Chapter Text
Rui tapped the pencil in his hand on the paper. Paying attention in class was really not one of his strong suits when it came to school. Although, since he met the rest of wonderlands x showtime, spending time at school was getting less boring. He felt as though the teacher's talking was like background noise in a video game; no one knows what they're saying, and no one cares, they are too focused on the task at hand. Although Rui wished that this was just a cut-scene in a game, he could skip. Rui always heard Nene talking about the different games she plays. He always wondered how their inner coding worked and how the designers modelled the characters.
He knew the teacher was talking about something important, but Rui was too busy designing the gift he was making. It was January now, and Rui took the ‘new year new me’ idea seriously. He has had enough of Mizuki and Nene’s teasing about his quote: ‘undying love for Tsukasa’. He decided that in order to get rid of this unyielding matter, he shall confess his feelings toward the blonde.
However, Tsukasa was quite an oblivious boy, though. Rui had been making several attempts this past week to get his attention, but alas, he had not gotten any results other than Tsukasa being flustered, confused, screaming, or annoyed. So Rui concluded that he needs to be more straightforward. He decided to make his dear troupe leader a gift, a music box.
The teacher was rattling on about something for a while now, so Rui would have to ask one of his classmates for the notes later. Rui didn’t pay attention well; however, this didn’t mean he was a bad student, in fact he found himself more determined to do better, considering his lack of focus.
Tsukasa-kun is always telling me that I should try my best no matter the circumstances. Rui smiled to himself; that thought had been occurring to him a lot.
Before he had met Tsukasa, he hadn’t had a lot of friends; of course, he had Nene, the girl who had always been there for him. But now that he met his passionate (albeit loud) troupe leader, his life was a lot more bearable. Thus, that sentence crossed his life since Tsukasa had stepped in. He made a lot more friends, too. Without Tsukasa, he never would’ve met Emu.
Rui found that with Emu, he laughed more, although her not being in the same school doesn’t stop her from coming over to eat lunch, bringing with her smiles and happiness. It was like when Emu was around, she brought an entire universe of cheer and wonder, making sure that everyone else got to see it too. And Rui had seen a lot of it; he always found himself laughing around Emu, and her fun way of talking only made that outcome more probable.
As all these thoughts crossed Rui’s mind, reminiscing over his feelings of friendship, he drew the outside of the box. He wanted it to look happy and bright, and he drew all the things that reminded him of their practices he looked forward to so often. Although it was just in pencil, Rui could already see all the different colours coming in and how he would use them.
By the end of class, once the lunch bell rings, Rui is drained. After all, he had been up all night writing the melody of the song that would play once the box opened, trying to figure out how to get it to play, and then giving up because he had homework. Rui had always had a messed-up sleep schedule, due to him getting creative sparks in the night and wanting to work on them more, so he would stay up. His parents always came home late on weekdays, so they never really told him off either. This led to Rui not sleeping until late and became a force of habit.
Although he felt drained today, especially for some reason, he never really felt this tired anymore; it was strange…
Perhaps it is due to the cold weather; it is just the beginning of January after all, he wondered, getting up from his seat to head to Tsukasa's classroom to meet up for lunch.
He walks up to the door, seeing that Tsukasa isn’t there, considering it's just the start of lunch, so it's quite peculiar. Then he looks up at the clock, seeing that it's fifteen minutes past when the bell rang.
Did I really get lost in thought so much so as to not get up right away and not notice? Am I really that tired?
He thinks, walking from the classroom to head down the hall and to the roof.
Opening the door in the stairwell, he is hit by a strong breeze, and he feels the cold air right through his cardigan- Wait? Did he forget his coat?
Oh well, too late now… he carelessly walks out into the cold, spotting a blonde head of hair sitting on one of the ledges, coat over his shoulders, eating from his lunch box, and Rui doesn’t find it in him to turn back and leave.
“Rui! I didn’t see-Wait! Where is your coat?!” asks Tsukasa, as Rui takes a seat next to him.
“I forgot to go grab mine before I came out here, though it is not a worry. I accidentally drifted off in my seat the first fifteen minutes, so we won’t be out here for too long!” He reassures, then, reaching over to grab some of Tsukasa's lunch as the door opens, Nene walks out.
“Hey, Rui, I have your coat, I saw you walking in the stairwell without it,” She says, tossing it to him.
