Chapter Text
“So, that means that you won’t be available for rehearsal during this week…?” Ichika murmurs, voice rising in a gentle, curious lilt.
“Precisely!” Tsukasa gives a firm nod, placing his hands on his hips. “I once again apologize for the short notice of my leave, but I cannot simply shirk my duties!”
“Couldn’t you have just said that you were already busy?” Mizuki interjects with a small smirk, which Tsukasa meets with a look of exaggerated offense.
However, before he can reprimand his junior with a tangential lecture on the importance of responsibility, the troupe is interrupted by the sudden entrance of two of the SEKAI’s inhabitants.
“WHA–?!” Miku squeals, barreling towards the group that’s gathered on the front benches under the circus top. She tumbles over one of the seats, using Tsukasa as a landing pad, earning a loud groan from the boy. Behind her, Kaito saunters in, his face expressing a silent apology on Miku’s behalf.
“How many times do I have to tell you to stop using me as a cushion?!” He heaves as the Vocaloid wails into his ear.
“Why are you skipping rehearsal?!” She warbles, squishing his head between her hands. “Are you abandoning the troupe–? But you’re their leader! Is the world ending?!”
“What? No!” He pulls away from her grasp, holding a hand up to defend against any other squishes or hugs. “I’m just helping out my school’s Festival Planning Committee for a few days!”
“Oh…” Miku visibly melts, the red ears atop her head turning downwards. However, her relaxation is a fleeting moment, quickly replaced by her ever-eager excitability. “You’re planning a festival? Will there be lots of BOOM–POW sparklies?!”
“Lots of…?” Tsukasa repeats in a mumble, face scrunching with confusion.
“Oh, like fireworks?” Shizuku perks up, looking up from the script on her lap. “Since it’s a school festival, I don’t think there will be any, unfortunately…” She simmers in lament for a second, before adding, “Unless Kamiyama High holds their festivals differently than Miyamasuzaka, that is.”
Tsukasa shakes his head, answering, “No, no fireworks.”
“Aw…” Miku deflates again, flopping onto the bench across from him. “But you’re on the committee, right? Can’t you make there be lots of BOOM-POWS ?”
“Well, not really…” He trails off, feeling a little awkward under the Vocaloid’s intensely optimistic gaze. “I’m not the only one planning the festival, even if I did end up taking the head position. All of the class representatives were asked to help due to a lack of volunteers.”
“I doubt anyone at Tsukasa’s school would want to deal with the logistics of planning a public firework display, anyway,” Kaito adds on, placing a hand on Miku’s hunched shoulders in an act of sympathy.
“Yeah, I can’t imagine any of our teachers agreeing to it either,” Mizuki agrees off-handedly, occupied with a garment she's stitching.
“Still, is it okay for Tsukasa to take a week off?” Ichika asks, face turning serious. “The Otoris are expecting us to have a show ready soon, aren’t they?”
“Chill, it's fine~” Mizuki drawls, crossing her legs. “I can take the week to finish the costumes, and someone here can just fill in Tsukasa’s part if you guys wanna keep practicing.”
“Wait, you’re not helping your class plan their booth?” Tsukasa gasps, standing up from the bench. The script that was sat on his lap clatters to the ground.
“Ehe, well…” Mizuki trails off, an awkward grin plastering onto her face. “To be honest, I didn’t even know we were having a festival until you said so today…”
“Are you serious?!” He gapes.
“That’s right, you said that you don’t really attend class very often,” Shizuku notes, reminding herself out loud.
“Hey, I’ve been going more often recently!” She defends.
“Well, if you’re not helping your own class out,” Tsukasa starts, replacing his astonishment with a smug grin, “I’ll have to appoint you as my Second-in-Command of the Kamiyama High Cultural Festival Planning Committee!” In a Tenma-typical display of grandiose superbia, he juts a hand out towards Mizuki, striking a heroically gracious pose.
“Oh, no, it's okay–”
“How wonderful!” Shizuku hums, clasping her hands together in delight. “Your school is surely in good hands with you two planning its festival!”
“Is it…?” Ichika murmurs, looking between the other members.
Crap, crap, crap…
Mizuki stumbles down the sidewalk, that one word blinking in her head like a broken stoplight. No amount of full-coverage foundation can conceal the staggering of her steps, the way she sways with sleepiness. It’s for that exact reason that she's stopped by a concern-laced voice the moment she steps through the school gate.
“Um, Mizuki…?”
“An!” She gasps out, immediately throwing her hands onto the smaller girl’s shoulders. “Curse idols and their shiny little hope-spreading auras…”
“W– What?” An stammers, being shaken by her classmate. “Are you okay?”
“It’s too early…” Mizuki groans, finally pulling away from her.
“Yeah, that’s why I’m asking if you’re okay,” An quips, shoving her hands in her blazer pockets. “Why are you here?”
“Tsukasa made me his Second-in-Command of the Kamiyama High Cultural Festival Planning Committee,” Mizuki says in one breath, making a dramatically pained face.
