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Though no one knows how or why, at midnight on a person’s 16th birthday, they get writing on their wrist, almost like a tattoo. This writing, whatever it says, has something to do with your soulmate. It’s usually something like the first thing they say to you after it appears, or an inside joke you two will have, maybe a phrase they say a lot. Simply a push in the right direction, fate’s little nudge-nudge wink-wink about what future you have in store.
Hitoka’s first memories of the song was when she was small, maybe around four. She had woken up from her nap and she was grumpy, her yellow hair sticking up in odd places. She had walked on her stubby little legs to go to her mother and ask for help with taming her hair, but she stopped in her path when she heard music coming from the kitchen. Peeking in, she saw a cute scene that she wouldn’t soon forget.
Her mother and father were slow dancing in the kitchen, large smiles on their faces. Yachi Ren and Yachi Madoka were soulmates, and had known since they were seventeen, and yet, twenty-five years later, they were still giddy and happy with each other. Ren was whispering sweet nothings and funny quips into Madoka’s ear, who was giggling as she twirled around in her husband’s arms. Suddenly, a song came on the radio, and a look that a four year old Hitoka could only describe as ‘mushy’ came onto their faces, and they began to sing.
“Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can’t help falling in love with you,” They sang softly to each other, a look of indescribable fondness on their faces.
“Mama? Papa?” Hitoka asked hesitantly, and her parents looked over at her, surprised.
“Yes, sweetheart, is something wrong? You usually sleep through the afternoons.” Ren said worriedly as he picked her up. Hitoka shook her head.
“What was that song? It’s pretty.” Hitoka asked, her eyes shining with childlike curiosity, and her parents smiled softly.
“Well, there are two titles, technically. We call it Wise Men, but other people call it Can’t Help Falling in Love With You.” Her mother stated, a small smile on her face as Hitoka’s face scrunched up in a pout.
“I like Wise Men. The other one is too long, but mama,” Hitoka said seriously. “Doesn’t wise mean old?” Madoka laughed.
“No, wise means smart, Hitoka.” Her father gently corrected.
“But boys aren’t smart, they’re icky!” Hitoka protested, and this time, both parents laughed at their daughter’s proclamation.
“But Papa isn’t icky, right, Hitoka?” Her father asked desperately, and Hitoka (to his relief) shook her head.
“No, Papa’s nice, but other boys are icky. I don’t want a boy soulmate.” She huffed, crossing her arms.
“You could have a girl soulmate, Hitoka.” Her mother suggested, and both parents had a hard time holding back giggles as Hitoka’s little face absolutely lit up at the prospect.
“I could?” She asked, her voice filled with awe. “I didn’t know that!”
“Your soulmate is whoever makes you the happiest, so it could be a girl or a boy.” Her father said as he held her.
“I want a girl soulmate, Papa.” Hitoka said firmly, and her father chuckled.
“Well then, you’ll have a girl soulmate.” He said simply, and exchanged a knowing look with his wife. They all spent the rest of the afternoon singing and dancing along to the song, the lazy light streaming through their kitchen, and Hitoka is very pleased.
She heard the song so many more times throughout her childhood, and yet, she never got sick of it. She hummed the melody whenever she was feeling sad, she sang it when she was happy, and she listened to it to calm her down when she was panicked. As she grew up, she learned it on piano as well, and she played it when she could.
The next time she heard it outside of her home was in her middle school chorus classroom. Her teacher, Harumi-sensei, was a big fan of english jazz, and enjoyed challenging her students to learn the songs. So, each week, she held Jazz Friday, and taught them songs that Hitoka adored. She loved the swing beat, the upbeat trumpets, and the mixing of major and minor keys to make it sound just right. Though the song they learned that day was not jazz. The lyrics were always up on the blackboard before class started, so when the short girl walked in and saw the words written, her heart fluttered with joy. It was Wise Men.
