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Izumi walked confidently through the doors of the venue where his latest modeling gig was. The eight year old was used to this routine by now. His parents walked behind him as he made his way to the main room. But today was different, or that’s what they said anyway.
The timer on his ankle slowly ticked away the minutes. Today he was going to meet his soulmate, well one of them. Izumi was unique in that sense. He had five timers, meaning five soulmates. One was the most common of course, two or three weren’t as common but definitely not unheard of, but five, that was extremely rare.
Izumi didn’t really understand the whole soulmate thing though. His parents said that he would feel incomplete until he had met them all. That made no sense to him, he didn’t feel incomplete at all. He felt like him, the confident eight year old who commanded the attention of those around him. His strikingly beautiful looks even at this age garnered him plenty of work as a child model. So what was this supposed empty feeling supposed to feel like anyways?
Izumi stopped as he entered the main room. Staff were hustling around making sure everything was in its place. A staff member approached the family. They nodded at Izumi as they greeted the trio and started giving information to his parents about where he needed to go and what he needed to do. Izumi wasn’t interested in this conversation, his mother would get all the relevant information and then guide him to where he needed to be.
His eyes panned around the set, a school room. He would be modeling school uniforms today, he guessed. He saw some other children running around the desks chaotically, how barbaric. A model should pride themselves on their restraint, not running around like a crazy person when work was to be done.
Then something in his mind told him to look to the right. It was a weird sensation almost like he had no control. His head turned, his eyes lifted and his breath caught. Amethyst eyes shimmered in his direction. A slight burning sensation emanated from his left ankle. He winced, but his eyes stayed locked onto those pretty purple orbs.
The child who was now staring back at him was wrapped around an adult's thigh. They looked nervous, almost scared, at least until their eyes met. A smile played at their lips now. A small hand raised to give Izumi a little wave. Without realizing it his hand returned the gesture. The smile grew to a stunning brightness then and Izumi felt his world shift.
Their parents had noticed the interaction between the two children. Izumi’s father had left his side to approach the other family, while his mother shuffled him to the dressing room. Izumi was confused at what just happened. This person meant something to him, he could feel it, knew it instinctively, but how? Why? And what did this sudden empty feeling that engulfed him mean? He had so many questions but he was a professional. The job came first.
Izumi spent the next few hours being the perfect little model. He listened to every instruction he was given and performed flawlessly for the camera. While working his experience earlier was nearly forgotten. Nearly because that purple eyed child was also a model, although he could tell they were new to it all. Izumi and some brunette girl were the main two models. There were about eight others who would be in the background, including Izumi’s new acquaintance (friend?). So every time they had everyone on set Izumi was reminded of that feeling.
He’d glance over at them when the cameras weren’t clicking to find them looking at him. Every time they would giggle and look away shyly. Why would they do that? What was wrong with them? What a confusing person he would think every time as he would return to his proper pose.
Finally after two hours of posing, fixing makeup, and smiling for the camera the kids were done and released from their duties. Izumi dutifully returned to his mothers side to wait for her instructions on where to go next. It was then that they were approached by the purple eyed child’s family. The child in question was hiding behind their mothers back as they arrived. Izumi frowned. Was he scary?
Their parents greeted each other before turning their attention to the kids. Izumi watched as the other child was forced in front of their mother. They smiled shyly at him but made eye contact regardless. Izumi tilted his head, how could a model be so shy? This person was perplexing to him, an enigma, yet he was curious to learn more.
Izumi’s mother tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. He looked up at her as she smiled and nodded at the other child. “Be a good boy and introduce yourself to your soulmate.”
Soulmate. The word sounded right, perfect for describing what he felt. His eyes locked back onto the pretty amethyst ones. “I’m Izumi Sena,” he said as he bowed respectfully toward them. That smile grew bright again as the other gave a little bow in return.
“Arashi Narukami.”
From that day on Izumi and Arashi had “play dates” as his parents liked to call them. Izumi called them “Arashi annoys Izumi time,” well at least in his mind. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy the company of his soulmate, he absolutely did, it’s just sometimes they were a bit much.
As the two grew older and their schedules became more hectic they saw each other less. They still remained in contact though. They exchanged pictures of photo shoots, talked about the latest fashion trends and even gossiped a bit.
Izumi always felt incomplete when they hadn’t talked or seen each other in a while. As the years went by he started to understand what everyone meant by that empty feeling too. His heart felt heavy sometimes as if it was longing for something he didn’t understand. He would share his thoughts with Arashi about it who would agree and tell him she felt the same.
He stared at his soulmark absentmindedly one day. The timers on his varied wildly. In a few weeks he would meet his next soulmate. Maybe then that empty feeling would go away. He really hated it.