“Um… What?”
“Y’know, Tsukasa…”
“Uh…”
“Tenma?”
“...”
“Blonde second-year with the really loud voice? Theater kid?”
“Oh, that guy!” An nods, “He roped you into working at that theme park too, right?”
“Yeah, him!” Mizuki affirms, before collapsing into more tired complaints. “Now he’s making me do more work! At school!”
“Woe is you…” An fails to hide her smirk, before giving Mizuki a pat on the shoulder. “C’mon, I’ll escort you to class so you don’t fall asleep on your way there.”
“You’re the best person I know, An…” She teases in a sleepy mumble, leaning into the girl as she pulls her along.
The next time Mizuki opens her eyes, there’s a bleary glow of amber hovering above them. With a small groan, she blinks the haziness of sleep away, conscious enough not to rub her eyes and smear her makeup.
Upon her vision clearing, Mizuki recoils with a sharp gasp, finding two pairs of eyes staring down at her. “Holy crap–!”
“Mizuki! You’re finally awake!” Tsukasa beams, a pleased smile crossing his face.
“Wha–? What time is it…?” She mumbles, reaching up to make sure her bow is still fastened to her ponytail.
“Lunch. You slept through the entire morning,” An voices, giving her a pointed look. Mizuki just chuckles bashfully, heat rising to her cheeks.
“Ah, is that so? I suppose I was more tired than I thought.”
“Mizuki…” Tsukasa starts, his expression sobering, “You should really take better care of yourself, you know. As both your senior and troupe leader, I can’t have you leading an unhealthy lifestyle!”
“Chill, chill! It was just a small nap, it’s fine!” She quickly shrugs his concerns off, and moves to change the subject. “Did you wake me up for something, or what?”
Immediately, Tsukasa straightens up again, a gleam hitting his eyes. “Ah, yes!” He nods fervently, smacking a fist into his palm. “It’s time for the Festival Planning Committee meeting! Come with me!”
As he places a hand onto her shoulder to usher her out of the classroom, Tsukasa suddenly turns his attention towards the other first-year.
“Say, you aren’t doing anything right now, right?” He asks, a smile creeping back onto his face.
Hesitantly, An responds, “Besides eating my lunch, no… Why?”
“Hahaha, excellent!” He crows, grabbing her arm as well. “The committee needs some more volunteers! Welcome to the team!”
“Wait, I didn’t–!”
“Let us go!” Ignoring the complaints of his juniors, Tsukasa whisks them down the hall and pulls them into another classroom.
Upon entering, several heads turn to look over at the newcomers. Tsukasa stands in the middle of the two first-years, hoisting their hands into the air with his own. An’s face scrunches up with embarrassment, while Mizuki stares tiredly back at the committee members.
“I have returned with not one, but two new members!” Tsukasa boasts, punctuating his brag with another hearty laugh.
“Hey, I didn’t–” An starts, but another girl speaks up before she can sound her protest.
“That’s great, Tenma,” she breathes out, sounding gratefully relieved. With frizzy hair and a slightly unkempt uniform, the girl leans onto a desk that’s full of scattered papers. “You can all grab a seat. We’re just waiting on one last person.”
“Oh? Should I go retrieve them too?” Tsukasa asks while ushering his two victims over to a small set of desks that have been arranged into a table. Another boy, whose head stayed duck down into his phone during the trio’s grand entrance, is the only person sat at it. Exchanging weary glances, An and Mizuki take the seats across from him.
“No, I already sent someone out for him,” the girl replies, nervously biting at her fingernails. “They should be back soon, hopefully…”
“I’m sure they will be!” Tsukasa beams at her. She just sighs in response, so he takes that as a sign to take his seat next to the boy. He still doesn’t look up from his phone despite the movement around him, causing Tsukasa’s bright expression to twist into one of concern. Cautiously, he raises a hand onto the boy’s shoulder. “Toya, are you alright?”
“Oh!” The boy gasps, eyes widening in surprise as he looks around the table. Immediately, he takes out his earbuds and pockets his phone. “Sorry, I got a little absorbed in the video I was watching,” he murmurs, voice wavering slightly.
“Haha! That’s perfectly fine, Toya!” Tsukasa chuckles, immediately bouncing back to his cheerful self. “Why don’t you all introduce yourselves to each other?”
“You already said his name,” Mizuki points out, smirking. “Anyway, I’m Mizuki Akiyama, and this is my beloved classmate, An Shiraishi!” She leans over, poking a finger into An’s cheek. In return, she rolls her eyes with a sigh.
“It’s nice to meet you, Toya. Even if we were just dragged us into this…”
“Oh, you guys too?” He gives them a small smile, apologetic on the older boy’s behalf.
