Chapter Text
“God, I’m jumpin’ in the deep end /
It’s more fun to swim in /
Heard the risk is drowning, but I’m gonna take it”
― Gracie Abrams, Risk
Nene didn’t know what to expect when she attended school today.
And a hallway covered in confetti and glitter was most definitely not on her list. Not even in her mental list of the top 10 things that could possibly go wrong in Kamiyama. Trust her, that list was already extensive and specifically descriptive enough.
Students who were unfortunate enough to get caught in the blast groaned as they—failingly—attempted to rid themselves of the sparkles on their uniforms as a few teachers who had paused their lessons from the nearby classrooms glared at Nene… and Rui, who stood next to her with a smile of faux innocence—the man behind everything.
So, now, she found herself caught up in another one of Rui’s shenanigans.
She picks at her uniform, failing to dust off the glitter from her uniform. Getting the sparkles all over her hands, she gives up her efforts with a sigh as she remembers how it all began;
“Ah, Nene!” Rui called out to her as she stepped through the front entrance of Kamiyama, cradling a peculiar metal box in his arms. “Just in time,” He said, leaving a conversational trap for her to ask about the damn metal box.
Nene sighed as she approached her shoe cupboard with Rui following behind her like a shadow… or some kind of starving stray dog begging for food—or in this case; her attention. As she changed into her school shoes, she decided to throw him a bone of a reply. “In time for what?”
“I’m glad you asked!” He chirped. “You see this in my arms? It’s a confetti cannon!”
Standing up, Nene raised an eyebrow, her fight-or-flight response creeping in on her. “For… what?”
“Our next show, of course,” He said as the two walked through the hallway, passing by other students. “At the end, once we take our bow, I’ll trigger the remote, and ka-boom! Confetti, everywhere!” He smiled proudly, holding the machine as if it were his newborn child.
“Although… it is only a prototype. I haven’t properly tested it out yet, nor did I have enough time to patch some issues yesterday, so I plan on fixing the bugs during lunch. I was hoping you could hold onto it until lunch since I’ll have my hands busy bringing some papers to the faculty room.”
“Sure, I guess I could.” She nodded, yet still hesitant. “But… is it even safe to be holding that right now…?”
When the cannon beeped, Nene’s nerves shot up, her limbs straightening, as stiff as board. “R-Rui… are you sure this thing isn’t going to go off any moment now?” She asked, eyeing the box as if it were a ticking time bomb. “I think you should’ve just left it at home…”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s fine.” Rui stopped alongside her. “It’s perfectly safe!” He paused. “Well… mostly safe.”
Nene moved further away from him, just about arm’s length, as her inner thoughts screamed at her to get as far away as she could. “What do you mean, ‘mostly safe?’ ” She said the last part with finger quotes.
“Oh, there’s just a small chance of malfunction.”
“…how small?”
Rui tapped his chin. “I’d say there’s a seventy to seventy-five percent chance. But I’m feeling quite lucky today, so maybe the odds are in our favor.”
Nene groaned, resisting the urge to hide in the nearest room or book it until she made it home. “You’re insane.”
“C’mon, Nene. Sometimes you just need to take a risk!” He chuckled as he continued walking, prompting Nene to follow him, much to the dismay of her better senses.
As they neared her classroom, the bell ringing throughout the hallways as students scuttled to their respective classes, Nene froze as the cannon let out a click. “What was that?”
“What was what?” Rui asked, oblivious.
“That… That noise—” A low droning sound came out of the box. “RUI! IT’S GOING TO EXPLODE!” She yelped, causing the few students left in the hallway to turn their heads at her, annoyed.
“Relax, Nene. The box is just recalibrating—”
And as her greatest fears had imagined, the confetti cannon let out one, final strangled beep in the middle of the hallway…
The rest is history.
“Kamishiro! Kusanagi!” Her homeroom teacher’s voice snapped her out of the past, pulling her back into the hallway… after the incident. “What is this mess?!”
