Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tsukasa was in the start of middle school when it started. When he started slitting his wrists. It was a punishment. every mistake he made he would glide his eyebrow razor across his thigh. He knew it was unhealthy. But it was the only way he could learn. some mistakes were inevitable- but still, he thought that if he didn't hurt himself, he would never learn from his mistakes. He wanted- no, needed to become a star. for Saki and Toya, his dearest siblings. he would do anything for them. Whenever Toya had an argument with his dad, he would text tsukasa to ask if he could come over. tsukasa, of course, always welcomed him with open arms. He and saki would comfort the younger boy.

Now, in present time, tsukasa truly believed he would be better off gone. His friends were always kind, sure- but Tsukasa was sure that they were just keeping their feelings hidden. Rui was surely still furious when Tsukasa snapped and yelled at Nene. Nene must still be terrified of tsukasa. And Emu is certainly still hurt when tsukasa almost made the troupe disband.

He hated himself for it. For it all.

The sekai was starting to get less and less colorful the sky became a less saturated blue- it was like the whole sekai was becoming less colorful. The rest of the troupe noticed, but thought it must have been something with their eyes. Though, tsukasa noticed that after that discussion, Rui became more vigilant around tsukasa. He would watch tsukasa every move. the blonde boy just laughed it off, saying Rui was paranoid. but inside, he was getting more and more anxious.

Why was he anxious? He knows he needs help. He wants help. Does he? He does n't know. He doesn't know he doesn't know. He doesn't know ?

h e e d d o o o ee s s n t k n o w

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ₕₑₗₚ

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ he doesn't know. He doesn't know.
he doesn't know.

𝗛 𝗲 ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‘𝘀
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗰 ‎ 𝗼
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗻𝗳𝘂 ‎ 𝘀
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗲𝗱.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ He's decided.
Today would be his last day.

☆

Tsukasa’s bedroom door burst open. “Brother! Wake up!” Saki’s voice rang out, brimming with an enthusiasm that could rival even Emu’s. Her hair was down, slightly messy from sleep, and she was still dressed in her pajamas.

Tsukasa yawns “I've been up for awhile already! I was thinking about my upcoming performance!!!!” Tsukasa says, feeling guilty for lying straight to her face while sitting up from his bed.

“Ooh!! I see. do you want me to make breakfast??” she asks, tilting her head slightly.

“Nonsense! that's unnecessary. You should get ready, I'll cook my own breakfast,”

Saki simply nods with a soft smile and close the door. he can hear her footsteps fading as she retreats to the comfort of her room to get ready for school.

Tsukasa let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He rubbed his face with his hands. He had to act normal. For saki's sake. if she found out-no, she wouldn't. she couldn't.

He swung his legs over the bed, his feet touching the cold, wood floor. He stood up, forcing a bright smile onto his face and walked to the bathroom. He had to be perfect.

by the time he got downstairs, the sound was quiet except for the distant hum of Saki's hairdryer. Their parents were off on work trips, so it was quieter than usual. He made some scrambles eggs and placed them on a plate. turning off the stove after the action. Though the thought of eating made his stomach churn. the thought of putting anything in his body felt…. wrong.

Still, he forced himself to take a few bites. Saki would notice if he didn't. despite her loud nature, shes watchful. as a child, the constant boredom of the hospital made her pay more attention to details, to keep herself occupied.

Tsukasa placed his plate in the sink. He’ll wash it after school.

“Tsukasa! I'm off!!” Saki shouted while stumbling toward the door, half-hopping, half-walking as she shoved one foot into her shoe while struggling with the other.

Tsukasa, being the concerned brother he is, scolded her, “Hey! don't do that! you could fall!!!!!”

she huffed “I'm not a little kid anymore.” she cleared her throat then continued in a sing-song voice. “buh-bye! ♪ have a good day at schooooollllll ♪”

“you too! be careful!”

the door closed and the house was again silent. tsukasa held back a sigh and began putting on his shoes. He tied his laces slowly, his fingers lingering on the knots longer than necessary. His movements felt sluggish, his body heavier than usual. It was always like this in the mornings—getting up, going through the motions, doing the same thing everyday.

once his shoes were secure, he grabbed his bag and stepped outside. The morning air was crisp, the sun casting a soft glow over the quiet neighborhood. For a moment, he just stood there, staring at the sky. It was a pale blue, far too muted for his liking. The Sekai wasn’t the only thing losing color.