Their conversation is interrupted by the appearance of the two missing committee members. An exasperated looking boy, clutching his tie and panting heavily, stumbles into the room. Awkwardly trailing behind him is another boy, shorter than the other but with equally disheveled orange hair. The moment An sets her eyes on him, she shrieks with surprised glee, slapping one hand over her mouth and the other onto Mizuki’s knee. Mizuki shoots her a confused glance, eyebrow raised, but the girl just smirks back with mischief shining in her eyes.
The girl from earlier grouses, “Um, you’re back, but that’s not…”
“Apologies for the confusion,” the orange-haired boy speaks up, giving her a small, courteous bow. “I’m Akito Shinonome from Class 1-C. Our representative is out sick for now, so I’ll be in your care for now.”
“Ah, I see!” She perks back up, clasping her hands together. “In that case, welcome to the committee! You can sit down wherever, and we’ll begin the meeting once I finish up here.” She gestures to some papers strung about on a desk, but Akito has no idea what any of them are for.
An shoots her hand up, waving him over with a devilish grin on her face. “Yo!” She calls out to him.
Immediately, his posture deflates, eyes deadening as his expression goes dull. He mumbles something under his breath, which none of them can hear from their makeshift table.
“Do you know him, An?” Tsukasa asks, voice rasping as he attempts to whisper.
She nods back, leaning forward in her seat. “We went to middle school together. He’s also a regular at my dad’s cafe.”
“Oh, how nice!” He beams back, then starts waving the boy over himself. “Hey, An’s friend! Join us!”
“I–” He starts, but bites his tongue when some of the other committee members look over at them. Begrudgingly, he trudges over to the group, grabbing a chair and dropping it down on the one side nobody’s sat on. “I’m not really her friend,” he mumbles out, trying to keep his voice low.
“But she said–!”
“Ehe, well, it’s more like we’re acquaintances,” An amends, looking a little sheepish. “We didn’t talk much in middle school.”
“More like at all…” Akito grumbles, leaning his head against a propped-up fist.
Tsukasa quickly moves the conversation along, his voice hearty and boisterous. Him, An, and Akito fall into a back-and-forth of banter, while Toya’s head whips between each person as they speak up. To some extent, Mizuki tries to follow along with the exchange, but there’s something else preoccupying her thoughts at the moment. It’s like a censor in her brain has flicked on, sending prickling shivers through her veins. In a futile attempt to rid her body of its sudden agitation, she starts tapping a foot against the tiled floor.
Somehow, the unsteady beat only makes it worse. It’s a pervasive symptom, the uncomfortable rattling in her chest. She's afraid to look down and see if she’s actually shaking, or if it’s just all in her head. An hasn’t shot her any concerned glances, so she'll just settle on wishful thinking for now.
There’s no explaining away the eyes washing over her, hitting cold on her skin like a sudden burst of rain. There’s no explaining away the hushed whispers of her name resting upon the stagnant air, of which her brain dials up to eleven. She learned to stop responding to her own name some time ago, when she kept responding to mumbles not meant for her ears.
“Hey,” a softer voice drips like honey into her consciousness, muffling the others with its thick warmth. When she looks back up from her hands, An’s leaning towards her with a kind concern. “You okay?”
“Yeah, of course!” Mizuki immediately exclaims, trying to will her body to sit up straighter.
Still, Tsukasa squints his eyes at her. “Hmm… You know, this is why you should really get at least eight hours of sleep every night!”
Before Mizuki can wave his worries aside, the girl with the papers suddenly gasps loud enough to echo through the classroom, catching the whole committee’s attention.
“Finally organized!” She squeals to herself, overjoyed. Hugging a stack of papers to her chest, she starts to walk around, carefully passing a sheet to each person. “Alright, we’ll begin by reviewing the schedule that we decided on at the last meeting. For all our newcomers, you can just follow along.”
Once everyone has a paper, the girl returns to the front of the classroom, and begins leading the meeting. “Alright, so the festival will officially commence at 11:00 AM, but we’ll need to be here at least two hours early to prepare for the opening show.”
“9:00 AM…?” Mizuki mumbles to herself, earning a sympathetic pat on the back from An.
Ignoring them, Akito turns his attention towards the girl. “Show? Don’t you mean ceremony?”
She averts her gaze from him as her face flushes red. Her voice wavers as it comes out, “Well, ah, you see…”
“AHA! That was a suggestion from yours truly!” Tsukasa suddenly blurts out, a smile beaming outwards.
Jaw stiffening as he grits his teeth through a closed smile, Akito tries not to crush the paper in his hands too hard. Taking a moment to exhale the brimming frustration teeming within him, he turns back to the girl. “So, are we all supposed to act in this show, or what?”
“No, not at all!” She frantically shakes her head, her glasses sliding off slightly. “We only agreed to this show idea on the terms that Tenma would deal with it entirely.”
“Ah, that makes more sense,” Mizuki snickers to herself, “I was wondering how he got everyone on board with that.”
“I will grace our beautiful school with the equally beautiful script that it deserves!” Tsukasa chatters, earning some confused stares from the other committee members.