“Ah, so you see…” Rui began to explain, sheepishly. “It appears one of my machines had a… malfunction.”
“You brought a machine to school?” The lines on the teacher’s face deepened. “Principal’s office— now !”
Nene’s cheeks flushed. Her eyes as sparkly as the glitter, on the verge of tears as she felt everyone’s glares stabbing into her like blades. This was it. She was going to be the joke of the entire school, the girl who set off a damn glitter bomb in the middle of the hallway.
Looking at the mess, she could only assume that this would take days, if not weeks, to clean.
And now, she was being sent to the principal’s office for the first time, ever. Gone was the reputation she’d been trying to build, however small that may be, ever since she moved to Tokyo. She was going to need to move again, say her goodbyes to the life she’s made so far, to WxS, to Tsukasa and Emu, to… Rui.
All because of a box.
Rui noticed her twitching and took her glittered hand, squeezing it. “Don’t worry, I have a plan. Alright?”
“A plan…? For what?” She asked, now pulled out of her thoughts, but was met with a shush.
“Just follow after me, okay?” He said, the teacher standing before them, ready to yell at them to get moving.
She didn’t know exactly why yet, but she knew this would be a bad idea. She knew, looking into the mischievous glint in his eyes, that nothing good would come out of this. But, maybe, she was insane enough to trust him, with his warm hand in hers, both of them covered in confetti.
That warmth was enough for her to leap into the dark, unknown waters with the knowledge he would be right there, by her side, jumping into the same unknown with her.
And so, when he began running, she did too—never letting go of his hand.
They kept running until they made it to the back gate, past bewildered students questioning their twinkling appearances, where they could finally be left alone.
Nene stopped, out of breath, just before the gate. Completely fine, Rui patted her back as she panted for breath. The prickling heat of sun rays blared down upon them as the aroma of flowerbeds wafted through the air. In the distance, the P.E. coach yelled at students in the field to “pick up the pace”.
“Well, that was exhilarating, wasn’t it?” Rui said, a smirk playing on his lips.
“More like exhausting …” Nene exhaled, regaining her composure. “My legs were practically on fire…”
But, as much as she was complaining now… All of it felt so freeing. Gone was the Nene, even for a minute during that rush, who locked herself in a silver bird cage, never to leave the confines of the shiny bars surrounding her.
She was released from her cage, with Rui momentarily opening the door and setting her free.
The adrenaline felt so damn good.
Her legs were sore, considering her physical weakness, but the rushing of her heartbeat made her ecstatic.
Before, when her parents made her go on playdates with Rui, there had been something in the back of her mind—a hunch—that her entire world would soon be changed by the lavender-haired boy with sparkly yellow eyes constructed of dreams.
Who knew one person could change so much about you?
With him, she wanted to be more—do more. Set herself above her previous standards, and reach for the bar, so high up in the sky, and prove her worst fears wrong.
And with him, she felt infinite.
“The adrenaline rush is always fun.” He giggled. “But… it seems like the battle isn’t over yet.”
He pointed to the towering, closed gate, nearly twice Rui’s height. “Shall I help you up?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me…” She muttered, which earned her another laugh from Rui. “Okay, fine. We are… actually doing this. We’re skipping school,” She said as she approached the gate with Rui right behind her.
“Akiyama does it all the time, and in fact, they’re doing it right now—just one absence is fine, I’m sure.” He analyzed the gate, then laid his eyes on Nene. His gaze simply landing on her sent her blood rushing to her face. So, she pretended to examine the gate too, hoping he didn’t notice a thing.
“So, um… How do we go about this?”
“Hm… Ah, wait! See how there are three horizontal bars on the gate? I could boost you up onto the middle bar. The top is just enough for you to reach, and there’s a bush on the other side you could soften your fall with,” Rui explained. “The vertical bars have enough space for your legs, too. Shouldn’t be too hard.”