“Has anyone ever heard this song before?” Harumi-sensei had asked, though her eyes zeroed in on Hitoka, who sank slowly into her chair. Harumi-sensei was a kind, elderly woman, and was trying to get the small blonde out of her shell, but to no avail so far. “Well, no matter. It’s one of my favorites. We can listen to it first, then we’ll sing it as a class, then in canon. Alright?” The class murmured in consent as the teacher turned on the speakers and Hitoka smiled softly as she mouthed the words to herself. A knowing smile rested on her teacher’s face when class ended, and Hitoka hesitantly smiled back. A silent thank you.
The next time she heard the song, she didn’t really hear it, per say.
Hitoka had been looking forward to her sixteenth birthday for a while now, even though this had been a particularly hard year for her family. Her father had gotten a job overseas, and although they all hated the distance, they knew it would be best for them, financially. Madoka, usually ever-present, threw herself into her work more so than ever before, and Hitoka often found herself in an empty house. However, it seemed almost normal now. Her mother had come home early to surprise her with her favorite food, but she was never the best cook. So, they ordered takeout instead, and had a video chat with Hitoka’s father. It was like a family meal again, and the young blonde almost forgot just how much she missed this. Next year, though, he father would come back, and everything would be fine again. She hoped.
Now, she and her mother were catching up over tea, staying up til midnight so that they could watch her tattoo form together. But, it was 11:58, and Hitoka was panicking.
“But what if they don’t like me?”
“Hitoka, honey, of course they’ll-”
“What if I judge them beforehand on accident and never talk to them so I never find out that it’s them?”
“Hitoka-”
“What if they live far away?”
“Hitoka!” Her mother exclaimed, finally stopping her daughter’s ramble, and she wraps her arms around her daughter, who is silent until one small sentence comes out.
“What if it’s a she, mama?” Hitoka asked quietly, her voice trembling as she buried her face into her mother’s shoulder. Madoka stiffened, but questioned her daughter gently.
“Do you want your soulmate to be a she?” Madoka asked softly, running a hand through her daughter’s hair, and she felt a little nod. “Well, then your soulmate will be a she. Your soulmate is who completes you and makes you the happiest, so if what makes you the happiest is if your soulmate is a girl, then your soulmate will be a girl.” She said gently, and Hitoka’s grip tightened on her shirt.
“Thank you, mama.” Hitoka whispered, and her mother hummed in response as the clock struck midnight. Completely forgetting the atmosphere from before, both women snapped back as Hitoka whipped out her wrist so that they could watch the words forming. As they did, Hitoka couldn’t stop the huge smile from blooming on her face, and from the looks of it, neither could Madoka.
The tattoo was in a brilliant royal blue, the font neat and beautiful - Hitoka was giddy when it occurred to her that it looked feminine. But the words there made her even happier than she already was. The tattoo read - ‘Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? If I can’t help falling in love with you,’ the lyrics to the song that had been with her for as long as she could remember. Beaming, she looked over at her mother, whose eyes were shining brightly.
“I guess you have a wise woman, Hitoka.” She said weakly, clearly happy but close to tears, and suddenly, Hitoka was off the brink with her, hugging and crying in the best way possible.
The next time she heard it was by far her favorite.
Hitoka was having a bad day. She was late for the bus, she knocked over her lunch so it was inedible, and she was too nervous to focus on a test, so she probably didn’t do well on it. So, during lunch, she timidly walked into the music room. The teacher, Imori-sensei, nodded and gave her a small smile. They had an agreement that Hitoka could come in and play the piano during lunch as long as he wasn’t busy with another student. Sighing in relief, she sat down at the piano and poured out her frustration onto the keys, the familiar melody calming her down vastly. Smiling softly, Hitoka began to sing.
“Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can’t help falling in love with you,” Hitoka sang softly, a wistful smile on her face as she played the song, her body swaying to the song before she heard another voice, melodic and quiet, sing the second verse for her.
“Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? If I can’t help falling in love with you.” The feminine voice sang, still nowhere in sight, and Hitoka nearly stopped playing out of shock. Her fingers fumbled slightly over the keys, but she continued nonetheless, her mind screaming ‘Soulmate!’ as she shyly sang the next verse, blushing as the voice joined hers.
