Archive of Our Own

“Me. You. Karaoke.”

A slender hand holding a phone with a very familiar keychain of a certain idol’s mascot pointed at her, then at him, and then at her again as she said those three words.

Lyney dropped the cards he had in his hands, scattering all over the table. His violet eyes, obscured by his glasses, peered at Lumine with a shaky smile. He felt his cheeks becoming red as he processed her words.

Was Lumine really asking him on a date?! In his clubroom?!

Was he dreaming?

“Karaoke?” His voice came out meekly, and he wanted to punch himself for sounding like that. She just stared at him, probably thinking he looked stupid right now.

And he probably did. It was too bad he wasn’t so charming like his idol self. The charm factor went to zero in front of Lumine.

“Yes, karaoke. They got Lyney’s new song and we need to sing it.” Lumine flipped her phone screen right in his face, and he had to lean back and blink a bit for his vision to focus.

She wasn’t referring to him, but to the idol Lyney. They had the same name, you know. Shocker, isn’t it?

It was a pretty interesting coincidence, according to Lumine. She also found it interesting that they had the same hair color, eye color and even overall hair shape, but only put that off to Lyney being a crazy fan copying the idol’s style and wanting to be just like the real Lyney.

If only she knew the truth.

Right in front of him on that phone was indeed his new song on a list. It had been added as a new update at a local karaoke place nearby that he recognized right away.

It made sense that Lumine wanted to go.

Anything relating to the idol Lyney, she jumped at the opportunity.

A diehard fan would do anything for their oshi, which Lumine literally embodied. It always made him so happy at the fact that she adored him (well, his idol self at least, he wasn’t sure about normal him without all the glitz and glamor, but that was a work in progress).

And there lies the problem. He was Lyney, that idol she adored.

Despite how much he wanted to go (so badly, you had no idea), singing would only expose that little fact to her. It was meant to be a secret after all, even to the girl he liked. Especially if he sang his own song!

That was literally suicide. Lumine would surely make the connection, as smart as she was.

“I can’t go.” The words uttered from his mouth with such reluctance, avoiding her eyes.

Lumine only raised an eyebrow, her look skeptical as ever. He couldn’t even lie right to her, it was the price he paid for pining after her.

“Why not?”

“I uh…have stuff to do?” He didn’t sound confident at all. Great.

“Try again.” Lumine crossed her arms, phone pointing towards him quite menacingly.

“I’m busy.”

“We didn’t even decide on a day or time.” Her eyes narrowed, and he gulped. Lumine wasn’t letting him off easy, and he was running out of excuses already.

“I can’t sing.”

“Don’t care.” And she really didn’t unfortunately.

“Club activities?”

The questioning tone at the end of his response only made her sigh.

“Now you’re just being stupid. We’re going and that’s final. I’ll drag you there if I have to.”

His fate was sealed. Lumine didn’t joke around. If she threatens you, she will follow through. If worse came to shove, she would literally drag him to that place, no matter how much he resisted.

It was one of the traits Lyney admired about Lumine. She did what she wanted while not giving a crap what someone else thought.

Well, there was no use arguing with a pretty lady like Lumine. And it was an opportunity too great to miss! He’ll just have to make sure he doesn’t sing.

At the very least, he'll be able to hear Lumine’s singing! He’s always wondered how she sounded.

She probably had a lovely voice and to hear her singing any one of his songs (in front of him, with his own two ears) would make his day. Or even his night. Or even his year.

Lumine knew every single word to his songs after all. So she certainly would be able to sing them all no matter what.

How did he know that?

Well, one day they did a quiz to see who remembered the most lyrics from Lyney’s songs. And she knew every single lyric like the back of her hand. In every language too.

No mistakes at all, and even he made a mistake somewhere. It was pretty shameful to think about, they were his own songs…

But was this still a date? It had to be a date, right?

“Seems like I don’t have a choice, do I Lumine?” He asked her, already knowing the answer.

