t look back until he reached his hotel room. Only then, did he lock the door and finally breathe. He knew the animals meant well but he simply wanted them to leave him and Rui alone. It just wouldn’t be fair to his director if he was tricked into loving him. 

A loud knock breaks him out of his thoughts. Tsukasa shrieks as his door suddenly opens, revealing his director. 

“Tsukasa! Are you alright? I saw you run here and I got worried.”

“I…I’m sorry. I’m okay, I just ran into some…pushy people.”

“I see. If they show up again, let me know. I’ll deal with them, okay? For now, get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow Torpe” Rui winks at the boy, finally closing the door. Once Rui’s footsteps are enough from his hotel room, Tsukasa quickly grabs his pillow and screams into it. He prays to every god out there that the animals wouldn’t find him at practice tomorrow. 

~♡~

Tsukasa felt nothing but dread the next day. It wasn’t because of his usual anxiety but rather, over the animals. Even if he did run away before they could question him, he was scared they’d find him. He understands they mean well and it was animals who helped him get over his stage fright in time for the competition but this felt different. They were trying to play matchmaker for him and someone who deserved more. 

The pianist shakes his head. Now wasn’t the time to wallow in self pity, he had a job to do. Tsukasa cautiously made his way to where the group would meet, looking out for any animals. To his surprise, there was no one. He wasn’t sure if he was to be thankful or even more worried about what they had planned. 

“Tsukasa? Are you with us?” A stern voice breaks him out of his thoughts. Tsukasa yelps, looking up at Rui frowning towards him. 

“I…sorry, I’m still here.”

“Leave all distractions to be dealt with later, alright? That goes for the rest of you!” 

“Yes director” Tsukasa says in unison with the other members of the orchestra. The boy sighs before sitting up straight, his fingers hovering over the piano. As he waits for Rui’s cue, a loud noise is suddenly heard from behind him. Tsukasa blinks before something roughly tugs on his coat, pulling him backwards onto the floor. 

“WAAAAAAH!” Tsukasa yells, shocking everyone as they turn to look at him. He groans in pain from the harsh landing as twin rabbits make their way to his chest.

“Tsukasa!”

“We found you!” 

“Rin? Len?!” The boy whispers in shock. The rabbits giggle before jumping on top of Tsukasa’s head without warning. 

“Oww!”

“So which one is it?”

“Who are you trying to swoop off their feet?”

“Tell us, tell us!” The twins excitedly spoke in unison, unaware of Tsukasa wincing in pain every time they hopped. 

“Are those rabbits? How did rabbits sneak in here?!” Rui mutters. He shakes his head and hurriedly makes his way toward Tsukasa. 

“H-Hey! Calm down, stop jumping!” The poor pianist pleads. 

“Don’t worry Tsukasa. I’ll-“ Rui says, making a grab for the rabbits. He misses by an inch and accidentally bumps against the other boy's head. Tsukasa hisses in pain as does Rui but he quickly collects himself to apologize to the other boy. The rabbits gasp and run away from the pair heading straight towards the orchestra players. 

“AHHH!”

“Someone catch them!”

“Keep the instruments safe!” The room fell into chaos. Rin and Len ran all over the place as the group attempted to catch the rabbits. Rui winces when he watches everyone crash into each other but ignores them in favor of helping Tsukasa off the ground. 

“Are you alright?” Rui gently asks. Tsukasa shyly nods, as he takes off his hat to fix his hair. 

“I’m alright. I was just surprised.”

“I understand. I certainly wasn’t expecting rabbits to crash our practice session.”

“Yeah, me neither,” Tsukasa says, avoiding the director's beautiful eyes. He debates telling Rui the truth, regardless of sounding like a mad man, when the rabbits suddenly jump into his arms. Tsukasa gasps, watching the twins snuggle up to him. His cheeks puffed up, ready to scold them until he noticed they were both shivering in fear. All his previous anger shifted into worry over the cute creatures. He ends up hugging them closer. 

Rui’s eyes soften at the sight of his pianist, petting both of the rabbits' furs while quietly comforting them. It was much too adorable but Rui had a practice session to finish. He ignored the way his heart fluttered as he placed a firm hand on Tsukasa’s shoulder.

“Congrats on catching them. Now please take them outside so we can continue.”

“Oh…yes, director. Sorry for the inconvenience” Tsukasa bows and rushes to the nearest exit with both rabbits. Once he goes outside, he carefully places the rabbits down on the ground. 

“Alright, you’re outside. Safe and sound! Now, go back to the forest okay?” Tsukasa gently says. Instead of hopping away like the pianist expected, they both shyly neared closer to him. 

“Tsukasa?” Len was the first to speak. 

“Are you mad at us?” Rin mumbles, her ears dropping with sadness. 

“What? No, not at all. Just…don’t do this again. Okay? You two could have seriously gotten hurt.”

“We’re sorry Tsukasa” both rabbits say while bumping their nose against the pianist's knee. The boy sighs and begins to pet their heads. 

“It’s alright. Now, please head back. I have no doubt the others are worried for you two.”

“We will!”

“Please visit us soon!”

“I will,” Tsukasa laughs, waving goodbye to the rabbits. Rin and Len wave back with their ears before finally hopping away. Once they’re gone from Tsukasa’s sight, he rushes back inside where the orchestra eagerly awaited his arrival. 

“Sorry for the wait!”

“It’s alright Torpe. Are you alright?” Rui says, his hand resting on Tsukasa’s cheek. The pianist sighs, nuzzling against Rui’s palm. 

“I…I’m okay as are the rabbits.”

“Good. That’s good.”

“Y-Yeah. Uhm, shall we get started?” Tsukasa asks. The director blinked and quickly pulled his hands away. He awkwardly coughs into his hand before walking back to the front of the room.

“Alright everyone, enough distraction! Let’s take this from the top.”