His first day at Yumenosaki Academy was upon him. He would strive to become both a top model and a top idol now. He was excited for this new adventure to start. Even more exciting was that today was also the day he would meet his second soulmate.
As he walked along the path to the main auditorium he wondered what they would be like. Would they be another soul seeking to become an idol? Would they be adorable like Arashi? Would they like him? Izumi internally scoffed at himself. Of course they would like him. What wasn’t there to like about Izumi Sena? Never ask Arashi that, he thought as he turned the corner.
Izumi’s world shifted as he collided with a solid object. A flash of orange and green passed by his eyes before he lost his balance tipping back. A burning sensation in his ankle burst forward as he fell backwards to the ground. His back hit the ground with a loud thump followed by a groan from him taking the impact.
He blinked a couple of times looking at the bright blue sky above him. Then the burning in his ankle demanded his attention. Fearing he had sprained it in the fall he quickly sat up to assess the damage. Pulling up his pant leg he quickly discovered the reason for the burn and it wasn’t a sprain. Timer number two had morphed into a new lovely mark set neatly against Arashi’s.
A groan caught Izumi’s attention. He looked up to see a boy sprawled out in front of him. The boy was holding his hip as if he were in pain. Izumi carefully moved himself closer to the boy to check on him.
“Are you alright,” he asked, admiring the bright orange hair that settled around the boys shoulders.
“Hip hurts,” the boy mumbled.
Izumi looked down where the boy's hand was still rubbing what he assumed was the sore spot. “Maybe you hurt it in the fall.”
The boy groaned again. Izumi wanted to help somehow but he wasn’t really sure what to do. If the boy was hurt badly he needed to get him to the infirmary. Izumi looked around to see if someone would help. Before he could get anyone’s attention though the boy sat up. To Izumi’s shock and horror the boy then started tugging down his pants.
“What are you doing?” Izumi’s hand flew to the one that was pulling the boy's pants down to stop him. “You can’t just undress in public!”
The boy looked up at him in a daze. Maybe he hit his head too, Izumi thought. He really needed to get some help.
“Wahahaha! I wasn’t undressing,” the boy exclaimed, a little too loudly in Izumi’s opinion. “I’m just checking my soulmark.”
Izumi froze as the boy put his attention back to his task of pulling down one side of his pants. Izumi’s eyes locked onto the skin of the boy's hip. Four timers surrounded a single design, the same design that was now part of Izumi’s mark. This was his second soulmate. Izumi sat dumbfounded. The boy on the other hand was giddy.
“My first soulmate!” Green eyes searched around his vicinity to determine who it was. After a short time a frown crossed his face. “But who?”
Izumi scrunched his brow in frustration. Wasn’t it obvious who it was. “Idiot,” he mumbled.
Green eyes shifted to him now. Another beat and then they filled with understanding. The next moment Izumi was engulfed by gangly arms, orange hair brushed against his face. It took a moment to realize he was being hugged. Izumi sputtered and tried to push the boy off him. He got the hint and let go, but he stayed close to the silver haired model's face.
“You’re pretty,” the green eyed boy said with no shame.
“Don’t just go grabbing people like that!”
“Aww! You aren’t just people. You’re my soulmate!”
Izumi shushed the boy. “Quiet down will ya.”
The boy leaned back a bit and frowned at Izumi. “Are you ashamed of me?”
“What?” Izumi could not keep up with this boy's mood swings. “I don’t… We don’t even know each other. How could I be ashamed of someone I don’t know.”
Green eyes lit up and a bright smile set itself back in place. “That’s right!” This time the boy practically tackled Izumi with the force of his hug.
“Gah! Let go!” Izumi scrambled from his hold this time. He quickly stood up to put some distance between the two of them. He brushed the dirt and dust from his uniform and quickly assessed it for any damage. Finding his uniform in good shape he smoothed it out.
Turning his attention back to his supposed soulmate he found the boy emphatically marking up a piece of paper. Izumi looked closer to find that the boy was drawing music staffs and notes quickly down on the page. He heard the boy humming quietly to himself, completely ignoring the world around him. Izumi stared in awe. Who was this person?
A bell resounded throughout the courtyard signaling the start of orientation. Izumi snapped out of his wonder and looked around to see the courtyard now empty.
“Hey, we need to get inside,” he said to the boy crouched on the ground. There was no indication that he had heard him so Izumi resorted to physical means. With little effort he lifted the boy into a standing position.
“Hey! My masterpiece!” The boy made grabby gestures toward the paper on the ground. Izumi quickly leaned down, picked up the paper, and shoved it into the boy's hands.
“We are late, we have to go.” Izumi started to drag the boy toward the doors of the auditorium building. Remarkably he didn’t offer any resistance. Glancing over Izumi saw that he had started marking up the paper again. Ridiculous, he thought, how could this boy, his soulmate, be so oblivious?