“Nope. That’s why I didn’t ask you if you wanted to go. I just thought I should inform you of your going.” She swiped on her phone, not even looking at him.

“Glad you considered me a bit at least.” He remarked, his hands already picking up all the cards he dropped. Aside from his idol work, magic was something he liked to dabble in.

Magic and idols weren’t too different after all. Both managed to wow the audience, creating miracles that the mind would always remember.

The way he could make those impossible things happen with a swipe of his hand and make even the unbelievers believe in what they see.

As a certain magician once said, seeing is believing.

If he was able to successfully change minds though mere magic tricks, then he was able to become the ultimate idol and steal everyone’s hearts. Idols bring out the magic, so they work hand in hand! It was why Lyney was such a success at such a young age.

You think being an idol is easy? No way. It’s one of the most ruthless industries there is. But he refused to show any of that to his audience. His only job was to make them happy, and he did his job impeccably.

Being mundane like he is now was the only way to remain anchored in reality. He was still a student after all and he had a lovely lady by the name of Lumine in his sights.

“After school, we’re going. Don’t be late.” Her orders were loud and clear, and he instantly made a salute sign. He could see her amusement flickering around in her eyes, the result morphing into that smile he always enjoyed seeing.

“Yes ma’am!”

“Save that energy for when you sing.” She typed something into her phone, probably booking a room at the karaoke place.

And just like that, he had plans for after school. He got forced to go to karaoke, which was fine. She didn’t even ask him beforehand but that was fine too. He wasn’t busy anyway.

But she seemed pretty determined for him to sing, which wasn’t good.

“What if I don’t sing?” He asked experimentally, shuffling the cards absentmindedly. He made sure to look like he was busy, but he was waiting for her response very intently.

She looked towards him and then looked back down at her phone.

“Who said you had a choice?”

Eek.

_____________

“There you are.”

Lumine’s face peered up from her phone, smiling at Lyney as he approached the gates of the school. He wasn’t late for even a second, and Lumine knew it.

As soon as he heard the bells signaling the end of school, he rushed over to the gate. He wouldn’t be late for this opportunity. Who knew what Lumine might do if he didn't come, but he didn’t want to find out.

“Didn’t try to bail on me. That’s good.”

“I wouldn’t bail on you Lumine.” Lyney told her, and she shot him a pointed look.

“We know lying isn’t your strength, so don’t try. I don’t get it though. You can’t be that bad at singing.”

It was the complete opposite actually.

“Oh I am. Terrible.” He exaggerated, and he only received a roll from her golden eyes.

“I’ll be the judge of that, Lyney. Now come on.” Lumine pocketed her phone away and took his hand. Without even letting him react, she started pulling him along.

“Off we go.”

His glasses went askew on his face at the sudden pulling, his violet eyes widening in surprise.

His face instantly heated up, and he had the feeling she was enjoying it, despite not being able to see her face. But he could imagine that smug smile plastered on her face for all to see.

Lumine always did enjoy teasing him.

They passed the gates, and he could only follow along to her every step. He couldn’t stop looking at their hands together, burning the feeling into his memory. After all this time, he managed to hold her hand!

Like this Lyney!

Should he be cheering about this?

As an idol, he often had to do meet and greets with all his beloved fans. Shaking hands with them was a given, and he always relished in the happy expressions that bloomed on their faces from that mere action.

But this was different. Lumine was who he liked. And it was more important to him than anything.

She looked back with a wink, as if she heard his thoughts.

“Making sure you won’t leave me.”

Lyney could have collapsed then and there.

Lumine was 100% today, and hit every single defense he had up. This girl didn’t know what she was doing to him.

She’d act differently if she knew the person she adored was right next to her this whole time.

Before he knew it, they were there. Even if he wasn’t to sing, the atmosphere was electrifying. You can’t ignore those vibes as they seep through your veins. A sense of adrenaline if you will, it makes sense why people yearn for this.

Karaoke in its physical form was those beats ringing out and the rhythm soaking into your soul. It only takes vocals to make feelings come to life and set the timbre for the rest of the day.