“Yeah, I’m starting to understand why’d you just agree and leave him to his own devices,” Akito grumbles, his displeasure growing more obvious. “So we’re just playing into some ego thing for him?”
“The reasoning behind holding a show is actually quite logical,” Toya murmurs, but everyone falls silent to listen. “If you look at the end of the schedule, there’s also a closing show. When the opening show ends on a cliffhanger, people may feel more inclined to stay the whole day to catch the closing show. In turn, they’ll visit more of our stalls. So by holding these shows, we’re giving the festival goers an incentive to stay longer and participate more, essentially.”
The three newcomers blink at him for a moment.
“Well, when you put it like that…” Akito crosses his arms, sighing, “I guess it makes sense.”
“Right, um… Thank you for explaining to our new members!” The girl in charge squeaks out. “So, ah, moving on, then…”
“Hmm…”
Tsukasa runs one hand through his hair, the other holding a red pen in an iron-tight grip.
“Hngh…”
He hunches over his desk, grinding his teeth.
“Hrm…”
Lost in thought, the pen sinks deeper into the page, leaving a small red hole in its wake.
“Hey, Tsukasa!” An airy voice chimes out.
“AGH, WHO’S–?!” Tsukasa screams in horror, tipping his chair back and nearly falling to the floor. He quickly catches himself, panting as his eyes pan over to the light emitting from his phone. “LEN! YOU SCARED ME!”
“Ah! I’m sorry!” The younger Vocaloid wails out, clasping his hands together. “Miku told me that you were on break this week, so I wanted to see what you were up to!”
“It’s not a break!” Tsukasa fires back, pulling his chair back up to his desk and the script laid out on top of it. “I’m simply working on another project. A future star like me can’t afford to take silly little breaks for no reason!”
“Oh, I see!” Len gasps out in awe, literally looking over the script. “Is it for a festival? I think Miku mentioned something like that.”
“Yes, a school one!” He hums out in response, steadying himself back into position. “I finished the script last night, so I’m making some edits now. I need to finish this by tomorrow so that the committee can start their part of the work.”
“Eh? There’s a whole committee in this show?” Len gawks.
“It’s a one-man show, but the other members are preparing the stage and other arrangements,” Tsukasa corrects calmly, before a prideful grin creeps onto his face. “Perfect for a star like me!”
“Ehe, I bet!” The Vocaloid chuckles, before shooting an awkward glance towards the boy. “Ah, so you wrote a whole script in one night, and you’re also the only actor…?”
“Yes, exactly!” Tsukasa beams, laughter booming back. “I’m going to make this show the best it can possibly be!”
“Right…” Len murmurs, looking off to the side. “Can I ask why you wrote an entire new show for a school festival, instead of choosing one that you already like?”
“Well, that’s because–!” He pauses with a cough, pretending to clear his throat. “Ah, you see, this– this is a special occasion, so it needs to have a special show as well!”
“Tsukasa…” The Vocaloid trails off, looking up at him with visible pity, even on his staticy, small face. “It’s okay to be honest with all of us from the SEKAI. We’re made from your true feelings, after all! There’s no need to hide from us.”
“I’m not hiding anything!” Tsukasa blurts out, far too fast.
With a sigh, Len continues, “You seem really stressed, and you’re only throwing more work onto yourself. Aren’t festivals supposed to be fun?”
“That’s exactly why I’m doing this!” He retorts, brows furrowing as his gaze narrows down onto the Vocaloid beaming up from his phone. “I need to make this as incredible an experience as possible, for Mizuki and Toya’s sake!”
“Hm? Why’s that?”
“They…” Tsukasa trails off, an unusual uncertainty appearing on his face. “They both worry me sometimes,” he finally admits, leaning down towards the Vocaloid like it’s a secret only meant for his ears.
Len tilts his head, which Tsukasa takes as a signal to explain further.
“I feel like they both keep this distance between themselves and others,” he continues, a somber glow setting onto his eyes. “I don’t know if it’s intentional, but I’d like to help them anyway. As their senior and friend, I feel an obligation to lend them my support.”
“Such a noble cause…!” Len practically shakes with admiration, barely able to contain himself. “I know you can do it, Tsukasa! If there’s any one with the star power to put on an amazing show that brings your friends together, it’s you!”
“Haha! Of course!” He beams back, smirking. His gaze falls back to the script before him, and he gives himself a reassuring nod. “I’ve got this.”
There’s a low buzz coming from someone’s microphone, creating an oddly comforting white noise under the ongoing conversation.
“That’s fine. I haven’t had time to finish the new lyrics,” Mafuyu responds to Toya’s apology-riddled notice of leave for the week.
“I’ve never been to a school festival before,” Haruka admits, her voice soft. “I think it’ll be fun, though. Yuki, do you know when Miyajou’s will be?”
“No,” she answers, as blunt as usual. “It’s normally by Culture Day, though.”
“Oh, okay,” Haruka hums, her mic picking up the small sound of shifting.
“I haven’t had a real school festival experience either,” Toya speaks up, filling in the lull of the conversation.