Shaking off the thought, he started walking.

☆

Alas, he got to school. The courtyard was loud, students chattering about their weekends, sharing gossip, and dreading the upcoming classes. The morning sun cast long shadows across the pavement, but Tsukasa barely noticed. His mind was elsewhere, the noise around him distant, like he was underwater.

Then, amid the crowd, he spotted two familiar figures.

Toya and Akito stood near the vending machines, engaged in what seemed to be a casual conversation—well, as casual as those two could get. Toya had his arms crossed, nodding along as Akito gestured animatedly, clearly ranting about something.

For a moment, Tsukasa hesitated. A strange feeling twisted in his chest.

Toya.

One of the reasons he held on for so long.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and forced a bright grin onto his face before making his way toward them. “Akito! Toya! Good morning, my dear friends!” He threw his arms out dramatically, drawing the attention of a few passing students.

Akito clicked his tongue. “Dude, you don’t need to yell first thing in the morning.”

Toya elbowed akito, earning a soft ‘ow’ from the redhead. toya then tilted his head slightly, studying Tsukasa with that unreadable gaze of his. “tsukasa-senpai- you seem... off.”

Tsukasa’s heart skipped a beat.

Was he that obvious? No, no. He was fine. Everything was fine.

𝗘𝘃 ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗲 𝗿
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝘆 ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝘁𝗵 𝗶 ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗻 ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗴
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝘄 𝗮𝘀
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗳 ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗶 ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗻 𝗲

“Off? Me???” he placed a hand on his chest, feigning offense. “perish the thought! I am as radiant as ever!” he huffed

Akito rolled his eyes.

toya didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t press further.

Just as Tsukasa was about to say something else, he caught a glimpse of Rui and Nene standing near a large tree. Rui was fiddling with some kind of gadget, while Nene was quietly tapping on her phone, her usual reserved expression in place.

“Well, my dear friends, as much as I would love to grace you with my presence all morning, I must bid you farewell!” Tsukasa announced, striking a dramatic pose before spinning on his heel and making his way toward Rui and Nene.

Akito sighed. “He’s so weird.”

Toya shot him a glare. “thats just how he is.”

Tsukasa, oblivious to their hushed conversation, approached his other two friends with a grin. “Rui! Nene! A fine morning to you both!”

Rui glanced up from his gadget, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips. “Oh? Good morning, Tsukasa-kun. You seem particularly theatrical today.”

Tsukasa placed a hand on his chest. “But of course! A star must always be ready to shine!”

Nene side-eyed him but didn’t comment, instead muttering a soft, “Good morning.”

Rui’s smile didn’t fade, but there was a certain sharpness in his gaze. “I noticed something interesting about the Sekai recently. It’s been looking rather... dull, hasn’t it?”

Tsukasa’s breath hitched for half a second before he forced out a laugh. “Dull? ahaha, Rui, Rui, Rui! my friend, surely you’re imagining things! The sekai is as lively as ever!”

Rui hummed, twirling a screwdriver between his fingers. “Hmm... If you say so.”

Nene glanced between the two, then back at her phone. “If there’s something wrong, we should probably figure it out soon.”

Tsukasa’s smile wavered. Were they noticing? “of course! If there's something wrong there, WE SHALL FIX IT!” Tsukasa shouted, causing the nearby students o shoot glares and nasty looks tsukasas way.

he ignored it.

Before he could say anything else, the school bell rang, signaling the start of the day.

“Well! We mustn’t be late! Off to class, my dear friends!” Tsukasa clapped his hands together and hurried ahead, not giving them a chance to respond.

As he walked, his expression darkened slightly.

just one more day.

𝗼 𝗻‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗲
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗺‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗼 𝗿 𝗲
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗱‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗮‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝘆

★

as the trio walked through the crowded hallways, Nene eventually split off to head toward her own classroom. She gave a small wave to Rui and Tsukasa before turning on her heel and disappearing into the sea of students.

Rui and Tsukasa continued down the hall together, the noise of chatter fading into the background. tsukasa kept his pace light, but inside, the weight of Rui's earlier words lingered.

“You sure you’re okay?” Rui’s voice broke the silence, his eyes fixed on Tsukasa with that same sharp, observant gaze.