No matter who you may be or what you experience, music will always bring out feelings. You could be soulless and still move to those tantalizing rhythms. Why need language when you can understand the harmony it gives?

It’s all about feeling in its purest form. It connects the world and makes the tone for all walks of life, for every experience there is. As an example, your heartbeat dances to the sound of unbroken melody. In other words, your heartbeat is a dance upon the tightrope of life.

If you feel your heart beating fast, it’s proof you’re living. And Lyney’s heart always took the stage. When up there, gazing upon the endless seas of stars, his heart is the reminder.

As long as he can feel his heart beating, creating those miracles could never be beyond him. As long as the audience's hearts beat, they’ll always have a good time. It’s what we humans strive for.

Your heart will always keep the rhythm. You just need to go along with it. Us idols will help stabilize it with our own vocals. So make sure to remember it well, okay?

Once a sound has engraved into you, it never leaves. You’ll remember it when you need it, even decades later. It was the only true time machine out there to the past.

Lumine already had a room booked out for them apparently, and she dragged him to it with quite some force. Her pace increased as they got closer, clearly indicating she felt the same way in regards to the atmosphere. It was hard to ignore its calls, its beckoning for you to sing.

The door was slammed open, and Lyney couldn’t fight the grin dawning on his face at the sight. This was his domain after all. An idol is always an idol even as a student who is not meant to sing.

He used to frequent karaoke places back when before he became an idol. It was the one place where he could get away from how harsh life could be. The rooms were always simple, but they were his second home.

His sister Lynette and his brother Freminet would often listen to him sing, clapping even if he sounded terrible.

It was too bad he had no time for that anymore. All he had left was school, practice, performing, sleeping and repeating that over and over again for the rest of his life.

“For someone who was so reluctant to go, you seem to be ecstatic.” Lumine remarked, picking up a microphone from the table.

“You can’t ignore the atmosphere.” He told her simply, sitting down on the couch.

“Then you’ll sing just fine. But I’ll start us off.” She declared, and he only nodded excitedly. This was it.

“Go ahead. I’m excited to see what you’ll show me.”

She turned her back, fiddling with the setup for a song. Would she go for his new song right away? Or would she go for a different song? Maybe she’d do an uno reverse card and make him take the mic.

The possibilities were endless with Lumine. But you can’t go against your oshi and the reason you came in the first place.

And your own words.

A familiar melody started filling the room, and his grin only widened. It was his new song indeed, and Lumine turned to look at him with the mic already positioned near her mouth. He could see her foot tapping along with the opening notes, already feeling the song within her.

“You’re singing next.”

Lumine wasn’t letting that go, was she? Time to deflect.

“It’s about to start.” He pointed at the screen, knowing the start time for the vocals by heart. She knew he was deflecting but she only pointed at him in that classic idol pose.

“Watch me closely. Don’t take your eyes off me.”

His eyes never looked away. When she opened her mouth and the first word slipped through, his heart pounded hard.

It was a different experience hearing someone else cover your song. Lyney already knew how it should sound, every single fluctuation and change that was required in his vocals. But others always added their own touch, their own spin that made the song sound even better.

Lumine wasn’t an exception, her airy voice changed the entirety of the song. She had less power than he did, but she made up for it in the way she kept up with the melody. Especially when she had that small trill at the end of every word, it was akin to a bird calling.

Lumine was a songbird. She had a beautiful voice. It truly was able to captivate all who heard it.

This is what the audience felt when he sang for them? No wonder they kept coming back for more. It was a feeling he would drown himself in forever, would fight tooth and nail to feel again.

Why did it take this long for him to hear Lumine sing?! He didn’t know what he was missing. He only regretted not asking her to sing earlier.

The song ended quicker than he would have liked, and she took a shaky breath. That was what he would call the rush after singing. It was what made singing so much fun, and what always brought him back for more.

Her heart had to be beating hard right now. Just like his heart was.