“Take my hand, take my whole life too. Cause I can’t help falling in love with you.” They sang together, and Hitoka could have swooned at how perfect their voices sounded together. Her high soprano fit perfectly with the voice’s calming alto. As she was playing the final notes, she could feel the presence coming up from behind her, and Hitoka’s breaths were getting more hurried due to nervousness.
“Cause I can’t help falling in love with you.” The voice finished softly, and Hitoka could tell that her soulmate was right behind her. She could visibly see herself shaking, and she mentally cursed herself for being so anxious all the time. Slowly, she turned around, her face flushed, and right at that moment, she was absolutely floored.
Standing behind her was an absolutely gorgeous girl, and Hitoka was reminded of just how gay she was. She had long, shiny black hair that was no doubt soft to the touch. Her stature was elegant, of someone who was way out of the blonde’s league, and her body type was one that many strived to achieve. Her eyes were a slate color, Hitoka decided, since she couldn’t tell whether they were blue or gray, but they were gorgeous and sparkling behind a delicate pair of glasses. A small beauty mark rested near her mouth, and it made her even more unique.
“Hello.” The ethereal beauty said, a small smile on her face that could (and probably would) make Hitoka melt right then and there, and she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks.
“H-Hello!” Hitoka managed to squeak out, and the Ethereal Beauty laughed softly.
“I’m Shimizu Kiyoko, what’s your name?” Kiyoko asked gently, and Hitoka had a minor breakdown internally, because what was her name again? Oh, right.
“Y-Yachi Hitoka,” Hitoka stuttered, still caught up on how pretty her soulmate was. “It’s nice to meet you, Kiyoko-san.”
“The same to you, Hitoka-chan,” Kiyoko smiled, and Hitoka couldn’t help but give a nervous smile in return. “May I see your wrist?” She asked softly, and Hitoka nodded quickly, handing her shaking wrist over to Kiyoko, and the younger of the two was momentarily distracted by how soft Kiyoko’s skin was and wondering if she used moisturizer.
“I do, actually.” Kiyoko laughed softly, and Hitoka felt her soul leave her body as she realized that she had been talking out loud. The feeling vanished, however, when she saw Kiyoko holding up her own wrist, and Hitoka saw the girl’s tattoo. It was in a strikingly familiar font - her own handwriting, bubbly and neat, rested in a sunny yellow on Kiyoko’s skin, the words saying ‘Take my hand, take my whole life too. Cause I can’t help falling in love with you.’
“Oh.” Was all the younger girl could get out, but she was beaming as she looked from their wrists to Kiyoko, who looked similarly happy.
“What year are you?” Kiyoko asked curiously.
“O-Oh, I’m a first year!” Hitoka informed her soulmate, who frowned slightly.
“Ah. I’m a third year,” Kiyoko stated, and Hitoka saddened as well - college and age difference would be difficult for both of them. “I have an idea of how we can spend more time together, Hitoka-chan.”
“R-Really? How?” Hitoka asked, her demeanor brightening instantly.
“I’ve been looking for another volleyball team manager, since I’m graduating. Maybe you could take my place, and I could train you? It would give is more time together, and everyone’s very kind,” Kiyoko suggested, and the blonde nodded in a daze, because she would honestly have said yes if Kiyoko suggested diving off of a cliff. “Great, meet me at the gym after school and I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
“O-Oh, ah, c-can I have your number?” Hitoka asked shyly, wincing at how not-smooth she sounded, but for some reason, Kiyoko smiled. She could have sworn her cheeks were the slightest shade of pink as they exchanged numbers.
“See you later, Hitoka-chan.” Kiyoko smiled, waving slightly as she walked off. Hitoka clutched her phone to her chest, her face no doubt a brilliant shade of crimson as she mentally replayed everything that just happened in the last five minutes. A giant smile was plastered on her face for the rest of the day, and as soon as she got home from volleyball practice, she sent a video chat request with her parents. Her mother’s face popped up on the upper half of the screen, her expression curious and a little worried, as Hitoka usually called her later in the day when she was on her way home from the office. Her father, due to time zones, was still in bed, his hair a wild mess but his eyes focused. Taking a deep breath, she spoke to them both.