Tsukasa flashed a grin, trying to brush it off. "Of course, Rui-kun! I'm as fine as always!" But there was an edge to his tone that he couldn’t completely mask. He quickened his steps toward the classroom.

Rui raised an eyebrow but didn’t press. "Right," he muttered, following Tsukasa into the classroom.

they entered the class, and tsukasa made his entrance known to everyone in the class and took his usual seat near the front, his gaze drifting over the classroom. His heart raced, but he did his best to keep up the facade. everything would be fine, he kept telling himself. he just had to get through today.

The class fell silent as the teacher walked in. She began the lesson with her usual efficiency, and Tsukasa quickly shifted his focus to his notes. His pen moved across the page, neatly highlighting key points with a soft pastel yellow, a small attempt to ground himself. He focused on the rhythmic motion, the steady flow of ink, trying to keep his mind from spiraling in a thousand different directions. Every now and then, his gaze would drift, but the act of writing kept him tethered, if only for a moment.

eventually, the class ended and the teacher wrapped up her things and walked out. already planning her next lesson. tsukasa heard Rui sigh. probably because Rui knew all the things their teaching. tsukasa swears he's Albert Einstein reincarnated.

the math teacher walked in and began teaching. he repeated taking notes for the rest of the classes.

finally, the bell rang, signaling the start of lunch. tsukasa sprang from his chair, his legs aching to be stretched after sitting for so long. he packed his bag and walzted to ruis desk. “oya! Ruuuuiiiiiiii! do you wanna eat lunch with me?” tsukasa asked. not waiting for a response, he continued. “and let's go get Nene as well!” his eyes gleamed with excitement. after all, this would be the last lunch he would share with his favorite director and favorite diva.

Rui got up form his seat and started walking towards the door. he then looked back to make sure tsukasa was following him. “fufu~ are we gonna get Nene-chan or what?”

“WAHAHAHAH! Of course!!!” tsukasa hollered, ignoring the nasty looks his classmates were shooting his way.

★

tsukasa, nene, and rui strolled through the courtyard, tsukasa energetically rambling about his soon-to-be stardom. When they finally reached a bench, they settled down. each unpacking their bento boxes with a comfortable ease. Nene already pulled out her phone and was attempting to multitask eating and playing her game.

“so, tsukasa, what are your thoughts on the sekai?” Rui asked, his catlike grin still plastered on his face. “perhaps we could ask KAITO about it?”

“but.. if it is something with tsuaksa-kun, wouldn't the Virtual singers be affected as well?” Nene chimed in, glacing at tsukasa.

ruis gaze shifted to tsukasa. “hmm.. I suppose. tsukasa, what do you think?”

the blonde choked on his food a bit. “A-ahem, well I think we should wait it out and see if it's still like that in, maybe a day or two.”

Rui put a hand to his chin, and his usual cat-like grin was again plastered on his face. “I like that idea, tsukasa-kun~”
The loud boy huffed, clearly pleased with himself. “Well, of course I—”

His words were cut short by the buzz of his phone. Unlocking the screen, he glanced at the notification from Saki:

TSUKASAAAA!!!!! Is it okay if I spend the night at Ichika’s? (ㅅ´ ˘ `)?????? The girls and I wanna write the lyrics to our new song! ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ )!

Tsukasa’s fingers glided across the virtual keyboard as he quickly typed a response.

Of course! But DON’T STAY UP TOO LATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He made sure to include an excessive amount of exclamation marks for emphasis. Within seconds, Saki sent back a thumbs-up emoji.

he ignored the pit in his stomach forming, he would need to spend another night alone. how many times was he alone when he was just a kid? he stopped himself from continuing that thought. saki was sick. she needed her parents constant care. don't blame her.

𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗮
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿

y̴͎͎̭̿̓͂̾̈́̈͋͆͂͛̃̉͐͑͗̆̈͗̍̑̋̏̌͑̋̐̄́̀́͂̎͘͘͜͝͝ơ̸̧̨̭̞̗͎̮̲̖͚͇̖͕̮̭̯̬͍̭̩͚̙̗͉̙͇̆̏̈́̊̒̇̔̏̆̏͂̀̔͒̀̉͑̈́̏̏̈́̓̈́̐̔̿̌͒͗͝͝͝ų̵̧̢͈̮͇̘̟̙̜̈́͌͛̅̒̒̉̅͋͗̀͛̓'̷̧̨̢̙͔͖̦͓̫͇̭͍̤̦͓̙̼̰̫̲̍̒̄̓͆̓̒̓̒̊͊͛͛̄̆̔̔̍̽͛̅̽̐͋̕̕̚͠͝͝ŗ̴̝̯̺̤̳̳̠͍͓͙̲̲̗̖͓͎̮͍̪̣͇̣͕̓̃̅̕̚͜͜͝ͅē̸̢̢̢̡̳̳̰̼̭͍̖̩͉̗͕̳̙͍̘͎̦̮͖̱̣̊̿́̄̎̀̍̈̐̋͋̾̈́̎͛͋͛̅̓̈́̓̏̈́̕ ̵̡̧̡̛̫͎̯͖̖̼͖̺̳̥͍̳̻̜͚̖̬̰̘̯̺̭͔́̎͂̆̊̑̐͗̏͋̒͐͊̄̂̒̌͐͑̾̍̊͒̍̓̔́̀́̋̌͑̌̚̕̕ͅä̸̱́͝ ̸̧̢̦̠̝̩̞͂̉̊̋̂̃̆̃̀͋͌̊̉̽́̕͠t̵̗̜̙͍̻͉̱͈̹̺̮͎̞̦̿͌̊̏͛̌̋̒͂̎̉̚͝ę̴̢̛̭̥͚͍̦̝͔̩͔͚̖̅̌͊̽͜͜r̴̡̢͙̤͉̝̻̫͔͉̜͙̩̜͔̩̹̮͑͜ŗ̵̡̧̦̬̗̰͎̪̗͔̗̟̝͔͈̘͍͚̥̲̳̦̖̞̟̟͖̫̮̫́̀̐̐́̽͌̽̏̓̿͊̐͆̀͂̂͘͠͝ỉ̷̧̛̞͔̤͉̯̙͈̠̻̜͇̠̯͚͔͙͖̣̫̤̥̬̜͙͉̫̫̱̞̼̟̟͇͈̋̓̂͌̾̉̊̋́̈̐̿̈͂̀̏́͑̈́̕͝b̶̧͈̖̣̯͕̓̓̍́̅́̾͛̓̿̒̈́͛́̈́́͛͊͘͘̚l̷͖̯̹̼̼̭̜̱̱̜̰͈͖͓̽̓̑̈́̌̎͆̍͛͛ȩ̴̛͉̥̳̜̝̮̠̲̫̪̲̥̦͚̠̻͑͆̄̄͑̔͝ ̵̨̢̦̦̫̰̫͕̻̣̪̳̃͆̍ơ̸̢̧̘̬̠̼̯͚̪̽̏͆̈́̽̌̀͊͐̓̍͛͆̆͐̾͛̾̕͘̕ļ̴̧̧͙͇̬̝̩̮͈̤̰̼̘̜̩͓̱̭̥̳̇͆̈́̓͂̓̑̒̈̐͝ḓ̷̤͉̯͇͙̥͖̞͔̲̗̍͑̒͛̏̇͆̑̈́ê̷̡̧̛̦̣̥̙͓̠̜͈̠̼̩͔̦̗͔̩̞̗̭̥͍̻̤̙̬̺̪̘̩̊̍͒́̾̓̄̐̓́̽̈́̊̍̑̒̃͗̉̈́̃̇̓̾̆͘͘͜͝͝͝͝ͅr̷͍̪̻̺̾́͆̅ ̵̢̙͓̮͈̙͈̼̣͍̻̥̗̮̠͉̹̱͇̝̤͍͚̯̘̺̈͊̉͊̀̐̑́͐͗̕͠b̸̧̨͔̦̝̪͈̱̖̝͍͔̗̉̇̏͐͑̄̈̄͊͆̒̕͝ř̷̨̭̥̙̻̩̲̫̊̐̀̇͌̍̿̂̉́̍͜͝͝͝o̷̧̨͍̰̫̥͚̪͔̰̖̰͈͔̹͈͖̐͛̂̂̋̀̽̎̈́̒̀͌̽̕ţ̷̖̤͉͎̫͙̥̤͚̝͓̬̪͔͙̻̥̣̈́̂̔̿͌̽́̓̆̀̎̍̀̒͗̎͊̇͘͘͝͠h̷̛̛͔͕̣̙̞̟̩̮̘̺̘̻̰͚̒̑͊̆̌͐̃́̿̐̎̽̈́̀̐̈́̂̈́̂͑̃̑͋́̎͘̕͝͝͝ȩ̷̡̨̛͙̳̤͚̖̦͍̘