Lyney clapped with such enthusiasm, standing up from the couch. She was utterly amazing! He had a beaming smile plastered on his face.

Lumine smiled at the sight, giving a little peace sign.

“I poured my heart out there. Wonder if I was any good. Care to tell me your thoughts, Mr Lyney?”

“You were amazing, Lumine.” The words tumbled out quickly, almost a garbled mess in his haste to complement her.

“You’re just flattering me. I could never compare to the Lyney.” She laughed at his enthusiasm, and he shook his head.

“Why compare? I loved it.” He was saying this as both normal Lyney and idol Lyney. He truly did love what he just heard. He was never able to get that trill in his voice, no matter how hard he practiced.

Lumine only raised an eyebrow.

“Pleasantries will not get you out of singing.”

She’s still on that? Divert, divert, divert!

“Encore! Encore! Encore!”

Lyney had to hear more from her. For once, he was the audience and he would experience it properly. He needed a whole set list of songs! One song wasn’t enough for him.

“You really want me that badly to sing again? Was I truly that good?” She remarked, almost not believing him.

“You were.” His smile disappeared, only showing her a truly serious expression. She had to know he wasn’t kidding around with that.

Lumine blinked at the sudden seriousness, but she only shrugged. “Alright. But the next song is yours. Got it?”

“Got it.”

That was a very false statement. Next song was not his. Nor the next one after. Not even the one after the next one.

Lumine kept singing, and he kept listening and clapping his heart out. He was surprised she kept singing, but he didn’t mind. It only allowed him to fully commit her voice to his memory and cheer more.

To bask in that feeling, to feel his beating heart reminding him of the fact that he was alive to see his crush singing in front of him.

All it took was a bit of encouragement and she would set off to singing again. Lumine was sort of a sucker, if he had to admit. It wasn’t a bad thing though! It was pretty endearing.

He loved suckers. So easy to manipulate. They always fell hook, line and sinker.

“Oh come on! That’s it! You’re singing!” She huffed after the sixth song, the melody trickling away into silence.

“Whatever do you mean?” Lyney asked, feigning ignorance. Lumine only glared, pointing at him.

“I’ve been singing this whole time! I won’t let you trick me anymore!”

“Encore?”

It was Lyney’s only response and her eye twitched.

She only started walking, planting herself right in front of him. Lyney had to look up to see her face, which didn’t look very happy at that moment.

Eek.

Lumine could be pretty scary at times.

“Oh, shut up. Take the mic.” Lumine thrusted the microphone right into his face.

“But it’s been so fun watching you sing.” He pushed the microphone back towards her with a finger.

“Take the mic.” It was pushed back with more force, and he had to lean back a bit.

“I can’t sing, remember? I’ll hurt your ears.” He told her, pushing the microphone back again towards her. “You really don’t need that.”

“Don’t play around with me.” She shot another glare at him, and of course, he only smiled at the sight burning through him.

“But I already did.”

“Wrong words to say right now, Lyney. Now sing.”

Time for the last resort. He couldn’t think of anything else aside from the trusted sick routine. Lumine wouldn’t be heartless enough to make him sing if he was sick, right?

“Cough, cough. Oh no. I have a sudden cough, I really can’t-“

A hand was slammed on the couch backrest, caging him in. Lumine was dangerously close, the microphone dangling in front of him. She only peered up and down like he was some little stain on the floor.

Lyney shrunk down, his cheeks burning. Her golden eyes were scrutinizing his very form.

Why did he enjoy this? That look in her eyes? This whole situation? Lynette would call him a simp right now if she saw this.

And he really was. Lumine leaned in even more, and he swore he stopped breathing for a second.

“Sing.”

“….yes ma’am.”

He took the microphone with shaky hands, and a bright smile dawned on her face. It made him shiver, how was she able to switch emotions that quickly?

“See? Wasn’t that hard now, was it? I’ll choose the song!”

And just like that, Lyney was now forced to sing whatever she wished.