Staring at the gate, looming over her like a tower, Nene gulped as she imagined herself going through with the plan. It sounds simple in theory, but… she also imagined the million ways she could injure herself. A hand found her shoulder, sending an electric spark through her veins. “Hey, just so you know; I’ll be right here to catch you when you fall, alright? But, if you don’t want to do this, we could always find another way out.” Said Rui with a reassuring squeeze.
She steeled herself, finding a renewed vigor in her as she trusted Rui to be her safety net she could fall back on, like how she trusted him to catch her back then when it was just them two, creating plays without an audience. Pushing away any thoughts telling her this was a terrible idea, she shook her head, turned to Rui, and said, “Okay. I’m ready.”
He nodded. “Alright, then. Face the gate, I’ll give you a boost.”
When Nene thought of a “boost” she imagined Rui holding the soles of her feet as he raised her to the gate, or maybe even a piggyback ride if she thought outside the box. His hands on her waist was very, very, far from what she expected.
She nearly yelped as he held her waist, and raised her to the middle bar of the gate, his touch lingering on her longer than necessary. She had no time to think about it, forcing the memory of his hands on her out of her mind as she reached for the top of the gate—knowing full well she was going to spend her entire night, sleeplessly, replaying that moment over and over again as if she were a broken record.
Planting her feet on the middle bar, she latched on the top bar, pulled herself over the gate, and landed into the bush below with a thud.
Her head shot out of the bush, spitting out a stray leaf that entered her mouth. “Are you alright?” Rui asked on the other side, eyes squinted in worry.
“Yeah… Just fine,” She said as she freed herself from the grasp of branches, and dusted herself off of dirt and any remaining glitter. “How are you going to escape, though?”
“Easy.”
He pulled himself to the middle bar effortlessly. He grabbed the top and leaped over the gate, falling into the bushes and landing on his two feet—way faster than Nene could.
“You have a height advantage,” Nene pouted. “Unfair.”
He giggled. “I thought you liked the fact I’m taller than you?”
“W-When did I ever say that?” Her heart decided to take a millisecond of a vacation as she crossed her arms, looking away. “Can we just—What’s next in this “plan” of yours?”
“Oh, I never actually had a plan,” He admitted, brushing off the glitter from his uniform. “I guess we could just walk around Tokyo?”
“And go where?”
“Anywhere, really—oh, wait.” He leaned in closer to her, somehow unbeknownst to her rapidly pacing heart doing more cardio than she could ever run. She stared into his eyes as if expecting a kiss—despite how ungodly that idea was—but he was focused on something on top of her head. “There’s a leaf.” He notes as he plucks it off her hair, the buzz of her heart gradually regains its regular pace as a minuscule feeling of disappointment passes through.
…Wait, why was she disappointed?
She forced the thought out of her mind, bewildered with herself. What was wrong with her today?
“Now,” He announced with a deep voice he’d use to get kids excited at the beginning of a play. “Let’s embark on a grand adventure!”
If things kept up like this… Nene didn’t know if she’d make it to the end of this damned adventure.
♫彡*:･ﾟ✧
Roaming around the city in your school uniform, especially in the morning, gets you a few… strange looks. “It seems we have a bit of an audience…” Rui said as the two passed by lines of stores on the sidewalk. Cars honk nearby, caught in the morning rush as passers-by eyed them suspiciously. One of the businessmen seemed just about ready to report them.
Rui halted on himself, causing Nene to pause alongside him, confused. “What is it?” She asked.
“Let’s make a stop here. I think we need an outfit change.” Pointing to a clothing store, he didn’t give her much choice in the matter as he quickly walked in soon after.
Nene sighed, walking in after him.
When she entered, she was blinded by an abundance of bright, fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling. As her eyes adjusted, racks and displays of trending clothes she’d see other teens wear around the city lined the marble floor, neatly arranged with purpose. Some new pop hit from the west Nene couldn’t understand filled the small, white area, while a half-asleep cashier snapped to full attention when she noticed the two enter. Probably a slow day, considering this clothing store looked like it catered to teens… and today was a Monday morning.