They quickly reached the doors of the auditorium, but Izumi halted before they entered. He released his hold on the boy who somehow managed to balance himself while still scribbling away. Izumi shook his head at the scene. What an eccentric character he had on his hands.
“Hey, pay attention would ya.” He poked the boy's shoulder and somehow this worked. Green eyes looked up at him as if the world was coming back into focus. Izumi sighed. “You made us late on the first day…” The two stood silent just staring at each other for a moment before Izumi sighed again. “I’m Izumi Sena, by the way.”
The boy's eyes lit up with excitement at that. His lips mouthed Izumi’s name. Then his attention returned to the page in his hand. Izumi was about to grab the boy again to stop him from getting distracted until he saw what he was doing. The handwriting was sloppy but Izumi could still read it, the title for this supposed masterpiece was now ‘Sena’s Soul.’ Izumi stared at the page, an overwhelming feeling gripping his heart. He only lifted his eyes back to green when the boy spoke.
“Leo Tsukinaga.”
Life at Yumenosaki was a roller coaster. Leo was a handful and the whole school was nothing like he imagined. It was full of lazy people using guild-like units to ease through the school. Izumi wasn’t happy with his education in the slightest. There were a few people who worked hard, who gave it their all, but it felt lifeless.
Having Leo was a blessing, though he’d never admit it out loud. He missed Arashi a lot, which he’d also never admit out loud. Day in and day out he sat in each class just wishing for it to be done. Not that he didn’t want to learn, he wanted that desperately. He wanted to improve himself so he could somehow match the genius of Leo or the prowess of some of the other powerhouse performers. He was just so bland.
He’d spend his nights tracking down Leo and cleaning up his messes, inspiration came randomly after all and he didn’t always have paper. He spent most of his weekends at modeling gigs or visiting Arashi or Leo’s homes.
His first year at Yumenosaki flew by in a frenzied yet somehow peaceful setting. He would look back at that time someday and wish that it had stayed like that, wished that the coming conflict would have left him alone. Yet he would also dwell on the emptiness that still consumed a part of him. He longed for the day that was filled.
Izumi sighed loudly as he passed through the gate of Yumenosaki. How could Leo break his arm and run around as if it didn’t matter. That boy was so reckless.
Out of the corner of his eye Izumi spotted movement. Turning to see what or who it was he spotted a very familiar figure. Arashi stood peeking around the corner of the gate as if waiting to ambush someone. Izumi clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes as he headed toward his model friend.
“Hey, shitty four eyes, what are you doing?”
Arashi startled at his voice, having not noticed his approach. “Ack! Don’t sneak up on me like that,” she exclaimed after calming down. “And that’s a mean nickname, don’t call me that.”
Izumi eyed the model for a second. “What are you even doing here? You’re in the way.”
Arashi smiled at Izumi, not bothered by his words in the slightest. “I’m not really in the way though. I’m just waiting for Kunugi to pass by.”
Izumi lifted an eyebrow at that. Arashi did seem attached to the new teacher when they were younger and Kunugi was still a model. She was also dressed up quite similarly to him as well. “Do you have some kind of thing for him or something?”
“Some kind of…” she scoffed. “It’s true love of course!” Izumi snorted. Arashi frowned. “Well it is,” the younger pouted and crossed her arms across her chest.
So Arashi was crushing on the teacher. How adorable. It surprised Izumi that he found that cute instead of annoying. Shouldn’t he be jealous if his soulmate was pining for someone else? Yet here he was thinking it was rather endearing that Arashi would go so far to even look as similar to Kunugi. A rare smile crossed his lips as he thought more about it.
“You wouldn’t happen to know why he isn’t passing by would you, Izumi-chan?”
“No. But isn’t he pretty busy? I think he works late a lot.”
Izumi was quickly getting bored talking about the over protective teacher. He still had time to get some practice in the training room he had rented. Looking over Arashi again he had an idea.
“Kunugi isn’t coming so you’re wasting your time here. Come with me. I need to practice and you have a good eye. You can help me improve.”
Arashi contemplated for a moment before answering. “Sure, why not. I’m a bit cold standing here so long anyways. Let’s go.”
The two idols stepped away together only for Izumi to step on something squishy. Or rather someone. Izumi jumped back, bumping into Arashi. “Gah! Is it a dead body,” the silver haired boy questioned.
“Hm, no I think he’s alive. As I was standing at the gate I watched him wander over here and settle down.”
“What? And you just ignored such suspicious behavior? What if he is sick or something?” Izumi kneeled next to the boy to check on him. “Hey you! Are you ok? Need any help?”