Just perfect. Why did he lose all his charisma like this?! Why did he agree to sing?!

Lyney was now the sucker here. Karma truly was real and it always got you, which stinks! Doesn’t it know of the stakes here?

His whole identity was on the line! His crush would find out!

Lumine was quick to pull away and flick though the song list, forcing him to stand up and stand over where she was singing.

Did he resist her? No…

Like a kicked puppy, he dragged himself over to the spot.

There was no getting out of this. She would find out as soon as he started singing!

He could modify his voice but that would cause unnecessary strain on his vocal cords. They were very important when doing idol activities.

Killing your throat was a no go. He’d be out of a job. How would he pay the bills? The fans would be so disappointed. Lynette would never let him see the light of day.

All to stop one person from learning his identity? Even Lyney wasn’t stupid.

So he accepted his fate.

Looked like Lumine would be learning his big secret identity.

Lumine might as well choose one of his songs to bury the hatchet. She pressed play, and Lyney waited for the first few notes of whatever she chose to grace itself with its presence.

Unfortunately, a very familiar tune filled his ears. An older song of his that he hasn’t sang in a while. It was nice to hear it again, the melody would always make everyone dance. He should put it on the playlist for his next concert.

But that wasn’t important right now!

Lumine truly didn’t know what she was doing. It was like she was trying to bust him without even knowing she was trying to bust him!

Actually, that was what was happening.

Lumine sat down in the same spot he was on the couch and crossed her legs, smiling brightly at him. She waved him off with a hand, blinking innocently. He only gripped the microphone tighter as the song kept playing, counting down to his doom.

“Off you go. I’m excited to see what you’ll show me.”

“Using my own words against me? How cruel.” He told her, and she only pointed to the screen.

This girl.

“It’s about to start.” Lumine was so crafty, making this a parallel. He glanced at the screen, knowing that she was quite right.

Would he really sing?

Would Lumine even be happy to know that he was the idol she adored?

Lyney knew that the way he was now wasn’t the same way as he was on stage. Would it break her own fantasies she had about him?

Should he really be the one to do that?

Seconds away, and he peered right into her golden eyes, trying to make a decision.

They were watching him with interest, waiting for him to sing already. He could try to bail out of it still, but Lumine might beat him up or something. Being beaten up by the girl he liked would be an interesting experience though.

If it has to be this way…

Let her find out.

It was time for idol Lyney to take the stage for the first time since they met. He hoped she would welcome him with open arms.

He started singing as the music indicated, letting out a single long note.

Lumine’s eyes widened immediately, but he only flashed his classic idol smile.

Watch me.

His heart was beating so fast, he felt alive at this very moment. He would give it his all, all for his favorite fan.

For the fan that loved him so much.

She was the lucky one who got to hear his voice in such private quarters. People would kill for this opportunity, quite literally. He’s seen what his fans could do.

Never fight with an idol stan.

They’ll beat your butt online. Doxx you to hell and back. Harass you until you cry uncle and disappear off the face of the earth.

Luckily his fans weren’t that bad. They were pretty chill actually. But still, don’t play around with them.

If Lynette knew what was transpiring at this very moment, she would kick his butt for all this. It’s not like she hasn’t before. His head still hurt at the mere thought, his sister never gave him any mercy.

Lyney was one with the familiar music, and the room melted away. All he could see was the stage he always sung on, with Lumine being the sole member of the audience below. A shooting star that glowed brightly, Lumine illuminated his view and he took it all in.

He observed how she watched with such interest, her foot swaying to the beat—subconsciously. Lumine was getting into it.

All she was missing was a lightstick and she’d be right at home.

At the crescendo, all he was left with was silence and a starstruck Lumine. She seemed to be flabbergasted, mouth opening but nothing coming out. He only smiled, hoping she’d say something.

Anything would work.

It was like she was a frozen laptop stuck on an endless boot loop.

He waited for literally any response, and only received very slow claps after a while.

Oh no.

Did he break her?! Maybe Lynette was right, doing private shows was not a good idea. He managed to break his own crush!