̙̗̝͔̣͗̋̀͊͑͑͐̋̔̃͌͑̔͆͊̿̃̀͛̆̐̚͘̕͘͝͝͠͝r̴̈̊̿̿̄͊͌̌̚͘̕͘͝͠͠y̴͎͎̭̿̓͂̾̈́̈͋͆͂͛̃̉͐͑͗̆̈͗̍̑̋̏̌͑̋̐̄́̀́͂̎͘͘͜͝͝ơ̸̧̨̭̞̗͎̮̲̖͚͇̖͕̮̭̯̬͍̭̩͚̙̗͉̙͇̆̏̈́̊̒̇̔̏̆̏͂̀̔͒̀̉͑̈́̏̏̈́̓̈́̐̔̿̌͒͗͝͝͝ų̵̧̢͈̮͇̘̟̙̜̈́͌͛̅̒̒̉̅͋͗̀͛̓'̷̧̨̢̙͔͖̦͓̫͇̭͍̤̦͓̙̼̰̫̲̍̒̄̓͆̓̒̓̒̊͊͛͛̄̆̔̔̍̽͛̅̽̐͋̕̕̚͠͝͝ŗ̴̝̯̺̤̳̳̠͍͓͙̲̲̗̖͓͎̮͍̪̣͇̣͕̓̃̅̕̚͜͜͝ͅē̸̢̢̢̡̳̳̰̼̭͍̖̩͉̗͕̳̙͍̘͎̦̮͖̱̣̊̿́̄̎̀̍̈̐̋͋̾̈́̎͛͋͛̅̓̈́̓̏̈́̕ ̵̡̧̡̛̫͎̯͖̖̼͖̺̳̥͍̳̻̜͚̖̬̰̘̯̺̭͔́̎͂̆̊̑̐͗̏͋̒͐͊̄̂̒̌͐͑̾̍̊͒̍̓̔́̀́̋̌͑̌̚̕̕ͅä̸̱́͝ ̸̧̢̦̠̝̩̞͂̉̊̋̂̃̆̃̀͋͌̊̉̽́̕͠t̵̗̜̙͍̻͉̱͈̹̺̮͎̞̦̿͌̊̏͛̌̋̒͂̎̉̚͝ę̴̢̛̭̥͚͍̦̝͔̩͔͚̖̅̌͊̽͜͜r̴̡̢͙̤͉̝̻̫͔͉̜͙̩̜͔̩̹̮͑͜ŗ̵̡̧̦̬̗̰͎̪̗͔̗̟̝͔͈̘͍͚̥̲̳̦̖̞̟̟͖̫̮̫́̀̐̐́̽͌̽̏̓̿͊̐͆̀͂̂͘͠͝ỉ̷̧̛̞͔̤͉̯̙͈̠̻̜͇̠̯͚͔͙͖̣̫̤̥̬̜͙͉̫̫̱̞̼̟̟͇͈̋̓̂͌̾̉̊̋́̈̐̿̈͂̀̏́͑̈́̕͝b̶̧͈̖̣̯͕̓̓̍́̅́̾͛̓̿̒̈́͛́̈́́͛͊͘͘̚l̷͖̯̹̼̼̭̜̱̱̜̰͈͖͓̽̓̑̈́̌̎͆̍͛͛ȩ̴̛͉̥̳̜̝̮̠̲̫̪̲̥̦͚̠̻͑͆̄̄͑̔͝ ̵̨̢̦̦̫̰̫͕̻̣̪̳̃͆̍ơ̸̢̧̘̬̠̼̯͚̪̽̏͆̈́̽̌̀͊͐̓̍͛͆̆͐̾͛̾̕͘̕ļ̴̧̧͙͇̬̝̩̮͈̤̰̼̘̜̩͓̱̭̥̳̇͆̈́̓͂̓̑̒̈̐͝ḓ̷̤͉̯͇͙̥͖̞͔̲̗̍͑̒͛̏̇͆̑̈́ê̷̡̧̛̦̣̥̙͓̠̜͈̠̼̩͔̦̗͔̩̞̗̭̥͍̻̤̙̬̺̪̘̩̊̍͒́̾̓̄̐̓́̽̈́̊̍̑̒̃͗̉̈́̃̇̓̾̆͘͘͜͝͝͝͝ͅr̷͍̪̻̺̾́͆̅ ̵̢̙͓̮͈̙͈̼̣͍̻̥̗̮̠͉̹̱͇̝̤͍͚̯̘̺̈͊̉͊̀̐̑́͐͗̕͠b̸̧̨͔̦̝̪͈̱̖̝͍͔̗̉̇̏͐͑̄̈̄͊͆̒̕͝ř̷̨̭̥̙̻̩̲̫̊̐̀̇͌̍̿̂̉́̍͜͝͝͝o̷̧̨͍̰̫̥͚̪͔̰̖̰͈͔̹͈͖̐͛̂̂̋̀̽̎̈́̒̀͌̽̕ţ̷̖̤͉͎̫͙̥̤͚̝͓̬̪͔͙̻̥̣̈́̂̔̿͌̽́̓̆̀̎̍̀̒͗̎͊̇͘͘͝͠h̷̛̛͔͕̣̙̞̟̩̮̘̺̘̻̰͚̒̑͊̆̌͐̃́̿̐̎̽̈́̀̐̈́̂̈́̂͑̃̑͋́̎͘̕͝͝͝ȩ̷̡̨̛͙̳̤͚̖̦͍̘̙̗̝͔̣͗̋̀͊͑͑͐̋̔̃͌͑̔͆͊̿̃̀͛̆̐̚͘̕͘͝͝͠͝r̴̡̖̻̝̱͉̯͖̈̊̿̿̄͊͌̌̾͐̚͘̕͘͝͠͠