“What do you mean? I thought you went to a normal school,” Nene perks up.
“I did, but, ah…” He trails off for a moment, thinking about how to word his situation. The group knew about his family troubles, but not the full extent. He liked it that way. It wasn’t their problem, anyway. “Piano practice got in the way of things like that, I suppose.”
“You were lucky,” Mafuyu interjects. “School festivals are only fun when you’re not the one dealing with the most responsibilities.”
Something about that statement makes Toya pause for a moment.
“Yeah, but they’re also not fun when your idiot classmates keep asking for your class to do a maid cafe,” Nene grumbles, mostly to herself.
“You don’t like school festivals, Yuki?” Toya asks, his voice lilting with interest.
“I’m not sure,” she responds. There’s a brief moment of silence before she takes a deep breath and says, “They’re okay. It can be a lot of work.”
“Someone with your reputation probably gets a lot of classmates relying on you, huh?” Haruka adds, less of a question and more of an observation. “I’m sure that’s annoying when you already have your own stuff going on.”
“Yeah.”
Silence fills the call again. Someone’s typing on their keyboard.
“Um…” Haruka starts before clearing her throat awkwardly. “So… Toya, what’s your committee been planning for the festival?”
“We mostly talked about scheduling and time slots during today’s meeting,” he explains. “A senior of mine is putting on a show for the opening and closing ceremonies, so the rest of us are helping set that up as well.”
“A show?”
“Like a theater performance.”
“Oh!” Haruka voices. “I wish I could visit, but I already made plans this weekend…”
“That’s fine,” Nene interjects, her voice sounding oddly strained. “I’d rather not have to introduce you to some of the weirder people at our school.”
“Huh? Who are you talking about?” Toya questions.
“No one,” she answers without skipping a beat.
The committee flips through their respective copies of the script, as graciously provided by the Great Future Star Tsukasa Tenma. Said star stands gloriously before them, eyes flitting about the room to gauge each unique reaction to his hard labor’s fruitful product. Surely, every raised eyebrow, clenched jaw, and confused squint is just the natural response to being given the opportunity to behold such an innovative piece of art.
With a croaky voice, the committee leader cuts through the stuffy air, “Ah, this is…”
“Amazing… ” Toya breathes out, clutching his copy of the script. His eyes, dazzling with wonder, dance over the words of the pages before him.
“You like this?” Akito's face srunches with genuine concern.
To his left, Mizuki’s whole body shakes, her shoulders hunching as she tries to stifle her laughter. “Oh– Oh my god!” She squeaks out, gasping for air behind the hand covering her cheshire grin. “We have to put this on! There’s no way–!”
“We can’t,” the leader interjects, much firmer than before. “At least, not in its current state.”
“WHAT?!” Tsukasa howls out, nearly collapsing to his knees as a horrible freezing sensation washes over him.
“Ah, I mean–!” She squeaks out, flailing her arms in panic. “Some of these scenes require sets and props and stuff that we simply just can’t get! Like, there’s no way we can get a firework display approved!”
“But–” He starts to argue back, ready to defend the integrity of his artistic vision, but the girl pushes on.
“I mean, if you could edit this script to downsize those spectacles into something more realistic, then it’s fine–”
This time, he interrupts her. “Yes! Absolutely!” He nods wildly, his proud smirk reforming. “I will downsize, but without compromising the genius of my work! This is but a simple obstacle for a future star like me to overcome, haha!”
“R– Right…” The girl sighs out in relief. “In that case, you can work on the script for the rest of the meeting. Using the scenes we can keep, the rest of us can start delegating work for the show.”
“Oh, oh!” Mizuki perks up, raising her hand. Immediately, everyone’s eyes zero in on her. She tries her best to ignore the others. “I can do the costumes for Tsukasa!”
“Haha, of course!” He beams back, gesturing towards her. “I trust in my fearless tailor’s creative judgment!”
“Um, alright…” The committee leader glances between the two, unsure of how to respond to such an exchange. “If nobody else has a role they want to volunteer for, then I’ll start to assign other roles…”
And that’s how Akito Shinonome ends up with a lolita-centric fashion magazine shoved in his face.
“Please–!”
“It’s way too gaudy.”
“It’s for a costume!” Mizuki groans, lowering the magazine. “Besides, don’t you think gaudiness suits Tsukasa~?” She giggles, wiggling her eyebrows.
Akito glares back.
“C’mon… You’re supposed to help me here!” She whines, pouting at the other first-year.
“This is not a voluntary position,” he grouses, flopping down onto a nearby chair.
Having been assigned into different groups, the committee has separated and dispersed themselves around the classroom. In one corner, Tsukasa and Toya are hunched over a copy of the script.
“Instead of using ‘bold’ again, you could use a synonym like ‘valiant’ or ‘intrepid’,” Toya notes.
Tsukasa gasps, turning to grasp the younger boy’s shoulders. “YOU’RE A GENIUS!” He shouts, pulling him into a hug. “I love big words…!”