“Irrashaimasé!” The woman called out with a revived, tired smile, seemingly around her early twenties. She ran a hand through her long, black hair, her front bangs dyed brown. Despite her proper, white uniform, she wore a black leather jacket over it. “How may I help you two today?” She asks as she eyes their school uniforms but doesn’t question them, most likely not caring if they’re paying customers.
“We’re just… looking around,” Nene spoke under her breath, somehow heard by the cashier.
“Just let me know if you need help with anything,” The cashier said. “If you like, we have some matching couple outfit selections.”
Nene’s defensive measures shot up like a tsunami. “W-We’re not dating—”
“Thank you. But we’ll be looking separately.” Rui spoke with such nonchalance at the implication of being a couple, that Nene’s mind began to reel with the strength of the entire universe.
She distracted herself by heading to the women’s section and searching the racks. If she lingered on that for too long… she wouldn’t know how to save herself. There comes a point if you sink too far, there’s no way to pull yourself back to the surface.
She wasn’t—wouldn’t allow herself to be—incredibly, undoubtedly hopeless.
Where did these feelings even conjure from? Only today, have they decided to resurrect from the dead, as if a person she unknowingly killed before, rising from the grave as a spirit to haunt her years later, just when she thought she escaped them.
But… as she thought about it for longer… maybe the problem was more deep-rooted than she thought. She isn’t one to deny that, yes, she might have had a small, ridiculously tiny crush on Rui back when they were kids.
She recalled an older time, some days after they watched The Little Mermaid . Summer air both cool and warm blanketed them, cloudless skies that allowed the sun to bathe them in its glow, and the chirping of birds perched at the top of the playground swing.
She remembers Rui, standing in front of her like a knight—her shield—as some older kids teased her about what they were doing in the playground. His eyes, how he reserved his gaze for her in tenderness, turned sharp and protective. “Leave her alone,” he’d said, as simple as that—words Nene could never muster, no matter how badly she wanted to tell the other kids off. She felt so weak, so useless, but when Rui stood in for her, speaking when she couldn’t, he became her lifeline. He’d smiled afterward, once the kids left—laughing and mocking him for his attempted aggression—patting her head like it was no big deal.
But to her, it had been everything.
And from that day on, he became her knight, her protector, her savior… and to this day, he still was.
She would never admit those feelings, not to anyone, ever, excluding this moment. It was only a feeling that would surely pass—a silly childhood admiration that would take its leave once she matured.
She doesn’t know where from the depths of hell those thoughts came, but maybe, just maybe it was in the way he persevered despite being shunned by his peers; maybe it was in the way he lost himself in his acting, how bright his passion glowed on his face when on stage; or maybe it was in the way he continuously gave her chances when she was a timid thing, how he always held out for her and looked for her despite her wanting to run away from everything. Or was it in the way he looked at her like a promise, held her hand like an oath?
Whatever it was, she thought she had pushed those feelings back down where they belonged—six feet under, buried below countless excuses, sure they would never resurface.
But now, they’ve returned with a dangerously new fervor, clawing their way out of the grave and back into her porcelain heart.
Her fragile heart could only handle so much until it shattered—if the day continued like this… everything around her might just break.
“Go back to that blouse,” Rui said, sneaking up behind and startling her.
“God—Rui!” She hissed.
“I prefer to be called Rui, but I’m afraid you’re setting your expectations too high if you think of me as a god.”
She groaned as she ran her hand through the rack. “Maybe your expectations are too high if you think I see you as a god,” She quipped, pulling out the white, long-sleeved blouse in question. “Did you find your clothes yet?”
“I have, but it’s a surprise. Right now, let’s focus on your outfit. What do you think we should pair this with?”