he quickly shook the thought away, he couldn't think of this while he was in front of others. he slipped his phone back into his pocket and turned his attention back to the conversation, only to see both Rui and Nene looking at him with concerned faces.

𝗮𝗻𝗼 ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗮‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗸𝗲.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝘆 𝗼𝘂' ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗿 𝗲
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝘂𝘀𝗲 ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗹𝗲‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝙨𝙨

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ y̴͚͓̜̙̟͇̤̱̗̤̣̪͎͊̀̄͐͘͝o̶̧̱̰͔͎͋̽̈́̊̾͊͒̄͗̏u̴̡̺̬̼̺͕̟̣̓͊͗̊̀̆̐̉̉̈́̄̎̈́̈́̀͘͘͘'̸̨̨̡̟̯̹͔̪̩͚̣̖̟͕̗͕͚̌̋̔̽̿͝ͅr̷̙̬͓̻̙̜͙͕̮̲̆̇̊̽̌̓̿̈́͗̃̓̃̏̚̕͜ͅe̸̮̤͍͉̗̞̬̯͙̣̺̠̻͑̀̔̓͌͝ͅ ̴̨̡̥̗̞͙͕̫̞̗̱̠̮͔͉͂̔̒̓̕ͅͅu̷̗̣͍̠͙͕̪̗͊͂̇͋̐̓ͅs̸̨͕̗̱̫̬͍͕̪̮͓̖͕̞̠̲̥̖̹̆̐̒̽̊̿ͅͅͅe̴͓̜̜̜͚̙̓̅͊̈̃̔̕͠͝l̷̡̫͓̤͚̣̬̬̯͋͂͂̐̀́̋́́̾́̚͝e̶͕̻͙͎̺͖̳̳͗̐͜ͅš̴̡̯̳̝̫̲̮̀̋̏̎͂̐̐́̾̅͘̕͜͜͝͝s̷̢̭̲͉͎͎̬̖̱̺̞͙͇̮̟̯͇͕̤̀̄̔͒͆͜ͅ