“I know you do, Tsukasa,” Toya hums, patting the overjoyed boy’s back.
Mizuki snickers, smirking down at Akito. “Would you rather be helping those two edit?”
He just glares back again.
The meeting ends, but with the script’s revisions only half-done. That has nothing to do with Tsukasa going through every single word of the script and, with Toya as his human thesaurus, replacing them with slightly longer words.
Now faced with the actual task of re-imagining entire scenes of the show, Tsukasa’s hit a bit of a wall. As such, he’s turned to the only other person on his level of stardom, the only other valiant and intrepid troupe leader he knows.
“MIKU!” He shouts, making the teal-haired Vocaloid gasp with delight and immediately bounce over to him. With a squeal, she tries to hop into his arms, but he easily evades her. “Where’s Kaito?!” He inquires, slightly out of breath from yelling.
“He took some of the plushies on a walk earlier, so I’m not sure where they all went off to,” she answers, swaying side-to-side. “Is there something you need? Miku can help!”
“Ah, I’m not sure that… she… can,” Tsukasa falters, scratching the back of his head. “I was looking for the guidance of a fellow leading man, you see–”
“That’s okay, because Miku fills in for Kaito’s roles all the time during our rehearsals!” She beams, eyes sparkling with excitement to help the boy. “What’s wrong?”
Realizing that the ever-excitable Vocaloid isn’t going to let him off easily, Tsukasa just sighs and gives in. “I wrote a script for the school festival, but I was asked to edit it to fit within the committee’s constraints–”
“So you’re having trouble downsizing?” Miku finishes for him, her ears twitching slightly. “Why’s that? Can’t you just snip–snip the parts that won’t work?”
“Well, that’s…” He trails off, face scrunching up in thought. “It’s– I have to change the whole vision of the show, you see!”
“If that’s the case, then why did you agree to change the script in the first place?” Her ears turn down, as a small frown crosses on her face. “Are you hiding something from Miku?”
Tsukasa freezes, his breath hitching for a moment. “No! I just…” He exhales the tension from his body, looking down at the vibrant grass below them. “I don’t want to put on a show that’s just good. I want this to be something really spectacular.”
Miku hums, her expression mirroring Tsukasa’s own stressed worry. However, after a few moments of thought, her eyes light up and her ears shoot up again. “Any show that makes people smile is a spectacular show, though!” She beams, clasping her hands together. “And with Mizuki and your friend in the crowd, you’ll definitely see smiles in the audience!”
“Mizuki didn’t smile at our last show,” Tsukasa retorts easily, the thought having crossed his mind so, so many times before. “I can’t even remember the last time I performed a show for Toya. We must’ve been so young at the time, I mean, what if he doesn’t care about them anymore?”
“Tsukasa…” Miku mulls, her posture deflating. “Miku thinks… that you’re thinking too much.”
“Huh?”
“You’re doing this for their sakes, because you want them to feel more connected to the people around them. That’s a very kind act, Tsukasa,” she explains, her voice unusually soft. “No matter what happens when you get on that stage, they’ll feel that kindness. Everyone in the audience will. You don’t need big boom-pows or shiny-sparklies to show your love for others!”
Stunned into silence, Tsukasa blinks owlishly at the Vocaloid.
“Huh.” He looks down at the script in his hands, scribbled over with red ink time and time again.
One approved script and several days later, Kamiyama High buzzes with the energy of hundreds of students doing their final preparations for the festival, just an hour away from kicking off.
“Stand still!” Mizuki yelps, fruitlessly trying to pin a velvet cape to Tsukasa’s shoulder as he waves his arm out in a grand pose.
“I’m trying to rehearse!” He shouts back, before turning back forward to face An. “Where was I?” He prompts his junior, causing her to furiously scramble through the lines in the script with a panicked expression.
“Ah– um! Act one, scene five, line twenty!”
After clearing his throat, Tsukasa swings his arm out again to project his line, earning another shriek from his costumer.
Positioned off to the side of the noisy trio, Akito jostles with a particularly tangled wire, grumbling to himself. He’s annoyed that he has to work on this egotist’s project, he’s annoyed that everyone’s being so loud, he’s annoyed that he has to sprint to his classroom to work at their haunted house right after the festival starts, and he’s annoyed that this stupid fucking speaker’s cord won’t untangle its damn self–
“Excuse me…” A calm voice calls out to him, snapping Akito out of his agitated spiraling. He looks up, and his eyes meet with that one boy, who’s close with Tsukasa– Toya, he thinks.
Toya points down at the wire twisted in his red hands. “Do you need help?”
“No,” he grunts out without thinking, tugging on the cord again to prove his point. It only pulls tighter together. His eye twitches.
“I’ve been told that I have limber hands,” the taller boy tries again. “I can pick out the knot for you,” he suggests, voice soft.
