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"Something people are very curious about is your respective childhoods! You're both quite private, so your fans have become very curious!"
"Ah, what an excellent question! I suppose Adam does have an air of mystery! But to be entirely honest, we grew up in normal homes. His Excellency has an aura of grace and divinity about him, but truth be told, he was just like every other young child who dreamed of becoming an idol when he was young, and so was I. Sorry, was that not a very exciting answer? I must apologize!"
"No, no! Your stories make you relatable!"
To be entirely honest. We grew up in normal homes.
That wasn't honest at all.
Truth be told. He was just like every other young child.
Another lie.
He wondered about Ibara's past.
Nagisa barely spoke a word for the rest of the entire interview.
It wasn't because Ibara had told him to keep quiet. He'd given Nagisa a script to follow, to make it easier.
But that question hadn't been covered in the script.
Nagisa was certainly allowed to speak outside of the script. But.
His childhood… he didn't expect that. Ibara had fielded the question so easily.
Nagisa barely heard a word the host said. Ibara answered most of his interview questions for him.
Their performance was flawless. They knew nothing else.
"... What should I…" Nagisa began to say as he walked into the dressing room. But there was still so much static. He couldn't remember what the interviewer's face looked like. "... Ibara."
"Hm? I do apologize, Your Excellency, I was a bit distracted– did you say something?" Ibara asked as he shut the door to the dressing room behind him.
"... I'm struggling to put my thoughts into words," Nagisa spoke slowly. Ibara said nothing. Instead, he stood and waited for Nagisa to continue. And so, after a moment, Nagisa said, "... I wasn't expecting to be asked about my childhood."
"Ah, I see, yes– and I am deeply sorry for not having thought to prepare you for that question in particular. Truly, that was a massive oversight on my part, and it shan't happen again! That being said, as we've discussed before, your history and connection to the industry are very unique, and while it's acceptable to reference while playing your God character, I would advise away from sharing too much sensitive information like that with the public outside of being blatantly performative."
"... I'm not ashamed. I loved my father."
"That is the precise reason why I believe it would be wise to keep some of your story close to your chest, Your Excellency."
"... That's what you do. Isn't it?"
Ibara smiled at him. "I'm afraid it simply isn't a very interesting story worth sharing."
"... Liar."
Ibara laughed. And Nagisa found himself smiling, too.
The ride back to Shuetsu was quiet. Though, Ibara was never still.
It was one of the first things that had stood out to Nagisa. Ibara was always moving. Especially his hands. Typing. Writing. He spoke words like he was planting seeds. Always cultivating. Growing. Sowing and reaping.
When they got back to Shuetsu, Ibara put his phone in his pocket.
Nagisa followed him to Adam's parlor. Their sanctuary. But even in the quiet of their private room, he still couldn't…
A beautiful room where Nagisa sat off to the side and watched while his father gardened in the shadows. Always sure to wear his thick white gloves so that his hands wouldn't get dirt on them. So the thorns on the rose bushes wouldn't pierce his skin.
He'd been at the television station. Adam had performed. And then the dressing room. The car. Here.
He didn't remember changing back into his school uniform.
"Your Excellency, are you feeling alright? If you're tired, please rest– we've had a full day, and it's important to recover properly. I'll start on dinner momentarily, so please make yourself comfortable!"
Nagisa blinked. Ibara was right in front of him.
"... Do you ever wonder if you're not really awake, but rather asleep and dreaming instead?"
Ibara smiled at him a little. "As long as it's a good dream and not some horrible nightmare, does it really matter?"
"... I suppose you're right. Though, I can't tell what sort of dream this is yet."
"You're the dreamer, Your Excellency. That's for you to decide."
Everything felt much more solid.
"... Thank you, Ibara."
He reached out. But he stopped.
Personal space, personal space.
Hiyori-kun never taught him about that.
Ibara's eyes followed his hands, and Nagisa followed Ibara's eyes.
"Why don't you come sit on the couch over here?"
"... With you?"
"Yes."
"... Okay."
While Nagisa walked to the big plush couch in their parlor where he often sat and read books, Ibara went to his desk and grabbed a large object from it.
It was a rock.
"This was a gift recently given to me for some function I coordinated," Ibara said as he walked over and handed Nagisa the rock.
"... Is a stone a typical gift to give for these things?"
"No. But it isn't a typical stone. Turn it over– see? It's a crystal. It's rare, and so therefore it has higher material value. But it does seem very much like an ordinary rock at first glance."
"... I see. What kind of crystal is it?"
"You'll have to excuse my ineptitude, Your Excellency, but I can't remember, and I never bothered to look it up. Perhaps you could find out."
"... I do like it. I like the mystery it holds."
Ibara stood behind the couch where Nagisa sat. And after a moment of silence, he said, "When I was young… There were instances where I spent long stretches of time by myself. Out in the field. There wasn't anyone to talk to, or anything to do, other than remain at attention. But, naturally, my mind would wander. And sometimes, I would wind up becoming lost in my thoughts. My dreams. So I developed this habit."
Nagisa craned his neck back to look at Ibara standing above him. Ibara smiled back at him, and he reached forward and sectioned out a small portion of Nagisa's hair with his fingers.
"I would pull blades of grass from the ground, and I'd braid them together. Like this."
The braid that Ibara made with Nagisa's hair was pretty. Thin and dainty. Completely uniform. Perfect.
"It's only in reality that we can interact with the world. Only the present is tangible. So when I found myself lost in what could've been a dream of the past or a nightmare that could've been the future, I would tether myself to the present reality by using my hands." Ibara laid the skinny little braid nicely over Nagisa's shoulder. "You could read all about rocks and minerals and crystals. With your intellect, I'm sure you could learn everything there is to know about them. Or you could go discover the truth of them yourself with your own two hands."
"... That is true. Dreams are merely the perceived manifestations of subconscious thoughts and emotions. They have no meaning. But there is meaning in action. Even if I am the one assigning that meaning. That was what God did, after all. He didn't dream of this world; he created it."
Nagisa turned the crystal over in his hands and ran his thumb along the smooth surface.
"... Ibara. I want to go explore. I want to go find crystals of my own, and dig them up with my own hands."
"Then I shall begin researching and surveying ideal hiking locations and guides after I finish dinner."
"... Thank you."
Nagisa watched Ibara cook. And all the while, he ran his fingers over the crystal Ibara had given him.
Adam's parlor remained as it was. Every minute that passed never left that room. The beautiful room from his childhood faded from his mind. Instead, he examined the crystal. And he watched Ibara's hands.