~♡~

Tsukasa sighed as he quietly ate lunch outside. By this point, it had been two weeks since they've been here. He’d only been back to the forest two times. The first to scold the rabbits for being reckless and the second time to simply talk to them. A part of him wanted to go back to the forest and eat with the rest of the animals right now but he didn’t want to be a bother. The pianist sighs and takes a small bite of his ginger fried pork. He continued to slowly eat until a cute little bird flew next to him. Taking a closer look, he was surprised to notice it was Meiko.

“Hi, Tsukasa! I finally found you! What’re you doing?”

“Hello, Meiko. I’m just eating my luncheon before I go back to practice. What about you?” Tsukasa asks. The bird happily chirps while she twirls around.

“I’m about to eat too! I was flying, looking for something extra tasty today when I spotted you!”

“Looking?” 

“Yep! Usually I eat seeds or share with Luka but I’m in an extra great mood today! I want to eat something special” Meiko winks. Tsukasa looks down at his lunch and grabs one of the orange slices. He places the orange in front of the small bird and continues eating. 

“Hmm? What’s this?” Meiko asks. Tsukasa quickly swallows his lunch before answering. 

“It’s an orange. You’re welcome to have it.”

“Really?! Oh, thank you Tsukasa!” Meiko chirps and begins to eat the orange. With every bite, she’d sing a song while making multiple cute spins. Tsukasa would always clap for her small performances until she ate everything up.

“That was delicious Tsukasa, thank you! I know! I’ll get something special for you! Wait for me here, okay?” The bird says. Tsukasa tried to stop her and tell her it wasn’t necessary but Meiko had already flown away. He began to feel guilt as he continued eating his lunch in peace. At least it was until his director opened the door leading outside, right where the pianist was. 

“Tsukasa?”

“Director?!” The pianist yelps in surprise at Rui, who was holding a lunch box. The other seemed just as surprised to see Tsukasa eating alone outside. The director's face suddenly brightened as he rushed over. 

“Having a quiet lunch outside today? Mind if I join you?” 

“Okay” Tsukasa shyly nods. Rui lightly laughs and takes a seat next to the other boy. As he slowly unwrapped his lunch, Tsukasa decided to look over in curiosity. He was surprised to see not a single vegetable in sight. 

“Director?”

“Rui is fine, Tsukasa. We’re not at work.”

“Then…Rui? Did you forget to pack vegetables? I can share some of mine, if you’d like?” Tsukasa asks. To his surprise, Rui’s face fell and he gagged in disgust. 

“If you were anyone else, I’d fire you on the spot.”

“What?!” Tsukasa yelps. Rui laughs, taking a quick bite of his lunch. He never specified if he was joking or not, making the pianist fear for his job at the moment.

“Say, what are you doing alone? Did you not feel like eating with the others?” 

“Not today, no. I wanted to eat alone today so I could brainstorm potential future melody’s” Tsukasa lies. He didn’t want to tell his director he was planning on eating with animals but decided against it last minute because he didn’t want to bother them. 

“Melodys? Do you write your own music?” Rui gasps. Tsukasa soon realized he slipped up. He hurriedly tried to take his words back but it was too late. Rui’s eyes had already lit up with glee. 

“I do but it’s nothing special! I mean, I like it and you might too but it’s not finished! Well, it almost is but-“ Tsukasa rambles, when he suddenly hears a loud, happy chirp from behind him. The pianist mentally thanked Meiko for the distraction, slowly turning around. 

“Mei-“ Tsukasa begins to say when he suddenly freezes in place. The lunch in his hand is dropped to the floor. Rui stops his own chewing once he realizes the other boy stopped talking. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, putting down his lunch.

“Tsukasa? Is everything alright?” He asks but the pianist wouldn’t move an inch. Rui curiously looks over Tsukasa’s shoulder, spotting a red bird in front of the other boy. Inside the bird's mouth, were a handful of bugs. The bird chirped and hopped closer to the pair. 

“I bfrought fwood!” Meiko happily speaks with her mouth full of gross bugs. She was completely oblivious to the horrified look on Tsukasa’s face. 

“Ah…” Tsukasa quietly mutters.

“Ah?” Rui repeats. The bird once again came closer in hopes that Tsukasa would accept her gift. Unfortunately for her, his face turned as white as a ghost before he suddenly clinged onto a surprised Rui’s arm. 

“WAAAHHHHHHHHH!” 

“Tsukasa?!” Rui yelps as the normally shy and timid pianist was now hugging him like his life depended on it. Meiko shrieked at his outburst, flying over to Tsukasa to check for wounds. This made the pianist scream louder and climb onto Rui’s lap, straddling him in place. He roughly grasps the hem of the director’s coat and shakes him like a mad man, while pointing at the horrifying bugs. 

“RUI RUI RUI GET THEM AWAY! RUI, PLEASE! I’LL DO ANYTHING!” Tsukasa begs, hiding his tearful face in Rui’s chest. The director was in awe, finding his heart begin to soar at the boy holding him. Trusting him to protect him. He quickly looked up at the bird and shooed her away. Meiko frowns but ultimately flies away, taking the bugs with her. Once she’s gone from Rui’s sight, he sweetly smiles as he lifts up Tsukasa’s chin and gently wipes away his tears. 

“She’s gone now. Don’t be scared, okay? I won’t let any nasty bugs hurt you.”

Tsukasa weakly sniffles as Rui hugs him closer. The pianist felt his cheeks burn red, slowly clinging to the director. Shakily, his racing pulse slowed down until he could hear the boy above him humming. 

“…I’m sorry,” Tsukasa mumbles. Rui chuckles, rubbing the other boys back as he rests his chin on top of Tsukasa’s head.

“You have nothing to apologize for. We all have fears. For example, I have a big fear for vegetables” Rui says. Tsukasa giggles, feeling himself starting to doze off from the comfort that Rui was giving him. 

“Thanks for…trying to make me feel better.”