Nene thought about it, strolling through the store with the blouse in hand. On one of the display tables, she stumbled across a long, blue-gray skirt. She picked it up with her other hand and held both clothing items out, studying the two. “I guess I could wear these with sandals…”
After changing in the fitting room, she came out, dressed perfectly. The white blouse complemented her hair and brought a new shine to her eyes. The skirt stood out boldly against the simple white of the blouse, while the sandals matched the whole outfit with navy straps and golden buckles.
When Rui found her, his eyes widened, and his mouth opened then closed shut. To him, she could wear anything, even a potato sack, and she’d still look unearthly ethereal—as if she were an angel sent from heaven, gracing the Earth—and him—with her simple presence.
And he swears he can see heaven itself through the gates of her eyes.
He catches himself before he stares for too long, putting a hand to his mouth as if in thought when, in reality, he was covering his blush. “You look no less than stunning.”
All Nene could mutter in response was a simple thanks as she bit down on her bottom lip to kill her blush as best as she could. “Let’s see yours, then…”
“Ah,” Rui hummed, just remembering he also picked out an outfit. “Hold on, then.”
He left to the other fitting room besides hers, leaving her alone to her own devices. She fell to the bench, internally screaming with her face in her hands. You look no less than stunning. The words replayed in her mind over and over again as she recalled the slight break in his usual teasing character—how he looked like he was reassessing his whole life when she walked out.
Even the slightest shift sent her mind reeling and overthinking. Did he not actually like the outfit? She wondered if that was the reason for his hesitance.
But that couldn’t be the case… right? Rui isn’t the type to lie. Even with a gun pointed at his head, he could tell a half-truth at best. Besides—the way he said it felt so… genuine . Affectionate, even, if she were to delve deeper into her delusion.
“Are you doing alright?” The cashier asked, startling Nene for the millionth time today. “Your boyfriend seems nice… but you look conflicted. Do you need help with your outfit?”
Nene turned to her, hands falling to her lap. She hesitated to say much, but she thought it would be nice to tell somebody what was on her mind. “Well—No, he’s not my boyfriend, and yes, I am conflicted… Just… not in the way you’d expect.” Looking at the cashier closer… she noticed the dark circles under her eyes and a pile of sketches spread across the counter. Next to the papers was a lanyard for a fashion college.
“Mind telling me?” She leaned on the counter, a soft smile on her face. “I like to think I give good advice.”
Usually, Nene turned to her fellow troupe members for advice—Tsukasa, and how he acted like an older brother whenever he was serious, Emu, with her optimistic and bright approach, and Rui, with his logical reasoning. With them, it was easy for her to be vulnerable, to peel back the curtains and give a pause to her act.
But here she was, about to spill her thoughts to a stranger she just met. It seemed like today was going to be a lot of firsts.
She never thought she’d be doing this… but it would be better to tell somebody, seeing as she didn’t really have anybody else to talk to at the moment. Rui’s always telling her to step out of her comfort zone… so maybe this was a good step forward.
“He’s… he’s my friend. Very close friend,” She began, her leg shaking in place. “I’ve known him for the longest time, went through a lot together. But things have been… different lately.”
“Different? How?”
“He’s… he’s changed—in a good way, I mean!” Nene scrambles, her leg tapping faster.
“H-Hold on,” The cashier exits from the counter and sits next to Nene on the bench. “Are you okay with touch?” Nene nods, and the woman gently puts her hand on Nene’s leg, ending the jittering. “Take a moment to relax. Continue when you’re ready.”
She follows the cashier’s words, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. Nene repeats this until she calms her nerves. “Thank you…” She says with a small, appreciative smile.
“No problem,” The cashier holds Nene’s shoulder. “Continue?”
“Right…” Nene restarts, picking her thoughts back up. “When I say he’s changed… I mean he’s grown so much from the boy with a dream I knew him as before.”