And he only sang one song!

“You’ve been holding out on me, Lyney.”

It was the only thing she said, but he nervously laughed her off, relieved she was still here and responsive.

“Whatever do you mean?”

She only stared at him, her eyes narrowing as a sweat broke out on his face. “You didn’t tell me…”

He closed his eyes, waiting for those words. For everything to come crashing down.

Just tell it straight, Lumine. You know what you need to say.

“You can sing.”

“Yes I know I’m–what?” He opened his eyes, looking completely perplexed. Those were not the words he was anticipating.

Where’s the screaming? The shock? The realization? The utter fact that he was the idol she adored?

“You have such a nice voice! Why didn’t you tell me?”

Lumine’s tone was sort of upset, as if he was keeping a big secret from her (he was but not this, this wasn’t the secret).

“Saying you couldn’t sing…what lies. Why were you holding out on me, huh?”

She looked so serious, and he wanted to fall to the ground on his knees.

Are you kidding me?

How? How didn’t she work it out?

“You must have been practicing a lot. You sound so similar to the real thing.”

Because I am?! Lumine, please. Listen to yourself. Think about it! Connect the dots!

You aren’t serious are you?

“To think you were hiding all this from me. Shame on you Lyney.”

She was serious…

Should he laugh or cry right now?

Lumine…

“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a dead horse.”

Lumine always had a way with words. Dead horse was an interesting way to describe his face right now. How would one even look at a dead horse? It was one of his favorite things about her alongside her not giving a crap attitude.

“You don’t have anything else to say?” He insisted, and she only raised an eyebrow.

“No?”

He didn’t get how she didn’t make the connection but perhaps that was a good thing.

Lynette would legitimately kill him if she found out that his identity was snuffed out by the girl he obviously had a crush on.

At any rate, he could sing freely now! He’s been itching to really let himself out and sing since stepping foot in this place.

His secret was safe for another day. It was a close call though, he’d have to thank Lumine’s utter obliviousness.

Lyney still didn’t get it though.

How could a girl so smart be so oblivious to what she was hearing and seeing?

“Never change, Lumine.” He sighed, a smile dawning on his lips, and she looked mighty offended at those words.

Clearly there was something she was missing over here and it bothered her.

“And what does that mean, Lyney?” She crossed her arms. “How am I meant to take that?”

“It simply means…I’ll sing some more for you!” And he did a little wink, just like he always did on stage. He could let that little thing slip since she didn’t connect the dots, somehow.

Maybe it would make her really happy.

Lumine’s expression changed for a split second at his little move, as if she was the one who saw a dead horse this time.

Was his wink that bad?

This was a new response to his winks and he didn’t know how to feel about it.

People would usually scream their heads off and then faint at the sight. It was an interesting phenomenon that he really couldn’t explain why it even existed in the first place. The fans dubbed it the “lady killer” and it didn’t sound that good in all honesty.

He wasn’t meant to kill the ladies! What kind of idol does that?! He couldn’t explain why they fainted!

But Lyney entertained the idea either way, there were a lot of things he could do with that reputation. It made him stand out against the rest.

Although he was worried he would start being announced with, and here’s your lady killer, Lyney!

“Don’t wink like that.” Lumine’s tone was sharp.

“Aw. Why not?” He asked, tilting his head. He was genuinely curious, no one had told him not to wink before. What kind of reasoning would Lumine have for him?

To his surprise, she flushed red. She looked away from him with her knuckles to her lips. Her eyes darted away from him nervously, and he only blinked at the sight.

Woah.

“N..no reason.” That stutter, coupled with the adorable expression that he somehow managed to make…

D…did he manage to make her blush?! It was usually the other way around!

Wow. Score one for Lyney. You did it!

“Don’t stare at me like that! Sing already.” She looked back at him with that cute blush and he only touched the button behind him to start the next song in the playlist.

Classic Lumine. But he wouldn’t tease her any further. If she wanted him to sing more, then he would oblige. He was all fired up now!