“Think nothing of it. It’s natural to have fears. Just now that I will always protect you” Rui softly whispers. Tsukasa didn’t respond to the boy. He was afraid he’d slip up and confess his undying love. So instead, he laid in Rui’s arms. Hoping to indulge himself just a little while longer. 

Then, Meiko showed up again. The whole time she had been flying around the pair, still completely unaware why Tsukasa had begun screaming. When she saw he had finally calmed down, she flew down until she was only inches away from the boy’s face. 

“Tshukasa! What haffened!” She asks, her beck still full of bugs. Tsukasa wasted no time to begin screaming again, hugging Rui in a deathly tight grip.

“RUIIIIIII! BY THE GODS, I’M GOING TO DIE! I’M GOING TO DIE RUI!” He cries out, as tears once again slip out of his eyes. 

“Tsu…kasa! I can’t…breathe!” Rui wheezes. The boy quickly loosened his grip but refused to let go. Without a moment to hesitate, Rui packed up both his and Tsukasa’s lunch with one arm while holding the trembling boy with his other before retreating back into the building. Once the door shuts, Meiko sadly flies away, finally realizing that the pianist didn’t like her gift. She’ll have to collect berries later and apologize but for now, she’ll just eat the bugs herself. 

It was only after she told the story to the other animals that she realized that was the boy Tsukasa was in love with. 

~♡~

People always say that third time's a charm but Tsukasa prays that the rest of the animals come by to try to help him. Especially after the bug incident. He was absolutely mortified once he snapped out of his terrified zone to find himself cuddling with his director. 

Rui didn’t seem mad though. He even told Tsukasa to find him whenever another pesky bug would appear. The pianist grumbled but agreed just so he could run away and hide in his hotel room. 

They hadn’t spoken for five days outside of practice. Tsukasa had been told that Rui was always looking for him afterwards but he just couldn’t find the confidence to be with the director face to face. Not without thinking of that embarrassing ordeal. 

Which is why he was currently hiding outside. He was curled up into a ball up against a tree, praying that Rui wouldn’t find him. He’d already bothered him enough. Just as Tsukasa was about to wallow in self pity, he spots something pink and fluffy pop out from the forest. It was Luka, looking as sleepy as ever.

“Tsukasa? Is that you? I finally found you.”

“Luka! Please don’t tell me you're here to play matchmaker” Tsukasa frowns. The sheep began to giggle at him. 

“Don’t worry. After hearing what happened with Meiko, Kaito asked us to stop getting in the way of your everyday life.”

“Really? I’ll have to visit soon to thank him. As much as I like having the other three visit me, I’d appreciate it if they came when I wasn’t at work.”

“I understand. Oh, you’re not working right now, right?” Luka yawns. 

“No, not now. Why?”

“Perfect. You look tired, Tsukasa. Let’s nap together” Luka says, already making herself comfortable on the ground. She tiredly yawns and bites down on the boy’s cape.

“What?! It’s only the middle of the day and I…I have to do things!”

“Do them later” Luka casually says and roughly pulls on the cape. Tsukasa screams as he falls down, landing on the sheep’s fluffy back. 

“Luka!”

“Shhhh. Please rest Tsukasa” the sheep says. The boy huffs out in frustration. He gets off of Luka, now sitting upright. 

“I’m sorry but I-“

“No!” Luka shrieks. She quickly jumps on Tsukasa’s waist, pushing him back on the ground. He grunts as the sheep decides to make herself comfortable on the boy’s chest. 

“Hey! Get off me!” 

“You can’t go! We have to nap or else you won’t smile! Please Tsukasa!” The sheep begs. The pianist could easily push her off and run away but maybe she had a point? Besides, he couldn’t find it in his heart to push the cute animal. So he sighs, finally laying down in defeat. Once Luka realized Tsukasa was no longer putting up a fight, she closed her eyes and started to sing a lullaby. The pianist found Luka’s voice to be peaceful. He hums alongside her until he falls asleep. 

Only when Tsukasa is in a deep slumber does Luka fall asleep as well. She tiredly rests her entire body on top of his chest, curled up as she listens to the sound of Tsukasa’s heartbeat. They slept for about half an hour, unaware of the world around them. None of them heard the sound of a certain director approaching them. 

“Tsukasa! Tsukasa, are you out here!” Rui screams. Emu had told him that she saw Tsukasa go outside but he hadn’t found a single trace of the pianist. The director frustratedly sighs, once again unable to track down Tsukasa. He knows exactly why the other is avoiding him but he can’t lie, it hurts. Embarrassment or not, he missed the other boy. 

“God, I think I’m going crazy” Rui sighs, taking off his hat and putting it against his racing heartbeat. He suddenly chuckles to himself before continuing his search for Tsukasa. He wanders around for a bit more before catching the glimpse of something pink in the corner of his eye. The director curiously walks over the pink objects. 

Upon a closer look, he realizes the pink object was actually a sheep. A pink sheep with human legs? Rui was confused but intrigued. He slowly creeps up on the sheep to take a closer look when suddenly, his heart drops. The pair of legs looked familiar to Tsukasa’s. Forgetting to be stealthy, Rui rushes over. 

To his horror, Tsukasa was laying under the sheep. A thousand worse case scenarios began to pop up in his head as he observed the sleeping boy. Did Tsukasa faint outside? Did this sheep knock him out? Is he okay? Is he DEAD?! What if the Sheep is suffocating him! Rui begins to panic for Tsukasa. Meanwhile, the pianist was happily snoring away while cuddling Luka like he would with a plush toy. 

“Tsukasa? Tsukasa, please answer me! Are you alive!” Rui harshly whispers. When he hears no response, his worries only worsen. The director looks around like an idiot, hoping for a sign on how to save his pianist. His eyes eventually land on the sheep. 

“I’m sorry for doing this” Rui regrettably says before poking the sheep. Luka laughed at the tickling sensation and sank deeper to her dreams. When she realized the ticking wasn't stopping, she didn’t mind. She only squirmed around until eventually sliding down Tsukasa’s chest and onto his face. 