She wasn’t sure when it happened—the exact moment Rui changed. Maybe it was gradual, or she hadn’t been paying attention. But he wasn’t the same boy who used to drag her into his elaborate schemes without a second thought. There was something different now—something in the way he looked at her, in the way he spoke her name, how his eyes caught the sunlight when he looked at her. It terrified her, but at the same time… it made her want to reach out to him and never let go.
“S-Sure, I could still describe him like that, but he’s more than that now. I-I’m not even sure what’s changed, but everything feels so new now… When he looks at me, his eyes have this slight squint he never has on anybody else… Whenever we’re about to perform, he holds my hand and squeezes it. And now, my stupid traitor of a heart can’t stop beating like a drum whenever he’s near! I thought the feelings would subside if I saw him less, but he’s everywhere I go! He walks me home and to school, we act together in the same troupe, he invites himself to my house after class… It’s maddening!”
The woman nods. “Oh… So it’s a crush?”
“It’s not…—” Nene groans then forces the words out of her mouth. “Fine—it’s a crush, no matter how much I hate using that word.”
“There we are. It’s better to be honest with yourself. But… why would you avoid him in the first place?”
“I… I don’t know, I just thought that maybe it would all stop if I distanced myself… B-Back, when we first met, I had a crush on him because he was the only one to pay attention to me, my first friend since I moved here. But when we had a falling out in middle school… it stopped. I thought I moved on until he wormed his way back into my life, and now I feel like a little girl all over again with him… I guess I thought I could do the same—hide myself from my problems.”
“You wanna know what I think you should do?” She asked, receiving a nod from Nene. “Face those feelings like you’re running straight into a brick wall. No thoughts, just pure adrenaline. If the both of you are already this close, then you’re not risking anything if you confess!”
“But… what if—”
“The both of you have known each other for like, a long time now! If it’s a true friendship, then he’ll understand your feelings. Even if he rejects you, you’ll still be friends, even if things are a little awkward. He wouldn’t give your friendship up if he truly cared about you. As much as teenagers—including me, back then—like to believe… the world doesn’t end from a broken heart.”
The words struck through Nene’s skull like a baseball bat. She’s… never thought of it like that before.
In the midst of her worry and overthinking, she thought if Rui ever found out, he’d drop her and stop talking to her as easy as that. But… knowing him, he could never do that to her. He’d still support her, all the way. He’d still be by her side throughout hardship.
Nene felt like a complete idiot for doubting their relationship.
“Right… I’m such a moron for not thinking that in the first place!” Nene facepalmed as a groan escaped her.
“Our worries tend to cloud our better judgment. No need to beat yourself up.”
“Still, though…” Nene sighed. “But… thanks, for making me realize that… Oh, wait.” She realized, her rationality beginning to fade back in. “I never got your name.”
“Taninaka. Taninaka, Osane.” She gave Nene a reassuring pat on the back before she went back behind the counter. “If you ever wanna talk again, I always work here whenever I don’t have classes. Which is Mondays and Wednesdays.”
“Thank you… for listening. You’re like a reliable older sister, Osane. I appreciate it.” She bows. “Ah, right—Kusanagi Nene. That’s my name,” Nene said, proud of herself for making a new friend on her own.
Osane smiles. “Aw… You’re welcome, then, Nene. Any time.”
The conversation gets cut off when Rui steps out of the fitting room, sporting a gray sweater adorned with a white collar and black cargo pants matched with black sneakers.
The darker look gives him a broody yet composed atmosphere. His golden eyes stood out over the dark clothing as if actually glowing. This wasn’t his usual style, but he wore it as if he owned it. And, if Nene were being honest with herself… she’d want to see Rui dressed like this more often than his usual odd colorful pastel fashion sense she’s come to love.
“So, what do you think?” He asked, pulling lightly on the collar, his smile awkward. “I wanted to try something new.”
“You took an awfully long time changing clothes.” Nene huffed, seeing Rui in… a lot of new lights today. “But… you look good. Seriously.”