“Mmmn. So~ noisy. I’m fine. Leave me alone,” the dark haired boy mumbled in response.
“Hey, we’re just worried about you! I haven’t seen you before, you’re a first year aren’t you. You should respect your elders,” Izumi scolded.
“Just leave me alone. The suns unbearable today so I’m sleeping here in the shade until it goes down.”
“Unbearable?” What was up with this guy, what was he even talking about? “If you’re feeling sick I’ll carry you to the nurses office.”
“I said I was fine, thanks for the concern though.”
“I’m not just leaving you here. Come on, shitty four eyes, help me,” Izumi commanded as he glanced at Arashi.
The younger model bristled at the nickname. “Hey! I told you not to call me that!”
“What am I supposed to call you then? You hate your own name…” Izumi sighed and turned his head back to the boy laying on the ground. His eyes locked with the now open red eyes staring at him.
The familiar burning sensation in his ankle caught him off guard. With having to deal with Leo and Arashi distracting him he had completely forgotten that he would find his third soulmate today. But the burn in his ankle reminded him instantly. The boy below him seemed just as surprised by the sensation that was going through him. He watched him lift his hand to his shoulder, rubbing it gently.
“You’re…” The boy stuttered before going quiet.
Arashi leaned over Izumi to figure out why the two had just halted. “He’s Izumi Sena and I’m,” she trailed off. Izumi could only assume it was because their eyes were now locked and Arashi was feeling her soulmark changing.
The red eyed boy looked back and forth between the two leaning over him. Izumi couldn’t help but think that his eyes were beautiful. He felt like the three sat there for an eternity just staring at one another, but it was likely only a second or two. Finally, the boy lifted himself into a sitting position. He glanced between the two again before mumbling.
“Ritsu ..kuma”
Izumi paced around backstage in irritation. Where was Leo? The live was about to start and they needed their leader, he needed Leo. Everything had turned around so fast. This live would determine who could go on to rule from former Chess. And Leo was missing.
Izumi wasn’t so concerned they would lose without him. Their haphazardly put together crew seemed strong enough to take down all the lazy idiots still clinging to the old unit. He was just worried about his friend, his soulmate.
Leo had been even more flaky and flighty since breaking his arm. He was rarely at practice these days. He hadn’t even met Arashi or Ritsu due to his absences. Izumi had hoped he could use this live to sit him down to find out what was going on. But what if he didn’t show?
Izumi told the others to be ready, that they would win this no matter what. Just as he was about to give up Leo appeared in his normal boisterous manner.
“Wahahaha! Sorry I’m late.”
“Ugh, don’t make me repeat all my lessons Leo-kun. Please be punctual next time,” Izumi scolded the orange haired boy.
“Sena, always so grumpy! You grow old if you keep that up!”
Per usual nothing could darken Leo’s mood. Izumi decided not to continue that conversation for his own sake. “Hurry up and get warmed up. We have a show to perform.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Arashi and Ritsu moved to join the two to get ready themselves. “Oh are you guys the ones Sena asked to…” Leo’s question died on his tongue as his eyes went wide and his hand covered his hip. Oh that was right. The three of them were all soulmates and this was the first time Leo was meeting the other two. Great, they did not need that distraction right now.
“Yes, yes. You’re all soulmates. Talk about it later. We have a show to do,” Izumi pushed.
For once Izumi was happy with Leo’s ability to just switch to a new mode. The orange haired boy skipped past him headed for the stage. “Come on Knights! You heard Sena. Let’s give them a show they won’t forget. Wahahaha!”
Izumi smiled softly. Leo would be ok. They would win this live and show this school what hard work could do. Everything would be just fine.
Everything was a disaster. Leo was gone. Izumi had broken him. Yumenosaki was a war zone. So many of his former comrades had fallen in the various battles. Knights was down.
Well sort of. Izumi still had Arashi and Ritsu. The relationship of the three had developed over the past few weeks. They all needed support and comfort. Arashi was always there with kind words. Ritsu always had an ear to provide on the rare occasion Izumi actually wanted to talk.
He felt bad, honestly. He didn’t feel he could offer any support to any of them. His actions had caused Leo’s downfall. He would never forgive himself for that. Neither of the other two blamed him, but he still believed it.
The three would still practice together. Izumi was determined to keep Knights alive so if, no, when Leo returned he had a home, a castle waiting for him. Even if the castle was falling apart around him as long as he remained in it then it would be a home for them. For Knights.
Izumi hadn’t thought about it for a while, mostly with the power struggle distracting him, but as he looked down at his ankle he realized today was special. Izumi would meet his fourth soulmate today. He wondered who it could possibly be. It was timed to happen midday, during Knights practice no less. If it was someone from the school why hadn’t he already run into them? He didn’t know of any transfer students joining recently. So then who?