Struggling with his pride, Akito has to hold himself back from refusing him again. “Fine,” he concedes with a sigh, handing the wire off to the other boy. “I don’t want to be here all day, after all,” he tries to make his tone lighter, a futile attempt to keep the act up.
“This is a tricky one,” Toya nods, but his fingers betray his words as they easily pull the loops apart from each other.
“Right…” Akito murmurs, willing his face to keep from scowling. As an uncomfortable silence– or, at least, a silence that he’s uncomfortable with– evades the air, he decides to take the chance to satisfy some curiosities that had popped up over the week.
“Say, you’re close with that Tenma guy, aren’t you?” He probes, crossing his arm to seem less interested than he is.
“Yes, actually,” Toya answers, a pleasant hum to his tone. “I’ve known him since we were kids. We’re neighbors.”
“Oh, I see,” Akito chuckles slightly, his posture relaxing. “It’s like a family friend thing, then? You have to be chummy with him or your parents would get mad. I get it.”
“No, that’s not it at all,” Toya’s voice turns cold, his hands freezing in place. One of his fingers twitches. “Tsukasa saved me.”
“He– What?”
“Sorry,” he immediately rescinds, curling into himself somewhat. With one last tug, he pulls the ends of the cord apart from each other. Silently, he hands it back to the other boy. “Ignore what I said. I’ll leave you alone now.”
Without another word, the boy shuffles off, disappearing behind a corner. Dumbfounded, Akito stares blankly ahead at the ghost of his presence. The wire dangles loosely between his own fingers, calloused and fat.
An gasps, turning to the boy next to her and gesturing for him to follow her. “C’mon, the show’s starting soon!”
A crowd has formed in front of the stage, assembled in the school’s courtyard. Students, parents, faculty, and even some outsiders have gathered for the start of the festival. Behind the stage, only Tsukasa remains.
“It’s not really like a concert,” Toya murmurs, standing still. “If you’re right next to the stage, you won’t be able to see well when Tsukasa goes upstage.”
“That’s right,” a new voice sneaks up behind the two, “An still has a lot to learn about the stage, it seems,” Rui croons, nestling himself between the two.
“Stop it,” a lighter, but colder, voice mumbles from behind him. “You’re causing a scene.”
“Sorry, Nene, sorry,” he chuckles, only saying the words to placate her. Shuffling over, he gestures for the girl to take a place at An’s side.
“Hello,” Toya greets her, waving over the two between them.
“Oh, you’re here,” Nene mumbles, but gives him a smile and waves back despite the indifference in her voice.
“Oh? You two know each other?” Rui tosses Nene a knowing smirk, and she glares up at him.
“We’re classmates,” she hisses back. For some reason, An feels like she’s missing some context.
However, before An can ask, a booming voice shouts out from the stage before them.
“HAHAHA! ” Tsukasa projects out, jumping onto stage. Dressed in vibrant fabrics and leather, he flings his cape out for dramatic effect. “Welcome, everyone, to Kamiyama High School’s Cultural Festival!”
The audience claps, which the star easily revels in.
“Today, I will tell you the story of a certain adventurer. One with no roots to call his own, who flutters from place to place…”
At her side, An feels Nene bristle slightly. The girl leans over to Rui and whispers, “Do you recognize this show?”
“No,” he whispers back, “I suppose that it could be an original?”
“It is,” An interjects, nodding. The girl looks over, either shocked by her sudden statement or the fact itself. “Tsukasa wrote it himself,” she explains.
For some reason, Nene’s face goes slack. “Oh,” is her only response.
An looks up to Rui for any explanation for her behavior, but he’s still gazing down at the girl. There’s a strained smile sitting on his face.
“Hey, why don’t we all visit some of the stalls together after this?” An speaks up, glancing between the three others. “It’ll be fun!”
For a second, Rui looks up at her with wide eyes. However, his expression easily melts down into his usual pleasant smirk, and he nods. “Agreed. I’d like to see what the other classes have in store.”
“Um, I don’t–”
“Ah, I was actually going to speak with Tsukasa after–”
“C’mon!” An cuts the two introverts off, jumping forward to grab onto both of their arms. “Let’s go wait by the doors so we can beat the rest of the crowd!”
Ignoring their protests, she drags them through the audience. Giggling at the sight of his juniors, Rui trails behind them.
“A haunted house?” Rui muses out loud, stopping his tracks. With a squeak, An halts, her kidnapping victims pausing behind her.
“Wh– What?” She stutters out, unlike herself.
“Welcome,” an orange-haired boy greets the group with a shit-eating grin pointed directly at her. “Do you wanna go in?”
“N– No, we don’t have to–” An starts, but Toya cuts her off.
“Yes, please! I’ve never been through a haunted house before.”
“Seriously?” An shoots him a quizzical expression, but doesn’t pry any further. “But, um, it’s just–”
“Are you afraid, An?” Rui interjects, voice lilting.
“What–? No! I’m not!” She barks back, pushing him forward. “Go! We’re going in! Geez!”