His smile widened, eyes sparkling at her approval. “Thank you, though you can’t rush greatness, as they say. Rome wasn’t built in a day, you know?”
“And you’re impossible, you know ?” She hit him on the shoulder, causing the two to fall into laughter, the same smile mirrored on both their faces. “Let’s go pay for our clothes.”
The two approached the counter with their outfits on. “Is that all?” Osane asked.
“Mhm,” Rui hummed, then paused. “Actually… Could we purchase these outfits while we’re wearing them? And could we get a bag as well?” Rui asked with another one of his “innocent” smiles.
Osane scrunched her eyebrows, realizing what they were doing. But before she could question them, Rui slid over the money for both of their clothes, instantly silencing her. “I… I suppose you could.” She said. “Just let me cut the security and clothing tags off, then.”
After she gave them their change and clipped off the tags, Nene was left flustered over the fact he paid for both of them. Stuffing their school uniform and shoes into the store bag, Nene thought her brain might just explode.
She turned to him after giving their thanks to the woman, both now dressed in their new outfits as they strolled through Tokyo without suspicion. “Rui… Why…? You just… used your own allowance on me.”
“It’s not that big of a deal.” He shrugged. “I could just earn it all back in a few days.”
“You’re absolutely delusional.”
“I like to think of it as positive reframing.”
The skies grew to a deep blue as the sun blared and a cool breeze traveled the area alongside them, painting a perfect temperature balance with only a few clouds scattered in the air.
Nene looked up once a passing cloud blanketed the sun. “What time is it now?” She wondered aloud.
“I’ll check,” Rui said, pulling his phone out of the bag. “Huh. It’s going to be lunch soon.”
Realizing he’s never once checked his phone throughout his little excursion with Nene, he finds his lock screen littered with unopened message notifications from Tsukasa and Mizuki.
future star !! ☆
Rui where are you???
The principal is looking for you and Nne
*Nene
Where are you guys??
Hold on im telling Emu
akiyama 🎀
AHhahahhah what am I hearing about this little “confetti” incident??
’lil bro just texted me
and it seems like somebody and his girlfriend decided to “defile school property”
the principal is NOT amused btw
Heeeelllooooo??
are you on a date or something?
you didn’t even invite little old me? 🥺
stop igoring mee
okay
whatever
loverboy
😒
Reply to ’future star !! ☆’: We are both currently unavailable right now. Please send our kindest regards and deepest condolences to the principal.
Reply to ’akiyama 🎀’: TTYL + shut up. (In the nicest way I can put it.)
Thinking about the word “date”, an idea began to form in his head. “I’m particularly parched after all that running… Should we stop by a café?” He asked as he pocketed his phone.
“I guess we could.” Nene shrugged, following whatever Rui said. She didn’t know where she wanted to go… or what she wanted to do for that matter, so anywhere worked with her.
And so the two walked into whatever the nearest café was—finding a fusion between a library and coffee shop. Pushing past the glass front door, wind chimes twinkled in serenade.
Freshly brewed coffee, fused with the smell of book pages, greeted them like a gentle sunray. The clacking of laptop keys and hushed conversations between friends permeated the small area, harmonizing into a welcoming atmosphere under golden lights.
Rui approached the counter, ordering two strawberry frappes as Nene went in search of a place for the two to sit. She settled into a two-seated table next to a wall-turned-bookshelf just as Rui found and sat across her. “I just wanted to say… this is still absolutely insane,” Nene remarked. “Won’t we get into trouble for this? What will even happen tomorrow? What would the principal say…?”
“We’ll worry about the consequences tomorrow, alright?” Rui replied, knowing full well what the consequences were. “Just for today, let’s allow ourselves to let go for once. We deserve it, don’t we?”
“Yeah… I guess we do.”
“Besides, this is surprisingly fun.”
“If by fun, you mean “fun now, trouble tomorrow” then sure, this is fun.”