“Ah, yes, thank you very much, Nene, you're a very thoughtful friend,” He responds, getting a slight flush from Nene. He slips on the coat, feeling much less cold, and continues with his previous mission.
“Rui, how long is it going to take you to start packing a lunch?” Tsukasa exclaims, although not bothering to stop Rui from stealing some of his food.
“I don’t know, Tsukasa-kun? How long have I been stealing from you?” He retorts.
Usually, Tsukasa would laugh, saying that maybe he had a point, or get that look on his face when he’s upset and tell rui that he only puts up with him because he’s ‘the greatest star and a great star needs an excellent director’, but he doesn’t do any of those things, no he puts on a weird expression, only one to be described as annoyance or tiredness, and he looks away. Rui gets a sinking feeling in his stomach.
Either Tsukasa-kun is really off, or I’m super tired and imagining things, although I hope it's the second option. I only wish for Tsukasa-kun to be happy around me, like most people.
“Tsukasa-kun, are you feeling alright?” Rui inquired, feeling anxious suddenly due to his friend’s confusing expression.
“Oh! Yes, of course, Rui! I was just about to ask you that too, it’s unlike you to doze off, usually you're up right when the bell rings!” Tsukasa explains, now smiling at his friend, although still not as bright as usual.
At least he’s feeling better! Although I don’t want him to worry about me so much.
Rui rested his head on Tsukasa's shoulder, feeling his eyes drift shut, listening to Tsukasa and Nene passionately arguing over something.
Then the bell rings, indicating the end of lunch.
Rui found himself again seated at his desk, although it was his last class of the day, he sat with his head down. He had drifted off for all his other classes, feeling as though he didn’t have it in him to work.
Once I go home, I will have to work on the box way more to get it done soon to confess, he thought, shifting so he could look out the window of his class. Currently, the class was quiet; there was no lecture, and everyone was writing on some sheet that had been passed around. Rui found himself opposed to doing it. Rather, he sat on his desk, staring at the clouds and their different shapes and sizes, wondering what they're all supposed to be.
The bell rings again, meaning that it's time to leave.
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Rui drops his bag off near his desk, taking a seat in his chair, hearing it creak as he swivels to face his project. Bits of metal all over his desk, he had been up all last night figuring out the melody for the song and how to make it play. Then he paints the exterior of the box, thinking back to the design he made in class. His hands shake slightly while painting, making it so he has to fix a lot more mistakes than usual.
About twenty minutes pass before Rui checks his phone, squinting at the screen.
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WonderlandsxShowtime:
₍ᐢ..ᐢ⑅₎𓈒Emu
Rui-kun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You aren’t at practice, did you catch the flu?????
/•᷅•᷄\੭Nene
Yes, Rui, you haven’t shown up yet, although Tsukasa mentioned that he thought you might be feeling under the weather!
٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-Tsukasa
Rui, it’s okay to skip one practice if you're not feeling well! Just please tell us if you're alright!
Well, this is unfortunate, I forgot practice, maybe I would be really sick if I forgot my favourite time of day…
(─ ⩊ ─)Rui
I’m so sorry, everyone, practice just completely slipped my mind. Although I don’t think I am sick, I just need some rest! Again, sorry to worry all of you!
٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-Tsukasa
It’s alright! You should get some rest, after all, a star like me can’t pull off plays without all of his crew!
₍ᐢ..ᐢ⑅₎𓈒Emu
Rui-Kun!!!!! I hope you feel more wonderhoy once the ichies pass!!!!!!!!! 😢
/•᷅•᷄\੭Nene
You should actually get some rest. I know you're just going to continue with whatever project you're caught up in, but I think that for once I'm going to have to take Tsukasa's side and tell you to sleep it off.
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Rui shuts off his phone, placing it on the table, feeling his throat itch when he sighs.
I would get some rest, but I won’t sleep properly until I get this box done for Tsukasa-kun, plus it’s not like they will be able to know I stayed up all night anyway.
Feeling a little bit guilty, he picks his screwdriver back up, beginning to tinker with the box more, finding a way to hide the speaker in the box to play the song. The only thing Rui just can’t get right is how to make it play when the box opens. As he works, more and more, he feels himself tired, he screws in the lid of the box to the main section, when he feels his eyes blink slower, his vision growing slack. His head lands in his arms with a dull thud, the dull noise from the cold air conditioner lulling him into sleep, his thoughts promising a good tomorrow.
Rui’s phone lights up with a message. Tsukasa—but before Rui can notice, he’s already asleep.