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ w̴̛̖̣͔̼͖͓̪̺̪̯̄̓̊̓́͆̇͒͊̃̉̂̚͝h̸͈̙̥͇̩̆́͌͛̆͘y̶̦̺͖͚̲̳͇̘̽̒̑ ̸̨̰̣̗͚̲̹͙̫̘͓̦̈̾̃̑̈́͜ą̷̛̬͎̘̪̼͇̅̀̓̂͗̐̓̊͊̽̑͐͠͠r̶̮̼̰͎͖͎͛͒̇̓̄͜ȅ̸͓̘̯͑̿͒͑̅̎̿ ̸͍̗̫̳̰̳͖͖̰͓̰̺̃̎̐̃͛̀̂̕̕͝y̷̨̛̛̞͇̟̜̯̝̜̪̤̜̓͆́͊̑̚̕͝o̶̧̢͙͐̐́̋̄̈͋͛̏̚͠͠͠ŭ̸͚̺͓̉́̈́̂̈́̾̈͘ ̸̳̭̖̯̙̖͈̠̺͕̝̯̦̊s̷̛̳̮̫̄̐͐̒̀̑̅̒̕͜t̶̛̞̤̻͐͗̓̔̽̈́͝ȋ̷̞̪̟͎͇̪͐̈́̏̂̋́̓͘͘͠͝l̶̡͚̤̐̒́̀́̓̚͜l̶̢̡̨̳̹͓̙͇̣̃̀̓́͋̄̄̈́̄̒̃̚͘ ̴̧̣̤̱͇̼̩̩͍͚̪͓̤̠̟̈́͜͝ą̸̗̪̤̞̫̩̮̹̩̝̯̇̍̋̉͗̈́͑̈́̓̊̏̓̓̈̉̓̌ͅļ̷͈̬͈̞̺̦̰̓̉͋̋͆̄i̷̡̨͔̤̦̰̹̭͍̜̹͎͂̓͂͑̅͛̑̌̈̂̊͜ͅͅv̸̮̥͍͍̩͔̖̼̗̠̭̤͓̤̝̩̀͑̾͆̉̋̚͜e̸̛͔̰͓̲̘͖̼̩͊̍̔̊̉͊

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ y̴͚͓̜̙̟͇̤̱̗̤̣̪͎͊̀̄͐͘͝o̶̧̱̰͔͎͋̽̈́̊̾͊͒̄͗̏u̴̡̺̬̼̺͕̟̣̓͊͗̊̀̆̐̉̉̈́̄̎̈́̈́̀͘͘͘'̸̨̨̡̟̯̹͔̪̩͚̣̖̟͕̗͕͚̌̋̔̽̿͝ͅr̷̙̬͓̻̙̜͙͕̮̲̆̇̊̽̌̓̿̈́͗̃̓̃̏̚̕͜ͅe̸̮̤͍͉̗̞̬̯͙̣̺̠̻͑̀̔̓͌͝ͅ ̴̨̡̥̗̞͙͕̫̞̗̱̠̮͔͉͂̔̒̓̕ͅͅu̷̗̣͍̠͙͕̪̗͊͂̇͋̐̓ͅs̸̨͕̗̱̫̬͍͕̪̮͓̖͕̞̠̲̥̖̹̆̐̒̽̊̿ͅͅͅe̴͓̜̜̜͚̙̓̅͊̈̃̔̕͠͝l̷̡̫͓̤͚̣̬̬̯͋͂͂̐̀́̋́́̾́̚͝e̶͕̻͙͎̺͖̳̳͗̐͜ͅš̴̡̯̳̝̫̲̮̀̋̏̎͂̐̐́̾̅͘̕͜͜͝͝s̷̢̭̲͉͎͎̬̖̱̺̞͙͇̮̟̯͇͕̤̀̄̔͒͆͜ͅ

tsukasa cleared his throat. “ahem- is everything alright my friends..?” he said with slight hesitation

the two looked at eachother with uncertainty, then shook their heads. “uh, i-its nothing tsukasa-kun…. y-you just looked a bit out of it..” Nene explained, twisting her hair nervously with her fingers.

“ah, I see!, I apologize. unfortunately, I didn't get much sleep, so I'm a bit tired!”

𝗟𝗶𝗲𝘀.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎‎‎‎‎𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗿.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗿.

The bell rang, marking the end of lunch. They hurried to pack up their bentos, and Nene waved goodbye before heading off in the opposite direction. Tsukasa and Rui strolled back to their classroom, Tsukasa rambling about his future stardom while Rui listened, still worried for the blonde boy.