Chapter Text
"Akari, your always in your mind palace, are you okay?"
Ena asked at the mall one day
browsing the rows upon rows of skincare.
"Y-Yeah I'm good, Im just tired juggling all the work and all the school."
"No, you don't act like this when your tired, you act tired when your tired. You've been so shy recently, on show and real life."
Akari wasn't even focused on what ena was scolding him about. He stared at an unbranded test sample of a blush. And walked over.
"Akari!!! Are you listening!!!"
"Oh-. Sorry"
"Your act like my brother."
Once again his mind wandered and was back at staring at the blush, and the models that advertised it. An uninvited feeling of jealousy welled up at the back of his head.
Ena looked over his shoulder
"You getting that for your sister?"
"Uh, yeah. Do you want anything?"
"No thanks"
Akari paid and they headed out of the store. Ena's attention was diverted to the various advertisements littering the mall, she noticed a familiar teal haired idol advertising a sweet.
"Hey Akari, Isnt that your rival from Cheerful days? She really is beautiful!!"
Akari's eyes followed Ena's to the advertisement. "Yeah." He mumbled "she's gorgeous; She's successful; Probably quite rich as well; Everything that I've been trying sooo hard to be. It's not even a rivalry, she's just my mentor at this point, teaching me to be an idol even though I started first."
Ena smirked at Akari. "Are you jealous or do you have a crush on her?"
Akari blushed slightly. "N-Neither. Anyways. It's nearly closing time. I'll walk you home."
As Akari got home he rushed up too his room and shut the door. Leaning on the other side of it.
Everyday causes him burnout, the juggling between work and school is too complicated for some 15 year old to handle. He's also loosing popularity at rapid rate. Definitely past his prime. And he's been so empty. Like the skin he wears just doesn't fit his soul anymore.
Suddenly, there was desperate knocking on his door. He opened it up to find his little sister amane with a cheeky smile on her face. She held up two dolls; A prince doll with armour and a sword, and a princess doll with a crown.
"AKRIIIIII!!!" She shoved the dolls in his face "PLAY WITH ME!!!"
"Ok!..." Amane started. "Your the princess and your name will be Airi!!!! And I'll be the princesses knight and she falls in love with called... Kaki!!!!" She smirked. Airi... The name of moms favourite actress Airi kajiama, it rolled off the tongue, perfect for a dainty fragile little princess. To be honest, Kaki is kind of stupid.
The evil dragon of malevolent evil™ swooped into the ruins of the kingdom. It captured Airi and wrapped her in his tail.
"Oh no!!!" Airi mumbled, trying to act in fear "I've been captured by the evil drag- evil dragon of what now?- the evil dragon of malevolent evil™!!!"
The dragon roared with as much power as a seven year old can muster. "So no challengers for the princesses hand of marriage?!!!! "
...
Akari's visualisation of the situation got completely skewed at that line, he thought the evil dragon of whatever would be trying to take the village or something.
From within the smoke of the dragon of evil's™(?) Firey breath emerged a lone warrior, brandishing his sword and pointing at the evil dragon of malevolent evilness™ "I object. The princess belongs to me!! Kaki the princess marrier."
Airi struggled in the evil dragon of malevolent evil™'s grasp. But eventually was free and sprinted behind Kaki. Kaki pointed the sword at the dragon.
"Evil dragon of malevolent evil... You are not the princess marrier. I am!!! Whoosh!!!!!!!"
The sword whooshed past the evil dragon of malevolent evil™. In a fleeting thought, Airi threw over a nearby rope to Kaki, using his main character agility, the evil dragon of malevolent evil™ was tied up.
The Villages all emerged from their houses.
"Hooray!!!!" They all cheered, throwing Kaki and Airi so high that they hit the ceiling and quite possibly woke up their old sister.
In the throne room, Airi placed the crown atop Kaki's head and they both sat in the throne room.
As their story concluded and the lights dim. There was suddenly an empty thought that entered Airi's mind.
"Amane- I mean, Kaki?" She looked over at her partner. "What does it even mean to be a princess?"
The question was an odd one. Even in real life, Amane haven't thought of it before. She always believed that princesses just sat there and everyone loved them. That's the main answer for someone who hasn't experienced algebra yet.
"A princess is someone who wears sparkly bracelets, has prettier dress-up gowns, never gets dirty, and most importantly... She needs to be saved by a prince!!!"
"I see. What makes them different to a prince? "
"A prince HAS to get dirty to save the princess! He has a sword and armour... And he has a manly man voice and stuff. Like you big bro!!!!"
Akari paused at that. Like the combination of 'manly man voice and big bro' hit some bad spots in his heart.
"TIME FOR DINNER!!!!!" Akari's mother called from down the hall.
His pillow was cold. His blankets were warm. Even with the earplugs he shoved on can't silence the thoughts in his head.
Why does he hate the prince life?
Why does he despise slaying the dragon on his own?
Why does he have to do all the dirty work?
Why does he want that princess life so bad?
To frolick in the Royal halls play wear sparkly bracelets and just... Be happy?