“Wee!” Luka tiredly cheers, much to the horror of the director. 

“TSUKASA!” The director yells. Without a moment to waste, he pushes Luka off and hooks one hand under Tsukasa’s leg and the other hand holding his back. Luka yelped at being thrown at the ground. Much to her dismay, she had woken up rather rudely. She wobbly stands up, ready to coax Tsukasa back to sleep when she sees the human being bridal carried by a strange man. 

The sheep and the tall man stare at one another. Neither seemed willingly to break the unaware staring contest, almost edging the other to make the first move. Thankfully for them, Tsukasa began to stir, making both the man and sheep look at him in panic. Luka attempted to get closer to the human but to her surprise, the stranger hisses and holds him closer. 

“I’m sorry sheep but I’m the only one who will be cuddling with Tsukasa from now on!” 

“Eh? No, he’s my human pillow!” Luka cries out. Rui hadn’t the faintest clue what she said, only that the weird sheep was stomping her feet. Almost like a child throwing a tantrum. 

“Do you really like Tsukasa that much?” The director mumbles. Luka aggressively nods, much to the surprise of Rui. His eyes soften as he looks down at Tsukasa’s peaceful face. 

“Can I let you in on a secret? I like him too. A lot actually” Rui sheepishly admits. Luka’s eyes widened, laying back on the ground. The director frowns but decides to sit down next to her, with Tsukasa curled up in his arms. The sheep blinks as she gently bumps her head together with Tsukasa’s.

“I like him too but I get the feeling our definition of likes are different.” 

“I see you’re quite fond of him. I don’t blame you. Stubborn and short tempered as he may be, he has a heart of gold only a few can see. Someday, I hope to witness him proudly show himself off but I also want to keep him to myself. Selfish, isn’t it? Love truly makes you act like a fool.”

“Why don’t you tell him?” She says. Rui looked confused for a bit before quickly turning red. He shakes his head and holds Tsukasa even closer.

“I can’t tell him! What if he hates me! What if I push him away! I…I don’t want him to leave me. I can no longer envision a life without him. Even if he stays by my side as only a friend, I’ll be content with that. Even if I grow more selfish with time, I will ignore it just so I can stay with Tsukasa forever.”

The sheep looked dejected. If only the tall human could understand her. She sighs but tiredly points inside. 

“You should take him to bed.”

“…I assume this is my cue to go? Alright then. Tsukasa and I will be taking our leave. Should you ever need him again, just find me first so I don’t panic and think he’s dead again.”

The following morning, Tsukasa would wake up back in his room. He scratches the back of head in confusion. He doesn’t remember coming back but he chalked it up to his faulty memory. Tsukasa shrugged it off and continued on with his day, unaware of Rui’s longing gaze on him. 

~♡~

Today was the orchestra’s day off. They only had one more performance before they set to head off to the next town. Tsukasa felt a bit of melcony about leaving his home town a second time but he knew he’d come back one day. However, he didn’t know how long he’d be gone. Which is why, today he decided to visit his sister Saki. 

She was ecstatic when he showed up at her house. Tsukasa was just as excited to see her and two two siblings hugged each other until Ichika kindly invited Tsukasa in for breakfast. 

“Saki, this is simply divine! I honestly feel like I’m eating food from one of those fancy restaurants that the director likes taking me too” Tsukasa praised his younger sister’s cooking. 

“Stop being so dramatic! There’s no way I’m on the same level as a restaurant.”

“No! You’re even better! I’m sure my director would agree with me.”

“Speaking of which, how is work? Saki and I were surprised when you told us you were hired by Kamishiro’s orchestra of all places. He’s one of the most famous band leaders of all time” Ichika says. Both girls are suddenly caught off by the gentle smile on Tsukasa’s face. His eyes were half lidded but full of love. 

“Everything is amazing. Especially Rui. All the places he’s taken me…I keep thinking these past couple of months have been nothing but a beautiful dream. Oh, that reminds me! I have gifts from my travels” Tsukasa announces, placing a big bag on the table. Saki excitedly jumps up and down while Ichika is surprised. Without asking, Saki opens up the bag and begins to pull out all sorts of jewelry and souvenirs. 

“Wow! This is all beautiful! I can’t believe you got so much stuff for us!”

“Anything for my wonderful sister and her girlfriend. I also have gifts for Shizuku, Shiho and Honami so please pass my gifts when you see them” Tsukasa bows. Saki giggles at her brother's polite nature before pulling out a necklace with half a star. She cutely tilts her head with confusion.

“Is this one broken?”

“Oh, that’s a set necklace. I have the other half” Tsukasa says, pulling out a necklace hidden under his shirt. Suddenly, the star necklace in Saki’s hand felt extra special. She gently smiles and holds the jewelry above her heart. 

“I love it, big brother. I’ll treasure this forever. Oh we should go out to town before you leave! I want to show off my new necklace to everyone! Plus I know lots of people who will be excited to see you again.”

“It would be nice to see the town again. Alright, let’s go for a walk! Ichika, will you be joining us?”

“No, not today. I don’t want to come in between your sibling outing. Besides, I have a few things to attend to today.”

“That’s okay Ichi! Maybe next time? Okay Tsukasa, let’s go!” Saki says and locks her arms together with brothers. Tsukasa waves goodbye as his little sister drags him out of the house. On the walk to the main town, Saki refused to let go of her brother and the necklace in her hand. Not until they finally reach the town.

“Saki, you really should put on the necklace. Or at least put it in your pocket.”

“Alright!” The cheerful girl says. She unclaps the chain of the necklace until a cat suddenly falls into her arms. She screams, as does Tsukasa, while the cat stares at her in awe. 

“Wow! Thanks for catching me!” The cat speaks. Tsukasa feels the hair on his arms rise as he looks at the familiar teal fur. 

“Miku?!”