Stepping into the classroom, her vision is immediately darkened by the decor set up to block all light. She can barely see the back of Rui’s blazer, and the only indication she has that Nene’s at her flank is the soft sounds of her breathing. The floorboards underneath their feet creak with every other step, yet she still jumps with every noise that resounds.
In simple terms, she feels like she might pee herself.
Blindly, she reaches out to grab Rui’s jacket, but quickly realizes that he’s walked out of her grasp. Her blood runs cold, her outstretched fingers shaking at the edge of her vision.
“H–Hey! Rui!” She calls out, voice straining with growing panic/
“Why’d you stop?” Nene mumbles from behind her, sounding uneasy as well.
“Rui left us!” An squeals back, turning to face the other girl and enveloping her in a hug. “We’re gonna die!”
“Are they allowed to harm us in a haunted house?” Toya speaks up from behind the girls.
“N–No! Don’t be stupid!” Nene rasps out from An’s lung-crushing grasp. “Keep walking, you’ll find him eventually!”
“What if we find his corpse?!” An wails, clutching onto her tighter.
“If you’re worried, I can take the lead,” Toya offers, but she’s too lost in her fear to respond to him.
“Yo, hurry up! I’ve got a line out here!” A muffled voice shouts out to them, coming from behind them.
“Shut up, Akito!” An screams back. “I’m going through something here!”
“Just go,” Nene looks over at Toya, gesturing with her head for him to walk forward.
Wordlessly, he charges forth, Nene carefully leading An down the narrow path with an arm wrapped around him. Seeing a poorly concealed student dressed in toilet paper crouching down in front of them, she points him a glare and shakes her head.
Catching onto the veiled threat, the boy nods back at her with wide eyes and gives a thumbs-up. Somehow, Toya misses the whole exchange, just bounding forward without a care.
Eventually, light pours back into their sights, and they come back out into the hallway. Immediately, An detaches herself from Nene, stomping towards the boy waiting for them.
“You did that on purpose! What is wrong with you?!” She points an accusatory finger at Rui, face twisting with rage.
“Whatever do you mean?” He feigns innocence, tilting his head. Nene just groans, adjusting her blazer.
“Wait until Honami hears about this!” An shouts back. As the two begin a back-and-forth of bickering, Toya walks up to his own groupmate’s side.
“That wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be,” he notes. “Aren’t there supposed to be things that jump out at us?”
“Um, yeah…” Nene averts her gaze, pretending to still fidget with her uniform. “Anyway, let’s move on.”
The festival carries on, attendees fluttering through the campus and enjoying the festivities to their own delights.
However, as the hours pass by, the closing ceremony draws nearer and nearer. Eventually, the group of four find themselves back where they started, standing amongst the crowd at the closing ceremony.
Behind the stage, Tsukasa kneels down, balancing his phone on his knee as he flits through the script one last time.
“Break a leg, Tsukasa!” Len beams, raising a fist into the air. “You’ve got this!”
“Thank you!” He grins back. “I’ll come visit once the festival’s over,” he assures the Vocaloid, before tucking his phone into his bag.
Stepping into the wings, Tsukasa exhales the nerves prickling under his skin. You can’t ruin this in the final moments, the person in his head whispers to him. What type of star would you be then?
He doesn’t answer. He steps forward.
“Where we last left off, our valiant adventurer was faced with quite the dilemma–!” His voice rings out, and it echoes in his own ears. The sea of people before him are all staring at him, and he can easily make out several smiles amongst the crowd.
That’s good. It’s good. He doesn’t want good.
“Faced with the proposition of joining a team, he must now grapple with this foreign concept of community–!”
Toya and Mizuki are somewhere in the crowd. He knows that, but he’s choosing to ignore that fact. If he happens to see them, and they aren’t smiling, he might just collapse on the spot. He’d rather receive a thousand and one lifeless stares than see either of them frown again.
“Now, our story continues–!”
Stumbling off stage, Tsukasa brushes his bangs out of his eyes. He can hear the committee leader on stage, commencing the actual ceremony to close off the festival.
He thinks his show was good, but he’ll try not to show that on his face.
“Tsukasa!” A soft voice calls out to him. With a gasp, he breaks out of his thoughts.
“Toya!” He blurts out, waving the boy over. Behind him, An and two others are trailing behind.
“That was a fantastic show,” the younger boy gushes, his face tinging red with unadulterated sincerity. “You are truly a great writer, and an even better actor. It was a very good performance.”
The other girl looks at him like he’s suddenly spoken out in an alien language, but Tsukasa just envelops him in a hug.
“Ah, there you all are!” Mizuki’s voice rings out, and the two boys pull apart to greet her. “Good job out there, Tsukasa! You really did my costuming justice~” She giggles, poking a finger into his arm.
“Ah, thank you!” He nods his head, looking between his two juniors. Toya looks at him with stars in his eyes, and Mizuki’s laughter bubbles up like a soft drink.
It’s good, and he can’t hide the smile on his face.