“Izumi~chan,” Arashi’s sing-song voice shook him from his thoughts. “We’re ready to start warm ups if you are!”
Izumi stood up nodding. “Yeah.”
The three started stretching in silence, though Izumi thought it was a comfortable silence. His mind wandered back to his next soulmate. Would the other two meet them today too? It was never something any of them discussed. Why? Maybe that should change.
Izumi glanced at Arashi as she leaned to one side. He had never even seen her soulmark. He knew it was over her heart, fitting for her really she was the kindest of the four so far. He’d guess it was beautiful too, just like the model.
Arashi caught him staring and smiled softly at him. “Something on your mind,” she asked.
Izumi stood up straight. “I was thinking about soulmates and soulmarks. I’ve never seen yours, that’s what I was thinking.” It was a rare moment of honesty for Izumi. Maybe he was just tired of not saying what he meant.
Arashi straightened up as well. “Would you like to see it? I’ll show you if you’d like.” Ritsu was now fully paying attention and stopped stretching as well.
Izumi contemplated. The mark was still a work in progress, yet even unfinished art could still be beautiful. He nodded at her, for some reason it didn’t feel right to speak. She chuckled but obliged as she said she would. Pulling aside her shirt by the neck she stretched it far enough to reveal her soulmark.
The mark looked like a flower half bloomed. Izumi had been right, it was beautiful. Positioned at the top and bottom of the design were two timers. Izumi confirmed that they displayed similar timeframes to his. Their next soulmate would be here in about 24 minutes.
“Oh my! I forgot about that being today,” Arashi said looking down at her mark.
“I suppose that’s why I was thinking about it.” Izumi saw Ritsu rolling up his sleeve to look at his own mark. “Well we have some time before that happens, let’s get some practice in,” he instructed as he moved to start the music.
Practice started out well enough but then small mistakes started popping up. All three of them were struggling with something. Arashi kept missing a particular step over and over. Ritsu was having trouble staying on pitch during the chorus of the song. Izumi just kept losing his concentration and misstepping or singing the wrong words. It seemed they were all tired, but Izumi pushed them on. Some harsh words were said but everyone took it in stride so it seemed.
Izumi grew frustrated at his mistakes and finally grumbled that they were done. Arashi suggested trying a different song, one they were more familiar with. Ritsu suggested they take a nap. Izumi snapped at him after that, but immediately shut his mouth not wanting to make things worse. Maybe a nap wasn’t such a bad idea, they were all tired.
Suddenly Izumi felt as if he were being watched. He glanced over to the door which he realized had been left open. Staring back we’re a pair of violet eyes. He’d lost track of time it seemed. His soulmark burned to remind him. He watched silently as the boy's eyes shifted from his to the other two in the room.
Izumi noticed the boy wince each time his eyes locked with them. It must have been painful to have three marks shift in such a short time. Those purple eyes landed back on him. There was something strong behind them. They were calming to Izumi. Just as he was about to walk toward the red haired boy he heard someone call from down the hall.
“Tsukasa-kun, let’s go.”
The boy took off without hesitation leaving the trio in silence once again. Izumi kept his eyes on the door hoping that the bright red hair would return, but after a minute he finally tore his eyes from it. Looking back at the other two he mumbled two words.
“Tsukasa who?”
The beginning of the next school year was a blur for Izumi. He learned the full name of his fourth soulmate when he introduced himself at the start of the year. Tsukasa Suou was a hard working first year, who joined Knights eagerly. He dutifully took on any assignment given to him and completed it with enthusiasm. He was a breath of fresh air for the other three, though sometimes an over talkative annoyance. He insisted Knights should hold their chivalrous oath in high regard.
Izumi watched the rise of Trickstar and the rebellion with disinterest mostly. He didn’t want to pull Knights into another war and break someone else he cared about. That was until Tenshouin pulled him in, used him just like he used Leo the year before.
Izumi wasn’t proud of himself. He had failed someone he cared about again and dragged down Knights with him. He just wanted to be left alone in this little destroyed castle, waiting for his king's return. It never crossed his mind to ask Tsukasa about his soulmark or how long the timers had left. Maybe this would have given him warning for the person he desperately longed for's return.
He wasn’t prepared for it like he thought he was. Prepared to see Leo again. He didn’t know what he expected. Him to be a broken shell still? Izumi was relieved to see that wasn’t the case. And Leo was composing. That brought a smile to Izumi’s face. Leo was obviously recovering well.
His smile dropped however when Leo declared his challenge to Knights. He had watched Leo’s reaction to seeing Tsukasa, it was obvious by his hand rubbing his hip that his mark was burning. Yet, Leo being Leo, carried on as if nothing changed.