“Tsukasa, you know this cat?” Saki asks, rubbing under Miku’s chin. The cute cat happily purrs in the girl's arm. 

“You could say we’re acquainted. She’s a little troublemaker so be on your guard.”

“Tsukasa, she’s just a cute kitty! What could she possibly do?” Saki giggles. The boy could only roll his eyes.

“I know! Let’s take her with us! I wanted to go down the fountain anyway.”

“Why the fountain?”

“To make a wish! I know both our dreams have already come true but we can wish for fun! It’ll be just like the good old days.”

“I’d rather leave Miku behind but sure, let’s go” Tsukasa happily agrees. The trio start their walk to the small fountain. To their surprise, there was a crowd today. Both of the siblings curiously forced themselves in front, where Rui was playing the flute. 

“Oh! It’s your director!” Saki shouts louder than intended. Rui immediately ceased his playing to look up at the Tenma siblings. His eyes began to sparkle as he got up from his seat.

“Tsukasa!” 

“D-Director! I wasn’t speaking to run into you today.”

“Neither was I. It seems fate simply couldn’t keep us away from each other for long” Rui chuckles. Tsukasa blushes and steps behind his sister. 

“I…”

“Hehe, don’t mind my brother! He’s just shy around you. Speaking of which, thank you for taking care of Tsukasa!” Saki bows. 

“There’s no need. Tsukasa has done a lot for me so it’s only right I be there for him as well. It’s thanks to him that my orchestra has exploded in popularity lately. It seems everyone wants to see the famous Torpe in person nowadays.”

“Really?! I always knew my brother would be a star!” 

“You two please stop,” Tsukasa mumbles, his red face hiding behind his hands. The pair loudly laugh, making the cat in Saki’s arm squirm. Miku tiredly wakes up, looking at the trio in confusion. She continues to look around when she suddenly spots a bird. Before anyone could react, Miku jumps out from Saki’s arm and rushes toward the bird squealing.

“WAH!”

“Saki?! Are you alright!” Tsukasa frets over his younger sister. He grabs onto her face, looking over here for any scratches. Rui softly chuckles at the siblings. 

“I’m okay! Just surprised that Miku ran off like that!” Saki giggles. Tsukasa frowns but lets the issue go. He didn’t want to make a fuss in front of the director, of all people. Just as he was going to speak to Rui, Saki grasps his hand in a death grip.

“What? What’s wrong?! Are you hurt! Are you-“ 

“My necklace! It’s gone! Oh my god, it’s gone!” Saki begins to hyperventilate. Tsukasa's eyes widened as he quickly made his sister sit down. 

“Shh, it’s okay. It's going to be okay! Where was the last place you saw it?”

“Miku! I had it when Miku fell in my arms! Oh no, Tsukasa! What if she took it!”

“It’s okay Saki! I can buy you another one!”

“NO! You can’t! You absolutely can’t! You bought that one for me! It’s special and I-I lost it!” Saki cries out. As tears began to fall down her cheeks, Tsukasa was quick to dry her tears with his handkerchief. He nervously bites down on his lip before pressing a quick kiss to Saki’s forehead and running in the same direction that Miku went.

“WAIT THERE! I’LL GET THE NECKLACE BACK!” 

“Tsukasa, wait!” Saki shouts in concern. She groans in frustration when she suddenly feels a hand on her shoulder. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll go after him” Rui announces and follows after the pianist. With his long legs, it didn’t take long for him to find Tsukasa. He seemed to be looking around before heading off in a random direction. Rui frowns but catches up to him until they run side by side. 

“Eh? Director?!”

“Fancy seeing you here Torpe! I’m looking for a real cat. Have you seen her?” Rui snickers. 

“Rui I-“

“Let’s just focus on getting that necklace for your sister.”

“…okay” Tsukasa hesitantly agrees. Rui simply winks before the two go on a wild chase for Miku. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for them to find the cat. Somehow, she had run all the way to a hill outside the village. She was happily jumping around trying to catch an innocent bird, unaware of the necklace around her body. 

“It seems we’ve found our culprit.”

“Indeed we have. Okay, here’s the plan. You distract her and I’ll grab the necklace.”

“On it!” Rui salutes. The two men quickly disperse in different directions. While Rui came in front of Miku’s view point, Tsukasa sneaked up from behind. 

“Hey Miku? My, you’re jumping awfully high!” 

“I know!” Miku meows at the stranger. She had no idea Tsukasa was behind her. She just knew she needed to catch the bird. Just as she was close enough to touch them, she suddenly felt a pair of hands grab her. In a moment of panic, Miku screams and pushes whoever grabs her off.

“WAH!”

“Tsukasa!” Rui yelled as they leaned forward to catch the boy. What Tsukasa didn’t know was that there was nowhere for him to land except downhill. The cat shrieked and stepped out of Rui’s way, barely catching a glimpse of Tsukasa slipping backwards. 

“TSUKASA!” Miku screams in concern when Rui just barely grabs him and shields his body with his own. She watched in fear as the pair tumbled down the hill, holding onto each other. Once they reach the bottom, Miku forgets about the bird and chases after the pair.

“Tsukasa!”

“Oww…” the pianist grumbles at the aching pain in his body. Suddenly, he feels a pair of hands on his back. Tsukasa winces before realizing that he hadn’t landed on the ground. He had landed on top of Rui. The pianist gasped at how close the two were and how they were holding onto each other. His face turns completely red while the director’s turns slightly pink. 

“Seems I’ve finally caught Torpe,'' Rui teases. Tsukasa looks down at him with an unrecognizable face. For a moment, Rui thought he’d hurt his feelings. He knew the name Torpe was still a touchy subject for him. How kids used to call him that because of how clumsy he was under the spotlight. How Rui wished he could track each and every kid and force them to apologize to his pianist. Even if he now tries to use the name in a positive light nowadays, maybe in his attempts to cheer Tsukasa up, he hurt him.

