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Rui adjusts his glasses, walking slowly into his theater studies class, nervously. His red string attached to his pinky, like it is every day.
His hair is tousled, and his outfit is pretty basic for early September weather. A nice t-shirt and some pants, nothing exceptionally special.
And suddenly, he feels a bump from behind. Someone bumps into him, and thankfully he keeps all his books in his hands.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry- did you drop anything?” The nervous boy behind him squeaks, as Rui turns to face him.
He looks energetic, his blond hair slightly messy, but in a good way. A way that makes the boy look almost… cute.
-
Tsukasa didn’t mean to find his soulmate today. He hasn’t meant to find his soulmate any other day, either, but especially not today.
But it’s unmistakable, the red string dragging out of his long sleeve onto Rui’s hand holding the books. How does he not notice? Does he? Does he not like how Tsukasa looks?
Tsukasa mutters something and moves to a seat up at the front of the class, hoping Rui is the type that will think it’s ‘cool’ to sit in the back.
Unfortunately, Tsukasa is extremely and utterly wrong. Rui takes a seat right behind him, and Tsukasa notices because of the small tug on his string, blushing profusely.
Tsukasa runs out as soon as the class is over, sitting on the roof. It’s peaceful up there, at least. No need to worry.
Tsukasa soon finds out that Rui is in most, if not all of his classes. (He’s trying not to count.) Soon, his presence on that same roof is frequent.
For a month, he finds himself trying to ignore Rui, while simultaneously keeping up with his studies and his weird habit to go on the roof.
Until one day, someone from one of his classes asks him if he wants to attend the drama dance, something the student body does unofficially every year.
The worst part about a student-run dance, Tsukasa finds out, is that you are generally expected to have a date.
He decided to avoid that until last minute, finding a nice cheap suit to rent that still looks relatively nice, and passes half of the first week before the dance in peace.
Rui’s barely even talking to him.
-
Rui has been devastated. The cute guy in his many classes (Tsukasa, he’s found out) has been ignoring him.
The dance has come along, and he thinks about asking Tsukasa. It would be a bonding experience, maybe? Something of the sort, to get him to stop avoiding him like garbage.
Rui’s noticed that Tsukasa often goes to the roof after class, (not that he’s a stalker, or so he tells himself) and so he decides to meet him on the roof.
On the roof, Tsukasa is staring at the sky, and he looks so peaceful, so graceful, so happy.
Tsukasa doesn’t realize that Rui has entered, and just as Rui decides to call out to him, he sees it.
He sees the reason why Tsukasa’s been afraid, and his face goes as red as a tomato. The string is definitely, unmistakably, attatched to Tsukasa’s pinky.
And, not knowing what to do, Rui runs.
He ends up on the courtyard, sprawled in the grass, the wind in his hair, the world somehow revolving slower.
Homework could wait. Everything could wait. He just needed to figure out some way in hell to ask the guy out.
“Tsukasa…” he runs the name over his tongue, testing the feel, the taste of the name on his lips.
“Rui.” He hears an answer back, and he practically jumps, staring at Tsukasa, and then looking down-
The string was unmistakably connected to Rui’s. The two stare at one another, time slowing, everything pausing for these two.
“Would you- would you want to go to that drama dance with me?” And Tsukasa smiles at him- really smiles- for the first time since they’ve met.
Rui nods reverently, the same hand with the string on it being reached out to Rui’s stringed hand.
And Rui accepts it, letting himself be pulled off the ground, up into the air. The same air around Tsukasa’s marvelous face-
Since when was his classmate so beautiful?
Rui had never really gotten a chance to look at him- to see him- with all the avoiding that he had been doing.
Now that Rui sees him, he knows. He knows that someone made the perfect choice when attaching them because Tsukasa’s hand doesn’t let go.
“Do you uhm- want to come see my dorm-? I got- I got lucky, and I have a solo one.” Rui’s eyes widen at the offer, smiling happily.
“I’d love to see it, soulmate. I’m sure we’ll have a while to get to know each other, so why not now~?” Rui laughs as he’s pulled by the hand to the dorm.
When he enters he finds a room decorated in stars and theater programs, stuff that Tsukasa must’ve gone to see.
Rui can’t help himself, commenting on every last detail of the room, zipping around at the speed of light to try and take in everything.
It’s so new, to have someone who’s apparently the perfect match for you, and will always be.
-
Tsukasa gets ready for the dance, carefully placing a lilac in his suit pocket, rocking up and down on his feet nervously.
Will Rui like the outfit? Will his soulmate dump him? Tsukasa doesn’t doubt that he could be that unlucky, after all.
But the knock on the door brings him out of his stupor, opening it to see the most beautiful man in his life.
Rui has a mildly formal outfit on, with a vest, undershirt, and tie. His hair is back in a ponytail, which Tsukasa is SURE makes his face 1,000 times redder.
Rui offers his hand to Tsukasa, whisking him away to the theater dance.
And not even once during the night does Rui get 5 feet away from Tsukasa. They dance, they talk, and the whole time, they fail to notice the string has disappeared.
Until, at the end of the night, Tsukasa points it out, giggling and joking with the fun of the entire night outweighing his thinking process.
But Rui remembers what it means.
If the string disappears, that means your soulmate will be yours for the rest of your days. It’s a rare occurrence, one that Rui had only seen in movies and media.
But sometimes, it’s meant to be.