Rui chuckled. “Exactly! Let’s just enjoy this while we can. While we’re still at it, let’s make the most out of this day, shall we?”
“I suppose we should. Not like you’ve given me much of a choice.” Nene giggled back. “So, captain, my captain, where are we heading next?”
“Wherever the wind takes us. There’s so much to explore, after all! Infinite possibilities.”
The barista’s voice ended the conversation for them, calling from the counter. “Order for Kamishiro!”
“Guess that’s me.” As Rui readied to stand up, a thought manifested in Nene’s head. She owed him something at the very least after he paid for their clothes and drinks.
She stopped him before he could stand. Instead, she got up with an intent look. “You know what? I’ll get it this time.”
In shock at her sudden determination, Rui watched as she left to grab their drinks—with just a hint of adoration at her persistence. He’ll allow it this time, despite wanting to do everything in his power to protect Nene, he also loved seeing her independent—a sign of her development.
A buzz erupted in his pocket, snapping him out of his daze. Checking the notification, he finds more messages from Mizuki.
akiyama 🎀
hello is later now
i want ALL the details
PLEASEE
🙇♀️
i need updatessssssssss Rui
chop chop.
I KNOW YOURE ONLINE ANSWER ME.
emuuuu!!!
tsukasa told me everything!
are you and nene on the run??
what was that one couple?
like bunny and clay?
Reply to ’emuuuu!!!’: Bonnie and Clyde*
And yes, we are being hunted down by the student council and faculty as we speak. Please inform Tsukasa we will no longer be able to perform as WxS from this point forward.
(I’m only joking, we’re currently in a café buying drinks. I’ll tell you about it next practice.)
Reply to ’akiyama 🎀’: You’ll get your details when you finally learn manners.
Talk. To. You. Later. (Respectfully)
akiyama 🎀
😢
youre mean.
fine.
ill go😔
but you BETTER tell me at some point
you can’t keep me in the dark forever
ill find out soon enough
i have my ways
😼
Rui suppresses a laugh as Nene returns, setting the drinks on the table. “Who were you messaging?”
“Akiyama,” Rui responds as he pockets his phone again. “They’re being difficult as per usual.”
“Hm?” Nene hummed. “What’d they say?”
“Not much, they’re just being daft.”
A spark of jealousy infiltrates Nene for a moment, but she quickly shuts the notion down. She’s glad of Akiyama’s presence in Rui’s life—she really is. In actuality, this feeling has nothing to do with them.
But, did she seriously just feel jealous over someone else having Rui’s attention? God, she was in too deep, wasn’t she?
“Should we take these to go?” Rui spoke, pulling Nene out of her head. “It would be nice to take a stroll around the city aimlessly. Shibuya Crossing is right outside.”
Nene nodded. “Sure. Wherever the wind takes us.”
They take their respective drinks as Rui carries the store bag. Taking their leave, the bustling city life washed over the peace they found in the café. Although this scenery was overwhelming for Nene when she first moved to Tokyo, she’s found a charm in the flock of people moving like ocean waves, how the sounds of conversations and traffic offered a distraction from her thoughts, and how, at night, the billboards bathed the Shibuya Crossing in shining lights.
But, before they could cross, an advertisement on a billboard caught Nene’s attention. Looking up, Nene found a smiling face looking down upon her—a teaser for an upcoming musical drama. Her stomach began to spiral as her fingers curled in on themselves, finding herself stuck in place, staring up.
Rui noticed this and held her hand, squeezing it gently. Snapping Nene out of her trance, Rui turned her to face him. “Hey,” He said as her face brushed red, just about to apologize. But, before she could, an idea began to take shape. “Hey, you know what? I know where we should go next.”
“Really…?” Nene asked, forcing the apology back into her throat. “Where?”
“Well… This time, we’ll be going as customers instead of workers. Next stop, Phoenix Wonderland!”