Izumi wasn’t an idiot. He knew what Leo was doing with this challenge. Leo was back but he didn’t want the crown anymore. Izumi understood completely, but was this necessary? Necessary or not they couldn’t fail. Especially when Leo had the audacity to call his temporary unit “Knight Killer’s.” So annoying Izumi thought.
When the dust had settled and Knights were victorious, Izumi could finally breathe. A weight lifted from his shoulders. A new era started, one he hoped was filled with less fighting. Izumi looked over his unitmates, his soulmates. Finally, Knights was whole, perfect. At least for now.
Four years was a long and short timeframe at the same time. Izumi had traveled the world for his modeling gigs. Leo would occasionally join him, but he always felt incredibly empty unless the five of them were together.
Knights was still a popular idol group so their schedule was always full too. Izumi didn’t mind having such a full schedule though. It kept him from noticing that slight emptiness that was still gripping him. He knew what it was of course. Their fifth soulmate was still out there somewhere.
When their timers had turned over to a daily count instead of a yearly one they all started wondering more about their sixth member. What would they look like? Were they rich? Were they famous? What was their personality like? Izumi grew bored of these questions fast. It wasn’t like they’d know until the day they met so why even speculate.
Speaking of the day, it was fast approaching. Izumi had just returned from Florence for an extended stay to fulfill his duty as a Knight. In ten days he would finally meet his last soulmate. They all would.
The others had narrowed it down to the exact minute that each of them would lay eyes on them. After double checking several times they determined that everyone but Izumi would see them during their live performance at a festival, all four would see them within a minute and a half timeframe. Izumi was the odd ball out however, he’d have to wait another two to three hours. For the first time he would not be the first to connect with one of them. This time he was last.
This didn’t bother him in the slightest, even with the others teasing him. The only thing that mattered was that he would eventually meet them. But this issue brought other questions to the table. What would Izumi be doing during their show that would prevent their connection? Was something bad going to happen? Again, boring questions that wouldn’t be answered until the day of.
The days leading up to the festival were full of practice, photo shoots, radio shows, tv spots, and more practice. Controlled chaos as Arashi liked to say, right before Leo would wail something about chaos. It wasn’t long before the group was sitting in the designated area for them behind the festival stage.
Izumi could hear the crowd gathering outside. Their soulmate would be there, waiting for them. Nothing seemed to be going wrong so far so the mystery of his connection being delayed was still unsolved. Each member had their own way to prepare for each performance, yet today there was an additional buzz in the air throwing off some of their preparations.
“Oooh~ isn’t this so exciting,” cooed Arashi. “We’ll all be complete soon!”
“It is! It is! I can’t wait to see them!” Leo was practically bouncing off the walls.
“I’m excited too,” Tsukasa proclaimed, though he didn’t seem any more excited than normal.
“No matter what they’ll be wonderful, I can feel it,” Ritsu said softly, a dreamy far off look in his eye.
Izumi rolled his eyes. “Just remember that we have a performance to complete, flawlessly. Don’t go ruining it by getting lost in love or something,” he spat.
“Wahahaha! Sena is jealous!”
Izumi furrowed his brow. How did Leo come to that conclusion based on his statement? “That’s ridiculous. I just don’t want you all tarnishing Knights reputation by messing up.” He turned to Leo. “And don’t you dare leave the stage before the appropriate time!”
Leo looked scandalized. “How could you think I would ever do something like that?” Izumi just stared at the orange haired boy as if the answer were obvious. “Fwa! I am a professional idol!”
Arashi giggled at his outburst. “We know Leo-chan. Izumi-chan was just teasing.”
“I was not,” Izumi huffed quietly. He decided to drop it though.
With only a few minutes left to the start of the show they all returned to their preparations. Izumi closed his eyes to listen to the crowd beyond the stage. His performance must be flawless for he is a Knight.
The five of them made their way to the edge of the stage ready to shine for their princes and princesses cheering them on. “So help me if any of you mess up,” Izumi’s steely voice was just loud enough for all of them to hear. Giggles and snickers followed it as they pranced onto the stage ready to conquer the crowd.
Izumi wouldn’t have to wait long to find out how his unitmates would fare. They had determined it would happen in the second song. So he was watching close for any signs.
First would be Arashi. He figured she’d handle it gracefully just like with everything she did. When he saw her hold her hand over her heart a little longer than was choreographed and how brilliant her smile had suddenly become he knew she had seen them.
Ok, next would be Tsukasa. If Izumi were being honest he worried most about their youngest member stumbling. He trusted their leader of course, but he could be so delicate sometimes. So Izumi watched him closely now. There it was, Tsukasa stumbled just the slightest. Izumi would have missed it had he not been watching so closely. No one else would have possibly noticed it. Izumi didn’t blame him though. Tsukasa’s mark was on his thigh, it probably made it a little painful to dance with it burning.