Then, Tsukasa snickers. It started off quiet and uncertain. Rui watches as Tsukasa picks himself up from him and starts to laugh. It wasn’t one of his uncertain and awkward laughs either. It was one that was loud and boastful. One that was free. He was gorgeous in Rui’s eyes and he felt like he was falling in love all over again. Tsukasa laughed and laughed, oblivious to the blush on Rui’s face growing. 

From a distance, Miku watched the pair. She looked at the two before slowly approaching Tsukasa. Once Tsukasa begins to calm himself, she nuzzles onto him with guilt.

“Miku! I finally found you.”

“Tsukasa, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you” the cat sniffles. The boy only smiles as he picks up the cat from the ground and begins to caress her. As she leans into his soft touch, she doesn’t register Rui taking the necklace off her. 

“Looks like our job is done.”

“Yeah. We make a good team, Rui.”

“We do. The director and his pianist. Our tales will go down in history as the two who caught the teal cat!” Rui jokes, making Tsukasa laugh again. This time, the director joined him. If anyone were to see them, they’d surely be confused to see two boys laying on the field laughing like crazy but they didn’t care. All they cared about at the moment was each other. When the laughter dies down, Tsukasa clears his throat. 

“Uhm…thanks for catching me,” Tsukasa shyly says. The director chuckles and brings the big into another hug.

“I’m just glad you're safe. Now let’s go see your sister” Rui says. Tsukasa quickly climbs off his director before reaching out his hand. The director felt his heart leap out of his chest and took it, surprised at how much strength Tsukasa had to pull him up. They giggle and quickly let go, much to their disappointment. The two boys say nothing, happy to bask in each other's presence as they head back to Saki. Once they see the girl still at the fountain, Miku jumps from Tsukasa’s arms and to the girl.

“Miku! Where is my brother? Where is-oh my god, what happened! Why’re you both covered in dirt!” Saki shrieks at the pair. 

“It’s a long story. Anyway, I believe this belongs to you” Rui says, handing the precious necklace back to its rightful owner.

“…thank you” Saki says, hugging the half star jewelry to her chest. Tears began to swell up again as she helplessly played with her sleeves. 

“I’m sorry for being dramatic over a necklace. I know it’s stupid but…it’s just been hard not seeing you anymore. When you told me you bought these matching necklaces, I just thought that as long as I wore mine, I wouldn’t have to worry about being apart from you.”

“Saki” Tsukasa fondly smiles and brings his sister in a hug. 

“Big brother?”

“I’d do anything for you. Don’t ever forget that. Besides, your reasoning isn’t stupid in the slightest. It’s been tough for me too, not being with you but you know what? I don’t have to worry because you have Ichika. So don’t worry about me because I…I have-“

“He has me,” Rui speaks up. He puts a comforting hand on Tsukasa’s shoulder, while looking at Saki with confidence. 

“Yes. I have Rui with me.”

“Yeah, I guess you do,” Saki tiredly chuckles. “Hey, why don’t the four of us have dinner later? I’m sure you two are tired after chasing Miku.”

“That sounds like a lovely idea. We’ll be there after we clean up” Rui says. With a fragile heart, Tsukasa is taken away from Saki by Rui but it was okay. He’ll meet up with Saki later and even after dinner, he’ll always come back to visit her. For the time being however, he had Rui by his side. 

~♡~

Tsukasa wistfully sighed as he looked out the window of his rented out room. He’d be leaving his hometown and the new animals he met in just a few days. Even if it had been two whole months, it felt too short of a visit for him. He was already missing his sister and his friends who he visited over the time while staying here. 

Still, he wouldn’t be leaving without a final fun day. Nene had approached him to tell him that she needed help planning a surprise party for Rui. Truthfully, Tsukasa doesn’t like going to parties let alone plan them but for once, he agreed. If it was for the director, he’d do anything. 

The plan was simple. Emu would take Rui to town as a distraction while Tsukasa, Nene, and the rest of the orchestra set up a party at a local restaurant. Everyone pitched in to rent the place out to themselves but thanks to Tsukasa personally knowing the owners, they got a discount. Everything was going perfectly. 

Is what Tsukasa wished he could say. In the middle of decorating, a loud bang was heard. The pianist flinched at the noise. Suddenly, everyone started screaming at each other. Curiosity got the best of him and he peeked over, to see two people arguing. 

“You said you had it handled!”

“I’m sorry, I forgot! Crap, I ruined everything.”

Tsukasa frowns, stepping away from the table he was decorating to approach them. His hands grew sweaty but he ignored it. 

“Are you two alright?”

“Torpe! Ugh, it’s nothing that concerns you. It’s just that this knucklehead forgot to ask for extra help and the food. There’s no way we’re going to finish everything in time.”

“I said I’m sorry!”

“It’s alright. I’m sure we can figure something out” Tsukasa tries to comfort the other person. 

“How? What can you possibly do?”

“I…”

“Lay off. At least he’s trying to do something instead of snapping at everyone!” The two people continue fighting. Tsukasa helplessly stands, painfully aware of how they were losing time the more they stayed here. He bites down on his lip before crossing his arms. 

“Listen, I know you two are stressed but we have a party to save. You two try to finish decorating with what you can. I’ll gather more people to help!”

“Alright. Good luck Torpe.”

“Thank you” Tsukasa bows before running out of the room. Truthfully, he had no plan. Tsukasa was no party planner. He wasn’t confident or smart but he wanted to find a way to save Rui’s party. As a way to thank him for all he’s done. So, plan or not, he would find a way. 

“Tsukasa? Is that you?” 

The pianist jumped a foot in the air. He hadn’t expected to find someone so soon. However, it wasn’t just anyone who called out to him. It was Kaito. 

“Kaito! What are you doing here?”

“I’m on a walk! It’s nice to bathe in the sun and get treats from nice humans!”

“Oh, I see. I’d love to stay and chat with Kaito but I actually have to go. There were a few mix ups at a party my orchestra is planning for the director and I’m…going to ask for help.”