The idol in him was ready.

“Your wish is my command. Sit tight.” He winked again, relishing the expression she gave him at the sight despite her telling him to not wink earlier.

Lyney wasn’t one to listen.

This time, it was her eyes who never left him. He sang as many songs as she did, and even more. Every song was met with her full attention. It was an honor to sing for his crush.

It’s been a dream of his ever since he found out she adored his idol self. He was glad it could come true, even if she didn’t realize that he was her idol singing for her right now.

Lyney sang Lumine’s favorite song, and she looked so dang happy when she heard the first few notes. He made sure to give it his all. Even she was singing along with him, and he truly wanted to collapse then and there.

Their voices blended together seamlessly. Everything was better than he dreamed.

It was so much fun.

Lyney remembered why he loved singing so much. The reason why he became an idol in the first place.

It was to see those beautiful smiles. Lumine’s smile would be one he would always remember.

The last few notes trickled away into silence, and he sighed in satisfaction. He heard her clapping intensely, that smile she blessed him with only widening.

Lyney wished this day would never end. He could sing forever for her.

He wiped his forehead with the side of his hand, the exhaustion finally catching up with him. He had the stamina but even so, singing did take a toll after a while.

“You can take a break. Come sit down.” Lumine patted the space next to her. Lyney took this opportunity eagerly and sat right down. It felt great to relax his weary bones and voice next to the girl of his dreams.

He felt a cold bottle on his cheek. “Drink up.”

“Thanks Lumine.”

Lyney hastily took and opened the water bottle and chugged it without a care in the world. Such sweet relief, the cool liquid soothing his warm throat. Water was his lifeline in the industry, it always felt so good to drink it.

He started coughing intensely when he saw Lumine watching him with this amused expression. The water went down the wrong pipe.

“I’m okay.” He wheezed, and she only chuckled. He truly was a failure in front of Lumine.

Maybe it made sense that she didn’t make the connection. Who would believe that the top idol Lyney would choke on water and be so easily influenced to do things by her?

“Let’s take a photo.” Lumine told him, pulling out her phone. “We need to remember this momentous occasion.”

“Being?” He asked, still recovering from the choking episode. Water tried to kill him, okay? He felt his life flashing before his eyes.

“You being able to sing.”

She flipped her phone around, the camera app on and ready. The two of them appeared on the screen, and he noted his appearance.

There was a smile on his face, and his violet eyes were shining brightly. He looked more like idol Lyney right now than normal Lyney.

All he was missing was his tear mark and costume and you would have your beloved idol as soon as you took off his glasses.

Lumine glanced over at him, and suddenly her slender hands reached out and pulled off his glasses without any warning.

The world became a blur in an instant and he looked at the blurry blob of a phone (at least he thought it was, it was hard to tell).

Why did she take off his glasses? She could leave him and he wouldn’t even know! He was pretty blind without them, if you couldn’t work it out.

He had to wear contacts otherwise he’d probably die trying to walk out of his room. Every concert in fact, he wore them. It was a pain putting them in every single time, but idol Lyney didn’t wear glasses.

Apparently they made him look too “nerdy”, according to Lynette. But he was sure the fans would like them, he’s seen all the fanart.

“Say cheese.” Lumine did a peace sign (at least he thought she did, it was hard to tell against all the blur) and he only could sit there like an idiot while squinting.

“W..wait…”

Snap!

Lumine took a photo and he had no idea what it looked like.

Was this her revenge or something? Her idea of fun? He didn’t even know why this was happening but there it was happening.

“Can I have my glasses back?” He asked, but it came out so sheepishly, so weakly that no one would ever do what he asked.

Lyney couldn’t even go look for the said glasses since he wasn’t sure where Lumine put them.

“Nope.”

Snap!

“Do you enjoy seeing my suffering?” He changed the question since she kept taking more pictures and didn’t seem like she would stop.

He wished he could see her face right now, not the blur of yellow.

“Maybe.”