Izumi’s eyes set on Leo next. He really hadn’t been teasing when he made his comments earlier. Leo was a firecracker at the best of times. No one could predict what he would do. To Izumi’s horror the orange haired boy did change the choreography, but at least he stayed on the stage. Leo knelt at the edge of the stage and reached forward. Izumi desperately wanted to look where Leo was reaching but he was afraid to take his eyes off the boy for fear he would do something worse. Leo’s recovery was swift though and he was back in his spot performing perfectly. He even had the audacity to wink at Izumi. Oh he would have words for him later.
Next Izumi turned his focus to Ritsu. He watched the dark haired idol for a while with seemingly no change in his behavior. Maybe they got his timing wrong, maybe Ritsu wouldn’t see them right away. There was no indication that Izumi could see that Ritsu had seen them. Had something gone wrong after all? It wasn’t until the two were next to each other that Izumi got his answer. Ritsu carefully covered his mic and whispered “they're lovely” to Izumi as they passed by each other. Izumi schooled his face with practiced ease so as not to show the turmoil of emotions that overtook him at Ritsu’s comment. Now of all times jealousy sprouted in his heart. He wanted to see this person so bad.
The rest of the show went smoothly, everyone performing wonderfully. But Izumi was in a foul mood now. He hated this feeling and because of this guilt washed over him. He had no reason to feel this way. He would meet them soon enough and everything would be right.
The group returned to their designated resting area after the show had completed. Ritsu and Arashi collapsed onto one of the couches.
“Oh their eyes were so lovely weren’t they,” Arashi cooed.
“Almost as perfect as Sena’s!”
“They looked a little shocked,” Tsukasa reasoned.
“I’m sure they never imagined their soulmates would be us. I was sad to see them run off. They must have been so overwhelmed,” Ritsu said before a yawn escaped him.
Run off? So that must have been the reason Izumi didn’t connect with them. Were they upset about who their soulmates were? Or was it just too much at once? Izumi was growing more frustrated. He wanted to find them now and find out.
“We did well though, right Sena? No one left the stage or fell over,” Leo exclaimed.
“Yes, I thought we handled that exceptionally well,” Arashi added.
Izumi stopped listening to them at this point. He was lost in his own thoughts. He tried to rein in his emotions. The others sounded so happy. They were complete, their marks were whole, they didn’t have that empty feeling gnawing at their heart anymore. He didn’t want to hear about it, about his last soulmate until he could see them. That was still over an hour away. A lifetime at the speed time was going right now.
Izumi balled his fist his nails digging into his palm. He chewed at his lip. Anything to distract him from these vile emotions.
A pen bounced off the side of Izumi’s head and then fell to the floor. Izumi swiftly turned to the direction it came from. “What,” he growled. He instantly regretted his tone when he saw everyone’s face morph with concern.
“Sena?” Leo’s voice was small compared to his normal boisterous bellowing.
Izumi just sighed disgustedly at himself. He stood from his seat to cross the room heading for the changing area without saying a word. He shook his head when he was out of eyeshot from the others. They really didn’t deserve his ire. They had all done amazing during today's performance and they should be happy. He shouldn’t bring down their mood with his stupid self pity. So he’d just hide for now.
About an hour later Izumi was walking through the festival crowd. Anzu had kindly found them outfits that matched the theme of the festival and would hide their identities so they could walk around without fear of being mobbed by fans. This was a rare opportunity and he hoped the others were taking advantage of it as well.
Izumi had escaped from the others after he had changed. He left their rest area as the rest were changing. He had no idea where they were and was perfectly happy to keep it that way for now. He needed the space.
Izumi let the festive atmosphere surrounding him ease his mind. The booths were full of food, games, and merchandise. Arashi would have a hay day perusing the clothing booths. Tsukasa would probably get sick from all of the sweets being offered. Leo would probably find inspiration from the littlest thing and start composing his next masterpiece, on paper Izumi hoped. Ritsu would just enjoy the atmosphere, especially now that the sun was setting.
He wondered what they would enjoy here. Would they shop with Arashi? Eat with Tsukasa? Maybe just walk and enjoy the sights with Ritsu. He’d have to ask when he found them.
A short time later Izumi found himself walking down a quiet path. He could still hear the festival crowd behind him as he moved forward. He felt as if he was being drawn somewhere. Like he was being drawn to them. He passed a few couples enjoying the quiet space and each other's company.
The path winded back and forth along a small lake weaving under trees and around flower beds. Izumi chuckled, it was such a romantic setting. Perfect for finding his soulmate. His last soulmate.