“I found her today.” Hitoka beamed, and without even needing clarification on who ‘she’ was, her parents mirrored her smile. As she gave her parents a play-by-play, she realized that she was finally happy. She had her parents, no matter how far they were, she had new friends on the volleyball team, even though some of them looked a little scary, and now she had Kiyoko.
She was finally content.
Epilogue
The next time she heard the song, Hitoka was practically vibrating in a mix of excitement and anxiety as she trotted into her bedroom, Kiyoko close behind her. They had said a quick hello to Hitoka’s father, who was making dinner for the four of them (Madoka would be home late), and the pair had all but flew up the stairs. Hitoka was in her third year at Karasuno, and Kiyoko had been studying nursing at Miyagi University for two years. The university itself was only a twenty-minute train ride away, so they both considered themselves lucky.
But now, Hitoka shakily held a white envelope in her hands, the front of it stating ‘Miyagi University’ in bold, black lettering. She and Kiyoko had planned since the beginning of Hitoka’s second year that the younger blonde would go to the same school and study teaching, since she wanted to be an elementary school teacher. Now, after years of studying and weekends spent together and being so close and yet so far from each other, it all came down to a plain envelope.
“I’m scared, Kiyoko” The blonde finally said after staring in silence at the envelope for a few moments. “What if I don’t get in?”
“You’ve worked so hard, I have no doubt that you got in.” Kiyoko smiled softly, giving her girlfriend a supportive squeeze on the shoulder. It was true, the blonde worked so hard to maintain her scores and manage the team - it lead to countless all-nighters and a lot of coffee, but she always pulled through in the end. Kiyoko could never put into words how extremely proud of Hitoka she was, but they both knew. The smaller girl gave a hesitant nod, and looked apprehensively at the letter. With shaky hands, she tore it open, and with closed eyes, flung it at her girlfriend’s face.
“I can’t read it, I can’t!” She exclaimed, her voice trembling. She felt her girlfriend take the paper from her hands, and then the silence in the room became unbearable. Bouts of worry filled Hitoka’s mind as she wanted to curl up into a little ball and fall into an endless void before she heard a tiny, tiny voice coming from her girlfriend.
“You got in.” Kiyoko said in a hushed voice, her eyes shining brightly from behind her glasses. Snatching the papers from the black-haired beauty’s hands, a quick skim of the letter’s contents confirmed that she got into Miyagi University.
“I got in.” Hitoka whispered in utter disbelief as hope and joy bled through her words. When she heard a sniffle, however, her head whipped around to find her girlfriend’s eyes filling with tears, a gigantic smile on Kiyoko’s face as she met Hitoka’s eyes. They embraced in a flurry of tears and laughing and joy, breathing each other in.
“You got in, you got in, you got in!” Kiyoko breathily repeated, her girlfriend laughing weakly into her shoulder.
“W-We can get our own apartment, and sleep in the same bed, and not have to take the s-stupid train to see each other.” Hitoka said through her own shuddering breaths, in utter bliss. Kiyoko pulled them apart slightly, but only so that she could pepper kisses all over her girlfriend’s face, who preened happily at the attention. As Kiyoko opened her eyes, she felt an overwhelming emotion of what she could only call love. Hitoka’s face and undereyes were red from crying and her face was flushed a light pink. Her hair was messy from their embrace and her eyes were absolutely shining. She looked like a mess, but Kiyoko still thought she was the cutest thing she had ever laid eyes on.
“You did it, love.” Kiyoko murmured finally, pressing a chaste kiss on the blonde’s lips, who smiled and shook her head.
“We did it, Kiyoko,” Hitoka firmly stated, and the waterworks started all over again for the two, holding each other contently for what seems like forever before Hitoka started to sing softly, her breath hitting Kiyoko’s neck. “Wise men say only fools rush in.”
“But I can’t help falling in love with you.” Kiyoko sang softly back, and the two smiled uncontrollably.
It was far from the last time Hitoka and Kiyoko would hear that song, their song.
But they would always hear it, think it, and sing it to each other as they walked towards their future, together.