“Help? Oh, I can help you! The animals and I love planning parties!” Kaito happily barks. Tsukasa seemed uncertain though. At the end of the day, he was a dog but who else was available to help? 

“If you’re sure-“

“I am! Let me gather the animals and we’ll meet you at the restaurant!”

“O-Okay!” Tsukasa hurriedly agrees. Kaito barks and runs to the forest. With nothing else to do, the pianist walked back inside. The two people, who still seemed to be arguing, turned back to him.

“Torpe! Did you get help? Where are they?”

“Uhm, they’ll be here. It’s just that…well, it’s complicated?”

“Okay well, we’re going to the store to pick up some food. Do you think your friends will be here to help you finish?”

“They will. Please be careful on your way” Tsukasa says, thankful that they were leaving. Once they’re gone, Tsukasa opens up the door and waits. After a few minutes, Kaito came back with a dozen animals. His tail was wagging once he spotted the pianist. 

“We’re here! We brought decorations too! Just tell us what to do!”

“Sure. Everyone, please listen closely!” Tsukasa starts to say. For the first time since he was a child, he spoke loudly and proudly. He commanded everyone with an iron fist while still being graceful. The animals took directors well and much to the relief of everyone, they finished decorating before any of the humans arrived. Everything was perfect but Tsukasa still felt a tinge of worry in his chest. This didn’t go unnoticed by Kaito. 

“Tsukasa? Is there something wrong with the decorations? We still have time to move a few things around.”

“Oh no, the decorations are perfect! Honestly, I’m in awe that you all were so quick and helpful. It’s just that…I feel bad? I feel like I could have done more instead of relying on all of you. It’s childish I know but-“

“Tsukasa, may I ask you something?”

“Uhm, sure” Tsukasa agrees. Kaito takes a seat next to the pianist, his head laying on the boy’s lap. He hums in delight when he feels Tsukasa begin to pet him. 

“Tell me. When you worry, what do you tend to do?”

“I like to look at the stars. No matter what I do or say, at the end of the day they’ll always be waiting for me. Lately however, I feel like I’ve been looking at them less and less. Instead, I now just see Rui waiting for me.”

“I see. Now let me ask you this. Why do you worry so much?”

“Pardon?”

“I asked, why do you worry so much? Tsukasa, you are a very bright boy. Whether you believe it or not, you have a gift. Both on stage and off it. Your music is like nothing I’ve ever heard. Do you know how many times you’ve had animals gathered right outside the window, just to listen to you play?”

“To hear me?” Tsukasa whispers. 

“Yes. You have brought happiness to so many people yet you deny yourself that same happiness. I know I told the rest of my friends to leave you and your director alone but I truly believe that with a little push from yourself, you’ll be surprised at how happy you could be with him.”

“…thank you Kaito.”

“To you as well, Tsukasa. Now, we should get going. I’m sure you don’t want your friends to know that you can talk to animals” Kaito laughs. The pianist nods and makes sure to thank each and every animal while they exit the door. It was all thanks to them that Rui’s party was saved. When the rest of the orchestra was beginning to arrive, they were all in awe. The two people who left to grab food were especially surprised. They asked how Tsukasa had been able to practically transform the whole place. The pianist only snickers and he lifts a finger to his lip.

“It’s a secret.”

When nightfall arrived, the director walked into the restaurant. To his surprise, he was welcomed with confetti poppers and a chorus of people singing happy birthday to him.  He laughs as he goes around, thanking everyone until he reaches Torpe. Rui admired him from a distance, at the boy who was looking out the window to search for stars. 

“You know, he basically decorated the whole place himself,” one member said. 

“Yep! He didn’t want to let down our director! Tsukasa’s got a soft spot for you after all” another person said. Rui felt his heart flutter and ran to the boy. Tsukasa never noticed, until he feels a hand on his shoulder.

“Tsukasa?”

“Ah! Director! I mean, Rui…happy birthday. I hope you liked your party.”

“Like? I love it, Tsukasa. Thank you.”

“Me? I didn’t really do anything. I just uhm…wanted to make sure your day was extra special. Especially since you’ve made all of my ordinary days special just by being with me. So uhm…from me to you, thank you. I look forward to spending another year with you” Tsukasa gracefully bows. 

“Tsukasa? Do you like to dance?”

“I-I’m sorry?”

“Nevermind. Tsukasa, let’s dance!” Rui says, pulling the boy away from the window still. The director happily dragged the pianist to the middle of the room, waltzing without a care in the world. They danced for hours, never switching partners and only staying with one another. 

~♡~

When the party was starting to come to an end, Tsukasa couldn’t stop thinking about Kaito’s words. He always thought that falling in love was a hassle. That he would never find someone to tolerate him. 

Now, he’s starting to realize that he was the one in the way of his own happiness. It’s not that he wasn’t good enough for Rui. It was that he was scared of messing with the precious bond they have. Tsukasa would never forgive himself but if the animals taught him anything, it was that it was okay to take risks. 

So, before the orchestra left his hometown, Tsukasa decided he would confess. He wanted to plan some sort of grand gesture but thought it would be too embarrassing. Which is why he was planning on buying roses and simply being honest. On the chance that Rui rejected him and kicked him out of the orchestra, at least he’d have somewhere to stay. 

His entire soul would be put on the line tomorrow. To say he was scared was an understatement. Tsukasa was terrified just thinking of it. He couldn’t even confide in anyone because it was late in the evening. Everyone he knew was busy. All except for the piano. When the time was right, Tsukasa escaped Rui’s party and headed to the bar where it all started. 

The owner was happy to see Tsukasa back. Even more so when he asked to play. The bar was empty but it didn’t matter. Tsukasa just wanted to play for himself. His fingers hover over the old piano. 