A clearing opened before him and there sat a solitary figure. A young person crouched on a bench looking as if they wanted to remain as small as possible. That wouldn’t do. No one should ever feel that way. He approached the bench quietly but not hiding his presence so as not to startle the hunched figure.
It was time wasn’t it. This was his last soulmate. What should he say? Should he play it suave, try to impress them? Maybe coy? He shouldn’t be himself, that would probably scare them off. Just like when they ran from the show. That was unkind, it had upset the others. Izumi clicked his tongue and before his mind could stop his mouth words came tumbling out. “You know, it’s very rude to run away from your soulmates.” He wanted to slap himself. Those were his first words to them? Idiot.
Their head slowly moved up, eyes lifting to face his. The others were right, their eyes were beautiful. His ankle burst with a burning sensation, one he was very familiar with. He was finally whole, complete.
There was a long pause as the two stared at each other. It wasn’t an awkward pause though. Izumi felt content just to be here, he really didn’t need to talk. He hoped they felt the same.
Moving to the bench Izumi gently sat down beside them. He was ready to grab them if they took off again, but they didn’t seem to be considering it. Their head turned away from him now, seemingly shy. That would be one explanation for their flight earlier.
“I’m sorry about that.” That voice was soft and angelic to his ears. Even more than Arashi’s. He smiled at the thought of that offending the blonde. “I just got overwhelmed.” They glanced down at their right arm where Izumi could see a beautiful fully bloomed flower design emblazoned on their skin. “The burning was far more intense than I expected.”
“I can’t even imagine,” he replied. It was the truth. He went anywhere from several months to years between his marks burning. Tsukasa was probably the only one that could even comprehend what it felt like to be in their place. “Four in rapid succession is a lot.”
“Yeah.”
Silence enveloped them again. It was peaceful sitting in this little clearing. Izumi looked out over the little lake as he absorbed the sounds around him. The wind gently blowing across his face rustling the leaves nearby. The quiet breaths that they each took. The soft buzzing of his phone vibrating in his pocket.
Izumi sighed as he removed the offending phone to view the message. At least he had the foresight to turn off the ringer. Several notifications rapidly popped up from the Knights group chat. The other four were suddenly very interested to know his whereabouts. They weren’t interested in him though, he knew that.
He chuckled as more notifications flowed in, mostly from Leo. “What’s so funny?” Izumi turned to face the one next to him.
“The others really want to meet you.” He flashed the screen in their direction showing the notifications still rolling in. He delighted in the reaction of a light blush that colored their cheeks.
“Oh,” they said shyly as they turned away.
He frowned. They didn’t seem very excited to meet the others. Maybe it was still too much for them.
“I can tell them to bug off if you don’t want to meet them all.” He was trying to be considerate of their feelings. He wanted them to feel comfortable around all five of them.
“No, that’s alright. I’m just nervous I suppose.”
“There is no reason to be nervous around us. We don’t bite,” he joked.
A small laugh echoed through him. He liked it a lot. His new challenge in life was to make them laugh as much as he could. That would make him happy.
“You can tell them where we are if you’d like. I would like to meet them. And to apologize for running off earlier.”
“No need for apologies. It wasn’t like we would have been able to talk to you then,” Izumi assured them as he started typing a message to the group. His notifications finally stopped as the others noticed he was typing. His message was short and simple. ‘Follow the path along the left side of the lake. We are in a clearing about half way down.’
His message sent, he slipped his phone back in his pocket. The others wouldn’t waste any time in getting here now that they had the location.
“I’m sorry for how loud it’s about to get. Some of us can be quite excitable.”
They laughed again, mission accomplished. “I look forward to it.”
Silence again. Izumi wasn’t really sure what to say next. He could find out something about them, but he also didn’t want them to have to repeat themself when the others arrived.
“Um. Sorry, I’m afraid I don’t know your name,” they admitted suddenly.
Izumi gave a look of disbelief. “You were at our live and don’t know our names?”
They shyly looked away again. “Well I don’t follow pop culture actually. I was only there because a friend needed someone to go with.”
He sat dumbfounded. How could they get so lucky to have found someone who didn’t already know everything about them. Izumi felt incredibly happy at this discovery. They wouldn’t have expectations of the members of Knights from their work as idols. They would all get to learn about each other at the same pace.
“I’m Izumi Sena.” He placed his hand over his heart and bowed his head. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
They smiled at him, eyes gleaming with happiness. All at once Izumi felt full. His heart was bursting with happiness. His soul felt right. His world was perfect. He just needed one more thing.
Izumi looked at them expectantly waiting for them to speak it. They caught his request without him having to actually voice it. Giving him a little nod they finally spoke.
“My name is…”