Snap!

“Any particular reason as to why you’re doing this?” Lyney changed his question once more, in the hopes he would get some proper answers.

Snap!

“Just felt like it. You look nicer without your glasses.”

His face went red at the complement, and he heard multiple snaps in a row.

Lumine was so enjoying all this.

And so he just smiled a wonky smile and hoped he looked somewhat okay in all the photos.

Snap!

Finally, she slipped his glasses back on him, and the world became clear once more. Lumine’s face was right in front of him, smiling smugly.

He liked it more when he could see. The yellow blob never did Lumine justice.

Lyney could see his dumbfounded expression coupled with his red cheeks currently on the phone that Lumine positioned once again, she still wasn’t done with the pictures?

“Thank you for the fun time, Lyney.”

“Y..you’re welcome?”

She only pressed the button again to take another photo, looking pleased.

“I think that’s enough photos.” Lumine put the phone close to her mouth, hiding her smile from him. He watched her hands tighten around her phone.

“I’ll always remember this with these.” And she did her own little wink towards him.

And he felt like he was over the moon.

______________

“Remember this?”

Lumine shoved her phone in his face once again, and he had to lean back. It was becoming a habit for some reason.

They were back in his clubroom, where Lyney was playing around with a top hat. It’s been about a week since their little date (it was so a date, okay?) and it always made him feel giddy at the thought of it.

So giddy that Lynette kicked his butt multiple times for being so distracted. His beloved sister didn’t understand! Everything he dreamed of came true! It was the greatest moment of his life!

On the screen this time was a selfie. A very familiar selfie in a very familiar place. It showed him without his glasses alongside a smiling Lumine. It was the day they went on their date. How could he forget that?

He looked really dumb in the photo, while Lumine looked as great as ever. Her little smile and peace sign was adorable.

His squinting eyes and confused look did not look adorable.

Lyney was looking the wrong way as well and he wanted to groan.

This is what Lumine would have for the rest of her life.

This very unflattering image of him.

“Of course I do.” He told her, sighing at the photo. “You really kept this one?”

“Not only that one. I kept them all.”

Oh.

Lumine then started scrolling and the pictures only got worse. He forgot she took multiple ones. Especially the ones with his red face, which only stared back at him as each photo appeared.

She had so many of them that he wanted to crawl into a hole and never leave from its dark embrace.

Lyney tried to avert his eyes from the screen, but Lumine would literally thrust the phone in his face so he had no choice but to stare.

Her smile got bigger and bigger with every swipe, enjoying his reactions to every photo. Lumine was relishing all of this, and she wouldn’t let him go until she was fully satisfied.

“Don’t worry. They’re not that bad.”

“That’s good to know.” Lyney sighed, but even her words couldn’t fix what he saw. He had the sneaking suspicion she was joking and that made things worse.

Lumime finally reached the end of them all and he was super relieved when Lumine retracted the phone from his view.

He didn’t want to see those photos ever again. He looked absolutely stupid in them all. While he mulled that over, Lumine was scrolling through her phone with a smile on her face.

“We should do it again some time.” Lumine told him, as she continued her scrolling. He glanced towards her in surprise.

Did he hear that right?

“Karaoke, I mean”. She continued her scrolling once again.

He did. Lyney heard that right. No way.

Did she really?

“By that, I'm guessing I don’t have a choice again?” He asked her, waiting for her response. Depending on what her next words were, she was either being truthful or playing around with him.

He only hoped it wasn’t a joke.

“You learn quickly. I’m glad you understand your role here, Lyney.”

Lyney’s face looked like it was his birthday and Christmas rolled into one. She didn’t know how much those words meant to him.

Lumine did want to do it again! This was the best day of his life! His crush actually wanted to be with him and hang out with him again and wanted him to sing!

Lumine only giggled at the sight, swiping down on her phone. He flushed red, resorting to playing around with his top hat in an attempt to subdue his excitement.

He couldn’t help it.

He was down bad, wasn’t he?