“I’m back. Thank you for being the one to keep me afloat” he whispers to the piano. Taking a deep breath, Tsukasa begins to play. The night continued on and the pianist lost track of time. In that moment, it was him, the piano, and his feelings for Rui. That was all that mattered in the world. 

When the clock turned 11, all of Rui’s previous excitement celebrating his birthday had vanished. It had been hours since Tsukasa had disappeared from the party. Rui knew the pianist wasn’t one for parties but it was unlike him to leave without letting the director know. Tsukasa’s odd behavior aside, Rui just wanted to spend his last moment of his birthday with the other boy. 

Unfortunately for him, no one knew where he went. This was completely unacceptable for him. 

“I’m searching for Tsukasa.”

“Are you insane?! It’s almost the middle of the night! How are you going to find him” Nene says. 

“I don’t know how but I will! I can’t just wait for him. I have to find him!”

“Listen, I know you’re close to him. Closer than any of us but-“

“I won’t argue over this. Please excuse me” Rui harshly speaks, grabbing his coat and exiting the door. Nene groans in frustration while Emu, who was watching the whole ordeal, only laughed. 

“Those two really like each other!”

“You have no idea” Nene grumbles as she watches Rui outside looking around like a madman. 

Truth be told, Rui had no idea where Tsukasa could be. He just knew he needed to see the pianist. Just as Rui was about to go in a random direction, two rabbits hop in front of him. He squints at them, wondering why they looked familiar when he suddenly remembers his pianist. 

“…you two were the ones who attacked Tsukasa” Rui whispers in disbelief. The rabbit's jaw drops and they shake their paws at him. It was almost as if they were offended by what he said and were now hurling insults at him. They only stopped when a red bird flew in front of them and chirped something. 

“The bird…you were the ones with the bugs!”

The bird seemed upset. She slumped onto the ground and looked like she would cry out of guilt? The rabbits are quick to console her and go back to shaking their paws at him. Just when Rui felt like he should apologize, he felt something heavy hit the back of his leg. He curiously looks back to see the pink sheep to whom he confessed his feelings to head bump him. 

“Pink Sheep! Okay, you can stop hitting me! I’m going to apologize, okay?” Rui sighs. He gets down on one knee and pats all three animals.

“I’m sorry for hurting you with my words. It’s just that I’m very overprotective over Tsukasa-“

“MEOW!”

“Woah!” Rui falls over in shock. The cat from only a few days ago had appeared from the bushes, running around him in circles. She continues to meow in a cheery way much to the confusion of the human. The four animals gathered around with excitement. Rui was at a loss for words but before he could even comprehend what was going on, he felt a harsh tug at his coat. 

“Hey! Seriously, what is going on!” Rui says to himself. This time, when he turns around it’s to see an unfamiliar dog. The dog’s tail was wagging as he barked. All the animals cried out and grabbed his coat, forcing Rui to move forward.

“What is it? I’m sorry but I can’t play! I have to find Tsukasa!” 

The dog barks again.

“Wait…do you know where Tsukasa is?”

“Follow me!” Kaito barks and runs away with the rest of the animals. Rui stood there for a moment before following them, unaware that the animals were leading him to the place where he first heard Tsukasa’s piano playing. The rundown bar. 

By the time Rui arrived, he could already hear the piano. The director felt his heart flutter as he looked back at the animals. The dog stepped forward and pushed him toward the front door, as did the rest of the animals. 

“Hold on, let me say my thanks first!” Rui laughs. The animals stop pushing him and quickly sit in a row, all eyes on the director. Rui sighs in relief as he places his hat over his heart. 

“Everyone, thank you for helping me find him. I am eternally grateful” Rui graciously bowed before he stepped into the bar. The owner silently nods at him, pointing to Tsukasa. Rui gives the owner a thumbs up and takes a seat, right in front of Tsukasa and the piano. The owner smiles before heading to the back to give the boys some privacy. 

While this all happened to Rui, Tsukasa was playing without a care in the world. All of his thoughts and feelings of love for Rui were poured into each key he hit. A longing to be able to call the director his. To be able to care for him after a late night of practice. To continue traveling the world while holding the director’s hand. To share a hug with him after each performance and to kiss him outside of their job. 

“I’m in love with Kamishiro Rui,” Tsukasa whispers to himself, completely lost in the music. That was until a loud screeching chair broke him out of his thoughts. Tsukasa slammed the notes out of fright when he suddenly sees the man he’s in love with in front of his very eyes. 

“DIRECTOR?!” Tsukasa screams. Rui stood still for a few moments until he walked up to the frightened boy. 

“Say it again.”

“P-Pardon?” 

“What you said before. Say it again” Rui whispers. Tsukasa wanted nothing more than to hide and run away. To beg Rui to forget all of this but when he saw the glimpse of hope in the director’s eyes, the pianist took a chance. 

“I…I love you. I am completely and utterly in love with you-“ Tsukasa says when Rui suddenly grabs onto his shirt and pulls him up on his feet to kiss him on the lips. Tsukasa eyes widened at the sensation before letting all his worries go, returning the kiss with all his being. 

The clock chimes, signaling it was now midnight. Rui painfully separated himself from Tsukasa, his heart rapidly beating. 

“Do you mean it? Do you love me the same way I love you?”

“I’m a lot of things, Rui but a liar isn’t one of them. I truly am in love with you. I…I’d like to ask you to be my boyfriend.”

“I obviously accept! I’m in love with you too, my dear pianist” Rui eagerly says. He lets out a dreamy sigh as he hugs his new lover. 

“I’m so glad that I got to spend the last moments of my birthday kissing you.”

“You…HUH?!” Tsukasa embarrassedly screams. Rui bursts out laughing at his new lover’s reaction before pulling him back into a kiss. 

From outside the window, the animals giggled to themselves before running back into the forest. The last to leave was Kaito, who spent a little while longer watching the two boys simply being in love. 

“I’m happy for you Tsukasa. I hope if you ever visit us again, you’ll have nothing but cherished memories to share.”